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sailor-aviator · 8 months

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Fool's Fare: Chapter Three

Fool's Fare: Chapter Three

Pairing: Jake "Hangman" Seresin x Reader

Summary: Captain Jake "Hangman" Seresin had come close to swinging from the gallows more times than he would care to admit. He's stolen, cheated, even killed. The worst thing he's ever done? Broken the heart of a woman. Having broken the heart of the woman whom Davy Jones himself had fallen for six years ago, Jake is now cursed to live as something not dead, but not alive. He's doomed to live a half-life for the rest of his existence unless he manages to obtain the treasure Davy Jones deems most valuable. The problem? He has no idea what it is, and he only had seven years to obtain it.

Triggers: Language, Excessive alcohol consumption, Talks of the supernatural. Think that's it.

Word Count: 3.4k

A/N: Here is Chapter Three! I hope you all enjoy! I'm hoping to start working out the timeline for the DPU again so I can post an update for Outrun the Devil here soon, but I might update Meet Me at the Sea again before I do. As always, reblogs, comments, and likes are greatly appreciated! 18+ ONLY!! You can also find me on AO3 under sailor_aviator where I post my updates as well!

Series Masterlist || Moodboards || Playlist || Jake "Hangman" Seresin Tag List

The town of Port Royal was crowded with men of different ilk the likes of which you had never seen. The Hangman had docked in the early hours of the morning, and once you had finished helping Bob prepare and serve breakfast, you had dragged the young man down the gangway and onto the street, heart hammering away with excitement.

“We can’t be gone too long,” Bob said, grinning at your clear excitement. “We have to be back in time to prepare supper.”

“What’s the point of traveling if we can’t even see the sights?” you scowled, pushing your way through the heavy throng of people around you. A few men gave you dirty looks as you did, but you paid them no mind. Men were rarely able to back up their bark with enough bite, in your experience, but you pressed onward without so much as a second glance at them.

“Pete, we are seeing the sights,” Bob chuckled behind you.

You turned to fix him with a scowl. “We’re seeing, but we aren’t appreciating. How can we when we only have a few hours?”

“I think you’re overestimating how much there is for us to do around here,” he laughed. You paid him no mind as you neared the market of the old pirate hub. Men bargained with each other at several of the different stalls, and groups of women were scattered along the streets looking for paying customers to share their bed for the evening.

“Ahoy, handsome,” a pretty redhead grinned at you as she leaned over the railing of the brothel. “You look like you’ve hardly reached manhood, and I don’t suppose you have much experience under your belt. Can I interest you in some lessons?”

“I, uh,” you stammered, blinking up at her nervously. “No, thank you, miss.”

“Shame,” she smirked, eyes looking behind you. “And what about you, sailor?”

You turned to see Bob looking as red as a tomato as he glanced nervously at you. “No, I’m fine.”

“Well, I’ll be here if either of you change your mind,” she grinned, tossing her long curls back to show off her ample cleavage. “Just ask for Lucy when you come back.”

“We’ll keep that in mind,” you blushed, hurrying to move forward with Bob hot on your tail. The two of you continued on a little farther until a glint of light caught your eye. You walked slowly up to the stall, several men grousing at you as you crossed right in front of their paths, but you paid them no mind. Your eyes were locked on a beautiful necklace that lay on top of a small wooden chest at one of the stalls. The golden chain held a six-pointed star, tiny diamonds encircling a burning opal. You had never seen something so beautiful before.

“I see you’ve found the soul of Polaris.”

You jumped, looking up to see an older man with a salt and pepper beard staring down at you. His accent was foreign, and if you had to guess, you’d say the man was from somewhere in Scotland.

“Is that what this is?” you asked him, looking back down at the jewel.

“Aye,” he continued, folding his arms. “They say a sea witch fell madly in love with a sailor long ago. When the two finally met face to face, the witch proclaimed her love for the man, but what she didn’t know is that the man was disgusted by her form. You see, the sea witch was also a mermaid, a siren of the sea. For while the witch was fair of face, the sailor knew what monster lay beneath the surface. So, he told her that he would only accept her love if she offered him something valuable.”

“And that was the gem?” you asked him, eyes wide. The old man chuckled with a shake of his head.

“No, lad. Wasn’t the gem,” he explained. “Was what the gem holds. There’s nothing more important to a sailor than the north star herself. Every man worth his salt knows that much. No, the gem holds an ancient magic. A magic to calm the sea and guide men to what it is they need most.”

“Which is what?”

“I don’t know,” he shrugged. “It’s different for every man.”

“Why are you selling it if it’s so valuable?” Bob chimed in, eyes narrowed at the man.

“Because it showed me that it’s time to pass it along, and I’m nothing if not a man who loves a proper sale,” he grinned. “Are ye interested?”

Before you could answer, Bob grabbed your elbow, pulling you away.

“No, we’re not,” he huffed out. You let out a cry of protest as he dragged you through the crowd. It wasn’t until the merchant faded from view that he finally slowed down, and you jerked your arm out of his hand.

“What was that about?” you griped, glaring up at him. He looked around the crowd wearily before shaking his head.

“Just didn’t like the look of him, is all.”

“Oh, that’s all?” You scoffed, crossing your arms. “What if I wanted to buy it?”

“Yeah?” Bob bit out a sharp laugh. “With what money?”

You were silent for a moment, and he nodded. “That’s what I thought.”

“You don’t have to be such an ass, you know,” you muttered, looking away dejectedly. You heard Bob sigh before he placed a hand gently on your shoulder.

“Look,” he began, “I’m sorry. I just don’t like anything having to do with magic or witches or anything of the sort.”

“Why’s that?” you asked him.

Bob didn’t answer you, instead looking somewhere off in the distance before grinning down at you.

“C’mon,” he said, once again pulling you through the crowd. “There’s something I want you to see.”

You allowed him to tug you along, the crowd thinning as the two of you moved closer to the edge of town. Finally, the cobblestone streets gave way to white sands and the stunning blue of the ocean. You felt your breath catch in your throat as you looked out onto the horizon. How you hadn’t noticed it when you departed the ship earlier, you didn’t know, but now your gaze was transfixed by it. This blue was so different from the blue you grew up seeing every day. Where your home’s waters were usually a dark, stormy blue, Port Royal’s water shined like topaz.

“I didn’t know the sea could look like this,” you breathed out.

“I knew you’d like it,” Bob smiled, turning his focus to the water before you. The two of you stood there in silence for a few moments before Bob turned to you once more. “C’mon, we best get back to the ship.”

“What’s all the commotion up there?” you asked Bob, hearing the stampede of footsteps above you on the main deck. Bob glanced up, a smile crawling onto his face.

“Sounds like they’re back aboard,” he grinned, rushing towards the door.

“Who is ‘they?’” you called after him, but he was already gone. You sighed, eyeing the ingredients for dinner before making your way after him. A crowd had gathered by the gangway, and you stopped at the edge where Bradley stood.

“What’s going on?” you asked him.

He shrugged. “Guess we’re here to pick up two other crew members from what I’ve gathered.”

You hummed, craning your neck to try and peer over the horde of men. You managed to catch a glimpse of two figures on the other side of the crowd; one man and one woman.

“Natasha!” You heard Bob cry. You saw the head of sandy hair bounce up to the woman who smiled at him. “How was it? How did it go?”

“Bob!” Natasha hollered as she pulled the young man in for a tight hug. “It’s good to see you. It was great!” She gestured to the man beside her. “You should have seen Mickey haggling with that old codfish! Thought we might get away without payin’ a cent there for a second. And then just when we had him, the codger backed out.”

She grimaced at the memory. “Couldn’t for the life of us figure out why he would back out at the last second. Just as we were headed back here though, he stopped us and offered another deal, one too good to pass up.”

“And so you took the deal.”

Everyone turned to see Jake, having just come from his quarters, at the edge of the crowd. He strutted towards the pair with a cocky smirk.

“You bet your ass we took that deal,” grinned the man, Mickey, as the captain approached. “We were leaving with it one way or another.”

“Lucky for the old man, he came to his senses,” smirked Natasha, arms crossing in front of her. Jake hummed as he stopped in front of them.

“And where is our little treasure?” he asked them. Mickey rifled through his pockets before pulling something out. The chain dropped to reveal a six-pointed star with tiny diamonds surrounding a burning opal. You gasped as Mickey handed the necklace over to Jake, who quickly pocketed it. He turned back to the rest of the crew.

“Alright, you lot. Show’s over. Get back to work! We set sail in an hour.”

The crew clambered to prepare the ship for launch, but you continued to stare at the small group on the other side of the ship.

“I’m going to freshen up in my quarters,” Natasha told the two with a smile, already making her way to where the cabins were housed. You gaped before looking over at Bradley.

“Bradley,” you hissed at him. Bradley swallowed thickly.

“She’s a woman.”

“Yeah.”

“She’s got a cabin on the ship.”

“Yeah.”

“She’s a member of the crew.”

He sighed, running a hand through his hair. “Yeah.”

Before you could say more, Bob had come bounding up to you. “Are you ready to get back to cooking?”

You shot one last glare at Bradley, who looked everywhere but back at you. That idiot.

“Yeah,” you grumbled, turning to head back into the hull. “I’m ready.”

“Why is that woman a member of the crew?” you asked Bob as you scrubbed at the pot in your hands. “I thought woman weren’t allowed on ships?”

“On most ships, yes,” he told you as he finished dishing out portions for the crew. “But Jake doesn’t really care who is crew is made up of as long as they carry their own weight and don’t cause any problems.”

You hummed. “So anyone can just join, huh?”

“I suppose,” he mused. “Jake doesn’t let anyone join the crew unless he thinks their worthy and have something to offer. A lot of men were skeptical when Nat first joined, but she quickly made a name for herself as the Phoenix.”

“The Phoenix?” you questioned, pausing your scrubbing to look at him. He nodded with wide, excited eyes.

“Yeah! Whenever we come upon a ship to plunder, she does this thing where she’ll light the ends of her coat on fire. It smolders, giving her this terrifying look like she just rose out of the flames. That’s why, ya know…”

“The Phoenix,” you finished for him, turning back to your work. “Do you all have nicknames like that?”

“Some of us, sure,” he replied. “But our names work just fine. Now help me pass these out to the crew.”

You moved to help him and the two of you began taking the dishes out to where the crew had gathered around the massive tables.

“Cabin boy!”

You turned to see Natasha waving at you with a mug of ale.

“Come join us,” she grinned. You glanced at Bob who nodded.

“Go, I can get the rest,” he smiled. You nodded back at him and made your way over to where Natasha sat with Reuben and Mickey.

“Take a seat, cabin boy,” Natasha grinned, taking a sip of her ale. You did as she commanded, eyes darting between the three sailors as they stared at you.

“Is it true?” she asked you with a raised eyebrow.

“Is what true?”

“That your dad is Maverick Mitchell!” Mickey grinned, leaning in closer to you. A large figure slid in beside Reuben.

“What are we talking about?” Bradley asked, glancing between you and the other three.

“We were just starting to ask the cabin boy here about his father, Rooster” Reuben told him, taking a bite of his food. Bradley’s mouth set in a firm line as the three turned their attention back to you.

“What was he like?” Mickey asked you, practically bouncing in his seat. You shrugged noncommittally as you took a bite off your own plate.

“I don’t really know what you're expecting me to say.”

“Well, was he just as daring as the stories say? Did he take you out on his trips? Did you help him plunder? Did he ever find the treasure he was looking for?”

“Alright,” Natasha groaned, setting a calming hand down on his shoulder to stop him. Bob chose that moment to join the lot of you, sliding in next to her on the opposite side of the table. “Settle down, fanboy.”

“I can’t help it!” He hollered. “It’s not every day you meet the kid of one of the greatest pirates known to man.”

You stilled, seeing Bradley tense up on the other side of Reuben.

“What?” You whispered, eyes wide as you stared at Mickey who stared at you uncertainly.

“Pete Mitchell was your father,” Mickey said slowly, glancing around the table. “Right?”

“Yes, he was,” you said firmly.

“Pete Mitchell, better known as Maverick,” Reuben rattled off, “was a world renowned pirate of the highest order. His very name struck fear into the hearts of many a ship’s captain and crew. He was respected both far and wide by civilians and sailors alike.”

“Until one day he just disappeared,” Natasha added, studying you curiously. “Said his life’s mission was to find the greatest treasure the world could offer, and he plundered and stole for decades before dropping off the face of the earth.”

You felt like you were going to be sick. You didn’t know this man they were talking about. You knew the man who told you stories before bed, who showed you the proper ways to tie different knots, who always treated you kindly and had a smile at the ready for you, who never once raised his voice in anger at you or your mother. The man they were talking about was a stranger.

Without thinking, you grabbed the nearest cup to you, Natasha’s, and downed it. The ale did little to ease your comfort, and you grabbed Reuben’s next and did the same.

“Woah there, cabin boy,” Reuben called out as you reached for Mickey’s. “Slow down there.”

You didn’t want to slow down. You wanted to forget. You downed Mickey’s cup and searched for more. The men to your right had watched the scene unfold, and one of them let out a low chuckle before pushing his cup towards you.

“There ya go, cabin boy!” He laughed. “Drink up!”

You happily obliged him, downing the nearly full mug in only a couple of gulps. You stood, head already beginning to feel both light and heavy all at the same time. You had never had more than one cup of ale before, but you weren’t worried about that fact in that moment. You stumbled on your feet as you made to move towards the barrel that had been opened for that night’s dinner.

“No,” Bradley said from behind you, having gotten up when you did. “You’ve had enough.”

You whirled around to face him, nearly falling on your face in the process. “I’ll decide when I’ve had enough,” you hissed up at him, trying and failing to push past him as he gripped your arms.

“That’s enough,” he growled down at you, but you continued to push at him until he gave you a gentle shake. “I know you’re upset, but this is not how you should be handling it.”

You stared up at him, studying him. Why was he being so calm about this revelation that had just been dropped into your lap?

“You knew,” you breathed, tears pooling in the corners of your eyes. “You knew, and you didn’t tell me.”

Bradley stiffened, hands tightening ever so slightly on your shoulders. He looked defeated as he let out a sigh. “He didn’t want you to know.”

“Bastard!” you screamed at him, your struggle renewing with a vengeance.

“What’s going on here?”

All of you stopped and turned. Javy stood at the end of the stairs, eyes scanning the room and the scene before him. He frowned when he saw the state you were in.

“Cabin boy,” he said slowly, eyes always studying you. “Go get some air.”

You took a breath before pushing at Bradley who stumbled back half a step. You staggered toward the stairs, hearing Javy address the crew. You didn’t hear what he said, too focused on making it up to the main deck.

The air had grown cool as the sun began to set, and you staggered towards the edge of the boat. You grasped onto one of the ropes, feeling your resolve start to break. The tears started to fall and you let out a shaky sob into the wind.

“Rough night, cabin boy?”

You turned, vision hazy from the ale, to see Jake standing a few feet away from you.

“What do you care?” You muttered, frowning at him. He let out a low chuckle before walking over to lean against the side of the ship next to you. The two of you stared at one another for a few moments, but said nothing.

“He was a pirate,” you whispered, almost inaudibly, the tears still flowing down your cheek. Jake nodded.

“Aye,” he said. “He was.”

“But he was a good man,” you frowned, more of a question than a statement. Jake cocked an eyebrow at you.

“Can’t a man be both?”

You shrugged, head starting to feel even heavier. “I suppose so.”

Jake let out another chuckle, leaning into you a little more. “You suppose so?” he teased.

“Yeah,” you nodded sleepily. “S’pose so.”

Jake reached up to cup your cheek as he watched you. “How much did you have to drink down there tonight, Guppy?”

“D’unno,” you muttered, subconsciously nuzzling into the palm of his hand. “More than I’ve ever ha’ before.”

The two of you stood in silence for a moment before your eyes shot open, staring at him. What did he just call you?

Jake watched you with a knowing smirk as you struggled to form a coherent thought through the alcohol induced haze.

“You catchin’ up there alright, Guppy?” he asked you, a grin breaking out over his face.

“How long have you-?”

“Since you walked up to the ship behind Rooster, sweet girl. You think I’d just forget a pretty face like yours?” he laughed as you scowled up at him.

“Why didn’t you say anything?” you snapped.

He shrugged. “Figured things would be much more interesting this way. Besides, you looked so cute thinkin’ you had fooled me into thinkin’ you were a boy. Wanted to see how long you’d play into it.”

“So why bother saying anything?” You grumbled. His grin dropped as he stared at you with a stern expression.

“Cause you went and did a stupid thing like gettin’ too drunk. Now I gotta worry ‘bout you ‘round some of these men.”

“You don’t trust your own men?” You asked him, eyebrow raised. He chuckled lowly, placing a large, warm hand to the small of your back.

“While I believe they aren’t stupid enough to try anything with me or your brother on board the ship, I’d sleep much better tonight havin’ not taken the chance.”

“Wait,” you said, his words catching up with you. “They know?”

Jake laughed at that. “Darlin’, everyone knew the moment you set foot on the ship. That brother of yours needs to work on his disguises.”

You scowled up at him as he helped you towards the cabins. He beamed down at you, eyes twinkling, and you could have sworn you saw a blue mist twirl in his pupils as he stared down at you.

“C’mon. You can bunk with Natasha from here on out.”

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renegade-diamonds · 26 days

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Ronance ABO AU where female alphas and female omegas still experience prejudice and homophobia against them because of religious patterns that categorize the dynamics as being 'curses from God.'

Lets say the punishment for Eve taking the apple is being turned into an alpha, and the punishment for Adam letting her was being turned into an omega. It's believed that God switched their biological functions in the 'natural order' as a way for them to atone for their sin, so the Church only advocates for male/female pairings as still being the 'correct' way to do things. So male omegas often end up with female alphas, while female alphas can be with any of the male dynamics since they can still technically conceive.

This posses a problem for Robin in 1980s Hawkins, because she's never felt any attraction to men, regardless of their dynamic. She presents as an omega during her sophomore year, and since omegas are less common compared to the majority of betas in the population, she gets an uncomfortable amount of attention. She learns to hide herself away with her band friends, and gradually melts back into mediocracy.

Things change when she meets Steve while working at Scoops Ahoy. After all the craziness of the Russians and the giant flesh monster they threw fireworks at, Robin's ready for some peace.

Unfortunately, that's not what happens. As soon as her eyes meet Nancy's, Robin's a goner. Nancy smells so damn good, better than anyone else she's ever scented. Steve took it well when she told him the truth about herself, about how she could never love a male. But she doesn't know how he'd react to this considering his admittance of Nancy being the only person he's ever fallen in love with. It's terrible- it's unimaginable.

She tries to bury her feelings- tries to avoid acknowledging the way she can't help but sneak glances at Nancy at school. Sometimes Nancy looks back, but there's an unreadable glint in her eyes, some type of longing that Robin can't make sense of.

Robin buries herself in her fledging crush in Vickie, tries to forget the way that Nancy's scent seems to call to her even more after the aspiring journalist presents as a rare female alpha.

It's maddening- Robin doesn't understand. She can't like her- she can't. It's not fair- not her best friend's ex-girlfriend- not someone who's already taken.

Things get harder to ignore once Chrissy Cunningham tragically dies the first night of Spring Break. They get swept into another problem of the Upside Down, and this time the stakes are higher than ever. Max is cursed- she's in danger. The protective instincts inside her want to hold the younger omega close, she wants to defend her pack.

She tries not to think of the way that Nancy watches her- of the way that Nancy quietly admits to her relationship with Jonathan falling apart. Robin can't afford the blind hope- she knows how it is. It doesn't matter what the experts say- the religious influence over their society is too vast. Their relationship would never be accepted, and Nancy would never risk the social strain it would cause. Not after barely getting through the drama of her complicated love-life between Steve and Jonathan.

But then again, Robin is surprised to find herself being proved otherwise. A flicker of hope burns in her chest as Nancy grows closer and closer to her, a flicker that ignites into a burning flame when Nancy squeezes her hand outside the Creel House, and tells her that she's got this while her scent curls around Robin protectively.

This is when it's undeniable. Her inner omega can sense it. Her feelings aren't one-sided, she wonders if they ever truly were. That connection tugs them towards each other, her heart yearns for someone that she previously thought was out of her reach.

Yet nothing happens. Nancy watches, but she keeps her distance after that. She's hesitant around Robin, like she doesn't trust them to be close together. The rejection hurts, and her heart withers in her chest. Things get worse when their missing friends finally return to Hawkins from California, and Robin has to watch Nancy run straight back to Jonathan. She watches the alpha take him back, she watches the soft way they hold each other.

Robin turns to Steve to avert her eyes, she can't bear to see the happy couple right now. It hurts- god, why does it hurt so bad? None of her previous crushes ever felt like this. Robin feels like her heart's been ripped out of her chest. Like Nancy just took it and stomped it into the ground. There's a feeling of worthlessness, of not being good enough, of never being right for someone.

Robin doesn't notice the way Nancy's eyes follow her over Jonathan's shoulder, of the confused and jealous gleam in her gaze when she sees Robin turn into Steve's embrace for comfort.

Something else is singing in the air, there's tension around them. Robin has no idea just how crazy things are about to get- the portals are open, Hawkins is under threat, Max is in a coma, and Vecna is still alive.

It's only one week later, when Robin's packing up her things at her house, that the true danger she's in becomes known. Vecna saw into Nancy's mind- he knows what she really wants, who she really wants.

She doesn't think twice about the blonde neighbor that shows up on her doorstep in the evening- he's an attractive man, but clearly not her type. He asks to use her phone. He says he lives down the street, and just returned from a work trip. He needs to contact his insurance, but his phone wasn't working. Can he use theirs?

Robin doesn't think twice about letting him in. Her mother's out working a double, and Steve will be here in an hour to pick her up. She's moving out until her mother finds a safer place for them to live, and Robin barely second-guesses the friendly neighbor asking for help. It's happened quite a bit lately, everyone in the community lost something or someone in the catastrophe.

She doesn't have enough time to question the sudden tiredness in her veins, the drowsy veil over her eyes. Robin passes out suddenly in her hallway, the yawning ache of a gate opening outside her house shakes the building, but she's no longer conscious enough to register it.

Steve pulls up to Robin's house entangled in vines. He makes it inside, but there's no sign of her. The inside is untouched. She left her purse, her trinkets. The phone is dangling off the hook, the dial tone filling the hauntingly silent atmosphere.

He catches sight of the gate from the back window- knowing that it hadn't been there this morning when he came by. He hurries back out to his car, grabbing the walkie and radioing in to the others about what's happened- that Robin's missing.

The police radio he got from Hopper is going crazy- three omega women are missing in town, their families reporting sightings of strange beasts around their homes and otherworldly vines snaking up the walls.

Vecna's up to something dangerous, and the team finds themselves in a race against time, desperate to not lose another cherished member of their makeshift family, and hopefully save the kidnapped victims from whatever horror Henry Creel has in store for them.

#ronance #ronance au #ronance omegaverse #ronance abo #omegaverse #alpha nancy wheeler #omega robin buckley #tw dark themes #it's implied but nothing's actually going to be written out

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dapandapod · 8 months

Note

For the mermay prompts

Pairing: Eskel/Jaskier

Word: insecurity

Thank you for your prompt dear!! And CLEARLY it is still Mer-May. Mer-maybe-time-to-post. This little darling grew bigger than I planned, and thus promptly took a break under the waves until it was ready to see the splendid light of day. Ish 7300 words, big bad monsters under water and shipwrecks ahoy! On Ao3 here

Mer sing. Mer are beautiful. Mer are deadly.

Eskel is none of that. Alright, he is deadly, and he has the scars to prove it. But song never came naturally to him, and beautiful he certainly is not.

Not only does he have scars that cover the right side of his face, but he is too big, too scary. He knows, and has been told repeatedly.

Eskel is never included in the hunting party. Not included in much of anything, really.

He is often sent to patrol their borders on his own, something he gladly does, something that he is good at.

It doesn’t involve much killing, other than when something dangerous emerges from the depths. It only gives him more scars, but he prides himself at being able to keep his family safe. Well. The pod where he resides.

They haven’t felt much like family since he lost his daughter.

It wasn’t humans who took her, after all. Fights between pods are rare but vicious, and what remained became a part of the other pod when they accepted their new leader.

It’s been years, and despite not knowing exactly who bears responsibility, Eskel has never forgiven them. He fights to keep his brothers in arms safe, and his mentor.

But despite it all, humans remain the biggest threat to their kind. Another failing of his, because Eskel can’t bring himself to kill them.

Shipwrecks are nothing new, but Eskel has never been close to one before.

The storm is raging, tearing the ship apart, and soon pieces of debris crash together in the churning sea, bodies mixed littered amongst the wreck.

He knows he shouldn’t, but Eskel goes there. He swims close to the surface, dodging a heavy barrel. Most of the bodies he sees are broken, already lost to the great beyond.

There is one, however, who is not. Eskel senses it more than he sees it, drawn to the man slowly drowning in a mass of bubbles, and reaches for him.

They are on the outskirts of the wreck, the storm pressing the debris further away, and so Eskel dares to hover, just for a moment.

The man is everything he is not.

Slender, pale, beautiful. His lashes are long, his lips open and stained blue with lack of breath. Eskel hesitates but a moment before he cradles him to his chest, holding him against his body as if he were a child.

His size is finally in his favor as Eskel pushes hard to reach the surface.

It might already be too late, he has seen the faces of the drowned, but something tells Eskel to keep pushing.

When they breach the surface, the waves are high and violent, attempting to pull them under again. Above water, the body in his arms seems heavier, but Eskel is strong.

With a stroke of luck, he finds part of the hull floating a bit further away, and Eskel aims towards it.

Once the human is stowed on the hull, Eskel grabs hold of it and steers it towards land. The man on the makeshift raft doesn’t move as the vicious waves attempt to pull him back down into the depths.

It doesn’t take Eskel long to figure out why their ship went under.

The lighthouse set on the cliffs is dark, quiet. He has seen humans prey on their own kind, leaving nature to do the dirty work and then scavenge what is left.

Eskel should not be this close, should not risk his neck for a human. But if he doesn’t, who will? Certainly not his kinsmen.

Eskel realizes his mistake when the wave lifts him and the raft both, hurling them towards the cliffs. If it can break ships apart, it most definitely will break bones.

Instinct makes Eskel wrap himself around the fragile human body, shielding it from the impact with his own.

A stroke of luck sends him tail and back first, his head somehow spared, but he can feel his ribs snap, feel the tear of his fins. The pain is nearly blinding, and when the wave pulls back, he makes another realization.

He is stuck.

The cliff they were thrown against doesn’t easily let him roll back into the sea, and he is unable to climb. As long as the sea rages, he is stuck, and the human with him.

The body in his arms suddenly convulses, water pouring from his now open lips. Coughing, gasping for air, fingers clenching and unclenching as his body expels the water.

Another wave hits them viciously, slamming them back against the cliff wall. The pressure is hell on his ribs, but Eskel makes sure to twist again to keep the human away from the worst of it.

When the water retreats, Eskel spots a gap in the stone, just big enough to shield them from the onslaught of the water. There is water pooling in the cliff, allowing him some ease of movement as he drags them towards their shelter, and another wave more or less shoves them inside.

In the relative safety of the cliff’s crevice, Eskel inspects the human in his arms. He props himself up enough to sit and lean back against the rock, grimacing when his ribs give a stab of pain.

The human is unconscious, but seems to be breathing at least, strained as it may be.

Eskel pats his back, thinking the thumping might help him to cough up more water. It’s not the first human he has saved, but it is the first he has ever held this close for so long.

The thumping seems to help, and the man starts coughing violently, hacking and wheezing for a long, terrible minute, but it seems to help.

He breathes easier after. Eskel still has the human propped up against his chest, and takes the opportunity to look for injuries. There is a gash next to a suspicious bruise at his temple, and a lot of scrapes that look older than the ship wreck.

Humans really can’t help but prey on anyone they see, huh? Eskel tips up the human’s face, inspecting it closer. His lower lip is swollen, and there is a cut that has reopened.

Eskel touches it, frowning.

His back and ribs ache still, and the rocks are digging into his tail. Waves keep pushing water into their little sanctuary, dislodging his torn fin and sending a jolt of pain up his spine. Fuck, he really is stuck.

Leaning his head back, Eskel settles in to wait. He fits the human better against him, so they both can rest as comfortably as possible.

Hopefully he won’t be stabbed when the human wakes up. That would be a fitting end, though, wouldn’t it?

Another wave explodes against the rockside, and with a sigh, Eskel lets himself drift off to sleep.

The storm rages well into the morning.

Eskel keeps waking up to something moving against him. Someone, he corrects himself every time. Despite the weather, the human is warm, and it seeps into Eskel’s skin, calming him in a way he hasn't felt for years.

Another heartbeat next to his own, someone’s chest rising and falling against his, a comfortable weight in his arms.

It’s nice to pretend that someone trusts him enough for this, though it’s selfish of him to leech off the human’s warmth to assuage his own stupid loneliness.

The wind has calmed, and the sea with it, but the sky remains heavy and grey. While considering if it would be safe to leave the human here and try to get back, the human stirs.

A deep breath, heartbeat speeding up, fluttering eyelashes.

Fuck, and Eskel is still holding him, shit!

It won’t do to just shove him off now, so Eskel stays as still as he can, looking out of the cave rather than the man coming to.

The man’s hand flattens against his side, just over his aching ribs, and it takes everything in him not to snarl for the pain. The man sits up just enough to notice exactly where he is sitting, and when Eskel looks at him, the man’s eyes widen comically large.

“Whoa, holy fucking shit balls!” the human swears hoarsely, throwing himself backwards and falling down on the ground with an oof.

“I’m alive?! You’re a- I’m-?!” The human looks around their little shelter, his eyes so very blue, Eskel notices. He decides to give the human time to get his bearings, and so far no stabbing has occurred, so that’s good.

“Where-? My lute, where is my lute?!” The human frantically looks around himself, patting the ground as if the instrument were merely hiding.

“Only saved you,” Eskel rasps out, his hand going to cover his side. Now that there is no weight against him, his body is adjusting, and it aches.

“You talk… You saved me?!”

Eskel gives a nod in agreement, and the human tilts his head.

“Are you hurt? What happened? I was in the holding cell and then-” The man frowns, thinking hard but seems to come up short.

“Shipwreck,” Eskel informs him. “Got you above water. Storm put us on the cliffs.”

“Am I- uh. Are you a mermaid? Or a Siren?” The human looks a little nervous, but not scared, which is… odd.

“Mer. Distantly related to Sirens.” ‘But I’m not like them,’ he thinks. Not pretty enough. Not clever enough, or bloodthirsty. Not… enough.

“Do you have a name? I mean, what may I call you? Shit, are you like Fae, where names are secret or something? Forget I asked, that is so rude of me, are Fae even real? There was this lady once who claimed-”

“Eskel. You may call me Eskel,” Eskel interrupts his rambling with a smile, before the human can talk himself into a ramble.

“Eskel,” the human breathes, then seems to get his bearings back. “I’m Jaskier. It’s a flower, back home…uh.” Jaskier trails off again.

Clearly his way of coping is talking, so Eskel lets him.

It is starting to get real uncomfortable to continue sitting up, though, and since the waves have calmed, he has started to dry out. He feels stiff and sore, and his fin is not looking good.

Looking outside the stone formation, there seems to be a shallow pool of water. Getting there will be very undignified, but what choice does he have.

“Can you climb up to land?” Eskel asks Jaskier, hoping to distract him enough for Eskel to suffer in peace.

Haltingly, Jaskier stands and moves on unsteady legs towards the opening between the rocks.

Thing is, in order to do that he has to step over Eskel, and looking up at him as he does was a mistake, it turns out.

Sun filters in between the cracks, and despite the bruises, Jaskier is beautiful. His hair lights up with a golden hue, his profile outlined with it, his white shirt almost translucent.

Eskel knows his tastes are seen as adventurous, knows that it’s frowned upon to look outside of your pod, but there is nothing for him there.

Jaskier steps over him carefully, minding not to step on his torn fin, supporting himself against the wall over Eskel’s head, and then steps out into the sunlight.

He can hear a gasp from outside, but doesn’t wait for Jaskier to come back to explain. His ribs protest something fierce when he crawls over the stone, feeling uneven edges dig into scales and skin alike.

Outside, Jaskier stands watching the ocean. It is dark blue now, instead of the inky darkness it was last night. Debris is floating around, bobbing along the glittering waves. Gulls and other sea birds are hovering overhead, looking for anything to eat.

Either Jaskier is so captured by the view, or he is giving Eskel privacy, but either way he doesn’t turn until the Mer has settled into the shallow water with a bitten back groan of relief.

“The wall is too steep for me to climb. And, uh… I don’t know how to swim.” Jaskier says, looking embarrassed. “All your hard work gone to waste, eh?” he tries to joke, scratching his neck and finally turning to look at Eskel.

The pool is shallow, but his skin already feels less taut, less painful.

“We’ll find a way. Maybe I can help get you to shore if we manage to get into the water again. Should be calmer now, except for the vultures.”

Eskel is cupping water and pouring it over his face and chest when he catches Jaskier looking. His eyes are big and jaw slack, cheeks turning rosy red.

“What?” Eskel asks, feeling very self conscious and vulnerable. “Is there something on my face?”

There is something on his face. A huge scar, ugly and badly healed, covering most of his cheek and part of his lip. Maybe Jaskier finally noticed the monster that had saved him.

“You are beautiful,” Jaskier breathes, and Eskel frowns. Must be sunstroke, or he did in fact hit his head.

“Excuse me?” he says, giving the man a chance to correct himself, but alas.

“Beautiful. Gods, Eskel, are all Mer like this?” Jaskier walks up and kneels by the little pool, hands reaching out as if he wants to touch and Eskel doesn’t understand.

“I’m… no? I mean we all look like this but I’m… not…” Beautiful, he doesn’t finish, but Jaskier notices it anyways, and gives him a disbelieving look.

Thankfully he lets it go.

“Will you be able to swim? Your fin looks pretty bad.”

It does. It feels bad too, but he won’t be able to do much about it without the right poultice back home.

“It will be fine. It’s not one of my main ones,” Eskel assures him, thinking the human is worried about getting to safety. “When the evening tide comes, the drop from here won’t be as bad, and the currents should help us move away from the rocks.”

“But won’t it hurt you? I don’t want you to be in pain because of me.”

Blinking, Eskel tilts his head, cupping some more water and pouring it over his chest. Jaskier’s eyes are on him, following the movement, his cheeks growing ever redder.

“It will heal. What matters is to get you to safety,” Eskel says slowly, a strange feeling building in his chest. Saying it aloud almost felt like a confession.

The human groans and throws himself on his back, arms hiding his face from the sun and Eskel both. He mutters something that sounds like ‘the end of me’, which Eskel does not like at all.

“I promise, you will be safe,” he says more insistently and Jaskier makes that groaning sound again.

“Perfect. Too perfect.” Jaskier sits up and looks around. “Alright. What can I do? How can I help? Should I look for food?”

Jaskier is unable to be still, and he is on his feet and looking around. The area is not big, but if you are able to do some light climbing, you can move around the cliff sides.

“If you manage not to fall in,” Eskel says with a smile. It comes out as teasing, but he means it. Jaskier stops and looks at him for a long moment, just looks at him, and Eskel feels terribly self conscious again.

“I’ll find something,” Jaskier says finally, turning away, and Eskel is left in peace once more.

This is so unlike anything Eskel has ever experienced. The humans he previously saved either didn’t wake up in time to see him, or fled when they noticed what he was. Only one person before this has talked to him, and none had asked his name, nor looked at him like… that.

The water in his little pool is getting warm from the sun. and he leans back in it. It feels better already, and he lies back to properly soak.

Despite their predicament, it’s peaceful, as it usually is after a storm has passed.

Even if the sounds of shore aren’t really reassuring to him, he dares to close his eyes. If it is too steep for the human to climb up, the same goes for down. And with their distance from the sea, other predators can’t reach them.

For now, this is their safe haven, as much as it is their prison.

The little pool is not big enough for him to stretch out fully, but it feels good to be able to straighten out his back, his arms, and then in turn, his tail.

When his torn fin twinges in pain again, he decides to actually look at it.

It doesn’t appear broken, but the membrane is split in two places, and there is even a part of it missing. He notices two smaller wounds along the side of his tail, where some scales are missing.

Probably where he landed when they were flung against the rock, if he would guess. It doesn’t hurt too bad, but it’s likely going to if he stays in this little pool for too long.

From the rocks where Jaskier disappeared, Eskel hears singing. He bolts upright, heart pounding in his chest. Is his pod here? Is Jaskier going to be lured in? That would be bad for so many reasons.

“Jaskier?” he calls, but not too loudly, worried the presumed siren will hear it too.

The singing stops, and some grunting and huffing later, Jaskier’s head pops around a large rock.

“Something wrong?” Jaskier asks, frowning lightly.

“Are you alright? Did you hear the singing?”

At this, the human looks almost embarrassed, and gives another smile. Always smiling at him, this one, and something clenches in Eskel’s heart.

“You heard that? Sorry, I didn’t mean to be so loud.”

Eskel blinks at him.

“That was you?”

“It was. Ah, maybe I shouldn’t have. You think someone else heard? Are we in trouble? I’m sorry, and singing with a Mer nearby, it probably sounded terrible to you too.” The human rambles and Eskel blinks again, at a loss for words.

The human had sounded… well, like a Mer. He is beautiful, he is slender, and he sings. The only thing Jaskier doesn’t do is swim. Or maim and kill, but that is yet to be determined, he supposes.

“Where are you from?” Eskel asks, and Jaskier climbs closer, hands full of clams and seaweed and what looks like a little crab. How he does not get pinched is beyond Eskel.

“Lettenhove. It’s a coastal town, and I was setting out to visit a friend down south. But uh, turns out people are greedy, and being a lord's son was too tempting, and I was taken as a captive. I think they were going to ask my father for ransom to release me.” Jaskier chuckles, but it doesn’t sound like he thinks it’s funny. “They never met my father, or they would have known he would have paid them to take me away. Well.”

He sits down next to Eskel again, legs crossed and puts his finds in front of him. The crab immediately scurries out of his grip and into the little pool.

“By the by, are you going to be alright sitting in direct sunlight all day?” Jaskier asks, which actually, is a very good question.

The sun is closing in on its zenith, and even if he is in the water, Eskel’s skin is not used to the direct sunlight, and it is already stinging a little.

“It will be fine.”

“You keep saying that, but I can clearly see you are hurt.” Jaskier bows his head and fiddles with his fingers. It makes him look young, and Eskel feels a surge of protectiveness.

“I am hurt,” Eskel replies. “But I will heal. It makes our situation a little bit more difficult, but I do not regret saving you, Jaskier.”

“Why did you save me? Don’t sirens- Mer hate humans?” Jaskier asks, and this is something Eskel would prefer not to talk about but they have the time, and something compels him to speak.

“I’m not much like my family,” Eskel admits. “Where they are slender, I am broad. When they sing, I cannot. Where they are beautiful, I am…” Eskel trails off but gestures towards his scarred cheek. “…Less. But I don’t carry their anger with me, and where I can protect, I will.” he finishes.

Jaskier’s eyes are soft, and he shuffles closer to where Eskel sits, reaching for him.

The Mer wants to pull back, but there is nowhere to go, and Jaskier has done nothing to harm him.

Warm fingers touch his cheek, palm fitting against his scars.

“A gentle giant,” Jaskier says warmly. “The world has treated you unjustly, it would seem.”

Something twists in Eskel’s chest. It is uncomfortable, aching, a simple touch his undoing.

“Though you are not so large,” Jaskier backtracks, taking back his hand. Eskel misses it immediately. “You are not that much larger than me. Though I’m not very small either, to be fair. Unless you meant large in other… assets. Which is very improper to say out loud, or even admitting to thinking about it, Melitele’s swelling bosom, Jaskier, shut your mouth!”

Humans are so strange. Eskel watches Jaskier change color, from simply blushing to a deep, embarrassed flush. It would be funny, had Jaskier not revealed thinking about Eskel’s… assets.

The human stands up and starts pacing, his mouth still going, but now about the small puddles of rain water he had found to drink, and if what he brought is even edible for Eskel. The day is slowly getting hotter, and Jaskier has taken to fanning himself with his hand.

The puddle that Eskel resides in is also getting warmer, but it won’t become dangerously so, he decides. His skin is starting to burn, though.

“Jaskier,” Eskel says, and immediately Jaskier’s eyes are on him. “Do you really want to help me?”

“I do.”

“You were right, I think I need shelter from the sun. May I borrow that thing you wear? Over your chest. Your shirt? I don’t think I can get back behind the rocks where we hid before.”

Jaskier starts unbuttoning his shirt even before Eskel finishes, revealing a surprisingly hairy chest. Eskel is not familiar with body hair, he knows there are Mer and Sirens closer to shore and in lakes or rivers who are sprinkled with it, but not his pod.

He finds his eyes lingering, watching Jaskier’s chest, how the hair dips down out of sight into his breeches.

When Jaskier hands over his shirt, their fingers brush. His fingers are warm, the fingertips rough in a way that doesn’t feel like a fighter’s.

Their eyes lock, a moment paused in time, until it fractures, breaks, and Eskel pulls back. The human had put his arms through the… tubes…? Sleeves? Eskel doesn’t dare try it, his arms larger, clumsier, more destructive than Jaskier’s.

He simply wraps the shirt over his shoulders, covering as much of himself as he is able, shielding himself from the sun.

Jaskier moves back, reclining in the shadows of the rock, facing Eskel.

He is not a bad companion, making good and entertaining conversation. It isn’t long until Jaskier’s eyes droop though, the heat and the wreckage finally taking its toll.

His head leans against his shoulder, arms wrapped around himself in sleep.

Eskel watches him sleep.

He should not. There is nothing to gain here but pain. Land dwellers and sea dwellers don’t tread the same path. Watching Jaskier, however, makes him wish there was a way.

“Jaskier. Wake up,” Eskel calls. The human scrunches his nose and smacks his lips, wriggling until Eskel calls his name again.

“Ugh, my ass hurts like seven hells,” Jaskier complains, stretching out his stiff limbs. Eskel agrees, he is not used to his own weight not being carried by water.

But the time is almost right, the tide has slowly been rising. They should make ready to ride the currents back, to where it is safer to travel from.

Eskel gives the shirt back to Jaskier and mourns the loss of the view only a little. He buttons up with nimble fingers, and Eskel heaves himself out of the pool as he does.

It never gets more dignified to move across land when lacking legs and being the size Eskel is.

He rolls, rather than crawls, towards the edge of the cliff, which luckily isn’t far, his ribs giving him hell for every movement. He doesn’t turn to look if Jaskier is watching him until he has reached the edge, breathing heavily enough for his gills to react too.

When he looks back, Jaskier is approaching him, looking down at the waves nervously.

“I really am useless in the water,” Jaskier reminds him.

“It’s okay, I’ll keep you safe,” Eskel promises, and he finds that he really, truly means it.

Jaskier in turns nods, and sits down with his feet over the edge. It’s more of a slide rather than a free fall, luckily, even if it is steep.

Eskel goes down first, angling himself to keep his already torn fin out of harm's way. He still feels the rocks scrape at his skin, his scales.

There will likely be even more wounds after this, but the important part is to get back into the water.

When he breaks the surface, it’s like the world has righted itself. The water is cool, holding him up and swaying him with the beat of the waves.

Home.

He closes his eyes for a minute and just enjoys it. The world sounds different here. Right. It echoes between the cliffs, muffles the waves’ harsh pounding, filters the sun to a smattering of rays, warming instead of burning his skin.

Eskel realizes he has been under for too long, and swims up and close enough to look back at the cliff.

Jaskier is sitting where he left him, feet dangling over the edge, but looking much more worried.

“Oh good. For a moment there, I thought you had left me…” Jaskier says, giving a strange chuckle.

“Slide down the slope. I’ll catch you when you get down.” Eskel assures him, and Jaskier gives a nod. He is still hesitant, looking down and licking his lips worriedly.

“I will catch you.” Eskel repeats, because he thinks Jaskier needs to hear it.

The human then all but throws himself off the cliff, getting off balance, and tumbles down.

His uncontrolled descent has him slamming into Eskel’s chest, and they immediately sink.

True to his word, Eskel pushes them up, and Jaskier is clinging to him, one arm over his luckily good ribs, the other around his neck, and both legs around his hips.

Eskel in turn is holding on to Jaskier’s sides, to easily adjust his grip if need be.

The human splutters and coughs and leans back enough to look up at Eskel, hair plastered to his forehead and into his eyes.

“Well. That went well. Very graceful.”

It makes Eskel smile, and before he registers what he is doing, he raises one hand to push the hair out of Jaskier’s face. Jaskier blinks, his cheeks coloring prettily. Eskel snatches his hand back, suddenly all too aware of himself.

“Sorry.” He mumbles, turning them enough so that Jaskier is mostly top of him, and Eskels swimming backwards. Both of Jaskier’s hands are now on his shoulders, and with the help of the currents they navigate out of the rocky parts.

When they are out deep enough, Eskel changes course. Out here the risk for collision is less, but being spotted by a predator is a lot higher.

Especially considering Eskel has many small wounds that are bleeding sluggishly. His movements are much easier in the water, less heavy, but with every flick of his tail, his ribs are screaming.

Swimming on his back also leaves them both vulnerable, no matter how nice it feels to have Jaskier close like this.

Looking up was a mistake.

The way they are angled, the sun is behind Jaskier again, giving him a halo of light.

Eskel is suddenly aware of how his hands have drifted from the human’s sides to his thighs, and how Jaskier’s hands have traced to his chest, now that they have slowed down and are just floating.

Jaskier notice him staring, maybe because Eskel’s fingers twitched, resisting to squeeze the firm muscle under his hands. His shirt is once again see through, water making it cling to his form, and Eskel wants to taste the salt of his skin.

“You have no idea, do you? How beautiful you look.” Jaskier says gently, hand splaying over one of the bigger scars on Eskel’s chest.

“I’m not.” Eskel says, breath catching in his throat. Nobody has called him beautiful, not ever.

“Can I do something stupid?” Jaskier asks, and Eskel licks his lips and nods.

Jaskier can do whatever he wants, especially when that means the distance between them is shrinking, and Jaskier tilts his head to place a gentle kiss on Eskel’s lips.

He doesn’t think. He feels like something clicked in place and broke at the same time, and he doesn’t realize they are sinking under the surface until Jaskier splutters and coughs.

“Sorry, sorry sorry, shells, I’m so sorry.” Eskel lets go of one leg to wipe the drops of water on Jaskier’s face, pushing his hair back from his face again.

When he does, Jaskier huffs a laugh, but nuzzles into Eskel’s big hand.

“No, I’m sorry. Did I over step?"

“No.” Eskel says, tongue tied with how this beautiful creature is still smiling at him.

“May I try again?”

Eskel just nods, and Jaskier holds his hand to his cheek when he leans down again. This time, Eskel meets him, allows himself to hold Jaskier close.

“My gentle giant.” Jaskier whispers against his lips, and Eskel makes a deep noise that makes the water vibrate around them.

The moment Eskel lets himself relax, he regrets it.

Sharp talons dig into his back, and he cries out in pain. A screech above them announces a second attacker.

Sirens.

The one above them, she beats her wings to get into position, her tail poised behind her. When she dives at them, Eskel has to make a snap decision.

“Deep breath.”

She dives through the air at them, as Eskel dives beneath the surface. He holds Jaskier securely to him, hoping to everything he had time to take a breath.

He comes face to face with the siren who swiped at his back, her fangs bared and talons tainted with his blood.

He snarls back, cradling Jaskier closer and protecting him against the next attack. He is well aware he can’t stay under for too long, nor go too deep to evade them.

He makes a sharp turn, doesn’t take the time to feel his torn fin protest, just spins out of her reach and dashes past her. He feels the shift of water, knowing the second siren is now under too, so he goes up for air. Jaskier is panting hard, clawing at Eskel to keep his grip.

“What-?” He tries, but Eskel shakes his head.

“Sirens, drawn by the wreck. They always scavenge, or tear apart what survived. We need to dive again.”

“I trust you.” Jaskier pants, and they go under again.

The trust weighs heavy on Eskel, and as he goes under again, he fights to keep memories at bay. Of the last time someone trusted him with their life.

The only way to hide in the open sea is to dive.

The second option is to swim against the current to get back amongst the rocks, but that is the sirens territory.

The third option is to fight.

His body is already gearing up for it, even before he knows the decision is made. His focus sharpens, as does his fingernails.

Mer are not sirens' usual prey, but they were no doubt goaded by the sight and smell of his blood. But even a hurt Mer is a dangerous Mer, maybe even more so.

He knows what he looks like when this happens, and he hopes Jaskier doesn’t notice. The pattern of his scales shifts in color, darkening, and if he were in the depths, he would glow.

Eskel dodges as they charge at him, lashing out when they pass. He tastes their blood in the water, his gills trembling with it.

The siren screeches at him, but launches herself into the air.

The second siren is more skilled. She dodges when Eskel attempts to cut her with his fin, and aims at his already wounded side.

He just barely manages to spin out of her reach, flicking his tail and hitting her in the head as he passes.

He notices a week tapping at his chest, and dread fills him.

Up, air, Jaskier needs to breathe.

The second siren is up there though, and the moment she spots them, she plunges in again, so close she almost hits them. Jaskier is gasping for air, breathing for all that he’s worth.

“I’m so sorry.” Eskel says, holding the human securely above the now agitated water.

“You’re bleeding.” Jaskier pants out, and Eskel clenches his jaw.

“So are they. We need to get out of here, or worse will come.”

Jaskier nods and tucks closer to Eskel again, which is good, because clawed hands drag them down, puncturing skin.

One of the sirens makes the mistake to come close, and Eskel manages to grab hold of her, and he bites her shoulder, hard.

Her blood is thick and disgusting in his mouth, and he quickly rinses it out when she tears herself free.

The smell of their battle is everywhere, of siren blood, but it doesn’t deter the other one.

There is a tremble in the water, and he knows it’s bad, and it’s coming.

There are bigger things lurking below, and Eskel wants to be out of here now.

He shoots off, away from the bleeding sirens, and not a second too late. Giant maws gape open, and in a flash they have closed around the wriggling siren.

Away, they need to get the fuck away.

For once, the surface is their best option, and Eskel takes the chance.

Eskel doesn’t stop to see if they are being chased, but he feels the water move as the Big Bad is hunting.

Jaskier doesn’t speak, just clings as hard as he can when Eskel swims as fast as he can. He holds the human tightly, knowing exactly how easy it is to lose his grip out here.

It’s hard to see where he’s going, but he knows where the shore is, too shallow for the old beast, and aims towards it.

Above, more sirens are gathered, but luckily they have lost focus on them, instead focusing on the slaughter of their kin.

When Eskel can sense the sea floor again, he slows down, but not by much.

He is still cradling Jaskier to himself, but only now, out of immediate danger, does he realize he still has his claws out. The human seems terrified, but alive, and his trousers are slightly torn where Eskel holds on to him. Damn it all.

“I’m alright,” Jaskier says hoarsely against Eskel, and the Mer doesn’t believe that for a second.

They are closing in on human territory. In the distance, Eskel can hear the creaking of boats and shouts and the telltale sounds of a village.

This is as far as he can go.

He chooses a spot that is blocked off, and brings Jaskier in just enough for him to reach the bottom. They turn, and Jaskier is safe at last.

It is shallow enough to stand on his own, but he doesn’t let go of Eskel. His arms are still around Eskel’s shoulders, his head buried in the crook of his neck.

“You are safe now,” Eskel murmurs, and realizes this is goodbye.

They have only known each other for hours, barely a day, and it would be foolish to give the feelings swirling inside him a name. If it had to have a name, it might have been hope.

Hope that he actually wouldn’t have to be alone, that despite everything, that somehow, somewhere, someone could care for someone like him.

“Will you be?” Jaskier asks, hurting Eskel in ways he did not think was possible.

He shuts his eyes against it, holding on, just a little longer.

“I always am,” he says. “I will heal in time, and there are safe ways home.”

Jaskier pulls back, and Eskel’s skin feels cold without him. The sky is full of colors and some left over storm clouds in the far distance. The sea birds cry and the sounds of humanity must be calling Jaskier home.

“Could you… stay around? For a little bit?” Jaskier says hopefully, and bites his lip, as if he didn’t mean to say that.

It is Eskel’s turn to blink in surprise.

“Why?” he asks, dumbly. Why would someone like Jaskier want him around? Unless there is a plot somewhere, to gather a group and spears.

To them, Eskel is a monster, after all. He is a monster to most.

“Because you got hurt! And because of me! I could… I don’t know, I could help you? Bring you food or something?”

Ah.

So he feels guilty.

Eskel sinks back deeper into the water. He will not make himself Jaskier’s problem with his misplaced feelings and wishes.

“I can’t,” he says, face barely above the surface, angled so his scars aren't as visible. May Jaskier remember him fondly, and better than he is.

The human looks down and takes a shaky breath before speaking.

“Can you… Will you at least come back to see me? We can meet here, if you’d like. When I can afford to buy a new lute, I’ll play for you.”

Eskel doesn’t know what to say, doesn’t know what this is.

“I-…” He hesitates, but when Jaskier meets his eyes, looking at him in the way Eskel feels, he dares to say it. “I could visit you. I enjoyed your company.”

“Despite the circumstances?” Jaskier smiles. “Despite the fact that I can’t swim, despite the fact that I can’t shut up or only say ridiculous things?”

“Because you treat me like I am like everybody else,” Eskel says, but regrets it the moment he says it, because Jaskier looks confused.

“Because you sing as sweetly as a Mer, because you smile even when it’s hard, because you don’t… you don’t fear me.”

The human tilts his head, then reaches for him, ever reaching for him.

“Eskel, I feel safer with you than with most on land. I don’t know your past, but you have done nothing but protect me, and I hate that it was at the cost of yourself.”

His fingertips are cold, chilled by the sea water. Humans are frail. If he stays in much longer, there could be consequences. Eskel hums, and allows himself to be touched, turning into it.

“You have to go,” Eskel murmurs, but swims closer nonetheless. Letting himself have this, even if it is for a short while.

“I want us to stay,” Jaskier replies, touching their foreheads together, breathing the same air.

“I will come back for you,” Eskel promises. He doesn’t know how, but he wants to, oh how he wants to. “But you need to get dry, I need you to be safe.”

“Ugh, so noble,” Jaskier whines. “Can I do something stupid again?”

Eskel’s heart skips a beat, and instead of replying, he presses his lips to Jaskier’s, who hums into the kiss.

But the sun is setting, and Jaskier is shivering with cold now, so Eskel pulls back.

“I’ll come back. Soon,” he promises again. “But you need to go.”

“I will hold you to that. If you don’t come see me, I will get into the water and find you myself,” Jaskier says, and then stares when Eskel smiles.

“You can’t swim,” Eskel reminds him, and then Jaskier surges forward and kisses him again, knocking their teeth together and banging a lip.

The kiss this time is desperate and tastes a little like iron.

“That’s why it is a threat,” Jaskier grumbles when he pulls back. “Fine. FINE, I’ll go. I expect to see you within ten days. Preferably every day in those ten days, you hear me?”

Eskel makes an amused sound in his throat and chest that makes the water vibrate around him.

“I hear you. I will do my best.”

“Good,” Jaskier kisses his forehead, swears and complains, and then slowly makes his way towards land.

Water carries humans differently, their bodies not made for the waves and the currents. Jaskier looks like how Eskel felt on land, and he watches him go in case Jaskier slips under the waves.

The moment Jaskier has set foot on shore, Eskel dives.

Rarely has Eskel had something valuable to part from. Or someone in this case.

It only makes it harder, and from below, he sees Jaskier stand there, looking out over the waves, until he finally turns and goes.

Eskel remains for a while longer. Partially because he doesn’t want to leave, partially because his ribs are aching something fierce.

He stays for the better part of the night, resting and doing what he can for his wounds.

Eventually, he swims back out to the depths, aware how vulnerable he is to an attack, exhausted and beaten up as he is.

It surprises him to see his brothers out here, though.

“Why are you here?” he asks in their native tongue, and Lambert makes a disgusted sound.

“You were missing, and the shore stinks of your blood.”

“And Siren blood. Were you attacked?” Geralt asks, his hair pale as moonlight around his head.

What a strange day. Eskel didn’t expect anyone to notice him gone, but here they are.

“Two sirens, but they were chased off by something bigger. Think we should avoid that area for a while,” Eskel says, eyeing Lambert as he swims closer to inspect him, daring him to say anything about the smell of human on him.

There is a wrinkled nose and a baring of teeth. Lambert hates humans with a deep passion, but he is never cruel, which is a part of the reason Eskel trusts him.

“I have a new poultice I have been working on. Should help with the pain,” Lambert says, noticing his torn fin. “Was it an orca who finished off the sirens, you think?”

“Bigger,” Eskel says, remembering the size of those maws. “Much bigger.”

“You think Vesemir knows?” Geralt asks, flanking Eskel, protecting his other side as they start their return journey home. “He knows almost every creature with teeth bigger than ours.”

Their path home takes the rest of the night. It hasn't been that long, but Eskel looks at his little dwelling with new eyes, the pod from a different standpoint.

He never thought he would be worth anything to anyone again. The pod, their home, their supposed family, never made him believe something else.

As Eskel finally falls into a slumber that night, Geralt and Lambert sleeping nearby, loath to part from him when he is hurt, he thinks about it.

Thinks about home, and shore, and blue eyes, and warm lips.

It takes Eskel seven days to recover enough to be allowed outside their dwelling. Another passes until he can make Geralt leave off and allow him to go out alone.

On the eve of the ninth day, Eskel is back where he left Jaskier.

He hears the singing first, muffled below the surface. When he breaches it, it changes. Mer sing. Mer are beautiful. Mer are deadly. But it would seem humans might be too.

#mermay #it is not october i swear #mer!eskel #shipwreck #jaskel #the witcher #injuries #sirens and mer are not the same #under water fighting #idiots in love #they fell in love at first sight i dont make the rules #jaskier the bard #lambert #eskel #geralt of rivia #monster of the week #dapanda writes #dapanda replies

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pilferingapples · 1 year

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An Ongoing Effort to Index This Blog

You’re probably here for reference material! Here’s a tag list to hopefully make finding that easier!

Before I get into the tag lists, a note on my Editorial Policy, such as it is: I truly appreciate corrections, warnings about bloggers/writers operating in bad faith, etc! But if you’re contacting me with actionable info please come off anon or leave me some other way to get hold of you, so I can follow up if I need more info! I don’t post or reblog incorrect or hateful material on purpose, which means if I missed something I probably need more information! I’m happy to keep a convo private if asked, I just need to be able to verify my sources.

That out of the way! The tags!

(I had all these linked before accidentally deleting this post once; it's going to be a While before I can repair those links. If you want to find any of these , just go to pilferingapples.tumblr.com/tagged/name of tag and it should work!) Les Miserables Specific: -BrickClub: former readthroughs - LM X.X.X (as in: LM 1.2.3): chapter specific tags -Fandom 101: stuff that’s hopefully useful for people just starting to look around ; if there’s something not here you think would be useful, let me know! -Fashion,or: Canon Era Fashion : what it says on the tin - Les Misereference: a general tag of all kinds of things , if you just wanna binge canon-era reference - (Character) relevant: references and commentary specifically relevant to one character. Note that this includes “barricade relevant”, “Amis relevant” as a group, and, yes, “sewer relevant” - (character) talk: discussion of a character/concept , like “ Grantaire Talk” or “sewer talk” -what’s the meta for: a general catchall tag for analysis discussion; mostly older stuff- Paris in Canon Era: historical info for the True Main Character ; incl. sewers, schools, etc - maps : They Are Maps - FRev : goofy fannish stuff and silliness about the French Revolution - FRENCH REVOLUTION: actual historical/ analytical posts about the French Revolution (NOT when Les Mis is set, but hugely influential!) -Women in the Revolution: what it says! historical /analyses stuff about women in various revolutions and uprisings, though mostly the 1830s and the Frev. Romanticism Specific: - Actual Romantics : stories and histories on members of the French Romantic movement -Four People and a Shoelace: specifically about the Petit Cenacle/Jeunes France crew -Hugolania: trivia and random Hugo homages/commentary/fandom stuff. Because Hugo always had a fandom. more, doubtless, as I think of them! Adaptations: - Les Mis Stage : things about /from the stage musical -Les Mis Dallas, Dallas Les Mis : the 2014 Dallas Theater Center modernized production -Les Mis 2012 : things about/from the 2012 musical movie -Shoujo Cosette: the 52-episode anime; characters from this sometimes just get tagged SC(character) -Les Mis Arai: the multivolume manga - Other Adaptations : what it says on the tin , including other musical adaptations, movies, and tv shows Fanwork Specific -(Character) art: exactly what you’d expect - Canon era fic :..again… - Modern AU : rarely needed, but sometimes! -Fic Rec, Ficrec-what it says Character/ Group/ Ship/Pairing tags, when not just a character’s name : - The Pontmercy Friend: Marius - All of Them : the Amis as a group -Most of Them: ALMOST all the Amis as a group -Poetry Smash: Bahorel and Prouvaire -Justice and His Tutor: Enjolras and Feuilly - Bini!, Bini: Joly and Bossuet - OMST3K: J/B/M, for reasons - Power Trio: Enjolras, Combeferre and Courfeyrac - Party Trio: Joly, Legle , and Grantaire -To Watch Faith Soar: Enjolras and Grantaire Ships Ahoy: any content focused on romance (these are NEVER EVER Ship Tags): - Owl and Wren : Valjean and Cosette - Para Bellum: Bahorel and Gavroche

#pinned post #THANK YOU SEAGLASS #long post

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uwua3 · 3 years

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Yo! Can i ask for a cute Pirate AU with an adventure seeking MC pirate captain, who, when she and her crew are making a stop at some port, meets her childhood friend, Tenma, with whom she has romantic tension, only Tenma is a big blushing tsundere mess, and MC is verrrryyy oblivious to his blushiness, but accidentally innocently flirts with him?? If that makes sense? Also oops the soldiers have seen me, the wanted pirate, wanna get out of here and join my crew?

summary: a deal is made between a pirate captain haunted by their legacy and an island medium who wants to go home

warnings: alcohol, death (mentions), cops/police, crime, fights (physical/arguments), fires, ghosts, military, near–death experiences, pirates, slow-burn, swords, unrequited love/love triangle

author’s note: thank you so much for your patience requesting this pirate story~ i did my best to do this justice, as i love pirates more than anything! .*:ﾟ（｀・ω・´）ゝﾟ:*. this was a jolly good time to write, thank you! (please let me know if you would like a part 02 to this, as it ran longer than expected)! thank you!! :D

word count: 6,163

music: ship in a bottle – fin

captain, let’s make a deal.

☀️🌻 sumeragi tenma

even out at sea, you couldn’t escape the fire that destroyed your town years ago. the fire that made you become a pirate captain

you were born by a local village by the coast, where the air tasted like salt no matter what and trade was your community’s main economy

it was home. a place where everyone knew each other as family, where the sun was hot upon even warmer smiles and the euphoric laughter of children surrounded the island. this was the land of the happy, the free, and the united

it wasn’t until the damn navy—your first enemy until death—came

according to heresay, pirates were supposed to plunder and pillage without mercy. pirates were the villain and yet, what would the navy be then? after what they did to you, they were anything but heroes

yonaguni was made of tall palm trees that provided shade during the eternal summer that sunburnt your skin, floating markets by the pier with tricky elderly and learning apprentinces in the family business, and rare wildlife not found anywhere else

now, it was nothing more than hell. you could remember it all—how the flames licked the open wounds from navy seamen, the screams of the innocent replacing what would’ve been last words meant for decades later, the sound of crashing trees blocking every available escape route as birds flew away in the distance

you were just a yonaguni native, and now, there was nothing left of your hometown. it was permanently erased from world history forever, and you were the sole survivor of the island, making you the most wanted vigilante alive

it had been years since you last had a nightmare of the attack. was haunting your brain and traumautizing you for life during every waking hour not enough?

but, you knew the answer why you couldn’t stop mourning the loss of yonaguni

it was nearing the anniversary of your friend, sumeragi tenma’s, death

and, as you climbed to the crow’s nest with the power of the ocean running through your salted veins and spite overwhelming you in the deepest, darkest parts of yourself, you could see it over the horizon

the navy said dead men tell no tales, but you were alive, and you would be a legend

“all hands ahoy or you’ll be given no quarter!” (everyone on deck or you’ll be shown no mercy)

“aye, captain!” your crew replied eagerly, their loyalty unwavering and strong as always. you stood atop of the main mast, surrounded by vast ocean bordering a blue, cloudless sky. even without your telescope, you could see everything in the world

beneath you sounded the swing of the lines (rope) against the wind before two feet landed in the crow’s nest. the sailor had the type of agility that only came from a boy born on sea

“cap, don’t tell me ya forgot about me?” your quartermaster, rurikawa yuki, grinned (a rare sight that only came when the ocean smelt strongest of salt and treasure), standing at the ledge whilst holding onto the lines with one hand. any other novice would’ve immediately fallen off with how strong the random gusts of wind were, but yuki was an enigma and your second in command for a reason

“ahoy, yuki! so long as the jolly rodger waves, this crew will always be ready to set sail.” you responded, sliding down the mast to be in the crow’s nest as well. yuki just rolled his eyes, crossing his arms and leaning upon your frame like it was nothing

“don’t hornswaggle (cheat) me, cap. what are you thinking about?” yuki read you like a map, as expected of the second best cartographer (after master boatswain muku, of course) in all the seven seas. you tried to remain present in the moment, with the wind flowing and sky clear, but it wasn’t enough

“... tell me, yuki. is it so easy to read the distraught upon my face?” you joked, but it fell flat as yuki raised an unimpressed eyebrow at your facade. yuki didn’t take bullshit from anyone, not even his own captain

“aye, do not be acting as if you’re feeding the fish (about to die), captain.” yuki carefully watched if any of their small crew was eavesdropping, but the rest were doing their proper tasks for the morning. cartographer muku was happily reading directions to helmsman misumi. the two were a fantastic pair, considering the “sky” ship hasn’t sunken

surgeon kazunari was dutifully sanitizing his medical tools besides them, taking some time to laugh loudly at some story misumi was dramatically reenacting as he spun the wheel skillfully

“boom about!” yuki called out without looking away, already feeling it in his bones moments before anyone else could. his intuition was unheard of, and you watched no one hesitate as they ducked just in time

“sorry~!” misumi responded without any apologetic tone to his voice whatsoever. his sailor’s grin was infectious and wide, a smile only those accustomed to the fatal winds and waves of the ocean could make. just like everyone else on the “sky” ship, they all were forged by the sea

“smartly make way to land before i toss you off myself!” yuki snapped, but it held no malice. he rolled his eyes unimpressed when kazunari laughed at misumi’s sarcastic salute, knowing pirates did no such navy thing without mockery

“oh, dear yuki, how could i drown with you by my side?” you reached over to ruffle his hair, the precarious creak of the wooden mast the last thing on your mind as yuki swatted at your hand, irritated by the littlest of things as always

“you’re right, i’ll have your head first anyways.” yuki said with no malice, giving you a small frown as his calculating eyes glanced over you once more, trying to find any cracks in your confident visage. when he found nothing, he climbed back down, seemingly unsatisfied when you didn’t break under his stare

(you were one of the few on the crew who didn’t flinch. the other was misumi, who just had no fear towards anything, so it wasn’t personal. after all, misumi was the finest swashbuckler around!)

ahead, your acute sight narrowed in on the growing formation in the distance, your gut tensing before realizing it was far too large to be another ship

with a grin, you hanged over the edge (a habit that no longer scares your crew), your voice amplified as it was carried downward by the wind. it was to be expected, of course, as a yonaguni native, your town always had a special connection to nature that no one else did

“my men, turn your heads and look forward into the horizon! what do you see?”

“land, captain!”

“then let us sail faster! the sooner we reach the shores, the quicker you all can take a damn shower!”

with a shared lighthearted laugh, everyone focused on their role and position towards the land mass ahead. whether it was the possibility of smelling like something else other than a siren’s cove or something more, you smiled, forgetting about last night’s sleepless disturbances

up ahead was fukusaki, sky crew’s next location for the night

after three months or so on sea, your crew’s resources were dwindling (much faster since everyone had a bottomless appetite). it was time to visit a port town to stock up and set sail the next sunrise

sure, it was a rushed habit of yours, but it was never good to stay in one place for too long. that came with the risk of losing again...

besides, who liked a crew of pirates to suddenly come to the town square in their stained clothing and gleaming swords?

after barely securing a place to tie down the great beauty known as “sky”, entering fukusaki was like any other town. merchants upon the docks were experts at haggling prices, civilians went by with their day to day life, and the sun burned everyone’s skin just the same

but as you placed your leather boot upon the wooden dock, something inside you turned. like something had suddenly shifted in the town but you had no idea what

yuki seemed to have felt the same thing, even if his facial expression didn’t change. as kazunari kept muku from fighting with a seller for a map of the local area (misumi was unfortunately encouraging him), yuki inched closer to you, his brows furrowed

“you feel that? something isn’t right.” yuki bluntly stated, eyes scanning his surroundings like usual. except he didn’t know what he was looking for, so a frustrated sigh left his lips

“aye, feels as if someone’s running a rig (playing a trick) on us...” you murmured under your breath, careful not to alarm the returning muku with haughtiness ablaze in his eyes and sheepishness from an apologizing but relieved kazunari (it was hard to believe muku used to be shy prior to joining)

“keep a look out. let you know if somethin’s amiss.” yuki peeled away, checking in with muku asking where the closest tavern was. at the mention of alcohol, misumi jumped in, rambling about how he had already talked to a local about all the best spots

you took a moment to take a deep breath in, the scent of palm trees and fruit replacing your usual endless seas. it wasn’t unsettling, just new. your sea legs itched to return to somewhere always changing, always new, but you knew you couldn’t do that to your friends

you straightened your back and walked with the confidence of a true pirate captain, swinging both your arms around kazunari and misumi, peering down at the map with an easy smile

“alright my hearties, where to?”

this gut feeling could wait, you had a few hours to relax before everything turned upside down

of course the captain got the most inconvenient yet boring jobs that could’ve been assigned

(yuki didn’t look sorry as he happily enjoyed your childish huff at being the grocery shopper, knowing how much you hated to interact with people outside of the crew)

due to your very limited people skills, you awkwardly tried to summon your confidence to come back around all the fukusaki shop vendors. when you were with your crew, all eyes were on you and how high your head was held. but, when alone... a captain was nothing without its crew, you supposed

a messily scrawled list by kazunari was in your hand (never ask a doctor to write anything) as you tried to decipher the words, holding it up to the sun to figure out what the hell he wanted

after getting the main idea of what each person wanted within budget, you stood on the outskirts of the town square, desperately trying to decide what was the best way to approach this situation

you couldn’t appear helpless or confused! how were you supposed to haggle in this state of mind?! as you slowly spun around in a circle to view all of the sellers before settling on a rather small, unimpressive stand

maybe that meant cheaper prices! you thought cleverly, walking over with the poise of a seasoned native. with a neutral expression, you reached a wooden display with a certain swagger to your step

however... there was nothing. as you stood in the front of the set-up and realized no one was there, you couldn’t help but raise an eyebrow. what kind of service was this? was there no one actually here to sell anything?

before you could leave, a flash of orange appeared in front of you, purple eyes wide as if surprised they even received a customer. “w-wait!” he called out, nearly falling over his own table. this kid would clearly not make it upon a ship, you thought

for whatever reason, you stopped, looking over your shoulder with an unimpressed expression at the simple boy. he was tall and lean, wearing a bandana around his orange hair and an unbuttoned shirt. it was a casual appearance unfit for a merchant

“what is it? i’ve got places to be and there’s nothing here to be sold.” you stated, a wave of shock passing over his face before solidifying in a stubborn crease in his forehead

“huh? what are you talking about? haven’t you come here to get rid of that?”

when he reached out, you jolted back, a surge of energy visible in your body. you felt that strongly, what the hell did this random merchant do to you?!

“w—calm down! stop moving or i can’t remove the yokai! you’re making this difficult.” he demanded roughly, his proper words clipped from an accent unlike any other on this island. there was a certain... twang, to his vocabulary. as if it didn’t sit right, as if it was on the tip of his tongue

so much for customer service! you didn’t listen, dodging his hand like your life depended on it. as you ducked beneath his arm, you gripped his bicep with a death glare. at your narrowed eyes, the orange-haired boy gulped and stared back with astonishment

clearly, fukusaki natives weren’t this rude

“yokai? what the hell are you blubberin’ about, kid?” you questioned, your patience thin like a century-old rope worn down by salt. he set his lips in a straight line, as if trying to assess if you were serious or not. when you didn’t budge, he yanked his arm back and rubbed the sore spot, giving in

“ghosts. you got more spirits than normal around you, they’ve been there for a long time.”

you were about to retort, but fell silent at the remembrance of yonaguni. had your ancestors been with you all this time? you almost couldn’t believe you’ve been actually haunted by their deaths for this long

“i have no ghosts. do not try to scam me.” you flatly said before turning on your heel, intent on leaving the possibility of ghosts behind before tenma took a hold on your arm this time

“but, they’re trying to tell you—”

before tenma could finish, an irritated and offended voice boomed just down the cobblestone pathway

“you dare lay your hand on our captain?!”

“yuki, wait!” the crew clambered after him, hands always short of his shirt fabric as yuki’s sword made a sickening sound when pulled out of its sheath. the orange-haired boy let go immediately, attempting to make a run for it before coming face to face with misumi, whose previous smile was cold and nonexistent

it was as if the other merchants disappeared, fearing a start of a fight would be terrible for business. tenma was caught in the middle of a 5-person circle, with yuki pointing the tip of his sword at his throat

“state your name and business for grabbing our captain like that!” yuki was adamant on proving his sword was real by putting it closer to the boy’s adam’s apple. he tried not to shake under the pressure, but you noticed how his feet had no shoes and looked ready to run to anywhere but here

“um... t—johnny. it’s johnny, and i simply belong to a family of fukusaki mediums, that’s all.” johnny(?) said, as if trying to convince himself. all of you secretly exchanged a look, trying to decide whether or not to believe this so-called johnny

“you see ghosts?” yuki scoffed, his position already clear on the issue. ever since you two have met, you knew yuki never believed in anything involving the supernatural. after all, so many mysteries were hidden in the ocean, yuki doubted anything could scare him on land

but, you... you’re starting to believe johnny as you notice his eyes waver towards you. maybe not so much you, but whatever was surrounding you

“yes, sir. i can communicate with them as well. ever since i was a young boy, i’ve brought peace to the dead.” your head snapped towards him at that, something inside of you turning

that boy could bring your ancestors peace? could it be too good to be true? as if hearing your thoughts, johnny nodded to reaffirm your beliefs

before anyone else can join in on the questioning, you held your hand up and everyone fell silent, waiting for your next words. you could easily tell yuki to kill this boy and he would... but you won’t

“how much are your services?”

johnny blinked, clearly not used to this question as he mentally calculated whatever in his head. “uh... i usually don’t get paid.”

“if we took you on your ship, how much then?” (you immediately hushed a protesting yuki and wary crew)

“my payment wouldn’t be money.” johnny quickly said, almost shocking himself with how fast that answer came. you raised an eyebrow at that, about to question his terms before muku turned, eyebrows furrowed

“there’s someone coming.” muku whispered in a hush, immediately on guard as everyone shifted to a defensive position. at the first sound of a boot on ground, kazunari’s eyes widened. a telltale sign of the cop’s traditional uniform, which kazunari knew better than most

“go! go! go!” you ordered, everyone taking off running. without thinking, you took a hold of johnny’s hand. he squeezed it without flinching, turning and impressively staying by your side even as you got faster and faster

you were fast, but you despised running with a passion. if you closed your eyes longer than a blink, you could almost smell the smoke and crack of the tree trunks. for some reason, johnny smelt like coconut, and that humored you to a certain extent as your crew ran for their lives from the officers. someone must’ve alerted local authorities nearby...

even with a map, muku was lost to the island’s complex system. despite being quick on his feet, muku’s eyes frantically analyzed the outdated lines and pressed his lips into a straight line out of frustration. you knew you should’ve stepped in, but what could you have done?

“follow me!” johnny whispered hurriedly, turning into a waypoint before stopping and looking back. your crew subconsciously looked towards you as well, as if asking if this fukasaki native was trustworthy

though, it’s not like you had a choice now

you ran with johnny, the rest of your crew following suit. when you reached a dead end, you expected this to be a mistake before johnny nimbly flung himself up the ivy-covered wall, landing with a hard thud as if he hadn’t done so in a long time. ignoring the pain, johnny extended his hand an impressive height away

“grab my hand and we’ll be free!” pirates weren’t one to say no to freedom (or put all their coins in one chest...), so you got down to provide a boost to your crew mates. it wasn’t a time to be noble, so they all took your support without complaining, easily being able to run past johnny

when it was your turn, the sound of polished boots grew increasingly closer, much to your chagrin. you backed up quietly, gulping and trying not to look behind you as you glanced up. both johnny and yuki were standing there, their hands extended as you got a running start

you closed your eyes, breathed in the imaginary smoke, and leaped, feeling the grip of both their hands upon yours as they helped you up. just as you ducked beneath the foliage, you breathed a sigh of relief as the officers ran by without sparing a second look

when you opened your eyes, you noticed johnny was still holding your hand, his fist tight around yours as you could practically feel his heartbeat through leaning on his shoulder

you got up to thank johnny before noticing yuki’s uncharacteristic quietness and the way his eyes looked between you and johnny... as if he was betrayed

you didn’t think more of it despite the sinking feeling in your stomach

it was a night to celebrate! escaping the cops was no easy feat, especially on a foreign island. your crew, who had taken a liking to johnny’s ability to hold his own, invited him to drinks (not that they needed guidance to the safest tavern, of course...)

you nursed your own drink of choice at a rickety table with the crew, watching as they became less like pirates and more like their own ages with a few drinks and good music. yuki didn’t drink, which was something that had always occurred no matter where they went

johnny was flustered under all the attention, or it was the alcohol everyone insisted he could keep down. you stifled a chuckle when kazunari hooked his arm around tenma’s neck and ruffled his hair, the look upon his face priceless

you took a sip before lowering the cup’s rim, noticing yuki’s wary gaze. he met your eye with a frown, as if hesitating on what to say next. once again, how strange

“captain,” at that, you tried not to outwardly wince. it wasn’t common for yuki to be so... formal with you, at least. “do you truly intend on bringing this stranger with us?”

“johnny is no stranger anymore, yuki. he saved our lives, we are indebted to him.” you flatly said, glancing at johnny once more. yuki huffed, clearly disagreeing with your opinion as he rolled his eyes

“we would’ve been just fine without him. plus, he’s a medium! how do you know he’s the real deal, anyways?”

“i just... know.” you tried to elaborate, but it fell on deaf ears. there were some parts of your past you just couldn’t elaborate on, some parts that wouldn’t make sense to a non-yonaguni native

yuki slammed his water on the wooden table, a sound barely distinguishable in the rowdy atmosphere before getting up with a skid of the stool. he silently left, no doubt heading back to the docks where the stars shined the brightest and moon made things shrouded in dark more visible

you got up and followed without speaking another word. the crew knew disagreements between you & yuki were far and few, so there was no time to ask silly questions

when you reached the outside, the salt in the air and muffled sound of everyone having fun made you stop. behind you, you noticed the door didn’t slam completely as a quick-footed pair of feet made their way besides you

“are... you okay?” johnny asked, his hands in his linen pockets as you exhaled, nodding as you leaned onto the wall. johnny stiffly stood by the door, as if guarding it

“yeah, yeah. i am... just a little tussle, that’s all.” you sounded as if you were trying to convince yourself, but neither of you pointed it out. a few moments of awkward silence passed, before johnny cleared his throat

“okay, i didn’t hear nothin’. just... heard the spirits around you get loud.”

there he went again about the ghosts and spirits! you subconsciously patted your hair down flat, turning to look at johnny with yuki-like skepticism in your narrowed eyes

“how can you see there are ghosts on me? how do i know you’re not pullin’ my leg?” you suspiciously questioned, watching as johnny bristled under the attention. it seemed as if the island natives didn’t question his credibility as a medium

“you know i’m right. you have tens, maybe more, spirits attached to you. i can help you take them away, for a price, of course.”

“which is?”

“i want to find an island lost to me long ago.”

if you blinked, you could’ve sworn you were talking to a past-version of yourself. why did that request seem so familiar?

“do you know its name?”

“nay... my family refuses to tell me anything about where i’m from. all i know is the navy is the reason i lost my parents.”

“mine too.” you admitted with a breath and the conversation paused, you two sharing an understanding expression of sympathy but unshakable faith. you two understood each other despite knowing one another for a few hours

“then, is it settled?” johnny held out his hand, which you took with a firm grip. his palms were soft for an islander, funny enough. he must’ve thought differently since this was one of the few times you took off your leather gloves

“as long as you bring peace to my ancestors, you’re comin’ with me.”

when the hours became late and you ultimately decided everyone passed their limit a long time ago, you and johnny led them all to their barracks with laughs and humor in the air

when you reached the docks, yuki was barely noticeable in the night as he stood upon the mast of the ship, his hair waving in the wind like a flag

he didn’t look at you, not once, so you didn’t climb up. how could you when johnny was holding your hand with his eyes flickering back to you, or whatever was around you?

you introduced johnny to his new quarters and left him to be, feeling free for once in your life that night

morning came with the unfurling of your sails and your position in the crow’s nest. the sky was blue and cloudless, just like everyone predicted as the sea welcomed your crew into its arms

“ahoy, my hearties! off we go to find our next treasure!” you commanded joyously, the crew hurrah-ing in return at your enthusiasm. like most pirates did, your crew’s goal when off-land was to find a ship to rob and make off with their goods

you turned to the side, about to say something before realizing yuki wasn’t next to you. he must’ve slept in, that’s all. you didn’t question it even if he was always on time the years you knew him

disguising your expression of disappointment, you left your crew to their own means, sliding down the mast as per usual. when you landed, you noticed johnny standing awkwardly to the side as everyone was doing their own job

“hey, johnny! what are you muckin’ around for?” you questioned lightheartedly, slamming your freshly-shined boots (after an unfortunate drunk throw-up incident) upon the oak boards. johnny flinched from the sound, unaccustomed to the constantly-busy atmosphere of a large ship

“do you... need any help? i kinda, feel guilty just lazing about in my quarters.” johnny confessed, a red flush against his face as he rubbed the back of his permanently-sunburned neck. you were taken back for a moment, not used to being offered help

“um... you seem to know how to throw a person off their rhythm! i have nothing on mind as of now, hmmm....” after much consideration, you snapped your fingers with a start. “perhaps consider shadowing me for today! get the feel of a captain’s life—”

“no need, captain. i will take him off your hands for you.”

you turned to see yuki besides you, his feet silent and eyes attentive as always. you sensed the tension still imbedded between you two, gulping as you tugged at the collar of your shirt. for some reason, you immediately felt disappointed at the missing opportunity of tenma being with you

why were you feeling this way?! there was no reason to think like that as a busy, efficient pirate captain!

“thank you, yuki. return him in one piece, alright?” you joked, turning away to review what needed to be done that day. as you left, you didn’t notice yuki place a cold grip on johnny’s shoulder with an uncharacteristically eerie stoic pose

johnny looked after you, wondering what was behind that shroud of spirits who wanted nothing more than to see you freed of them

“you’re quite lucky the captain has taken quite a liking to you, johnny, was it?”

yuki & johnny found themselves ending the ship’s tour in the underground of the main deck, located along the cannons placed in their corresponding holes. the smell of gunpowder and flint was nearly suffocating, but yuki moved with ease and seemed to revel in johnny’s tight expression

“y-yes... the captain is very kind and charitable to take me on board.” johnny managed to get out without coughing, his eyes inspecting the materials and wondered how loud it truly was during battle

“you agreed to come so soon. you have no family of your own?” yuki asked innocently, mindlessly fixing the placements of the bombs behind the barrels. johnny shook his head, explaining it wasn’t an emotional attachment he had to fukusaki

“how... suspiciously fortunate.” yuki deadpanned, suddenly whipping around with a blank stare. it caught johnny off guard, who nearly stumbled back into a cannon. yuki wasn’t armed, but his tense demeanor and personality change was jarring

“listen, kid, i’ve got no clue who you are, but you have no reason to be upon this ship.” with every word, yuki seemed to come closer until his pointer finger pushed in the center of johnny’s chest

“you may have fooled everyone else, but our captain has always been too naive. i see right through you, johnny. who are you, really?”

johnny shuddered, backed against the wall and desperately holding onto anything that can keep his wobbly legs up. he didn’t know if it was the rocky seas or yuki’s simmering anger, but he felt like he was staring straight into one of those cannons

“i’m johnny, an island medium who sees ghosts on your captain. it is my duty to let them go, that’s all.”

a moment passed, before yuki took a few steps back. before johnny could react, he found the tip of a real sword pointed at his neck once again

“you’re lying, i know it. do not make me ask you again, who are you?”

johnny tried to remain placid in the face of a weapon, but he gritted his teeth and couldn’t help himself

“why the hell does it matter to you? are you in love with your captain or something?!”

silence, then yuki lowered his sword. he sheathed it back, before turning and leaving without another word. johnny let out a deep breath, sinking to the floor as he closed his eyes

if johnny listened hard enough, he could hear your spirits try to communicate with him. but, their voices were garbled and unlike anything he’s heard before. who were you and why was he here?

the first time you & johnny met in terms of spirits was two weeks after a pattern of sleepless nights

he already found you teetering close to the edge, your hands folded as you searched for something, or someone, past the blackened seas

it was as if some savage sea monster had spilt its ink-like blood into the waters, the once blue surface that reflected lucky skies now murky and as mysterious as the dark side of the moon

with your usual guarded glint now gone, you still seemed just as capable to be the one responsible for such dark seas

“good evening.” johnny mumbled lowly, placing the lantern besides his feet as he made his way next to you. you hummed, not particularly fazed by his sudden appearance despite not paying attention. it’s as if you had eyes in the back of your head, like a sea monster

“i suppose fukusaki isn’t used to the rocking of wooden ships?” you retorted, to which johnny sharply exhaled through his nose, a sign of amusement at your observation

“nay, but... i haven’t been able to properly maintain my sleep schedule ever since boarding. your spirits... are rather loud for ghosts.”

you full-on laughed at this, disturbing the intimate atmosphere between you two. johnny couldn’t help but smile at your worn-down exterior. you presented yourself like you were made of a glass bottle, but you were as intricate as a carved artisan ship

“try living with them your whole life, boy, then you can start complaining about their volume.” you jested lightheartedly, offering a soft smile at the newest recruit. as you leaned back onto the railing of the ship, you watched the constant surface of the waves, as if you could anchor your endless thoughts to davey jone’s locker

johnny mimicked your position, his elbow knocking into yours. his hands were much too soft for a seasoned sailor, you noticed this in the dim lantern light. for a moment, you let your impulses take over and you wondered how they felt against yours

“pardon my words, but when will you let me speak to them? i can never find you through the day...” johnny began to ask, but trailed off when your salted eyes and weariness became apparent in the way you exhaled quietly

“it is not your fault but mine, johnny. this is my ship and i am the captain, that’s all. i cannot allow myself to suddenly become weak in case i am needed.” you spoke like a true hero, well, as much of a hero a pirate could be

johnny didn’t exactly understand, considering he just got up and left his entire life on a whim of a promise to find out who he was. but, he nodded anyways, watching blurred movements of entities swirl around your head like troubled smoke

“what about now? will you let me—?” when johnny reached out, you immediately stepped back, your lips pressed in a straight line as if restraining your true reaction

“you look for every reason to touch me, don’t you?” you tried to force it out like it was nothing, but it was clear how your boots twisted like they were prepared to run away

when was the last time someone physically comforted you in any sense? or... comforted you at all?

“captain...” johnny mumbled, eyes wide with pity and you couldn’t stand it. he called you captain, but he didn’t revere you like a typical person would. he didn’t flinch at your sword or head held high, it was unnerving

“what is the purpose of having a crew if they cannot help you through this?”

the wind wailing against your ears reminded you of how little time there was in a day, and how the sun would rise soon and this cycle of pretending everything was okay would begin again

it was maddening, to live the same day again and again with no change

johnny perhaps was someone you looked forward to, a diversion from the expected

“do you consider yourself apart of my crew, then?” when johnny took a moment to think, you wondered what he was remembering. was it the night where misumi pretended to fall over board to scare everyone or was it when kazunari didn’t react to seeing a skeleton that time? was it when muku could predict every type of weather for the next day without fail or when yuki finally cracked at a joke after a hour of pretending nothing was funny?

or, was it when you two shared glances across the deck, clinked your glasses a little too long, or when your hands ghosted over another when pulling lines?

“yes, your crew is my own as well. and like them, i wish to help you, if you’d let me.”

you always found yourself unsure around johnny, unaware of how to respond in a way worthy of your pirate captain title. as you hesitated, johnny looked you in the eyes and his eyes reminded you of storm clouds thundering in the distance

“why else would you take me on the ‘sky’? if you didn’t want help?”

perhaps those were words you would reveal later, but you couldn’t bring yourself to share the real answer. it was a gut feeling that your world would be turned upside down, and you were right when you felt your throat dry at johnny’s hopeful gaze

johnny continued on, straightening his usual bent posture and his voice carried, like he was one with nature. as if they supported him unconditionally

“i know this is your own battle to win and this is your ship and you are my—our captain, but please... let’s make a deal.”

you stood, intrigued, as you witnessed a side of johnny never seen before. once meek, once easily intimidated, now talked to you like an equal

“let’s promise to say things we both really feel. be honest with me, do you want me to help? to remove the spirits and let them move on?” when you nodded, johnny let out a breath of relief and moved closer, gathering your hands in his. when you didn’t pull away and only tensed, he spoke as if he was sure things would change

“i can help you, i can make them go away. you bring me back to my home, i let your spirits go home. deal?”

“is that how you truly feel?”

“and more.” johnny’s eyes glanced down, and you felt your heart stutter as if the surface rocked

“i feel the same way. i wish to help you.”

that night, you remembered for the first time in a long time, a captain was nothing without its crew

#sumeragi tenma #tenma sumeragi #a3! act! addict! actors!#a3!#act! addict! actors!#a3! actor training game #a3! headcanons #act! addict! actors! headcanons #mankai a3!#mankai company #a3! x reader #a3 x reader #tenma x reader #a3! tenma #a3 tenma

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twstdaydreamer · 3 years

Text

“Ocean of Tears”

Fandom: twisted wonderland

Word Count: 1,175

Pairings: azul ashengrotto x childhood friend!fem reader

Genre: romance, angst, prepare for tissues

TW: none

ahoy, matey! This is the third blow for the angst train from Sora~ man, this honestly took long enough to write lol.

“once upon a time, there was a young boy who fell in love with a girl. A girl who has everything; beauty inside out, a heart of gold, intelligence...everything. She was one of the kind and she meant the world to him. He wanted to give her anything at all cost and protect her from any harm. And tonight, that boy is standing in front of you, Y/N...”

“Come on~ will you really let her go? Just like that?” Floyd whined.

That’s what she desired, that’s what I’m giving her.

“It's been years, Azul.” Jade seconded.

Who am I to stop her?

"I can't believe you! You're being a wimp again!"

Azul could only sigh in resignation and let the twins trash talk him for being a coward. Their voices just flying out of his head as he berated himself. They were right, though. He was nothing but a coward. He was a coward for refusing to acknowledge his feelings and confess and now, he was being a coward to not try to stop you from leaving.

RSA has always been your dream school, you told him as much when you were children. He knew the longing gazes you threw at the merfolks who attend that academy and how much you anticipate the time where you could study there yourself.

And now that the time arrives, who was he to stop you from reaching your dreams? Azul wanted nothing but to see her happy, just like what she did to him when they were still kids. You stayed with him, no matter what form he takes, no matter how ugly he perceives himself to be. You were his anchor...his will to live...and yet...

...yet...

"I will miss you, Zul."

How can you say something like that to him? Just by uttering those simple words to him, you were making his heart clench in a surprising yet wonderful way. He assured himself that he can survive even without a glimpse of your beautiful smile...or not seeing you completely. Its just for four years! He can do it...he definitely can.

But as he looked at your retreating form, Azul realized that he was just not a coward, but a fool in love.

Two years had passed since that day, Azul was staring at the piles of papers on the desk of his office in Mostro Longue. Then his tired gaze landed on his phone. He was dying to call you. Were you alright? How was your studies? Do you need any help? Who among your peers he needs to rope in a contract for bullying you?

Azul wanted to see you so badly, and yet...

"Just call her already~"

"Floyd!" He hastily stood up from his chair in panic, cradling his phone like it was a rare treasure when the taller among the twins pressed the call button.

What in the name of the Sea Witch must he do? He's dying in anticipation to hear your voice, but not like this! He's not prepared!

"Azul! Oy!"

Ah, this voice...

Azul couldn't help but to slip a small smile. He missed your voice so much! How did he manage to tolerate living without you by his side again? God, he felt like he's going crazy!

"I hate you! Why didn't you call me earlier?"

It's you. It's really you. He wanted to see you badly now.

He cleared his throat, wishing that you won't notice how much he missed you with how excited he was. "My, do I really need to be the one who would initiate everything, y/n?"

He knew you were pouting now. "Ah...that's...well, uhm...uwaaah! You...!"

Azul chuckled at your response. Jade smiled at him before dragging Floyd out of his office, giving you two enough privacy to talk.

He wanted to talk so many things to you, many things to catch up, yet he didn't know where to start. Where are his smooth words of all times?!

"How's RSA? Did they finally kick you out?" He started, then fake a gasp. "Don't tell me you have a boyfriend already?"

You went silent.

Wait, don't tell me...no...that's impossible...she won't...ugh! I shouldn't say that!

"But of course that would be impossible. You weren't even a girl." He managed to choke a lame joke.

"Azul!"

...but, is it really impossible?

That's probably the reason why he decided to visit her in RSA, even though he had the feeling that he's already too late.

"Eh? Prince Rielle?! He's not my boyfriend!"

You said that, but he's not buying it. Especially during the way you spoke the prince's name, your eyes shine the brightest.

Its always him! Why of all people, it should be him? Again?

Azul smiled at you politely. "Next week, let's meet at (place). I have something I mean to tell you for a long time now."

He won't let this chance slip by. This would be his only chance.

That day, he would finally confess to you.

Everything was prepared.

The moment you would walk inside, a song would play in the background, dim lights opened as the rose petals scattered on the ground. He was supposed to stand up and walk towards you, smiling as you smiled back at him. He would ask you to dance and tell you how much you're so perfect tonight, like how much he always appreciates you by his side. After that, he'll escort you to have dinner while the fireworks lit the skies.

And he will tell you how much he loved you. And hope you feel the same way as him.

That was what was supposed to happen. That was the plan, and yet...

Azul forcibly tore his gaze away from you and Rielle. He heard the fireworks showers the skies, prompting his feet to walk away. He's late, isn't he?

Once upon a time, there was a young boy who fell in love with a girl. A girl who has everything; beauty inside out, a heart of gold, intelligence...everything. She was one of the kind and she meant the world to him. He wanted to give her anything at all cost and protect her from any harm. And tonight, that boy is standing in front of you, y/n...

And to think that it should have been me in his place.

...seeing you in somebody else's arms, kissing him under the fireworks that lit up the skies.

Y/n, it should have been me.

Azul dragged himself out of the place. He can't take it. He can't stand seeing you with someone else.

If only you remember to come, if only you choose me, if only...

You didn't choose him after all.

He respects your decisions, yet knowing that doesn't stop his pain.

"Azul..." Jade and Floyd were waiting for him.

"I don't want to be desperate, but could it be me?" He sobbed, letting it out to his companions. "Could she choose me instead?"

He didn't want to cry like a pathetic heartbroken teenager for the sake of his dignified image of a dorm leader, but he couldn't help it.

"I was there, Jade..."

He was standing there when you chose Rielle over him. He was there when you accepted the prince's confession and he saw them kissed. Azul was there all along. But you didn't choose him.

He knew very well.

He knew that even if he cried an ocean of tears, you still won't choose him.

#twst #twisted wonderland #twst azul #azul ashengrotto #azul x reader #sora writes angst #twisted wonderland azul

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yurtletheturtlehenderson · 4 years

Text

COSMIC - S3:E1; Chapter One, Suzie, Do You Copy? - [Pt. 2]

A Will Byers x Reader Series

Summer brings new jobs and budding romance. But the mood shifts when Dustin’s radio picks up a Russian broadcast, and Will senses something is wrong.

A/n: okay, so real quick I love mileven, its a cute ship and I think they're real sweet. But I think s3 did the right thing pointing out how codependent they got and it good for them to learn how to be their own person in order to be together. So this chapter kinda highlights the before and doesn't tiptoe lol. Also this chapter has a quick Will Pov cause a lot of you have responded positively to that but pfft god sorry if its cringey 😂 Then again, there's gonna be a point later on where im gonna need to use it so i guess this is practice lol

F/c = favorite candy F/s = favorite snack

||𝟑𝐫𝐝 𝐏𝐞𝐫𝐬𝐨𝐧 𝐏𝐎𝐕||

Y/n glances over Will's shoulders, the pair of them clumped in with Max and Lucas behind their lookout. The boy's sharp nose peeks out from the exit door that blended so well with the scarlet walls, his eyes darting carefully down the corridor assuring they wouldn't be seen. Finally, Mike nods, pushing the door open and striding through at a brisk pace his friends quickly match.

"All clear,"

As they had oh so many times before, they fell into line as they slipped down the hallway with a confidence they adapted in their summer ritual. As the first of them rounded the corner and into the theater, a bright display of colors from one of several light boxes caught Y/n's eye. She grinned knowingly when she saw the movie poster, recalling the trailer that had piqued her interest a few visits back.

At the subliminal reminder, she turned to her boyfriend. She captured his attention quickly as she hooked his arm in hers and gestured to the Back to the Future poster they were now passing.

"We still need to see that, you know," she remarked.

He smiled despite the slight quirk in his brow that betrayed his surprise.

"Really?" He asked, voice quieting as they entered the theater.

She quickly matched his look of surprise, and his hushed tone.

"Yeah! You don't want to?" Y/n whispered.

Quickly, he shook his head defensively as he bunched in with the others who now found themselves crowding the stairs. Mike was quickly scanning for an open seat, which left the four of them waiting behind him anxiously as he crept down the stairs. It was then Max and Lucas spotted two seats several rows down, and swiftly made their way to claim them before anyone else.

"No, no, I will. I mean, it looks pretty cool," Will quickly explained in a whisper, easily pulling his attention back from the other couple and towards Y/n with a shrug. "I just... Well, I heard that it was gonna bomb, is all."

Y/n's face scrunched up immediately in a confused frown Will always found adorable, creating a smile on his face as she looked taken aback.

"Really?" She asked, a little too loudly.

"Shh!" Came the venomous hisses of an older couple beside them, who looked to be in their forties.

Y/n looked at them, eyes flickering to the screen as it displayed nothing but another advertisement, before returning her attention back to them. She slipped them the weakest of fake smiles and shrugged her shoulders. Quickly, Y/n retreated down the stairs when she realized Mike and Will had started moving again.

Will was just ahead of her, throwing an amused glance over his shoulder as she quickly jogged the stairs to catch up with him.

"Shut up," she mumbled through a grin she fought to suppress.

Within moments she found herself packed in between Will and a young woman several years older than herself. Just in time, Y/n realized, as she looked to the gigantic screen that now displayed the words, OUR FEATURE PRESENTATION. Y/n found herself rolling her eyes when Mike strained to throw his whisper down to herself and Lucas - who luckily enough, was sitting just one row before them.

"See guys? We still made it,"

Max was directly in front of Y/n, leaving Lucas easy access over his shoulder to retaliate. "We missed the previews," A comment only one of his friends in the back row seemed to have caught. He briefly met her equally perturbed gaze and shared a quick eyeroll.

Max grinned back at Lucas, mischief written on her lightly freckled face.

"Still made it," she whispered, her smirk growing sly. "And before you died, too, good thing."

Lucas rolls his eyes once more, the words of his girlfriend painting a defeated smile on his lips as he shakes his head.

Y/n pulled her attention away from the screen briefly when she noticed Will had begun distributing the snacks he had smuggled in for everyone. Y/n helped slip Lucas his soda and Max her pack of Skittles, Mike all the while grabbing his KitKat bar. Y/n's eyes, for the most part, remained trained on the screen in fear of missing anything but they broke away briefly when Will retrieved her f/c.

Her eyes widened, glinting happily as she made grabby hands at the snack. "Ooh, gimme, gimme," she whispered, pulling a light chuckle from Will.

Y/n sent him a thankful look, and returned to the screen just as Will had retrieved the last of the snacks and zipped up his backpack. Y/n waited rather impatiently for a loud enough moment when she could open her candy without being heard and ultimately stared at.

The entire theater was suddenly bathed in white light, and the scene of a woman - Lori Cardille's character - was sat up against a white brick wall, head drooping between her knees. An eerie tune blasted through the speakers that brought a small chill down Y/n's spine.

Something about how the woman - trapped in this room - steadily rose to her feet and crept across the tiled floor. Already she was hooked, her unopened candy was no longer the only thing she was focused on. Slowly, the woman made her way to the opposite wall, captivating Y/n's attention as to how or why this woman was here in this room.

She didn't want to admit it to herself, but since her coming into possession of the Missing Experiment files, she had a learned a great deal. And given the information about her birth mother, and how she had been tested and studied it wasn't hard to put together how cruel life as a subject was in that lab. Or what her life would of looked like had it not been for her birth mother's efforts. It wasn't common, nor was it rare, but every so often Y/n found herself in a nightmare she felt she would never wake from. All of which included her in her life that almost was, as Number 009.

Locked away in a cold, blank room with no doors. Nothing to keep her company but the cold metal bed she was supplied, the searing pain of the 009 tattoo on her left inner wrist that never went away, and the reminder she would be here all her life. Being poked and prodded and twisted into something she could never come undone from.

And it chilled Y/n to the very bone how much this room on the screen reminded her of the prison from her nightmares. And yet, she finds herself groaning with the rest of the audience as the screen freezes on the woman's entranced gaze before sliding out to black along with the rest of Starcourt.

"Come on!" Came several voices, many of whom belonged to her friends.

All across the mall, section by section, the neon disappeared, leaving Hawkins residents in disgruntled confusion and darkness.

Erica, who still sat amongst her friends in the main lounge, wore a perplexed expression, her voice laced with annoyance. "The hell?"

Scoops Ahoy Ice Cream parlor was among the last cluster to fall victim to the power outage, the confusion spreading to the two young employees behind the counter.

"That's weird," Steve remarked, stepping away from the counter.

Robin broke from her small daze brought on by the sudden blackout that had clearly overtaken the mall to see her coworker heading for the light switch. Steve put on an expression of befuddlement while Robin wore one that screamed, 'please don't do what I think you're about to do'. And yet, she watched in depressed defeat as he began flipping the light switch on and off despite her silent pleas. Her gaze was flat and unimpressed, his childish attempt was yet another blow to her already lacking morale.

"That isn't gonna work, dingus," she says flatly.

He paused, glancing up at the ceiling and back to her with a challenging look in his eye.

"Oh, really?"

Steve mercilessly attacks the light switch, flipping it on and off as fast as he can while staring Robin dead in the eye. And yet, nothing came of it but the rhythmic click of the switch flipping on and off.

Unbeknownst to the bewildered mall-goers, they were but the first of Hawkins to be shrouded in darkness. A willful, and unrelenting force swept over Hawkins. A force all too familiar with the small town, and unknowingly, a very force engraved in the town itself. Pumping through its veins and slowly but surely staining the town like a virus unseen. A force that was the town, and in a way, always had been.

And on this night, the 28th of June 1985, the force finally broke free from the shadows and begun to take a familiar shape.

As if bending to It's own wishes of discretion; Starcourt - the first of many - could feel Hawkins breathing it back to life as it also did for the dark force at work deep in the bowels of Brimborn Steelworks.

Light by light, room by room, Starcourt came back alive as if nothing had happened. The children's merry-go-round continued, the Indiana Flyer finished its jolly tune as did the joyous child riding its back and a certain employee in a tacky sailor's costume found his chest had filled with pride.

A triumphant look overtook Steve and he gestured grandly. "Let there be light."

Robin watched as he returned to the counter, trying her best to suppress an eye roll. And a smile.

The blackened screen flickered to life, resuming the woman's troubled gaze on the calendar that taunted her. The audience erupted in cheers, thankful their money hadn't been wasted and that their experience could continue. Y/n released a relieved chuckle, the picture before her quickly overturning the lurking thoughts of her nightmares and any coincidence of the blackout had with them. Eagerly, she dug her fingers into the pack of candy she had just opened, her eyes flickering to Will.

Her relief was short-lived when she she saw the expression on his face. He was there, but he wasn't at all happy, nor content, and he was but the farthest thing from relieved. What she couldn't see—what she didn't realize—was in these few crucial moments he sat with a glazed over stare, and a hand reaching for the back of his neck was the deep and profound feeling of foreboding that rooted deep inside him.

And not unlike only months short of a year prior, when he felt himself ensnared in the terror and icy grip of the monster that lurked in shadows only he could see, Will Byers could feel his skin tightening painfully as goosebumps gripped his neck. It was a chill he hoped he'd never feel again, a chill that had nearly destroyed him and his family and friends. And Y/n. The passionate, fiery, hatred for the girl was the only thing about this icy monster that burned brighter than the horrifying memories it left with him.

《•••》

Will was panting heavily, but he slowly turned around coming face to face with the monster. It towered over the school, looking directly at Will.

It got closer. It was swooping in like vulture but Will didn't give in.

The monster bellowed, and one large tentacle began twirling down onto the ground, the size of a small tornado. The swirling gust of black fog engulfed Will.

He stood frozen, now trapped in the swirling fog. Several black tendrils spawned from the mass and invaded Will and he could feel the evil presence as it possessed his body and settled in his very soul.

He felt every essence of warmth cease to be, and all that existed was icy darkness.

•••

"You're... gonna lose... him!" The words are spit from Will's mouth, a struggle through the growing pain.

Another painful scream erupted as the fire beneath Hawkins spread, but he fights it as much as he can. He was almost free. But most importantly, he couldn't let them win. Not with her on their side.

His screams vibrate with his body before his small frame shrinks in on itself like a dead spider. He straightens in seconds, his head, hands, and feet now glued to the bed as he bends in one final arc, his chest rising to the heavens. Will's mouth opens in another scream and a billowing cloud of inky black smoke escapes. It twists and unravels out from between his lips like a pitch-black tornado.

《•••》

"Will?"

Much like that night, a soothing and infectious warmth replaces the cold and unforgiving ice in his veins as Y/n lays a gentle hand Will. Startled, his head is ripped to her direction, arm already slipping away from his neck as she stares at him in worry. She recognized the look in his eyes all too well, and immediately she knew something was amiss.

"Will, what is it?"

Will's hand finally fell to the arm rest he shared with Y/n, and he gently took her hand as if to reassure her. Though deep down, they both knew he needed the comfort far more in this moment. He put everything into her touch, allowing her natural warmth to subdue the chill in his bones as he mentally packed away the crazy thought that he didn't want to be true into the farthest corners of his mind.

And as he met her gaze, her worried eyes now boring into his as she held his hand with a firm grip that said she was never letting go, he found a smile on his face. All too easily the words came to him, the words spoken to her in hushed whispers that he clung to tighter than her. Words he desperately needed to believe were true, words that were already lying to the demanding feeling in his gut that screamed for his attention.

"Nothing," he says, already succumbing to the temptation of a sugar-coated lie that was far more palatable than the bitter truth. "Everything's fine,"

⊹ ⊹ ⊹

Soft sunlight spilled through the open blinds in the Henderson house, illuminating the golden wallpaper and shag carpet that lined its insides. Muted footsteps rushed through the house and towards the front door, a second pair following closely on its heels.

"Mom, remember, he HAS to think-"

"-HAS to think everyone forgot, I know, Pumpkin, I know."

Claudia Henderson turns to face her daughter when she reaches the door, a worn smile playing her lips as she begins plucking away stray cat hairs off her daughter's shoulder as she talks.

"I think it's very sweet you want to surprise your brother," she beams, breaking away to fish in her purse for her keys. "But please don't forget, your brother is easily scared these days, heaven knows why, so just he careful alright? Nothing too big?"

Y/n bit her tongue, knowing exactly why Dustin had grown more jumpy—as had she, and her friends—but she neglected to share that information with her mother. When she finally retrieves her keys, she pauses, sending another sweet and prideful smile at her only daughter. With her free hand she gives Y/n a small stroke of the cheek, and an almost pinch making Y/n frown and pull away.

"Mom!"

"Sorry, sorry!" She answers, pulling away and opening the door. "I'm just so proud of my honey bear!"

Y/n rolled her eyes.

"Mom." She pleads.

"I'll be back soon, I love you, and don't forget to feed Tews, okay?"

"I won't, don't worry," Y/n sighed again, ready to close the door. "I love you too,"

Claudia was more than halfway out of the door, her head poking in as she backed out. A habit she often had when departing from her children. She had nearly closed the door, when her head popped back in as if she had forgotten the most important thing.

"Oh, and say hi to Will for me, honey!"

Y/n's head was thrown back in an embarrassed groan as Claudia shut the door.

⊹ ⊹ ⊹

Shockingly enough, Mike was one of the first of her friends to arrive. Clinging tightly to his side, one of Y/n's favorite people; El Hopper.

"Hey guys, you made it!"

But the two seemed partially oblivious to her welcome, the pair were lost in each other and laughing at something Y/n was completely lost on. Her face fell a bit, though she didn't know why, this wasn't exactly new behavior for them.

"Guys?"

El was the first to break away from their shared gaze, a light giggle still leaving her throat when she locked eyes with Y/n. Her smile brightened and she stepped forward letting go of Mike and enveloped her friend in a hug.

Y/n graciously accepted after recovering from the initial shock. Y/n warmed at the gesture, holding her best friend tight against her chest and she could feel El's hair tickling her nose. El broke apart, her expression similar to Y/n's as she met her eyes. El's cheeks where dusted pink, her now shoulder length hair frizzy from the summer heat as she wore a toothy grin for Y/n.

"I'm glad you could make it, El." She said, opening the door for her friends.

El nodded, casting a brief glance over her shoulder to grab Mike's hand. "Me too," she grinned, stepping inside.

"I was worried Hopper might not want you over," Y/n finished.

El shook her head again as her and Mike now stood in the entrance, Y/n closing the door after them. Immediately, the pair began discarding their shoes and Y/n seemed to miss the perturbed look flicker across Mike's face at what El said next.

"No, he likes it when I see you,"

Y/n nodded with relief and led her friends into the kitchen.

She opened the fridge, giving the shelf a quick glance before grabbing a blue pitcher of filtered water.

"Do you guys want anything to eat or drink?"

Mike looked down at El who shook her head and then back to Y/n. "Nah, we're good. We ate before we came."

'Oh' Y/n mouthed, closing the fridge and grabbing a glass from the cupboard. She tried to busy herself with the uneven stream of water diving into her glass from the pitcher and off of the giggly bubble Mike and El were being reabsorbed into as they whispered between one another. Y/n wished more than anything someone else would ring the doorbell and show up already, anybody. Just to get her out of the awkward tension Mike and El left her in as their third wheel.

No such luck was granted to her, no matter how many times she glanced at the door and willing a knock as she drank from her glass.

A soft meow answered her silent plea and while it wasn't Max, Lucas or even Will that had came to her rescue, she supposed the feline was just as good. Eagerly, Y/n set aside her water and slipped into the living room to see her mother's Siamese cat trotting along the carpet.

"Hey Toonces," Y/n greeted, using her own special nickname for the cat.

Y/n stopped in her tracks, nearly forgetting the bag of cat food on the counter. She quickly side steps the oblivious couple as she grabs the small cup and scoops a small portion of cat food, intentionally grabbing Mike and El's attention over her shoulder.

"So, I got a banner we could all decorate. We can get started on that?"

As expected, the two did not break from their spell as quickly as Y/n would have hoped. It took the obnoxious avalanche of cat foot pouring into the metal food dish to break their attention and look to their friend. She stood across the room with a now empty cup in her hand, a cat running to her feet as she looked at them through slightly squinted eyes and a tight lipped smile. They smiled sheepishly at her, and she asked again trying to stifle her growing irritation.

"Can you guys help me with the Welcome Home banner? It'll be lame if it comes from just me. It's supposed to be a surprise from all of us, anyway,"

Mike shrugs to showcase his complete indifference, looking down at El again who nods. She smiles back at Y/n, happy with the idea and resting her head back on Mike's arm as Y/n nods.

"Great, thanks." She breathes, laxing her shoulders.

Y/n returns the cup to the counter and disappears briefly down the hallway before reappearing with a large seemingly empty banner.

"I already outlined everything, so all we need to do is color it in, brighten it up a bit," she explains quickly, maneuvering through the living room as she retrieves a cup of markers from a shelf nearby. "I left a lot of space for each of us to add something, if you-"

KNOCK KNOCK KNOCK KNOCK KNOCK KNOCK KNOCK KNOCK KNOCK-

"Lucas-" came a muffled hiss on the other side of the front door.

KNOCK KNOCK

"Lucas," the voice was now trying to smother a laugh.

'Oh, thank god' Y/n thinks.

||𝐖𝐢𝐥𝐥'𝐬 𝐏𝐎𝐕||

I don't remember the ride to Y/n's taking this long. Maybe it feels this way cause I'm anxious to see her.

It's probably nothing, but whatever I felt last night before the black out...

I'm getting nauseous just thinking about it, and it feels like something is holding on to my lungs and not letting me breathe.

Y/n, I remind myself. You're gonna be with Y/n and all your friends. Today's going to be fun.

The thought alone made me feel loads better, and it reminded me that I had a new idea for Y/C/N last night when I got home. Defeating the Juju Zombies would level up her character and I can give her a spell I think she'd love...

Storm of Vengeance. It's a higher level druid spell that would allow her to create small storm clouds around her. I think she'll like it considering how much she enjoys her earth spells. And, well, in a way it reminded me of her and what she did last year. I mean, she caused an earthquake all over Hawkins and the news even reported an unusual spike in temperature that they worried might cause a storm. It never did, but it was still the coolest thing I've ever seen in my life.

She doesn't love to go into detail about that night. The night she saved me. And I don't blame her at all, I don't either. My chest actually hurts every time I think about how I attacked Y/n. I know it wasn't me, but I still haven't forgiven myself for not being able to stop him.

Regardless, what she did was beyond incredible and what she's been working at all summer has been paying off. I'm really proud of her. I'm grinning like an idiot, I realize cause my cheeks are hurting but I can't seem to care.

I can see Y/n and Dustin's house creep into view at the end of the long stretch of street and I grow more excited by the minute. Mom's words from earlier pop into my head and I can feel my ears burning all over again.

"They're in love, Will," she said, referring to Jonathan and Nancy who had been sneaking around, to which I scoffed. She took a seat beside me as she continued. "I'm surprised at you."

I look up from my stack of pancakes that was nearly gone, and I sent her a funny look. She smiled from ear to ear and looked briefly to her breakfast before looking back at me.

"Speaking of,"

Oh no.

"Mom-"

She took a sip of her coffee, raising her eyebrows in a way that suggested she knew exactly what she was doing.

"Aren't you going to Y/n's?"

"MoM!" I groaned, standing up from the table.

I marched over to the sink, not wanting to give her the satisfaction of seeing me flustered.

"What?"

She did know exactly what she was doing, and she was relentless. I soaked my plate and headed for the door, hardly giving her a glance.

"Bye, Mom," I grumbled.

I can hear her evil smirk in her voice just before I shut the door.

"Bye, sweetie~!"

I scoff when I realize how she is still able to get to me, and I quickly shake it off. My bike glides into their driveway and I quickly dismount and make sure to park it somewhere out of the way of Mrs. Henderson's car before it got back. I quickly rethink it, and bring it around back where Dustin won't be able to spot it. The others had the same idea, it would seem as I quickly found where they had stashed their bikes.

I rushed to the front door, and I could already hear several muffled voices and footsteps inside. Right as I raise my right hand to knock, the door swings open.

There standing in the doorway, completely breathless and grinning widely is Y/n. I'm grinning again, and just before I can even manage a "hello" she grabs my wrist and pulls me inside, and into a quick kiss. I feel her smiling and when I broke apart she said quietly enough for me to hear.

"I'm glad you're here."

"Clearly," Lucas said, popping a piece of gum into his mouth as he passed behind her without a single glance and into the living room.

Y/n whirled around to send a playful glare over her shoulder. I watched, laughing as she stuck her tongue out at him, and he did the same. She turned back to me, visibly relaxing a great deal and I stepped further inside. I felt her let go of my wrist and she closed the door behind me before gesturing to the coffee table everyone was gathered around. The large banner was at the center of the coffee table taking up most of its surface; the one Y/n mentioned to me the other night in Castle Byers. By the looks of it, it was nearly finished and I felt a pang of guilt I couldn't get here earlier to help.

El was the first to look up at us, and sent a polite smile to me and Y/n before returning to her coloring beside Mike. Mike and Max where quietly bickering over a marker by the looks of it and Lucas was retuning to his seat on the edge of the couch just beside Max.

"Want something to drink, or maybe nibble on?" Y/n asked me.

I look to her, ready to decline her usual offer when I noticed the look in her eye that was pulling me towards the kitchen. I nodded, suddenly deciding a refreshment didn't sound so terrible.

I followed her into the kitchen and out of earshot of the others. She quickly got her hands on some f/c and I helped myself to some Slice Soda from the fridge. The can opened with a hiss just as she hoisted herself up on the counter and took a bite of her food.

Through a mouthful of the snack, her left cheek all puffed up in a way that made me smile and she spoke in a voice low enough she wouldn't be overheard.

"I'm so glad you made it here when you did." Y/n said to me, examining her snack, legs dangling of the counter and swinging lightly back and forth. "They were starting to drive me crazy."

I took a sip of the soda, swallowing the cloud of fizz that buzzed on my tongue. "They couldn't have been that bad,"

I looked back up from my drink to be met with the trademark Y/n Henderson deadpan glare and I laughed again.

Y/n's always making me laugh, and I realize I don't ever want that to stop.

Soon, she's smiling with me as she takes another bite, her eyes wandering to our group of friends gathered in her living room. Y/n looked back at me and sighed.

"I love them all, I really do," she shook her head and let out a small laugh that stopped my heart a little. "But, Jesus, they're so much sometimes."

I let out a small laugh through my nose, nodding as I take another swig of my drink and she continues.

"Max and Mike won't stop arguing about anything that's two feet in front of them," she frowned with a small smile. "Lucas and El are actually spending some more time together, its pretty nice. But other than that, I'm lucky to get a word in edgewise with anyone. You know the group, everyone's got their own ideas, and no one really knows how to listen,"

It's quiet for a moment as we reflect—aside from Lucas whose voice stood out among the others as he cursed at something he messed up on on the banner.

"You excited to see Dustin, again?" I ask finally.

Y/n nodded, popping another piece of food into her mouth before swallowing it. "Yeah, definitely. Mom's been missing him a lot. I can tell. She's been mothering me a whole lot more lately."

A small picture of Mrs. Henderson smothering her kids was not hard to conjure, and it made me chuckle.

"Mm! Just the other day," She hummed, yet again with small mouthful and a spot of food she was oblivious to on the corner of her mouth. "When I went to Max's—"

I nodded showing I was listening, though I tried very heard to stifle the grin creeping up at how cute she looked and I stepped forward to wipe the bit of food off of her mouth.

"a place she knows I go all the time—" she stops her rant abruptly as I wipe her chin and mouth with the corner of my wrist and palm, blinking back in surprise before breathing a small laugh. "oh, thanks. Anyways, she knows I go there all the time, hell, how much time do we even spend here anyway? And suddenly it's twenty questions; where I'm going, when I'll be back, do Max's parents know I'm coming?"

"And now, on top of it all, she won't stop asking me stuff I don't even know how to answer. Like 'how did you and El meet, you two seem really really connected? It's so sweet!'"

She asked, imitating her mother.

"and, 'Y/n, how your sheets keep getting burned in the dryer, I have no idea!' Like, I don't know how I'm supposed to tell her about the friends I made during the almost apocalypse or the fact that I keep burning my sheets every time I have a bad dream. I mean, I can't keep lying to her, but I can't tell her the truth either."

I leaned back against the counter again, growing thoughtful. My heart goes out to her, and I feel horrible I can't really do anything. But I know how much having Max and El around has helped her, she's never really said it out loud but I can tell she's been feeling more and more alienated the older we all get. Not completely, but things are changing. Regardless, I'm glad she has them.

"I'm sorry," I say, and she shrugs, discarding the remnants of her snack on the counter before leaning back on her propped up arms. "Well, hopefully Dustin being back will restore the natural balance of things."

Y/n nodded, a confident smile on her face. "I'm thinking it will, it's what usually happens. She always gets pretty antsy when one us is away for a long time and this isn't Dustin's first time at camp either, don't forget."

Suddenly, her face lights up and she looks to me growing excited. "Oh! I almost forgot. Max had a great idea for when he gets here."

"Oh yeah?" I ask, her infectious smile spreading to my face.

Y/n nods, and I can see the excitement growing in her eyes.

"Yeah, so, we'll all hide, like we originally planned. But," she jumps of the counter, quickly opening the fridge and grabbing a small piece of lettuce before leading me through the living room. "El will draw him out, probably out into the back living room cause we'll have plenty of space to hide in here."

We pass through the living room, and down into the hall all the way into Dustin's room.

Y/n walks over to Yurtle's tank, and slides the top hatch open. She stops talking briefly, like a reflex a small grin lighting up her face and scrunching up her nose as she feeds the turtle the bit of lettuce. Again, I find myself smiling widely out of habit, my chest growing warm just from being around her.

Y/n quickly pulls herself back to reality and closes the top back up, and crosses the room where a variety of Dustin's old toys stand in a clutter in his closet.

With a proud and elated grin, she gestures to them waiting for my reaction.

"What?" I laugh.

"The plan! These are all the toys of Dustin's that can move, I had to dig through some closets but I found enough. El's gonna make them come to life—assuming we're lucky enough to get him to sulk in his room, but I'm not too worried about that. If I know him at all, he will. He'll follow them out to the lounge, and that's when we'll surprise him. I was also thinking I could mess with him if I can, make the room shake a little or something, I'm not sure yet,"

I can't help but picture the look on Dustin's face when stuff around the room begins to shake. I suddenly couldn't wait for him to get back, which is a bit surprising considering how much grief he gives me and Y/n.

She quirks her brow, a mischievous look spreading across her face. "Well, what do you think?"

"It's perfect, I-"

"Code red! Code Red!" Came a strained shout from across the hall.

Thunderous and forceful footsteps pound into the carpet as they make their way down the hall, stopping the words in my throat. We both rip our heads to the open door to see Lucas leaning into the doorway panting and wide eyed as he looks between the both of us.

"He's here!"

· · ─────── ·𖥸· ─────── · ·

"SARS (Special Anti Robbery Squad) is a branch of the Nigeria Police Force. SARS officers carry guns but do not wear Nigerian police uniforms or badges Since the creation of SARS, they have been known for engaging in illegal acts and torturing the citizens of Nigeria. They ask for bribes, harass citizens and even kill them. Nigerians are currently protesting on the streets against the blatant disregard for their rights."

Please help and do what you can, educate yourselves, spread information and bring awareness to this issue.

BELOW IS A LINK IN THE COMMENTS TO A MASTERLIST OF LINKS TO HELP #endSARS

[link]

Therapy Resources and Tips for People of Color

[link]

A Thread of Small Black Businesses That Were Destroyed That You Can Donate To To Help Rebuild

[link]

· · ─────── ·𖥸· ─────── · ·

Tag List: @dickkwad @aimee-lucass @iblesstherainsdown-in-africa @miscellaneoustoasts @happyandlonely-blog @missmulti @youpi-chan @peeperparkour @ba-responds @bibliophilesquared @blogforhoes @witch-of-all-things-soft @shawkneecaps @whothefuckstolemykeds @mirdall @fishswimbetterunderwater @daughter-of-the-stars11 @stranger-things4 @kpopanimegirl @nightbu-g @lozzybowe

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ka-za-ri · 4 years

Text

Prize Pt. 3 (Finale)

Ahoy! The last part of this commission is here! It was so hard to try and fit everything my client wanted into the fic overall, so I’m sorry if it might feel a little off. I did my best to give y’all a good end product! ｡ﾟ(｡ﾉωヽ｡)ﾟ｡

Chapter Index and Obey Me! Masterlist: here Ao3 Mirror: Here Pairing: Satan x Reader Genre: Smut Wordcount: 3,700 ish Tags: Soft smut, fluffy stuff, confessions, Summary: The cards are all on the table and the game is revealed. An uncertain future is discussed and feelings are confessed.

Victory

The months following that fateful day you spent with Satan passed without much commotion. In fact, it felt as though the attempts at usurping your time had diminished since then. It was easy to fool yourself into thinking that they had simply gotten tired of the game they played. It was easier to believe they were all busy with the sudden influx of papers and projects that needed to be completed for classes or that they had other pressing matters to attend.

You didn’t think much of the fatigue or the nausea, chalking it up to having to pull multiple all-nighters in order to get things done on time. The changes in your sleep schedule were easily explained by your terrible habits; and the cravings you had for food you rarely even thought about could just be another symptom of your delusional state as you crammed as much information about Demonic History, Sociology and Sigil Writing as you could within the time allotted to you.

It wasn’t until you missed your monthly cycle more than once that you realized something was distinctly different. From the way the brothers treated you to your mood swings and the tenderness your body felt, it all started to click together. You waited another week, just in case the stress was causing you to be late, but when nothing came of it, you realized that there were certain things you needed to discuss.

“Can we study in your room?” you asked, veering from the usual path to the library and closer to the dorms. “There’s uh…some things I kinda want to discuss, but preferably not in public.”

Satan raised a brow at your request but said nothing, leading you to his room and quietly shutting the door behind him once you were safely within. You sat on his bed, staring mostly at the floor though your gaze flicked up to meet his eyes from time to time. The words you had to say were just at the tip of your tongue, but actually getting them out was going to be the hardest part.

“So, uhm…we need to talk,” you started.

“Yes, that much has been established already,” your demeanor concerned him to say the least. He pulled a chair over to sit across from you, “So, let’s talk.”

“There really isn’t a good way to say this...” you grimaced, already imagining the various tragic outcomes of what you were going to tell him, “but uh…I haven’t had my period this month.”

He blinked, processing what you were telling him. There was an unending awkward silence between the two of you that practically drove you mad. After several excruciating moments of stillness, Satan let out a deep sigh. You couldn’t interpret the meaning of his reaction and waited with bated breath for his reply.

“Is…Is that so. Is this the first time you’ve ah…missed it?” he struggled to understand your human anatomy. “Is this normal?”

“No, It’s not normal…it’s close to the second month I haven’t had it. I’m. I’m pretty sure I’m pregnant.”

He blinked slowly and exhaled deeply through his nose when he heard the news. It was impossible to read his expressions. His face remained impassive for a time before he broke out into a small smile, but that was quickly dashed away and replaced once again with concern. “I…See…Well, I suppose we do need to talk...”

It was your turn to be surprised. “What do you mean?”

Satan leaned back in his chair, folding his hands in his lap and contemplated what he was about to tell you. Things were bound to reach this point anyway, but he was still nervous. He needed to deliver the information to you in the most matter of fact fashion, yet his voice still wavered a bit. “So, you know how you were told that you’re here in an exchange program to strengthen bonds between the realms?”

“Yes...”

“Well, Diavolo was pretty serious about the strengthening bonds and relationships part.”

“I’m afraid I don’t follow very well.”

Satan sighed, hating to have to go into a long lecture, but it was the only way for you to properly understand the game they had played ever since you arrived. “To be blunt, Diavolo believes that the demon population is dwindling at an unacceptable rate. In an effort to bolster the population numbers, he started this exchange program as a trial run and requested that denizens of the House of Lamentation assist in his ah…competition to, you know….” he trailed off, not sure how to further explain things.

Ah, there it was. There wasn’t a need for Satan to continue. You had suspected something from the very start, just having your suspicions confirmed laid your doubts to rest. Your gut instincts had been correct, and all the effort you put into spending time with the man in front of you had paid off. It was a winning scenario for all parties. Diavolo’s trial was a success; and you were with someone that you chose to be with, so long as the child was his.

“I see...” you nodded. “Now everything makes sense...”

“I’m, well, I guess I should apologize for all of us, we’re sorry that we didn’t tell you. Rules and everything kept us from saying anything.”

You giggled, “It wasn’t that hard to figure out. I had an idea of what was going on pretty early.”

“You…you did?” Satan looked at you incredulously. He had thought he kept his end of the deal pretty well. He couldn’t speak for his brothers, but he knew for a fact that he hadn’t said anything incriminating nor did he do anything that felt obviously related to the competition.

“None of you are very good at hiding your intentions,” you shrugged, brushing his shock to the side and moving onto more pressing matters that you wanted to discuss. “How…how would you feel if you were the father of this child?”

“Me?” He could hardly believe his ears. He had played the game on the loosest terms, only interacting with you when he had to. The one time he did bed you, it had been in the heat of the moment and when he wasn’t completely himself. “As flattered as I am to hear this, I don’t know if I would be the best candidate for the father.” Even if he was completely elated at the idea, there was no confirmation that the child was his yet he couldn’t bring himself to celebrate his victory just yet. The child could belong to any one of his brothers.

“What if I want you to be the father?” you beckoned him to sit next to you on the bed, guiding his hand to your abdomen and letting him feel the life that was growing there. From there, it only took a little bit of magic to figure out if your suspicions were true. Unfurling a small tendril of magic to assess who the child might belong to. As soon as his magic made contact with the energy within you, there was no doubt in his mind it belonged to him.

“How’d you know?”

You smiled sweetly at him. “Well, let’s just say that out of all the times I’ve been with a demon, you were the only one who I let close when I was the most fertile.”

“Really? You chose me? Out of everyone else?” Realization dawned on his face when he realized you had actually played the rest of them at their own game. His face flushed with a mixture of excitement and bashfulness. He always knew he had the same chance as his brothers to win, however hearing that he had been chosen to win made his victory all the sweeter. He embraced you, tightly holding you against him and laid you down to cuddle in celebration. Satan won. Asmodeus had been first, the others had been more vocal and forward; but he was the victor in the end. It was a fact he struggled to grasp but having felt the life growing within you only confirmed it and it felt incredible.

“Yes, you,” you giggled at how incredulous he sounded. Kissing him softly on the forehead, you brushed his hair away from his eyes. “I’m glad it’s you. I wouldn’t have it any other way.”

Satan heaved a heavy sigh of relief, the weight of guilt from hiding the competition away from you had stressed him to the point where he couldn’t sleep for many nights. Though the others had followed Diavolos orders and pursued you, he chose to let you come to him. It was a risk, but one that paid off in the end. Hearing that it was what you wanted warmed his heart, and he held onto you tightly in that relief.

The two of you laid mostly in silence together, every now and then murmuring a soft affirmation of your adoration for each other. Other than that, it was a simple, comfortable quiet you had grown accustomed to and cherished with him. You didn’t need to exchange words. Just enjoying his company was enough to have you feel satisfied and loved.

He still couldn’t get over the fact that even if none of the brothers had overtly said anything about the competition, you had been able to piece everything together on your own. There was an undeniable sexiness about how you had all of them eating out of the palm of your hand. To know that out of all his brothers, he was chosen gave him a rather smug sense of pride he couldn’t quite describe. It was easier to just show you his affection and his relief.

What was supposed to be an innocent study date turned into a serious conversation. In turn, that turned into a cuddling session once things were discussed and revealed. Everything being out in the open and on the table released so much of the tension you had been holding onto for so long that you found yourself quickly falling into a doze in Satan’s arms. His words earlier had given you so much reassurance that things would be alright. With the worst of your worries alleviated, you felt like you could properly rest for the first time in weeks.

Though, it seemed as if Satan had other ideas.

With the others out doing errands or going to meetings, it meant the whole dorm was empty; and he could be as vocal as he wanted to be when he was around you. Satan’s legs were tangled with your own, making it easy for him to roll his hips to you and let you feel just what you did to him by being close. His cock already half hard poked at your backside, and you let out a soft giggle as you were roused from your half-asleep state. “Really? This is all you can think about? Can’t we just have a cute cuddling moment here?”

“Well, how often do we get the whole place to ourselves? We can be as loud as we want and no one is here to judge.”

“Okay, well, when you put it that way, how can I resist.”

He wrapped his arms protectively over your abdomen pulling you flush against him as he peppered your neck with soft kisses. The dark mark he left weeks ago had long faded, but he wasn’t adverse to making a few more. You were now his after all. There was so much uncertainty about your future, but it would be fine as long as he was with you. Just the knowledge that he was willing to walk down that unpredictable path with you put you at ease. You sighed in content, melting into his embrace. Satan’s hands wandered away from your belly, trailing up to squeeze your tender breasts. You gasped, arching your back and inadvertently pressing your backside against the growing hardness in his pants.

He let out a soft laugh, loving how receptive your body was to all his touches. It was as if the two of you were meant to be. He wasn’t a superstitious man, but Satan couldn’t help but think meeting you was some stroke of destiny. To have you to himself like this only seemed to cement that notion in his mind.

His hips rocking into your backside became more incessant the more his need for you grew. Though it wasn’t as intense as it had been the last time, there was still an innate desire to mate with you. The kisses on your neck trailed lower to your collar bones. Satan’s hand moved from your breasts to snake under your top, easily peeling it off of you in one swift motion to reveal more skin for him to lavish with attention.

He wanted to do it properly this time, kiss you for hours on end and show you just how much he adored you. Spending so much time with you on the regular had only deepened his affections for you, and he wanted to show you that what he felt was beyond his base instincts. He had feelings past the need to claim and mate with you. He had thousands of years to temper himself into something more than a raging ball of impulse.

His hands returned to your breasts. He teased you through the fabric of your bra; and with every moan that came from your lips, you swore you could feel him grow harder. Satan’s breath felt so hot against your skin. Every kiss seemed to brand you with a heat that spread across your body before pooling between your legs. You groaned, struggling to free yourself from his grasp, but his legs around yours and his hands on your breasts kept you in place.

He made up for all the roughness last time with the sweetest kisses at your jawline and on the shell of your ear. Your nipples strained against the fabric of your bra as he continued to grope and play with your breasts until you were gasping his name, “Please… let me touch you too.”

Satan complied, if only so he could now see your face. As soon as you turned over, you pulled him into a deep kiss full of passion and lots of tongue. He hummed in approval of your enthusiasm, holding you flush against his chest. His hands wandered lower and played at the waistband of your bottoms for a brief moment while you kissed before they slid lower to rest at the swell of your ass. You were forced to break away when he abruptly gave your ass a firm squeeze. Chuckling at your surprised squeak as a result, he redoubled his efforts to work your bottoms off of you.

“Couldn’t help myself,” he poorly explained with a slight shrug.

In retaliation, your hand snaked between the two of you and fondled at the growing bulge in his pants. He let out a soft moan of appreciation once his crotch got more friction, and his hips instinctively moved to meet your touch. Satan wasn’t holding back on being vocal in his appreciation for you. With no one around to judge him, he was more than happy to let you know exactly how he felt about you. “Beautiful. Just beautiful,” he breathed in between the kisses you shared.

He maneuvered you to straddle him. In doing so, he found that he had the best view of you in this new position. With one hand firmly on your hip to keep you from going anywhere, his other hand was free to wander and explore your body as he wished. It only served to heighten his arousal as your clothed heat was constantly grinding against his hardening cock.

It was unfair how many clothes he managed to keep on when you were half naked on top of him. While his hand squeezed your breast and teased your nipple, you focused your concentration on evening the playing field. It was no easy task as every piece of clothing you managed to get off of him was reciprocated with a playful pinch of your nipple which only broke your focus. “Stop that,” you grumbled, swatting his hand away from you as you finally got the last layer of his uniform off of him.

“Stop what? Admiring you? Cherishing you? Treasuring you?” His fingers trailed lower to caress your belly. “That’s going to be hard to do.” There was nothing but love in his eyes as he came to terms with what the future with you would bring.

Hearing those words come from him made your heart flutter. The pressure of his bulge against your clothed heat also added to the emotions roiling through you. You wanted to hide, but there was nowhere to go. His hands reached once again for the waistband of your bottoms, carefully unwrapping you like a present. You were only allowed to move off of him just so he could shuck both your bottoms and your panties in one go.

Once again, you found yourself with significantly less clothing than he did. “Not fair,” you grumbled.

“Oh? Shall we even the playing field once again?” he suggested. Satan allowed you to shift off him just enough for him to navigate your hands to his pants. Your hands brushed across his abs in that motion, causing him to shiver before they started to undo the buttons and zipper to his pants. He watched your every movement, entranced at how you looked when you were concentrating. Heat simmered in his eyes, the hunger in them ever growing the more clothing you took off of him.

You decided to leave his boxers on for the time being. The power had swung in your favor this time, and you gently palmed him through the flimsy fabric. The simple action had him shivering and gasping underneath you. It was a sound you could easily get addicted to. You gave yourself the freedom to tease him a bit more, stroking his length through his boxers until he called out your name and begged for you to do more than just touch him with your hand.

“You’re beautiful,” you echoed his earlier sentiments, finally divesting him of his last garment and tossing it carelessly into the corner of his room. “Absolutely beautiful,” you breathed, crawling back on top of him and kissing him deeply. His hands flew to your hips, positioning himself to enter you. As soon as the kiss broke, he slid into you with one fluid motion.

“Fuck,” Satan hissed, his eyelids fluttering. It had been good the first time, but the energy was so different now. He had every desire to draw the moment with you out, show you just how much he cared; but as soon as he was inside, the innate need to mate and breed with you caused a haze to settle over his mind. He wanted to savor the softness while it lasted, and he strained to take even slow strokes in you.

However, seeing you on top of him, so pretty and moaning as his cock took its first few passes, broke what little control he had over his desires. He thrust into you with his hands holding you firmly in place. Everything about you was absolutely divine in his eyes. Even if heaven was locked away from him for eternity, he could at least imagine what it would be like when he was with you like this. Time didn’t matter. The competition and expectations of what was to come of your child were no longer a factor in those blissful moments.

Satan loved seeing you like this, face flushed and eyes lidded in pleasure as both of you chased your releases. He liked knowing when it was all over, you would be falling into his arms and no one else’s. It made him feel as if he could catch you from anything that happened. You were his, and that fact alone drove him into a possessive frenzy. He let his trusts run deeper, harder into you. With every breathy sigh and every moan he came closer to his climax. He could tell you were close with how your head lolled back and how vocal you had become.

“Fuck, Satan…I love you,” you whined in a moment of reckless abandon before you felt your orgasm wash over you in waves. Your vision blurred for a moment as your senses were overwhelmed with your climax.

Your words sent him over the edge. Satan’s heart soared hearing your proclamation, barely believing that you had said it at all. He gasped at the suddenness of his release. Pulling your hips down flush to his, he released his load deep within you, groaning as his balls twitched in the aftermath of such a climax. He had wanted to prolong the experience of being one with you as long as he could, but it was over all too soon.

Gently cradling you and bringing you down from your perch on top of him, Satan let you rest on top of his chest, not wanting to depart from your warm caverns just yet. His instincts also screamed to keep you filled, making sure sure that none of his seed went to waste, even if he had already impregnated you already.

“Say it again,” he murmured, stroking your hair idly as the endorphins sedated him.

“Say what again? I love you?”

“Yes. Again.”

“Okay, okay. I love you,” you admitted, blushing a bit at how often he was making you say it.

“Good. I like knowing that my love wasn’t misplaced.” His fingers in your hair trailed down to rest at your lower back, and he could feel himself drifting out of consciousness. There were too many things he still wanted to talk to you about, but the two of you had all the time in the world to figure things out together.

He hummed an old, soothing tune as he let his thoughts wander. There was still so much for you to learn about the Devildom. A visit to Diavolo would be in order as soon as possible as discussions on matters pertaining to your child were needed. Then, you would most likely need to be put on an accelerated course to make certain you know the ins and outs of Devildom customs and cultures to ensure that your child would grow up in a proper environment. He thought of the ways he could support you, outside of the obvious help in your studies. There was also the concern of the child being born from such a unique lineage. Surely there would be growing pains associated with that as well…

“Satan?” your sweet voice broke him away from his train of thought.

“Yes?”

“You’re stressed out,” you stated plainly. “Your whole body is all tense. Whatever you’re worrying about can wait, right?”

“Yes, my love,” he agreed, pulling the covers over the both of you. Whatever worries he had about the future didn’t feel so daunting, so long as you were with him.

#Obey Me! Fanfic #Obey Me! Satan #Satan x reader #Shall we date satan #Obey Me! Smut #My writing #i'm trash you're trash we're all trash

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idumpyourgrass · 4 years

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Always Waiting- Chapter 9.5

Always Waiting- Steve Harrington x Henderson!Reader

(I do not own gif!)

Always Waiting Masterlist

Summary: Y/n and Dustin talk about what happened between her and Steve. The end of the year comes and Y/n and Steve ~kind of~ get on better terms after Dustin talks some sense into them. Y/n and Robin get a job at Scoops Ahoy for the summer.

Pairing: Steve Harrington x Henderson!Reader

A/n: This chapter is really just like a filler one just to catch you guys up on everything. I’m so excited for the upcoming chapters! I hope you all like this chapter. The next chapter will be out shortly! As always lmk if you want to be added to the taglist!

Warnings: Language, hints of depression? typos

Word Count: 2.5k

“What the hell happened to you and Steve?” Dustin comes bursting into your room, giving you no time to pull yourself together. You turn your head that was stuffed into your pillow to look at Dustin. His eyes go wide when he sees your puffy red eyes. You wipe your nose with the back of your hand and sit up. “How was the dance?” Your voice cracks.

Dustin comes and sits down next to you. “It was great until we got in the car with Steve. You should have seen him. His eyes were all bloodshot and he is just really bad at forcing a smile, I could see right through him!” Dustin wildly gestures with his hands. You plop your head black down on your pillow, groaning.

“Dustin, I did something really stupid, and- and I know I shouldn’t have but I just can’t keep going around in circles with him! I can’t just be his second choice!” Tears once again, start to pool in your eyes, threaten to fall.

Dustin furrows his eyebrows, “Second choice? What are you talking about?” You start picking at your nail polish, hesitating to tell him what this was all about. You know Dustin and Steve have formed a special bond and you didn't want to ruin that by dragging Dustin into your and Steve's problems, but then again, maybe Dustin could help.

“I…I like Steve, a whole lot-“

“Yeah, I know, I read your diary,” You snap your head towards Dustin, “You read my- you know what? That’s not important right now. You know Steve and I used to be best friends and then he became the stupid “King” or whatever and just tossed me aside,” You adverted eye contact with Dustin, looking at the ground.

“And then he and Nancy broke up and all of the sudden, he wanted to be friends again and take me on dates, but the second Nancy came running back to him, he dropped me, leaving me in the dust, back to pretending like I’m not even a person, and then he started acting all buddy, buddy again with me, and here I was thinking maybe he changed and maybe he actually did want to be my friend, but then as it turns out he and Nancy broke up again,” you start pacing around your room, getting less sad and getting more angry.

"He just needs me to boost his confidence. He doesn't actually want to be friends with me, he just needs me there to make him feel better about himself! And you know what I told him? I told him we should stay out of each other's lives! Why would I say that?! To the boy I am in love w-“ Whoops. You clap a hand over your mouth.

“You’re in love with Steve?!” Dustin looks at you wide-eyed, his jaw nearly dropping to the floor.

“Huh? No,” Dustin crosses his arms raising an eyebrow at you, “No, I did not say that! You misheard me.”

“I have great hearing, I heard what you said,” Dustin says.

“FUCK!” You pick up a pillow and throw it against the wall.

What the hell is wrong with you? You're in love with this boy and you just told him that you should stay out of each other's lives? Damn it Y/n. You reach over to your nightstand, grabbing the phone.

“Are you going to call Steve?!” Dustin runs over and plops down next to you. You start dialing the number.

“What? No don’t be stupid, I’m calling Robin, get out.” You shove him towards the door. He sighs, closing your door shut.

The phone rings and rings, no answer. “Hi Robin, it’s Y/n. Listen I need you to call me back as soon as you can. This is urgent. I did something I shouldn’t have and now I don’t know how to fix it, in fact, I don’t even think I can fix it! So please call me back!” You slam the phone down, huffing and laying back down on your bed.

As soon as you lay your head on the pillow, your phone rings. You shoot up and grab the phone.

“Robin!”

“Y/n what the hell happened?” Robin asks. You explain the whole situation to her, scared of what she might say.

"Well, I'm not an expert on this or anything but I think maybe if you just wait a couple of days, let the whole situation cool down, then you can try to call him or go to his house or something and try to talk to him. But, yikes Y/n, you really dug your own grave here," you slap your palm on your forehead, groaning.

~Three days after the snowball~

After school on Tuesday, you walk through the parking lot trying to find your car. You see Steve sitting in his car. You make eye contact, he quickly looks away, pretending he didn't see you. Ok, it's now or never, you think as you make your way to his car. When he sees you coming towards him he rolls his eyes and locks the car doors.

You pull on the door handle. “Let me in Harrington, I just want to talk,” he rolls down his window a crack so he can say something to you.

“What more could you want to say to me Y/n?”

“I just, I don’t know what I was thinking and-“

“Save it, Henderson, you said we should stay out of each other’s lives right?” Steve rolls up his window and pulls out of the parking lot. You try to blink away the tears but that doesn’t stop them from falling.

* * *

Months had passed. You and Steve avoided each other like the black plague as the second half of the school year came around. At first, you guys would pass each other in the hallways but then both of you started taking different routes so you didn't have to pass each other. Having no classes together, Steve had just disappeared from your life completely.

It was rare that you came out of your room besides going to school. When you would get home from school, you would just go to your room and lay still in your bed, not having any motivation or energy to do anything else. You would come out of your room to eat with Dustin and your mom but that was mainly the only time they would see you.

Sometimes Dustin would bring the party over and they would all come into your room and you all would chat for a while. They would try to get you to come out and play games with them, but you would always politely decline.

Robin would come over after school a couple of times a week just to make sure you were doing ok. You opted out of doing any theatre-related things, giving you more time to mope around. Robin would keep you updated on all the latest gossip and tell you how much everyone in the drama department misses you.

You, Eleven, and Max would all have a sleepover once a month, which you very much appreciated. It was the one night out of the whole month Steve would completely leave your mind as you giggled with the girls, doing facemasks, painting each others’ nails, and watching movies.

Dustin and Steve still hung out, having movie nights every Friday, though it was always at Steve's house. Dustin told you he could stop hanging out with Steve if it bothered you. Of course, you told him you didn't want that. You occasionally asked Dustin how Steve was doing, most of the time he said Steve was doing just about as well as you were doing.

Dustin would oftentimes scold Steve anytime they hung out. Dustin told Steve all about how you would just stay in your room, never coming out. Steve couldn't help but feel awful, but this whole staying out of each other’s lives was your idea, he was just following through with it. Although you guys never saw each other and were now strangers, he never stopped thinking about you. Your name was always on his mind. He just wishes that day in the parking lot, he would have talked to you and not drove away like an asshole.

~May 3rd, 1985~

Tonight was Friday, meaning Dustin would be at Steve’s watching a movie and your mom would be off somewhere with her friends. When no one was home, you ventured out a little. Tonight, you decided you would watch Footloose. You go into the kitchen, pop some popcorn, get yourself a Pepsi, and make your way back into the living room. You sprawl yourself across the couch and start playing the movie. You pick up your glass of Pepsi about to take a sip of it when you hear the door start to unlock. The door opens and Dustin walks in, he looks up and jumps, startled to see you. “You’re out of your room.” Dustin has a shocked look on his face, but you can’t see it because you are too busy looking at who’s standing behind him. Your heart starts beating faster as you scan the face of none other than Steve Harrington. He looks just about as surprised to see you as you are to see him. You feel your stomach in your throat when you two make eye contact. The glass of Pepsi falls out of your hand and onto the couch.

Dustin quickly rushes into the kitchen to get towels while you just sit there, stunned. Dustin comes running back, patting the towels on the couch. "I'm going back to my room," You shoot up off the couch.

“Dustin, why don’t we just go back to my house?” Steve makes his way towards the door.

“No! Y/n you aren’t going to go back in your room just to cry into your pillow and Steve, we are not going back to your house just because you two can’t even be in the same room as each other! We are all going to sit down together and have a movie night.” Dustin paces around the room throwing his arms wildly about. “You two don’t have to sit next to each other but goddamn it I’m sick of this! I get it if you two don’t want to be friends anymore, ok? I get it, but you don’t have to avoid each other like this.” Dustin looks from you to Steve, “So let’s all act like adults here and watch a god damn movie.”

You open your mouth to protest but Dustin holds up to hand to stop you. “Sit.” You groan and throw yourself on the couch. Steve slowly makes his way to the couch and sits on the opposite side of you, Dustin sitting between you two.

You try your hardest to watch the movie, but you can’t focus. There is so much tension in the air, You haven’t seen Steve in over 5 months and now you’re sitting watching a movie with him? About halfway through the movie, you decide you can't take it anymore. You stand up and go to your bedroom, closing the door.

“I can’t stand to see her like this, Dustin!” Steve tells Dustin.

"Well, believe it or not, she looks a whole lot better than she did a couple of months ago," Dustin reaches for the remote and turns the tv off.

Steve gets up off the couch and makes his way towards your room.

There’s a soft knock at your door. “Go away Dustin I don’t want to talk right now!” You yell, pulling the covers up over your head. “Uh, actually it’s not Dustin. It’s Steve.” Oh fuck. You hesitantly get out of bed and make your way over to the door, debating even opening the door. At the first sight of Steve, you let out a sob, clasping a hand over your mouth.

“Y/n…” Steve pulls you in, close to him as you sob uncontrollably. You didn’t know how you were going to react when you saw Steve for the first time but this sure wasn’t it. Steve holds you until you start to calm down. “Let’s talk, yeah?” Steve says, leading you to sit down on your bed.

You sit in silence for a while, neither one of you sure how to start the conversation. Steve sighs then begins, "I think, we have both said things we didn't mean and I'm sorry I was such an asshole, but I don't think we can ever go back to just being friends," you start picking at your nail polish as Steve continues. "I do think, however, if we start over, we can stay as acquaintances." Ok Acquaintances, that's better than nothing. You look up at Steve and nod. He gives you a small smile, pats your leg and then leaves your room. That’s it? That’s all he wanted? To tell you guys can stop avoiding each other and become “acquaintances?”

* * *

You finally felt your feelings towards Steve slowly start chipping away. It only took 6 months, but hey! It was progress. In the last couple of weeks of school, you started taking your normal route again and so did Steve. When you passed each other you gave each other a small smile or a little head nod. Sometimes you would throw him some finger guns which afterward you always immediately regretted doing.

You started coming out of your room more. Your mom was always so happy when she asked what you were doing for the night or the weekend and you said you were going to go over to Robin's or out to dinner with the party.

School ended and summer was here! You and Robin decided to get summer jobs together. The Starcourt mall just opened so there were plenty of jobs available. You both decided working at a cute ice cream shop would be fun. You both got hired at Scoops Ahoy and you were super excited until you saw the uniforms. Yikes.

It was the first day of summer and also the first day of your new job. Robin was already at the shop when you got there. “Hey Robin,” you say as you enter through the back. Robin’s eyes go wide and she starts pushing you back out the door.

"Robin, what the hell, let me in!" You push her back, forcing your way in. Oh, that's why she didn't want you to come in. Through the front window, you see Steve Harrington scooping ice cream.

“Jesus Christ,” you throw your bag down on the table.

“I didn’t know he was working here I swear!” Robin tells you. Steve checks out two costumers in line and turns around, to find out who Robin’s talking to. He nearly drops his ice cream scoop when he sees you. You let out a laugh when you see him in his uniform.

“Oh, Y/n, I didn’t know you were working here too,” He reaches up and rips off his sailor hat, his cheeks bright red.

“Well, here I am,” you gesture to yourself.

“Uhhh, if you both want to come up to the front, I can show you how everything works,” Steve says to you and Robin, scratching his neck.

Well, this is going to be one hell of a summer.

Taglist: @gertenbert @l0ve-0f-my-life @loulouloueh @nighttwingg @hauntedduckdefendor @labrujaprincess @welcomethefears @metuel18 @polynesianmayo @readinthegarden12 @alafolieee @yoheyyosup @loco-latte @daddystevee @hannarudick

#steve harrington #steve harrington fanfic #steve harrington x reader #stranger things #stranger things x reader #dustin henderson #nancy wheeler #jonathan byers #will byers #Joyce Byers #mike wheeler #eleven #lucas sinclair #Max Mayfield #billy hargrove #robin buckley #scoops ahoy #jim hopper #starcourt mall

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usual-day-dreamer · 4 years

Text

Let Me Touch Your Fire (Steve Harrington x Henderson!Reader) Chapter Three

MASTERLIST

"Did you like the tape?"

"I did, you like Queen a lot, don't you?"

"They're one of my faves" you said taking a bite of your corn dog "Any favorite songs?"

"Yeah, it was that song about some place with a beach" he said "It went like..." he made a dramatic pose

"Aruba, Jamaica, oh I want to take you to Bermuda, Bahama, come on pretty mama" he sang with a stronger voice. You smiled at him amused and decided to join him singing the next part.

"Key Largo, Montego, baby why don't we go" you tried doing his same voice but failed miserably and laughed, he joined you in the next.

"Oh I want to take you down to Kokomo, we'll get there fast and then we'll take it slow" he grabbed your hand and started spinning you around and the both of you sang in unison as he let you go you tried to do a Hawaiian dance and he did the same.

"That's where we want to go, way down in Kokomo" he winked at you and you smiled and with the strongest voice you could muster you sang the ending of the chorus

"Martinique, that Montserrat mystique" you couldn't hold it anymore and you started laughing, Steve joining you.

Robin opened the small window with an annoyed look "Can you guys shut it? I'm trying to concentrate"

"Sorry" You said with a smile and she rolled her eyes and disappeared again.

Steve and you giggled, and Dustin came back.

"I'm sorry, I forgot my binoculars and had to go back" he said

"Are you ready?" Steve nodded at your brother

"See you in a bit" he said and walked away.

Once they were settled behind a plant, Dustin handed Steve the binoculars.

"Robin seems pretty cool" Dustin said

"She's not" he answered "What am I searching for?"

"Evil Russians"

"Yeah but, how will I know when I see one?" Steve looked around binoculars.

"Mysterious guy with a duffle bag"

Steve continued to look around the mall.

"You like Robin"

"I do not!"

"Come on Steve you should really be with someone that you actually like than with someone you think is going to make you cooler, you are an adult now"

Steve sighed.

"She's not even my type"

"And what about my sister?" Steve's heart raised but he tried to keep cool.

"What about her?"

"I don't know, you two seem to hit it off really well"

"Shut up Henderson I am going to date whoever I want, you have a girlfriend now because of my advice remember?"

Dustin rolled his eyes at Steve

"I think I found our guy"

Steve and Dustin ran behind the guy Steve thought was Russian only to find that he was the jazzercise instructor. Defeated they walked back to Scoops Ahoy.

Your brain felt like it was going to explode, you had no clue what the message could mean, and Robin seemed really stressed too.

"The week is long. The silver cat feeds when blue meets yellow in the west. A trip to China sounds nice if you tread lightly" you read again and sighed.

"What do you think it means"

"I don't know, I feel like my brain is going to explode"

A knock interrupted you and she made her way towards the back door.

"Must be the delivery guy"

You watched her open the door and walked behind her peaking at the guy with the packages.

The company’s name caught your attention: Lynx

When Robin closed the door, you exchanged looks and ran outside the parlor, everything suddenly making sense.

You almost crashed into Steve and Dustin but ignored their bickering as you jumped on top of a bench, Robin standing next to you.

"The silver cat feeds when blue meets yellow in the west" both said in unison and looked towards the mall's clock, the colors matched the ones in the message.

"A trip to China sounds nice" you whispered and found the Chinese restaurant food. Robin followed your gaze, and everything clicked

"What the hell is happening?" Robin and you looked at the boys

"We cracked the code" you two said in unison and they stared at you with widened eyes.

"So, we stay until dark and sneak up on the building that has a right view towards the back where they take all the packages"

"And see what they are up to" you concluded.

"Sounds good to me, Steve?" Dustin, Robin and you looked expectantly at him.

He nodded "Yeah, let's do it"

You smiled at each other.

The ring of the bell in the counter made you turn away and Steve made his way out of the back room.

"I'm gonna go with him and help out" Robin said and walked out.

You waited until the door was closed and looked at Dustin

"Where are the others? Mike, Lucas and Will?" You asked

Dustin avoided your gaze and you immediately knew something was off.

"I don't know, they're probably busy or something"

"You know you can tell me anything Dusty"

He sighed.

"Mike's been with El all summer, he rarely stays with us all day, Lucas and Max haven't called or anything and Will only want to play Dungeons and Dragons, none of them really cared when I came back from camp and they haven't answered any of my calls either, even when I said it was code red"

He sounded sad and disappointed. You placed your hand on his shoulder and smiled warmly at him “You are not alone Dusty, you have us” he smiled.

"Do you want a hot dog on a stick?" He nodded and you walked out, Dustin trailing behind you with a smile.

"We'll be back in a bit!" You said and Robin and Steve nodded watching you both walk out of Scoops Ahoy.

The line was faster than you thought it'd be, and you told Dustin to sit with you on a bench before going back to Scoops Ahoy.

"You know Dustin"

He hummed as a sign for you to continue.

"I am really proud of you" you said "And I know I wasn't with you all this time and I-" your voice broke a little, eyes filling with tears and you tried to calm.

"It is not your fault, you know that" he said

"The point is, you have grown so much, and you've made awesome friends and some hero shit no one would do"

You smiled at him.

"I'm so proud of you and I love you so much"

"I love you too"

You finished the rest of your corn dog and walked back to Scoops Ahoy.

It was raining like crazy; you swore the sky was going to fall as you waited for the deliveries to arrive.

"I should've brought a jacket" you said and looked at Robin that seemed to be completely unbothered by the rain. You focused your attention somewhere to distract you from the cold. Your gaze fell on Steve, he was talking with Dustin about something you couldn't understand, you admired the way the rain fell down his face and lips and how his wet hair sticked to his face, he was really attractive. His lips always looked soft and his hair too, you'd be lying if you haven't thought about how his hair would feel between your fingers as you kissed...

You blushed hard trying to look somewhere else.

"They are coming!" Dustin said and you looked towards the mall.

Two guards were standing at the door heavily armed.

The delivery guy had the Chinese restaurant and shoe store boxes stacked in a cart as the guys let him through. The doors opened.

"It seems to be an elevator" Dustin said

"Lend me the binoculars, I want to see" Steve said and pulled them but Dustin did not let them go.

"Steve I am still using them" Dustin argued and you and Robin exchanged annoyed looks "Guys, stop, they'll see us" Robin said and the binoculars slipped from their grasps. They fell with a loud noise and the four of you hid as you grasped Steve's and Robin's hands tightly.

You locked eyes with Steve and quickly let go, still holding Robin's hand you said "Let's go, they'll probably come here to check" they nodded, and you scrambled away.

Once inside Steve's car you smiled

"I can't believe this is happening" Steve looked at you and smirked

"Welcome back to Hawkins" you smirked back as he said that.

"Can you stop flirting and drive? I am freezing"

With a blush Steve started the car and drove off.

"Let's play some music"

The familiar song filled your ears and you smiled "Is that my tape?"

"Maybe" he said with a shrug.

You sang the lyrics to Dance the Night Away by Van Halen quietly as your whole body shivered, you were freezing.

"My house is closer than yours, you can stay over and have a hot shower if you want" Steve said casually

"What about your parents?" you said.

"They are out of town" he answered "You don't have to if you don't want to"

You looked at Dustin, he was already asleep.

"Okay, we'll call my mom form your house to tell her"

Steve nodded "No problem"

You spent the rest of the ride in silence, looking out the window at the familiar scenery you never thought you’d miss this much. It was dark and the rain outside made everything feel peaceful as you sighed and relaxed.

Rain was falling less heavy as you arrived at Steve's house, you woke Dustin up and told him you were staying over at Steve's, he nodded tiredly and ran inside the house.

"You can place your wet shoes and socks here" Steve said and you followed him to a small coat room.

"The bathrooms are upstairs; I'll lend you some clothes"

You walked up the stairs as Steve disappeared inside his room. he came back with clothes for Dustin and told him to follow him.

Dustin walked away with Steve as you stood awkwardly at the staircase waiting for Steve.

"You can shower in my bathroom" Steve said walking hurriedly towards you, you followed him towards his room.

"I've already placed clothes inside for you, if you need anything call me" you smiled, he was such a worried dad.

He closed the bathroom door and you quickly undressed, you clothe heavy and soaked, you turned on the shower and stepping inside the warm water. You sighed at the feeling of your freezing body warming up. Your muscles relaxing as the hot water fell down your body.

Once done you wrapped yourself in a fluffy towel and dried up. You sat on the toilet and looked at the clothes Steve gave you: a pair of boxers, some pants and a hoodie. You brought them up to your nose and sniffed, the smelled like him and you smiled a little.

You walked out and you found Steve preparing a small bed on the floor next to the bed

"Where's Dustin?"

Steve looked up and eyed you up and down, you tried not to blush under his gaze.

"He's already asleep on my parent’s' bedroom" he said returning to his work "You can sleep on my bed, I'll be on the floor"

"You don't have to, you know?" you blushed and looked away from his gaze "We can share the bed if you want"

Rain was falling heavily again and the silence that filled the room felt deafening.

"Yeah, okay, sure" he nervously answered.

You made your way towards the bed and got inside the covers; Steve did the same.

You were staring up at the ceiling, your body was exhausted but for some reason you couldn't sleep.

"Steve?"

"Yeah?"

"I can't sleep” you turned your body towards him, placing your arm under your head for a more comfortable position

"Me neither" he did the same and you smiled at each other "Can I ask you something?"

You nodded.

"Why did you move somewhere else?"

You sighed "When I was 9 my parents divorced" you said "My dad hated it and as some kind of revenge he picked me up at school one day and took me away, practically kidnapping me, he prohibited me any kind of communication with my mom or Dustin. He tried to get back with my mom using me as some kind of bait but my mom rejected him, so he started to get more aggressive towards me" you lifted your shirt a little to show Steve old bruises that were disappearing "It was really hard to grow up alone but I finally saved some money and came back"

"I'm sorry" he looked at you, genuine sadness filling his eyes

"I am afraid" you admitted "I don't want to lose my brother again, he's everything to me and if something happened to him and won’t be able to forgive myself"

"You really don't have to worry" he said "He's pretty smart and badass too, he told you about everything with the demodogs and that stuff, right?"

You nodded.

"Nothing's going to happen to him" he continued "Not on my watch" a few silent tears escaped your eyes and he wiped them away

"Thanks Steve"

He just smiled, you smiled back and moved closer to him, he wrapped his arms around you and you slowly fell asleep.

#steve harrington x reader #steve x reader #stranger things

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scoopsohboi · 5 years

Text

shut up! i like her

Pairing: steve harrington/henderson!reader

W/C: 1642

Summary: you’re walking around starcourt and decide to grab ice cream. you see steve for the first time since high school and he’s changed a lot since then.

-more steve readers-

-st readers-

Steve ran his fingers through his hair. He’d been off his game for a while, since Nancy really, and it was starting to take a toll on him. He used the same charm and smile he did in high school, the ones that crowned him king of Hawkins High, but he’d changed so much since then that it felt flat. He couldn’t play the part of popular guy now that school was over, and since his life had turned Upside Down, he wasn’t much of a panty chaser. Or dropper evidently. Robin smiled from the ice cream shop window as she revealed her newest tally against him on her precious whiteboard where she catalogued his flirting failures. At least someone’s having a good time, he thought with a sigh.

Robin straightened up a little then, hiding the board quickly as she looked over Steve’s shoulder. “Show time, Romeo,” she said and Steve bit back a snarky retort as he spun around, preparing to strike out once again. No performance this time. Steve was going to be real for once. The king routine was getting him nowhere and he was exhausted of the role.

You were lazily walking through the mall, talking advantage of the air-conditioning and spending the afternoon window shopping. You didn’t have too many friends in Hawkins, even though you’d lived there your whole life. Your best friend moved away after high school graduation to go to college in Texas and you had to stoop so low as to ask your little brother to hang out. You loved Dustin, but he wasn’t exactly someone to talk to about girl stuff or anything ‘R’ rated. You felt extra deflated when even he was too busy for you, always away at friends’ houses and sneaking out at night. You missed having fun. Now the only times you got out was when you went to work at Chuck E. Cheese or to the grocery store with your mom.

As you reached the food court, you caught eye of an ice cream shop and your stomach growled a little. It was such a hot day, your mouth practically watered at the thought of a cone with a scoop of your favorite. As you approached the counter you noticed the face of a girl you went to high school with, Robin, poking out from a back service window. You smiled and raised one of your hands in a wave, but you couldn’t help the look of confusion you had when your brain registered the boy who stood just behind the counter.

“Steve?” you asked, not really believing that Steve Harrington would work at a Scoops Ahoy inside of Starcourt- or anywhere for that matter. His family was rich; he lived in one of the biggest homes in the neighborhood. You couldn’t understand why he would subject himself to wearing a sailor costume and slinging ice cream, with a dorky hat no less. You were shocked he wasn’t worried about his precious hair getting ruined.

“Oh, uh- hey, Y/N,” Steve said, a blush appearing on his cheeks.

“Ahoy…captain,” you smirked, half convinced you were at home asleep having a really wild dream. Steve’s face turned redder and you felt a little bad for embarrassing him. “Since when do you work here?” you asked, trying to redirect the conversation a little.

“Summer job,” he shrugged. “I’m trying to save up for college.”

“Really? You?” you asked, still shocked.

“Yeah,” he said, looking down as he rubbed the back of his neck nervously. “Basketball didn’t work as planned- didn’t get any sports scholarships. Dad’s not exactly thrilled, so if I want to go to college now I have to pay for it.” You blinked in surprise. You didn’t expect Steve to tell you all that. You two weren’t friends in school, but you were more than just classmates. You’d gone to some of Harrington’s wild parties and even shared a round of 7 Minutes in Heaven together in seventh grade at Carol’s thirteenth birthday party. But at the end of the day he’d been prom king and you were just a girl who didn’t care about labels.

“Damn,” you began, feeling more guilty about poking fun at him. “That’s rough. I’m sorry, Steve.” He smiled, though his eyes didn’t. He was playing a part again. Always Steve the cool guy.

“It’s alright. Gives me time to figure out what the fuck I want to do with my life.” Or maybe not? This was definitely not the Steve you went to school with. Since when was he into having an actual conversation? Usually Harrington just dished out flattery at the hopes of a date, or more if he was lucky.

You’d seen a few rare glimpses of the real Steve, though, whether he remembered or not. Three separate instances where Steve had been very drunk, the two of you had wandered off somewhere private, and he’d been very honest with you. He would talk about how much he hated Tommy and Carol. How his dad would always put him down for his grades. How people never really wanted to know the real him. It never lasted, though. Someone would always be looking for King Steve and he’d jump back up, walls in place cemented with a stupid drunken grin to remain life of the party. Anything to make people happy. “What about you?” he asked, breaking your train of thought.

“Huh?” You had completely forgotten what you two had been talking about, mind a few years in the past. “Oh, same, actually. I’m kind of losing my mind a little bit,” you said easily with a smile. “But hey, animatronic rats really help with the anxiety.” Steve laughed at that, a real, hearty laugh that you couldn’t help but join in a little.

“Jesus, that’s right, I forgot you work at Chuck E. Cheese.”

“What? How did you know?” You’d only been working there for two months and you’d been going out of your way to make sure no one saw you there. Ever. Labels aside, you didn’t need everyone to know you were serving pizza to sobbing children for less than minimum wage. Steve’s ears turned red.

“I’ve seen you there.” Your eyes widened a little as you waited for him to elaborate. “I was driving by one day about a month ago and I saw you walking in wearing the red vest.”

“Lovely,” you muttered under your breath, slightly mortified that you’d been caught. Steve leaned coolly against the counter and you couldn’t help but notice the change in proximity.

“Nah, it wasn’t that bad. Way better than this,” he said, gesturing to his own ensemble. You bit your lip to try and hide the big smile that grew on your lips. Dammit if this new Steve wasn’t doing something to you. You knew he’d become friends with Dustin over the past couple months, but other than a quick greeting as Dustin jumped into Steve’s car before the two drove off for sometimes more than a day, you hadn’t gotten the opportunity to really talk to the guy. He seemed like he’d matured a lot, though, and it looked damn good on him.

“I don’t know,” you said, crossing your arms over your chest and taking him in for a moment. “I think the hat really brings it all together.” Steve smirked and cocked an eyebrow, clearly in the mood to play along.

“I know, right? Let’s just say, we’re not famous for the ice cream. They come for it, but that’s not why they stick around,” he adds with a wink.

“Wow,” you breathed. Now that sounded more like the Steve you remembered, though you could tell his words held none of their old weight. He looked clearly amused, enjoying messing around with you and waiting to hear what you’d say next. God, he was adorable. “Is that on the secret menu I don’t know about?” You asked, glancing around the room as if looking for a poster when your eyes found an elderly woman in the corner who looked like she was about to fall asleep in her banana split. “I think you rocked her world a little too much.”

Steve broke with a laugh that lit up his whole face, hair swaying into his eyes before he combed it back with his hand. “Couldn’t handle the U.S.S. Butterscotch,” he said and you raised a brow at him.

“Is that what you call it?”

“Trust me, babe, it’s an ocean of flavor,” he added. You leaned your elbow onto the counter, face inches from Steve’s. His gaze darted to your lips so fast you almost thought you’d imagined it, but his tongue darted out to wet his own as eyes fixed onto yours.

“Well, then, I gotta try it.”

“How about tonight?” he asked seriously, voice soft and gentle- hopeful. You found yourself nodding before you even registered what was happening. Steve smiled.

“Yeah, I’d like that.”

“Y/N??” a familiar voice called from behind and you looked over your shoulder to see Dustin making his way to the counter. “What are you doing here?” You shrugged, looking back at Steve as Dustin reached you.

“Just talking to Steve,” you responded nonchalantly. Dustin eyed suspiciously at you before turning his gaze to Steve. His eyes narrowed as he continued to switch back and forth between you two before finally settling on Steve. Steve looked at Dustin like he was crazy before lightly shoving the kid’s shoulder.

“Stop staring at me, weirdo.”

“You didn’t,” was all Dustin said, stumbling slightly. Steve still kept the same look on his face, but it didn’t remain for long under Dustin’s intensity. Steve cracked as Dustin let out a loud groan in protest. “Gross, dude, that’s my sister! What the hell?”

“Shut up! I like her!”

#steve harrington x reader #steve harrington x henderson!reader #steve harrington/reader #steve harrington/henderson!reader #steve harrington imagine #steve harrington fanfiction #steve harrington/you #steve harrington x you #stranger things fanfiction #stranger things imagine #henderson!reader #scoopydoo #steve

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vivxwrites · 5 years

Text

Your Turn, Nat

*not my gif*

Word Count: 1235

Summary: Natasha has a secret family like Clint in AoU

Warnings: Fluff ahoy

Pairing: Natasha Romanoff x Reader

A/N: This was requested by @ecruzsalaz and I hope you like, Wow, just wow, this is super fluffy and I love it!!

“Both the tower and the compound are compromised.” Tony pinched the bridge of his nose as he spoke to the other avengers in the Quinjet. He, Natasha, Clint, and Wanda had just finished a grueling mission and were on their way back to the Avengers Tower when they were informed that there was a breach in security. S.H.I.E.LD was hard at work patching up the firewall but until they were given the all clear to return, Fury instructed the team to bunker down in a safe-house.

“The nearest safe-house is another five hours away.” Everyone groaned in unison at Wanda’s statement. Their mission had been a long one, three months in length, and the last thing they wanted to do was travel five hours in the Quinjet.

“Do we have any other options?” Tony asked.

“Your turn,” Clint stated while looking at Natasha. She shot him a look but was met with the sight of her three teammates, all tired and beaten up. She sighed to herself and walked in the direction of the cockpit. All of Tony’s questions went ignored as she started up the Quinjet and programmed it to head to an address only she knew. Her whole body remained tense for the rest of the ride and she stared straight ahead, silently.

After an hour and a half trip, the Quinjet touched down on the ground. “Where did you bring us, Romanoff?” Tony and Wanda exchanged curious glances as Natasha remained silent and aloof. Clint wore his usual giddy expression as the door to the Quinjet hissed open. When the team stepped out they were met with a wide open landscape where a quaint house sat atop a hill. “Huh, so you have a secret family too? Tony, being the genius he was, put the facts together before they reached the house.

Natasha didn’t miss the hurt in his voice, so she spoke her next words softly, “Don’t be offended, it’s for their protection.” Wanda’s eyes lit up at Natasha’s mention of “their” and she joined Clint in his excitement. Although she was trying to be subtle, Wanda was practically vibrating with glee and Nat couldn’t stop the smile that appeared on her own face upon seeing Wanda bounce all around.

When they finished the long trek up the hill, Natasha approached the door and knocked a specific pattern into its wood surface. The door flung open to reveal a little girl who practically tackled Natasha and sent her back a few steps. Nat let out a happy laugh and a cry of “lisichka” and wrapped her arms around the girl.

The pair twirled around until the girl noticed Clint and then promptly jumped into his arms. “Uncle Clint!” She exclaimed.

He laughed a boisterous laugh and called out her name, “Sofya!” She giggled as Clint placed her on his shoulders and walked into the house. Natasha directed Tony and Wanda into the house and then shut the door.

“Make yourselves at home. I’m sorry I haven’t brought you here sooner, I just worry for Sofya’s safety.”

“Nonsense. We understand.” Wanda spoke with a kind smile. The three of them sat on the couch in front of Sofya and Clint who were wrestling on the carpet. Wanda watched the wrestling match with adoration, Sofya was adorable. She had soft red her just like Nat’s and her eyes were big and wide, filled with curiosity and joy.

The group was so engrossed with watching Sofya giggle as Clint tickled her that they hadn’t heard you approach. You gasped in surprise at the sight, Natasha usually always told you when she would be coming home and this visit was totally unexpected. God, were you happy to see her. You smiled brightly and let your presence be known with a cry of “Natasha!”

The three whipped their heads in your direction and Natasha ran towards you and jumped into your arms, much like her daughter had done to her earlier. You squeezed her tightly and giggled as she peppered kisses all over your face. “Malishka, I missed you so much.” She buried her face into your neck and inhaled your scent. Natasha let out a happy sigh, you smelled like home.

You placed her on the ground with a quick peck to her lips. She laced her fingers through yours and the two of you walked towards the group in the living room. “Tony, Wanda, this is (Y/N), my partner.”

“It’s nice to finally meet you two. Natasha’s talks about you guys a lot.” You ignored Tony’s outstretched hand and pulled him into a hug instead. When you pulled away to hug Wanda you caught his look of surprise. “Tony, you’re family. The same with you, Wanda. Anyone who Natasha considers family is my family.” Tony gave you a watery smile, clearly touched that you and Natasha considered him family. You pulled him into another hug.

“Sofya, get off your crazy uncle and come here.” Sofya came over to you and pressed herself to your side. She snuck glances at Wanda and Tony, shyly. “This is your Uncle Tony and your Auntie Wanda. Can you say hello?”

Sofya gave the two of them a meek wave and a quiet “hello.” She whispered something in your ear and you replied with a nod. She nervously walked up to Wanda and said, “Your hair is really pretty.”

Wanda beamed at Sofya and thanked her. “How old are you, little one?”

Sofya didn’t hesitate at all and held up her little palm, “I’m this many!” She said it proudly.

“My goodness! You’re almost as old as me!” Wanda joked. Sofya laughed at her joke and began to tug on Wanda’s hand. Wanda got the memo and stood up to follow the little girl. “Come on Auntie Wanda, I’m gonna show you my toys.”

You rubbed your hands together and took in the group. They filled you in on the situation without breaking confidentiality, and you nodded along as you listened to the details. “You all must be hungry. I’ll make dinner.”

Clint’s stomach grumbled at your mention of dinner. “Yes! I’m starving.” Natasha swatted his shoulder and he howled in pain. “What the heck Nat? I didn’t do anything wrong.” He pouted and Natasha rolled her eyes. You walked off towards the kitchen and Clint followed eagerly, hoping to snatch ingredients while you cooked.

Natasha and Tony sat in silence and listened in on you scolding Clint. “Barton, I needed those carrots!” The two shared a laugh.

“You have a beautiful family, Natasha.” Tony was sincere in his statement and Natasha gave him a rare, soft smile. “You’re right in protecting them.”

Natasha reached over and squeezed his hand. “Thank you. They mean the world to me, I don’t know what I would do without them.”

Natasha filled Tony in on the details of you and Sofya and he listened intently. Their talk would be interrupted every so often with an excited squeal from Sofya or an “ow” from Clint. It was bickering and chaos, but it would always be her home.

A/N: I hope you liked it! I have one request left to write so feel free to send in some more! Also, feel free to check out my other fics, if you want! I posted this from my phone, again because my laptop hates me. I’m getting a new one Monday so any awkward formatting will be fixed then. I’ll also fix my master list to include all of my recent fics, sorry for any errors. Thanks, Viv :) (I hope you smile at least once today!!)

#natasha romanoff x reader #natasha romanoff imagine #black widow x reader #my fic

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a-jynx · 4 years

Text

Summer Full of Secrets; | Chapter One; Summer of ‘85 |

Description: During S3, the Harrington siblings find themselves running from another fight with the Upside Down, and running from their deeper feelings…

Pairing(s): Robin Buckley x Harrington!reader (a slow burn), Steve Harrington x Billy Hargrove,

Warning(s): Cursing, underage drinking/smoking, slow burns, homophobia, homophobic mentions, fluffy, angsty, a bit of smut in later chapters, blood, gore mentions, Flayed! Billy, drugged! Steve, death, death threats mentioned,

Taglist is now opened! 💕 | If you’d like to be added, or removed, please let me know! | @memes-saved-me, @nat-blossom, @oldwanderingsoul, @imreddietogo, @wcscc2020, @z-l-s, @dancersarepeopletoo, @bleeding-heart-romantic, @mysecondcarisa67chevyimpala, @babypink224221, @mcnuggettenpack, @electrckiss,

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

“I’m taking my break, Jennie!” I called over my shoulder, snatching my bag along the way. “Better not take forever this time, Harrington! I’m not paying you to shop,” she grumbled as I sighed, pushing open the shops’ door and glanced around. The new Star Court Mall was buzzing with life - how could it not? A town like Hawkins is… Rarely exciting.

Marching through the crowds, I moved towards the food court deciding to see if Steven was on break yet. I grinned as I noticed a few classmates, waving at them with a few ‘hi’s’ thrown between us before we ventured into our desired direction. I shivered as I pushed open Scoop’s Ahoy doors, frowning at the little business that was inside.

“Ahoy, there! What flavor can I help you voyage-” the cheery voice suddenly stopped as I blinked, my smile seemed to vanish.

“Y/N.”

“Robin... Where’s my brother? Thought he ran the ship?” I smirked as she scoffed, leaning her elbows against the counter, her glare faltering as her skin stuck some to the surface. “Hey, dingus! Your second-spawn is here,” she called, narrowing her eyes as I rolled my own, turning my attention away as Steve came bursting through the double doors.

“Y/N! Thank, God! I thought I would die here-”

“Cool it, drama king. I’ve only got twenty minutes today, and Jennie’s been busting my ass,”

“Awe, the princess not used to breaking a nail daily?” Robin quipped as I shot her a glare, rolling my lips together before shrugging.

“I don’t know, how’re your nails, Robin?” I grinned as she blinked, turning her head away as her freckled cheeks flushed a rosy pink. I turned back to Steve, grinning. “I came to ask if you wanted to get lunch, I know you didn’t pack anything,”

“Oh, uh… About that-”

“Dingus and I are going to get lunch together.” Robin grinned as I blinked, gritting my teeth before rolling my eyes. “Perfect… So, what about dinner tonight?” I shifted my weight onto my other leg as Steve opened his mouth to speak, only for the same shrill voice followed.

“We have plans.”

“Are you guys dating or something? Steven, what the hell!? You promised we’d finally do something, mom and dad are gonna be gone all summer, can’t you hang out at a different time? Please?” I scoff as he stared at me with this look of a kicked puppy… Pitiful.

“Awe, come on, Harrington 2.0! Suck it up for another night, you’ll survive, right?” She grinned, a devilish glimmer in her eye as I snorted.

“You have no fucking idea what I can survive, Buckley.” I spat her name with venom, turning on my heel and quickly leaving the ice cream shop, my stone-cold facade faltering as I shook my head and quickly hurried towards the rest of the food court, deciding to grab a quick bite before returning to Jennie.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

I sighed while watching Y/N hightail it out of Scoops. Robin snorted to herself from the other side of the counter, making me turn towards her with an unimpressed glare.

“What?”

“Seriously? Can’t you two act civilized for two goddamn minutes! I mean, come on, Rob.” I groan, rounding the space whilst scrubbing at my face. She merely huffed, leaning away from the display case and onto the counter behind us, crossing her ankles one over the other while crossing her arms over her chest, shrugging with pouting lips.

“She started it-”

“No, she didn’t,” I snapped, side-eyeing her. “I know how you get around her, so, I kind of don’t believe that she started it.”

“You’re just saying that ‘cause you’re siblings!”

“More like ‘cause I know I’m right-” I started when the bell chimed, making us turn our attention, I instantly frowned. Low and behold, the sun-kissed, broad-shouldered, permed blondie Billy Hargrove came strolling in.

“And that’d be my cue to leave,” Robin pushed away from the counter, causing me to gawk at her as she stepped around me and towards the breakroom. “Have fun, dingus.” She waved with a grin, disappearing behind the doors as I sighed, already wanting to ram my head through the display case.

“Pretty boy, didn’t know you worked today,” he grinned, baring his pearly whites as I scoffed, leaning against the case, propping my chin upon my palm with an almost unamused look. “You know I work every day from 9 to 5, Billy boy… Nice try though.” I smirked, baring my own pearly whites as he narrowed his eyes, studying me before shifting his weight, forcing back the plastered grin.

“Alright, ya caught me. Now, how about you get to rowing me through this ocean of flavor you always go on about?” His lips turned into a wolfish grin as I swallowed thickly, blinking slowly. My own smile faltered as I rolled my shoulders, nodding slowly.

“Uh, yeah… Sure thing, Tiger,”

“Tiger? That’s a new one… Bambi.”

I squeezed my eyes shut, inhaling deeply before huffing out a sigh. “Yeah, I should’ve seen that coming,” I grumbled while scooping out two scoops of vanilla bean, plopping them into a waffle cone. My eyes twitched up when I didn’t get a remark, feeling the blush creep up my neck. He just stood there, his eyes almost… Soft. The usual hard, cocky grin now a delicate smile.

“You feelin’ okay, Hargrove? You look a little… Ill.” I mumbled, handing over the cone, trying to not flinch when our fingers scrapped, the little electricity running underneath my skin.

“Feelin’ fine, Harrington… Just taking a minute to admire a sailor,” he shot with a quirked grin, flashing me a wink. Leaning slightly over the display, his hot breathe fanned close to my cheek as he grinned. “Y’know, I’m a sucker for men in uniform,” he winked once more, backing away before throwing a crumpled bill onto the counter, turning and disappearing into the crowds outside.

I stood there, my mouth agape and my grasp on my scooper slipping as I stared at the doorway, my jaw lose as I blinked. I flinched as the pannels flew open, causing me to snap my attention around, mouth still ajar.

“Close your mouth, dingus,” Robin leaned against the window, smirking. “You’re gonna catch flies.” She chuckled as the annoying squeal from the stupid dry-erase marker dragged down, most likely in the column marked ‘You Suck.’

“Thanks for the help, Robin! Really, you were so, so helpful,” I scoffed, reaching up and snagging the money before glancing down, my eyes practically bugging out of my head. A twenty? A fucking twenty?!

“Woahohohohohooo,” Robin grinned, reaching towards me. “Someone gave a nice tip.” I batted away her hands with a snort. “There’s no way in hell he meant to give this to me! Not for a damn cone that cost a dollar and some change.” Pressing into the register, I replaced the large bill and snatched up some bills to help make up for the lost one.

“I mean, he did practically slam that money down, with a lot of confidence behind it.” She quipped, rinsing out the dirty scoops as I turned and huffed, stuffing the change into my pocket. “I’m just saying, dingus, maybe there’s more behind it than you think. I mean… Let’s be honest, you two have been dancing around each other recently.”

“Shut it, I don’t need you getting on my ass about ‘dancing around’ when you and Y/N-”

“Steve, seriously!? There’s nothing for Y/N and me, she proved that last year, remember?” She spat, crossing her arms over her puffed out chest. I sighed, rubbing at the back of my neck, opening my mouth to speak when the overhead bell chimed, causing us both to grumble.

“Y’know,” I paused, slinging a rag over my shoulder as I walked past her, stopping just before entering the back room. “She asks about you a lot.” Robin blinked before shaking her head, moving to help our next customer.

~~~~~

“Thank you, please, visit us again!” I grinned after the last rush-hour customer nodded, heading out as I dropped my shoulders and smile. Rolling my aching shoulder, I sighed and moved around the small counter, glancing around the stores’ floor. Pieces of clothing scattered the carpet, hangers clung to different articles, and a mannequin’s hand was missing… Great. I flinched when the overhead bell rang.

“Hello, welcome to Jennie’s, if you need any assistance-”

“I need some assistance,” a thick voice chimed as I spun around, my face splitting into an ear-to-ear grin as Billy came around the small display.

“Billybug!” I grinned, rushing towards him before jumping up and wrapping my arms around his thick neck. My grin only grew as he wrapped his free arm around my waist, squeezing as he gently spun us with a few chuckles echoing from us.

“Hey, honeybee, how’ve ya been?” He sat me down as I snatched the cone from his hand, practically biting into the vanilla bean treat before shrugging, glancing over my shoulder.

“Cleaning up after some kids, what about you? I thought you weren’t taking your break until four or so?”

“Took it early,” he shrugged, yet I didn’t miss the small smile. “Thought you could use the company, too,” I smirked while rolling my eyes, taking another lick at the treat before handing it back over.

“Only if you buy something, Jennie’s been on my ass lately and it’s not helping with everything-”

“Everything? What’s been going on in the hive?” I snorted, shrugging before wiping my slightly sticky hands onto my jean shorts before moving back to cleaning the display.

“I’m gonna bite, what’s the hell going on with you and all the nature stuff? You turn nature-lover on me?” I grinned as he scoffed, taking a few licks of the frozen treat as it slowly began to melt before shrugging.

“Shut it, but seriously, what’s been goin’ on?”

“I’m… It’s really nothing I can’t handle, I just been ya know… Dodging the hive.” I folded a few shirts, fluffing up the stack before moving to fold a few pairs of jeans as well. I rolled my shoulders as I felt Billy’s eyes dig into the back of my skull. “What about you? How’s Max? Or working at the pool?” I hum, folding some more as I turned halfway towards him as he snorted.

“Shitbird? She’s fine, I think… We haven’t fought if that’s what you’re asking,”

“Billybug, come on, y’ know I worry about both of you.” I sighed, turning fully towards him while sitting the last pair of jeans down with a small frown tugging at my lips.

“And the pool? Eh, I basically run the place… The brats listen, mom’s drool when I start my shift, and the guys that stalk Heather are jealous - just like senior year.” He snickered as I rolled my eyes, snorting as I crossed my arms over my chest.

“Yeah, I almost forgot how you beat the living shit out of my brother at the Byer’s house.” I began to walk away, waving my hand behind me as I snatched a few hangers and began to detangle them. Billy’s heavy steps came closer as I shifted throughout the entire hanger set. “In all honesty, I already apologized for that…” He grumbled as I turned my head towards him, a brow raised already.

“Yeah, yeah, Billybug. Anyway, what’re your plans for tonight?”

“Uh, some guy is having a party on the outskirts of town, and some hot date - why? Need to get some time to get a little buzzy?” He chuckled whilst I groaned.

“You’re becoming as bad as Mr. Wheeler with those horrid jokes,”

“Aye, don’t compare me to that fuckin’ creep,” he gagged as I laughed.

“Says the guy who wants to fuck the wife.”

He scoffed, eating the rest of the ice cream before handing the cone over to me, making me grin, yet it faltered for a moment as I glanced at the small cartoonish anchor napkins wrapped around it, they seemed to almost be mocking me.

“So, you went and saw Steve?” I muttered, biting the cone around the edges, barely nibbling.

“Yeah… We didn’t fight, Honeybee. Your brother’s face is still intact.” He huffed out a laugh. I cocked a brow, taking a step closer while offering him a bite of the cone, which he smiled before finishing the last bit off.

“Maybe his face is fine, but what about your heart?” I sheepishly grinned as he frowned, huffing while folding the napkin and slipping it into his swim trunks pocket. He turned away, causing me to stumble back when his elbow collided with my shoulder, making me snicker. “Oh, come on, Billybug! I warned you about my light teasing,”

“Yeah, and I’ve held back wanting to kill you, so you’re gonna get it later,” he scoffed, attempting to act annoyed, however, the faint pink hue on his freckle-dusted cheks says otherwise.

“Yeah,” I snorted. “Okay, Billy. Now, get gone so I can get work done. I’ll see you later.”

“Listen, I can skip out on the date, y’ know? She wasn’t that much of a catch.” He muttered, standing closer as I smiled gently, crossing my arms over my chest.

“Plenty of bitches in the sea?” He nodded a few times, grinning that stupidly happy grin.

“Plenty of bitches in the sea,” I smirked, nodding once.

“Alright, well, apparently Steve’s not gonna be at the house, so we can go there or go drive, whatever you’re up for after clocking out.” I shrug, flicking off a few of the clothes and glanced around for the mannequin’s hand, yet nothing…

“How about we hit up that party? Been a while since the unstoppable duo made an appearance.” He smirked, making me pinch my lips as I wrung the swimsuit top in my hands, twisting and pulling it, shrugging.

“Fuck it, when and where?”

“That’s my girl! I’ll pick you up on the way,” he jumped forward, squeezing both of my shoulders while pressing a chaste kiss to my temple as I batted him away. “Pick you up at say… Seven?”

“I’ll see you at seven, Billybug.”

“Seven, honeybee, it’s a date.”

“It’s a party, dumbass,” I snorted, smacking him with the top as he caught it, throwing it back at me as I scoffed. We started towards the front and Billy couldn’t stop grinning as I shook my head, swiping my bangs to the side. It’s good to see him smiling more…

“Yeah, yeah, I’ll snatch ya up later, cute ass.” He winked, chuckling as I fake-gagged, only to quickly flash him a shit-eating grin. He escaped through the front, the chiming from the bell echoed as I watched him disappear into the rushing crowds.

“Y/N! The new shipments came in! Go in the back and unpack them!” Jennie’s voice rang from the further back of the store, making me cringe as I sighed, slinging the swimsuit top onto the counter and sauntered towards the back. Pushing open the double doors, I gasped and fought back a shocked scream from my throat as a large rat scurried from behind the boxes, making me gag as I clenched my jaw.

“Hey, Jennie! We’re gonna need that rodent control… Again!” I called over my shoulder, eyeing the floor as I hoisted up the package with a grunt before turning away and allowing the double doors to fall closed. “Jennie?! Did you hear me?” My voice rang out as I rolled my eyes, sitting the box down and looking around the small store. It seemed… Eery. Too quiet. Too… Tranquil. Setting my jaw, I slowly gazed around the shop, the hair on the back of my neck standing on edge as a cool breeze blasted through; colder than what I remembered setting the AC…

“What the hell-”

“Harrington!” I jumped, snapping my head towards the front, seeing Jennie standing over a pile of the swimsuits on the floor. The same swimsuits I had fixed while talking to Billy…

“You know better than this! Swimsuits are meant to stay in the summer section! Are you trying to tell people we would actually allow them to wear this shade of red in the winter?! Are you insane-” her voice slowly drowned out. My mind racing as I realized I could almost hear my blood rushing, my heart working double-time as I inhaled sharply.

“Harrington? Y/N! Are you even listening to me?!” Jennie growled, her hands fitted to her hips as I swallowed thickly, shaking my head and blinking slowly.

“Ye… Yeah, uh-” I stammered, clearing my throat before reaching down and grabbing the box once again. “Yes, ma’am.” I sighed, moving towards the stacked summer clothes. The back of my mind racing as I began to fold the newly sent clothes, my hands slightly shaking as I sighed.

“Oh, Jennie, I don’t know if you heard me earlier but… I guess we have another rat infestation.”

~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Well, I hope you guys enjoyed! I’m still incredibly rusty and I’m so sorry, but I still hope you enjoy it!

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chimchimcheerios · 4 years

Text

Ahoy my dudes it is finally time to make my contribution to the trash pile for @trashmenofmarvel ‘s 2K challenge!

Title: The Girl and her Sailor

Summary: James is a mess and Elizabeth knows it, yet it doesn’t stop her from hoping. They have a talk aboard the Pearl somewhere during Dead Man’s Chest.

Pairing: a bit of Elizabeth/James and a teeny tiny hint of Jack/James

Warnings: mentions of drowning, alcoholism, angst, nightmares

Words: 4k and a little

Prompt: „You shouldn’t put your faith in me. In the end you will only be disappointed.”

Sorry in advance for any typos, I wanted to get this little thing posted before Uni work swallows me whole lol Find it on my AO3!

The Pearl had become quieter and quieter as the sun slowly sunk into the horizon and when the music ceased and most of the sailors had retired to their bunks in a drunken stupor, James Norrington was the only one left on deck. Not even Gibbs who usually made sure everything was in order at this hour was anywhere to be seen. And James was glad about that, he did like the sailor surprisingly much but he couldn't stand his pearls of wisdom right now. He was leaning over the railing, a bottle of rum in his hands and listening to the faint sounds of the ocean beneath them.

It was a clear and peaceful night, barely any clouds to be seen and wherever he looked there was water, no land in sight. He was staring at the cold darkness, thinking about what the sea was capable of and not even the moonlight reflecting on the gentle waves could ease that dreadful feeling growing inside of him by the second. His mind was filled with images of sailors screaming, of dark waves swallowing them whole, of falling, of the cold darkness around him, filling his lungs till he couldn't breathe anymore, not knowing where up and down was. James sighed and raised the bottle to his lips, the taste of warm and stale rum filling his mouth. He had learned to love that burning sensation down his throat, a familiar, almost comforting feeling these days.

He didn't notice Elizabeth approaching. James was too lost in thoughts and memories and only when she went to stand beside him, making her presence known, he turned to face her. Despite the men's attire she was wearing, she still bore striking resemblance to the Elizabeth he knew and it was beyond him how anybody could have possibly mistaken her for a man even with her hair tied together. At least her voice should have given her away. And perhaps she looked even more like herself, dressed in these clothes and maybe he knew her too well to judge her disguise.

She did not say a single word at first, only looked at him and her gaze felt like it was burning right through him. Perhaps with distaste, maybe it was pity, he couldn't tell anymore. And he stayed quiet as well, turning away again till the silence between them became too much to bear and the faint sound of the calm ocean beneath them made him more uneasy than he would have liked to admit. He was a sailor, he should love the sea as a woman, not fear her! And maybe he did after all, maybe he loved the sea still despite everything she had done to him, despite knowing what she was capable of and what incredible power lay within her. He couldn't hate her, never. The sea was calling him, had been since he could remember and he was to honor her call every second of his life. "What do you want?" he finally asked the young woman besides him, not turning away from the reflection of the moon in the cold darkness.

Elizabeth stayed quiet a little bit longer as if she didn't quite know herself why she found herself on deck alone with him at this hour. Had he not made it clear that he wanted to be alone? Had he not scared her away with his biting remarks? “I want some company.” she informed him at last, her voice soft and quiet. A little glance to his side told him that she had not shifted her focus away from him. He raised an eyebrow and turned his head completely to look at her.

“Well I do not.” he muttered. There had been a time where he would have given anything for her to willingly enjoy his company just like she had when she was a child and he barely a man but these times were gone now. It felt like an eternity ago even if it had not been. So much had happened, too much. And it would be a lie if he were to say he didn't love her anymore. Not unlike the sea he would never truly be able to hate her, in a way Elizabeth Swann did remind him of the sea, the power that lay within her. She was wild and stubborn and unpredictable. But Elizabeth had made it inescapably clear that her heart already belonged to the poor blacksmith turned pirate instead. It's why she was here to begin with, to find the man she loved and it wasn't him. It never would be, he had accepted it by now.

James hated that she got to see him like this. He hated that she saw a side of him he had intended to hide forever, a side of him that was weak and hurt and so very unlike the man he had once been. So very unlike Commodore Norrington. He hated that she saw him fall victim to his own pride and that she witnessed him going down the same path so many other good men had before him. Not that he was a good man, he really was the anything but that and he looked down, twirling the bottle in his hand, watching the dreaded liquid move around inside of it. His facade had crumbled and maybe it was time to pay for his sins now. "Got all the company I need."

Elizabeth let out a slow breath but didn't say anything about it, yet it was almost as if he could feel her disapproval. What he didn't expect was to feel a hand on his shoulder just moments later. Her hand, comforting him as well as she could. It was a gesture he had not expected, especially not after he had let his frustration out on her earlier that day. They had been friends before, they had grown apart before but they had never been the people to show physical affection besides the occasional hug. But then again, it was usually Elizabeth who had hugged him first. Suddenly he felt quite overwhelmed, not unlike back when he had made his proposal and it backfired so dramatically. It had been a while since anybody had gotten even remotely close to him and shown him any sympathy whatsoever. Tortuga was not a friendly place, not even the women who sold their services were though he had befriended two of them, bonding over their shared dislike for Captain Jack Sparrow. But besides that the last months had been filled with drunken bar fights and trouble, it all became a blur in his mind. Naturally James had tried to distance himself the minute he first set foot aboard the Pearl alongside Elizabeth. It was bad enough that she had to find him in a pigsty even if he appreciated that she had come for him to make sure he was alright. Instead of trying to be better for her though, he had continued his attempt to numb all possible feelings with enough rum to compete with Sparrow or else he feared he'd go mad with guilt.

“James…” she sighed but stopped talking for a bit again, staring into the ocean just like he had. “Why are you out here alone?”

“Well, it had been my intention to be alone and empty this very bottle in my hand till I fall asleep at last.” he explained halfheartedly and lifted the bottle to his lips once more. His gaze wandered towards the water again but he could hear the loud, exaggerated sigh Elizabeth let out. "Someone just had to ruin those lovely evening plans for me."

But just like the Elizabeth he knew and the Elizabeth who knew him more than he'd like her to, she looked right through him. To be honest though, he hadn't really put an effort in sounding confident in his statement anyway. “I think the opposite is the case.” she told him and sounded rather sure of herself. And she was right, he wanted anything but to be alone. He'd been mostly alone for a long time now and had pushed away those who tried to get any closer. In face he was still doing it or else he wouldn't have treated Elizabeth like he had. But he couldn't tell her that now, could he? He couldn't let his facade crumble even more than it had already. Rather unexpectedly she reached out for his face, gently turning it so he finally looked directly at her and when their eyes met he couldn't lie anymore.

“I couldn’t sleep… I can’t sleep.” James admitted to her at last. Of course he didn't tell her why, didn't tell her about the nightmares that haunted him. It wasn't something he talked about, not when he had been a mere child and not now either but then again, who would have listened anyway? His father certainly hadn't back then, told him to man up but judging from what Lawrence Norrington had spat in his face all those years ago, he had figured his father did not care about him all that much. And when he'd been old enough to have friends to confide in, the nightmares rarely happened anymore and he was to stubborn to admit any weaknesses to them whatsoever.

Her hand remained on his face and he was almost sure there was worry in her eyes. “Do you wish to talk about it?”

James reached up, rough hands pushing Elizabeth's gentle fingers away. He wasn't as gentle as she had been, she was resisting at first and when the only thing reminding him of her hand was the lingering warmth on his face, he looked down after considering his options. "No." And she seemed to have accepted the answer.

"Well, I am here," she began, turning around and leaning back, resting her elbows on the railing now. "because I need your help, James. I know I can trust you and you're the only person on this ship who can help me."

James furrowed his brows but didn't say anything about it. Perhaps if he ignored her she would go away? Whatever she needed his help with - most likely it was about dear William - he wasn't fit to be of use for her and he had no idea how she couldn't possibly see that. It stung, felt like a stab in the gut that she still believed the man who he once was to be there while he knew better than anybody else that he wasn't. But he couldn't help her, not even if he wanted to and both of them would be bound for disappointment in the long run. He was a penniless drunk now, a man who had willingly joined a pirate crew and his glorious days were long gone. The Commodore was nothing but a distant memory but yet it seemed like Elizabeth refused to believe that. She saw something that wasn't there, blinded by hope and desperation for the man she loved so dearly.

But against what he had hoped, she stayed and as annoying as it was, he appreciated it for some reason. She'd always been the stubborn kind and probably always would be. Sometimes it did her good, sometimes it didn't but it was his Elizabeth nonetheless and he couldn't help but smile a little bit. He was getting tired, it had been an exhausting day and Sparrow had made sure to make him work especially hard. It was funny though how the captain seemed to assume he didn't know what it meant to work on a ship, what it meant to work hard in the burning Caribbean heat or to scrub the deck endlessly. James Norrington was no stranger to manual labor, he had started somewhere too. He wasn't born a high ranking navy officer, he had worked hard for it and especially Sparrow should know that if only the captain could put his childish jealousy behind him for once!

So James turned away from the water and slowly sat down on the blackened wood, leaning back against the railing with an exhausted sigh. Sometimes he thought he could almost feel the Pearl as if she were alive and it made him understand a little better why Sparrow liked her so very much. The Pearl truly was a magnificent ship, if only she wasn't in the hands of a pirate but then again he supposed she belonged to Jack and he belonged to her. With Sparrow, he corrected in his mind. He wouldn't fall for it again, wouldn't let himself get closer and think fondly of the goddamn pirate captain who ruined his life! He rubbed his eyes and patted the floor besides him, an invitation for Elizabeth to sit down too.

She did, hesitantly so at first but it was almost as if she knew that he needed her company a little bit longer even if it didn't last. He had missed her. James took a deep breath and drank from his bottle again as if that would somehow help with what he was about to admit to her. He didn't know why he did it, he never had the intention to rub it into her face how far he had fallen. “Every time I try to fall asleep it feels like I’m drowning.”

“So you would rather drown yourself in a different manner?” she asked drily, her big eyes staring at him innocently in the faint light of a lantern.

“Elizabeth, don’t.”

“Why not? You think me naïve? You think I don’t understand how harsh the world can be?”

And something bitter inside of him wanted to tell her that he indeed thought so, he wanted to spit into her face that she knew absolutely nothing of his pain and that her efforts were completely and utterly useless. He let it slip past his lips before he had the chance to properly think about it, his emotions winning over rationality. "Yes."

Elizabeth's eyes widened as she stood up to leave and he immediately realized his mistake. He had carelessly offended the only person who did not seem to hate him just yet. But he couldn't let her leave, he hadn't truly meant it and he reached for her hand, looking at her with hopeful, almost pleading eyes. And only when she sat down again, he let go of her hand as if he'd been worried she'd leave for good now. Had she truly wanted to leave, he would have let her. "My apologies, I should not have..."

This time it was Elizabeth to remain silent, to ignore him. She didn't even acknowledge his apology at all.

"They're back." he blurted out, gripping the bottle in his hands till his knuckles turned white. Elizabeth was among the few people he'd ever told about what happened to him as a child and the nightmares that only ceased a few years later. Elizabeth had still been a child herself then, telling him about bad dreams she kept having so he told her about those he had when he was a kid in attempt to make her feel better. He doubted she remembered it but at the time she had been overly happy that a man like him had been a kid scared by dreams once too. She had hugged him and told him how glad she was that it meant she wasn't weak. James couldn't blame her for not remembering, in fact he barely remembered it himself had it not been for the hurricane stirring up things long forgotten. And Elizabeth looked at him with complete and utter confusion on her face. "The nightmares. You won't remember, I told you when you were a mere child."

"Oh." Against his expectations her eyes actually widened with realization. "They never told me the full story of what happened before you left. Of course there's been talk but you know Port Royal. Rumors spread like wildfire and in all honesty I was busy with other things... wedding preparations, a useless effort in retrospect."

"I made a mistake, a horrible mistake and it didn't just cost me my ship and my commission. It cost lives of good men." He brought the bottle to his lips again, ignoring the shame because what did it matter now anyway? It helped, it took the pain away and he could finally feel the warmth from inside and the exhausted numbness spreading over him like a blanket. And the world started to spin a little but he was used to that feeling by now and he laughed bitterly. "Even the best men, even the strongest ship cannot win against the ruthless power of the sea. I was greedy for honor and the satisfaction of catching Sparrow at last. I had become reckless, thought I was above her but the hurricane took everything and I was reminded again that in the eyes of the sea, we are nothing but ants. We couldn't win. Funny, honor was the first thing I lost."

Elizabeth didn't quite acknowledge what he had said. She took his hand instead, squeezing it tightly and it felt entirely more comforting than any words could have ever been. He couldn't tell if she was feeling sorry for him or if it was sadness he saw in her eyes. At the very least she wasn't angry at him, didn't openly blame him and he was glad about that. “You don’t look well.” she noted, a slight worried undertone in her voice and she reached out to gently brush the strands of hair that were falling in his face away.

“Charming as ever.” he said, a voice dripping with sarcasm and rolled his eyes dismissively.

"Don't be silly James, you know what I mean. I'm just... worried." She admitted as she tried to brush away a particularly stubborn strand of hair that just kept falling back till she gave up and let it be.

He'd always told himself that under all the grime and mud, there was still some of himself left but the truth was that whenever he tried to comb his fingers through his hair, he was surprised at how long it had gotten and got stuck halfway through. The truth was that he couldn't remember when his beard had grown either and that his clothes - or what was left of them for that matter - hang much more loosely on his body than they had before. The truth was that there were bags under his tired eyes, that his face was flushed and that he bore more scars than he had before his venture into the foul place that was Tortuga. The truth was that he had been in denial.

"Don't be. I did it to myself, it's my fault I-" but James didn't get to finish his sentence.

"Oh would you stop it!" Elizabeth exclaimed, more annoyed than worried now and straightened her back. "We've all had bad things happen to us but it's in the past now so could you please stop wallowing in your own self-pity because I need you James. I need the James Norrington I grew up with, the James Norrington I admired once. I need his help." And for a brief moment she didn't look like the strong, put together woman she was growing into but a girl, alone on an adventure and worried for love of her life.

James wanted to defend himself but he knew deep down that she was right. Or perhaps he was too drunk to think clearly by now, who knew. But what he knew for sure was that he didn't have the energy to fight with this woman and he didn't really want to either. "I know you're hurt Elizabeth. I know they took away the man you love but don't think you're the first person to be heartbroken before. And Elizabeth?" He offered her his bottle but she shook her head. "I trust you will find him again because this his how the story is supposed to go and I can assure you that I am not a part of it."

"But what if you are a part of it?" She asked him and leaned her head against his shoulder. "I will find him with your help! You saved me once and you can help me now because you are the only person aboard this ship I can truly trust." Her voice had become more and more desperate as she spoke to him.

"You shouldn't put your faith in me. In the end you will only be disappointed." he told her more calmly than he thought he would. And the words felt heavy as he spoke them, as they fought their way out of his mouth and it made him feel sick to say but it was true. Perhaps there was a time where he would have helped her right away but now he knew that he wouldn't, that he couldn't. She was strong enough to do it on her own and she didn't need the help of a penniless deckhand who drowned his sorrows in rum or whatever he lay his hands on. James reached up, his free hand finding it's way into her soft hair as he tried to comfort her. "You always did it, saw me as something I am not. A good man."

A few moments passed, maybe it were just a few seconds, maybe it was several minutes, he couldn't quite tell. He was more focused on staying awake and keeping the sickness he was beginning to feel at bay.

"There was a little girl once." she began and her voice sounded almost choked. He didn't dare to look, was sure he wouldn't be able to handle it if she were to cry. "She didn't have a lot of friends, especially none that shared her interests but adventures and pirates were deemed unsuitable topics for a little girl anyway. Not that it stopped her from dreaming. One day she met a young man, a friend of her father and he was so determined and brave, she was taken aback. He was terrific sailor and she'd beg him for stories of his travels whenever he came to visit."

"Stop." he whispered, a pained expression on his face but she continued as if nothing had happened.

"And when her father wasn't listening, the sailor told her stories that made her eyes widen with fascination and she listened. Sometimes he'd bring her little presents, sometimes he smuggled books about pirates in for her to read. He taught her how to ride a horse like a gentleman because she just wouldn't stop begging. He was her friend, her only friend."

The story had brought a little smile to his face, made him feel warm inside like no amount of drink ever could despite the pain it had caused him as well. Sometimes he forgot about all those little things, her childhood he had played such an important role in back in London and later in Port Royal. It all seemed so distant and so very far away but it was good to know she remembered. It was good that she had made him remember. Elizabeth then hesitantly reached for the bottle James was still holding, gently trying to take it from his hands but he didn’t want to let it go. His fingers remained close and she pried them open one by one and set it aside, looking at him with that sad glimmer in her eyes. “I know that he’s still there.”

“He’s not.”

"Liar."

And she turned his face towards her, their eyes meeting in the dark on a god forsaken pirate vessel. This wasn't how the story was supposed to go, it never had been. He was confused more than anything when she leaned in closer and closer and maybe it was the alcohol impairing his judgement but he kissed right back when she placed her soft lips on his no matter how improper it was. It was only a brief kiss, didn't last very long and when she pulled away, she hastily stood up and hurried away, back to where she had come from but not before looking back one last time. "The girl missed the sailor a lot. Maybe for a little while she even loved him back and she meant it then and she means it now. Her sailor is a fine man."

With that she was gone again and James was left sitting on deck in the middle of the night, all alone with only the rest of his rum keeping him company and he wondered if it all had been a dream or a hallucination after all. If only her taste didn't linger. It ripped open old wounds and he tried to flush it away as he downed what was left in his bottle and staggered back inside as well and fell asleep at last. He didn't dream that night or at the very least he couldn’t remember.

#trashman2kchallenge #fanfic #one shot #james norrington #pirates of the caribbean #potc

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jrcashwrites · 5 years

Text

Camping

Pairing: Flip Zimmerman x Female Reader

Warnings: Lemons ahoy!

A/N: Thank you always to lovely @ravenj84

“Finally getting out of here for a bit, Zimmerman?”

Chief Bridges raised an eyebrow as Flip placed the paperwork down onto his desk. Stepping back, the detective waited patiently as his boss scanned over his request.

“Thought I’d get out to Gunnison before the first snowfall.”

“Beautiful this time of year up there.” Chief Bridges commented as he stamped his seal of approval and handing the papers back over to him. “Enjoy yourself.”

Flip couldn’t help but feel a bit of excitement as he walked out of the station to his truck. He’d never taken anyone camping with him before, usually using his time off as a bit of solitude up in the mountains, far removed from case files and detective work for a weekend. If he was being honest with himself he’d never had anyone he’d ever wanted to ask to accompany him before.

You’d come in like a whirlwind, catching the detective off guard one night at the Red Lantern. Finally fulfilling a long standing promise to Ron and Patrice for an after work drink, Flip finally found the time to meet with his friends. He hadn’t expected for them to bring another along, finding you sitting in his usual spot in the back booth, forever altering his usual nightly routine of frozen dinners and reruns.

Making a quick stop at the grocery to pick up a six pack of Coors and a bottle of your favorite bourbon, he arrived at your apartment. Plopping himself down on your couch, Flip made himself comfortable as you switched off the television set and joined him.

“How’d you feel about a little weekend getaway?” Flip asked as popped the tab of his beer open with a hiss.

Leaning against his side, a vision of a weekend away on a white sand beach surrounded by palm trees with a shirtless detective lounging in a hammock next to you floated through your head

“Up to the mountains,” Flip added, causing any thoughts of the ocean to evaporate instantly from your mind’s eye. “Thought you’d might want to come camping with me?”

“Camping?” you questioned, sitting up on the couch a bit to look over at Flip.

Suddenly feeling nervous he’d even brought the idea up, Flip faltered. Maybe you weren’t the type that thought spending a weekend out in the woods as an idea of fun. Second guessing himself, he worried that maybe it was too soon altogether to ask you to go anywhere other than dinner or the movies.

“If that’s not something you like... I just thought…” he began to ramble, trying to redeem himself on his fumble.

“Flip,” you interrupted, immediately silencing the hulking ball of nerves beside you. “I’d actually really like to go camping with you.”

Breaking into a small smile, Flip felt a wave of relief come over him that you had agreed. He hated that he felt like such a blithering idiot half the time around you, always questioning why such a beautiful woman as yourself was hanging around the likes of him. Relaxing at your acceptance, he swung his arm back around you, allowing you to curl into his side again.

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

When Flip asked if you’d ever been camping before, you eagerly said yes, even if it had been a long while since you’d gone. Your family had taken you on summer road trips as a child; piling everyone into the nine passenger station wagon with a pop-up trailer hitched to the back and driving up north to a scenic state park. Your father and uncle would set up camp on the dirt plot, hooking the trailer up to the provided electrical outlets. A shower area and general store were just a short walk down the paved road, where you and your cousins would stock up on bags of marshmallows to roast later over a fire. It was hardly roughing it in the wilderness, but you’d always enjoyed it nonetheless.

Never once did Flip mention that his definition of camping did not provide any modern amenities.

As Flip turned onto the unpaved road, the rusty Chevy bumped along causing you to hold onto the dashboard as best you could. After a few miles of rough terrain knocking your head against the ceiling of the truck when he hit a particularly deep divot in the road, he finally slowed to a stop, parking alongside a row of pines.

“Ready, sweetheart? It’s about a mile out to the lake from here.”

“A mile?” you blurted, staring at Flip as if he’d suddenly grown a second head. “What I wouldn’t give for an ATV right about now.”

You muttered the last bit to yourself, but pretty sure you heard the soft rumbling of Flip’s laughter at your admission.

Trusting that Flip knew what he was doing, you hopped down from the Chevy, grabbing your backpack from the bed and swinging it over your shoulder. Flip gathered the rest of the items from the truck. Crossing the dusty road, you set off into the woods.

Flip made the trek seem easy, leading the way through what seemed to be an endless sprawl of forest. A few steps behind, you wondered how he was barely breaking a sweat even though he was carrying twice as much gear as you were. Flip was clearly in his element and you couldn’t help but admire how good he looked; plaid shirt rolled up to his elbows and rifle strapped to his shoulder.

“Where exactly are we going?” you questioned, catching up to Flip’s side as the trail finally widened enough to allow you to walk comfortably beside him.

“It’s gonna be worth it, trust me.”

“It’d better be,” you hummed, adjusting your backpack straps on your shoulders.

“This is what I get for taking a city girl out in nature,” Flip joked playfully as he brushed a bit of stray hair out of your face that had worked itself loose along the way.

“Shush you,” you playfully nudged Flip’s arm. “There’s not as much city in me as you’d like to believe and besides, I wouldn’t want the mountain man I have with me to feel useless.”

“Is he cute?”

“Oh, very much so.”

The rest of the hike, Flip pointed out various things to you in the wilderness as you walked along. A rare black squirrel scampering up the side of a tree, the name of a distant bird that called out. Impressed with his knowledge, you hardly noticed the final ascent as you listened to him rattle off a list of things about the area with confidence. He clearly knew it well, which hardly surprised you. He’d grown up here, this was practically his backyard, even though it seemed like the farthest reaches of the earth to you.

The trees began to thin out as you reached the top of the hill, a large lake spanning out along with a breathtaking view.

“Worth the hike?”

Pausing, you took in your new surroundings. You had never quite seen anything like it before. The lake glittered a deep blue in the sunlight, seeming to reach on forever. Mountains sloped up from either side of it’s banks, rolling off into the distance as far as the eye could see.

“It’s beautiful,” you commented, still in awe that such a spot existed.

“Good. Cause this is our home away from home for the next few days.”

Flip dropped his pack from his shoulders, leaning his rifle against a nearby tree. Pacing a few times across the area, he determined the flattest spot for the tent, digging the item from his backpack and unfurling it on the ground. Making quick work in a matter of minutes, it was set up, followed by a small fire pit.

“We’re going to need some firewood,” Flip noted, as he wiped his forehead with the back of his sleeve.

Joining him in the nearby woods, you soon had an armful of fallen sticks and a few larger logs. Not being completely inept, you returned to the campsite, stacking them into the fire pit in the teepee shape your father had taught you long ago that would sustain the best fire. Tucking some dried leaves and kindling around the base, you struck a match, stepping back as the fire caught, quickly spreading to the larger logs.

Flip couldn’t help to smile as he returned, a stack of logs of his own in his arms, at you sitting near the fire. Dropping the firewood to the ground near the fire pit, he kissed the top of your head.

“Not bad for a city girl.”

“I told you I wasn’t completely helpless.”

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

Daylight was already fading from the sky, casting hues of soft pinks and oranges over the still waters of the lake. The fire cracked and popped, burning strong and casting a warm light over the campsite. You helped Flip prepare dinner, adding spices to the cast iron pot he’d rigged over the fire as he stirred the ingredients to a simple, yet delicious meal. Laying out a blanket, he joined you as you sat down, warm bowl in hand.

You could get used to this, you thought as darkness fell around you. The first few stars began to twinkle in the inky black sky above. After cleaning up the dishes and packing them back away, Flip joined you near the fire. As it began to burn low in the small pit Flip had dug out to contain it, you noticed how quiet the woods were at night. Gone were the tweets of birds and rustling of forest animals through the underbrush. Your ears rang for a moment, unused to such silence. It was peaceful, yet eerie all at once, to be in such a secluded place. Pulling the over-sized flannel Flip had leant you closer around yourself, you shivered slightly in the cool night air. Leaning back against Flip, he wrapped his arms around you.

“Cold?” Flip asked, pulling you closer to his body from where you sat between his long legs.

“Just a little.” you admitted. Between the hike and the warmth of the sun, you had been almost too warm all day. As night fell, you realized you may have underestimated how quickly the temperature would drop at a higher elevation.

“Think I could warm you up a little,” he purred into your ear, nipping at your lobe.

“You think so?” you hummed back, tilting your head back to look up at him.

“I do.”

Catching you with a kiss, you wiggled a bit in Flip’s arms to turn yourself in his grasp. Straddling him, he let out a low moan as you settled yourself on his lap. He tasted of the spice from dinner, mingled with the tobacco from his last cigarette. Deepening the kiss, you ran your fingers through his hair, rocking your hips against him.

“Careful, sweetheart,” Flip warned as you twirled the long strands of his hair at the base of his neck.

“Mmm, why’s that?” you cooed. “Am I going to get myself in trouble?”

“There’s no one out here to hear me making you scream.”

More than once, your neighbors had pounded on the wall, warning you and Flip to quiet down. The apartment walls did little to contain the noise, much to their dismay. It took all of your willpower not to laugh the next day when Ms. Paterson from next door warned you that “next time I hear such a racket in the middle of the night, I’m calling the police.” Little did she know that it was law enforcement between your legs that was the cause for such a ruckus.

“I’d like to see you try,” you challenged Flip, rocking your hips once more against him for good measure. You could already feel he was hard, straining against his jeans. “Make me scream your name.”

Letting out a strangled sound, Flip moved you from his lap, turning you on to your back. Hovering above you, Flip ghosted his hands over your chest, palming at your breasts over the flannel. Diving towards your neck, he pressed his lips against you, nipping and sucking against your skin.

Flip hummed between kisses. “You are in so much trouble.”

“Have I been bad, officer?” you murmured as your back arched from the blanket and Flip pressed a line of kisses along your collarbone.

“Fuck,” Flip groaned as he struggled to undo the buttons to your shirt. He desperately needed to feel the softness of your skin against his palm.

A low giggle escaped you, knowing that pushed Flip over the edge. Feeling his hand trail down your stomach he dipped between your legs. Pressing against your center, you took a deep breath as Flip rubbed his hand over the fabric of your pants. While it felt good, you needed more. Reaching down, you unbuttoned the top of your jeans, Flip’s fingers quick to join, pushing the fabric down your legs.

Feeling the cold night air hit against your wet center, you stiffened for a second at the sensation. Flip wasted no time in pressing a warm finger against you, teasing you slowly as he circled your folds before dipping inside. Grasping his shoulders, you exhaled as he began working in and out of you at a torturous pace, adding a second and then a third. Goosebumps prickled against your skin, the mixture of pleasure and the chill of the mountain air cascading over you. Flip continued, pumping his hand rhythmically as you squeezed your eyes shut. You were lost in the feeling, his thick fingers working you as his thumb circled your clit. Nearly there you were teetering on edge when the loss of contact made your eyes fly open and suck in a deep breath, as Flip pulled his hand away.

“Think I was going to let you come that easily?” Flip smirked, before bringing his fingers to his mouth, sucking them clean with a pop.

Giving Flip a sly smile, you grabbed onto the collar of his shirt, pulling him close. Teasing him, you licked a stripe up the side of his neck. Salty and sweet, you relished the taste of him. Biting his neck, he let out a low groan. You were easily going to be the death of him and he wasn’t complaining in the slightest that this was how he was going to go.

“Are you going to cuff me, officer? you teased, letting go of Flip’s shirt to stretch your arms above you. “Wouldn’t want me to get away now would you?”

Pinning your wrists in his grasp, Flip held you steady with his large hand. “I’m off duty, sweetheart. Plus there’s no headboard to cuff you to.”

“But sir,” you mockingly protest, playing into Flip’s current conundrum. “I’m sure you could find some way to restrain me.”

Ever the quick thinking boy scout, Flip pushed the flannel shirt from your shoulders, making quick work of knotting the fabric tightly around your wrists. Satisfied with his handiwork, Flip ran his hand down your chest, delighting in how your body arched into his touch, begging for more.

Fumbling with his belt buckle, Flip wasn’t sure he still had the necessary motor skills left to work the leather free from his waist. Managing to get it undone, he unzipped his pants, taking himself out in his palm. Pumping himself a few times, his hand felt useless, especially as you were splayed out before him, legs parted, waiting eagerly for him to sink into you. Lining up to your entrance, Flip could barely breathe as he slipped into you. He would never grow tired of the soft exhale you made as he sunk deeper into you, steadying his hands against the blanket, careful not to crush you with his weight as he began to move.

Soon finding a rhythm, Flip rocked against you, driving deep as your hips snapped to meet each of his thrusts.

“Let me hear you,” Flip encouraged. “Be a good girl for me.”

Struggling against the fabric bonds, tight around your wrists, you tried to wiggle free but to no avail. The sensation of restriction only added to your pleasure as the flannel dug against your skin. You cried out into the night as Flip thrust into you.

“Fuck! Flip, please!”

“Please what?” he asked, his voice low and thick.

“Please,” you begged. “Please fuck me harder.”

“Careful what you wish for sweetheart.”

Withdrawing from you, Flip grasped your hips, flipping you to your knees. Faltering for a second, you steadied yourself as best you could on your bound wrists. Feeling his weight against your back, Flip reached around you, tearing the knotted shirt free allowing your hands to plant flat against the blanket.

“You look fucking beautiful like this,” Flip confessed, taking in the sight of you bent before him, your thighs slick with your arousal dripping from your center.

Giving your ass a firm slap, Flip let out a growl as he dove towards you, licking a long stripe against you with his tongue. Shuddering, your fingers grasped the blanket, desperately trying to hold onto anything that would ground you as Flip continued to lap at you. As he circled his tongue, you let out a cry, unable to contain the sounds you were so used to keeping quiet. Continuing on, Flip worked you until you were trembling, on the brink of collapsing, your arms weak from holding yourself up.

Pulling back from you, Flip’s chin glistened in the pale moonlight that blanketed your surroundings. Hardly fazed by the mess, Flip took hold of your hips once again, guiding you back as he pushed into you.

“Flip!” you moaned as his cock sunk deep within you. Wrapping an arm around your middle, he leaned down against your back, pulling you close as he rocked back and forth in time with your movements against him.

“Such a good, good girl for me,” Flip murmured, his voice deep as his pressed his lips against your cheek. “Just like that darling,” he encouraged.

#flip zimmerman x reader #flip zimmerman x female reader #flip zimmerman/reader #flip Zimmerman x you #flip zimmerman #one shot #flip zimmerman/female reader #flip zimmerman/you #reader insert #Female reader #reader #lemon #lemons ahead

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