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robininthelabyrinth · 10 months

Note

My third prompt, which I just think would be Neat: He Kexin didn't die when lxc and lwj were young, and instead it was their father who passed away on a night hunt

A Significant Difference - ao3

Lan Qiren wouldn’t have thought that there was much difference between being acting sect leader and raising one’s nephews because your brother was in permanent seclusion and being acting sect leader as regent for one’s underaged nephews because one’s brother was dead, but apparently there was.

A significant difference.

He meditated on this difference for a while, then went to He Kexin precisely on schedule. It was the start of the month, half a month of time from Lan Xichen and Lan Wangji’s monthly mid-month visits, and it was the first time he had visited since he had broken his scheduled visits with his sister-in-law to inform her of her husband’s death. When he had done so, she had stared at him blankly, dull as if with shock. She had asked, firstly, how it had happened – the official answer was a night-hunt, and the true answer not too far removed from that, only the object of the night-hunt had been festering internally rather than pursued externally – and then, blinking rapidly, what that meant for her.

At the time, Lan Qiren had told her that he did not know, but that she should assume that nothing would change for the immediate moment and that he would inform her promptly of any developments.

He was fairly sure she had listened to him, but he was still cognizant of the fact that there were some differences in her demeanor when he arrived this time. She had been increasingly ill the past few months, her vivaciousness fading like the bloom come off a rose towards the end of summer, and although they had never spoken on the subject, Lan Qiren knew that her illness was not wholly physical, having more to do with the doctor’s too-blunt revelation that she was unlikely to bear more children to accompany her in her seclusion for a few too-short years than it did with any real disease. Now, however, she seemed both better and more anxious, which he could understand.

“Are you really going to make me go through the small talk first?” she asked as he started preparing the tea, and he sighed quietly to himself – He Kexin had never had much appreciation for etiquette, something his brother had found charming and which Lan Qiren had found irritating, finding her manner suggestive of a fundamental selfish disinterest in anything that got in her way rather than merely a careless desire to not waste time with that which seemed to her to be unimportant, the way it was for Cangse Sanren. Though perhaps he was simply biased in favor of the woman who was his friend, and who hadn’t murdered a member of his family and ruined his life.

“I am not,” he said. “But I would prefer to have some tea prepared in advance of this discussion.”

“Why? What’s the reason? Is it bad news?”

“There is no news. Nothing has changed since the last time we spoke, other than that I have investigated the impact of recent events on your situation and have come to you to hear your views on the subject before any decision is ultimately made.”

“Slow and steady, always contemplating,” she said, tone biting and scathingly provocative as always, but her shoulders relaxed. “Why the tea, then, if no decisions have been made?”

“I am making tea,” Lan Qiren said, rigidly controlling himself as always, “because l have observed that you like to have something to sip whenever you don’t want to respond to something I’ve said. I thought it polite to provide the option.”

As always, He Kexin looked taken aback by the notion that someone might do something for someone else when there was no benefit in it for themselves – for the longest time she’d been convinced that Lan Qiren had some sort of infatuation with her, and it had taken considerable time and effort to dissuade her from both the belief and her occasional attempts to take advantage of what she believed he felt. By now he was fairly sure that she had accepted that Lan Qiren genuinely disliked her, lacked any sort of attraction to her whatsoever, and that he would nevertheless advocate for her interests just as stridently as if he loved her, and yet he was also aware that to this day she did not understand why he would do such a strange and pointless thing.

At least she waited with more or less grace until the tea was ready.

“Well?” she asked. “Have your elders decided that I’m officially useless to them now that there’s no hope of any more heirs? Are they going to make me drink poison or order me strangled or something?”

Lan Qiren’s eye twitched. “You read too many novels. And before you ask, no, that isn’t a prelude to me cutting off your access to them.”

“You say that as if you didn’t cut me off from that traveling opera troupe I liked that one time,” she sniffed.

“Firstly, I did not cut you off from opera troupes in general, merely that one in specific. Secondly, I did that because it turned out that they were thieves and the entire purpose of the troupe was a means of gaining access to the Cloud Recesses to scout out our defenses.”

“Thieves or no thieves, they put on a damn good opera.”

Lan Qiren suppressed another sigh.

“The elders are not advocating for your immediate execution,” he said instead. “On the contrary, the situation has shifted in a material manner, which is why I wished to get your thoughts on the subject. If you are amenable?”

He Kexin pointedly took a sip of her tea instead of answering.

Lan Qiren wished that he could be petty and respond in kind, making it clear that he was equally willing to sit in silence for as long as He Kexin’s limited patience could hold out, but he was viscerally aware – he was never not aware – of the power dynamics that underlaid all of their interactions. However unwilling he might be, he was He Kexin’s jailor, and the power was always on his side. It was therefore incumbent upon him to keep his temper on a short leash and to be as obliging as he could be, no matter how obnoxious or deliberately provocative her behavior might be.

“I will assume that you are,” he said neutrally. “Although, as always, if you wish for this conversation to end, you may say so at any time and I will depart at once.”

He paused, but she said nothing – more desperate for company and news than disdainful of it, no doubt. He had tried several times over the years to find a way to allow her some company that she might prefer, perhaps someone of her own gender and age, unburdened by the history between them – someone other than the servants she disdained – but he had never had any success convincing the elders of the necessity. Even his own visits had been hard-fought victories, premised entirely on his insistence that to properly raise his nephews he needed the input of their mother.

It had never sat well with him.

“Very well,” Lan Qiren said, moving on. “With my brother’s death, the role of sect leader has now devolved unto Xichen, although naturally he is too young to accept the role. As a result, I am now officially regent in his stead.”

“Does that change anything?” He Kexin asked, and she sounded genuinely curious.

“It does,” he confirmed. “Before, my role was that of a temporary caretaker –”

“Temporary? For ten years?”

“For as long as it would have taken, yes. As long as my brother lived, he was Sect Leader, regardless of where he was or whether he carried out the duties of the position –”

He ignored He Kexin’s mumble of “Well, that’s bullshit”, even though he privately agreed with the assessment.

“– and as only a temporary caretaker, my ability to implement change was heavily prescribed by tradition, in order to forestall the risk that I seek to take advantage of my brother’s absence.”

He ignored this second “Bullshit!” as well, though he appreciated it.

“However,” he said, trying desperately to get to the point as quickly as his rigid manner could manage, “as regent, my status is different, and so is the scope of my jurisdiction. I have all the rights and powers of a true sect leader, able to implement my will on behalf of my nephews.”

“That distinction makes no sense at all.”

It did if one looked at the historical background behind each type of position, but Lan Qiren didn’t allow himself to be distracted by an academic debate He Kexin wouldn’t care about in the slightest.

“Regardless of how much or how little sense it may make, it means that I have more flexibility in arranging sect matters than I did before,” he said. “Including in regard to sect discipline and justice.”

He Kexin paused with her cup halfway up to her mouth.

“What does that mean?” she asked sharply. “Don’t talk around the subject. My fate was sealed long ago – if I leave this house or break my seclusion in any other way, I die. Is that not still the case?”

Lan Qiren looked at her steadily. “The sect leader has the ability to commute punishments for conduct that he was not involved in, as long as justice remains served.”

She exhaled. Hard.

“You have several options,” Lan Qiren said. “I could lighten the terms of your isolation, whether by allowing you more company here or by allowing you to live in the female quarters of the Cloud Recesses; as you know, men and women are separated here, with the exception of married couples. You would be permitted to see your sons more often – every afternoon, if you so wished.”

He Kexin pursed her lips. “What’s the catch?”

“That approach would only be a lightening of your original punishment. You would still be confined to the Cloud Recesses, and your sentence of execution would still be applicable should you ever depart from our home.”

“An expansion of walls,” she murmured, then frowned. “You said ‘that approach’. What’s the alternative?”

“I could change the nature of the punishment entirely,” he said. “I cannot simply lift it, you understand – you murdered an honored teacher, perverting the rules of both justice and hospitality, and no matter my sympathy to you in regard to the matter of not being permitted to see your sons, my nephews, that does not change what you did. You were wrong then and remain wrong now. To refuse to punish you would be for me to fail in my duty to my ancestors.”

“You’re stepping around the subject,” she observed. “That’s unlike you. What’s the second approach? What would the new punishment be?”

Lan Qiren took a breath, steadying his nerves. “Exile.”

He Kexin blinked, and then she started to smile. “Exile? You mean, leaving this place, never to return, that sort of exile?”

“That is correct,” he said, and before the joy had fully entered her face, he added: “Your sons would, however, remain here.”

Her smile faded.

“That seems unfair,” she said after a moment. “I’m their mother, after all.”

“They have already separated from you and entered the men’s quarters, and their surname is Lan,” Lan Qiren said, a touch censoriously. “They are the heirs of a Great Sect, with all that attends that. You cannot expect to simply take them with you as if you were the rogue cultivator you once were.”

Nor would he permit such a thing. Bad enough to have one Cangse Sanren out there, a rogue cultivator who took husband and child along with her to face whatever dangers there were out there by her side, but his nephews? He would rather die than risk them getting lost or hurt in a moment’s carelessness.

He Kexin tapped her cheek thoughtfully. “Would I still be able to see them at all if I took that option?”

“You would be able to see them outside the Cloud Recesses. Naturally we could arrange something in which I would escort them outside for the purpose of seeing you…assuming you were within reasonable distance.”

It wouldn’t be every afternoon, though. It might not even be every month, the way it was now – not unless He Kexin wished to live near the Cloud Recesses, which Lan Qiren assumed she did not.

He remained quiet after that, drinking his tea and waiting for her to think it over. He knew what type of choice he was presenting her with, and he disliked it, though he did not see any other path forward. For his nephews’ sake, he hoped that she chose the first option, or at minimum a delayed exile, choose to stay within the Cloud Recesses until her sons were of age, or at least a little older than they were now – that Lan Xichen and Lan Wangji might have the benefit of their mother for a little longer, and the way they should have had her all along, a constant presence rather than a rarely-seen figure hidden away. Even if it meant that he himself would have to suffer her presence more often, have to look upon the woman who had destroyed his dreams every day rather than merely twice a month, it would be worth it, for their sake.

Yet for her own sake, he felt he had to make her the offer of freedom now. For all that Lan Qiren saw himself firstly as his nephews’ guardian, then as a member of his sect, and only lastly as an individual, He Kexin was in a different situation. She had never wanted to marry his brother in the first place, and she’d borne two children as much for the company they’d given her as because she’d actually wanted them.

She was a person, not merely a mother. She was the one who had to make the decision. Lan Qiren could not decide for her, not even if he believed one choice to be better for his nephews than the other.

“If you would like to think about it for longer, you may,” he said. “Overnight, or even for a few days…”

He Kexin put down her cup with a definitive thunk.

“I’m not a slow plodder like you lot are,” she said, head held high and voice scathing as ever. “I know how to be decisive. I know what I want.”

Lan Qiren braced himself.

“Well?” he asked. “What have you decided?”

She told him.

#mdzs #lan qiren #madam lan #my fic #my fics

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aita-blorbos · 8 months

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aita for maybe kinda sort of causing the apocalypse??

ok so its a really long story but basically this summer i (12f until a couple days ago) and my brother (12m until a couple days ago) went to stay with our grunkle for the summer and it was really fun!! i got to make all kinds of new friends and help my brother hunt monsters and i loved staying there!! but then summer was ending and we had to leave and my friends werent going to be able to go to our birthday party and i also found out high school was maybe going to be really bad?? and then WORST of all my brother wasnt even going to be coming home with me!! he wanted to stay there and take on some apprenticeship with our other grunkle (he was kind of in some weird nightmare dimension for most of the summer?? so we didnt get to meet him through most of it but it turns out he wrote this book my brother really likes) so id have to go home all alone and i basically was going to lose everything

and the problem was that the end of summer also seemed really bad for everyone?? our grunkle was going to get kicked out of the house slash gift shop and the gift shop was gonna close AND my one friend had to go to music camp and it sounded like she really didnt wanna go to music camp and my other friend had to go on some trip with her boyfriend but it also seemed like she didnt wanna do that?? and my brother would probably miss me too if he only got to see me every summer, right?? so obviously we just needed more summer!!

and i didnt really know how to do that but when i heard that my brother wasnt going home with me i ran off into the woods because i needed a moment and i maybe kinda accidentally grabbed his bag instead of mine because they looked similar but i probably could have looked closer or not run off in the first place. and while i was there this guy came up to me and said he could help!! and i thought he was this time traveler guy we met a while ago who kinda wanted us both dead for a while because we maybe sort of ruined his life over some petty argument but its okay because we got him out of time jail AND got his job back AND gave him pretty hair!! so i thought it wasnt that weird that he was offering to help because he doesnt hate us anymore right??

so he asked for this weird nerdy thing and by then i realized i had my brothers bag and my brother loves weird nerdy things so he might have had it! and i didnt know what the weird nerdy thing did but i should have not given it to the guy because it wasnt even mine to begin with and that was stupid but i did give it to him because he promised more summer and more summer would have fixed everyones problems!!

but when i gave it to him he immediately threw it on the ground and smashed it which okay maybe thats just part of the process but he was also laughing really evilly and then also revealed that he was actually this demon guy we knew who was trying to end the world and that the thing i gave him was the thing stopping the world from ending?? and since i gave it to him the apocalypse was my fault right? like it wouldnt have happened if i was just reasonable about the whole thing or if i just didnt give him my brothers weird nerdy thing so the whole things basically my fault

we did stop the whole thing but really by we i mostly mean our grunkles because they tricked the demon guy into going into one of their heads but not the one he wanted to go into and then our other grunkle made our first grunkle forget everything and it was really sad but the apocalypse ended AND we got our grunkle to remember everything so its all okay now!! and our birthday party went well and my friends were able to make it and my brother decided to go back home with me so everything should be fine right??

but i still feel really bad about it because i like. basically caused the apocalypse just to get my own stupid way and i could have not done that and the whole thing is my fault and people could have DIED just because i couldnt accept that people might not want to do everything with me so im ta right???

#aita #am i the asshole #unreality

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amournoir · 9 months

Text

𝐡𝐢𝐝𝐝𝐞𝐧 𝐡𝐞𝐚𝐫𝐭𝐬

pairing: jj maybank x f!reader

count: 1.1k

warning: none, just fluff

author’s note: after the votes on my poll, i decided to add a new fandom, obx being one of them. i hope you guys enjoy this, it’s my first one of hopefully many 🤞🏽 anywho have fun reading!

The sun was setting over the picturesque North Carolina coast, casting a warm golden hue over the beachside hangout spot where John B and his friends often gathered. Among them was Y/N, John B's younger sister, who had been inseparable from the group since moving to the area. Unbeknownst to her brother, Y/N had developed a secret crush on JJ Maybank, one of John B's closest friends.

Whenever JJ was around, Y/N found herself drawn to his infectious energy and charming smile. She loved how he made her feel alive, how he made her heart skip a beat with just a look. However, she kept her feelings hidden, fearing that it might change the dynamics of their friendship and disrupt the camaraderie she cherished.

One particular evening, the group decided to have a bonfire on the beach, celebrating life and freedom under the stars. As the night progressed, laughter filled the air, and everyone let loose, relishing in each other's company.

Y/N had a few drinks, her inhibitions loosening, and her heart's yearning growing harder to ignore. JJ noticed her sitting alone, looking lost in her thoughts, and he approached her, his heart skipping a beat at the sight of her.

"Hey there, Y/N. What's on your mind?" he asked, taking a seat beside her.

She glanced up at him, her cheeks flushed from the alcohol and her emotions bubbling beneath the surface. "Oh, nothing really," she replied, trying to sound nonchalant, but her voice betrayed her.

JJ smirked, seeing right through her facade. He had noticed how Y/N always seemed to want to be around him, and he couldn't help but feel a similar pull towards her. "You sure about that?" he teased gently.

Y/N hesitated for a moment, then took a deep breath, deciding to be honest. "Well, I... I kind of have a crush on you," she admitted, her gaze fixed on the sand beneath her feet.

JJ's heart skipped a beat, and a soft smile graced his lips. "Is that so?" he said, his voice low and intimate.

She nodded, her heart pounding in her chest. "Yeah, but I understand if you don't feel the same way. I don't want to ruin our friendship."

JJ reached out, gently tilting her chin up to meet his gaze. "You could never ruin anything," he assured her. "And, to be honest, I've had my eye on you too."

Y/N's eyes widened in surprise, a mixture of relief and joy flooding her heart. "Really?" she whispered, her breath hitching.

He leaned in, their faces inches apart, his voice a soft murmur. "Really," he confirmed before capturing her lips in a tender kiss.

The world seemed to disappear around them as their lips met, a spark igniting between them, the revelation of their feelings unspoken but understood. In that moment, they knew they were meant to be together.

JJ pulled her closer, his hands tangling in her hair as he deepened the kiss, pouring his emotions into every touch. Y/N melted into his embrace, feeling an overwhelming rush of affection and desire, her heart singing with happiness.

As they pulled away, breathless and flushed, JJ rested his forehead against hers. "I've wanted to do that for a long time," he admitted, his voice filled with sincerity.

Y/N smiled, her heart feeling lighter than ever before. "Me too," she confessed, her eyes shimmering with affection.

The night continued, but everything felt different now. Y/N and JJ shared stolen glances, their newfound connection weaving through their interactions, making every moment more meaningful.

Later, Y/N found herself walking hand in hand with JJ along the moonlit shoreline. The sound of crashing waves and the soft touch of sand under their feet added to the magic of the moment.

"My brother would kill you if he knew," Y/N said playfully, a hint of mischief in her eyes.

JJ chuckled, pulling her closer to him. "Yeah, he might," he replied. "But for now, let's keep it our little secret. Just us."

She nodded, her heart full of contentment. "Just us," she agreed, savoring the sweetness of their newfound romance.

In that serene moment, as the stars twinkled above and the ocean whispered its secrets, Y/N and JJ found solace in each other’s arms. Their hearts had been entwined from the beginning, hidden but always there, and now, they were ready to embrace the love that had been waiting to bloom.

🏷️ taglist:

⤷ @mrs-maximoff-kenner @thatfanficstuff @elijahmikaelsontrash @mxacegrey @thatfictionalwh0re @catmikaelson20 @loverswillowed @sweetwrathoflilith @panic-at-the-fiction @iiskittles16ii @original-siphon @hellotvshowtrash @onlyfreds @onlyfredslibrary @imgoingtofreakoutnow @slinthoex @mikaelsonsdeservedbetter @i-love-nora @multiversediaries @decoffinated-vamps @hopester08 @aloneatpeace @hopes-wife @softcoremaybank @klaustopia @dreamingwithrafe @sweetestdesire @cottontears @cottonreads @buckyysdoll

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#aurora.r fics #jj maybank x reader #jj maybank fic #jj maybank #outer banks #obx #fluff

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avengerscompound · 4 months

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The Interview - Chapter 6

The Interview - A Captain America Fanfic

Masterlist

PREVIOUS //

Rating: E

Warnings: nothing really

Pairing: Steve Rogers x OFC Melody Danes

Word Count: 1684

Summary: Melody Danes gets the break of a lifetime when as a lowly intern, she’s assigned to write a profile piece on Captain America. Steve Rogers is a hard man not to fall for and as she and Melody get closer and Melody’s career takes off, jealousy leads to sabotage, and the potential to bring her whole world crashing down.

Chapter 6

Steve Rogers: The Man Behind the Mask

By Melody Danes | Photographs by Peter Parker

Everyone knows Captain America. He’s on the news regularly. There are comic books and action figures based on the man. Less is known about Steve Rogers. The centurion who became the first-ever Super Soldier is often tight-lipped about his personal life. He opened up to DB and what we found was not what we expected.

“You have a crush on Captain America!”

I’ve heard that accusation a lot since I started working on this profile piece. The first day I went in to meet him for lunch I kept telling myself; be professional, be professional, be professional, in my head on repeat. This is my first gig after all and well - it’s Captain freaking America. I didn’t want to freak the man out and ruin any potential I had at getting another interview assigned to me in the future.

Over the week I spent following Steve Rogers around I realized that was easier said than done.

I should start at the beginning. I had agreed to meet Steve at a diner near the Avengers Tower. Since he is who he is, and this was my first interview with anyone, I wanted to make a good impression. So I borrowed a pantsuit from a friend. It was not my best call, the shoes I wore were a size too big, and I fell just outside the diner we’d agreed to meet in.

Falling and being caught by Captain America when you’re on the way to meet him should be illegal. It leads to too many awful things from completely mortifying embarrassment to imagining how one day you’ll tell your grandchildren the story of how you met their grandfather.

Steve is somehow even more handsome in real life than in pictures. It’s almost like he’s been carved out of marble. His skin is flawless and his muscles are hard like stone. It’s his eyes that catch you though. They are so blue and his lashes are so long and so dark that I’m fairly sure they could see them from the Alpha Flight Space Station. They’re also kind. Steve can be intimidating, but there is something about his eyes that makes you feel safe.

That first meeting I’d expected him to be closed off and unwilling to open up. The Avengers haven’t exactly had the best run with the way the press reports on their work, and Steve in particular is known to keep to business when he speaks to the press. What I found (apart from the textbook definition of a chivalrous meet-cute) was a man who wanted to see who he was, just as much as we wanted to find out.

We are all used to seeing Steve Rogers as Captain America, a role he considers important, but the role means he’s always on display and the way we interpret the message might not be the one he is trying to put out.

He wasn't always on display. As he sits down to his steak he tells me about his childhood. It's a bleak tale. We all know the story, Steve Rogers was born to poor Irish Immigrants Steve had a list of ailments as tall as he was. Asthma, scarlet fever, rheumatic fever, sinusitis, heart palpitations, nervous trouble, bone and joint deformity, color blindness, scoliosis, high blood pressure, diabetes, pernicious anemia, partial deafness, astigmatism, and easy fatigability. It’s quite the list. “I was a perpetual letdown for my father. All he wanted was a good strong son who could follow in his footsteps, but what he got was a sick kid they didn’t expect would make it to adulthood,” Steve confesses. The disappointment was added to when Steve’s younger brother died shortly after he was born. It resulted in Steve’s father turning to alcohol and taking out that disappointment on the son who did survive.

It’s the kind of childhood that people usually describe to explain what sent them to the dark side. Not so for Steve. It made him particularly sensitive to vulnerable people. In his own words, Steve Rogers doesn’t like bullies.

On a tour of Brooklyn Heights, the place he spent his youth, Steve is quick to point out all the places where he fought off bullies. “You point to a spot and I probably started something I couldn’t finish there,” he tells me as we walk the streets. Even with that huge list of ailments and a father who beat him, he still stood up to people bigger than him when he thought something wasn’t right. It was no wonder that they chose him for Project Rebirth.

The sight of the Project Rebirth experiment that had turned into a nightclub now, and a strange tribute to all things Captain America. Taking a look around it with Steve is a strange experience. He seems genuinely happy that it had been turned into a place people go to enjoy themselves but it’s hard not to think about how he’d been experimented on and changed in that very room, making him the man he is today.

There are still things that linger from his childhood. Over his steak, Steve tells me about his issues with food and why he hadn’t ordered the pancakes he would have preferred. “Steak is fine. But is it what I wanted? I’m not even sure. I chose it because it looked like it was the best combination of protein and carbohydrates to get me through until dinner. The serum has made it so I burn through calories so fast, so if I eat something like pancakes or pie, I end up having a crash an hour or so later. And I can’t have that because it means I have to eat again. And for a guy who grew up through the great depression with medical conditions that made it so that he had to eat pounds of raw meat that I’d just end up throwing up - well I can’t take constantly eating throughout the day.”

It's such a human reaction to childhood trauma. We put our superheroes up on these pedestals and expect them to be more than us. To be perfect both as public figures and behind closed doors. It's a position no one can hope to achieve. Not even actual gods. (Especially not actual gods).

Steve Rogers is just a man. A good man, but still just a man. He blushes when he flirts and he rolls his eyes when his friends tease him. He can be quite sarcastic when he wants to be and he seems to want to be on a semi-regular basis. He is sweet and he is open about what he believes in. Sergeant James Barnes, Steve’s best friend growing up, followed him into battle not because he was Captain America but because he was Steve Rogers, “... and that little punk had a good heart.”

When asked what his biggest flaws are, he thinks about the question seriously. “I expect a lot out of others. I think I also automatically fall into a kind of disappointed father role. And I can be reckless.”

That recklessness is regularly seen through his role as Captain America. The fact he is still alive today is only because he intentionally crashed a plane in the Arctic Ocean and was put into suspended animation thanks to the ice. He is regularly known to throw himself off buildings without a way to break his fall.

He’s a little more careful in his personal life, though it’s easy to see why. The man has lost everyone once. Since waking up there’s only ever been one rumored romantic partner. Though he has gathered a rather large group of friends around him. The Avengers are more than just teammates, they're a family that they created together. Each one wants to be better and help fix the world with the skills they each have.

So what is a better world according to Steve Rogers? “I’ve always believed consenting adults should be able to love each other freely and without interference. I have always believed that people should have a minimum standard of living that’s met even if they’re unable to work. That means homes, food, electricity, running water, and medical care. I have always believed that people should be free to worship whatever god they choose - or not - as long as that worship doesn’t interfere with others or harm them.”

He’s also pro-choice - a position well ahead of his time, though he’s seen what can happen when the procedure is outlawed.

That is only one of the ways the world has changed since he was a kid, not just politically but physically. Steve used to stand at the docks in Brooklyn and watch the city line change. It’s now barely recognizable to him, only really the Chrysler and Empire State buildings stand out as recognizable. Where he grew up is different too, the art school where he started college doesn’t even exist anymore. Back when he was a child he treated his myriad of medical conditions using things like heroin, cocaine, and belladonna, something that seems unbelievable today.

It’s a lot to have to adjust to, but he has adjusted, and he still works to change what needs work while appreciating the changes that have happened. When I ask what he thinks we do today that will be seen as completely backward in another hundred years, his answer is circumcision.

He immediately blushes at his answer.

And that’s the Steve Rogers I got to know. Working hard at fitting into a world that has moved forward as he works to make further changes. Trying to be the good man he is. Snarky. Intelligent. And willing to talk about circumcision with a stranger even when it makes him blush.

So my friends are wrong. I don’t have a crush on Captain America. My crush is firmly aimed at Steve Rogers. The man is sweet-natured, decent, and completely unexpected. I may always carry this crush with me. He’s something special, and we’re all really lucky to have him.

// NEXT

#marvel #avengers #steve rogers #steve rogers x oc #steve rogers x ofc #captain america #captain america fanfic #fanfic #fanfiction #ofc #smut #the interview

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platinumrosetail · 1 year

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Can I request Yandere shadowpeach x half demon child fem reader x yandere big brother mk

So kinda like Inuyasha

But she is half monkey demon

And she a little cun and scard cuz she was running from wolf demons and next thing she knows is she in the City

Mk who found her in a Ally way try to clam her down but she growl and bites him and hides and being a kind but stupid boy is not leaning her alone cuz he knows she mot from here or time cuz the choths.

Calls his other father figures for help the frist one is emo monkey and the reader is very feral and try to show him she mean thert but she just a cub but by her behavior she been alone for a long time.

So when sun comes he looks at his lover and they both nod and take her home.

They find out a lot and Keep her safe and earn her trust and mk shows off his new sister pictures and videos

🤩 sure, and man it has been a while since I watched inuyasha.

Anyway, let’s get on with the show, shall we?

Warning: noob author, dark theme’s, yandere platonic characters, and others.

Characters: shadowpeach (sun wukong x macaque) and their son.

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Shadowpeach + their son:

You were a half monkey demon that had to hide from angry citizens that had ruin your life until you got to a big city, losing them easily.

Your parents was from different races, your mother being a monkey demon and your father a human. Your father had worked as a clothes designer while your mother did mercenary work, they had loved and raised you until the day they had died in you hometown if you can even call it that anymore.

The leader of the town had a. Daughter that seemed to have had a thing for your mother and when she had heard that your mother was married and had a child already so she decided to do things that she shouldn’t have done but she did as she listened to her rage.

(I was going to have the daughter of the leader go for the husband of your demon mother but I thought it would be interesting to see the daughter of the leader go for the mother.)

She had everyone hooked on a rumor of your father which resulted in the early deaths of your parents and she’s coming after you next.

You had been on the street for a week until a male with a red bandanna, brown hair and the smell monkeys on him, you had almost went towards him before realizing the dangers in doing that.

You growled at him trying to get him to leave but that only had him come closer, you also noticed that he had a soft look on his face that reminded you of you deceased father and had you almost taking a step towards him but decided against is as it could be a trick and he could be working with the citizens in you previous home.

Mk knew he wasn’t getting anywhere with how things are going so he decided to go for another route; transforming into his original looks, which is a monkey demon like his dads. He had hoped you would trust him but with how you’re acting so far it would seem he’s too late so he hoped this would help even though it could only be a little.

You were shocked when the male had turned into a monkey demon like you. You started to trust him a little more and got closer towards him as he had his hands up in a surrender pose.

He saw how young you were once light hit you a little more than it did and had wondered why you’re like this as you’re to young to have hate and such rage in your body; he was going to take you to his work but started to think and decided on taking you to flower fruit mountain as it would be something you might be familiar with and comfortable plus the raw fruit that’s there.

He wonders if you would eat peaches like his dad or mango’s….. or just both like him.

When the two of you got there the monkey’s who lived there got excited and came towards them in a rush; he noticed that you had tensed when they all rushed towards the two of you before relaxing, leaving him to ponder on what had happened before he met you.

Meh bring you to his home that was in the waterfalls and there you met his two dads; sun wukong and macaque. You didn’t know who this sun was so that got mk worried because basically everyone who wasn’t a baby knew who his dad is wether it was enemies or fans!

When sun had met you he was so happy to fin another monkey demon like his mate and son! Even if you’re half human, though he is starting to worry on why you’re growling so early of age at another monkey demon; though he is soon informed by mk that maybe something had happened to you before he had found you.

Macaque understood pretty fast as to why you’re growling at them as had seen it before in the past and had helped some as well so he knew what to do with helping you trust them.

It would have taken 5 months until you trusted them without macaque being there but with him there it had taken 3 to 4 months for you to trust them fully.

When they learned that you had been rubbed out from your hometown they were furious but also thankful as they wouldn’t have met you if that didn’t happen but still furious as to how the citizens had to go that far to just run a child even if she’s a demon out of her home.

When the daughter of the leader had found out that the child of her deceased girlfriend had been adopted by the monkey king and six eared Macaque and therefore mk’s sister she worried of what’s to become of her after they captured her.

They made sure her punishment was long and painful before killing but also thanked her for bringing their daughter to them as the life in her eyes began to fade away.

(A/n: I’m thinking of doing parts for these asks if their long so I can upload them faster so I’ll probably be making these posts into two parts or more so look out for that. Anyway hope y’all like what I did with it! And have a wonderful day/evening/night!!)

#various x reader #crossover #anime crossover #anime #x reader stories #anime x reader #lego monkie kid x reader #lego monkie kid #jttw #lmk macaque #lmk mk #lmk sun wukong #inuyasha #x child reader #platonic #yandere x reader #yandere

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wordsaresimple-imnot · 4 days

Text

Pen pal's - Bill Guarnere x F!Reader

Summary: Bill's childhood friend and neighbor writes him a letter after Henry is killed. They keep writing each other throughout the war, but following the events after Bastogne Bill sends a final letter that might end their future before it can really start.

Warnings: she/her pronouns, reader goes by childhood nickname, angst (mentions of war & healing from injuries), does have happy ending.

A/N: I have the biggest respect for the real life heroes of WWII (and all other wars, past & current), this work & all other works is based on the actor(s) and character(s) portrayed in the Band of Brothers series.

A/N pt 2: Full transparency, this one sorta got away from me but I let my creative muse take over and here we are. I was sitting on this idea for a minute and honestly, I love how it turned out. Hopefully y'all like it too! Comments, likes, and reblogs please!! Thank you!

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It was two weeks after Henry passed when a letter arrived for Bill. He didn't recognize the handwriting, but he knew the return address by heart. It was the house right next door to his childhood home. His suspicions of who it was from was confirmed once he started reading it.

Billy, I've spent the last week trying to figure out something comforting and eloquent to say but all I can come up with is; I'm so sorry about Henry. I can't imagine how you feel. I can't do much to make you feel better over there but I promise to help your mom and sisters with anything they need. You all have been a second family to me my whole life. I pray you stay safe and come home soon. Pip. P.S. I found this picture in one of my old journals and it made me smile. I hope it can do the same for you.

Bill flipped over the photograph that had been included and did, in fact, smile. It was three young kids laughing at the camera, completely covered in mud. He was pulled from the memory of that day when a hand grabbed the picture away from him.

"Henry, Billy, and me." Luz read the back of the picture out loud before flipping it around. "Who's the girl?"

"None of your business." Bill grabbed the picture back and stuffed it in his breast pocket, sending Luz a glare.

Not being fazed at all, Luz leaned over and skimmed at the letter Bill was still holding. "Billy? Who's Pip? Same girl from the picture?"

"Who made you the new Nixon around here? Fuck off, will ya."

"What's got Gonorrhea's in a twist?" Toye asked as he joined the two of them.

"Got some letter and picture from a girl." Luz wiggled his eyebrows suggestively.

"What, girl's not your type anymore?" Toye smirked at Bill.

"Both of you's, shut the fuck up. It's a neighbor I grew up with. She's like family."

"She cute?" Toye asked at the same time Luz said, "Is she single?"

"She's nothing to you two's or I'll break your jaws." With a final glare Bill folded up his letter and walked away. Toye and Luz smirked at each other, knowing this wouldn't be the last time they pissed him off about this mystery girl.

Pip dropped the remaining pieces of mail on the ground and rushed to her room, eager to read the letter addressed to her in messy handwriting. She knew she was smiling like an idiot as she read it, but she didn't care.

Pip, I appreciate you reaching out and taking care of ma and the girls for me. I couldn't ask for anyone better to watch over them. You're picture did make me smile, something I haven't done much of lately. I can still hear our ma's chewing us out over ruining your dress. Said Henry and I were keeping you from being a 'proper lady'. And if I remember correctly your response was you'd be one "when pigs fly". Thanks for reminding me of happy times. Don't be a stranger. Billy.

Two weeks later, another letter arrived.

Pip, I saw a field with some horses in it today and I thought of you. How you always wanted to live just outside the city with some land to have a horse and lots of dogs. I hope you get to have that one day. Maybe I'll come by and visit when you do. Billy

The next day as Pip made to leave the house to drop her response off at the post office, she ran into her mother.

"Where you off to in such a hurry?" The gleam in her eye and glance down at the letter in Pip's hand made it obvious she already knew the answer. Pip decide to play along since she was an only child and her mother needed to fuss over someone now and again.

"Just sending a letter back to Bill." She'd stopped calling him Billy out loud to people, but that's who he'd always be to her.

"Yes, I saw he'd send another letter. His poor mother doesn't even get back to back responses that quick. Lucky girl." She mused, smiling at the blush forming on Pip's cheeks.

"It's not like that, we're just old friends."

"Of course. Well, check with his mother and see if they have any mail to send out along with yours." Pip nodded, gave her mother a kiss on the cheek and practically sprinted out the houses before any more questions or observations could be made.

Bill couldn't figure out why he was so anxious after sending that second letter to Pip. She was just his neighbor, a life long family friend, like a sister... Well, not entirely like a sister. Henry always saw her like a sister, taking her under his wing and becoming the big brother she didn't have. His sisters saw her as an older sister, someone to play dress-up with and get boy advise from. But him...he'd never really seen her as that. She was family, absolutely. But not his sister.

When her response came, he wasn't sure if his anxiety got worse or better as he ripped it open.

Billy, I would have loved to have seen that field (although, maybe not during war time). I'm surprised you remember that, I think we were seven or eight when I came up with that idea. I never told you but I always imagined you'd live right next door to me and we'd see each other everyday, like we always did before this war. No matter where I end up, I'd still like you to visit. Pip

"Another letter from your 'family friend'?" Toye jumped down into the foxhole next to Bill.

"Why you sayin' it like that? She is a family friend. And what do you care who I get letters from?" Bill grumbled, folding his letter up and stuffing it inside his jacket.

"Luz said her name was, Pip. What's that about?" Toye asked, completely ignoring Bill's grumpy mood and response.

Bill gives a loud sigh, knowing that Toye isn't going to drop it and by extension neither will Luz until they've discovered everything to do with her.

"It's a nickname. Short for Pipsqueak. She was always this tiny little following me and Henry around back home."

"Sounds annoying." Toye says offhandedly, looking at his companion out the side of his eye. He see's a small smile form on Bill's face.

"At first, I guess. But honestly, it became so normal I never really thought about not including her in things." There's a long stretch of silence as they keep watch, then Bill speaks again. "She's family, but she's not my sister. Never has been. Does that make sense?"

"Yeah, it does." Toye lights up a cigarette, passing one over to Bill. "Should tell her that someday." Bill doesn't respond, just lights up the cigarette and pulls a long drag from it.

The weeks and months that follow are filled with countless letters sent back and forth. There's no declarations of love or detailed accounts of the war, just two people sharing memories or tidbits about their days.

Pip would fill in the blanks about what was going on with his sister's love lives; who was a bum, who seemed nice, who looked weird. Once she gave him the play by play, as she could remember it, of a dinner at his house with the whole family, her, her mother, and a new beau his sister Marie was dating. His name was Paul, but said to call him Paulie. Pip and his two younger sisters, Bianca and Isabella, were on the verge of giggles all night because his voice sounded so much like a parrot and they wanted to ask him if he wanted a cracker. Then there was the shameful cooking lesson their mom's tried to have with Pip, that resulted in five burned pies.

Bill would tell her about the country side they'd go through and different animals he would encounter. He'd also tell her about the guys and stupid shenanigans they'd get up to. How getting shot in the ass started to become an Easy Company right of passage. When he meets Babe, he tells her about another Philly kid that grew up not far from them and how he's alright. He tells her about a game of darts he played with Babe as his partner, against a George Luz and Buck Compton, saying how they lost but he knows if she'd been his partner they would have won because they always make a great team.

They share memories from their childhood, some including Henry some with just the two of them. When she comes across them, Pip sends old pictures of them for him to have. One he becomes especially fond of is them at 16; they're at the local fair, he's holding a huge teddy bear he's just won above his head with one arm, the other is thrown over Pip's shoulder and she's got her arms wrapped around Isabella's shoulders as the younger girl is standing in front of her. They're all smiling, but only Bill and Isabella are looking at the camera. Pip is looking straight at Bill.

He got a lot of ribbing and questions from the guys when that picture came, but he just told them all to 'fuck off'. By this point it was common knowledge that Bill did, but didn't, have a girl back home. The guys loved to annoy him but truly they were happy he had someone, not all of them did.

Slowly, almost naturally, the letter's started becoming more intimate. Not sexually but emotionally. Greetings went from Dear, to Dearest, then Darling, eventually landing on "My Billy/Pip". Signatures would mix some type of variation of "Love, your Billy/Pip" and "Always yours, Billy/Pip". There still hadn't been any type of declaration of feelings, but they'd often write each other about the future and things they wanted to do or see together. They were always together no matter the plan or idea that popped in their heads about life after this war.

Then one day, in a forest in the dead of winter, everything changed.

It had been months since Bill and Toye were shipped back to the hospital for their surgeries and rehabilitation before getting to go home. Months since he'd last responded to one of Pip's letters. He knew, she knew what had happened as he'd written his ma letting her know he was okay after a telegram went out about his injury from the army. He couldn't stand the idea of her being worried sick about him, not after what happened with Henry.

Pip never mentioned the accident, just kept her letters light and full of the day to day happenings. But they always ended the same way, "P.S. Take your time, I'm here when you are ready and I'll always be yours." Each new letter was like a dagger in his heart. He loved her, so much so that he was planning to ask her to marry him when he thought he'd be going home a whole man. But now, how could he ask her to be with him when he wasn't all she deserved?

One day, he grabbed some paper and a pen and started his own version of a Dear John letter.

Pip was both relieved and terrified when she got a letter from Bill. He hadn't responded since being sent to the hospital to have his injury tended to. When his mother had gotten the telegram, all the army had said was that he was injured and being sent out immediately to their primary hospital. After what happened to Henry, she was in a terrible state so Pip pitched in as much as she could while wanting to breakdown herself. Soon enough a letter from Bill himself came and explained the situation as best he could and what was going on, but ultimately letting his mom and sisters know he was already. They'd all cried together when they read that. She waited weeks but no letter arrived for her. As time went on, she accepted that he needed time to heal and figure things out, so she kept sending him updates on his family and things in town, praying that one of them would trigger some type of response. Now she held one in her hands and she didn't know what it would contain.

Sitting in her room, she opened the letter and with each word felt her heart breaking.

My Pip, I am sorry I have not written. Truthfully, I have not known what to say. I know you must have gotten updates from my ma on my condition and I suppose that was the cowards way of letting you know and again, I am sorry. I didn't think this was how I would be telling you this but, I love you. I'm so damn, madly in love with you it's all I can think about lying here. But I can't keep this going any longer. You deserve someone not scarred, literally and emotionally, from this war and the horrors that have leaked inside me. I want you to have everything you've ever dreamed about. I just can't be the one to give it to you. I will love you till my last breathe. Love you always, Billy

With her letter crumpled in her hands, Pip curled up into her bed and cried until there was nothing left to come out.

Bill knew he should feel lucky. Hell, he was the luckiest damn bastard he knew of right now. He was finally home after being away for years, seeing the worst of human nature, eating a home cooked meal surrounded by his mother and sisters that he'd missed terribly. But there was still a large aching hole in his heart the shape of the girl next door. He'd been home for a month and they'd yet to run into each other. He wasn't sure if he could handle seeing her after the letter he'd sent, but that didn't stop him from praying for just one glance.

His sisters had seen her a few times since he'd been home, but every time he asked how she was they just shot him a glare and changed the subject. They obviously knew enough to have picked her side and he couldn't blame them.

"You're awfully quiet tonight, William." His mother's voice brought him back to the present. "Everything okay?" He suddenly felt like a child again under her critical gaze.

"Yeah, I'm good ma." He slapped on a quick smile, which dropped quickly at hearing Bianca and Isabella snort and cough at the end of the table. "What's up with you two?"

"They're tired of you lying. We all are." Marie sent him a cold look.

"I'm not lying about anything." He clenched his jaw to keep his temper in check. These were his sisters, not the boys, he couldn't react like he wanted.

"Yes, you are. Pip is too. You're both miserable. We see it everyday. Just admit you made a mistake and apologize." Marie turned fully to face him and gave him a look that challenged him to deny any of it.

Before he could say anything, his mother cut in. "Girls, go to your rooms. I wanna speak with William. Go on." She gave them her no nonsense look when they didn't move fast enough. With a few grumbles they all left the room and the silence that over took Bill and her was tense.

"Ma, I don't want to talk about it." Bill sighed, leaning back in his chair.

"You don't have to speak, just listen, yeah? You're my child and when you have a child you pray that they find happiness and have all of their dreams come true. It sounds foolish, but that's the truth. Throughout the years, I've always believed that your happiness lie with Pip and when you started writing each other I knew I was right. Every time she would relay some story you wrote her or say "Bill said this, Bill said that" it was like looking in a mirror to when I first fell for your father. Once you've had a great love, you recognize it in other people. Now, looking at both of you all I can see is myself after your father passed. A sorrow that settles in the bones and your soul and never quite goes away. I know you had the best intentions in mind when you did, what you did, but if it's slowly killing you both inside was it really for the best?"

Bill couldn't bring himself to meet her eyes, too afraid he'd completely break down, so he stared at his plate and fiddled with the table clothe. Eventually his mom got up, gave him a kiss on the cheek and left him alone with his thoughts.

Two days later, Pip stood at the back door of the Guarnere house. She'd promised Bianca she'd help her pick a dress for her upcoming dance and after much back and forth, and almost tears, had agreed to come to their house only because Bianca swore Bill would be gone. As she entered the kitchen, she called out to Bianca but didn't receive an answer. She walked further into the house, heading towards the living room still calling out.

"Bianca? Anybody? Hello? I swear if she stood me up, I'm gonna kill her." Just as she finished her though out loud, she stopped dead in her tracks. In the middle of the room stood Bill on his crutches, holding her favorite flowers in one hand. Every time she opened her mouth to say something, she couldn't think of anything and closed it again. Eventually, Bill broke the silence.

"Don't be mad at Bianca, I bribed her to get you over here. I understand if you don't want to hear anything I have to say and walk out, but if you give me a few minutes I swear you'll never have to see me again if that's your wish." Hesitantly, Pip walked into the living room and followed Bill's lead by sitting on the sofa. Slowly she took the flowers from him and laid them in her lap, meeting his eyes.

"I've been practicing what to say all day, but can't seem to remember a damn thing now." He gave a humorless chuckled, clenching and unclenching his hands to steady himself. "What I did, all of it, is unforgivable. I...All I could think about in that hospital was all the things I wouldn't be able to do with you. All the things I might not be able to give you. I believed I was doing what was right, by pushing you away so you could find someone else. But underneath all of that I was scared too. Scared you'd see me now and think less of me. Would always look at me with pity in your eyes and I'd never be that great man you deserve. Now, I'm scared I've lost the only person that matters. Every day since I sent that letter, and especially since being home, it's felt like a wound is festering inside me and I can't fix it. I know I've hurt you, and I'll never forgive myself for that, but if you can just give me a chance to make it right I'll spend forever making it up to you."

Bill would've given her his beating heart if she asked for it. The longer the silence stretched, the more he was sure she would say goodbye. He held his breathe as one of her hands, shakily raised and cupped his cheek. She had tears in her eyes.

"How could I possibly look at you and think less? You've been everything I ever wanted since we were kids. And now everyone knows what I always knew, that you're a hero and a great man. We've had each other backs for forever, I don't think we should stop now. I don't care if we can't do certain things the way we talked about, we will find new ways to do them. All I want, all I've ever wanted, is you by my side. I'll accept your apology under on condition."

"Anything." His answer was immediate.

"Kiss me." The words were barely out when he pulled her closer to him and pressed his lips to her, firmly and with all the passion he had inside him.

Bonus scene: 6 months later

Everyone seemed to be having a good time; drinks were flowing, people were dancing, and in the corner taking a break from mingling, the bride and groom were sipping champagne and sneaking kisses.

"When can we leave?" Bill mutters, nipping her bottom lip quickly.

"I spent all day getting ready, I'm wearing this dress as long as possible." She half joked, taking a sip from her flute.

"I never said you had to take it off." Bill whispers in her ear, smirking at the blush on her cheeks.

"Control yourself and I'll let you take it off, however you want." She shoots him a wink and then grabs her purse, pulling a small box out of it. "Here, I have a gift for you."

Bill raises an eyebrow, taking the box from her. "What is it?"

"Just open it." She smiles at him.

Bill pulls the top off and pulls out a little figurine, laughing instantly. It's a small pig with wings attached. When pigs fly. He looks back and her and cups her cheek.

"I love you, Mrs. Guarnere."

"I love you, Mr. Guarnere."

#bill guarnere #bill guarnere x reader #band of brothers #band of brothers fanfic #hbo war #hbo band of brothers #band of brothers x reader

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hargrove-mayfields · 1 year

Text

It’s Thanksgiving. Hawkins is still split in half, but hey, gotta stop and celebrate the little things, right?

Argyle isn’t feeling it. He misses his tia’s cooking. Joyce is a nice lady and all, but her turkey-

Wait, he’s supposed to be mad at her. He is mad at her, at all of them. He’s pissed actually.

But really, he’s devastated.

Even if the turkey wasn’t dry as a bone, he wouldn’t be eating it. He doesn’t have the stomach for it. The grief inside him takes up too much room.

Mrs. Byers catches on, after the first round of everyone else’s food is all cleared out and there’s some of little Byers’ little friends pawing for more. She asks him, “Argyle, honey. What’s wrong?”

Argyle isn’t the type to start shit, but if she’s going to ask, he wouldn’t mind airing it out.

“Talked to little red this morning.. Why didn’t nobody tell me my best friend was dead?”

They look confused. Mrs. Byers puts one of her always warm hands on top of his, and tries to force on a smile, “Argyle, nothing like that happened. We’re all still-“

He’s got to cut her off or he might feel something for her motherly concern. Not now. Not after what he’s been through for these people, “Nope. I went to the cemetery with red. Had to.. had to carry her on her wheels up to him. ‘Cause the path is too covered in grass. I sat at his grave for hours, man. Don’t tell me that didn’t happen.”

Still just faces of confusion. Funny how they treat him like he makes no sense. Someone dies for these people and they can’t even think of his name?

“Maybe you just need to relax..” He’s especially hurt when Jonathan tries to shut him down like that. That’s what broke him really. Makes him get a little louder, and a lot closer to spilling tears like salt water.

“Nah, I haven’t smoked for days, man. That’s what me and him used to do. I can’t just- I can’t..!”

Argyle has to stop there. He’s shaking so bad all the empty plates and glasses on the extra-long table are rattling. A bowl of mashed potatoes threatens to spill all over the leaf-patterned tablecloth. It all sounds like a chorus of souls as anguished as his. Reminding him of the root of his rage.

“Look, if I ever see that Neil Hargrove again, man, I will totally break my vow of peace. That.. shithead ruined everything.” A few faces of realization hit. Yeah. That’s what he’s talking about. And he needs them all to know how serious it was, “Billy had a car. He had big money saved up. We found his madre. Shit was gonna be okay… And then they left. 2,000 long miles away to their deaths.”

Little Jane reaches across the table to him, but Argyle can’t accept her hand. It’s not her fault and he doesn’t want her comfort. It’s not anybody's fault. How could they know he knew Billy?

But.. how could they leave him out too? When they told all their stories about what happened.. they never mentioned his name. He was just someone’s brother. And then he saw Max for the first time in her wheelchair, and he just knew it was bad news.

“My best friend is a goner and I never even got a chance to tell him that I love him. Life is majorly fucked.”

The wall decorations, the napkins, even Joyce’s sweater all say ‘Be Thankful.’ Argyle loses it. There’s big, heavy tears on his face now. He’s got nothing to be thankful for. He’s got nobody without Billy.

He looks around, at the dozen or so people in the room, and he feels by himself.

A sob wracks his chest, “I’m all alone, you know. Even here, I’m just all alone.”

~~~

Nobody had said another word to him when he got up and left the Byers rental. They all knew where he was going: the cemetery gate was left open for holiday mourners.

Climbing the hill is easier now that Max told him the way. Easier because he doesn’t have to keep his cool either this time. It’s just him and the rock in the place of his childhood best friend turned soulmate.

“Hey, hey mister blue sky.”

The ground is wet with freshly fallen and then melted snow, but Argyle doesn’t think twice before he’s sitting criss-cross-applesauce right in front of that grave. He reaches out and brushes off a stray wet leaf from Billy’s stone, and he sighs.

“I have had one hell of a day, man. You wouldn’t believe this shit.”

“Wish I could tell you about it for real.” Billy always listened to him so deeply. That kid would’ve sat there and listened to a fucking Shakespeare recited solely by Argyle. All he ever wanted was a friend. Argyle too. They were a match made in the closest thing to heaven the California shores had to offer, the boardwalk.

“I wish you could tell me everything that happened to you too. Never got to hear it straight from you.”

The wind rustles the leaves. It’s a sound Argyle will probably never get used to. Nothing like the Cali waves. For a minute he thinks about that being Billy communicating with him, but the Billy he knew would never leave his spirit in a place like this. He’s gotta be somewhere far, far from here. Argyle prays for that to be true everyday.

“Maybe you like the quiet. Maybe you wouldn’t want to tell me, I don’t know.”

It’s pretty damn freezing out. Joyce told him about some weird Midwestern wives tale, that if you sat out in the snow too long, you’d catch a cold and live forever. He just wants to be wherever all the noise isn’t.

“Sounds peaceful.”

Hours could pass just like this. Maybe he’d freeze and they’d find him here. What would they say?

They don’t know about Billy and Argyle. About holding hands under the water after dark.

They don’t know about the ice cream on their noses, and the cherry between Billy’s smiling pink lips on their first date.

They don’t know about the shy kisses. The gentle touches. The fear of falling in love.

But they were just kids. How could he know that’s would be all he ever had to hold on to, for the rest of his time?

“You know what I’m thinkin’?- I got it all figured out now, blue sky- I think you’re happy.”

He’d like to hope so. The sky is pretty blue today, despite the weather.

“You don’t gotta answer to anybody. You’re just on your own. Like me. Only that’s what you wanted, isn’t it?”

Shit, he’s crying again. Billy would be so mad to see him beat down like this. He was supposed to be the bright one, to dry up the tears with rainbow colored sleeves. Nothing could’ve broken him as bad as this.

“You just weren’t free up here.”

Surviving almost feels worthless now. Argyle needs Billy like the tide needs the moon. Bound together, never changing. Never moving on. Working in perfect synchronization.

Always loving.

“Hey. Wherever you are.. I’m thankful that you’re surfing your own wave now.”

The sun’s going down now. Instead of warm blues and pinks and yellows, it’s all gray. How quickly things change. All dreary. Argyle’s kidding himself if he thinks that’s something to be thankful for.

Whatever makes him feel better, because it’s going to be a long, long time before he has Billy in his arms again.

“I love you, blue sky. Thanks for being my guy… I’ll catch you later.”

#argilly #billy x argyle #billy hargrove #well.#tw character death #sorry this is just angst #ej writer #my writing

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blizzardfluffykpop · 1 year

Text

Strength

Summary: It takes courage and strength to publicly announce your relationship, but with Dino by your side, anything is possible.

Oneshot

Fluff, Hurt/Comfort (It’s mostly comfort), Established Relationship au

TW: Mentions of anxiety and slight negative comments about Dino’s and the reader’s relationship (in the very beginning).

Word Count: 1,711

Requested: just a comfort angst/fluff with chan who's having dating rumors around him and you but pledis/hybe said it was ok for them to date, but his s/o is still really anxious about coming out since they're scared fans might hate them, but dino comforts her and she appears on danceology with dino and carats are so happy dino's found someone

Chan (Dino) X Reader

A/n: This may not be my best work, but I still hope you're able to enjoy it!

------

Maybe it would have been alright if you didn’t go out with Chan yesterday. If you didn't hug him before he went off to his schedule, then the rumors would have started. If none of that happened, it’d all be okay,...

But here you were scrolling through the news articles headlining, “SEVENTEEN's Dino spotted with a partner?!” While you had seen some fans rallying to support, all you could see were the negative ones saying, “It should be me!” or “Why are they with him?" Or worse, "They can’t possibly be his type?!” And it continued to break your heart as you read each one, but you couldn't stop consuming them.

You just wanted to spend some time with your boyfriend on a starlit evening. And now, everyone is in your business. With a sigh, you put your phone on the nightstand and wait for Chan to return from his early morning practice.

------

When you and Chan started dating, he took you to a meeting with the CEOs telling them of your guy's relationship. They were okay with it as long as you two were willing to keep it secret. But it doesn’t matter how cautious you are. You can still slip up, and you both did.

While you loved Chan with all your heart and knew the risks of entering a relationship with him, you were now terrified that the risks would outrank the reward of being with the love of your life. If staying together not only meant destroying your boyfriend's life but his best friends' lives too... You weren't sure you could live with that. While there were cases where idols date and their fans are happy and support them with no problem. You lived through the era where an idol caught dating had to leave the industry and their 'family' behind. Perhaps times have changed, but their wretched words left you in doubt that they had.

Before your thoughts can grow any darker, you hear the door creek open and see your prince charming. “Hey baby,” he cheers as he enters your shared bedroom before joining you on the bed. “Hi,” You whisper, and he asks, “You’ve seen the articles?” You nod, “Yeah,... that’s all I’ve seen this morning.” He nods, grabs your hands, and holds them in his, “Well, tell me your thoughts.” You start telling him how you worry it'll ruin his career if you two go public after telling the truth. And that you’d much rather deny it if it keeps him and his brothers safe.

He listens to your worries as he rubs his thumbs over the tops of your hands. When he's sure you've let it all out, he counters your thoughts with his own, “What if it doesn’t go how you believe it will? What if it’s different this time? What if, like Rocky and Bo Yeon, we're alright? And what if Carats decide they're going to support our relationship to the nth degree?” You look at him with tears threatening to fall, “I… but, what if it doesn’t? I don’t want your dream to disintegrate before your eyes. If we decide to tell them.” He shakes his head, “But you’re a part of my dream too now, and without you, I don’t see a future where I am content.” You shake your head and whisper, “I feel the same way.” And he continues, “If you’re worried about Seventeen, you know them as well as I do. They aren't going down without a fight. Since you started dating me, they've considered you a part of the family. They'll do anything in their power to protect their family.” You nod and look down at the bedsheets. You let out a “Yeah,...” in disbelief.

He sighs, “Baby, look at me.” You slowly raise your head and look up at him, and he smiles, “I love you, and I promise no matter what happens, I won’t give up on you. And the rest of the members won’t give up on us either. If there is one thing I know about Carats, it's their endless support. And if they know I love you, they'll love you too. I promise.” You gulp and nod, “I love you too, and I won't give up on us. I know you’re right. I’m sorry those articles planted a seed of doubt in my mind, Chan.” He shakes his head, “You don’t have a reason to be sorry. Your feelings are valid, no matter the circumstance. Why don’t we think of ways to come out to everyone?”

------

A day later, you're standing in their practice room after deciding that you two would perform a danceology together. It would be the first time you both danced on camera together. And while you were a little nervous, Chan kept reassuring you that you were doing fine. Choreography feels different from just dancing in your kitchen together, but the way it feels? It's magical, and you can't get enough of it. Experiencing his world firsthand, you see why he fell in love with it. Maybe the reason why you guys got caught was so you could experience choreography for the first time.

You two worked your hearts out on it. Rearranging pieces that felt awkward until you both thought it was perfect. By the last Wednesday of the month, you had filmed the final choreography for the posting on Friday. With a few edits on Thursday, you both were satisfied with the outcome.

It started with you 'talking' with 'your besties' about Chan. Before they pushed you out into the middle of the dance floor at the same time as Chan’s crew did. Making you both meet in the middle of the room, he grasped your right hand in his left. And lead you in a ballroom-like dance around the room as if he was sweeping you off your feet before spinning you off. And separated, you mirrored each other’s moves facing the opposite way. You both made your way to the middle until your backs touched and slid down to the floor together. You two grasp your hands together as though you were finding strength in each other as you bring each other up and spin inwards to face each other. And you both couldn’t help but smile at each other as you looked into each other's eyes. He released your hands before wrapping his arms around you, and you wrapped yours around his neck. The video ended with you both staring into each other’s eyes.

------

Pledis announced on Wednesday that ‘Dino’s Danceology with a special guest!’ would be coming out. And because the dating rumors were never confirmed nor dismissed. It left everyone wondering if this would be the answer to all their musings. Or if Chan wanted to keep the mystery guest a surprise for Carats.

------

You both sat there waiting with bated breath as it uploaded to the internet. And watch as the comments came flooding in. You couldn’t help but grin as you read all the sweet words. “Did you see the way they moved across the stage together?!” You grin. You both had worked hard on the dance on such short notice. “Their chemistry is unmatched!” And he whispers to you, “If that ain’t the truth.” And you grin and grab his hand in yours as you laugh before reading another comment, “I don’t know if I wish to be (Y/n) or Dino!” You squeeze his hand and continue reading, “Forget biasing Dino- I am now a (Y/n) bias! Look at them!! They’re spectacular!” He pouted at that, and you laughed, “Don’t worry, baby. I’m sure they love you just as much~” You pause for a second before continuing, “Plus, you’re the real professional here. They’ll always love you. They have a different way of showing their support!” He grins, “I know. I’m so glad they support you, me, and our relationship.” You lean your head on his shoulder, “Me too.”

When both of you grow tired of looking at the screen, you close the computer. Let go of Chan's hand, wrap your arms around him, and whisper, “I love you.” He says it back, and you tell him, “I guess my worries were all for not.” You feel him shake his head 'no' against your shoulder as he says, “No, they were valid, my dear. A bit misguided, but valid nonetheless.” You both sigh in contentment as he places little kisses on your collarbone. And enjoy that people perceive your relationship with positivity.

------

The following day, news articles confirm your relationship. Your combined statement is the feature of each of them. And now everyone knew that you were dating Chan. And you check all the replies and only run into a few that are negative. But the majority are sweet, saying things like, “Oh, I’m so glad they found each other!” and “I’m so happy they’re together!” Your favorite was, "I can see why he fell for them! They're perfect for each other." And each comment warms your heart as you read them. And it makes you realize how thankful you are for Chan’s fans and all the non-carats that supported you both.

He puts your mugs of tea down on the coffee table, “Well, what did they say?” You smile, “That we’re a perfect match, and how happy they are because we’re together.” He nods with a tiny smirk, “Just as I thought, then?” You agree, “Yeah, I think it went even better than we could have imagined.” He agrees, and you clink your cups together before drinking your tea. You put your phone away and reach over and grab his hand, “They're right. I'm so happy we're together." He grins, "Me too."

You finish your tea together before he pulls your hand up and slowly dances with you. "I loved dancing choreography with you, but this? This is where all my dreams come true." You blush at that, "You're so cheesy, but I can't help but agree. Wherever you are, that's where I want to be." He grins, and you dance until the sun sets and retire to bed together. Both of you go to sleep basking in the fact that you no longer have to hide your relationship.

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aebi12 · 10 months

Text

"Sinful Desires" - Chapter 29

One night.

Alyssa promises herself that she will only take one night to grieve for Aemond, for the pain that his words and his absence cause in her heart. Only, when morning comes, she is still a nervous wreck, crying and feeling disappointed, so when her maid comes in with breakfast she just asks to be left alone because she does not want to see anyone.

Her mind is cruel to her. It not only denies her the much-needed rest, but it continues to replay her fight with the prince, the disappointment she heard in his voice, the way he looked at her before turning his back and exiting the room.

Or exiting your life for good.

What if Aemond decided it wasn't worth it? That she, Alyssa, wasn't good enough for him. What if, now that peace had returned to the realm, he didn't want her by his side anymore?

The girl was trying to convince herself that this was not possible, that his feelings could not change that easily, that they had both gone through hell relying on being together... he would not throw everything aside because of a mistake of hers.

But it was not a mistake, it was a decision you made. It was murder.

When her mind burst with these thoughts, Alyssa pushed sadness aside and anger surged. And the rage made her destroy everything around her. But it didn't make her feel better, no. It only made the fears she harbored bigger.

Because, the truth is, Alyssa had a lot to lose. A woman always had a lot more to lose in these matters.

"Who would want to marry a used good?"

What her mother had told her so long ago during their conversation in her room on Dragonstone kept coming back to her mind, haunting her, making her imagine the worst possible scenarios.

If Aemond decided he could not forgive her, that they could never be together as a couple again, she was not just going to be without his love. She was going to be ruined in everyone's eyes because, it was known to the entire realm, that she was no longer a maiden. The lords of the small council even knew that their union had been consummated to such an extent that her womb had housed life as a result of it.

When despair accumulated in her chest, she found no other remedy than to scream against the pillows and cry. And vomit what little she had managed to eat when the rational part of her mind forced her to.

No. She could not lose Aemond. She could not lose the life they had dreamed of together and that was so close to coming true. She could not lose her brother and her niece.

He is the prince regent, whispered that voice in her mind as she hugged the pillow, the highest authority in the realm. What would your objections mean against his word?

“It's just your mind playing with you,” she whispered against the stillness of the night, “Aemond is not cruel. He would never hurt you by taking the children away from you. He loves you."

But her arguments sounded weaker and weaker as the days passed without receiving news from the prince.

***

He knows he has made a mistake as soon as he feels the cold winter wind full on his face as the huge figure of Vhagar passes through the city.

Aemond knows that he has been too harsh with Alyssa, that his words and actions have caused emotional damage that he swore to never cause the princess again, but he still orders his dragon to fly faster in the direction of the kingswood.

Although part of his mind begs him to go back and apologize to the girl, he does not trust what he might end up saying if they continue their conversation right now, not when - and despite the pain of having parted on such bad terms with the princess - his heart is still grieving for his brother.

Or maybe it's just that he is too much of a coward to go back and face the mess he left behind.

The mental image of Alyssa crying, her pain-filled green eyes, her hands trembling, and the words she whispered to him before leaving the room consume him as he flies over the Kingsroad. Vhagar must feel his disturbance because she does not stop launching flames and roars that surely terrify the inhabitants of the villages that he passes through.

And the pain makes its way into his chest too. A different pain, although just as intense as the one he felt when he thought he had lost his entire family. And the terrible instinct to destroy, to vent his anger and use Vhagar for it appears again. If his insides are on fire, why shouldn't the rest of the world be on fire as well?

His dragon roars loudly once more and releases a blaze that he directs towards what appears to be a field on the outskirts of a small town. The dragon fire bathes the land full of frost and the screams of men, women and children filled the night. Aemond cannot hear what they are saying, but it is not hard for him to guess what they must be talking about, especially when their gaze scans the sky where he and Vhagar still hover, watching his creation.

How had he found pleasure the last time he'd done that? How could he delight in the terror he brings to the faces of the peasants? A nagging feeling of shame begins to rise inside him as the words that Alyssa once told him about being a good ruler come back to him.

I know you're upset right now, but I also know you're a man of duty.

He hears her voice as if she were right next to him and it exasperates him even more, albeit in a tremendously painful way. He is still just a stupid boy. She had told him that a long time ago and now he was able to confirmed it. He did nothing but hold on to his pain, letting himself be defined by it, by the past grievances, by anger and resentment. He has been on the verge of making the same mistakes that he and his family made during the war. He had learned nothing despite all the pain.

He had always thought that ruling and having power was his right, for he was a Targaryen with Valyrian blood, but he had never thought about the responsibility that came with it. He had disowned Aegon for shirking his duties, but-so far-he hadn't done much better than his inept brother. He had started a path of destruction and, if he weren't for the memory of her, he would continue walking through it.

He does not deserve power.

And he definitely does not deserve Alyssa.

The sudden realization knocks his breath away and his dragon roars again. Aemond orders her to fly in the direction of a nearby forest until he finds a clearing where Vhagar descends, and he can get off his mount and let his pain flow freely.

The trees are his victims, silent and immovable, as his sword buries again and again in their trunks, his frustration and violence increasing as he lashes out at them. And with each blow, he cries for his dead brother. For his mother betrayal. For Alyssa's lies. He cries for the abyss that he has opened between them, and that he is not sure he will be able to close.

Why hadn't she just been able to tell him what she planned to do? Why hadn't she trusted him enough?

Questions keep coming to his mind, even though he knows the answers. And, the truth is that the question that consumes him the most is what he would have done if he had known of her intentions. What would he have felt if he had known that his brother had only a few hours to live. Had he tried to prevent his imminent death? Because Aegon was going to die one way or another. Whether by the hand of Alyssa, Larys Strong, or his own weakened body.

Could he possibly forgive Alyssa for acting behind his back? He knew that she had done it for the right reasons, he knew that his brother was nothing more than a potential tyrant, embittered by his pain and his losses, he knew that Alyssa had only wanted to protect their family. And if he understood all this, why was he so upset then? Because Aemond knew, though part of him still did not fully realize it, that he could forgive Alyssa for poisoning Aegon.

But can you forgive her for acting in ways that were not in line with the expectations you had of her? In a way you don't approve?

The thought nauseates him and he drops the sword. Why does he hate the idea of Alyssa getting blood on her hands so much? Aemond is aware that the princess is a strong and determined woman. Impulsive, too, like when she'd stabbed him after finding out about Lucerys death. He was no stranger to the lengths to which Alyssa could go. In the end, she had followed the same path as so many others-including him-in his family.

And that is, he realizes, lies the crux of the matter.

Aemond had never thought of Alyssa as one of them. Ever since he, in childhood, had come to know her, he had placed her in a place reserved specifically for her. A kind of pedestal, an altar where only she existed. Her, with her adorable smiles, her easy conversation, her calming touch, her patience, her stolen desserts from the kitchen, and her songs.

She was not Rhaenyra, or Jace, or Luke, despite her coming from them.

She was Alyssa. Kind, serene and beautiful Alyssa.

His Alyssa, providing him with warmth and love and reassurance amid the bitterness, blames and suffocating duty on his side of the family.

It had been that way until that night in Driftmark.

It had been like that when they met again and passion led them to consummate their story.

It had been like that during the war.

Why couldn't it be like this now?

An almost animal snarl escapes his throat and Aemond resumes his attacks, though this time it is his fists that find the bark of the trees, pain and rage mixing inside him until he passes out from exhaustion.

***

Eventually, it is Jaehaera who manages to make her see reason and get out of her vicious cycle of sadness.

Alyssa feels the bed creak under a soft weight and soon after the blankets which cover her face, are thrown away.

“I said I didn't want…” she trails off as she looks at the figure of her little niece, “Jaehaera? Why are you here? Is everything okay? Did something happen?”

Her voice sounds hoarse and her throat aches from speaking after so many hours—days, actually—of silence. Alyssa quickly sits up and watches Jaehaera, who has a smile on her face.

“I miss you,” the little girl explains with a shrug as she settles in next to her.

Such is the naturalness of her response and the clear bewilderment in her eyes-those eyes so similar to Helaena's-that a couple of tears roll down Alyssa's cheeks.

"Are you sick too?" the girl asks, misinterpreting her reaction, “Like mother was?”

The princess bites her lip and hastily shakes her head, “No, darling, I just needed…” she takes a deep breath before smiling, “Actually, I was sick, in a way,” she admits, “Although I already feel much, much better now that you are here with me."

Alyssa holds the girl to her chest and the urge to cry returns when she thinks that she has, in a way, left her alone in the world.

"Could you ever forgive me?" she asks softly against Jaehaera's platinum hair.

The girl comes out of her embrace, takes her aunt’s face in her little hands and says, "I can."

And Alyssa swears, though it is perhaps her mind so in need of any positive encouragement, that Jaehaera somehow knows what she means. And she knows it is unlikely, if not impossible, but she clings to the relief her answer offers and pulls her close again, breathing in her scent of roses and chamomile.

“I want to show you something,” Jaehaera says after a few moments.

"What is it?" asks Alyssa wiping away her tears.

“Look,” Jaehaera pulls her dragon egg towards her, “It will hatch soon.”

Alyssa gasps as she notices the cracks in the shell's surface, her eyes wide comically as a smile spreads across her lips.

“Jaehaera, oh…this is amazing,” she admits, running her hand over the warm surface of the egg, “have you thought of a name for your dragon?”

She nods, "Morghul"

Alyssa turns her gaze back to her niece, stunned at her choice, “Morghul? Are you sure? Did the dragon guards tell you what it means?"

“You said death it is a trip,” Jaehaera nods, “And with my dragon I can travel as long as I want, up there, closer to them.”

Alyssa is touched by her words and simply nods, not wanting to think more about her niece's logic. Though she detects no sadness in the princess's voice, she knows that memories and loss weigh heavily on her and are something she can never change, though she can try to ease them.

She should have tried to ease them, but instead, she had dedicated the past days to cry over her mistakes, neglecting the children once again.

"Where is Aegon?"

“His egg will hatch soon too,” Jaehaera replies, “We were playing, but he fell asleep by the fireplace. And I came here because I missed you."

Once again, the girl's sincerity touches her and fills her with love. It's probably the first time she's heard Jaehaera openly admitting her affection for her. And she's determined it won't be the last time.

“Okay, let's let him sleep some more. Let's have an afternoon just for you and me, what do you think?" Alyssa immediately notes that Jaehaera is happy with her suggestion, "Let's leave Morghul by the fire and go for a walk."

Jaehaera instantly climbs out of bed and Alyssa, encouraged for the first time in days, finds in the joy of her baby girl the motivation to get out of bed and keep going.

***

The cold is the first thing he feels when he wakes up.

Later, he notices the pain in his hands, head and nausea.

Why had it occurred to him that drowning his sorrows in wine was a good idea? Hadn't he gotten tired of seeing Aegon do the same thing and suffer the consequences the next day?

Aemond scrambles to his feet, looking around for Vhagar, but he doesn't see the dragon. Surely, tired of waiting for the prince to wake up, she has gone hunting. After all, for the past few days, Aemond has done nothing but fly aimlessly, foraging for food in local villages, and simply venting his grief against trees for lack of a better target. Once or twice it had crossed his mind to challenge a man willing to fight him, but he had ended up giving up the idea.

"We meet again, my prince"

It takes Aemond a couple of seconds to recognize the voice.

“¿Alys Rivers?”

The figure of the woman, wrapped in a dark cloak, suddenly appears among the trees. Aemond finds her more mysterious than ever, especially when noticing the bulky sack that she carries.

"What the hell are you doing here?"

“Looking for herbs,” she answers simply, “Winter forces me deeper into the woods.”

"I thought you lived in Harrenhal"

"We are closer to Harrenhal than the place you are expected to be, my prince," she points out with an amused smile, then points to his hands, "I can help you with those cuts."

Aemond looks down at his bruised knuckles and grimaces, "Just pointless injuries really."

Alys doesn't answer, she just stares at him until Aemond is taken aback by the intensity in her eyes and ends up nodding with a grunt.

The woman approaches him and searches for something in the pockets of her cloak. The prince watches her prepare what is necessary while he searches for something to eat among his own belongings. A piece of sweet bread and an apple is all he finds.

“Do you always go through the woods by yourself, looking for your…ingredients?”

“You know this is how I make my living,” Alys agrees. Aemond offers her some of the food, but she rejects it, motioning for him to come closer, "How did you end up with these injuries?"

“Mmm,” is all the answer he gives.

But, as always, she seems to understand his silences. Aemond winces as the woman pours a liquid over his wounds and turns his face to the side.

"How is everything in Harrenhal?" he ends up asking, trying to distract himself

“The castle still stands. What little we were able to save before winter came still helps keep its inhabitants afloat.”

Aemond nods, "I will eventually send someone to take possession of the castle and manage these lands, but do not worry, I will make sure you maintain the freedom of your trade."

“I thought so,” Alys replies, bandaging his wounds, “How is the princess?”

Aemond knew that the question would come because Alyssa and the woman had been very close during their stay in Harrenhal, even so, his heart oppresses and an unpleasant feeling in his stomach appears at the thought of the girl.

“I figured I wouldn't see you anytime soon,” Alys continues when Aemond doesn't respond, “I figured you wouldn't leave the princess side that easily.”

"We are…" he doesn't know what to say or how to explain what is happening, "I had to leave King's Landing to ensure the peace in the realm"

"Is that so?" she asks innocently, though Aemond is able to recognize the sneer in her voice, “I think you are in the wrong direction then. Lord Stark's armies camp further north,” Alys puts away what was used to heal his hands, and begins to mix a liquid in a bowl, “For the pains caused by drinking too much wine”

Aemond grimaces, but drinks from the bowl. "I don't usually drink this much, I don't know what came into me"

Alys's eyes meet his, and Aemond realizes again, for the first time in a long time, how much she resembles Alyssa. The woman studies his expression and Aemond looks away, annoyed by her scrutiny.

“Thank you, Alys Rivers, for your services,” replies while standing up and putting distance between him and the woman.

“You should go back to King's Landing. That's where you are really needed."

Aemond turns to face her, “Did you see something in your flames? Is there a problem in the city?”

“I don't need the flames to recognize a broken heart,” she replies, shaking her head.

He growls again and clears his throat, "That is not what…"

“The princess sacrificed so much for you, and she has shown her devotion and love towards you, numerous times,” says Alys.

"Stay out of this, Alys, it is not your place," he warns her.

“She loves you,” Alys ignores him, “do you love her?”

Aemond snorts, "That's a silly question," he retorts.

“If you are certain of your answer, what is the problem?”

“Our feelings are not the problem,” he explains despite his reluctance to speak, “The problem is…well…we had a disagreement over something Alyssa did.”

"Something you didn't think was appropriate"

“No, I wouldn't say that, it was just…unexpected,” he ends up admitting with a sigh.

"Why?"

"Why?” he asks half teasing and half annoyed, "Because she is not like that, she is…"

He stops talking.

Alys gives him a giggle that ends in a grimace, “Of course. The princess did something that you did not like and she stopped being pleasant in your eyes”

"I never said that"

She shrugs, "Men rarely approve of women making decisions and having a mind of their own."

"Such is not my case"

"It is not?" Alys asks and narrows her eyes, "I would have thought it wasn't."

“It is not,” he points out, “I just felt…surprised.”

"Because she is no longer the obliging woman that she always was"

Her words disturb him. Obliging isn't a word he would have used to describe Alyssa. It's not how he saw her. Alyssa was…strong and determined and fair. But she not obliging.

Or maybe she was.

But not in the way Alys made it out to be. Not like a simple perfect lady of noble birth she was meant to be. No. Definitely not like his mother, for example, had been her whole life. And Aemond definitely does not want for Alyssa to ever be like Alicent had once been. The mere idea causes him revulsion. Had he, internally, wished that the princess was simply another lady in service of what men expected of her?

"No. No,” he is quick to say, “You make it sound like I am trying to suppress Alyssa, like I want her to be just a beautiful ornament next to me with no will of her own. It is the opposite, in fact"

Alyssa was going to be his wife and she would be his equal. That was what she wanted, she had made it clear to him. And it is what she deserved. He did not intend to be the one to deny her independence and freedom.

“Even so, it is not fair for her to carry the expectations you placed on her shoulders,” Alys continues, “Perhaps you would do well to assess your feelings, my prince. If you love her, you should do it for who she is, not for who you expect her to be."

“It is not a question of whether I love her. I do, Alys, I love her so much that I can't even put into words the depth of my feelings for her. And I miss her, and I need her by my side, I can barely breathe now that we're apart."

“And does she know all this?”

Aemond sighs and tilts his face, "I hope she does."

She has to know. Alyssa couldn't doubt his feelings. They had fought, yes, but that didn't change the fact that he loved her.

"Have I lost you?"

He remembers her question. And the silence that followed. Now, however, he has no doubts. She hadn't lost him. She couldn't lose him because, Aemond knew, he would love her until he took his last breath on this earth.

***

When morning comes, Jaehaera is still cuddled next to her.

Alyssa smiles and wakes the girl between kisses, "Come on, little princess, we have a long day ahead of us."

She is willing to bring order to the Fortress. Having spent the previous afternoon with the children, she realizes that she has left out very important aspects of their lives and education now that they are growing up. In addition to different domestic tasks that she should have taken care of long ago.

The time to mourn is over, she tells herself as she fixes her hair in front of the mirror, you are of the blood of the dragon. Start acting like one.

Those words had helped her overcome the most difficult moments in her life. Surely, they would help her now too.

"Come on, let's have breakfast together"

Jaehaera takes her hand and they walk towards the kidsroom, where Aegon is once again by the fire watching his egg.

"How much longer?" he asks as soon as he sees his sister

"I couldn't tell you, Egg," Alyssa admits, "but I don't think it will take too long."

“Mmm,” the boy makes a face, “I wish my cousin was here. He knows more about dragons and he would surely give me the correct answer”

The princess restrains herself from rolling her eyes and brushes aside the twinge of discomfort that mentioning Aemond causes her.

"Come here, it's time to eat." The boy reluctantly agrees and joins them at the table. Alyssa takes one of the muffins and tries to finish it before speaking, "There is something I'd like to talk with both of you about." Jaehaera looks at her curiously and Aegon without much interest. She sighs and clears her throat, "I do not think Aemond has discussed this with you yet, but some things are going to change from now on."

"What things?" Aegon winces.

"Well," Alyssa ponders exactly how to continue without wanting to overwhelm them with information, "Now that you are a bit older, you'll have to start being educated by maesters and septas, for example."

"Why?" once again is her brother who poses the questions

"Because you are princes of the realm, therefore you have the right and responsibility to be educated"

“Sounds boring,” says the boy making another face and eating his oatmeal.

"Will I have a new septa?" Jaehaera asks

"You will,” she nods.

"Will I also have a septa?"

"No, Egg, you will be educated by maesters, and you will also start your training with the sword"

“My cousin promised to train me to be a great warrior,” he says animatedly.

“Your cousin will soon have many other responsibilities, he probably can't keep that promise,” she replies, trying not to convey the bitterness she feels, “But ser Willis Fell can…”

"No, I want Aemond to teach me," Aegon cut her off.

"For the moment that can't be, Egg, Aemond is traveling and..."

"You're being mean again," Aegon replies.

"No, I am not," Alyssa sighs, "Aegon you have to…"

But it's useless. Aegon climbs down from his chair, and returns to the fireplace. Alyssa knows she has to hold back, that there's no use trying to reason with him right now. Aemond is probably his favorite person. And not that she can blame him for it. She had been overly paranoid in her dealings with Aegon and, as she walked away from her little brother in the throes of her conscience over her crime, it was the prince who had assumed her role in Aegon’s life.

“Give him some space, princess,” Daysi says, “You'd better wait for him to calm down"

“Space,” she snorts, “seems like everyone needs space from me”

Daysi says no more and Alyssa finishes eating in silence, leaving the children in the nanny's care once more before heading towards the council chamber.

"It is good to see you on your feet again"

"Lord Corlys," she greets with a nod, "I was hoping to find you here."

"The rule of the realm does not cease, not even for a lover's quarrel between the prince regents”

Alyssa tries to offer him a smile and sits next to her grandfather, who is facing a huge book that appears to be filled with accounts and numbers.

"I warned you about not telling him the truth"

"How do you know I did it?"

"Not hard to guess considering how upset prince Aemond looked before he hastily left the city," he replies, offering her a condescending look, "You should have kept the truth to yourself."

"I do not intend to listen to any more sermons from you"

Lord Corlys sighs, closes the book and looks at her with his deep brown eyes, "He made you the highest authority of the realm before he left"

"He did?"

He nods, "so maybe is not all lost for you yet."

“Lord Corlys, I…”

“You are not a fool girl, Alyssa, I know that,” he interrupts, “I'm sure you know you have a lot to lose. Your reputation, your future, your brother…”

"My brother?" she looks at him, alarmed

“Aegon will be king. He is basically owned by the crown. And Aemond is now the crown. What do you think will happen if the prince gives up on this marriage? He can either send you back to Dragonstone or force you to marry another lord, permanently alienating you from your little brother. That, if he doesn't decide that he wants the crown for himself."

“No, he would never do that,” she replies immediately, “No matter how upset he is with me, he wouldn't take Aegon away from me. And he would not take power for himself. He is not…he wouldn't do that, I know."

Lord Corlys examines her with his gaze and Alyssa tries to remain cold and calm, although inside her mind does not stop repeating his words, specifically that possibility in which Aemond no longer wants to marry her.

“Like I said, maybe is not all lost. He clearly trusts your judgment as he left you in charge of everything”

“I wanted to talk to you about it,” she replies, grateful for the change of subject, “There are changes I want to make both in the fortress and to the routine of the princes.”

"I hear you"

Alyssa spends the next few hours in the company of her grandfather and Lord Tyland Lannister, familiarizing with the state of the royal treasury, the city's taxes, and the general situation of the realm.

“It is an excess,” she comments, looking at the accounts of several of the court ladies, “Surely the crown does not have to bear the cost of this many fur coats and silks. And besides there is the issue with the food,” she snorts, “The animals of the Fortress eat better than the people of the city”

"What do you suggest, princess?" Tyland asks.

“Be more austere where we can. Winter is just beginning and we have to make sacrifices in order to return the kingdom to its pre-war prosperity. And we must try to help the people of the city the best we can."

Alyssa cuts the budget of various nobles at court, also decreeing that food, oil, and candles in the castle must be rationed (although not to extremes lengths) and that the surplus must be distributed among orphanages and other places in the Flea Bottom.

“Once Prince Aemond secures peace with all the houses,” Lannister says, “we will be able to demand compensation from them for having risen against the crown. That could help to somewhat replace the taxes that you do not want to collect from the common people, princess”

“Yes, perhaps,” she nods, “we must also name a new Grand Master for the Keep. And I want two new maesters to take over Aegon's education. Young teachers, if possible, who are patient, dynamic and connect emotionally with my brother”

"Of course, I will write to the Citadel today."

“And a new septa for the princess. A young woman too, preferably."

Alyssa says goodbye to the men and goes to the throne room, where she meets with the royal steward and orders him to get rid of the Faith decorations Alicent Hightower put up years ago.

“Restore the traditional Targaryen emblems in their place”

"As commanded, princess"

Later, she has lunch with the children and takes advantage of the fact that they are concentrating on their dragon eggs to talk to Daysi.

“I need you to do something for me, Daysi”

"Whatever you order, princess"

Alyssa smiles and takes a deep breath before speaking, "I need you to go to Dragonstone and bring my and Prince Aegon's belongings." The nanny clearly receives her order with surprise, "You are one of the few people I trust in this place," Alyssa continues, "I know I can trust you with this mission and that you will carry it out with the best of dispositions and with the efficiency that characterizes you"

"I'm flattered, princess"

She offers her a sad smile, “You will take a letter from me to the steward of the castle. In the letter I will order him to give you the freedom to pack my jewelry and clothes, as well as any other personal belongings that you find in my room. You will do the same with Prince Aegon's belongings."

"Why…?" the girl stops herself

��Speak, Daysi, you can speak freely”

"Wouldn't it be better if you go yourself, princess?"

Alyssa is quick to shake her head. She cannot yet return to the island she once considered home. She does not feel strong or ready enough to deal with the ghosts she is sure to find there. Not counting everything that had happened since her departure. No. Going back was not an option. At least not now. Maybe, with Aemond by her side, she could handle it, but alone… Alyssa tilts her head once more.

“It is not convenient for me to leave the Keep right now,” she answers

“What should I do with the other belongings of your family?”

Alyssa's heart constricts at the thought of her brothers and her mother, "I'll ask the steward to take care of that."

She knows that the girl probably won't find much. Aegon and his followers had surely scoured the fortress for the treasures her mother had needed so badly towards the end of the war, but there's nothing to lose in trying.

“You’ll leave tomorrow, Daysi. I trust you won't be away for so long, your absence will be noted here," she looks at the children and sighs.

"I will accomplish my mission to the best of my ability, princess."

***

Aemond has forgotten just how infuriating Borros Baratheon can be. Especially when he's been drinking too much.

"An oath-breaker," he exclaims between hiccups pointing his face at the prince, "he promised a marriage, and in the end, he broke his word"

The prince refrains from responding in the way he wants as he clings tightly to his glass.

"I don't recall your being overly affected when you preferred to pursue a match between your daughter and my brother, the late king."

Borros grunts and makes an unintelligible comment as he continues to drink.

Aemond sighs and is relieved that the man has finally shut up. Since his arrival, a couple of days ago, he has not stopped throwing hints about the failed union between their houses. And he is fed up. If it weren't for the fact that he must wait for the army to finish dismantle the camp and get ready to go meet Lord Stark, he would have left long ago.

You should be back in King's Landing. With Alyssa.

That annoying voice in his head hasn't stopped haunting him since his conversation with Alys Rivers. Although he had felt considerably relieved and less irritated after being able to voice his frustrations out loud, the woman's words had given him much to reflect on.

And, after leaving the vicinity of Harrenhal and deciding to continue his mission of peace, he had kept wondering if he had -unconsciously- placed impossible expectations on Alyssa. Most likely he had. But for him to think of the princess as his anchor, his beacon in the darkness, wasn't necessarily bad, was it?

Love her for who she is, not who you expect her to be.

And he did. He loved her because she was his Alyssa. His friend, his confidante, his best support, his betrothed. Now that his heart was resigned to the loss of his brother, he knew that she had made the decision he would not dare to make and that she had put an end to the confrontation that bled their family to death.

He had, in a way, started the war by spilling the blood of a brother. And she had ended it by sacrificing another.

Alyssa had simply been braver than him and had acted decisively to ensure their family's survival. The green and black machinations had pushed her towards it. What right did he have to recriminate her actions? Certainly none. He was nothing more than a kinslayer. And now she was one too. They had become, once again, mirrors of each other, like when they were two children without a dragon lamenting their fate. A smile between sad and melancholic appears on his face and he sighs.

“In a way, I understand, my prince,” the man suddenly continues, “Yes, yes… who can resist a woman with dragon blood?”

Aemond turns his attention back to the man, his good eye glaring at him.

"Besides, my daughters would pose a greater challenge as they are noble ladies, while the princess did not hesitate in sharing your bed," Borros giggles idiotically and Aemond stands up just as quickly, crossing the distance between them in barely two strides and placing his Valyrian steel dagger against the neck of the lord of Storm's End with such violence that he ends up spilling the wine on his chest, "What the…?"

“If you value your life, Baratheon, you better never speak that way about my betrothed again,” he hisses, clenching the dagger and drawing a trickle of blood.

“I said nothing but the truth,” the man mutters.

“Control your tongue or next time you'll be my dragon's dinner,” he assures him, “Don't think I need you alive, you're useless to me right now. And I wouldn't hesitate to kill you right now for your offenses, but my betrothed would surely like me to give you a warning first."

"Mercy, my prince, my father is drunk and does not measure his words"

The plea comes from one of Borros Baratheon's daughters. Aemond had met her the day before, but he had already forgotten her name and her presence.

“Mmm,” he says turning to her, “remind your father of my words once he sobers up.”

"I will," she nods and Aemond tucks the dagger into his belt, allowing two servants to help Borros Baratheon out of the tent.

“I am so sorry, Prince Aemond, my father got carried away,” the young woman continues once he sits back, “Please do not hold a grudge against him for his audacity.”

“House Baratheon is a longtime ally of the crown,” he replies with a nod, “I have no intention of changing that if he behaves.”

“Thank you, my prince,” the young woman bows slightly, and she seems to hesitate before adding, “I hadn't had a chance to offer my condolences on the king's death.”

Aemond looks down and takes a sip from his glass of wine before looking back at her, “I appreciate your sentiments,” he replies using one of the phrases his mother had taught him as a boy. The thought of her makes him smile bitterly, “Considering that you were going to marry my brother, I suppose I should also extend condolences to you, lady…”

"Cassandra, my prince," she is quick to reply.

“Lady Cassandra,” he nods, “I imagine you were on your way to the capital. I can think of no other reason to have a noble lady in a war camp."

“I was just passing through, yes,” she admits, “it's a shame what happened to King Aegon. I was looking forward to meeting him and being able to unite our houses”

Aemond doesn't know what to answer, so he drinks from his glass again and wonders internally if Cassandra Baratheon really felt that way or if they were just empty and polite words because it was what she was supposed to say.

“It would have been a suitable alliance, yes,” he ends, wondering if his brother would have been a better husband to this young woman than he was to Helaena.

"I heard that you will marry Princess Alyssa"

“Indeed,” he replies dryly. At least he hoped so, if she ever forgave him for the stupid recriminations he'd leveled at her.

“I met the princess when I visited Dragonstone with my sisters a few years ago,” she continues, apparently unaware of Aemond's change in attitude, “Princess Alyssa was very courteous to us. She showed us around the island and made us feel very welcome during our stay," a smile spreads across her face, "My sisters and I had recently lost our mother, there wasn't much that could cheer us up at the time, but I had a good time in Dragonstone, largely thanks to her. And now it seems that I should also thank her for sparing my father's life," she smiles again, "I hope you can pass on my gratitude to her when you return to the capital"

Aemond shifts uncomfortably in his chair, taking his first real gaze on Cassandra Baratheon. Although he had seen the girl, he hadn't really examined her, so he searches her face for any sign of whether her words hold some hidden purpose, though he only finds sincerity behind her gray eyes.

“I'll let her know,” he finally says and sets his glass of wine down on the makeshift wooden table.

Cassandra smiles once more, “Thank you, Prince Aemond. Now, if you excuse me, I should go see how my father is doing."

He simply nods and watches her leave the tent, his mind instantly returning once more to the princess.

***

Daysi returns almost a week later with trunks full of Alyssa and Aegon's clothes.

“I saved everything you asked for, princess,” the maid says, “and I made sure the castle steward did the same with your mother's and brothers' belongings.”

“Thank you, Daysi, I was sure you would do a great job,” she replies with a smile, “Now please go rest. You must be exhausted after the trip”

The nanny leaves and Alyssa sighs before opening one of the trunks and looking at her old dresses.

She had been living for most of the last year in dresses borrowed from Helaena and the ones Rhaenyra had left behind in the Keep when she was still very young. It was time to remedy that situation.

“These will do,” she says to herself as she unpacks the many garments in house Velaryon silver tones and some in Targaryen colors. After verifying that Aegon's clothes are also in good condition, she asks a couple maids to carry everything to her new rooms, and then she summons the children.

"What are we doing here?" Aegon asks, looking around the spacious room that has until recently belonged to his namesake's.

“These are your new accommodations,” Alyssa informs her, and she turns to Jaehaera, “And you'll have a new space, too.”

"Why?" the girl looks at everything around her with fear

"I don't want to live here alone," Aegon says back.

“And you won't,” she smiles, “You won't need to use these rooms until you are much older, you two can still sleep in the nursery for now. I just wanted you to see your new apartments”

“This was my father's room,” Jaehaera looks between Alyssa and Aegon.

“Yes, I know,” the princess replies and then sits on one of the sofas, asking them to do the same and sit next to her, “I wanted to talk to you about this. As I had told you a few days ago, some things will change in the palace, especially now that…” she sighs and looks at the children before speaking, “Well, Aegon, you will be king one day.”

"King? Me?" the boy looks at her strangely, "I thought she would be the queen," he comments, looking at his cousin

Jaehaera falls silent, her eyes on the boy.

“You are the older, the crown belongs to you, Egg,” she explains. And it wasn't a lie, although the matter was not as simple as that either, but they are still so small that Alyssa thinks that is the best explanation she can give them at the moment, “When you grow up, you will be the king of the Seven Kingdoms. And that is why you must prepare, study and train to be a good king."

"But…"

“I know it sounds boring,” she interrupts softly, “but it's your responsibility and right as a Targaryen. And it won't all be horrible, I promise. You will be able to learn to ride, train with the sword, and do many other fun things like hunt and fly on your dragon when it hatches."

“I guess,” the boy sighs, “Jace was going to be kin, and Joffrey after him."

"Yes, that is how it was going to be," she replies with a lump in her throat, "Now it is your turn."

He frowns and sighs again, "I miss mother."

Alyssa takes him into her arms despite his initial protest and places him on her lap, "Me too, sweetheart, but I know that she would be very happy to know that you will be our future king."

"Really?"

“Yes, really,” she admits, kissing his forehead and adds, “I am sorry I've been hard on you these past few weeks, I wasn't feeling very well and I ended up hurting you with my actions.”

But I do all this for you, Aegon, she thinks as she hugs him, All for you.

"It’s fine," the boy shrugs, "just don't be mean again."

"Never again, I promise," she sheds a tear and smiles, showering him with kisses, even though he tries to deceive them as he laughs.

"How about you?" he asks he looks at his cousin once he has managed to stop his sister's attack

"Jaehaera is a princess, she too will be educated," she answers smiling at the girl, and reaching for her hand, "And when the time comes, she will also be able to fulfill her duty to the realm."

Her words sound bitter on her lips, remembering how much they had scared her as she grew up and she understood the meaning.

The small girl nods and then looks towards the trunks that the maids had left in the room, “What is that?”

"Those are my old toys!"

Aegon immediately drops to his knees and takes Jaehaera's hand as she goes to explore his belongings. Alyssa watches them with a smile, her heart feeling light for the first time in a long time.

"Your new room is ready, princess," informs her new maid, a young woman recommended by Daysi, who is still shy around her, but has proven quite efficient.

"Thank you, Enid."

Alyssa stands up and leaves the children next to the royal guards who now never leave Aegon's side. She still has to get used to the fact that her brother was so constantly watched because of his new position, but she prefers it that way.

Her new rooms were smaller than the ones she had had up to that moment, but that didn't really bother her, since they were near the children's room and it was more convenient for her.

“Daysi said that jasmine is your favorite,” the maid comments when they both enter the room and the sweet smell fills her nostrils.

“Thank you, that is a nice touch,” Alyssa replies with a smile as she looks around, everything in perfect order.

In addition to her clothes, some jewelry had been brought to her from Dragonstone. After examining them, she had decided to only keep the sapphire necklace that she wears almost every day and that is her favorite.

It's better this way, she thinks to herself as she takes the chest with the jewels, this room is yours alone. Without painful memories or unbearable absences.

And it is that, although she tried to keep her day to day busy, the abandonment of the prince weighed heavily on her. Their bed at night felt tremendously empty, and his scent was fading little by little. It was proving very difficult to continue in that place without the promise that everything would be all right when Aemond returned, so she had decided that it would be better to have a space of her own.

Alyssa sighs and heads towards her grandfather's rooms. Lord Corlys is writing a letter when she is announced.

"Lord Corlys," she greets as she sits across from him.

"Alyssa," he looks at her strangely, "This is an unexpected pleasure"

She offers him a brief smile, "I need your help with something."

"Of course"

She places the chest on his desk and hands it over, “These are the jewels I was able to retrieve from my old room on Dragonstone. I want them to be melted down or sold as quickly as possible."

"To what end?" he looks at her curiously

“The money collected will be used to help rebuild the city and support its residents”

"Isn't that a bit extreme? This are your belongings, you would not have to give them up for something so…”

"Important?" she finishes for him, “I have insisted that we all make sacrifices in order to replenish the royal treasury. I should not be the exception."

“The situation of the realm is not that desperate”

"It's what I want," she insists, "I don't need all this jewelry"

Corlys Velaryon watches her for a few seconds.

"You plan to do charity, then"

“I plan to take care of the people and help in their needs”

“A very Queen Alicent-esque move”

She snorts, “There's nothing political about my reasons for doing this,” she retorts, and when he looks at her skeptically, she adds, “Maybe a little. The crown has neglected the people, and I don't think I have to remind you that this same people caused a revolt that ended in tragedy for my family."

“I have it very much present,” agrees her grandfather

“I will also use this opportunity for the residents to meet their future rulers”

"Will you take the king to deliver food to the poor?"

“I'll start with Jaehaera,” and she adds, “It is something her mother would have wanted her to do.”

“Yes, Queen Helaena was well loved by the common folk,” Lord Corlys seems to consider her words, “It's not a bad idea for the princess to be loved as well. And the king, eventually. Much can be achieved by having the people happy”

"Thank you, Lord Corlys. I am counting on you getting me that gold as quickly as possible, then"

“Don't go yet, there's something we need to discuss,” he says when Alyssa starts to stand up.

"What is it?"

“Dine with me so we can talk more comfortably”

The princess agrees and follows her grandfather into the other room, where dinner is already set on the table.

“I received a letter from your cousins today,” he says after a few moments of silence, “The twins plan to come to the capital soon. I hope they arrive here in a couple of days."

"That is a nice news," Alyssa smiles, "Aegon will be happy to see his sisters."

“And it will be a good opportunity for you to resume your friendship with them as well. It wouldn't hurt to have proper company here."

Alyssa nods as she eats her stew. She had never been too close to her cousins, barely knowing Baela, though with Rhaena she was bound by the familiarity and affection of their shared years on Dragonstone, “Of course. I will arrange everything for their arrival, we will receive them accordingly”

Lord Corlys seems pleased and pours more wine for both of them, "You may not know this, but Baela was recently engaged to my grandson Alyn."

The girl drinks from her glass before responding, “I did not know,” she admits with surprise. She didn't even know that Alyn and Baela knew each other, though it was to be expected considering that her cousin had spent most of the war on Dragonstone alongside the dragon seeds, "Quite a convenient match."

“I think so too,” Corlys agrees.

"I hope your hand is not behind this, forcing Baela to join your grandson"

Her grandfather giggles, "As if I could force Baela to do something."

Alyssa smiles. Baela, the willful. Suddenly, at the thought of their possible reunion, her mind fills with anxiety. How would her cousins take seeing her again? Surely, they knew that she was betrothed to the man who killed their father.

"What is it?" asks Corlys, looking at her

“Nothing, I was just thinking about the happy reunion,” she lies, hating that her expressions almost always manage to expose her.

"There's something else I wanted to talk to you about." She looks at him, attentive, and he clears his throat before continuing, "Queen Alicent."

"Oh," she replies

"Oh indeed,” Corlys agrees, "I know you must still be very upset with her, but it is my duty to counsel you that it would be unwise for you to execute her."

In truth, Alyssa hadn't given the woman much thought, her mind occupied with other, more pressing matters.

"Why wouldn't it be?"

"First, because of her position as dowager queen and mother of the former king, because of the love the people still have for her, and because the damned High Septon misses no opportunity to pester the council about releasing her from prison."

The truth is that she already knows all these reasons. They were, in part, what had also convinced her to seek some alternative punishment for Alicent.

“I imagine that's not what you want to hear,” Corlys continues, misinterpreting her silence, “But I know you understand the need not to upset the people anymore, not when peace is still very fragile. And the crown must not make enemies with the Faith, no matter how ridiculous its representatives might be”.

“I know all that,” Alyssa nods, “I could just leave her to rot in her cell.”

From the expression on her grandfather's face, she knows that this alternative does not seem appropriate either. Alyssa sighs. It's not that she necessarily wants to torture or kill the woman. She has already satiated her thirst for revenge, and doing so had brought her neither relief nor peace of mind. Only problems.

"I will take care of her tomorrow."

“I trust that you will make an appropriate decision for such a sensitive issue”

Alyssa says her goodbye and reflects on everything Lord Corlys has just told her while returning to the children's rooms

"The children?"

"They are already asleep, princess"

Alyssa sighs and spends a long time watching them rest peacefully, oblivious to the stormy thoughts plaguing her mind, but eventually she goes to her new room.

Only when she is there the ideas in her mind come back to haunt her and, as she is aware that she will not be able to sleep feeling so troubled, stands up and goes towards Helaena Targaryen's room.

She has not entered the former queen's apartments since that fateful last afternoon and her sadness hits her square in the chest when she thinks of so many shared memories in that place.

"Do you need help, princess?" asks Enid, who has followed her there.

“No, Enid, I'll take care of this myself,” she replies, “Go rest, I'll see you tomorrow.”

The maid leaves her alone, and Alyssa starts doing something she's been putting off: taking care of her aunt's belongings. With her eyes brimming with tears that she tries hard not to shed, she puts away the dresses, books, and various objects that plague the queen's room.

“Oh, sweet Helaena,” she says almost in a whisper as she gazes at notebooks full of drawings of insects and other creatures, “I'll save all of this for Jaehaera, for when she is old enough to fully appreciate it.”

And she does that. She packs everything and, when morning comes, she asks Enid to carefully move the trunks to a room away from Maegor's Holdfast.

Then she goes to the dungeons, ready to finally close the chapter of her life that Alicent Hightower occupies.

"Open the cell," she commands the jailer, "get her out of there."

"Are you sure, princess? She gets violent sometimes."

"Do what I say"

The man growls, but he does as he is told, dragging an unrecognizable Alicent from the darkest end of the cell.

For a moment, Alyssa almost feels sorry for her.

“You, bastard bitch! Murderer!" the woman shouts when she becomes aware of Alyssa’s presence, although her voice sounds hoarse and weak.

Alyssa observes her appearance, her green dress almost black from the dirt of the cell, her once beautiful hair full of knots, her face contorted with pain and anger. And there are also the notorious wounds on her hands and arms, her bruises and scratches. She shudders watching her.

"You killed the king, my son," she wails, "you should be here!"

The jailer lets out another grunt and shakes her to stop talking, clearly used to such accusations as he doesn't flinch when he hears them.

Alyssa does her best not to be intimidated by her fury. She knows that she must appear strong and invulnerable, that Alicent must not see through the false image of security that she offers.

“After consideration,” the princess says, “I have decided that you will return to Oldtown. You will be exiled from court life and spend the rest of your days confined to a room in your family castle.”

"Bastard!" she says again, interrupting her, “You killed my son! Where is Aemond? He probably does not know, he would never allow…”

"Enough!" Alyssa cuts her off and breathes to keep her composure, "You will not have access to more than the essentials to cover your basic needs and you will not be able to try to communicate or see your son or princess Jaehaera again"

Alicent lets out a pitiful moan and her hands go to her hair, pulling at it.

"You'll be alone," Alyssa says, almost spitting out each of her words in rage, "You'll spend the rest of your life in solitude and knowing that Aemond and I are happy here," her words burn her insides and cause her heart to pound violently, but her face does not show her mortification, “My brother will be the next king and Jaehaera will be his queen. Both will grow loving each other and being loyal to each other. And there won't be anything you can do to change that."

“Nonsense,” Alicent mutters, “My son Aemond will save me, he will return with fire and blood. It is something that you will never understand because you will never be a mother, you will never know…”

"I won't tolerate your insults anymore," Alyssa cuts her off, taking her chin tightly between her hands and making Alicent to look at her, "Enjoy the rest of your days knowing that everything, absolutely every tragedy that happened with your family, you caused it yourself"

Alyssa lets go of her so violently that Alicent stumbles. The princess turns to the jailer, "Bring her and follow me."

She rushes out of the putrid place, Alicent's insults still ringing behind her. Once they return to the surface, Enid places a dark cloak over Alicent, carefully covering her as Alyssa wants to avoid the whispers of the court if they should see her.

"You'd better gag her, princess, or she'll wake everyone in the castle," says the man.

Alyssa nods and waits for Alicent to subdue before leading them to one of the gates, where a carriage awaits the Dowager Queen to take her to Oldtown.

“Give this letter to the lord of the castle,” he says, handing the scroll to one of the soldiers who will be traveling with Alicent.

When the carriage starts moving, the girl feels a weight leave her body, although a bitter sensation consumes her.

"What will happen to the other prisoner?" asks the jailer.

Talya. She had almost forgotten her.

“Since she relied so much on her tongue, take it off her,” she retorts, “And then have her taken toward the docks. Make sure she gets on a boat to the free cities. I don't want her here anymore"

"As you order, princess."

Alyssa remains in the courtyard for a long time, her ears still full of Alicent's insults and her mind wondering what Aemond will think when he returns to learn of his mother's exile.

If he does not appreciate your decision, he would be ungrateful, says a voice in her head.

And the girl agrees with it. While she doesn't particularly enjoy violence, she might have liked to make an exception for the Dowager Queen.

Still, she knows that her decision was the right one. The realm was to remain at peace, and killing her would have meant causing discontent among the noble houses, the faith, and the people. Letting her go is another sacrifice she makes for her brother and her family. And she can afford it.

"Call the master-at-arms," asks to Enid, "I want to train with my bow for a while."

Alyssa spends the next hour shooting her arrows, but still her heart is only eased when she returns to the children and is greeted with squeals of excitement.

"Look, look," Aegon goes to her and takes her hand, leading her to the fireplace, where a small steel-blue dragon is huddled by the fire, "It hatched, my dragon is finally here!"

“Ohh Aegon, it's beautiful,” Alyssa gasps, smiling as the dragon snuggles into her brother's arms.

"Stormcloud," says the little prince, "It's called Stormcloud."

"It's a good name," she smiles and watches the scene entranced, until a sound similar to something breaking draws her attention to her niece, who stands a little away from her with her dragon egg in her arms.

The girl meets her gaze and smiles, setting the egg on the ground and watching the little dragon hatch. The two siblings gather next to her and wait for the creature to be born.

“Morghul,” Jaehaera says, picking it up.

Aegon comes to stand beside her and Alyssa smiles at the sight of them doting on their baby dragons.

It was this, just this, that she had wanted so fervently. A happy future for the only children she was going to be able to have. And, although her heart still ached from Aemond's absence, at that moment she felt completely happy.

***

One week.

A bloody week had taken Borros Baratheon's sluggish army to advance toward the agreed meeting place with the northerners.

"Winter doesn't allow us to move as quickly as we'd like," the man had said with a snarl, still embarrassed at having been reprimanded by Aemond the previous night.

The prince would have wanted to simply fly off to join the rebel lords, but he did not trust them, so he preferred to keep up with the Baratheon army and watch out if they decided to attack treacherously.

But it turns out not to be so.

Stark and the group from the Riverlands called the Lads await him at the agreed place and receive him with the formality of the occasion.

“Prince Aemond,” they greet politely once he dismounts from Vhagar.

"My lords," he replies, "we finally meet."

Vhagar roars into the sky, and Lord gray eyes take in the huge beast. Aemond is internally pleased to note the reaction of the men - and children, like in the case of Benjicot Blackwood - in front of him. It is good for them remembered that it is Aemond who has the advantage and who can burn them to ashes at any moment.

"A magnificent beast," Stark comments, still looking at the dragon, "As impressive as the direwolves north of the Wall."

Aemond nods respectfully, "I think we have a lot to discuss."

The group leads Aemond to a tent where a pair of servants stoke the fire and pour wine for everyone.

"You did the right thing by naming Aegon the younger as our king, my prince" Stark says as soon as they sit down.

"That's right," adds Kermit Tully, "It's his right as heir to Queen Rhaenyra."

“Queen Rhaenyra,” Aemond says with a chuckle, “I hope, my lord, that you do not wish to resume that debate for we would never agree.”

“The prince is right,” the Blackwood boy chimes in, “What really counts is that Aegon the younger will be king.”

"And you his regent," Stark looks at him.

“Until my nephew is old enough to assume the crown himself, yes,” he nods.

“Pretty convenient,” the man continues.

"For whom, exactly?" Aemond looks at him with his good eye, "Do you think I wished for my brother's death so that I could enjoy the pleasure of ruling the kingdom the next few years?"

The bitterness in his words seems to make the Lads uncomfortable, though Stark simply shrugs it off.

“I came here to ensure that peace returns to the realm,” Aemond says, “The war has bled our nation enough.”

"You certainly contributed by burning the riverlands almost in their entirety"

The comment does not come from the men, but from a woman who has just entered the tent and looks at Aemond with a mixture of curiosity and rudeness.

"And you are?"

"Lady Sabitha Frey"

The prince looks at her without hiding his disgust, “My betrothed told me about you. And of the treatment she received from when she was under your care at Harrenhal."

“I did my best to protect the king,” the woman replies.

“Lady Sabitha,” Lord Tully chimes in

“I'll see to repay your attentions when the time is right,” Aemond interrupts, “Let's focus in what’s important. Peace"

"Peace," Lord Stark nods.

Over the course of the next hours, the Lads agree to send their armies back home, as does Lord Stark.

“However, I would like to go to the capital to make sure with my own eyes that the situation of the royal heirs is as you tell us, prince,” says the northerner.

Aemond is insulted by his distrust, but he already imagined that he would receive a similar proposal, “I did not expect it to be otherwise. I insist that you all come with me to King's Landing to swear allegiance to the Iron Throne and to my nephew Aegon."

The lords seem pleased with Aemond's invitation, so the mood lightens considerably after that.

“I want to get going as soon as possible,” Aemond says after a frugal dinner.

“If we hurry, we can be in the capital in a fortnight,” Tully replies.

Fifteen days.

Fifteen days, and he could be reunited with Alyssa.

His heart skips a beat at the idea and a smile spreads across his face at the thought of being able to hold her in his arms, as he wants so much to do.

"A word, my prince," Stark asks as Aemond prepares to leave.

The other lords and Lady Sabitha leave the tent and Aemond turns to the man.

"Speak, lord Stark"

The man seems to hesitate before speaking and looks a little uncomfortable, which arouses the prince's interest, "Perhaps you are aware that prince Jaehaerys visited Winterfell when the war was just beginning."

"I was aware, yes," Aemond replies, even more intrigued at the mention of his late nephew.

"The prince was looking for a potential marriage alliance between our houses, that is to say between Princess Alyssa and myself," the man stares at Aemond, "Of course, nothing ever came to fruition."

"Surely you know, Stark," he hisses, his temper beginning to betray him, "that the princess and I will marry soon."

"I've heard about it"

"Then I don't understand the point of this conversation," Aemond glared at him with his one good eye.

“My intention was to let you know that the friendship I forged with prince Jaehaerys was very important to me. So important, in fact, that it made me leave Winterfell to fight for his mother's cause. And it is because of him, because of the oath I swore to him, that it is my duty to also make sure that his sister is well."

"What do you mean by well?" he hisses, his hand instinctively closing around his Valyrian steel dagger.

“That once I'm in the capital, I intend to make sure princess Alyssa is protected and well taken care of. Above all, that she is in a place where she really wants to be”

Aemond hears Vhagar roar and Stark looks bewildered once again. The prince fights the rage that bubbles up inside him and only balls his hands into fists as he speaks to the man, “Are you suggesting that I am holding my betrothed against her will in the Red Keep?”

"Well, she didn't exactly get there of her own free will, did she?" replies Stark with a hard voice

The man's gray eyes meet Aemond's blue and they hold each other's gaze for a long minute.

"I don't know what you're up to, Stark, but I assure you the princess and I don't need you to interfere in our relationship."

"Maybe not," he agrees, "but it is my duty to go before her and make sure that both she and her brother receive the treatment they deserve."

Aemond chuckles and tries to calm down, “At least I'm glad you are not a craven and that you had the courage to tell me face to face about your purposes. Although I warn you, my lord, that you will be disappointed at finding in your arrival that the princess is not a damsel waiting for you to rescue her. Not should you expect for her to fall that easily for you and your honorable intentions”

“Do not misrepresent my words, Prince Aemond. I only want…"

“Yeah, yeah, you want to fulfil your duty,” he says with a cluck, “I'll keep an eye on you, Stark. I'll be watching you very carefully."

"And I’ll be watching you, my prince"

#aemond targaryen #aemond one eye #ao3fic #aemond x oc #prince aemond #sinful desires #sinfuldesires

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burningivy · 6 months

Note

What is your fic idea for Clue 👀

@noah-moth-cursed-chaos

starting this by saying, I'm probably never gonna write this,,, BUT the idea has been stuck in my brain for over a year now

Ok so,,, it's based on the movie and, to me, it makes the most sense to take place after ending B

right, so we open on Mrs. White, and she's smart, y'know. even with the blackmail, she's still got money, but it's still starting to run out, and between the scandal of the dinner party and her own five "disappearing" husbands... well, her social standing has been better

so, she needs a new husband. or she doesn't, but honestly, it feels like marriage is all she's ever done, all she's ever known. marry a man but always have an escape plan. when one starts to get handsy or angry or a million other little things, there's always another ready to take his place

except now there's not, and even if there were, well someone already found out about her whole "black widow routine," and she can't afford any more blackmail, or worse. so she needs to figure something out. find a husband who she can tolerate, who can tolerate her, who wouldn't even want a wife, preferably. lord knows she never wanted a husband

and she keeps thinking back to that night. nowadays, everything seems to trace back to that dinner party, to the murders, to the blackmail. well, Wadsworth didn't seem to like her much, and even if that was all an act, he's still an fbi man. Plum was far too sex-obsessed for her tastes. and Mustard was, well, if he was married, she pitied his wife. but there was still...

CUT TO: Mr. Green, a bit paranoid, a bit anxious but when was he not. it's not like he's unjustified. it's the 1950s, it's the lavender scare, it's one wrong move and his whole life is ruined, and it almost was.

the dinner party was a wakeup call. maybe Mrs. Peacock was the only one who didn't walked away unscathed, but how long can he keep up his appearances for. sure, it was fine when he was just starting out with the State Department, as long as no one knew he was a homosexual, he was fine. and he could make up a woman here or there that he went on a date with. it. was. fine

until it wasn't. he isn't as young as he used to be, and it seems everyone's become more paranoid recently. so maybe they notice that he never goes on more than two dates with a woman. or that he's never brought a date to a work event. or that he never seems interested by a new lady hire. or that he still isn't married

so he needs some sort of "proof" he's a geniune one-hundred-percet heterosexual, or at least he needs damn good forgery of proof. and sure, a marriage, a wife, would solve that problem, but it's not like he's getting one of those anytime soon. so he'll keep skating by, paranoid and anxious, for as long as he can

it's Mrs. White who arranges the meeting, in a cute little D.C. cafe, the kind that would almost be romantic. she's the one who proposes the arrangement: "we met at the party, but didn't want our relationship to be caught up in the scandal. it's been a whirlwind romance. you're already thinking of proposing."

and Mr. Green is, of course, skeptical. she's already likely killed five husbands; he doesn't want to be number six. but she does have a point, he could use the sham marriage. still, he doesn't get what's in it for her

"we have more in common than you might think, Mr. Green" she's still using his name from the party, and he still doesn't get what she's very subtly alluding to. she inhales, looks around, lowers her voice. "let's just say, my husband was not the one Yvette was having an affair with"

and there it is, the realization written all over his face. it doesn't take him too much longer to agree after that

the wedding is a small affair, a few "close friends," who never knew them all that well. her father, who seemingly never tires of walking her down the aisle. his parents and a brother and sister-in-law, who never thought they'd see the day, not that they'd say it. so they're married. yay

from this point the fic would split into two plotlines. one following Green and White as they like actually get to know each other and actually become friends. something like "oh you're not actually the worst person I could've married because we have xyz in common" in so many words. the other plotline would follow them having to keep up the appearances of being a happily married, in love couple, specifically while they keep running into the other guests

like they're out at some fancy dinner, and, while sitting alone, White is approached by none other than Ms. Scarlet who starts trying to chat. which White is having none of but can't seem to get Scarlet to go away, so she mentions that she's out with her husband. Scarlet makes some comment about her getting married again and something like "maybe I'll stick around to meet him, he might be good for business. your last one sure was." and who shows up then but Green. hilarity ensues

it'd probably go pretty similar with the other guests, just different locations and reactions. I think they'd run into Plum at like some UN party or something (idk the State Dept works with the UN I think??), and I honestly have no idea where they'd run into Mustard. for Peacock though, because this takes place after the B ending remember, I have this idea of her like bursting into Green's office to try to get him to testify in her favor. and in walks White casually starting a conversation, and then seeing Peacock

also, idk where it would fit, but I have this (to me) hilarious, vivid image of the two of them being like "yes, we are so happy together and in love" and they're like holding hands but they're standing a full foot apart and smiling THE FAKEST smiles

anyway, the fic would end with them receiving letters addressed to Mr. Green and Mrs. White-Green, inviting them to a meeting/dinner/something at the house the original party was at

#vic. what?#the mailbox #acircusfullofdemons #noah moth cursed chaos #💙💙💙#clue 1985 #(sorry actual clue fans if you think this is too silly)#mayhaps yvette is still alive and had something to do with the letters #that would be crazy #huh who said that #p.s. i did not edit this so idk

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deliriousfangirl61 · 7 months

Text

Calla Lillies [Jake "Hangman" Seresin] Chapter II

Jake "Hangman" Seresin x Hailey Dugan

Masterlist [~~~~]

18+

Series Warnings: Mentions of child abuse, smut (later on in the series), age gap? (like 6 years because I feel like Jake is around like 32/33, lemme me know if you disagree), cursing. MINORS PLEASE DO NOT INTERACT 18+ content in later chapters.

----------------------

Jake "Hangman" Seresin was finally settling into his new posting in North Carolina. He is back up in the air after his last mission and back to raising hell like always. Yet he can't help but miss The Dagger Squad and after watching Liv and Rooster tie the knot he is feeling just a tad bit lonely and longing for something more. Not that he would ever admit it though. However when he gets some new neighbors in the form of a stunning 26 year old plant-shop owner and a 7 year-old boy, Jake just might feel that tiny little whole in his chest filling. His new neighbor is kind yet fierce, and as she struggles to navigate the new realm of guardianship over her younger brother her next door neighbor is more help then she could have every imagined.

-2 Months Later-

The loft is incredibly quiet, I sit at my kitchen counter sipping on coffee as I flip through the latest inventory report. Lucas has yet to stir, but he doesn't need to be up for another 30 minutes. My phone dings but I know who it is. Matthew has been trying and failing to come up with a half-decent excuse to see me. I ended things two days after I brought Lucas home and Matthew quite loudly told me I was ruining my life.

Asshole

Lucas also decided then and there that he hated Matthew and had 'accidentally' sent his little rocket toy straight into his groin. I had laughed so hard I nearly cried and I had yet to see Matthew for more than a few minutes at a time. Once when he came to get his things and I returned the engagement ring and another when he cornered me in the shop. I had threatened to hit him with a shovel until he left. I had no want to see him then and I have no want now.

"Can you make pancakes for breakfast?" Lucas' voice is soft and groggy and I turn to the curly mop of hair that is truly a sight to behold after he first wakes up.

"Sure bub."

Lucas grins and climbs onto the high barstool of our kitchen island and rubs the sleep from his eyes. His cast is still a bulky annoyance on his wrist but he gets it off in a week and I'm sure he can't wait.

I had packed most of the kitchen things away for the move but I pulled the things out that I needed and started to make the pancakes. Lucas and I found the perfect house for both of us and since I've saved up a lot I was able to snatch it up pretty quick.

The savings was supposed to be for a wedding but fuck that

So I was able to put the down payment and pay most of it off. I've spent the last week decorating Lucas' room. He said he has always wanted a baseball-themed room so with the help of Maura we did a baseball-themed bedroom. It's not too kiddish so when he grows he isn't too embarrassed.

If you win custody and he can even grow up in that room.

I push that thought away and busy myself with the pancakes.

"Can we get a cat?"

I glance over at Lucas who is staring at me. He is resting his chin on his non-broken hand.

"That seems a bit random. What makes you want a cat?"

"It's not random," Lucas says in a serious tone I rarely hear from him. "I love cats and so do you. They are very easy and I saw a book at Dr. Kelter's office about how some animals can help with stress and anxiety. Plus! We are moving into a whole house so plenty of room." I want to laugh at the amount of thought he put into this but his comment about stress and anxiety snags my attention.

"Are you feeling a bit anxious again bub? That's okay but I want to know so I can help."

"Not really. Dr. Kelter helps a lot and I feel really safe with you."

My heart melts and I lean over kissing his forehead.

"I always want you to feel safe Lucas."

"I really like staying with you." He says softly.

"I really love you staying with me bub." I take a deep breath. "You know there's always a chance I can try to make it permanent."

Lucas peers through his curls.

"Really? Like I wouldn't go back to Arizona?"

"Yeah, but that also means you would stay with me, and you might not get to see Mom as much as you'd like." I want to be honest with him despite my feelings towards our mom.

Lucas is quiet for a moment. "I don't feel safe with mom though I feel safe with you. Do you think she'd be mad if she knew I wanna stay here with you instead of with her? I don't know if I wanna make her mad"

"I don't know honey. But I also wanna make sure you don't feel confused. So why don't I ask Dr. Kelter if you guys can talk about it in your next session?"

Lucas nods. I finish the pancakes and cut them up for him.

"Alright, here you go bubs."

His eyes light up as I push the plate in front of him, temporarily forgetting our previous conversation.

"Thanks, Hails," Lucas mutters.

"No problem bub, I'm gonna go get dressed and get your things together for school. Whenever you're finished get ready please."

"Mkay." He mumbles through a mouthful of pancakes.

I ruffle his hair and place a kiss on the top of his head before heading to get ready. I take a deep breath when I'm out of his view.

Holy crap

I wasn't expecting that conversation today. I have been trying to figure out how to bring it up. I followed Erica's advice and I got a lawyer as soon as I got back to North Carolina. I hadn't told Lucas, he was dealing with a lot of emotions and I didn't want to confuse him.

My phone starts blaring Taylor Swift in my pocket. Luckily that is not Matthew's ringtone but it is Maura's. It does snap me out of my little stupor though.

"What are you doing up so early it's not even past 8 yet." I joke as I answer and I can practically see her roll her eyes.

"What are you doing tonight?"

"Lucas and I were gonna watch a movie and eat popcorn in a fort with all the boxes."

She huffs. "Crap do you think it's too late to get a babysitter?"

I laugh softly. "Probably, but why would I need a babysitter?"

"There's a new bar opening and I'm pretty sure it's gonna be a Navy bar, so some of the guys from the base should be there and you know I am a sucker for that uniform."

I laugh.

"Not that I'm in love with that idea but I think Collin's mom mentioned a sleepover on her weekend with him and I think that's this week. I'll ask her at drop off today."

"You're the best! Oh, you should wear that blue dress that you ..."

"I gotta go Maura."

"Love you!"

I pull on some of my work clothes, which mainly consist of old T-shirts and jean shorts. Or the occasional overall or leggings. Owning a plant shop isn't exactly clean work.

"Alright, Lucas hurry up bud! We're running early for once let's not squander it." I call after him.

"But I like our mad dashes to the car." Lucas calls back."

"Please."

I hear his sweet giggle and then I see his curly mop of head appear.

"I should probably fix your hair first."

Somehow Lucas and I managed to keep ahead of the time today. I pull into the school parking lot at the perfect time when all the other moms are actually there too. Normally I'm scrambling in with Lucas towed behind me and Mrs. Thunton is the only one left.

"Oh wow everyone is here," Lucas comments as I pull his bag out of the back seat.

"See this is what happens when we're on time. Isn't it cool?"

"Sure." Lucas sounds completely uninterested but I appreciate the effort.

I don't miss the surprised looks of some of the moms as we approach. Yes, I am that guardian who is constantly scrambling, but 90% of them have husbands who help or they've been doing this longer than 9 months.

They can suck it up and stop being so judgey.

"I see Collin!" Lucas exclaims as he yanks his backpack from my hands and bolts to the playground.

He completely ignores his principal Mrs. Thunton as she greets him. I wave to the woman and send her a smile. Now to find Collin's mom.

"Kelly!" I call and the woman glances up from her phone and a smile spreads on her face.

"I was going to wait for you but look at you being on time." She jokes.

"Don't get used to it. Are you still offering to have Lucas over for a sleepover? He and I talked about it and he doesn't seem too anxious about it, he's made a lot of progress and honestly, he absolutely loves playing with Collin."

"Oh my god yes! That's what I waiting for you for. Collin has also been struggling and I think their friendship is such an anchor."

I nod. " I completely agree he's been so amazing to Lucas."

"Oh great, do you want me to just pick him up from school today?"

"I need to get his things together but I will meet you here and see if Lucas wants to ride with you or with me. Driving still makes him a bit nervous I think."

"Completely understand."

I grin. "Thank you so much, Kelly. I will see you at 4:00."

"See you at 4:00!"

Once I'm back in the safety of my car I call Maura. She picks up on the second ring.

"I am free tonight."

"Yes! It's party time bitch!"

What a freaking dork

Alrighty folks! Yes I know I finally updated but listen I have been one stressed spaghetti with school so I am sorry but give me a break lol.

Just comment below if you wanna be on the tag list.

I hope you guys enjoyed it.

[~~~~] Next Chapter- Coming Soon

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clouseplayssims · 10 months

Note

1, 27, 34, 39 for the characters ask game, pretty please? :)

1 All Loving Hero

Nazario Fiore (formerly Drago) really is the Arthurian ideal of knighthood. He's perfect. Even his enemies admire his abilities - and not just physically, but his capability to do the right thing no matter the personal cost. It's why he finds himself now married to the daughter of a Kenton by-blow, believing it is his duty to continue to support the family. And when a member of that family needed help with her brewery and an heir... Nazario complied.

He's even found it in himself to forgive the actions of Arndt Blumenthal, even though those actions arguably ruined Nazario's life. Not only was he prevented from going down with his king, but in the end he was stripped of his knighthood. A normal man would be furious, but Nazario buts little faith in things like titles. He knows who he is, even if that person is a stranger to him at the moment.

27 Imposter/Pretender

Might be a stretch, but Salome... inwardly, she pretends she's still the heir to her father's kingdom. That it will be her, and not her little brother, who will continue the family line. After all - she was trained for years as the Crown Princess, a title given to her with the expectation she would lead, would rule.

And now there's Isidor who has taken everything by virtue of his birth.

She's too good of heart to resent him for it, but nor can Salome find it in herself to stop pretending. It's going to hurt her some day.

34 Lovable Rogue

I can't do Garrett again. BUT. I can do the original troublemaking teen: Connor Dawn. Raised by priests even at an early age he had no intention of joining a holy order. He sowed mischief where he could, even corrupted the son of a duke! And then, just like mist, he fled the area for exploits overseas.

No one is really sure what he did while he was away, or why he's returned, but this criminal mastermind plans on keeping that information close to the chest.

39 Manic Pixie Dream Girl

Okay, technically I shouldn't be picking a lesbian for this one, but out of all my teen girls Katinka Blumenthal has the most love interests so here we are.

A lot of people see her status first, how can they not? Secondborn princess to a new dynasty of rulers... impossible to ignore. But Katinka is naturally charming, with the sort of winning manner that makes everyone around her feel welcomed - and warmly. Even when they are not.

It has caused some problems, minor for now, because Katinka flits through favorites like the butterfly she is, with no real understanding of how she makes people feel. If she did know, she admittedly probably wouldn't care, being a bit mean-spirited and a snob.

#nazario fiore #salome blumenthal #connor dawn #katinka blumenthal

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casspurrjoybell-26 · 6 months

Text

Made of Steele - Chapter 33 - Part 1

*Warning: Adult Content*

Jamie

It's been over a week since Kit 'was discharged from the hospital, and since then, he's been staying with me.

"Hey Jamie, where's your spices?" I hear him ask from the other room, as I put the paintbrush down.

I stare at the canvas in front of me and start to get nervous, after working on this piece for what felt like half my life, was finally completed and ready to be shown to the eyes of the world or my world.

"Jamie?"

I hear a knock and then from the corner of my eye, I see the door slowly open.

"D-Don't come in."

I quickly stand up and look around for a way to hide the painting.

I hear him laugh by the doorway, not opening the door any further.

"Babe, I know you're being so secretive with your new piece but I can't find the spices," he said, making me sigh as I looked back at the canvas nervously.

Despite it being ready, I was still nervous about showing Kit, after-all, it's not every day I paint someone I care about and then show them just how much with one picture.

"Coming... just, don't come in."

I take a deep breath, as I walk over to the doorway and open it slightly.

Kit was grinning that handsome yet content smile I had grown so used to for the past week, making me feel lighter and less anxious than I was a few moments ago.

"What was it, spices?" I ask, going to walk past him.

Kit reaches out and wraps his arms around me, his hands going around my waist and his lips finding their way to my neck as I feel the gentle touch of his lips touch my skin.

"I love that smell," he mumbles into my skin, making me scoff as I wrap my arms around him too.

"Of paint?" I asked dryly, making him laugh.

"You might think I'm crazy but until now I have never gotten more turned on from smelling paint," he said, through sweet kisses on my neck before pulling back.

"You've ruined me."

My stomach tightened and I hated how shy I felt when he said nice, dorky things to me.

I always didn't know what to say so I said nothing and just looked at him.

"Come on, you need to get showered and dressed, our family will be here soon," he said, before leaning in to kiss me on the lips.

I swallowed hard and nodded my head and then followed him into the kitchen, where plates of food covered with tinfoil were laid out on the dining table that had been decorated in Christmas colors.

"Are you sure this is a good idea?" I mumble, finding the spices that he wanted in the top cabinet above near the stove.

He gave me a look that read no but... and then smiled.

"It's our first Christmas together and I know my family is a little... much but I want them to get on."

'Get on' couldn't be harder when it came to his family or most importantly, his 'mother'.

It's been a month since Kitt got stabbed and the first time I met his family wasn't exactly a 'joyous' occasion, if anything, she called me a billionaire baby brat and accused me of 'stealing her son'.

After a screaming match between Kit and his mom, which I found exhausting, she had finally accepted Kit's decision and chose to move to America and to live with me.

With no longer handling his late dad's company and enough money to live comfortably, Kit didn't want to go back 'home' not when he said I was the home he wanted.

Kit had ended his 'marriage contract' with Jessica Whipley's dad and company partner, despite losing millions from parting ways with an important investor, I know that it was a baggage of weight off his shoulders and mind.

His brother, Alexander had taken over as CEO of his dad's company, who I had only met a handful of times whilst Kit was in the hospital and at first I thought he was immature until he spoke to me alone in the hallway whilst grabbing a coffee.

He had asked if I loved his brother, to which I said... Yes and with both of us staring at each other for an intimidating minute, he laughed out loud and then took the coffee from my hands and then welcomed me to 'the family' before walking away, with my coffee in hand.

Everything was coming together, in a week Kit would be moving in with me temporarily and after what felt like too long, I was happy with how things were.

It felt almost surreal, how happy I was.

Since the moment I met Kit, I had started to draw him, sometimes without realizing it, I would be drawing a random woman from across the street but then suddenly I'd draw his eyes.

For three years he has been on my mind, constantly there, like a torturous piece of gum on my shoe, wherever I went he would be there with me.

That painting in my art studio is something I started all those years ago and haven't dared to finish, until now.

I was going to give it as a Christmas present, along with something else, something more... life-altering than a picture.

I was going to ask Kit, not to marry me but to move in with me permanently, knowing that he had already been looking for apartments in the city, after not wanting to be a burden to me whilst I worked.

"Jamie?" I hear Kit behind the bathroom door, as I turn off the shower and then wrap a towel around my waist.

The door opens and there stands Kit, with his hair styled and in different clothes, clothes that made me look twice as long at him than I usually would.

"What's wrong?" I ask, pulling my eyes away from his lips, which began to form a smile.

"I just wanted to see if you're ready."

He leaned against the doorway, his eyes scanning me from head to toe, slowly.

His eyes made me nervous but they also made me incredibly self-aware because there was nothing more I wanted to do than to peel those clothes off his skin.

"This isn't good," I hear him mumble under his breath, as I shift to look at him.

I noticed what he meant before he said anything else as he shifted the erection between his legs, whilst he gave me that look I couldn't resist as he smirked at me, with playful eyes.

"Our families are almost here and I don't think I'll be able to control myself for this long," he said seriously, as I swallowed the dryness in my throat.

I knew exactly what he was saying, without saying a word, I stepped forward, dropped my towel and watched as his eyes slowly went down my torso until they stopped at my own need for him.

"Jamie..."

"Shh, you talk too much," I interrupt him and then pull him into me as I roughly press my lips against his.

Kit groans out helplessly against my lips, making me smile into the kiss as I push my mouth into his mouth to taste him, a sweet tint of red wine on his tongue as he presses his tongue into my mouth.

"Fuck... seriously, Jamie."

He pressed his erection against me, as he pulled back and rested his head on my shoulder.

"My cock is going to snap in half if you keep kissing me," he said breathlessly, as I bit my bottom lip.

Knowing that I had minutes to get ready before our families arrived, it didn't stop me from grabbing hold of his belt and forcing it off his waist and then unbuttoning his pants to push them down impatiently.

There was no time but the present and although I never said, at this moment, I wanted him too much to care about the time, so I took what I wanted in my hands and ignored the rest.

"Jamie..." he groaned out as I looked up at him, my lips wrapping around the tip of his length.

"Fuck..." he groaned, as his feverish hands landed on either side of my cheeks.

I swallowed Kit further down my throat and watched as he became undone from my tongue, his whole body shaking in pleasure or pain.

At that moment I didn't care which one, I just wanted him to feel what I felt for him, come heaven or hell, I wanted to bring him to new heights with my mouth.

I was close and so was Kit and with only twenty minutes until everyone got here, I swallowed Kit as far as I could before I felt him flinch and try to pull away from me but it was too late.

"S-Shit, f-fuck... Jamie, Oh God..." he moaned out huskily as I almost choked whilst slowly removing his length from my throat.

My throat was burning and he tasted bitter but seeing the look on his face made every second of what I just did worth it as his clouded eyes filled with awe made me almost want to do it all over again.

"Sorry."

I bit back a laugh as I stood back up and then walked over to the sink to wash my face with water, before looking back to smirk at him.

"I couldn't control myself."

He groaned out lowly as he fixed his trousers.

"You have less patience than I do."

3 notes · View notes

fiction-box · 6 months

Text

Fortuitous Company

F!Alear x Alfred

Requests are open. The story will continue under the cut.

“Emblem Corrin, how would you describe your family?” Alear asked, running a soft cloth over the draconic princess’ ring.

The cozy space of the ring chamber granted peace and respite from the clamor of life on the Somniel. Here, Alear felt like she could breathe. The emblems tended to be much more relaxed and forgiving when it came to socializing, and silences never felt awkward in this place; it provided a safe escape.

“Each and every one of my siblings possess their own strength. My older siblings take on swarms of enemies without so much as flinching. My younger brothers are incredibly smart and dedicated, and my younger sisters love sharing their kindness with everyone.”

“Wow,” the Divine Dragon furrowed her brow, working at a particularly stubborn strip of tarnish on Corrin’s band, “you have so many siblings.”

“Yes, though it wasn’t always that way. My father locked me away in a fortress for much of my life, keeping me away from half of my family.”

“How awful!” she paused her motions. “There seems to be a lot about you that I don’t know.”

“There is no better time to strengthen our bond than the present,” the Vallite royal smiled. “In fact, I believe there is a place in Firene that reminds me of my time with them.”

“Really?” the Divine One’s eyes widened, her hands folding the cloth neatly before resting it back in its place. “Then we should go there - maybe we can jog your memory a bit more. You might even find a new power in the same way Lucina and Lyn could.”

Corrin placed her hand to her cheek, “I must admit, it does sound like fun. Not to mention I would be more helpful to you with that kind of power.”

“Great, then let’s do it! I’ll gather everyone else.”

Finished with polishing the ring, Alear slipped it onto her own finger and strode out the door.

~~~

“Is everyone ready?”

A small portion of Alear’s army gathered under the open sky at the center of the plaza, ready to depart to Firene.

“I did a head count,” Framme placed her hands on her hips. “Everyone is here and accounted for, Divine One!”

“Emblem Corrin, could you please describe this place to me one last time? I want to be absolutely certain,” Alfred frowned.

“Of course. It is a plain with a winding river dividing it in three. There are two bridges, and small patches of trees on the outskirts of the plains.”

The blond gave a polite smile and a nod, “Got it. I know where we’re going. Thank you, Corrin.”

“By all means, lead the way,” Princess Ivy urged.

So it was that Alfred left the Somniel first with Lucina at his side. Alear followed a moment after him, landing on the soft grass and getting her first look at her surroundings.

Unfortunately, any pleasant view she had anticipated was currently blocked by a band of corrupted.

There were way too many for it to be a coincidence. For them to have been located exactly where Alear’s group planned to touch ground…

“Divine One, look out!”

Ducking and rolling before she could think, the Divine Dragon managed to dodge just in time as a lick of violet lightning scorched the ground where she once stood.

“Oh dear, I missed.”

A familiar white-haired mage soared just out of reach, her tome balanced between her hand and her arm. Beneath her, a horde of corrupted soldiers wheezed and moaned, waiting expectantly for a command. The sea of red eyes unnerved Alear, though the pressing discomfort eased slightly at Corrin’s presence beside her. Aware of the danger in which she found herself, the heterochromic royal rose to her feet once more.

“Zephia!” Alfred called, his eyebrows lowering, “What are you doing in Firene?”

She frowned, “So much for my little surprise. No matter. I suppose nothing has been ruined yet, seeing you don’t know why I’m here.”

“You won’t be staying long. Take your army and leave,” Alear drew her sword.

“Oh, I won’t be letting you off that easy. You’re meddling in my affairs, children; I think you’re the ones that ought to be punished.”

“Lucina!” Alfred called, the warrior princess appearing only to vanish in the next moment, melding her powers with Firene’s prince.

Zephia smirked, letting out a single laugh before lazily waving her dark army to attack.

Groups of corrupted rushed the two. Defending themselves proved difficult, though it became considerably less challenging when more friends funneled down from the Somniel. Each gave the same reaction: surprise, then determination. Thankfully, they knew now was not the time for questions. First Diamant touched down, then Alcryst and Ivy followed with Framme not far behind them.

The group gradually began to spread out as they covered more ground, their safety assured by Lucina and Alfred’s bond. If anyone found himself in trouble, the prince of Firene rode to his side in a flash.

Regardless, Alear couldn’t keep her mind off the steady beat of wyvern wings in the distance. Zephia hadn’t moved from her spot, yet the Divine One could feel eyes on her no matter where she fought.

Why wasn’t she doing anything?

Clangs of metal and flashes of magic swirled about the plain. Slowly, they progressed, and Alear took to cutting down strays while Diamant and Ivy insisted upon charging ahead. Corrin would help her when it came time to rejoin the others.

The passage of time and the difficulty of the battle took its toll on the emblems, just like always. Alfred’s time with Lucina ended after the fourth wave fell to Alear’s army.

Apparently, that’s all the invitation Zephia needed.

“Celica!”

Everyone’s eyes snapped to the dragon mage at her outcry. She remained in their line of sight for mere moments prior to vanishing, wyvern and all.

“Stay aler-!”

Prince Diamant never finished his warning. Sombron’s right hand woman materialized just paces away from Alear. The Divine Dragon froze in shock.

“While we’re here, I have a new spell I’d like to try,” the tome in her hand darkened, wispy shadows spiraling from the pages and shooting into Alear’s chest.

With a shaky gasp, the swordswoman staggered back a step.

“You wouldn’t mind being my subject, yes? Certainly not now that you are isolated from your friends?”

What did she…?

Looking up, Alear caught a glance of Ivy racing toward her location. The Elusian’s eyes darkened, lips in a thin line that parted only once.

“Lyn!”

A green flash tore through the sky, dividing into five streaks that each landed upon Zephia’s wyvern. The beast lost its balance, flapping wildly in the air and releasing a horrible screech.

Unfortunately, the woman regained control just in time to dodge a follow-up strike from Diamant.

…I don’t feel anything. I feel completely fine…?

Stepping forward, the Divine One pointed her blade to the sky.

“Return Celica to us,” she ordered. “Take off your ring and surrender.”

Zephia’s only response sounded in a click of a tongue against the teeth, “You will not be in a position to demand anything soon enough.”

Immediately, she yanked the reins of her wyvern. The wings of the beast flapped mightily through its pain, every remaining wave of corrupted enclosing upon Alear’s army seemingly to assist the mage’s escape.

“She’s getting away!” Alcryst cried, firing at the horde targeting Alear while Lapis covered his flank

Alfred called back, “She’s retreating to the coast!”

Nobody could do anything, though. There were too many bodies between them and the ocean to even think of cutting her off.

“Why would she be so eager,” Diamant grunted, cutting down another humanoid monster, “to abandon not only her mission, but her army too?”

“Perhaps she values her life more,” Ivy supplied.

It took time - much more than Alear would have liked to admit - before the numbers subsided. Weapons and shattered vulneraries sprinkled the ground, scattered from either breaking or from their wielder’s death.

Corrin turned to Alear only after the last opponent fell, worry written upon her features, “How are you feeling?”

“Tired,” she grimaced, “but I’m glad we intercepted Zephia today rather than let her go through with her plan. Who knows what awful things could have happened with an army that size?”

The silver-haired princess looked no less worried at her response. Her eyes scanned over Alear, a light frown pulling at her lips.

“I promise, I feel nothing out of the ordinary. Whatever Zephia did to me…she did say it was a new spell. Maybe it failed to work?”

“Sometimes things are not always as simple as they appear,” Corrin responded. “The things we fight against…though they are not always visible to the eye, you should never let your guard down. That’s a lesson I had to learn very well.”

“Right…we should at least head back to the Somniel to rest. We can try for the plains again some other time.”

“Good idea.”

~~~

“Well, it appears nothing is wrong. I ran every test imaginable, as I am certain Framme can attest to. If Zephia’s spell truly harmed you, I see no symptoms or evidence that you’re in danger.”

“Thank you, Ivy-”

“Nonetheless, I suggest that you rest. While I am…unsure…what Zephia did, one can never be too careful when it comes to a woman like her.”

The fabric of Ivy’s orchid dress ruffled at Alear’s bedside when the princess lifted herself from her chair. She put a hand to her lady’s shoulder, guiding her head to her pillow before turning to the door. Framme picked up the seat, setting it aside before leaving to walk out with her.

“Sleep now. I will run through the tests again when you wake.”

With Alear’s nod, the door shut with a light click.

A moment passed.

Then, another moment.

A sigh.

Alear turned onto her side. Her eyes faced the door, and her knees were pulled toward her chest. It was strange; her body felt heavy with fatigue, yet her eyelids refused to remain closed.

It became especially difficult when a flash of silver and blue light flared against her eyelids.

“Is there anything I can do to help you relax?”

“Oh, Corrin!” her eyelids fluttered, “I’m so sorry! Please, allow me to return your ring to the chamber.”

A small giggle faded into the night, “I don’t mind. If it would make you feel better, I was actually about to suggest that I stay with you, just in case. Would that put you more at ease?”

Realizing she had subconsciously twisted the white sheets of her bed between her fingers, Alear frowned.

“I suppose I have been a bit on edge ever since Zephia hit me with…whatever that was,” she agreed. “Thank you, Corrin. I promise I’ll clean the ring thoroughly as soon as I get up tomorrow.”

“After Ivy checks in on you, you mean,” the Vallite smiled warmly. “There’s no need to rush. I’m here with you.”

For how many allies Alear accrued, hearing such phrases came to be a surprisingly scarce event. It made her feel safe, and she considered herself both happy and lucky to have someone like Corrin by her side.

“I do think it would be best if you got some sleep, though. The best thing you can do for yourself right now is rest.”

It was worth a shot, especially now that she knew someone nearby would support her if anything happened.

“Right. Good night, Corrin.”

“Sleep well.”

Luckily, after a few minutes, exhaustion finally caught up to Alear’s mind. Sleep claimed her, and she drifted into slumber.

~~~

“When the sun is almost a quarter of the way across the sky, you can wake the Divine One,” Ivy had lectured him last night. “Please no earlier than that. She needs rest tonight, understood?”

Alfred didn’t think he had that strange of a sleeping schedule. He would always count the number of hours he slept, and the prince always double-checked when it came to the Divine One’s rest.

Unfortunately, seven hours of sleep never seemed to cut it for his friends.

“Maybe it would be better if she woke up naturally, today,” Framme shrugged at her breakfast, Alfred sitting across from her.

“But Framme, if nothing really is wrong, there should be no issue with waking her up at a normal hour,” he argued. “Besides, it’s been more than enough time for her to have gotten proper sleep.”

She sighed, “Coming from you, Alfred, I’m not so sure about that.”

It was true, though. Ivy even told him - just under a quarter of the way across the sky.

Well, the sun crossed more than a quarter of the sky. Waking Alear up now could count as late.

Firene’s first prince stood with furrowed brows, excusing himself from the table. Clearing his plate prior to returning it to the countertop, Alfred made sure to thank Clanne, who happily accepted the dish. One step after the other, he crossed the dining area to reach the stairwell. The stairs clicked lightly underneath his feet until the blond found himself in front of the Divine Dragon’s door.

Politely, he knocked once, receiving no response just like every other time. Alfred’s hand latched onto the door as he let himself inside the room.

“Divine One?” he called, approaching her bed. “It’s time to wake up now.”

The following silence formed her answer, and Alfred couldn’t help but smile.

“Should I go grab my flute again?” he teased. “Or maybe you would rather I do some more training?”

Arriving at her bedside, Alfred paused.

Alear appeared abnormally still. In fact, the cavalier was unsure if her chest even drew breath.

“Hey,” he extended his hand to grab her own, “It really is time to get-!”

She felt colder than death.

The prince recoiled, “Divine One? Alear?”

No matter how he tried, she would not stir.

“Alear! Please, wake up! You can’t go back to sleep - not now! We all need you, and I can’t…”

Gathering his thoughts, he turned and raced out of her room, careening into the balcony railing and calling for help.

~~~

She had been trapped here since her consciousness had awoken. Her body was asleep, she knew, but her mind was aware and fighting.

Black and purple tendrils of darkness threatened to pull Alear into the wispy ground beneath her, which formed a darkness she had not yet come to know. Her only thought was that it might be death, and she thrashed with all of her being to avoid it.

“Help! Please, someone help me!’ she called. The Divine One never imagined she could sound so desperate. Death leaves one vulnerable to all sorts of new experiences, she supposed.

“Can anyone hear me?” fighting it exhausted her. “Help!”

I’m here!

“Princess Corrin?”

I’m here! I’m with you, Alear! she called back.

The emblem was there, and she was not there. Something prevented her from reaching through the darkness, but she told the truth, Alear knew. Corrin’s presence remained with her.

In taking that small comfort, her body felt invigorated. A familiar power flowed through her as the Divine Dragon committed herself to continue clawing and pulling at the coils clasping at her limbs.

The Vallite royal’s essence bled through the void, Don’t give up! I’m lending my strength to you, so keep fighting! I’m sure I can think of something and get you help!

Alear could only pray that she would hurry.

~~~

Prince Alfred, Framme, Princess Ivy, and Prince Diamant were the only ones allowed in the upper chamber. Clanne volunteered to place himself on duty outside the door while the others went to work.

The women examined Alear’s limp form, attempting to find some rational explanation as to what the draconic mage inflicted upon their leader. The men remained in the room in case of an emergency or complication. If extra materials were needed, they could run to get them, and if Zephia intended to try anything nefarious, they stood at the ready to fight.

“Well,” Framme concluded, “the Divine One is still alive, at least. Her pulse is strong.”

After a few minutes, Ivy frowned. She pressed down on Alear’s torso before watching the dragon’s ring flash and her chest extend.

“I believe it’s Lady Corrin we have to thank for her survival. Zephia…she stopped her lungs.”

“What?” Alfred panicked.

“Fear not; her emblem seems to be manually pulling in air. Our leader will continue to survive so long as she keeps her ring, and so long as Corrin continues to help.”

If Alear had chosen not to wear her ring to bed…

“Lady Corrin, can you hear me?” Framme tried. “Could you come out and talk to us?”

One moment of silence turned into three before a flash of light yielded the silver-haired princess to them.

“Good, I’m so glad her friends are here to help her,” Corrin gave a sad smile. “She’s in trouble.”

Diamant stepped forward, “We figured. Do you know what’s going on?”

“Not exactly - it’s so dark. There’s something preventing me from reaching her. She’s practically suffocating in black magic. I’ve been doing my best to lend her my strength, but it won’t last.”

The plum-haired princess sighed, “It is times like these that I lament the loss of Celica. She would have known how to expel such darkness.”

A heavy wave of despair blanketed the room. How could they stand around the Divine One’s deathbed doing nothing while she suffered?

Suddenly, Framme perked up, “Wait, Celica told me about something! The rings she helped us forge - her friends were infused in them. She said someone from her world known as Mae grew up with her and learned similar magic.”

“Really?” Alfred pressed, “Do you have Mae’s ring?”

Framme nodded, “It’s in the Ring Chamber. Surely Mae knows how to expel the darkness from Alear like Celica does, right?”

“Only one way to find out,” Firene’s first prince called on his way out of the room. He apologized to Clanne for almost hitting him with the door as he practically fell down the stairs.

The cold breath of the Ring Chamber sharpened his senses as the blond scanned his eyes over the displays. In his haste, he forgot to ask Framme what the ring looked like.

Stupid, stupid, stupid.

“That one!”

Lucina’s voice shocked him only for a moment when she materialized at his side. He shook himself out of the small stupor, his gaze following her finger to a ring with an amethyst hue.

“...Mae?”

The small halo beamed in reply; the only answer Alfred permitted himself the patience to wait for prior to snatching it off its stand.

Out the door and back up the stairs he strode, thankful for all the training he committed to each day if only to get him back to the Divine One sooner. Clanne, recalling the incident from just a minute ago, opened the door for him this time to avoid getting hit again.

Slowing down, Alfred held out the jewel to Framme, the steward urgently slipping it onto her finger.

“Mae?”

Framme’s eyes flashed before she began recounting their situation. After a moment, she placed her hand over Alear’s pulse.

“...Okay…yeah…” the girl turned to Ivy and Corrin. “Mae says she can’t fully expel this magic, but she can remove it from the Divine Dragon’s body. The only issue is that with nowhere else to go, it’s going to appear in front of us.”

Lucina turned to Corrin, “Do you have any idea what we might be up against? Any warning we might heed?”

“I’m sorry, but Zephia’s magic prevents me from tangibly interacting with it. I really don’t know - no!”

Gasping out her liege’s name, Corrin disappeared, presumably back into the ring.

Alear’s complexion had paled rather noticeably; still filled with life, yet untouched by nature. It was as if she had never experienced the sun, the breeze, or the plants…as though she had never taken water nor tasted food…

Like a painted doll never taken out of its parcel.

Diamant drew his sword, “If she is dealing with this alone and losing, we may have better odds of winning by working together.”

“Right,” Ivy assented.

Alfred turned to Framme, “We can do this. Tell Mae we’re ready.”

The petite girl pursed her lips together, bobbing her head once and holding her hands out.

Purple magic gathered in front of her before surrounding Alear to expel the darkness. The dragon’s body seemed to resist at first; Alear’s torso the only thing initially rising as the spell lifted it off the bed.

Eventually, a stream of darkness protruded into the purple, the colors dancing as the darkness trailed from her chest. When all was said and done, Alear fell limp onto the mattress, and a massive, horrible void formed between the Elyosians and her bed.

“This is what Zephia conjured to consume the Divine One?” Diamant balked.

“Ugh, it reeks of emptiness,” Ivy brought the back of her hand to her mouth. “So much energy, and yet…nothing.”

The void thrashed and tremored from its spot on the ground. Moving quickly, Ivy struck it once with her magic, then again. The spells collided with the darkness and disappeared just as quickly.

“What the-?”

Diamant grit his teeth, “It’s just absorbing your attacks.”

The room watched as Ivy continued her fruitless onslaught. Flares of light danced between the princess’ book and the dark matter occupying the center of the Divine One’s chamber.

“I’ve never seen such an uncontaminated shadow without a host,” Lucina worried.

Alfred tensed, “There must be a way to get rid of it for good.”

If Zephia’s claim had been true, then it must have been experimental magic. The prince found it difficult to believe that even she could create a perfect curse on her first attempt.

Then again, maybe she had tested it on others prior to this incident.

“Of course!” the Ylissean princess’ blue eyes widened. “Prince Alfred, with Naga’s blessing, my Falchion should be able to purify the void.”

“How do you mean?”

“In my world, Falchion possessed the power to seal away even the fell dragon,” she rushed to explain. “I am certain it must be able to seal this darkness away as well - especially if it was merely created by man.”

Her reasoning seemed sound, though he had to admit he felt a bit timid in regards to launching himself at the thing.

Unfortunately, Ivy had halted her assault in favor of searching for a spell that might work more effectively. Their amorphic opponent lashed out, looking to cling to something after supporting itself alone for so long. Called to its original host, it began crawling back toward the Divine One.

“Now! Lucina!”

Alfred charged forward, his form glowing upon the emblem joining with him. Now brandishing Falchion, he attempted to cut through the black shape and prevent it from reaching Alear.

With one slash of the blessed sword, the black magic recoiled and shrank, the newly purified tendrils transforming into light and dissolving into the air.

There was no time to celebrate; a faint cheer from Framme faded when the remaining fragments dragged themselves beneath him and latched onto his leg. They merged, wrapping themselves up Alfred’s body and forging a path directly to his ring.

“H-Hey-! -ngh!”

The curse forced him to disengage, ripping Lucina from him as he fell to his knees.

“Prince Alfred!” Diamant called.

Amidst the chaos, a sharp inhale resounded from the Divine One’s bed.

“She’s breathing again! But how?” Framme cried, rushing to Alear’s side.

Her breath clung to Alfred like a pulse, his own inhalation timed perfectly with her own. It felt like he could no longer control his lungs at all…

Lucina…I need you…please…

It was driving him crazy…and leaving him a bit dizzy. He needed to fight to stay conscious. If he fell under…well, wouldn’t he end up just like Alear? Only he didn’t have an emblem to save him - not anymore.

I can’t die here! Not now!

It was all he could do to keep calling out to Lucina. Alfred had no intention of losing himself, but even so…

…

…I’m here! I found you, Alfred - I’m right here!

“...Please…stay with me…”

Always.

“Lyn!”

The blond barely made out a feminine voice, but at that moment it didn’t matter. The air around him trembled until his senses came flooding back to him all at once.

Gasping for breath, his body failed him and he fell to the ground. Thankfully, Prince Diamant rushed to support him before his head could strike the marble floor.

“Are you alright, Prince Alfred?”

“I…I’m still awake, right?” he gasped. “Am I still…?”

“Yes, it is finished. That spell took quite the hold on you.”

He lifted his head, black spots forming at the edges of his vision to punish him for being too quick. Alfred didn’t care.

“What of the Divine One?”

“Sleeping,” the Brodian prince reassured him, “Corrin said she would be alright.”

It was then that he finally allowed himself to scan the room. Ivy and Framme were rushing about the Divine One, the princess splitting her attention between Alear and Alfred now that he had awoken while the steward elected to remain at her liege’s bedside.

“Forgive me;” Ivy clarified, “I needed to utilize Lady Lyn’s bow to free you. I never intended to actually strike you with it.”

The prince gave a weak grin, “No worries. Besides, there was no way to guide the arrows without hitting me through that thing. I think it took the brunt of your attack.”

Extending the stave over Alfred, Princess Ivy took her time mending everything as best she could. With Diamant’s support, he found his footing and rose to stand, the three of them migrating to Alear’s stirring form.

“Her breathing is normal,” Framme confirmed, “and isn’t synced with Alfred’s anymore. She should be just fine on her own.”

The group gave the mattress more space as red and blue strands of hair tangled together.

“...hello…?”

“Good afternoon, Divine One,” Ivy greeted her calmly. “How are you feeling?”

“My body feels fine…my head…not so much.”

“I know how that feels,” Alfred frowned.

After a moment of cursing the light entering the room, the woman’s eyes flew open, and she shot up as though she had just snapped out of a trance, “Wait, I-I’m awake?”

Alear’s eyes trailed over the room, assessing the damages in her confusion.

“...what exactly…happened?”

Diamant kindly filled her in to the best of his ability, patiently answering her bewildered questions. At the end of the story, her gaze caught Alred’s.

“Are you okay?”

His mouth almost dropped open, “Me? You’re the divine dragon! You were out cold for hours, fighting this thing by yourself, while I could hardly hold on for a few minutes, and you’re asking about me?”

“He does have a point,” Framme meekly piped up. “Everything we did was for you. We had each other, but we really thought you were going to die, Divine One!”

Alear shook her head, “I would never overlook someone else’s pain just because I suffered too. We both endured Zephia’s curse, so it’s important that we’re both taken care of.”

Prince Alfred sighed, bringing a hand to his face, “Honestly, Divine One, you’re too selfless. If you must know, I’ll be fine. You should let Framme and Princess Ivy tend to your head for now. Then, if you’re still concerned, we can talk later.”

It was clear that she didn’t like that answer, yet she resigned herself back to the bed nonetheless. Resting her head upon her pillow, the women continued working their staves and monitoring her vital signs.

Eventually, Framme helped Alear right herself on the mattress despite protests that she really should be resting.

“Framme, I’ve been lying down long enough. What I really want is to stretch my legs and to get some food and water.”

“Even so, perhaps it is best Lady Corrin stay with you - at least until tomorrow morning. One can never be too certain,” Diamant supplied.

Ivy nodded, “Yes, and I would recommend you keep Lucina with you as well, Prince Alfred. You have been through quite a lot today, despite what you say, and I would hate for anything to happen because of anyone’s carelessness.”

“Oh,” he turned to Lucina. “Would you be alright staying with me a while longer?”

The emblem’s hand found its way to her heart, “Of course.”

Alfred received his own checkup at Alear’s insistence; however, she had to practically force him to swap places with her since he was adamantly against sitting upon her bed. Fortunately, he relented once Framme began to complain.

Ivy sent Prince Diamant to get Bunet to start cooking, Alfred’s checkup commencing without so much as a hiccup before the Divine One’s chamber emptied out. Clanne clandestinely snuck in and cleaned up the place, leaving things as though Zephia’s experiment had never happened.

Perhaps it didn’t, Alfred thought. Maybe when something is spoken of for the last time, it dies.

Of course, his mind was not so kind to him. His dreams the next few weeks were plagued with her pale form and the pulse of their synchronized breaths.

Those were the nights he was glad to have Lucina with him.

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