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marisferasiop · 8 months

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PAKLALAT

<18 DNI explicit content below the cut. By clicking "readmore" you are consenting to viewing this content.

Continuation of part one (ao3 also in the link)

Also on ao3

Pairing: Ezra/reader/Din Djarin

Summary: Din drops you and Ezra and Grogu off with a friend on Tatooine while he runs back to return the bounty to Cantonica. He has a rough journey. When he returns, you and Din have a little surprise for Ezra.

Content summary: tremendous smut. Literally all of it. Gay, straight, poly, etc.

Word count: about 24k, hope you're hungry

Vanth’s mouth is set in a grim line of frustration, but Din presses his luck like a bruise. “They will work around town, we’re not asking for a handout. Surely someone has a spare room.”

“It ain't the handing out or the work I'm annoyed by, and you know it ,” Vanth quips, making Din suppress a flinch.

He hadn't exactly left Freetown under the best terms last time. But Fett is out on a fresh self-appointed warpath and Peli didn't have a spare room to house you in, so he had been led to drop you in Freetown. He can still vaguely feel Vanth’s unimpressed glare and deprecating questions like needles under his armor.

Din just hopes the bitterness ends there. For both your and Ezra’s sake. He’ll take the ire on himself when it reaches a boiling point.

“I won't be here. I’m only asking you to hide them while I turn in proof of death and return, and we’ll be back out of your way.”

A muscle rolls in Cobb's jaw and he stares back, already knowing the answer is yes because he can’t seem to deny Din anything (except leaving). “There’s a one-room hut free at the end of the row. Rast lived alone, and died last week in a shaft collapse. Your outfit can have it. I’ll let them know if we need hands, otherwise they can stay hidden.”

Mando nods his appreciation and stands, awkwardly taking his leave without shaking on the deal before Vanth changes his mind or adds stipulations. Maker , he’d left a mess behind.

The two suns bake him within his beskar as he walks out, boots sinking in the sand. Just at the edge of the ship landing flats is the Crest . The sight of the three of you spilling out onto the relative shade beside it and letting the kid run around with a few town children makes his heart clench.

Din nods to you both, scales the ramp, and starts packing a kit bag. Within a minute, you are standing behind him. Ezra stays seated at the top of the ramp, legs dangling off the side, and tips his head back to watch both you and keep an eye on Grogu still playing.

“What's the deal?” You ask.

“You three will lay low in the hut at the end of the row. Recently vacated. Vanth says he’ll reach out if he needs working hands. Otherwise nothing. Doesn't want an exchange.”

“Was he an asshole about it?”

Din sighs through his nose and pauses, shakes his head. “No, but it's clear I'm on thin ice.”

“What happened last time? In case we are also on thin ice? So we can understand.”

Din hesitates and stops packing. “We… Had a few weeks of layover here before I met you. Actually, when I met you, I was leaving from being here. The Marshal and I had a… tryst . I asked him if he wanted to leave with me, because Grogu and I needed to keep moving before I got rid of Moff Gideon, and when he said no , I accepted it and still left. He is still somewhat bitter about it.”

“And bringing back two new partners who are willing to travel and care for your weird green kid just rubs salt in the wound. Kevva , Din, we couldn't have gone anywhere else?” Ezra asks from the doorway, frowning.

“Not just anywhere is as safe as here would be, paklalat . No one’s going to look for you here, in the middle of the Dune Sea in a town not on any map. And if they do , iisa and the Marshal can easily take them out. He’s a sharp shot, even with the mod.”

“What's a mod ?”

“It’s a mechanized replacement of a missing body part. Usually limbs, but a really good mod artist can do organs,” you answer and quirk a small smile when Ezra blinks and glances down at his stump, frowning. Din interrupts both your thoughts:

“I’ll be back as soon as I make the drop. Maybe two weeks? Cantonica is roughly four standard days each way.” Din shoulders the heavy kit bag stuffed with clothes and supplies for Grogu, yourself, and Ezra to lay low for a few weeks. “Come on. The faster I go, the quicker I'm back.”

You grab a couple blankets and stuff them in Grogu’s pram along with Din’s pillow. When he tips his helmet at you, you tip your chin up at him and arch a challenging eyebrow. “For your scent.”

A pink-cheeked Ezra dips his chin to smile at his boots and chuffs a soft laugh when Mando hesitates before plodding down the ramp with an amused huff. He scoops up the kid and keeps walking, barely breaking stride.

Vanth meets the four of you outside the entrance to the single dome of a small below-ground hut. He eyes each of you skeptically before smiling at the kid and nodding back at the house. You watch the scales of his fine metal fingers shift against his belted hip as he turns.

“This is a binary star system?” Ezra says quietly, almost under his breath, more musing than asking, squinting up at the blinding sky.

“It is, pak . The larger is Tatoo I, smaller is Tatoo II. Three moons, too.” Din turns and watches the other man’s eyebrow climb up his forehead toward that blonde patch and turns back to you. He can feel the pinpoint accuracy of all Vanth’s questions being fired at the back of his helmeted head.

Instead of asking any of them, Vanth simply explains through a furrowed brow: “Little house, but it has a bed and a condensator, and keeps the sand and heat out, which is what matters out here. We got a nasty summer storm blowing in, probably be in late tonight, early tomorrow, by the feel of it. Stay inside; won’t go chasin’ after you if you get caught in it.”

He gives you the door code and watches with a frown as you and Ezra nod your thanks and disappear down into the dark, cool underground space. Din waves the pram down after you and follows, followed by Vanth. He stands in the doorway, hazel eyes adjusting to the low light.

“Y’all need anything, shout. The cantina has food and I'm at the other end of the row. Door with the stripes.” He taps his belt buckle and meets eyes with Ezra, seemingly finally noticing his missing arm. Vanth flexes his own shoulder injury and clears his throat. “I suggest getting a couple a’ packed meals from Taanti to store in the cooler for the next few days while the storm rages.”

“How long do they last out here?” You ask, recalling the storms in Mos Eisley that we're usually gone in a day after pounding the taller buildings with sand and wind. Out here there was nothing to slow it down except the low, worn mountains in the distance.

“Usually a day or two. Longer if it's a bigger one. Let’s say to prep for three days.” He dips his chin when you nod in understanding and taps the doorframe with a palm, pushing off and making his exit.

The three of you stand around a low table in what appears to be a very small sitting room. Grogu blinks and gurgles from Ezra’s elbow, pushing curiosity at you. There is a two-seat couch and the table, along an adjacent wall is a cooler and sonic for a sink, as well as a slow drip for farmed water. There is a door that you assume is the ‘fresher, and another that disappears into black darkness- what must be a bedroom.

Din glances around the space and silently checks each room habitually, noting exits and anything else he has on his mental list while you and Ezra unload your kit. Snacks and meds go on the kitchen counter, bedding and clothes in respective places. You don't exactly spread out like you're moving in, but it's a near thing. Given how intimate the space is, it’s hard not to. It's scarcely larger than the Crest .

Ezra seems to be oddly quiet and feeling a bit awkward. “You okay?” You ask, coming to sit by him on the little sofa. He hums at you and pushes his forehead into your palm when you stroke his sweaty hair back.

“I had not thought about the idea of a- a prosthesis until now, seeing this Marshal of yours,” he flicks his eyes up at Din.

“I promise I don't have a thing for one-armed men,” Mando snarks with a tilted helmet, making you both chuckle. “Vanth was injured in a shootout by another bounty hunter who was trying to send a message to me during a turf war here. Another Mandalorian involved in the battle fitted him with the mod after the fight.”

“I imagine that's quite an expensive gift,” Ezra murmurs. He thinks of his own penniless state and feels an old- familiar wash of jealousy take over him.

“Fett still has the mod artist, they live in his compound…” Din trails off, clearly thinking ahead. “I will contact him. Trade in a favor, if you want it. He owes me a few.” but Ezra is already shaking his head.

“You are already doing me several undeserved favors. I will earn my keep and a new arm, if and when I am able.”

You and Din share a flat look before he shrugs off the conversation and comes closer and drops to a knee in front of the sofa. He presses his forehead to yours and holds you there for a moment in a Keldabe kiss, his thumb tracing up your nape before doing the same to Ezra.

“ Behave ,” he says to the kid and pulls him out of Ezra's arm for a hug. “ Please don't go outside once the storm starts. I’ll be back quick as I can.”

Grogu fusses at him and wants to go too. You tell Din as much, translating, and he pauses. “If you stay here you can play with the town kids, and eat real food. I’m only dropping something off and coming right back. No fights.”

The gurgle and wrinkly little green frown Din receives in answer is mighty enough to make him drop his head back and chuckle. “Two weeks, at most. Don't make any of the kids fly. Or take their food ,” he says firmly, earning a grumble. You snort at the orange flare of annoyance, tinged blue at the edges with worry and take the kid back, juggling him on your hip.

“He’ll be okay, little bean.”

“I will. Be good for iisa .”

Din nods at you and pulls his hand out of the kid’s grasp, using it to ruffle Ezra's wild hair as he walks past. “ You, too, paklalat. ” He slants the visor down to meet Ezra’s gaze and tugs lightly at the blonde patch at the other man’s temple, earning a grin, and disappears up the stairs.

_______________

The minute Din steps back into the road through the center of town, he feels a particular set of eyes on him from the mouth of the cantina. Instead of shirking confrontation, he decides to get it over with. Maybe talking, even briefly, will sway Vanth into not treating either of you like a nuisance.

“Go on.” He stays in the sand and looks up at Cobb, hands hanging at his sides. The mod shimmers in the sunlight when the Marshal hangs a thumb on his belt, hip cocked. He chews his lip and squints down at Din, warring over something.

“You with both of ‘em?”

Din concentrates on not clenching his fingers and holds perfectly still for a beat too long. He nods.

“How’d you meet ‘em? Travelin’?”

“I picked up a bounty on May. We got dosed with a pollination spice and… Came together. So to speak.”

“What's his name? Pack ?”

“Ezra. I call him paklalat . Means talkative . He never shuts up.”

Cobb snorts, his smile rueful. “How’d he lose the arm? Not a shootout for your benefit, that would be almost too funny.” The smile stretched on his face turns a little more brittle.

“A prior injury had turned gangrenous when I found him. I amputated it in the field. Iisa nursed him to health.”

“And the other? Iisa ?”

“A friend of the ship mechanic I use in Mos Eisley. Took the job I offered to stay on as crew, upkeep the ship and mind the kid. Also got spiced.”

“So then this trip you're on to drop off proof of death. It’s on the fella?”

“Yes. I don't know if they sent other fobs out for him. The intent is to discourage further bounties on his head.”

Vanth whistles low and shakes his head. “Alright.”

“Just hide them. Iisa is a sharpshooter, they can defend themselves if the need arises. Ideally, no need will arise. No one knows we're in this sector except you.”

“I told you I would. Now go on, so you can get back. This ain't exactly a vacation town.”

________________

You and Ezra decide to go for sustenance before you settle in further. Many people in the tiny town seem to recognize Grogu handily enough and wave at him, but offer you and Ezra suspicious glances before they keep moving.

The cantina is lined already with customers who all seem to have the same agenda as you. The barkeep, a weequay the Marshal had called Taanti , comes over and adds your order to the list before he gets cooking.

You squeeze into two seats in a corner, tucked away but still very visible to the townsfolk who are craning their necks and muttering with side-eye glances. The energy thrumming around you is incredibly fraught with curiosity and anxiety. You shove your attention to the kid, watching him observe everyone, how he does.

Grogu sits quietly on the triangle of Ezra’s lap where his ankle is perched on the opposite knee, watching the smattering of dusty, exhausted miners watching them back. He pushes you some curiosity tinged with a morose blue at the edges, and you thumb the soft leather of his ear fondly.

“Mind if I join?”

You glance up to see the Marshal standing nearby with three snort glasses hooked on his fingers and the neck of a decanter in his mod hand. “Sure.”

He hands you the goods and drags over a chair. “Drink?” He takes back a snort and the decanter and tips the bottle at you. Ezra shrugs and you hold out both glasses for Vanth to pour for you, and hand Ezra one. He pulls a mighty face at the brine of it when he knocks it back and you smother a laugh, sipping your own.

“This is a regular imbibement?” Ezra chokes, salivating to wash the taste out.

“Pretty common liquor in the Outer Rim, yeah.”

“You a Core fella?” Vanth asks, tipping his head at Ezra. Neither of you miss how his tawny eyes flicker over the man’s pinned tunic sleeve before resting on his face.

“Far, far from it, Marshal. I am from the outer reaches. The Unknown Regions, I believe you all call it, here. Further even than the Outer Rim. Capitalism and feudalism has destroyed most viable planets in my galaxy, and many of those planets remaining viable are mired in the same such muck. And so I came to this galaxy seeking fortune, and have paid dearly for that audacity and greed, though I can’t complain too much about my lot, right now.” Ezra smiles warmly at you and you shake your head at him, flushing.

You make small talk for a short while before Taanti arrives with several boxes of steaming ahrise and roasted desert veg and some sort of synth protein, stacked neatly in a crate. The kid tries to dig into one immediately, but you shoulder the crate.

Ezra stands and holds his hand out to take the kid back. “It was nice to chat, Marshal. Come to us if your folks need aid after the storm, we’re happy to lend a few hands.”

Vanth nods at you both and you leave, leading Ezra and Grogu back down the darkening street to the hut you’ve been allotted. Ezra stops and stares up at two bright moons and the bright lip of a third, just edging above the horizon. You point them out by name; the smallest, Chenini, is high in the sky, followed by the larger Guermessa and Ghomrassen just coming up.

“Would you like to try and comm Cee before the storm hits?” You ask Ezra once inside, stuffing the containers of food in the cooler. Grogu is at the low table shoving fistfuls of ahrise into his mouth and blinking up at you.

Ezra quirks a soft, slow grin and nods. “I would.” You hand him a datapad and headset from your kit and move around the hut, opening the tiny sand vents for fresh, cooler evening air and locking the only door. You decide to inspect the ‘fresher for the best way to clean up the kid before bed.

“ Hello, number three, ” you hear from the sitting area, and turn back to see Ezra sitting cross legged on the floor, the datapad flickering on the table and the earbud in his ear. He smiles- soft and wide- looking at a truly terrible image from the datapad’s weak signal while Cee says something. He chuffs a laugh. “No, they decided not to. Uh– Mando is off dealing with the bounty I had on me, so I will be presumed dead. His partner and I - and the Child - are laying low at the moment. But tell me about you , little bird. How is school?”

Grogu has finished his food and made quite a mess. He rubs a knuckle into a sleepy eye and yawns. “Come on ya little womp rat. Clean up and bedtime, I think.” You scoop him up and carry him to the fresher, leaving Ezra to talk and giggle with his girl.

After a thorough sonic for his robe and full wipe down with a damp cloth, Grogu is pristinely green and drooping with a full belly. You carry him back in and settle him in his pram, floating in the corner of the little sitting room.

By the time Ezra wraps up his call and tells Cee goodbye, Grogu is snoring steadily, starfished in his pram with one of Din's old capes draped across him and clenched in one tiny fist. You are leaning against the worktop eating your dinner.

“Yours is here,” you tell him, and the man gets up and comes over to the small kitchenette.

“Thank you, gem. For the call and reheating the food. It will be novel to enjoy something other than your delicious soup and those bland ration bars, I must admit.”

You hum, smiling, and let him tuck his limbless side against your right hip and shoulder. He leans on you a bit, eating methodically with his off hand.

Scooping ahrise is a skill that needs to be honed , he learns.

“She doing ok?”

“Oh, Cee’s doing just fine. Making friends and writing, reading all she wants, getting good marks so far. She’s a smart girl, and didn't have much opportunity to explore her interests or high intelligence with that selfish prick of a father she had. I must say I'm not exactly put out about adding his name to my red ledger. Not if it meant she got a better life for it.” he pushes his empty plate and fork into the sonic sink and buzzes them clean one-handedly.

“Now what do we do?”

You press your forehead into his shoulder, wrapping your arms around his trim waist, feeling Ezra drop his face down into the curve of your neck. He’s blessedly put on a couple pounds since you and Din took him on weeks ago; regular meals and not running for his life while sweating out in a full- hazard suit will do that to a man. You’re glad to see the wan bonyness of malnutrition leaving him, filling out his face and padding his belly and bum. Even Din had remarked a day or so previous (while gripping May’s hips and fairly pounding into him) at the extra cushioning (which had earned him a well-placed pillow to the head and a resounding tackle- after they’d come).

“Whatever we like, I guess. Not much to do but wile away the hours.”

“ Hmm .” A careful nibble over your clavicle makes you flinch with the small tickle, your chin dipping toward the shoulder he’s resting on and then- it’s hardly a turn of his head to catch you in a kiss. You huff a laugh against his mouth and return it, hooking your arm behind his head to keep him close. “I can think endlessly of things to do with you, gem, were I permitted.”

“I’m open to suggestions,” you tease, coaxing his tongue into your mouth with a flick of your own. Ezra groans into you softly, careful not to wake the child, and urges you the few feet to the side toward the bedroom door.

________________

Din sets the course for Cantonica and sighs heavily, weighing the benefits of comming Boba Fett now or waiting. He sounded busy previously. Maybe the return trip would be better. With hope, whatever firefight the older Mandalorian has gotten himself into will be over by then.

Bringing Ezra to Fett provides a certain bit of anxiety for Din, though. Fett is one of very few living beings that has seen Din’s face. Bo- Katan, Skywalker, Cara Dune, and Mayfeld join Grogu in that very short (though not short enough ) list.

Would Fett bring it up? Potentially out him to both you and Ezra? Assuming he did the favor in the first place.

If so, it would be accidental. Fett may not have the same beliefs as Din, but he is respectful. And if he did- what would that mean? Having you and Ezra know what he looked like, without him ever baring his face? Would that break his Creed? Does intention matter?

His stomach sours at the idea of leaving Ezra disabled over such a selfish and unassured concern. He will simply tell Fett to keep his thoughts to himself before they arrive.

He decides to comm Fett on his way back to Tatooine.

_______________

Your hand grips the flimsy shelf above the bed dangerously hard- any more pressure will definitely make it fall. You yank your hand back, shocked away from the edge Ezra has you balanced on for a brief second.

Ezra groans deep and low, trying to be quiet. He has a mouthful of your breast, the tender underside in his teeth, your stiff nipple just under the ledge of his fuzzy upper lip, ticklish and warm and wet . You gasp at the curl of his fingers inside you and card your nails through his hair, as if yanking him any closer will change it.

Since he had lost the arm and once you, he, and Din had begun sleeping together after the spice incident, you’ve both made a concerted effort to make sure Ezra’s remaining hand is put to good use.

It builds Ezra's confidence to watch either of you fall apart on his fingers, the singular treat of it almost better than when he’s using his mouth. Ezra’s eyes get dark and distant, watching you ride his palm, watching his fingers disappear up into Din, your face as it buckles with desire, the solid thunk of a helmet being dropped in the dark before he’s dragged upward into a blindfolded kiss, his fingertips dancing over a swollen prostate.

The rule is a simple one, and only a few days old in your short tenure with Ezra. If he can make you or Din come on his fingers, with his hand only, he can have you any way he likes. (It just so happens that what he likes involves a bit of manhandling and exertion of control, which suits both of you just fine.)

Now, Ezra’s hand is laying on its back on his thigh, fingers curved upward into you and your clit grinding against the heel of his palm. Your back curves sharply, and his cock throbs untouched against your thigh; he can’t touch it and you, but he doesn't mind waiting for his reward.

“ Please , my love. Come for me.” He wants to be inside you so badly but he is patient. He wants to earn it. You riding him, his own orgasm. Ezra likes being put to use and being rewarded with attention and touch. He moves on to your other breast, laving his tongue wide before latching on your nipple with a firm suck. Your fists curl tighter in his hair, your hips grinding on his fingers, squishing his palm against his thigh with a thick-slick glide that's just not enough friction.

“Ezra. Too wet - I need– OH!“ you gasp as he curves his thumb up, adjusting a third finger inside and tilting his wrist, and you shiver from the added stretch and proper stimulation.

“There you go, gem. Please come, please give it to me? I need to feel it,” he pants, moving his head to catch your other nipple in his mouth as you bounce above him, right in his face. He could come from this, maybe. Enough of it. His cock aches , trailing wet smears across your thigh and hip as you jostle him with your rough riding.

Your grip in his hair tightens and he feels you start to seize around his digits, ready to go over the edge. “Ki- kiss me, ” you demand, pulling his head back, and he’s helpless to comply with you; eager to, in fact. He licks into your mouth, scraping teeth over your lip and curls his fingers into that spongy patch and- you’re gone . He drinks down your cut-off noises, riding your high with you and hoping he’s earned a treat as well.

He is propped up on the pillows, in the position you’d put him in when you’d climbed into bed so he could reach all the parts of you you’d wanted seen- to. Now you’re listless and sated, but eyeing him keenly. His cock pulses against your thigh, a blurt of precome welling up and dripping down, tickling. He almost yanks his hand away to grab it but you sit down harder, anticipating him. You shiver above him, still tender and pulsing as you come down.

“Does my sweet boy need to come?” You coo, lightly scritching your nails over his inner thighs, his skin wet and sticky from your release.

“ Please , gem. I would greatly appreciate fucking you to completion again, if I may.”

“You may , May,” you giggle against his grin, laying beside him and propping your hips on a pillow. “But first, I'd like your mouth to soften the senses a bit. Don’t you dare come on the sheets,” you tease, already spotting him rutting against the fabric piled beneath his hips as he settles on his belly and elbow between your knees. “I want you to fill me.”

“Aye- aye.” He sighs, and starts out soft, tasting you carefully and avoiding your tender clit. A few firm drags of his tongue is enough to blur the sharp oversensitivity back into arousal. Your goal this time isn’t orgasm, but Ezra now knows you on his tongue so well he could get you there very easily.

“I want your cock , baby,” you whine after a few scant moments, tugging his forelock for attention. He chuckles against you and drops a suckling kiss on your swollen clit before pushing himself upright.

“I could hear you say that forever, gem. How do you want it?”

“Like this,” you say, tipping onto your right hip and carefully draping your left leg up and over his damaged shoulder. The position makes him straddle your right leg and allows him to get as deep as possible. The tilted position also allows for the fat width of his cock to feel even girthier, rubbing on your spongy g-spot perfectly.

“Does my gem want to squirt tonight? Because you know this position is very nearly a– a guarantee –” he sighs, breath hitching when you tighten around him as he thumbs your clit.

“I mean, I’m not opposed ,” you laugh breathily, and writhe as Ezra seats himself as deep as he can. The tidy, coarse hairs at the base of his cock tickle your mound and provide just the right friction as he grinds deep, giving you every inch he has to offer.

“When our– handsome– knight returns. We should. Share him like this, gem. You, spread out like this for him, and me . Taking him from behind. He could feel us each, so deep .”

“Fuck. He’d -- lose it.”

Ezra chuckles and nods, pressing a kiss to your soft calf. He can’t hold his balance and your leg and thumb your clit all at once. You take over, swirling your fingers over yourself as he seats himself again and grinds deep.

“Wait for me, pretty boy,” you sigh, adjusting your hips, and he whines . “I’m almost there.”

“ Please gem, please come for me again. Milk my balls empty , let me fill this sweet pussy with every drop I have . I’ll keep it in there– long as you can stand it. Then– kevva – lick it out ,” he stammers between each thrust, sweat beading on his brow as you do exactly that, hitching your hips against him to feel every fat inch spreading you wide as you come on his length buried deep as it will go. He groans into your sternum, folding you in half as he stretches up for a kiss, feeling the gush of you around him leaking out.

“ Geeeeeem, please ! May I?” He begs, panting against your throat, eyes squeezed shut, and you nod breathlessly, tightening around him as hot jettisons of come fill your cunt. You’re becoming increasingly glad of your implant, with two male partners.

Before he softens, Ezra crowds you, almost desperate to sink into your very skin, dropping your leg to the side so he can spoon up tight behind and keep you stuffed with him. “Just a moment, please. It’s – never enough.”

“I know, baby. Stay close, with me.” you hold his arm as he wraps it tight around your ribs and buries his face into the back of your neck. You can feel his pulse in his cock inside you as he comes down, that almost- manic energy draining fast as his body adjusts to the onslaught of dopamine and serotonin. By the time he’s soft and slipping out of you, you're both very nearly asleep. The sudden chill on his damp skin stirs him back awake.

“Let me clean us up, gem,” Ezra drags your leg to the side, opening you back up as he slides around to settle between your thighs. You jump at the first swipe of his hot tongue, oversensitive and whining from it, but he softens his touch, sucking his come out of your cunt gently, lapping through your folds and over the plush swell of each inner thigh until the taste of himself is separated from yours.

He stumbles to his feet and hooks a foot in his smalls, dragging them back up and slipping out to the ‘fresher to clean himself. Ezra checks the kid, drinks down a dram of water, refills it and brings it to you, and curls back in bed with you.

“You said you didn't know any domestic skills,” you chuckle softly, tugging on his blonde patch. Ezra sighs and tucks his nose against your collarbone. “But I think you do just fine.”

“You have been attended to by a life in the military, and then by a hardened, faceless warrior for too long, as much of a sweetheart as he is. I think your expectations are what’s lacking, gem.”

You snort in answer, unable to refute the statement. Your thoughts turn to Din, hoping he is safe and the trip will be as simple as he had said. In the dark and quiet, with just the whoosh of sand beating the domed building (so similar to the rush of hyperspace) you can vaguely feel the swirling dreams of the kid in the next room, and Ezra’s constant, low thrum of anxiety despite his even breathing. You card your fingers through his hair until he drops off to sleep, and follow.

_______________

The landing and taking off at Cantonica are worse than the drop-off itself. The docks are overrun with personal vessels and yacht class ships; pirates and loan sharks pace the docks looking for easy targets, and Din wades through them, a plate of Carbonite hanging from his fist.

At least they afford him a wide berth when they see it. No one wants to mess with someone who's very look implies he can and will kill or freeze you as fast as make a deal with you.

He has to shed weapons at the door; a droid has him empty any blasters, vibroblades, explosives, ammo, and regular knives into a bin that is secured into a cubby for him. He’s given a chit and sent on his way, grumbling.

The loan shark that had given Ezra the front money for his mining attempt has a VIP booth along the back wall, full of scantily clad assorted- xeno females. The man himself is an overly-broad Muun called Kol. Din noticed very quickly that he lives up to the species standard- he is short-worded and precise.

Din generally appreciates it.

“Ezra May is dead, then?” Kol eyes the carbonite plate and frowns up at Din’s impassive visor.

“He is.”

“I instructed that a live delivery was preferred.”

“You did. He proved to not be amenable to that preference. I brought his arm as proof of destruction; the DNA matter will prove it belonged to Ezra May.” He hands the carbonite plate to a guard that approaches him. The same guard hands Din a coinpurse heavy with credits.

“I appreciate your services , Mandalorian.”

Din dips his head when the Muun waves him off, and departs. On the way back to his ship, he pauses to order a travel tray of food and makes his exit look unhurried and casual while he waits for it to be made, idly dropping a few credits into spin machines, watching a roulette game.

Eyes are on him.

_______________

You and Ezra are stacking and unstacking a pile of folded paper blocks for Grogu to alternately build and destroy as he sees fit when a resounding knock echoes in the tiny house. You glance at Ezra and get up.

“Storm must be cleared,” you sigh, tugging on your boots and going up to the entryway. When you open the door, a flood of sand flows down the landing grate just inside it. You stare down at it for a second then flick your eyes back up to Vanth, thumbs hooked on his knobby hips in the doorway.

“Storm’s over. Came to let y’all know. We’re repairing some condensators and moisture farmin’ pins on the east side if you’re handy.”

“I am. One minute.”

You go down and fetch your tool bag and a scarf to keep the sand from going down your clothes, and gloves. “If you two want to stretch your legs, the storm’s clear. Grogu might appreciate a jaunt with the town kids?”

Ezra makes an appreciative sound and gets up, tugging his own boots on and scooping up the kid. You go back up and join the Marshal, following him to a field of spindly metal towers seemingly growing out of the dunes at the edge of town like a metallurgical garden. Not called moisture farming for nothing , you think. Vanth quickly shows you how to spot damages that are common after storms and you get to work welding and re-shaping bent pins and flushing sand out of crevices with condensed air canisters.

After an hour or two, you take a break and spot Ezra sitting on a sandy porch in the shade of a domed house, animatedly reading a very worn book to a pile of rapt children. Grogu is in his lap, holding the tied-off cuff of his right sleeve and blinking almost directly up at him.

The Marshal sidles up next to you, hips-first and squinting, and hands you a waterskin. “Thanks,” you huff, and drink deeply.

“You sure are handy,” Vanth says, eyeing the work you’ve done. “What do you do ?”

“Mando picked me up as a mechanic. Used to be a Rebel sharpshooter, in the war.”

Vanth hums and nods at the spindles. “It's good work you’ve done. Nice to have capable hands around. What about him? No good?”

You huff a chuckle and shrug. “Ezra used to harvest on prospecting jobs. Now he just– talks .” You shoot Vanth a wry smile. “He’s still adjusting- it’s only been a couple weeks.”

Vanth nods and takes a drink. “‘Least he can have a choice in replacing it or not.” You frown at him and he shrugs his mod. “I just woke up with it. Didn't really have to get used to missing anything. But I can empathize somewhat. Damned thing did take weeks to reconnect to my nerves, so it was like having a dead or uncooperative limb a lot of that time.”

“Mando said it was a shootout? Or warfare?”

Vanth hums in the affirmative. “He came askin’ for help. I told him no. He left, and another bounty hun’er came through right after, told me to mind my own business and not dare to join the fight. I told him to leave off, and he shot me. Killed my deputy, too. My folks took me to the daimyo’s palace and went ‘n joined the firefight, and they won. And I woke up six weeks later with a new arm, and no Mando.”

You eye the man keenly while he talks, sussing out what drew Din to him before the Mandalorian left and found you. He’s tall, lanky. Mouthy. A shameless flirt; you’ve watched him sweet talk his own civilians all day, teasing and grinning at them with whose pretty, squinty, tawny eyes. He's handsome and smart, quick to suspicion and combativeness. But he’s nice , even begrudgingly. He's letting you shack up here despite very obviously still harboring some feelings for Din. Which means he’s at least a little bit jealous of you and Ezra.

“Thank you for letting us stay,” you settle on, and he blinks down at you in surprise. He tenses up like you crossed a line, speaking aloud about something he just does and shouldn't be given thanks for.

“Like I said, you’re handy. Get your boy outta the suns, he’s turnin’ more red than brown.” Vanth nods at Ezra who, even in the shade, is undeniably pink. You snort and shake your head.

“Yeah. I had guessed he’d brown up faster than Mando,” you snort, capping the waterskin and handing it back. “Guess I was wrong.” Vanth takes it slowly, his furrowed brow folding into curiosity.

“Din’s brown ? I only ever saw a hand, in the flesh, and in poor lighting. Is that common for Mandalorians? Fett is, too. But he sounds – different.”

You hum and shrug. “Din was a foundling, like Grogu. But Aq Vetinans are an Iberican people. They can tan next to an open window ,” you chuff. “They are generally on the range of bronze, and brown up well in the sun. Were , I should say. They were eradicated not long after we visited the moon festival when I was really small,” you shake your head. “But Boba Fett is a clone. His… ah, father ? Jango- he was a true Mandalorian. They’re all shapes and sizes now, like most populations of humans and humanoids anymore. I mean- Din’s kid is a foot tall and green, ” You grin at Vanth’s eyeroll and push off the wall to go fetch your bard, leaving the Marshal with the small, useless nugget of information.

Ezra has long since finished the book and is in the midst of telling a fairy tale to the circle of children. Grogu is still in his lap, peering up at him and clutching his empty sleeve. A couple of the kids gasp when he gets to the action and you stifle a fond giggle behind your fist. You haven't heard the story, so you sit on the ledge of the porch behind the ring of kids and listen.

It’s just past midday, so you let Grogu stay and play with the children after lunch and leave Ezra in the hut to cool down. He naps for a short while and inevitably gets restless, determined to join you. When he emerges, you are sitting on an upturned crate on the porch in the shade of a repurposed sand sail strung up like an awning over the doorway to your assigned hut. Grogu and two of the younger town kids are chasing a ball up and down the section of road and you’re repairing a speeder that had been brought over. The young owner had cautiously asked for help and, happy to have something to do, you’d obliged.

“What did that fine- assed Marshal want this morning? Probing you for salacious information on our mutual armored lover?”

You laugh and drop the spanner and search your bag for a smaller wrench. Ezra spots it on the far side of his boot and puts his foot on it, leaning over to accept a kiss as his finders’ fee before he lets you take it with an easy grin. “He was telling me how he lost his arm, actually.” You recant the story and watch Ezra’s face take it in from the corner of your eye. You don't miss the way he glances at his own pinned sleeve before frowning out at the dunes.

After a couple minutes, you clear your throat. “You know, we share the cut of most bounties. I don't imagine it will be any different with you along.”

“Meaning? What, I'm about to earn a third of my own bounty?”

You keep your eyes on your work. “ Meaning if you want it, that mod is yours, sweetheart. He trades in favors about as often as he does in credits. If he says he’s got enough favor with Fett to trade for a mod, and you want it…” You shrug and let the bait linger, and try not to fixate on your normally- garrulous partner’s almost- surly silence.

Ezra‘s pride is something that you’ve had to contend with a few times, when he lets himself get mired in the struggle of a task, or feeling useless as a part of the crew. It’s part of why you and Din have spent the last few weeks rebuilding his confidence in actions more than words.

Ezra has the words ; you two have the deeds .

“Hold this up while I weld it in?” You say more than ask, awkwardly pinning a replacement clip on the carburetor to hold it in place and priming your soldering knife. He does, and you press a kiss in thanks to his rough knuckles as he drops his hand.

A few moments later, Grogu tumbles over with his arms outstretched until he’s between Ezra’s boots, asking to be picked up. It’s leaning toward afternoon and past uncomfortably hot; he’s tired and pushing hungry at you. You chuckle and finish with the speeder, leaving it in a slip of shade by your hut, and lead the boys inside for your own late lunch and a much-needed drink.

Ezra opts to read a book on the bed after you get Grogu down for a nap, and you end up dozing off, curled into his side, wondering about Din.

_______________

Din is not having a great time.

Leaving you three on Tatooine means that his heart and half his mind are there , even when he’s kicking a grunt off the dock past the air barrier and into the abyss of space and throwing another over his shoulder down into a lower level.

He’d almost made it to the ship when he’d been tackled by three armored Klatoonians and three armed men, all grunts for a spice runner that thinks herself quite the criminal overlord. (In reality, she's barely worth the bounty the Core has on her head.)

Din is unfortunately familiar. He's picked up pucks on both her and her runners in the past. Including a fairly recent one on her very young daughter, though the child was simply handed back to her by the useless Core system. Core justice often doesn't amount to much.

Regardless, it seems like she has held a grudge.

A Klatoonian whacks Din over the head with a heavy piece of metal and it rattles his sensors, but he blasts them in the chest and shoots the last two men before hauling ass back to the Crest .

He’s shot at again before he gets there, the blaster bolt glancing off his pauldron and skimming the top of his shoulder by burning clean through his cowl. He growls and slices the last Klatoonian through the middle with the saber and dives into his ship, taking off before he even glances at the wound. He throws the ship into a hyperlane and toggles the course. The ache up his neck and down his arm is substantial, but he grits his teeth and changes his mind to set a course for Naboo instead of Tatooine.

Something isn't right .

Scanning the ship thoroughly and sending out his own pings reveals that there is a tracer on the Crest , something not his pinging out a signal and someone is very likely watching his progress from the other end. Probably Zeva . He finds the small device, buried under netting in a crate in the cargo hold, and drops it down the vacc tube and out into space. He goes over the ship again, the whole hold and storage and cab, before sighing out the breath he’s been holding tight in his chest for over an hour.

Somewhat satisfied, Din finally shucks the helmet and yanks off his gorget, cowl and left pauldron. The blaster bolt has seared the meat of his shoulder and neck, but it was a clean shot, not even deep enough for stitches. He balances a mirror on a shelf and cleans it, pours bacta over it with a wince, and lets it air dry as he chews through a tasteless ration bar.

He misses the kid. And you . And Ezra . Din wonders idly what you're up to before deciding that you’ve probably been either bored or fucking or watching Grogu or helping around town out of restlessness since he left.

(He’s not wrong)

With his shoulder dry and stomach not-empty (not full- and definitely not satisfied- he’d lost the box of food in the fight) he seals a bacta patch over the wound and re-dresses. He drinks some water, scoops up his helmet, and goes back up to the cockpit to nap. Something still feels off , so he won't stay in his bunk. The hold feels empty without his additional three anyway.

The cockpit is hardly better; he thinks about the last time you were all three in it. He’d had Ezra on his knees in front of his seat, sucking him, while you touched yourself in the passenger seat. He’d made a passing remark about keeping May down there, artfully bound, to suck him any time he piloted and Ezra had made a desperate sound so ragged and pleading he’d very nearly come on the spot.

The Crest makes quick time to Naboo with a quarter of its residents, and within two days he’s in Theed, watching the crowds mill around and through the docks from a seat in the shade at a cantina on the edge of the main market and seeing if anyone approaches his ship to attach another beacon.

When no one does, even after a full day, he buys some food and climbs back aboard. He scans the ship again, finding nothing. After a second thought, he puts down the food and goes back outside. He scans the hull and engine, the loose panel iisa can't seem to get to stay straight, and the rudders. Everything comes back clear. After a moment's hesitation, he turns on the infrared scanners in his HUD and picks up a tiny blip under one gunner arm.

The disc is smaller than his palm, and gives no outward appearance of being anything at all. His HUD scanner shows a significantly low but steady beacon emitting from it, not much different from a bounty puck. Din crushes it under his boot heel and kicks it into the lake. He searches the ship over twice more, inside and out with every setting on his HUD equipped before he is satisfied.

As he’s leaving Naboo’s atmosphere, he passes a yellow-striped spice runner flagship several knots off, coming in for a landing. They seem to spot him, and he dives into the cloudcover.

“ Dank farrik ,” Din curses under his breath, veering sharply upward. The zippy little runner ship turns in midair and chases him up into orbit. He leads it a little further out into open space before slamming on the brakes and shooting the runner out of the sky when they whip past him. The ship crushes inward from the vacuum of his shot breaking the air seal, and he flies past the firespout, slamming the Crest into hyperdrive.

_______________

You are jolted from a deep sleep without knowing the cause. Disoriented, you pause in the absolute dark of the room, listening for any sound that may have woken you. Ezra is snoring faintly, your head laid on his bicep, his forearm wrapped around your front.

It’s warm – enough that a film of sweat sticks your lower back to Ezra’s tiny, spare belly, but that heat doesn't seem like enough to have woken you.

After a beat, you hear a quiet grating sound from the other side of the wall and sit up.

“Gem?” Ezra croaks, voice claggy with sleep. You shush him and feel his frown against your palm where it's clapped gently over his mouth. His hand curls around your forearm and he listens.

The sonic is running in the ‘fresher.

Grogu is still soundly asleep when you mentally reach out, touching the soft colorful swirl of his dreams, and you back away, not wanting to wake him.

Finally you feel it; a bone-weary exhaustion and not much else. Din .

“Din’s back,” you whisper into the void, and the only sound is the sharp intake of your breath when the bedroom door abruptly slides open. Ezra sits up beside you, and your hand reaches out, sightless. Ungloved fingertips touch yours and you gasp. He must have his night vision on, showing him where to go. You’re underground, after all; there’s barely enough light coming from the ‘fresher to see his outline against the blackness.

“Hmmm. Iisa ,” Din greets, and steps closer, the door sliding shut behind him and plunging you into absolute darkness. He must have taken off most of his kit when he moved through the house, or in the ‘fresher. You don't feel any metal but his helmet as you surge up and wrap your arms around him for a hug. He snorts and cuffs Ezra on the chin, letting both of you peel off his open flight suit.

“Come here you ridiculous thing,” Ezra complains, and yanks on Din’s belt until the clasp gives and he pulls it off. Din sloughs his kit the rest of the way, down to his compression shorts, and crawls onto the low bed to stretch out between you both. He drops his helmet on the floor just above his pilfered pillow and drops to his back when you both immediately start pressing kisses to his face and mouth.

He snorts and hooks an arm behind each ofyour jecks, hauling you close. “Missed me?”

“And you accuse me of unnecessary chatter,” Ezra grouses, opening up easily when Din abruptly rolls and licks into him with a chuckle just as you say-

“What’s this ?” And tap his shoulder. The bacta patch is nearly dried up, flaking at the edges. Din sighs and pulls away from the man half-under him and turns back to his back. He scoops you both to his chest again.

“Nothing, really. Got shot on the way off Cantonica. Old bounty- a spice runner with a grudge, I think.”

“What?!” You both gasp, trying to keep your voices in check because of the Child.

Din sighs, unused to anyone caring about his wounds, let alone two- three once he faces Grogu in the morning. He had stopped by the pram and traced the kid’s loose claw on his blanket before scrubbing down with a damp rag and partially redressing in the ‘fresher. His gut twists at the mental image of the faces you're both probably making, and the little green one he’ll see through his visor come daylight.

“I got them. And found a tracker on my ship. And found another when I stopped to end their trailing me on Naboo. And shot their ship out of the sky when they tried to follow.”

“ Kevva, man . Anything else to report? You’re certain it wasn't the folks after my disreputable self?”

“No, and no . I wanted to make sure they weren't going to follow me here. Like I said, pretty sure it’s the Kijimi Spice Runners; Zeva Bliss and her goons. She holds a hell of a grudge, apparently.”

“But no one followed you here?”

Din shook his head and yawned hugely. “No. Made sure of it. Didn't want trouble near you guys. And Vanth would have my head if I led anything here.”

You hum and change the subject. “It’s like 2 in the morning. Have you eaten?”

“Yes. Ate a ration bar on the way here. Wanna sleep, iisa .” You hear Ezra huff a laugh at the Mandalorian’s slurring words as he starts to drift off between you.

Ezra urges Din onto his side, facing you, and wraps himself up behind, pressing a kiss to his nape and breathing in the rich scent of his hair there, sorely missed. You burrow under Din’s chin and let him tip your face up for a sleepy kiss before he finally nods off. Over his ribs, Ezra’s hand finds yours, and you hold Din tightly between you, legs tangled. It’s over-warm and you kind of have to pee, but you’re not getting up for anything .

_______________

Din groans an exhausted, wordless complaint when the low beeping of his helmet on the floor indicates an incoming transmission.

Fett , some sun-baked lizard part of his brain helpfully supplies before he’s swaddled again under the blanket of sleep, pressed between his partners’ bodies in the galaxy’s sweatiest, sleepiest sandwich.

He stirs again maybe an hour later from someone shifting on the bed. He’s spooned up behind you now, your breasts mashed against his forearm and your smaller hand on his over your waist. Ezra is curved tightly behind him, their hips nested and a knee wedged between Din’s. It’s still black as deep space in the underground house. The only noise is the condensator whirring in the next room. He’s wide awake for no reason; neither of you two are. Grogu can still be heard, faintly snoring. Din figures can't have been asleep more than a few hours.

The shifting is you wriggling in front of him because Din’s cock is hard as a pike and sandwiched up the crease of your lush cheeks. He scoots backward, trying to unstick your skin and give you some space only to back directly into Ezra. Ezra’s limp fingers tickle his belly and Din jolts from both stimuli, stirring you both awake.

Fuck .

“Hmm?” You question, half-rolling as if you could see anything happening behind you. Ezra’s arm tightens like a band across Din’s ribs on a stretch-and-yawn. His hand slides lower, his knuckles bumping along your lower back and into the throbbing need between Din’s thighs with a sleepy huff of amusement. Din feels Ezra’s own interest perk up, pressed against him as the man is.

“I do believe our man has rested enough to be eager to re-stake his claim, gem. What say you, handsome?”

“Hmmm. Paklalat . Quietly, though.” Ezra huffs a laugh into the soft skin at the edge of Din’s hair at the Mando’a nickname that’s been surfacing more often lately, and bites his ear.

“If you want quiet that means my mouth is goin’ somewhere ,” Ezra murmurs quietly against his throat. Din feels both your faces stretch into grins against his skin and smiles, too. “How do you want us?”

Din is quiet for a moment, combing his fingers in your hair where you're laid on his shoulder, and indulging in Ezra’s mouth on his neck and collarbones on the other side.

“Lazy,” he finally says. “Like this.”

In response, Ezra cups him through the shorts and kisses him soundly. “How about I suck you off while you prep our beautiful gem for your fat cock?” Ezra asks directly into Din’s mouth, goading out a low, plaintive growl along with a smear of lips and teeth. They battle languidly for a moment, all tight fingers in hair and teeth buried in lips before Din submits to your hands pulling him back and flops bonelessly to the bed.

“A wise man, bowing to the whims of his partner. It seems ours gets their way more often than not, no?” Ezra teases you, shimmying south with little nips and licks along Din’s exhausted body. He sucks speculatively at a firming peak of nipple while you work your tongue into Din’s mouth, coaxing out needy little noises.

“You’re gonna be a good boy for us, Din. Right? Let us welcome you back properly?” you ask, grinning like you won something when he nods a little breathlessly.

Din whines when you drop a kiss on his mouth and move away; he’s so tired and aroused and feels like his skeleton has turned to jelly. He palms uselessly at Ezra’s head, trying to coerce him into moving further south, but the man stubbornly resists, pausing to lap his tongue over each hollow of his hips. A sharp, reprimanding nip to his fingertip when he tries to tug Ezra by the hair over to his cock makes Din laugh weakly into your mouth, and next thing he knows, your fingers are coiling into his own hair, your body moving over him until you’re kneeling over his face.

“ Iisa ,” he sighs, licking a broad tongue over your dampening folds until you grind down seeking more. He grins against you, plunging his tongue deep into your opening as you properly sit. Just as he drags his tongue up again to swirl over your throbbing clit, Ezra finally takes him in his mouth, making his stomach clench.

Ezra sucks him expertly, soaking his cock and nursing it to firm and throbbing while making it clear that orgasm isn't the endgame. Not yet, anyway. Din revels in the indulgence of it, simply taking what Ezra gives and doling it out for you, above him. Din stiffens his tongue, swallowing your juice as you ride it, rubbing your clit on his nose with a whine.

You’re dripping , so close , and you can't choke back the ragged gasp that escapes your throat when he seals his mouth over your seam and you finally come on his face with a shiver. You cage the sound behind your teeth, trying to be quiet because of the kid, and lift off his face only to bend in half and draw Din into a plundering kiss.

“Please, iisa , want you–” He leaves his arms out to each side, taking what you give and asking for more with the tip of his chin, the hot swipe of his tongue until you reach down and tug Ezra off his cock by the hair.

The prospector goes easily, biting over the relative softness of a relaxed thigh next to him before pushing up to his knees. “Come here, gem. Ride this pretty cock I have soaked just for you. Bring our sweet man to completion,” he says, dragging one-handedly at your hips until you're straddling Din’s waist, your ass nested into Ezra’s hips as he guides you down.

Ever one to obey, Din remains flat on his back, arms flopped out to his sides and hands in loose fists as you sit slowly on his length, taking him whole until your clit grinds into the tidy, coarse curls at his base. He chokes on a groan, helpless to both your hands, while you settle around him. The stretch of your pussy is soft and tight, a silk glove around him driving him nearly insane. Ezra traces where you are joined, making you shudder, and chuckles darkly.

“Our gem’s pussy is the sweetest in the galaxy, isn’t it, handsome?” He asks, that drawl spooling out thicker with desire, tugging Din’s balls down where they’ve crawled up already. He huffs a laugh when you both groan appreciatively.

Din moves an arm, curling his fingers behind a scarred knee and tugging. “Come here, paklalat ,” he demands, and Ezra crawls forward, expecting to be dragged into a kiss. He is, but after a moment of panting hotly into his mouth, Mando shoves at him, grappling with Ezra's hips and knees until the man is now straddling Din’s face like you were moments ago.

“Oh!” Ezra strangles a cry, pitching forward to grab at the top of the bed for balance as Din licks a firm strip from crack to tip and then plants his broad hands on Ezra’s ass and shoves the other man’s cock down his throat.

Unseeing, you trail your hands up Din’s belly and chest, feeling out where he’s dragged Ezra to, and groan when you realize the other man has taken your place on Mando's chest. You clench around him, grinding hard into his pubes. It makes Din’s answering moan vibrate around the hard length in his mouth, which has the effect of Ezra panting a whine above him.

“ Handsome man,” Ezra pants, rutting shallowly. “You gorgeous thing- oh! If- If you continue in that avenue, I - I won't last another minute!” he yelps when Din wriggles a finger between his cheeks, letting the pad of his thumb sit against Ezra’s sensitive hole for him to push against when he pulls out of Din’s mouth.

Din tongues up the rib on the underside of Ezra's cock and nurses the swollen head, wriggling his tongue into the tight cup of foreskin over his frenulum, and Ezra is gone . He comes so abruptly on Din’s tongue he spirals into a coughing fit.

Breathing raggedly, Din lets Ezra tip to his side to shudder through the aftershocks while he ruts up sharply into you, driving you both quickly toward an explosive end. Your core is clutching him, hot and wet and perfect . The sounds he and Ezra had made had your fantasies swirling behind your closed eyes, propelling you to the edge. Din swirls his thumb over your clit, gritting his teeth against the salt on his tongue and the sounds you're making, bouncing on his dick. Finally, you clench around him and come with a thin wail, swallowed when you pitch forward and kiss him. Din comes harder than he expects, his whole body seizing up under you as he paints your cervix and walls with ropes of come.

“Oh, kriff ,” you sigh, collapsing on his chest. Din hums, a deep rumble behind his sternum, and nearly drifts off again before he jolts at the damp drag of a cloth over his thighs, groin, and face.

“Stickiness banished, then sleep, handsome,” Ezra drawls, sounding just as taxed. He feels the other man push at you and then wipe you down, but you’re already snoring faintly again, mostly draped over Din’s torso. He trails fingertips down your thigh where it's wedged between his own, and feels Ezra drop down on your other side to spoon up behind.

“You can call me Din,” he tells Ezra quietly, curling his fingers into the other man’s scruffy beard and tugging. He stares into the dark over your crown and feels the frisson in the air as the prospector stills.

“Din. It’s nice to meet you,” Din can hear the sideways grin lifting his sleepy voice and his own mouth twitches upward. “I had assumed that since you call neither of us by our names, you preferred your own said in confidence and between close acquaintances only. And without express permission, I did not want to cross that proverbial line in the sand.”

“I’m giving it to you. And calling you a chatterbox is more fitting.”

Ezra huffs a laugh and tips his face into the soft palm pawing at the side of his head before following you both back into sleep.

_______________

Come when convenient blinks the comm that Din had received in the wee hours of the morning. He stares at the green text ticking across the display of his HUD, simultaneously watching you and Grogu silently communicate and make a terrible mess that you're (endearingly) calling breakfast .

He and Ezra sit on the little sofa with the long line of their thighs pressed together, watching, wincing every now and then as another tool clatters into the sink or a soft worrt egg splats on the floor. Admittedly, if Grogu hadn't wanted to help so badly you’d already be done. But indulgence is the name of the game with little ones, so you’d obliged. You’ve gone through at least two splatted worrt eggs that had been force-dropped before you told him he had to use his hands. Then he had squished one by digging his claws in at the wrong time.

Abandoning the cooking eggs, you bring the men each a cup of caff and go back to the kid. Ezra politely turns away so Din can tip his helmet up enough to knock back the rich drink.

“My Mandalorian friend in Mos Espa says to come meet his mod artist. If you want. I want to make it clear that it’s your decision,” Din says quietly, dropping his hand on Ezra's thigh where it’s pressed along his own. “ Iisa and I like you either way, you know.”

Ezra blinks at the wall, thinking. “I am struggling to outweigh my pride and my desire for a replacement with the knowledge that I probably deserved this loss,” he finally says, a muscle rolling in his jaw when you stop and turn back to gape at him. “For character growth, if not a heavy-handed lesson in humility.”

“Ezra-”

“ Gem , you do not know the things I've done that had led to this man here coming after me. For the bounties on my head, both here and the galaxy where I come from. Or the men I've left behind on digs and the things I have stolen, including lives. Some of them assuredly deserved it, but some did not. And the revenge I have sought did not cause me grief. But it certainly caused someone grief, somewhere. Getting Cee off that moon and to safety was the first good thing I have done in a very long time. You understand?”

You stare at him for a long moment, dodging a wet smear of egg across your foot as the kid continues to play in the mess on the floor, unbothered. “Would you think the same of me? You don’t know the things I did in warfare. Or Din? He’s done some truly nasty shit to keep Grogu and himself safe.”

Ezra blinks at you both and hangs his head. “No, I could not think ill of either of you.”

“Sweetheart. You didn't deserve to lose your dominant arm. It just happened . And it can be reversed if you choose it. But like Din said, we like you just fine this way, too.” You come sit on his knee while the eggs cook on the little single cooker and push his sweaty curls back off his forehead. Din leans over and bumps the other man with his shoulder, seconding the remark.

“Okay,” Ezra says after a while. He turns to Din and lets out a shaky breath. “I will see them.”

Din comms Fett to say you’re all coming and leaves the hut ahead of you and Ezra to go talk to the Marshal.

You strip the bed and soft furnishings while Ezra packs away the clothes and supplies you had brought. He’s standing by the door with Din’s pillow poking out of the pram floating by his hip and looking desperately adorable, his unruly hair fuzzed up on one side and a fond look on his face while he watches you scrub at a dried smear of worrt egg. You feel the snarl of anxiety coming from him snag in your mind and it makes you look up.

“What?” You tease, faking a scowl. He just chuckles.

“I am trying to set aside my anxiety, gem. And looking upon your visage helps.”

“I already sucked your dick today,” you point an accusing finger at him playfully, throwing the cleaning rag in the sink. When you turn back Ezra still looks just as soft and rumpled, his smile still there.

“I just mean that I am happy to be here with you and him. Even anxious.”

“Well that's good to hear, sweet thing. I’m happy you're here, too. Even anxious. I know he is, too,” you wink and tap your temple.

You finish cleaning the kitchen area and abandon the rest of the dusty little house. A little over a week of you three living in it hadn't bothered much except the bed and worktop, anyway.

“Let’s go save our man from his ex,” you chuff, shouldering the last bag of supplies. Ezra smirks and follows you up into the sun, and you notice in the bright outdoor light - he’s browning up just like Mando.

_______________

Don’t mention May’s face, Din comms ahead to Fett and sets the flight chart for Mos Espa. You and the other man are talking quietly in the passenger seats behind him; Grogu is in his lap excitedly mouthing the silver gearshift ball. He really hopes Fett doesn't manage to slip anything about the similarities between himself and May; not only that it would exacerbate the awkwardness Din already feels about finding May attractive, but because then they’d know.

Frankly, he feels weird about Fett knowing .

Nothing to be done for it; though. Someone knowing that they look alike doesn't necessarily implicate Din , or make his Creed any less sacred.

“What do you think, Din?”

“Hmm?” He snaps out of his thoughts and turns away from the controls. You’re staring at him with an eyebrow winged up, the smirk on your face says you knew he wasn't paying attention.

“How long do you think we’ll be here?”

“Oh. Depends on the mod artist, and what pak wants done. It might be a few days. If I get dragged into being a bodyguard or intimidation tool again, maybe a week. But we can turn him down if you want to keep moving.” He shrugs and accepts the ball when the child hands it back to him, wanting to play force-catch.

He tosses the ball and watches Grogu throw his hands up to catch it, tossing it across to you and Ezra in a circle before bringing it back to himself. You listen to Ezra tell Din about getting to call Cee, how he misses her, but how the kid helps.

How you managed to find two fatherly men in the entire galaxy riddled with playboys is beyond you. Especially when you don't really want kids, but love the one you sort- of have.

Within the hour you’re landing at the daimyo palace. Outside on a landing strip is a woman with a long dark braid and all black clothes. “Fennec,” Din greets as he plods down the ramp, flanked by you and Ezra.

“Welcome, Mando. We have a lunch spread if you’re hungry.” She flicks her eyes over all three of you before settling her gaze on Ezra with a curious, lifted eyebrow. She traces over his stump and turns, disappearing inside a darkened doorway.

It’s blessedly cool inside and you sigh in relief when the suns aren't baking the back of your neck any longer. Din leads you confidently through the palace to an informal dining space where a long table has been spread with finger foods and dips and breads and smears. You goggle a bit at the sight and glance over at Ezra who is also taken aback.

“ Who in seven hells are we here to see?” He murmurs to you, leaning in close.

You snicker into your hand and whisper back: “Boba Fett- he took over as the daimyo of Mos Espa when the Hutts fell. Former slavers,” you supply when he frowns. “Fett used to work for them as their beroya but they betrayed him, and when they were killed, it left a power vacuum. He filled it, and protects the city.”

“Ah.”

“Eat up!” A booming voice echoes in the hall and you all turn to see Fett striding down the walkway opposite, joining you. Behind him are a few faces Din recognizes. He tenses all over, waiting on Fett to slip up. He doesn't know if the other Mandalorian got his comm in time.

“I thought you re-took your – ?” Fett pauses, frowning, at Ezra and then, mid- sentence, notices Din at the far corner of the table, shaking his head minutely. Boba straightens and goes to that end, simply changing his sentence entirely to one of greeting.

The older Mandalorian goes to a seat at one end of the table and looks over you all, pausing on Ezra a little longer but then sliding his gaze down his arm as if that's the cause. You pick up on the intentional deflection, though, and narrow your eyes.

Boba flicks his eyes over to Din and raises a sardonic brow as if to say quite the resemblance and then moves on. “I have instructed the mod artist to join us in one hour. Eat up- drink . Catch me up on your activities, Din.”

Din lets out the heavy breath he’d been holding, and relaxes despite the partial slip. He hopes that you aren't suspicious- Ezra shouldn't have caught the slip. He talks and watches you two eat, handing Grogu rolls of cured meat until he gives up with the snack sized bites and piles the kid up a full plate. He asks about the various firefights and skirmishes Boba has had to maintain his level of control. He talks, mainly about visiting Mandalore and then about bounties, ending with the most recent one regarding Ezra.

Fett’s eyes settle on Ezra, who is now holding Grogu and eating a sandberry the kid has mushed into the corner of his mouth with exaggerated satisfaction. “ Delicious , my friend. You should try some,” he says, and Grogu gurgles in delight, shoving four in his own mouth.

You and Din both shake your head fondly at the two of them, which does not go unnoticed by Boba and Fennec.

“So you three are… a unit?” Fennec asks bluntly, directed at you. You blink and sit forward, meeting her unflinching stare.

“Ah, yes. In that the three of us operate as both work and intimate partners. Raising the kid and running jobs with Mando.” You can feel your face flushing and will it away.

“Our partnership came about from what some could call unfortunate circumstances, which we managed to turn into a rather nice narrative, in my opinion,” Ezra pipes up, wincing when another berry is ground into his beard. “Thank you, kid.”

“It works,” Din says flatly, and the matter is dropped.

The group is interrupted by Krrsantan roaring from the hallway. Boba sighs and stands, waving to the table. “The artist is ready, if you are?”

You and Din turn to Ezra, who freezes and looks a little green, but nods and stands. He passes the child off to you and wipes the berry from his face, and follows Din and Fett out the door. You and Fennec bring up the rear.

The mod artist is in the same sunroom where Din saw Cobb Vanth floating in a bacta tank. He stares at the tank for a long minute before tuning into what is being discussed.

“I would prefer a- a detachable option, if possible.” Ezra says, shirtless and holding still while the artist measures him and begins a blueprint sketch.

“I can craft a permanent mount and a detachable arm. How is your lung capacity? My scan shows a healed perforation in your diaphragm?”

“I was run through with a blade. And I do cough if I'm breathing hard or heavy,” Ezra glances at you and Din and you both nod in reassurance.

“If it is not a problem, we can look at it another time. Do you want a skin on the hand?” The artist lofts an elegant eyebrow and Ezra blinks at them, unsure.

“ Pak , do you want the hand to feel like skin or be uncovered metal?” Din clarifies, and you wink at him, loosening the ball of anxiety in his chest by making him think of the possibilities with a chuckle.

“Ah- skin is... good.”

“Alright. I can craft this over the next few days and graft it in. I’ll do the mount tomorrow, a fitting in two days, and then the rest of it can be cybernetically linked once I graft the sensors together. We’ll test the neuron receptors before you go, of course. And skin it.” they press a scanner to Ezra’s shoulder to get a skin tone match and step back. “I’ll begin immediately.”

So dismissed, you three find yourselves at loose ends over what to do with your free time. Boba shows you to a large room with a wide bed and its own ‘fresher. He tells Din about the new shooting and sparring range he and Fennec have dug out in the back allotment, and leaves.

Din and Ezra rove around the room like caged animals, sniffing out the corners while you watch, fondly rolling your eyes at them.

“ Kevva above is that a fuckin’ bathtub ?!” You hear echo out of the ‘fresher and laugh aloud. “Did we not just spend over a week in a desert town an hour from here where they farm moisture from the atmosphere just to live , and yet there's a bathtub that could easily fit all three of us in this room?” Ezra pokes his head back out of the doorway, a disgusted look on his face, and you and Din both have to chuckle at it.

“The palace will have recycling tanks. It’s not fresh water, just clean ,” you clarify. Grogu yawns and babbles at you, pushing naptime into your thoughts. You huff a laugh at him and nod.

“Finally tired, little man? Let’s find a nice place to nap,” you say, and drift back toward the big bed.

Din watches the sands outside from his lean by the window, ever the silent observer, and shifts his weight under your keen eye. Ezra can be heard opening and closing bottles to sniff and making low noises of interest or disgust from the ‘fresher, and you can’t help but smile at the quiet domesticity of the moment.

“Din,” you whisper, and he turns to you, helmet tipped curiously. You nod at the open ‘fresher door, which makes Din glance over at it. When he looks back at you, you make a crude Tusken hand signal and raise both eyebrows. He snorts, nods, and disappears behind the door, sliding it closed.

You settle in with the kid splayed on your chest, already snoring, and listen.

_______________

“To what do I owe the pleasure?” Ezra nearly gasps, molding back against Din’s chest when the other man pulls on his hips.

“ Iisa told me to come in here and fuck you, paklalat ,” Din says, pressing his helmeted earpiece carefully into Ezra’s temple. “You must be stressed, if iisa is feeling it enough to offer a solution.”

Ezra hums and nods. “I must admit to it, under such keen observation. Our gem does know how to assist in the most tantalizing and effective ways.”

“Can I blindfold you? So I can use my mouth?” Din asks, cupping Ezra’s plumping cock through his trousers until he earns a weak kick of hips.

“Of course,” Ezra says, strangled. He’s only had the pleasure once so far, and is keen to have it again. He peels off his sweaty tunic and trousers, boots and socks and belt, and piles it neatly. Din sheds his armor into a neat stack and zips off his flight suit. They come back together in their smalls. Din doesn't hesitate at all before tying a strip of cloth around Ezra’s eyes. A thunk of metal echoes in the sandstone room and then he’s being kissed, soundly.

Their bellies meet, Ezra's softening leanness pressed all against Din’s firmed muscle. A strong arm is braced behind Ezra’s back on the wall, holding him close. When he groans softly at the warmth, all the skin contact, Din licks into his mouth, opening him wider for a plundering kiss. With each swipe of hot tongue, those anxieties under Ezra’s skin are pushed away for another time. A hand cards up into his hair, gripping hard and angling his head to get deeper still. Ezra whines into the hold, bringing his own hand up to wrap around Din’s jaw and pull him closer. Mando’s other hand drops to his ass and squeezes, eliciting a low, heady sound that makes Din smile against his mouth, quick and deadly.

He trails a hand down Ezra’s arm and guides his hand up until it latches over the edge of the shower door for balance, not wanting to leave the man unmoored once Din lets go. “ Stay .” Din turns the tub faucet on and begins the slow process of filling the large bathtub before guiding Ezra into the shower stall and kicking it on for a thorough wash- down of them both. Ezra sucks his own lower lip into his mouth, tonguing the swelling flesh, and waits, allows himself to be manhandled. He loves it, after all, and trusts Din.

Under the warm spray, Din trails his demanding fingertips all over, wanting to touch and grip as much as he can stand while completely bare. The urge to nuzzle his face into skin now is just as overwhelming as it was when they had been spiced. Ezra drops his head back and lets him burrow into his throat- just as touch-starved and more prone to cuddling than any of the three of you. He arches into every press and hold as Din kisses him hard against the wall, pinning him chest-to-chest. Their stiff cocks are sandwiched up between their bellies, sliding wet and drooling already as they rut, slow and firm, languid. Din has a handful of the skin over Ezra’s ribs squeezed in one fist, stealing his breath. Ezra clasps his hand over Din’s ass, greedy for it, and bites the man’s lip when they separate next, earning a chuff of a laugh.

“ Paklalat ,” Din chastises with a playful growl in his throat, squeezing his handfuls of Ezra’s narrow ass as Ezra tries to reel him back in with fingers tangled in his damp curls.

He pulls away only enough to drag his lips down over scruffy chin to throat, nipping the point of the other man’s jaw just under his ear to make him gasp. His other hand skims up to tighten in Ezra’s hair, holding him quite still to speak low, directly into his ear.

“I’m going to suck you and open you up on my fingers, pak. Then I will fuck you hard against this wall until you jet all over it. I will wash us, and sit with you in that bath until it goes cold. And then we will join iisa and Grogu for a nap. Yes ?” He asks, assertive but still patiently seeking permission. His fist tightens again in Ezra’s hair and the man’s jaw slackens on a gasp- if the blindfold wasn't in the way, he knows those deep, dark eyes would be rolling back.

Despite Ezra’s preference for the manhandling, they each find pleasure in doing what he’s told - holding off on his own gratification until you're both sated. Ezra likes to do the work and earn a heavy payout. Din, however, prefers to simply do . He’ll earn his gratification in doses along the way. At your hands, they're both as malleable as clay. Under Din’s touch, Ezra is more prone to bare his teeth, press up against the boundaries and accept it when he’s grappled back into line. He hasn't had the pleasure of topping Din yet, and Ezra can't help but wonder idly if the Mandalorian will put up a fight or finally lay back and enjoy himself.

“Din,” Ezra growls, gripping at his hip one-handed, “ yes .” His head knocks back into the tile with carefully measured pressure when Din captures his mouth again in a rough kiss. He doesn't ask for entry so much as knock Ezra’s mouth open and plunder it.

His hand hooks behind Din’s head, fingers tight in his curls. Din’s teeth scrape over his lower lip before the Mandalorian drops hard to his knees and drags Ezra’s left thigh forward. He drapes that knee over his shoulder, opening the man up, getting his fingers slick with his own thick spit and reaching for the neutral hair oil on the shower bench for later.

“I’m half afraid that when you get your mouth on me, I won’t la- oh !” Ezra bucks forward a little, trying to reign in the impulse as Din licks a wet strip up the underside, nursing the tender head of him while his wet fingers rub carefully from behind. The gentle stimulation, igniting a deep need, leads to a thumb pressed to his hole, Din’s throat squeezing around the head of his cock, and Ezra pants at the ceiling, unseeing. Din may be inexpert and slow with his mouth, but learning how to unravel you and Ezra both has become a new fascination.

“Then we take the edge off, and start again,” Din says simply, sucking him back deep, into his throat. When Mando sinks two fingers in and retreats to suck lightly, teasingly on his cockhead, Ezra strangles on a desperate sound in his throat and drops a hand to Din’s head, carding through his hair and then fisting in it. “Be patient,” he admonishes, resisting the yank of his curls. “I know you can come twice with a cock in your greedy little ass.”

Ezra growls in his throat but the sound splinters apart when Din takes him deep again. “Oh, you gorgeous thing. What I wouldn't give to see – what you’re doin’ to me. But I know I can’t , it’s okay- no –” he corrects, keeping Din’s mouth around him with the hand in his hair when the other man makes to pull away. “I would never ask, you understand? Some things are sacred- our own . That I can have your mouth at all is – a blessing, Din. One more– oh !” he gasps when Din adds a third finger and spreads them, scissoring carefully, the oil slicking the way. He curls his fingers and rubs over that swelling gland inside and Ezra keens, his head dropping hard into the wall. He wants to come- needs to, so badly, but Din backs away at the last second.

“Ready?” Din asks, pulling further away when Ezra tries to grapple with him, drag him back. He grins when he ducks back and laps playfully at the purpling head of Ezra’s cock, fisting his own with a fresh smear of oil, and it jumps on his tongue.

“ Kevva , you– yes , man!”

Ezra drops his leg and starts to turn but Din stops him, instead lifting the thigh that had been on his shoulder, stretching him wider just a bit to hook that knee over his elbow. Ezra leans to the side slightly and reaches for the embedded wall shelf for stability, appreciative when Din guides his hand to hook on it, and lifts him entirely off his feet.

“Oh, fuck. Do you have to be– so damn masculine?” Ezra huffs a laugh and drops his head back, baring his throat, which Din noses up and then bites just as he notches his cockhead at the other man’s entrance and pushes upward. The sound that punches out of Ezra’s chest when he is fully seated sits under his skin, fizzling there for a lingering moment while he feels Ezra clench and shudder around his girth, slowly relaxing, and then pushing back.

Ezra can't seem to decide where to keep his hand, which is roving over Din’s shoulders and chest, and back to the wall, before coming between them to fist his own cock. Din can’t grab his wrist with both arms supporting Ezra’s weight, so he ducks his head and bites the firm rise of his pectoral harshly.

“I’m going to breed this ass,” he grits, thrusting up harder, deeper. “And you will come on my cock, or not at all,” he growls low into Ezra’s ear and feels the corresponding clench of Ezra’s entire torso as the man very nearly comes on the spot. It’s not quite enough though; he can taste the release on the back of his tongue, tingling in his lower spine, but staved off. Ezra’s hand loosens from himself and comes up to clutch around Din’s neck. The Mandalorian thrusts up hard, as a treat.

“ Fffffuck ,” Ezra chokes. “I can’t– agh !--like this . Turn me over, and I will,” he begs, and so Din does. He drops Ezra’s legs one at a time and pushes him around, pressing his chest into the tile and yanking his hips back. When he plunges his cock back inside, Ezra’s knees nearly buckle. Ezra keens, bracing his arm on the wall to stave off the strong temptation to stroke himself, and tips his hips back against Din’s punishing pace, finding the right angle.

After, when Ezra has come so hard he’s jelly-legged, utterly fucked out, he slouches boneless against the wall with Din’s seed dripping down his quaking thighs. Din scrubs him down and washes his hair, presses kisses to the bruises and the curved teeth marks he’s peppered all over that sun-pinkened, golden flesh. Once they are both clean, he leads Ezra to the bath and guides each foot into the deep tub.

Ezra shakes his head and straightens out of Din’s hands. “I’m too damned tired, gorgeous. I’ll drown. Just put me to bed.”

Din ignores him and guides him down, sinking into the bubbles behind him. “I won’t let you drown. We need to soak, rehydrate. Relax ,” he keeps his hands on the other man, guiding him back.

The end of Ezra's stump is well- healed thanks to diligent cleaning and bacta application on your part; it had sped up his recovery significantly in conjunction with the cauterization. Din hushes a gentle thumb over it now, eyeing the pink weals of scar tissue spidering up from the end cap from the attempts the former prospector (and his girl, Cee) had made to remove the infection before Din found him.

“Won't see that after tomorrow,” Ezra murmurs, flexing his shoulder with a shudder when the too-soft touch begins to tickle. It’s covered in bubbles, which tingle as they pop over the surface of his skin, and he dips it back under the waterline.

“Scars are sacred in my culture,” Din replies, smiling against the curve of Ezra’s neck. He presses a kiss there and relaxes, dragging Ezra with him to lay back against his chest. After a moment, he pulls back Ezra’s hand to place it on a thick scar on his left bicep. “I got this the day I got the kid. A mudhorn very nearly trampled me to death. It would have absolutely killed me if Grogu hadn't been there. I was taking him back as a bounty, and Jawas had stripped my ship, so I was fighting the mudhorn for them, to trade my parts back. He tried to heal me, but I didn't know what he wanted, so I used a soldering burner to seal it.”

“A burner ?” Ezra wonders, tracing the scar.

“I didn't have the saber I used on you, at the time. And this- I got after I gave Grogu to the Jedi,” he pushes Ezra's hand down to his outer thigh, the heavy shield of burned scarring there, normally protected by his thigh guards. “I got that from the saber. I didn't know how to wield it, and burned myself trying.”

Ezra makes a questioning sound, feeling out the skin, and turns to lay on his belly, tucking his covered face under Din’s jawline. He loops his arm around the Mandalorian’s lower back, anchoring himself from floating away. “And what about this one?” He asks, tracing a long, thin slice over what would be Din’s kidney.

Din hums and headbutts Ezra’s whitened temple with his chin. “One of my first bounties. I wasn't particularly fast, or smart yet. He got the drop on me, and I didn't have the beskar then. His vibroblade went right through my flight suit. Dragged him back dead and got a shitty payout, which barely covered fuel and the dressings I needed for the injury.”

“ Kevva’s sake, man. And then you hired on iisa , and our gem takes care of you now,” he hums, his spine and limbs softening to the point of being practically limp in the warm water. Din is sure he’ll be asleep within a few minutes.

“Don’t fall asleep in the water; we’ll freeze our dicks off, and then iisa really will have little use for us. Come on, ” he teases and urges, snorting at Ezra’s sleepy complaint. “We can cuddle all together in bed if we go. You can even be in the middle,” he lays a trap, and grins when Ezra immediately takes the bait.

_______________

Dawn is shining bright in the sunroom. You are nursing a cup of caff, your other hand occupied by holding Ezra's on his thigh. The mod artist is making quick work of building and attaching the mod mount to Ezra’s stump, effortlessly weaving nerve fibers in with those of the cybernetics.

With new ears to fill with stories and anxiety stealing any inhibitions he might have, Ezra is talking a mile a minute. He tells the mod artist about channel rats, about Cee. About his former trawling group and going it on his own after his crew marooned him and one mute partner on a desolate planet. Making the decision to take his tiny ship, alone, through the void of the Unknown Regions, running afoul of pirates in the Outer Rim, and of losing said ship to said pirates who dropped him on a Rim planet and left him with the clothes on his back and naught else. Of losing his arm and meeting you and Mando and the kid. He talks and talks, enough that Din and Boba have long since wandered off to find something to do just for some quiet.

You stay, though, and hold his hand and give him little smiles when he has to look away from the tools being used on him, things he can’t feel going into his flesh aside from pressure and an occasional juddering vibration across his whole skeleton from grinding or screwing. When that happens he turns his face to you, jaw and hand clenched, and smothers his noises.

If the mod artist is even listening, they do a valiant impression of interest while working diligently. Within a couple hours, the mount is seated and Ezra is released for a prescribed “hefty” lunch. Their advice is that once the anesthesia wears off, a few hours in the bacta tank might be the best idea to close up any lingering wounds or banish site pain.

The mount is woven into his nerves and seated on the remaining bone, ending in a metal cap that will act as the nerve conduit for the arm once it’s attached. The arm itself is still a strategic pile of wires and plates on the worktop. You eye it keenly, curious of the makeup so that down the road, if something happens, you can help put it to rights.

You then stare blankly into space and think about thinking about down the road, of having Ezra long enough for an eventuality like routine maintenance and the trust he would hopefully have in you to fix it for him.

Ezra notices your silence and squeezes your thigh. You blink, coming back to find the plate in front of you loaded with goodies and Mando and Fett conversing in Mando'a across the table. You catch a few root words and zone them back out; if Din wanted an audience, he’d speak basic. But he also knows you know quite a lot of Mando'a, so it can’t be too secretive or he’d have stepped outside.

“Sorry, got lost in thought for a second,” you say, and start nibbling.

“Can you understand them?” Ezra leans over and murmurs quietly. Your smirk tells him the answer well enough. “What are they discussing, gem?”

You sniff, raising a brow. “Ooh, nosey ?”

Ezra tips his white patch at you and peers out of the tops of his eyes. “ Nosey has kept me alive this long. Is it about us, or not? Or at least lie and tell me it’s complimentary , if so.” Grogu, sitting on the table by his own plate, gurgles and pushes a heavy sense of dread toward you, but you can't decipher over what. You push your feelers out and can’t sense anything.

You listen to Din and Boba for a minute, chewing quietly, and shake your head at Ezra with a snort. “He's being interrogated about us. Not much different from the Marshal’s questions.”

You feel more than notice Fett’s side-eye at Ezra and then he leans in to say even more quietly, in Mando’a: “ I am glad you sent your comm ahead, I very nearly addressed you upon arrival .”

You keep your eyes on your plate and snap your focus back to Grogu, who is trying to force- feed Ezra half a ronto rib in one bite. When he fails, he goes back to the berries, which are easily mashable when Ezra is too slow to open his mouth in indulgent (but begrudging) acceptance. You laugh with them and ignore the other men, trying desperately to ignore that half- hint you’d just heard.

_______________

Later, once Ezra has been dunked in the tank and fished back out, (Grogu had sat on the tank and focused very intently at his sleeping friend burbling inside while you and Din played sabacc with Krrsantan and Fennec) he had been washed down thoroughly by you both and led out to the patio. You pass a smoking bowl of sweet bud around and lounge. There’s a mountain of lush cushions out there, under a breezy sun awning, and the view offers a perfect vision of all three moons dotting the sky.

Grogu is full, unconscious, and snoring faintly in his pram, in the room. You and Ezra are each laying along one side of Din, nestled in close. For as hot as Tatooine is during the day, the nights are conversely as cold with no humid atmosphere to trap the heat to the planet’s surface.

Din doesn't quite know what to do with the mental image of himself at the moment, relaxing in a pile of cushions, getting stoned, with both partners draped across him like some sort of perverse image of royalty. He has never imagined himself doing anything remotely like this. But he also can’t bring himself to move a muscle beyond running a thumb idly over your soft skin or tracing Ezra’s new durasteel cap, or leaning into one of you we exhaling smoke up his helmet.

By the time the bowl finally fizzles out to ash, you’re all three loose-limbed and enjoying the simplicity of touching, of being together with nothing pressing.

After several minutes (you think- time unspools oddly when stoned) you clear your throat and drop a kiss on the shoulder under your cheek. You had been laying there thinking of what your two men could do to and with you vividly enough that your panties are soaked.

“I think,” you begin slowly, getting your knees under you and climbing over Din: “that you should both fuck me. At the same time,” you add.

They glance at once another and start to move immediately, making you giggle as you’re maneuvered around. Din grips your hips and pushes you onto Ezra, who nestles back into the cushions and pulls the ties of your tunic open, while Din works on divesting you of your boots and leggings. He disappears into the doorway for a quick moment and returns with a vial of slick in hand, shucking his gloves.

“Gem, are we understanding you correctly? You intend for one in front and one in back? Or do you desire us to both share one orifice? I think it will take some work for you to take us at the- the same time– in one –” Ezra grits out, choking on his words when you stick your hand in his trousers and close your fingers over his burgeoning erection.

“I’m going to seat this pretty cock in my pussy. And Din is going to fuck my ass, like a very good boy .” You feel a tremor behind you and grin wickedly.

Got him .

“And when I tell you to, you are going to come so deep in my cunt you’re going to be licking it out for days . Right, baby?” You grip his chin and Ezra’s soft, deep eyes blow wide with capitulation and lust. His throat bobs against your palm on a swallow and he nods frantically.

“Of course I will, gem. Eating your cunt is the finest meal this old prospector has ever had. Only made better when it’s been stuffed so adoringly with our seed, right, Din?” he grins quick when Din grunts in firm affirmation, too aroused and yet cloudy-minded to form a proper response yet.

You three had only done this once before; it was generally too much stimulation to handle for long. But you are effervescent with the bud and feeling extra tactile- you want to feel everything , everywhere.

You feel the cold press of beskar on your shoulder and turn your head to see Din, rutting against your lush cheek through the open fly of his pants while his bare fingers- the only other skin he has exposed on the verandah- rub and press against your back entrance.

“Relax, iisa. Murcyur cuun sheb paklalat,” he pushes you forward with a broad hand between your shoulder blades and you snort, nuzzling into the man below you, who is looking increasingly desperate.

“What’s that?” Ezra asks, craning his neck to see Mando's shoulders shaking with a suppressed laugh.

“ Sheb means ass,” you giggle, and Ezra gasps in mock offense. Before he can start a word- battle and prove Din right, you obey and lick into his mouth, teasing the tip of your tongue over his palate before sucking that plush lower lip between your teeth.

Din has two fingers knuckle-deep in your ass when he reaches his other hand under you to grasp Ezra’s cock, tugging a few strokes to harden him all the way and line the tip of him to your pussy’s weeping entrance. “Sit, iisa . Take him deep, and I will take you when you are relaxed.”

“Take me first , he will be an easier fit,” you counter breathlessly, and Din chuckles against your shoulder, the sound stilted by the vocoder.

“ Ori’elek ,” he sighs, and notches his head at your rear entrance. You use your own weight and gravity to push back as he slides forward, and suddenly you’re lit up with sensation all along your spine. Ezra watches your nipples tighten in his face, from arousal as much as the evening chill, and latches onto one. The new feeling splits your attention, making you rut along the turgid length of the man beneath you. His cock is flattened under your mound, leaking across his belly, and you ride the ridge of it, your ass stuffed and your other nipple now receiving the same attention as before, the other damp and stiff in the cool air.

“ Ffffuck ,” you cry, strangled, and worm a hand between you to guide Ezra’s cock upward, into you. The fit is incredibly snug, despite how you’re literally dripping with your own juices and Din’s slick.

Din makes a low, plaintive growl behind you and drops his helmeted forehead to your shoulder, carefully, at the tightening around him. You drop your mouth open on a gasp, quickly going cock-dumb with the hot clutch of them both stretching you so perfectly. He reaches forward and grips Ezra’s chin, yanking his face up and out of your breasts.

“ Kiss ,” he demands harshly, and tucks his visor close so he can see as Ezra devours your mouth methodically, stealing your breath and hitching your arousal higher. He plays with your tits while you're both doing as he said. You scream into the other man’s mouth when Din kneads your breasts and then pinches your nipples and thrusts up once, hard .

“Din–harder ,” you gasp, and he withdraws, carefully drilling back in as you sit deeper on Ezra’s length, and both men groan at the sliding pressure of one another through the thin membrane between your holes. The extreme pressure on your G-spot is quickly driving you insane.

“ Pak . Grab one of these,” Din treats your breasts to another rolling squeeze and you nearly choke on your tongue, gasping into Ezra’s mouth as he complies greedily.

With his free hand, Din grabs the hand you have on your mound and puts it on Ezra’s chest so you can support your weight and his. He drapes himself against your back and swirls his own fingers over your throbbing, swollen clit, and in an undignified squeal, you’re coming around them.

“Oh, fuck –” Ezra tips his hips up, rutting upward into you desperately as you start to milk his balls empty. “ Kevva , I can’t – please , gem! Can I ??” Ezra begs, nearly biting through his lip trying to hold off.

“When Din does,” you manage, and Ezra’s plaintive whine is only enhanced by his hand coming down and gripping Din’s ass, yanking him into you harder.

“ Come , man!”

With a desperate growl, Din wraps both forearms tight under your tits, tips you forward against Ezra, and ruts savagely , hammering into you with all his considerable strength. His clothed thighs slap against your ass in a brutal pace that leaves you feeling like a ragdoll in his grasp. The pleasurable violence of it catapults you into another orgasm, clenching around Ezra’s throbbing member in a hypersensitive, rolling squeeze of your inner muscles. He hisses but lays still, letting you have him, as much as you can stand.

Mando quickly loses pace and comes with a strangled sound, clutching you to him as hard as he dares. You don't protest- if anything, you writhe against his arms to feel their hold better. Ezra finally releases into you, so hard his eyes go spotty for a second and he sucks in air so forcefully that makes him cough.

You are absolutely soaked , dripping with their spend and your own- more than is even usual. You slide forward off their softening lengths and roll into the pillows to catch your breath. Vaguely disgusted, you intend to go wash once your bones return from gelatin to something vaguely solid.

Din doesn't let you go yet. Instead, he paints his fingers through their combined come easing out of your folds and ass and pushes it back into you, catching a knee with his other palm when your legs snap shut on reflex from oversensitivity.

“ Din ,” you whine, and he chuckles, relenting.

He finally lets you go, watching you toddle off on wobbly legs. “You have one hell of a breeding kink, sweetheart. You angling for more kids?”

If Din could blush hot enough to see through the beskar, Ezra supposes he’d be seeing that steel tinge pink right about now. “Shut up ,” he says, instead, and Ezra drops his head back with delighted laughter. He rolls to his knees and gets up, following you into the bedroom, still chuckling.

Part of Din wonders, though, if you’d ever be amenable. If he’ll ever have a life so domestic, a place to live permanent and safe enough as to even broach the subject.

And if so, if Ezra is still around for that, if anyone would ever be able to tell the difference in your offspring.

_______________

Din stands by the door, an impassive statue in beskar holding a tiny green child, observing in silence. You are sat where you were two days ago, by the chair Ezra is in while his mod arm is studiously attached. Your palm smooths across his thigh, your fingers covered by his.

Instead of Ezra filling the space with silence, the mod artist is explaining the mechanisms to you, the common care and maintenance as well as the general application. He shows Ezra the catch, how it comes on and off as requested, the neural wire that has to be attached to link the base to the limb. The skin overlay is perfect, only two small holes at the armpit and bicep to allow for access to the catches belay that it’s a mod at all.

The neuron work is solid; he leaves the room already able to curl the hand into a fist. The artist explains that by the end of the week he should have full function and sensation. Right now it's all dull pressure and twitchy or slow reactions. The reflexes check out, though, so he’s released.

It’s an otherwise unsuspecting day. After lunch, the three of you follow Din and Boba out to the new shooting range, where Fennec is already practicing with a wide array of blasters and throwing weapons spread on a line of crates. You practice for a bit until the men turn it into a competition and you grow bored of hitting all the targets squarely. Ezra tags off Grogu with you and practices with them for a short while. His grip on the right is already improving but he doesn't trust it, and it shows. His use of the left is better, but his aim isn't predictable at a range. It isn't long before joining you again in the cool shade, taking hold of the kid. He stares quietly down at the new hand, flexing it every now and then.

His nearly-silent, controlled reaction to the mod has you keenly attuned to his feelings, so much so that you don’t catch the warning shot until it’s too late.

Din stumbles from a heavy blaster bolt to his back plate, falling to a knee before whipping around in the sand, both hands already curled around blasters. You push Ezra and the child down behind the crate you’d been sitting on and dive for your own blasters, feeling the adrenaline singing in your veins.

“Above!” Boba Fett shouts, and you see at least a dozen assorted xeno and men duck back behind the craggy mountain wall overhanging the range.

“ IISA ! Hukaatir !!”

“Copy!” you give Din an affirmative Tusken signal and drag the sheet covered in laid-out weapons closer, going back to Ezra and Grogu. Your blaster is trained on the rock walls while Din and Fett rush to the far side, chasing the shooter’s direction.

“Remnants from your firefight?” Din calls out, already flying up to chase them back. Fett is just behind him, shouting a negative and directives that are lost to your ears as they disappear up the side of the bowl-shaped dugout. Fennec is quickly scaling the rock wall after them, and you duck back to cover Ezra and the kid, eyes wide and searching for movement. Grogu coos sharply behind you and you twist, deftly sniping a would-be attacker off his perch on top of the palace.

“Gem, hand me a blaster,” Ezra demands evenly, and you pass him one, reaching for an amban rifle among the spread of weapons. The range is silent now, aside from the echo of blaster fire over the ridge, and you listen to it, pushing out your feelers for anything else coming in range.

You can feel the bright energy over the ridge waning and hope that Din, Fennec, and Fett are managing well. With your back to Ezra and Grogu, you keep the scope of the rifle up on the ridge, carefully attuned to the kid, too, since he warned you previously.

Ezra has his back to the craggy rock wall, Grogu curled in his mod arm and the blaster in his left hand. He’s not particularly confident with his aim as such, but he'll go down shooting to cover the kid until Din or you can get him to safety. He listens, dead silent for once, and sees you moving before he even hears a shift of sand or sees a shadow on the ground.

You turn sharply to the left and up, shouting wordlessly. A jumping Klatoonian takes a blaster shot to the side and still tackles you to the sand. He kicks the rifle from your hands, wrestling until he has his weight on you. He tries viciously to knock you out. Ezra grapples with the blaster, waiting for a clear shot, but with sand clouding around you both and the impressive hand-combat fight you're putting up, he hesitates. When the xeno finally clocks you in the temple and you go still, the dogfaced bastard sits back on his haunches and turns a blaster onto Ezra and the kid.

A dark glint in his eye, Ezra levels his aim.

“Give me the Mandalorian’s child,” the Klatoonian growls, his Basic garbled and stilted. Ezra smirks at him, blood boiling. You’re unconscious in the sand, smeared in blood, and the kid is clinging to his tunic as the Klatoonian dives at him, intending to thrash him around the same as he'd done with you.

“No chance in seven hells,” Ezra grits out. He rolls to prevent Grogu from taking the hit. The Klatoonian depends heavily on his weight and brute force, but Ezra just needs about eight inches of space. He gets the blaster between their chests, and shoots directly upward.

Din comes flying over the ridge just as the Klatoonian’s body drops fully onto Ezra, covering him from view. All Din hears is the deafening silence after the shot, and all he sees is stillness. There is blood is smeared on your tunic and hands, and dripping from your face, and soaking rapidly into the sand around a still and silent Ezra. There is no Grogu to be found. Din freezes , all his senses abruptly feeling like he’s plunged under ice cold water, his heart in his throat, blocking air, his hearing still echoing with the shot. His hearing is a ringing white noise.

Fett knocks him hard in the helmet with his Tusken stick.

“They're alive . Get your mechanic, the Kid is over here with a hostage,” he points, and Din whips around to see Grogu holding another attacker in stasis with the Force, several feet off the ground.

Din drops to a knee and hauls the dead Klatoonian off of Ezra before turning to check you, stirring just a few feet away. You blink up at him, squinting at the unforgiving shine of the sun's on his beskar’gam , and sit upright with a gasp.

“They’re okay ,” Din chokes, unsure of who exactly he’s reassuring with the statement. You still pat him down and, finding no injuries, whirl your head around to check on Ezra, who is propped up on an elbow, drenched in blood and heaving coughing breaths, but unharmed. Similarly, Grogu is dirty but also otherwise in fine condition, holding someone hostage a few feet off the ground. Fett approaches him and speaks clearly:

“Drop your hostage, little one. I would like to interrogate the last of those left standing who thought they could storm my palace and survive.”

Grogu nods and drops the final male, a human, and Fett grabs him, hauling him upright. Din doesn't watch as the older Mandalorian drags the offending quarry inside, closely followed by Fennec. He’s too busy checking your temple where a deep scuff is sluggishly bleeding, as well as a split in your lip.

“I’m fine, are you hurt?” you ask him, stilling the gloved hand that is tracing over your cuts. He shakes his head and you turn back to your other man. “Sorry I didn't get him, Ezra.”

Ezra shakes his head at you, incredulous at your apology. “I am just pleased that I got him away from you two, gem. He wanted the kid.”

“If he wanted Grogu , he wasn't here because of Fett ,” you say, glancing up at Din. His posture freezes.

“ Dank farrik ,” he curses, and grabs the kid, running inside after Boba. “FETT!”

You shake your head and get up on your feet, stumbling over to Ezra. “You okay?”

“I’m fine , gem. A little squished- that xeno was heavy . Are you alright?” he allows you to help him to his feet and peers down at himself in disgust, slicked in blood and caked in sand, reeking . He raises the mod arm and rotates the wrist slowly, making sure it hasn't been damaged. It appears and feels fine.

“Look at that, you shot with your right hand!” You crow, delicately putting your palm under his wrist. He blinks down at the blaster curled in his fist, making a concerted effort to release the fingers and let it drop. They slowly bloom open and he harrumphs.

“So I have.”

_______________

Din catches up to Fett and the attacker in one of the halls on the way to the lower levels. He knows the rancor is kept down one of these dungeon halls, and wonders if the daimyo intends to intimidate him there, or simply throw him in.

“Wait! He wanted the Child. I have questions.”

A quick but effective interrogation is assisted mostly by doing it at the rattling cage door of the rancor’s pit. The man quickly starts sniveling, which leads to the admission that they are, indeed, more of Zeva’s men.

“Are more coming?” Fett asks, Din is grinding his bootheel into the man’s broken fingers on the sandstone floor. The rancor growls low, vibrating the walls, drool pooling under its jaws.

The man spits at Fett, landing short but the intent is there.

“Let me give the kid to my– to them . I’m not finished with that ,” Din growls, and stalks off.

Fennec is posted up with her rifle in the hall when he comes out. She takes Grogu with a wink. “I’ll take him to the kitchens for a snack. Your partners went to wash up.”

“Thank you,” Din says, glancing up at the ceiling like he can see through the floors of the building between him and you two. He wishes he could join you both -- but determining your safety and that he's not leaving a mess or a trail behind him is a priority he can’t ignore. He watches Fennec disappear around the corner and curls his hands into fists.

Before he goes back, he has to cool down or he’s going to beat the guy's face to pulp in seconds. He’d tried so hard to stop any tails, cut off any beacons- how had they managed to slip any past him ?

Taking a deep breath, he opens the door and goes back down to the pits.

Fett now has the man by the scruff and is hanging him into the rancor’s pit, asking him about Zeva’s fleet.

“I don't know , man! I think we were her last drop ship and crew! She has a bunch of kids with old rebellion ships now, running spice to dealers, but that’s it!”

“And no more are coming?”

“Man, she ain't got more to send ! She just wanted him anyway- our job was to bring back his bucket !”

Din straightens and tips his head to one side, observing. “ How did you trace my ship after I found the tracker disc on Naboo?”

“Hate to break it to you Mando , but no one flies those old ass gunships anymore. We just asked around. Someone in Mos Eisley told their street dealer they’d seen it fly over and off again, then back in a few days later. Wasn't hard to find you, even without a beacon.” the struggles against Fett’s hold and coughs. “Not like everyone in the Rim don't know you got friends all over this planet.”

“What other towns did you go to?” Din growls, looming intimidatingly. The guy flinches and shakes his head.

“Our dealers are just in Mos Eisley and Mos Espa, Mando. We came straight here after getting the comm.”

Din makes a mental note to send a comm to Vanth before the night ends to check in, anyway.

“If no more men are coming, and Mando’s travels are heresay, I hope you understand how stupid a suicide mission this was for your spice runner criminal boss. All over a bounty . Ridiculous,” Fett chimes in, finally dropping the man into the pit.

“I think we can confidently brush that little skirmish under the rug,” Boba says, tugging off his helmet. He stops and turns to Din, expectant.

“I’ll handle it, ” Din growls, turning away as Fett closes the pit lid and shuts the door behind their shoulders to muffle the attacker’s screams. “We'll be gone by nightfall.”

“ Din . We are uniquely well-equipped for a strong defense here. Bliss has run out of either men or ships. Or both. You and your aliit are welcome to stay.”

Din hesitates for a moment at the doorway, glancing up the hall as if looking back for you three. He turns back to Fett.

“I will discuss it with them, and get back to you. But I’m sending Bliss a message either way.”

Before he goes up to find his unit – aliit – Din steps back out into the shooting range to collect weapons and approaches a body. He kneels and carefully slices the head off with his saber. Then approaches another and does the same until he has all he can carry. She sent twenty men, and all are dead and laying in the sand out here, save for the one in the pit.

The ships they had dropped from are landed over the ridge. He flies to one and scouts it before climbing in. He toggles the autopilot for a flight path straight to Kijimi and stakes the heads on the steering sticks and in the seats of the drop pods. On his way out, Din kicks the engine on, and watches it stream up into the atmosphere before turning back to the palace.

The next time he finds a bounty on Zeva Bliss or her offspring, he’ll gladly take the lesser reward for a cold delivery.

___________________

If he wasn't so taken with you, Din reckons he would prefer the rancor right about now.

“I thought you said you took care of them ?” You ask, hands on your hips. Din stands steady under your imperious stare.

You aren't even yelling ; maybe that’s worse. He’s very glad that Boba and Fennec decided to entertain Grogu for the night.

“I thought I had . I removed their tracers from the Crest , like I told you when I returned. The quarry Fett interrogated said they knew I'd come to Tatooine and had people watching the skies for the Crest . I have friends here; that was a mistake. I should have taken you elsewhere; I'm sorry.” Really , he thinks, I should leave you all three here and spirit myself away along with all the danger I bring .

He also knows you’d sooner shove a tracking fob permanently up his ass than let that happen, so he stays silent.

“Din, I don't care about where we are or that it’s dangerous. I signed on for that lifestyle when I took the job. Ezra signed on for it when he decided to stay with us. We will be better as a unit, even running from one end of the Galaxy to the other for the next– thirty years!” you throw your hands up, exasperated.

You both look at Ezra, who is chewing his lip and staring unseeing somewhere on Din’s person.

“I was very frightened of losing any one of you three today. But I was prepared to take as many of them with me as I was able.” He glances up at you and his gaze softens a touch.

“I have not felt that sort of loyalty in… A very long time. And in matters of the heart, I tend to err on the side of caution, but I would be the worst sort of liar to admit anything other than being gone on the both of you, and the child. But Din, taking off like that without clear orders was perhaps not the best move, sweetheart. We can't be a team without effective communication and candid appraisals of the situation at hand. We aren't equal partners when you try to handle everything yourself like that. It very nearly got the both of us injured or killed, and your kid spirited away. The fact that trust is clearly there between us each means little in the face of being at the business end of an ambush. We got lucky, today.”

With nothing to retort, Din simply nods.

Later, after dinner in your quarters and some more conversation, there is a scuffling in the dark, punctuated by a heady groan and a separate sigh of relief.

The curtains in the room block out the heat of the sun and the glow of the three moons, drawn tightly as they are. Din has removed his helmet.

“ Din ,” you say sternly, calling his attention. You hear the wet smack of his mouth breaking away from Ezra's, followed by profound silence in the pitch dark. He’s waiting. “Lay back. And spread your legs for us. Arms flat out to your sides.”

You listen for the soft sounds of his compliance, the quiet, reedy groan of expectation pressing up out of his throat. In lieu of someone occupying his mouth, Ezra crawls over and roves his across the curve of your shoulder, his hands cupping and (carefully- he still doesn't trust the mod) kneading your breasts from behind. He follows you as you crawl forward onto Din’s lap, straddling his hips, Ezra kneeling between his splayed knees. Your wetness teases the tip during the upward bob of his cock, straining for stimulation. Another groan bubbles up, but Din stays perfectly still for you.

“Can I tell you a secret , Ezra?” you ask, laying your head back and nibbling his ear. Your hands slide gently up either side of Din’s strong neck, fingers twining tightly into his curls to tug his head back, bare his throat. Both your faces are inches from his in the dark, and you measure your voice so he can hear what he can’t see, another tease, as you bend forward to scrape your teeth over his jugular.

“Please, gem. Especially if it’s about our handsome, kind, loving, strong man, here,” You hear a quiet groan of humiliation and turn to grin against Ezra’s white-tufted temple.

“ You like to be manhandled; it’s not exactly a secret. But I believe I have learned that our beloved boy likes two things best. Praise, and orders . They go hand-in-hand, if he is good enough. And I think you have enough words for that, don’t you, pretty boy?”

Ezra turns his head quickly and catches you in a wicked kiss, hands locking around your throat to keep you pulled back against him. “I sure do , gem.”

You lean back in Ezra’s hold and kiss him, riding the hard ridge of Din’s cock, flattened upward between his belly and your slick seam. You feel the thrum of his tension in the dark, through the Force, as he clenches his hands in the bedding out to each side, trying desperately not to move them to clasp over your hips like he wants.

“He’s being such a good boy , Ezra. Why don’t you let him taste your cock, seat it nice and deep in his throat. And I'll ride him. We’ll see who can come first, and then give him his prize?”

“My love, that is an excellent idea. Din, open wide for me, sweetheart. Give me that pretty tongue, let us use your strong, beautiful body to completion, and then overwhelm you with your well-earned reward.”

Din’s head falls back over the edge of the bedroll with a thunk. You hear the slick sound of him thoroughly wetting Ezra’s cock, as instructed, accompanied by quiet murmurs of praise from above. Your fist is a wet slide, slicked by your own juices, as you pump him to fullness and shimmy your hips back over his to seat yourself.

“ Hnng ,” Din whines around the stretch of his mouth, failing to hold still while you sink down on him slowly, controlled. His hips hitch up, chasing more. You pinch his nipple in admonishment and he jumps, slurping against the length in his throat and going still again. His stomach is an iron board of muscle, clenched tight, and you rub a hand down it, goading him into relaxing.

“Shhhhh, relax handsome. Just let us take care of you,” Ezra soothes, his hand following yours while the mod remains laid around Din’s throat, making him feel the hot stretch of cock from within and without. Din flexes against it, trying to take more, before going mostly limp.

“That’s it, that’s perfect . Oh, shiiiit . Okay, have the whole of it– oh ! You take me so well , sweet thing. Our gem is riding you so deep, I can feel how hard you're trying to hold still for us, Din. Gem, Is it too much to break out the good boy’s ?” Ezra chuffs, gasping when Din sucks harder, encouraging genuine thrusting.

“I think he's being a very good boy,” you sigh, lifting slow and sitting down hard, relishing the punch to your cervix, that deep spot he hits perfectly when he’s buried in all the way. Instead of riding, you grind forward and lean forward enough to pinch and then rub both his nipples. Din jolts with a guttural moan, chokes on the cock in his throat, hands fisting in the bedding on either side of himself. Ezra pulls his hips back, leaving just his drooling cockhead on Din’s tongue, and leans over to kiss you with heated intent, his hands on your face. When you break for air, he whispers conspiratorially:

“I fear we have given our beloved too easy a task, gem. This is a high- stamina, battle- ridden Mandalorian .” He drags his nails up Din’s chest, just hard enough to leave pinkened weals on his skin, not that they can see them. Din writhes into it, rubbing his tongue on Ezra’s sensitive head to squeeze it against his palate, earning a blurt of salty precome.

“I propose another feat, which will test his beskar-clad control. And I daresay I would love thoroughly tormentin’ his fine ass if he fails.”

Ezra withdraws fully from Din's mouth and bends to speak in his ear, pitched just loud enough for you to hear.

“You did something to me when we were spiced that has haunted me since, and now I want to return the favor, sweetheart. You want our gem to have the pleasure of your impressive cock, while I take care of you from behind?” Ezra slides his fingers into Din's hair, pulling sharply and eliciting a whine.

“Maker . Yes!”

“Hmmm. Gem, come up here a minute, our love. I need this man on his knees for me.”

You crawl forward, letting Din up, and he rolls over compliantly onto you, pinning you under his breadth and weight. You lean up and capture his mouth, indulging in a slow, heated kiss. After a moment of silence, he huffs.

“I’m here, paklalat . What the hell are you doing?”

A sharp crack echoes in the room and Din growls; he lifts off of you abruptly and a scuffle ensues. “What the fuck !”

“I am lookin' for the slick, you impatient ogre. Unless you’re keen on a sandpapery fuck. I am decidedly not.” Ezra slides his hand across the heated, freshly- spanked flank and below, cupping the sticky hang of Din’s cock, still coated in your juices.

“ Pak . Come on ,” Din grits, thrusting into the man’s fist. Ezra presses his teeth to that palm-sized warm patch of skin and squeezes Din’s dick, earning a low, annoyed growl. He pushes Din to mantle back over you, plastered to his back and kneeling on the floor at the edge of the bed.

“Gemstone, can you pass the slick? I believe it has made its way under that pillow you’re on.” Ezra asks breathlessly and gets up on his knees between Din’s ankles.

The slick vial had indeed been last stowed under the pillow. You find it and pat around for your loquacious third. “Ez?”

“I am right here, gem. Thank you. Hips up, handsome,” he takes Din again by the root and leads him back to all fours, his chest dipped and his ass up. The Mandalorian snorts into your breasts, shimmying until his knees are comfortably spread and laying his head there, pillowed on you. “You just stay there and let us treat you, big fella.”

Before he can protest, you have dragged his head up and reclaimed Din’s mouth, licking any complaint off his tongue with your own. He brings his hands up, feeling useless, and holds you to him. Ezra has his mod hand planted on Din’s ass, spreading him wide to one side while he milks his cock with downward strokes between his thighs with the other.

Abruptly, Din jolts and curses into your mouth and you grin against him. “He using his mouth, sweetheart?” In answer, Din keens against your throat.

Ezra is pressing closer now, that hand still wrapped around Din’s cock and squeezing, his mouth working against the smooth pucker of his entrance.

“Oh, ffffuck ,” Din groans into you, nodding, a hand flailing a bit before landing on your nape, dragging you closer.

Your core clenches, empty and growing wetter with each hitched breath from the men before you. Ezra is pressing fingers and tongue into him now, and when you pass a hand down the valley of Din’s spine to feel them in the dark, you can tell Ezra is being as wicked as possible.

He’s pulled his fingers out and let go of Din’s cheek to bury his face between the soft swells of flesh. A master with his tongue in all ways, Ezra plunges it in deep and draws back slowly, sucking at the rim, painting the flat of his tongue across the softened whorl of muscle before doing it all again. He’s got his arms looped under Din’s thighs, between his knees and curved up to grip his hips, keeping him spread and elevated. Din’s thighs are quaking and a desperate whine pushes up out of his chest when Ezra dives back in, loosening a hand from his hip to tug downward on his cock.

“Let me– issa – Scoot up !” Din demands, manhandling you until his face is at your core. He buries his mouth into you voraciously, shaking his head side to side to part your folds and drive his tongue in deep. You gasp and drop your head back, yanking on his curls in tandem with Ezra's probing fingers.

Your Mandalorian makes low, urgent noises against you when Ezra starts back with his fingers, stretching him slowly and too-gently for his taste, but he can’t rail against it. It feels far too good to complain. He wants more, and faster, and the slight burn of a partner’s urgency and roughness, but Ezra refuses any attempt to speed him up or push back against him.

You are soft and pliant beneath him, raking back his hair and petting his face and tasting salty and sweet under his tongue. Part of him wants you to yank on his hair, give him something sharp and edged to focus on instead of all this softness, but he knows you won't. You and Ezra are driving a point home and he’s simply meant to accept the attention, which is hard enough to convince himself he’s worthy of.

Instead, Din forces his focus onto you. He drags the flat of his tongue up, bringing your slick with it as he circles and then sucks on your clit. You cry out breathlessly and grip his curls, not as hard as he wants but toeing the edge. He loses suction every time Ezra coaxes a sound out of him, but you’re writhing under his attentions regardless, far too turned on to care much.

“ May ,” Din growls, absolutely out of patience, and you hear a huff of laughter from behind.

“I have to admit to some soul-deep glee at you beggin’ for my cock, Din. I shall never tire of it. On your back for us, now,” he spanks Din again, just enough to raise a warm patch of skin, and accepts a biting kiss as Din does as he’s told, flopping to his back. Ezra feels for his hips and finds him just at the edge of the bed, with Din’s knees bracketing himself still kneeling on the floor.

“You did exactly what I wanted, Din. Gem, mount our man, if you would?”

“Of course,” you hum and crawl forward. You arch into their combined touch when they guide you into position and fasten their mouths on either side for your neck, hands tracing your shape and groping lightly. “What are we gonna do with you, huh?” You murmur into the dark, nibbling over one of Din’s firm pecs until you find a nipple and give it a firm suck. He tenses and gasps under you, hands tightening on your hips.

“What- whatever you want , iisa .”

“Oh,” you sigh, grinning wide. “I quite like the sound of that. Ezra?”

The former prospector drops a kiss on your palm and hums. “Me too, gem. I am eager to take him apart already, and put him back together when we’re done. You ready, Din?”

“ Yes ,” he groans.

You reach down and notch his weeping cockhead at your entrance and sit back, taking him deep. When you get to the base of him, you rotate your hips, taking every last millimeter up inside yourself. The grind of his tidy thatch of hair against your clit makes you tighten around him reflexively and Din scrabbles at your hips, whining. You sit straight up, which keeps your pussy tight as a vice around his cock, and hook both of his knees over your elbows, keeping him spread wide open, helpless to simply take Ezra’s ministrations behind you.

“Oh fuck ,” Din wheezes at the snug, hot clutch around him, at the stretch of his rim around Ezra’s girth as the other man starts pressing in slow and steady. The breach is incredible , lighting up his entire spine. It’s a wonder he doesn't immediately lose himself and jet into your womb. The very thought of filling you and Ezra filling him has him nearly biting through his lower lip. “ Iisa ! Pak, please !”

“Shhhh,” you calm him, dragging your fingers down the firm ridges of his belly. He whines pitifully and lets his hands drop to his sides, the way he was before you both maneuvered him around. He pushes back with his hips, meeting Ezra halfway- or as much as he can.

“ There we go,” Ezra sighs, sliding the last inch up inside. He wraps his arms around you and nestles in close, rutting shallowly until he finds the right angle. “Now I expect this to be a brief affair- I know firsthand the amount of stimulation you're experiencing, sweetheart. Gem, I'll take these, if you want to start moving?” He slides his hands up the sweaty backs of Din’s thighs and cups behind his knees, releasing your elbows.

“Don't mind if I do,” you say, twisting back for a kiss. You lift your hips halfway off Din’s length and slam back down, jostling him against the cock in his ass, and he grunts with the strain of staving off his orgasm already .

“ Oh fuck ,” Din repeats, scrambling to focus on anything but his lower half. He hasn’t bottomed often , mainly only with Cobb, and the Marshal's cock had been leaner than Ezra’s. The heady stretch combined with your intoxicatingly slick heat around him like a glove is almost too much to bear. “I can’t– iisa !”

“I know, sweet boy. Come when you need to.”

“This is for you , Din, you don't gotta hold back,” Ezra chimes in, thrusting harder in counterweight to you slamming yourself down on Din’s dick. “Fill our gem up, their pussy begs to gush with your seed, handsome.” He punctuates each word with a languid but firm thrust that takes him to the balls each time.

You lean down, swiveling your hips against his and kiss him, sucking his lower lip into your own mouth and worrying at the swollen flesh. He’s been biting it, searching for some tiny bit of pain to reel himself back in. “You gonna come inside me, daddy?” You whisper the ask against his lips, and that’s it .

Din absolutely– implodes – he comes so hard, he’s pretty sure he blacked out for a second. You’re straightening off his chest, riding him hard and chasing your own orgasm while Ezra pistons into him from behind. He drops Din’s legs and holds onto you, palming your tits and kneading them, pinching your nipples. Din feels everything in the abstract, so far out of his own body for an unspooling moment that he barely feels you slip off his softness, his cum gushing out of you onto his belly as you finish yourself off.

“C’mere,” he slurs, dragging at your waist until you comprehend.

“Oh, yes ,” you sigh, letting him haul you up and seat you on his face. He tastes himself, an undercurrent of your sweet slick cutting through all his salt, and is dimly aware of Ezra shooting inside him, a pooling of warmth that is alien but far from unwelcome.

So soon off the height of your orgasm, Din sucks firmly on your throbbing clit and the roughness of his tongue catapults you into a second. You try to scramble off, feeling an absolute flood gushing out, surely drowning him, leaving you mortified despite the pleasure paralyzing your body. With a wanton groan, Din drinks you down greedily, not stopping for a second, sucking at you until you manage to finally shiver off him to the side and push him away.

“Did our gem squirt on your face?” Ezra barks, folding over Din’s torso to grip him by the chin and haul him into an artless, feral kiss. He sucks the sweet flavor of you off Mando’s lips and tongue, seeks out the dark corners of his mouth and steals even his breath. He finally abandons Din, a boneless, dazed, and gasping heap on the bed, as he crawls over to you in search of more.

“Gem, you must do that again. Not now, but I will coax it from you before long,” he sighs, flattening his weight onto you despite the heat and sweat and come. Din rolls to the side, too sweaty for a cuddle but desirous of being close.

“We need a kriffing bath,” he sighs, not wanting to move but feeling rank. The sheets are fairly plastered to you all now, from sweat and come and your juices.

“I tend to agree, my friend. Who should don the blindfold and accompany you, and who goes last?” He asks, yawning hugely.

“I’ll wear my helmet and wash my face and hair when you two are done,” Din offers, already scooping up the armor. “Strip the sheets? I’ll make the bed after,” he says, already padding to the ‘fresher.

“Let’s flex those budding domestic skills of mine, gem,” Ezra says, swatting the lush curve of your ass to get you off the bed so he can tug the sheets off.

You snort at him and roll off, clicking on a small light and helping. He's doing better with the arm, able to grip and hold easier already. You smile at him, glad that he agreed to the mod if for nothing else than the confidence that's already bleeding back in at his craggy edges.

With the sheets in a heap, you both turn to the ‘fresher and join Din for a soak. Tomorrow you’re probably off in the stars again, but planetside domesticity certainly has its benefits.

One day, maybe, if your little family is very lucky indeed, a little house on some land (with some frogs for Grogu to chase, and room enough for three in a bed, and wide-open skies for watchful eyes) can be a reality.

#din djarin #the mandalorian #ezra (prospect)#reader insert #afab reader #no pronouns #gn pronouns #prospect movie #fuse #also on ao3 #ezra/reader #din djarin/reader #din djarin/reader/Ezra (prospect)#prospect (2018)#so fluff #domesticity

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darlingdekarios · 10 months

Text

to the stars.

rating: explicit. 18+ only. length: 3,976 content: Cassian Andor x f!reader, reader is an Imperial turned spy, dark themes [major death], porn with plot, established "relationship", smut [thigh riding, fingering - receiving, unprotected p in v], kink(s) [spit, overstimulation, choking, scratching, biting]

he will think of you every time he looks to the stars.

“They’re going to kill you tomorrow, which has changed our plans quite a bit.”

The cell door closed behind you, offering privacy with the rebel contained within the walls that surrounded him. He looked up at you from between his brown locks that seemed to grow messier by the day – they’d certainly grown longer in his time spent mostly within the captivity the cell offered. His deep, brown eyes found their way to yours, his own full of questioning at your surprise visit.

“How much is quite a bit?” He questioned, raising upward to sit on the bed rather than remain on his back.

“Quite a bit,” you repeated, hands folded firmly behind your back and face saturated in seriousness. He hated seeing you on edge like this. “I have rigged three explosions on board — one in the hangar bay, one close enough to the bridge to make them nervous, and one…well, here. So hopefully they think you’re dead.”

You were brave, fearless even; if Cassian thought hard enough about it, he may even call your reckless abandon for your wellbeing stupidity, if he didn’t know it was because you just cared so much. Despite the recklessness you regularly showcased it had yet to prevent you from displaying competency — if you set out on a task, you would see results. He’d known of you before he even found himself in his current position – the Imperial General turned Rebel Spy – but no stories could compare to seeing you in the flesh and watching you work.

“What sort of ship did you get?”

“No ship – an escape pod. The explosions are to distract from that.”

“I don’t like the sound of this plan,” he stated, reaching up to run his fingers through his hair. “There’s too much risk, too much left to chance. We should talk about it more.

“I don’t like the sound of you dying tomorrow,” you replied, always quick with a rebuttal. He often wondered if you had intended to be a politician in another life, though he never asked. It was painful for many to dwell in the past, as he expected was the case for you. It was something he could understand. “The plan stays as it is. Have hope, Cassian.”

He nearly relented at the soft reassurance in your voice, at how despite you were clearly just as anxious as he was finding himself you still sought to soothe him. “If they know who organized this,”he began, shaking his head slightly despite his dissipating nerves. “They will kill you.”

“Yes. They will,” you replied matter of fact, having accepted the words already. You’d been doing this long enough to know what a plan like this meant, and he wasn’t even privy to all the details like you were. You knew it would be an argument regardless – holding back some of the information was better for both of you. “We’ll both just have to bring our best.”

“It’s too risky,” he refused to relent, his head shaking firmly again.

“It’s all we’ve got, Cass.”

The silence lingered as he allowed your words to soak in, as his brain tried to quickly think of anything else the two of you could attempt. With just a little more time the two of you could come up with something so much better, so much less reckless – but the time had run out.

“When?” he finally conceded, eyes meeting yours again. There were so many things that he wanted to say to you, so many kindnesses he had intended to thank you for and hadn’t gotten around to.

“First thing in the morning. I’ll come to you when it’s time.”

Months of this were coming to an end. Months of late-night unauthorized visits ending with Cassian buried in you, losing himself in the reprieve you offered from whatever his day had forced on him. Months of both of you pretending that the solace you found in one another was nothing more than a temporary distraction. Soon, though – sooner than expected – he would no longer be able to lose himself momentarily in the bliss of your body. He wanted to tell you everything he admired about you, so many things he wanted to ask, so many things he wanted to know.

It was cruel of the galaxy to bring you together this way, but the fact was unsurprising – cruelty was an old friend to you both.

“What will you do until then?” He broke the silence as you turned to leave, holding a breath as he awaited your response. It seemed selfish to ask for what he wanted given how much you were risking for him today, but he hoped your heart yearned for the same as his in

“My job. Everything must seem normal for this to work.”

“Is it not your job to interrogate me, Captain?” Despite everything, you couldn’t hold back the light smile that formed on your lips as you turned to face him again. He leaned against the wall with one hand resting behind his head, his other hand resting on his thigh as his eyes sought yours out again. The smug expression he so-often wore with you had returned; his lips slightly upturned in a smirk as he patted his thigh twice firmly. “Interrogate me, then.”

There was no use in arguing, because any quarrels you may have presented would be false: you wanted this time with Cassian again before he was ripped from you. Perhaps it was irresponsible, but it didn’t matter – your feet carried you to the bed with no argument. As you climbed into the bed and into his lap, he immediately removed his hand from behind his head, raising it instead to cradle the side of your face and lead you close to him as the other found its regular position on your hip. Your lips chased his, claiming one another in a soft but heated kiss that felt so right it mirrored the cosmos’ aligning stars. His lips parted before yours, desperate for the kiss to reflect his need for you – desperate to commit the feeling to memory on the chance this was the last kiss you’d share for a while.

You’d seated yourself onto one of his thighs due to your quickened, desperate movements and while the kiss deepened by the swipe of his tongue across the seam of your lips, your hips shifted in response, a rush of heat flooding to your core. Cassian knew that movement, recognized the hitch to your breath and the whisper of a moan that was swallowed into his mouth, and it ticked the corners of his lips up into a smirk. Removing his hand from your cheek and sliding his tongue against your own he trailed his fingers down your body until his thumb connected with the sensitive bundle of nerves at your core through the grey pants you wore. You had to pull away from the kiss to moan, your hands suddenly grasping his shoulders to steady yourself as your eyes squeezed shut at his unexpected movement – the exact reason he'd done it. He loved the face you made when he took you by surprise and couldn’t wait to do it in more ways that weren’t restricted by a cell.

He pressed a kiss to your forehead before gliding his lips downward to your neck, pressing gentle kisses as he slowly rubbed a circle with his thumb attached to you. You whined then, eyes fluttering open to a hooded, darkened gaze as you sought his face, finding the softest smirk played on his lips. Your ground your core against his thigh, pulling your bottom lip between your teeth as he pressed a kiss to the spot he knew was the most sensitive on your neck.

“Kriff, Cassian,” you moaned, your head rolling back as you began to rub your dripping core on his thigh in slow, intentional movements, gasping when it changed the pressure on your clit.

“I know,” he murmured, pulling your ear lobe between his teeth and guiding your hips back and forth with his tight grip on your waist. “I can feel how wet you are already. Were you wet when you walked in here?”

“Yes,” you gasped your confession, one of your hands sliding to the back of his head and gripping his hair slightly, pulling a groan from his chest. His thumb began rubbing faster circles, pressing against the sensitive nub harder to coax you closer to release. “I didn’t…think I’d get…get to fuck you again.”

A soft chuckle rumbled through him, his head raising to look at your face – cheeks flushed, lips parted, and so fucking beautiful for him already. “That’s what you’re worried about, hmm? Letting your dirty rebel fuck you again?” You could only nod in response. “Not giving you my cock until you cum just like this, Captain.”

You whimpered quietly as he claimed your lips again but found that soon with the combined pressure against your core from his muscular thigh and his pointed attention on your clit, it didn’t take long for your legs begin to shake. As your first orgasm rushed through you moaned into his mouth, pulling his hair slightly as you clung to anything you could to stable yourself.

When you’d finished your release, he wasted no time stripping you, tossing the clothes to the side before he knelt in front of the cot, leaning to trail kisses up your thigh. You whined at his gentle kisses; his hand spread your thighs before he reached to run two of his fingers through your folds, gathering the wetness that had flowed from you moments ago.

“Look at how wet you are for me,” he mused, leaning forward to repeat the action through your folds with his tongue with a low groan. He flicked his tongue against your now overly stimulated clit, smiling as you moaned out his name. “This is what I think about all day in this cell when you’re not here.”

He had no words for you then, the only sounds from his mouth his grunts and groans as he devoured every inch of your cunt, savoring how you tasted and hoping it would linger in his mind. Soon enough he slipped two of his fingers into your wet heat, focusing his mouth’s attentions on your clit to hurriedly coax another orgasm from you. You slid a hand to his head, fingers lacing in his hair and tugging slightly as he sucked on the over sensitive nub, a loud groan sounding in his chest as you moaned his name.

Pumping his fingers into you and curling them to massage against just the right velvety patch in your walls after already orgasming once was too much. Within minutes he had your thighs shaking again, your eyes brimming with tears as a second wave of euphoria washed over you, this secondary wave sending a rush of liquid to his waiting tongue, Cassian drinking in the nectar he’d earned like it was the holiest of communions.

When he’d finished cleaning your still dripping folds, he raised his face back to yours, kissing you deeply as he worked himself free of the uniform he’d be glad to be rid of soon. You took the momentary reprieve to return his kiss as well as you could, breathlessness creating a level of difficulty you were more than willing to ignore for him. When he was free of the uniform you took your cue to begin rolling to your stomach so he could take your cunt from behind as he always did – but today, Cassian’s firm grasp on your waist halted you.

“No, no, no…today I’m looking into your eyes while you take my cock,” he breathed out, basking under the blush that overcame your cheeks and the flash of adoration and confusion in your eyes. Settling between your thighs again he fisted his cock, rubbing the velvet tip through your folds with a quiet, appreciative hum.

As he slid into you a groan was pulled from his chest, his head throwing back briefly before he righted himself to watch his cock disappear into you, connecting a thumb to your clit again to pull a desperate cry from you. When he’d rocked his hips all the way forward and buried every inch of himself in you, he gave moved the thumb in a slow circle to soothe you, shushing you quietly as he ground his hips into yours.

“You don’t understand how fucking pretty your pussy looks taking me,” he breathed out before moving on to what he really wanted, pulling his cock from you only to piston it back into you at a desperate, rough pace. Your hips would certainly be bruised tomorrow. “Open your mouth.”

Barely within reason from overstimulation you could only nod, your eyes hooded and drunk on him as he lifted your hips higher to thrust into you at a better angle, leaning forward and awaiting you to follow his instruction. You opened your lips for him as soon as you’d registered the words and he smirked before spitting into your mouth, the taste of his spit mixed with your lingering arousal covering your tongue. He removed one of his hands from your hips to grasp your neck gently, nodding as his thrusts slowed for a moment – only a moment.

“Swallow,” he instructed again, groaning when you closed your mouth to do as he told and savoring the feeling of you swallowing beneath his hand. He leaned forward to kiss you as his thrusts picked up speed again, immediately claiming your mouth with his tongue. A look of confusion crossed his face as you pulled away from the kiss.

“Choke me,” you breathed out, raising one of your hands to cover his on your throat with a nod. His eyes flashed with something almost uncertain for a moment before you gave his hand a light squeeze, melting away the reluctancy and melding it into desire. His eyes darkened impossibly, his hand applying the perfect amount of pressure to barely affect your air flow, enjoying how your mouth fell open again and your eyes rolled back, your thighs already shaking around his waist. Though no sound came, a third orgasm washed over you, your walls clenching down around him and pulling a moan from his chest. He released his pressure when your walls loosened again and leaned forward to spit in your mouth once more before trailing his kisses down to your neck, immediately biting a mark where he knew it would be hidden by your collar.

Your own hands found a home on his back, scratching down the skin and raising marks – perhaps even drawing a little blood, neither of you cared – as he continued to plant kisses along your neck, his pace unrelenting as he chased more – as much as he could pull from you. The marks you left on one another would serve as a painful reminder of what was to be missed when the two of you were separated.

When he finally raised his head to look at your face he was met with the sight of your eyes welling up in tears again, the overstimulation finally winning. “Are you going to cry for me, baby?” He cooed, slowing his movements for a moment.

“It’s too much, Cass,” you whimpered, the tears finally spilling over and down your cheeks. He leaned forward to kiss them away on each side, though his gentle action was contrasted by his hard pace beginning again.

“It’s not too much, you can take it,” he cooed, his words broken with breathlessness as sweat began to drip from his brow and onto yours. “I know what you can take.”

He changed his angle again slightly to piston the head of his cock against the sensitive patch within you, his thumb now rubbing figure eights on your clit. Supporting you with his thighs he released his other hand, raising it to his own mouth to suck on it briefly before he lowered it to your backside, teasing the tight ring of muscle with the tip of the wet finger for a moment before he slipped it in, smirking as a borderline scream came from your mouth. Thank the stars the cell had been sound proofed for…”torture sessions” long ago.

“I’d take this tight little hole too if your cunt wasn’t so perfect,” he breathed out in his native language though you couldn’t understand him, leaning downward again to press a kiss to your lips. “Next time.”

Your tears were flowing freely now, unpreventable as he began to move the finger in your ass in time with his thrusts into your now well-fucked pussy, his own noises becoming desperate and unhinged as he held off his own release to prolong this as long as he could. Overwhelmed by all of it, by all of Cassian, you could only moan between quiet sobs of over pleasured joy, large tears flowing down your cheeks as you stared up into his face in adoration. Though it was impossible to focus you could quietly hear Cassian shushing you, cooing you into relaxation and attempting to soothe your tears.

“You can take it,” he reminded as he added a second finger to your ass, groaning as your walls clenched around him again and another orgasm rushed through you, your eyes squeezing shut just as tight as your walls clenched around him.

Though he’d always made a conscious effort not to, he was also beyond reason, and the feeling of your walls choking his cock like this had him spraying his own release into you, a groan from his mouth quieted as he crashed his lips into yours. As he finished painting your walls with his seed he kissed you slowly, intimately, like he wanted this to be the kiss both of you remembered. You were certain you would.

When you’d both come down enough, he rolled to lay next to you, watching your chest heave up and down mirroring his own. “I shouldn’t have done that,” he breathed out, obviously referencing where he’d opted to finish. “Was stupid.”

“It didn’t feel stupid,” you managed out between breaths, opening your eyes to flash him a playful look. He couldn’t help but laugh a little, wrapping an arm around your side and pulling you closer to press a kiss to the tip of your chin, then the tip of your nose, then your forehead.

“Nothing ever feels stupid with you.”

The hours that passed next to him were blissful, lying on your sides facing one another as your fingers ran through his hair gently, both of you savoring the feeling. It was as if Cassian didn’t blink a single time, seeking to memorize every detail of your face. While you would have been more than content to lay in perfect silence with him, he insisted you talk – about your home planet, about your family, about anyone you had ever cared for so he could remember your voice; so he could remember you.

“But what about you?” he questioned when the time finally came to separate, his fingers lightly brushing your jaw in a soft embrace. His eyes, the same that had looked at you with such disdain not so long ago at all, now held you with such reverence it was hard to look into them for too long – to be faced with how highly he thought of you knowing how you deserved to truly be seen.

“There’s only room for one,” came your simple reply, the five words carrying more weight than any small sentence had on him before, crushing his heart into his chest. Still, he had to believe there was hope. There always had to be.

“When will I see you again?”

His forehead leaned to yours, his brow pressing into yours as though he was trying to meld the two of you together, to force you to be with him until the end. The galaxy was cruel, a lesson you’d both learned long ago in such different ways, and this moment could not be forever. Nothing so pure as love could blossom under the conditions the two of you had grown in.

“Whenever I look to the stars I will see your face, Cassian Andor,” you breathed, your hands coming to rest on the sides of his neck. Your fingers, normally so steady and certain and calculative, were shaking against his skin, your nerves unhidden for once. Now was not the time for barriers – now was the time to be vulnerable, to show someone the parts of you that had been hidden away for so long.

He closed the distance between the two of you, pressing his lips to yours in a kiss that carried much more with it than any other had. As he cherished the feeling of your soft lips against his own, he tasted the salt that filled your tears. Without breaking the kiss, he brushed a thumb under one of your eyes, collecting the tears that gathered there. He had to wonder if the tears were for him, because you didn’t want to be separated from him – or if they were simply because when he was gone, so would everyone on the base that truly knew you. He supposed it didn’t matter.

He broke the kiss to lean his head against yours again, inhaling the scent that surrounded you that he hoped he never had to forget. Hope – he had to have that trademark hope that he so often spoke of – to not resign himself to the mental misery of accepting that he would never see you again. To pretend this could end in anything but was a fallacy, it only made sense that he had to lose you, too – that was the overarching theme of his life. Loss. There were so many things he wished to say, to express, to confess, but none of them came.

You had grabbed his shirt at some point in the embrace and now, though every cell in your body begged you not to, you pushed him through the open door of the escape pod, your eyes finding the last bits of comfort in his. Before you could pull your hand away, he captured it in one of his own, raising it to his lips to press a gentle kiss to your knuckles. His eyes pleaded with you with words he couldn’t bring himself to speak.

You wanted to be this new version of yourself - perhaps the version that had always been begging to come out - beside him. But it was one of you or neither of you, and Cassian Andor was far more important to the galaxy than you would ever be.

You couldn’t stop yourself from stepping forward again to brush your fingertips against his jaw, pulling your other hand free of his at the moment a familiar, electric breathing filled the room.

“Traitor,” came the robotic voice of Darth Vader, your feet carrying you backward and away from Cassian before it was too late. As the door to the pod closed as did your windpipe, the force constricting your breath. From Cassian’s view he could see the man behind you with one solitary hand raised, his helmet hiding the monster beneath.

His fists slammed to the window on the pod in front of him, obvious yelling leaving his mouth as he pounded the glass. The tears in your eyes streaked down your cheeks faster, and despite it all a relieved smile flashed on your face. Your lips moved with words he could not hear as your shaking fist connected with the button before you, sending the pod and the man within free. Though the words weren’t heard, he could read them on your lips as he’d practiced many times before now.

“To the stars.”

masterlist. star wars masterlist.

#cassian andor #cassian andor x reader #cassian andor x you #cassian andor smut #star wars smut #star wars fanfiction

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yxami · 1 year

Note

Heeeeyyy, how r y doing? I loooveee the way you write, this is my first time requesting something in tumblr so, can you write something about y/n being a serial killer or a professional thief (as a hobby, she lives a normal life at day and does her stuff at night without getting caught for years). One day she meets Heizou, who is working on y/n case and he is frustrated at not finding anything about the murderer/thief. She is as smart as Heizou, so she pretends not knowing anything about the case and acta like a normal citizen. Over time, Heizou falls in love with y/n.

You can decide the ending, I'll be excited reading what you decide to write!

Sorry if I misspelled something, English is not my first language.

I’m doing good! I’m happy you like my writing! I don’t play genshin anymore It’s almost been a year and I never really paid attention to heizou. I watched a couple of videos to try to get his personality close. So I hope he’s somewhat similar. If not, give me feedback!

Description: heizou x fem reader, heizou fluff then angst, friends to lovers, genshin writing not my regular yandere writing stuff lmaoo

You dashed through the small alleyways of Inazuma, the beautiful pink petals seeming to follow you which was something you didn’t need right now. You crashed into a dead end, you froze so quickly yet your body still panicked What were you to do now? Get caught? Accept defeat?

You kicked yourself up from the floor to the wall, climbing it so quickly like your life depended on it. And It sort of did, you didn’t want to be locked up by your enemy, Shikanoin Heizou.

You panted hearing his voice call out for you. Likely teasing you for becoming cocky and showing your hiding spot. You had never been so close to being caught by him. You were just watching him look around for clues, and you accidentally got too close and a branch cracked under your foot.

That’s when you sprinted away and Heizou followed your trail. Until now, you were holding your breath as you heard him gracefully hop over the wall with his anemo vision. You were behind some bushes, trying to stay quiet as a mouse.

“Y’know, I don’t think I’ve had to look for someone this long. Especially not someone like you, thief” He hissed, obviously annoyed that such a criminal has been in his grasp yet you manage to slip away every single time.

“If you reveal yourself right now, I’ll be nicer when I lock you up, maybe even letting you mail letters to your friends to help pay back the amount of mora you’ve stolen” He clicked his tongue like he was scolding a child for doing something bad.

You rolled your eyes at his comments but your heart beat still raced at the thought that he could find you. Would he actually jail you even if he found out you were his friend?

Heizou luckily didn’t hear which way you went so he continued on into another dark alleyway that he believed you went into. You promised you’d never do something so reckless.

Then again, becoming friends with him was reckless as well. You had met him during Inazuma’s busiest hours, shops being overflowed with customers, people walking all around, it was hectic but beautiful as well.

You accidentally bumped into the busy detective, knocking papers out of his hands, he quickly caught most and you grabbed the ones that were out of his grasp.

“Sorry! I didn’t see you” You quickly apologized, handing him the papers but before you did, you had read your name being on one of them. Not your real name but your alias. The one you used as a thief to hide your identity.

“It’s alright, I should’ve been more careful, a hurried pace does not always work when you’re a detective” He smiled organizing his papers and grabbing the ones you handed.

“You’re a detective? That’s so cool!” You gushed like a little fan. You wanted to know who he was though, and why he was working in your case. You didn’t think anyone was on your trail, you covered it up pretty well, right?

“I am, my name is Shikanoin Heizou, what is yours?” He stopped looking at his papers to bring his attention onto you, after-all, it would be rather rude not to.

You managed to introduce yourself before pondering about that name. It sounded all too familiar, Shikanoin… Shikanoin… Was he that famous detective you’ve heard all about?!

You couldn’t believe for a second that the detective you’ve heard so much was on your case. He was known for throwing every thief, crook, anyone who has done serious wrong doing into jail! He was graceful and quick witted with all of his cases, finishing them up with ease.

“So! What’cha working on right now?” You were able to keep your cool and act like a clueless person who was just intrigued. Totally not a thief who was concerned with the detective right in front of them.

“I’m working on a common case, just another thief I’ll likely catch very soon” He laughed.

You began distracting Heizou wanting to know more about him. The two of you spoke over coffee and chatted. You were able to become friends with him which you wanted. It’s better to have your enemies close to know everything about them. Resulting in the two of you becoming close, maybe a little too close.

The next day has passed after Heizou almost caught you. You visited his office to go see what he was doing. You wondered if he would give up on you, that’s false hope though. He would never drop a case out of inability to catch the criminal. He would just continue to try and catch them.

“I just don’t get it, how does a measly thief.. get away so many times! I almost caught them yesterday, Can you believe they were watching me? And I still couldn’t catch them” Heizou groaned, frustrated at the case he has yet to solve.

“Maybe bad luck?” You cringed at your reply, unable to really comfort him with your words like you intended to.

“Pff, bad luck is no such thing with detectives. It’s either you’re good at solving cases or your not. And I happen to be the best detective. So the fact this thief is getting away shows they’re intelligent, maybe as much as me” He reviewed over the papers of the case and his eyes steadily scanned them.

He was always really cute when he was focused, or when he got frustrated about something and chewed on a pencil trying to think about how to solve it. He tug on your heartstrings for a lot of reasons. Which was bad, really bad. He was working on your case after all! You can’t be falling for the man trying to lock you up.

“I hope you catch ‘em soon! Just don’t overwork yourself, okay?” You frowned at the idea that he was going to burn himself out with stress. You wouldn’t want him to, even if he was your enemy. You’ve gotten to know him pretty well.

“I’ll try not to, since there is nothing else to work on.. How about we go out for lunch?” He stretched yawning. He collected his papers and stacked them up. Putting a paper clip so it was neatly held.

“Sure! Where should we go today?” You beamed, it was always really fun to go out with him.

Heizou grinned seeing your eyes light up at the suggestion of lunch. He wondered if it was because you wanted to eat, or maybe because you wanted to spend time with him. He always felt happier when he was with you, maybe you felt the same way?

“How about we go to Kiminami? I’m craving some rice cake soup!” He opened the door for you to exit first, he was always a gentlemen. Almost felt like you were his girlfriend, but of course that would never happen!!

“Seems like a good idea! Let’s go” You happily skipped along, creating a distance that Heizou quickly closed in on. He walked beside you and the both of you chirped about general stuff.

Once the two of you made it to the restaurant, you took the hasty initiative to order the food before Heizou could. He giggled at your happiness once the hot steaming food was presented before you.

You panted at the hotness of the soft and chewy dish but still swallowed it once it cooled a bit in your mouth. Heizou ate some of it after blowing it, something you likely should’ve done. He smiled finding your jealous look, humorous.

“It’s so good” You muffled with a mouthful, it was now cooled down enough. The flavor of the savory broth perfectly complimented the rice. He happily ate as well, with much more manners then you did.

“I can tell, you’re halfway through the dish already!” He laughed pointing to your plate. It was always so cute to see you enjoy something.

“Pff, I’ve only ate like a quarter!” You now spoke clearly without food in your mouth.

After the two of you ate and paid for your food, you were about to pass out. You had the habit of falling asleep with a full stomach. It just felt so good to sleep after eating good!

You drowsily got off from the seat and Heizou observed your sleepy demeanor. You looked like you were about to take a nap on the floor! He smiled finding it adorable. He wondered if you would be able to handle the walk back to his office.

“Are you gonna be able to walk back? It’s not far but you look you’re going to pass out” He observed you trying to rub away your sudden sleepiness.

“Mm, yeah I think so” You yawned, clearly not being able to stay away.

“Here, I’ll carry you on my back” Heizou took one knee to the floor, putting his hands back so he could carry you.

You nonchalantly climbed on, he grabbed onto your legs while you wrapped your arms around his neck. You laid your head against his shoulder finding the position comfortable.

“You’re like a tanuki!” He giggled, finding your sleepy behavior just like one.

“I’m not a tanuki..! I’m just sleepy” You yawned before you ended up sleeping on him.

He was lost in thought during the first few moments of the walk. Your close proximity with him didn’t warn his nerves, nor did it make him flustered. He just felt at peace that he was able to be so close to you. He really loved you, he just hoped he would be able to say it one day.

You were always cheering him on with his cases, especially with this one. It had been awhile since he started the case which had been stressing him out but you were always there to cheer him up.

“Thief…” You mumbled in your sleep, at first Heizou thought it was cute, until you continued..

“I’m.. the thief..” You spoke softly, as if you were ashamed even though you weren’t conscious. Maybe it was your body finally betraying you, not wanting to allow you to continue lying to such a genuine and kind person. Or it was you trying to speak the truth he needed to hear.

“What thief?” He replied. You couldn’t possibly be saying what he believed you were saying. It would be impossible, right? You couldn’t be that thief, the one he had been looking for, right under his nose? Posing as his close friend..

“I’m sorry” The last words you spoke before staying silent during your nap. The nap you were enjoying while your friend was hit with realization that the girl he was carrying above him wasn’t his close friend. It was a thief, a thief who had tricked him, tricked him into becoming close friends with you, to fall in love with you!

When he made it to the office he set you down in his chair, unable to think clearly. He kept pacing back and forth wondering what to do. Why have you lied about this the entire time? Why did you think it was okay to do this?

Were you so sick that you thought you could play with his feelings until he rendered useless to you?

You woke up after a little while and saw Heizou sat in another chair, reviewing some papers.

“How long was I out!” You stretched, waking your body up after your nap.

“When were you planning to tell me?” Heizou turned his chair and his eyes weren’t filled with hate, but rather betrayal and pain.

“Huh?” You titled your head in genuine confusion, what was he talking about?

“Or did you just plan to run away once I gave up on the case? Y’know, I thought I’d know better as a detective to make sure the people around me were good, but no. I trusted you immediately, and look where that got me!” He scoffed, laughing at what he assumed was his pure stupidity for trusting someone like you.

You just seemed so warm, so lovely, a genuine person. Instead, you were a liar, a deceiving actor, and worst of all a thief.

“What- what are you talking about Heizou!” Your heart beat quickened, your body quickly woke up at his words. What was he talking about? Was he talking about your case? How did he know? What did he know!

“You know exactly what I’m talking about!” He grabbed one of the papers saying your alias. Something you thought would never be traced back to, especially not from your friend.

“I’m sorry! I was going to tell you! I was scared though! I was scared that you were going to lock me up.” Your voice broke almost immediately. You knew you wouldn’t be able to handle his heart broken words and stare. You knew once he found out, it would ruin the both of you.

“That’s what I’m supposed to do! I’m a detective, it’s my job to find clues, follow leads, and jail criminals. If you really were sorry, you would’ve told me and we could’ve solved this together” His lips quivered, trying to compose himself, just like you tried as well.

He still couldn’t believe you had been lying to him this whole time, without any struggle. What else could you be lying about?

“I wanted to see if you’d trust me enough to understand! At first.. it was just to make sure you weren’t close to catching me but then I started getting close with you and I started valuing our friendship!” Tears streamed down your face, unable to hide the sadness that overwhelmed you.

“You still should’ve told me from the start once we became friends, I would’ve understood if you hadn’t been lying to me this whole time” He looked away, heart beating with negative emotions.

“I know! I was just.. stupid. I didn’t think it would be this tough later on. Everyday I thought of doing it but then it got worse and worse with time.” You wiped your tears away with your sleeves, trying to stop crying.

“Why were you even stealing? Was it for the rush of it? Or are you just someone who enjoys ruining other peoples lives?” He looked at you tearful eyes, his eyebrows furrowed in an upset manner.

“I needed the mora to feed myself, and once I got into it, it became fun, then I started taking more then I needed.. but I only took from the rich! People who were greedy and never gave back. I would give half of the more I got to others who needed it more then me” You could feel that you definitely were going to get a headache if you cried anymore, but you still did.

You couldn’t stop even if you wanted to.

“I’m not going tell anyone okay? But I want you to promise you won’t ever do it again, no matter what. If you need mora, come to me, and I’ll help you. Just don’t steal anymore” He held his arms out, offering a hug.

“I promise! I won’t!” You cried in his arms, sniffling as you embraced him. You don’t know why you were even crying, you were supposed to be a skillful thief that had no flaws, but now you were crying in the arms of your beloved friend. A friend that you held deep feelings for.

Heizou sighed, comforting you by rubbing your back, despite his emotions being at an all time high as well. He had never been so overcome with them before, until you came along.

“I love you” You mumbled under your breath even though he was holding you. Maybe this wasn’t the right time to confess, but you had to, your heart was full that you had to express your love as well, not just guilt.

“Wh-what?” Heizou’s cheeks shot up bright red like a firework in the night sky. His heart was already calmed down but look at you raising his heart rate, again!

“Sorry, that was a mistake- I know I shouldn’t be confessing at a time like this I just—“

You felt his soft lips push against yours, you made a slight surprised yip but closed your eyes and reciprocated his kiss. The two of you unable to separate until your lips felt raw. You panted letting go after the numbing feeling.

“I love you too” He still held you tightly and whispered back his response, as if someone were going to hear.

The quiet night of Inazuma comforted the both of you. No words needed to be spoken, just the warmth of each other after a long afternoon of feelings. After that night, the two of you were very close. Becoming more then friends, the trust became tighter and stronger than before.

#heizou x you #heizou x fem!reader #heizou x fem reader #heizou #heizou shikanoin #genshin impact shikanoin x reader #heizou shikanoin x reader #genshin shikanoin #heizou my beloved #heizou x y/n #genshin fluff #genshin angst #heizou angst #heizou fluff

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wanda-little-baby · 1 year

Text

Twin Surprises - Wanda Maximoff x romanoff!Reader

Summary (pt. 2) : The second half of a particular day, you have a party to prepare and probably perhaps you will succeed

Warnings: very light swearing, culinary messes, alcohol and what follows, maybe there's more?

A/N: There you go, it took me longer than expected, because among other things a week ago my laptop died and this moron that I am was unable to access the account, so here it is with some delay <3

Words: <6K

(⬆️*spoiler*⬆️)

Honestly, the only reason why you took today as a day off is because today is Wanda's birthday, also Pietro's, calculating that they are twins, but in any case she doesn't know that you know this vital information and until tonight you would prefer her to stay Like this.

In fact, if you hadn't seen the date on the files at the time of Ultron, and then subsequently asked Pietro for confirmation, most likely you wouldn't even know when your girlfriend and her brother was born.

The curious case of the strange family bartender never seen who probably (surely, by now a fact) could have super speed now no longer pushes the strings of your curiosity, you could ask advice from Vision later for a guess you would have made, but still Wanda's birthday is more important.

You have start with your little group of friends, Pietro would have had to keep Wanda away from the compound for at least two hours, just long enough to put the decorations, the cake and everything else, and you and Kate would have taken care of that everything else plus decorations and cake. Exceptional case you did it with Natasha, you texted her in her absence about everything you were putting together and luckily she's back just in time.

Trembling with excitement you had a hard time masking your incoherent happiness which suddenly appeared out of nowhere, especially when dealing with a telepathic girlfriend, but still you made it, finally Pietro and Wanda are officially away from home for the next two hours (hopefully). Now all you need is your team.

ᗢ⧗── ･｡ﾟ⧗: *.ᗢ.* :⧗. ───⧗ᗢ

You and Kate walked around the compound, abruptly interrupted everyone from what they were doing and as if nothing was there you both dragged everyone into the kitchen/lounge.

In addition to the thousand questions, which both you and the archer will rightly answer in right time, time plays his part. "So, you're all wondering why Kate and I dragged you here..." with dangling hands, you push to get to where you want them

"Nah I'm more terrified of that crazy smile Kate has"

"I might have an idea" Vision as always, try to express, an idea about everything could almost say. "No Vis trust me you don't have it" absolutely certain, Kate denies any idea, the secret information for weeks only you, Kate and Pietro knew.

"thus... we gathered you here because... it's the birthday of the twins" in the end you blurt out the fact. "and we are planning a surprise party!!!" with so much enthusiasm, much more than you, Kate almost bursts with happiness.

"We need your help, basically only you are not involved, yet" you ask very kindly, gesturing as usual in a very hurried way.

Through shared looks, brief moments of non-verbal (not even mental) communication, you could say that if these here don't accept, Kate would most likely make them accept so much that she trembles to organize this party.

"they are setting us up" silently, not quite, Sam whispers to the poor synthezoid next to him. "it's called team spirit!!!" Kate, which unfortunately overheard, exclaims indignantly.

"I think it could be a bonding activity, it wouldn't hurt to try" so as not to miss, this time in your favor (yeah <3), from its crammed corner in the kitchen, the ai in an almost indestructible body makes one of his comments. "thanks Vis" happy, you thank him.

Thank god, as a good gentleman of the 40's Steve is always available to help where possible. "so what should we do?"

Following another nod of glances between you and the archer you begin to give the tasks. "Okay. Cap, you take care of the decorations, you are a super soldier use these powers" you turn to Steve, explaining to him in detail what he has to do.

Once you're done with the super soldier, you move on to the person who at the same time knows how to be the most annoying and supportive in this huge building, better known as Sam Wilson. "Second, Birdman, you have the drinks, no booze, I don't want it to end like most of Tony's parties, it's a party birthday" you communicate passing over the grimace that comes to you at the mere sound of the word 'Birdman', obviously from the birdman himself.

And third but not third, you pass to the dear synthezoid willing to understand human emotions. "Lastly, Vis, I need some help in the kitchen, you'll be my assistant cook. All clear?" you conclude, looking for further doubts, mostly clarifications because you were very specific.

"And what is the archer up to here?" very pretentious, almost as if he wanted to insinuate something, Sam beckoned to the brunette across the room, a sigh escaped your lips. "Kate will take care of the music, in short, general entertainment, we don't want it to be a funeral home, and if you have any doubts, ask her, she's in charge while I'm in the kitchen" you reiterate, also pointing to the friend in question right next to you, a succession of looks and confirmations between you and her, while you overlook the 'little' puff you heard.

Full of charged emotions as well as tasks to do, you are ready to start this operation, or rather to finish it because it started already weeks ago. "Good. Avengers, let's start the birthday party operation in less than two hours" with folded hands you finish your speech, thrilled by the final result.

"It's terrible name" and "Shut up Sam!" it could be the phrases that followed the name of the operation, and you might even have rolled your eyes at the bickering between Kate and Sam, but surely in the end you know that everything will work out.

ᗢ⧗── ･｡ﾟ⧗: *.ᗢ.* :⧗. ───⧗ᗢ

"Vision, how much do you know about Sokovian cooking?" taking quite a few ingredients out of the fridge and various pantries, ask more for general knowledge, to the synthezoid in the role of assistant chef.

"In the Sokovian cuisine as in most of the Slavic peoples there is an abundant use of spices" following you like a dog with its master from one end of the kitchen to the other, it provides data that one cannot fail to notice its robotic nature.

You nod and as you get some bowls and a whisk and the eggs, you mumble. "Hmm it's useless anyway, we need the sweet side of the kitchen. Sokovian pastry that's what we'll do today" placing the objects from your clumsy hands on the island in the center of the room, you begin the plan for the next two intense hours of preparation.

ᗢ⧗── ･｡ﾟ⧗: *.ᗢ.* :⧗. ───⧗ᗢ

Meanwhile in evening New York

Convincing Wanda to go out on her birthday was complicated enough even for her twin. The fact that no one, or at least Wanda believed so, knew that today was in fact the birthday of the Maximoff twins, especially the girlfriend of a certain green-eyed brunette, only gave her more weight, and now it was never too late to say something like "Hey it's my birthday today, sorry I didn't tell you sooner but I didn't want to rehash all my destroyed childhood", but really Wanda wants nothing more than to be not intrusive.

The more or less complex key was getting a short loan of Lucky, the golden retriever that Kate had found on the street during a cold December night, before meeting all your merry gang. Of course, Kate loves Wanda very much but his pride put a lot of pressure on the speedster, but in the end Pietro gave in and took courage, after all she is his sister.

Having a dog running around in a billion dollar facility is (probably) not a good thing but hey at least Lucky is quiet, plus he likes pizza and that's a big plus. That's why under the guise of a walk with the literal Avengers mascot, just to de-stress, there were now twins and a dog on the loose on the streets of New York.

ᗢ⧗── ･｡ﾟ⧗: *.ᗢ.* :⧗. ───⧗ᗢ

There have been many attempts, really many. So many cakes and various desserts that came out wrong, it would be the fourth time you'd be trying to redo the dough.

You were throwing in the trash with a funeral face when you turned to see an atrocity in progress (yet another of the day). "No no no. Stop!" quickly you run trying to stop the massacre, yet another almost failed attempt, then you remember that you have powers and forcibly remove the spatula from the hands of the cake-killer synthezoid.

"Want to tell me what the hell you were going to do?!" taking the bowl out of your hands, and removing this still undamaged dough as far as possible, you scold Vision for the umpteenth time. "At this point the recipe called for mixing and I was doing it" he replies confused, if the recipe calls for this why are you angry? Human emotions are still a partial mystery to him.

You sigh at his statement, indeed it's true, he had to mix, only that's exactly what he did the other three wrong times, so maybe that's where the mistake is. "You're right. But what do you say if we put a little more flour and maybe this time I'll check if we put sugar instead of salt?" you propose exhausted, placing the bowl on the counter again, with your hands on your hips and already all covered in flour on your arms and bits of your face. "It is a mistake not to be repeated, perhaps adding some more flour could give the required result" comments the red robot thoughtfully, surely inside his mind full of vibranium circuits and the strange gem he has set on his forehead he will be calculating the variable billions possible from this choice, he always does.

"You flour, I sugar. Do you think you can do it?" handing him the bowl, you nod questioningly. "I can try," he replies, optimistic as a human would say, given his previous failures.

While you make sure you have taken the sugar and not the salt, not like the first cake which was practically perfect, just one small detail, it is salty to die for, you hear a thud and then a kind of poof, and when you turn around what you see is exhilarating.

Vision covered head to toe in flour, green and yellow clothes, red skin and everything else completely whitened, only the luminous gem stands out among all the rest. Such a show gives you what out of three failed attempts in the kitchen you deserve, a good laugh. The fact that Vision then looks at you curious as to why you're bursting with laughter only adds to the hilarity of the moment.

"I-if… if you're going to say 'do I have something on my face?' I swear I may never stop laughing" holding back more laughter just so I can talk, you warn him, you really may not stop laughing. Just at this moment, between laughter and another, your best archer enters the chaotic kitchen, who is also amazed by the condition of the synthezoid.

"Oh my god Vision! Did you by any chance give the body a whitewash?" jokingly, Kate makes fun of the white condition covering a Vision quite confused by your reactions. "No no it snowed a few seconds ago!" you join the line of jokes, really in need of this kind of rest. "Miss Bishop, Miss Romanoff, I don't understand the reason for these laughs" naked and raw, as only he knows how to be, in his confusion, still covered in flour to make him look like a vibranium Everest, the synthezoid observes. "It doesn't matter Vis, i-it was fun anyway" still recovering, between a few muffled giggles you wipe some flour off the robot's shoulders.

"Alright, I didn't come here to laugh but anyway... there's a problem there" Kate too with a roll of eyes tries to go on, underlining the problem. As if you felt a ghost pierce your body you turn and your eyes go wide, not ready to know what went wrong.

"I found my favorite pair of 'missing' shoes all gnawed away in the recesses of my closet" pulling the pair of shoes now only to be trashed from behind her back, she says again bewildered that she has been betrayed by her furry pizza-loving dog. "And then, and this is the worst part, from there I think Sam really didn't respect the no alcohol fact and Steve doesn't seem to understand that he has to do the exact opposite of what he's doing" with an air of just exhausted, Kate puts her hand to her forehead, this party hasn't even started and it's already a catastrophe.

You dramatically bangs her head on Vision's chest several times, desperate from the situation, the kitchen sucks, ditto over there... it would take a miracle.

"News from Clint? Tony? Someone, tell me at least something is going according to plan" you complain, continuing to bang your head on Vision's vibranium chest, some lumps of flour fall on you. Kate sighs "Clint is out, the little one is sick, and the whole family is basically in quarantine. Rhodey, as I was telling you he is still on a mission... while, yes Stark he is actually coming soon, nay he should be here considering you know 'him' " one by one she fills you with bad news, the air gets more and more depressing with everything in pieces, but at least there is still Tony left... yeah Tony, you aren't thrilled with what might happen as they're not yet in good shape relationships, but hope dies last.

"Ура! Could you please go over there and fix it, Katie?" almost pleading-eyed, amidst the mess in the kitchen, you speak to your friend. "I would have already gone to lend a hand but, anyway, if you don't mind I need Vision, could you lend it to me?" coquettishly, approaching your position, from the entrance, she puts her arm in arm with the synthezoid looking between you two and with a brief exchange of glances absolutely without even thinking about it you mutter a 'yeah, no problem at all'.

Surely it's not that he really needs Vision, she needs him to stay away from you that's all, the kitchen is an example and Vision really doesn't know how to cook, it's not his fault it's just that he's a robot and has literally never cooked nor eaten before, and then surely to keep him busy it won't hurt them to listen to human relationships, after all he wants to understand us.

As Kate literally drags Vision away from the battlefield that has become the poor kitchen, you lip a 'thanks' directed at her so she can get the message. Now with the free kitchen, you literally have to do it all over again in much less time and you probably also have to write to Pietro to keep Wanda away a little longer, even if she might get suspicious.

ᗢ⧗── ･｡ﾟ⧗: *.ᗢ.* :⧗. ───⧗ᗢ

With a flick of the wrist you change your clothes to some less floury ones, tie a quick knot in the apron around your waist and roll up the sleeves. Give your floury hair a good clean with a few shakes, and style it into a bun so it doesn't get in front of your face, and you're ready to go.

Not knowing literally how much or what specifically should be consumed at a birthday party, and with time running out, you improvise.

From what you have understood in recent years, anything, whatever power you have, is greatly influenced by emotions, the stronger they are and the greater the power they release, in short, you have had examples of it.

With a huge din, with a flick of the wrists, all the pots, ladles, spoons, loads of other objects come out of their closets and in an orderly dance on a reddish river they float through the kitchen. One by one, commanded by the co-pilot, they are set aside in sections, various pastries being prepared at the same time, while only the cake remains for you, the fifth one this time to be made again.

As you predicted, or as Kate had told you, Tony arrived shortly after your accelerated preparation starts and almost gave you a heart attack, causing a culinary catastrophe, so you dismissed him with a red-eyed gaze that could rival those of an angry Natasha.

Speaking of the redhead, your mother didn't fail to arrive quite later, but this time it will have been for feeling or because you are practically almost coded to hear even the smallest detail that makes you feel the presence of her you were prepared.

She'd asked you if you'd like a hand in the kitchen, seeing four different groups of reddish flying things plus you all sweaty and busy, but you literally begged her to go check the living room and how the party preparations were because you weren't going to make Natasha "I can burn even water" Romanoff cook for no one reason at all, especially not now.

ᗢ⧗── ･｡ﾟ⧗: *.ᗢ.* :⧗. ───⧗ᗢ

Finally, after about an hour and three quarters, according to someone *cough* Vision *cough*, you were done.

Three trays of pastries, various sweets and all particular stuff, mixed from international and Sokovian cuisine. Your greatest pride is the cake, this time it's a masterpiece, finely decorated with the symbolic colors of the celebrated, a typical Sokovia recipe was the background.

It's also true that you trashed your initial project and took something else but you still have the corpses of past havoc laid on the counter, there were four deaths on this day, all newborns died, and sooner or later you'll have to get rid of them unfortunately.

You've just finished taking everything out of the stove and you should go to the living room to see how to place the food, before coming back and plating everything, and the anxiety is a lot.

You were ready for something, definitely not what you found when you came out of the kitchen and went looking for the rest of the team. The living room is breathtaking, all lit up, streamers hang from the lights, the sofas moved to make room for some tables with paper plates and cutlery on them in a row and plastic cups next to them, there are also chips and various crap, things that absolutely they had slipped your mind, the decorations scattered throughout the room that recall a little sokovia everything is great and you are... you are simply speechless.

It didn't take long for y'all to put the finishing touches, sure, you don't know who did the magic but flush wire you did it. Throwing a party may not have been one of the skills you would have expected to have to get the job done, but when you're dealing with someone like Tony Stark, you see a lot of parties and you know what to do and what not to do to avoid inconvenience (yes, you know about that party at Malibu :-| ). As luck would have it, just shortly after you've just finished everything, the robotic female voice of FRIDAY warns you of the imminent arrival of the twins, this was the time to disappear.

ᗢ⧗── ･｡ﾟ⧗: *.ᗢ.* :⧗. ───⧗ᗢ

In a deep silence, the lights at least not too much "help something abnormal is going on", dimmed to preserve the surprise effect. Seven of the mightiest heroes on earth have hidden themselves in the most disparate places in one of the relax room which has officially become (under your "acute observation") the living room of the compound, shortly waiting for the speedster and his beautiful sister, the celebrated.

"- yes anyway I don't believe you, surely you're plotting something" in the lobby of the floor, just outside the lift, the two Sokovians argue. "Сестра (Sestra) I would never allow myself" with his hand on his chest, as if offended, Pietro teases his sister.

A small meteorite, wearing some rings, hits the shoulder of the speedster, apparently not too fast to dodge his sister's punches. "Глупо" she murmurs at the same time as the blow, followed by a not at all serious ouch, in practice it's always the same Pietro, with his usual behavior.

Crossing the hallway, the atmosphere absolutely still if it weren't for the few lights deliberately left on, Wanda is starting to believe that something has happened, it's never so silent in here. And most of all she misses her nocturnal koala, it was a crappy day for her and she just wants to be with her favorite person, maybe this birthday mess of hers can fix it next year.

"Wait Lucky!" Wanda exclaims suddenly when the golden retriever she was holding on her leash snaps and escapes from her hands running towards the dark living room. "Why is this room so dark..." the girl gropes into the open space, looking for the light switch, the pitch dark doesn't help with the fact that Pietro suddenly seems to have disappeared, when only a few seconds ago Wanda was sure he was behind her.

All the lights in the room come on revealing the magnificent sight. "Surprise!" all the voices of the team, even Pietro, exclaim together, surrounding Wanda.

Quickly her eyes become bright with emotion. Seeing the room decorated, this group of people, with some of her she bonded more than others, all this they organized for her and her brother's birthday, she just didn't expect it.

It's pure madness that you've somehow managed to keep someone you've been plotting for so long on the back burner, considering you literally live together, but it has to be a testament that someone up there loves you.

The disbelief she feels when she finishes looking around the room and she stops right in front of you is such that even with her mouth closed in her hands she can't concentrate and speak. "Would you like to say something, Wands?" you look into her eyes that she tries to hide with her hands. In order not to show her, seized with shame, she closes the short distance between you two and hides her face against your chest.

"How did you know that?" she mumbles against your chest, sheltered a little from the outer ears.

I may have had some tips

You look towards Pietro and Wanda also follows your gaze up to her brother, several unsaid speeches you exchange. "Happy Birthday девушка из ситкома" you kiss her hairline, the last part elicits a few giggles from a certain redheaded russian, and an awww from someone corny and a close friend of yours when your mom told her what were you saying. "Well how about we start this party? Or get a room because we don't want to see this all night" pointing between you two, Tony broke that bubble you had created. And so it was that an elbow hit the side of the genius, all for a little joke about her daughter.

ᗢ⧗── ･｡ﾟ⧗: *.ᗢ.* :⧗. ───⧗ᗢ

Before long, the party was in full swing. If there's anything we're good at besides saving the world, most of the time, it's rocking a party. As you predicted, the polite no-alcohol request, completely trampled upon. Did you expect it? Of course. If there is Tony Stark at a party it's impossible that there isn't alcohol.

Between various chats, light music in the background and Lucky wandering from one person to another, a good part of the evening is already passing. It's right here that between a talk about uranium decomposition (I don't have a clue how we got to this) and how fast Tony's armor can go just to keep up with Pietro that Kate brings an avalanche of board games and stuff like that.

After the umpteenth game of scrabble, interrupted because you really can't play against a living dictionary, Sam's words, you have given fruit to your improvisation skills with the game of mimes.

To say it was exhilarating is an understatement, you had to guess among other things which team member one of you was imitating. Obviously there were the classics, the robot for Vision, the slightly more creative one, the right hand to the chest as if to sing the national anthem, obviously for Steve. Couldn't miss a bird, it was hilarious, it always is when it's dealing with Sam, tying the shoes is a clear tip for the team sprinter according to Steve, yet he had to give another hint.

Sam played it hard miming Natasha, he got on his knees and stayed that way until y'all understood and burst into laughter, well at least not all of you. Then it was your turn, or at least someone had to imitate you. She took revenge, your mother took revenge for laughter by imitating when you sit down you take a book in your hand and absolutely angry you start leafing through it without even reading and lightning with deadly looks anyone who approaches you even by mistake, needless to say that among all those laughing you were a little ashamed.

Wanda had a classic from her twin, the usual hand gestures and go, Tony too did it quite well of course only people who are quite night owls remember his lightning naps. Vision's imitation of Kate in one word: "pure gold". Okay maybe there are two but this is the gist, robots don't know how to mimic people and when they do it's too funny.

ᗢ⧗── ･｡ﾟ⧗: *.ᗢ.* :⧗. ───⧗ᗢ

In a brief moment of pause, you went to the kitchen to get more glasses and napkins, and Wanda followed. When she saw the mess in the kitchen her heart melted, she lingered on the savory pie, you had decorated it out of depression, she was almost successful and since it was salty you just put a "who cares?" because nobody would care about the pie. Instead she put her foot down and wanted you to take a picture of her holding the cake.

"Seriously?! Do you want a photo with this cake... this cake here?" amazed you look at Wanda holding the plate of cake in her hand.

The girl sighs, she will have to fight for this maybe. "Come on, it's a very good cake even if it's salty! Take this picture come on..." with two big sweet eyes, plate held in front of her, she want to bribe you with sweetness.

You raise your eyebrows, you know too well what she's doing, and she's winning... as always. "Like always, we end up doing what you want" you raise your hands theatrically along with your eyes.

Initially she doesn't seem to react to your answer but when you pick up your early 2000s instant camera and snap the picture she raises an eyebrow and satisfied, after the shoot she sticks her tongue out.

"Thank you that you're pretty" you make a fake face, when the photo is developed you shake it and look at the result.

Cute even when you make faces, or make fun of me

As a teenager, Wanda blushes from cheeks to ears, and as you look at the photo she takes your arm. "Come on cakes girl let's go enjoy the amazing party you threw for me"

ᗢ⧗── ･｡ﾟ⧗: *.ᗢ.* :⧗. ───⧗ᗢ

Head back to the party, Lucky nearly knocked you over as hard as he lunged at you. "Hey puppy, you almost showed me the stars" you scratch him behind the ear, he wags his tail happily.

Having a pet isn't something you've ever done, but since Lucky's been here you've become a dog lover in a snap of your fingers. Although the first time, he peed on Vision's leg.

"Oh girls, we've been waiting for you" sitting on one of the sofas, Steve greets us. Well yes, in the few fifteen minutes perhaps, Pietro had decided to do karaoke, he had arbitrarily taken and brought a microphone with all the rest of the equipment in a flash, and there was a discussion between him and Sam about who should start.

"OH MY GOD. Like OH MY GOD. Where did you get this from!" when you turn around and see all the equipment in plain sight and Pietro handling it, you're too excited.

"Apparently someone here is full of surprises" Tony refers to the boy, surprised you might say.

After the whole Sokovia incident, even before, he feels responsible for everything that happened to the twins, if only he had realized sooner. Relationships are almost always electric between those three, he tries, you try, but it's simply too early; they spent their whole lives hating the big bad Tony Stark for killing their parents, some things are not easy to forget forgive and move on.

ᗢ⧗── ･｡ﾟ⧗: *.ᗢ.* :⧗. ───⧗ᗢ

After a couple of minutes you decided who started first and unfortunately few participate.

"You can't stay there and let just humiliate the four of us..." you complain talking to the four sitting on sofas, more with the three humans, for Vision it can be enough with ridiculous acts to do. "five!" Sam corrects you, he's the only one besides the four of you who wants to sing.

"Yeah, though... that's not right!" you huff angrily, if you have to fall at least they have to fall with you. "Life isn't fair" Tony retorts loudly, now you can only glare at him.

"Well I haven't sung since 1944, I wouldn't mind trying" a little joy ignites at Steve's words, even if Kate's stifled giggle makes you think it's going to end badly, but anyway you thank him. "Thanks Steve"

In a last ditch effort, you cast a questioning glance at the billionaire, so much is the question in the air. "I pay for the house, food, water, electricity and all the technological gadgets, basically I'm more of a mother than this one, isn't that enough for you?" giving a futile future to your efforts, he liquidates you by putting your mother in the middle as well.

It's normal that you pay for everything here! Who among us is a billionaire?! Literally, I don't know which of us has income in our bank accounts! Then we've got a robot, one guy that's supposed to be old and death, and a lot of other people that I don't think people would want to hire. Paying is your job

"Ты была бы очень плохой матерью в этом случае, так как мы справляемся сами" arms crossed, you grumble sulkily, he doesn't understand you anyway, so he has no reason to hear. "Ты же знаешь, что он подумает, что мы плохо о нем говорим?" Natasha answers your words with curiosity, mostly with amusement.

"Вот почему я учу языки, мама" you smirk, and slowly knowing you've got everyone's full attention basically, you spell out. Your mother rolls her eyes, gives you a smile and slowly shakes her head, she could be your accomplice "Ах да, верно, Тони Старк - негодяй" finally she says, only to alarm the interested party's ears

During the short conversation in Russian, a matter of less than a minute, you had everyone's eyes on you. And when you're done, Tony's face is almost indecipherable.

"I have no idea what you said thus in advance I feel deeply offended, so I will stay here, enjoy this delicious cocktail and your performance" obviously finding an excuse, he settles down on the sofa and sips from the glass. You give him one last look and then roll your eyes

A cough gets your attention. "Can we start?" Pietro nods to you, and you shrug.

"Kate, the stage is yours" you sit down and Kate scrolls through the song list.

ᗢ⧗── ･｡ﾟ⧗: *.ᗢ.* :⧗. ───⧗ᗢ

If Kate hadn't thrown herself into sports, technically into being a superhero but sport was a means, yes, however, she could devote herself to singing. Of course, the song she chose was completely wrong, but the voice is there, at least you hope.

Running away from the stage of shame, you relieved her, and after a bit of searching you found the perfect song. You dedicated it to Wanda, after all it's her birthday, and you might have gone a little too far with the saccharine stuff because you made her cry, in fact, after your performance, complete with applause, you reached her and you probably won't move from there because Wanda has no intention of letting you go from her arms.

The performance plus, something, is that of Pietro, with his behavior you could not expect otherwise, at least he made the atmosphere even lighter.

Strangely Sam's went well, no one laughed, everything perfectly. In your nerdy searches you may have found old footage from WWII, and some may even have been on Steve (*cough*A Star Spangled Man with a Plan *cough*) , but you were definitely not expecting what you got, an excellent performance.

You: Wow this went better than I expected. Hmm... Wanda?

Wanda: Yes?

You: You know it's your turn right?

Wanda: I don't want to go... come on you know I'm shy about these things. Isn't it better if I'm here with you?

You: Come on!!! At least if you don't want to make a random song take your guitar and play something with it... please?

Wanda: Don't even talk about it! I have no intention of playing... and... and then who was it that said we always do what I want?

You: I warn you, your guitar is arriving in your hands in a few seconds

Wanda: Now I hate loving you

While your girlfriend muttered to herself, and sincerely even when she pouts you want to kiss her nose, you still announce her entrance.

"Guys, you will never believe it, but now Wanda will delight us with a sweet melody played by her" absolutely convinced you announce, Wanda would like to sink into the sofa in a while and not re-emerge so as not to do it.

Wanda: Ugh... God... please bury me now

ᗢ⧗── ･｡ﾟ⧗: *.ᗢ.* :⧗. ───⧗ᗢ

In the end, between grimaces and some not very serious threats, you managed to get Wanda to stand up, the guitar in your hand, and lots of love (also teasing) in her eyes.

Well if she sings like the first time I heard her then... wow

You are walking quietly in the hallway, thought you were going to the library, or maybe you were walking down to go to training, when a sweet melody caught the attention of your ears, it was Wanda. You stood for a couple of minutes at the door jamb, enchanted by the way Wanda was singing, almost angelic.

Lying on her back, on the edge of the bed, when she looked up and saw your shape, a wave of shame and embarrassment hit her.

She almost threw a pillow at your face if you didn't dodge, and then you might have apologized for scaring her.

The fact is that in the end while Wanda was singing you were there for her. And at the end of the performance, there were whistle and applause, you basically cheered Wanda.

ᗢ⧗── ･｡ﾟ⧗: *.ᗢ.* :⧗. ───⧗ᗢ

There was the cake after, candles and all, and the compliments you might have gotten might have boosted your foodie ego even more, but hey if you're making the cake for your girlfriend birthday it makes sense you put all your effort into it yourself.

But now, from that precise moment on, your memories are fuzzy, it must surely have been the alcohol you ingested and it didn't help the challenge between you and Pietro to see who gets the most shots; and you already a little tipsy you overlooked the fact that his accelerated metabolism makes it literally impossible for him to get drunk, obliviously like a dumbass that you are you accepted.

For some reason you're shooting yourself a shot one moment, then you go dancing for some weird reason with *hazy mist*, but you think it's Wanda, and then you don't know how but you're watching a dance competition and your mom and Steve are dancing great, and for some reason you're rooting for them.

On top of that you believe, in the drunken haze you've blown a hole in someone's foot with Kate's arrows, and you definitely need to check that tomorrow, if you ever get over that giant hangover.

After the memory of dragging each other, perhaps in threes, with Wanda, between giggles and drunken conversations, down a hallway, you hope that of the bedrooms, you have a gigantic scary darkness, the most scary thing after a party... the day after.

ᗢ⧗── ･｡ﾟ⧗: *.ᗢ.* :⧗. ───⧗ᗢ

The blinding light from the window, that thing so painful it hurts your ears. The head that feels like it's about to explode, and you probably don't think you can get out of bed, maybe you wouldn't even be able to raise a hand let alone all of yourself.

Too much light, too loud, too drunk

At sloth speed, you turn face down in bed, and with what little energy you have you close the curtain with a few red threads.

You don't feel like moving, or doing anything else, especially talking or seeing, you could fall into depression if you do.

Screams suffocated in the pillow, even if there is very little to suffocate, you complain.

"I will never drink again"

A bad hangover awaits you to deal with today

#wanda x fem!reader #wanda x reader #wanda x romanoff!reader #wanda x y/n #wanda maximoff x romanoff!reader #wanda maximoff x female reader #natasha x daughter!reader #natasha x reader #natasha romanoff x teen!reader #natasha romanoff #wanda maximoff #pietro maximoff x platonic!reader #wanda x pietro #pietro maximoff x romanoff!reader #kate bishop x platonic!reader #kate bishop x romanoff!reader #avengers x platonic reader #avengers x reader

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an-aroaces-harem · 1 month

Text

Ivy Chapter 14 Normal Attire Story

DISCLAIMER: I just deepl and google translated my way through this because I wanted to know what’s going on, so there are definitely mistakes but I believe I managed the general gist of the story. Anyway, it’s just a fan-made translation solely for entertainment purposes. Morganatic Idol belongs to Cybird and ABC Frontier, Inc.

Ivy-san took me out for an evening walk.

Rina: At this time of night, it's quiet and empty.

Ivy: Yeah. I cannot walk around during the day, but it's pretty safe to walk around openly at night.

Ivy: Sometimes when I get stuck in the songwriting process, I just go for a walk to get away from it all.

Rina: I see.

Ivy: I'm sorry you had to come out so late at night.

Rina: I'm fine. It's nice to be able to talk to you slowly like this.

When I told him how I honestely felt, he smiled, as if relieved.

Ivy: That's very kind of you to say.

... He looked the same as usual, but his face showed signs of fatigue.

(I know you must have a really hard time composing music, ... and I hope I can help you refresh yourself a little.)

... I was brought to a park at night where it was quiet and still.

Ivy: Let's take a break.

Rina: Okay.

As we sit on the bench, the cool night air surrounds us.

Ivy: ...

Exhaling deeply, Ivy-san looks up at the night sky.

Ivy: It's nice to be in a quiet place like this.

Ivy: I feel a little lighter now that the clutter in my head is organized.

Ivy: That's why I always come alone when I'm stuck or need to collect my thoughts.

Rina: ... I understand that this is an important time for you, Ivy-san.

Rina: I'm with you now, is that okay?

Ivy: Of course. You're special, so it's fine.

Rina: ...

The word 'special' was casually uttered, and my heart was grabbed by the words.

(What does that mean ...?)

I want to ask that, but I don't have the courage.

I was thrilled to see Ivy-san ... and noticed that he was staring at me.

Rina: Ivy-san?

Ivy: ... Earlier, you were having dinner with the members, right?

Rina: Umm ...

(It must stay a secret that we were talking about Ivy-san ...)

Rina: Yes, that's right. I happened to meet them in the dining room, and that's how it all started ...

Ivy: ... Oh, I see.

He seemed to want to say something, even as he consoled himself.

(What is going on? ... Ah! Maybe ...)

Rina: I'm sorry, I ate some of Ivy-san's food.

(Was it rude of me to just eat it just because the others said it'd be okay ...?)

Ivy: Oh no. Don't worry about that. I've eaten at the studio.

Ivy: No, it's not that ... it's just that you've become so good friends with them without even knowing it.

Ivy: They seemed to be enjoying themselves just now ... and they seem to approve of you even though they have their own quirks.

Ivy: ... I'm sure they noticed the good things about you, too.

(Is that so? I certainly feel more accepted than before.)

Rina: If that's the case ... it was Ivy-san who gave me the opportunity to become friends with you all.

Rina: Really, thank you very much.

Ivy: I see. ... Yeah, that's good.

Ivy: ...

He isn't happy while saying so.

Rina: ... What's wrong?

Ivy: No, ... it's just.

(As expected, the atmosphere is different than usual ... Maybe it's because you're stuck at work and tired?)

Rina: Are you okay? Let me know if there's anything I can do.

I say this with the sole intention of healing Ivy-san.

Ivy: ... then, I guess I can spoil you.

Rina: Ah ...

He reaches out his hand and pats my head.

(Now, that I think about it, I promised you earlier that you could stroke my head when you're tired ...)

I was thrilled by the gentle touch and surrendered myself to his hand.

Ivy: ... I feel at ease when I touch you.

Ivy: It's like my head was in a jumbled mess.

Rina: Are your songwriting sessions not going so well?

Ivy: ... Well, I'm disappointed.

Rina: Ivy-san ... don't be too hard on yourself.

I'm an amateur when it comes to music, but I can say this with certainty.

Rina: I like the songs you write, no matter what anyone says.

Rina: Of course, I love the songs from R2R, too. I thought they were really wonderful.

Ivy: ... Thank you, Rina-chan. I guess it's because of your words that I feel so happy ...

After staring at the hand that was stroking my head, Ivy-san looked up and smiled at me.

Ivy: ... I think I'm okay now.

Ivy: I'm glad you and I were able to come here together. I feel so much better.

Ivy: I was a little nervous when I saw you with the others earlier ... as well as about the songwriting.

Rina: Eh?

Ivy: And now, thanks to your touch, that's no longer the case.

... These words, said so casually, made my heart flutter.

(Is that jealousy? Could it be that Ivy-san is telling me ...?)

Ivy: I think, we'd better go home. Thank you for your company.

Rina: Yes ...

Ivy-san gets up and starts to walk away.

I desperately told myself as I followed him.

(... That's not true. Don't get your hopes up. He's a super idol and his position is too different from mine.)

(Even if you really fall in love, it's not going to work out ...)

... My heart was aching sweetly.

#morganatic idol #morudoru #morudoru ivy #resa translates something for once?

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sofoulandfairaday · 7 months

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Hello! I absolutely love your Delphini headcanons, I feel like her character in the Cursed Child did such an injustice to both Voldemort and Bellatrix >:/

If you don't mind, can you do a pt 2 about Delphini in an AU where the Lestranges and Voldemort live/win + raise her to be just as amazing!!

Hi! Thank you for the ask, anon ❤️

I'm glad you like them, since she's a character I personally really disliked in the play (not even her as a person, but she's just so horribly written- TCC as a whole makes me cringe so bad).

For reference, they are talking about this post especially and also this one about her conception & birth and this one too (for good measure).

Warning: anon, I know you want fluff. But you're not getting it from me, I'm an angsty bitch, and the following is angst.

So. The only way I can see Voldemort wanting for a child is for his own personal gain, to have a backup plan in case his body fails. A sort of dark magic experiment. Perhaps he knew his time in his own body was limited (and he did go for the Stone first).

Boy or girl, the sex of the baby doesn't matter to him, it's just a body, just a clump of organs and cells and blood and power - do not get attached, Bellatrix.

She tries to obey his commands but fails miserably the more time she spends with the child, which is more than you'd think, seeing as she's been punished and put under house arrest.

Bellatrix's desire for a little boy, a little Master, one who actually loves her, is indescribable. Voldemort is the one who would prefer a girl. He gets his wish.

The Battle of Hogwarts is somehow won. How? I'll go ahead and say that Draco never disarmed Dumbledore on the Astronomy Tower, ergo Snape was the Master of the Elder Wand, ergo Voldemort manages to kill Harry, but all his Horcruxes are destroyed, Nagini included. As for Bella, deus-ex-machina doesn't work here, so she defeats Molly.

Narcissa did still lie, so the three Malfoys are sooo fucked.

Rodolphus and Rabastan both live. The latter goes down a spiral of hedonism in Ibiza, the former is just so done. In the last year, he escaped from Azkaban and was promptly shot out of the sky, was publicly cucked, his Gringotts' Vault was broken into and he has now been through a battle to the death in his former high school. Little Cissy, who he's known since he was a child, was killed before his very eyes and his wife is hiding her obvious pain and betrayal.

As for the relationship between Bellatrix and Rodolphus, I can see a few things happening. In this AU, I feel like Voldemort would ultimately make Bella his official concubine. I accept a variety of headcanons on what happens next because I ultimately accept a variety of different (conflicting) views on what the Lestranges' marriage is like.

(1) Nothing changes. He's still her husband, whether he still loves her or not (and I think he does). He stays with her because of the position & power her closeness to Voldemort grants him.

This, I feel, depends on whether or not she is allowed to share his bed, how possessive you think Voldemort is (and his whole relationship to sex & intimacy), and Bellatrix's own ambitions. If she sees the option to be seen as a wife to the Dark Lord, even if not in name, she would take it. But I don't think Voldemort would ever grant her that, so in turn Bellatrix wouldn't let go of the title of Madame Lestrange that easily. Rodolphus can sleep with other people, but can't get rid of her, especially of his own volition.

Or maybe she's just greedy. Rodolphus wants a divorce because he wants an heir of his own and a wife he can sleep with and she goes "Nope, nu-uh, too bad", and tells herself it's not because she deep down needs his love.

(2) They get amicably divorced and are still friends/have a good relationship. Bella has lost both her sisters now, and Voldemort is still Voldemort.

This happens especially if he wants children of his own. But realistically, I think he just starts pestering Rabastan until he gets married (“To a woman, Rab, a WOMAN!”) and has little Lestranges to carry on the family name.

Delphi has her mother's eyes. Dark, and entrancing. Rodolphus wants to hate her, he really does, but he cannot bring himself to. She's the spitting image of little Bella, and looking at her is bittersweet.

I think he avoids her in the beginning (this also depends on Rod's characterization - whether he doesn't care about children and never wanted them, or he desperately wished he'd have one with Bella - the answer exists on a spectrum).

But Bellatrix and Voldemort are not parents of the year. Also, they have such a unique relationship, one so unhealthy and all-encompassing, that it shuts out the rest of the world, their daughter included. And Rod can't help but feel bad for this lonely girl.

The really tragic thing is that - and I'm sorry but this is the truth, and it sucks - Bellatrix would never love her daughter more than she loves the Dark Lord. This knowledge is a trauma factory in itself, but to make matters worse, this child's father is Voldemort, who has no concept of what selflessness and selfless love are. Since Rodolphus is clearly the most emotionally intelligent of the three (the bar is low), some part of his dark little heart must recognize this.

Also, the Dark Lord is a man with a plan. He has no more Horcruxes left, he needs another one. Guess who?

The downside to this is that he needs to anchor his child to life - no matter, she is just an extension of him, after all. Children being their own people? Nah. - but more importantly this means he's paranoid now. More than he was before. His soul is so unstable that he cannot make new Horcruxes, Delphi is his last one, so he needs to protect her with all that he has.

When she's a child, she doesn't see him much. She lives a sheltered life, with her mother who loves her very much and gives her as much affection as she can, but who ultimately follows the Dark Lord around like a puppy, and Uncle Rod. Uncle Rod is the only reason this poor girl's childhood even resembles a childhood.

She isn't allowed friends, and Papa (Voldemort cringes every time he hears this, and teaches her to call him My Lord, the way your mother does when she's about five) won't allow anyone near her.

He's also very particular about her health, and her studies. He gets updates on how her magic is manifesting (violently; Delphi is immensely powerful) and decides he will teach her personally when she turns seven.

He demands she spend her days training and studying: grammar, math, history, the basics of potion-making; her mother insists that she learn her ancestry (the whole of the Black Family, and the Gaunts, and even some Lestranges, for good measure), Abraxan riding, the basics of etiquette (I hated it too, Delphini, but that's not a good enough reason for you to conduct yourself like a savage!, while Rodolphus shakes his head incredulously, wishing Druella was there to hear it). Rod teaches her how to dance and wants to teach her Quidditch, but both Bella and the Dark Lord grumble what a waste of time, so he settles on teaching her how to fly a broom (Voldemort still grumbles because he can fly without a broom and will eventually teach Delphi to do the same, but Bella is mollified and allows it).

Her flying lessons with her father (she can get away with calling him her father and takes advantage of that) are some of her most cherished memories, actually. He has granted no one else this honour, not even her mother. (She doesn't know about Snape and no one ever mentions him anymore, so...)

Bella gives her her very first magic lessons, when she's seven or eight, but soon grows bored with it (powerful as Delphi is she needs to start from the most basic Wingardium Leviosas, spells that Bella now performs nonverbally and wandlessly, without even thinking about it, and revisiting the movements and theory behind them bores her to tears). She leaves it to her father who - surprisingly - has much more patience than she does.

He was her teacher too, after all.

By the time Delphi is 11, she could sit a Charms N.E.W.T. and pass with flying colours, and she's very good at Transfiguration too.

Voldemort sees no reason for her to ever go to Hogwarts.

Are you surprised? I bet you are.

After all, Hogwarts was his first and best home, the only place he ever felt was his own, the best experience of his life. I doubt he loved anyone or anything as much as he loved Hogwarts, the symbol of being a wizard to him. Denying anyone that experience, especially his own daughter, reads as an unspeakable cruelty. But he's never said he wasn't cruel. Granting her that - fundamental, wonderful, life-changing -experience would be selfless, it would be the right thing to do.

But Delphi is his Horcrux, his key to immortality, and quite plainly... his. He doesn't give a flying fuck that she has very few social skills, no friends, has no idea how to talk to people her own age. He doesn't trust her to meet other people, to make connections, to fall in love, basically to be exposed to anything that might turn her against him, or endanger her (him).

Being a manipulative bastard, he tells a tantrum-throwing Delphi that she can choose: go to Hogwarts and spend seven years revisiting stuff she already knows, surrounded by people who aren't worthy to lick her boots, and I cannot deny how disappointed I would be, Delphini (and this just ends the conversation because Delphi would kill herself before actively choosing to disappoint her father) or she can finally come and live with Bellatrix and him, and they will teach her the Dark Arts and whatever else she wants. Most of all, it's the promise they'll be there, that she'll have as much access to them as she wants.

By the time she's an adult, she's much more powerful than Bellatrix ever was. (And I won't lie to you, Bella doesn't particularly love this.) But still, she cannot beat her father. What sets them apart is the source of their power. Delphi, despite the ache she feels for her parents' love and affection, was born coddled and cared for. Her mother especially would never shut up about how she was a literal princess, royalty, the heir of Slytherin, etc. She never had to fight for it. She didn't hear bombs falling on London, didn't starve in a cold orphanage in the East End, was never tied to a bed and exorcised as the Devil's spawn- she was never truly hungry.

For all that they can teach her, they cannot make her ambitious. If she had gone to Hogwarts, she would have still been a Slytherin, based on her heritage and values, but she is nothing like her parents, character-wise. Bellatrix fought against the contraints of her society and her gender, Voldemort fought against his blood status and his fear of death.

The source of conflict in Delphi's story, on the other hand, is the family dynamics between the three of them. (You can make them as horrifying as you want, there is really no limit to the worst, as we say in Italy).

Delphi was born in the cage, loves the cage, and doesn't want to be free. If anything, she wants to be pulled further into it. I think there would be some sort of weird rivalry there, between her and Bella, for Voldemort's affections because they really are that scarce. But it would also come wrapped in a thick layer of guilt - what mother hates their daughter when she is overshadowed? What kind of daughter hates the only parent that actually loves her?

(Voldemort doesn't even realize he pits them against each other, half the time. He does that to people, it's almost subconscious now.)

She's deeply alone, by design, and only wants to be close to her mom and (especially) her dad. That is literally the only character trait she has in that dammned play, so I'll keep that as part of her personality.

Voldemort definitely did that on purpose. And as soon as he finally notices tensions rise between her and Bellatrix (I think Delphi's teenage years were even more rebellious than Bellatrix's) he puts a stop to it immediately - if you drive the girl away from me, from us, Bella, I will make you pay personally.

I can see Delphi running away from home and getting into trouble because of her complete lack of awareness on how the world actually works, begging (through the Dark Mark or whatever else) her father to come rescue her, and Tom (who obviously watches from afar, to make sure his Horcrux isn't truly destroyed) saying no, deal with it. She gets out of most of it because of her immense power, but these brushes with real life leave her rattled.

Can you imagine a boy trying to hit on her?

If he knows who she is, she can never truly trust him: they're all trying to curry favour with her father (it's possibly the worst way ever to do so- trying to take something from him). If he doesn't, her absolute lack of social skills and general arrogance put a dent in her physical attractiveness. (She is a beautiful girl; after all, her parents are Tom Riddle and Bellatrix Black.)

Delphi is more powerful than Bellatrix, her position in society is higher than Bellatrix's and still, her father trusts her mother more than her.

By the way, no, she isn't his named heir, she isn't the commander of his armies or anything of the sort. Voldemort does not share power, that's the whole point of his character. The Minister is still a puppet minister, he is the commander of his own armies, and Bella is a close second.

She also doesn't make that many public appearances; people know of her by now, but they aren't granted access - the image of Nagini, his last Horcrux, in that magical cage resonates with me. It takes years before the war is truly over.

She grows up to be a wonderfully intriguing mix of arrogance and insecurity. Much like Bella, she grows up with the burden of being told she was destined for greatness because of her blood, her family, and not because she herself is great. Unlike Bella, Voldemort has no intention of setting her free, not even in the half-hearted way he does Bellatrix (guys, as much as we love them, she is very much his slave, however willing, in canon). She's the ultimate girlboss: beautiful, smart, powerful... 2/10 personality.

You can do what you want with her story from here onwards. One more tragic than the other. Or you can give them a happy ending, provided that Voldemort's brave new world knows what therapy is.

I don't think this is what you wanted, anon, but alas it's what I genuinely think would happen. Delphi's """"character traits""" in the play are her cunning (that she developed to survive, and that she wouldn't necessarily need in a world where she grows up a pureblood princess), her loneliness and the bone-deep need she feels for her parents' love. Since she wouldn't be herself without those... yup. This is my view.

(Sorry.)

#delphini riddle #bellatrix lestrange #lord voldemort #rodolphus lestrange #bellamort #asks #answered #hp headcanons

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heartylunalys · 2 years

Note

Hi! Can you write and imagine where reader and timmy meet again for the first time since he cheated on her ,and he wants her back ? 💖

Hi anon ! Thank you for your sad request, I hope you’ll like it 🤎

my masterlist

*⑅*❀⑅*❀⑅*❀⑅*❀⑅*❀⑅**⑅*❀⑅*❀⑅*❀⑅*❀⑅*❀⑅*⳾

genre: angst

words: 1k

warning: cheating, timothée is the asshole, smoking

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“Do I really have to come?” You annoyedly asked throughout the phone, not wanting to come to the little party she was organizing at her home to catch up with all your friends.

“Y/n you have to come, it’s been so long since we last saw you, it will be fun I promise.” She gushed and you sighed. It was true, you hadn't seen your friends since a long time, since your breakup with Timothée. He was their friend too and since you didn’t want to see him you simply decided to not see them, not ready to face the boy. “It’s because of Tim, right?” You heard your friend say with a serious tone and you sighed. You always acted like the breakup didn’t affect you in front of your friends but you knew that deep down they knew how crushed you were.

“I don’t care about Timothée,” you announced, trying to be as convincing as possible, “Look, I’ll be here but I don’t guarantee you that I’ll stay long.” You immediately explained, trying to cover you up in case seeing the boy was too much for you.

“Thank you Y/n, see you tomorrow.” She almost screamed in your ear before you hung up, feeling anxious. You knew you had to face him sooner or later, having to finally move on.

When the day finally came, you dressed well, too well, and felt silly, knowing that you were doing that for Timothée. You wanted to make him regret it. Make him regret the way he made you feel when you learned the news. The way you thought for weeks that YOU were the problem, that you weren’t attractive enough for him. He made you feel so insecure, so ugly. You left the house scared, angry, and apprehensive of what was yet to come.

Like you thought, you weren’t ready to face the boy. When your eyes met his green orbits you could feel all the destroying feelings that you felt a month before. However, you quickly fighted against it, and went to greet all your friends. You could feel his eyes on you, his look almost begging you to look at him, knowing damn well the power he still had on you. You sat with your friends, talking and drinking, trying to ignore the curly haired boy still looking desperately at you.

Eventually, it all felt too much, you felt like you would break down right now in front of everyone. Seeing the boy you once loved, you still loved deep down. You excused yourself to your friends and went to the balcony to smoke a cigarette, to cool down. When you pushed the glass door of your friend’s balcony before filling your lungs with a deep breath of fresh night air. You watched the city lights, almost nostalgically. While you were getting ready to take a cigarette out of your pack, you saw a hand holding out one for you. You looked up, meeting Timothée’s soft glaze. You took the cigarette with an almost inaudible “thanks”, Timothée simply smiled before lighting his.

The first minutes were awkwardly silent. The two of you just inhaled and exhaled the smoke without talking or even looking at each other. You could still feel his eyes on you and you wondered if the goosebumps were from the fresh air or him.

“I’m sorry.” You heard him say as he was now leaning against the balcony, the city lights reflected on him, the slight breeze in his hair. You were shocked by his nonchalance, like he was apologizing for something you should have already accepted.

“You’re sorry?” you asked a little bit irritated. “Is it really the only thing you can tell me right now?”

Timothée slightly sighed. “Y/n, I apologized so much. What I did was noy okay, it was awful and I know it. It… I hurted you and I’m deeply sorry. I know it’s not something you can forgive and forget but please, please give me another chance.”

You were smoking your cigarette like it was the only thing that would stop you from crying in front of his watchful eyes.

“You destroyed me Timothée. Do you know how many hours, days and nights, I spent hating on myself, wondering why I haven’t been enough, what was wrong with me? Do you know the humiliation I felt Timothée ? Knowing that everyone saw you cheating on me. I always did so much for you, accepted so much: your fame, your frustration from work, your work schedule, the fact that you had to leave me for month to shoot movies, seeing you being with all these pretty actresses and models, being compared to your exes, insulted on social media. I bore all of that for you, because I love you and you weren’t even able to do the bare minimum, you weren’t even able to respect me.” Tears were coating your eyes and your efforts to not let them fall were useless as you felt your cheeks wetenning. Timothée quickly wiped your tears with his free hand before cupping your face.

“I love you so much Y/n, I couldn’t stop thinking about you all this time, I need you. Without you everything is so difficult, it’s awful. I’m begging you, my love, please.” Timothée was looking at you and you could see the pain in his eyes but you could also feel the pain of his betrayal in your heart.

“I’m sorry Timothée, I can’t, I’m still here for you but I can’t trust you anymore.” You took his hand in your, feeling the touch of his skin against yours before crushing your cigarette and throwing it.

Your heart broke when you left him on the balcony, a fake smile on your face to say goodbye to your friends before going back to your home, thinking about timothée, thinking about the good memories and dreaming about your life, your love with him, the love you will never have anymore.

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a/n: like, reblogs and comments are always appreciated :)

I hope you liked this story!

I created this blog to allow black girls to feel more comfortable with reading x reader, as a black person I saw how much we weren’t really represented in the fanfic community

* ° 𐐪𐑂 ♡ 𐐪𐑂 ₒ 𐐪𐑂 ♡ 𐐪𐑂 ° * ° 𐐪𐑂 ♡ 𐐪𐑂 ₒ 𐐪𐑂 ♡ 𐐪𐑂 °

This is my work, please don’t repost it, translate it or take it without my permission.

published the 10/08/2022

taglist: @/timotheel0ver @track0526

#black reader #timothee chalamet x black reader #timothee chalamet x you #timothee imagine #timothee fanfic #timothée chalamet x reader #timothee chamalet #timothée chalamet angst

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incorrect-organization-xiii · 2 years

Text

Zexion: [walks purposefully into the throne room where the rest of the organization is getting ready for a meeting] Good Evening, all

Everyone:

Xemnas: ... Good evening, Zexion.

Zexion: So, congratulations! You've all managed to reach the fucking limit of my GOD DAMNED patience. Well done Demyx for adding the last straw when you got crumbs INSIDE SEVERAL OF MY RARE BOOKS

Demyx, looking like a deer in headlights: uhh...

Zexion: In order to cleanse myself of this...

Zexion, through clenched teeth: unbridled. anger.

Zexion: I've decided to shanghai this meeting for my own needs

Marluxia, looking bored and yawning: to do what, exactly?

Zexion: I'm glad you asked

Zexion: [pulls a large stack of papers from his bag] these are some of your mission reports from the last year

Everyone:

Zexion: I'm going to go through them all, point out your mistakes and mock you mercilessly

Xigbar: why am I getting punished for Demyx’s inadequacies?

Zexion: You're responsible for at least 1/3 of this breakdown

Xaldin: What's stopping us from just leaving?

Zexion: If one of you leave, I'll still mock you in front of the whole organization, but you just won't know why everyone's laughing at you for the next two weeks

Zexion: If all of you leave I will rig all your technology to mock you in my place

XIon: [raises her hand]

Xion: Yes, Xion?

Xion: can I be excused? I do more good things for you than bad. I'll still stay and listen though

Zexion:

Zexion: an acceptable argument. You're excused.

Xion: [fist-pumps] Yisss

Xemnas: [starts getting up] In that case, I-

Zexion: sit. down.

#kh xemnas #kh xigbar #kh xion #incorrect organization xiii quotes #incorrect kingdom hearts quotes #kh marluxia #kh xaldin #source: collectivefandomstuff #kh zexion

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subbe93 · 1 year

Text

The Symptoms of Love: The Fifth Symptom

Sonoko had begged Ran to participate in her family's company party - she really begged, on the ground, on her knees, telling desperately Ran that she really, really need Ran to keep company to her. And as her best friend, Ran accepted. But considering how eagerly Sonoko wanted her to take part in the party, she can't understand why she disappear and leave her alone…

A/N: Finally... FINALLY it's here! Sorry to keep you waiting, but here we are, the fifth symptom! I could tell you why this took so long and what else, but you know, you have been waiting so long that I just let you read this! Thank you for your patience ❤ I certainly hope that this chapter is worth waiting for ^_^

The First Symptom The Second Symptom The Third Symptom The Fourth Symptom

The Fifth Symptom

Ran had always liked the parties that Sonoko and her parents organized. They were luxury parties, mostly for important and successful people, purpose to get know newcomers and give a chance to make some deals. And of course, it was meant to relax and have fun.

In any other case, Ran would have nothing to do with those parties. She had always been an ordinary girl, from an ordinary family. But since she was childhood friends with Sonoko, she had always got a special invitation. Well, mostly to keep company for Sonoko.

And she loved it. As said, she wasn’t anything special, so she never got any reasons to dress up in beautiful dresses. As a child, she had always admired those well-dressed men, who asked ladies to dance to the rhythm of the music. And even still, as a grown-up, it was so mesmerizing to look at how they were dancing.

So every time Ran had gotten an invitation to Sonoko’s and her family’s parties, she had been thankful. Because during those times, she had gotten a reason to feel like a princess, even though she had never been on the dancefloor. But it had been enough to dress in a beautiful dress and be part of these important people.

But years went by and things changed. And the past few years, she had skipped those parties. It wasn’t like she wouldn’t have liked to participate, but they had grown up. They both were women now, and as a daughter of the Suzuki family, Sonoko had her own responsibilities. Nowadays Sonoko was busy mingling with guests, and it was understandable. If she is going to inherit her parents' company, she needed to know their business partners, old customers, new ones, and what else. And some years ago, when Ran had been in these parties for the last time, she had accepted it. As much as Sonoko had promised to stay with her, she still had been too busy to stay. And even though Ran had tried her best to support her, it didn’t change the fact that she didn’t enjoy herself.

She had felt lonely and… well, bored.

So after that, she declined Sonoko’s invitations. And even if Sonoko had been shocked and sad at first, she had understood. Though it hadn’t stopped her from trying to invite her, which kind of made Ran happy to know that she still wanted her to participate, but to be honest, what in the world she would do there alone? Nothing. It was better for both of them that she stayed home. That way, Sonoko didn’t have to worry about her at all. And if something interesting would happen, Sonoko would tell her later.

But this time was different. After some years, she accepted Sonoko’s invitation. After a long time, she had bought a new deep red evening dress with Sonoko and she was standing there in her high heels, among other dressed people, sipping her wine. Alone.

Yes. Alone.

The first hour she had spent with Sonoko, as usual, and they had fun. Spoke some nonsense, tasted some wines, enjoyed snacks, and a little gossiping. But then, like remembering something, Sonoko apologized and told her that she got some kind of surprise for Ran. She made a promise that she would come back as soon as possible, and made Ran promise to her that she would wait here, no matter what! And as any good friend, she had done as Sonoko had hoped her to do. She had made that promise and stood there waiting.

And she waited. And… waited.

Forty-five minutes was a pretty long time to stand alone, waiting. Ran had sent a few messages to Sonoko, asking where she was or if something have happened, but in every answer, she had said that there had been people that she needs to meet, but she would come back just in a minute.

It wasn’t like Ran didn’t understand. Of course, she did, and to be honest, she wanted to support her friend, but it seemed that Sonoko was fine doing alone, and Ran on the other hand was bored and lonely.

Well, at least she got her wine glass.

But she still couldn’t understand why Sonoko had been so stubborn to get her here. God, she had begged on the floor that she would come, even after Ran had explained why she shouldn’t come - and it was the same as many times before, and before, Sonoko had understood. This time? Not at all.

“Please, Ran, I really need your company this time! Pretty please!”

Needing my company in my ass, Ran thought with a little toxic. This hadn’t been any different than before! Lord, just because she had felt pity for Sonoko, she had accepted! Just because she thought to be a good friend, she had to leave from the work in a hurry, so she had enough time to prepare herself before Sonoko came to pick her up. God, she had been even ready to sacrifice some of her good nights of sleep just for her! She was the one who is going to go to work tomorrow! And who even kept parties in the middle of the week?!

But then again, she had been willing to take that risk.

Maybe she should leave. She had told Sonoko that she would leave early, but she hadn't thought to be ready to leave this soon.

She let out a sigh and looked around. Part of her was happy that she had come. Somehow this made her feel nostalgic, making all those sweet memories from their childhood come back to her: How they ran among other guests, tasted every food there was, danced together... And how Sonoko's mother had scolded them for bothering guests while Sonoko's father had just smiled and told them to have fun.

It felt like those things had happened so long ago.

And she still loved to see how they had decorated the place. Well, you couldn’t wait for anything less from the Suzuki family. The food was delicious, there were many different drinks, and people looked so beautiful and handsome in their dresses, and the dancefloor and music… She a little bit envied them. Looking at people dancing, how their beautiful dresses moved alongside, glimmering in the lights... Men leading, pairs moving with smooth moves…

She had never been on a dancefloor. Well, in high school, they had had some partner dance classes, but other than that? Nope. And every time she had seen people dancing, she wondered how it would feel to dance with someone for real, but…

She looked around, but she couldn’t find anyone suitable candidate. Maybe the hardest part was the fact that all the other people seemed to know each other, and if they weren’t on the dancefloor, they were talking in groups. And she wasn’t brave enough to go and ask someone blindly.

She promised herself, if next time she wouldn’t have a date with her, she wouldn’t participate. Even though Sonoko would plead and claim that the party would be ruined if she wouldn’t come, she won’t accept it.

Ran let out another sigh and opened her purse to check her phone. There was nothing.

Maybe she should really leave. What she was even doing in here? Probably Sonoko would be the only one who would notice her disappearance, but since she was too busy with others, she believed it would be okay. Yeah, she would go to find Sonoko or someone from her family, thank them for the invitation and party, and apologize for the early leaving.

Yeah, that sounded like a plan.

She put the phone back in her purse and shut it.

“My my, what kind of wallflower I have found?”

Ran turned around fast, and she felt how her heart skipped a beat while her cheeks started to feel warmer. There were too many feelings mixed together: She felt happy and excited, but fast she felt also shy and embarrassed. Nervous. Because Kudo Shinichi walked closer to her in his black suit, another hand on his trousers pocket, that smile on his lips while his blue eyes looked at her…

God help her, he looked handsome.

And as happy as she was to see him, she also felt nervous and embarrassed. She still remembered how two months ago he had taken her to the hospital and donated his blood, but instead of reaching him, she had backed off. Well, the time she had been in hospital, she didn’t even think about calling him or anything, but after she got back home… Yeah, yeah, she had searched his number and thought to call him or send him a message, thank him properly, and tell him about his turtleneck, but… but…

She had been too shy to do that! Every phone call that she had planned in her head, every message that she tried to draft… As much as she had tried, she hadn’t been brave enough. There weren’t the right words, not words that would sound natural.

And God, she hated the fact that when she had wondered why it was so hard to contact him, she had realized that maybe, maybe she had a crush on him. And it made everything just more complicated!

And when the month had gone by, she felt like it had been too embarrassing to thank him anymore.

But still, she was happy to see him, and the fact that his tie and napkin on his chest pocket were the same shade of red as her dress… It made butterflies fly in her stomach. It felt like it was meant to be!

Come on, Ran, this isn’t any kind of romantic movie!

“Well, what a coincidence”, she greeted with a smile when he stopped in front of her and she got her eyes away from his clothes. She hoped that she could be more natural with him, hide her nervousness and excitement, but too late she realized that she had already taken too much time to check on him! She met his eyes and said the first thing that came to her mind: “We just seem to pump each other pretty often. Has someone died?”

Good job, Ran! Couldn’t figure out anything else? Something lighter?

But it seemed that Kudo didn’t mind. Instead, he let out a short laugh. “Luckily not”, he answered. “And hopefully, tonight that won’t happen.” Then he looked at her and her dress. “And last time we met, you got a bullet in your leg”, he spoke and raised his eyes back to her, looking more serious this time. “Are you okay?”

His care made her blush even more, so she lowered her head, looking at her foot that she raised a little to show it to him. “It healed very well, just got a little mark, but nothing else”, she explained. Then she swung her ankle a little bit as giving him proof. “So there is nothing to worry about, and…”

Okay, now it's your time, Ran! Do it!

She raised her head and looked at how he still observed her leg. Her heart was banging loud in her chest, but she took a deep breath. “Thank you.”

He raised his head and frowned, looking confused. “Thank you?”, he repeated. “There is no reason to thank me. If I would have been faster, you wouldn’t have gotten hurt.” Then he looked away. “If I would have been faster, you wouldn’t have even gotten mixed into it.”

Ran smiled. “You were fast enough, don’t blame yourself for that”, she said. “And I heard that you were the one who carried me to the hospital, donated the blood, and… stayed.”

He didn't turn to look at her, but she could see his cheeks changing color…

“Ah, that”, he mumbled, still avoiding her eyes. “It was nothing.” Then he glanced at her. “Anyone would have done the same.”

Ran's smile widened. “I don’t think so”, she disagreed. “Because many others would have left after they would have got the injured one into care, or when they would have heard that everything is going to be alright.” And when Kudo turned his eyes away, Ran continued. “Besides, why you didn’t call an ambulance?”

“It would have taken too much time, considering how much blood you had lost by the time I could have called to anyone”, Kudo answered. “Besides, Sato-san was kind and offered to drive, so we got to the hospital faster.”

“Mmmm”, Ran hummed and raised her wine glass to sip on it. She is going to need it. “And I still have your turtleneck.”

Again, Kudo frowned like he didn’t have any idea what she was talking about. Then it seemed that he realized something. “Oh, so they gave it to you?” he asked and finally turned to look at her properly.

“Yeah”, Ran answered. “They told me you had left before they got a chance to give it back to you.”

“Oh”, Kudo repeated and didn’t seem to be impressed. “Well, that probably explained why any of them didn’t know about it when I went to ask after it”, he said. Then he smiled. “So, are you going to keep it or is there still a chance that I can have it back?”

Ran blushed and raised again her wine glass, almost like trying to hide behind it. “Well, I… I…”

Then her eyes caught some movements behind Kudo. Her words died there and she looked beside him, taking a closer look at what in the world was happening…

And she shut her mouth before she would shout out loud.

Sonoko!

Ran stared at how her friend grinned from further, among some people. First, she pointed at Kudo, then her, and then made a heart with her hands and winked. She looked so excited that… that…

Wait! Had she planned this?!

Because that way, it would explain so much! It would explain why this time, she was so desperate to get her into this party! And it would make sense why she persisted that she needed to come shopping with her and everything else!

And now that she thought about Kudo’s tie and the color of the napkin…

God dammit!

Slowly she shook her head at Sonoko, but she just grinned back and nodded eagerly. God, as soon as she would catch her friend, she would…

“Oh, is she there?”

Ran stared at Sonoko for a moment before moving her eyes to Kudo. He was just looking in front of him, somewhere further, with an expression that didn't show that he would be surprised or confused. Actually, he looked like anything she would say next, wouldn't surprise him.

Ran glanced fast at Sonoko, who was still grinning like she had won the grand prize.

“You know, you don’t sound surprised at all”, Ran said finally and got her attention back to Kudo. Maybe it would be better to ignore her.

“I’m not”, he answered. “Though I admit, she got better of me. But I’m going to remember this one.”

“Oh, this I need to hear”, Ran said and raised her glass to take a sip from her wine. She almost wanted to giggle already, because she could only imagine how stubborn Sonoko had been with him. When Sonoko wanted something, she really went for it.

Kudo turned to look at her and a one-sided smile came back to his lips. “Well, she invited me here”, he started. “And I declined because I wasn’t interested at all. But she was stubborn and told me that I have to come, though I still said no thank you .”

“But then?”

“But then she came to me personally and told me secretly that her parents had gotten some kind of blackmail letter, and they would like my help to solve it, but since they didn’t want to draw any attention, they wanted to invite me here with a regular invitation.”

“Oh my god”, Ran sighed, and she couldn’t decide if she was embarrassed because of Sonoko or if she would have laughed. “And then you came here and found out that it was nothing?”

“Precisely”, he answered. “To be honest, I started to wonder if there is some kind of catch because the invitation came from her and not straight from her parents, but I still kind of fell for it.”

Ran giggled. “That’s Sonoko for you”, she said. “When she gets some ideas, she really does everything that it would happen.”

Kudo shook his head. “Can’t argue with that”, he said. “Though I have no idea why she took all the trouble to get me here”, he continued and looked down at his tie. “Besides, she was very precise that I need to have this shade of red on me, because it was, as she said it, a dress code, and I was fool enough to believe in that.” Then he looked around. “Seems like we are the only ones who obeyed that dress code .”

Ran felt how her cheeks started to burn. God, this was so embarrassing! She should have guessed that there was a bigger reason why Sonoko wanted so eagerly to join her shopping trip! Of course, if Ran would have gone alone, Sonoko wouldn’t have had any idea what color her dress would be, and she couldn’t have ever demanded Kudo to wear the same color…

She hadn’t even thought Sonoko would do something like this! How would she?! She hadn’t talked about Kudo to her, for reasons! She had known that Sonoko would do something stupid if she would have mentioned her thoughts about him!

But this?

She is going to need much more wine. Maybe she should call at work and tell them that she won’t make it for tomorrow's shift. Or maybe she should strain her ankle?

“Well then, maybe I leave”, Kudo said, making Ran look at him with shock. He was leaving, already? And it felt like Kudo read her mind because he lowered his eyes on her. “Not a big fan of the parties. I got better things to do.”

“Isn’t it a little bit rude to leave this soon?” Ran asked. Like she was the one to talk! She had been the one who had been ready to leave before he appeared.

But Kudo didn't know that.

“Then what in the world I’m doing here?” Kudo asked and looked around him again. “Sonoko got me here as she wanted to. Fine! But there is nothing for me.”

“I am here.”

Those words came out before Ran could stop herself. So when Kudo turned to look at her with curious eyes, Ran concentrated to sip her wine. God, what in the world she was doing? Making fun of herself?

“Don’t you have company?”

Ran lowered her glass and took her time to taste the wine. It was sweet, she liked that. And with this speed, she would be drunk much faster than planned.

“My only company before you has been this wine”, she said and show her glass to him. There wasn’t much anymore. “And it seems that it’s almost gone.”

“Then, why are you here?”

“Because it seemed to be important for Sonoko”, Ran answered. She smiled fondly, even though she knew she wouldn’t tell him the whole truth. Then again, he was a detective, a good one. She wondered if he had realized by now why they were here. “And what best friend wouldn’t do to another one.”

Kudo didn’t say anything, and Ran didn’t dare to look at him. Instead, she stared at the red wine bottom of her glass, swirling it. She couldn’t help it, but she felt a little bit disappointed. She kind of wished that she would be braver to ask him to stay with her or maybe ask for a date or… anything, really. But she wasn’t, and it didn’t courage her that he didn’t seem to be interested in her.

Did she believe that he would have? Maybe it was only Sonoko that made her believe in it. She and her stupid words.

Sonoko has just tried her best.

Well, if he would leave, she would do the same. In the end, it seemed that he was the only reason why she was invited here in the first place.

“Well then, maybe I should leave too”, she said finally and raised her eyes to meet his. She forced a smile on her lips. “There isn’t much for me to do either since Sonoko seems to be so busy with other guests.” Then she looked around her, all those people. “But in the end, she is going to inherit her parents' company, so it’s only understandable.”

“Don’t you dance?”

“What?” Ran asked and looked at Kudo surprised. She had heard his question, but…

He rolled his eyes. “I asked: Don’t you dance?” he repeated and looked around. “I believe you don’t need Suzuki for that.”

Ran let out a laugh. “I don’t, but I certainly need a partner for that, and I don’t have any”, she said and drink the last of her wine. “So as much as I would love to, I can’t dance alone.”

“Have you asked any of them?” Kudo asked still observing their surrounding. “I bet there are many who would love to dance with you.”

Carefully, Ran turned to look at Kudo, who was looking at the dancefloor. She couldn’t tell, but his voice sounded a little weird. Yet she couldn’t tell what it was or why. And since he was looking away, she couldn’t examine his expression clearly.

Or maybe she was just imagining it.

But then again, he started this.

“Oh”, Ran asked and put her empty wine glass on the table. “Then, maybe you would take me to the dancefloor?”

Kudo let out a laugh and turned to look at her. “I don’t dance.”

Ran hummed. What a disappointment. “Well, it can be helped if you can’t…”

“I can”, Kudo interrupted. “I just don’t want to.”

It made Ran smile. “Oh, yeaaaah”, she giggled. “Right…”

“I’m serious”, Kudo said, sounding annoyed already. “You don’t even know how much trouble my mother saw to teach me to dance!”

It made Ran's smile widen. Poor man…

“You don’t believe me”, Kudo said eventually.

Ran shook her head. “You don’t have to lie to me, you know”, she answered. “It’s okay if you can’t, my father isn’t good either…”

“There is a difference between I can and I don’t want to ”, Kudo interrupted again, as if trying to convince her.

“It’s okay, really”, she said with a smile and turned. Maybe it was time to leave. “You don’t have to convince me…”

She felt how something grabbed her wrist, and before she had time to do anything, she was made to turn around. She faced Kudo, who looked at her with annoyed and determined blue eyes. “It seems I have to”, he said and loosen his grip a little bit. Suddenly he bowed while still holding her hand, blue eyes still observing her. “Can I have this dance?”

It made Ran blush. She could feel how her cheeks warmed even more. Did he really ask her to dance with him? Her heart banged on her chest, and she felt how her hand was sweating on his warm grip. God, he was asking her to dance… with him! She felt excited, maybe a little bit too excited, and she wanted to blame the wine for that. God, why in times like this, she couldn’t play it cool and just answer yes? She felt like if she would open her mouth, her voice would be shrill and broken, even for a short word as ‘yes’.

Then Kudo’s expression changed and a wide grin came to his lips, showing his teeth. “Or maybe it was Mouri-sensei herself who doesn’t know how to dance?”

Oh…

Oh.

An annoyed smile came to Ran’s lips when she raised her head a little bit, looking at Kudo down. “How about you shut that smart mouth of yours and show me how well your mother had taught you?”

He let out a short laugh before straightening himself. "Fine by me", he answered and led her to the dancefloor. Ran felt how butterflies flew in her stomach when they stopped and he turned on her. He put his free hand on her back, making her come closer to him. Closer than before, she noticed, and she wondered how her poor heart could survive this. Slowly and nervously she raised her hand on his shoulder, squeezing the fabric of his jacket without realizing it.

It didn't help that it had been so many years since she had danced some partner dances, and since Kudo seemed to be confident with this whole thing, she started to wonder if she was really the one who has lied to herself. So when they started to move, Ran tried to relax and trust herself, but instead, she tried secretly checking her steps, making sure she wouldn't screw up...

God, who she tried to convince? She was pretty sure that Kudo already had noticed her tension and glanced at their feet!

But after a while in his lead, she realized that her steps went smoothly along with Kudo's, and she started to relax. She couldn’t tell why, but somehow her steps moved in sync with his. Like she already knew where he would take her.

Somehow it felt so easy with him.

It made her smile. Finally, she started to enjoy this! It was amazing just to be in his arms, and move with him among other dancers. Like she had seen many times. She felt like a little girl in her had woken up again. She almost wanted to laugh at how excited she felt.

“Well, how it is going?” Kudo asked.

Ran smiled and looked at him. “Your mother has taught you well”, she admitted.

Kudo nodded. “I tell her your regards.”

And they danced many more dances. Ran hadn’t remembered how much fun it was to dance with someone. Well, the only thing she didn’t enjoy that much was the fact that at some point, she had noticed Sonoko in the background, grinning wide, and Ran was pretty sure that she had seen a phone in her hands, pointing at them. God, as soon as these parties would be over, she would hunt that woman down!

But at the same time, she didn’t want this to end. She felt a little bit stupid, because not so long ago, she would have been ready to go back home. And now she was just afraid that every time when a song came to end, Kudo would leave her alone. Somehow she didn’t want to let go of him, and the reasonable side of her knew that she should tell him. She should tell him that she enjoyed his company, and if he would just like to, they should spend more time together.

But she couldn’t open her mouth. She was a little too afraid to say it out loud, too afraid to break her heart. So instead, she just wanted to enjoy the moment and pretend that it would be like this forever.

And yet, another song came to its end, and again, it made Ran's stomach twitch. Another chance for Kudo to tell her that he had enough. But he didn’t fully let go of her. It made Ran excited because it meant that she would have still one dance!

But when the next song started, he didn’t move either. It made Ran frown and turn to look at him. He looked at her with a troubled expression.

“Is... everything okay?” she asked carefully, a little bit afraid to hear the answer. Because it had to be something about her! Otherwise, he had probably said it already, right?

He lowered his gaze, making Ran's heart sink a little. “Well”, he started, like thinking. “Yeah”, he continued finally and met her eyes. “I just wanted to… I was thinking…”

The lights went off. Suddenly there was a silence before people around them started to question what was going on. Ran looked around even though it was too dark to see anything clearly. She didn’t remember that Sonoko’s family would have ever done surprises like this, but then again, maybe this time they wanted to try something different.

Or if this was some kind of Sonoko’s way to try to get her together with Kudo…

She felt how Kudo’s grip around her tightened a little bit, and Ran couldn’t tell why, but it made her restless. Something told her that something was wrong.

“Hey, Kudo…” she whispered but was interrupted when she heard someone coming closer to them.

“Ran?”

That voice she would recognize anywhere.

“Sonoko”, she called back. She saw how the character came closer, and the closer she came, the more she started to recognize her character in darkness. And the way she reached her and wrapped her arms around hers, Ran knew that she wasn’t behind this.

Well, like she would have believed in it really, but with Sonoko, everything was possible.

“What is going on?” Ran asked and looked at Sonoko, who came a little bit closer to her.

“I don’t know”, Sonoko answered, sounding worried. Well, there went a chance that her parents would have planned this. Except if they had kept it secret from Sonoko. Or maybe someone else had planned this?

“May-”

“No one move!”

Ran starlet and shut her mouth. She looked towards the shout, but it came somewhere far, and in the darkness, she couldn’t see very far.

“Now, now, if you do as we say, everyone is going to be alright and this would be over soon”, the woman's voice spoke out loud again. “So be nice, keep your mouths shut, and give all your valuables when we come to ask for them.” Then there was a little silence before the voice continued: “And if you want to survive from this alive, then it’s better not to try any kind of tricks. Just warning you, we have guns.”

Guns?!

Ran tightened her grip on Kudo. Guns? Why guns? How they had gotten them in? And who were those people anyway?

There was silent whispering, but it was shut with a loud bang. There was some screaming, and Ran felt how Sonoko pushed her with a scream, glued against her, which made her thumb against Kudo’s chest.

And to her surprise, he seemed to relax.

“Here is your warning”, the voice shouted. “Try to be more cooperative from now on.”

Then there was silence again. Then Ran could hear some movements and loud commands to give every valuable, and then some rustling when people started to give what they got. Ran closed her eyes and tried to calm down, but her mind was just surrounded by questions. How in the world she had gotten herself into a situation like this? She didn’t remember that ever before Suzuki’s parties would have turned out like this. They had always been perfect, everything had gone as it should have. And a long time ago, Sonoko’s mother had told Ran that there was a silent rule: To honor other companies, there was no room for fighting or arguments. It was time to have fun, relax, get to know others, and maybe get some business collaborations with other companies.

And now some violent thieves had gotten in somehow and ruined this party. Ran couldn’t even understand how they had gotten in! There were some guards to make sure that no one without an invitation wouldn’t get in, and since she was close with Sonoko’s parents, she also knew that it was very direct that if the quest won’t have the invitation, they don’t get in. Otherwise, anyone would get in if they had just dressed properly.

“Five.”

Ran opened her eyes and frowned before she pushed a little away from Kudo to look at him. It wasn’t like she could see his face clearly, but enough to see that he was looking somewhere.

“What?” she whispered.

“There are five of them”, Kudo answered silently and moved his head to look at her.

“How do you know that?” Sonoko’s voice asked beside Ran’s ear.

“If you just listen, you can hear five different voices”, Kudo answered. “And one of them belongs to the woman who spoke to us, so I believe all of them are among us, gathering all the valuables.”

“Are you sure?”

Kudo moved a little bit. “Well, if there would be someone concentrating only on observing us, they would have probably come to us already.”

He was right, Ran realized. Those thieves were too busy robbing guests that they hadn’t realized their whispering. And she was sure that if there would have been someone who would have just walked around, ready to silence anyone who dared to talk, they would have been there already.

“But how did they get in?” Ran asked before turning to look at Kudo.

“They are people who had been invited here.”

“Wha-” Sonoko let out a little louder, but Ran nudged her, making her stop. They were silent for a moment, waiting if someone realized their whispering, but no one came. The robbers were still concentrating on their own job. When they were sure that no one had paid attention to them, Sonoko continued with a lower voice: “How dare you accuse something like this? Are you saying that we invited some burglar to our parties just for fun?”

“I didn’t say that”, Kudo answered, sounding a little bit annoyed. “They are all profitable directors of their company, respected and known, but it seems that there are people who want to sabotage your parents’ reputation and made some scandal to destroy them.”

“But… who in the world would do something like this?” Sonoko asked.

“Your parents probably have some rivals.”

“How they got guns in?” Ran asked.

“They aren’t real”, Kudo said. “They are air guns.”

“How can you tell?” Ran asked confused.

“They let out different kinds of sound”, Kudo answered. Then he looked somewhere else, probably observing where those people were. “Probably they didn’t get real ones, or maybe they didn’t want to hurt anyone for real. So they got air guns to give warning shots and scare people. It’s enough that people heard a gunshot: They recognize it and panic enough that they won't hear the difference.”

Sonoko let out a snort. “And you can tell the difference?”

Ran smiled. “Come on, Sonoko. Now isn’t the time for that”, she said, hoping it would calm her friend. “Instead, we should…”

“Hey, you there! Stop talking!”

Ran felt shivering when she heard the man’s voice, but before she could see who it was, Kudo let go of her and moved in front of her and Sonoko, straightening his arm like making sure they would stay behind him.

“Don’t point others with that gun”, he spoke in a normal voice, sounding annoyed. “It’s not very polite.”

Ran felt how her heart started to beat faster. Worry and a little bit of panic started to take over her when she stared at that gun that was pointing at Kudo. Even though Kudo said that the gun should be just an air gun, it looked so real. Was he planning something? If, then what? And if he was right, somewhere among the guests were still four others, so even though he would take that one down, how he would take others? And who could tell if they would have other tricks on their sleeves? Maybe Kudo hadn’t just seen it? Or maybe others got real guns, or… or…

Please, Lord, don’t let anything happen to him…

“You want to get rid of your life that fast?” the man asked. Ran looked at the speaker's face, but it shouldn’t have surprised her when she saw something covering his face and hair. But the dress looked fine. Kudo was probably right, they were guests. And another reason to hide their faces, maybe they planned to pretend to leave after this and infiltrate among guests before the lights would come back. That way no one could tell who those people were.

Well, only if they could hide their masks and stolen goods somehow.

“If you feel like it, feel welcome to do so”, Kudo answered.

The gun was still pointing at him, and Ren felt restless.

“Kudo”, Ran let out, making Sonoko let go of her arm, and grabbed Kudo’s back and arm, which just didn’t let her move closer to the robber. But like she cared about the robber... “Don’t taunt him. What… what if you are wrong?”

“I’m barely ever wrong”, he answered pretty confidently. Too confident, if someone would have asked Ran. “So don’t worry.”

Don’t worry?! How in the world she could not worry!?

“But…”

“Shut up!” the robber in front of them shouted. It startled Ran and when she moved to look at the man, the gun was pointing at her, making her heart skip a beat. For a moment she waited for him to pull the trigger, but then Kudo get rid of her grip and went straight for the man, grabbed the gun, and somehow easily tripped him, making that robber fall on the ground. It made so much noise, and before Ran could tell, there was someone else close to Kudo, attacking him. Ran took a step to help him, but someone grabbed her arm.

“Help, there is more!” Sonoko screamed. Ran turned and saw how two others came closer to them.

Ran took a deep breath. Like she would let them hurt anyone! If they wanted a war, she would give it to them!

“I handle this”, she said to Sonoko, and while getting rid of her grip, she kicked her high heels off - thank God Sonoko made her buy court shoes even though Ran would have liked to have different ones - and stepped fast between them and Kudo. It seemed to confuse those two since they stopped and didn’t do anything, but Ran decided not to give them any chances. It was enough that they had ruined the party! So before they did anything else, Ran acted: A few hits on the other one, then for another one, and with a nice kick, she took both of them down. They let out a massive groan while laying on the floor. Ran stared at them for a moment, making sure that they would stay down.

Thank God she kept her own promise and started to take again those karate classes after her leg healed! Of course, these two hadn’t been as bad opponents as Wada Yui two months ago. Or maybe Ran could have beaten her if she wouldn’t have a gun with her back then.

And other thanks to Sonoko that she was too obsessed about that deep red evening dress which got slit! It had been maybe a little too high on Ran’s likes, but thanks to it, it had given her a chance to act!

She turned around to check how Sonoko was doing, but then she saw, how someone was running close to Kudo, who was observing one of the robbers on the ground.

The panic hit her.

“Shinichi, crouch!” she shouted and ran towards him. She could see how he glanced at her confused before it change into shock and he crouched. And Ran stopped and raise her leg, kicking the one who tried to attack behind him. Her foot hit the side of their arm, making them take a few steps aside from Kudo, dropping whatever they got in their hand. Before they recovered from her attack, she went closer and gave a few hits until the robber fall to the ground, gasping for the air.

Don’t you even dare! Ran thought silently when she leered at the one on the ground. How dare they even think to attack behind him?!

Then the lights came back. Ran shut her eyes for a moment. There were so many different noises that guests let out, and soon they heard how the doors slammed open. Ran squinted her eyes to see how the guards ran in, asking if everyone is okay.

“And only now have you realized that something was wrong?!” Sonoko shouted in loud voice, sounding angry. “God, you were slow! Kudo-kun and Ran took care of them already, thanks for asking.”

Kudo!

Ran turned to see Kudo. He was still on the ground, looking at her.

“Are you okay?” she asked and went closer to him. She offered her hand to help him up.

He observed her for a moment with an expression that Ran couldn’t name. Then he opened his mouth. “I’m fine, thanks”, he answered and grab her hand, getting up. Then he looked at the one who she had taken down. “At least I’m better than him.”

Ran felt nervous and looked at the one she took down. Okay, maybe she was a little bit too rough with him, but… “Well…”

“Oh, you didn’t know that my Ran is Tokyo’s Karate Champion?” Sonoko’s voice said pretty proudly, and before she knew it, Sonoko was hanging on her arm again. “So better not to make her angry.”

It made her only more nervous. “God, Sonoko, it’s old news”, she laughed nervously. “It was in high school, you know.”

“But you’re still the best karateka in Japan”, Sonoko continued.

Ran laughed again. “I’m just a doctor, nothing more.”

“Just a doctor”, Kudo repeated, making Ran look at him. “Yeah, right…”

“Are you three alright?”

Ran turned to see how Sonoko’s parents came to them with worried looks. When they stopped, the guards took those so-called “robbers”, taking away their masks. Any of them didn’t look familiar to Ran.

“Take them somewhere safe place”, Sonoko’s father said. It surprised Ran how calm he was in a situation like this. “I’m going to talk to them later.”

“I believe you should call the police to investigate this properly”, Kudo said, when the guards started to take them away. “Just in case…”

“Of course”, Sonoko’s father said and looked after the guards. “But I certainly want to hear what they got to say about this as soon as possible. How in the world something like this could even happen?”

“Well, lucky us that we got Kudo-kun here”, Sonoko’s mother said.

“Well…”

“Ran took down three of them with her karate”, Sonoko’s voice interrupted Kudo. “So give some credit to her too.”

Ran felt so nervous when both of Sonoko’s parents turned to look at her.

“Well, it was really nothing”, Ran laughed nervously. “I mean… If Kudo wouldn’t have acted, I wouldn’t have done anything…”

“Don’t be so modest”, Kudo interrupted. Ran turned to meet his blue eyes. “I couldn’t have taken all of them down without you.” Then he turned to look at their little battlefield even though there wasn’t anything to see anymore. “I was okay with one on one fight, but if those two would have gotten on me, I would have lost.” Then he turned to look at her. “But thanks to you, we handled all of them and nothing terrible didn’t happen. So I think I owe you a big time for saving me.”

Ran blushed and looked down. Owe her? God, two months ago, he had been the one who saved her life and compared to it, this was nothing.

“And we owe both of you”, Sonoko’s mother said gently, making Ran raise her eyes at her. “Because without you two, these parties would have been a catastrophe!” Then she came closer to Ran, lowering her hand on her shoulder, and she turned more serious. “But just so you know, it isn’t okay just to run into danger like that! Something terrible could have happened…”

“It’s okay”, Ran said and smiled. “I wasn’t alone, so…”

“They got guns!” Sonoko’s mother said like scolding her. “They could have shot you or…”

“Kudo said that they were air guns, so there was no worry”, Ran interrupted, trying still to calm her. “So…”

“He could have been wrong”, Sonoko’s mother interrupted. “And besides, it…”

“Would you accompany me, Kudo-kun?”

Somehow Ran shut her ears from Sonoko’s mother’s speech and turned to look at Sonoko’s father, who looked at Kudo. “I would like to go to see them right away and discuss what this all was about. And I would like you to accompany me.”

Kudo nodded without hesitation. “Yeah, sure.”

Ran felt how her heart sank a little bit.

He was leaving?

“Well, enough of that”, Sonoko’s mother said just when Sonoko’s father turned and left. Kudo turned to glance at her, show her a smile before going after him, Ran’s eyes following him, how he just walked further from her… “I think you should take a little rest.” Ran felt, how Sonoko’s mother grabbed her shoulders, making her turn away from Kudo. “And meanwhile, I’m going to handle guests, and…”

And yet, Ran turned to look over her shoulder, trying to see how Kudo waves his way among guests, slowly starting to disappear... And all she could feel was sadness and disappointment. Like he was drifting away, somewhere where she couldn’t follow…

No!

Ran couldn’t tell really why, but she was sure that this couldn’t go like this! She can’t let him go like this! Not after everything! How many times he had left and Ran had just looked after him, feeling sad about it? And how many times she had been scared to lose him? Well, not many, but she was pretty sure how she felt by now, and as scary as it was, she knew that after this, she couldn’t make herself call him or send messages. It needs to be now! Not later, because there could be a big chance that there wouldn’t be next time! She should go after him, stop him, tell him…

“Excuse me”, Ran said, and before anyone could really stop her, she ripped herself from Sonoko’s mother’s grip, and turned to take a few running steps after Kudo. Sadly, he had disappeared somewhere, but at least Ran had seen the way, so she tried to follow him. If she would be fast, maybe she would get them before they would go too far from the hall, and she could try to stop them - stop him!

Yet, and to her disappointment, she was late. When she finally got to the doors and the hallway, she looked around, but there was nothing. There was only an empty hallway with its doors and other hallways, but she couldn’t tell where they could have gone.

She wanted to blame the guests. It was like they had just moved on her way on purpose as soon as Kudo and Sonoko’s father had walked past them! Why? Didn’t they have any other places to stand? Why did they need to move closer to each other while talking? God, how there were so many people in front of her, and none of them hadn't realized that she was in a hurry?!

But deep down she knew she was the only one to blame: Why she didn’t act faster? Why she didn’t tell in the first place that she had something to talk about with Kudo? Why she didn’t ask to accompany them? Why she didn’t run after them faster, why she hesitated so long? Why she didn’t shout after him? Or maybe shouted to the guests, asking them to move? Would she have saved a little more time if she would have gone around those guests?

She felt so disappointed. How did she let this happen? Why she hadn’t said anything earlier? If she would have…

“Did you get him?”

Ran closed her eyes for a moment before turning to Sonoko. She looked like she had fought her way there too. “I didn’t”, she said with a smile, but she could see from Sonoko’s face that her smile wasn’t as convincing as she hoped for.

This was stupid.

“I… I can call my father and ask…”

“Don’t”, Ran stopped her. “We can’t interrupt them in time like this.” And when Sonoko looked sad, Ran smiled. “It would be better to let them solve why those people ruined your parents’ party, right?”

“I can sacrifice that just so you can talk to him, just so you know”, Sonoko said and grossed her arms.

“I know that”, Ran whispered before clearing her throat. “Besides, I can talk to him later”, she continued hopefully even though she wasn’t sure of that. But there was still a chance… “I can wait here until he is ready, right? In the end, he can’t leave without us noticing... Right?”

Sonoko frowned. “But… It can be late when they are ready”, she said a little bit unsure. “How about your… work?”

Ran smiled. “It can’t take the whole night. Besides, one night here and there!”

Sonoko started to smile. “Yeah”, she said determined, being herself again. “And I’m going to wait with you!”

And all the guests left, and to Ran’s disappointment, she heard only then that Kudo had left the police station with Sonoko’s father and culprits. She had heard how Sonoko had angrily asked her mother how they had left without them noticing and when and how, but Ran hadn’t heard the answers.

Well, as she had even listened to them.

The answers didn’t matter to her anymore.

The last chapter

#ShinRan #Symptoms of Love #Doctor!Ran #Not Childhood Friends AU #Chapter 5 #Fanfiction #Shinichi Kudo #Ran Mouri #Sonoko Suzuki #Detective Conan

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