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firsttimewriter92 · 1 year

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To be healed

Captain John Price x f!reader Part 2/5

This is part two of "To be injured". I recommend reading that one first otherwise some things in this one will not make much sense ;)

Summary: John is making good on his promise showing you that he wants to earn your trust and consent. Little by little he patches you up this time, leading to a lesson John ist just too eager to teach.

Warnings: SMUT! Minors, do not interact! This is not for you. Dirty talk, teasing, dry humping, kissing, intimacy issues due to sexual trauma, toothrotting fluff, sexual acts, little bit of angst

Masterlist

Wordcount: 4.557

(God, that GIF makes me go Brrrr)

It has been three weeks since John and you decided to try how far you would come together. He spent quite some time at your apartment. You cooked for him (turns out he loved cooking but was horrible at it), you read together in comfortable silence or you played your favourite game while he watched and gnawed your ear off with questions. You loved it. He was genuinely interested in the games and just seemed to like how you reacted to them.

Each night however he respectfully stood up from your couch and said goodbye to you at your door. And with each night you felt like it became harder and harder to let him go. It was astounding to you how quickly you got used to his firm body next to yours on the couch. His gentle fingers raking absentmindedly over your skin while you read, your back pressed against his chest. How his steely thigh pressed against yours when he leaned onto his knees, concentrating hard on your gameplay process and loudly voicing his discontent when you got attacked, making you laugh uncontrollably. The way he bumped his shoulder or hip into you playfully because you made fun of his terrible chopping skills.

One evening while putting the dishes away (He had left no crumbs as per usual. That man could EAT), he reached over and stroked a finger slowly across your cheek. You nearly dropped the dish towel but soon smiled and turned to him. Towel long forgotten on the counter. His hand encased your cheek and he ever so lightly pulled. You stepped into his space willingly and he squinted at you amused. Rolling your eyes sarcastically you stood on your tip toes and pressed a sweet kiss to his lips. He grinned mischievously when you parted from him. “Very good” he said amused. “You make it easy” you giggled. A light dusting of pink adorned his cheeks at that and he huffed. “Yeah, if you say so, little one.” Humming contently, your arms wound themselves around his waist. One of your favourite things to do as you found out. He fit so perfectly in your arms it was almost too good to be true. But it was. The fond and affectionate way he was gazing down at you left no doubt. “Need your help with somethin´” he whispered. You nodded, smiling widely. You knew what he meant. He always used that phrase when he asked you to take a look at the wound on his back. The one you stitched up. The one that started it all. And as always you just said “Shirt” and tucket at the hem.

Though getting used to his vernacular, you were sure you would never get used to the effect he had on you shirtless. You felt the heat creep over your skin as he pulled the shirt over his head by the collar in his neck. Setting it down onto the island he looked at you, again as always a little sheepishly. You turned to your cupboard and produced the little medkit that John had given you. He was quite concerned when he found out that you didn’t even have bandaids at home. The next day he came over and insisted you accept the first aid kit he assembled for you. “It´s important, love. You never know when you might need it.”

He had a little smug look on his face when he turned around. You carefully removed the adhesive plaster and inspected the wound. It healed very nicely. “I think we can forego the plaster” you said happily. “It´s completely closed now.” You felt him twitch a little when you first touched his freshly healed skin to clean it. You thought he was still sensitive but then again, he didn’t twitch like that when you quite literally poured disinfectant on the open gash when it was completely open. Cleaning didn’t take any time and by the time you slowly massaged an ointment into his skin you could feel him shiver. The confidence this man had given you in the last couple of weeks suddenly gripped you like a vice and you marvelled in it. So you did something you hadn’t done yet in his presence. You took initiative.

Until now, it was always him that pulled you or leaned in first. This time, when you pressed your fingers into his skin a little more forcefully, you felt him leaning into your touch. You let your hands wander all over his back, his shoulders, the backs of his arms down to his lower back. Your hands were shaking only a little bit when you rested them at his sides and slowly let them wonder towards his front. Leaning closer you pressed your upper body to his and hugged him around his waist. You could feel his laboured breathing. This was the most skin to skin contact you have had yet and you absolutely lived for it. He was so warm and soft and freckly, his skin smelled like nothing you had ever smelled before and it was addicting. Rubbing your nose between his shoulder blades you felt him heaving a big breath. His chest expanded quite a bit. “You okey, little one?” he asked in a hushed voice while moving his hands over yours and squeezed them closer onto his abdomen. You nodded against his back but remembered quickly what his next words would probably be. “Yes” you said, hearing him chuckle. “Yeah I´m good” you nuzzled your cheek between his massive shoulder blades. You stood there for a while cuddling, breathing each other in and feeling each other’s heartbeats. But suddenly, it didn’t feel like enough.

You detached from him quickly and with a very worried expression he turned around. “___, is ev-” he only had time to say your name before you threw your arms around his neck and clung almost desperately to him. Not questioning your motives he grunted from the impact, grabbed the back of your thighs and lifted you onto the island behind him in a smooth swoop. “Legs around me” he growled and gently guided them around his waist. “Hold onto me, it´s okey, love. Hold on” You tried to grab as much warm skin as you could while burying your face into his neck, a little whimper leaving your lips. It was the most comforting feeling you have had in years and you were terrified it would end too soon. That he would deprive you of it the moment he found out how much you loved it. “Shhh. It´s all right. I´m here, ´m not goin´ anywhere, I promise.” His voice was soothing, deep and rich while his arms pressed you impossibly closer to him. One hand reassuringly stroking over your hair and neck. Gently he rocked you back and forth a bit and waited for you to calm down. “´M here because I want to, you hear me?” he whispered into your hairline. “´M here because I said I want your trust an´ everythin´ that comes with it. ´M not leaving,___” he breathed heavily through his nose while you almost ripped the skin of his back with your fingernails. Calming, sweet nothings left his lips while you calmed down. No tears were shed this time but the fear of abandonment was still lodged into your flesh. Knowing he was there, holding you close with no expectation of sex and yet no intention of leaving, helped your beating heart immensely.

You lifted your head from his shoulder and looked into his gorgeous eyes. He had a serious expression on his face when he lifted his hands and framed your face. “I´m fine, John. I´m okey now” you said with a reassuring smile which he returned as soon as he saw that you were telling the truth. Your bodies still close to one another you leaned in, waiting if he´d pull back. He didn’t, so you kissed him softly but with enough pressure so he knew you wouldn’t pull back any time soon. And you didn’t. Feeling his heartbeat underneath your palm going absolutely ballistic, you moved your lips with his with more and more passion. Changing from slow open mothed kisses to small little pecks. “Christ, woman” he breathed when you detached from him for a second. “Feel free to do that whenever you funkin´ want. Don´t have to ask just…Bloody Jesus, wake me from my deepest sleep if you have to.” He sounded breathless and even a little whiny. Your core clenching deliciously at the sound. Holy…

You giggled and sank your fingers into his thick brown hair, scratching his scalp. He leaned his head back into your hands, exposing his throat, grinning like a mad man and releasing a borderline sinful moan that made you break out in a sweat immediately. Still grinning he said “Love seeing you this way. So confident. So you. Sexy as all hell.” You smiled again when you lips descended to his throat and started nibbling. Little grunts and heavy breathing filled your ears, spiralling your own excitement higher and higher. There was no pressure, just feeling. There was no force, no hurry, no `let´s get this over with`. There was only him and you. His beard scratching your lips slightly as you trailed them up and down his jaw. His warm hands wandering along your sides while your legs were still locked around his torso. His deep, scratchy voice telling you how much he loved what you were doing. When your lips finally found his again he was a panting mess, immediately grabbing your face and leaning over you until your back nearly touched the island on which you were still perched.

A little whine escaped you and he suddenly seemed to remember where you were. He chuckled and straightened up again with you. He had a peculiar look on his face. One you couldn’t quite decipher yet. But one thing was sure. You loved it that he looked at you with that expression. It was wonderous and calm. Happy. “You want to take this to the couch?” you asked with a sly grin. His eyes shot open. “You sure, little one?” You nodded. “Very much. Want to be closer” you said dreamily. John seemed thunderstruck but slowly nodded his head. Without any type of effort, he moved from the island with you still clinging to him, rounding it and sitting down on your couch. “I´ll only go as far as you allow me” he said earnestly.

Your heart melted for this beautiful bear of a man. “I know” you said happily and started kissing him again. It was like your entire body was singing, buzzing and vibrating. Soon you weren´t just making out with him in his lap, your hands started wandering again. You trailed your fingertips over his sculpted chest and through the coarse hair. With a appreciative groan John took one more step and darted out the tip of his tongue, carefully liking your lip. A bolt of electricity went straight to your core and you could feel the wetness gathering in your panties. Without thinking twice about it you opened your mouth to him. It was like a floodgate was opened in your mind. All the possibilities on how to please him and yourself came rushing back to you, giving you a feeling of pure bliss. So many different things you wanted to do to him without the outcome always being immediate intercourse. The fun of exploring a man like him came back. First thing you realised: He fucking loved tangling his tongue with yours. Your lips were already a little swollen and red from his beard but the moment his tongue glided over yours, you would have sold every item you owned just to make him do it again. You didn’t even have to ask.

With a whispered “shit” against your lips he grabbed the back of your head and kissed you like a man starved. Maybe he was. You grabbed his neck as well and pushed his chest back with the other. Keeping the kiss going he leaned back fully into your couch and you got comfortable on his lap. How comfortable he was, you felt only a few moments after. Your hand wandering from his chest down over his stomach. The muscles clenching under your touch he carefully bit your lip. Releasing a sharp breath you chuckled and moved your hand again. With a click of his tongue he got hold of your hips in a vice like grip and pushed them forward towards his own. There it was. A low whining sound came from you when you felt his bulge rubbing insistently over your centre. Keeping your hips right there he started whispering. “Doin´ so good, my little minx. Bloody hell you feel so good. So soft, s´ all for me, yea?” You whined and nodded your head as he began nuzzling your neck. He chuckled darkly. “That´s it, little one. Move as much as you like. Ughn…like that. Jesus, I love it when you do that. Come on, sweet thing. Use me.” A long moan left your lips at that and you fully started to move your hips now. Back and forth your most sensitive area brushed against the material of his cargo pants.

John guided your movements more than he controlled them. Mesmerised he looked up at you, at your exposed throat while your head was leaned back, your heaving chest and moving hips. It took almost everything in him not to buck his hips. Wait, he told himself. Wait. His head was reeling and the erection in his pants almost uncomfortable. But he would be damned if he did anything more than you were comfortable with. Also, feeling your hot core being pressed rhythmically over his dick again and again gave him a sort of satisfaction he had almost forgotten. These feelings he had for you were something he had to sort out even before talking to you in the first place. They hit him like a ton of bricks the moment he first heard your sweet voice while you were on the phone, giving him a shy wave as you brought the last of your moving boxes into your apartment.

Completely flabbergasted of how his body was reacting to you he had dived into his own apartment and took several deep breaths after closing the door quickly. After that, the conversations he has had with you were highlights of his day as well as terrifying. Each one brought a new wave of affection towards you but at the same time the overwhelming urge to see you happy and safe under any circumstances. It was just in his blood, though he had never felt his sense of duty so heavily directed onto one person only before. And that made him nervous. Attraction, he knew. Raw, unfiltered need. Directed towards one person, for one night. Take the edge off, move on. Thinking about only taking the edge off with you almost made him sick. Fuck, no. No, you weren’t for one night. You were worth a lifetime of nights. Fully aware of what he just admitted to himself, he let himself fall into the moment.

He felt your hand move lower towards the button of his pants and hissed. You looked at him again, grinning and loving the way the flush on his face stretched down his neck and into his chest hair. You leaned closer to his face, lowering yourself onto his chest. While kissing his collarbone you again started to move your hips, faster this time. Moans and whispered praises filled the air as the both of you found a sensual rhythm. When you fingers brushed one of his nipples and a high pitched whine left his lips, you could feel his erection jump against your core. With a hazy mind you straightened up again looking at his completely blissed out face. Swollen lips, glossed over eyes, grabbing hands. More, you needed to feel more. So you did the next logical thing. Moving quickly and only hearing his breath stutter when he started moaning, you grabbed the hem of your shirt and pulled it over your head. Letting it fall next to you on the ground you could see the concentration return toJohn´s eyes. Having foregone your bra for the sake of comfort you were as bare to him as he was to you.

You could see where his eyes were trained, how he licked his lips, how he pushed himself into a more upright position. “God fuckin´ damn it, love. How are you this perfect, huh? Can I? Please…” he breathed looking directly at your chest. You shivered in his strong hold but breathily managed to say “Yes, John. Gods, please”…He didn’t hesitate. The moment his lips closed around one of your nipples while his hand held your other tit gently, you threw your head back and knew, you were utterly and completely at this mans mercy now and for once, that didn’t scare the shit out of you or made you want to run away. On the contrary. You pushed your chest closer to his mouth and he moaned against our nipple. “You taste incredible, little one. So funkin´ good for me. Move again, please. Please move.” You did without thinking. Moving your hips again you felt his push upwards with every stroke, eliciting little shocks of pure ecstasy throughout your whole body. Your skin felt like it was on fire when John began so move his hands all over your chest, switching his mouth to the other nipple. His tongue darted out and played with the hardened nub. Clenching around nothing, a new wave of arousal seeped into your pants and a slight sob escaped your lips. Immediately Johns eyes were trained on you, stopping everything. Whining when he stopped playing with your nipples and still moving your body above his, he got the hint and hummed his satisfaction before diving in again, licking his way down to your nipples.

Higher and higher the both of you spiralled and move after move, push after push you got closer to what you felt would be one of the most devastating orgasms of your life. “J-John” you hickuped trying to warn him. “John, I´m gonna…” “I know” he panted in an unusual high pitched voice. “I know, my love. ´M close as well. You can do it. ´M right there. Bloody…please, do it. Argh…fuck, yes” his grip around your waist became stronger when he began to push his hips up into you more forcefully. A sharp yell escaped you when his clothed dick perfectly bumped against your clit again and again with devastating precision. “John, fuck! There…it´s so good. Please, I´m almost there. Ah, ah!” He growled into your collarbone and bit down on it. That sent you tumbling over the sweet edge he pushed you towards. Clamping down violently, white hot pleasure shot through your spine up to your head and practically made you blind.

Not being able to make a sound anymore, you shivered in his arms, head thrown back, mouth open and struggling to take in air. John was under your spell. He was sure he had never in his life seen anything more beautiful than you struggling to breath because the pleasure he gave you made it difficult. He halted his own pleasure for a moment though it almost physically hurt, just to watch you and whispering to you. “So beautiful. You are so damn beautiful, love. All this shivering for me? That´s it, little one. It´s all right, I´m here. Doin´ so good.” He stroked your panting chest, pressing open mouthed, wet kisses along your neck towards your lips. Calming down somehow you leaned in and although you were still in need for more air, kissed him like your life depended on it. Wet sounds filled with little moans were the only thing you heard for a solid minute. His kiss deliberate and calming, a bit sloppy but utter perfection.

You were still in a blissed out haze but realised, “John,” you whined. He pulled you closer, gently placing his forehead to yours. “What is it? Are you all right?” You nodded and bit your lip. “You didn´t…why´d you stop? Don´t you want to…?” He sighed with a smile. “Awww, little bird. I couldn´t help myself. You looked so perfect when you came for me. I needed my focus on you, my love.” You couldn’t just let him hang like this. Gathering more clear thoughts you rolled your hips against him once more seeing him hiss and close is eyes shut. His hands immediately found their home on your hips again and guided you towards his favourite rhythm. Holding eye contact he began to breath heavily through his nose again. Holding onto his chest you let your hands wander towards his nipples. Brushing one carefully you watched as his Adam’s apple bobbed up and down and a strangled sound came from his throat. His eyes were such a dark blue colour, they looked like the deepest of seas. They shone up at you in a challenging manner as you further increased the rhythm of your hips. His gorgeous lips parted and his tongue darted out to wet them for a second.

Raking your nails over both his nipples at the same time you felt his dick jump again and knew it was any moment now. “___,” he panted. “___, fuck! ´M about to come. Is that okey, hmm? Can you tell me, baby?” His eyes almost lost focus when you grinned and leaned down so your noses almost touched. While still playing with his nipples lightly you whispered, “It´s okey, John. More than okey. You can come. Will you? For me, please? I want it.” With that you tweaked one nipple and it happened instantly. With a loud shout he pushed his hips upwards, nearly knocking you off of him. His vice like grip prevented that from happening tough. “Fuck,” he hissed through clenched teeth. “Fuck, fuck, fuck, yes!” Still moving his hips he threw his head back onto the back of the couch. The veins in his neck standing out while his chest expanded with every heavy breath he took. Four, five thrusts of his hips later he stilled. Eyes still closed, his grip loosening a bit. You admired his handsome features in detail, leaning over him and carefully kissing his face with featherlight touches of your lips.

He opened his eyes to look at you. You found nothing but pure bliss and adoration in them as he lifted his hand to your face, stroking his knuckles gently over your temple and down your cheek. Leaning into his touch you smiled lovingly at him and descended to kiss him fully on the mouth. He hummed in response and moved his lips with yours in the same sated, lazy manner. “You did amazing, love” he said dreamily. Giggling you leaned your head against his and felt his chest vibrate with his own laugh. “I have the best, most patient mentor in the world” you said. He hummed and began to stroke your bare back with his calloused fingertips. Relaxing completely, you sank lower to lay down on his chest.

Listening to his strong, calming heartbeat, suddenly you felt the rhythmic vibration of a phone call. “You´ve got to be fuckin´ jokin´” you heard John curse under his breath as he fished the small flip phone from his back pocket. When you tried to get up to give him some privacy, a very insistent hand pressed your head back onto his chest while you giggled. He answered in a deep, quick and professional voice. A voice that did not tolerate any type of unnecessary fuckery.

“Price! Yeah, Laswell?” Silence.

“Yes. When?” Silence.

“Understood” He hung up.

The phone fell to the couch to his side and his other hand moved to rake down his face while the other still played with your hair. “Do you need to leave?” you asked. He would tell you if your questions were unwelcome. You felt him sigh and a quiet “Yeah. Tomorrow” left his lips. You felt your heart sinking but also a deep connection to the man who made you feel so incredibly wanted. You would wait until he came back, for as long as you needed to. Just to feel him kiss you again one more time, touch you one more time. “It´s just a reckie tough. I´ll be back in a three days max. But,” he sighed again. “A reckie always follows a mission. I don´t know when-“

“I know, John. I can imagine” you said while playing with his chest hair. “I´ll wait.” You heard his heart stutter in his chest underneath your ear. Getting up you looked at him and found him staring at you almost disbelievingly. His blue eyes returned to their intense light blue colour and they shone with gratitude and something else you couldn’t lay your finger on. “Let me wait for you, please. You are…you´re wanted as well, John” you said with all the conviction you had in your body. He opened and closed his mouth several times before he just shook his head disbelievingly and pulled you in for a passionate kiss. Closing your eyes you let the feeling of his lips and tongue wash over you, making you comfortably numb. Tasting you he languidly stroked his tongue over yours, playfully nipping on your bottom lip and sighing contently. Your head was swimming, you heart drumming away and happiness made its way into every cell of your body.

“Stay here tonight” you pleaded softly against his lips. “Stay here with me.” He nodded instantly. “Yeah, love. Of course.” You smiled and brushed your nose with his affectionately. “Just need to get to my apartment for a sec” he said with a hint of amusement in his voice. When you looked at him questioningly he chuckled. “You kind of made a mess of me and I need fresh boxers. Otherwise I´m not getting in your bed.” You snorted a laugh but nodded. “Yeah, erm…same here. I should clean up a bit as well.” He growled proudly deep inside his chest and squeezed you one more time. “Well then, up with you” he said and tapped your ass sharply. With a grin and a yelp you stood, although still reluctantly. He grinned as well and pulled you in by your waist once more. Happily you looked up at him. “Give me 3 minutes” he said and kissed the tip of your nose. Nodding you watched as we collected his shirt from the kitchen und walked out the door.

All clean and with fresh clothes he slid into your bed as if he had always belonged there. And it truly felt like it. Turning on his back he pulled you to his side. With a content sigh you rested your arm across his stomach and your head on his meaty shoulder. One leg thrown over his he chuckled when you pressed yourself as close to him as you could. “Little barnacle” he said in a sweet voice. You pressed your head to his neck and kissed his pulse point before relaxing and drifting off into a heavy sleep. “Thank you, darlin´” you heard him whisper into your hairline just as the heaviness of sleep dragged you under. Both of you drifting off with a smile.

________________________________________________________

Party 3 anyone? Maybe? ;)

As always thank you very much for reading. Please feel free to intercact with this post. Comments, likes and reposts are apreciated. Thank you, my lovelies <3

@mando-amando

@queenpinesofdomino

I don´t know if you wanted to be tagged but you reblogged the first part with some nice comments so I thought you might want to know about part 2. If you do not want to be tagged, please let me know and I will remove your @.

If anyone else wants to be tagged, please let me know :)

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bird-slayer-brainrot · 29 days

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Soldier On, Come Down - Chpt. 7. - - Ineffable Husbands WW2 au human!Crowley angel!Aziraphale angst multi-chapter

Six Months Later…

There was a letter on his bed. When he saw it, Aziraphale’s heart stopped.

He sprang to the bed, grabbing the letter and tearing it open with a wildness that, on any other occasion, he would have scolded himself for. He tore off the wax seal, pulled out the letter, read. And read. Again and again and again till his eyes burned and he could no longer breathe.

He had to read it again, anyway. The words made little sense the first time he read them. Foolishly, he thought that if he could just read between the lines of the words Crowley had written (his awful, awful penmanship, but Aziraphale found no humour in it now) he’d see something new, something that assured him that this was not happening

This couldn’t be happening.

Aziraphale’s knees gave and he sunk onto the mattress of his too-small, grubby Soho apartment.

He tried not to think about how he had only tolerated it for so long because Crowley had been there. His presence had made the room less bleak, empty.

The hours dragged slowly as Aziraphale sat. He thought of nothing but the letter. He would not read it again, less he tear it apart in anger. Then, the last words of his dear Crowley to him would be gone forever.

Then, restlessly, he stood.

Aziraphale refused to accept this. The cruel fate bestowed upon them.

He did not fear falling. He only feared losing Crowley. It had taken him too long to realise what mattered, but he knew now, and he would be damned only to accept it. He would find Crowley. Crowley would not die. On his soul.

Aziraphale folded the letter with shaking hands, and tucket it into his pocket. He would read it again later, but for now, he had a train to catch.

Present

“Anathema’s asleep so we’ll have to be quiet.” Crowley warned as he reached to unlock his door.

Aziraphale had hardly said a thing in the small stretch of time in which they made their way up the stairwell to Crowley’s apartment. It had been on a whim he had come here tonight. Though he hardly ever slept, and thus was used to the long silence of the night, this evening it had dragged heavier than usual. He needed to leave the bookshop. He needed to see Crowley.

Crowley shrugged off his coat, and it was only then that Aziraphale realised he had probably been heading somewhere before he saw Aziraphale. Crowley moved to the stove to set the hot water on. Aziraphale waited at the table.

He had on occasion been here, even if, more often than not, they were in the bookshop. Anathema was clearly not here, and he was aware Crowley did not know this, but Aziraphale wasn’t about to tell the man his niece had left. Also, telling would mean admitting he knew, and that would require a long explanation he wasn’t quite capable of doing.

Crowley set a mug in front of Aziraphale, and sat down across from him.

It was strange, sitting again where he was sitting hours before. This time, he wouldn’t be facing the wrath of his niece, but the heartbreak of his best friend.

Aziraphale hadn’t touched the tea. Crowley briefly considered asking him if it was alright or if he wanted milk or sugar or something, but he was too trapped by the weight of what was about to happen to move. Aziraphale, meanwhile, watched him, his expression unusually unreadable. It was like he was staring right through Crowley, knowing already what he was about to confess.

Taking one shaky breath, Crowley opened his mouth to speak.

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monkee-mobile · 6 months

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oh my christ my mom just looked at my notes and read “she nan on my mama till i tucket” out loud, I’m gonna start crying

#mike nesmith #the first national band #mama nantucket #and it’s subsequent watered-down yodeling

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gingersnappe-9 · 11 months

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In a Crowd of Thousands: Beskar vs. the Dark Saber (16)

Din Djarin/Mando X Fem!OC || Star Wars/The Mandalorian Universe

Series List || #star wars anastasia || PREVIOUS || NEXT

5.4 K words

Warning: canon violence (lethal weapons use), near death experience(s)

A/N: chapter banner art by @followwhereshegoes & myself

The plan was to announce her reunion to Leia and reaffirm their family’s legacy of fighting for the greater good of the galaxy.

Ava tried convincing herself that it was for the best. No, that it was her rightful place to be by her sister’s side fighting the good fight with the Rebellion and serving as a diplomatic attache to underprivileged reaches of the galaxy. It’s what they talked about at least, but the more Ava experienced it, the stuffier she rediscovered it all was. She recalled how much she disliked wearing dresses that she could potentially trip over and fall on her face in front of some important foreign dignitary – she actually remembered doing that once when she was younger – She had forgotten how most of the individuals in law and diplomacy were decades older than her and never quite appreciated her humor. Ava accidently scandalized a maid when she dropped a book on her toe while practicing her walk – like he did back on the Crest – and swore like a spice runner.

Try as she might, Ava was just having a far more difficult time fitting in to her birthright. She’d watch the maids flit around and coo about the fine jewelry and dresses she and Leia would be wearing to the event. She had to agree though, the gowns and finery were stunning. The material felt like starlight across Ava’s fingertips. The bright colored gemstones of her necklace were as red as sand stone. A pair of crowns, however, remained in their storage boxes. Leia suggested they hold off on donning their headdresses until they arrived at the venue.

“They’re gorgeous but I’ve knocked mine off my head getting out of a cruiser or two.” The sisters shared a good laugh. Ava wasn’t sure what being a “someone” should feel like but only deep down in her subconscious did she consider that she really only needed simple things… perhaps a simple person.

Sooner, rather than later, everyone was dressed and being ushered into sleek, black cruisers. Leia and her secretary or personal assistant immediately began chatting about her schedule and future events. They didn’t seem to need her attention so Ava allowed herself to gaze out the tinted windows and onto the passing by cityscape. The light had already begun to bleed from the sky as dusk settled over Canto Bight. The lights streaked by not unlike the stars at lightspeed, though they paled in comparison.

They arrived at the Starfield Legacy Center far earlier than even the ravenous reporters who were always far more interested in capturing the glitzy regalia or a moment of weakness between a supposedly madly in love couple. Ava and Leia calmly walked through a side entrance with grand capes covering their ensembles with ushers following closely on foot with the crowns, locked away in protective boxes. One of the event coordinators brought them up to a secluded room where they could freshen up and wait in privacy before the speeches and press rounds. Ava sat down quietly on a plush chair tucket into the corner. She fiddled with her opera length gloves to keep herself from messing up her hair or makeup or her dress. She watched as Leia moved through the motions with ease. How her sister handled unexpected questions with ease and firm command. Leia was a natural born leader and Ava adored watching her in her element. If Ava had been left to her own devices, she would’ve shown up with a smear of grease on her cheek, a pair of work coveralls all rumpled and disheveled only to say, “Hi, I’m her. So, yeah that’s it”.

Lost in thought, Ava didn’t even notice that Leia had approached her with one of the large lock boxes balanced in her arms. She had already placed her silver crown neatly on her head. It resembled a solid halo that sat across the center of her head with five slender peaks jutting out. Alderaanian jewelry was rather simple, but in its simplicity they were always striking. The necklace – small squares of Alderaanian silver linked by delicate jump rings – was a piece that their mother wore often. The necklace must’ve been stored off-world at an embassy for it to have been saved from the destruction of Alderaan.

“I believe it is time.”

Ava stood up slowly as Leia rested the box on the nearby side table. When the cover was lifted, the light in the room seemed to shift to a golden hour. The halo-shaped crown was fitted to her scalp with a tapered point resting just below the center of her hairline. Teardrop shaped pearls rested across her forehead. The thin bands that reached out were like rays of the sun with even more pearls inlaid in between. Ava let herself adjust to the weight of it, glad that Leia suggested she hold off wearing it until necessary. There was music beginning to play from the hall, though muffled it signaled the evening was beginning.

The two of them walked over to a large full-length mirror on the other side of the room. They looked very much like the sun and moon – Ava in her striking gold crown, cream colored dress with a deep green sash; and Leia in her midnight purple gown, silver jewelry, and similar sash made of a maroon satin – Their father used to call them his sun and moon. Leia placed a hand on each of Ava’s shoulders and allowed her cheek to rest on her sister. They stood there taking in the sight of one another. Taking in the other’s presence and the reality that against all odds they were together again. Family.

Leia squeezed Ava’s shoulders and took a step back. “You look so much like her.”

“Who?” Ava responded quietly.

Leia only smiled. “Mama. You have her presence.”

The younger of the two sisters smiled right back. “You remind me of Papa. You’re always so sure, and just as fair.”

“You’ve done well, you know,” Leia spoke calmly, “I know none of this has been easy. But you’ve done really well with handling everything that’s come your way.”

“The journey was interesting to say the least.” Ava quipped.

The two of them stood silently together for a moment more. But only a moment before Leia took Ava’s hands and helped her slip her gloves on. For some reason, when she focused on the gloves, she thought of Mando and how his gloves slipped on and off his hands.

Leia half smiled. “But I can't help but wonder if it’s what you really want.”

Ava pulled her hands back while Leia regally collapsed hers together. “What does that mean?”

“I just mean… You were born into this world. It was your destiny from birth to wear that crown and carry on the legacy of house Organa as much as it is mine to carry on the Organa and Skywalker legacy,” Her voice never waivered, never accusatory or disappointed, just very truthful, “But I can’t help but feel that it might not be meant for you after all.”

The pair of them stood in the room alone in silence for a moment after Leia finished. Ava had similar thoughts float into her mind but she’d always dismissed them as trivial since everything the Mandalorians had told her was a lie to get her sister’s money. “Whatever happened, happened. I can’t change it and I will not go back to it.”

Leia gave her a look only older sisters could make. “He must have been special then for you to be digging your heels like a ton-ton.”

After she had to throw back a lighthearted grimace at being called a ton-ton, Ava didn’t know what to feel. No, she knew exactly how she should feel. It was a lie for money. A cash grab. Nothing more, nothing less. Ava knew Leia could sense her feelings so there was no point delaying the obvious.

“They did what bounty hunters do. They delivered their quarry and now they’re probably halfway to a new sector by now.” She said with more sorrow than intended. It hurt to put power into her fears. Out of the corner of Ava’s eye, she caught her sister with a somewhat hesitant look. “What?” Leia’s face shifted rather quickly to one with a soft, knowing smile.

“Aurie, he didn’t take the money. And I can’t imagine their withholding information makes you feel better, but for what it’s worth, they brought you back to me. But this is the life that I have chosen for myself. I supposed, now, it’s your turn to choose.”

Leia let go of Ava’s hands and began to walk towards the door and didn’t turn back to see if her sister was following until she opened the door. When Leia turned back, she truly looked like their mother. Though Ava knew the two weren’t blood related, it was in the way Leia carried herself. Her poise, the way she tilted her head and said, “Ava, Aurelia, it makes no difference to me. You are mine and Luke’s sister. We will always love you.” And then she calmly walked out into the world Ava was uncertain of reentering.

It felt as if the world had spun off its axis and was floating farther and farther away from its sun. So Ava decided to go outside and take in some fresh air.

The gardens were large and expansive – but most importantly empty – on a large earthen terrace that overlooked Canto Bight. From its vantage point, Ava could see the city cresting out towards the bay. The calm waters glittered in the early moonlight. Distant sounds of life were carried in on the wind. Below, each and every person walked their own path. Difficult ones. Easy ones. Some that were hard one day then a breeze the next. What path will I take now? She’d found her family. More than she was expecting, two whole siblings who expressed their unconditional love for her. What was next?

What indeed?

A foreign voice echoed in her mind and all of a sudden Ava’s body stiffened. She turned around quickly and found the path empty. But something or someone was out there. A new energy swirled in the air. Ava felt like her nerves were on fire as her blood began to pound behind her temples. The energy, the presence, she’d felt it before crawling in the back of her mind. It was cold and filled with a quiet and dangerous rage.

“I know you.” Her voice wavered as she spoke out into whatever darkness was drawing closer.

A man appeared. The same stern face and severe eyes. His hands were placed behind his back as he walked with precise steps. In a word, elegant, or more accurately, predatory. His dark eyes stared her down, hungrier than his demeanor gave off.

“Yes. We’ve met before. In a manner of speaking.” He continued to stalk forward.

She put her hand out – as if the gesture would protect her – “Who are you?”

“My name is Moff Gideon, your Highness.” He gave a short nod after her title.

A chill ran through her spine. “You have me confused with someone else.” No sooner did Ava try to turn around, a powerful feeling wrapped around her mind giving her a splitting headache. It nearly made her drop to her knees.

“Oh, I’m not confused at all. You are the lost daughter of Senator and Queen Organa,” His voice was cold and seemed to strike with a blunt edge with each word, “Though my plans need a little adjusting you’ll do just fine.”

She turned around to face the man and slowly backed away with each step he took; but even so, she felt like she was being backed into a corner. “Stop.”

He kept advancing with a ceaseless gaze.

“Stop.”

Her head hurt.

“Stop.”

Everything seemed wrong and her hands twitched.

“STOP!”

Ava thrust both of her palms out towards him and felt a surge of energy release. It was like a pulse, her pulse, magnified outward. It was not unlike what she experienced at the opera with Mando.

She opened her eyes, not even realizing she’d squeezed them shut. Ava saw Gideon down on one knee, huffing to try and bring air back into his lungs. Ava channeled whatever courage she could muster, and tried to remember Luke’s lessons. But it felt like her memory was failing. A few stints in force sensitivity training did not a Jedi make.

In her mind she asked for help from the cosmic forces of the universe, the Maker, Luke… Mando… anyone.

A terrible sound came from his throat. It was strained laughter, or at least some form of it. “Excellent. Most excellent.” Gideon pushed himself up with visible struggle but quickly regained his footing. He moved his cloak to the side and revealed a hilt clipped to his belt, took it in hand, “You do indeed have what I want, Princess” and ignited the blade.

It was unlike anything Ava had ever seen. It mimicked the way Luke’s lightsaber emitted light, but it was dark. The blade was black with white edges. The energy surrounding the weapon was just as dark. Ava sensed how it wrapped around Moff Gideon’s mind and body, twisting and warping what was already malevolent to begin with. It was consuming him. Alarm bells screamed out in Ava’s mind. Run.

She took off in an instant without direction or awareness. Ava gathered as much of the dress into her arms as she could, but the weight of the fabric still seemed to slow her down. It didn’t help that she’d lost sight of the building between the impossibly tall greenery. Ava figured her best bet would be to hide where he wouldn’t expect to look or would be least likely to find her. So Ava ducked into a nearby cluster of trees.

The more she pushed her way through, however, the sleeves and hem of her dress caught and snagged on branches and twigs. It ripped the delicate overlay of her dress and muddied her heels. Finding they only got stuck in the dirt and undergrowth, Ava kicked them off and daringly threw them away in hopes it would possibly fool Gideon into going a different direction.

It felt like her heart was going to burst from her chest. The more time she spent in suspense, the harder her blood pounded. The greater the ringing in her ears became as the sky grew darker and the shadows became more and more menacing. Her mind felt cloudy. She couldn’t hear anything or anyone. They must’ve been deeper into the garden than she’d realized. Despite her mental haze, Ava gently tried closing her eyes and reaching out to feel for presence. She’d barely touched the surface when something came screaming into her mind. It felt like claws digging into her nerves. Her skin became so cold so quickly it felt as if it were burning. And despite her best efforts, she couldn’t help but scream out in agony.

I found you.

Before she even knew it, a deep reverb echoed in her mind alerting her not a moment too soon before a blade struck out just millimeters above her head.

Ava scrambled to her feet and ran back out onto the path. Her body still cried out in pain, and her breach into energy opened like a flood gate. Gideon was still gaining on her. She reached out and felt the finely laid stone beneath her feet; she focused on the craggy surface and motioned with her hand as if she were clawing it out from the ground and flung it back with all her strength. A large chunk flew up and back at her pursuer. Ava heard rock crumbling, and when she looked back, saw the slab sliced in two.

Impossible.

“No, not impossible, my dear.”

Somehow the lunatic was in her head. He was the clawing in her mind, like a poison slowly creeping into her bloodstream.

“Why are you doing this?” Her voice felt hoarse and her body was only growing weaker.

“Why does anyone do anything? Power. Power is the way of the world. It always has been. It brings the greatest change and is the strength of the longest lasting empires. And with the dark saber and you, my goals for the galaxy are well within reach.”

“You’re forgetting that most power-hungry madmen are spineless cowards who use others to get what they want.” Her voice was horse and growing strained.

Gideon chuckled with a false humor. It was cruel and mocking. Ava could feel it pulsing behind her eyes and the pain brought her down to her knees as he skulked closer.

“You’ve just never seen true power before. This,” He brandished the blade up towards her face. So close, Ava could feel the cold energy pulsing off it. “This is what power really is.”

She’d never seen energy like it before. The blade both emitted light and yet somehow seemed void of it. As such close proximity, she felt it draining her energy even more. Only one sort of thing in the known universe drew in energy like that – a black hole. The dark saber was some sort of contained black hole. It had to have been. It appeared to be the antithesis of a lightsaber which projected the wielder’s energy. The dark saber fed off it. It pulled in the life force of its wielder, even those around it.

“That thing is killing you.” Something flashed quickly across Gideon’s face. He wasn’t expecting her to say something like that, and Ava caught it. “But you didn’t know that, did you? How could you, you don’t know anything real about power you-”

He quickly slashed the blade through the air and swiped Ava’s cheek. It burned. It was cold and yet burned hotter than anything she’d ever felt in her life. The pain rendered her speechless as she was knocked to the floor grasping her cheek.

“I know more about this power than anyone else in the galaxy,” The tip of the blade hovered precariously close to her face, “Pity. You could’ve been something great. But you’re just like all the rest of those feckless fools in the Resistance. You’re just standing in my way.”

Ava’s world suddenly came to a screeching halt. She’d heard those words before spoken in that very same voice. Out of nowhere she recalled crouching behind a hallway corner, then a hand falling to the floor. It had been her father’s hand. Ava could hear her mothers scream before her body hit the floor with a sickening, and lifeless thud. “It was you…” Her voice caught in her throat, “You killed them.”

When Ava looked up at Moff Gideon his face was twisted into a mad grin. He relished in her horrifying realization.

His eyes were wide and wild, “I’ll take what I need. But don’t worry, you’ll be with them soon enough.” Gideon raised the darksaber to dish out what could only be a mortally wounding blow.

Please…

A blaster shot rang out, as if from thin air, struck the flat side of the saber blade, ricocheting off into the ground.

A feeling swept over Ava, it was good and young. Grogu. And where the tiny green creature found himself, another was never far behind.

Ava turned her head in the direction of the shot and saw a familiar silhouette slip into the shadows. She sensed how he stalked through the dark and cover of the greenery ever closer. His watchful gaze never left hers. Ava could feel in her own muscles the way his pulled and strained against his bones. The strength in his hands as he gripped his blaster artfully. Teeming with energy and an overwhelming urge to seek and destroy.

Without realizing, Gideon slashed down again.

Ava’s body reacted before she could even think. Her palm extended outward just as the saber came down. The scene around her became perfectly clear in her mind. The stone surface of the pathway through the soft and tearing material of her dress; she became one with the plant cells slowly blooming while others had fallen to the ground and went through the final stages of decomposition. The air molecules surrounding the blade snapped and popped as it moved through the air. And just before the saber made contact with her flesh, it stopped.

It stopped the same way two magnets of the same polarization repelled one another. The blade held against nothing in midair. The two of them stared at each other with a look of awe but even during that moment, Ava could feel her control slipping.

Another blaster shot, this one straight to Gideon’s hands, knocking the saber from his grip. The next thing Ava saw was the bulk of Mandalorian armor hurdling out from nowhere and tackling Gideon to the ground. The two men grappled on the ground for the upperhand. They seemed to match each other blow for blow. Though Mando was strong, Ava could sense something in Gideon had been altered by the blade. He fought back like an animal possessed, clawing and punching and the soft points between Mando’s armor. Gideon somehow managed to rip off one of Mando’s thigh plates and used it to completely slap Mando clean across his helm.

The sound of pure beskar striking beskar was loud for Ava, so it must’ve been somewhat deafening for Mando. The Mandalorian stumbled back and Gideon managed to reach for a blaster hidden on the opposite side of his hip. Ava cried out just as Gideon pulled the trigger, striking Mando in the shoulder, just below his pauldron. She barely registered the distressed sounds coming from Grogu’s pram just a few meters away. He tried to come forward, but Ava intentionally held his little craft back.

In the moments afterwards, it felt like the shot kept ringing in her ears.

“There is a reason his kind is all but extinct,” Gideon’s voice was wicked and chilled, “Too noble for their own good.” He took aim again, this time, where the hollow of Mando’s throat would be. She could feel his pain rippling throughout his arm, she felt his racing pulse slow. Mando fought to maintain his composure as his thoughts grew fuzzy till they all disappeared into unconsciousness.

Ava’s hands twitched again. They needed to hold on to something. They needed to defend. Her mind reached out, and no sooner could Gideon place his finger on the trigger did the dark saber skitter across the ground and fly into Ava’s hand. She surged forward with a speed she didn’t know she had. The blade sliced up through the barrel of the blaster as if it were nothing. The force of her attack was strong enough to knock Gideon back a few paces.

Something took Ava over. She felt a thrum of electricity coursing through her. She felt like a star about to explode, just teeming with potential power and energy. So she took off.

Gideon barely had enough time to react. The saber came down hard against the plate. It was beskar versus the dark saber. Blow after blow, Ava continued to swing with every ounce of her strength that she could muster, and the blade responded in kind. She let her anger roll through her like the undercurrent of a torrent river. It was a rage she’d never felt before, or had only become aware of the moment she realized Gideon was the man who slaughtered her parents. Ava slashed and punched and kicked and all he could do was use his small shield against her. The ground beneath them quickly bore the marks of their opposing efforts. Scorches here, slashes there, the concrete and stonework ripped from the ground. Sweat crept down Gideon’s brow, the weapon he once envisioned himself conquering the galaxy with had been turned against him. It drew on his fear.

He was responsible for her suffering. He was the one who’s greed had led to the deaths of so many innocent lives. He’d nearly killed Mando. He had tried to kidnap and do Maker know what sort of horrible things to little Grogu, and possibly even her. Ava’s hands grew hot from the fury surging through her body. It felt as though her eyes glowed in anger. The dark saber responded, it hummed and sang in her mind to the very same tune of revenge. It craved it as much as she did. Moff Gideon needed to pay for his crimes, and they decided he would.

With a swift punch backed by the force, Ava swiftly knocked the air clean out of Gideon’s lungs. He lay on his back atop the wreckage they’d both created. Ava hadn’t even realized how far they’d traveled till she caught a glimpse of herself in some sculpture. The polished metal reflected back an image of herself that Ava didn’t recognize. Her dress was torn and mottled with dirt and debris. Her crown was long gone and her hair was coming undone. What startled her most was her eyes. They weren’t brown anymore, they seemed brighter with flashes of red on the outer edge of her iris. She was changing before her eyes. The blade sang out in protest of her stalling.

Ava paused and looked for a moment at the strange sword. She listened to it with a more careful ear, and what she heard was different from her initial judgment.

The blade wasn’t inherently evil. It wasn’t anything much at all. Energy was constantly flowing through the crystal within. Raw potential. It called for revenge because she had wished for it in her mind. Standing there and witnessing how quickly hate had made her change frightened Ava. The potential had always been there, but it took the blade to make herself realize how much of her emotions she had been ignoring. It stung. The hilt grew heavy with doubt, and it was in that split second Gideon acted.

He lunged up from the ground like some feline creature with his teeth bared ready to sink into the soft flesh of its prey.

His hands wound around her own on the hilt of the dark saber. The two of them grappled with strained muscles. Ava nearly bit into her lip with the amount of effort it took to keep the blade away from Gideon’s effort to drive it into her throat. The man’s eyes were as wild and feral as her own, but Ava felt her anger slipping away. It pained her to look him in the face – the man responsible for her mother and father’s deaths – but a new sensation began to whisper in the back of her mind…

We will always love you.

We are with you.

It was Leia. Luke. Her parents. Everyone who cared for her, near and far, alive and gone. Their essences melding together like a balm that soothed her soul. Their love and spirits were with her. They would remain in and all around her. No matter how angry she was, how hurt and betrayed by fate she felt, Ava realized that would never die. It would sustain her, it had thus far. She’d traveled clear across the galaxy for a feeling she did not have a name for… but it was the love for her family, found or otherwise.

In her hands, she could sense the saber mirroring her conflicting emotions. How it cried out in confusion from her influence as well as Gideon’s. It was the oldest song in the galaxy: one of struggle, light and dark. Only Ava seemed to be listening to it.

“Why don’t you seem to understand?” He hissed, close enough Ava could feel the heat of his breath against her face, “The only way to exist is to take and maintain order.”

Ava was close. Even with her limited knowledge of sabers, she felt for the housing unit within the hilt. She could feel the power circuits and the wiring leading to a central unit. All the while, Gideon’s grip had become so fierce he pushed her palm so hard into the hilt they’d begun to bleed against the detailing. His fingernails bore into her skin leaving red crescents dribbling.

There.

The image of it came clear in her mind. It was no bigger than her thumb, deep like onyx and vast as a moonless night.

“For take, there should be give. After death, life should grow,” She planted her feet and dung down deep, “The galaxy will continue forward long after any of us leave this world. Any attempts to out last it are foolish.”

She bore down on the housing unit. Felt it break and warp under her pressure. Release. Gideon sensed it too. He began to yell and scream in vain. Ava had already cracked in, uncontained energy had begun to spill out.

“The way of existence is balance.”

It broke and like a supernova, energy poured outward. The saber sparked and burst, sending out white hot particles. Ava and Gideon were knocked back with scorch marks across their exposed skin.

Ava landed hard on her back, the wind knocked clean out of her. In her attempts to pull air back into her lungs, she struggled to look around. Gideon lay in a smoldering pool of his black cloak. Unmoving. The crystal lay amongst the debris of the destroyed hilt, calm. She pulled it into the palm of her hand with little effort. It was indeed as black as the void of space, so much so, it seemed her hand had developed a blackhole. Vengeance no longer silently plagued her mind. That part was done and over. It was time for growth.

Ava whipped her head back to see if Grogu had avoided the flair. The doors of his pram opened with a soft hydraulic hiss and sweet eyes gazed down at her as he floated in her direction.

“Where’s your dad?” She wheezed.

Grogu hovered off in a direction and Ava stumbled behind as if she were a babe just learning to walk. When Mando came into view the adrenaline had begun to wear off. From the distance, Ava couldn’t even tell if he was still breathing.

All of her strength gave out leaving her no choice but to crawl the last few feet to Mando. His beskar was scorched and scored from the saber. Bits of his flight suit were singed and the place beneath his right pauldron was soaked in red. Panic seized her heart and muscles. Her once steady hands shook uncontrollably as she lifted the pauldron up and off. The site was black and oozing. Knowing she didn’t have enough strength to see if the shot had gone clean through his shoulder, Ava had to lean her entire upper body weight to apply pressure. His breathing was shallow, his heartbeat slow. The bleeding had been prolonged without any intervention and his body was showing the toll. Her entire body shook. She was beaten and aching. Shrapnel had certainly lodged itself in various points of her body, but none of that mattered. Ava reached for whatever energy she had left.

She felt the dimming hum of Mando’s life. It was slipping away.

“No,” Tears fell across the motionless helmet, “Not you too.” Her voice was barely there. Desperation and despair thick enough that she practically choked on it. “Please… I need you… I… love… you.”

Grogu appeared beside her. His small hand reached for the site. Ava wanted to pull his untainted fingers back, no child should have to witness and partake in such misery. But something washed over her. Energy pooled in a different direction the closer Grogu came.

She rested her hand atop Grogu’s significantly smaller one. Ava allowed herself to follow the gentle current. Beneath her trembling fingers, Ava could feel Mando’s skin shifting. Torn cells joined again. Layers of epidermis repaired itself slowly as the current flowed from hers and Grogu’s hands. Mando’s heartbeat rose. But Ava’s dipped. She was giving so he could take.

Slowly but surely, with their conjoined effort, the wound was mended. The viscous remnants remained, but the bleeding had stopped. He took a deep breath which meant Ava could finally take one herself.

By then, there was shouting and disturbance from the crowds above. Ava sent off a brief moment to her sister and to Luke. Whether or not they sensed it, Ava didn’t care. Her eyes were heavy and her body had already slumped across Mando’s chest. The coolness of the beskar soothed the heat from the mark across her cheek. Grogu had already succumbed to his much needed rest. Whoever would find them would be in for a surprise.

A princess, a bounty hunter, a small child all together.

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yoosungdaddy1 · 8 days

Text

Date with a friend Broken boy Erenx Reader

" Hey you busy after class?" Armin ask standing in your door way. You rub your eyes rolling out of bed to check your phone. It was already 8am.

"I'm not busy." You respond scrolling through your phone.

" Alright after Professor Hanes class we'll ride there!'' He shouts leaving before you could say anything. You hurry to get ready, dressing for class and for Armin all in one. You wore black leggings that hugged your bottom half nicely ,a light brown, long sleeve ,knitted turn down, collar shirt and black flats. You went more for a natural make up look and toped it off with two small golden hoops. Rushing out the door 45 minutes later running to class. There was a slight chilly breeze and small puddles outside. A couple clouds in the sky and the sun beaming. So much for that storm. You thought ,wondering just where Armin would be taking you. With only a minute to spare you walk and find your seat next to Eren.

" Damn you could've waited or woke me up." You whisper catching your breath, he looks at you, one arm across his stomach while the other holding his head up, mouth covered. He glares into your eyes all while saying nothing then back to listening to the professor. " Whatever Eren." You sigh taking out your notebook. After Class you pick up an extra credit packet. There was an upcoming exam that would be worth 80% of you grade and you didn't plan on failing.

" Y/n! " Eren shouts from his seat above walking down the steps to you. His eyes moving from your head to toe.

" Why are you dressed like that?" He ask grabbing himself a packet as well.

" AH you finally noticed me. You like you?" You smile spinning in a circle. He grabs his face holding in his laugh.

" Shut up!" You shout hitting his shoulder over and over again. You grew nervous at the realization that was the first time you two were away from everyone and alone together since yesterday. You turn around as your thoughts turn inappropriate. You wanted to apologize. It hadn't surprise you he didn't bring it up. You then turn to face him , cheeks burning. You lifted your eyes looking up at him. I hadn't realize he was so much taller standing ,looking up to, you thought. He immediately turned red avoiding your eyes.

" What's wrong with you?" He mumbles looking away. You grab his hand dragging him to a hallway corner away from people. You take a deep breath collecting your words.

" About yesterday I'm sorry. It was wrong and I don't want anything awkward to happen between us. I take full blame and I swear to you it wont happen again." You let out a deep breath nervous as hell. He looks at you without saying a word.

" I'm not sorry." He says starring into your soul. He walks closely to you causing you to lean against the wall. He places both his hands above you as you look up at him confused. The smell of his cologne curled your toes. The way his neckless hung looking down at you. Your body tensed up. "I'm only sorry we stopped. " He said before walking away. you fell to your feet holding your chest, gasping for air. What the hell was that. He's toying with me now. It's not like we would've ended up having sex if we didn't stop? Would we have? You thought. You stood to your feet shaking your head." Calm down Y/N'' You mumble heading to the library to start your extra credit before your next class. 5 minutes before class you met up with Armin and Mikasa. Armin wore a black, short sleeve , polo shirt tucket in some off white dress pants with a belt. He looked so clean and you could smell him on the other side of Mikasa.

" Wow you too Y/N." Mikasa says spinning around you. You blush at her tone and excitement.

" You look Beautiful" Armin smiles. entering class behind you. " Thank you.. you look amazing." You respond. After class You and Armin glance at each other smiling.

" You ready? "He ask holding his hand out.

" Whoa are you guys going on a date!" Mikasa ask excited and surprised. You start laughing your nervousness away.

"Something like that" Armin says as you grab his hand exiting the class. You make your way to his car. He drove a black Chevrolet Corvette, windows tinted with black rims.

" Holy shit." You say shocked to see such a car.

" Get in" He chuckles. He rolls down the windows and sunroof." He takes his phone out and connects it to Bluetooth. "This is one of the songs the band sing at the concert we're going too soon!" He shouts turning up the radio as he zooms off.

**The song is called endlessly you can play it with the remaining story starting now if you want**

~There's a shop down the street where they sell plastic rings!

~You need me!

~Girl you know you need me!

The wind blowing across your face. You look at Armin, he's driving one handed mouthing the song. Looking at him from the side was something you never thought you would do. Forgetting you were friends for a minute he was extremely attractive. After driving about an hour you arrive at some tall, grassy hill.

"Follow me. " he says pulling on your hand and guiding you up the hill. Upon reaching the top your eyes light up. The sand not too far from the hill, the smell of salt right under your nose.

"I use to come here all the time when I wanted to be alone." He said looking into the distant sea. You smile looking at his eyes grow.

" Thank you for bringing me here! Its truly beautiful." You say following his eyes. "Lets go have fun though!" You shout grabbing his arm running down the hill making your way to the shore. Throwing water at each other and running around like kids. He picks you up spinning you around. You spread your arms embracing the chilly wind and the sound of seagulls. He lowers you slowly then pushes you into the water. You laugh resurfacing as he runs away. After playing in the water for some time you both start to play in the sand.

"I'm so glad you came back" He mumbles. He looked sad drawing lines in the sand." I don't want this day to end. " He sighs looking at the sky. You blush at his words.

" Idiot I won't leave. So lets do this again. " You smile grabbing his hand. It was true you left and didn't plan on coming back, but somewhere along the way, seeing everyone again. Marley became nothing but a place to you.

" Pictures!" Armin shouts. You push against him ,face touching. He throws up the peace sigh taking selfies. He looks at the photos and giggle

" You're so beautiful." He says helping you to your feet.

" Well thank you my handsome prince." You respond bowing to him as you two race up the hill and to the car. When you got back to the dorms it was already 10pm.

" Text me when you get inside ." You wave at Armin as he heads the opposite way to his dorm. Opening the door you see Eren scrolling on his phone sitting on the stool at the kitchen table.

" I'm home." You mumble, he gets up eyeing you.

"You stink like salt." He says walking away going into his room.

" Yeah well you stink in general!" You shout.

What the hell. How can he say something like that earlier and then say I stink., You think to preparing to shower.

Armin ❤️❤️~ I made it home. I had fun! I hope we can do it again soon

Y/N ~ Just tell me when and where and I'm on the way!!!

Armin❤️❤️ ~ I'm glad you had fun Sleep well!!!!!

You giggle at his message making you feel tingly slamming on your back in your bed then hopping up remembering you have to shower. After your shower you crawl into bed. Laying back staring and your ceiling. Your thoughts in shambles, you couldn't shake what Eren said and the worst part was. You felt the same way he did.

TO READ AHEAD MORE CHAPTER ON WATTTPAD STORY TITLE "BROKEN BOY EREN X READER @nowstreaming01

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wrenaugustine · 1 year

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@tamyrawilliams takes Wren out on a date in a field of flowers she found, leaving the two to just sit and chat and enjoy each others company.

"Alright, I know how this looks," Tamyra said before Wren could voice the thoughts that Tamyra feared would be forming in Wren's mind as she led her through the trees towards the field she found a couple of days back. "We said out in the open and now I am leading you away from everything and everyone, but this isn't me trying to hide things, which I am not, I promise." She was holding a basket of food and blanket in one hand, holding Wren's hand with the other to lead the woman. "I just found this place and when we were talking about dates and spending time together, this one immediately popped into my head. It's just looks so pretty, you'll see."

They weren't going too far - on the south side of the South beach, among the trees there were several different, smaller clearings, and Tamyra found one full of all kinds of flowers blooming all at once. She just hoped they didn't die yet, that would be a great fail.

They didn't walk too much longer, though, and when finally they reached the clearing, all kinds of bigger and smaller flowers welcomed them, a whole field, and Tamyra looked over to watch Wren's reaction to all of them. "So, what do you think?"

↤ ☾🔥☽ ↦

Honestly, it would have made sense for Wren to assume that Tamyra taking her far out on the other side of the river to a clearing so far away from everyone else that this was a deliberate choice to keep this new relationship of theirs secret. But Wren wanted to trust Tamyra was trying and despite her request to not be kept a secret, that didn't mean she didn't like alone time. So she trusted Tamyra when she reassured her, squeezing her hand and following along to this spot she wanted to take them.

"Well it better be the prettiest place I've ever seen if you're making me walk this much to get there." She joked, really not having a problem with this. Wren was still giddy and feeling like she was in a dream as Tamyra invited her on a date, finally a moment for the two of them to see how they fit together and handled this relationship stuff.

But not too long after, they entered a beautiful clearing full of flowers, almost like they were perfectly planted around the perimeter, with little flowers scattered within. Wren couldn't believe this was here, and that Tamyra found it, and that she brought Wren here with her for a picnic. It just felt...perfect. "It's really nice. Definitely worth the walk. When did you find this place?"

— ⋆ ✯ ⋆ —

It's not that Tamyra has never been on a date before, she's been on plenty. But all of those were set up with an understanding of what it would lead to and that it wouldn't be towards anything serious. This felt different. This was different in so many ways and Tamyra actually felt nervous, wanting things to go well, mostly not wanting to give the wrong expression.

So when she saw Wren's expression light up in excitement seeing the field of flowers, it was such a beautiful sight. "I found it a couple of days ago. I went on a walk, trying to figure out what we could do that would be something special and then stumbled onto this place-- it felt perfect, really."

She let the other's hand go for a bit and went further into the field, setting down the blankets and the basket quickly and while she was crouching down, she picked a smaller, but pretty white flower and then headed back towards Wren. "May I?" she asked and once Wren gave her the affirmative, Tamyra tucket the little flower behind Wren's ear, arranging it so it would stay in place. "There. It looks really good on you." A pause and then she couldn't help adding, "You look really good. Beautiful."

↤ ☾🔥☽ ↦

If Wren thought about it, she might have been able to realize that a lot of the times she hung out with Estelle might have been considered dates. The two of them spent so much time together though it was hard to differentiate between what was just them spending time together and what was an intentional date. But this was very clear and agreed upon, just the two of them, making up for all their missteps.

"It is perfect. I love it, I'm glad you were able to find it." As Tamyra went to put the blanket and basket down, Wren watched her as she set up and continued to think about how crazy this was. Her younger self probably never would have believed that this would happen. Sure, she daydreamed, but the way Tamyra always pushed her to the side it didn't seem like something likely to happen. But now here she was, setting up a picnic, picking a flower to put in Wrens hair, calling her beautiful. She couldn't stop smiling.

Wren leaned in and pressed a soft kiss to Tamyra's lips, followed by another, then another. "You have no idea how happy I am right now. I'm just so happy we're doing this and we can just enjoy ourselves and...I'm just really happy you're willing to try this out with me."

— ⋆ ✯ ⋆ —

Wren leaned in and kissed her several times, soft and not long enough at all, and Tamyra leaned in one last time just to get a little bit more of Wren even though it didn't feel like she really could have, and then remained close, the two of them breathing in the same air, Tamyra's hands around Wren's waist, holding onto the other woman. "I'm really happy we're here and doing this, too. I'm really excited."

It was hard to actually pull away from Wren, but Tamyra knew that she had to - this wasn't about jumping Wren, this was about the two of them spending time together and seeing how everything else would work - something she was also excited about, Wren's closeness was just intoxicating, and now that Tamyra was willing to admit it and Wren was receptive to it, it was just so nice.

But she did pull away, her fingers running down Wren's arm until she took her hand and pulled her down onto the blanket with her. "I think it's not that big of a secret that I never really did this before - not like this at least, but I don't actually know if you ever tried with others? I know you and Estelle were close, but was there ever anyone else before?" She was curious, but she was also maybe just really hoping Wren wouldn't say Beatriz's name, not that she was jealous or anything.

↤ ☾🔥☽ ↦

All the soft kisses and Tamyra's arms around her waist had Wren standing there with her eyes peacefully shut, enjoying the moment, wanting it to last. As happy as this all made her though, it did feel like something that would take time getting used to. How long would it take for her to be in a moment like this one and not be questioning that it was happening the entire time. Wren wanted to be present but the softness of everything would continue to feel so surreal.

When Tamyra pulled her along and sat them down, Wren sat as close to her as she could without sitting in her lap. Not that neither or them would enjoy that, and she would be lying if she said she wasn't thinking about the opportunity being alone in this flowery clearing gave them. But Wren wanted to do this right, enjoy what Tamyra was doing for her before doing anything else.

"I haven't really...done this a whole lot either if I'm honest." She admitted, gently tracing her fingers against Tamyra's hand. "Estelle and I were close. I guess I never really processed the things we did as dates. I liked her, really cared about her but...I don't think I ever saw us as being in an official relationship. We never really talked about it, you know?" They talked about other things but when it came to this, maybe Estelle thought it was something unspoken between them and didn't need to be said. But to Wren it clearly did. "But besides that, there wasn't else I did anything like this with."

— ⋆ ✯ ⋆ —

They broke apart while they settled down, but Wren then came and sat down close to Tamyra and Tamyra couldn't help but smile. It was probably going to be a thing around Wren for a while. And maybe not just around Wren - she just wanted to keep on smiling. And because Wren didn't seem to be really interested in personal space right now (and Tamyra didn't mind it!), she reached over and pulled Wren's legs into her lap, resting her hand on Wren's leg, the two of them still close to one another.

"So this is a whole new thing to both of us. That's kind of nice, we can figure it out together," Tamyra smiled, feeling extremely happy that Beatriz's name didn't even seem to be in consideration. That was what she hoped for, but she wasn't going to flat out ask what the deal was between them, if Wren just hung out with her or if there was more. She was jealous, yes, but Wren was here at a super beautiful spot with her and not with anyone else, especially not with that little nobody, so her green-eyed monster on the inside was more than happy.

"I guess all of it is new in a sense that so many things that were normal outside of the island doesn't translate well to this place. I mean, relationships are still a thing, obviously, but dates themselves aren't that common around. I still kind of sometimes forget about that." She tilted her head, curious, "What is the one thing about the outside world that is a complete question mark? That either you heard from people talking and don't really get or just really curious about?"

↤ ☾🔥☽ ↦

Wren smiled as Tamyra gently pulled her legs onto her lap, enjoying that desire to be even closer than they already were. They had spent so much time apart, at odds with one another that it just felt like this was the right way to pick things back up again. Being in Tam's company, their skin touching in one of the more innocent ways it could, they could just talk like they used to.

In a way, it felt like there was a little more pressure. More so than when Wren just wanted to chat and flirt and keep Tamyra's attention. It wasn't that Wren found talking to Tam difficult, it had been so easy before, but with so many arguments under their belt and trying to start new and fresh, now the conversations felt more deliberate because they knew this was something that they had to do so they didn't fall back into their original routine. "Yeah. I'm gonna be honest, relationships around here never made much sense to me. That's why I didn't really blame you for deciding we hook up for fun as a hot little secret. But...I've liked you for a really long time, and I feel like, with Estelle, I never really thought about a relationship with her because...I was always hoping for something with you."

She knew it must have sounded so shitty of her, but she felt like Tamyra would consider it a compliment. But it was how she felt for years, and Wren knew that it was wrong to lead Estelle on the way she did but at least she acknowledged it. "I guess out there, there are more date options, you're lucky you found this place. Otherwise what was your backup option?"

Tamyra asked about what she was the most curious about, what she didn't really understand from the Outside and Wren paused, tilting her head back as she thought about it. "I think...the most confusing thing for me to understand is money. I mean, we manage ourselves here just fine without like inventing some kind of currency, what's the point of it. Why do things need to be 'bought'? Why can't they just be handed out and shared?"

— ⋆ ✯ ⋆ —

This was all new to Tamyra in so many ways - mainly the relationship, the emotions aspect of it, but on the other hand, she also wasn't the most physically affectionate person. She wasn't up for cuddles after a good sex (not even in the realm of possibilities as a thought after bad ones), she wasn't the one who gave out hugs every two seconds, wasn't the one who did a lot of touching. The closer she was with people, she more comfortable she was with showing physical affection towards them.

Wren felt so out of that usual way of Tamyra's instincts, though. She never would have normally sat like this with anyone, and yet now it just felt comfortable, it felt exciting and like the most logical, normal thing to do. Her hand rested on Wren's leg, sometimes her fingers gently caressing the skin - casual, but still nice and something chill and nothing suggestive - it wasn't her thing, but damnit, she could easily get used to this. Get used to Wren, being this close, smiling at her like this. And hopefully, she could.

And listening to her talk about just how Wren's been hoping for something with Tamyra for so long... Wren was right, it was absolutely a compliment to Tamyra. It was too much, though, to resist not leaning in and kissing Wren after that. "You can't tell me something and not expect me to want to kiss you afterward," she muttered against her lips, pressed a couple of more kisses against Wren's lips before pulling back just a lot. "I can't say it's been that long for me, but-- alright, I didn't want to say anything, but since we're talking about this... seeing you with Beatriz? Drove me insane. I kept wishing it was me whom you wanted to hang out instead. Just could not realize what it really meant for a long while."

What was her backup option? "You're right, not a lot of options, but I would have come up with something. I was considering going up the mountain hill to find a good spot and watch the sunrise or the sunset together, that could have been cool."

It felt like such a ridiculous idea for the outside - why didn't they just hand out stuff, what was the point of money? "I mean, it just-- it just wasn't the system. There were too many people, they would have taken advantage of the system and the people with kind hearts. It just-- it helped to make sure everything ran smoothly. It-- I am not fully certain how to explain it properly, actually," she let out a chuckle. "See? This is why I asked. Money on the outside, the way it worked makes perfect sense to me, so even the question is kind of fascinating to me even though it's perfectly understandable coming from you when sharing is the only way of the island."

↤ ☾🔥☽ ↦

Wren smiled under Tamyra's sudden kisses, she liked knowing that she was able to say things that caused this kind of reaction. She was relieved that opening up and admitting that she wanted this for so long didn't freak her out. Wren could feel her cheeks burning from the soft blush forming on her cheeks, knowing that this just made Tamyra want her more. When Beatriz was mentioned though, how seeing them together drove her crazy made Wren gently lean her head back, wondering if she wanted to talk about that.

"Sorry about that. If I'm being completely honest...the first time me and her hung out, I kind of was hoping to make you jealous." She admitted, trying to keep the pride she felt about it actually working a bit low-key. "And I did mean what I said about her. She is really sweet and pretty but, I was feeling hurt and wanted you to feel something or at least have that positivity around me if you weren't going to come around." She had a feeling that maybe this wasn't the time to be sharing that the two of them had slept together the one time, unless Tamyra asked, Wren didn't want to go into excruciating detail unprompted. "But it does make me feel good that you realized, I really was worried you would never feel this way. Can I ask...what did bring all of this on?"

It was funny to hear Tamyra fumble with her explanation of how and why money worked until she just decided to give up on it. "Don't worry. Thanks for trying but I'm not looking for a proper explanation, it sounds confusing and isn't going to effect me here any time soon. But it doesn't really bother me. I just think it's interesting how everything is so different but everyone is able to adjust to this life so well. If there was one thing the Outside offered that you could have here, what would it be?"

— ⋆ ✯ ⋆ —

"It's alright. I'm not saying that it didn't suck seeing it, it did, but I do think it helped me," Tamyra admitted. "I had to see that you wouldn't wait around while I figured things out." Something she wouldn't have admitted not so long ago, but she was still struggling to even comprehend her own feelings. She reached over and twirled a strand of Wren's hair around her fingers to play with it a little bit. "I'd like to believe I would have realized things without it, too, but it might have taken a bit longer without it."

What did bring all of this on? What a good question it was. Tamyra didn't want to lie by any means, but she also didn't know how open Emre was about himself, so she didn't want to just flat out admit all of it. "I think it was culminated over everything - us not talking for so long and then trying to be friends, only for that to be ruined again and us being back to not talking. It was just-- I missed you. And I wanted all of that to be over. But I don't think I could really pinpoint what it all really meant. And these days Emre is in his massage era - not really sure why, but I wasn't really complaining. And we were talking about massages with happy endings and he playfully made a suggestion for giving me one, and it sort of just hit me that a while ago I would have been totally into it, now I just-- I wished it was you there instead and didn't want anything from Emre. And then it just suddenly all clicked into place. I kind of thought it was too late, but I had to try and at least talk to you before I let you run off with somebody else."

Wren didn't need a proper explanation, thankfully, and Tamyra was glad of that, she wasn't sure she could. "I guess it doesn't feel that easy to adjust to this life while it's happening, but-- it's either that or going insane." She did feel like going insane from time to time, so she got that bit. "But there are certain things that are easier, and then things that still just feel eternally weird around here." She hummed for a moment, contemplating. "A proper toilet and a full bathroom would be amazing, really, and give so much more comfort than what we gotta do here - see, that is one thing that I will never truly adjust to. Or probably a car, the ability to drive it here. I loved driving out there so much, even though I didn't do it much because I was usually driven around, but I miss that."

↤ ☾🔥☽ ↦

Listening to Tamyra's explanation, it started out good, talking about how she missed her, but the part about Emre and massages and happy endings lost her. She had no idea what a happy ending was but if it resulted in her realizing she wanted Wren over Emre it had to be some kind of sexual term she didn't know. This didn't seem like the time to ask though. "Well, I'm glad that you didn't want anything from Emre. I know he can be very charming and hard to resist." She teased, knowing she didn't want anything from Emre herself but could still see how alluring he could be to others.

She took Tamyra's hand that was playing with her hair and held it between both of her hands. "Your timing was pretty perfect. I was kind of in this headspace where I thought you were never going to like me or want anything more from me. And I was trying to tell myself to move on so I didn't keep getting hurt." Just like Tamyra didn't inform Wren of all of Emre's involvement, Wren kept Jupiter out of the conversation as well. When they spoke, Jupiter didn't seem to know much about Tamyra's sexuality and Wren wasn't sure how far Tam had gotten in her plan to open up.

"Did you, um...did you tell him? Emre, I mean. About us?" She asked, assuming this would be the best time to find out who could and couldn't know. "Or am I allowed to tell him? I don't want to rush you on figuring out who you would feel comfortable with being in the know, but Emre is important to me, so I'd like to tell him about us." She squeezed Tamyra's hand a little tighter, trying to be hopeful that this wouldn't be crossing a line.

"What still feels eternally weird then? Just when it comes to normal every day stuff. Not even the weird, fucked up stuff that happens every few months." Wren smiled as Tamyra gave her opinion on what she missed the most. "Okay, that's a good answer. Though I will say, that finding a nice pool of water to bathe in is so relaxing. And there's a couple cars at the bridge, right?" They had been mentioned to her but she had never seen a real one before until that line up of vehicles came to be. "I'm sorry you don't get to do that anymore...what was it like to drive a car? What made it so fun?"

— ⋆ ✯ ⋆ —

"He certainly can be really charming," Tamyra agreed, though it was pretty easy to resist Emre, in that moment. And even before, they would find each other at times when they needed a quick release, but they could easily go months without sleeping with each other too. "You guys are close, right? He showed off the bracelet you made for him and he was just so proud of it. He was totally boasting."

Wren actually wanted to move on from her - they were so close to actually missing each other, which really only made Tamyra more glad that she managed to figure it all out just in time. If she was going to fuck any of this up, she would do it while being right in the middle of it, instead of not even trying in the first place. "I know you have wanted this for long and I am sorry I hurt you during that time. But I am really glad you didn't manage to move on," she squeezed Wren's hands. "I thought you might have, we haven't really spoken for so long, it would have made sense, but I was really hoping and I am just really glad. You-- I never actually felt like this," Tamyra admitted, her voice low. "This is all new to me, I wasn't sure I'd ever feel like this and then you came along. I cannot stop thinking about you and I just keep wanting to be near you and kiss you. I wanna talk about you to everyone."

Which she's kind of been doing. Not everyone, but definitely to more people than Wren has, including Emre. But they both shared their own bisexual experiences, and she didn't want to give away what Emre should be telling himself whenever he felt comfortable. "You can tell him, I am alright with that," she said. Emre could tell about himself when he was ready, and she could just give him a heads up - explaining why she talked to Emre about this when she didn't even tell Jupiter would be hard. "I did tell Tomas, though - he knew for a while that I like women and I've been talking to him about a lot of these things, including you. And Kaz kind of just-- he figured it out, so we talked about you a bit too."

What was still extremely weird. "The fashion and the clothes. I don't think I will ever be able to get used to how there aren't many choices and the different fashion choices people make." Maybe it was stupid, but really, she would never get over Harry's fashion choices. "I'm not going to argue with that, any chance to bathe is something I love. Any pool of water, though? Do you enjoy the lagoon too or just other ones?" The phones and laptop all worked here, maybe they got lucky and one day one of the crazy island events would result in some road the cars could actually be driven upon. "There are cars, yeah, but there's no place to drive them, unfortunately. Which just felt so freeing. You could just get on the highway and drive anywhere you wanted to and the speed with which you went-- I don't think anything is that fast around here. The cars could go faster than any animal or monsters around here. It was great."

↤ ☾🔥☽ ↦

Wren didn't have the time to be jealous or worried about anything here, as Tamyra mentioned the way Emre showed off and boasted about the bracelet she gave him. She grinned, showing off her own matching bracelet that she didn't usually take off. "Did he really? I'm glad he likes it. I really wanted to make something special for him. We've...also been a little weird since the fakes and we're still getting through that weird patch I think." She explained, knowing that despite him staying with her and Wren trying her best to go back to normal, there was still some distance.

She nodded and acknowledged the apology, and even though she brought up the hurt she felt, Wren wanted to make sure they focused on the good instead of the bad. But she wanted it to be out there at least. "Believe it or not, you're really hard to move on from. If it was easy it probably would have happened way before we got to South Beach." With the way Tamyra acted around her, during most of the time Wren's crush was brewing, if it were possible to get over Tamyra that should have been the time. But Wren was too far gone for that.

And it sounded like Tamyra was at least getting to a similar level. "I feel the same way. And now you can be near me and kiss me all you want." Wren replied, leaning in to kiss Tamyra gently, smiling at her as she pulled away. Hearing that she could tell Emre and that Tamyra had already talked to Tomas about her was a bit exhilarating, letting the people they considered closest to them being aware felt official in a way. "Wait, you talked to Kaz about me too? I didn't realize he knew, he never said anything." That was a bit of a surprise, wondering how exactly he figured it out if neither of them were opening up about things.

"That's so crazy that that's something on your mind. I never really think about the clothing options, or what's fashionable or not." She explained, knowing that with such limited options there wasn't much chance to figure out how fashion worked when everything was mix and match. The talk about cars and driving fast, feeling free, Wren felt like she could listen to Tam talk about this kind of stuff forever. "You make it sound so exciting. I always loved hearing the things you had to say about the Outside. Your life always seemed so amazing."

— ⋆ ✯ ⋆ —

Wren showed off her own bracelet and that ache inside of Tamyra rose up again, but she tried to push it down. Wren and her were good now, a necklace didn't mean much in the grand scheme of things. Even if it represented a fracture that almost broke everything all together. Maybe that was why she was hesitant to bring it up again. And anyway, if Wren would want to give it to her again, she should do it because she wanted to, not because Tamyra pestered her into it. Instead she focused on Emre and the rest Wren was saying. "Weird patch? What did he do?"

Tamyra couldn't help the grin on her face when Wren was talking about how it was just so hard to get over her. "I don't mind hearing about how hard it is to get over me, not going to lie about that," she chuckled. It did make her think about how long it's been for Wren, though, and that it predated all these crazy events, the plane and before she even noticed Wren. And then she thought of the caves and Wren saving her that day, right before the plane crashed. "You know, I don't regret how things turned out because we ended up here and I am really glad about that, but I do wonder what would have happened if the plane and everything afterward didn't happen. That was-- remember the caves from the Western Cove? I think that's when I really noticed you first. Not on this level, just-- different than before."

Be near Wren and kiss her all she wanted, Tamyra adored the sound of that, just like hearing that Wren felt the same. She kissed Wren back, her eyes remaining closed for a few more seconds after Wren pulled back. "Yeah, I think Kaz didn't say much cause he knew I was still hesitant and struggling with myself, so he just kept it on the downlow that he knew. He did reassured me several times that nobody would care - knowing just felt different than actually doing it, you know? But no regrets and no hiding, I promise," Tamyra quickly reassured Wren.

She let out a small chuckle. "Before this island, I was really into fashion and i was in a world where all eyes were on these things, I like looking at the clothes and the fashion options. I like digging through all the new stuff to find the hidden or not so hidden gems. But if not fashion, than what excites you? What do you notice around this place?" An amazing life - it was true, though really, Wren could never fully know. She could hear stories, but never know what the outside world really was like. "I really wish you could have seen what it was like out there - but sometimes I also wonder, maybe never seeing what was out there makes life here that much easier for you around here. This is the only world you knew and all that."

↤ ☾🔥☽ ↦

She knew bringing it up would result in the question but Wren felt like enough time had passed that she could handle discussing what happened. "The fake version tried to take advantage of how much I care for him, waited for me to get close before trying to force himself onto me. Said a bunch of heinous stuff and chased me down when I told him I didn't want him like that. And I know it wasn't him, I know he doesn't think of me like that but...I don't know if there was something in him that the doppelganger could manipulate. I think he's lonely without Iyaz. And sex is just an easy form of intimacy to fill that hole and the fake just twisted it into something worse."

Things were getting a bit serious with a talk like this one so she welcomed the change back to them. When Tamyra mentioned the day the plane crashed, when the two of them had been in the caves, it was like a key unlocking something she hadn't thought about in so long. "I remember that...when you found a map to 'leave the island'." She chuckled a little as she put some emphasis on the words to point out how silly it was. "So you...noticed me back then? I thought I was still just a dumb, annoying kid to you then."

Hearing that Kaz knew made her feel a bit embarrassed, wondering how long he knew and just let her awkwardly dance around the topic of Tamyra. But he was definitely good at keeping secrets, Wren had no idea he knew anything which must have been helpful for Tam. "I'm glad he was able to be helpful for you with all this. And I think he's right that nobody would care, I can't imagine this effecting anyone so greatly. And if it does, they most likely don't matter anyway."

From the bits and pieces Wren got about Tamyra's celebrity life, along with the extensive wardrobe she had on North Beach, it made sense that fashion excited her. At the question about what Wren noticed and was excited about, she laid her head on Tamyra's shoulder as she considered her answer. "I guess–it might sound cheesy but the people here. Everyone here is just so incredible and fascinating with their own stories and they've always excited me here."

"You know, I love to hear how people talk about the Outside but...I really have no clue what I'd do out there." She admitted as Tam considered how not experiencing it for herself made life here easier. "I feel like I'd go into shock. I've talked to newer people and heard from them what it's like but I don't think I'd ever be prepared enough to leave Meridium if it was ever an option."

— ⋆ ✯ ⋆ —

It wasn't actually Emre. It was the fake, Emre wouldn't do anything like that. If nothing else proved it, the fact that Tamyra herself told him they shouldn't have sex when he was giving her that first massage - if he would have been that kind of asshole, he would have kept on pushing. And still, Tamyra could feel her anger rising the more Wren was talking, her fingers turning into fist. "What the fuck?! That is a whole new kind of low for these fakes." Maybe if it was any other topic, she would have pointed out that Emre and his massages are probably result of Iyaz being gone too, but she couldn't focus on anything else. "Are you alright? Not with Emre, but in general? After all that?"

Wren seemed alright enough to chuckle and tease her about that time when they went into the caves under the West Coves, which was a relief, really. "I had some out of there ideas for sure, but I was just-- so certain, that there would be an answer out there," she shook her her. There really wasn't. "And I wouldn't say I fully noticed you, you were still - and don't misunderstand this -, that annoying kid, but there was that moment when you pulled me back up and we locked eyes." She shook her head. "I don't know, I have been thinking about that a lot. I think it was the first moment I realized you weren't just an annoying kid anymore." But then a whole lot of other things happened and honestly, Tamyra forgot about it all.

"And you know, I am kind of glad it wasn't you I had figured a bunch of stuff out on. I was a real asshole about it." She thought about what she just said for a moment and then let out a small chuckle. "I know, I was an asshole about other things, but that was-- different. A very ugly low. But yeah, Kaz helped nudge me, and Tomas helped a lot. Once things started moving, he saw right through me and knew what was going on and that I think, the fact that he said it out loud for me when I wasn't yet brave enough to - that helped me so much with those first few steps."

Tamyra turned her head, her nose against Wren's hair and she breathed the woman in as she rested her head on her shoulder. "I wouldn't say... no, alright, maybe it is a bit cheesy, but it's something that is admirable. What was something or somebody who stuck with you even now?" she asked, and then. "Have you ever thought about collecting all of those stories? Like, in a book or a collection of stories or something? History of the Stranded or something along those lines?"

The outside world was so given for Tamyra, something that was just her past and most people's past, sometimes it was hard to really thinking about it from Wren's perspective. Her first instinct even now was to reassure Wren that she'd do great out there, but then she thought about the phones from the bridge. "I guess it's a possibility. I don't think I can really understand that, but then from what I keep hearing of the outside, things changed so drastically, I am not sure how well I'd do out there on my own anymore, either. Which is nowhere near what it would be for you, but in a small way, I think I get it."

↤ ☾🔥☽ ↦

Wren wasn't expecting the angry response she got from Tamyra, maybe because she wouldn't have had a real person to be upset with but she still cursed with her hands balled up into fists before asking if she was alright. "I...yeah, yeah I'm ok. It was different when I thought it was him but knowing that its not him made it easier to move past." It was just hard for her to stay mad at Emre for too long. Even if she had her doubts at the start, since he's been staying on her porch she was getting more comfortable with him again.

It was interesting to hear Tamyra claim that moment Wren saved her in the caves being a turning point for her. There was a moment of disappointment that followed, wondering how things could have been if she didn't close herself off or if, like Tamyra said, the plane never crashed and the two of them might have had the time to explore this earlier. But Tamyra made sure to tell her how she wasn't that great a person at the start of her self discovery. "I guess I came back at the perfect time then. Avoiding peak asshole Tamyra. But, the way you explained it to me, I get where you're coming from with being hesitant and that's why I wanted to give you the time you needed. It's not fair to assume we're at the same level of acceptance when we've had totally different experiences."

As for other people that stuck out to her. "Is it extra cheesy if I say you." she teased with a grin on her face, gently nudging Tamyra. "There's been a lot of people over the years, I would really say there's one thing that sticks out the most. It's more just fascinating to compare someone like...Joaquin who had been here for over a hundred years and had such a different life to someone like Mik or Kaz or you." The question of if she had ever considered collecting peoples stories made Wren shake her head. "I've never really thought about that, actually. I'm not really much of a writer. My mom taught me how to write but it's not really something I've used for a long time. Anything I wrote down and collected might be impossible to read."

Wren knew that dreaming and wondering about the Outside was nothing more than that. There was no way they were getting out of here to even bother worrying about how they'd fare out there, but that seemed to somber to bring up now. "Part of me wonders if maybe the jinn could use its powers to show us a little glimpse of the Outside world right now. Like a test run. Though maybe that's too cruel to the people who haven't been here that long that could easily continue their lives again if they got the chance." For a moment Wren paused, letting out a chuckle and then looking at Tamyra. "Is this conversation getting a little too serious for a first date?"

— ⋆ ✯ ⋆ —

Tamyra wasn't angry at Emre, she knew he wouldn't do such a thing, but the island... this island proved over and over again that it was willing to go to any lengths to torture and terrorize them and it was yet again proof of why she hated this place. Yes, she's gotten some good things here, there was no just had, but it didn't mean she could ever love this place. "This is why I hate this place. It wants to make us turn on each other in the worst way possible, and torture us like this, torture you like this. This is just-" she shook her head, took a deep breath to calm herself further because she could so easily just rile herself up.

Wren has never seen the outside world and only heard what it was like out there and still, she was more understanding than so many people outside of this place. "I really do appreciate it, tge way you were so patient with me. I think I really needed it."

Tamyra couldn't help the smile when Wren named her. "I don't mind if it's cheesy, I like hearing these things. You should totally elaborate if you want too." Tamyra's voice was teasing but she wouldn't have minded it - it was both her ego, but also just the general giddiness she felt when Wren said things like this. She leaned down and pressed her lips against Wren's for a short moment and then whispered, "For the record, you stand out to me too."

The writing was once again a thing Tamyra sometimes forgot that there was a different kind of importance here than on the outside. "That makes sense. Not a lot of things to write around here, or much paper before the bridge and all the personal belongings either. Same with reading and books I guess."

She remained silent for a bit, thinking about the island showing them the outside world. It would be the kind of rug pulled out from under them kind of moment that the island would do to them, really. "Considering what kind of stuff happened in the last two and a half years, I don't think it's impossible. Maybe it happens sooner than we could possibly think. Part of me even hopes for it, now that you mentioned it, but-- it would be hard to see it disappear, too." Would it he able to give her hope again? Most likely, but Tamyra didn't want to know what it would do to her.

Wren was right, this was possibly too serious of a topic, most of it, but Tamyra didn't mind. She chuckled too, "I am really not an expert, and I don't really mind, but you do also have a point. How about some light round fun and lighter questions: what's your favorite food, your favorite color, favorite place on this island?

↤ ☾🔥☽ ↦

Tamyra used this moment as just another reason to hate this place and honestly, Wren couldn't argue. She used to love Meridium but what it became ever since the plane crash was not what she knew and loved. It was spiteful in its torment and didn't seem to show signs of stopping. She appreciated how strongly Tam felt about it, but complaining about it wouldn't put an end to it, otherwise it would be long over by now.

She gently rubbed Tamyra's shoulder as she calmed herself down, and settled in to Wrens claim of who stuck out to her, asking her to elaborate. "I was actually just trying to tease you cause I knew you would eat that up." Wren admitted, smiling to soften the blow before continuing. "But I mean, obviously you stood out. You were so cool and pretty and even when everyone had given up on getting out of here you kept trying to find new ways to make it work no matter what anyone else said. You're just...amazing."

Wren simply shrugged at the talk of writing and books. They had more opportunities these days but back the only reason she learned was because her parents were teachers, though any writing she did was in the sand with her finger instead of pencil and paper.

She knew that a glimpse into the Outside would be a lot for most people to handle, either being happy to be back or terrified of how much has changed. Wren didn't want to wish for anything the jinn could use to torment them and hopefully it wasn't something that could be overheard from out here. So she focused on Tamyra and her topic change to something less worrying. "Uh, ok. Favorite food, I'd saaaay mangos. Favorite color, orange, like sunset kind of orange. And favorite place on the island...I think the seastairs. Don't ask why I just think it's nice there. Now it's your turn."

— ⋆ ✯ ⋆ —

Tamyra's shoulders eased at the rub from Wren and she just kept on smiling - that smile of hers would be hard to wipe off of her face, really. Just sitting here, so close to each other, chatting about all kinds of things made her excited, it would be hard to get Tamyra down at this point.

(The island better not screw it up for her now!)

"I do really like hearing that," she repeated with a grin and leaned in for a short kiss, but only pulled back so they were still close. "And to be fair, maybe you didn't stand out that much in the past, but you certainly stand out now and I can't get you out of my head." She ran her hands down Wren's side and circled her arms around the other woman and pulled her into her lap - nothing too much, she just wanted her closer. "And I like you so close like this. That I can just pull you in like this whenever I want to now."

Which was a perfect position to do something more silly, something a lot lighter. "Alright, my turn then. Favorite food is tomatoes - I just love them. And favorite place is... I know we haven't been there for a while, but the jag has been my favorite place on this whole entire place, still miss being able to going over there. But if we're talking the South Beach, I think the lagoon. As skittish as I've been of it first, I love chilling in there."

↤ ☾🔥☽ ↦

Wren enjoyed how easy this all felt, just sitting in Tamyra's lap, surrounded by flowers, soft kisses replacing all of their past bickering. She felt like she could just stay like this forever, just talking to Tamyra, admiring her and kissing her in their own little bubble away from everyone. Maybe in a way, while Wren didn't think about it at the time, this feeling was similar to how she felt with Estelle. The two of them running off somewhere to be alone, talking, kissing, having sex and then repeating the cycle. Wren may have enjoyed being surrounded by people all the time, but she treasured this alone time she got with people she cared about even more.

Gently placing her hand on Tamyra's cheek, Wren smiled at her words. It was hard to believe that she wasn't just dreaming all this, and these words were really coming out of her mouth, that she couldn't stop thinking about her and that she enjoyed being this close. After coming off of her fears that Tamyra would never have feelings for her, she was keeping herself optimistic about this working out between them. Wren wanted it to work out, for them to keep spending time together like this, for them to be by each others sides so often that it would be weirder to see them apart.

The longer they sat there, continuing their chatter between kisses and laughter, Wren's worries faded away. They were both happy and enjoying themselves, there was no way this could be ruined. After all this time, she was finally getting what she wanted and she knew she wasn't going to give it up any time soon.

END.

#[ interactions ! ]#[ tamyra williams ! ]#[ tamyra13 ]#note: the header has nothing to do with the actual thread #but enci made it and it made me laugh so we're keeping it #but thank you enci for it and for writing this with me #finally giving the girls some peace

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