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lucienarcheron · 1 month

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That Single Thread of Gold [ Elucien ]

Prompt: Inspired by @eospaint lovely elucien piece here. I went a little nuts in the tags of it but then couldn't contain it and had to write this little fic! I love writing elucien being caught up in their awkward feelings stage. I hope you enjoy! | AO3

He told himself it was for the best if he didn't see her this time. It was almost always awkward. Tense. Lucien could do without the stress of their uncomfortable interactions this visit; he was here to see Feyre, after all. He had given Feyre enough notice that she would inform Elain and there would be no need for them to cross paths. They had no need to see each other, especially when she had clearly never expressed the desire to see him anyway.

So Lucien sat and waited in Feyre’s living room, let in by one of the twins. He sat and waited and tried not to let the crumpled pieces of his stupid heart hope. Tried not to set himself up for disappointment. His fingers drummed on his knees as he glanced towards the half open door, waiting for his friend to arrive.

Instead, her scent flooded his senses.

And then she appeared in the doorway.

Lucien didn’t know what to do with himself as she blinked at him in surprise, almost as shocked as he was that she was standing there.

Elain hadn’t even meant to stumble into the room. She knew he was coming today – Feyre had given her the heads up but – but something about her had been different today. Today felt different and she wasn’t sure why. Normally, Elain had no desire to meet him and allow herself to feel all the things she did whenever he was close. Normally, she was very good at being a coward and avoiding him.

But today…that tug of the bond had pulled her into the room before she could stop it or realize what was happening.

She stood by the door and blinked, then blinked again. Elain hadn’t even realized he was already here.

Lucien stood immediately and as anticipated, the expected awkwardness unfurled between them, quickly followed by that strained tension.

Touch. Taste. Claim.

Lucien fisted his hands by his side and instead bowed graciously, murmuring, “My lady.”

He said nothing more as his mate watched him, a muscle flexing in his jaw at her gaze, because here she was staring at him like she had no idea what to do with him and Lucien felt heat rise in his body. He swallowed, then cleared his throat and casually said, “I’m here to see Feyre. It seems she’s running a little late.”

“Oh.” is all Elain could think to reply and a flicker of emotion passed his expression quicker than she could read it. She licked her lips, her hands fisting in the folds of her dress and Elain couldn’t help but catalog every inch of him; she normally didn’t allow herself to look at him for too long and Elain wasn’t sure what it was this time around compelling her to take him in.

Was it because it had been a while since she’d seen him? Was it the lack of sleep? Was it the thread of gold that chafed at her whenever he was in the general vicinity? He always seemed to handle himself so well around her despite what Elain had heard about the mating bond doing to males; he always handled himself so well.

She wished he’d yell at her, if only once. So she had a reason to actually avoid him. So she had a reason to resist him, to be justified in cowering.

But no. He was always so polite.

Realizing a few moments had passed and she hadn’t said anything, Elain cleared her throat and said, “I’m not sure when Feyre will be back.”

Lucien tried not to fidget beneath her gaze despite the urge to shift on his feet. She’d never looked at him so directly before. It was unnerving him but Lucien didn’t let himself hope. He squashed down any possible emotions he could feel and instead nodded. “I understand. I’ll take my leave then.” he said and gave her a thin smile. “She knows where to find me.”

He didn’t allow himself another word and instead, took a step aiming to leave but – but then Elain took a step towards him and he froze.

All her senses went on high alert as Elain realized that she too had paused in that half step. A half step she had taken towards him before – long ago. Her eyes widened slightly and she watched as Lucien’s brows furrowed, his body strained as her pulse quickened beneath her skin, her heart pounding.

Lucien tilted his head, straightening, her reaction confusing him. “Is there something else I can help you with?” he asked tightly.

And it was Elain’s turn to swallow because she didn’t know. Was there something else he could help her with? She hadn’t been alone with him in – in a long while. She had made sure of it.

She went out of her way not to actively think about him, not to have him in her mind so he wouldn’t follow her in her dreams the way he did anyway on so many nights. But now he was here standing in front of her and she wasn't sure what to do with him.

Her pulse was fluttering and Elain wanted to be angry with him even though none of this was really his fault. She wanted to be mean to him even though he didn’t deserve it. She just wanted someone who sees how wretched she feels about it all. She wanted someone to see behind her stupid fake smiles and her distance from him. She wanted someone to understand why.

And the longer she stood staring at him, the more Lucien seemed to read her mind. That single thread of gold between them…he seemed to understand the whirlwind of feelings she was battling and his expression softened for a moment. Like he really did see.

Elain almost hated that even more but she wasn’t even sure why and the thought threatened to release tears she had no business showing in front of him. Her bottom lip trembled for a breath before she straightened and shook her head.

Lucien stood still for a moment then forced himself to take a step then another until he stood in front of her and slowly, held out his hand. Then waited.

Because he could feel her. He could hear her heart and Lucien couldn’t stop himself from trying to bring her comfort in some way. The instincts beneath his skin wouldn't let him walk away when he knew his mate was on the verge of tears, even when Lucien had no idea if he was the reason for them.

This fae life – this mating bond had been thrust on her and the way she had been pretending to adjust since then was one of the main reasons he never pushed. He felt her confusion, her inner turmoil. He knew what it was like to swallow it all and play pretend. The least he could do was allow himself to be the guiding light through the dark for her. Even if he wasn’t sure she’d want that from him. Lucien couldn’t help but offer.

Elain glanced down at his hand and she felt her throat tighten. They didn’t touch. They rarely even stood so close. Did she want to touch him? She didn’t know what his skin felt like but in her dreams – in her sleep she wondered – she felt like she knew –

Before she could let herself doubt any further and even as the battle of emotions threatened to swallow her whole, Elain couldn’t help but slowly, carefully slide her hand in his.

And it felt – it felt –

Elain felt herself take a breath. She waited for the discomfort. For the prickling anxiety that usually haunted her. For the wretchedness to snap at her heels.

But his hand was softer than she imagined. Strong, calloused – a warrior’s hand but – it didn’t feel bad at all. It felt…better than expected. It was gentle. Warm.

She glanced at him then away, suddenly embarrassed and truly not sure what to do with herself. He was so patient and it only made her feel so much worse about herself. She owed him nothing and he owed her nothing and yet…

Lucien only held out his other hand and Elain met his gaze as he gave her a small knowing smile.

Elain’s throat bobbed and even as she slid her other hand into his, she whispered, “Why?”

The simple question seemed to make Lucien’s shoulders sag because even to Elain, her one question asked about a hundred more. Why was he still here? Why did he still try with her? Why did she hesitate to even speak with him? Why did she hide?

Why? Why? Why?

“Because you looked like you needed some comfort.” he said quietly and shrugged. “And I know what it’s like to need a steady hand.”

And it was like he’d snatched the breath from her throat.

Had her sisters been right about what a mating bond could do for those blessed with one? About what her mate could do for her? Was it indeed a blessing then? Had she really only been hurting herself with her distance? She had only slid her hand in his, touching him so very lightly and yet…with this simple touch, Elain had found herself willing to stand in this room with him a little longer.

“A steady hand?” she repeated softly and the brush of his thumb against the back of her hand seemed involuntary.

“A steady hand and a good friend make all the difference.” he said and hoped his yearning wasn’t too obvious as she met his gaze again.

“A good friend?” she repeated once more and the corner of his mouth lifted, the movement highlighting his scar as he nodded.

“Indeed.”

A friend.

The thought seemed to hit Elain so suddenly and the sheer longing of it almost overwhelmed her.

A friend.

She needed one more than she could put into words and Elain could only stare at her mate. The rapid beating of her heart seemed so loud in the silence between them but for once, it was a comfortable silence.

Comfortable enough that Elain found herself asking so very quietly as roses bloomed on her cheeks, “Do you happen to know any good friends available?”

His lips twitched and Lucien was sure the rapid beating of his own heart now matched hers as he answered in that same quiet tone, “I daresay, I have the perfect person in mind.”

#elucien #elucien fanfics #elain archeron #lucien vanserra #acotar fanfiction #gfics #happy sunday!#fic: that single thread of gold

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soaringthroughthegalaxy · 6 months

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Hello. It's Talita from Ao3 here, I said I would come. 🤭😂 So I'd like to request Hunter x shy fem reader with the last smutty prompt: ❛ i love that no one else has seen you like this, that no one else has felt you before, been inside you. they don't get to have you, but i do. ❜ Maybe the reader's inexperience might come to the surface when they're all in 79s and a drunken Crosshair suggests she get someone to f*c*? But reader waits for the right partner. ♥️

Hey Talita! Thanks for the request and all the love you’ve been sharing 🥰

Shy readers seem to be the flavour of the moment, as I just went out with one for Crosshair!

This one ran away with me. It’s my longest to date. Hope it's okay 😊

Waiting for You

A night out at 79’s leads to a revelation that surprises the whole batch, and with feelings becoming increasingly more difficult to hide, it was only a matter of time before you and Hunter reached a crossroads. (Pre Echo)

Pairing: Hunter x f!reader

Word count: 6.8k

Rating: 18+ MINORS DNI!!

Warnings: friends to lovers (🤌), Cross is a shit stirrer (what else is new?), alcohol consumption (but both parties are sober for spicy time), sibling teasing/banter, sweet sweet tension and yearning, sexually shy!reader, virgin!reader, first kiss, first time together, oral (f!receiving), light fingering, unprotected PiV, reassurance and comfort, pet names, praise, sprinkle of dirty talk, soft aftercare.

Translation: (Mando'a) Gar ru'lis ganar kaysh. – You could have her.

The thump of the music wasn’t so heavy, tucked away in a back booth of 79’s. It wasn’t often you visited, preferring to frequent other bars and clubs whenever you and the boys had shore leave - there were perks to them not looking like Regs. However, 79’s was close to where you were all staying and cheap enough that the few credits you’d all managed to save would go much further than they would anywhere else.

Wedged between Wrecker and Hunter, with Tech and Crosshair taking up the seats on the opposite side of the booth, you watched as Wrecker pried a well-worn card from the pile in the middle of the table. During your last Venator stop, you’d made a few trades with some of the Regs and had walked away with a small pile of loot, including a set of ‘drink or do’ cards. They were common amongst the clones during downtime, providing distraction and intoxication.

Wrecker flipped the card over, huffing as his eyes skipped over the text. “Let the group message anyone on ya datapad or take two shots.” He read the card aloud.

Crosshair’s hand immediately extended for the datapad, fingers curling in a ‘give it here’ gesture. A smirk tugged at the corner of his lips, and you laughed as Wrecker huffed, handing over his device to his younger brother.

“You are aware this is a group effort, yes?” Tech asked, leaning in towards his twin to look at the screen. Out of all of you, Tech had elected to stay sober, hating the way his mind went fuzzy with the effects of alcohol. One of you needed to ensure you all returned to the hotel in one piece.

The deadpan look Crosshair gave him pulled a giggle from you. You were several drinks deep by now – some of the cards you’d drawn had been wholly inappropriate, so shots had been the only option. Everything felt good, your inhibitions lowered, and you knew you were safe. Your men would look after you.

A year you’d been with them, traversing the galaxy, trying desperately to keep them alive. Nat-born medics were a rarity in the GAR, but sometimes they were called in. You’d been head-hunted from Coruscant Medical after the Batch had been out in the field for a few months –they hadn’t gotten on well with the Reg medics initially assigned to them.

“Please pick Fox.” You insisted, leaning a little across the table. Gasping, you had a new idea. “Wait, no! Wolffe.” You leaned back with a wide grin, enjoying Wrecker’s groan. Knowing Crosshair, the message would be salacious, and you knew a few of the men in the Wolfpack who would absolutely fill you in on their Commander’s reaction in the morning.

Crosshair lifted a finger, pointing it at you. “I like the way you think, doll.” He complimented. Only when he was several drinks in did his tongue loosen and compliments flow more freely.

“That’s why you keep me around.” You tease, watching as the sharpshooter taps out a quick message. A gentle hand on your knee has you turning your attention to Hunter, your smile widening at his touch and how he pushes a glass of water closer to you, encouraging you to hydrate properly to stave off a hangover in the morning. Warmth seeps through you at his care, and you’re grateful for the cacophony of sounds and stimuli in 79’s that mask the way your heart rate spikes a little.

Although Hunter indulged a little this evening, he knew his limits. He’d been nursing a Tsiraki for most of the night. If he wasn’t careful, it didn’t take much to frazzle his senses and cause a two-day migraine. Keeping his wits about him also meant he could look after you.

Nestled between Wrecker and himself, the laugh lines on your face and the glint in your eyes told Hunter that you cherished these moments despite the chaotic nature of their lives. He appreciated how you fit into their world, understanding their quirks and unspoken communication. You navigated the challenges of their unique existence with a grace that fascinated him. To him, you weren’t just their medic; you were their companion, their confidant, a source of solace in a gritty galaxy.

Hunter’s gaze lingered on you as Crosshair added the final touches to the message. The playful banter and easy camaraderie were the moments he adored the most. Yet, beneath it all, there was a yearning, a quiet ache that he couldn’t quite put into words.

He saw the weariness that sometimes lingered in your eyes – chased away this evening by liquor and laughter – and wished he could erase the shadows that sometimes clouded your gaze. It fuelled his desire to protect and shield you from the harsh realities that had become their norm.

Taking a sip of his Tsiraki, Hunter let his gaze linger on the curve of your profile. The way your hair fell, and your fingers traced absentminded patterns on the table while you chatted with his brothers stirred something within him. Something that he wanted to grab with both hands and hold close.

Lost in his thoughts, he almost missed the moment you turned to him, your eyes meeting his with a warmth that sent a shiver down his spine. “What do you think?” You asked. “Suitable enough?”

Hunter blinks once, twice, and then nods. “Sure, sounds good.” He answers, having no idea what you’d been asking about. As you turned back to face the others at the table, Hunter caught the knowing look Tech sent him. Try as he might to hide that ache in his chest, his brother was too smart to miss it.

“Ya can’t send that!” Wrecker protests, mild panic in his eyes as Crosshair, eternal torturer of his siblings, grins at his brother as he pushes the send button. “Ahh, I don’t wanna know if he responds.” Wrecker shakes his head, though a smile also tugs at the corners of his lips. He turns his head towards you. “You’re next.”

Reaching for the stack of cards in the middle of the table, you pry the top one free and pull it towards you. You scan over the instructions, grimacing. “Name five different places you’ve had sex or take three shots.” You read it aloud, tossing the card down onto the table.

Beside you, you feel Hunter shift, Wrecker and Crosshair break into laughter, and Tech offers you a sympathetic smile. With a resigned sigh, you reach for your glass. But before you can grasp it, it’s snatched away from you.

“Cross!” You gasp, jaw slackening as you watch mischief dance in the sniper’s hawkish eyes.

“You’ve skipped out on nearly every ‘do’ task tonight. But you’re not skipping this one.” Crosshair insists, dragging your drink away so you can’t take it back. His motives were two-fold. One, he was nosey. And two, he wasn’t stupid. He’d seen the way Hunter had been looking at you for months now, and watching his older brother squirm as you shared your sex life would be fantastic.

With a huff, you cross your arms over your chest, resting your elbows on the table. “Is your sex life so bland you have to live vicariously through mine?” You tease, arching an eyebrow. Boisterous laughter erupts at the table, and you can’t help but giggle along.

Crosshair scowls. “Please. I could have any woman in this place.” He snorts, leaning in and lifting a hand with his five fingers up. “Five places. I’ll count them off for you.” He challenges.

“Nu-uh.” You refute, unfurling an arm to wag a finger at him.

“Only kriff in a bed then. How boring.” He can’t help but bite back, turning the tide onto you.

Rolling your eyes, you huff, used to this song and dance with him. “No.”

“Out with it, then.” He pushes.

Worry curls through you. You trusted these men with your life, knew that their teasing was all light-hearted and they’d never genuinely mock you, but some things were private. “Cross…” You mumble, fingers finding the neckline of your shirt to play with the fabric nervously.

“Pretty little thing like you probably has many stories to tell!” Wrecker laughs, giving your shoulder a light nudge.

You laugh awkwardly, trying to make up some stories on the spot, ones you can quickly sell, teeth sinking into your lower lip.

Curiosity painted itself on Tech’s face – he’d spent long enough studying your body language to aid him in understanding nat-born social cues, to pick up on the subtleties. “You do not have any stories.” He states, with no judgement in his tone.

The certainty of Tech’s comment captures Hunter’s attention, and he tilts his head in your direction, brown eyes taking in the nervousness and mild panic that’s now on your face.

“Don’t tell me you’re a kriffing virgin…” Crosshair is equal parts horrified and amused. There was no way in hell you – you – hadn’t been with anyone.

Embarrassment seeps through you, and you drop your gaze to the table, fingers going back to trace the patterns of the wooden surface.

Crosshair couldn’t believe it; this was wilder than any other confession they had shared during the night. “You’re kidding me…even Tech’s been laid a handful of times, and you haven’t?”

Tech sighs at his twin’s barb, though he’s used to them by now and doesn’t take it to heart.

At your silence, the boys share a glance, trying to hide their surprise at the situation.

Mulling it over, Crosshair looks around the bar. “Plenty of pickings in here. Then again…Regs.” He sneers.

“I don’t want a random hookup. I want the right one.” You admit quietly, shyness taking a front-row seat.

Crosshair baulks. “Oh, hell. You want romance and love.” The idea horrifies him even more. He goes to speak again, but Hunter interjects.

“Crosshair…” Hunter warns, voice low. He’d picked up on your discomfort and wanted to end it.

A smirk tilts Crosshair’s lips at the reprimand. He’d opted not to say anything or show his hand in the past, keeping his knowledge about Hunter’s affection for you quiet. “Gar ru'lis ganar kaysh.” He teases with a toothy grin, unleashing that hand.

Tech and Wrecker can’t hide their snorts of laughter at his words. Hunter’s lips press together, and he huffs, reaching for a card to bring the focus back to the game and off you. Crosshair’s dark chuckle seeps into the air, delighted at getting a small rise from his older brother.

The Mando’a catches you off guard – you didn’t know enough to understand what had been said, but the laughter and Hunter’s reaction had you frowning. The boys had only taught you the odd word or two as they didn’t use it as much anymore. As Hunter pries his card from the pile and flips it over, he places his hand back on your knee under the table, reassuringly squeezing it. Reaching down, you give his wrist a light squeeze, appreciating that he’d taken the heat off you. His hand stays in place as he reads the card aloud, and the game continues.

Your shore leave had been a welcome reprieve, especially as six back-to-back missions had followed it. You’d wrapped up the latest hours ago, and the Senator you’d helped had been exceptionally grateful for the assistance. He’d offered for you all to stay on the planet for a little while to rest in one of his many hotels. A quick comm to Command had seen it okayed for two days, so here you were, hanging out on the balcony of Hunter’s suite.

You’d accidentally discovered that you had connecting rooms, having knocked on a random door in your suite and been amused to find Hunter on the other side when it had opened. He’d immediately invited you in, and you’d headed for the balcony to watch the city go by while he finished the last report. Crosshair and Wrecker had gone off searching for food, while Tech had decided to tinker with his latest project.

Leaning against the railing, laughter from down below captures your attention. Eyes falling to where the sound was coming from, you watch a couple embrace on the side of the street, sharing lingering kisses. From your vantage point, you can make out their broad smiles.

An ache settles in your chest, that old pesky feeling of yearning tugging at you. Unconsciously, you tug your cardigan around you a little tighter – whether to keep out the chill in the wind or offer some comfort, you don’t know.

In the suite, and with the reports finished, Hunter pauses at the doorway, unable to pry his eyes off you. Something about how you’re standing, the expression on your beautiful face, makes unease sink into his gut. He wants to chase away whatever is making you look so sad.

It was becoming harder and harder for him to ignore his feelings, to tamper them down, especially as he knew his brothers were all aware. How long would it be before you picked up on it, too? That blasted night at 79’s kept replaying in his mind, his fingers itching to reach for you at every opportunity and to make a move before someone else snapped you up and took you from him. Hunter knows he doesn’t have much he can give you and can’t promise a safe or long life together – anything can happen in a war – but he knows he can provide you with romance. He knows he can make you the centre of his galaxy, and you’ll never have to question his devotion.

But would you want that from him, though? It was the one thought that stopped him.

Realising he’d been watching for a while, Hunter joins you on the balcony, moving to your side. You don’t startle; you’re used to him and his brothers silently approaching by now. He follows your focused gaze, watching a couple on the street share kisses before flagging down a taxi. “They look happy.” He comments quietly, wondering if that was the cause of your sadness.

“Mhm.” You hum in agreement, wondering for a moment longer what it would be like to be so carefree and in love. Before falling too far down the ash-rabbit hole, you focus on the man at your side. “Plans for the evening?” You ask, changing the subject while hoping to lighten your mood.

Not wanting to push, Hunter lets it go and instead lifts a hand to count off each element of his plan on his fingers. “Room service, a holodrama, and sleep.”

“Okay there, Grandpa.” You tease, the wind whipping around you a little more as you break out into a smile.

Hunter’s pretty sure your smile could end this war if you turned it on the right people. With a fond shake of his head, he chuckles. Unable to help himself just this once, he reaches out and gently tucks a stray strand of your hair behind your ear.

The action makes you pause, smile faltering, lips parting slightly in surprise. For a moment, you look at one another, the air seeming to crackle with something. Hunter had always been soft with you, but he’d been even more attentive since the night at 79’s.

“Join me?” He asks, not willing to let you go just yet.

“Sure.” You reply with a soft smile, not even needing a moment to think about it, and Hunter leads the way back into the suite. The balcony door closes behind you, muffling the sounds of the bustling city outside.

You settle onto the couch and Hunter orders room service. As you wait for the food to arrive, you fall into easy conversation, discussing missions, the state of the galaxy, and anything else that comes to mind.

The food doesn’t take long to arrive, the aroma filling the room, and you both enjoy a quiet dinner. Between you, you select a holodrama that turns out to be surprisingly entertaining. But as it progresses, you find yourself drawn to Hunter’s presence. His arm casually rests against the back of the couch, not quite touching you but close enough to send a shiver down your spine. A fluttery feeling erupts in your belly as your brain helpfully supplies that this kind of thing always happens in the trashy romance novels that clog up your datapad.

Nearing the end of the holodrama, a feather-light touch brushes against the nape of your neck and you instinctively lean into it. Hunter’s fingers trace gentle circles, and you feel a warmth spreading through you. Glancing towards him, you find his gaze fixed on you.

“Sorry.” He murmurs, withdrawing his hand slightly.

“No, it’s... nice.” You respond, surprising yourself with the admission. Hunter’s hand returns and the soft touch continues.

Hunter is at war with himself – if there was ever a time to make a move, it would be now. His senses are on overdrive, homed in on you, picking up every errant breath you take, the heavy thud of your heart, and your soft swallows.

The weight of the moment sits, the holodrama becoming background noise as you witness the conflict in Hunter’s gaze. It doesn’t last long, though, and the subtle touch on your neck becomes bolder, his hand shifting around to cup your cheek as his thumb brushes against your lower lip.

Inexperience makes you nervous, heart thumping wildly. You go to dip your head to break the eye contact, but Hunter’s pointer finger hooks under your chin to stop the movement.

He leans in slowly, closing the distance between you, giving you time to pull away if you’re uncomfortable. But you don’t. You remain still, those pretty eyes of yours focused on him even as your heart rate spikes and your breaths turn a little shallower with anticipation. “Cyar’ika…” He murmurs, a hair’s breadth away from you, gaze dropping momentarily to your lips.

The flood of feelings instead of you is overwhelming - excitement and nervousness, worry and anticipation. It’s hard to single each one out. You’d been telling the truth in 79’s - you were indeed waiting for the right man - but you’d omitted that you were sure it was the man now sat at your side, letting you decide whether to push your friendship into something more.

You lean in ever so slightly, and finally, his lips brush against yours in a tentative, exploratory kiss. It’s soft and sweet, testing the waters. Your eyes flutter closed, savouring the warmth that spreads through you.

The kiss deepens, becoming more passionate, and you respond eagerly. The taste of him, the feel of his hand on your cheek, it’s much more than you expected.

Hunter’s other hand moves between you and the couch, resting on the small of your back, pulling you closer. Your hands find their way to his shoulders, fingers intertwining with the fabric of his shirt as he draws you onto his lap.

Breaking the kiss, Hunter pulls back slightly, his eyes searching yours for any sign of discomfort. Instead, he finds his desire mirrored. “You okay?” He double-checks quietly, his breath mingling with yours.

You nod, a small smile playing on your lips. “More than okay.”

Hunter grins, his thumb gently caressing your cheek. “Good.” He whispers before capturing your lips in another kiss, the intensity growing between you. The holodrama plays on, completely forgotten, as you lose yourselves in the moment.

The touch of his lips and the warmth of his embrace all feel right. Hunter’s hands explore your back, and you feel the gentle press of his fingers as they slide under your shirt, sending shivers down your spine. Eventually, you both pull back, foreheads resting against each other as you catch your breath. The air is charged with electric energy, and the room feels warm.

“I’ve been wanting to do that for a long time,” Hunter admits, his voice a low, smoky murmur, but conflict shines in his eyes. “I can’t give you the things any other man could. There’s no guarantee of tomorrow. I know it’s not right an-“

You meet his gaze, feeling warmth in your cheeks. “It is right.” You cut him off softly, breaking eye contact, focusing instead on the slight hollow of his throat as nervousness sweeps through you. “This... with you, it feels right.” You confess quietly.

Delight simmers in Hunter’s veins, and his fingers trace patterns on your back. He still feels guilty, but if this is what you want, and you’re sure it’s right, then who is he to protest? Pressing a kiss to your forehead, he smiles. “Then I’ll do everything I can to ensure you always feel that way.”

Your fingers find his chest, the buttery softness of his shirt doing nothing to conceal the firm muscles beneath it. A slight hum of contentment slides from him as you brush your fingers up and down his sternum. The nerves are back, your eyes flitting up to gaze at him, noting how his own are closed and contentment is painted across his face.

On your next stroke down, your fingers dip slightly lower, catching the first few ridges of his abs. A deep rumble vibrates his chest, giving you courage. Head tilting down to watch your actions, your heart pounds as your fingers skirt close to the hem of his shirt – and the waistband of his pants. A tattooed hand wraps around your wrist, stilling your motions, and you look up from under your lashes.

Meeting your gaze, Hunter’s thumb rubs small circles on your pulse point. “Feels good, cyar’ika. But there’s no rush.”

“I know, but…” You trail off for a moment, averting your gaze. “I want this. I want you.” You confess quietly, feeling warmth return to your cheeks as you chance a glance at him. “I’m tired of waiting, and I-I want you to be my first…”

Hunter was a good man, a strong man, but hell if he didn’t crumble at your confession. His fingers find your face, tilting your head upwards so he can look at you properly. He was touched by your admittance but didn’t want you to regret anything. “Promise me?” He asks gently, knowing how much value you placed on promises.

Meeting warm brown eyes, you couldn’t help the soft smile that crossed your lips. You were nervous, yes, but this felt right. “I promise.”

Leaning in, Hunter’s lips capture yours in a heated kiss. His hands shift, moving to cup your ass, and he lifts you up as he stands. The small noise of surprise you let out and how you grasp at him for stability draws a deep chuckle from him, though the sound is muffled by the kiss. It’s only a few steps over to the bed, and as he lowers you down gently onto the plush surface, he follows, hands smoothing across your hips as he rests a little of his weight against you.

Lips trailing from yours, he drags kisses across your cheek and down to your jawline, following the curve of your throat, giving a light nip as he reaches the juncture where your shoulder and neck meet. How your hips buck at the contact, breath catching, clues him in to how much you enjoy it. Your hands shift down Hunter’s body, and he can feel the nervousness rolling off you. Propping himself up above you with one hand, he uses the other to guide your hands towards his body, encouraging you to touch him in return. “There’s no reason to be nervous. We only do what you’re comfortable with.” He tells you, wanting to make that abundantly clear. “And we can stop anytime.”

You nod, chest rising and falling with each quick breath as your hands meet Hunter’s body. Encouraged, you explore the ridges and planes of him, fingers smoothing over him before gripping his narrow waist. His mouth is back on you, dragging across your throat, pulling soft noises from your lips as you familiarise yourself with the man above you. As your hands shift, a flash of courage rips through you, and you reach down, one hand landing squarely on his ass, giving the firm muscle a soft squeeze.

Hunter startles, not expecting the action, and warm puffs of his breath fan across your neck as he chuckles. “Cheeky.” He murmurs against your skin, the vibration of his laughter sending pleasant shivers down your spine. The atmosphere in the room is charged with a mix of desire and nervous excitement as you continue to explore each other.

Hands pull at clothes, material discarded, fluttering to the hotel room floor as acres of skin are revealed. You’re warm to the touch, the earlier chill from the balcony chased away by Hunter’s hands. Self-consciousness creeps through you as your underwear is cast aside, thighs pressing together to try and hide yourself.

“Cyar’ika…” Hunter tuts, strong hands moving down your body until he can rub and squeeze at your thighs. “Don’t hide from me. Wanna see all of you.” He murmurs, kisses trailing down your body. Tongue gliding across your breasts, he draws a nipple into his mouth, the corners of his lips curling upward as you gasp, your fingers tangling in his hair.

Pleasure rolls through you as you tug gently at Hunter’s brown curls, back arching to press more of yourself against him. He’s warm against you, bronze skin and dark ink pressed as close as possible, and it’s difficult to ignore the weight of his half-hard cock against your thigh.

Switching his focus to your other nipple, Hunter lavishes it with the same attention before he starts to creep back down your body. “Wanna taste you.” He breathes against your stomach, lips drawing across soft skin, fingers teasing your thighs. “Make you feel good.” He adds, pausing to glance up the length of you, finding your eyes focused on him. He can see your trepidation but also your burning curiosity and desire. “No one’s done that for you, have they?” He asks with no judgement.

Embarrassment burns through you, teeth sinking into your lower lip as you shake your head.

Hunter’s heart aches. How had no one loved on you before? Their loss was his gain, he supposed. “That’s okay.” He reassures you, pressing a kiss to the juncture where your thigh and hip meet. “Only if you want.” The reminder is gentle, fingers skirting back up your body to not put pressure on your decision.

You know you could say no, and that would be the end of it, but you’d seen many women enjoying it on the holonet, and they certainly seemed to like it in the novels you vicariously consumed. Maybe it wouldn’t hurt to try. “Please.” You push out the word, embarrassment still sitting in your chest, though it evaporates when you meet Hunter’s hungry gaze.

He hadn’t been expecting your agreement, content to work you up in other ways, but that soft little plea from your lips sent fire through his veins. Hands finding your thighs once more, Hunter slowly pushes them apart. “A little wider, baby.” He encourages, a deep groan vibrating in his chest as you follow his order, and he shifts to lay between your thighs, greeted with the prettiest pussy he’s ever seen. Dropping soft kisses to your inner thigh, his tongue darts out to wet his lips.

Eyes flitting up to gauge how you’re faring, his cock twitches where it’s trapped between his body and the mattress as he catches you watching him. Holding your gaze, he leans forward, nose pressing against you as he inhales, committing the intimate scent of you to memory.

He starts slow, a gentle press of his tongue against your entrance, dragging it up through your folds until his tongue flicks over your clit. You jolt, letting out a small keening noise that he’s desperate to hear again.

Spurred on, kitten licks accompany broad, sweeping tastes, soft open-mouthed kisses dropped against heated flesh as Hunter closes his eyes and focuses on bringing you pleasure. His tongue drags across your clit again, and he grunts as your fingers, tangled in his hair, try to drag his face impossibly closer.

You’d watched for as long as you could, engraving the sight of Hunter between your thighs into your mind. Head tilting back, eyes fluttering shut, warmth coils through you. Letting out low whimpers and quiet gasps, your hips rock, chasing the pleasure he’s so beautifully giving you. Now you understood the fuss, why all those women on the holonet and in the novels adored this.

Lips wrap around your clit, and your grip on Hunter’s hair tightens as the pleasure curling through your body climbs, the light suction and the rapid flick of his tongue across the sensitive bud pushing you ever closer to the edge. The warm wetness of his mouth was better than anything you’d ever been able to achieve with your fingers.

“Hunter.” You moan out his name, enjoying the groan he lets out in response. One of his hands slides up the bed, fingers interlacing with those on your free hand as he doubles-down his efforts.

Most of the time, Hunter considers his heightened senses a curse rather than a blessing, but right now, with the scent of you in his lungs, the taste of you on his tongue, and his name falling from your lips like a prayer, he’s never been more grateful for them. Tuning into your body, to every thud of your heart, every sharp inhale, and the little whines you let out, he uses them to guide him until you’re close, teetering on the edge.

Two fingers enter the mix, pressing against your entrance, slipping in with ease as Hunter laves kisses and licks across your folds. His lips find your clit again, applying light suction as he crooks his fingers right against that sweet little spot.

Caught off guard, you come with a cry, the noise echoing in the room as the pleasure that had been building crashes into you. Thigh’s quivering, tiny trembles coast through your body as you pant through the high, body going pliant as your release works out of your system.

Enraptured, the pride Hunter feels is undeniable as he pries his fingers from your pussy, sliding them into his mouth to clean them off and savour the taste of you even more.

Staring up at the ceiling as you drag your breathing under control, a small snort of laughter escapes you. “Oh, stars, you can do that again whenever you want.” You vow quietly, enjoying Hunter’s chuckle as he shifts back over you, capturing your lips for a deep kiss, the tang of you lingering in his mouth.

As Hunter pulls back, he rests on his knees between your thighs, soaking up the sight of you naked. He still can’t believe this is happening, that you’d chosen him.

Your gaze travels over his body – broad shoulders, firm chest, defined abs. He was gorgeous enough to be a carved statue in a fancy Naboo garden. Eyes roaming lower, you swallow at the sight of his cock. Hard and flushed, it twitches with his heartbeat, girthier than you’d expected.

“It’ll fit.” Hunter can’t resist teasing, tattooed hand shifting down so he can give himself a few lazy strokes. The way you watch the movement gives him ideas for the future. “Still want this, love?” He checks in.

Your earlier nervousness is still there, but it’s smothered by anticipation. Eyes flitting up, you meet Hunter’s gaze, parting your thighs just that little bit more.

Delight flares in Hunter’s eyes, and he moves to rest back over you, one hand supporting his weight as the other stays wrapped around his dick. Holding your gaze, he drags the velvety head between your slick folds, enjoying the way your breath stutters as he brushes against your clit.

“I’ve got you, princess.” He coos, lining up before pressing forward. “Doing so well.” Hunter praises, focused on your face and your body’s reaction as he bottoms out, hips flush to yours.

The sensation is unlike anything you’d experienced before. The stretch burns slightly but gives way quickly to pleasure as he feeds the last inch of his cock into your heat. Love and adoration weave through you, that earlier sense of rightness rearing its head as you squirm a little beneath him.

Hunter’s now free hand drops to your hip, grip firm as he holds you still. “Just…give me a second.” He murmurs, voice strained as his eyes close. “Been dreaming about this for a long time, and if I don’t take a few breaths here, I’m gonna kriffing embarrass myself.”

The revelation that he’s dreamt of this moment makes you involuntarily clench around him.

“Not helping…” He growls quietly, words lacking any bite. You feel like heaven, like everything he’s ever wanted and desired.

Mirth dances in your eyes as you lift a hand to trace along his inked jawline, still unable to comprehend that he wants you and that he’s buried inside you, the two of you connected in the most intimate of ways.

Dark eyes snap open at the contact, and Hunter takes you in, soaks in the sight of you sprawled underneath him, hair fanned on the pillow, lips plush from kisses and eyes still a little hazy from your orgasm. “Kriff, baby. I love that no one else has seen you like this, that no one else has felt you before, been inside you. They don’t get to have you, but I do.” He rasps, letting the last fragments of his feelings for you eke out of the box he’d kept them locked away in for far too long. “Feel so good wrapped around my cock.” He groans.

Hand leaving your hip, Hunter tilts your head back up as he sees it start to dip down. “Don’t go getting shy on me now.” He whispers. “Keep those pretty eyes on me.” He slowly draws his hips back, watching as your lips part and the sweetest sound slides from between them as he pushes himself back inside. Hunter takes his time, building up the pace, focusing on every noise you make, every shift of your body, every flutter of your heart.

With every roll of Hunter’s hips, that earlier pleasure starts to build again. Hands grasp at his sweat-dampened shoulders, providing leverage as you move with him, the harsh sounds of your breaths filling the room alongside the noise of your bodies meeting. The air feels hot, matching the heat inside you as Hunter’s lips crash against yours, devouring you. A whine escapes you as his tongue presses forward, tasting you. It’s unrefined and needy, his usual self-control long thrown out of the hotel room window.

“That’s it, baby, that’s it. You can give me one more. I know you can.” Hunter whispers against your lips, pulling back just enough to slide his free hand between your bodies, thrusts never faltering. Dragging his lips across your jaw, he peppers kisses down your throat as his fingers circle over your clit once, twice, and on the third round, he nips at your throat.

The building pleasure slams into you, tipping over into ecstasy as you cry out his name, back arching, and body clenching around him as the high washes through you. Panting for breath, nails digging into Hunter’s shoulders, you coast through the feeling, small shakes rocking your body as Hunter’s hips snap against yours a little roughly.

The way you’d tightened around him, the sound of you crying out his name in the throes of pleasure, it was all too much for Hunter. “Kriff, cyar’ika. Where?” He asks between ragged breaths, thrusts sloppy as he closes in on his own climax.

It’s probably a stupid idea and could go very wrong, but it’s the first one that comes to mind. And you’re desperate to experience it. “In me. Come in me. Please.” You insist.

Hunter crumbles for the second time this evening, unable to deny you anything, consequences be damned. A few more rough thrusts and he’s growling out your name, pressing himself into you as deep as he can get, lips finding yours for a passionate kiss as he finds his own release, cock twitching as he fills you.

His hips slow to a stop, and your kiss turns softer and more reverent as the haze of lust dissipates. Hands stroke across each other’s bodies reverently, lips parting as Hunter mouthes down your throat to the spot he’d nipped earlier, pressing open-mouthed kisses to your skin. He sucks lightly, just to leave the slightest mark, so faint that unless someone was standing right beside you, they wouldn’t see it.

Contentment curls through you, hand brushing Hunter’s hair, fingers snagging on his bandana. Feeling cheeky, you pry it off, wrapping it around your wrist, enjoying how his eyes darken.

“Playin’ with fire again, cyar’ika.” Hunter murmurs, lips moving up to ghost across the shell of your ear.

A smile paints itself on your lips. “If that was me getting burned, then tie me to a stake and call me a Nightsister.”

Hunter’s whole body shakes with his laughter, amusement shining in his pretty brown eyes. “Oh, one day I’ll tie you to something, don’t worry about that.” He vows.

A thrill shoots through you, your own laughter joining his. As it fizzles out and the room falls silent, you’re left staring into each other’s eyes.

“How’d you feel?” Hunter asks, slowly shifting you both down onto your sides. The movement has him slipping from you, and you wince a little. Hunter’s arms loop around you, drawing you close.

“Loved.” You answer honestly.

“Good.” Hunter smooths a hand across your hair, pushing it back from your face. He captures your lips for another soft kiss. “Because you are.” He shares as the kiss breaks.

Warmth sweeps across your cheeks again. He was getting too good at pulling this reaction from you. “As are you.” You reply, wanting to ensure he understands how much you care for him in return.

Hunter’s smile is blinding as he draws you closer, suffocating the space between you, tucking you safely under his chin. Burying his nose in your hair, he inhales deeply, picking up on your combined scent.

As the night draws on, the two of you lay entwined, finding comfort in the shared warmth of your bodies. The soft glow of the cityscape filters through the window, casting a gentle illumination in the room as you share quiet conversations.

As sleep begins to claim you both, you whisper a quiet promise into the stillness of the night. “No matter where the stars take us, I want to be with you.”

Hunter holds you a little tighter, kissing your forehead in silent agreement. Together, you drift into dreams, wrapped in the warmth of love and the certainty that, no matter what challenges awaited, you would face them together.

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torukmaktoskxawng · 8 months

Text

'anla - part six

Masterlist

Summary: Ao'nung and Y/n settle into a new relationship while a father/daughter bond needs mending. Y/n decides it's finally time to visit the Spirit Tree again.

Pairing: Ao'nung/Fem!Na'vi!Sully Reader

Warnings: Mature language, time skips, HEAVY angst, depression, older sibling syndrome, mentions of death, canon compliance, father/daughter trouble, fluff, etc.

posted on ao3

Word Count: 5k+

Tag: #'anla ao'nung fic

Na'vi Words: Sänrr Rong - Glow Tunnel, tulkun - whale like animal, akula - shark like animal, Iknimaya - Rite of Passage, tsurak - skimwing, kurkung - asshole, taronyu - hunter, marui - house/pod, ilu - plesiosaur like animal, olo'eyktan - clan leader, kuru/tswin - queue braid, tsmukan - brother, Ranteng Utralti - Metkayina Spirit Tree, tsmuke - sister, nantang - dog like animal

Taglist (bold indicates “could not tag”): @bangtanxberm @aonungmyaddiction @lv9su @aisselasstuff @yourusername1 @amortencjja @king-julian6201 @gg-trini @im-in-a-pansexual-panik @mikeyswifie @heart-an0n @iloveavatar @urdads-gf @kentfisherswifee6 @sakurayuki8655-blog @ken-zah @nilrilie @g-l-1-t-c-h-3-r @iovemoonyy @sopluto @frvv

A/N: Thank you so much for 700 followers!

Despite not telling anyone what had happened at Sänrr Rong, everyone noticed the significant change in Y/n's attitude and everyone knew that whatever changed her tune happened at that tunnel.

It has been over a month since she kissed Ao'nung and she's almost back to the way she was before the tragedy of her twin brother's death. She was flying more than usual without feeling the need to watch her siblings like a hawk, and sometimes her siblings would join her on these flights. She would play more often than watch over the other kids doing so and she would smile more than she had in a very long time. The more she talked, the more her voice was rid of the rough sound of sandpaper, eventually returning to normal. That's not to say she had completely healed from her loss. Y/n's smiles were still small and sometimes sad, but they were less forced and more genuine. There would be a day or two when she needed to be alone again with her thoughts, but those days were starting to be far or few between.

And of course, she wasn't the only one slowly but surely healing. Her family was as well, although there was still some obvious tension between Y/n and her father, unspoken words still bubbling underneath the surface. Y/n had said everything she had ever wanted to say to her father that fateful day, but Jake couldn't afford to say his piece. Sometimes that man was too emotionally constipated and unfortunately, recent events have shown just how damaging that is to his children, especially Y/n and Lo'ak. To keep each other from thinking about it, the sister and brother would spend whole days together and entertaining the others. Lo'ak took all the kids to see Payakan many times over the months after losing Neteyam, and it was safe to say tulkun riding was a great success and a therapeutic activity for everyone involved. Much like how they spent time away in Sänrr Rong, the kids now spend their free afternoons with Payakan after finishing up any chores they had in the morning. Of course, the teens still like cliff diving, but they have been wanting to keep Tuk and her little friends included more often than not nowadays, so they have stuck to activities the younger ones can participate in, such as fin-gliding with Payakan.

However, the Archwas never left abandoned. Y/n would go there every time she needed to be left alone and recharge. Her family respected the fact that there were gonna be days when she needed to go back to missing her twin and promised to leave her to her thoughts... just as long as she always came back to them.

She hated lying to them sometimes. Yes, she'd escape to Sänrr Rong some days to be alone, but sometimes she needed an excuse to sneak away. She wished she didn't use Neteyam as an excuse, but internally, she knew her twin would laugh his ass off if he knew why.

While impatiently waiting on one of those days, she sat on the edge of the cliff and let her legs gently swing in the air, deep in thought. Y/n was watching the clouds until a pair of large hands covered her vision and a voice close enough to feel their breath in her hair called out behind her, "Guess who."

She grins knowingly, "Rotxo? Is that you?"

A laugh is pulled from her lungs when Ao'nung pulls his hands away from her face and instead grabs at her waist, pulling her away from the ledge while ruthlessly poking and prodding at her ribcage. Y/n squeals with uncontrollable laughter, trying to curl up and protect herself while Ao'nung playfully growls at her, "Take that back, Forest Girl."

He tightens his arms around her for a brief squeeze and relents after she makes a half-assed apology between gasps of laughter. Keeping her in his arms, Ao'nung gets comfortable, sitting down in the grass as the high winds rustle the vegetation around them. Y/n's laughter died down eventually, flinching occasionally if Ao'nung's fingers touched a ticklish spot, now high-strung and giggling under her breath. She tilts her head to peer over her shoulder and finally gets a good look at him, "Ah, Seaweed Brain. To what do I owe the displeasure?"

"Keep it up," he jibes back, "And I will toss you over the edge."

She makes an amused sound at the back of her throat but otherwise says nothing. They sit that way for a while, warmed by their shared body heat as the wind brushes through their hair, tangled legs gently swinging over the cliffside. Ao'nung breaks the moment of peace by rummaging in a small pouch he had tied to his belt that morning, "I got you something."

"What is it?" Y/n leans her head back to rest against his shoulder as he lifts his hand out to hers, presenting a small object resting in his giant palm. It was obviously an arrowhead, but the material looked different than what a traditional arrow was made of. Once Y/n had the object in her hand, she ran her thumb over it and recognized it to be made out of an akula tooth, causing her lips to turn up into an excited smile, "It's beautiful."

"It looks fragile but I promise that it is strong. You'll be able to use it for your arrows. I can show you where to gather more of them."

In the meantime, in order to keep it safe, she fashioned the arrow into the necklace she wore, feeling the object rest comfortably against her collar. She turned her head enough to look back at Ao'nung and smiled, her hand reaching behind and resting against the back of the reef boy's neck, "Thank you."

He grinned obnoxiously back, overdramatically enunciating his words as if he were reciting an ancient prophecy, "May your arrows always fly true~"

"You are ridiculous." Y/n rolled her eyes with a scoff, despite the smile still gracing her lips. They leaned back into a comfortable silence, looking out over the vast ocean before she spoke up once more, "You're one season away from completing your Iknimaya. Are you excited?"

"Aren't you? My father mentioned that you have been hunting more. You might be able to finish the trials with the rest of us instead of waiting. Rotxo was upset that you managed to catch more fish than him last week," Ao'nung laughed when Y/n proudly beamed and winked at him in response, "I would not be surprised if you finished the trials before him."

"Even if I did, I don't have my own tulkun. Lo'ak would be able to finish the Iknimaya since he has Payakan, but without a tulkun, I wouldn't be able to fully become Metkayina."

"But you can still do the other trials. You can still tame a tsurak. I know you can."

"I know, it's just... it wouldn't be the same."

Her voice lowered, trailing off as she got lost in thought. Ao'nung knew that this particular tone in her voice meant several meanings. Without saying it, Y/n confessed that it wouldn't be the same as flying with Evi, or the same as sharing these achievements with her twin. She didn't have to specify for Ao'nung, he already knew what she meant.

Instead of asking her to be specific, Ao'nung tightened his hold around her, holding her like he wished he was brave enough to do a few months ago, "I know."

She gladly takes his comfort, sighing in defeat, "And besides, I wouldn't put it past my father to be stubborn and refuse my place in the trials."

"Why? I thought that's what your father wanted you to do?"

"It was. But lately, we haven't been... on speaking terms."

"Lo'ak mentioned that. 'Said something about how you and Toruk Makto have been driving your mother 'up the wall,'" Ao'nung's ears pin back while shyly admitting, "I am not sure I know what that means."

Y/n half-heartedly laughs, "It means we're driving her crazy."

"Oh... Yeah, you're pretty good at that."

Ao'nung's smugness is interrupted by a sharp elbow jabbing into his ribs and he yelps in response, Y/n's scowl looking as adorable as ever to him as she cursed, "Kurkung."

~~~~~~~~~

Neytiri usually loved how stubborn her mate could be, and she loved it even more when that stubbornness was passed down to their children. But lately, that stubbornness is driving her absolutely insane and it might also be tearing her family apart more than it already is.

She had been telling Jake that he needed to talk to Y/n and he needed to act soon, or else Y/n would grow up and become taronyu right under his nose. And then it will be too late for forgiveness. Y/n's childhood will be gone permanently and there would be no way for Jake to fix it. Neytiri has a fear that her daughter will only continue to distance herself from her father as she gets older until there's nothing left to mend, so the Na'vi woman has done everything in her power to keep that from happening. She had talked to both Jake and Y/n separately, but nothing appeared to work.

Jake has the Human mindset that Y/n just needs her distance from him, while Y/n secretly resents her father for not just telling her how he really feels. Neytiri, luckily, doesn't have the same mindset as her mate so she took matters into her own hands.

One afternoon, Neytiri refused to let either of their stubborn asses into her marui and told them to go hunting together, threatening to not let them back in until they had talked it all out. "We are a family. We have lost too much to be anything but! Start acting like a family."

Like father, like daughter, they begrudgingly left to go fishing together, taking their respective tsurak and ilu before swimming out beyond the reef to hunt for their family's next meal. They stubbornly tried to do so in silence, but too much hurt and words hung between them, making this hunting trip just as painful. While Jake was glad Y/n appeared to be doing better, smiling and laughing like normal whenever she was around friends, he couldn't help but feel hurt whenever her eyes landed on him and her smile would immediately disappear. Even now, when they were alone, Y/n looked as though time had not passed since Neteyam's death, her expression unhappy as her gaze looked off into the distance as if she had not healed at all. Maybe, whenever her father was concerned, she hadn't healed at all like everyone thinks.

"Your first word was 'fly,'" was the first thing that came to mind, and he had no idea where that came from. Y/n suddenly turned and stared oddly at her father, but said nothing in response. Jake looks out over the ocean, replaying the memory in his head, "Neteyam was sick that day and we were scared that you would catch it, so we separated the two of you. I took you flying while your mother and grandmother tended to your brother. I was trying to occupy your mind, holding you in my arms while Bob wandered around. Anyway, you and I were flying and you mumbled that word. It was a moment that I alone witnessed and cherished forever. Your mom was sad that she had missed it. Mo'at believed it was a sure sign that you would become one of the best flyers someday, and she was right. She also believed that because you spoke your first word to me, you would always trust me and come to me first for anything... I wish she was right about that, too."

He finally turned back to his daughter, ears drooping as he reassured her, "Not that it's your fault, kiddo. It's mine. I pushed you away, I expected too much from you and Neteyam. From all of you. There's no excuse for what I did, not even war or the fear I have of losing you. Everything that's happened until this very moment has been my fault, and... I am so, so sorry."

They sit silently on their respective tsurak and ilu for some time while Y/n carefully stares at her father and tries to piece together a puzzle in her head, the soft waves bobbing the pair of them up and down in the water as she gathers her thoughts.

Jake looked so old at that moment, aging far past his years as if cryosleep had finally caught up to him, devastated and beside himself as he stared back, hoping his daughter could see how genuine he was. It's funny, in a strange, twisted way. Y/n had grown up believing everyone when they said her father was the great and mighty Toruk Makto, one of only six throughout the history of the Na'vi. They all described Jakesully as a strong warrior, as sturdy as the trees and unforgivable as the ocean, whereas whenever Y/n looked at him, all she could see was her dad. He's not particularly tall -at least not compared to Tonowari- or strong or unforgivable. He's just... ordinary to her. An ordinary man. As a child, sure, she believed all the stories told of him and considered him her number one hero, but as she grew older, she saw less of the legend and more of the man behind it. It's hard to picture the man who grounds you whenever you do something wrong as the same man who brought the clans together in a time of great sorrow.

Even though Y/n was easily able to separate her father from the great Toruk Makto, others might not be able to, such as Jake himself. She could only imagine the burden placed on his shoulders as a husband, father, and leader. She knew he had to make a difficult choice by choosing his family over his clan, believing he could protect both from the Sky People by running away. In the human stories she'd heard in the past, usually, the hero sacrifices everything they love for the greater good. A quote she could faintly remember, something about a Vulcan stating "needs of the many outweigh the needs of the few" or something like that. They all start to blur together and she can't remember which of those stories were fact or fiction. Either way, when she thought of those stories, she didn't picture her father as any of those heroes. To her, he was the olo'eyktan of the Omatikaya clan and war hero of the Battle of the Hallelujah Mountains. Toruk Makto wasn't about sacrifices or choosing who to save. He was about bringing the clans together to mourn, to love, and to fight as one.

So losing Neteyam wasn't just hard on Jake as a father but as a leader as well. A father protects, but so does a leader, and he failed at both of them. Soon, Y/n will be sixteen years old, and no matter how hard she tried to think like an adult, she couldn't imagine what her father must be going through right now. She couldn't imagine the pain he was feeling, losing the very child that made him a father in the first place. Parents shouldn't have to bury their children. Parents are meant to grow old and die without ever having to worry about their own child's death. They should be the ones to go first... not their child. Not their sweet, innocent babies.

A tear slipped down Y/n's face when she first noticed her own father silently crying throughout the silence. A part of her wished to never have children for the sake of sparing herself this kind of pain, while another part of her wished to see what it'd be like to raise children one day and see if she could do better than the people who came before her. Jake wasn't the best father in the world, but he was hers, and she wanted to be proud of that fact, "I said I would never forgive you, Dad. That doesn't mean that I'll never stop loving you."

He peered up at her, watching her carefully as she rolled her lips when her tear slipped into her mouth. She sniffled quietly as she whispered, "I-- I can't help it. You're my father. And... And maybe someday soon I'll learn how to forgive, but I could never forget."

Jake tried to collect himself, taking deep breaths and wiping his own tears away, nodding, "That's okay kiddo. I understand."

"How... how did your brother die?"

Jake winced, hissing silently between his teeth. It wasn't a topic suitable for children, but after everything his daughter had been through, it's safe to say her innocence had been shattered a while ago, no matter how hard her parents had tried to contain it. It breaks Jake a little more every day realizing just how young all his children are and just how much they have already gone through in the early stages of their lives. Nevertheless, Jake's kids barely know anything about his brother and they try not to press, but he knew eventually he'd have to tell them.

"A gun, I think. Or a knife. I... I honestly can't remember. That was so long ago... it almost didn't feel real. And-- I'll be honest, I wasn't a very nice person back on Earth. I was completely wasted when I was told my brother was dead."

Y/n nods but doesn't comment on that. She can't exactly picture her father being some sort of drunk or a monster. She had seen his video diaries that Norm had kept for studying, so she knew what her father looked like as a human, but a monster? No, she couldn't even imagine. "I think you should talk about Uncle Tommy more. I think we'd all like to hear more about him."

"Yeah," he replies solemnly, looking as gray as the sky ahead of them, "I wish you could have met him."

It would've been nice to see where the twin gene came from. To see her father's brother in a side-by-side comparison would be funny in its own way. Y/n had always wondered what Tomsully was like or if he was anything like her dad.

The heavy conversation didn't really feel suited for fishing and Y/n wasn't exactly enjoying herself any more than Jake was. She felt her fingers begin to fidget as she quietly asked, "Can... Can we go to the Spirit Tree? Just us?"

Jake turned back, eyes softening into something that resembled a gentle father more than a war hero, "Of course, sweetheart. Whatever you want."

~~~~~~~~~

The Cove looked the same as when Ao'nung had taken Y/n there... right before everything went to shit. As she and Jake dive down to the Spirit Tree, she begins to get nervous, her heart wanting to leap up into her throat. Her father nodded in encouragement and kept a vigil watch while she connected to a tendril of the tree, taking her kuru braid and connecting the tswin to the branch.

The moment she closed her eyes, she found herself standing on the beach of the village. Confusion wrapped around her brain as she looked around, wondering what she was doing there. She was alone, watching everyone go about their day as normal, only... none of the faces looked clear. It was as though a dense fog was placed over the faces and a part of Y/n wondered if she had dreamt of her and her father going out to fish and visit the Spirit Tree. That is... until she heard a familiar voice.

"Ah, there you are!"

Spinning around, her voice nearly got caught in her throat as her eyes set on an approaching figure, "Neteyam..."

Walking tall and confident, Neteyam smiled brightly as he walked up to his twin sister, beckoning over his shoulder, "Come on. You said you wanted to fly."

Ah. A memory. Y/n had forgotten that the Spirit Tree only contains a past loved one's memories unless she strayed from the memory to speak to him directly. Y/n wanted nothing more than to live out this memory once more; to fly alongside her twin brother as she was meant to for the rest of their lives... but maybe some other time.

"Actually... can we talk?"

From here, the memory drifts away from history, away from what actually happened. The vision subtly moves, shifting to Y/n's preferred reality. When she pulls from the memory, Neteyam's expression moves like it's obstructed by water before the vision clears, and suddenly Neteyam's memory is also speaking off script, confused but obliging her request.

"What is it?" When he asked her this, she realized she was now speaking to Eywa's image of Neteyam, and suddenly her eyes began to blur and a sob escaped her throat. Neteyam immediately grew concerned, his protective older brother's side showing once more as he stepped close to gathering his twin up in his arms. He brushed a few tears away and then proceeded to hug her close, speaking in soothing, small words, "Hey. Hey, Y/n... it's alright. Why are you crying?"

She continued to cry into her brother's shoulder, repeatedly wiping her face but it was pointless, the tears refusing to stop, "I miss you so much, 'Teyam!" She wailed, "There isn't a day that goes by when I don't-- when I don't think of you."

"What are you talking about?"

Y/n began to cry even harder, mad at Neteyam and mad at Eywa for making her say it out loud, "You're gone, tsmukan. You've been gone for... a few months now. And it still hurts. It hurts like it just happened yesterday. This isn't real. We are in Ranteng Utralti. The Spirit Tree of the Metkayina."

"Oh." Neteyam gently pulled away and held his sister out at arm's length, looking around, curious and confused, but strangely, he wasn't scared, "So this is it? I am one with Eywa?"

Y/n took a moment to properly wipe her tears and try to relax, muttering under her breath as she nodded, "Yes..."

"You came to visit me?"

"Yeah... it is my first time doing so." Immediately, Neteyam's eyes fall back on hers before she lowers her head in shame, unable to look him in the eye, "I'm sorry. I should have come sooner, but... I was scared. Dad and Lo'ak visit the most, but I... I couldn't face you."

"What... When was the last we saw each other... before...?"

She had to pause for a few short minutes to think about it, willing herself to remember that fateful day after spending so long just trying to forget it. Thinking hard enough for her head to hurt, it took her a while to forget yellow unblinking eyes, cold skin... and all of that blood that still haunts her nightmares. She tried to get past the fire, the Sky People, and the screams and cries clawing from her own lungs and those around her. Trying to picture her twin's face, alive and well, was harder than she thought, replaying the events that had led up to the battle actually happening.

"You... you separated from us to lure the Sky People away," she recalled, her bottom lip beginning to quiver again, "You went alone. That was the last time I saw you alive. I... I don't even remember the last thing I ever said to you."

"Ah. That's alright then."

Her head snapped up quickly, staring wide-eyed in disbelief at Neteyam while he only smiled softly. Her tone was accusatory as she bit out, "'That's alright'? No! No, that is not alright! You died, 'Teyam!"

He simply shrugged, "We all have to die someday, tsmuke. That is what we are told from the day we are able to understand it."

"But why is it alright that you got separated from us and died for it?!"

"Because I drove the Sky People away, right? I made sure my siblings were safe," Y/n was opening and closing her mouth to try and find a retort before Neteyam stepped closer again, reaching out and firmly grasping the back of her head to make her look him in the eyes, "It is my job to protect my brother and sisters and I take that job very seriously."

She felt her shoulders slouch as a breathy scoff escaped her lungs, "I can't believe you sometimes. You've always been so... accepting. That worried me sometimes. It worried me how you could always be so... resigned to everything."

He smirked, "I thought it was a healthy opposition to you, someone who could never just lie down and accept that things are just the way they are. You were always so stubborn, Y/n, determined and hopeful that things could always change for the better."

Y/n bit the inside of her cheek to refrain from calling her twin a liar, glancing away to focus more on the sand of the beach, "I wish that were true about me."

"It's always been true."

"Not anymore. How--" She swallowed a sob before it could make a sound, eyes beginning to water once again as she peered up to stare into her brother's matching eyes, "How can I be hopeful for a better tomorrow if you're no longer there to see it? It will never be brighter, or better, because you're gone."

"I am gone..." he nods as if he hadn't just been informed of this mere moments ago, "But not fully. Look around you."

When she obediently did so, her eyes widened in wonder as the beach slowly melted away and turned the vision into a vast, heavy, and healthy forest. Their forest, was as vibrant and as beautiful as she remembered it. She can hear a pack of nantang calling off to one another in the distance while the sun tries to peek through the canopy, shining proudly down onto the twins. Leaves and shrubbery rustle to indicate life all around them while Neteyam only looks down at his sister. Y/n wasn't entirely sure, but she thought he looked different in this new light. Like he looked more... alive in the forest than he did on the beach. Her heart was saddened at the memory of 'Teyam telling her that he missed home, but now he can go home as much as he wanted, whenever he wanted.

It was like Y/n was now standing in Neteyam's own personal heaven instead of a memory she found within the Spirit Tree.

Neteyam grasps both of her shoulders, "I am one with Eywa now. You can always find me here, whenever you need me. Remember, tsmuke, that I am at peace now. I may not remember what happened to me, but I hope it aches a little less for you to know that I don't remember the pain."

A tear slips past her detection, and even though it was minuscule at best, Y/n could feel a small part of her heart mend back together, comforted by her brother's words. She nods her head in reply and tries clearing her throat to speak, "Dad... he said you had last words for me. You wanted to tell me to 'find more.'"

Neteyam didn't have eyebrow hair like her, but the ridge where an eyebrow could've been lifted up in question, "Isn't that what I said when talking about Ao'nung the other night?"

Her eyes widen, replaying his words until the memory comes back to light. For the moment, she ignored the fact that Neteyam mentioned the memory so casually as if it had only happened a few days ago for him, whereas it had actually been months ago for her, "You remember that?"

"I do. You know me, sweet sister," he smiled, "As a warrior, it is vital for me to constantly visit the Spirit Tree so I can retain as much of my memory within Eywa. I don't take Grandmother's words lightly. You know this."

"I know..." Her shock slowly melts into a sad smile, "You were sometimes a little too serious."

As if making a point, Neteyam dropped the serious act in exchange for flashing a teasing grin at her, "So?"

"What?"

"Did you 'find more?'"

Her stomach flips and her mouth forms into a pout. It felt like acid on her tongue to begrudgingly admit to her brother that he was right, "... I did."

He grinned in triumph, "I told you so."

"Shut up."

"No need to sulk, Y/n," he laughed, "It is not your fault you were born dense."

"I am not dense! I just..." She doesn't have a proper rebuttal and sighs in defeat, "I miss this. I haven't had a talk like this in a while."

Neteyam hums mostly to himself, "You should talk more. People tend to realize that you are actually nice the more you talk."

"I hate you."

"No, you don't," he smiles triumphantly again when he gets her to laugh, then lets his expression form a more genuine, encouraging aura around them. He steps close to Y/n again and places a hand on the top of her head, "The sea gives and the sea takes. The sea gave you Ao'nung in exchange for me."

She wished he didn't make it sound like she willingly traded her brother for Ao'nung and shook her head defiantly, shaking his hand off of her, "It's not fair."

"I know. But it was Eywa's will, Y/n."

"I just... you should be here."

"I am here."

"No. Here here," she complained as the tears began to form yet again, "You should be completing your Iknimaya with me. You should be helping Tuk learn how to use a bow. You should be sitting quietly with Kiri whenever she gets overwhelmed. You... you should be having fun with Lo'ak and Spider like you did when the three of you were younger. We're already growing up without you and I feel so guilty to be moving on."

He shushes her softly and reaches out to brush her tears away, "Moving on does not mean you'll miss me any less. In time, you'll just learn how to balance out the pain with happiness instead. Never feel guilty or regret for me, Y/n. I could never blame you for finding the light in the darkest of places. I may not be right beside you, but I will always be with you, one way or another. And I won't be alone."

When her eyebrows briefly scrunch in confusion, he sheepishly smiles and thinks of all the possibilities, "I mean-- do you think I can finally meet Grandfather? I wonder if our mother's sister is here as well, and Brother Tsu'tey and Dr. Augustine. Who knows-- maybe Dad's twin brother might be with Eywa as well."

It's an encouraging thought, and it's a thought that makes Y/n smile ever so slightly again, "If... if you see any of them, let me know next time."

"I will try," he stares at her in silence for a moment, then looks as though he's decided on an important matter, "Promise me something."

"Sure."

"Don't visit often."

Her eyes widen again, shocked and almost appalled, dread filling her gut at the thought of leaving her twin all alone here, "What? Why?"

His expression is grim and serious, much like how he looked when she last saw him alive, taking the red pinger that was once stuck in Payakan and swimming away from the rest of them, "I do not think it would be healthy to speak with the dead constantly when you could be missing out on so much of your life. I want you all to live far longer than me, Y/n, and I would be happy knowing you were out there living your lives rather than constantly visiting me. If you must, visit me after important dates or ceremonies. Catch me up on our siblings' endeavors, when they finish their trials, who are they courting, how many children they have... and I hope to hear the same about you as well. Promise me, Y/n."

Her teeth grind together, hidden in her mouth as she thinks, already missing Neteyam even though she hadn't left yet. Now that she had finally gained the courage to talk to him again, it felt as though they were being separated all over again. The one and only time they, as twins, have been separated... and it was permanent. It hurt that he didn't want her to continuously return to see him, but Y/n knew her brother better than anyone. Neteyam was selfless, and he would rather be alone while his family moved on and lived out their full, long lives, waiting until they would finally join him with Eywa. Maybe, to Neteyam, it wouldn't feel like a long time. Maybe time wouldn't even pass for him... but it would for Y/n... and it was hard to even fathom a lifetime without her twin by her side.

Still, she had never known a time when she didn't want to make her brother happy in turn, "I promise."

A/N: Ao'nung and Y/n are the perfect definitions of "he fell first, she fell harder". This chapter was longer than all the other ones so I had to split it into two parts, so the next one will be out shortly! And then it will be onto the finale!

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nicoline1998enilocin · 6 months

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Fluffcember Day 11 | I'm s-mitten for you

Pairing | Husband!Dad!Young!Tony Stark x Wife!Mom!Female!Reader

Word count | 1.6K

Summary | It's a perfect winter day outside, so you're all going to the Christmas market together. It's a fun afternoon filled with snow, lots of Christmas cheer, games, and festive snacks. In the evening you enjoy a nice cup of hot chocolate or warm milk and a Christmas movie, before having a big sleepover in the living room.

Rating | General (G)

Warning(s) | Use of pet names: Sunshine, Love/My Love, Munchkins, Baby Boy, Baby Girl, Little One, mentions of breastfeeding.

A/n | This one-shot is written for day 11 of my Fluffcember 2023 Challenge. Once more, I want to give an incredibly huge thank you to @ccbsrmsf1 for not only proofreading this one but also providing the GIF as well as listening to my ramblings of ideas. You're an absolute angel sent from heaven 🎄

Events Masterlist | Christmas market | @buckys-wintersoldier Masterlist | Holiday shopping | @sweetspicybingo

Banners by @vase-of-lilies | Divider by @firefly-graphics | GIF: @ccbsrmsf1

Main Masterlist | Tony Stark Masterlist | AU Masterlist | Read on AO3

Today is fun and memorable for yourself, Tony, and your three Munchkins because you will visit a Christmas market for the first time since Paxton was born almost a year ago.

Both Hudson and Orion have dressed themselves, and you're sitting on the couch while eating some fruit, watching TV, and breastfeeding your son while your husband, Tony, is whipping breakfast for himself and the twins.

''Sunshine, where did the cinnamon go?'' you hear from the kitchen. And you have just taken a bite out of a piece of apple, making you unable to answer, and it comes out in a stumbling mess.

''Where is it?'' he asked, his head poking around the corner because he didn't hear you.

''Sorry, I just took a bite of my apple! It's in the cupboard with the cereals and baking supplies, where it always is,'' you tell him, and he returns to let you know he found it so he can finish the waffles for the three of them.

It doesn't take long before the smell of waffles fills the air, and you close your eyes as you feel content. It's a nice winter day outside, and the house is filled with laughter, warmth, and an all-encompassing coziness.

Tony is making waffles, and the twins are coloring at the dining room table to keep themselves busy; you're catching up with the latest episode of RuPaul's Drag Race, and Paxton is almost falling asleep while feeding him. Perfect.

Your attention gets ripped from the TV screen when you see Tony walking into the room; his sweats hung low on his hips to reveal the perfect V leading into his pants, his abs on display, making your mouth water. He can walk around shirtless every second of every day, and you wouldn't complain for a second.

''I made one for you as well, Sunshine. Didn't want to leave my best girl out when I'm making her favorite breakfast,'' he tells you as he places the plate with the waffle next to you on the couch for easy access.

''What did I ever do to deserve such a sweet husband as you? I must have been a saint in a past life to deserve you, I swear!'' you say with a smile adorning your face. Tony leans in for a sweet kiss, leaving you hungry for more.

''Thank you for being my amazing wife, Sunshine,'' he whispers, followed by a kiss on your forehead before heading back to the kitchen to finish the waffles and have breakfast with the twins.

Paxton is a hungry boy this morning, and when he's done, you do not need to pump the excess, though you still make a mental note to bring it with you just in case.

When your fruit and waffles are gone, and Paxton is burped, it's time to head toward the Christmas market.

''I'm going to change this little hungry monster and get dressed as well, so I'll be right back,'' you tell Tony, who replies with a thumbs up as he just shoved the last piece of waffle into his mouth.

Paxton's diaper is changed in no time, and when you're dressing him in today's outfit, you feel a pair of strong arms sliding around your waist and pulling you closer.

''How's our Little One doing today?'' Tony asks as his head leans on your shoulder, and you let yourself melt into his touch while dressing Paxton.

''He's good; he's finally eating again, so I'm happy. I'm still bringing the pump in case he won't eat as much later, but I think it won't be necessary.''

He's been sick with a stomach bug for the last week, but now that he's healthy and eating again, he's his happy, chubby self and stealing everyone's hearts.

When you're about to finish dressing him, he lets out a huge yawn, making you giggle at how cute he is. He's the exact copy of his Dad, and you're very thankful to have gotten the gift of your little boy last Christmas.

''Someone's still a little sleepy, aren't you? That's okay, Little One; you can have all the naps you want today to regain some of your energy. Being sick for so long isn't nice, huh,'' you coo at him before picking him up and planting a loud kiss on both his cheeks, making him giggle uncontrollably.

''There's my happy boy again!'' you say before handing Paxton to Tony, who was already dressed in the outfit you laid out for him so you could match with him today.

''I'll be right with you if you can get everything ready and loaded; we'll be ready to go in about 10 to 15 minutes,'' you tell Tony, who nods, and as promised, 15 minutes later, you're fully dressed and in the car and off to the Christmas market.

''Mommy? Are we having a sleepover in the living room again tonight? It will be the first one with Paxton, too, and I want to sleep with all of you on the big mattress!'' he asks excitedly.

''Of course we will, Baby Boy! It's our tradition, after all! But before that, we will watch a Christmas movie, drink hot chocolate, and cuddle with everyone. How do you like that idea?'' you tell him, and both twins cheer happily in the backseat.

Tony grins widely, and his hand has found its home on your thigh, squeezing softly now and again. The drive to the Christmas market goes without a single problem, and you can park relatively close to the entrance, for which you're thankful.

You're about to get Paxton out of his car seat when you notice that he'd fallen asleep during the car ride, and you turn to Tony for help. You're usually carrying him at home when you're doing chores, but outside, you prefer to have Tony do it since you'll be walking a lot.

''He's a little sleepyhead today. Can you carry him in the cloth sling as we walk over the market?'' you ask him. Tony gets the sling ready for a smooth transfer and doesn't wake up once.

''You're still sleepy, huh? Are you comfortable in there, Little One?'' when he hears Paxton's soft snores, he kisses him on the crown of his head. When he's wrapped up and comfortable, it's finally time to stroll over the market and do some last-minute holiday shopping.

Hudson and Orion are holding one of your hands, and Tony has one hand in his pocket; the other is resting on Paxton's back over the cloth. It is a sight you will never get enough of, and you can't resist taking a few photos immediately shared in your family group chat.

''Mommy? Can we get a Santa plushy for Paxton's birthday?'' Orion suddenly asks when she's spotted a big Santa plushy, and she practically pulls you over to the stand.

In front of you is a big, 15'' crocheted Santa, and you can never say no to your daughter, so not even 5 minutes later, you're one crocheted Santa richer and $90 lighter, but it's all worth it to see the smile on your daughters face.

''He'll love it, Mommy, I know it!'' she tells you before running off to Tony so she can show him her present for Paxton.

After a bit more strolling, it's time to get something to snack on and a hot chocolate for everyone to warm up, and you have found the perfect stall. They sell hot chocolate with marshmallows and lots of different Christmas treats.

''Can we have a Cupcake, Daddy?'' Hudson asks, and Tony nods, ordering a red and green cupcake for the twins and a big slice of caramel pie for you and him to share, paired with hot chocolate for everyone.

''You can find a place to sit, and I will bring everything over in a minute,'' he tells you, and Hudson and Orion storm off to find the perfect spot while you're strolling after them, and it doesn't take long for them to find one.

''Who's ready for some hot chocolate and a snack?!'' you hear Tony say, and the twins instantly perk up at their Dad's question. The drinks and snacks are gone in no time, and before you know it, you're in the car back home, and your holiday shopping is officially finished.

When dinner is finished, Tony drags both the big mattress from the guest room and Paxton's travel bed down the stairs, and the living room is transformed into your own sleepover room.

With everyone wearing matching pajamas, you're getting ready to watch Home Alone before bed, and Tony is preparing hot chocolate for you and himself, and all three kids will have some warm milk during the movie.

Tony is sitting on the lounge part of your couch with you between his legs as you cuddled into his hold, and you're giving Paxton his last bottle of the day, and Hudson and Orion are cuddled up together under a big blanket as they're enjoying their warm milk too.

This is your favorite Christmas tradition, and when Tony places a soft kiss on your head before giving you a small, reassuring squeeze, you know it was the right choice to share your life with this man.

When the movie is finished, you transfer Paxton into his travel bed, and Tony and the kids have already found their place underneath the comforter, ready for you to join them.

''Is there room for one more, or do I have to tickle someone to make room?!'' you ask playfully, and you slide in next to Hudson before pulling him against you. Orion is cuddling with her Dad, and not long after, all four of you are asleep.

One thing is sure: Christmas has become much more enjoyable after you met Tony, and you wouldn't change anything for the world. Life has never felt this perfect, and you can't wait to do this with your grandchildren one day.

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apritellointeractive · 2 months

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Sworn to Devotion: Chapter 1 - Part 1

(Proofread by @lovelyladylavie / AlienMadame22 (AO3)! Thanks!)

(Art by @lovelyladylavie) Donnie really doesn’t want to be doing this right now.

It’s a pleasant day out. A rainstorm that rolled through the mountains the day before has left the air smelling crisp and fresh. A few songbirds are still out singing, flying between the forest trees and ignoring the convoy passing through their domain. Dappled shadows provide ample coverage from the late morning sun that’s shining through the dense foliage of the trees. The hard dirt road is level and smooth, providing for a pleasant horseback bride through the woodlands.

And yet, Donnie really doesn’t want to be part of the entourage protecting the human princess. He could be doing much more important things right now, like testing the capabilities of the boom cannon he recently developed in the archery range. This updated weapon could improve the defensive and offensive capabilities of their kingdom! Or he could be doing a number of other things, like testing out mystically enhanced weapons in his lab, fixing some of the automatons roaming the castle halls, improving the furnaces in the kitchen, building Mikey a newer, sturdier easel… he could be doing literally anything else right now.

But no. As the future co-captain of the Royal Guard, he must accompany the human princess on her trip back home to the Kingdom of Old York. It would be irresponsible not to, or at least that’s what he was told.

Though if he had to be honest, he didn’t want to disappoint his brother, Prince Raph. The first meeting between their kingdoms in decades was already stressful enough for him, his Raph-chasm carving out a deeper divot in his forehead. Their father would also get on his case too, and he didn’t want to endure another lecture.

So, begrudgingly, he’s accompanying the convoy, picking up the rear with his twin, Leo, while their boss, the Captain of the Royal Guard, leads up at the front with the human captain. They must show that they are trustworthy enough to ensure the human princess’s safe return to her kingdom. Speaking of which, the royal carriage carrying Her Royal Highness is flanked on all sides by more guards, though they are all human.

One of the human guards on the left keeps turning his head to give Donnie the stink eye every half hour. And as much as he would like to give that guard a piece of his mind, he remembers Raph and swallows down any retort.

Instead Donnie sighs, leaning down to rub his beloved horse Shelldon’s neck as they continue their trek through the forest. He softly whinnies, nodding his head a few times as if in appreciation. The purple-clad turtle smiles; he’ll probably treat him to an apple when they take another stop to rest.

“So, do you think Captain will let us do some explorin’ once Princess April is safely back home?” Leo asks, riding a bit close to his brother so the human guards don’t overhear. “We’ve never been in a human settlement before. Kinda curious to see what they have for leisure.”

Donnie sighs, sitting upright and turning his head to look at his counterpart. “I highly doubt that we will be relieved of duty once we’ve ensured the safe transfer of the princess back home. We will more than likely be tasked to oversee the preparations for our trip back home this evening as well. I don’t think we will have the time.”

The blue-clad slider leans in a bit closer, his voice dropping down to a whisper. “Don’t even want to sneak out to see the sights?”

The image of Raph’s forehead chasm flashes in Donnie’s mind. “Absolutely not. If we were caught, we would never hear the end of it, and I don’t want Dr. Delicate Touch to pay a visit to my lab either.”

“Yeah, you’re probably right.” Leo sighs, sitting upright and looking at the forest around them. “Guess we need to be ‘responsible’.”

Donnie hums, agreeing with his twin but saying nothing more.

They keep riding for a few more minutes, the constant but reassuring noise of horse hooves and carriage wheels against the dirt road filling the air.

The sound of a snapping branch catches Donnie’s attention, and he whips his head around only to be blasted in the face by a murder of crows! Shelldon rears back and whinnies while Leo swats at the air. The commotion is enough for the entire entourage to come to a halt.

“Leo! Donnie! Is everything alright back there?” Their Captain hollers from the front of the group.

Donnie… >> Decides to investigate where he heard the snapping noise.

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cangrellesteponme · 7 months

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OCTOBER 29TH - PROUD

(read this on AO3 here)

i'm late already but bay one of dadbastian week let's fucking goooooooooo

anyway general warning for this one: i decided to use it/its pronouns for sebastian for a bit. don't ask me why (there is a reason but i'd need to go on a tangent). it's only for the first part, not the whole thing, so do what you will with that information.

enjoy!

The demon — Sebastian, now, it thinks, though it can still only hear the name as if coming from its young master’s mouth, both unfitting and imperious — is having some trouble adjusting.

Of course, it would not dare admit such a thing to anyone — but in the dead of night, with no living souls awake to be able to tell or catch even just a glimpse of it all, it is safe to let go a little. Alone and at rest in the manor’s darkest hour, the demon lets itself slip through the cracks of its persona. If it were human, the feeling would be comparable to the removal of an ill-fitting coat, and the relief one feels taking their first unrestricted breaths.

The night only offers a few hours of freedom and time, relentless and cruel as ever, passes too quickly to be thoroughly enjoyed. All too soon, dawn’s first lights, intruders that they are, make their way into the manor, and with them come the duty of being Sebastian again.

Being, becoming this feels entirely wrong still, yet just slightly off. It might be the name — and the thought of sharing it with a dog — or it might be the master, this child whose pieces, bent and askew, won’t fit together anymore — much less under his own borrowed name. It might, in fact, be this new identity altogether, the way Sebastian Michaelis, the Phantomhive butler, somehow clings to the skin but never quite catches on. Stepping into a new role usually comes easy, but this one is odd.

It, Sebastian, he somehow knows that he has chosen a state of self worthy of and adapted to his young master: competent and obedient enough for the prestige the boy wants, yet cocky and contrarian to a fault, difficult and infuriating — something meant to stoke the fire of the boy’s arrogance, to make his noble penchant for entitlement grow fangs of disdain, to pull the worst, most delectable, flaws out of this ridiculously short asthmatic annoyance of a young master. Something ideal, really.

Yet here it is, unable to ever fully become one with himself. It is as if something were missing — but what exactly?

The answer is, like most things, quite simple.

Another hard day culminates into a particularly infuriating point.

Lady Elizabeth — bless her soul, Sebastian tells himself with irony dripping from the very thought — comes to visit, and her presence alone is a stronger ill omen than every curse upon the Phantomhive name.

With her come a plethora of issues. The young master stumbles through every interaction with the grace of a blindfolded elephant on a tightrope, the entire place has to be redecorated with garish bows and all sorts of unspeakably pink things, and — the worst part of it all — Sebastian and the earl must pretend he is indeed the Ciel she thinks he is, while the name of the twin who actually stands before her never leaves her lips.

She truly is quite the sweet child, thinking she is sparing her dear friend’s feelings. Infuriating. Sebastian knows the boy agrees — despite his obvious fondness for her — from the way tension seems to spread from the top of his head to the tip of his toes.

And yet, his reaction to Elizabeth and her usual oh, Ciel, won’t yous and Ciel, we shoulds is a far cry from the stiffness with which he greeted her when they were first reunited. Sebastian remembers a boy who barely even responded to what should have been his own name, but what he sees is entirely different: no shying away from her, clear signs of intent listening, and no smile but a somewhat open and attentive expression on his face — somber as usual, yet caring. And he doesn’t flinch at every Ciel anymore.

What an improvement, Sebastian thinks and he finds himself, against all odds, smiling. His master is a quick learner. Perhaps it objectively is not that impressive, but to Sebastian, it feels disproportionately spectacular, and part of him comfortably settles into the feeling of being so foolishly proud of something insignificant.

Quite simple indeed. What should a butler feel for his prodigious young master, if not pride?

The rest of him should pale in comparison to the need and joy to see the boy succeed — although the accomplishment is, well, identity theft, of all things, it should still be acknowledged — and it does indeed. Sebastian almost forgets himself, forgets his role — both demon and butler — and in those moments he is nothing but the one standing by his boy, and isn’t he doing so well? Does anything matter more than this?

No, nothing does, Sebastian finds himself thinking as he watches the child eat his chocolate cake with too much enthusiasm for it to be proper, especially in front of a lady.

#'maybe i'm not just a butler but actually a proud dad'#my ao3 end notes are funnier than this i'm sorry tumblr #anyway tag time #kuroshitsuji #black butler #sebastian michaelis #ciel phantomhive #my writing #dadbastian #dadbastian week #dadbastianweek2023 #dadbastianproud

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sleepingdeath-light · 1 year

Text

my darling ; 18+

requested by ; anonymous (03/02/22)

word count ; 924

content ; praise kink, body worship, suggestive material (foreplay but no sex)

fandom ; black butler

pairing ; joker x female reader

read also on ; ao3

minors and ageless blogs will be blocked

‘I must be the luckiest lass in Britain,’ you cooed, allowing your fingertips to trace the length of his features, ‘to have such a beautiful husband.’

‘Well, love,’ he began, never one to just accept a compliment, ‘I’d have to disagree. Ya aren’t lucky to be stuck with something like me — a circus clown with blood on ‘is hands — but I’m surely the luckiest man alive to have landed a beauty like you…’

That made you frown slightly and you sat up straight, hips straddling his own as you spoke to refute him. Your touch gentle as ever as you caressed and adored every feature you mentioned, not stopping until he was red in the face and at a loss for words.

‘Now, my dear, ya may not be able to see it from your angle. But let’s try and see it from mine, yeah?’ You tilted your head playfully and he rolled his eyes in return, nonetheless letting you do what you wanted.

‘Your hair is the most stunning shade of red,’ you breathed, carding your fingers gently through his fringe and delicately working out each knot that you caught against, ‘the same colour that defines the start of the prettiest summer mornings and that ends the most exciting summer evenings. The sun could learn a thing or two about red from you, I reckon.’

Then you moved lower, pressing a brief kiss to each of his eyelids. ‘Purple is my favourite colour ‘cos of you, y’know? Those twin beauts in there are the talk of every town we visit and I’ve had to fight of a good few ladies who were talking a bit too fondly about ‘em. Called ‘em amethysts — but I can positively say that those gemstones can’t possibly shine anywhere near as bright as your eyes can, so they can’t even hope to hold a candle to you.’

Next you traced the smattering of freckles that were dotted about his nose and cheeks, grinning widely at the way his skin warmed under your feather light touch. ‘And don’t even get me started on these pretty little things; dotted on the white of your cheeks like stars in the sky. Could map out a new set of constellations on ‘em, finding the patterns and that, since that’s what you do with natural beauty. ‘Least that’s what rich folk say.’

Noticing him about to protest, you quickly ducked down and pressed a brief yet passionate kiss against his lips. Pulling back a hair’s breadth to whisper your next piece of praise.

‘And these pretty, soft lips of yours are the best. They turn into the most handsome smiles and fit just perfect on your face — and don’t get me started on how good they feel on my body, cos then we’d be here for a week.’

After that you paused for just a moment before you reached up and interlocked your fingers with those of his prosthetic. Not missing the way his eyes teared up when he looked over and saw it, as you continued, shuffling down just so as you brought your lips to the underside of his jaw.

‘You’re a beautiful, amazing man, even if you can’t see it yet. I don’t care if it takes you one year or a hundred to realise how wonderful you are, I’ll stick with you through it all. But tonight, please just let me show you how much I love you,’

And the shaky smile and nod he gave was all the response you needed to go ahead and start worshipping him.

To work your way down his body with soft kisses and softer touches until he, even if just for a moment, saw himself through your eyes. You started with his throat, licking and kissing your way down over his Adam’s apple and pressing a particularly wet kiss to his pulse point and smiling against his pale skin when you felt it jump beneath your lips. Then you moved down to his chest, paying equal attention to both sides as you alternated between the two — using your hand to play and roll and lightly pinch at one nipple whilst taking the other one into your mouth to lick and suck and gently bite before switching over to ensure that both got the same amount of attention. Finally was his soft stomach, which you delighted in kissing along and feeling it jump and tense with every breath and caught giggle whenever you’d brush up against a particularly ticklish spot.

Though when you reached the start of his happy trail, you paused. Feeling his hard cock straining against your chest as you rested between his legs, and oh so tempted to swallow him whole, but still taking that moment to stop and look up at him: taking in his hooded and dilated eyes, admiring the mess that his hair had become, drawing your gaze to his perfectly parted lips as he whimpered and gasped and panted under your attentions. Then you reached up and took his hands, one by one, to your lips and pressed a passionate kiss against each palm — first his flesh hand and then his prosthetic — before smiling up at him and speaking.

‘I love you so much,’

And whilst he didn’t need to say it (you could tell from his smile and his watery eyes), your husband still reached out and pulled you up into a kiss as he repeated his response over and over again against your grinning lips.

‘I love you, I love you, I love you,’

#sleepingdeath #female reader #female reader smut #smut #black butler smut #kuroshitsuji smut #black butler joker smut #black butler joker x reader #black butler x reader #kuroshitsuji x reader

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geminimoon14 · 7 months

Text

In Our Code AU Part 2: Family Shenanigans

Read on: AO3

Sun’s family would swear up and down that he seemed to attract more trouble than them all - including the twins. Sun thinks they’re all liars. Neither side of the argument was necessarily wrong.

After a while of Moon and Killcode being stuck together, Lunar was the one who asked why they couldn’t just make Killcode a body. Moon tried to say something about not being sure that it was something Killcode wanted. Killcode immediately agreed with Lunar’s suggestion as long as he got some say in its appearance.

With no real reason to object - both Killcode and the twins had found an ethical food source - Moon started construction. He estimated it would take a while but with some nanites and some late nights working over time - which Sun vetoed and threatened to sic the twins on him - it would be no big hassle. The main issue was Eclipse and the Creator.

Neither had been seen in weeks, except for the nice Eclipse Lunar liked visiting, and it usually meant trouble was brewing.

During the construction, the twins volunteered to guard the daycare from outside during active hours. Moon would focus on building while Sun and Lunar did their normal routine. When Sun was distracted after the agreement, Lunar was secretly designated Sun’s bodyguard. They all decided it was best to keep Lunar’s job a secret or risk Sun rebelling.

His siblings did not think Sun was incapable, not in the least, but they hated seeing him hurt. Sun was quite clever, as demonstrated by his idea to get the twins a remote controlled car so that they could get some of their energy out. It seemed silly at first but the twins were eager when they realised Sun had attached an almost raw piece of meat to it.

(After that, it wasn’t strange to see the twins chasing after a remote controlled device after hours. One particular night, they had convinced Sun to use a drone which led to a particular incident* none of them wanted to repeat.)

While waiting on a new body, they decided to put Killcode inside the computer. He had suggested it himself, stating that he wanted a way to look over them all and being in the computer would allow him to reach out if danger showed up.

On one particular occasion, Killcode got to enjoy both saving one of his boys and using Moon’s arsenal.

It was after the daycare had closed and Sun was going through his nightly routine when a security alert went out.

Sun could hear the alarm just fine but the communication of where the intruder was going came out fuzzy. Sun was at the security desk listening when he heard a couple voices by the entrance.

There was no chance for him to investigate as someone barreled into the daycare and him. Sun, not prepared for an adult to charge him, went down with flailing limbs. The person on top scrambled off of him and reached for his waist.

Sun’s code went cold as he noticed the firearm at the intruder’s side. A second one rushed in and ordered, “Get those damn doors shut! They’re right behind us!”

The first intruder pointed their gun at Sun and gestured for him to move. While he was made of metal, Sun was not bulletproof and getting shot could be just as dangerous for him as it is for a human. Hands raised in surrender, Sun slowly walked towards the doors. The second intruder pointed to the door, “Get on with it!”

Sun could see a couple security bots coming towards the door and closed it when he saw that they had seen him.

Once the doors were shut, Sun found himself wishing he had slipped through the doors but he was programmed to stay in the daycare when security alerts went out.

Alone with the intruders, Sun found himself hoping that Killcode would send an alert to Moon. The one with a gun pointed at Sun waved him away from the door and commanded, “Move back, it would be a shame if we had to shut you down.”

Heeding the not-so-subtle threat, Sun moved closer to the center of the daycare. The second intruder seemed a little nervous as they ordered, “Tell it to sit down and keep your eyes on it. I don’t want that freaky clown thing fighting back.”

The one with the gun gestured for Sun to sit as they watched the animatronic for any weird movements.

About that time, there was a loud bang at the door as a familiar voice called out, “SUN! ARE YOU OKAY?! ANSWER ME!”

Sun winced at Moon’s frantic attempts to get in, noting how the intruders tensed. The first intruder tightened their grip on the gun as Moon called out, “If he doesn’t answer I’m busting in there!”

The second intruder, noticeably more jittery than before, told Sun, “Answer the damn thing.”

Sun, afraid that his brother might get hurt if he burst in, called back, “I-I’m okay, Moon. No one’s done anything yet!”

“I swear if even a single part of him is hurt I will haunt your nightmares!”

The second intruder, still shaking, warned, “If you go busting in here, first thing we’re gonna do is plant a bullet in this freak’s head! So don’t try anything!”

When the alert went out, Killcode had been monitoring the daycare’s perimeter while the twins were on a hunt. Because he had been watching the cameras, Killcode noticed the intruders stumbling into Sun and heard the threats they made.

While he had taken an oath to not kill, when a gun was turned on Sun, Killcode found himself facing the familiar urge to protect; the code screaming for him to do something. He found the wire, hardly used anymore due to Moon’s teleportation, and started working.

Moon was already at the door, pounding on the door as hard as he could, the sound masking the movement of the wire.

Killcode waited until he heard Sun call back that he was okay before slowly lowering the wire down.

He managed to get the wire down close to Sun when one of the intruders rounded on the solar animatronic.

Sun flinched as the gun was pointed back at him and Intruder One demanded, “What are you up to, freak!”

“N-Nothing! I’m not doing anything,” Sun winced as they scoffed, “I’m just standing here!”

There was a quiet click as something latched shut around the loop on Sun’s back.

The intruders turned their attention fully to Sun as Intruder Two ordered his partner, “Shoot it! It’s trying to make a run for it!”

There was a loud whir as the wire went taut and dragged Sun up towards the balcony. The solar animatronic yelped as he was carried away from the intruders but not before they managed to get a shot off.

The daycare’s defense system activated at the sound of the shot and Sun screaming.

Outside, Moon heard things kicking off and shot towards the teleportation pad. He hit the button just as the intercom activated and Killcode’s voice growled, “Move and I end your insignificant lives. Security will arrive soon. Be thankful I keep my promises or you’d already be dead.”

Moon, already prepared for a fight, was not prepared for Sun to come barreling into him. They both screamed as they collapsed on top of each other which made the wire tangle in their struggle.

Moon was able to get free first but not without yanking on the wire a few times in the process. Everytime he did, Sun would yelp and tell him to stop pulling so hard.

Moon nearly snapped at him a few times but a look of teary-eyed pain stopped him each time. He’d sworn to be kinder and not repeat his mistakes (something all of his family would call him out on).

Moon was especially glad when he got loose and looked over his brother. Oil leaked from a cracked opening on Sun’s side. A piece of his casing was missing, the delicate inner mechanisms exposed but still functioning.

Immediately, Moon was grabbing a rag from the floor and pressing it against Sun’s wound. His brother hissed in pain as Moon soothed, “I know, I know, it’s gonna hurt until I can get my hands on my tools. I need to stop some of the leaking before I can start.”

Sun let out a quiet whimper and asked, “Is it bad?”

Moon’s first instinct was to lie but Monty (if you could believe it) warned him that lying about serious stuff was going to make everything worse. Instead, he sighed and answered, “It’s pretty bad but not as bad as it could be. I’m gonna fix this but for now I need you to stay calm.”

Sun nodded weakly, still nervous but Moon could see him trying to calm down, and stated, “I-I’ll try to relax. Anything else you need me to do?”

Moon podded the opening and sighed, “I’m gonna need to cut off the flow so I can get a good look at it. You may have to power down for a bit.”

Sun, trembling slightly, nodded. Moon moved a hand away from the opening and placed it on his shoulder as he whispered, “You’re gonna be okay. We got the guys that did this and they’re gonna pay. Okay?”

“Okay.”

“Good,” Moon leaned his brother back against a couch, “Let’s get this started. Computer, start monitoring Sun’s vitals while I work.”

The computer let out an affirmative noise and Sun powered down. Carefully, Moon guided his brother’s limp form to the floor and he began to work.

About halfway through repairs, Killcode reported, “Security took the vermin into custody. How’s our Sunshine?”

Moon growled as he replaced the tubing that had been leaking profusely and answered, “Stable. In pain, probably. Lucky they didn’t hit anything too important.”

There was a hum as Killcode asked, “How long until my body is complete?”

Moon grunted as he attached the part, “Like a day or two more. Why?”

“I wish to hold Sun. This encounter has disturbed me.”

“You and me both KC.”

“KC? A nickname?”

“You’ve earned it. Do the others know about this yet?”

“I alerted the twins when the alert first went out. Lunar was with them. They wished to show the little one something. I didn’t ask for details.”

“Good news,” Moon pulled his hands out of his brother’s body, “repairs are just about done, just need a new casing and he’s all set.”

When the twins finally arrived with Lunar in tow, Moon had already cleaned up. Sun was resting on the couch, charging, still powered down as Moon explained what happened. The only thing that kept the trio from storming out was that Killcode had access to the security system and threatened to use it if they left their brother. Grudgingly, they settled in with their unconscious brother and whispered about how they wanted Killcode’s body to be done so he couldn’t trap them so easily.

***********************************************

Since Killcode had chased him off, the Creator had been fairly quiet. At the very least, he was smart enough to not approach them directly while Killcode and Moon were present.

Bloodmoon had been on a hunt, partially fed, and looking for their next meal when an unfortunately familiar voice commented, “Magnificent kill.”

Bloodmoon whirled around, eyes narrowing at the sight of a familiar gray doll. The twins let out a low growl as the Creator told them, “Oh do stop that. It’s not as if I’ve come to hurt you.”

Huffing, they remarked, “Doesn’t matter. You’ve proved a threat already.”

With either great confidence or utter arrogance, the Creator approached them. On guard and highly offended at his impertinence they kept their distance.

The Creator seemed to not really care as he announced, “I’m only here to deliver something before you return.”

Bloodmoon tensed as the doll threw itself at them, creating literal sparks through the contact, and something invaded their system.

With a cry, they collapsed in the dirt, writhing and screaming as the foreign code tore through their systems. Even with the taste of a recent kill still in their mouth, their stomach seemed to grow empty and their want for blood turned into an all consuming need.

Their nanites pulsed, contorting their body to the new code’s specifications.

Claws sharpened.

Teeth lengthened.

Their body grew slightly larger.

They pulled themselves onto their hands and feet, a low growl rumbling from their chest as they lost themselves in their new desire.

The Creator hummed approvingly, their new form perfect for his plans. With a flat tone, he commanded, “Hunt.”

The twisted form roared and sped off towards its hosts’ home. The two minds trapped beneath the code’s purpose screamed and fought as they realised its goal.

Sun was once more cleaning the daycare while Lunar played upstairs with their new game and beanbag - being on best behavior had its perks. Normally, the computer would be monitoring any incoming threats or entities but Killcode was in the final stages of transferring to his new body.

Unfortunately, this meant that when something burst through the metal security door to the pickup area, there was only a few seconds to react.

Sun heard the shredding of metal, a roar, and the heavy tread of something rapidly approaching.

He had just enough time to turn towards the sound before he was pinned to the padded floor of the daycare. With a shriek, Sun was pressed against the mat, arms pinned beneath clawed hands as they flailed uselessly.

He barely heard Lunar’s concerned shout as the face above him came into view. Sun let out a small gasp as he recognised the face above him. Red eyes widened in fear and their face crumpled up in pain as they gasped, “Sun! Run! Please!”

Sun squirmed, trying to use his legs to push his siblings off as they pressed on top of him. Their new form twitched as their eyes betrayed how hard they were fighting for control.

The code pressed on as it forced the head lower, fangs bared in hunger, and eyes fixed on its prey.

“GET OFF MY BROTHER!”

Weight vanishing from his body, Sun curled into a ball on the floor. Shaking, he covered his face as the creature controlling his siblings growled.

A new presence hovered over him and returned the growl. Chancing a look, Sun peered up and exclaimed, “Lunar?!”

Lunar had heard the crash and paused their game. Immediately, they called out for Sun (Moon was with Killcode during the download and Bloodmoon was out hunting) and heard a scream.

As soon as they got to the balcony, they saw the creature on top of their brother ready to kill. Without thinking, they were leaping into the pit, body shifting, and hurtling towards the threat.

Bloodmoon had been practicing with Lunar. After Eclipse had gotten his hands on Sun, the twins started to teach Lunar how to protect themself.

As the only other animatronic with a nanite body, Bloodmoon had shown them how to push their form into something bigger. Over the last few weeks, they had been practicing how to picture the form they wanted and turn it into reality.

Lunar had definitely made themselves bigger. They often enjoyed their shadow form and their new form drew inspiration from it. Towering over any of their siblings and crouched on their haunches, Lunar’s feline form sheltered Sun.

Lunar’s sleek tail lashed as they spat, “I don’t know what you are but you’re not touching him!”

Sun untucked himself a bit and called out, “Lunar, wait! It’s Bloodmoon; something’s wrong with them!”

Lunar turned their glowing eyes towards the creature, disbelief in their eyes. They, much like Sun, met the creature’s gaze as the twins croaked, “You must stop us! Please!”

Lunar whined as they put themself between Sun and their corrupted sibling. Eyes pinned on the twins’ twisted form, Lunar ordered, “Get Moon. I’ll keep’em busy. Go!”

Sun shuffled towards the door and the creature pounced. Sun shrieked as the twins were knocked away from him again and Lunar roared, “GO! NOW!”

Sun stumbled a few times as he sprinted towards the teleportation pad. Behind him he could hear his siblings crying out in pain and desperate pleas for help.

When Sun finally teleported into their space, he almost fell in his haste to get down, screaming, “MOON?! MOON! HELP!”

“-!? -un!? Sun!?”

Barely aware of hands on his shoulder, Sun was turned so that he was looking into his brother’s worried gaze.

Gasping Sun managed to stutter, “Lun-Lunar! B-Bloodmoon! I-It’s bad, it’s bad! They, they-!”

He was pulled against his brother’s chest as another voice rumbled, “Calm yourself. I will handle this.”

Through blurred vision, Sun saw a very familiar tall form. Apparently, Killcode’s body, though shorter than it had been, reflected the form he’d taken in the mindscape. With just a few strides, Killcode was already gone.

There was still roaring and growls that managed to be heard from the safety of Moon’s room. Moon was focused entirely on soothing his brother as he sobbed and wheezed.

Thankfully, Moon was willing to learn from the past and started guiding his brother through some grounding exercises. It only took a moment or two before Sun was calm enough to explain what he knew.

Moon dragged his comforter off his bed and wrapped it around Sun. A little confused, Sun watched Moon pull away to grab a stuffed version of himself. He shoved it into Sun’s hands as he whispered, “I’m going to fix our brothers, okay. If you start getting scared, just give me a squeeze.”

He demonstrated by covering Sun’s hands with his own and gently squeezed the plush toy. Sun let out a choked laugh and nodded as his brother slowly pulled away. Before leaving, Moon ordered, “Computer, if he needs me tell me. Immediately.”

“Understood.”

With a small wave, and a brief, “I’ll be right back,” Moon left.

With Sun safely tucked away in his room, Moon looked for his other family members.

The fight was ugly. He watched as a shadowy form and Killcode attempted to subdue a red animatronic that was practically foaming at the mouth.

Moon cursed under his breath and leaped into the ballpit. As he waded out he shouted, “Who’re we taking down?!”

Killcode pinned a flailing arm down and answered, “Bloodmoon’s code has been altered! They’re not in control of their body!”

Moon felt his mind freeze as his body moved towards the feral, screaming creature that his brother had become.

The fury that surged through his frame allowed him to approach the scrabbling form. As the twins’ body jerked to the side and rolled over, Moon hauled himself onto its back and wrapped his legs around its neck.

It bucked in an attempt to get him off but Killcode and Lunar managed to grab hold of its arms and pin it back onto the floor.

Cursing the whole time, Moon plugged into Bloodmoon’s head.

Their mindscape was flooded in a black ichor as far as the eye could see.

Buried under what had to be the code savaging their system, the twins’ hands just managed to reach out, desperate for help.

Moon trudged towards them, grabbed both hands, and pulled. Their faces broke through the surface, coughing and spluttering, and frantically grabbing hold of their rescuer. Moon placed their hands on his shoulders as he reached down and, arms wrapped around each twin, gave another yank.

The code tried to pull itself back over them but now that they had an opportunity, their protective code and rage at being used started to clear the ichor away.

Still clinging to their older sibling, Harvest and Bloody poured their all into purging the invasive code from their system. Moon held his footing as the ichor drained away, somehow it shrieked, and held his siblings close to his chest.

When everything looked cleaner, Moon pulled away and told them, “Nice. We’ll be waiting for you guys out there. I think you got it from here.”

Before he left, two different hands grasped his wrists and two voices asked, “Is Sun okay? Please tell us we weren’t too late.”

Moon gave them a quick hug as he assured them, “He’s safe. I’ll bet he wants to make sure you two are okay though, so let’s go back.”

As he pulled away and out of the mindscape, he saw the sky pulse with a soft blue light and heard them sigh in relief.

As moon blinked his eyes open, he saw Lunar back to normal and Killcode cradling him and Bloodmoon - thankfully returned to normal.

With a loud groan, he lifted his head and struggled to his feet. Killcode offered some help as Moon declared, “Hate, hate, hate that! My head’s still kinda sore.”

A little woozy from forcing himself into the twins’ mindscape, Moon only just noticed a familiar gold and yellow shape by the security desk. Sun still had the Moon plush in his hands as he asked, “Are… Are they okay?”

The twins were already shifting and opening their eyes when he asked the question. Moon chuckled as he answered, “Why don’t you ask them yourself?”

Spotting that the twins were awake, Sun rushed over to them and nearly crashed into them.

The twins eyed Sun nervously as they asked, “You are okay? We didn’t hurt you?”

Sun’s eyes, previously clear, teared up as he wailed, “I was so worried about you two! I’m okay. You didn’t hurt me. Are you two hurt?! The others had to pin you down and-!”

Killcode cut in, “We should all rest. Today has been… a lot.”

Sun wrapped the twins in a hug as Killcode offered to carry them all and agreed. Lunar, small again, climbed onto Killcode’s back while Sun held the twins in his arms. Killcode stood up with no difficulty and grabbed Moon as well, setting him on top of the twins and Sun.

Feeling awkward because of the sudden closeness, Moon grumbled but didn’t squirm. Sun laughed and settled in as they all headed towards the teleportation pad. Worn out from the day’s ordeal, Moon started to power off and mumbled, “We’re closed tomorrow, I don’t give a shit!”

Sun’s agreement came with an outraged, “Language!” This caused all his brothers to start rattling off every curse word they could think of to see who could get Sun to shriek the loudest. Moon faded out just after Killcode scolded them for antagonising their brother. Their apologies lacked sincerity but the warmth of them all cuddling on the impromptu nest they made was absolutely real.

***********************************************

Lunar became more clingy after what happened to the twins. Bloodmoon was rather proud of their youngest sibling (even if the situation sucked for them) for defending Sun. They handled their new form really well for their first time.

Because it was their first time using it, there were still a few lingering changes surfacing even after they returned to their usual form.

At times, Lunar’s struggle to focus became worse. Shiny objects, quick movements, and sudden noises were twice as distracting than before. If any of his brothers left the daycare, he would become restless. Until they returned, he would pace and hover anxiously near the closest relative. When they finally did return, Lunar would cling to them like a barnacle to a ship for the next day.

Lunar also struggled with features from their newest form randomly surfacing.

On one occasion they had scared both Sun and Moon one night with their glowing eyes and teeth.

Another night, they had managed to sneak up on Bloody and sent them scrabbling like a cat through the space above the daycare.

Killcode had even witnessed Lunar’s tail reappear just to express annoyance when a parent demanded a refund after their child had spent the day terrorising everyone. Killcode had to signal Sun to intervene when their claws had surfaced and started flexing them.

It wasn’t until after an incident with the portal that the family intervened.

Bloodmoon had been playing with the settings on the computer while Lunar helped Sun after hours. Lunar had just gotten Sun to take a break, pulling the barrel away so that he could practice, when there was a flash of light.

Before Sun could ask what had happened, something coiled around his middle and he was lifted into the air with a scream. Lunar grabbed one of Sun’s hands as a black tendril waved him around. Moon rushed in at the ruckus and was snatched into the air.

While whatever had them waved them about, Moon shouted, “TURN IT OFF!”

The twins peered over the balcony at the chaos and split apart. Harvest ran for the controls as Bloody leapt into the fray.

Moon was cursing as a toothy maw pushed through the portal and the tendril holding him lowered.

Lunar had partially shifted and was trying to pull Sun free when the latter screamed, “MOON!”

Lunar’s head spun so fast that if they were organic their neck would have snapped. Moon struggled, spitting curses and kicking his feet uselessly. He looked towards his brothers and called out, “I can’t get loose! I-I can’t get away!”

Bloody slid down a nearby tendril, narrowly dodging being grabbed themself, and clasped their free hand around one of Moon’s.

The creature growled as it tried to pull Moon closer and Bloody strained to keep his older brother from the gruesome outcome. Moon used his other hand to reinforce his grip on Bloody as the latter hollered, “The time to act is soon, unless you want it to eat dear Moon!”

Bloody’s arm trembled with the effort to keep the creature from succeeding and their anchored arm was slowly being pulled away.

Apparently a little intelligent, the creature began to lower Sun as well.

Sun shrieked as he and Lunar were pulled towards the creature’s mouth. Sun tried beating on the tendril with his only free arm as Lunar grabbed Sun and pulled.

The shadows on their face deepened and spread as their form grew bigger. Claws dug into the tendril and ripped.

With a shriek, the creature’s grip went slack and Sun plummeted towards the gaping maw.

Before he fell too far, a gray and white hand wrapped around his wrist. Sun gasped as the hand hauled him towards a broad chest, guiding his arms around their neck.

Once sure Sun was holding on, Killcode leapt towards Bloody and Moon.

Lunar’s new form tore at the tendril they had sunk claws into, causing the creature to flail wildly as several tendrils were redirected to getting them off.

Moon was dropped like Sun had except Bloody had a strong grip on him before he fell. It was only because KIllcode had arrived that he didn’t try to fight Bloody pulling him onto their back.

Arms and legs around Bloody’s neck and legs, Moon shouted, “LUNAR! GET OUT OF THERE!”

Deaf to their brother’s call and lost to their anger, Lunar continued their attack.

Moon pointed to their youngest sibling, “They’re not listening! We need to get’em out of there!”

He could feel the tremble of Bloody’s body as they prepared to leap down to help. Instead, Killcode barked, “Get yourselves out of here! We’ll retrieve our youngest!”

Moon tried to object but Bloody was already in motion. Before Moon knew it, they were weightless in the air before tumbling onto the foam mats of the daycare.

“Hold tight, Sunshine. This will be difficult.”

Sun held on for dear life as Killcode launched them towards Lunar.

Their youngest family member was tearing into their attacker with a ferocity that Sun had never seen from them.

It wasn’t until they got closer that he realised Lunar wasn’t the one in control. Instead of the light blue, bordering-on-white, glow there was a deep red that clashed with Lunar’s normal coloring.

Killcode crept close, avoiding attacking tendrils and Lunar’s blind attacks, and grabbed at them.

Lunar growled and shifted away, fangs bared.

Killcode tried to get closer but hesitated as Lunar’s form crouched in preparation. Their tail lashed and a low hiss escaped closed teeth.

Sun watched Killcode struggle to approach, worried, and barely caught sight of a tendril poised to strike.

Partially letting go, Sun reached towards his youngest brother and screamed, “LOOK OUT!”

Lunar’s eyes flashed back to white as they dodged. Killcode stumbled from the impact, barely getting an arm around Sun’s back before he fell.

Sun watched Lunar shake their head as their glow flickered from red to pale blue. A realisation slowly dawned on Sun as they watched Lunar struggle.

He looked up at Killcode nervously as the taller animatronic weaved through the flailing limbs. With a wince, Sun declared, “Sorry, about this. It’s really stupid but I can’t let you stop me.”

Killcode only had a second to process his words as Sun yelled, “LUNAR!”

Their head turned towards the noise as Sun let go of Killcode and fell.

Something took hold of them, screaming and pulling them to their brother. Lunar galloped down the creature’s limbs, eyes turning blue, and vaulted to another tendril.

Midair, Sun had closed his eyes and waited for his fall to stop one way or another. He heard the heavy gait as Lunar approached and only let out a small gasp as something snatched his neck ruffle.

Lunar carried him away from the mouth, climbing and dodging flailing limbs.

Seeing the Lunar escaping, KIllcode followed their lead and yelled, “You must close it now! We can’t keep this up forever!”

It came to an end as quickly as it began.

One moment Lunar and Killcode were running up the tendrils trying to pull them in, the next, they were falling into the ballpit with the remaining tendrils.

Thankfully they were already dissolving by the time Killcode and Lunar came out, saving Sun the stress of cleaning it out.

Lunar approached their family, teeth firmly clamped on Sun’s ruffle with a sheepish brother attached. Killcode shot him a blank stare as he scolded, “Using yourself as bait for your brother is not an acceptable plan.”

Sun let out a weak chuckle and quietly offered, “I’ll try not to do it again? At least it worked. Lunar wouldn’t let me get hurt.”

Moon’s eyes went wide and snapped, “Sun did what?!”

Bloody crossed their arms as they chided, “Never again, Sun. Losing a brother is never fun.”

Sun curled into himself further (a feat considering he already reassembled a scruffed kitten) as he mumbled, “I’m sorry. I just wanted to get Lunar out of there.”

Attention was suddenly turned on the giant, shadowy, cat-like creature that had yet to release Sun.

Killcode approached slowly, remembering the animosity from before, and coaxed, “We’re safe now, Lunar. Can you let your brother go?”

There was a tense pause as no signs of a response came. Then Lunar walked towards the door.

Moon followed, calling out their name, and watched as their youngest brother bounded upstairs towards their room. Bloody and Killcode followed the rest as Sun tried convincing Lunar to put him down.

Once Moon caught on and pressed the teleport button for Lunar, they jumped down and settled on the floor.

Lunar tucked Sun against their chest and let out a rumbling purr. Sun spluttered as he was shoved against the thick fur and a rough tongue pressed against his face.

Moon walked over (whether to laugh or help was unclear) but as soon as he was in range, Lunar caught him too. At the subsequent yelp, Harvest came to investigate.

By the time Killcode and Bloody arrived, the rest of their family was trapped against Lunar’s furry form.

Their tail was wrapped around Harvest and holding them against Lunar’s side. Sun had given up struggling and allowed himself to be pinned by a heavy head on his lap. Moon refused to surrender and was currently being groomed against his will by a large pink tongue.

Killcode pinched the non-existent bridge of his nose and groaned. Bloody smugly watched their twin try to wriggle free and smirked, “Need help?”

Harvest flipped them off and demanded, “Try to reach them. They might be stuck.”

Bloody snickered but made their way to Lunar’s front.

Moon was flopped over one large paw and glaring at the space in front of him when Bloody sat on the floor, just out of reach. Lunar noticed the movement and lifted their head, ears swiveling forward.

Bloody made eye contact and crooned, “Time to come back, little one, the danger is done.”

Lunar whined, eyes twitching as though struggling with an invisible pest. Bloody recognised the expression, one they’d seen on their twin, and reassured, “I know it can be difficult to change but we need you back. We need to discuss this latest attack.”

Slowly, like wading into cold waters, the extra features melted away and left Lunar’s usual form behind.

Sun patted their head as they hunched their shoulders and refused to meet anyone’s gaze. Moon got off the floor with a groan and rolled his shoulders. Harvest started brushing fur off their pants and mumbled, “Not bad for a second use.”

Pulling Lunar into his lap, Sun offered, “Do you wanna talk about it?”

“Not really,” they shrugged, “but I guess we should.”

Bloody hummed, nodding in agreement.

“Losing control isn’t unusual. We-” they gestured to themself and Harvest, “-have lost ourselves to new forms before.”

Moon scooted over, pressing against Sun’s side in a rare show of affection, and explained, “We’re just worried because you’re usually pretty good at controlling it. What happened?”

There was no accusation in his voice but they flinched all the same. They huffed and reluctantly tried to describe what they could recall.

“I remember trying to pull Sun out. Moon nearly got ate-”

“Eaten.”

“Ate,” they reaffirmed, “ and then we were being pulled down too.”

Lunar looked at their hands like they weren’t quite theirs, “I know I wasn’t like normal but I was still in control until you guys were in danger. Then everything went red.”

Sun rested his head on top of theirs as they finished, “Next thing I know, Sun’s falling and I grabbed him.”

Harvest and Bloody hadn’t moved or commented during their explanation. When Lunar finished, they shared a look with their twin and revealed, “Sometimes, the nanites will react to your emotions. Usually it helps when you’re in danger, but- it can also leave you vulnerable.”

Each twin took one of Lunar’s hands as they continued, “You have to learn to control it or else- something like this will happen again,”

Lunar’s eyes took on a wet sheen as the information sunk in. They let out a wet hiccup and rubbed their face as Sun pulled Lunar against his chest.

The weight of his larger hands on their back forced a cry from their mouth.

That’s all Sun needed.

He started rocking them and gently hushed their cries with soft reassurances that it would be alright. They responded by clinging to him and letting out long wails. Sun simply continued rubbing circles on their back as Moon fetched their favorite blanket and Killcode grabbed Spigot.

When the other’s returned, Sun expertly bundled their youngest and handed them their stuffed reindeer. He didn’t stop the rocking motion as he switched from words to singing in low tones to humming.

Eventually, they calmed down enough to notice that the lights had been dimmed and they had moved onto the couch. The twins were merged again and playing on their switch quietly. Killcode was working on his latest crochet project (a hobby picked up after randomly scrolling through videos on the internet) and trying not to curse when the yarn fell off the hook again.

Face feeling warm, Lunar burrowed closer to Sun’s chest. The older animatronic simply asked, “Do you wanna play some games or cuddle for a bit?”

Lunar made grabby hands at him. Answer received, Sun tucked him close and pulled out a phone. A few quick taps later, and they were scrolling through cat videos.

At some point Moon joined them on the couch. He occupied himself with a laptop that Sun was pretty sure he hadn’t had that morning.

The quiet and relative peace (especially if you ignored the twins’ malicious giggling as they committed video game war crimes) only lasted an hour or so before they heard Monty scream, “WHAT THE FAZ ARE THOSE THINGS!”

Lunar, who had been sleeping, stirred and grumbled. Thankfully, Sun was well practiced in getting people back to sleep and the small animatronic faded back out with a couple of whispered assurances. Moon glared at the opening to the balcony and hissed, “I’ll strangle them.”

Sun shot the twins a look and told them, “Don’t. They probably came to check on us. We weren’t exactly quiet.”

Bloodmoon stuck their tongue out at him and sulkily returned to their virtual mayhem. Killcode set aside his project, started climbing the ladder, and stated, “I’ll talk to them. And clean whatever remains.”

Sun started to protest but Killcode warned, “If you move, you’ll wake our little one. I think they could use the rest.”

Sun pouted as Moon snickered at him and Killcode left.

Glancing at his chest, Sun couldn’t find it in himself to regret it. Letting himself fully relax, Sun drifted into recharge with the absolute certainty that things were going to be just fine.

***********************************************

Lunar was worried about Eclipse.

Not the one from their universe but the nice one. Nice Eclipse’s Moon had been getting more aggressive. Without a Lunar to suppress the kill code or being separated from him, Moon’s hostility had shot up.

This is where Lunar’s brilliant scheme came in.

Lunar visited the dimension under the pretense of wanting to play more games.

Around their neck the twins were in cat form, purring and content. At first they weren’t confident in the plan, but Lunar convinced them. The promise of the chaos that would come alone, was more than enough.

So when Eclipse went to greet Lunar, the twin’s pounced. Eclipse flinched, half-expecting claws to sink into his casing, and was caught off-guard by wiry arms wrapping around him.

Confused, he didn’t struggle as Bloodmoon carried him towards the ball pit while snickering.

He almost forgot to struggle until he realised their plan and hissed, “Kid! This is not a good idea!”

Lunar, with a faux confused face, innocently asked, “What do you mean? I’m just making one of my brothers take a break.”

Eclipse tried to break free but the twins had plenty of time to secure their grip in the time it took for him to process what was happening. Plenty of practice wrangling their brothers and regular hunts meant Bloodmoon was an expert in capturing wriggly things.

With a cackle, the twins dragged the flailing animatronic with them through the portal. Lunar spared a sad look to the balcony above before following his brothers.

Eclipse burst through the plastic balls with a loud curse. Nearby, Killcode jumped at the unexpected shout as the twins swam around with an evil giggle.

Eclipse trudged through the ball pit after them, muttering viciously under his breath. The ensuing chase was wholly undignified and eventually Eclipse gave up and started throwing the balls at them.

When Lunar finally surfaced, Killcode could hardly believe his eyes as Eclipse stopped in his tracks and scolded, “You can’t just kidnap me from my dimension! What if someone saw and freaked out?!”

Choosing to make himself known, Killcode loudly cleared his throat.

Eclipse’s eyes went wide and he fell back in shock with another loud curse. On instinct, Killcode reached for their guest and pulled him out.

Eclipse was silent as Killcode set him on the daycare’s mats and asked, “Are you alright?”

The question snapped him out of his thoughts and he answered, “I’m fine. It’s just… uh, who are you?”

Killcode chuckled and sat on the floor, beckoning the (as dubbed by Moon) Gremlin Trio over.

The twins carried Lunar over on their shoulders as Killcode introduced, “I am Killcode. It is nice to meet the one Lunar has been talking about recently.”

Killcode offered a hand, shocking no one when it dwarfed Eclipse’s own when they shook, as their guest returned, “Nice to meet you.”

Shooting the others a look, Killcode smiled. “Though the circumstances are not what anyone expected,” the twins pointed towards their youngest brother accusingly, “feel free to stay as long as you wish.”

Eclipse nodded as the larger animatronic warned his children to tell Sun and Moon about the visit.

The twins rushed off to tell Sun. Since he was recording a game with Moon upstairs, they would both know at the same time.The twins did not bother mentioning that they wanted to see if Moon would swing when they startled him, knowing that Killcode would interfere.

Lunar took Eclipse’s hand and walked him over to the security desk. Shaking his head, Eclipse asked, “Why the sudden urge to kidnap people, Kid?”

The smaller animatronic shook their head, pointed to one of the chairs, and ordered, “Sit first, then talking.”

With a sigh, he complied. He leaned back against the, admittedly comfortable, chair and opened his arms in a ‘spit-it-out’ gesture.

Lunar sighed, “So a little while I had a bit of a freak out.”

Eclipse sat up in alarm, more attentive as Lunar continued, “I lost control of a new form. It was pretty bad. Moon almost got ate. Sun and I almost got ate too.”

There was a shout from the area above the daycare as Moon’s voice carried over.

Lunar chuckled.

“Bloody and Vessie have been helping me but the instincts can get pretty bad. After the whole ‘situation’ I wouldn’t let’em go. They had to talk me down but sometimes my brain still gets itchy.”

Eclipse followed so far but his confusion must have been obvious if Lunar had to clarify, “I need my brother’s safe with me or my brain feels bad. Your Moon has been getting mean like my Eclipse was.”

Abruptly, the meaning of Lunar’s words sunk in and Eclipse’s rays whirled around frantically.

Face heating up and rays out of control, Eclipse stammered out, “I mean- I mean I’m fl-flattered but- isn’t that a little- I mean you’ve got your own problems!”

Lunar laughed at the flustered response as something crashed into the ball pit. “Better get used to it, Clipse. If KC hasn’t adopted you yet, I’ll eat Moon’s hat.”

It was about that time Bloody came scrambling over on all fours like a feral cat, a fuming Moon chasing them. There was also an obvious dent in their faceplate that made it clear they had succeeded in scaring the naptime attendant.

Mid-chase, Moon caught sight of the familiar face and jumped back. Lunar, on the desk even though Sun would have a fit, waved and presented, “Meet Clipse! He’s nicer than the jerk we know.”

Blindsided, Moon slowly shot him a thumbs-up and offered a quick ‘hi’ before going after Bloodmoon again.

Before he was able to process the awkward exchange, there was another clatter as a familiar voice admonished, “Moon! Stop chasing the twins! You already decked them and I don’t want-!”

Sun’s voice cut off as he saw Eclipse sitting with Lunar, still on the desk which made Sun’s rays twitch. Clearly trying to demonstrate his rapidly vanishing patience, Sun asked, “Lunar, what have we talked about when you’re on the security desk.”

Playing coy, Lunar tilted their head, “Dunno.”

“Lunar…”

“M’not doin’ anything”

“Lunar, I swear…”

“Anyways,” they hopped down, “this is Clipse! I’m makin’ him take a break!”

As soon as Lunar’s feet were off the desk, Sun groaned. With a sigh, Sun offered a wave and extended the same invitation as Killcode.

For his part, Eclipse was frozen.

Even though he knew it wasn’t his Sun moving and talking to him, the similarities were obvious. The way he spoke and shuffled awkwardly in place was so much like home that Eclipse was just… lost.

He didn’t snap out of it until he realised that Sun was talking to him, rays spinning worriedly. As soon as he recognised that he was being spoken to, Eclipse stammered out an apology.

Sun waved it off and told him, “I do it too. Feel free to get comfortable. I’m glad you’re here to help with Lunar’s problem!”

Eclipse nearly forgot the reason he had been kidnapped and managed to offer, “Well I can’t say no to the kid when he really needs my help.”

“Don’t I know it!”

“Can-” Eclipse shuffled his feet nervously, “Can I ask you something?”

“Sure, what’s up?”

“Would it be too weird to ask for a hug?”

“Oh, not at all! Here!”

Sun was warm. It wasn’t exactly like home but it was just close enough that tears started rolling down Eclipse’s cheeks.

When he realised what he was doing, he tried to pull away. Sun was not about to let that happen as he pulled him closer and hushed his cries. Eclipse, after so long without his brother and his open affection, collapsed in Sun’s arms.

Like he had with the rest of his brothers, Sun guided Eclipse into a more comfortable position out of sight and held him close. He rubbed circle’s on his back and crooned familiar songs that dragged the buried pain to the surface in the best way possible.

They stayed like that for who cares how long; nothing but gentle words and comforting gestures in their own little world.

When the pain was less, (not gone, never gone) Eclipse pulled away from Sun. The latter allowed him to move, not without noting that he didn’t go far, and waited.

Eclipse rubbed at his neck, shooting Sun odd looks, and offered, “Lunar said something about a new game you guys were going to play?”

Sun helped their new brother to his feet and confirmed, “Yeah. Here let me get it set up for you.”Even if he wasn’t the original, Sun was still someone dear to a lot of people. If Eclipse had any control in this universe, nothing was ever going to happen to Sun like before. Eclipse didn’t care what it would take, no one was ever going to suffer like that.

#sun and moon show #sams sun #sams moon #sams bloodmoon #sams lunar #sams killcode #sams nice eclipse #sams au #my au #my fic #In Our Code AU #In Our Code

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bearlytolerant · 3 months

Text

Fandom: My Time at Sandrock

Rating: M

Pairing: Fang x F!builder

AO3

Chapter 1: a visit

Summer, 104

Sage

—

Sage stepped off the bus from Portia as a cloud of dust floated up into the air and she reeled back breathing it in, eyes watering and nose tickling. She sneezed into her sleeve and reopened her burning eyes to be greeted by Logan. Taller than her by at least half a foot, and eyes as blue as the oasis, Sage understood why her twin sister was immediately magnetized to the man the day she saw him. On a wanted poster no less. It still made Sage chuckle to this day.

Logan stole her suitcase right out of her hand and beamed at her.

“Where’s Violet?” She asked.

“I’ll give you one guess.”

“You need to make her take days off.”

“You think I can make her do anything? She’s as stubborn as a boxing jack. Worse actually.”

Sage sighed. “Yes. She is.”

“She says you ain’t much different.”

“Perhaps. But have you considered there is a reason she gets that first place trophy every year?”

“She told me once, that you let her win.”

“I’m here to tell you she’s lying.”

Logan chuckled at that while curling his hand around his belt buckle. “Well, come on, maybe once she sees you, she’ll realize her commissions can wait.”

“I do admire your optimism,” Sage said as she trailed after Logan.

It was just a short stretch to walk from the bus stop to Violet’s workshop. But it was enough for Sage to realize she’s over dressed, roasting under her long sleeved shirt with a matching belted harness and cape. Her trousers were loose at least, and laced boots knee high to keep all the sand out. But every piece of her outfit was too much black for a desert sun. She mumbled an almost inaudible incantation to keep herself cool while lagging behind Logan’s long-legged stride, hoping he hadn’t noticed. Though, the man probably knew their family secret. Still, better to be safe.

“Does my sister have to run to keep up with you?” Sage commented when they arrived at the gate.

She steadied herself on the fence to catch her breath and wished she would’ve kept up her training with Arlo the past year.

Logan laughed. “I have to run to keep up with her!”

He held the gate open and Sage peeled herself off the fence to follow him into the yard. Somehow she believed that what Logan said was true. Violet was always flitting about like a bee, buzzing along to her next task. Veering to the right, past the stables, Sage spotted her sister slouched over, painting steady strokes of blue onto some flower boxes. Her white shirt sleeves were rolled up to her muscled shoulders, sweat shining in rivulets that trailed down her tanned triceps. Sage was similar in build, though she’d been kissed more delicately by Portia’s summer sun, her freckles less prominent.

“Hey Darlin’, look who’s here,” Logan said.

Violet glanced up from her work, her dark blue locks pulled back into a thick braid while a few strands framed her face, her grin spreading wide as the bright sunlight glinted off her nose ring. The brightness almost obscured the freckles that dusted her nose and apples of her cheeks. She set the box aside, wiping her hands on her red and white striped work apron and threw her arms around Sage. She wrapped her sister up in a long, overdue hug and squeezed. When they finally parted, a string of half dried paint clung to her shirt and Violet swept it away with a chuckle.

“You want to take a tour of the town?” Violet asked. I need the paint to dry on those boxes so might as well give you the lay of the land.” She plucked her leather work gloves off and pocketed them in the front of her apron.

“You act like I’ve never been here before.”

“A weekend at the Blue Moon Saloon and the church, mostly cluttering up your schedule with wedding duties is hardly what I’d call getting a feel for Sandrock. Besides, Mi-an, Wei and I have spruced up so much more since you were here last month.”

“Very well, show me your pride and joy,” Sage said with a smile and Violet clapped enthusiastically.

Violet practically vibrated with joy. “You’re gonna love our little town, Sage. Can’t wait to show you around. Maybe I can even convince you to move here, yet.”

—

The valley stretched as far as her eyes could see but Sage’s drifted up to the sky. Inside the tram cart, she imagined herself flying and free. The way the fluffy clouds swirled on the horizon, soaking up the sun's rays and glowing in orange, with ruffles of purple, made her wish she had wings. She was ready to float on air after a day of endless introductions and small talk.

“It’s gorgeous up here.” She dangled her arms over the side of the cart and watched a bird flit across the sky and disappear behind a distant peak.

“It is,” Violet replied from beside her with a little sigh.

“Can’t believe you built this.”

“Me neither. I didn’t do it alone though,” she continued. “The Sandrockers are just always working together to pull through for me. They’re good people. Real good.”

“They are. The way you talk about this place, plus the views and the warmth of the people—makes me want to leave my old life behind and live here.”

“So why don’t you?”

“Because—well, Vi.” There was only one reason really but she didn’t know how to say it. “I just can’t.”

“You can. You’ve told me time and time again how you’ve never wanted to be a builder. So, why don’t you stop holdin’ yourself back and start working toward your future? Logan and I would be more than willing to get you settled in here.”

“You would?” Sage cocked her head sideways at her sister.

“Of course.” She grinned while throwing her arm around Sage’s shoulder. “Plus you know me, I always want you around. It would be so nice to have you here in Sandrock. You could come with me to Saturday night story time with Owen and Sunday fireside meetin’s that always end up with a little party back at my place and—”

Violet launched into a speech of activities to participate in together as Sage turned back to the view. The sun sunk halfway below the horizon, brushing the sky with hues of pink and orange that had her believing her sister's words. She could move to Sandrock. Minus all those activities she was planning.

There was nothing holding her back. Well, nothing except her misplaced hope that he might return.

—

Sage pulled fresh rolls from the oven and slid the tray on top of the stove. The savory scent of caramelized onion and garlic she added to the dough before it baked filled her nose and her stomach rumbled.

“That smells heavenly,” Violet told her in a sing-song voice and then the doorbell rang.

“Did you invite someone over for dinner?” Sage asked.

“I sure did. But it’s a surprise so you’ll just have to wait and see.”

“This better not be a blind date. You know I’m not ready. I didn’t come here for that.”

Violet booped her nose and chuckled. “Not a date. I promise. He’s a friend and I just think you’d get along. He’s quiet. More than you, even. But he’s real kind.” She hurried towards the door but stopped in the frame and glanced back over her shoulder. “But it wouldn’t hurt to put the feelers out.”

Sage inhaled deeply to keep from shouting at her sister and turned back to the rolls. Violet disappeared and Sage reminded herself that her sister’s intentions came from a good place. Sweet even. Another deep breath and she noted that the tops were perfectly browned and ready to serve and smiled to herself with pride. She dug around in the cupboards for a basket to put them in and spotted one high up on the refrigerator and climbed the counter, stretching herself across the small gap. The tops of her fingers curled around the basket. She teetered but regained her balance, snatching the basket and clenching it against her chest, she crouched down and then jumped to the floor.

She busied herself with setting the table and then stirred the stewed mushrooms on the stovetop. Adding just a hint of extra cilantro, she left them to simmer a tad more while tossing the alfalfa salad with a few extra fresh veggies and a light vinaigrette. She set the salad bowl on the table with tongs and returned to the stovetop just as her sister ushered in the most beautiful man with blue eyes and long silken black hair she’s ever laid eyes on. He was nearly as tall as Logan but much more slight, dressed in a simple white button up and slightly tattered trousers, she gathered before averting her gaze. It’s rude to stare, she reminded herself.

“Sage, I want you to meet Doctor Fang,” Violet said.

The name sounded so familiar but she couldn’t quite place where she’d heard it before. She raised her hand in a small greeting. An awkward wave. “Hi,” she said.

Doctor Fang’s expression was unreadable as his eyes fell on her. A raven suddenly swooped in from behind him and landed on his shoulder. It whistled then said, “Pretty bird! Who’s this?”

“It’s—the builder’s sister,” Doctor Fang said in the softest, most comforting voice Sage had ever heard. She wanted to wrap herself up in it like a cozy blanket and fall asleep under the stars.

Picking her jaw up off the floor, Sage blinked. “That’s right. I’m Vi’s sister, Sage” she said to the bird.

“This is—X,” said Doctor Fang.

“Well it is a pleasure to meet you, X.” She offered a small smile. “And you, Doctor Fang.”

“Now that we’ve got all the introductions out of the way,” Violet clapped excitedly, “let’s have a seat, dig in and eat!”

Sage slid into the chair next to her sister and filled her plate with salad and then buttered her roll liberally, delighting in the way the softness just melted in her mouth as she took a bite. Meanwhile Violet told a story about her most recent adventure. Something about trying to collect cactus flowers for Doctor Fang when a boxing jack (which Sage had heard about plenty of times but fortunately had never come across) knocked her on her ass. Thankfully Logan had been at his outpost and spotted her in time to assist. Violet and Logan took turns telling the story of his heroic save and Sage listened while filling her stomach with the delicious foods on the table. By the end of their storytelling, Sage was done eating and collected her dirty dish from the table. She didn’t learn a thing about Doctor Fang because he barely said a word. Not like he could really get a word in edgewise anyway.

Eventually Logan and Violet dropped their plates in the sink and she was surprised when the Doctor joined her, drying the dishes she'd set in the drying rack.

“The rolls—did you make them?” He asked as he pulled open the cupboard, stacking the plates he'd dried.

“Yes,” she replied.

“They were very—good.”

“Thank you,” she said as she worked at cleaning the pot next.

She bit down on her lip while she scrubbed, channeling all her focus into cleaning. She almost forgot that Doctor Fang was with her and that she’d left him in silence for a decent length of time. But she only had one dish left.

Sage wiped the last dish clean and handed it to Doctor Fang. The walls shook and there was a low groan that

filtered through the floorboards as she briefly grazed his long fingers in the dish exchange. Flushing red, she muttered an apology. But Fang acted like it was nothing.

“I must—return home,” he said as another moan, much louder and longer than before, washed over them.

Sage refused to be left in the house with her sister and Logan, so at the risk of sounding desperate she asked, “can I please walk you home?” She cringed.

“Yes,” he stated simply, unaffected by the sounds going on around them. Or at least appearing not to be anyway.

Sage wished she had half his decorum.

“Thank you,” she breathed, following after him as he made his way toward the door.

The cool air washed over her as she sighed with relief, easily keeping pace with the Doctor as he led the way to his home in the night.

—

“You live in the clinic?” She asked once he stopped just outside the door, one hand pushing on it, letting the light spill out, grazing the top curve of her black boots.

“Yes,” he said simply. One foot was in the doorway, the other with her.

She wasn’t sure if he was waiting for her to go or for her to come in. Each minute passed made her second guessing worse.

“Come in!” Squawked X. “Don’t be shy! Shy!”

“X! Be quiet,” Doctor Fang said softly.

Sage took that as a sign.

“Wanna go back?” X squawked again.

Sage stared at the two of them a bit baffled. “Not particularly. I need to find something else to do while—” she hesitated. There was no need for an explanation. He was a stranger. They owed nothing to each other. “I hope you two have a good night,” she said instead and turned around.

“Thank you.” Fang’s words were a whisper of a hand on her shoulder but as she glanced back, the door clicked shut as the clinic bathed her in its warm red lighting.

Sage knew she couldn’t go back to her sisters just yet and she didn’t want to go to the Saloon. There was just too much noise and brightness there and she was far too exhausted from the day. She wandered over to the bench, situated between the clinic and the Golden Goose, and took a page out of her good friend Mint’s book. Curling up with one arm under her head as a pillow, she closed her eyes and let sleep take her.

But it wasn’t long before she dreamt of the Rogue Knight again. He had pinned her to the ground, his sword at her chest and his laughter echoed as his mask melted away. The kind brown eyes of a betrothed betrayer mocked her. She thrashed and glanced away, not wanting to see the face behind the mask. Pain rippled through her nerves as the edge of his blade tore through her clothes and nicked her skin. Then he plunged it deep. A sharp intake of breath and she threw her eyes open, jolting upright. Five years gone and she hated the hold he had on her even after all this time.

X was pecking at her shirt and she didn’t mean to swat at him. “Wanna go back!” He was shouting over and over as she came to, blinking. It was still night.

She sat up and X landed on the shoulder of Doctor Fang. “Are you okay?” He asked.

“Yeah. I just—I had a nightmare. I’m sorry.”

Doctor Fang stared at her, tilting his head quizzically then turned away. He gestured for her to follow. “Come with me.”

#bear writes #mtas #my time at sandrock #my time at portia #mtas spoilers #mtas fanfic #Portia crossover fic #mtas fang #mtas logan #mtas builder #mtap builder #a sea of silt

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pattywinchester · 8 months

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Suptober 2023 Day 5 -Portrait

Their life is a portrait of simplicity these days. Gone are the chaos and the battles, the danger and the death.

They have their lake house that Dean is refurbishing with the same loving dedication he puts into everything he does.

They spend their days puttering around the house. Cas springs a new recipe on Dean every now and then, as he learns to navigate his humanity. The results meet with occasional and surprising success.

When the weather is just right, they sit on the dock, on the two Adirondack chairs that Dean rescued and refinished. They sit in quiet companionship with their hands intertwined, feeling the breeze in their hair and the sun warm on their faces.

Once a week or so they hop into Baby and drive into town, where they are greeted warmly by the locals. While there, they pick up what food items they need, and check the P.O. box. More often than not, other than household bills, they receive a letter or card from Sam and Eileen, in which they are always sure to include new pictures of the twins. Little Dean and Cassie are growing like weeds and, those pictures fill their hearts between visits. It’s become habit on these forays to always stop at the downtown café for a piece of pie and a cup of coffee. Always home in time to watch the sun set over the lake from their front porch.

In the evenings, the men open the windows to enjoy the crickets chirp and the bullfrogs croak on the edge of the backyard pond Dean dugout last spring at Cas’ request. They sit intertwined reading or laughing at each other’s stories and reminiscences.

And at night, alone in the quiet of their bedroom, they love each other passionately, yet with the care and tenderness of their unwavering bond... only to wake up each morning to the song of a heron calling across the lake to usher in a new day, a new day in which they can do it all again.

Some might look at their life and judge it wrongly to be a small or dull and simple life, but Dean and Cas know the truth. It’s a mundanity that’s been hard earned and one they have sworn to protect.

The idea for this ficlet was handed to me whole cloth by Re_Create over on Ao3. Go read her.

#destiel #supernatural #cas x dean #castiel supernatural #dean winchester #destiel fic #cw supernatural #suptober23

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klaineccfanficlibrary · 11 months

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Klainebingo 2023

Thank you for hosting this event! I’m an old school reader and admittedly haven’t read much new stuff post-2016 or so, so it’s been absolutely lovely to find some new stories and authors!

1 Reverb (2018) by Fickelodeon

2 Wouldn’t Change a Thing (2020) by nontarelationship

3 You Will Be Found (2020) by kurtswish

4 Avian Series (2020) by kurtswish (Occupation: Superhero Costumer)

5 Even Better Than the Real Thing (2020) by gleekto

6 Andante, Andante (2020) by fionapear

7 Courting Royalty (2022) by hundredindecisions (Challenge: 3-2-1 Prompt Bang 2022)

8 (N/A)

9 Head Versus Heart (2020) by dizzywhiz (Trope: Hurt/Comfort)

Thanks for your list!! Find them on ao3. Rules here

1. Debut fic: Reverb by Fickelodeon

Post-Michael thru Season 4, Blaine’s just a little unwell, and it’s not long before everyone can tell. Physical and Mental illness. Hurt/Comfort. If Robin Cook wrote for Glee and General Hospital, the story would probably go like this. Universe Expansion for Seasons 3 and 4 wherein I add some elements to canon and leave some out but manage to get everyone back to place where they can still have the endings they got in canon. Honestly, I just wanted to write H/C, but the more I hurt Blaine, the more I realized he wasn’t going to handle that very well, so I added in diagnosed mental illness. All in all, it’s everything I love to read in fic all in one epic story, just in case I don’t ever get the chance to write these characters again.

2. Page turner: Wouldn’t Change a Thing by notarelationship

On the eve of his junior year at Dalton, Blaine’s dad kicks him out of the house, dumping him at the bus stop, cutting him off, and leaving him homeless. This is the story of how he survives, meets Kurt, and ultimately triumphs.

3. Need Tissues: You Will Be Found by @kurtswish

While on a National Broadway Tour, Kurt meets an intriguing man. With more than just miles separating them, they must make a choice. Will they go back to their different lives, or will they let themselves be found?

4. Unusual occupation: Avian Series by @kurtswish

Kurt Hummel always felt separate from his world and being the only one without a Soulmark didn’t help. Just as he is ready to end it all, something happens to change the course of his life. Parts 1 - 3

5. Your choice: Even Better Than the Real Thing by @gleekto

College AU/Famous!Blaine and Fanboy!Kurt - Kurt POV

Kurt really doesn’t have time to figure out the dating world between being a freshman at prestigious theatre school, LAADA, and his active but secret blogging life in the Sing!Fandom. So what if Sing! ended last year? There are still fics to read and actors to follow. Especially the uber talented heartthrob lead, Blaine Anderson. He can act. He can sing. He can even dance. He’s gay. He’s out. And he’s only 24. Kurt is willing to twiddle his thumbs and click refresh until Blaine Anderson’s next project.

He just didn’t expect the next project to be on his roommate Rachel’s new TV show.

6. Summer story: Andante, Andante by fionapear

Burt settles himself down in the chair of the vanity, peering up at the wall-mount TV at the movie. He fishes in his pocket for the piece of paper from the restaurant earlier. His fortune cookie fortune reads: “With time comes understanding.” It feels a little apt, even if he can’t place exactly why.

(Or: In which Burt Hummel, slowly, begrudgingly, grows to accept Blaine’s presence in his life.)

7. Written for a challenge: Courting Royalty by hundredindecisions @thnxforknowingmeme

During Kurt’s senior year, his friend Rachel gets some surprising news: she’s the princess of a tiny European country, and she has a twin brother to share the throne with. The summer after graduation, Kurt visits his newly-royal friend in the country she’s heir to before they head to New York for college. Staying in a castle and rubbing shoulders with European nobility is pretty overwhelming, but the most remarkable part is meeting Rachel’s brother Blaine, the new prince who Kurt instantly begins crushing on. This summer is either going to be a fairy tale come true, or result in multiple diplomatic catastrophes.Inspired by Meg Cabot’s Princess Diaries series and the movie adaptations, but no background knowledge is needed to understand the fic.

8. n/a

9. Genre/trope you wouldn’t normally read: Head Versus Heart by @dizzywhiz

Blaine gets hit by a taxi and ends up in the hospital - so naturally, as his best friend and long-standing roommate, Kurt visits him at every possible opportunity until he gets to come home.

It only takes a couple of visits before Kurt notices something impossibly endearing: the beeping of Blaine’s heart rate monitor speeds up whenever his friends come to visit. At least, Kurt assumes it happens with all of Blaine’s friends, until Sam has no idea what he’s talking about.

#Jen

#klaine fanfiction #2023 klaine bingo #thank you!

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edupunkn00b · 1 month

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Meus ex Machina, Chapter 13: Taking Turns

Edited public domain image of two hands reaching for each other, lit in deep blue and neon green.

Prev - Taking Turns - Next - Masterpost - [ AO3 ]

Late at night, long after the others have gone to bed, Logan returns to the basement to see Remus. But first, Janus teaches teenaged Virgil how to play chess.

“Are you sure this is a real game, Jan?” Virge had protested with a laugh, smirking down at the pieces Janus laid out. “The horse can’t even move in a straight line!”

Janus merely shrugged and advanced a pawn. “Quite. And that ‘horse’ is called a knight.” He hid his smile better than Virge hid his eye roll. “My grandmother first taught me how to play when I was half your age. This had been her set.” With Luc and the twins out on a training excursion in the drowned coast, the house had been quiet. After helping Patton bake for as long as his attention span would allow, Virge had meandered into the common room and pulled down the old set.

Despite his protests, he’d taken to the game faster than Janus had. And certainly faster than Janus had expected him to.

Chin pillowed on the backs of his hands, Virge now sat slouched in front of the chess board, scowling lightly. Janus’ black knight made no sound as it captured Virgil’s queen. He hummed and sat back, waiting as Virge assessed the changed board. The boy had been over-reliant on the overpowered piece and neglected his knights, thinking them useless.

Now, purple-ringed eyes peered closely at each piece.

Janus couldn’t help his little nod when Virge sat up straight, staring at the rook he’d left vulnerable. He was even more pleased when Virge didn’t take the bait and instead moved a bishop to C6 to take advantage of the opening.

“Very nice,” he murmured, pointedly ignoring the proud blush on the teenager’s cheeks. Well, technically still a teenager. Back in his parent’s time, Virge would now be old enough to vote. “With practice, soon you’ll be beating me.” He stepped another pawn forward and folded his hands. “I think you’ve got an even chance of beating Papa Bear if you try.”

“Are my ears burning? Or are you just singing my praises?” Patton laughed, plopping down onto the couch next to Virge. A plume of cinnamon and vanilla-scented flour accompanied his laughter.

“Jan was just suggesting I challenge you to a game of chess.” He brandished a captured bishop and grinned.

Smile twisting into a wince, Patton rubbed the back of his neck. “Oh, I don’t know, Kiddo. I’m not much for chess…” His voice trailed away when Virge put on big puppy dog eyes.

“Please, Pops?”

“Yes, please, Pops?” Janus added, chuckling when Patton rolled his eyes.

“Oh, alright,” he caved, eyeing the board. “Lemme take the bread out of the oven and I’ll watch you finish this game to warm up, okay?” He squeezed Virge’s shoulder, smiling down with that same indulgent grin he still gave Luc sometimes.

“Deal!” Virge vibrated in his seat, the prospect of actually winning a match giving him fresh energy.

Janus didn’t leave him to bask for long, though. “First you’ll need to get out of check.”

“Wha—?” Eyes wide, he scanned the board, sighing when he finally noticed the rook in striking distance of his king. “How the f—”

Luc’s distress signal censored him, the flashing orange lights giving their movements a stuttered effect as he and Virge leapt to their feet. Virge’s captured bishop rolled under the table.

Worry pinched Patton’s face as he rushed back from the kitchen, tearing off his oven mitts. Their shared fear reflected back at them, Patton's voice nothing but a whisper. "Lukie?"

After his first visit was cut short by Hesper’s alarm, Logan returned to The Muse’s room each of the following three nights. Though V never mentioned how he’d found him in the basement that night, the lack of censure didn’t feel like approval.

So he would wait until long after the sun had set, until HQ grew quiet and his own eyes would grow heavy and he didn’t need to feign his yawns before retreating to his room with quiet ‘good night’s.

With his door cracked open and ears tuned to the creaks and shuffles of the halls, he sat in the window seat, tablet balanced on his lap as he tapped between the camera arrays in a slow loop. First the hallways to the other Mad Lads’ rooms, then the common room, the med bay, and finally, the cameras just outside The Muse’s room.

Fighting his own drooping eyelids, he’d wait for the hallways to dim and then he’d count down another thirty minutes before wrangling his chair and heading downstairs.

And for each of those three nights, by the time he’d reached it, The Muse’s room had been dark and still. No moving shadows visible through the tiny window, no sounds beyond a faint snore from the little vent Logan had discovered on the second night.

He stayed for as long as he dared, the memory of V’s tight expression in the elevator growing clearer even as drowsiness fuzzed the rest of his thoughts.

The Muse’s breathing quieted, shifting into a peaceful, regular rhythm. Logan listened, head resting against the cushioned side of his chair. The Muse’s room wasn’t completely dark and as his eyes adjusted to the dim light, he made out the shape of a small table, books stacked on top. Real, bound, paper books.

Rolls and rolls of drawings were scattered around the room, some piled beneath the table. A cup sat overturned on the counter, next to a half-filled pitcher of pink-colored liquid.

Logan suddenly jerked in his seat, and he grunted, the sudden movement sending fire over his shoulder. He rubbed the sore muscle and blinked, belatedly realizing he must have dozed off. The Muse’s room was still dim, his sleep sounds louder now to Logan’s barely awake ears.

He reached out and traced his fingers over the window, the plexisteel cool to the touch. “I’ll try again tomorrow night, Muse,” he promised, then rolled back to the elevator and to his room for his own much-needed sleep.

Four nights. Four whole nights. It had been four whole nights since he’d last seen Machina. Seven nights—an entire fucking week!—since that first glorious visit when he’d peeked outside and stared back at eyes the color of the sky in books.

He’d begun to fear Machina wouldn’t ever return. After that first visit was cut short, The Muse had feared Machina had been scared off Or blocked. But Jannie wouldn’t do that, would he? He wouldn’t actually keep Machina imprisoned upstairs. Virge wouldn’t, either.

Virge could. The Muse grinned and traced another shape onto the papered floor. Back when he and Virge had started testing the cameras and the locks, back before… The charcoal snapped in his hand, ash exploding against the paper. He smeared his fingers through the dusty shrapnel and nodded. Before that, he and Virge had practiced locking each other out from different rooms, testing the boundaries of how quickly they could switch on and off the permissions.

Ro had hated when he’d locked him out of their room, pounding on the door until his fists grew sore. And until Lucas came and made them reset the locks.

“Ha,” he muttered. “Guess that wasn’t the best idea I’d ever had, huh, Ro Bro? Didn’t know I’d be the one locked out of the controls.”

Still no Machina.

He went to bed each night curled on his side, one eye peeking out from the covers to watch the door. He stared at the elevator panel light spilled over the hallway’s floor, waiting, waiting, waiting, waiting, waiting and wishing for that wobble that might mean Machina was on his way downstairs. He could picture the lights brighten and dance, the little flicker as the floor numbers changed with the elevator’s movements. He could almost feel the rumble of the elevator touching down, that little click-buzz that even Jannie said he couldn’t feel.

He could almost see those bright blue eyes beaming back at him, light not just reflecting, but shining out of them, undimmed by fear or revulsion. Or guilt. A soft glow no-one else had anymore when they came to see him.

Each night, he fell asleep seeing those eyes. Pretending he could see them, at least. That was nearly as good.

But three nights ago, he’d woken—been woken?—by something. It wasn’t the elevator and there was no movement outside the door. But something had pulled him from his sleep, pulled him from his nest and he’d crawled to the window and peeked out.

Machina!

Face pressed to the window, The Muse watched the slow rise and fall of Machina’s chest as he slept in his chair. His head was tilted at an bad angle—fuck that was gonna hurt when he woke up—but his face was smooth and peaceful in sleep. Machina’s stitches had healed nicely, four thin red lines along either side of his face. The Muse brushed his fingers down his own face, his own scars flat and smooth as Machina’s looked. He nodded. Jannie was now nearly as good at sewing up his damage as Papa Bear was.

The wounds from his thumbs hadn’t gone as deep and Machina hadn’t even needed stitches for his, the shorter, shallow cuts highlighting the curve of his neck and underside of his jaw. He could’ve even gotten those shaving.

Machina sighed in his sleep, turning his head the other way. Good. He’d stretch the muscles in the other direction now and hopefully wake up with less of a crick in his neck.

Shivering, The Muse raced back to his bed and pulled two of the blankets out from their heap and brought them back to the door. Machina had already dressed for sleep, a heavy hoodie—was that one of Virge’s?—layered over a thermal just like his. The left sleeve was folded and pinned up, just like his thick knit sleep pants. No more cold feet, cold cold cold cold feet, no more cold feet… danced through The Muse’s head, but he knew the truth. He’d heard it when the shield fell.

Machina’s feet were always cold. Cold and aching and screaming for a soft warmth he didn’t know how to give them.

The Muse bunched up his larger blanket on the floor and hunkered down under the other, drawing it up over his head. Machina should be wearing his hood up to trap his body heat better, but maybe it was comfy like it was, gathered up just under his jaw like a tiny pillow.

The Muse copied him, tucking a bit of his blanket between his shoulder and his head and he leaned against the door. If he tilted his head just right he could still watch the little flutter of Machina’s bangs as he breathed.

It was the last thing he saw before sleep finally took him again.

A few nights later, Logan spotted the shadow hopping across the floor as soon as he emerged from the elevator. He rolled out into the hall and smiled back at the face pressed against the window.

“You’re back, you’re back, you’re back! You really came back!” The Muse cried. His voice cracked, hoarse and thick. Tears glistened in the corners of his eyes, his chapped lips stretched painfully over a wide grin.

“Yes,” Logan nodded, steering his chair as close as he could manage to both the window and the vent. “Can you hear me this time?” he asked, watching The Muse’s face as it twisted between a sob and laughter. Without thinking, he reached toward him, hand stopped by the unforgiving window.

“I can hear you,” The Muse nodded. “Well…” He wobbled his head, light glinting against the wetness in his eyes. “Not hear you, but…” As though distracted by his mangled hand, The Muse stared down at it, eyebrows and lips scrunched down, scowling.

Logan was about to pull his hand away, to keep it out of sight in his lap. Then he heard The Muse’s quiet whisper.

“Always, always between. Always between,” he muttered and traced the shape of Logan’s hand before pressing his own, fingers splayed, against it.

The plastic warmed between their palms.

“Do you…” He looked up and met Logan’s eyes. The Muse’s eyes were a clear, bright green, a greener green than his brother’s, undarkened by sunlight the way young children’s eyes looked before they dimmed with age.

He shuddered at the implication.

“Do you still want to come inside?” The Muse asked, voice warbly. Watery eyes stared back at him and The Muse swallowed, visibly bracing himself for a rejection.

Smiling, Logan stretched and pressed his palm against the controls. The door slid open with a woosh, exhaling the scent of sweat and charcoal, paper and tea. The Muse scrambled back, leaving space for him to enter. “I need to leave my chair…” his voice trailed off, unsure if he was asking or telling.

“Yeah,” The Muse nodded, gnawing on the inside of his cheek. “You… You can stay out there if…”

Logan shook his head. “I'm coming in,” he said and launched himself out of his chair and into The Muse’s room.

#Meus ex Machina #sanders sides fanfiction #ts remus #ts logan #intrulogical #they're face to face!!#sanders sides #superpowers #The Mad Lads series #Out of the Machine #Progression #Silvertongue #Machina #The Muse #The Prince #Papa Bear #Ultraviolet #Hesper

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deanwinchesterswitch · 10 months

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July 2023 Fic Rec List

Another month of fabulous reads!

Enjoy!

Many of these blogs and fics are NSFW-18+. Please honor any requests from a blog regarding no minors. I am not responsible for the content you choose to consume; heed the warnings for each fic.

~MCU~

I Never Told You ~ @justagirlinafandomworld. Author's Summary: None (Drabble; Bucky Barnes x Reader)

Rock Around My Christmas Tree ~ @justagirlinafandomworld. Author's Summary: None (Stripper!Bucky x Reader)

Sunglasses and Orange Peels ~ @justagirlinafandomworld. Author's Summary: None (Ficlet; Bucky Barnes x Reader)

~RPF~

Grandpa Ackles ~ @whatareyousearchingfordean. Author's Summary: Y/n was enjoying her husband’s new style post Supernatural, that is until a certain pair of glasses come onto the scene. How will Jensen feel about her teasing?

Imagine Accidentally Texting The Wrong Number ~ @sincerelysaraahh. (This one came to me via @kickingitwithkirk. However, it was written by sincerelysaraahh, but the original link is broken and I couldn’t find another one. I did discover that there are 3 more parts to this fic.) {Jensen Ackles x Reader}

~Supernatural~

Afraid to Love ~ @sofreddie. Author's Summary: Afraid of love, afraid of the Mark, afraid of the consequences of their night together, she ran. When Dean shows up in her life again, she has to decide whether to accept the second chance she’s been presented with or give in to her instinct to run.

Caveat Emptor ~ @thoughtslikeaminefield. Author's Summary: Gabriela Cruz invests in a Victorian mansion in the middle of America where the rule of Buyer Beware is absolute. When her twin sister goes missing, a couple of federal agents show up. Lucky for Gabi, Dean and Sam Winchester are on the case.

If You Want It To Be-Series Masterlist ~ @zepskies. Author's Summary: When your car breaks down after a hunt, Sam and Dean tow you back to the bunker for Christmas. This time of year gives you and Dean a little courage to be honest about what you both want. And what you want, is for him to see you. (18+)

Imagine Dean getting all flustered every time he comes in to your coffee shop... @supernaturalfreewill. Author's Summary: None (Drabble)

Make it Better ~ @dean-winchester-is-a-warrior. Author's Summary: Y/N is at the end of her rope. Can Dean help her hold on?

Me, Myself and Why ~ @wi-deangirl77. Author's Summary: So I was listening to this song on repeat and couldn’t help but think of good ‘ol Dean Winchester and how he never could get that apple pie kind of life. But I think that he had some special ladies he visited more than once, but told them not to fall in love with him. And this is about one of those ladies.

No Title ~ @supernaturalfreewill. Author's Summary: None (Drabble; Dean Winchester)

No Title ~ @supernaturalfreewill. Author's Summary: None (Drabble; Benny Lafitte)

Promise Me ~ @justagirlinafandomworld. Author's Summary: No one is guaranteed a long life. Least of all hunters. Dean knows this and so do you. Still, you pull promises from each other to protect the sliver of happiness found together.

Slow Fire Burn ~ @justagirlinafandomworld. Author's Summary: None (Drabble; Dean Winchester x Reader)

~The Boys~

No Title ~ @zepskies. Author's Summary: None (Imagine; Soldier Boy/Ben x Reader)

Love Actually ~ @zepskies. Author's Summary: Ben gets in late on Christmas Eve with a Grinch-like attitude, but you’re determined to force some holiday cheer into his system.

On AO3

Independence Dean ~ Author's Summary: Summer is in full pandemic swing and our heroes are going to celebrate the holiday. Eventually. (Dean x Reader)

On Patreon

Rebekah Jordan (Impala-Dreamer)

Go On And Beg ~ Author’s Summary: Dean Winchester has got quite a mouth on him, and he knows just what do to drive you insane...

It Works If You Believe ~ Author’s Summary: Dean treats Y/N to a piece of vintage jewelry that may turn out to be more than it seems...

Take A Break ~ Author’s Summary: Laundry can be annoying and overwhelming, so it's important to take breaks now and then...

thinkinghardhardlythinking

Someone To Watch Over Me-Parts 21 & 22 ~ Author’s Summary: (AU) Y/N is married to a very rich, decidedly unscrupulous and powerful man. A man whose inability to trust means he hires someone to watch over his wife while he isn’t around. He hires Dean Winchester, a handsome stranger to Y/N, who is soon to become a very big part of her life.

From the Christmas in July Event

Home For Christmas ~ @fangirlingfromdownunder. Author's Summary: None (Jensen Ackles x Reader)

The Christmas Con ~ @whispersandwhiskerburn. Author's Summary: None (Dean Winchester x Reader)

The Gift Box ~ @whispersandwhiskerburn. Author's Summary: None (Dean Winchester x Reader)

#monthly fic recs #fabulous writers #dw's witch reads #july 2023 #080723

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hms-harmony-discord · 1 year

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Final results of the HMS Harmony Advent Fest are in! As 2022 comes to a close for the HHr community, so too does our last event of they year. From the 24 Advent prompts we've amassed a total of 299 drabbles and 8 artworks.

Please do take some time to check out the entries in the AO3 Collection and give the participants below some love!

24 Days of Christmas – The Harmony Collection by IckleRonnikens

Summary: The 2022 HMS Harmony Advent Fest: a Christmas-themed event from the 1st to the 24th of December, when a new prompt will be announced on the HMS Harmony Discord every day, and a short drabble centred around the prompt will be written. Rating: G

[Late] 24 Drabbles of Harmony by matzeztam

Summary: 24 Prompts. 24 Drabbles. 1 bad fanfiction writer. Rating: M

Adventus Nativitatis by TheOxen

Summary: A collection of drabbles for the 2022 HMS Harmony Advent Fest. Rating: M

The Best Gift by raydarkwolf

Summary: Hermione has an announcement to make and it turns out to be the best gift Harry has ever received. Rating: G Type: Drabble+Artwork

Brian's 2022 HMS Harmony Advent Collection by BrianKilroy

Summary: Celebrating the holiday with the HMS Harmony discord with 24 unique prompts for each day leading up to Christmas! God help me! Rating: T Type: Series

Christmas at Grimmauld Place by viscountess_black

Summary: After the attack to Mr. Weasley, the twins are eager to turn the gloomy vibe into a warm and joyful Christmas. Rating: G

Christmas Cuddles by Loquatorious

Summary: Based on the HMS Harmony Advent Calendar Prompt 12: Christmas Cuddling. We got a wholesome version and a more steamy version so mature eyes only, please. Merry Christmas, you filthy animals! Rating: M Type: Artwork

A Christmas Eve Tradition by unbadger

Summary: Many years later, Harry and Hermione visit James and Lily Potter’s grave on Christmas Eve once again. But this time they have a new member of the family to introduce… Rating: G Type: Artwork

Christmas in Harmony by KielWhitehead24

Summary: Written for the Discord HMS Harmony Advent Fest. Rating: Not rated. Type: Series.

Decking The Halls With Tales of Harmony by Aeyliana

Summary: An Advent Anthology of drabbles, short stories and vignettes for the 2022 HMS Harmony Advent Fest. 24 days, 24 prompts and (hopefully) 24 stories. Rating: M

Dobby's gift by viscountess_black

Summary: When one receives a gift it’s really the intention that matters, right? Or, Dobby knits a pair of sweaters for Harry and Hermione. Rating: G

Enchanted Christmas: An Advent Collection by Myst867

Summary: Six years after the events in Pregnancy By Possession, Hermione is pregnant again, James is six years old, and Harry is having the time of his life. Rating: G

Falling All the Way by OfLegosAndDragons

Summary: When Hermione drags Harry out to go ice skating, Harry is more than willing to try it if it will make her happy. Besides, he was the youngest seeker on a Hogwarts Quidditch Team in a century, how hard could sliding along some ice be when he clearly had a perfect sense of balance from chasing down the golden snitch while dodging bludgers? (News flash: Harry is in for a surprise, but Hermione is there to make it all better.) Rating: G

Feels like home by occulted

Summary: Every year after 1997, Harry and Hermione visit the graveyard where his parents lay at rest. This year though, it's a bit different. Rating: G

First Christmas by disenchantedwing

Summary: HHR's first Christmas as a family. Rating: G Type: Artwork.

First of many by viscountess_black

Summary: In the last stages of her study session, before heading for the Hogwarts Christmas Banquet, Hermione notices an odd sight at the Great Lake and decides to investigate. Rating: G

A fortuitous call by viscountess_black

Summary: Harry offers a Christmas Eve dinner, Teddy is bored and Hermione comes to the rescue. Rating: G

happy holidays by chobaniyogurtt

Summary: because i like this style of writing more, these pieces will attempt to reflect a more angsty tone. a good portion of them will be about harry and hermione trying to celebrate post war or during the war. i think as much as i love fluff, this will be a different type of holiday collection for you to enjoy. if that's your cup of tea, you've come to the right place! Rating: Not rated.

Harmony Advent Drabbles 2022 by RJGriot7

Summary: A collection of drabbles inspired by HMS Harmony’s 2022 Advent Prompts. I hope to finish as many as I can, as muse and life permits! Hope everyone enjoys. Rating: G Type: Series.

Harmony Advent Fest Short Stories and Drabbles by HarmoniousEclipse

Summary: All of my submissions to the HMS Harmony Discord's Advent Fest. Rating: T

A Harmony Story by BananaCarrotFive

Summary: A fun Harmony story that will (hopefully) follow the Advent-fest prompts from the HMS Harmony Discord server! Rating: T

Harmony Winter by harmonious (accidentally_hi)

Summary: Series of Drabbles after Harry defeated Voldemort, life soon returns to normal, or as close as it can get. Harry and Hermione, along with others, go back to Hogwarts to finish their 7th year, and find more than they were searching for. Rating: T

HMS Harmony Advent Fest by mxclarke

Summary: Written for the HMS Harmony Advent Fest. Rating: G Type: Series.

homeward by dragonmarked

Summary: Homeward: leading towards home. Rating: T

Honour Harmony in Their Hearts and Try to Keep it All The Year by CrediblyDisavowed

Summary: Written for the 2022 HMS Harmony Advent Fest - 24 days of advent. 24 prompts. 24 drabbles! With such seasonal favourites as: Tinsel Kiss, Angry Car Trip, Danger Footsie, Die Hard AU and more! Buy now with your credit card and get a 25th 24 word drabble free in the chapter titles! Rating: E

like music, like magic (somehow it just happens) by bellairestrella

Summary: In honor of the 2022 HMS Harmony Advent Fest. 24 days, 24 prompts. Possibly 24 drabbles? Rating: M

The List by occulted

Summary: Naughty or Nice. Rating: M

LordCroussette's 2022 HMS Harmony Advent Fest Stories by LordCroussette

Summary: A compilation of short stories written for the 2022 HMS Harmony Advent Fest. One prompt every day! I'll try to make each little story fit in its own little timeline, however unrelated they might end up being. Rating: G

Love, Joy, Peace, and Harmony by Rouch

Summary: A collection of drabbles set within my Divergence universe for the 2022 Harmony Advent Fest. Rating: M

The Mystery of the House-Elves' Enslavement by LordCroussette

Summary: Hermione makes an amazing discovery while in the library. Someone might have the key to freeing the house-elves from their enslavement! Harry and Hermione make a visit to Santa Claus' famous North Pole village to learn more about the truth behind the enslavement of the elves. Rating: G

Pre-Christmas Cuddles by ap_aelfwine

Summary: In an alternate version of Third Year where Sirius Black was exonerated in October, Hermione is about to get on the Express and head home for the Christmas holidays when her parents' last-minute change of plans leaves her stuck at Hogwarts. Fortunately, her best friend is there to keep her company. Rating: T

Ribbons and Wrappings by OfLegosAndDragons

Summary: During one of their semi-regular brunches, Ginny suggests to Hermione a sure way to get Harry’s attention. However, the idea requires a lot of skin and not a lot of modesty, and the brightest witch of her age does not resort to low-key seducing her best friend to show him that she is interested in him romantically speaking. Hermione finds herself buying ribbons on Christmas Eve anyway. Rating: T

The Snow House by ap_aelfwine

Summary: On a snowy Saturday in Second Year, Harry and Hermione go for a walk, and Hermione notices the perfect place to try a new spell. Rating: T

Syzygy's Festive Harmony Drabbles by Syzygy_Spirit

Summary: My entries for this year's HMS Harmony Advent Fest. I probably won't manage to write a drabble for all 24 prompts, but we'll see. There won't be any hardcore smut or violence in here, but other than the expected ubiquity of Christmas cheer I'm aiming for a range of styles and topics. Enjoy! Rating: T

A tale of toxicity by occulted

Summary: Is the tale of "if you kiss underneath the mistletoe, you fall in love" true? Harry and Hermione find out. Rating: E

Tis the Most Wonderful Time for a Fight by HarmoniousEclipse

Summary: Harry wants Hermione to fight him on Christmas Eve. And it's their first Christmas as a couple. Rating: G

The Trials and Tribulations of Animagi in Training: Christmas Edition by ap_aelfwine

Summary: Under the guidance of Professor McGonagall, Harry and Hermione are training as Animagi, and have successfully transformed themselves for the first time. As it turns out, a common issue at this particualar stage of the process is the retention of some aspect of one's animal features after returning to human form. Rating: T

A Very Harmony Christmas by Stargon

Summary: A Christmas-themed story collection in the lives of Harry and Hermione. Every day, starting from the 1st of December, a new prompt will be given in the HMS Harmony Discord channel. Here are my drabbles centered around the given prompts. 24 days until Christmas, 24 prompts. Rating: G

A special shoutout to the users Ayeliana, CrediblyDisavowwed, IckleRonnikens, Stargon, Bellairestella, Rouch, harmonious, and Syzygy_Spirit for managing to get all 24/24 prompts.

We wish everyone has a great New Years and look forward to seeing you all with more events to come in 2023!

#harry potter #hermione granger #harry x hermione #harmione #harry potter fanfiction #harry potter art #hpff #harry potter fic #hermione granger art #hermione granger fanfiction #harry potter fandom #harry and hermione #harry/hermione #fanfiction #advent fest

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