#when i am too sad to speak it seems like the ocean is whispering for me. ( ooc || queue ) | Explore Tumblr Posts and Blogs

gothgril69 · 8 months

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Levi Ackerman/Fem!Reader Royalty!AU

Summary: You dream of another life, a simpler one under the rays of the warm sun, where you find love and your brothers live happily.

But you're destined to serve, to be the black sheep of the family and married off to whoever your father pleases because your parents can't seem to harbor any love for you. Your brothers will serve in the war, side by side with their Chevaliers, and you'll be left to pick up the pieces or die trying.

And the one you thought always hated you, will be right by your side to catch you when you fall.

Overall Warnings: themes of sexism, minor character death, angst, depression, minor character death, smut (please check ao3 for all tags)

Chapter warnings: light smut? MDNI

Chapter Length: 8.6k

ao3 link

The shores of Mirlenas disappear into the horizon, the home you’ve known for your whole life turning into a small blip before its gone. The sea waters are rough and choppy, causing the modest boat Erwin procured to rock back and forth. He suggested traveling in a smaller boat instead of a navy vessel to appear non-threatening to Kaslogon and you had agreed to his suggestions, trusting every word of his – he has far more knowledge than you do. It would also mean less crew members and less mouths to feed on the journey. Roughly half of the ships population were your own soldiers while the others were seasoned sailors.

You lean against the wall of the ship, looking out as you sail on. The new men surrounding you regarded you as their queen, but you could sense that they were uneasy. Many of them never stray too close to you, and you notice them all laying a hand on an iron horseshoe that’s mounted in front of the quarterdeck.

“Feels strange to leave,” Levi’s voice sounds from behind you as he steps to look out at the choppy waters with you.

“It does,” you agree, eyeing him instead of the sea.

“Good day, Your Majesty,” a sailor nods at you, dipping his hat. He passes you to touch the iron horseshoe, placing a kiss on his fingers that meet the metal.

You give Levi a questioning glance. “It’s bad luck not to touch it,” he answers.

You furrow your eyebrows at him. “A sailor’s superstition I presume?”

“Yes. A woman’s presence is also bad luck.” He walks over to the horseshoe and briefly touches it with his thumb.

You scoff and harshly pat the horseshoe. “I suppose I should set up my quarters then.” You brush past him to enter the tight corridor that leads to your small bedroom. There’s enough room for a small bed and your chest with your clothing and belongings – the dark stained wood makes the space feel more cramped. Levi follows you.

“It’s just sailors’ superstitions,” he says from behind you. “You said it yourself.”

“I suppose Mikasa and Sasha are not welcome either then?” You turn around to face him, posture relaxed with your arms crossed in front of your open bedroom door.

“They are soldiers and regarded as such,” he sighs. “Just how you are their Queen.”

You hold the small knob on your door and gesture for Levi to follow you in. You all but collapse on him the moment the door is shut, allowing him to catch you and wrap his arms around your waist. “I feel as though this journey will be forever long,” you sigh, arms limp by your sides, face squished against his chest. “It has only been two weeks of travel and I have yet to do anything we’ve set out to do. I am supposed to face Zeke, but will I be too tired by then to even care? If the ocean takes me I do not think I would mind.”

“Never speak like that again,” Levi vehemently whispers to you, using a hand to tilt your face to his. “It will all be worth the effort, to face him and be there for your country, for us.”

You look back and forth between his grey irises, finding frustration and sadness within them. “I did not mean it, Levi,” you whisper. “I only wish for a break from my never ending thoughts is all.”

“Tell me what I must do to help and I will,” he whispers back, a thumb stroking your cheekbone.

You relish in the feeling of his touch, of a familiar presence there to comfort you from your treacherous thoughts. A friend – that you wish could have been there all your life – a person that might be able to stitch your heart back together without Auguste or Theo’s help. Someone that you can look to for solitude or courage to move on, someone that can offer a helping hand when you need it most. You can only hope that you are there for him as much as he is here for you.

“I just need you,” you tell him honestly. “You are my one saving grace.”

“Then I am here,” he answers instantly. “I’m here now.” Because he knows he should have been there for you sooner.

You find a surge of courage in your heart, and reach to place a small and gentle kiss on his cheek to show your appreciation of him – a gesture that may show the depth of your feelings for him.

His cheeks flush and his eyes widen with surprise, the harsh blinks his eyelids move in make you giggle, surprising both yourself and him again. “I should be on the deck.” You gently step back, removing yourself from his arms in the process. “Join me when you feel you’re able.”

You cover your mouth to stifle a laugh, finding amusement in how much emotion you can draw out of the usually stoic man.

Levi stands still as you leave, placing two fingers on his cheek where your soft lips once were.

The top of the deck is covered in sunshine, hardly a cloud in the sky as the wind whips against the large white sails and carries you onwards. The air is balmy, more humid than you ever imagined and warmer for a late autumn day. The crew is running all over, your own soldiers following some to learn their own duties and you’re proud to see the youngest of them eagerly listening to their teachers. Erwin and Hange seem to be lost in conversation, Hange’s hands moving so fast you can hardly see them, and their grin tells you they’re enthralled in their own story.

You spot the Captain behind the wheel on the quarterdeck and lift up your skirts to climb the stairs. The man is less unruly looking than you had initially anticipated, assuming all sailors had a certain level of grime they wore as a requirement. His hair is grey, but neatly pulled back low and the wrinkles around his eyes aren’t too deep. He looks around fifty – old for a sailor. He’s not handsome by any means though, and fits the image of a sailor perfectly with rough tanned skin and slightly battered clothing. You’ve never known any different than the handsome men that worked for you at your castle. Your cheeks flush at the thought.

“Captain!” you shout over the bustling crew and waves hitting the sides of the ship.

“Your Majesty,” he greets you. “Captain Beaumont, but you may call me Charles if you please.”

“A pleasure to meet your acquaintance, Captain,” you smile politely, putting your minor diplomacy skills Auguste had taught you to use. Although, you assume the Captain doesn’t prefer such pleasantries just like yourself.

“It would be an honor to have you dine with me this evening in my quarters, Your Majesty.”

“Thank you. I will knock when dinner is being served.” You nod your head and look out at the rest of the ship.

You spot Levi heading towards your soldiers, arms crossed and the blush gone from his cheeks and replaced by the stern look he gives the young ones. He yells something you can’t hear from your spot on the quarterdeck, but you see your soldiers stand tall with a salute. Erwin walks up to him and places a hand on his shoulder, leaning down to mutter in his ear. Levi follows Erwin’s movements and turns his head – you meet both their gazes. You take it as your que to join them, giving one last nod to the Captain of the ship and lifting your skirts to climb down the steps.

“Everything alright?” Erwin immediately asks once you are within a meter of them.

“Yes, of course,” you answer. “The Captain invited me to his quarters to dine with him this evening.”

Levi narrows his eyes at you, but Erwin speaks before he has the chance. “Excellent. He is a good man, but Levi has informed me of the sailors’ superstitions that do not sit well with you. Be cautious of his intentions.”

“If he is a good man then I would not need to be cautious of him, Erwin,” you calmly respond and turn to Levi. “I’d like you to guard the door.”

“Of course.” His response is instantaneous, as if he were already thinking of doing so himself.

—

Captain Beaumont opens his door wide, allowing you to see the spread of food he has on his table and a large desk that sits behind it. He gives Levi a small nod, seemingly understanding of his presence, and gestures for you to enter. You give Levi a very quick and small smile before stepping across the threshold into his quarters.

“Thank you for having me,” you state as you take a seat across from him.

“The pleasure is all mine, Your Majesty.” He takes his own seat and begins offering you the food that lies on the table.

A neat array of a couple choice meats are on a platter, along with a row of cooked carrots and potatoes. You’re grateful for the vegetables and ample amount of meat, but you can’t help but feel guilty about indulging in such foods while the rest of the crew gets rations instead.

You hesitantly take your fork and stab a piece of what looks like chicken for your plate, and an ample amount of carrots. You take your first bite and chew slowly – it’s bland, but you never expected it to be a delicacy by any means.

“Captain–”

“You may call me Charles while we are in private, Your Majesty,” he interrupts you.

You give him a tight lipped smile. “Charles,” you start, clearing your throat. “It’s come to my understanding that your crew has some… unusual… superstitions.”

“On the contrary, Your Majesty. My men need those superstitions to give them hope that they have done everything in their power to have a safe journey.”

You furrow your eyebrows. “That also gives them the opportunity to lose that hope if they believe someone has not contributed.”

“Perhaps, but quite honestly your presence is more bad luck than not touching the damn horseshoe,” he scoffs as he digs his knife into his piece of meat, using his fork to shovel the food into his mouth. “Quite honestly,” he says with his mouth full, “if we had our way you would be bare-breasted to please the sea, but you’re lucky the figurehead at the front of the ship does it for you.”

“Excuse you?” Anger is clear on your features as you watch the man pick food out of his teeth with his fork – you grimace. You set your own flatware down on the table.

“A woman’s bare breasts calm an angry sea,” he states, as if this were common knowledge. “It prevents any curses from being thrusted upon us.”

“Well how kind of her,” you spit out. “I think I’ve had enough for one evening. Thank you, Captain.”

You stand up from your chair, the legs screeching against the wood floor as you throw your cloth napkin down on the table, and the Captain mirrors your actions.

“Your Majesty,” he frantically says, seemingly realizing his poor mannerisms. “I did not mean to offend you, I merely wanted you to understand the men’s customs.”

“That’s quite alright, Captain, but I’ll be taking my leave,” you scoff at him and begin to make your way to the door.

“Your Majesty!” He exclaims. “Please. I do not wish to disappoint you. I just wanted to give you perspective.”

“You may do so without insulting me,” you sneer back at him, meeting his eyes with a fierce gaze.

“Please.” He gestures to your previous seat. “Let us try again. It was my mistake.”

You reluctantly sit down, but you don’t touch the meal in front of you – you’ve lost your appetite. “Need I remind you of who I am?” you question. “I’m aware of your status as Captain on this ship, but I am still your Queen and you are still a subject of Mirlenas.” You detest using your status as Queen to earn your respect, but with a man as daft as Captain Beaumont you’re not sure you have much choice.

“Forgive me, Your Majesty,” he apologizes. “I would like to give you insight on the views of my men on my ship. They are simple, believing that men are above women.” You stare at him with narrowed eyes as he continues. “I am not a man with such opinions.” He holds a hand to his heart. “But they were quite surprised to see a woman becoming Queen without a husband to join her as King. It is quite rare for a woman to come into such power, let alone lead a group of soldiers to enemy soil.”

“Well they can thank our enemy for putting my brothers into the ground and in turn making me Queen,” you reply. “I did not ask for this position, but I’ll be damned if I sit back and watch as my country falls apart by the hands of a man like Zeke Jaeger.” You leisurely stand up from your seat – the Captain rises quickly. “Your men have a lot to learn, and I suggest you begin teaching them how to respect their Queen. Thank you for the meal, but I’ll be retiring for the night.”

You don’t spare him a second glance and you don’t wait for him to open the door for you, instead choosing to swing open the door yourself and close it behind you swiftly. Levi raises a brow at you in question.

Your shoulders drop in his presence. “I’d like to be alone if you don’t mind. Just in my quarters,” you sigh when you see him open his mouth to speak.

How much more difficult does it have to be to convince the people of your country to be content with your ruling? That you didn’t want this just as much as they would rather see one of your brothers on the throne instead, but that you’ll still take care of them. You’ve devoted your life to your country now – traveling to an enemy country to negotiate their safety should prove that notion. Instead, you’re told that you are a daft, moronic woman who has no hope of ruling her country.

You never make it to your quarters, instead choosing to watch the waves crash into the sides of the boat as the wind carries the sails. It’s a cold night now that the sun is gone from the sky and the winds carry the chilled almost-winter air, but it’s clear and you can see the stars.

Footsteps sound behind you. “Forgive me,” Levi’s voice barely sounds over the waves. “I know you said you wanted to be alone.”

“I have forgiven you a thousand times over, Levi.” You don’t turn around to face him, only keeping your eyes on the distant stars. “You know,” you say as he finds his place by your side. “Auguste was always so knowledgeable when it came to the constellations. He always pointed out his favorites, quoting Galileo and being so much more astute than I could ever hope to be.”

His arm snakes around your waist, holding your backside to his chest – a first that you find yourself sinking into. “You miss them?” His deep voice is soft in your ear.

“Terribly,” you respond immediately, dolefully.

“Then believe they are in the stars,” he murmurs. “Believe that Auguste, Theo, and Furlan are looking down at you right now, proud that they had the chance to live by your side.”

“They would think I’m a fool,” you whisper back.

“Never.”

“Auguste would call me a dolt, and Theo would agree wholeheartedly,” you argue miserably.

“When have they ever done such a thing?” Levi questions. “They would never chastise you for being so strong, for being so resilient.” You’re quiet because you know he’s right. “You are only a dolt for thinking so.”

You laugh and relax further into his arms. “You are honest to a fault.”

Levi raises his other hand, the one not snaked around your waist, and tilts your head to the side so he can look you in the eyes. “Always,” he whispers. His eyes dip down, briefly looking at your lips, before they’re back on your own gaze in an instant.

Your own are flicking back and forth between wanting to hold his gaze so desperately, but the urge to feel his lips on yours again is overwhelming. You can’t be so desperate for affection, can you? Is it your unbearable desire to feel someone against you, for comfort or for pleasure, or is it your deepening affections for the man himself? Have you lost yourself so completely in the drowning stress? Or have you just always wanted Levi? The man who you can no longer doubt you are falling for.

“Tell me no,” Levi whispers, his lips slightly grazing your own. “Tell me you don’t want me to.” His thumb strokes your cheek softly as he holds you so delicately in his strong arms. Your pulse is thumping rapidly. You don’t have the words – you can’t speak.

You tilt your head the miniscule amount you need so that your lips are now pressed against his. The kiss is soft, but chaste and quick, much like the first one. What is technically the third is more firm, your lips now languidly moving against his as he spins you around to pull you close to him, and you lose count the more passionate the kiss grows.

Your arms wrap around his neck, pulling him as close as possible as he does the same to you. You’ve somehow been wedged between the edge of the boat and Levi as he presses his body into yours. Your mind is swirling, lost in how he feels against your body and the realization of how fond you are of the man. The kiss is only broken when a small moan escapes you as you end up lost in the pleasure of it all.

Levi presses his forehead against yours, only barely removing some of the pressure on your body from his own. “And Auguste would say he told me so,” he breathes, a small chuckle escaping the smirk on his lips.

“Always a man of wisdom I suppose,” you breathlessly tell him. “Glances into the future we all wish we could tell.”

He leans back from you. “Always told me I’d grow fond of you one day,” he mutters, a hand resting on the side of your face. “Thought that man was a true dolt.”

You huff, a teasing glare directed at him. “How kind of you,” you quip.

“I never realized how right he was,” Levi confesses. “Always the stubborn sister of Auguste and Theo, until I watched you become a woman as I became a man. You deserve more than the world has given you, Aeron.”

“I have all that I truly need,” you disagree, because you have him, and while you miss your brothers terribly you do not feel the lingering dread of going to sleep any longer. The fear of seeing them in your dreams has dwindled, even if only slightly, and you know Levi is right when he tells you how they watch from the stars. You’re grateful you can still remember their features, fearful that you’ll forget one day. But they will live on in your heart, always, and if Levi is by your side you can accomplish anything. You can accomplish anything even if he were to leave you as well, because you are strong and it is your duty to live on for yourself and your people.

“I would give you the world if I was more than your Chevalier.” Levi takes a step back and looks down, as if realizing he is not meant to touch you.

“You are a million times more than a Chevalier, Levi,” you argue and take a step towards him so you are close once again. “What an idiotic notion that you could ever be considered less than.”

“But I am, aren’t I?” Levi meets your gaze with sadness lacing his grey irises, brows furrowed. “I have only ever been that to you. I am hardly fit to be a King by your side.”

“And you could say I am hardly fit to even be a Queen,” you dispute. “A woman with no man by her side, hardly any royal training to accompany her.” You scoff. “As if our country wants me on the throne – my ruling is hardly conventional. Do you honestly think they would mind as long as a man is there to tell me what to do?”

“I would never–”

“I know. But that is not the way our society works now, is it?” You sigh, and close your eyes for a moment before looking at him again. “You are more than just a Chevalier, Levi. I–” You love him. “I need you.”

“Then I’ll be there.” He nods, the sadness gone from his gaze and replaced by determination.

“Join me in my quarters tonight?” you inquire gently, testing the waters and seeing if there’s any hesitation in his actions.

Levi instantly takes your hand and guides the way to where you sleep soundly for the first time since your brothers joined the stars.

—

You’re in a daze. Your blouse is sticking to you uncomfortably as your corset squeezes your waist, strands of hair have plastered themselves to your forehead, and the loose skirt you’ve chosen to wear provides no comfort. You’ve found a hat to help block the harsh sun rays from your skin.

Levi has been wearing a loose white blouse, the top two buttons undone to allow for some airflow and his normal tight uniform pants. He hides his pale skin with a hat as well to shield him from the sun, although it doesn’t stop the sweat from sticking to his skin – something you both hate the feeling of.

The ship hasn’t moved for two weeks now, stuck, stranded, in the middle of the ocean with no wind to guide it and no clouds in the sky to block the harsh rays of the sun. You’ll run out of fresh water to drink if you don’t get moving soon and the Captain has understandably cut everyone down to half their rations.

Your anxiety is at it’s peak it seems, and not just about dwindling resources. The longer you are out at sea, the longer it takes to reach Kaslogon and negotiate with Zeke. You’ve worried your chapped bottom lip to the point of splitting, and the hem of your blouse has started to fray from so much fidgeting. Levi has tried his best to comfort you, but he knows you’ll only be pacified once you begin moving again.

“Captain, you tell me what kind of situation we’re looking at here,” Erwin huffs. “We’ve wasted enough time.” His voice is loud in the salty air of the Captain’s office, bouncing off the dark stained walls. Erwin is separated by the table you dined at two weeks ago, but it feels as though he looms over the Captain. Everyone is exhausted and running out of time and you’re growing more anxious by the second as you watch the two men argue.

“I cannot control the weather, Commander Smith,” Captain Beaumont fires back. “Do you doubt that I have done all that I can to get this ship moving? Do you really believe that I want to be stranded in the middle of the damn ocean?”

“Well clearly–”

“Aeron,” Levi’s voice interrupts Erwin as he barges through the door into the Captain’s office. “The men. They’re fighting.”

“We’re gonna have a goddamn mutiny on our hands if you don’t get your men under control, Commander!” Captain Beaumont accuses, angrily pointing at the taller man.

Erwin ignores him in favor of rushing after Levi to the main deck. You stop the Captain from following with an arm across his chest. “Captain, I do ask that you refrain from disrespecting my soldiers.”

“I have pledged my loyalty to you alone, Your Majesty,” he scoffs. “Your Commander does not deserve such respect.”

“He does, because he is under my command,” you calmly tell him. “Try your best to remember that we are all on the same side here.” You don’t speak any further, removing your arm from across his chest as a sign to let him join everyone on the main deck – you follow promptly.

There’s absolute chaos once you’ve reached the main deck. Your men are arguing against Captain Beaumont’s, a clear line separating the two groups as Erwin, Levi, and the Captain try to calm their men down. You’ve never seen your soldiers so defiant.

You don’t waste time and immediately step on a crate that sits in front of the quarterdeck, still on the main deck. You put your thumb and a finger in your mouth and whistle loudly, loud enough that the sound pierces the noise of arguing and even has some covering their ears. Everyone looks at you bewildered – except when you meet Levi’s gaze he almost seems smug.

“Who wants to tell me what the hell is going on?” you yell at all of them. You’re exhausted, sweaty, and fed up with being on an unmoving ship for too long. Your journey has been extended by two weeks and you’re livid.

“Your Majesty!” Jean yells.

“No! You have no idea what you’re saying!” one of the Captain’s men yells at Jean. Chaos ensues.

You whistle again, louder than the first time. “If one more person speaks you’ll be sent down to the cellar to join the rats,” you seethe. You notice Armin has been cowering behind your own soldiers, observing fearfully. “Armin,” you single him out. “I’d like you to tell me what’s going on.”

The timid young man clears his throat. “Captain Beaumont’s men have accused us of not touching the horseshoe and cursing the ship.” He pauses, clearly debating his next words. “They think that’s why there’s been no wind and they want to throw someone overboard to please the sea.”

You could throw yourself overboard. “No one is going over the edge of this boat.” You jump down from the crate and stomp towards the crowd – it parts for you like the Red Sea. “You act as though nature does not have a mind of it’s own.” You look back and forth between the groups, mainly addressing Beaumont’s men. “I’m sure you have faced countless angry seas with your own men, and surely you’ve faced hardships no matter how many people participate in your beliefs.”

“Never one so callous as this!” A man interrupts you. Your glare must give him all the warning he needs when his mouth snaps shut.

“There have been tales,” Armin’s voice sounds next, surprisingly. You step into the crowd as your own soldiers part for him. His cheeks are flushed, both from embarrassment and the heat, but he continues on. “Of how the wind gods become angry with the sea god.” A few men chuckle uneasily – you listen intently. “The Anemoi wind gods take their wrath out on Poseidon, depriving him of nature’s winds and eventually unleashing their might upon him when he does not amend his wrong doings. Boreas, the cold breath of winter, shows their wrath the most. They create strong winds and rainstorms, hurricanes even if he had wronged them enough.” He hardly glances to the side out at sea. “Their wrath is coming soon.”

A strong gust of wind almost knocks your hat off.

Everyone’s eyes widen and cheers sound around you.

“Man the sheets, lads!” Captain Beaumont’s voice rings out. Chaos ensues again, but now in radiating cheerfulness as everyone runs off to man their stations.

“Aloft, topmen!” the Captain’s secondhand yells. “Layout and loose the foretops! Man halyards and sheets!”

You swipe a hand over your face and stride over to Armin once the crowd has dispersed. “How did you know?” you ask him immediately. Levi stands at your side.

Armin blushes, glancing between you and Levi. “The Albatross.” He points out at the waters. “When they fly high, the air is light, dry, no rain. When they fly low, the air is heavy.”

“Rain is coming,” Levi says, almost absentmindedly as he looks out at the sea. Armin nods.

You smile at the young man. “Thank you.” Armin walks away with a smile.

You look over to find Levi already looking at you – you love when he does that. “You did well,” he comments.

You roll your eyes and turn to hide your smile as you begin walking away from the bustling of men. “They’re all idiots,” you deflect.

He scoffs, a smirk tugging at his lips. “You’re just now realizing this?”

You’re about to respond when a drop of water lands in front of you, and is suddenly joined by multiple coming down harshly. It’s pouring rain, and you’ve never been happier. You take off your hat and tilt your head up to the sky to feel the rain on your skin, to allow it to wash off the grime that you’ve endured for the past two weeks. Your shoulders drop and you feel the tension disappear from your muscles, your anxiety diminishing into a small ember instead of a raging fire.

Men are shouting around you and yet you can’t find it in you to care as you make your way into the safety of your quarters. They’re rolling empty barrels everywhere, positioning them under makeshift funnels made out of fabric to capture the rain for more drinking water. Levi is hot on your heels and as soon as you close the door to your quarters he’s practically on top of you.

“How am I supposed to stay away from you now?” He questions right before his lips meet yours.

You kiss him back eagerly, only breaking away to quickly mutter, “you can’t wait until we return to Mirlenas?” and your lips are on his again, only to separate when he registers what you’ve said.

His arms are wrapped around your waist, holding you as he slightly tips you backwards in his previously impatient attempts at kissing you. “Wait for what?” he asks vacuously.

He allows you to stand straight, his grip loosening just enough, but still keeping his arms wrapped around you. You laugh nervously. “Were we not talking about the same thing?”

“Are you–” He blinks, processing. “You would allow me to claim you?”

“Why would I not?” You stare at him dumbfounded, slightly flushed from embarrassment that you’ve said the wrong thing. “If that is not what you meant, I understand–”

“No,” he interrupts. “I mean– I would–” He sighs, flustered. “I assumed you would want to wait until marriage,” he finally mumbles out.

You laugh boisterously this time. “As if anything about me screams traditional, Levi.” You grin at him.

He rolls his eyes, muttering a quiet, “shut up” before pressing his lips against yours with bruising pressure. It’s hot, and passionately impatient, as he starts to walk you back to the small bed in your cramped quarters. The back of your knees hit the edge of the thin mattress and he gently lays you down before crawling on top of you, his head bumping the wall next to you. “Fuck,” he grumbles, but still proceeds to move his lips down to your jawline and then your neck, sucking at your pulse point.

You can’t help the moan that escapes your lips. “Levi,” you practically mewl.

He gently puts a hand over your mouth, supporting himself enough to look at you now. “If you don’t be quiet someone will hear us,” he scolds. You nod, but he still keeps his hand over your mouth as he dives back down.

His lips trail further down your décolletage and you tilt your head back to give him more access. You’re hardly breathing through your nose, unbearably still as Levi continues pressing his lips to your skin. “Breathe,” he mutters, nipping your skin lightly before he soothes it with his tongue. You whimper underneath his hand and your chest starts moving up and down as you catch your breath through your nose. His lips travel lower and he kisses at the top of your breasts that are being pushed up by your corset, your blouse revealing enough to allow him access.

You moan against his hand as he starts sucking at your skin again and nibbling enough to lightly mark the skin. Everything he’s doing to you feels heavenly, and all you want is more. Your hands have been gripping the thin bed sheets, but one flies up to grip Levi’s hair when he bites particularly hard and when you pull he groans. He lifts his head and removes his hand just to kiss you again, using his tongue to coax your mouth open as you pull on his hair again.

“Keep doing that and I don’t think I can wait to be back home,” he mutters against your lips, his voice deep and raspy.

“Then don’t,” you whisper, looking into his grey eyes.

He sits back on his haunches, staring down at your breathless form. You’re so beautiful, he thinks to himself, observing how swollen and red your lips are from him kissing you, and the blooming marks on your breasts practically make him swell with pride – he wants nothing more than to have you now. Your skirts have fallen, revealing some of your legs and he so badly wants to squeeze your thighs, but he wants it to be so much better than what it would be here. “You deserve so much more than I could give you here,” he tells you honestly. You look sad, but it’s gone from your features in an instant.

He lies down next to you, holding you close to him now that the two of you are no longer eagerly pawing at each other. He can hardly fathom how he’s gotten here, how he’s gotten to the point of lying by your side instead of looking at you with disdain. Theo had always teased him when it was just him and Furlan by Levi’s side, always telling him he was just confused. Perhaps he saw something in Levi’s eyes that he could have never recognized as fondness at the time, and apparently so had Auguste. He knew there was more to it the moment he had asked Levi to be your Chevalier on the castle grounds instead of his own. There was a mischievous glint in his eye when he also teased about Levi’s underlying fondness for you, but he had brushed it off as your brother being an idiot – Levi knew he could never be.

You shift, pressing the side of your face into his chest despite the damp fabric. Your fingers trace his exposed skin from the top buttons of his blouse being undone, featherlight touches giving him goosebumps. He can tell you’re lost in thought.

“What is it, mon cœur?” He feels you smile against him once he’s broken you out of your trance. He uses the hand holding your body close to his to brush hair out of your face.

Your smile falls, sighing, and then clearly hesitating – you’re nervous. “Madame Elise was quite fond of you,” you state plainly, fingers still tracing light circles into his smooth skin.

He blinks, unsure of what the intonation in your voice suggests. “She practically raised me,” Levi hesitantly tells you. Your finger stutters in it’s movements before continuing.

He’s afraid to tell you about how he lived before Erwin dragged him out of that hell hole. Afraid that you won’t see him the same way anymore and the rose tinted glasses will come off to reveal the brutal truth behind his true self. The him before arriving at the castle was someone entirely different – someone you had no idea existed.

“Will you tell me more?” your soft voice asks, slightly muffled as you keep yourself close to him.

And so he does.

Levi takes his time in telling you the whole story, never omitting details or sugar coating his actions. He starts from the very beginning, when his mother was just a whore in that very same brothel you both visited, and how his father was just a one time visitor. “I barely remember her face,” he tells you sadly, holding onto the vague image of the pale woman with strikingly beautiful features. She had died when he was just a little boy, probably five or six around the time, and Madame Elise had barely allowed him to stay. How could a little boy living in a brothel be any good for business? Levi supposes she just happened to have a soft spot for the scrawny little boy with long black hair.

She took care of him for the most part, realistically only offering him the bare necessities to live. She cut his hair for him, kept him well fed and clothed, but not without a price. He became her personal scavenger, a small and unsuspecting pickpocket. It was easy money really, stealing from wealthy men and just having to sneak around to get close to them. He’d play it off as if he wasn’t there to begin with, or act like he was helping the ladies if they needed it. Everyone was in on the small business he had created for Madame Elise and would assist in any way they could. They loved having little Levi around.

Levi hesitates to tell you more, but you should know all of him – all of his flaws. As he got older the more Madame Elise expected from him. He was supposed to be stealing more, acquiring the most for her and the other ladies of the brothel, but it grew increasingly more difficult to do since he was growing into a man. He wasn’t the little runt anymore and was instead seen as another potential customer by the other men in the brothel – even by the women. They all knew him, but that didn’t stop their advances on him as a young and inexperienced teen boy. They would grope him quickly as he passed by in hopes of taking him to bed with them, taking someone who was pure and untouched by the outside world. Levi hated it, and never indulged in the company of any of them, but it didn’t take away the feeling of being seen as an object. He could hardly believe the same women that knew what that felt like would do the same to him. You tell him it’s not his fault, sympathy and guilt lacing your voice – he knows now.

He had started to grow tired of being there, needing a way out and soon. It was when he was distracted by his own mind that everything turned sideways. He was pickpocketing still as a young teen, barely fourteen, and hadn’t noticed the Mirlenas army emblem on the coat that was hanging over the chair.

“You stole from a Mirlenas soldier?” you ask incredulously, propping yourself up on one elbow on your side to look at him.

He scoffs and rolls his eyes. “I didn’t realize it. The Commander’s emblem is different from the rest.”

“Erwin?” you squeak out, eyes wide.

He nods, continuing to tell you how Erwin caught young Levi snooping around his coat pocket. He had caught his wrist, preventing Levi from pulling out the dainty green emerald necklace Erwin had in his breast pocket. Erwin had been there for a meeting with another officer, immediately abandoning it in favor of taking Levi outside the establishment to scold the boy and figure out what the hell he was doing.

But Levi saw his way out. Erwin was an understanding man just like he is now and felt sympathy for the young boy that was only ten years younger than himself. Erwin was a young commander, perhaps naive at the time, and allowed Levi to straggle along with him instead of living day to day at the brothel. It gave Levi a purpose.

“I was good at it,” Levi sighs. Good at killing, his mind tells him, but he knows he doesn’t need to say it. “Being a soldier. I felt like I could finally fucking do something with my life.” You lie your head back down on his chest, drawing your soothing circles into his skin again.

Levi was quickly recognized as the best soldier and was quickly appointed to be a Chevalier for the royal family at just fifteen.

He huffs out a laugh. “I remember the ceremony,” he reminisces, a hand mindlessly trailing along your bare shoulder. “And I remember the brooding girl on the edge of the royal seats.” His voice is teasing, but you almost sound sad when you respond.

“Not brooding.” You pause and prop yourself up again. You look into Levi’s eyes, the colour of your irises sparkling as you look at him with such fondness despite the dim light. “You’ve been through so much. I’m so glad it led you to being a Chevalier at the castle.”

“You don’t seem repulsed,” Levi observes aloud. You still look at him with the new light he’s seen in your eyes recently. The same look you get when he’s close enough to feel your heartbeat, the same one you looked at him with when he couldn’t help but connect his lips with yours.

“I could never be repulsed by you, Levi,” you scoff, the light still not leaving your eyes. “You’ve managed to find your way into my heart and I cannot find it in myself to be angry with you for it. I welcome your affections with open arms now.” You kiss his chest and he swears you can feel the way his heart pounds against his ribcage. “I would be nothing without you.”

“You’ve bewitched me,” he breathes. He loves you. He knows the feeling in his chest has always been love, and he can finally admit it to himself now. It feels as though a weight has been lifted.

Levi pulls your body up to be eye level with him, using his other hand to tilt your face up the slight amount he needs to press his lips against yours. It’s soft, and sweet like honey, as your lips move languidly with his. He feels intoxicated by you, but allows you to relax despite his desire to get drunk on your taste.

He thinks about how nice it will be to bathe tomorrow morning, and enjoys your company by squeezing you closer to him as you drift asleep.

—

You couldn’t have been asleep for more than two hours when you’re woken up by your body crashing into the wall your bed is pressed against. It startles you, jolting you awake in an instant, and you realize Levi isn’t next to you anymore.

There’s shouting that’s muffled by the wood in between your quarters and the main deck, and the boat sounds like it’s being pelted over and over by bullets. Another harsh movement of the boat causes your body to jolt into the wall again, your head narrowly missing collision. You use one hand to rake your hair back out of your face, the other preoccupied by ensuring you don’t get knocked out by the boat’s erratic movements.

Standing is difficult, but you manage to balance yourself enough to straighten out your skirts and walk to the door. You swing it open, using a hand against the walls to keep yourself stable, and it’s then you realize just how hard it’s raining. It’s pelting the boat so harshly you’re not surprised you mistook the sound for shots being fired, and the thunder that booms through the sky and penetrates every being sounds like cannon fire.

You’re almost panicking at this point, wondering if everyone is okay on top. You push yourself through the hall, needing to make sure everyone is alright, or if you can at least assist in some way. Rain drips through the cracks in the planks of wood above you and climbing the stairs proves to be even more difficult than lifting yourself out of the bed, the boat being rocked harshly side to side and causing you to slip in the water.

When you reach the top of the stairs your breath is practically stolen from you from the pressure of the rain, harsh pellets of water almost bruising your skin. You grasp onto whatever you can, in this case a rope that’s secured to the side of the boat. You’re soaked almost instantly, eyes scanning to find anyone, but more so Levi so you can make sure he’s alright.

You spot each other at the same time, locking panicked eyes. He’s trying to help Erwin steer the wheel relative to the waves, or at least trying to keep them from completely breaking the rudder. Everyone else is trying to hold on to anything they can, all while keeping the ship afloat. You can barely hear the voices over the sound of crashing waves, the torrential downpour and the thunder that booms loudly, all of them being lost in the wind.

You keep hold of the rope, pulling yourself toward Levi as you sputter water out of your mouth and attempt to wipe the unruly hairs that plaster themselves to your face so you can see. You’re close enough to hear them now.

“Steer with the wind!” Erwin shouts at Levi. Both men are clenching their teeth, putting all their strength into turning the wheel. Waves crash over the boat, wiping some sailors and your own soldiers off their feet while you hang on to the edge.

“Aeron!” Levi shouts for you, his eyes finding your form again. He wants to run to you, to shove you under the deck again so you’re safe. “What are you doing?! Get back down!”

“I can help!” you insist, knowing there has to be something you can do. You can’t sit around and be useless.

“Don’t be a brat!” Levi shouts at you. He turns to Erwin, frustrated. “It’s useless!”

“We’ll get below deck!” Erwin resigns, reaching down to tie a rope to one of the handles on the wheel to keep it relatively stable while Levi does the same. “Grab Aeron!”

Levi grabs anything he can to keep him upright as he fights his way toward you, clothes plastered to his own skin and eyebrows furrowed in anger. You’re trying your best, clinging onto the rope that lines the edge to pull yourself forward, but your gaze snaps upwards when you hear a loud cracking sound above you.

The center mast is breaking, the wood splintering and starting to tilt as it pulls the sails with it. The sailors are yelling at your soldiers to get down below to safety – everyone’s given up on the losing battle.

Levi yells at you, but everything is drowned out when the mast comes crashing down, pulling rope and fabric with it. Everything is a blur as the boat tilts to one side, a massive wave crashing so harshly on top of the boat that all you hear is more wood splintering as you lose your grip on the rope and get tossed over the edge.

—

You’re comforted by the quiet that envelops you, serene darkness shadowing your eyelids and something that feels almost as soothing as a hug wrapping around your body. No more abrasive sounds of rain pelting the wood of the boat, no more shouting and arguments, no more politics.

No more.

Levi stands up unsteadily, swiping a hand over his face to rid the water from his features and pushes a hand through his hair. He looks around frantically, searching hopelessly for you to no avail. There’s only one option, to his absolute horror: the water. He doesn’t hesitate despite Erwin yelling at him. He won’t lose you too – he can’t.

His body breaks the surface of the water and he opens his eyes, spotting a massive sail that's roped around the mast that had broken before he sees you attached above it. You’re slowly being dragged down by the weight of it and he wills himself to not panic, to not waste time during the only opportunity he has to save you like he did with your brothers.

He pushes his limbs through the water as hard as possible, pushing himself forward fast enough to get to you before he runs out of air. You’re wrapped in rope when he gets close enough to see you in detail, your hair floating above you. He doesn’t take a single moment to see how peaceful you look – how tranquil – and instead immediately assesses that he can’t untangle you. He rips his dagger out of it’s sheath on his belt and frantically saws at the rope without cutting you.

Your body feels weightless in the void. The warm hug from before is gone, but you can see Auguste’s brown eyes staring back at you along with Theo’s green ones. They’re beautiful, and you’re so happy when you see them again, even if you don’t realize they’re vaguely floating in the dark waters in front of you.

But they look back at you with such sadness, and their mouths open as if to tell you something, but nothing audible comes out. You frown, upset until their images are gone and Levi is in front of you instead, his warm grey eyes looking at you with so much affection it hurts your heart.

You love him. You had admitted it to yourself before.

But where is Levi? You’re starting to panic, no longer feeling the blissful serenity that was casted upon you. You need him.

His lungs burn by the time he cuts through the ropes, struggling to pull you completely free and kicking hard to propel the two of you upwards. He can feel the oxygen running out, his brain growing slightly foggy and his limbs growing slightly weaker, but he can’t give up – not when your life is at risk.

He gasps when he breaks the surface of the water, your body held in his arms, and he frantically reaches for a pallet of wood floating on the water. He grabs the edge and hauls your body on top, pulling your arms up so they’re draped over the wood and your face is above water.

“Come on you stubborn brat,” he cries. He can’t tell if the salt in his mouth is from the ocean or his tears. Levi tries so hard to gently slap you awake, pushing your hair out of your face so he can see your features clearly.

Levi?

Levi.

“Levi,” you mumble, your voice barely audible.

He gasps in relief. “Oi, you stupid brat,” he laughs, hysterical and happy and relieved–

“Levi?”

“I’m here,” he says immediately, reaching a cold wet hand to caress your cheek. You’re okay. You’re alive.

You don’t say anything else, just a quiet mumble he can’t make out over the sound of rain pouring into the ocean around you. He has no idea what to do but simply float on the surface of the water and hope the boat will come into view once the storm clears up.

But no matter what he has you, he’ll take care of you.

Levi wraps his arms around the wood, pushing his body up against your barely lucid one to keep you safe.

#levi ackerman #levi x reader #aot fanfiction #levi ackerman x reader #aot levi #levi attack on titan #fanfic #levi ackerman x female reader #levi smut #fic update #levi aot #levi x you #levi ackerman x reader smut #royalty au #historical au

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ax-killjoy · 1 year

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☆ Kiri and Her Mother’s Spirit

𝐈𝐍 𝐖𝐇𝐈𝐂𝐇 Jake and Kiri talk about Grace.

𝐂𝐇𝐀𝐏𝐓𝐄𝐑 𝟏 𝐎𝐅 𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝟓 + 𝟏 𝐒𝐄𝐑𝐈𝐄𝐒

a/n : this is my first Series so holy shit am I nervous but i hope y’all enjoy this !!

Eywa’s heartbeat was constant.

Kiri’s best friend was Eywa, from the time she opened her eyes, to now. Kiri could feel her. Her heartbeat in the soil of the forest, vibrating at the soles of her feet, a mighty rhythm.

The seeds of Eywa protected her as she slept on the soft blades of grass, letting the warmth of the sun embrace her skin. The seeds surrounded her like a hug.

She could feel Eywa’s soft whispers in the wind, when she swam in the rivers, when she explored the mountains with her family. Eywa was everywhere, consistent, forever constant.

And though she felt the shame and sadness when leaving her home. She looked back, where the Omatikaya wept as they left. Catching the sight of the trees as they wave with the wind, saying goodbye. And she suddenly feels lighter, Eywa was with her.

The oceans were different than the forest, though Kiri could feel Eywa in the roots of the trees, in everything she touched.

The oceans were entirely different. The oceans held Eywa’s heartbeat. In the forest she could simply feel it vibrating her skin, in the ocean she feel it around her and in her. And in the sea, Kiri and Eywa’s heartbeat become one. A warmth of affection spreads through Kiri as the ocean becomes Eywa’s embrace around her.

she felt comfort.

Though it was short lived.

The Cove Of Ancestors was like The Tree Of Souls to the Metkyina, Kiri concluded. The aura of Eywa was strong around the bright purple coral and plants. The tendrils of the plant spread outwards like a feather, and pulsed every now and then.

And for the first time since moving to Awa’altu, since being teased and picked on the Metkyina. Kiri was at peace, the feeling of Eywa was all too familiar, like a mother and daughter reuniting.

When she connected her queue to the tendril. She didn’t really have anything in mind, she simply wanted to connect with Eywa. She knew that when you connect to the tendrils, you would commonly see someone who had died. She fondly remembers seeing her grandfather when her and Lo’ak connect to The Tree of Souls. Or when Neteyam would leave their home in the forest, saying that he was going to visit “Uncle Tsu’tey” at the tree of souls.

What she didn’t expect was to meet her mother’s eyes.

For a moment she forgot her mother was human. But she was beautiful, Kiri thought. Her mother has soft almost light brown hair like hers, her skin pale, and she had softly ingrained wrinkles around her mouth.

Kiri was quick to hug her, to finally feel her. Her mother was so warm, and welcoming. Her voice was quiet, gentle, laced with a rasp from smoking. “My beautiful daughter.” She says, touching Kiri’s cheek with her small hand.

“Hi Ma.”

“I’m so happy to see you baby.”

Kiri let’s go, and suddenly she sees her mother in Avatar form. She stares into her mother’s eyes again, Kiri’s throat burns with her eagerness to ask the question.

“Who was my father ?”

The next moment, Kiri woke up. She feels cold, even in the arms of her sister, and her now mother Neytiri. She weeps as the realization hits her that she’s no longer with her mother. No, she’s back in Awa’altu. She’s back in the marui and the constant sound of the ocean is buzzing in her ears, and back in the place where other Na’vi called her demon and freak.

Tears threaten to spill out, Kiri is overwhelmed and exhausted. She hopes that her cries convey that she misses her mother, that in the small amount of warmth she felt, and the sound of her voice. She’s never missed anything more.

“You had a seizure, underwater.” Neteyam says, Kiri notices that he’s speaking slow. Not to make her seem like she’s dumb, but in fear that if talks he’ll start to cry. “If I hadn’t given you cpr, you would’ve died.” He says softly, it’s almost above a whisper. “But you’re ok now, and that’s all that matters.” He says, looking up at her. She can see right through him though. His eyes are glossy, and his lips are almost quivering. His brave posture looks tense, and his hands are shaking but he’s trying to hide them in his lap. It’s almost like he’s saying ‘ Don’t look at me, i’m scared. Worry about yourself.’ but Kiri keeps that and the guilt to herself.

When night falls, and everyone sleeps even the animals. Kiri is still wide awake, the memories of her mother and her, play and rewind in her brain over and over. She dips her feet into the waters, trying to calm herself down but it doesn’t work. Even near water, Eywa’s heartbeat suddenly feels different.

She doesn’t need to look up from the water to hear Jake sitting next to her, he lets out a deep sigh as he sits. She can feel his worried glance pierce the side of her body.

“So what is it, baby girl ?”

It’s simple. Jake, Her dad always made it so simple. It almost makes her laugh, actually. Her dad always had a thing for making things so much lighter than they really were.

“I miss mom.” She says, and Jake knows all too well what it means. His heart clenches at the words. Before Jake can open his mouth to respond, Kiri is collapsing into Jake’s shoulder.

Jake’s quick to wrap his arms around her, whisper softly. “Everything is gonna be ok.” and “I miss her too sweet thing, I miss her too.”

She sniffles into his shoulder,

“tell me about her ?” she whispers. His heart clenches and nods. “Sure, baby girl.”

He breathes in.

“Your mother was one if not, THE head scientist that came to here. And she wasn’t doing it for the money, she adored this place. Every minute of the hour until night, she devoted her life to researching and loving this planet. Her video logs are there to prove it, countless videos of her adoration for this planet and Eywa.

“She was brave, she stood her ground every step of the way. She defended the Na’vi before her own kind. She was passionate, created schools for the Na’vi. She was strong with her words, and her heart was even stronger.

God…I-“ Kiri looks up to see Jake with his mouth open, his throat moves as if he’s trying to speak. But nothing comes out, only a bitter laugh.

“I wish she was doing this instead of me.” He exhales, shaking his head.

“She loved Eywa and this place, and every minute I look at you. I see her. It was one thing to see your eyes look exactly like her, but it was more shocking that you had her voice. And it was almost magick the way you have her curiosity. Your curiosity could live on for generations, your love for nature and Eywa with forever be ingrained in you. Just like Grace.” He rasps, and Kiri stares with wide eyes.

“I… I wish you met her. You two would be unstoppable. Forever discovering.”

He mumbles into Kiri’s hair, it’s soft and vulnerable. “You’re her carbon copy, everything about your young soul is just like your mother’s.” He says, “She would’ve loved to see you now.” He says, and his voice gets lower. “So whenever you miss her, just know that even without Eywa’s sight. Your mother will always be with you, in your heart and soul.” He says, and Kiri’s heart swells with affection. A small smile graces her lips, and Jake looks down at her with the same smile.

After a soft silence, Jake sighs again for what seems like the millionth time. But this one seems relaxed, almost nostalgic as he stares infront of him. Where the stars and ocean meet. “I wonder what she would think of me now, if I’m doing a good job.” He mumbles, just loud of enough for Kiri to catch it.

She thinks for a second, humming as she thinks. “Well…I think your pretty cool or whatever.” She says, looking away. Jake laughs, letting his head fall onto Kiri‘s. Tears threaten at the brim of Jake’s eyes. “Yeah ?” He asks, and Kiri nods. Moving to wipe Jake’s tears.

“Yeah.”

#kiri sully #jake sully angst #jake sully fanfiction #avatar the way of water x reader #avatar the way of water #avatar fanfiction #neteyam sully #sully family #lo’ak sully #sully family x reader #avatar x reader

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ororosmunroe · 1 year

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Because I trust your judgement, how would Namor and Ororo's first meet go? I'm becoming increasingly invested in the possibilities of these two because we have a fine ass Namor and it's ORORO. I'm not sure if it would canon-compliant considering we still don't have 'Ro in the MCU, but like in your mind, how would it go?

Honestly, there are so many avenues it could go and I'll be honest I'm conflicted on how I'd actually want it.

(Mind you: I fully realize that this could seem creepy but Namor's reasons for coming out of the sea are pretty rare. So. It doesn't foster a typical meet-cute. Also sorry that this took so long to answer but also that it's not even done lmaoo.)

Option 1:

Namor catches a glimpse of her while training, She's sky-riding just letting loose and having fun. Perhaps she's on vacation?) and he's mesmerized because when has the surface world ever produced something so beautiful? Never, so then she must be divinely made. A logical deduction tbh.

He hears her relaxed melodic laughter and is CHARMED. He keeps a low profile because he doesn't want to be found out but also because he doesn't want to disturb her and also a little bewildered because no surface dwellers have flown without some sort of device in all his years.

He leaves Ororo feeling a little enchanted but sends scouts out just to be sure she isn't a possible threat. He is a leader after all.

They find nothing.

Then it's MONTHS until he sees her again and the only reason why he sees her is that a part of the ocean is being disturbed. Underwater twisters are getting a bit too close to Talokan and he needs to figure out why it's happening and put an end to it. He notices that twisters aren't being caused by the currents but from above.

So he ventures out of the ocean and sees that the sky is in chaos. Something in him tells him not to write this off. That a storm like this isn't natural. So he again ventures higher and ends up seeing Ororo.

Ororo is clearly distraught over something despite all the rain he can see the pain in her eyes and posture.

She was making this happen?

He slowly ventures towards her. He makes his presence known.

it takes her a minute to notice him but when she does the shock of seeing someone else in the air unaided by machinery snaps her out of sadness and puts her in defensive mode.

He does his best to tell her that he means no harm but it isn't until he shouts, " GODDESS, MY PEOPLE ARE IN DANGER!"

That she relents. She looks down and sees figures staring up and she's appalled. She does her best to calm herself down, and soon enough the skies clear and the only sound is the water below.

Then it's just them. Staring eye to eye

The moon was their backdrop. Her hair glowed from the light of the moon. Her eyes finally revealed a blue only captured after an intense storm. Skin shining like precious jewels. In all his years no one has made him so speechless.

She's the one to break eye contact. She gets skittish, clearly remorseful. He sees the shame envelope her. He isn't mad, more so worried. Not of the power, that this being possessed but of the cause of the unleashing.

What has caused a goddess such distress?

"I-I am...so sorry! I came here because I thought- Well, clearly I was mistaken." Quickly wiping her face, " Please, was anyone hurt?"

He tells her no. He watches her as her body relaxes, her eyes shining with tears once more but her mouth turns upwards into a grateful smile.

" Thank you, Bright Lady...and you, you've stopped me from making a tragic mistake." She whispers as she cups the front of her face with her hands. " Thank you, thank you, thank you..."

There was silence again before Ororo finally collected herself and looked directly at him.

He feels his heart beginning to race, and his mouth becomes dry leaving him unable to speak. She looks at him with wonder and warmth.

"The world is filled with such wonders. A people that live under the sea without detection...? Do not worry I will not tell a soul. Again, please forgive my disturbance. Goodbye."

She's about to fly off when he finally finds his voice.

" My name is Kukuklan." He did not tell of his other name, for he never wanted to be her enemy. "....and your name Goddess?"

He sees her become a little shy, which he finds endearing, but she answers the question that has been plaguing him for months.

"Ororo, but I'm no Goddess I'm afraid."

The name suits her perfectly, he thinks.

" Well In my humble estimation, no human could hold such power or even be worthy of such a gift. So I'm afraid...the title will have to stand. "

She smiles at him, shaking her head. " You're too kind. I've made such a poor and disastrous introduction and yet you compliment me. I should go."

" As I've said no harm was done, but if you really must go...I only hope your heart is now lighter than it was before, Goddess."

" Thank you." She takes the sincerity in his words for what they are. Trying to swallow down the embarrassment of being caught in a such vulnerable state. "If we meet again, I hope it is under much better circumstances. Goodbye."

She finally flies off and leaves the God King to his own thoughts.

By the next morning, another mural is added to his wall.

#ororo munroe #namor #namororo

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resurrecticn-a · 4 years

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like for a small starter from allison for when i wake up !!

#q.#allison / sc.#when i am too sad to speak it seems like the ocean is whispering for me. ( ooc || queue )

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omiscurls · 3 years

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Diluc, zhongli and childe reaction to their s/o breaking up with them after something they said, maybe after a week or so after they argument they think the s/o forgave them but they break up instead? I WANT THE ANGST

consequences

plot: reader decides to break up with the character after not speaking to them

contains: diluc, zhongli, tartaglia (idk how am i going to do this to my special boy but ill try my best)

warnings: angst, breakups, implied past toxic behavior

a/n: OH MY GOD THIS WAS SO HARD- I DONT HAVE THE HEART TO BREAKUP WITH PEOPLE

diluc

hopeless thoughts ran through your head as you fought with yourself about wether to enter angel’s share or not, hand halfway through to the doorknob. your mind hadn’t been made up just yet, you were still in between two very different scenarios - the urge to forgive him for his hurtful words growing stronger each day, as anger and other emotions subdued to loneliness and the feeling of a part of you missing, ever since the two of you stopped talking.

your mind flashed back to the exact moment when you looked into diluc’s eyes, always so soft and calm for you, forming a way of anger he never expressed towards you before. to the feeling you got right then and there that this man is not the same one you’ve met and fell in love with.

the process of coming to terms with that conclusion was as painful as the first strike of his angry glare, and even though he seemed to have realized the weight of his words right after saying them out loud, no matter how hard you tried, you could not erase them from your memory.

one strike of that pain, one memory of that night was enough to make you go through with your plan, door to the bar opening with a little screech.

it was like just another late afternoon, with charles tending the bar, knights and townsfolk filling the hot room, and the smell of alcohol traveling through the air.

“hi” you said to the bartender “is master diluc around?”

charles, busy with his work, quickly replied that he’s out back, opening a barrel. you nodded and went where his directions guided, pushing open yet another door to see the back of the man you loved, looking just as always from this angle, working over said chore. he didn’t even seem to mind the fact that someone walked in on him working.

“diluc” you said with a sigh, and he almost immediately turned around, tools falling from his hands and onto the ground.

“darling, hi” he replied quietly, walking over to you but stopping half way, eyes set to analyze your expression, figure out what was going on in your mind. “i’m glad you’re here safely, i haven’t heard from you in over a week” he added cautiously, as if weighing every word before deciding to say it out loud.

“well” you sighed again, once again going over wether you should actually break things off right then, mind taking pity on his troubled expression, tired eyes, on the obvious eyebags that were much more apparent than before, a sign that he didn’t catch too much sleep. “i had to come to terms with what i’m about to say”

he wanted to tell you he was sorry, he really did, but words didn’t seem to come out of his throat. obviously he was sorry, it was a bad day and he meant none of what he said, but you knew that, right? you knew he always cared for you and loved you… right?

he wasn’t the best with words, hence, the idea of apologizing with a gesture after you were done teaching him his lesson came to mind. a brilliant idea, one could never go wrong with a thoughtful deed for their significant other, just give him one more chance.

“and my conclusion is, we need to take a step back and… reevaluate things in our lives. i’m not saying this is the ultimate end, but what you’ve said, and how you’ve said it made me realize…”

you were making a good point. you were talking about your feelings. he should listen, but the only thing he heard was the blood pumping through his veins, and the two single words

the end

so there won’t be another chance? he won’t be able to prove himself? what do you mean, the end? the best thing that ever happened to him in his sad life was coming to an end because of him? but he was so careful, he treated you like his treasure, because that’s how he truly felt, like his lifeline, something he could never lose…

and all it took was one sentence too much, one glare too intense. for the first time in what, six, maybe seven years, his eyes began to water, as he blinked the tears back at a rapid pace.

“… and that was a shitty thing to do. i hope you know that. i don’t know if i had anything else i wanted to say, perhaps i did, but… that’s all. see you around, i guess” you mumbled, loosing confidence in what you were saying, taking one last glance at his lost eyes before turning around.

turning around from him, from the love of your life, was perhaps the hardest thing you ever had to do, and yet you did do it.

before you could reach the door again, though, a cold hand caught your forearm. your eyes met his, with just a glimmer of hope that he would magically say all the right words and somehow make you stay, you didn’t want to leave, yet knew you had to. if you wanted to preserve the respect you had for yourself, you had to leave.

why were you giving him time to say something?

his helpless gaze seemed to speak with a thousand words, begging, pleading you to not leave through that door, but as much as his lips did part, not a single word left.

he couldn’t say anything to hold you back, and you ripped away from his grip, turned, and walked away.

and just like that,

he was all alone, again.

he was gonna need a drink.

zhongli

tears flooded your vision, blurring every details of zhongli’s face, causing you to only see a pale color palette, instead of your favorite person, ever. maybe it was for the best, maybe it would make it easier, you thought, but that was a foolish thing to hope for.

even through the salty tears, you could make out his eyes, it’s glow never failing to guide you, and comfort you, now seeming to burn their way through you, through your body and soul.

“you’re stuck in another love, zhongli, we both know that!” you exhaled a bit louder than you intended to, the outcome sounding more like an accusation than a fact. “how can you ever say you love me, when it’s so obvious, and so apparent, that every time you look at me, you see someone else? you HOPE for someone else?”

you could only wish the words you spoke didn’t come out as a complete mess, because of those tears you were constantly choking on. desperation seeped through your voice, as the feeling of helplessness rose every time you looked at your lover and at the anguish, and confusion he presented.

how could he make this so hard? it’s not like you’ve presented some statement he didn’t know already, right?

you hoped your eyes would say all the things you didn’t trust your voice to. you hoped he’d somehow hear how all you ever wanted was to be enough, was to meet his standard, how it tore you open that every time he said <i love you> his eyes wandered everywhere but onto yours, how all his touches seemed absent, how all his compliments were truly about some other face, some other smile, some other kind soul.

the worst part was, how could you blame him? how can anyone, ever, blame someone for being in love, of all things? love was something beautiful, and once you’ve experienced it, you’re drowned in it forever, and don’t even want to see the surface again.

love is beautiful. when you’re the one who’s receiving it. love was beautiful, to you, too, when you loved how his wisdom flew through his words, how his kindness hugged your spirit, how his aura brought you comfort. you loved his eyes, you loved his cheeks, his lips, every single detail of his skin.

the love you felt made you complete, made you warm, until you finally realize the thing you should’ve seen much sooner.

that you were merely a mirror for him to look at someone else, someone long gone.

suddenly all the warmth you felt was directed back at you, burning you inside, making you wish you never felt it in the first place.

“aren’t you gonna say something?” you whispered.

his long fingers found their way to your hand, but you snatched it away.

if you fell onto his charms now, you wouldn’t be able to get out once more.

his breath hitched as he gathered himself to speak

“i want nothing more than to love you” he said, although quietly, it rang through your ears like the loudest of screams.

you scoffed.

“we both would’ve wanted that, then”

“and i’m sure i can, if you just—“

now, laughter was all that you were capable of letting out.

“zhongli, you can’t train yourself to love someone. and even if you could, then how do you think that would make me feel? like i’m so unlovable you had to force yourself through it to grow accustomed to a feeling similar to love?”

“that’s not what i—“

“that’s what it means! let it go, please, please just… let me go” you sighed, standing up from the bench over at liyue harbor that you were sitting on. the sun has begun to set on the other side of the sea, and you couldn’t help but notice, it would’ve been the perfect date.

“i do sincerely hope you’ll find someone who’ll love you just the same” he finally stated, as he gave up on trying to make you stay.

“why?” you chuckled “so i could make them suffer the same way you made me?”

tartaglia

(archons give me strength)

you found nothing but guilt, looking into the endless ocean trapped in his eyes. for the first time in forever, they glistened, but not with a spark of joy, like you always hoped they would, they shone a sickly shine, caused by a thin layer of tears, that didn’t dear to spill over his porcelain cheeks, almost as if afraid of making contact with the ruthless face of the number eleven of the fatui harbingers.

he could’ve easily been crying if only he let himself go. he would’ve been in tears, sniffing and coughing, but he just… wasn’t. he held those tears in the gates of his eyes, as if his life depended on it.

the guilt you found inside them, wasn’t his, but yours. you felt guilty, watching this composed, confident man fall into pieces right before you, crumbling before your sight. why were you doing this? you seemed to forget all those terrible things you’ve heard just from the way his irises begged for forgiveness and brows furrowed in inexplicable sadness.

but you couldn’t, no, this time you couldn’t.

“my word” you swore on dear life you’d burst into tears if your voice shook right now “my word is final. we’re over. and that’s… that’s it. you need to understand that there won’t be another chance.”

the moment his lips parted, you knew you were lost.

“i have told you so many times already, but i will say this as much as i need to, it will never happen again! i swear, on everything i love and everything that i am, i swear on life itself, i won’t ever let that happen again! you know i won’t! come on, i promise you, if there’s anything you can say about me is i do keep my promises, don’t i? darling, please…”

“promise yourself to heal and become better, first” you stated coldly, watching faith disappearing slowly from his fixed look.

“im sorry, you know i am, im sorry, im sorry, im so fucking sorry!” a scream left his throat as desperation took over both reason and self-respect.

“sorry isn’t gonna cut it”

“then what will? i’ll do anything, anything in the world, anything to prove myself to you. i get that you can’t love me, i understand that, but please, let me win your trust again.”

he said unnaturally calmly, compared to what he did before, and you got concerned immediately.

i understand that you can’t love me, his words rang through your head. oh god, what were you doing? guilt stroke again, right at where you felt your heart to be.

right when you wanted to turn around and leave, he must’ve sensed that, and pulled you into a tight embrace. not suffocating, as they often describe it, not toxic and desperate, but… as loving as every other hug you’ve ever received from him. as calming and grounding, even though you could feel his heart racing. he didn’t refuse for you to leave, he didn’t trap you.

you understood after a while,

he was saying goodbye. all the love trapped inside his heart seeped out onto you, all his feelings surrounding and engulfing you.

“let me promise you this” he whispered, voice shaking painfully “the next time i’ll see you, i’ll be a better man. someone you will be able to be proud of, someone worthy of both your trust, and love. i won’t stop until i’ll be enough for you to look at me without the disgust and fear you have now. i promise. i’ll be better.”

“until then, then.” was the only thing you were capable of saying before leaving.

as soon as the door shut behind you, you rested against a wall and covered your mouth with a hand, unable to hold your tears any longer.

you heard a cry through the door. so he does have some feelings left, after all

your daily reminder that requests are open [here]

#genshin angst #genshin impact #diluc angst #zhongli angst #childe angst #diluc x reader #zhongli x reader #childe x reader #genshin headcanons #genshin impact x reader #gender neutral reader

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atlabeth · 3 years

Text

everything happens for a reason part 6 - zuko x fem!reader

The thing about forever is that it's a fucking lie

part 5 | masterlist | part 7

a/n: you all know whats coming lmao i got nothing to say for myself

wc: 3.5k

warning(s): pakku's usual sexism, typical siege of the north stuff, mostly angst but a lil bit of fluff in there

chapter title comes from forever is a lie by bea miller!

“I can’t believe that your tribe doesn’t teach waterbending to women!” Katara fumed, the snow beneath her feet packed tightly from her continuous pacing. “I mean, how can they even do that? Master Pakku’s all about ‘his culture and his teachings’ but his teachings are completely sexist!”

Y/N just nodded along as she listened to Katara — Master Pakku had refused to teach Katara, and after a disappointing healing lesson she had found Y/N to rant. “Yep. It’s unfair, but there’s not much we can do about it.”

Katara frowned and stopped in her tracks. “Don’t you want to learn how to fight too? I love being able to heal and help people, don’t get me wrong, but healing isn’t all I want to do.”

A shaky sigh fell from her lips and she shrugged, adjusting her position on the platform of ice she had made to sit on. “Well… yeah, I guess. I know a couple of martial moves, and I’d be lying if I said I didn’t want to know more. But Katara, I—”

Y/N was silent for a moment as flashes of the past played behind her eyelids. “I’m not like you. I’m not the kind of person to challenge the rules. Not anymore.”

Katara shook her head, already back to her pacing. “I think you’re selling yourself short. I saw your healing during your class — you’re really talented, Y/N, and I know that skill will transfer over to fighting.”

“Thank you, but— but it doesn’t matter how good we are. Master Pakku is just as stubborn as he is talented, and I think he’d rather die than be a decent person. It’s a shame though. I’d really like to see someone knock some sense into him.”

“Yeah…” Katara sighed. “Hopefully Aang is having a better time than I am.” She looked up at the sky then fixed Y/N with a wry smile. “Speaking of Aang, I should probably get back to him and my brother. Sorry for talking your ear off the whole night.”

Y/N waved her hand around nonchalantly. “Don’t worry about it. You have my permission to rant to me any time you want while you’re here.”

Katara grinned and offered her hand, which Y/N took with a small smile as she got up from her ice platform. With a slight movement of her hand she bent it back into the ground, and the two girls began their walk back to the city. “I just wish I knew how to get Pakku to let up.”

“You’ll think of something,” Y/N reassured.

Katara did indeed think of something. Y/N’s wish of Pakku getting some sense knocked into him was granted when Katara challenged him to a fight, which was quite possibly the best thing that Y/N had ever witnessed. Though she ultimately lost, he still decided to take her on as a student — and in a move that Y/N would forever be grateful for, Katara had gotten Pakku to take her on as well. Katara made history that day, and she felt a shining sense of admiration for the girl for shaking things up.

And now, her days consisted of early mornings spent training, afternoons in classes, and nights doing homework, as well as fitting in time to hang out with Yue — it was a miracle she had any free time at all.

Lately though, it seemed like all Yue could talk about was Sokka. She liked him just as much as he liked her, but Yue was good — no matter how much she cared for someone, her tribe would always come first.

(“Did I hear that you and Sokka have a date later tonight?” she teased. “Aren’t you moving a little too fast?” Yue was silent at her attempt at humor and Y/N frowned. “Yue, are you okay?”

Silence lingered in the air for so long that Y/N almost thought she didn’t hear her, but finally the princess spoke as she pulled down the collar of her jacket to reveal an engagement necklace. Y/N gasped.

“It’s from Hahn,” she said quietly. “He proposed an hour ago, and I accepted.”

“You what?” Y/N cried, prompting a slight grimace from Yue. “Hahn— you can’t stand him!”

“Y/N, please,” Yue sighed. “He’s not that bad — he’s handsome, I guess. And he’s the son of a noble, and he’ll be really good for the tribe.”

“Yue, you’re the one who has to deal with him. He proposed to you, not the tribe — Spirits, half the boys in this tribe like you, why him?”

“It’s best for the tribe,” she repeated, her words an attempt to convince Y/N as much as herself.

“But what’s best for you?” Y/N countered.

Yue hadn’t answered, and had made up some half-baked excuse that she had to be somewhere. She had watched her go sadly, hoping that she would figure something out with Sokka.)

And it’s not like she wasn’t happy that her friend had found someone, it was just…

Y/N was upset that someone wasn’t her. And she didn’t know how to deal with that revelation.

But one morning, while making idle conversation with Katara as their lesson came to an end, a matter much more pressing came to hand.

Black snow. Soot raining down from the sky, tarnishing everything it touched.

A feeling all too familiar brewed in her chest as she met her friend’s eyes, and one thing was clear.

The Fire Nation was coming.

The air was even more frigid than usual with the knowledge of an imminent invasion, and Y/N had parted ways with her friends once they reached the town hall to be with her grandparents. The tension in the air was thick as Chief Arnook stepped up to address the people.

“The day we have feared for so long has arrived — the Fire Nation is on our doorstep. It is with great sadness I call my family here before me, knowing well that some of these faces are about to vanish from our tribe, but they will never vanish from our hearts. Now, as we approach the battle for our existence, I call upon the great spirits. Spirit of the Ocean! Spirit of the Moon! Be with us! I'm going to need volunteers for a dangerous mission.”

As soon as the words left his mouth, Sokka stood up. “Count me in.”

Her eyes widened as she met Katara’s from across the room, and she looked equally surprised. “Sokka…”

“Be warned: many of you will not return.” Several other men stood up after Sokka, including her grandfather. Despite his age he was a skilled fighter, but that was no comfort to Y/N. She reached up for his hand and shook her head almost desperately, but he smiled sadly and squeezed her hand, a sentiment to express words unsaid. “Come forward to receive my mark, if you accept the task.”

As he walked forward to join the line, she found the only solace she could in her grandmother’s open arms, burying her face in the fur of her jacket. “He will be okay,” she soothed. “He’s just as strong as he is brave. You have to have faith.”

She hoped that her grandmother was right. She couldn’t handle another loss.

Once all the men had received their marks, they left to confer about the battle plan. Y/N found her way up to the stage where a tearful Yue sat. It pained Y/N to see her in such a way, and when she sat down and offered her hand the princess immediately took it.

“I saw that your grandfather volunteered,” she said after a beat of silence. “I’m sorry.”

“I’m sorry too. For Sokka.” Y/N adjusted her position so their shoulders were touching, and she sighed heavily. “I can’t stop thinking about my village. My father.” She met Yue’s eyes, her own beginning to tear up.

“What if it happens again?” she whispered, her voice cracking. “I can’t— I can’t do it again.”

Yue let go of her hand to wrap the girl in a hug, the warmth of the embrace managing to chip away at some of their hopelessness. “You won’t have to do it again,” she stated, the reassurance seeming like the truth when coming from her. “You’re not alone this time.”

She finally pulled away from the hug as she wiped the tears off her face, and Y/N nodded. Yue somehow always knew exactly what to say. “What would I do without you?” she asked, her voice slightly watery.

“You’re never going to know,” the princess smiled. “Because whether you like it or not, you’re stuck with me.” That got a laugh out of Y/N and the two of them stood up as Yue gestured outside with her head. “I think I saw Aang and my father out there. It’ll help to talk with them — I think you need some fresh air anyways.”

Y/N nodded and the two girls walked out hand in hand, a small reprieve from carrying the weight of the world.

Things were so much worse than she had been anticipating.

After a short talk outside the hall with Katara, Aang, and the Chief, Yue had been transported somewhere safer as Y/N steeled herself for the front lines. After all, as a student of Master Pakku, she could fight damn well — it was just a matter of putting it into action.

But a line of warriors and children alike were no match for the strength of the Fire Nation from afar, and the first few fireballs had done their job at disrupting both the fighters and the wall — Seeing her home get destroyed hurt nearly as much as constantly getting thrown around.

After Aang had taken off on Appa and Chief Arnook took a section of his soldiers off for a different plan, the work on the ground began. The fleet of ships seemed endless , and the same went for their artillery — the fight went long into the day as Y/N worked with various other waterbenders to stop fireballs and repair broken parts of the city’s infrastructure, but just as the full moon began to show, the attacks stopped coming. Limbs heavy with exhaustion from their work in the field, Y/N and Katara met up with the princess back at the balcony of the palace.

“They’ve stopped firing,” Yue noted as they all gazed off into the distance.

“Thank the spirits,” Y/N muttered as she worked out a knot in her shoulder. “I don’t know how much longer I could’ve kept going.”

Just then, Appa came into view and a grin spread across Katara’s face. “Aang!”

He landed below them and the three girls hurried down to meet him. Aang landed on the ground, exhaustion clear in every part of him. “I can’t do it,” he muttered as he placed his head in his hands. “I can’t do it.”

“What happened?” Katara asked as she ran up to him, Yue and Y/N close behind.

“I must’ve taken out a dozen Fire Navy ships, but there’s just too many of them!” His large grey eyes were full of hopelessness, and Y/N’s heart ached for the boy. “I can’t fight them all.”

“But— you have to!” Yue pleaded. “You’re the Avatar.”

“I’m just one kid,” Aang countered wearily. He buried his face in his arms and Katara kneeled next to him in an attempt to comfort him. Y/N could almost forget about the pain in her body at that moment, feeling an odd responsibility to this boy as she looked down at him.

“Aang,” she muttered, following Katara’s example and kneeling next to him. “You’ve already done so much for us. Just by being here, you’ve inspired hundreds of people — you’re a beacon of hope all on your own! We don’t expect you to take out this whole navy by yourself. As long as you’re here, fighting with us? You’re helping us more than you know.”

He managed a slight smile at that and he took her outstretched hand, getting pulled back to his feet with her help.

“We’ll have a better view from up there,” Katara noted, pointing back up to the balcony. “You can help us keep watch, Aang — in case they start attacking again.”

He nodded and the four of them began the walk, the Avatar in slightly better spirits.

“The legends say the moon was the first waterbender,” Yue said once they had reached the balcony, all of them gazing at the sky. “Our ancestors saw how it pushed and pulled the tides and learned how to do it themselves.”

“I’ve always noticed my waterbending is stronger at night,” Katara mused, causing Y/N to hum in agreement.

“Our strength from the spirit of the moon, our life from the spirit of the ocean,” she said. “They work together to keep balance.

Aang’s expression brightened at her words as he popped up from the ground. “The spirits! Maybe I can find them and get their help!”

“How can you do that?” Y/N questioned.

“The Avatar is the bridge between our world and the Spirit World,” Katara explained excitedly. “Aang can talk to them!”

“Maybe they’ll give you the wisdom to win this battle!” Yue exclaimed.

“Or maybe they'll unleash a crazy amazing spirit attack on the Fire Nation!” At that, all three girls met him with strange looks. Aang coughed and straightened his posture. “Or wisdom. That's good, too.”

“The only problem is, last time you got to the Spirit World by accident,” Katara said with a frown. “How are you going to get there this time?”

Yue’s eyes lit up and she looked at them with a smile. “I have an idea. Follow me.”

A few minutes later, they were standing in the Spirit Oasis, the most spiritual place in all of the North. Yue, Y/N, and Katara all shed their coats as Aang walked around, marvelling at the beauty.

“I can feel… something,” Aang said as he sat down, getting into a meditating position. “It’s so tranquil.”

Soon enough, after a few moments of silence, Aang’s eyes as well as the arrow on his head began to glow.

“Is he okay?” Yue gasped.

“He’s crossing into the Spirit World,” Katara reassured. “He’ll be fine as long as we don’t move his body. That’s his way back to the physical world.”

“I’ve never seen anything like this,” Y/N whispered, astonishment etched into her face. For as much as she had been taught about the ocean spirits, she wasn’t well-versed in the Spirit World as a whole — she was thoroughly fascinated by every part of this.

“Maybe we should get some help,” Yue suggested, still on edge as she took a few steps away from the gate.

“No, he’s my friend. I’m perfectly capable of protecting him. Besides, I already have some help here.” She smiled at Y/N, a sentiment that she returned happily.

A deep voice, almost mocking, broke the silence as it echoed throughout the oasis. “Well, aren’t you a big girl now? Even got yourself a little student.”

The three girls all whipped around to find the source of the voice, and Katara’s whole body stiffened. “No…”

“Yes. Hand him over and I don’t have to hurt you.”

Y/N immediately eased into a bending stance along with Katara as the princess fled to get help, but her confidence faltered when she took the time to focus on their assailant.

She almost didn’t recognize him — it had been nearly four years since she had last set eyes upon the boy, but it was as if he had become a completely different person. His head was shaved completely save for a ponytail, and blues and reds marked his skin in various cuts and bruises. His eyes held an anger she had never seen before, an expression only heightened with the addition of a large red scar across his left eye.

“Zuko?” she breathed, her chest tightening up beneath the weight of the revelation. Katara stared at her in bewilderment — she had no idea that Y/N knew the prince that had chased them halfway across the world, but Katara supposed that she had no reason to ever suspect she did.

His eyes flashed with recognition as they ran over her, and it seemed as if he had a similar epiphany as he staggered backwards. “I… I thought you were dead.”

“You’re with them,” she muttered, blood turning to ice. “Your nation is invading, and you’re helping them— you’re after the Avatar? What are you doing, Zuko?!”

The momentary surprise was replaced by steely determination as he shifted his weight forward and kicked up his leg, sending a blast of fire that she barely managed to dodge. “You know nothing!”

Y/N fell back into position next to Katara, but the newfound knowledge was like a fog over her mind. “Whoever he was when you knew him, that’s not him anymore!” Katara yelled as she bent water out of the pond and blocked his following attacks. “He won’t hesitate to hurt you, so you can’t either!”

“O-okay!” she stammered. This was the moment she had been waiting for, wasn’t it? After training with both Katara and Pakku, her martial skill had increased tenfold, and she was desperate to try it out — she only wished her first opponent didn’t have to be him. But another fire blast snapped her out of her paralysis, and she jumped into action.

The two girls worked impossibly well together, one stepping forward when the other fell back, the bending between them nearly seamless. Any fire that the prince sent their way was quickly extinguished, and with two against one on home turf, Y/N and Katara were able to hold him off with relative ease.

Y/N bent another jet of water up from the oasis and shot it at Zuko, the force of which knocked him several feet back. Katara took the opening and froze his feet to the ground, then began to move her arms about as she formed a ball of water around him — one more movement and it was frozen solid.

“You little peasant,” he growled. “You’ve found a master, haven’t you?”

The orb of ice began to glow, the air around them becoming hotter and hotter until it melted around him. Blasts of fire were flying at them as soon as Zuko hit the ground, and they were forced to retreat back towards the oasis as they grew more intense.

Y/N drew up a shield of water, extinguishing the flames on impact. Zuko dodged around them, his fingers inches away from Aang’s collar. Y/N propelled the water already at her fingertips towards Zuko with a grunt of effort, which sent him flying into the shallows on the other side of the oasis. She conjured up a large wave and sent it towards the prince, sending him up the side of the wall and trapping him once Katara froze it.

She breathed a sigh of relief and let her arms fall, a part of her wondering how they were still connected after the tediousness of the earlier battle. But this, one on one in a fight with real stakes? It was as exhilarating as it was nerve wracking, and she had never been so thankful that Katara had gotten her in with Master Pakku. Y/N felt intensely guilty over the pain she had inflicted on Zuko, but she tried her best to push it out of her mind — like Katara said, he would’ve done worse if she hadn’t fought back.

“You fought well,” Katara smiled. “I told you that you were talented.”

She chuckled and shrugged, cheeks heating up slightly at the praise. “It’s not exactly my first fight, just… the most intense.” It reminded her of the early mornings and late nights spent sparring with Zuko, a memory that only twisted the dagger in her heart even more.

The two girls smiled at each other as they began to walk back over to Aang — it seemed the boy was undisturbed by the fight by virtue of his glowing tattoos and closed eyes — when Y/N found herself squinting from the rays of light filtering in.

“Huh,” she mumbled. “The sun’s out. The sun’s out— Katara!”

Y/N turned to find the prince free from the ice, and the pair barely had time to draw water from the pond to shield themselves from the impending flames. But it was too little too late, and the power of the blast sent them back several feet. They slammed into either side of the gate, the force of it immediately knocking Katara out.

Y/N gasped in pain as she tried to push herself up, but the fight combined with the impact of her landing had taken a toll on her and she collapsed once more against the gate. When the smoke from the fire cleared, Zuko was there with Aang’s collar in his grasp.

“You rise with the moon,” he muttered, his face tinged with the slightest bit of guilt as he met her eyes. “I rise with the sun.”

The last thing she saw before her consciousness faded out was the boy she loved escaping with the Avatar.

why did i make yue and y/n like this when i KNOW what i have to write next omg i hate myself

perm tag list: @dv0412 @siriuslyslyslytherin @maruchan77

ehfar: @chandies-sideblog @persica27 @anzanity @randomthingssss @escapingthoughtsandsecrets @shanksfav @shephard17895 @ilovespideyyy

atla: @marianne1806

#zuko x reader #zuko x you #zuko x y/n #zuko x reader fic #zuko #zuko fic #avatar #atla #avatar the last airbender #atla fic #avatar fic #avatar the last airbender fic #avatar x reader #sadie writes #ehfar #i already had this chapter half written so thats why its out so soon lmao #SOMEONE doesnt know how to hold their chapters and wants to release them as soon as she finishes them #its me. im someone

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celestialgaea · 3 years

Text

(Older) Jacob Frye x Reader// Post Coital Mornings

Warnings: fluff, really soft smut, age gap, a tiny bit of angst

Pairings: (40 year old/ older) Jacob Frye x Reader

Summary: On an early morning after a night of passionate love making the dilemma seem to haunt you again, until Jacob pulls you out of it with his intimacy.

disclaimer: If you’re uncomfortable with age gaps then I advice you to scroll further. Also, I didn’t write this fanfic to romanticize age gaps but to entertain the AC community with a fanfic that includes a protagonist with the age that has been canonically included.

A/N: I am still alive. I cannot explain how sorry I am for not immediately publishing request and writing new fanfictions. I really love doing this for you guys and also for myself, but the past months have been getting rougher and rougher. I do not want to give up this passion and I hope I can still do this for a very long time (There are a lot of drafts is till have to publish, so dont worry, there will be enough to read.). I just find it sad how the AC community is slowly dying compared to it during the 2010s (it was like the prime age for AC fanfiction.) But alas, anyways, enjoy the fanfic :) And sorry if it’s a little too short!

He was staring at you. No, not staring; Observing you. Admiring the curvature of your bare back as you sat at the edge of your mattress, chugging down a glass of water. You didn’t seem to do anything afterwards either, just staring down your lap whilst your hand kneaded the solid mattress in its grip. Jacob assumed that you weren’t planning on returning to the comfort of the bed very soon, he was slightly worried. Hidden inside of his subconciousness there was a worry about last night, a small intursive thought that convinced him of his performance in bed. Jacob didn’t want to break his own pride by assumptions, God forbid.

He pushed himself up before opening the cover of the bed and pushed himself towards you with his knees. You felt how they slithered around your naked thighs, his manhood touching your back, and the warm desire of his embrace enveloped your torso.

Jacob didn’t speak. The only sounds that he emitted were the swallows of nothingness and the bundle of hot breaths he breathed through his nose as he rested his burning cheek upon your shoulder, rubbing the sides of your arms. His hands weren’t soft, they never were. Yhey felt rough, as if a thin layer of glue had dried onto his skin. But you didn’t complain though. His hands may be rough but they softened with the feeling of his loving caress.

‘Your cheek is burning, Jacob,’ You whispered. You caressed his bearded cheek and felt how the heat spread across your handpalm. ‘Are you sick?’ He only grinned,the left-over of sleep still overwhelming him. ‘How can a man be sick after such a night, Love?’ Jacob pressed a warm kiss on your shoulder, softly grazing your skin between his teeth. ‘Come back to bed, (Y/N), It’s sunday. God knows when the next time will be where we can enjoy this morning being together.’ The only answer you gave was your hand blindly straying from the pathway of his facial hair to caress his neck.

You didn’t want to move, it was like sacrificing the warmth that embraced you if you dared to lift one hip. And it wasn’t out of grief nor numbness, you were just tired. Tired of being afraid to lose Jacob in these dark times. You’d regret every second of his skin not being on yours whenever you had the chance, just feeling the heat of his love taking you in just like the layered waves of the ocean taking you deeper into the unknown, yet, at the same time you felt like seperating yourself from him would protect you from the future pain.It was a dilemma spiraling downwards until you’ve reached the bottom of the well, and if you would’ve reached it then you’d be stuck inside the haze of your own doubts and hesitations. Jacob’s love was like the ocean. There was love in abundance, just like there is an abundance of water, yet all that love was laying motionlessly down the bottom, hidden by layers of darkness upon darkness. But you yearned to grasp his love from that blackness and hide in it, letting all of his warmth and affection suffocate you until you’d die and only then you’d die happy.

He sighed defeatedly. ‘Please, (Y/N), just lay with me. I want to feel your warmth. I want to be comfortable with you.’ He was so straightforward due to his sleepiness that there was no filter covering his words. He was hurt and tired and in need of comfort. You sighed, regretting the hard-headedness of your fear. You faced Jacob and allowed your face to move closer to his, only to stop before your lips had touched. And you stayed like that. You liked it like that. Only the buidling up tension of two lips wanting to touch and suffocate into each others fleshiness until the emotions of it overwhelmed both of you. But Jacob couldn’t resist your lips and its emotion so he kissed your lips, sucked onto them, nibbled them, licked them, whatever strenghtened the sweetness that made your marrow get pulled out of your bones without breaking them. He took you by the skin underneath your breasts and pulled you fully onto the bed and you allowed him. Without fear? Yes, without fear. And so you kept on exploring the edges and corners of love and its lust by kissing, touching, loving, moaning, whispering, moving and letting you both hide safely into the cocoon that was built by each others intimacy, even if that cocoon only lasted during those moments.

#ac #ac syndicate #Assassin's Creed #assassins creed #jacob frye #jacob frye fanfic #jacob frye x reader #older jacob frye x reader #assassins creed syndicate #assassins creed syndicate jack the ripper dlc

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favoniuscodex · 3 years

Text

forever, forgotten

prompt: The two of you realize that you don’t work as well as you originally think. characters: zhongli/gn!reader, diluc/gn!reader, childe/gn!reader word count: 2.2k warnings: brief injury description, putting in stitches is described, emotional cheating (but not physical or overt), pain and angst a/n: rev up those fryers, because i am sure hungry for some angst! i love pain. i really do. it’s where i feel my writing thrives. but i apologize for making reader an ass in some of these. oops. it’s only human nature :) no beta reader btw, pls send in an ask if you see any errors so i can fix them!

CHILDE/TARTAGLIA

childe has always been one to thrive in the heat of battle, while you’ve been one to thrive literally anywhere else than a fight.

your relationship is kept on the downlow, both because you don’t want the attention of dating a fatui harbinger and childe doesn’t want you getting caught in the crossfire of any battles of his.

why date a man if you can’t be involved in what he loves the most?

he arrives at your doorstep, a sheepish, tired smile on his face, one hand clutching his opposite arm, trying to tamp the blood that seeps into the grey fabric of his clothing.

you meet his gaze with an equally tired one. the sun has yet to rise and you are no longer surprised by your lover’s impromptu visits at your doorstep, nor his condition.

he only shows up when he needs something, after all.

you usher him in without a word and he sits at your dining table, quiet as you stitch up his wounds.

you’re not a nurse. you shouldn’t be so good at piercing a needle through someone’s skin. the thought of it unsettles you a bit, but you withhold these thoughts from the harbinger before you, who always desires to run a sharp blade of water through the necks of his enemies.

the silence between the two of you isn’t tense. rather, the air is dull and laced with fatigue. you know the man before you will fall asleep wordlessly on your couch soon before you navigate to your bedroom and slump over on your mattress. you’ll leave for work in the morning, leaving him to dream away on the couch. by the time you arrive home, he’ll be gone without a trace, except for the stack of mora he leaves on your kitchen table.

your relationship is no more than transactional at this point, but at least those who are paid for the night feel the warm touch of another.

however, tartaglia throws a wrench in your typical night plans. he decides to speak.

“there’s a new guy where you work,” he speaks, lifting his eyes from the needle in your hands to meet yours. “you get along well.” the words of the harbinger are embittered, laced with a childish petulance. but rather than assuage his fears, you furrow your brows and lift the needle up, before puncturing the skin with it once more.

“you sent people to watch me,” you scoff. it doesn’t exit your lips as a question, but rather a statement of ire. childe huffs in response.

“do you wish for me to leave you unguarded?” he says, irritation lacing his tone. nonetheless, he shakes his head slightly, ruffling his brunette hair. “whatever. Coworker.”

“what about him?” you respond, finishing his stitches and scooting your chair backwards to give him space. you finally make eye contact and realize that within his azure eyes, jealousy lies. “he’s a coworker.”

exhaustion is getting to the both of you. childe takes note of your dull-eyed look, a far cry from how you once looked at him. your lips rest in a slight frown and dark circles rest underneath your eyes. you look absolutely exhausted. nonetheless, he pushes onward.

“you two spend quite a bit of time together,” tartaglia remarks.

“if you have someone following me around all the time, then you know i’m not cheating,” you respond, folding your arms and narrowing your eyes at him.

“i know. but maybe it would be easier if you did,” his words soften and reveal a subtle pain behind what he’s saying, but in your fatigued state, the meaning is unclear.

“what the hell does that even mean?” you ask, forcing your voice to stay level. you’re tired, which means you’re more likely to be irritated, but you stay steady. whoever raises their voice first loses the argument, in your eyes.

“maybe it would be better if you were with someone you still loved,” childe finally confesses, yet another layer of defensiveness stripped from his voice, revealing his nerves. you glance up from where you had absentmindedly fixated your gaze on your thighs -- when had you done that? -- and look into his eyes to see the flames of jealousy being overwhelmed with an ocean of sadness. the harbinger had always loved the sea.

“don’t say that,” you murmur. “don’t do this to yourself, tartaglia.”

“ajax,” he whispers, correcting you. you know if he speaks louder, the ocean within his eyes will seep out. “and if you feel that way, then say it.”

“say what?” you ask, rubbing a hand across your eyes.

“say you love me,” ajax whispers. his face is flushed red as he struggles to contain the melancholy emotions he’s tried so hard to lock away.

you go quiet. at one point, you would have screamed the words from the top of the highest liyuean mountains, but now, a lump in your throat prevents them from exiting your mouth to reassure your lover, if you’re even allowed to call him that.

a bitter smile spreads across his face, his eyes growing red. “thank you,” he says, his tone saturated with emotional agony.

you watch him leave. your past screams at you to reach out to him, to beg him to stay, but you watch him collect his things and exit your house silently. as tartaglia closes your front door softly behind him, not bothering to look back at you, you let out a shaky sigh and curl up on your couch.

your head finds itself upon the throw pillow that his blood had leaked onto, but you’re too tired to care. instead, you lie on your side, wondering about what could’ve been before falling into a dreamless sleep.

DILUC

you’re a people person while he’s a lone wolf, a commoner while he was always destined to be a societal elite. in comparison with the man significant enough to receive a gift from the gods, you are nothing.

but he always made you feel differently. he would hold you close on winter nights, whispering sweet nothings into your ear as you fell asleep to his heartbeat. but that’s all they were -- nothings.

you saw how he looked at her -- a liyuean diplomat. you had asked him about her before.

“she’s just someone from the past,” diluc had stated, not making eye contact and brushing away your words, an uncharacteristic move for the man who would once recite ballads of your beauty whenever you had expressed an insecurity. “nobody to worry about.” he

but as they leaned in close to each other, whispering to each other as diluc tended the bar, her resting her elbows on the counter, you realized that their relationship had never been platonic and you were a fool to believe they didn’t have a history together.

you stayed positive until the calvary captain noticed your sad looks towards the bar. he simply murmured a few words to you that would confirm your fears.

you didn’t want to play if you were always going to be second place to a woman who showed up every blue moon.

maybe that’s her appeal, you thought to yourself. she’s here infrequently enough that he’s smitten with her. she leaves before she can become mundane, exits the scene before his memories of her can sour.

but the days roll by and you find yourself becoming more and more embittered. diluc stays out late, saying work is keeping him. kaeya tells you otherwise. for a man who has no reason to be involved, you owe your dignity to kaeya for intervening and telling you the truth.

but diluc doesn’t cheat. he just smiles at her. they’re friends, that’s all. but jealousy is the devil’s mistress and you lay in bed with her in your heart as she pries her fingers into your love and rips it apart at the seams.

the liyuean woman leaves. upon her departure, your love for the red-haired man exits the stage as well, leaving behind a neglected husk of a relationship.

diluc smiles at you, none the wiser, approaching you after you finish your shift one evening. this is the first time you’ve spoken in three weeks and he doesn’t even seem to notice.

upon seeing his lips curl upwards at your appearance, the fragments of your heart shatter into dust, for you realize that the way he looked at the liyuean diplomat will never compare to the look he gives you.

he invites you over to his place, saying he misses your company. what is there to miss? you’ve been here all along, watching, waiting, agonizing over him, and yet he acts like he wasn’t the one that caused the two of you to be apart.

“i don’t think it’s the best idea for us to keep being together in such a manner,” you respond as you grab your bag, not making eye contact. “we wouldn’t want people to get the wrong idea.”

diluc watches you leave, stunned by your response. “wait,” he calls out to you, making you turn around. “did i do something wrong?”

“no,” you lie, plastering a fake, soft smile on your face. “i just think i did. it’s nothing you did, i just… don’t think i can keep doing a relationship right now.”

“you’re breaking up with me?” diluc asks, dumbfounded. “here? Now?”

“yes,” you respond, praying your voice doesn’t crack and revealing your sadness. “i’ve found someone else to put first.” myself, you think. you watch as diluc attempts a stoic expression, but you can see the sadness in his eyes.

as the winds of mondstadt swirl around the two of you, blowing the dusty ashes of your heart that had been burnt away by the redhead with the pyro vision into uncharted territories, you can only manage a weak, apologetic smile at seeing him go through the grief you had gone through only a week prior, when you had finally determined that you needed to break up with him.

“i’ll see you around,” you say, before brushing past him and heading home, for once, alone.

ZHONGLI

the two of you sip your tea quietly as zhongli relishes in your company, pleased to see you after you had returned from an adventuring commission.

“i’m glad you returned to liyue harbor safely,” zhongli confesses. his words, much like his actions, are predictable.

you love zhongli, you really do, but after spending two years with him as his lover, you realize that maybe he’s not the one for you.

the geo archon is reliable, loyal, and honest. he’s considerate and kind. you had no reason not to take him as a lover -- he’s the perfect gentleman with a well-paying job. staying with him would provide love and stability.

but, you realized you made a mistake not long after accepting his romantic confession. zhongli was lovely, but he failed to ignite the spark in your heart that most lovers did. he was predictable, too predictable in your case. the geo archon, after millenia of war, anguish, and disconnect from the human race, decided the best life to live as a human was one of routine and peace.

you envied him. you truly did. his happiness was rooted in the status quo, the idea of nothing in his simple life changing. you longed for adventure, for excitement, never having been one to stay in a place for too long.

just as you knew when it was time to move cities, you knew it was time to move on past this relationship in your heart. your love for zhongli had fallen platonic. you were only clinging onto the familiarity zhongli provided as he had not given you a reason to leave.

but maybe zhongli himself was your reason to leave. after all of his service to liyue, he deserves someone who loves him with his whole heart. despite your consistent completion of adventurer’s guild duties, this is one commission that you cannot complete. no matter how hard you wish to, you cannot bring yourself to love the geo archon with your whole heart.

therefore, you realize, you must let him go.

you’re a coward, though. a person who can slay a stonehide lawachurl alone, who has countless battle scars from the most fearsome of challenges, is unable to look their lover in his patient amber eyes and tell them how they feel, for they do not wish to acknowledge the pain they will bring to their gentle lover who would, truly, move mountains for them.

so you write a letter while he’s at work, detailing your sorrows and how you wish for him to find happiness. you’re a coward, you scream at yourself as tears roll down your face, staining the parchment your pen shakily moves across. he deserves better.

he deserves better, which is why you leave the letter in an envelope for him on the table, the ring that normally rests on your left hand on top of it. by the time he reads it, you’ll be on a boat to inazuma, free from the consequences of your heartbreak and your actions.

you never quite forgive yourself for leaving the geo archon behind.

#zhongli's section is the shortest but it's my favorite #genshin impact #genshin impact x reader #genshin impact headcanons #diluc x reader #childe x reader #zhongli x reader #*writing #*50 follower celebration #*zhongli #*diluc #*childe #*tartaglia #*headcanons #*angst

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atlas-of-a-human-soul · 3 years

Note

I just read your Riven fics and ommggg they are so good!! Idk if you are making a part three but I will definitely look out for it! I haven’t started the sly ones but I can’t wait!

Come back to me // part 2

Pairing: Riven x light!fairy

Breath caught in her throat, she felt her hands tremble as her eyes lingered on the envelope on her pillow. The handwriting is in the kind of black that speaks of nighttime dreaming. The letters are so typically Riven - messy and yet she could see the effort behind each and every word - To my Sunshine - .

It’s been a long time since he last wrote her a love note, far too long for her to truly remember what it said. She remembers how it made her feel - hopeful, elated, giddy. That’s all Riven needed to win her over - love notes he’d slip in her books whenever she wasn’t looking.

This time it felt different. The note brought anxiety, fear of what the envelope may hide inside. They barely speak nowadays and when they do, Riven is crude and too often she finds herself crying herself to sleep because of how convincing he is with his act. Sometimes she wonders if he’s acting at all or if that’s who he is with everyone but her and it makes her feel guilty. How can she still be questioning his loyalties?

Shaking her head, she releases a heavy sigh before her shaky fingers pry open the envelope. The paper inside is barely ink stained, a few words written for her aching heart.

“Still Your Asshole”

Chuckling, Y/N covers her mouth with an open palm, glancing at the door to make sure no one is nearby. It wasn’t a chuckle that seemed to stop as it turned into a cackle and that cackle turned into a sob. She didn’t know where the sobs came from, she just knew she couldn’t stop. As if the soul could bleed an ocean through the eyes, that was the enormity of her sobbing.

Screaming into her pillow, Y/N felt the rawness of her pain fully. It had revealed its ugly head and she couldn’t breathe.

Riven may be hers but he isn’t. It takes a moment, a single mistake for him to be uncovered by Rosalind or Beatrix and he’d be taken from her. She’d never get to run her fingers through his brown hair, she’d never get to kiss his lips again or feel his hand in hers. He’d never tease her again, he’d never write her a new note or insist she needs him to teach her to fight. All of it would be gone in a blink of any eye and the severity of that realization choked the light out of her, even if for a little while.

She can’t always be the Sunshine. Clouds will eventually clear, but she needs the little bit of darkness and the sweetness it brings. Even if she’s in pain, even if the sadness threatens to suffocate her, she craves it.

Riven makes her weak, he makes her vulnerable. She never dreamed she could care for a man like Riven, she certainly didn’t wish it, but she does. It’s more than caring for Riven, she’s way past that. Whatever wicked game he played to make her feel that way for him, it worked. She fell in love with Riven and now it’s consuming her.

Wiping her tears, she stashes the letter under her mattress before walking out in the sun. If she can’t be the light, she can at least get the warmth of another’s light.

She lays down on the damp grass, looking up at the sky. She looked at the sky like a man would look at a withered flower in which he no longer sees the beauty he plucked it for, thus destroying it.

This noble heart that beat only for the most tender of emotions had to be subjected to pain to learn the secret of life:

Love has to come at once, with thunder and lightning like a hurricane that wrecks havoc on your life, to shake you up and break the the heart like leaves off trees, to drag it into the abyss.

She’s in the abyss now.

“You can’t be here”, and then she hears his voice, pulling her away from the darkness. “Come on”, he whisper shouts as he takes her by the hands and helps her to her feet.

She’s a little dizzy, disoriented by the sudden change in position. His eyes are on her, his face inches away and yet she feels like they’re a thousand miles apart. She doesn’t fight him as he drags her to the greenhouse, closing the door quickly so no one would see them.

“I got your note”, she’s the first one to speak. Riven turns to her with a small smile only for it to fall when he truly looks at her - puffy, red eyes and dry lips aren’t easily mistakable.

He let out a slow controlled breath, “Is that why you cried?” Riven’s eyebrows furrow as he steps closer to her, his hands on his hips.

“I cried because I miss you!” She shouts, her fingers flickering alight and she knows she’s losing control. A shuddered breath passes her quivering lips, “I miss you and I’m worried about you and I hate you.” She says through gritted teeth and Riven can’t help but stumble back, confused.

“Me?” He raises his eyebrows, pointing his right index finger at himself, “What did I do?”

Scoffing, Y/N shakes her head. “YOU MADE ME LOVE YOU AND YOU’RE NOT EVEN HERE!” Covering her mouth, she turns away from him. She never told him that she loved him before and he never uttered anything close to it either. She feared looking at him and not have him say it back. After all, why would he?

“You love me?” Riven breathes out, still trying to collect himself. Crossing the distance between them, Riven wraps his arms around her. Pulling her back against his chest, he folds his hands over her abdomen. He’s holding on tightly, like she’s a dream he’s afraid to wake up from.

“You love me?” He repeats in a whisper. Knitting her eyebrows together, she frowns and bites into the soft flesh of the inside of her bottom lip as his lips brush her earlobe.

“Yes”, she leans her head back on his shoulder, relaxing in his arms.

“Good.” Riven whispers and she snaps out of it, slapping his hands until he lets go.

“Good?” She exclaims, her glare deadlier than a blade.

“Yeah?” Riven chuckles, scratching the back of his neck.

“I tell you I love you and all you have to say is good?” She deadpans, before throwing her hands in the air, “Unbelievable.”

“Yeah. It’s good, because I’ve been in love with you for about a year now and it’s good to know you finally feel the same way.” Riven shrugs, “But go on. I like it when you’re angry.”

Rolling her eyes, she playfully slaps his chest, “Don’t fucking do that to me!”

“Did you just say a swear word?” Riven’s eyes widen, a grin much wider making Y/N blush.

“You’re really going to nitpick at my language instead of kissing me now when we finally got a moment alone in months?” She raises an eyebrow, tapping her foot nervously.

“I’m actually running late”, Riven wets his lips and yet he doesn’t move away, but closer to Y/N. All he can taste is the cherry chapstick she wore the first time they kissed. That was on a constant loop inside his head.

“We could run?” Y/N tries, but Riven only shakes his head.

“I spent my whole life running. I can’t betray Sky like that. He’s my brother.”

Struggling to inhale, Y/N whispers, “And what am I to you?”

“The love of my life.” Riven blurts out without a second thought as his hands cups her cheeks, “You’re the only reason why I’m never going to give up.”

“You’re saying all the right words and my heart still hurts”, she sniffles, hoping she doesn’t cry again. She’s had enough of crying for a lifetime.

“I wish I could make it better, I do.” Closing his eyes, Riven leans his forehead on hers, “I love you with all I am. With all I’ll ever be.” Drawing in a sharp inhale, he holds his breath for a moment to stop tears from forming. “If I were a better man, I’d have let you go.”

“Don’t be the better man”, she croaks, her fingers curling his hair at the back of his head. “Be the bad guy. Just be mine.” And she kissed him. With a devastating sweetness, an innocence - as if this were the first time. Strong fingers curved about her jaw and warmth seeped into her bones, her skin, her soul.

The lips held to hers, reassuringly alive. Riven had reassured her by the strength of his arms surrounding her and the steady wilderness in his chest, beat of a heart not her own.

She was no longer alone in misery. Someone was there, keeping her warm, holding the memories at bay and dangers of the world could no longer get to her. Her lips softened; tentatively, she returned the kiss with all her heart.

Breaking the kiss, Riven’s arms leave her, the warmth going with him. She stumbles, catching her breath.

Riven glances at his phone only to swear under his breath and she knows something’s happened.

“Listen to me”, Riven swallows thickly, “Stay with Stella and the rest tonight.”

“Why”, Y/N frowns, folding her arms across her chest.

“Don’t ask questions, please.” Pecking her lips, Riven takes a few steps back, “If you love me as much as you say you do, go now and stay with the girls. I’ll try to contact you as soon as I can.”

“Riven”, Y/N raises her voice, unnerved and anxious about his behavior.

“Sunshine, please”, his voice softens and she nods, licking her lips. Before she can say a word, he manages a smile, “I’ll come back to you. I will.”

And that’s when he leaves and Y/N does as he asked. But the nagging feeling inside her chest is relentless - something bad is happening and someone is going to get hurt.

Part 4

#riven fate winx saga #riven x reader #riven imagine #riven #fate the winx saga #fate riven #riven x fairy #fate the winx saga fanfic #fate the winx saga fic

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sirenascales · 3 years

Text

-> double black [part two] 18+

-> Chuuya x 1stPOV!F!Reader x Dazai

-> Who knew getting fired from work could lead to this?

-> Content: SMUT, slight angst, violence, murder, swearing

A failed friend date turns into a day of fun and laughs with a rather odd coworker. [Dazai x 1stPOV!F!Reader]

3,274 words

Warning: suicide ideation (like, it's Dazai, c'mon now.)

note: I'm glad some of ya'll seemed to enjoy chuuya's chapter! I decided to just upload Dazai's and then we can move on to the story. Please enjoy! Tags in the replies.

Part One | Part Two | Part Three | Part Four | Part Five | Part Six | Final || masterlist

"Keiko-- Keiko, it's two PM!" I said into the phone, sending an apologetic look to my coworkers. "And I'm at work. You can't be calling me, especially when you're drunk so early in the day."

"Uggghhhh, you're so mean!" I sighed softly at Keiko's response, the office phone on my desk beginning to ring.

"Keiko, I have to go now, I'm sorry! Call Taichi and tell him to bring you home."

"Wait-"

I ended the call, rubbing my eyebrows as I picked up the other phone. "Armed Detective Agency, how may I help you?"

It's been around three months since I've started working at the Agency, and I have to say, it was a pretty great job. It paid well, kept me on my toes with the many different cases we took on, and my coworkers were great... despite how weird they were.

"That's like the seventh time your friend called you this week," Ranpo spoke up from his desk, the man literally surrounded by snack wrappers.

I sighed deeply, rubbing my eyebrows. "I know, I'm sorry everyone. She's not usually like this... I know she likes to drink, but... never to this extent."

"Maybe there is something going on?" the cute Atsushi suggested and I frowned. "Maybe you can try to find out?"

"It wouldn’t be wise to just push yourself into someone's private life like that," Kunikida added and I nodded in agreement.

Of course I couldn't. Not with who her boyfriend was. I was her best friend, but even I knew not to step in. "Besides, she always says she's okay when I ask..." I said thoughtfully, too distracted to continue my work. I could believe her, right? Besides, she had Taichi. He loved her, and always made sure that she was protected and taken care of. He always made sure to be around her when he wasn't away, keeping her to his side at all times. I thought maybe he was being a bit too protective, but I also understood because of his... profession.

"Alright, alright, we have a schedule, people. Let's not get too distracted here," Kunikida exclaimed and I laughed softly. The only one with a schedule was the super punctual man himself, but I still went on to do my work.

"Speaking of work..." I started, unimpressed as I Iooked to the empty desk across the office. "Where the hell is Dazai?"

Atsushi just hung his head and sighed, Kunikida gritting his teeth at his desk. "I tried calling him but he wouldn't pick up," Atsushi sighed again and I huffed, standing up from my desk. "I'll take my 30 now. I'll be in the cafe and I'll try to get Dazai to bring his scrawny ass to work."

The Agency was on the fourth floor of the building while the cafe was down on the first, very convenient for me. I was lazy and the coffee and food was good. I dialed up Dazai's number as I descended the four flights of stairs, pressing my phone to my ear.

At the top of one flight, I stopped when I heard a familiar ring tone blare out, and when I looked down to the bottom of the stairs, I saw the man of the hour. His brown hair was wavy as ever, his signature tanned jacket looking immaculate. I watched as he just looked at his phone, watching it ring before he put his phone in his pocket.

I hated him. "So you were just gonna ignore me?!" I shouted down the stairs. Dazai whipped his head up, eyes going comically wide.

"Bella!" he exclaimed, practically running up the stairs right towards me. I gasped and back away quickly, back hitting the wall as Dazai caged me between his bandaged arms. His forehead pressed against mine and I will my face not to burn as he looked at me with those pretty brown eyes of his. "I missed you."

My heart skipped a beat, my mouth going dry. Still, I glared up at the man. "We just saw each other yesterday," I gritted my teeth, trying to ignore the feeling of his soft breath against my face. I was thankful my voice didn't crack. "And you have plenty of paperwork to do still on your desk."

"Ehhh, I'm tired and I'm busy," Dazai nonchalantly waved that off, now standing away from me and waving his hand dismissively. "Got better things to do."

I scoffed and crossed my arms over my chest. "Yeah? Like what?"

With that, Dazai took my hands in his, a hopeful look on his face. Here we go again. "Double suicide."

"No." I immediately declined him. "My answer is still the same as it was last week."

Dazai visibly deflated, covering his eyes dramatically. "Sweet death... she evades me yet again..."

"Yeah," I deadpanned, brushing past Dazai and heading down the stairs. "Anyway. I'm heading to the cafe to get something to eat."

"Oh!" Dazai exclaimed, hooking my arm with his as he quickly came up to my side. "I'll go with you!"

"You have work to do!" I yelled at him, trying to push him back up the stairs. "Go before Kunikida has an aneurysm."

"But I don't wanna!" Dazai whined, quickly turning the tables on me. Now he was behind me, his arms wrapped around me and pinning my arms to my chest. I felt his breath against my left ear and I shivered deeply. "I wanna spend time with you..." he whispered softly, his voice dropping. I bit my bottom lip, looking over at him over my shoulder. I shivered again, the usual brightness in his eyes gone. I've only seen that look on his face a handful of times, and it never failed to make me feel completely on edge. Like I was in danger.

I liked it.

"Ugh," I sneered, rolling my eyes and shaking myself out of his arms. "Fine, fine. I'll treat today, okay?"

"Yay!" Dazai's jovial nature returned as he followed me to the cafe. I shake my head at the strange duality of the man. We sat across from each other, the redheaded waitress named Lucy that obviously had a crush on Atsushi giving us some menus.

As I looked over the menu, I looked over at Dazai, the man humming as he mulled over his choices. I bit the inside of my cheek, just feeling that maybe there was more to Dazai than he let on.

The weekend soon arrived and I was in a bit of a sour mood. I was at the boardwalk, sitting on an empty bench after getting off the phone with Keiko. We were supposed to spend the day together, but she had called me thirty-minutes late, all of a sudden saying that she couldn't make it.

Her tone of voice worried me, she sounded rushed and breathless, totally unlike her. "I'm okay. I'm sorry for flaking out so suddenly," she said before she ended the call. I blinked at the screen, a bit put off by the entire thing. Just what was up with her?

Though I couldn't dwell on it, for there was a presence behind me. "Well, well, look what we have here," a teasing voice whispered into my ear before blowing into it. I shrieked, jumping off the bench before spinning around.

"Dazai!" I hissed at the laughing man standing on the other side of the bench. "You scared the crap out of me!"

"Bet it got your heart pumping, huh," Dazai hummed happily, skipping around the bench and right over to me. "Bella, I missed you~" he hugged me tightly in his arms. I sighed deeply, half-heartedly wrapping my arms around him in return and giving him a pat on the back.

"We saw each other yesterday."

"Eighteen hours is too long, bella."

I rolled my eyes, pulling away from the huge and giving Dazai a look. "You're so dramatic, dude," I say with a laugh, shaking my head. "What are you doing here?"

"Hmm, well I thought this would be a great place to think about how to commit suicide," Dazai began and I gave him another look. "But, I saw my bella looking so sad and lonely! I just had to rush to comfort her!"

Dazai hugged me again, squeezing me tight. I let out a struggling breath, writhing a bit in his hold. "You're killing me!"

"Oh! Let's commit do-"

"No, oh my God!"

I turned and stormed away from the suicidal man, shaking my head when I heard him call out for me. "Bella, wait!" He latched onto my arm, pressing his cheek against mine. "Tell me what's wrong. I am your trusted friend and coworker~"

"More like trusted pain in my ass," I mumbled before sighing, walking over to the boardwalk railing and staring out into the ocean. "It's Keiko. She was supposed to be with me today, but she just called and canceled..." I frowned deeply, eyebrows pinched in worry.

"What else did she say?" Dazai asked quietly, having gone serious once he saw the look in my face. "How did she seem?"

"Off..." I answered immediately before I looked over at my companion. "Or am I just imagining things? Yeah, I'm disappointed she flaked out but...." I hung my head. "I don't know..."

"Well, it could be nothing," Dazai suggested. "Or it could be something. There's no way for you to know."

I made a face at his vague ass answer before sighing again. "I can only trust her. She was the first friend I made when I moved to Japan, and I was excited to see her today. I've been having a rough time lately."

"Is something bothering you?" Dazai asked, and I shivered feeling his gaze on me.

"Eh... just depressed," I answered offhandedly. "Lonely. Normal sad girl shit, ya know."

That made Dazai snicker under his breath. "Yeah, I know. But luckily for you," Dazai started, arm draping around my shoulders and pulling me to him. "I'm here to save the day!"

I couldn't help it, I laughed before I wrapped my arm around his middle, letting him hold me against him. "You'll hang out with me today?"

Dazai grinned. "It would be my pleasure."

Time flew by so quickly, that I was surprised to look at my phone and see that it was damn near seven in the evening. Gaping, I looked up, seeing that the sky was slowly turning dark. "Holy crap, Dazai. Did we really spend the whole day out here?" I asked in shock, looking over at him. "What the hell did we do?!"

"What didn't we do," Dazai whined, slumping against me. "I'm tired... and you still wanna ride the stupid ferris wheel!"

"It's not stupid," I said with a pout. "Besides... we're already in line."

"Meh," Dazai grumbled, still keeping his body pressed against me as we waited in line. He was behind me, his chin pressed on my shoulder. I tried not to shiver as I felt his breath along my neck.

Soon enough, we were in our carriage and slowly riding up to the top. I took a few pictures as we did so, Dazai looking over in amazement.

"You think the drop from up here would kill me?"

"Yeah, and would scar everyone here."

"Oh yeah... can't have that."

I rolled my eyes, glancing over at him and pausing for a bit. Dazai was still looking out over Yokohama, an expression I've never seen before on his face. He almost looked... sad. Very handsome, his side profile absolutely perfect. But he still looked sad. I took a quick picture, smiling as I looked over it on my phone.

The carriage stopped and I couldn't help but grin as we just swayed softly up in the air. "Thanks for spending the day with me, Dazai. It would have sucked if I had spent it alone."

"Ahh, don't sweat it, bella. I couldn't possibly leave you out here alone," Dazai answered dramatically and I laughed and rolled my eyes.

I felt a vibration in my pocket and I grabbed my phone, smiling at the cute selfie that Keiko sent to me.

'I'm so sorry for bailing! I'll make it up to you, I promise! ❤ mwuah'

"Is that Keiko?" Dazai asked and I nodded, sending her a quick reply.

"Yeah. She seems to be doing okay," I said, feeling a bit relieved.

"That's great!" Dazai exclaimed, getting up from his spot and carefully making his way to sit beside me, much to my horror.

"Dazai! We're not supposed to move around!"

"We're fine!" he waved me off dismissively. "Now you can stop worrying about Keiko and focus on what's important. Me."

I raised my eyebrows at him. "You?"

Dazai hummed. "Yes, me. And how I'm taking you home tonight."

My jaw drops, face heating up at his words. "Wh-what are you talking about?"

"You know exactly what I'm talking about," Dazai answered, his voice dropping a bit as his gaze and entire mood changed. His gaze was darker now, his lips curled up in an almost dangerous smirk. "I think it's time we stop tiptoeing around each other and just take what we really want."

My mouth went dry and I quickly became flustered, turning my head away. Immediately, a hand is grabbing my face, Dazai digging his fingers into my cheeks as he forces me to look back at him.

"Nuh uh, you look at me when I'm speaking."

His authoritative tone makes me freeze, heart pounding in my chest as I stared at Dazai, completely bewildered. I knew there was something more about him than he had let on, and whatever it was, had me in fight or flight mode.

"Now, when we're done here, we're gonna leave and head back to my place, okay?" he asked me, but his tone made it seem like it wasn't a request, and it sure as hell didn't match the seemingly innocent smile on his face; not when it didn't reach his eyes.

I nodded, Dazai removing his hand from my face. His smile sent shivers down my spine.

"Good."

"Mmn... fuck, Dazai..." I moaned and gasped softly, the man on top of me littering my neck with angry red and purple marks, two of his fingers working inside my pussy. I was completely naked on his bed, Dazai only in his underwear-- and his bandages still wrapped around his arms and chest.

"Hey, what did I tell you?" Dazai whispered against my neck, curling his fingers and smirking when I cried out. "Call me Osamu. Don't make me tell you again."

I frantically nodded my head, crying out again as he sped up the pace of his fingers, his mouth moving down to my chest. "F-fuck, Osamu!"

"That's it," he whispered, taking one of my hardened nipples into his mouth. My fingers curled into his soft brown hair, head tilting back and eyes screwing shut as Dazai continued to pleasure my body.

It wasn't long until he pushed his hard cock into my wet pussy, the both of us groaning at the feeling of us finally connecting. I was on my knees and elbows, pillow placed under my hips. Dazai started out slowly, biting his lip as he watched his dick disappear inside of me.

"Fuck... I'm gonna burn this sight into my memory," Dazai groaned, making me whine as I shook my head.

"D-don't stare like that..."

Dazai chuckled softly, his hands grabbing my hips as he started to move faster, thrusting harder. I moaned and whined, it seemed to be the only thing I could do while Dazai fucked the shit outta me. "Osamu... please..."

My whining made the man above me grin widely, his thrusts becoming rougher, almost wild as he suddenly reached out and grabbed a handful off my hair. I yelped when he yanked me up, my back now pressed against his chest and his other hand wrapped around my throat.

"What is it, bella?" he hissed into my ear, pounding away at my pussy and making me cry out again. God, it was too much all at once. "What does my pretty little subordinate want?"

I whined. "I want to cum... please Osamu..."

He cackled, pushing me back on the bed, grabbing my hips so hard, I knew I was gonna bruise. "Cum then," he hissed down at me, pushing my face into the mattress. He fucked me relentlessly, fingers finding my clit and rubbing harsh circles. That made my vision go white, my scream muffled as I came hard, body going rigid as pleasure overtook my body.

"Shit, you're squeezing me so tight," Dazai grunted. He pulled out, ignoring my whines as he stepped off the bed. "Get on your back."

I barely rolled over halfway until there was a strong grip on my ankle, my body being pulled down the length of the bed. Dazai stood at the end, wasting no time in pushing my legs back by the back of my knees, and plunging his cock back into me.

I looked up at him through teary eyes, and I knew I should have been afraid of the mad look that was in his eyes, the way his lips were curled up in a snarl. But it just made my pussy clench around him in arousal, eyes rolling to the back of my head.

I came a second time as he did his first, and much to my ultimate pleasure, we weren't finished there. We pleasured each other through the night, until we wore each other out and fell asleep entangled in the sheets.

I woke up the next morning, groaning in pain as I felt my body ache. I forced myself to sit up, looking around blearily and humming softly when I found Dazai sitting on the edge of the bed, his bare back to me.

"Good morning," he sang to me and I giggled softly, carefully moving to kneel behind him. The blankets fell from around me and I pressed my bare chest against his back. "Hm, that's nice."

"Morning," I said softly, peeking over his shoulder. "What are you do-"

I stop, staring as Dazai wrapped seemingly clean bandages on his heavily scarred left arm. I swallowed thickly, my mind running at what could have possibly been the cause of those scars.

But deep down, I knew that the cause was Dazai himself.

"Do... Do you have enough?" I asked softly, not knowing what else to even say. I didn't want to pry or seem insensitive, just having to get over this metaphorical punch in the gut myself.

"Yeah, I'm fine!" Dazai answered, turning to face me with a cheery smile on his face. In a matter of seconds, I was flat on my back, Dazai on top of me with his lips pressed against mine. It was easy for him to make me forget about what I saw, his kisses stealing my breath away.

"I have to go," he said softly, pushing himself off me after a moment.

I nodded solemnly, watching him continue to get dressed. "Alright. See you at work tomorrow?"

He smirked at me. "You know the answer to that."

I rolled my eyes again, just as my phone started to ring. I grabbed it, sending Dazai a quick smile before answering the call.

"Hey Keiko, guess who got fucking laid." That made Dazai snort while I grinned, though my grin fell as I didn't hear Keiko go off like I thought she would. "Keiko?" I shared a look with Dazai.

"Hey... I need you. Can I come over?"

#bsd x reader #dazai x reader #dazai smut #chuuya x reader #bungou stray dogs x reader #yeehaw #chuuya smut #yeah lmao goodnight

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resurrecticn-a · 4 years

Text

What Is Your Character’s Love Language?

32% words of affirmation 29% physical touch 19% acts of service 13% quality time 6% receiving gifts

YOUR PRIMARY LOVE LANGUAGE IS:

Words of Affirmation

Actions don’t always speak louder than words. If this is your love language, unsolicited compliments mean the world to you. Hearing the words, "I love you," are important— hearing the reasons behind that love sends your spirits skyward. Insults can leave you shattered and are not easily forgotten. You thrive on hearing kind and encouraging words that build you up.

tagged by: @thexhoodedxvigilante tagging: @dinhlnce, @legcndaires ( for cisco? ), @worldvisitor, & whoever else wants to bc i have no idea who to tag lmao

#how else can i say it but like this? like the dawn i broke & then rose. ( hc || iris )#where's the guy who plays wally? ( ooc || general )#when i am too sad to speak it seems like the ocean is whispering for me. ( ooc || queue )#i honestly thought it would be physical touch tbh

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goldenavenger02 · 3 years

Text

my pain fits in the palm of your freezing hand

5 times Zane took care of the team and 1 time the team took care of Zane

•••

"You three are brothers now, and will become stronger together. But for now, you must get acquainted with each other." Sensei's words rang in Zane's head as he made his way into the kitchen of the monastery.

While Jay had been somewhat easy to get introduced to, with his passion for robotics and his tendency to talk, they had become close very quickly.

Cole, however, was a bit harder to speak to; Zane could tell that Cole was a good person, as he was extremely loyal to Sensei even though he had just started his training under him, but he was also closed off to Jay and Zane.

And while he didn't know why, Zane had a feeling it was more so due to some sort of pain in his past, and not him viewing himself and Jay as lower than him.

Which is why Zane was now in the kitchen; he could never quite place exactly why, but he always felt at peace when he was cooking. Something about making something out of nothing was soothing to him.

But before he had decided what exactly he was going to make, that's when Cole came in, a look of longing across his face.

"Hello, Cole," Zane greeted, offering him a smile, but it faded when Cole stiffened, "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to frighten you."

"It's alright, just startled me," Cole insisted, the look of longing came back before he asked, "are you making anything specific?"

"I have not decided. Do you have a request?" Zane asked, trying to read Cole's face.

"Can you make cake? Vanilla cake?"

"Absolutely," Zane smiled, going to grab the ingredients before asking, his back turned to Cole, "are we celebrating something, or is it just cake?"

He heard Cole take in a deep breath, almost as if he was trying to avoid crying, which didn't make much sense, since from what he knew, cake was never for sad things.

Zane turned around to see Cole staring at the counter before he responded.

"Yeah, it's…" he swallowed before locking eyes with Zane, "it would have been my mom's birthday. She passed away a few months ago."

"I am sorry for your loss, Cole." Zane spoke softly, unsure of how best to comfort someone he didn't know very well.

The room went quiet for a few moments, and Zane busied himself with grabbing the rest of the cooking supplies when Cole spoke up again, his voice cracking slightly from the tears.

"Can I help?"

Zane nodded, allowing Cole behind the counter before Zane got to work on the dry ingredients, watching as Cole started working on the wet ingredients.

And when Zane tripped over his own foot, resulting in Cole being covered in flour head to toe, he couldn't stop himself from laughing when Cole did, although he didn't fully understand exactly what was so funny.

"Come on, you stupid hunk of junk!" Nya's shout rang through the Bounty, startling everyone that was aboard.

"How long has she been working on the thruster?" Zane asked, wondering just how long she had gone without food, sleep and water.

"Since yesterday afternoon, I can't pry her away from it." Jay explained, which led Zane to nod before making his way to the control room.

Nya was hunched over the thruster controls, screwdriver in her left hand and a screw hanging out of her mouth, her eyebrows scrunched in anger as she continued to twist the wrench with her right around a bolt.

"Nya?" Zane spoke softly, not wanting to provoke her, before gently putting his hand on her shoulder, "perhaps you should take a break. Jay said that you have been working on it since yesterday."

"I've gotta work on this," she shook her head after taking the screw out of her mouth, "we don't know when we'll have to make a getaway from...whatever Lord Garmadon is planning."

Zane nodded; since Garmadon had disappeared after the destruction of the golden weapons, they had all braced themselves for an attack, even Lloyd who had just started learning the full extent of his powers was getting ready for whatever his dad was going to throw at them.

"I understand your reasoning perfectly, but you are human, Nya. You will get burnt out if you work yourself too hard," he stopped to gently take the wrench out of her hand so she would look at him, "and if we have any chance at stopping Garmadon, we are going to need Samurai X."

Luckily, Nya nodded, and put up her tools, before wiping at her brow with her arm. "Thanks, Zane."

"You're welcome." Zane couldn't help but smile as he watched Nya make her way towards her quarters, and that's when he turned back to the thruster, and started to get to work with schematics pulled up in front of him.

"You will fly again, my friend."

Despite the fact that it was called "The Dark Island", Zane had actually found the perfect place to sit on the beach and watch the sunrise, which was hidden by large rocks, even though he could see the ocean perfectly.

He knew that the others would wake up soon, and they would start working towards the final battle yet again, but for a brief moment, everything was peaceful.

Until he heard the footsteps.

Zane immediately drew his weapon, hearing the slight rustle of sand get louder and louder, until finally, he stood and yelled, ready to attack until the supposed assailant screamed, energy at both of their hands.

Zane immediately sheathed the weapon and took a deep breath, watching as Lloyd did the same, his hand against his chest. "You scared me, Lloyd."

"Likewise," Lloyd took a deep breath before raising an eyebrow, "what're you doing?"

"I'm watching the sunrise, it looks beautiful from here," Zane explained, sitting back down and watching Lloyd's face fall, "although, I could ask you the same thing."

"I just needed some time for myself," Lloyd told him, sitting next to Zane before letting out a sigh, "I don't think I'm ready."

"To fight your father?," Zane offered, resulting in a nod from Lloyd, "You have every reason to be upset about this situation. I just reunited with my father, and I can confidently say that I would be very distraught if we were on opposite sides."

"My entire life, I've lost people. My father got banished, my mother went to work on her research and left me at Darkley's, even my uncle didn't take me in for a long time," Zane watched as Lloyd took in a shaky breath before wiping his face against his sleeve, "I don't wanna lose him again."

"Again?" Zane asked softly, as to avoid provoking Lloyd.

"My dad has been the only one to come back for me. When I got taken by the Serpentine, he left whatever evil place he was in to come save me, and I know you guys came for me too, but…"

"You're scared of being abandoned again after you fulfill the prophecy." Zane spoke aloud as it clicked in his head, and when Lloyd nodded, he could feel his heart break slightly.

"I don't want to be alone again."

Zane nodded, before gently laying his hand on Lloyd's shoulder and he saw the tear streaks on Lloyd's cheeks. "You won't be alone again, because you have me and the others. We are your brothers, and even if you didn't have elemental abilities, we would still be your brothers."

Zane didn't prepare himself adquitally for the hug that Lloyd gave him, and he could feel his circuits and gears tightening under his grasp.

But hearing Lloyd's soft voice whisper, "thank you, Zane," made it all worth it, and he couldn't stop himself from returning the hug.

"No sign of Chen or any of his warriors." PIXAL affirmed with a smile, which led Zane to repeat the message to Kai.

Now that he had been freed, he was fully able to explore exactly what his new body could do, and while he remembered big events clearly and flashes of small things, his memory was still foggy.

But he remembered his friends, and that was the biggest thing that mattered to him.

"Any sign of Skylor?" Kai begged, and Zane had no choice but to shake his head no, seeing the look of anguish on Kai's face grow more prominent.

"Let's keep looking. They couldn't have gotten off the island." Kai insisted, Zane following closely behind, watching as Kai's face went from anger to worry.

"You seem distraught, Kai. About more than Skylor," Zane reached forward and gently set his hand on Kai's shoulder, watching as he turned back to meet his eyes, "do you want to talk about it?"

Kai let out a sigh before turning back to the path and continued to walk, "I feel terrible for what happened. I had to trick Lloyd in order to get the staff from Chen, and then I almost hurt Lloyd and Skylor with the staff. Now she's missing, and...I feel like that's on me."

"No one blames you for that, Kai. Chen is the one who took her, not you." Zane reasoned softly.

"But I allowed myself to be corrupted by the staff. We all know how bad losing power is for Lloyd, and I allowed the power to consume me, to say things to him that...that I haven't believed in a long time."

"As soon as we get back, you two should talk and get everything out in the open," Zane stopped once again to put his hand on Kai's shoulder, "if we are going to fight as one, and stop Chen, we cannot have any harsh feelings towards each other."

"You're right," Kai nodded, before letting out another sigh, "I just hope Lloyd doesn't hate me."

"I think that would be impossible, Kai," Zane insisted, and when Kai turned to raise an eyebrow at him, he continued, "I do not remember everything, and my memories are still foggy, but I remember just how much Lloyd and you have bonded over the years. I have a feeling that after you two talk, he will forgive you."

Kai smiled, which made Zane's emotion levels spike with happiness, before the two continued walking deeper and deeper into Chen's island.

Zane couldn't shake the feeling that he was missing something, like there was a gap in his memory drive, even if PIXAL insisted that there wasn't one.

So he was awake in the bridge, trying to double check; he really did trust PIXAL, but something had happened to his memories, and after the whole situation with his memory switch in the first place, something about forgetting just scared him.

But as he continued to go through his internal hard drive, and his memory drive, it seemed as though PIXAL was correct, and there was no gap.

As he went to close the files, that's when PIXAL popped up in his vision.

"Zane, there is someone in the general proximity of the bridge. Proceed with caution."

Zane straightened his back as he closed the files, even though the only sound he could hear was a slight sniffling that sounded a lot like crying, and grabbed one of the spare katanas that was out, turning slowly to see if he could scope out who was in the room, but that's when Jay turned the corner, a pint of ice cream in his hand that he almost threw at Zane when he screamed.

"What the heck are you doing up, Zane?!" Jay screeched as Zane set the katana on the table and approached him, "You're going to give me a heart attack if you're that quiet!"

"I'm sorry, I was just…" Zane trailed off before making eye contact with Jay, who now had the spoon from the pint of ice cream, that looked like it was Cole's ice cream, in his mouth; the tear streaks barely visible against Jay's cheeks, however, that's what Zane noticed, "What are you doing up at this hour?"

"Could ask you the same thing," Jay responded before sticking another spoonful in his mouth, "couldn't sleep, got hungry, and Cole's name isn't on his ice cream."

"I heard someone crying." Zane asked softly, watching as Jay nearly choked on a chunk of cookie dough before sputtering.

"Maybe it was Lloyd, you know he curls up under the wheel when he doesn't want anyone to know he's crying."

"Lloyd was snoring when I left our room, I would have seen him," he watched as Jay's body deflated slightly and he put the ice cream down on the console before sitting down, which led Zane to put his hand on his shoulder, "do you want to talk about it?"

"I'm just working through some things, things that...you wouldn't remember."

Zane swallowed as he made the connection that Jay knew exactly why he had a gap in his memory that PIXAL couldn't detect, but instead of freaking out, he sat next to Jay, and put his hand on his shoulder. "Maybe not, but I am willing to listen, even if you wanna erase this conversation afterwards."

"Nah, I'm not gonna do that," Jay wiped his hand across his face before taking a shaky breath and turning back to Zane, "You remember when we were trying to get to Stiix because of reports of Clouse being there?"

"Yes, that's when you and Nya resumed dating." Zane affirmed, watching as Jay's face fell slightly.

"Yeah, that's… not exactly what happened…"

'Remember when I put Kai's clothes in with yours, and you had to dress up as the pink ninja? Remember?' The blonde boy pleaded, green eyes full of tears.

He had no idea what this liar was talking about, let alone who he was. Vex insisted he was some sort of liar or traitor, but there was something about the way…

'No.'

He had no idea who this was.

•••

Zane tried to shake the memory away as he made his way to his room, looking over at the photo on his dresser.

The picture that they had taken after finishing the mural on the monastery wall; where Kai was holding onto Nya and Lloyd and Nya was holding onto Jay and Jay was holding onto Cole and Lloyd was holding onto him and he was holding onto PIXAL.

And they were all happy; even though the Oni almost killed them all, there was a large gash next to Lloyd's eye and Cole looked like he had been through the underworld and back, they were happy.

Zane was anything but happy now.

When they returned from the Never-Realm, and they shared weary smiles and hugs with Master Wu and PIXAL, despite the frostbite, Lloyd's obvious concussion and the burns on Kai's hands that would definitely scar, they were happy.

The feeling in Zane's gut was not going away anytime soon. Watching as PIXAL stitched the cut on the back of Lloyd's head, applied bandages to Kai's hands, and treated the frostbite wasn't helping with that either.

Zane didn't deserve to feel happy after nearly killing the others. After nearly killing Lloyd.

While the others were eating dinner, courtesy of Nya, Zane was sitting outside on the steps of the monastery; he didn't need to eat, and even if he did, he didn't think he could stomach it.

'You were built to protect those who cannot protect themselves. You failed your purpose. Both as a ninja, and as yourself.'

Despite all that had happened with his memories, Zane was starting to consider asking Jay to wipe the archive of the Never-Realm. Maybe he wouldn't feel as bad then.

"Hey," a voice interrupted his thoughts, and he lifted his head to see Lloyd smiling at him, although it was more of a sympathetic smile than a genuine one, "mind if I sit here?"

"You're not supposed to be outside, or on stairs for that matter, without supervision," Zane reasoned, but still moved so Lloyd could sit beside him, "you still have a concussion."

"Well, you're here, so I'm being supervised," Lloyd reasoned while sitting, and Zane couldn't deny that logic, and the company was more welcome than the deafening silence, "besides, I need a break from Kai and Master Wu breathing down my neck."

Zane nodded as Lloyd adjusted to get comfortable; he had noticed how understandably protective both of them had grown since they had gotten back, and how Lloyd had insisted immediately that the concussion was Vex's fault, refusing to look Zane in the eye.

"So, are you leaving?" Lloyd's voice cracked, which jolted something in Zane's system as he nearly stood with the shock.

"No, no, I'm not leaving," he insisted, unable to ignore the relief on Lloyd's face as he spoke, "why would you ask that?"

"Because the last time you left the monastery at night, you found my treehouse," Lloyd kicked at a pebble before looking at Zane, "and when the Hypnobri burned down the old monastery-"

But Lloyd's voice cut out as the scene played out in his head.

'Flames, trapped dragons, no more training equipment, no home, nowhere to go, alone, everyone accusing him of causing this, insisting that it was a teaching moment, being ignored, seeing the falcon, following it, the feeling of being alone again.'

"I left because I saw the falcon, and you weren't even there." Zane tried to convince Lloyd that it hadn't been the guilt, feeling like he had screwed up, feeling like he was alone.

"You're right, I was busy being a brat," Lloyd reasoned before looking back at Zane, "but I know as well as anyone what guilt is, and you felt it then, like you feel it now."

Zane swallowed; did everyone know? Was he terrible at hiding this? Had they planned to send Lloyd out?

"I hurt people. A lot of people," Zane swallowed, knowing that there were tears in his eyes, "I hurt you."

"That was Vex-" Lloyd tried to insist, but Zane shook his head, unable to look at Lloyd and instead looked up at the glittering stars.

"You don't have to lie to me, Lloyd. They were my hands, I was the one who…" he couldn't even finish his sentence without choking on the emotions on his throat.

He felt Lloyd's hand on his shoulder, he couldn't look at him, but he couldn't reach over and pull his hand off either, 'what if I freeze him? What if I hurt him again?'

"You know, Master Wu has a saying for things like this, "we cannot change the past, but we can affect the future"," Lloyd quoted, leading Zane to swallow harshly as his master's words rang true in his head, "but I get it. Feeling like you hurt people because it was your hands."

'Morro.'

"Lloyd, I didn't-" Zane started, finally managing to look at Lloyd, but he was cut off by childlike wonder spreading across his face.

"A shooting star! Quick, make a wish!" Lloyd begged, and Zane wiped at his tears before closing his eyes, pretending to make a wish before turning back to Lloyd.

"What did you wish for?" He asked, fully indulging Lloyd at this point, who was standing up. 'Lloyd deserves this, after everything.'

"That you'll come back inside with me and the others," Lloyd held out his hand to Zane, making his head throb with worry.

'You'll hurt him, you'll hurt him, you'll hurt-' "You're not going to hurt me, Zane."

Zane took Lloyd's hand, and allowed him to lead him to the living room.

For the first time since they got back from the Never-Realm, as Cole and Kai went head to head in their video game, as Nya and Jay snuggled on the couch, as he sat in between Lloyd and PIXAL, things felt right again.

He let PIXAL hold his hand, he let Cole high five him, he let Jay give him a fist bump, he hit the empty bag of chips away from Lloyd's head. Even as Master Wu pulled Lloyd away from the TV due to the concussion and Cole took his spot, he still felt calm. Relaxed even. Maybe now, they could all start to heal together.

#Ninjago #lego ninjago #zane ninjago #lloyd montgomery garmadon #jay walker #nya ninjago #kai ninjago #cole ninjago #master wu #pixal #pilot season #season 2 #season 4 #season 6 #season 11 #angst #family #friendship #the formatting is a little weird but i wanted the whole story to fit on here

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bokutosworld · 3 years

Text

over again | iwaizumi hajime

pairing: iwaizumi x gn!reader word count, genre: 1.8k words, angst + fluff in the beginning. warnings: mentions of death, car accident. summary: he blames himself for the past but you help him take the first step to moving on. a/n: @ricerice i promised i’d tag you in an iwa angst so hope you enjoy this hahah

—

“Iwaizumi!”

Who’s there?

“Hajime!”

Huh?

“Babe!”

Iwaizumi’s blinded by the harsh sunlight when he opens his eyes. Where am I? He hears people laughing in the distance, children running about, and waves breaking at the shore. With an outstretched hand, he feels the texture of hot, grainy sand beneath his touch. The next thing he finds is the warmth of another person’s hands.

“Hajime, get up! This is no time for sleeping under the shade.”

He comes to his senses and his vision clears to make out a familiar face. You were hovering over his body, blocking the sun from his eyes and he could see how you were smiling so happily at him.

He gets up from his lying position and cups your cheeks, thumbs grazing your face so tenderly as if he’s afraid to break you. He tugs you for an embrace, his hold tightening for every second that passes.

Worried, you wrap your arms around his torso. “What’s wrong? Are you ill?”

And that’s when you feel it. Tears streaming down his face and leaving a trail on your neck. Your heart quickens and you pull back to see him silently sobbing.

“Why are you crying?”

He opens his mouth to say something, but no words come out. Because even he doesn’t know the reason why he suddenly broke down. It came out of nowhere, his chest constricting at the sight of you and the overwhelming feeling of longing and desperation.

You’re wiping his tears and he catches your palm, bringing it to his lips. Finally, he smiles, “Nothing’s wrong. Shall we go take a swim?”

—

Is this dèjá vu?

Iwaizumi could swear that he’s been in this exact spot in the exact same time with you. Like he was experiencing it all over again. If he dug around in his mind, he could pull out a similar memory where you were enjoying the feel of the water in your feet and calling out for him to join.

Maybe it was just a coincidence.

He decides to stop overthinking and relaxes his tense body. Approaching you with a smile, he surprises you when he places an arm under your knees and your waist and lifts you with ease.

“Hajime,” you exclaim, hitting his biceps.

He spins the both of you, the water splashing around before letting you fall in the water. You’re completely soaked, hair sticking to the sides of your face when you come up to breathe and Iwaizumi’s bending over his knees as he laughs.

The thing about Iwaizumi is that he has a beautiful laugh, his eyes often turning into crescents and the sound is music to your ears. It’s rare for him to openly show emotions unlike others you know who wear their hearts on their sleeves. You’d have to be someone he was comfortable with, someone he trusts before getting the privilege of seeing the rarest sides of him.

And to Iwaizumi, you have always been that person.

You grab his hand and pull him so he could join you in the cool seawater. It takes a moment before he comes up for air and when he does, he’s grinning with a mischievous look in his eyes. You feel his arm around your waist, pulling you closer until your lips are only a hair’s breadth away.

“Are you happy right now?” He asks.

Humming, you grab at his shoulders and press your forehead to his. “I am.”

“Good,” he says before leaning for a kiss. It’s gentle, it’s passionate, and it captures a million loving thoughts and emotions that neither of you could ever translate in words. You feel him smile into the kiss before breaking apart.

“You taste salty,” you tease to hide how he has just literally taken your breath away.

He chuckles and in your closeness, you feel his heart racing. “That’s your fault. You nearly drowned me in the water.”

Rolling your eyes, you hit at his bare chest and make a move towards dry land.

“I’m hungry! Let’s go get something.”

As he watches you go back to your lounge chair and grab a towel to dry off, the scene before him blurs. He shakes his head, blinks once and twice before you were fading right in front of him. He calls your name and catches you look back at him before all he could see was black.

—

When he comes to his senses, he finds himself laying with his head on your lap. Your fingers are softly brushing through his hair, the gesture ushering him in a state of euphoria and he thinks could go back to sleep.

But then he remembers what happened and he’s up.

“You’re awake.” He senses something was different with how the corners of your lips turned upwards solemnly. Your eyes glossed with something he couldn’t describe.

“How long was I out?”

“Well, you missed lunch. And we’re the only ones left here,” you inform him. Your gaze looking past the vast ocean.

Iwaizumi turns to where you were looking and he’s mesmerized. By now, the sun has set and the sky was turning from clear blue to warm orange hues. He looks at you and his heart jumps, admiring the glow of your sun-kissed skin.

“Have you realized it yet?” You break the silence.

What are you talking about?

You glance at Iwaizumi with a sad smile. When he doesn’t answer, you take it as your cue to continue speaking. “Do you remember when we took our first trip to the beach right after we graduated from high school?”

He listens.

“It was our first out-of-town date as a couple and I was so nervous to be alone with you,” you chuckle at the distant memory. “But you made it easy. You were such a gentleman, you never made me uncomfortable, and every moment with you felt natural.

“That day, I had the most fun that I’ve had in my years of existence,” you turn to him, eyes boring deep in his and you smile. “That was my favorite memory of us.”

As if a lightbulb flashed in his head, Iwaizumi finally makes sense of what’s happened. Why the earlier events seemed so familiar to him.

Because, indeed, they have already happened.

He feels something in the pit of his stomach and he averts his gaze, looking at anywhere but you. He observes how the clouds look superficial, how the waters before him look almost imaginary, how you look alive.

His voice is trembling when he asks, “This is all a dream, isn’t it?”

“That’s right.”

And for the second time, he cries. Oh god. Of course, this can’t be real. Of course, this was all a figment of his imagination. He’s been praying for this opportunity to spend time with you again.

“It’s good to see you, Hajime.”

Because you weren’t in his life anymore.

He crumbles in front of you, shoulders shaking violently as he weeps for you. He’s saying something but it’s incomprehensible. He reaches for your hand and you take it, feeling the strong grip on your palm.

“Why?” I have longed for you for days, months. “Why show yourself only now?”

“You’re still suffering. And I don’t like to see you hurting.”

“I’m sorry, so, so sorry,” he mutters repeatedly.

You cradle his shaking body. “Shh, Hajime. Stop blaming yourself. It’s not your fault. It’s no one’s fault.”

He remembers the day it happened so vividly in his mind. It was unpredictable and it happened in a blink of an eye—he could still hear the tires screeching, could still feel the impact of the collision, could still picture himself with you inside that car when it went flying across the street.

Despite the immediate assistance from an ambulance, the doctors at the hospital declared you as dead on arrival. And when he woke up three days after the incident, he couldn’t believe the news he was hearing. He wanted everything so badly to be a bad dream, wanted to be able to hold you and hear your voice one more time.

Losing you felt like he lost a part of himself too.

“I miss you,” he croaked. “I miss you everyday it hurts.”

“I know.” You hold him close for a while. “I’m only given one chance to visit someone in their dreams so I want to make this worthwhile. Iwaizumi, I want you to move on. For my sake and yours.”

It takes him a while to calm down, only reveling in the moment when he could finally touch you, talk to you, and hear you even if it was only in his dreams.

“I can’t,” he stutters. “I can’t move on. There are pieces of you in everywhere I go, everywhere I look. On my table, there’s still the coffee cup you always used when you come to my apartment. Your toothbrush is still sitting beside mine in the bathroom.

And your parents, god knows I’m thankful for them. But every time, they call to check up on me, I’m reminded of you and how I let you die.”

“It’s not your fault. Stop thinking of that.” Your heart shatters whenever he says that. “No one expected that to happen. And I’m also frustrated and heartbroken that I can’t be with you anymore.”

There’s a long minute where neither of you say anything. The two of you just holding on to one another and savoring the moment.

“I have always dreamt of growing old with you,” you whisper dreamily. “We’d own a house and live there with our children. I was thinking one boy and one girl. I’m sad that I can’t make that happen with you anymore. But you have a whole life ahead of you. I’m still rooting for you to achieve your dreams, you know?”

Finally, he laughs as he’s slowly coming to terms with his reality.

“Forever and ever. That’s how long I said I loved you and that has not changed. Even when I’m already gone, I will always be,” you rest your hand on his chest near where his heart lies. “Here.”

He grabs your wrist and intertwines his fingers with yours before kissing them. He doesn’t want to let go of you again. He’s already lost you once and he’s not about to lose you again, wishing that he could stay in this dream forever.

As he’s about to tell you something, he’s brought out of his unconsciousness and his eyes fall to the empty space in his bed. The sheets feel damp and it’s only when he touches his face that he realizes he’s been crying in his sleep. It’s cold when he reaches out to your side of the bed, thinking back to the nights you slept beside him and he felt content.

He remembers what you said.

Forever and ever. That’s how long I said I loved you.

He wills himself to be comforted by those words, repeating them in his mind like a chant until he finds peace and falls back to sleep. He hopes that tomorrow will be better.

#haikyuu x reader #haikyuu scenarios #haikyuu imagines #iwaizumi x reader #iwaizumi imagines #haikyuucreations #haikyuucafe #iwaizumi angst #haikyuu angst #haikyuu fics #iwaizumi x y/n #haikyuu x you #iwaizumi x you #iwaizumi hajime x reader #hq iwaizumi #haikyuu!!

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ethan-torchio-angelo · 3 years

Text

Isn't It Lovely

Summary: two girls in a town where if anyone knew of their feelings towards each other, they'd be locked away

Word Count: 1.5k

Warnings: sadness, angst, a love that feels illegal, a few swear words

A/N: so I was in my feels. You're welcome for this sad little bit

2 a.m.

“I can’t stop thinking about you.”

The words tumble from her mouth before she can even think to stop them. When she gets no reply she fears she’s messed up, ruined the night like she’s done so many times before. A hand touches her cheek, her head moving to face the girl laying beside her, and she’s met with a warm smile that calms all of her nerves.

“My mind constantly races with thoughts of you.”

It’s whispered so quietly, afraid the loudness of a confession like that could break their peaceful bubble right apart. There is a fire that burns in both their veins, fueled by words unspoken, words that feel illegal to even think. They can’t say what they really want to. In this small little corner of the world, the words I love you seem like a death sentence if anyone hears them coming from the two girls. So it stays between them and the three boys that are more their family than anyone else.

They’re laying on the roof of Victoria's trailer, it is dark and quiet, the stars being their only company. There’s a bottle of Damianos moonshine and a pack of cigarettes stolen from the corner shop being split between them. The closest thing they can get to a real date.

“One day, we’ll leave this place behind. I’ll take you to the ocean and we’ll get married, right then and there. And the best part is, no one can stop us.”

Victoria is always the optimistic one, always telling her of the things that seem impossible. “What about the boys? Lord knows they’d be lost without us.”

She sits up to face the girl, a goofy grin on her face, “Well, they’ll come with us of course! We’ll need someone to protect us from the scary sea monsters.”

She laughs, sitting up now too, and takes a swig of the bitter alcohol. She loves how Vic talks about the life they could have. It’s nice to dream, she thinks.

The wind picks up suddenly, a cold breeze floating through the space around them, and they’re reminded of the quickly changing seasons. Victoria shivers and she’s quick to wrap the girl beside her in one of the blankets. The summer had been short and autumn was quickly approaching, a reminder that this could be the last few hours they’d have together.

Victoria had gotten accepted to Julliard on a full scholarship, something she’d applied to on a whim with no real hopes of getting in. She’d be gone in the morning, off to live the dream she’d always wanted. While the other girl still had no idea of what she wanted from life, no connections anywhere, she’d most likely be stuck here working at the corner shop for the rest of her life.

Victoria huddled into the warmth of the blanket and took a long drag from one of the cigarettes. She could feel eyes on her, turning her head to look at the girl beside her, “What’re you staring at, pretty girl?”

The girl blushes, caught in the act of trying to commit her face to memory. “You. Trying to make sure I never forget what you look like.”

Victoria sighs, “I don’t have to leave, ya know. I could stay here, with you and the boys. We could be trailer park trash together.”

“No. You’re going to go off to New York and live the life you’ve been dreaming of, don’t worry about me.”

She takes another swig of the burning liquid, trying to drink away her sorrows. They’ve talked about it before, Vic staying here, but she’s always refused the offer. She knows it’d make her miserable and she can’t bear to be the reason why her love is sad.

“Then come with me. We could get a little apartment, you can find a job while I’m at school. We could be free.”

She’s got a line of tears pooling in her eyes, a flush covering her cheeks, and the alcohol is running rampid in her veins. She can’t help but hope, wanting nothing more than to have the one thing she knows she can’t.

“I can’t come with you Vic, you know that. I’ve got nothing going for me, I’d only keep you from doing what you want. I can’t do that to you, it’d break my heart.”

Another sigh leaves the girl. She dreams too much, she knows that, but is it so awful to want to be happy? “Do you love me?”

It’s a question that strikes her right in the heart. “You know I do.”

“No, I don’t. You’ve never said it, and you only act like you do when we’re alone. I’m the one who always says it, but I’ve never heard those words leave your lips.”

There’s a fire burning through her. She wishes she could blame it on the alcohol, but the question has been haunting her for weeks now, it was just a matter of time before they were brought to light.

“You know what it would mean if anyone heard us say it.”

Vic stands up abruptly, throwing the blanket from her body and pacing the length of the rooftop. “I don’t give a damn about anything but you! I love you, and I don’t care who knows it! They can burn me at the stake for all I care, I just want you.”

There are tears running down her cheeks now and she feels like her body is on fire. Her next words are barely above a whisper, but the girl hears them loud and clear, “I’ve only ever wanted you.”

She stands and walks over to Vic, reaching out to grab her, pulling her into her arms. She rubs circles into her back as she freely cries. Victoria gasps for air, feeling like she’s drowning. “Am I not enough for you? Am I not good enough?”

“No, no. That’s not it,” She takes a deep breath before pulling away to look into her eyes, “I love you. There’s no doubt about it.”

“Then what is it? Why does everything have to be a struggle with you? I feel like I’m trying to convince you of something I’m not even sure is worth fighting for anymore.”

She’s taken aback by the confession. “You don’t mean that Vic.”

“Maybe I do. Clearly you don’t know me that well if you don’t think I’d give up everything to be with you!”

She’s shouting and pacing again, and she knows someone could hear her, but she doesn’t care. She’d climb the tallest building and declare her love for the girl if it meant she could convince her. “Is it really so horrible to think that we could get away from all of this and be together?”

“You know we can’t.”

She stops her pacing, turning to stare at the other girl. “You’re the only one saying that. There is nothing keeping you here, nothing. But yet you keep saying you can’t leave. What is so important that it’s keeping you from being happy?”

Everything falls silent, and moments pass before she can bring herself to speak. She starts crying and it takes everything in her to speak her next words, “I’m pregnant.”

The words hang in the air like a knife over their heads. Victoria feels like all of the air has been sucked from her lungs. “How? Who?”

“At the graduation party Thomas threw. We’d been fighting, and I saw you hanging with another girl and I got jealous. I needed something to distract me so I got drunk and when he kissed me I didn’t even think of pushing him away. I don’t even remember his name, I don’t think he even told me. I regretted it the second it was over. We used a condom and I took plan b, but it clearly didn’t work. I found out last week, Dami drove me into the city. I’m sorry, I’m so fucking sorry.”

It is silent for what feels like hours. The wind whips around them, a storm forming overhead. They stand facing each other, staring into the other's eyes.

It’s Victoria who breaks the silence, a laugh escaping her lips. It is loud and ugly, strained by the tears still falling from her eyes. It’s not the time to laugh, but she can’t help it. ��I hate you. Not because you’re pregnant, because if you had just told me we could have gone through this together. But because you’re choosing to subject it to the same life we were so desperate to escape. You could leave with me and we could raise that kid in a life far better than either of us had, but you’re a coward.”

The words feel like venom on her tongue. She can see the hurt cross the girl's face, a feeling of guilt settling in her gut, but she can’t take the words back now.

“Maybe I am. But that is my choice to make.”

Victoria turns away, heading to the ladder, whispering words that hurt them both, “Then It is your choice to make alone.”

Sometimes the hardest thing in life is loving someone and letting them go.

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heyyyharry · 3 years

Text

Deep End - Chapter 4: Royal Ball

…in which Ezi causes trouble at the Styles' manor.

Word count: 6.1k

AU: famous!harry, siren!mc, adult modern retelling of the little mermaid? lol, fake dating, enemies to lovers.

WARNING: MATURE THEMES, ASSAULT.

All chapters / Synopsis / Moodboard / Playlist

Wattpad link

A/N: Please let me know what you think. I need feedback to feel motivated. Also, what do you expect to happen in the next chapter?

When Harry came to the guest room this morning and couldn’t find Ezi, he had hoped that something had happened overnight, and she’d magically returned to where she’d come from, and he, at last, could have his old life back. But no. He was immensely disappointed to find her sitting cross-legged on the edge of his pool, just staring blankly at the water like she was in a sad music video. What did he expect? It wasn’t like she could grow some wings to fly all the way home.

“Good morning!”

Ezi flinched at the sound of his voice. She pulled her feet out of the water and frantically stood up as Harry approached.

He held out his hand to ask her to stay. “It’s okay. You can use the pool. I rarely go swimming anyway.”

Ezi’s brows furrowed slightly as she tucked a strand behind her ear and stared anxiously at the blue water. “How can you swim in this pond? It smells funny.”

“It’s not a pond. It’s a swimming pool. There’s chemicals in it; that’s why it smells like that.”

Ezi cocked her head, seemingly confused. “Why you gotta make your own pond and put chemicals in it? Why do humans have to make their own versions of everything that’s already available in nature?”

“It’s cleaner and safer to swim in pools,” Harry pointed out.

Ezi couldn’t look more offended by his remark. “The ocean was clean before you trashed it with your chemicals.”

“I didn’t trash the ocean,” Harry corrected, pointing to his chest. “How many times do I have to tell you that I’m not responsible for environmental pollution?”

Ezi folded her arms and glared at him. “Why are you afraid of the ocean?”

“You’re literally a killing machine.”

“You people make machines that shoot fire and blow up each other’s ships, and yet we’re the killing machines.”

“Well, the ocean is scary anyway. It’s deep and dark.”

“It’s literally water,” argued Ezi. “Water is the driving force of all nature, and you’re afraid of it.”

“Forget it.” Harry exhaled as he tossed his hands in the air. “I can never win an argument with you.”

“Good,” Ezi said with a slight shrug.

“Anyway.” Harry rolled his eyes. “Come inside for breakfast. I have something to discuss with you while you eat.”

“Your maid brought you something this morning,” Ezi said when Harry was about to walk away.

Slowly, he turned back to face her with his eyebrows raised. “Who?”

“Your maid,” she said with a straight face. “The girl with green hair. I think she brought you some clothes and put them in the room next to mine.”

“That’s Amy, my assistant!” cried Harry as he gripped his own hair. “You two didn’t have a conversation, right? Please tell me you didn’t call her a maid to her face!”

Ezi looked rather amused when she saw how distressed Harry was. How could she be smiling? He wouldn’t be the only one who’d be in trouble if her identity was revealed. Fuck that. What if the government found out that he was keeping her here and locked him up, too? Was it a crime to keep a mythical creature in your house? Could he be executed for that?

“No,” Ezi calmly said while Harry could feel the blood draining from his face. “She just brought you some clothes and left. Though I could barely see her face, she didn’t seem very friendly.”

Harry pressed a palm to his chest, feeling his heart thundering as he let out a sigh of half-formed relief. Once he’d regained his composure, he told Ezi, “Amy is friendly to everyone. Maybe it’s just you.”

Ezi didn’t look at all bothered by that. She shrugged. “I’m not here to make friends. I don’t care if Amy likes me.”

Harry found it funny that one moment she could look and talk like a human girl with human feelings, and the next she acted as cold as the ocean she’d come from. But she was right. They weren’t friends, and there was no reason for them to be more than just civilised to one another.

“You sure you didn’t talk to Amy?”

“Yes, I’m sure.”

“Good,” Harry nodded. “Come inside. The food’s getting cold.”

It seemed like Ezi got hungry very quickly. She finished the hard scrambled eggs Harry had made for her and even asked him for more. Harry didn’t mind feeding her. It was better to keep her full. After all, she had shown him her predator side, and he’d prefer to never see it again.

“So what’s something you want to tell me?” she asked with her mouth full while stuffing it more with another big bite.

Chilli was sitting at Ezi’s feet, staring up at her as a way of asking for a taste, but Ezi just ignored the cat and continued to enjoy her breakfast.

Harry knitted his hands on the table and straightened his back as he began, “Well, I actually wanted to ask you for a favour.”

Ezi stopped chewing immediately. She swallowed hard, her face contorted. “I’m not doing you a favour.”

“You don’t even know what it is.”

“But I already know that I don’t want to do it.”

“Of course you want to do it.”

“No, I don’t!”

Harry sucked in a breath and held up a finger to stop her from interrupting him again. “I promise you’ll like this. Just hear me out.”

Ezi folded her arms in front of her chest and pouted like an angry little girl as she sank into her chair.

Harry’s lips curled into a smile. “You like those Disney movies, right?”

Ezi nodded, and Harry watched in content as the line between her brows eased.

“Good. So what if I tell you that you can be a Disney princess for one night.”

“What do you mean?” Ezi frowned again as she sat up straight. “Are you messing with me?”

Harry shook his head. “No, I’m being dead serious. I’ll take you to a ball.”

“A ball?”

“Yeah. I’m invited to a royal ball that’s held in a real ballroom, like the one in Beauty and the Beast.”

He would’ve said Cinderella, but she hadn’t watched it yet. It would’ve been a better reference. Still, Ezi’s eyes lit up when she heard about the ball. “Like...in a castle?”

“Y-Yeah.” Harry worked up a bright smile as he nodded fast. “A castle.” To be fair, his mother’s manor was as huge as a castle. It was twice the size of his house, so that’d be more than enough to convince the naive siren.

“Do I get to wear a pretty dress?”

“Yeah. Who do you think the clothes Amy brought here are for?”

The realisation washed over Ezi’s face, and her mouth fell open in shock as she slammed her hands on the table, rattling the silverware and startling Chilli. “You’re not messing with me?”

“No.”

She bit her lip and arched an eyebrow. “What’s the favour then?”

“That’s the favour -- You going to the ball with me,” Harry said. “It’s tomorrow night.”

“What’s in it for you?”

“Nothing, to be honest,” Harry said with a weak shrug. “Maybe getting back in my mother’s good graces. She’s hosting the ball, and so many people are invited.”

“Is she the Queen?”

“No, but she thinks she is.”

“So she’s like my sister Koa.”

Harry chuckled at how serious Ezi looked when she said that. “Well, maybe not as bad as your sister. My mother loves me.”

Ezi pursed her lips as she focused on fidgeting with the fork in her hand. Harry leaned forward on the table. “So?” he asked. “Can you help me?”

Ezi blew out her cheeks as she locked eyes with him again. “Fine,” she said. “Not because I want to help you, though. I just want to go to a ball.”

“Good enough for me.” Harry smiled.

While Ezi continued eating, Harry gave her a few rules that she would have to follow when they arrived at his family’s event. He could not risk having her interact with anyone without his supervision. He’d nearly had a heart attack when he heard that she’d met his assistant when he wasn’t there. He was sure that Amy had only assumed Ezi was another girl Harry regularly hooked up with. Money didn’t really matter to him, so he usually spoiled his friends and the girls he fucked. However, he couldn’t risk having anyone find out that Ezi was actually living here.

When Ezi finished eating, Harry went upstairs to get the bath ready. He’d have to figure out a way to give Ezi a bath without having to touch her. How would she feel about hot water, though? His cat Chilli always left at least one or two scratches on his legs and his shirt whenever he tried to give her a bath. He could imagine Ezi doing the same.

“Hey.”

Harry whipped his head to the bathroom door and found Ezi standing there in his joggers and Mickey Mouse t-shirt that flowed down to her thighs. He must admit that she looked cute when she wasn’t frowning or roasting him. If only she’d lost her voice like Ariel did in the movie.

“Stop staring at me, human!”

Exactly his point.

Sighing, Harry got up from the edge of the bathtub. “We’ll let the water run,” he told her. “In the meantime, I’ll show you your new clothes.”

Ezi said nothing and followed him down the hall to his walk-in closet. It was actually a room with big windows, a shiny tiled floor, and white-cushioned sofas. Harry took a deep breath of the comforting perfumed air only to see Ezi covering her mouth and nose with her palm.

“It smells weird in here,” she complained.

“Just like living with my mum,” Harry whispered to himself. To her, he said, “Speaking of smells.”

Ezi looked horrified as Harry leaned in and started sniffing her.

“Why don’t you smell?” he asked, stepping back.

Her eyes went wide. “Am I supposed to?”

“Well, yeah.” He nodded. “You literally came from the ocean. No offence but...you’re supposed to smell fishy.”

“Do humans say no offence before they offend you?”

“Yeah, pretty much. Or maybe I’m just blunt because I’m British. Anyway,” Harry sucked in a breath, “it’s weird that you don’t smell. You don’t have a smell at all. When you first came on land, I could still smell a bit of the ocean on you, but now you don’t smell, and you haven’t showered.”

Ezi shrugged. “I don’t know. It’s not like I could ask my mother why her curse didn’t give me a smell.”

“True.” Harry sighed. “Anyway. That’s good. Don’t want no fishy-smelling girl walking around my house.”

“I will scoop out your eyeballs right now.”

“Just kidding.” Harry chuckled. “But please don’t do that.”

“I’ll try.” Ezi put her hands on her hips and swept her eyes around the room. “Why do you have so many clothes?”

“They make me look good. I’m a public figure, so I care about my appearance.”

“Maybe you should focus on fixing what’s inside you and not your appearance.”

“I like you better when you don’t talk,” Harry said, then brushed past her to grab the Chanel shopping bag Amy had left on the white marble counter. He pulled out a sparkling silver slip dress and held it up to show Ezi. “This is for you. It comes with a pair of high heels. I’ll definitely have to teach you to walk in them, but baby steps.”

Ezi took the dress with both hands and was being as careful as possible as if she was afraid she might rip it. Although she didn’t let it show, he could make out the excitement in the way her eyes twinkled. He’d made sure to ask for a dress that looked similar to the one Ariel had worn in The Little Mermaid when she’d come from the ocean.

“Before you try this on,” he said when Ezi lifted her bright blue eyes up to him. “Repeat what I told you earlier.”

Ezi clutched the dress to her chest and glanced up at the ceiling. A line appeared between her brows as she recited Harry’s words, “Do not talk to anyone there unless you ask me to. Never leave your side. If I have questions, ask you in private. Um...what else? Oh! Avoid your mother at all costs.”

Harry nodded. “My mother and Dawson.”

“Who’s Dawson?”

“You’ll know.” With a sigh, Harry thrust his hands into his pockets. “Now, I’ll leave you here to change. I could only guess your measurements, so if it doesn’t fit, we can have it fixed as soon as possible.”

“Measurements?” Ezi looked down at her body, confused.

Harry cleared his throat and waved his hand at her. “Just hurry up and change. Let me know when you’re done.”

“Wait!”

“What?”

With a cute little pout, she asked, “Can you put it on me?”

Harry was shocked for a second when he heard that, but then he remembered that Ezi had never worn a dress before, let alone one with so many...strings.

“Here.” He took the dress from her and tried his best to demonstrate. “So this is the front. This is the back. This string goes over your right shoulder–No, wait, your left. Wait, is it? Hold on. Fuck.”

Ezi breathed out a laugh and covered her mouth with her hands, making Harry glare at her. “Fine,” he huffed. “I’ll help you put it on.”

“Good.”

Before Harry could even say a word, Ezi pulled his oversized t-shirt that she was wearing over her head, and Harry let out the most inhuman scream as he looked away and covered his eyes. She was naked underneath his shirt. Completely naked.

“Fuck, fuck, fuck, fuck,” he chanted into his palm when he heard the sound of the shirt falling to the floor.

“What is it?” Ezi asked.

“Oh, God.” Harry shrugged her hand away as she tried to take his.

“Why are you being weird?” She giggled as if she wasn’t standing fully naked in front of him. “You’ve seen me without clothes, and I’ve seen you,” she said.

“Fuck. I know that.” He exhaled. “But…” Harry stopped and took a deep breath. With one hand over his eyes, he calmly told her, “You need lingerie.”

“Ooooh. I learned this word today from a movie,” Ezi said with confidence. “Laundry means–”

“No, not laundry.” Harry sighed. “Lingerie.”

“Huh?”

“Okay, you know what? Put the shirt back on. I’ll return with more clothes for you.”

“More clothes?” Ezi cried with frustration as Harry turned his back to her. He heard her put the shirt on, and she tapped him on the shoulder when she was done. “I hate being humans,” she complained, looking cross. “Clothes are so uncomfortable.”

“I know, right?” Harry chuckled and patted her on the head. He liked seeing her face scrunch up whenever he did that, because he knew that she couldn’t harm him. “Be a good siren and stay here. I’ll be right back.”

“And help me put on clothes?”

He sighed and turned away. “I will.”

“And launderey?”

The question stopped Harry at the door. He pinched his eyes shut and pressed a fist to his forehead. “Yes.” He let go of a defeated long breath. “That, too.”

Harry managed to find a brand new pair of underwear in his bedroom drawer. It was an embarrassing story, but he’d bought it as a gift for a girl he used to sleep with, then he found out she’d been lying to him about not having a boyfriend when she’d already been engaged. So now he just happened to have a set of new lingerie lying in his drawer.

“I don’t know if this would fit, but I’ll get you new ones tomorrow.” Harry froze in the doorway when he found his closet empty. “Chili, where’s the crazy girl?” he asked his black cat, who didn’t even bother to reply as she kept licking her little paw. Ugh, lucky for her, she was cute.

“Ezi! Where are you?!” Harry shouted as he padded down the hall.

“I’m here!” Ezi shouted back, her voice echoing from the bathroom.

It was only then that Harry remembered he’d left the water running, but when he got there, he found Ezi sitting in the bubble bath with a bright smile on her face; his joggers and Mickey Mouse t-shirt had been discarded on the floor.

He leaned a shoulder against the doorframe, arms crossed, smiling at her.

“I love this room!” she exclaimed, gathered bubbled in her palms and blew at them.

So, Harry was wrong. She liked warm baths.

“Water was spilling out, so I turned it off and gave myself a bath,” she told him.

“You know how?”

“I saw Ariel take a bath in the movie.”

Her response made him laugh. “Wow, you learn so much from Disney films.”

Ezi folded her arms on the edge of the tub as Harry sat down on it beside her. She glanced up at him, chin on her arm. It would be a lie to say Harry didn’t feel anything watching her covered in soap and naked in his bathtub. The steam made him sweat, dampening his shirt as it stuck to his skin. He wasn’t a sex addict or anything, but he’d been so stressed out lately and hadn’t been able to find a release with his unpaid babysitting job. It wouldn’t be a problem if Ezi’s human form wasn’t so attractive.

“Stop doing that,” Ezi’s voice pulled him back to reality.

He blinked at her. “Doing what?”

“You sometimes stare at me without saying anything.”

He pressed his lips into a smirk. “Aren’t you a clever girl? Just read my mind.”

“Can’t.” She shrugged while unconsciously spreading the bubbles across the edge of the tub. “Even if I could, I wouldn’t want to know what’s going on in that dirty little head of yours?”

The way she’d said it without the intention of making it flirty was so funny to Harry.

“Your head is dirty and little,” he teased.

“No. Yours.”

“Yours.”

“Your head can literally fit between my palms,” said Harry as he cupped the sides of her heads to demonstrate. For the first time, Ezi burst out laughing and tried to shove him off. He didn’t let go of her, and they kept pushing back and forth until Harry lost his balance and fell headfirst into the tub.

The water splashed all over. When Harry realised what had happened, he found himself kneeling in the water between Ezi’s legs. Frantically, he pushed away, but the tub was so slippery that he landed back down on his butt. Laughter crackled out of Ezi as Harry managed to escape from the sticky situation and grabbed a towel to cover himself with. Most of the water had spilt outside the tub, revealing Ezi’s soapy breasts, which gave Harry an instant boner.

He grabbed another towel and held it up and open as he ordered. “Bathtime’s over. Get out.”

“You’re such an idiot,” Ezi said, still laughing as she stood up and let him wrap the towel around her body.

Harry frowned at her playful grin. “You’re the idiot,” he said, but his face was red. “Rinse yourself. I’ll wait.”

Then he waddled out of the bathroom, quietly cursing himself.

To not make the same mistake, Harry taught Ezi how to put on underwear by having her put it on over her clothes first, then letting her do it herself when he wasn’t there. She was a fast learner, so it didn’t take long until she’d learned how to put on clothes and tie her shoes. He could now imagine how hard it must be for single parents to raise a kid all by themselves. He was lucky that he didn’t have to work this week and could stay home to take care of Ezi. But starting from next week, he would have to go back to his busy celebrity life, and Ezi living with him would become a bigger problem than he’d expected. He could only hope that her mother would just take her back before the following Monday. It didn’t seem possible, though. He should never have brought her to London.

Anyway, first things first.

He’d have to get through his mother’s event without anyone suspecting a thing, and then he’d try to figure out what he should do next.

This was why he didn’t want kids. At least Ezi had common sense.

“Hey, there will be so many humans tonight at the ball. What if one of them triggers me? I can’t even threaten them?”

Forget what he’d just said.

“No, you’re not allowed to threaten anyone,” he told her from outside her room and blew out his cheeks as he checked his watch. “Hurry up. Our ride is almost here.”

The door was pulled open. Ezi emerged in her sparkling silver dress with her hair in a messy bun and subtle makeup but enough to accentuate her unique features. Harry didn’t know he was gawking until she gave him a playful smack on the cheek to bring him back to Earth. He blinked and caught her big round eyes. The silvery glitter on her eyelids made the blue in her eyes stand out even more. A sudden chill rushed down his spine as he squared his shoulders and fixed his black tie. “Y-You did your hair and makeup?”

Ezi nodded enthusiastically. “The girl in the magic board taught me!”

“You were watching those makeup tutorials?”

Harry swore he had never seen her so happy. She smiled so big that her eyes crinkled at the corners. “Thank you for that board, by the way.”

“It’s an iPad. But you’re welcome.”

Yes, he’d got her an iPad so she could watch YouTube videos and play dumb games and not be all up in his business. He was a single dad now. First to Chilli. Now to Ezi.

“An iPad,” Ezi mumbled to herself. He thought it was cute how her eyebrows would furrow every time she learned a new word and tried to memorise it.

Realising that he was about to simp, Harry shook off those pleasant thoughts about the fish girl and put on a nonchalant expression as he looked down at her white ballerina flats. He’d got her a nice pair of high heels to wear with this dress, but she’d kept falling and broken a vase in the living room, so he’d given up and got her these flats instead. Well, as long as she was comfortable and still looked cute and appropriate.

“Ready?” he asked her.

She took a deep breath; determination lit up her eyes. “Ready.”

“Hold on.” He held her shoulder, took a nice look at her, then let down two strands from her bun, so they nicely framed her face. “Better.” He smiled and pinched her cheek. “You look like someone I would date.”

As expected, Ezi responded to his compliment with a frown and smacked his hand away. “Touch my face again, and I’ll make sure you won’t be able to touch anything again.” Then she shoved past him and hurried down the stairs.

Ezili felt ashamed.

She had been looking forward to the ball tonight. She’d been so excited that she’d stayed up to watch those...what did Harry call them again? Oh, makeup tutorials. Just to look like those human girls with sparkling eyelids. The mermaids back home would be so impressed, but her mother certainly wouldn’t. She didn’t even want to imagine her mother’s reaction to her look tonight.

Harry had pointed out that human Ezili didn’t have a smell. In an animal kingdom, the signature smell set those animals apart from the other kinds and acted as proof that they were a part of a community, that they belonged. Human Ezili not having a smell was a reminder from her mother that she was not a siren right now, but she was not human either, and so she should finish her mission as soon as possible to return to the sea and be with her kind.

Ezili could not be distracted from her mission anymore. Harry had invited her to the ball, which meant there was no competition for her at this point. She was already making progress being the only female in his radar. Tonight, she hoped the romantic atmosphere of the ball would make him fall in love with her.

With her arm around his, they ascended the red-carpeted stairs of the castle leading to the ballroom. Ezili was amazed by the guests in fancy attires and expensive decorations sparkling silver and gold. The ballroom was impressive, with crystal chandeliers spiralling down from the arching sky-blue ceiling, illuminating the glimmering walls and a floor so polished it looked like a frozen winter lake.

Harry said their names to a servant at the door, and he bowed to Harry and Ezili as if they were royalty. Ezili didn’t show it, but she enjoyed being treated like the princess she knew she was.

“Finally, someone showing respect to me,” she mumbled as they followed the other guests inside.

Harry laughed at her remark. “I respect you.”

“You don’t even respect yourself,” she said, glaring at him.

“Can you just not insult me tonight? You’re pretending to be my date.”

“What’s a date?”

“Like...lovers,” Harry said, flicking his eyes around like the prey trying to spot a predator.

She thought she should calm him down, so she squeezed his forearm and said, “Do you wanna dance?”

Harry shook his head. “No, not the time.”

Confused, Ezili’s eyes followed Harry’s worried gaze to the lady in a seaweed coloured dress that fanned out at her feet. She was beautiful, with features resembling Harry's. That must be Harry’s mother -- the host of the ball.

“Remember what I told you,” Harry said, squeezing Ezili’s cold hands. “Do not say a word to my--Mother!”

“Oh, my darling son, you came!”

Harry let go of Ezili to hug his mother. The woman pulled away and turned to Ezili with the same dimpled smile as her son’s. “Ahh, this must be Ezili,” she said, and Ezili shook her hands like how humans did in movies.

“Yes.” Harry cleared his throat as he laced his fingers with Ezili’s. “This is my date -- Ezili Hans.”

His mother smiled at him. “I was afraid you were gonna bring Niall with a wig.”

“Didn’t work the last time,” Harry said. “Never do it again.”

Harry’s mother laughed before turning back to Ezili. “It’s so nice to meet you. You may call me Mrs Styles, or Annalise. What do you think about this event?”

Ezili flicked her helpless gaze to Harry, who quickly spoke on her behalf, “She thinks it’s great. Very s-shiny.” Seeing Annalise’s smile vanished, Harry added, “Sore throat. The doctor says she has to stay silent for a week. Also, do you mind if I show her around and introduce her to the other guests?”

“Wait, but we haven’t--”

“Love you, Mum.”

Harry pecked his mother on the cheek, grabbed Ezili’s hand and pulled her with him. They finally made it outside to the garden’s fountain, where the guests were chatting in groups and sipping on wine. Harry released Ezili’s hand and exhaled through his mouth. “That was scary.”

“That was awful!” She hit him on the arm. “You almost blew our covers.”

“I know. I’m always anxious around my mum,” he said, looking distressed. “When I was little, she could always tell when I was lying.”

“Maybe you’re not a good liar.”

“Not as good as you,” he chuckled, putting his hands on his hips. “You know what? Changing plans. You’re allowed to talk, but just say simple things like ‘hello’, ‘how are you?’, ‘it’s wonderful’, bla bla.”

Ezili nodded. “Got it.”

Harry opened his mouth to say something else but suddenly froze; his eyes went wide. “Shit, that’s Aunt Beatrice.” Ezili looked over her shoulder to see a chubby late laughing with a group of people and being the loudest. “Super annoying,” Harry said. “Everyone in my family hates her.” He turned to Ezili and patted her on the shoulder. “Stay here. I’ll be right back.”

“Let me come with you.”

“Not when I’m talking to Satan. I mean, Aunt Beatrice. Just stay here and don’t talk to anyone.”

“But--”

Harry already left.

Ezili muttered curses at him under her breath. She had no choice but to sit by the fountain and wait for him to return. She saw him approaching the woman he hated with just a happy attitude as he’d had when talking to his mother. Fake. Humans were all pretentious and fake. They disgusted her. All these people.

“Hey, may I sit here?”

Ezili’s heart nearly jumped out of her chest when she heard the voice. She looked up and went stiff when she locked eyes with a tall handsome man. The black frame of glasses sat nicely on his high nose. His high cheekbones raised as he offered a polite smile. “Sorry. Am I bothering you?”

Ezili was thinking of what to say to him when she saw what was in his hand.

“An iPad!” she exclaimed. “I got one! Harry gave me one yesterday!”

The man looked at the iPad in his hand and chuckled. “Oh yeah, I brought it with me to read because I don’t really like these events.”

Ezili nodded fast. “I don’t, either. I’m so glad I’m not the only one.”

The man smiled again; his dark eyes twinkled with the fairy lights above their heads. “May I sit with you.”

“Sure!” Ezili hurriedly scooted over for the man to sit. Forget Harry. He’d told her never to leave his side then left her here all on her own, so who cared if she talked to one stranger? At least this one didn’t want to be here, either.

“What do you read on your iPad?” she asked him.

“I’d say books to impress you, but I’m actually reading a manga,” he said and chuckled. “Attack on Titan. Have you heard of it?”

Ezili shook her head. “Do they have something like this for The Little Mermaid?”

“I don’t know. But I’m sure they have a manga for everything these days, so you might find one about mermaids, too,” the man said and put the iPad down on his lap. “What’s your name?”

“Ezili...Hans. Ezili Hans,” said Ezili as she offered her hand.

The man shook it with another warm smile. “I’m Dawson Styles.”

It took Ezili a second to recognise that name. “Harry told me not to talk to you,” she mumbled, frowning.

However, Dawson didn’t look bothered by it. “Oh, right, you came here with Harry,” he said. “He gave you an iPad, right?”

“Yeah. He’s my...date.”

“So why are you here all by yourself?”

Ezili crossed her arms and rolled her eyes. “He needed to talk to that loud lady over there. He said she was evil.”

Dawson leaned forward to look past her, and when he spotted Harry with his aunt, his mouth curled slightly. “Yup, that lady is scary. We’re all scared of her.”

“You know her?”

“Yeah, she’s my mum.”

Ezili flinched, her eyes shot open. “Oh...sorry.”

Dawson just laughed. “Well, Harry wasn’t wrong. My mother could be scary sometimes.”

“All mothers are,” muttered Ezili, but she wasn’t sure if Dawson had heard her.

“You’re from the States?” he asked.

She blinked. “What?”

“Your accent.”

“Oh. Y-Yeah.”

“How long have you been in London?”

“Just three days.”

“How do you like it?”

“It’s...grey.”

The answer made Dawson cackle. “Yeah, it is.” He lowered his head and adjusted his glasses. “Bet it’s way more sunnier where you’re from.”

Ezili lifted her shoulders. “I don’t like the sun that much either, so it’s all good.”

Dawson nodded. They sat in silence for two seconds, then he said, “You look beautiful, by the way.”

“Thank you.” She smiled, not knowing what else to respond.

“How did you know Harry?”

Ezili was about to answer when she realised that Harry hadn’t taught her what to answer for this question. He’d probably assumed that they would be together all night, so he wouldn’t have to prepare her to lie about such basic information. Helplessly, she looked back to find Harry, but he wasn’t there anymore. Both he and Dawson’s mother had disappeared.

Ezili jumped to her feet. “Sorry, I have to go. It was nice talking to you, Dawson.” Without paying him a second look, she ran off to look for Harry.

He couldn’t have abandoned her, right? At least not here at his family’s ball. But how could she be so sure? She’d witnessed him being courteous to his enemy. That man could not be trusted.

Why were there so many people?

Where was she?

Ezili was too busy cursing Harry in her head that she hadn’t paid attention to where she was going. Now she found herself standing in an empty hall. She could hear the muffled sound of the ballroom behind her, so she intended to return to it.

“Hey, baby,” said a blond-haired man she ran into at a turn. She tried to sidestep him, but he was in her way. She blocked her nose with a finger and took a step back to keep a distance from him. He smelled funny. Why were his eyes red?

“H-Have you seen Harry?” she asked the man with the buzzcut. “Tall. Curly hair. Walks and talks slowly. Acts like he’s better than you when he’s not.”

“Harry?” The man snorted, his eyelids fluttered as if he might pass out any moment. He put a hand on the wall to keep his balance. “Damn, that motherfucker always lands the hotties.”

Ezili guessed that this man was not in his right mind to tell her where Harry was, so she pushed him aside to go. Suddenly, he caught her by the wrist and yanked her into him. “Hey, where are you going, baby?”

“Let me go!” she screamed and tried to shove him off. It seemed like all of her strength had disappeared with her tail. She felt helpless against this man. He managed to take both her wrists and pinned them above her head and her against the wall.

“Leave Harry,” he whispered into her ear, his breath hot and foul-smelling. She felt like she might throw up. “He’s trash anyway. The rat of the family. Can’t believe he’s getting all this when his mother dies.”

Ezili was trapped between the man’s stinky body and the wall. She knew she’d promised Harry not to attack anyone tonight, but she needed to fight for herself. Without hesitation, her teeth went straight for the man’s neck. He screamed and jumped back, losing his balance and dropping to the floor. Ezili could taste blood on her tongue as she licked her lip and gazed down at the terrified man. The bite mark on his neck was bleeding, staining the white collar of his suit.

“You bitch!”

“Ezi!”

Ezili whipped her head and found Harry, so she ran to him as the evil man clumsily got to his feet.

“What happened?” he asked her, his face pallid with fright.

“This bitch bit me!” the man shouted, pointing the finger at Ezili.

Harry turned back to her with rage in his eyes. “You bit my cousin?! I told you not to hurt anyone! What’s wrong with you?!”

“I didn’t have a choice,” she yelled back, angry that he’d believed the words of this bastard. “He was touching me! I don’t like being touched!”

The realisation flashed across Harry’s face. He put his hands on her shoulders; his eyebrows sloped as he swept his eyes from her head to toes. “Where did he touch you?”

“I didn’t do anything to your whore.”

Before Ezili could even react to those words, Harry went straight to him with his foot in his cousin’s stomach and again when his cousin tried to say something. Ezili had to grab his arm and pulled him away before he murdered someone. She didn’t care if he did, though. She just didn’t want to draw more attention to herself and get exposed in front of all the other guests.

Panting, Harry adjusted his tie and stabbed a finger at the man on the floor. “If I see you put your hands on a woman again, I’ll beat your ass and make sure you’ll never get to set foot back into this family again. You hear me?”

The man couldn’t speak, only whimper.

Ezili opened her mouth to question, but Harry stopped her by taking her hand. “Come with me.”

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