Obsessed

Obsessed

[Arcane] Yandere! Jinx x Fem! Reader

Word count: 1.9k

Content Warnings: Small amount of cursing, implied violence, obsessive/toxic personality/relationship, stalking

[A/N]: This is my first time posting a story on this site, so please bear with me if the formatting is a little weird. I’ll try to edit it later to make it easier to read, lol.

Enjoy!

    Even though they were hundreds of feet above the water and bridge beneath them, that wasn't what was causing [Y/N]'s anxiety. She had been up here before, multiple times in fact, with her "friend" Jinx. They always came up here to relax and spend time together, just talking and sharing jokes or their favorite moments from their day. It had been so normal for so long, but recently Jinx had begun to make the conversation a little strange. They'd crack jokes with each other for a while, but then when they started talking about their day, Jinx would make an effort to ask about [Y/N]'s first. And when it was her turn to share, all she ever talked about was spending time with the [h/c] girl. In all honesty, it was making [Y/N] uncomfortable. Why was Jinx being so adamant about talking about her? She wasn't anything special. She was just a friend–a coworker–an assistant. Could she possibly be...? No, that was crazy. [Y/N] didn't even like her that way, why would she feel that way about her?

    And oh, how badly Jinx wanted to let her know that wasn't true. She had brought her up here to confess anyway, so she figured she could come clean about everything.

Well, not everything. Some things are better left unsaid.

    For example, she probably shouldn't tell her about how she stalked her over the past few months. Ever since she met the [h/c] girl–by total accident–she was hooked. In love. Obsessed. She just couldn't let her walk out of her life the way everyone else had done. So, in order to show her love before getting too serious (to not scare her off), she started sending gifts to [Y/N] and leaving little notes with words of pure affirmation. 'You may not know me personally quite yet, but I have to let you know that you're forever mine." "Since the day I met you, my life has never been the same." "You're my dream girl. Once we meet, you'll never be able to leave me." "I dream about you every night. I'm obsessed with you." Just short phrases that got her point across. Until one day, she sent a full letter.

    "Hey toots,

    I'd ask how you're doing today, but I already know. I've been keeping close tabs on you, but it's nothing weird, I promise. Just wanna make sure you're safe and aren't struggling. I'm sure by now you've noticed all the gifts landing on your doorstep. Some of them anyway. The blankets and stuff I left on your bed. Oh, and don't worry about how I got in. I promise I would never steal from you. I'll cut to the chase here. Silco is searching for new recruits, and I suggested you as my lab assistant! He said he's gotta meet you before he makes any big decisions or whatever, so you'd better get your cute little butt over here for an interview! Can't wait to see ya!

        -Jinx"

    [Y/N] didn't take up on her offer right away. After all, Jinx and Silco were known to be ruthless when it came to their employees. And, even though she hated living here in the undercity, she certainly didn't want to die for making a small mistake and accidentally upsetting them. Each day, Jinx came into Silco's office and asked if a certain [h/c] girl had come in for an interview, only to feel crushed when told that, no, no one had come in that matched her description. Enraged that [Y/N] hadn't listened to her, Jinx's stalking became more aggressive. Instead of only finding her in public places like The Last Drop, she followed her around almost everywhere she went. From the moment she left her house, [Y/N] had a very infatuated blue-haired girl trailing after her just a few meters behind.

    After a couple of days, Jinx even found herself watching through the window of [Y/N]'s house until she could see that she was asleep and safe. She knew what the girl was doing every day. What she ate for breakfast, lunch, and dinner, what time she went to work, who she talked to, everything. She made a mental list of all the men and women who even remotely appeared to be flirting with her and made sure they'd never be able to interfere with her again. To her, everyone else was competition for [Y/N]'s love. Finally, after growing tired of this, Jinx sent her another note that simply said:

    "I won't ask again. You will be my partner. Show up at Silco's office and tell him I sent you, or you'll regret ignoring me."

    Once remembering exactly what Jinx was capable of, [Y/N] finally gave in and got herself an interview at Silco's office, afraid she might not have much longer to live if she didn't. Little did she know, a certain admirer of hers was watching from the platform on the ceiling. After a while of talking–and silent, pleading glares from Jinx–Silco agreed to give [Y/N] an opportunity to work for him. But only on the condition that she follow his every order–one of which was to obey Jinx when in the lab. Over the next few weeks, Jinx managed to grow closer to the girl, seemingly not realizing–possibly due to her delusions– that [Y/N] had absolutely no interest in being friends with her. She ignored the voices warning her to back off.

    After a while of working on countless projects together, Jinx finally managed to steel her nerves and send [Y/N] yet another letter. This time, she asked her to meet her in their usual spot, which is where they were now: standing on the scaffolding above the bridge in the city. It was near midnight. Jinx figured that with how late it was, there would be a very low chance of someone ruining the moment. Not that it would matter–she'd easily take care of it, though she'd feel slightly regretful for it. In the time she had gotten to know [Y/N], she had killed plenty of people who went against her or Silco's wishes. Some of which took place in front of the [h/c] girl. When she'd look back at [Y/N] to make sure she was okay, she could see the horror in her eyes. Oh, how she hated causing that look. She wanted her to be happy! Not scared!

    "[Y/N], I gotta be honest with you. You make me so damn happy. I know we barely met a few months ago, but you're my whole world, toots. I...I love you, and I wanna make you happy. You deserve everything you've ever wanted, and with how well Silco provides for me, I can assure you I'd make you the happiest girl in the world. You're just so beautiful and kind, and...you deserve someone who will protect you at all costs. Even though you might not believe it, I will do whatever I can to keep you safe." She pauses, sucking in a deep breath. "So whaddya say? Do you love me too?"

    [Y/N] stared in slight shock, not expecting this. She had told herself it was a possibility, but shut that thought down real quick. She didn't love her back. She couldn't–not after everything she had done. She blinked, meeting Jinx's gaze again, who was staring back expectantly. Jinx was hoping, praying, that her feelings would be reciprocated. Her head was tilted to the side, a faint blush dusting her cheeks and creeping up to her ears as she nervously chewed on her bottom lip. She was very fidgety. Her hands were twitching and fiddling with her loose strands of hair, occasionally popping her knuckles, her leg bouncing. It was visibly obvious that whatever [Y/N] said in reply would control her next move.

    [Y/N]'s mouth opened and shut a few times, unsure of what to say. She couldn't form the right words. How could she let her down easily? Should she even let her down? Would other people get hurt because of her decision? She internally sighed. She couldn't risk others getting hurt for her sake, even if she knew they were horrible people. If it meant no one would get hurt for her sake, [Y/N] was willing to sacrifice her freedom. She looked down at the bridge below. Trying to give herself a moment to put on a convincing act, she watched the small, colorful dots that were people. If she didn't pull off her act successfully, anyone down there could be Jinx's next victim.

    She finally looked back up at Jinx with a smile, which made the girl's eyes light up. "Of course I do, Jinx." Jinx smiled, but it quickly dropped after a moment of faltering. "Say it." Her tone was unusually cold towards her. [Y/N] raised an eyebrow, tilting her head. "What? Say what?" "Tell me you love me. I need to hear you say it to believe it." The [h/c] girl froze, a nervous bead of cold sweat forming on the back of her neck. "I-I..." As she struggled to "admit" her feelings, Jinx's gaze hardened, her brows furrowing tightly together. "Say it." [Y/N] swallowed the lump in her throat. 'Say it, or she'll kill you.' Forcing that smile again that didn't quite reach her eyes, [Y/N] grabbed Jinx's hand and gave it a soft squeeze. "I love you, Jinx."

    Jinx didn't say anything for a moment–didn't even have the slightest visible reaction. Her eyes flickered around the girl’s face in search of any sign of a lie. Finally, as if the words barely processed in her mind, a large grin broke out across her lips in an almost menacing manner. "Oh, sweets, you make me so happy." Without any warning, she cupped the [h/c] girl's face and closed the distance between them with a kiss that was a little too rough to be considered sincere. [Y/N] didn't even have a chance to react before Jinx leaned back and pulled her in by the waist for a tight hug. Her slender hand came up, long painted nails entangling themselves into the [h/c] locks she had ached to caress for months. "I love you so much, [Y/N]. You have no idea what I'd do for you." [Y/N] swallowed. She did know. She had seen it right before her eyes more than once. She knew that Jinx wouldn't hesitate to kill for her, even if she begged her not to.

    She was brought out of her thoughts as Jinx's hold on her waist tightened to a painful degree. "Why aren't you hugging me back?" Again, her tone was cold. [Y/N] jumped slightly and quickly returned her embrace. Jinx relaxed slightly in her hold, slowly beginning to sway the two of them side to side. Her nose buried itself into the crook of [Y/N]'s neck. She drew in a deep breath, seeming to take in the [h/c] girl's scent. Oh, that intoxicating scent of hers...so comforting. So...addicting.

    How she longed for this moment–this close contact. All those weeks of spending time with her and getting to know her interests and hobbies finally paid off. Here she was–holding her after finding that her feelings were mutual. This was the girl she wanted to spend the rest of her days with. She wanted to marry her and keep her happy until the day they died. And never again would Jinx tolerate anyone flirting with [Y/N]--not that she ever did. [Y/N] was hers.

Her heart fluttered at that thought. It repeated itself over and over again in her mind, drowning out the other voices swarming her brain and satisfying her obsessive tendencies. ‘She’s all mine. No one will ever take her from me. She won’t leave–she can’t. I won’t let her.’ Her smile grew. “You’re mine, toots. Don’t ever forget that.”

Patient

[Resident Evil: Village] Bela Dimitrescu x Female Reader

Word Count: 10k

Proofread: Yes

Content Warnings: Angst, panic attacks, and mentions of not feeling good enough.

[A/N]: This is probably the longest story I've written for Tumblr so far, so I hope you'll enjoy it! I'm really proud of how this one turned out. Individual stories for Cassandra and Daniela will be posted soon as well!

Enjoy!

Maids all parted to the sides as they worked, worried of their safety if they got in the way of all three Dimitrescu sisters as they made their way towards the entrance of the parlor. The three women chatted amongst one another with soft smiles as they grew closer to the door. They had cleaned themselves up a moment ago, making sure their cloaks and dresses were presentable, their hair was thoroughly brushed, and the large stains of blood, that often was an accompanying, trademark feature that adorned their faces, were washed off. As they stepped into the outdoors, warm, bright sunlight beamed down against their fair skin, followed by a gentle breeze that made the leaves of the trees surrounding them rattle lightly.

Bela couldn’t help but sigh at the calm, welcoming feeling of the weather. It was early into Spring, meaning she and both of her younger sisters, Cassandra and Daniela, were finally able to leave the safety of their home without the risk of freezing to death. Three pairs of golden eyes scanned over the landscape surrounding them as they continued to make conversation with one another. The soft blades of grass, once dried and pale shades of gray and black that had died out from the heavy piles of snow and harsh, bitter cold, were now beginning to flourish into a vibrant green. Leaves that littered the floor and clung to the branches of the blossoming trees mirrored the colors of the grass, and were beginning to grow lush and more abundant.

Slowly beginning to tune her sisters out, Bela’s eyes trailed up from the land and gazed up at the sky. Once dark and gloomy with heavy clouds crowding the sky, threatening to pour rain or snow, were clearing up enough to reveal a bright, vast blue sky. The sun planted itself somewhere above, often nestled behind the thin, pale clouds. It brought a smile to the eldest daughter’s face. The scenery alone was comforting to her. She glanced back over at her sisters, who laughed at a joke shared between each other. A wider smile tugged at the corner of her lips, a feeling of contentment washing through her body.

Each year, after her mother, Alcina, was sure that the weather was nice enough to leave for a while, she’d let them head out to the village to shop around for whatever they might’ve needed. Often, Daniela and Bela went to the Duke’s shop to look for new books, although they were typically of different genres, and their sister Cassandra tended to wander around and look for better materials she could use when hand-crafting new weapons to add to her personal collection. They were each given a decent amount of Lei to purchase what they could and avoid going over-the-top. “If you splurge too much, how will you carry everything home?” She often asked when Daniela would ask for more of an allowance.

The three of them had been going there consistently any time the weather was decent enough, and although the majority of the people in the village feared them, there were a few people who didn’t mind talking to them.

One of them, a young woman who was often searching for books in the same place as her and Daniela, had caught Bela’s attention. No matter what had happened during the day, she always seemed to be so welcoming and gleeful when it came to talking to Bela. Although the eldest daughter was usually too anxious to approach her and speak to her first, it was nice to watch as she excitedly talked with Daniela about the books they would read. She couldn’t help it–the girl had certainly piqued her interest. Even just thinking about her would make her smile and cause her heart to flutter with excitement. And hearing her own name–although just being able to hear her voice in general was good enough–roll so easily off of her tongue made her internally swoon.

Yes, [Y/N] [L/N], a young woman whose family had moved into the village only a few years ago, had caught the attention of Bela, Alcina Dimitrescu’s oldest and more formal daughter, almost immediately. She couldn’t help but stare at her as her soft locks of hair gently fluttered with each gentle gust of wind. The way her cheeks turned a shade of red or pink as she laughed–the way her lips would perk up with each smile or hearty laugh. She felt like had just won or accomplished something anytime one of those grins were sent in her direction or caused by a small joke she wasn’t aware anyone had even heard.

She often found herself lying awake in bed at night, staring at the ceiling as she thought about [Y/N]. Her teeth would often bite down and hook against her bottom lip as she bit back small squeals. She had heard of the stories Daniela would read about women falling in love and acting fidgety and flustered. She used to tease her for finding those stories realistic or captivating, but after being able to talk with [Y/N] so often when she would leave the castle, she understood–she would act that way anytime [Y/N]’s name was even mentioned. Her sisters loved to tease her relentlessly for it. As much as she wanted to snap back with some clever retort, she couldn’t help but admit that she felt something for the girl. She’d smile and blush uncontrollably each night as she’d cradle one of her pillows against her chest and picture it as [Y/N]’s smaller form.

A wide smile that made it feel like her face was splitting often painted her lips whenever she so much as thought of the girl.

“Earth to Bela, are you in there?” Finally pulled from her thoughts, Bela blinked to find Cassandra’s hand waving in her face to grab her attention. She looked over at her, her bewilderment evident on her face. “O-Oh, I apologize. I didn’t realize I had started daydreaming,” she muttered with a soft tone. Knowing smirks planted themselves on Daniela and Cassandra’s faces as they snickered. “What’s so funny?” Bela could feel her face burning up, already aware of what they were thinking. She tried to force the tone of her voice to sound assertive rather than defensive, but it was to no avail. “Oh look, Cass, it seems our dear, sweet sister Bela has a crush,” Daniela cooed as she leaned against her other sister’s shoulder and pretended to whisper to her. Cassandra’s own grin seemed to mirror the youngest daughter’s as she leaned over and acted in a similar manner–whispering “secretly” about their sister’s interest.

“Oh, I agree, Daniela. I wonder, though,” she hummed, tapping her chin with her index finger and letting her eyes wander upwards to appear as though she was pondering something. She and Daniela quickly glanced at one another and giggled. They swarmed to float in front of Bela, who was desperately trying to move past them and avoid the teasing she had already been enduring since the two learned of her feelings. She groaned. “Whoever could it be?” Cassandra questioned sarcastically. “Oh yes, I would like to know as well,” Daniela added just as mockingly. She leaned down, her solid form dissolving anytime Bela attempted to pat her backwards. “Tell us, dear sister, who is it that has your attention?”

Fed up with the taunting, Bela swarmed out of her own materialized form and flew past them as quickly as she could. They cackled at her reaction and followed her. After a moment of trying to catch up to her, they shifted back into their solid forms before they crossed the gate that led to the village. They looked around, expecting to see that Bela had done the same, but they couldn’t spot her. They laughed with each other.

“I wish she would just approach the girl already,” Daniela mumbled as they walked out towards their usual places to shop. “Me too. It’s exhausting seeing her get so flustered about her, but then never do a thing about it,” Cassandra responded. “I don’t know. I find it endearing, actually! Pining after her so much, I mean. It reminds me of a book I read! It’s about–” Cassandra swarmed up and waved back at her sister. She didn’t want to get stuck listening to Daniela babble about a cheesy romance novel she had read, but she had also spotted a certain metal she had been searching for for ages. “Gotta go!” She flew off quickly before disappearing from sight.

Daniela’s bottom lip stuck out as she pouted, crossing her arms with a huff. “How rude,” she muttered. Her disappointment was very short-lived, however, upon spotting the pile of books the Duke had stacked up in front of his wagon. Her eyes lit up as she dashed towards it with excitement.

A soft sigh of relief slipped past Bela’s lips once she managed to escape her sisters. “Ah, Lady Bela! It’s a pleasure to see you, my dear!” The Duke welcomed her warmly, his free hand motioning towards a small section of books atop of a crate as his other hand pulled a cigar towards his lips. “I’ve left out the books you ordered, as well as a few I thought you might enjoy. Miss [L/N] mentioned one she figured you’d like as well. It should be the bottom book in the left stack.” A hum sounded from Bela in response as she sauntered over to the pile on the wooden crate, though her face burned a soft shade of pink as she finally processed the final part of the sentence.

Quickly, she lifted the top books from the one the Duke had spoken of, placed the stack hastily to the side, and picked it up to examine it. She flipped it over and skimmed through the summary before turning to show it to the merchant who smiled down at her. “This one?” She asked, unable to hold back her excitement. He nodded with a laugh. “Yes, she was quite adamant about paying extra for it to be sent in quickly too!” “Really? Will you let her know I want to thank her?” “Oh, there’s no need for that. She’ll be here in a moment to look through the newer selection I have! You’ll have the perfect opportunity to thank her yourself! I believe she left a note for you as well,” he pondered aloud as he dug in a satchel beside him.

“Aha, here we are!” He pulled a small, folded note from the bag and leaned forward as far as he could to hand it to her. Bela stepped forward with anticipation and slipped the paper from his hand. She tucked the book under her arm as she delicately unfolded the note and read through it.

Lady Bela,

I know I could’ve simply told you about this book instead of purchasing it with my own money, but I really wanted to surprise you! I really hope you’ll enjoy it. It’s sort of similar to the last few you read that we spoke about, although I’m sure Daniela would enjoy it as well, possibly even more!

It’s mainly about what you enjoy reading–the history of how this village came to be with insight on different points of views–but it also includes a bit of romance that was a huge deal several years ago. I’m sure your sister would love that. It would certainly give her something to chat about with you and Cassandra, even though Cass seems to find romance…dull?

Ah, I’m not sure how to phrase it, but either way, this book is a quick read, and I’m sure you’ll love it. It can even give us something to chat about the next time we bump into each other!

Yours truly,

[Y/N] [L/N]

Her face went red at the girl’s kind consideration. That, and the small doodles of hearts that lined the page. She hadn’t realized just how wide the grin on her face had gotten until she heard the Duke chuckling from his seat. Glancing up, she saw him draw a puff from his cigar with a knowing look. “Well, you’re positively glowing, my dear,” he mumbled. Bela felt her face growing warmer as she turned away to hide it, earning another hearty laugh from behind her.

“I do hope you can pull yourself together quickly though. It seems your little gift-giver is headed this way now.” The woman felt herself jolt and spin on her heel to stare behind her. Sure enough, [Y/N] was headed towards the merchant’s cart. Bela felt her breath hitch in her throat once her gaze trailed across the young woman’s features.

Wearing her usual, welcoming smile, [Y/N] was growing closer to the stand. Her ankle boots clacked softly along the dirt path. The skirt she wore was flowing with the gentle breeze that lightly blew her hair as well. She wore a thin, knitted sweater, which she kept tucked into the waistline of her shirt. Her sleeves were littered with small patches of flowers and birds that she had stitched in herself, though they were cast in a soft shadow from the sunhat that adorned her head.

Bela’s heart hammered against her ribs as her now unsteady gaze studied [Y/N]’s face: The way her delicate eyes slightly squeezed themselves shut in glee, her brows lifting and furrowing together just barely to make her nose scrunch up a bit. Her soft lips stretched upwards into a wide smile as she waved towards one of her neighbors down the path. Finally, her eyes fluttered open, and the eyes that Bela often found herself unknowingly gazing into were now peering up at her through her lashes.

She wasn’t sure if her mind was playing tricks on her, but Bela could’ve sworn [Y/N]’s smile only grew wider once they finally made eye contact with one another. “Lady Bela!” She yelled as she quickened her pace. After a moment of lightly jogging, [Y/N] stood in front of Bela, who was now trembling and screaming at herself internally to clear her throat and regain her composure. “It’s so nice to see you again!” Her eyes scanned down to find the note jittering in the flustered woman’s grasp.

“Is…everything okay?” Her expression, carefree and excited just moments ago, was now lightly dampened to appear concerned. Oh, how Bela wanted to crush that feeling. She could feel her heart throbbing uncomfortably in her chest, though she managed to squeak out a quiet, “Yes.”

[Y/N] stepped a bit closer, her hand lifting and gently planting itself on Bela’s, which jerked slightly at the contact. “It wasn’t because of my note, was it? Oh, I shouldn’t have been so weird about it. I-I’m sorry–” “No!” It was [Y/N] who jumped from surprise that time, though Bela seemed equally, if not more, shocked by her own reaction. “Ah, I mean,” she mentally slapped herself for stammering, quickly clearing her throat and running her free hand down her face.

“I-I didn’t mean to yell, I apologize. But no, it wasn’t your note, I promise. Something’s just,” she stopped herself, doing her best to ignore the silent snickering from the Duke. With a shake of her head, she managed to finally smile. “Nothing’s wrong.” [Y/N]’s head tilted a bit as she studied her expression, which she was sure was pathetic: she could feel her lip quivering, though [Y/N] didn’t comment on it. “Alright,” she mumbled cautiously.

“Anyway, are you about to head back home?” A spark zapped itself through Bela’s veins, the crimson color once again rushing to her face. “Uh,” she started, struggling horrendously to maintain eye contact.

“No, not quite yet, I,” she glanced up at the Duke, who nodded. “I actually just got here myself. I barely finished reading your note before I saw you. M-My sisters will probably be looking around for a while though, so I’ll have to find a way to occupy myself until they’re ready to leave.” [Y/N] nodded, offering that damned smile Bela couldn’t seem to get enough of. “Why–um–why do you ask?” “Oh, I was just curious. I wasn’t sure if your sisters were here with you today or not,” came [Y/N]’s reply.

A soft sigh slipped past Bela’s lips. It wasn’t until [Y/N]’s hand lifted upwards and towards her torso that she realized it was still resting on her own. She froze, though quickly felt her tensed muscles relax once she realized [Y/N] had only reached forward to slip the book out from under her arm. “Ah, I see you got the book I ordered! Did you read the summary yet? What did you think?” The same fuzzy feeling that Bela often felt making itself known in her chest was returning upon seeing how passionate [Y/N] was about the book.

The fact that she had hand-picked the book with only her interest in mind, and used her own money to pay for it, made Bela feel so special. She realized something after a moment.

“Oh, um, speaking of the book, I’d like to pay you back for it.” “Oh, you don’t have to do that!” “I-I feel like I should. I mean, I know you and the other villagers don’t have much money, and I wouldn’t want you to go broke over,” she halted, a horrified look crossing her features, “this…” Quickly, she waved her hands dismissively in front of her, desperately trying to take back her words. “N-No, wait, that’s not what I meant! Oh god, I just meant that–” An amused giggle interrupted her spewing of words. She hid her reddened face in her hands with a groan as [Y/N] seemingly laughed at her misery.

Her fingers parted to look through once a light, warm hand gently rubbed her arm. “It’s okay, I know what you were trying to say, you dork.”

Had anyone else been the one to call her that, they would’ve been ripped apart relentlessly. Hearing it come from the girl she found herself pining for, however, made it seem much more lighthearted, and more of a compliment than anything. She grinned sheepishly, letting her hands slip from her face and weave themselves together anxiously in front of her torso. “I’m glad,” was all she could say.

“But seriously, you don’t have to pay me back for it. The Duke and I worked out a bit of a deal,” [Y/N] reassured, turning her head slightly to nod to the man still glancing at them. “Oh? And what’s that?” A sudden, familiar voice questioned. Bela growled once her youngest sister made her presence known. Daniela slid to stand beside her and [Y/N], whose face lit up once again. “Dani, hey!” Her hand slid from Bela’s arm, making her frown, allowing her to throw her arms around the youngest Dimitrescu and pull her into a tight embrace.

Daniela laughed warmly and hugged her back. She eventually stepped away once she saw how hurt Bela seemed. “What deal did you work out with him, hm?” She asked, changing the tone.

“Oh, I just agreed to help him deliver most of his packages in return for a discount on the book,” [Y/N] explained. “Yes, and quite a delivery-gal she is! She must’ve taken care of over half of my stock within a day,” the Duke added. “Quite efficient.”

[Y/N] laughed bashfully, scratching at the back of her neck. “Well, I really did just want the discount, but it was also nice to help out! I got to talk to a few of my friends that I hadn’t spoken with in a while. It was a win-win situation.” Bela smiled softly at her, though she wasn’t enjoying [Y/N]’s attention being torn away from her so much. How she wished she could take her far away to a calm, secluded place where they only had each other. It was selfish, and she was aware of that, but it was so hard for her to talk to [Y/N]. And now that she finally had a relatively steady conversation going, more or less, the Duke and her own sister were stealing that from her.

Already, she could feel herself crumbling away, a feeling she was far too familiar with. She felt her arms slide up to hold herself as she watched the woman she loved seem so much happier with anyone but her. She knew it was just her insecurities eating away at her confidence and any sense of logic, but because she hadn’t known the feeling in that situation well enough, she wasn’t sure how to fight it off or ignore it.

As if the world hadn’t already been cruel enough to her sensitivity, Cassandra flew over and struck up a conversation as well.

She knew that even if she had a chance of “courting” this girl and bringing her into her home, she’d have to adjust to the fact her sisters would also be there to talk with her. The overwhelming feeling of needing to be perfect, however–something that seemed to be built into her mindset–was diminishing the logical side of things. Her mind was telling her that [Y/N] wasn’t devoting her attention solely to her because she wasn’t good enough–she wasn’t perfect enough.

Maybe if she seemed more confident and casual, then maybe, just maybe, [Y/N] would seem as interested in her as she was–maybe the feeling would be mutual. Her mind started to wander and race, rendering her hearing useless as she tuned the rest of the world out.

At length, a hand, the same hand that had grounded her into reality just moments ago, returned to her arm. She blinked once, twice, and finally a third before her focus returned. The Duke, Daniela, Cassandra, and [Y/N] were all staring at her now, and even though Cassandra always tried to seem harsh, she was visibly concerned.

“Are you sure you’re alright?”

[Y/N]’s hand drove itself upwards and turned, allowing the back of her knuckles to gently come into contact with Bela’s forehead. “Are you sick? Can…” She turned to Daniela and Cassandra. “Can you even get sick?”

Bela cleared her throat, fighting to stay in the present as she took [Y/N]’s hand into her own before brushing it off of her clammy skin. “I’m fine, I promise.” Before the others had a chance to press her further, she felt her legs swarming into the flies that made up her being, allowing her to lift her weight up off the ground. “I have to go.”

With that, she raced desperately back towards the castle, her lungs tightening to a painful degree and her hand shaking harshly as she struggled to keep a grip on the note she hadn’t even realized she was still in possession of.

“Oh gosh,” Daniela murmured. Concerned, [Y/N] turned to Cassandra and Daniela, only to find them staring off at where Bela had disappeared. After a long moment, they glanced at each other, mirroring expressions of guilt and worry. “Guys?” They finally turned to her, and their faces shifted to slight sorrow. “Is she okay?”

Weakly, Daniela smiled and stepped in front of her, gently squeezing her shoulder before nodding to Cassandra, who reciprocated the motion. “She’ll…be okay. We’ll talk to you later, alright?” [Y/N] couldn’t even respond before the two women in front of her flew off, carrying the books that Bela had left behind. She was silent, her stomach turning with the fear that she had done something wrong. With great difficulty, she swallowed the lump in her throat and clutched at her knitted sweater, anxiously looking towards the Duke for an answer.

He could only muster a shrug with a look of pure sympathy, unsure how to lighten the mood.

 “Bela!” Daniela hollered out as she shoved the parlor doors open. “Bela, where’d you go?” She was well aware her eldest sister could hear her with ease, but she also knew she likely wasn’t going to get a response. There had only been a few times she had gotten this upset, and she always seemed to find a different place to hide away in, clearly not wanting to be found until she had gathered herself.

“Dani, maybe we should just give her some space this time,” Cassandra mumbled uncharacteristically. Shaking her head stubbornly, Daniela turned to her, looking at her as if she were crazy. “We can’t do that, Cass. You’ve seen how she gets when she gets too far into her own head. We have to help her snap out of it one way or another. Do you really want to see her secluding herself this way and hurting herself even more?” Cassandra could only sigh as she thought to herself. “You know I don’t, but what if she just needs to figure this out for herself?”

“Cass, do you really think she can figure something like this out in her state? You saw her back in the village: it looked like she couldn’t even hear or see anyone around her until someone spoke to her.” She sucked in a steadying breath. “And if you won’t try to help her with me, then I’ll find a way to cheer her up on my own.” Halfway through her sentence, Daniela had flown up above the cold, slick tile beneath her, and as she let out her final phrase, she dashed up the stairs to begin her search for Bela.

“Daniela, wait!” Cassandra called out after her. It was clear she wasn’t going to get through to her younger sister either way, especially with how stubborn she was with these kinds of situations. She glanced down at the ground beneath her and caught her own reflection in the polished stone. Grumbling, she found herself flying after Daniela up the stairs. “Goddammit, Dani, you’d better know what you’re doing.”

Bela knew it was only a matter of time before her sisters found her. At that moment, however, she didn’t care. The sheer panic and depression was weighing heavy upon her shoulders as she curled even further into herself. She had tucked herself away in the corner of one of the rooms just above the ballroom, wriggling herself uncomfortably in between the tight space that rested in the middle of the Labyrinth structure and the wall. She couldn’t help the weeping that wracked throughout her body.

She knew how ridiculous it was to be sobbing over something so small, but her insecurities were a demon in her mind that only seemed to grow larger with each conversation she shared with [Y/N].

Her fingers dug into the fabric of her cloak’s hood, yanking it harshly over her head to shield her face from the outside world. She could feel her entire body trembling, making it hard to breathe or think properly. Why was she so selfish? [Y/N] had every right to talk to others. After all, they weren’t together.

They never would be.

Her heart stopped beating momentarily as two sets of footsteps landed harshly in front of her. She gasped roughly, her breathing ragged as she lifted her hood up to peer at the intruders: it was none other than her two sisters, Daniela and Cassandra. She tried so desperately to scream at them for startling her so badly, but her mouth refused to form the words.

“Dani, you can’t just rush in on her like that!” Cassandra hollered. She glanced over at Bela, whose eyes were filled with pure terror. She felt herself gasp softly before tugging Daniela to the side and lowering her voice to a whisper. “Give her some space. She’s having a panic attack.” Daniela shifted her body to turn and peer at Bela from over her shoulder, finding the blonde trembling unbelievably harshly, her breathing coming out in harsh rasps.

“Shit, what do we do?” Cassandra sighed, slowly turning around to face Bela. “Just…stay here and don’t do anything stupid. I know how to deal with this.” “You do? How?” “That’s not important. Just don’t get too close to her.” “Fine, but we’re having a talk later on.”

Slowly, Cassandra trudged to plant herself a reasonable distance away from her sister, who still had tears pouring across her cheeks like rivers. She crouched down and sat on the floorboards that creaked softly underneath her. “Bela,” she started, her tone almost at a whisper. “Can you hear me?” Bela’s eyes shot over to her, seemingly landing on her but not finding the source. Her eyes flickered in a panicked manner as if she were reading a script right in front of her, yet so far into the distance as well. A subtle nod was her answer after a moment.

“I want you to try to breathe with me, okay? Just three deep breaths, that’s it. Can you do that?”

Again, a small, delayed nod was her response.

Cassandra took in her first deep breath, making sure she did so loud enough for Bela to hear. Although she struggled and her breath was staggered, Bela managed to repeat what her sister did. “Good, just two more,” Cassandra whispered.

She sucked in another breath, watching as her older sister mimicked her actions. She made sure to hold her breath for a second before letting it out just as slowly. “You’re doing great. One more, okay?” She could see Bela’s hazy eyes slowly starting to clear.

Breathe in.

Hold it.

Breathe out.

Finally, Bela blinked normally, her breathing somewhat back to where it was when she had been calm. “Good. I want you to focus on your breathing for a moment. Try to do it how we just did, alright?” She nodded, this time almost immediately. One of her hands, still clutching her hood, dropped down to her chest, allowing herself to feel it rising and falling with each breath. Finally, she could feel the tingling sensation in her limbs starting to subside ever-so-slightly.

“May I move closer?” Cassandra questioned cautiously.

Again, Bela nodded, still unable to speak.

Cassandra inched towards her slowly, making sure Bela knew she could tell her when to stop if she still needed some space. “Can you see me?” Bela nodded. “Good.” Surprisingly, Cassandra was able to sit herself down directly in front of her sister without much of a reaction. “Okay, let’s take things slow. Let me know if I need to move away,” she instructed softly. “What do you hear?” Bela seemed to focus for the first time in what felt like hours, straining her ears to hear past the ringing. “Your voice. You and Daniela’s heartbeat. T-The birds outside the window.” “Good job. Can you tell me what you can see?”

“Y-You and Dani, a-and my…my,” her eyes trailed down, a small folded sheet of paper catching her attention. Almost instantly, images flashed through her mind and her breathing started to quicken again. “Okay, okay,” Cassandra did her best to remain calm so as to not freak out her sister even more. “Hey, just look at me, alright? Everything’s okay.” She leaned forward, attempting to reach out and grab the note, but Bela was quick to shove her backwards. “Don’t touch it!”

Cassandra obliged, holding her hands up in surrender. “I won’t touch it, I promise. See? I’ll move away a bit.” She scooted backwards to increase the distance between her and Bela once again. “Let’s move on from that, alright? What do you smell?”

Bela looked at her, her eyes full of skepticism and a mix of fear and sorrow. She hesitantly managed to take in another deep breath, the scents around her greeting her. “I can smell the dust from the shelves,” she mumbled, her nose scrunching up. Daniela stepped forward slowly and sat next to Cassandra. “I guess we’ll have to make sure the maids aren’t slacking off again,” she joked in an equally soft tone. A gentle smile finally painted Bela’s lips in amusement. “I-I…suppose so.”

“What can you taste?” Bela grimaced once more. “My tears.” Daniela frowned, but looked towards Cassandra, who nodded. The two of them carefully moved closer, both holding out a hand. Shakily, Bela’s hands lifted themselves and rested on top of her sisters’. “What can you feel?” Daniela asked. Bela’s fingers stretched out far enough to wrap themselves around her sisters’ hands, squeezing them gently.

“The two of you. I can feel your hands in mine.”

Cassandra and Daniela both sighed from relief when they heard their eldest sister finally let out a small laugh. “Can you take three more deep breaths for me?” Bela nodded, and both of her sisters joined in on her breathing.  After the third, they smiled fondly at each other.

“Th-Thank you. Both of you.” “You don’t have to thank us. You’re our sister, silly. We love you.” Daniela moved forward and pulled her sister into a hug. Cassandra almost scolded her for it, but relaxed when she saw that Bela didn’t mind. She was eventually pulled into the embrace herself, though she didn’t make a fuss this time. They stayed that way until Bela finally felt calm enough to lean back.

 With a sniffle, the blonde glanced down and picked up the note from her lap. “I suppose I should go apologize to [Y/N] for acting so…weird.” “Nope,” Daniela quipped, standing and offering her hand to help her sister stand. “Nuh uh, not until we know you’re calm enough. Think about what you wanna say before you go embarrass yourself. Like usual.” Cassandra scowled and elbowed her sister in the arm, making her wince but laugh. Bela laughed with her and took her hand, letting herself be pulled up onto her feet. “You’re right about thinking it through, though. Why don’t you write down what you wanna say so you can kind of rehearse it?” Cassandra offered, watching with a grimace as Daniela’s eyes lit up.

“Ooh, that’s a lovely idea! Oh, you should write her a letter! I mean, she already wrote one for you, even though it was just about a book, but still!” “Dani, that’s–” The brunette thought for a moment. “That’s actually not a bad idea. Man, I didn’t know you could actually have a good idea in that tiny brain of yours,” she mocked, ruffling the redhead’s hair. “Hey! That’s not true! I’m plenty smart, right Bela?”

Bela looked between them before laughing. Cassandra snickered at her reaction as Daniela pouted, though she looked confused once her oldest sister’s hand planted itself gently atop her head. “Yes, you’re a bright girl, Dani. Especially when it comes to romance.”

She looked up, freezing when she saw how shocked her sisters looked. “Uh…” Daniela squealed again, bouncing up and down on her toes as she hugged Bela. “Romance? Ah, you mean you’re gonna write a letter of confession?” For the first time since the whole ordeal, Bela’s face went beet red. “N-No, I was just–! Ugh, Cass, a little help here?” There was no response. “Cass…?” She looked up to see her sister faking a tear. “Oh, they grow up so fast,” she said teasingly. “Wh–I’m older than both of you!” “Hey, that’s not official! Mother Miranda never said who was the oldest!”

Cassandra finally laughed, her expression shifting to one of sincerity. “No, but in all seriousness, Bela, I don’t think writing her a letter to confess is a bad idea at all. I mean, as long as you hand it to her and actually wait for her response instead of flying away like a wimpy man-thing from one of Dani’s novels.” “Hey!” Bela also had a look of offense written on her features, though it was clear that hers was fake. “How dare you compare me to a man-thing from Daniela’s cheesy romance novels?”

“Bela, not you too!”

A soft, almost silent sound of a pencil furiously scribbling against paper was the only sound that could be heard from Bela’s bedroom. For the past few hours, after eating a healthy dinner and spending time with her family, Bela finally had a clear mind. As the rest of her family headed off to bed, she stayed awake at the study in her room, working on writing the perfect letter of confession to hopefully give to [Y/N] before the weather got too harsh again. There were crumpled up pieces of paper strewn about the desktop and the floor surrounding her, though she could feel the growing number of them would come to a halt soon.

She could sense that she was so close to writing the perfect letter. At first, she had tried to write a longer note, though Cassandra’s sarcastic remarks about turning into a cliche, smitten poet put an end to those drafts. She tried making it as short as possible, but Daniela’s whining about it not being emotional or expressive enough had her tossing those to the side as well. She wasn’t sure how to properly write a letter in this form, it just wasn’t her. She was never good with expressing any emotion other than anger towards outsiders. Daniela was the expert when it came to flirting and being romantic about different gestures. That’s why she had her youngest sister help her out the most.

Cassandra, although she didn’t understand why she was so adamant about the letter being perfect, understood that it meant a lot to her sister that everything went smoothly, even if her confession was rejected. She put it upon herself to pretty up the garden, more specifically Bela’s favorite spot to read and just think to herself. It surprised her most of all that she hardly asked the maids to help her tidy things up, though she figured it was just because she wanted it to look perfect for her sister.

A swift knock sounded from the door, making Bela jump in her seat. “Come in,” she called out after recognizing the pattern of the knock. Daniela pushed the door open and strolled inside, Cassandra trailing after her. “How’s it coming along?” The youngest asked as she leaned against the desk. Bela looked up, ready to answer, but instead found herself snickering at Cassandra, who scowled.

“Cass, what on earth did you do? You’re covered in flowers and grass and dirt,” she questioned with a laugh. Cassandra’s eyebrows raised and she frantically started picking off stray petals and twigs that peppered her cloak. “Dani! Why didn’t you say anything?” Daniela laughed as well, making her sister fume. “I’m sorry, you just look so funny like that! I wanted Bela to see.”

“Ugh, I hate you both. But if you must know, I was out in the garden making sure your favorite spot looks nice enough for when you bring [Y/N] here to confess.” Bela blushed, the grip on her pencil tightening. “Wait, really? I…” She looked down at the letter Daniela had been helping her write the past few hours. “I really can’t thank the two of you enough. I never expected either of you to care this much about me confessing to her.”

“Hey, we’re your sisters!” Daniela chirped. “We want to see you happy! Plus, [Y/N] is really cool. Having her as a sister-in-law sounds amazing!” Cassandra smirked. “Yeah, she could listen to your banter about your stories in my place.” Daniela sneered playfully at her before looking back down at Bela. “Ah, I think you two are putting too much faith into this. There’s still the possibility that she’ll reject me after all.” “Who, [Y/N]? Nah, I can’t see her doing that. She seems to really like you,” Daniela reassured. Cassandra hummed and nodded in agreement.

“Well, yeah, but after that whole…incident in the village?” “Nuh uh uh, you’re getting in your own head again. Don’t do that. Just try to imagine everything going perfectly! I don’t think [Y/N] is–no, actually, I know she’s not the type to hold something like that against you. She was actually really, really concerned when you ran off. Well, flew off, but–” “Dani, stay on one point, oh my god.” Bela laughed at Cassandra’s remark.

“I guess you’re right.”

“‘Course I am! Now, how’s the letter coming along?” Bela sighed, signing her name at the bottom quickly. “Ooh, bold move,” Daniela murmured. “Daniela, she’s going to be standing directly in front of her when she hands it to her. I don’t see how that’s bold.”

Cassandra walked towards the desk, leaning over to be eye-level with her eldest sister, who looked nervous. “Oh, and Dani and I will be nearby to make sure you don’t fly off before she can tell you how she feels. You aren’t leaving this time.” Bela forced a smile, not wanting to comment on how creepy what her sister had just said sounded. “Right, well…what do you think?” She picked up her letter, blowing off the eraser shavings before handing it back to her youngest sister, who skimmed over it rather quickly. She was met with a squeal.

“Oh, this is so romantic! And you took my suggestion about adding the figurative language! She’s going to love this, I just know it!” Bela beamed at her sister’s reaction, pleased with what she had managed to write. “But you aren’t going to leave it in pencil, are you?” “Oh, no, I was going to go over it again with one of my pens before I get some sleep. That way it’ll have time to dry so I can erase the pencil markings underneath.” “Ah, smart.”

Daniela hummed, tilting her head as she glanced over the letter again. Bela felt her confidence falter at this, making her nervously ask what was wrong. “Oh, nothing’s wrong, I just think you could…spruce it up a bit, y’know?” She gasped, reaching towards one of the pens on the desk. “I know! You could add hearts around the edges like she did with hers!”

Bela’s face went red and she snatched the sheet of paper back before any further markings could be made. “Dani, I’m not–wait, how did you know she did that?” Daniela appeared nervous now, scratching her cheek anxiously. “Ah, well, I might’ve slipped it from your pocket while we were eating and then read it while I was in the library.” “Dani!” “I’m sorry! I just couldn’t help myself.”

Frantically, Bela searched her pockets for the note, only for her youngest sister to laugh shyly and pull it out from her own. With a relieved sigh, Bela snatched it from her hand and cradled it against her chest. “God, I hope this goes well.”

“It will! You just have to put more faith in [Y/N]! And, of course, my expertise in romance,” Daniela cooed while playfully wiggling her eyebrows. Bela couldn’t help but laugh, looking back towards the letter she had written once again resting on the desk. Hesitantly, she took a pen from its resting spot in her small metal bin and dipped it in ink. With a shaky hand, she brought the tip of the pen to land just beside her signature, slowly drawing a single heart.

It may not have been what Daniela was wanting her to do, but it was hers. It was Bela’s heart now printed on the letter she had written out of love.

Morning came sooner than Bela had wanted. The bright sunlight crept through the blinds shielding her window, caressing her face and stirring her awake. She groaned and slowly sat up, staring down silently as she watched the covers fall, internally hoping her sisters had done their part for the day already. They had told her they’d head into the village before she woke up to let [Y/N] know Bela had requested to see her in the afternoon. If they had, then she only had a few hours to prepare.

First, she went out to the garden to make sure everything was neat and clean. She was surprised to see how much more beautiful Cassandra had made it seem than before. The pearly white lattice archway that led to her most cherished spot had been washed, removing all of the mud and stray cobwebs. A series of different roses found throughout the garden now wrapped themselves nicely around the wooden frame, helping it appear more natural. Past the archway, the soft, vibrantly green grass had been neatly trimmed. The weeds that had shoved themselves in between the stones that encircled her favorite tree had been removed, and the bench nearby had been polished and thoroughly cleaned.

Secondly, she headed back upstairs to make sure the ink had dried from the night before. She was relieved to find that it had, and she quickly but gently erased the pencil markings beneath the bold strokes. Daniela had left a pristine envelope next to it with a wax stamp print in the shape of a heart. Bela carefully folded the sheet of paper and tucked it into the envelope, hesitantly melting enough wax to use the stamp and seal it shut.

Finally, she made sure she looked her best. She rummaged throughout the kitchen, much to the confusion of the maids, and fixed herself a healthier alternative to what they had prepared for breakfast. She ate it quickly before heading back upstairs.

She showered swiftly, spraying on her favorite perfume and brushing her teeth and hair. Before applying her makeup, she headed to her wardrobe to search for something to wear. Instead of opening the door to find her different assortments of clothing, she found every shirt, skirt, and pair of pants shoved to one side. All but one set–a pair of black, loose-fitted slacks, a matching pair of flats, and a striking red button-up shirt. On top of the folded pants and underneath the shoes, there was a small, square piece of paper. As Bela lifted it from the shelf, a hair clip with a plastic daisy fell to the floor. Confused, Bela skimmed over the note. Sure enough, this was Daniela’s doing.

Hey, sis! Let me explain why I did this before you come after me. [Y/N]’s only ever seen you in dark clothing, so I thought that would be a nice thing to keep. That way things wouldn’t seem so unnatural! But, I also know how much you love daisies, so I left a hair clip I found of one. I hope you’ll like it. I really think [Y/N] will.

-Your fav sister

Although she was slightly annoyed at how Daniela had chosen her outfit for such an important day, Bela couldn’t help the wide grin that made its way across her lips. Her sister had put so much effort into making sure today was perfect–both of them had. She couldn’t be more grateful for her sisters.

She gently placed the small note on her desk before taking the set of clothes into the bathroom with her to change. Once she was fully dressed, she managed to apply her makeup before someone knocked at the door. “Who is it?” “It’s Cass. Daniela said I should help you with your hair? I don’t know why.” Bela giggled and opened the door. “Uh, probably because you’re the best at braiding and styling things? If you weren’t, the garden wouldn’t look nearly as perfect as it does.”

Cassandra’s face reddened a bit at the sudden compliment, unable to bite back her smile. “Well, either way, we should hurry. [Y/N] should be here in about an hour, and you still need to rehearse what you’re going to say when she gets here.”

Bela nodded, stepping out of the bathroom after grabbing her hairbrush and a few hair ties. She and Cassandra sauntered over to her bed, where she sat on the floor so it’d be easier for her sister. After being handed the brush, Cassandra got to work, quickly weaving Bela’s blonde strands into two neat braids that pulled back a portion of her hair, stretching around the crown of her head. She pulled the remaining hair into a bun, insisting that there aren’t too many loose strands or stray hairs. Finally, she stood and moved to crouch in front of Bela to brush her bangs a bit so they framed her face nicely.

She stepped back, seemingly proud of her work. “There we go,” she declared with a sigh. Bela stood, heading over to the bathroom once more to glance at herself in the reflection. Her eyebrows raised in surprise at how beautiful she looked. Cassandra stepped in and stood beside her, smiling at her reassuringly. The daisy hair clip caught her eye. She picked it up and shook her head with a soft laugh. “Dani, huh?” Bela smiled anxiously. “Yeah, she’s also the one who chose my outfit.”

Cassandra quickly looked over her attire, impressed. “Well, she was right to choose this one. It really suits you.” She stepped forward and slid the clip against Bela’s hair, snapping it gently into place to help reveal more of her face. The two then turned back to the mirror, and Cassandra patted her sister on the shoulder. “You look amazing. I’m sure [Y/N] will agree.”

Trembling once again with fear, Bela did her best to steady her breathing as she waited patiently in the garden. A quick glance up towards the most visible window let her see both of her sisters gazing down at her with comforting smiles, both giving a thumbs up. She smiled, then let her head lean back down to stare at the envelope she held tightly against her chest.

“Bela?”

She jumped immediately. The nerves she had thought were finally settling spiked up again, making her yelp. She took in a deep breath and forced herself to regain her composure before she turned around. Once laying eyes on [Y/N], however, her ability to seem calm and collected faltered. Her breath stuttered in her throat, her face entirely red once again. “[Y/N], holy…you look,” She didn’t want to simply say “beautiful,” it seemed far too vague. She couldn’t quite think of the right word to describe how [Y/N] looked. Would beautiful have to do?

“You look so beautiful,” she finally mumbled as her eyes trailed down to study her outfit. Daniela must’ve chosen her outfit for her as well, seeing as how it had the same color scheme. She wore a black skirt with matching one-inch heels, and a red keyhole blouse, though the color was much more muted. Her hair was down like usual, though it was curled and brushed out to give it a wavy effect. Her face turned a shade of pink as Bela’s words, which complimented the color of her shirt.

“Oh, th-thank you. Daniela said you’d like this outfit, so…” Bela hummed to herself. Of course her sister was the one who chose it–it would’ve been an interesting coincidence if they had separately chosen the same pattern. She smiled.

“It looks incredible on you,” was her soft reply. [Y/N] beamed up at her and shifted her hands to find each other behind her, allowing her to fidget with them. “You look incredible as well.” The two of them smiled at each other, though they quickly looked away sheepishly. A tap at the window above caught Bela’s attention. She glanced up and watched as her sisters motioned for her to continue. Forcing herself to draw in a shaky breath, she cleared her throat and nodded, managing to look back at [Y/N], who hadn’t seemed to notice anything.

She stepped forward, catching [Y/N]’s attention. “So, Daniela said you really wanted to tell me something,” the woman said, almost as if she was asking. Bela nodded and glanced down at the envelope. Before she could let herself back down, she felt her arms thrust forward to hold it out. [Y/N] jumped at the sudden motion, but delicately slipped the offered envelope from the blonde’s trembling hands. She flipped it over, her face turning a darker shade of red as she spotted the heart-shaped stamp.

“I-I’m sure you could tell,” Bela started, wrestling with herself to keep her voice steady, “but I’m not exactly the best at expressing my feelings through verbal words, so…I-I had Dani help me write them down instead. And that’s, um…that’s what’s in this envelope.”

Again, if it were possible, [Y/N]’s face burned brighter, now matching the shade of red that painted Bela’s button-up shirt. She gulped and flimsily slid her fingernail underneath the stamp to scratch it from the thin surface, watching as it popped upwards enough for her to lift the top. She inhaled nervously and pulled the folded sheet of paper from the envelope, which she then looked around for a place to put it down. Bela held her hand out. “I can hold that for you,” she whispered.

[Y/N] nodded and handed it to her. “O-Oh, thank you,” she replied just as quietly. She tugged at the paper to unfold it, her eyes scanning over the finely printed writing that Bela had spent so much time forging.

My dearest [Y/N],

I hope this letter isn’t too forward. I’ve been wanting to express my feelings to you for so long now, ever since we first met three years ago. Do you remember that day? My sisters had bombarded you with questions after seeing us speak to one another about a book the Duke had been selling. I remember your reaction then: you were so timid around them. I can still see it in my mind how red your face had gotten as you tried to keep up with Daniela’s enthused chatter. You looked breathtaking then, just as you still do. Your smile as you laughed nervously is still as charming as it is now. And your eyes, the same ones I’ve found myself dreaming about for countless nights, secretly praying that they’d find my own gaze each time I spotted you in the village.

At first, I was too worried that if I said anything too soon, it would ruin how kindly you spoke to me–that you’d find me strange and never speak to me again. I wanted to give things time to ensure this wasn’t going to be a short-lived infatuation. I can say now that it wasn’t. I still adore you, and I would dare to say I do even more than before. You caught my attention from the moment I saw you scanning through the Duke’s selection of stories.

I may be too bold with this, but I wish I could wake up to those stunning eyes of yours every morning. There’s something in your gaze each time that shows me you don’t view me like most of the other villagers do–like a monster. You see me as a human, and I always find myself falling into a trance when you so much as glance in my direction with that same look of kindness in your eyes. I love everything about you, and although this once again may be too bold, I want you to know that I love you.

I love you inside and out. Words can’t even begin to express the way I feel about you, and if they can, then I suppose I just haven’t found them yet. I don’t expect you to return these feelings, especially considering how awkward I always am around you, but I couldn’t keep it inside of myself any longer. I want you to know how I view you and how I feel about you.

I love you, I truly do.

Forever yours,

Bela Dimitrescu 🖤

[Y/N] watched as a tear slipped from her eye and dripped onto the paper. Her hands shook as she brought the backs of them up to wipe her eyes, sniffling and clearing her throat. Bela, now alarmed at her reaction, stepped forward and gently gripped the woman’s wrists, pulling them down to look her in the eye–the same eyes she had expressed her adoration of in the letter. “Oh, what’s wrong? Was it what the letter said? I-I’m sorry, I shouldn’t have–” “No, no, it’s not that,” [Y/N] interrupted with a giggle. “I mean, it is, but not in a bad way. Your letter was just…so sweet. I-I wasn’t expecting it is all.” She sniffled again, bringing the paper back up to gaze at it with a warm smile.

Bela blushed, glancing down at the letter briefly before letting her focus shift back up to the weeping girl’s face. Her hands slowly moved to hold the girl’s shoulders. “Well, what I said was true. I really do love you, [Y/N]. I’m not sure how you feel about me, but I just had to let you know how I feel about you.”

Again, [Y/N] laughed.

“I didn’t take you as the romantic type, Bela. I always got that vibe from Daniela.” Bela couldn’t help but chuckle with her. She let her hands slide down [Y/N]’s arms, though they stopped at her wrists. She looked up at her as if to ask if it was okay, and when she received a nod accompanied with a loving grin, she let her hands hold [Y/N]’s the way she had been craving to do for years. She couldn’t see it, but her lips had stretched out to a wide smile.

After giving it a moment to kick in, Bela silently cleared her throat and gave [Y/N]’s hands a soft squeeze. “I don’t know how else to ask without it sounding desperate, so I suppose I should just ask right out. Do you feel the same way about me?”

Once again, [Y/N] giggled. “I don’t think it sounds desperate at all. I figured my feelings would’ve been obvious though.” She finally lifted her head enough to gaze into Bela’s eyes like she always did, though there was pure admiration in her steady stare.

“Yes, I love you too, Bela.”

Bela’s breath hitched, tears finally springing free from her eyes. Just as it had yesterday, her heart hammered against her ribs and began to throb. As she let out a small sob, [Y/N] stepped even closer, her soft, warm arms wrapping themselves around her torso and pulling her into a comforting hug. Bela couldn’t help but return the embrace tightly, the desperation she had been showing withering away, showing that her patience had paid off.

“I love you so much,” was all she could whisper before letting the rest of her built up tears fall. “I love you too, Bela. I really do.”

The two stood there, rocking each other back and forth for what felt like hours before they finally pulled back. [Y/N]’s arm slid down to let her offer her hand to hold. Still smiling as widely as before, Bela took her hand into her own, almost whimpering as their fingers interlaced with one another. With a small laugh, [Y/N] tugged her away from the garden and up to the parlor’s entrance, where they both pushed the doors open and headed inside.

Just as she had imagined, Daniela and Cassandra were quick to greet the two. Daniela was bouncing up and down excitedly as she asked all kinds of questions, while Cassandra could only stand there with a proud grin on her lips. She patted Bela on the shoulder while [Y/N] was distracted trying to answer all of the questions the youngest sister had. “I’m proud of you. You didn’t back down this time. And it seems like it paid off, huh?”

Bela glanced over at [Y/N], who was smiling wide enough for her nose to scrunch up, the blush evident on her features as she laughed. Her brows were furrowed slightly, just like they had done the day before. The blonde hummed and beamed just as brightly, turning back to Cassandra.

“Yeah, it really did.”

Playing Minecraft with Boscha

[Just a few general headcanons on how I think playing Minecraft with Boscha would go if she were ever introduced to it. It's been a while since I've just written preferences instead of a full short story, so I hope it's up to par.]

Enjoy!

-Okay, so–

-At first, when you introduced Boscha to Minecraft, she didn’t really care for it.

-She thought it was just some random game for little kids.

-It wasn’t until you finally convinced her to join your game while you played with Luz, Amity, and Willow that she gave in and decided to see why it was so popular in the human realm.

-After figuring out the controls, she was HOOKED.

-A game where you can control pretty much everything you want? Sign her up!

-She’d definitely prefer to play on creative so she could fly around and not worry about having to constantly type in cheats to get the materials she needs, but she’s not upset about playing on survival either.

-Defintelyyyy loves being one to farm for XP. It gives her the chance to kill enemies in the game and even get creative with it. She LOVES it without a doubt.

-For a while, she didn’t want to play alone. She had been introduced to the game with other friends, meaning she could kind of rely on them to help her gather resources and fight tougher enemies. She started playing on her own, however, upon realizing she could impress you and the others with her newest designs for her skin and builds (which she totally didn’t look up multiple online tutorials for at all).

-After a while, she really started to enjoy just being able to hop online and play with only you.

-It was really fun getting to spend time with you alone on such an intriguing game. She got to vent about her day and absolutely loved being able to crack jokes with you and just laugh and talk until the early hours of the morning when the two of you would finally log off and go to bed.

-Definitely expect her to spam you with requests to join her game whenever she isn’t busy.

-”Boscha, hun, you’ve gotta stop spamming me.”

-”But look at this thing I just found out about! If lightning strikes a creeper, it supercharges it and–”

-Will absolutely find a way into the Nether before she even has any of the gear remotely needed to survive.

-She doesn’t even know how Nether portals work, she was just messing around with lava and water, or somehow stumbled upon an abandoned portal and managed to ignite it.

-Speaking of ignition, you’d better hope she turned “fire spread” off because once she gets her hands on Flint and Steel, she’ll be setting everything ablaze.

-Will 100% go spelunking without any torches or backup pickaxes/shovels, and then complain when she finds out that she has to have a certain kind of tool to mine up diamond ore.

-Will also be the one who tries to take on multiple creepers, skeletons, or even the Enderdragon at once without a proper weapon. “I’ll beat your ass with my bare hands! Or–eh–whatever the hell these square-looking things are…”

-*QueenBoscha was slain by an arrow*

-"No fair! How'd you kill me, you bony bitch?"

-If, for some reason, she can’t play on her own console, she’ll invite herself to your house and either play split-screen with you on yours, or slide up behind you and hold you, resting her head against your shoulder while she watches you play. She’d definitely be interested in watching you play since you’ve played it much longer than her. She can learn different building techniques, ways to get around different terrains without boats and similar transportation, and hey, maybe she’ll actually learn how important it is to cRaFT A TOOL.

-Playing with her is always fun because she’s so quick to act snarky towards the fictional enemies in the game. Sure, she’ll jokingly yell at a zombie if it smacks her, but she gets so defensive if something attacks you.

-Sometimes it seems like she forgets that the game is entirely fictional and you aren’t actually being hurt. After a while of you teasing her about it, she starts to make fun of herself in a way. She’ll use the voice she had when mockingly reading one of the Azura books aloud. “I shall avenge thee!”

-For sure has pink-themed “equipment,” as she calls it. I’m talking pink controllers/keyboard + mouse, pink (probably LED) headphones, pink wrap for the console itself, etc. And not, like, pastel pink. Neon pink or a really bright shade of magenta.

-Her voice actress (Eden Riegel) said she’d absolutely be one to set trends in the human realm, but I think one of the trends she’d follow herself is trying to start a gaming channel.

-She’d definitely expect you to fully support her and even create a channel of your own so you could collaborate on the game.

-Eden also said Boscha’s favorite human snack would be Takis, so I can picture her snacking on those while she’s playing anything online.

-Overall, Boscha would absolutely love playing Minecraft, especially with you, and would kinda grow a little too obsessed with it for a while before moving on to a new game, though she'd always come back to Minecraft if she needed to relax.

Shielded Devotion

[Resident Evil: Village] Daniela Dimitrescu x Female Reader

Word Count: 5.01k

Proofread: Yes

Content Warnings: Mentions of blood, torture, punishment, Cassandra being her sadistic self, arguments, insecurities, death, and anxiety.

[A/N]: Here's Daniela's part for the continuation of Shielded! This is the final part for this short series. Bela and Cassandra's parts can be found here.

Enjoy!

 Rushed, hurried footsteps echoed their way through the halls, the sound of rough heels clacking against the floors making their presence known. A soft hiss of pain slipped past [Y/N]’s lips as she desperately searched for a secluded room to unwind in, a constant jabbing pain making her head throb at each small sound. It was hard for her to conceal her pain. She was trying her best to get away from everyone. The maids were running about the main floor, frantically trying to clean up every inch of the rooms, tidy and set up the dining room table, and prepare dinner all at once. And although [Y/N] was typically one to offer them help without hesitation, she couldn’t bring herself to intervene. The day had been long enough–all she wanted to do was rest.

First thing in the morning, several maids had rudely awoken her with their shrill screams as they raced to safety down the hall, desperately trying to avoid all three of the Dimitrescu sisters, who taunted them as they chased after them. She hadn’t figured out what had caused the audacious awakening, though she was too irritated and exhausted to bother finding out. She figured she would have been used to all of the cries of agony after willingly being there for so long, but it always seemed to startle her in more ways than one.

The girls had agreed to try and keep things away from her, due to them not wanting to disturb her, though it seemed that sometimes that promise had slipped their minds. She often found herself jumping and trying to calm her racing heart after hearing shrieking throughout multiple rooms of the estate. No matter how many times she tried to consistently brace herself for anything that could be deemed as unexpected, she always found herself being caught off guard with each and every loud noise, whether it came from an unfortunate man, woman, or something shattering.

As she drowsily got up to get dressed and ready for the day mere moments after the familiar screaming, Bela and both of her younger sisters began to knock loudly on her door. They asked repeatedly in whiny voices if they could come in and spend some time with her, begging her to join them for breakfast. She groaned, still only half-dressed as she hobbled over and cracked the door open far enough to peer at them. Before she could politely deny their offer, Daniela and Cassandra had shoved the doors open, striking her harshly–one hit her against the forehead, and the other cracked her against the chin. Bela yanked the two of them back by their cloaks, instantly scolding them for being so reckless. She tugged them back into the hallway and forced them away from the door while mumbling an apology for the intrusion.

She managed to finish pulling the rest of her clothes on before heading down to the kitchen to ice her head. After sneaking around each corner to ensure no one else was around to bother or hurt her, she wobbled all the way back upstairs into her bedroom, then into the bathroom that was connected to it, rummaging through her medical cabinet to find bandages. She hadn’t realized it until she was getting the ice, but the girls had pushed the doors open with enough force to cut and bruise the skin they had struck. She had bled all the way downstairs, and then all the way back upstairs. She felt like collapsing right then and there from the pain and fatigue.

She felt like she had stared into the mirror for hours after sticking the bandages on. She could only grimace at the dark, heavy bags underneath her bloodshot eyes. That, mixed with the swollen bumps already bruising beneath the bandaids, prompted her to let out an annoyed sigh. How had she gotten so tired? How long had she looked so…pathetic? She couldn’t help but let her mind wander back to the night she had protected all three Dimitrescu sisters two weeks prior. She wondered if that had been where this had all started. Surely she had looked exhausted beforehand, but she never felt that way–not as often as she was at that moment.

She had to refrain from slamming the medical cabinet closed again, instead begrudgingly counting to ten as she rubbed harshly at her weary eyes. She splashed frigid water onto her face before leaving the safety and security of her bedroom. It took every ounce of strength to tear her eyes from her bed, which was screaming for her to lie back down and get the rest she knew she needed. The same mattress that was usually too rigid and cold for her to get a good night’s rest seemed so welcoming and soft. “You have to get through the day. If you do, that bed will feel even more comforting than it would now,” she repeated to herself, struggling to muster up any form of motivation.

During lunch, Cassandra and Bela had gotten into yet another huge argument over something minor, in which Daniela somehow got unwillingly dragged into. As things began to escalate rather rapidly, the youngest daughter–known for behaving childish at any given opportunity–had taken a handful of what remained of the dish in front of her and hurled it violently at Cassandra, who froze before angrily swiping the muck off her face, growling loudly, and lunging herself at her sister. Bela did her best to restrain her, seemingly feral and unhinged, sister while their mother, Alcina, could only watch with a heavy groan as she remained seated in her designated chair and rubbed her eyes tiredly. [Y/N] was eventually brought into the room to step in between the two younger siblings and convince them to calm down as Bela pulled them apart. Alcina had requested her specifically after several years of seeing how well she was able to tolerate the three.

[Y/N] had let her guard down eventually, though it was quickly spiked back up. Cassandra, being as stubborn as she was, didn’t want to be the one who had lost the argument–and full-on fight. Just as [Y/N] was moving to step out of the room, Daniela had heaved her back to stand in front of her like a human shield. Before she had the chance to ask why she had done that, Cassandra had thrown another handful of food heftily in her direction, though it was clear by her reaction that she was aiming towards her baby sister’s face. It splattered against [Y/N]’s instead, making the entire room go silent in surprise. Cassandra gasped silently and stepped back, snarling a bit as Daniela began to cackle. Bela could only groan in pure annoyance.

Upon her mother’s orders, Bela led [Y/N] out of the room and into the nearest restroom to wash her face off. She flew back upstairs and retrieved a clean pair of clothes for her to change into before returning to the dining room to attempt to get her sisters under control. After temporarily succeeding, Alcina tasked [Y/N] with cleaning all three of her daughters up separately. The four of them spoke to one another as the young maid helped bathe them and comb their hair.

Bela vented about how she wished her sisters could act a little more mature, and how she wished they didn’t drag [Y/N] into everything they possibly could. It was a breath of fresh air to hear that [Y/N] felt the same way, both of them laughing as she cracked a small joke about being used as a human shield.

Cassandra whined about how “bratty” her younger sister could be, always acting childish and making things worse. [Y/N] did her best to reason with the middle child, explaining that things wouldn’t have escalated if she hadn’t jumped at her. After a while of trying to defend herself, Cassandra sighed and agreed that she shouldn’t have reacted so poorly.

Daniela couldn’t help but laugh each time the image of [Y/N]’s face covered in food that had been unintentionally chucked her way flashed through her mind. She pouted, however, when [Y/N] scolded her gently. “You sound just like Bela sometimes,” she mumbled, though she ultimately admitted that she may have acted a little ridiculously.

A few hours before dinner, [Y/N] had finally convinced herself that she needed, and deserved, a break. She couldn’t think of a specific place where she’d be alone, mainly due to her head feeling heavy with pain. She wandered through each room, searching for somewhere secluded where she wouldn’t have to deal with any of the other maids or the Dimitrescu sisters.

She slipped through the large doors leading from the dining room to the foyer. For a moment, the other maids in the den seemed to be calm enough for her to stay put, but things began to escalate at the sound of one of the plates falling to the floor and shattering back towards the kitchen. She groaned, already aware of where the situation was headed. Within moments, faint, distant buzzing began to roar. Soon after, [Y/N] didn’t have to strain her ears much to hear a struggle–one of the maids, likely the one who had dropped the plate, was crying out desperately, repeatedly sobbing out apologies. Three pairs of feet stomped their way into the dining room, and then out to the den, the doors flying open and slamming against the walls. [Y/N] and the other women in the room jumped at the sound, all twirling around to stare in uniform surprise.

“Cassandra, let her go, for god’s sake!” Bela hollered as she chased after her sister. Cassandra, being as aggressive as she is, had grabbed the maid roughly by the arm upon learning she had been the one to drop the plate, yanking her out to throw her out. “No, she can’t just get away with that without some form of punishment! Otherwise, the maids wouldn’t be as cautious with our belongings as they are,” Cassandra retorted. A growl erupted from the back of the eldest daughter’s throat. “Cass, seriously! For one thing, the closest entrance to the dungeon is back there,” she sneered, her hand flying to the side to point towards the doors the two had just bursted through. “And for another, we’re already running out of maids as it is. We don’t need to just keep slaughtering them at every inconvenience.” Her golden eyes snapped towards [Y/N] before returning to the two in front of her.

Cassandra parted her lips to snap back at her older sister, but the familiar sound of her mother’s heels clicking closer from upstairs halted her thoughts. She froze momentarily before clearing her throat. Both she and Bela watched as Alcina descended the stairs partway.

While any other woman living in the castle would have received a cold, piercing glare from the matriarch, Bela and Cassandra only got one of pure exhaustion and slight annoyance. She pinched the bridge of her nose with a short sigh. “Girls, please. I don’t want to hear the two of you yelling so frequently. What happened?” Bela stepped forward a bit and silently cleared her throat before replying. “I apologize, mother. This maid accidentally dropped a plate, and Cassandra’s first reaction was to try to punish her. Although I’m sure you know how her “punishments” tend to go. I was trying to stop her from doing so. We didn’t mean to make a commotion.” Alcina glanced between the two women before her gaze finally landed on the trembling woman still being held in place by Cassandra’s tight grip on her arm.

“Bela is right, Cassandra. We can’t afford to lose any more of our staff. Leave her be–I’m sure she didn’t mean for it to happen.” Trying to desperately say something in defense of herself, Cassandra stammered. She glanced at her sister, then up at her mother, and then down to the maid still in her grasp. She sighed, her shoulders drooping slightly in defeat as her hold on the woman’s arm dropped. She bowed her head towards her mother. “Of course, mother. I apologize. It…won’t happen again.”

Smirking in satisfaction, Bela glanced to try and search for [Y/N] again, only to be met with the blank space where she was just moments ago. A look of confusion crossed her features, though her attention quickly returned to her mother once more.

//////////

“Dear god,” [Y/N] groaned, rubbing her temples as she wandered further into the castle. It was no surprise to her that the one time she tried to find time for herself, there was more commotion than usual. She walked sluggishly toward the library. Bela and Cassandra were still down in the den, so Daniela was likely somewhere remotely close to them. In other words, she’d be alone in the quietest room available. Wincing slightly at the sound of the door creaking as she pushed it open, [Y/N] continued to move further into the room. She let out a small sigh of relief at the silence that filled the large space. It brought her a sense of comfort, and she could already feel her headache beginning to fade.

Her feet led her toward the nearest bookshelf, allowing her to reach out and graze the dusted spines of the books with her fingertips. She could feel the small creases and dents in the leather covers. “I guess reading could help me calm down a bit.” She circled the shelves for a moment, eventually finding a book that seemed interesting enough. She slid it out from its place on the wooden surface and sauntered to the center of the room, just under the skylight, allowing her to see the print and cover with ease. With a small flick of the wrist, the front cover of the book flipped open. She caught it in between her left index finger and thumb.

Slowly becoming absorbed in the book, [Y/N] failed to notice the distant, familiar buzzing in the room growing louder. It swirled around above her head, encircling the area like a vulture stalking its prey. As she flipped the page she was on to carry on with the next chapter, cold, gloved hands planted themselves on her shoulder and rocked her back and forth jerkily. “[Y/N]! How kind of you to visit me! Wanted to find a nice book to bundle up with, hm? How domestic of you,” Daniela cooed from behind her. The redhead leaned forward and let her bloodied lips graze [Y/N]’s ear. “Might I ask what story you’ve chosen to read, my precious little kitten?”

[Y/N] couldn’t help but jump slightly at the sudden presence of someone else. She twirled around too quickly and nearly stumbled backwards onto the floor. Daniela caught her, however, using her right arm to wrap around the girl’s waist, and her left hand to grasp her wrist. She stepped closer, smirking widely. “Oh, careful now. I’m flattered you’re falling for me, but please don’t hurt yourself in the process. That would be no fun,” she teased. She pulled [Y/N] upright onto her feet, though her hands remained where they were. “L-Lady Daniela! I apologize–I wasn’t…I didn’t know you were in here as well.” The redhead raised a brow, still grinning. “Oh? Where would I have been otherwise? You know very well this is where I spend most of my time.”

“I-I know that! I just figured y-you’d be down with your sisters,” the trembling girl replied shakily. Daniela playfully rolled her eyes. “I don’t follow them around all the time, you know. They don’t have me on a leash.” Her mischievous smirk returned as she once again leaned towards [Y/N]. Her face was merely inches from the other woman’s, allowing [Y/N] to feel her hot breath against her skin, as well as the cold blood from the youngest Dimitrescu sister’s lips splattering against her own. “Though, I will admit, I would absolutely love to see you on a leash.”

Now entirely flustered, [Y/N] stammered as she struggled to find something to say. Daniela couldn’t help but cackle at her reaction. She finally pulled back a bit from the girl, her fingers on the hand still holding [Y/N]’s wrist trailing up to her shoulder, then back down to her hand to slip the book out and examine it. “Now, what is it that you’re reading?” She hummed, tilting her head as she flipped the book around properly. She popped the cover back down and read the title, another smile reaching her lips. “Ah, you’ve chosen one of my favorites! I knew you loved me, but so much so that you take the same interests as me? How endearing!”

She turned the book over and read the back cover, then flipped through a couple of the first few pages, before closing it and returning it to [Y/N], who unsteadily reached out to grab hold of it again.

“I’m sure you’ll love it. Almost as much as you love me, princess,” Daniela murmured. She took [Y/N] by the wrists and tugged her forward. “Say, why don’t we read it together? We can cuddle up on the sofa while you read it aloud! It’ll be so romantic,” she swooned, twirling herself and [Y/N] around for a moment. “L-Lady Daniela, please–!” “Oh, don’t be such a buzzkill, [Y/N]! Just call me Daniela, alright?” “A-Ah, alright. Could you–um–stop spinning me around? I’m getting a little too dizzy.” Daniela faked a look of hurt as she halted her movements. “Aw,” she whined. “You’re no fun.”

Daniela then swarmed herself around to stand behind [Y/N] and wrap her arms around her waist. She let her chin plant itself on the smaller woman’s shoulder before nuzzling her crimson-red smeared face into the crook of her neck. “It’s been so long since I’ve read this one. Will you read it to me?” She asked, giving a pouty lip with pleading eyes, even though she knew [Y/N] couldn’t see her expression from her standpoint. “Pretty please? I promise I won’t bite.” Her pointed canines, which she liked to refer to as fangs, then grazed [Y/N]’s soft, warm, tempting skin. “Well, not yet anyway,” she husked out in her trademark tone. Her warm breath panted against her with each word.

A chill ran down [Y/N]’s spine, making her visibly shudder with an equally shaky sigh. “I-I…I don’t know, L–” She cleared her throat, remembering the woman’s words just moments before. “Daniela. What if someone sees? Won’t they be…I don’t know, disgusted?” Daniela’s head perked up as she frowned. “Excuse me? What exactly is that supposed to mean? Are you embarrassed to be seen with me?” “What? No! It’s the opposite, actually…I figured you’d be embarrassed to be seen with me. That’s why I keep getting so anxious when you flirt with me the way you do. I know you kind of do it with everyone, but I’m worried you’ll be made fun of if it’s directed towards me.”

Daniela’s frown deepened. She stepped back to stand in front of [Y/N], gently cupping her face in her clothed hands. “Why on earth would I ever be made fun of for something like that? You’re an incredible woman, [Y/N]. Anyone who thinks otherwise is nothing but a fool.” Her left hand trailed up far enough to stroke the girl’s hair, tucking a few loose strands behind her ear.

Although she kept on a protective and calm facade, Daniela could feel her blood boiling underneath her skin. She knew that soon enough it would start to seep through her tone and begin to make itself known, no matter how hard she tried to fight it back.

“Has anyone told you the opposite? Was it one of the maids? One of my sisters? Oh, I’ll crush them for speaking so lowly of you. I’ll torment them nonstop and make their lives a living hell–” “Daniela, no one said anything. No one in this castle anyway, nor this village, as a matter of fact. I’ve just always,” she hesitated, taking the moment of silence to suck in a harsh, staggered breath. “I’ve always thought so lowly of myself. Ever since I was a child, I’ve put myself down left and right, always believing there was something I could do or say to be better. I was terrified of people thinking I was worthless. I still am, actually. It didn’t matter if they told me I was doing far more than enough–I kept telling myself that I was doing too little for them. I convinced myself I wasn’t worthy of love of any kind. I believed I had to have a reason–or some way to prove that–I deserve to exist.”

Daniela, although she tended to find this kind of thing an opportunity to be romantic, like in the stories she read, could feel her heart breaking into pieces at the thought of [Y/N] being so insecure of herself. How could such a wonderful, kind woman believe she had to have a reason to exist? How could she think she wasn’t enough? It befuddled her.

What was even more surprising to her was just how much she cared for this girl. She had never felt like this for anyone else before–even though she pretended to love everyone she flirted with. Had it been any of the other maids, she wouldn’t have even taken a single second to talk things through and try to comfort her. She would’ve toyed with her before leading her to her demise. With [Y/N], however, it was entirely different: she would light up when she smiled or laughed, she’d tear up upon seeing her angry or in pain, and she’d feel the overwhelming urge to rip anyone to shreds if she found out they were the reason behind her sorrow. The thought alone made her seethe.

In her eyes–as well as her sisters’–it seemed obvious that she was more than enough. She wished she could find a way to prove to her that she had already done so much and already deserved the love she received.

“Well, while it’s relieving to know I won’t have to punish anyone for treating you poorly, it certainly hurts far more to hear that you think of yourself that way. [Y/N], you’re perfect the way you are. You’re selfless, kind, charming, and beautiful inside and out. I couldn’t believe that you were real at first because I was only used to the characters I read about in these books being so flawless. They always wear it with pride, but you seem to be ashamed of it, and I cannot for the life of me understand why.

“For heaven’s sake: you saved my sisters and I from dying! I think that clears any idea that you aren’t worthy of love. If it weren’t for you, I wouldn’t be standing here right now, telling you just how much of an amazing person you are. Is all of this cheesy? Possibly. But it’s all true. Plus, you should know me by now: I absolutely love a good cliche. Especially one that’s so true and well-deserved.”

They gazed into each other’s eyes for a moment, wordlessly talking even further to one another. [Y/N] studied the redhead’s gaze in search of any sign of a lie. When she found none, she sighed gently and glanced down at the floor between them. “Well, if you’re sure you wouldn’t mind, then…I suppose reading the book together wouldn’t hurt.” Daniela’s eyes lit up, sparkling under the dimmed light of the glass roof. “Where do you want to sit?”

She squealed, jumping up and down slightly as she took [Y/N]’s hands into her own. “Ah, I knew you’d agree to it! Feeling quite romantic, aren’t we?” She gave a teasing, knowing look, entirely smug as she leaned forward once again. [Y/N] blushed, laughing nervously. “I wouldn’t say that. I just…want to make you happy is all.” Daniela felt her own face growing warm. The blush dusting her face nearly matched the same shade of red as the blood plastered over her face, dripping down her chin and neck and seeping into her cloak.

“O-Oh…” Her lofty grin shifted into an embarrassed, lovestruck smile. “Well, I guess we should find somewhere comfortable then.” Her teasing tone returned. “You wouldn’t want to keep me waiting, would you?” [Y/N] beamed at her. She giggled, making Daniela’s heart flutter. “I guess not. Where do you usually like to read?” Daniela excitedly grasped [Y/N]’s free hand in her own before tugging her over to the sofa adjacent to the large double doors. She gently swept the smaller woman off of her feet just long enough to prop her up against the armrest of the sofa.

Over time, as she got further along in the book, [Y/N]’s voice began to clear and steady itself. She put more emotion into the words as she read them aloud, bringing the characters to life, in a way. Used to fidgeting with something as she read, she found herself letting her hand reach up towards Daniela’s head. Her fingertips grazed the shaved part of her head and scratched at it for a moment before sliding over to rake themselves through her soft red locks that were partially sprawled across her chest. Daniela hummed in content, smiling and yawning as she was lulled into a feeling of security and bliss.

[Y/N]’s headache had long disappeared, much to her relief. There were no longer any throbbing pains throughout her skull, making her wince at every turn. She could finally rest as she read the story both to herself and to the woman on top of her torso. It brought her a sense of comfort–feeling the weight against her chest mixed with the slight source of warmth. Her eyelids drooped as they scanned each phrase. She could hear her words beginning to slur together as she struggled to fight to keep her eyes open.

Daniela’s eyes, even though they were already closed, felt heavy. Both the sound of [Y/N]’s heartbeat mixed with the low rumbling vibrations in her chest as she spoke helped her feel at ease. She had already reread the book multiple times, but she wasn’t going to pass up an opportunity to be this close to [Y/N]. After she had been saved a little over two weeks ago from the attack of that wretched man-thing, Daniela had found herself craving the woman’s warmth and touch. She had fallen in love with her long ago, far before the attack, but after seeing just how far the girl was willing to go for her and her sisters, the feeling of devotion and adoration had only grown stronger.

As she began to doze off further and further, all while huddling closer to [Y/N], Daniela searched her brain for something to say before passing out. The corners of her lips perked up into a small smile as she yawned. “Your voice is so beautiful and soothing, honey.”  She paused, seeming to think for a moment. “Honey…your voice is like honey. Sweet and smooth.” [Y/N] stopped reading to glance down at her. She chuckled softly, a faint blush dusting her cheeks. “Oh, um…thank you, Dani. That’s very sweet of you.” “Not as sweet as you are.” Another soft laugh slipped past [Y/N]’s lips, which in turn made Daniela’s weary smile grow wider.

“You’re a very sweet woman as well, Dani,” the smaller woman whispered. As she turned back to the book to continue where she left off, another small sentence came from Daniela, making her freeze and blush. “I love you, princess.”

She swallowed the lump in her throat after a moment and shuddered. She could only stare for a moment, waiting until the redhead fell asleep entirely. The sound of deep, even breaths finally confirmed that she had fallen asleep after several minutes. At length, and with a sigh, [Y/N] smiled and pressed a gentle kiss to her head. She turned back to the book just long enough to fold the corner of the current page she had been reading. Closing it softly as to not make any loud noises, she stretched her arm over slowly and placed it on the floor beside the sofa. She then let the same arm lift itself back up to drape itself around Daniela’s waist.

Her eyes eventually fluttered shut, her chest rising as she sucked in a deep breath before releasing it through a heavy sigh. She could hear Daniela’s breathing mixed with her own heartbeat. The room was entirely silent otherwise, though it was comforting to the two of the women. The smell of the blood still lingering on the redhead’s face wafted slightly through the air. It combined itself with her perfume and shampoo, which [Y/N] was able to smell because of how close the woman’s head was to her own.

Her nails scratched lightly at the silky fabric that made up Daniela’s cloak, tracing random patterns as her mind wandered elsewhere. She could feel Daniela’s torso expanding with each breath she took, each warm breath that met the skin of her collarbone with every exhale, each little twitch that came from the woman’s hand or leg whenever something happened in her dream.

A silent yawn forced itself past [Y/N]’s lips. Soon enough, one of Daniela’s sisters or one of the maids would come in and shake them awake to let them know dinner was ready. She didn’t mind, however. As much as she had thought a moment like this would be uncomfortable and forced, it seemed genuine and comforting. Until that moment, [Y/N] hadn’t noticed just how exhausted and worn out her body was. She smiled tiredly, already partially unconscious.

“I love you too, Daniela.”

Shielded Dedication

[Resident Evil: Village] Bela Dimitrescu x Female Reader

Word Count: 5.1k

Proofread: Yes

Content Warnings: Mentions of torture and death, soft angst, past trauma (based on the first part of this short series), and anxiety.

[A/N]: Here's Bela's part for the continuation of Shielded! I'm working on the stories for Cassandra and Daniela, so expect those sometime soon!

Enjoy!

//////////

Sharp, repeated pains shot their way through [Y/N]’s skull, prompting her to clench her jaw and grind her teeth together. She pinched the bridge of her nose with a sigh, her eyes screwed tightly shut. “We’re running out of maids, Cass! We can’t keep killing them for any little inconvenience!” Daniela shouted as she stepped forward to look her sister in the eyes. “We can get more! It’s not like any of them matter anyway!”

Cassandra seemed to regret her words immediately after yelling them. Her gaze had flickered over to a maid–[Y/N]--and remembered all the girl had done for her and her family. She had saved them two weeks prior from an intruder, killing off the man and bringing them to safety. She had provided warmth and blood for them to heal and regain their strength.

“Cassandra, please,” her mother warned. Her expression mirrored [Y/N]’s as she sighed. “We need to avoid punishing these maids too severely, as your sister said. There aren’t many left, and the women still left in the village are far too young or ill. Take her down to the cellars and carry out a reasonable punishment. If she’s found dead, you will never hear the end of it from me.” Cassandra parted her lips to retort something, but bit back her response with a groan. “Yes, mother,” she murmured in a much softer tone. “Daniela,” the matriarch added just as the youngest daughter began to taunt her older sister. The redhead straightened up, ignoring Cassandra, who stuck her tongue out at her and grabbed the maid nearby by the wrist. “Go with her to ensure she doesn’t take things too far, will you?” “Of course, mother.” Alcina smiled warmly at her and watched as the two pulled the maid out of the room and into the kitchen. Faintly, she heard the two beginning to bicker in hushed voices, even as they walked further away.

She turned, expecting to find her eldest daughter waiting patiently in her seat, but instead found herself alone at the table. She glanced around, eventually turning to another maid who stood anxiously by the door to the courtyard. “Did you happen to see where Bela went?” After the events that took place two weeks beforehand, Alcina grew anxious when any of her daughters disappeared without letting her know where they were headed. “I-I saw her follow [Y/N] out of the room, but I’m not sure where the two of them went. I apologize, my lady,” she said with a bow of her head. A soft sigh slipped past Alcina’s lips. “It’s alright. As long as they are together, I’m sure they’ll be fine. They seem to do a fantastic job at defending each other.”

//////////

Bela had left the room relatively quickly once she realized her family was distracted. She saw [Y/N] slip through the main doors to the dining room after hissing in pain, sparking a sense of concern which she had never felt for another person before–especially a maid. She waited a moment before swarming out of the room and following [Y/N]’s scent all the way to a hallway she often found the girl wandering in. She shifted into her solid form right before turning around a corner, allowing her to peer out from behind it and watch as an expression she adored crossed over [Y/N]’s features. This hallway held the majority of her mother’s paintings, all of which seemed to fascinate anyone who stumbled across them. But with [Y/N], it seemed to Bela that she took more interest in the pieces than any of the other maids.

She always wore a smile as her gentle gaze studied the brushstrokes and smaller details that even Bela herself had never noticed before. The blonde couldn’t help the smile that made its way across her own lips. She sucked in a deep breath, glancing down at herself to smooth out her dress and cloak, trying her best to stall for time to steel her nerves.

Softly, Bela stepped forward and strolled over to stand beside [Y/N]. She cleared her throat quietly. Her gaze flickered to the girl’s face before locking into a random spot on the canvas in front of them. “It’s extraordinary, isn’t it?” Startled by the sudden voice, [Y/N] jumped rather visibly and twirled her head to face her. “O-Oh, I’m…” She cleared her throat. “I apologize, Lady Bela, I didn’t know you were here. I figured I was alone.” Bela smiled kindly at her. “You’re quite alright, [Y/N]. I suppose I did sort of sneak up on you. I just wanted to see if you’re okay. You left the dining room in quite a hurry after all,” she explained.

“Ah, well, I promise I’m alright.” [Y/N] scratched the back of her neck with an anxious giggle, turning back to the painting to avoid eye contact. “I’ve just got a bit of a headache is all.” Bela tilted her head, her words laced with concern. “Headache? Are you falling ill?” Her question was answered with a dismissive wave of [Y/N]’s hand. “No, no, I’m alright. I just got overwhelmed with all of the noise. Plus,” she bit her tongue to stop herself from continuing. An anxious look crossed her face and she cleared her throat. “Never mind.” Bela raised a brow.

“I’m assuming your headache is also caused by my sisters and I constantly trailing after you since what happened a couple of weeks ago?”

“Ah, no, I–!”

Bela chuckled. “It’s alright, you don’t have to lie.” [Y/N] studied her gaze, terrified she might find some sign of a lie, but sighed in relief when she found none. “Well, I wouldn’t say it was a cause, but it certainly didn’t help, if I’m being honest.” The blonde delicately placed her hand on the other woman’s shoulder. “I figured as much. I apologize for not doing a better job at giving you space of your own. I’ve never seen them so attached to someone before–not even our mother.”

“And I’m sure they haven’t ever barged into a maid’s bedroom asking to bundle up together before?” They both laughed quietly together as Bela shook her head. “No, of course not. I believe I can say I was just as surprised as you were to see them try that,” she responded. They shared another smile, and while [Y/N] turned back to stare absentmindedly at the painting only a few feet in front of her, Bela continued to stare, getting lost in her thoughts as she fought with herself on whether or not she should ask the question that had been burning on her tongue for over a week now.

Feeling the eldest daughter’s soft gaze still on her, [Y/N]’s attention was brought back to the woman beside her. “Are you alright?” Bela blinked, surprised to find herself zoning out. “Oh, yes, I’m fine! S-Sorry, I just…” she trailed off and fumbled with her own hands after hiding them behind her torso. “I’ve been—I want to—there’s something I’ve been meaning to ask you for a while now, but I’m afraid you’ll find me too clingy or desperately annoying.”

“Bela, I could never think of you that way. As I said before, you and your family mean the world to me. I’ll do anything and everything I can to protect you all and make you happy. Please don’t feel ashamed to ask me something.”

Bela was taken aback by her words. She hadn’t expected to ever find someone so kind and selfless in her lifetime. It felt nice to be seen and welcomed and understood by someone aside from herself. That was what had drawn her to this girl in the first place: she always put others’ needs before her own, and she knew it was wrong to do so at times, but she understood because she did the same for her family. Her nerves calmed, allowing her to breathe normally and smile. “Well, I’m sure by now you know my sisters and I all crave a source of warmth, especially considering our only weakness is the frigid air.” [Y/N] beamed, nodding to show she was listening intently.

“Ever since you saved us that day and let us huddle up against you to warm up again–to let us rest and regain our strength–I’ve been finding it…very difficult to sleep soundly. My bed and its covers provide enough warmth to keep me content, but they aren’t warm enough to lull me into sleep the way you did. I-I know that sounds cheesy, but it’s true. You really do bring me a sense of comfort that I’ve never experienced before, and I…

“I want to ask if we could possibly do that again? Without my sisters?” Once she processed her words, her face flustered and she began to ramble. “Oh god, that’s not how I meant for that to come across at all–I apologize! I-I just meant could we sleep together,” another gasp fell from her lips, cutting her off. “N-No, that’s not what I meant either!”

She groaned and planted her red face in her palms when [Y/N] began to giggle at her stuttering. She sighed and felt her shoulders droop in defeat. “I’m so sorry, I didn’t mean to make this so awkward. I had this all planned out. I wrote a letter and everything to avoid this.” [Y/N] laughed again, though she gently laid her hand on Bela’s arm. “You don’t have to apologize, hun. I won’t lie to you—that is an awkward question to try to phrase. I’m sure I wouldn’t have done any better.” Bela blushed at the nickname, but grinned at the reassurance. She rubbed her arm anxiously once [Y/N]’s hand fell back to her side.

“So, what do you say?” [Y/N] hummed in thought, staring off into space like she did when she examined Alcina’s portraits. “I don’t know. What if your sisters or your mother find us? Won’t they be upset? I mean, they’d be for completely different reasons, but I still don’t want you to get in trouble because of me.” Bela felt herself internally swooning again at the girl’s selflessness.

“Oh, don’t worry about that. My mother knows not to come into my room without permission, and even though my sisters aren’t the same, I don’t see why they’d come up. I’m usually the first to wake up each morning, so I get them up for breakfast.” [Y/N] smiled at her, and Bela wished she could kiss her right then and there. She knew, however, that she had to take things slow. If tonight went well, then she could work up the courage to confess her feelings. She failed to notice that what she was asking to do was considered more intimate than simply sharing words of pure admiration, even with how intelligent others deemed her to be. She was blissfully oblivious to how love worked–that’s something her youngest sister Daniela was more experienced with.

Her attention was brought back to the present as [Y/N] tilted her head and tapped her shoulder. She blinked, irritated with herself for losing focus so quickly when she was the one who initiated the conversation. “Are you alright?” Bela nodded. “Yes!” Her face went red and she cleared her throat, waving her hands anxiously. “Ah, sorry! I didn’t mean to raise my voice or zone out like that,” she stammered out as she mentally slapped herself. She was worried that [Y/N] would make fun of her or think she was annoying, but instead, the girl laughed softly. Bela looked back over at her with a surprised expression. Something in the back of her mind was screaming at her to stop talking because she had already caused enough of a scene. “Sorry, Bela, I’ve just never seen you like this before.”

The noble woman’s ears perked up a bit. Her eyebrows furrowed together slightly in concern. “Is that a bad thing? I’m–I’m not annoying you, am I?” [Y/N] giggled again and shook her head. “Oh, no, not at all! It’s nice to see that side of you. It makes you seem more human.” Bela found herself smiling sheepishly. “Oh, well…I’m glad.” The two women gazed comfortably at each other for a moment, though it was short-lived. A look of pure panic crossed over [Y/N]’s features, and oh, how desperately Bela hated seeing her like that.

“Oh, I just realized I called you Bela! Have I been doing that every time? I’m so sorry for stepping out of line, my lady!” She lowered her head. Bela, though [Y/N] couldn’t see it, was hurt. Why should calling her by her name be so upsetting? Did she feel like she was obligated to do as she said merely because of her status? Bela felt herself fighting back her guilt and tears. She stepped forward, her thumb and index finger coming down to gently hook themselves under [Y/N]’s chin. She tilted her head up to look her in the eye. “Darling, I can promise you, it doesn’t bother me. Please don’t worry about formality. You can call me Bela, okay? I won’t get upset. I mean, I’m asking you to stay with me tonight for god’s sake. If I still expected you to call me by my titles, then I wouldn’t be so kind to you. You’d join the other maids in my sisters’ endless and torturous games.”

Bela then cupped her face and tugged gently enough to wordlessly ask [Y/N] to stand up properly. “You are so special to me. And not just to me for that matter–all of House Dimitrescu adores you. I can’t speak for my sisters, but I want you to drop the formality towards me. Aside from status, you are in no way inferior to me–not in importance, not in value or worth, and not in your right to be your own being. If it helps you feel any more comfortable with me, I want you to know that I actually see you as being–” she paused, a groan escaping her lips. “Ah, what did Dani describe it as when I spoke to her about this?” She wracked her brain. Her eyes visibly lit up when it clicked.

“Out of my league! That’s what it was.” She finally came to the end of her speech and fixed her gaze on [Y/N]’s. The girl still held a mix of emotions in her eyes, the same eyes that Bela had fallen so in love with, and the eldest Dimitrescu daughter was relieved to find that fear wasn’t one of them. Hoping to lighten the mood, Bela came up with a quick question. “Uh, by the way,” she started, forcing herself to look anxious. “Is that, like, something people normally say? Is it a sports thing or something? I never really know whether to take Dani’s love advice or not after reading some of the stories she reads.”

[Y/N] blinked, caught off guard by the sudden change of tone and subject. She laughed softly as Bela had hoped, allowing Bela to smile triumphantly. “No, it’s not a sports thing, but it is something people say as a form of endearment. Lady Daniela was right about that part,” [Y/N] replied, her tensed muscles relaxing. Her change in demeanor was immediately noticeable. She felt comfortable again as the casual atmosphere from before had resurfaced.

She rubbed her forearm and averted her gaze to the side. “Do you really view me as being “out of your league?”” Her gaze flew back to Bela and stared expectantly. Bela beamed warmly and nodded. “Of course I do. And I meant what I said when I want you to drop the titles. Just call me Bela, alright?” [Y/N] mirrored her smile. The movement of her nodding her head forced Bela to realize that she was still cradling the girl’s face in her hands. They flew back, driving themselves to the woman’s cloak to pick at the hem. “Ah, sorry about that!”

Even though she had told [Y/N] mere moments ago that she wanted her to be comfortable around her and be viewed as her equal, Bela couldn’t help but feel on-edge herself at how close they were. She chuckled uneasily and finally managed to force herself to glance back at the girl in front of her. “Actually,” [Y/N] started. She stepped forward and delicately took Bela’s hands into her own. She brought them up to return to where they were before. “I don’t mind. It felt really nice.” Bela felt her voice hitch in her throat. Other than when she had clung to her for warmth after the attack, Bela had never figured she’d be able to be so close to [Y/N]. It made her heart hammer against her ribs, which only worsened once she remembered the two of them were likely going to share the same bed in a short amount of time.

[Y/N] certainly didn’t help the foreign feeling as she leaned into Bela’s palms and closed her eyes. Had anyone come by at that very moment, they would’ve seen just how red the cold, stone-faced, sophisticated daughter’s face had gotten. The crimson blush flustered itself all the way up to her ears. This girl made her go weak in the knees. She had always imagined she’d despise the feeling, but after realizing her feelings, Bela couldn’t be happier to feel so smitten.

She felt herself falling harder for the girl each time she even crossed her mind. Around [Y/N], Bela never felt as though she had to be proper and hard on herself all the time. It was never hard for her to find comfort in [Y/N]’s presence and finally give herself a break she knew she deserved.

Finally, after taking a moment to regain her composure and clear her throat, Bela spoke up again. “So,” her voice cracked. She cleared her throat more aggressively and followed it up with a hum to ensure it wouldn’t break again. “Shall we–ah, I don’t want to phrase it horribly again. Should we–” “Retire for the night?” Too worried she’d say the wrong thing again, Bela simply nodded. [Y/N] giggled, bringing another smile to the blonde’s face, and nodded. “Yes, that sounds great right now. My head is still killing me.” “I won’t let it kill you. I’ll fight it off until it leaves you alone, even if it’s to the death.” “Bela, hun, it’s just a headache.” They laughed together softly. After a few moments passed, [Y/N] tugged on Bela’s hands and led them down to wrap themselves around her waist. Bela stiffened. [Y/N] placed her hands on the taller woman’s shoulders, closing her eyes and letting her forehead rest against her own.

“I know what you were trying to say though. I think it’s sweet.” Bela felt herself relax after a moment of processing. She couldn’t bite back the smile that made its way to her lips. She leaned into [Y/N] and the embrace, closing her eyes as well and allowing herself to focus on her senses: the sound of the light breathing they shared, combined with their heartbeats, the smell of [Y/N]’s scent, and the feeling of being held by the one she cherishes most. [Y/N]’s skin felt like clouds beneath Bela’s fingertips. The warmth radiating from [Y/N]’s body lulled her into a state of bliss that she had felt each time she had the chance to hug the girl.

Oh, how she wanted this feeling to last forever. She promised herself that she would find a way to gather her confidence and confess how she felt in an attempt to secure this feeling.

“Bela?” Her eyes shot open to find [Y/N] gazing up at her tiredly. “Are you ready to head up for bed?” She smiled yet again, realizing, as she steadied the two of them, that they had been swaying. “Yeah, I am.” She leaned forward and fully hugged [Y/N], squeezing her tight before leaning back. “But you look exhausted, and I don’t want you to have to climb up the stairs. I don’t want my sisters to bother us either, so–” She leaned back even further before crouching down swiftly. Her left arm hooked itself behind [Y/N]’s knees and pushed them forward, allowing her other arm to catch her. She swept her up off of her feet and tossed her up high enough to carry her in her arms.

[Y/N] yelped at the sudden motion. Her arms flew up in a panic to wrap themselves around Bela’s shoulders, desperate to stop herself from falling. She looked up at the woman now holding her and blushed as Bela laughed softly at her expression. “I’ll just fly us up there, alright?” [Y/N] nodded, watching and listening as the lower half of Bela’s form dissolved into a swarm of flies. She whimpered as they began to rise off of the ground.

Bela squeezed her gently against her torso, prompting her to look up at the woman who was now inching forward. “Don’t worry. Like I said, I won’t let anything hurt you. You’re safe.”

After moving a bit further to gauge [Y/N]’s reaction, Bela picked up her speed hastily. Before the frightened girl could even take a moment to fear the action of flying through the air for the first time, the two of them had already made it up to the second floor. They continued down the seemingly endless hallways until they landed a few feet in front of Bela’s door. [Y/N] had figured she was going to be put down before entering the room, but she was proven wrong when Bela had opened the door and placed her down on the bed. She turned just long enough to close and lock the door before turning back to [Y/N]. “We should be fine. I just had to hurry so my sisters wouldn’t stop us and pester you.”

Still trying to comprehend the fact they were now all the way upstairs, [Y/N] could only nod with a bewildered expression on her face. Bela grinned nervously. “Ah, sorry. I forgot you haven’t moved that quickly before. I didn’t even ask if there was something you’d like to change into.” She flew herself over to her wardrobe and picked out two different outfits, hiding in the closet for a moment. She emerged with a pair of white silk pants on, accompanied by a dull crimson red tank top that had been readjusted into more of a crop-top or bra. She placed down a set of black cotton shorts and a gray long-sleeved shirt that was clearly going to be oversized on the girl.

“I don’t really have anything that’ll fit you, I apologize. I hope these will work. They’re the smallest ones I could find.” [Y/N] nodded and smiled. She picked up the clothes as she stood. “It’s alright. I think it’d be weird if you had clothes that would fit me, considering how much smaller I am compared to you.” Only a few feet away from the closet door, [Y/N] froze and quickly spun around on her heel. “That’s n-not what I meant! I’m sorry–I really hope that didn’t come across in the wrong way!”

Reminded of how she was just moments ago, Bela couldn’t help but find herself chuckling quietly. “No, it’s alright. I know what you meant, I promise.” A sigh of relief sounded from [Y/N], who then turned around again and momentarily disappeared into the closet. Bela blew out the candles that were lighting up the room and climbed into her bed. She snuggled up underneath her covers, being sure to be the one closest to the door. Flipping onto her back, she sighed and stared up at the ceiling, completely unaware of the smitten, dorky grin she had.

The thoughts and realizations already beginning to swarm her mind were short-lived, interrupted by the sound of the door creaking open, followed by the soft whisper of her name. “Bela?” She sat up. Her breath was taken away by the sight of [Y/N]’s soft skin being illuminated by the moonlight seeping in through the window.

Standing there bashfully, [Y/N] donned the pair of shorts that Bela had provided for her, though she wasn’t wearing the shirt. The blonde’s golden eyes spotted it tucked in the crook of her elbow. She had no shirt on, only wearing a bra, which revealed so much of the body that Bela was so desperate to hold. Unable to speak, she could only stare. “I-I couldn’t really wear the shirt. It was really uncomfortable since it kept slipping off of my shoulders. I hope you don’t mind if I sleep like this.”

When she was met with absolute silence, [Y/N] swallowed the lump in her throat and began to back away. “I-If it makes you uncomfortable, I can go change–” “No!” She jumped at the blunt volume. Bela seemed just as surprised with herself. “S-Sorry, I didn’t mean to yell! I just,” she rose from her bed and walked to stand in front of the smaller woman. “You look perfect like this. It doesn’t make me uncomfortable.” Her hands found themselves picking at each other in front of her torso, itching to hold [Y/N]’s.

“You really think so?” “Of course I do. Then again, you look perfect in everything.” [Y/N] blushed. Her free hand trailed up to pick at the shirt tucked under her arm. “O-Oh, um…thank you,” she whispered almost inaudibly in response. Bela fought a war in her mind to find something to say to lower the tension, but was brought back to her senses as [Y/N] took her hand and tugged her over to the bed. She crawled onto her side–the side that had been left undisturbed–and slid under the covers. She stuffed the shirt underneath her pillow. “Could we go to bed? I’m exhausted.”

Bela grinned and nodded as she joined her. “Of course.”

Once the two of them were settled, the tension returned–for Bela, anyway. She readjusted herself so she could lie on her side and face [Y/N], whose back was facing her. She studied her for a moment, watching her breathe in and out. She wondered if she would ever have the luxury of getting to wake up to [Y/N]’s peaceful face. She often found herself fantasizing about seeing her features so tranquil, partially highlighted by the light of the morning sun to emphasize the parts of her that Bela adored most–her gentle eyes, perfect nose, soft lips that she ached to one day kiss–

“Are you alright?”

Bela jolted and felt her eyes shoot back up to focus her sight again. “Huh?” [Y/N] was now twisted in a way that let her glance back at Bela comfortably. “I felt like someone was watching me, so I looked around, but it was you staring at me. Is everything alright?” Embarrassment overwhelmed Bela. She internally scolded herself for losing focus yet again.

“Oh,” she began. “Yes, I’m alright. I just…have a question is all.” Piqued with interest, [Y/N] rolled over onto her other side so she fully faced the blushing woman beside her. “Oh? What is it?” She had known she was going to have to ask sooner or later, even though she had hoped her recollection of the night of the attack would get the question across without being so blunt, but Bela was still terrified that she’d ruin this moment by asking what she wanted to.

Not allowing a single moment for herself to back away in fear, Bela blurted out her question. She was thankful that her fatigue was helping her feel too tired to be as anxious as before.

“Could you hold me while we sleep?” [Y/N] was quick to smile. She didn't seem bothered in the slightest. “Of course. C’mere,” she whispered as she held out her arms. Bela instantly buried herself into [Y/N]’s chest. She tucked her arms between the two of their bodies and let her face nuzzle into the girl’s partially bare breasts. If she hadn’t been so numb from her exhaustion, [Y/N] would have found this embarrassing. Bela would have as well. The two of them didn’t mind, however, and instead found comfort in the close contact. [Y/N]’s arms wrapped themselves around the blonde. Her left hand slid up and began to stroke the soft blonde locks that were sprawled out across the pillow.

A low hum rumbled in the back of Bela’s throat and chest as she began to drift in and out of consciousness. As far back as she could remember, Bela had never felt this safe and comfortable before. It was heavenly to feel so secure.

The feeling of fingernails softly scratching her scalp and the spots behind her ears would have been enough to make Bela’s eyes roll into the back of her head if they had been open. She couldn’t quite explain why it felt so good, but she certainly didn’t have a problem with it. Somewhere deep inside of her, she had the hidden craving for physical affection. She wanted to be held and cherished, caressed and comforted. She longed for someone who would welcome her when she needed someone to lean on, someone who would remind her to take breaks and take care of herself when she was too busy buried up in paperwork to remember, someone who wouldn’t use her for her status, someone who wouldn’t find her clinginess an inconvenience. She wanted someone who could prove they were dedicated as much to her as she was to them.

Her eyes fluttered open as she pondered whether or not [Y/N] was that someone.

“By the way, I think you look perfect in everything as well. I meant to say it earlier, but I was worried I’d make you uncomfortable. You’re perfect in my eyes, inside and out, and I really do want you to know that. I love you, Bela.”

Her heart flipped as she beamed ear to ear. She closed her eyes again and wriggled her face further into [Y/N]’s soft, warm skin. [Y/N] was that someone, she was sure of that after reflecting on the past two weeks. It just needed to be confirmed by those three words she had been dreaming of hearing for centuries–the ones she wanted to utter in reply to the woman she loved most.

“I love you too.”

Muse

[Resident Evil: Village] Donna Beneviento x Fem! Reader

Word Count: 2.4k

Proofread: Yes

Content Warnings: Slight angst (i.e. Embarrassment, Abandonment Issues, Anxiety)

[A/N]: Thank you so much for all of the support on my previous two posts! This is the last short story I'll write for Donna for now, but only because I'm wanting to write for all three of the Dimitrescu sisters next. :P

Enjoy!

Donna stepped into the room, balancing a tray carrying two cups of tea as Angie bundled herself in the other arm. “Here’s your tea, [Y/N],” she mumbled softly as she lowered the tray far enough for her to reach the cup nearest to her. The girl smiled up at her, taking a cup with a small “thanks,” and sipping it slowly before gently placing it on the coffee table in front of her. She picked her pencil up from her lap and began sketching something in her sketchbook. Donna walked to the opposite side of the sofa and sat down, putting the tray down on the table and taking her own cup to drink from.

Angie wriggled out from her hold and made an attempt to run over to peek at [Y/N]’s drawing before Donna caught hold of her and tugged her back into her lap. “Angie, behave,” she warned quietly. The small doll glared up at her and huffed. “But she never shows us her drawings!” She spun back around and crossed her arms, sneering at [Y/N].  “Do you suck at art or something?” Donna sighed and tugged her closer to her chest. “Angie–” Soft laughter cut her off, and she turned to find [Y/N] giggling.

“It’s okay, Donna. My younger cousin used to act this way all the time. Angie, to answer your question: I don’t think I’m great at art, but I’m sure I don’t suck at it. I’ve been doodling and sketching ever since I could hold a pen. I’ve had a lot of practice. Although…” She trailed off, picking at one of the corners of the paper she had been drawing on. Feeling expectant eyes still on her, she looked back up. “Although what?” “Well, after all of the experiments started to go wrong in the Village, and all the Lycans started showing up, I was too busy trying to survive to keep drawing. I didn’t sketch or paint anything for over three years until I came here.” Donna’s head tilted. “What inspired you to start drawing again?” At that, [Y/N]’s face went red. She swallowed the lump in her throat before a nervous laugh slipped through her lips. “Oh, well–”

Donna’s hands flew up in defense, waving them dismissively as a concerned expression crossed her features. “Oh, you don’t have to tell us if it’s private! I don’t want to make you uncomfortable.” [Y/N] smiled at her weakly. “Thank you. I just found a reason to keep working once I realized I’m safe here,” she responded fondly as she motioned towards the room they were in.

A shocked but relieved look took over Donna’s face. She couldn’t help but smile. “I’m…I’m glad you feel safe in our home.” They beamed at each other, neither one saying anything as they stared. Angie, wanting to be the center of attention, reached her left arm up and grabbed a loose strand of Donna’s hair, tugging it hard. Donna hissed in slight pain and flickered her gaze down to the wooden doll on her lap. “Angie, stop it,” she scolded. “Why? The two of you are making me sick with this cheesy romance shit!” At those words, both Donna and [Y/N]’s faces went beet red, and they averted their gaze from each other. “A-Angie, don’t say such embarrassing things. And watch your language,” the doll-maker whispered.

Angie rolled her eyes and crossed her arms once more. “Whatever. [Y/N], can I have a piece of paper?” [Y/N], confused, flipped to a blank sheet and carefully tore it out. “Uh, sure. What for?” “I want to draw something so you can see a real artist’s work.” As [Y/N] handed her the sheet, she and Donna couldn’t help but chuckle at Angie as she snatched it from her hand and climbed off of the sofa to sit at the coffee table. She made the motion of snapping before reaching her arm back expectantly. “I need something to draw with.” Donna sighed and stood up, but [Y/N] was quick to stop her. “No, it’s okay. I can grab something for her. I need to use the restroom anyway.”

Donna nodded and sat back down, watching as [Y/N] placed her sketchbook down on the table before heading out of the den and down the hall to the nearest restroom. She sighed softly, turning to look down at Angie before her gaze trailed over to the sketchbook nearby, which she hadn’t realized had been left open. Her body froze as she studied the drawing–silently hoping Angie hadn’t noticed it. Before she could, Donna reached over and picked up the small book, bringing it closer to herself to shield it from the doll’s eyes, though she couldn’t tear her own away from it. It wasn’t finished by any means, but it was obvious that the drawing was of herself. It was almost an exact copy of her portrait hanging in the front room above the stairs.

She gulped, flipping back to the previous page.

Another drawing of her. It was a page full of quick studies of Donna, each one carrying a different expression and tone. One was her with a concentrated look on her face–likely one she was wearing while making dinner for the two of them, or clothes for a doll she had been working on recently. Another was of her tilting her head with a curious gaze, reminding her of when [Y/N] told a joke a few days prior that took her far too long to understand. And the third was a closer image of her laughing. Her face reddened. She brought one hand forward to swat at Angie, who had barely turned to her. “Angie, go stand by the doorway. Let me know when [Y/N] is coming back,” she instructed hurriedly.

“What? Why?” “Please just go.” Angie groaned, but she still trotted over to the doorway and peeked out around the frame. Her words fell upon deaf ears as Donna began flipping further back in the sketchbook. Each page was a drawing of her–some simple doodles, whereas others were fully complete pieces.

On the blank sides of most of the sketches–the ones that weren’t finished–there were little notes that either criticized something [Y/N] thought she could do better on, or short notes on what she might like to add if she came back to finish them. Her heart hammered in her chest. Was she [Y/N]’s inspiration? Is that why she seemed so reluctant to share her muse? How could this kind, beautiful girl she had welcomed into her home mere months ago possibly find her inspirational? Too invested in flipping through the pages, Donna failed to notice that Angie was silently screaming at her from across the room to warn her that [Y/N] was coming. It wasn’t until the doll tugged at her sleeve that she snapped out of it and looked up. She froze as [Y/N] stood there in the doorway, horrified, as tears brimmed her eyes.

“[Y/N],” she said faintly as she stood. “I-I’m sorry. I know you didn’t want me to see your drawings. I just–I saw…you left the book open on the table, and I saw the drawing you had made of me. I just got too curious. I’m so sorry.” She stepped forward cautiously, watching with a grimace as the girl stepped away from her. “No, I’m sorry,” [Y/N] said as she spun on her heel and headed upstairs towards her room. Donna followed quickly after her, picking Angie up on the way and carrying her so she wouldn’t struggle to get up the steps. She barely managed to slip her foot through the crack of the door of [Y/N]’s bedroom before it closed. Placing Angie down, she pushed the door open and closed it behind her once she made it inside.

“[Y/N], please–please don’t leave me. I’m sorry. I promise you I won’t look at your work again without your permission. Please don’t leave.” She clasped her hands together anxiously, her body trembling. She stilled, however, when she noticed [Y/N]’s shoulders rising and falling as she heaved. Donna stepped forward and hesitantly placed her hand on the girl’s arm. “[Y/N]? What’s wrong?” The weeping girl sighed and wiped furiously at her eyes to dry them before turning to the doll-maker. “You weren’t supposed to see those, Donna,” she spoke through a choked sob. Donna’s gaze lowered to the floor, awaiting any yelling or harsh words. “I know. I knew that, yet I still looked through them anyway.”

They stood in silence for a moment, neither one of them sure how to break the tension that weighed heavily upon them. Finally, after building a small amount of courage, Donna picked at her nails as she asked the question that was burning in the back of her mind. “Why have you been drawing me?” She asked it in a way that didn’t come off as judgemental, but rather genuinely confused. [Y/N] shifted her weight on her feet uncomfortably, trying to think of the best way to phrase it. At length, she sighed.

“Because you’re my muse, Donna. You have been ever since you brought me into your home.” Donna’s head perked up at the confession, her face reddening. “I’m…I’m your muse?” [Y/N] smiled tiredly, a gentle chuckle slipping past her lips. “Yeah, you are. You’ve always been so kind to me, even when you didn’t have to be–even when I didn’t deserve it. You make sure I’m always well taken care of, but it’s not just physically. You make sure to give me small gifts and make the food I enjoy so I feel happy and welcomed and seen. You even remember the small things about what I like and what I don’t like. It’s been so long since someone has been so kind to me.

“I started drawing your portrait after being here for about a month because I knew you weren’t comfortable with taking off your veil at the time. And when you finally showed me your face, I just…well, I couldn’t believe someone so stunning would be so kind to someone like me. Back where I used to live, the girls I grew up around would always focus on their image–which meant they’d pick on other girls who didn’t match their standards to make them feel better about themselves. I was one of the girls they picked on all the time. But you never treated me that way, and I’ll always be grateful for that. Once I realized I was safe here, my motivation and inspiration flourished for the first time in years.”

Donna was at a loss for words. She really found her to be that great of a person? Would this be the right time to express that she felt the same way? She wasn’t sure, but she knew she needed to say something. She wracked her mind for the right words, but nothing came to her. [Y/N] frowned and eventually sighed. “I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have said anything. If I’ve made you uncomfortable I can–” She stepped past Donna to leave the room, but the doll-maker slid over to stand in her way. “No, please don’t leave. I promise I’m not trying to judge you for anything. I just truly don’t know how to respond to what you’ve said. I’ve never had anyone think so highly of me before.”

[Y/N] seemed surprised at her words. “Really?” She asked in disbelief. Donna nodded, tucking her arms behind her back so she could fidget with her sleeves. “B-But I want to assure you that I don’t find the drawings strange. I’m…I actually feel honored that you find me worthy of drawing. You found a way to make me seem beautiful.” [Y/N] fully turned her body to her. “Well, it’s not hard when you’re already beautiful. I just have to capture the subject correctly. If you find the drawings I’ve made of you beautiful, then I’ve succeeded in the accuracy.” Donna’s face grew flustered again, but they smiled at each other, the tension finally lifting.

After a while of silence, [Y/N] cleared her throat and rubbed her arm. “If you really don’t mind me drawing you, could I possibly…draw you again? Sort of like how you sat to have your portrait painted?” Before Donna could respond, the doorknob rattled aggressively as Angie desperately tried to barge into the room. They jumped at the motion before [Y/N] stepped closer to open the door. Angie stumbled inside and tugged at her shirt. “Donna, say yes! I wanna be in the portrait too so I can see how I look in her style!”

[Y/N] giggled and picked the doll up, letting her rest in the crook of her left arm as she glanced back up at Donna. “Seems like we’ve got one vote for yes. Which one are you voting for?” Donna smiled warmly at the two. She stepped towards them. “If it’s you who’ll be drawing us, then I have no problem with it.” “As long as you let us see it,” Angie added. Donna rolled her eye with a smirk as [Y/N] laughed. “She doesn’t have to share it if she isn’t comfortable.” [Y/N] readjusted Angie’s veil as she spoke. “Actually, I don’t think I’ll mind showing the result, even if I’m not particularly proud of it. You’ve already seen my other portraits, so I suppose it would be nice to show you the progress of this one myself.” Donna winced, but [Y/N] was quick to reassure her. “No worries, I’m not upset. I was just afraid to show you in case you found it creepy.”

“I could never find something like that creepy. I’m happy you find me worthy to draw.” “Well, like I said: you’re my muse. Always have been, and always will be.” They smiled at each other, allowing Angie to wriggle out from [Y/N]’s hold and land on the floor while they were distracted. She gripped the girl’s sleeve and tugged her towards the door. “Well, c’mon then! We need to find the right outfits and setting! I don’t want to keep waiting around–that’s boring.” [Y/N] turned back to glance at Donna, who laughed. “You two find a good place to set up. I suppose I should find something else to wear.” [Y/N] smiled at her, quickly yelping and turning to follow Angie down the hall.