Shielded

Shielded

[Resident Evil: Village] Dimitrescu Sisters x Fem! Reader | Bela Dimitrescu x Female Reader, Cassandra Dimitrescu x Female Reader, Daniela Dimitrescu x Female Reader

Word Count: 2.5k

Proofread: Yes

Content Warnings: A short fight, near-death experiences, blunt death of a major character (from the series), blood

[A/N]: This is part one of my short stories for the Dimi sisters. I'll have one for each sister individually once I can set up an outline.

Here are the continuations:

Bela Cassandra Daniela

Enjoy!

Alcina Dimitrescu’s daughters were known by those in the Village to be rather sadistic. They enjoyed torturing their victims for days, often verging on weeks, because they found the terror on their faces amusing. They never seemed to struggle in a fight, no matter how much bigger their opponent was. Even individually they were too powerful. That is–so long as they aren’t weakened first. The one downside to the experiments they had been under, performed by Mother Miranda herself, was that they couldn’t withstand any temperature “below 50 degrees Fahrenheit,” according to the Empress herself. It prevented them from being able to shift into a swarm of flies, meaning it was much harder to retreat to safety.

Ethan Winters had figured this out rather quickly. He found a small book with descriptions and photos of the experiments as they were taking place. Because of how quickly he was dashing throughout the castle in search of his daughter, Rose, all three of the Dimitrescu sisters decided it would be best to corner him so he wouldn’t be able to run anymore.

In a spare room upstairs, they managed to surround him, taunting him relentlessly as he shot at them in vain. They laughed, shoving him to the ground. The eldest daughter, Bela, stood over him, raising her sickle high above her with the intent to drive it directly into his throat with an overly-brutal force. He continued to shoot at her. She cackled darkly. “Silly man-thing. It seems you just don’t learn things quick enough. Your bullets cannot harm anyone in here.” Her sisters laughed at him with her, but before she could jab his jugular the way she had been desperate to for hours now, her attention was immediately drawn to the sound of glass shattering behind her. She whipped around to find the nearest window blown open. She gasped, turning back to Ethan and watching as smoke trailed out from the barrel of his handgun. A loud growl erupted from her throat. “You stupid man! Do you have any idea as to what you’ve just done?”

Cassandra and Daniela both ducked behind objects in the room for cover from the harsh wind now pouring into the room. Bela slashed at Ethan’s face, but she only managed to gash his arms as he blocked. He quickly kicked her hard in the leg, scrambling back onto his feet as she collapsed to the ground. She could already feel her body crystalizing, causing her movements to slow drastically. Ethan shot at her repeatedly to force her to stay in the wind. Cassandra then lunged forward from his right and swung her blade at him–though he quickly dodged and threw her down towards Bela. She cried out in pain as the icy gust began freezing her body thoroughly as well.

“You damned bastard!” Daniela shouted. She ran towards Ethan recklessly, and he countered her attack by using the grip of his gun to strike her sickle away from himself, grabbing her by the arm and twirling her around far enough to hurl her in the same spot of her older sisters. Bela managed to catch her weakly, though there was still a thud that was loud enough to cover the sound of the door opening behind Ethan.

“Enough of these games! Where’s Rose?” He aimed his pistol towards the trembling trio now practically frozen on the ground. Bela instinctively pulled her sisters into her chest, trying desperately to shield them from everything around them. “Answer me! Where the hell is my daughter?” Bela huffed as she shivered, glaring up at him through her eyelashes. Her gaze flickered behind him, a look of terror growing across her features. A loud cry rang out as a woman jumped onto Ethan and tackled him to the ground. All three of the girls recognized her–the maid they had grown so fond of. Daniela tried to crawl forward, but her eldest sister held her back. “[Y/N], no! You’ll get yourself killed!”

“How dare you lay your filthy hands on them?” She wrestled against him to keep him pinned, grasping at his gun. He writhed beneath her and finally managed to shove her off of him. Before he had the chance to aim at her, however, she was already back up and running towards him. She kicked his hand as hard as she could, sending the gun flying towards the wall. Ethan glared up at her, and they both scrambled towards it. Just before he could grab hold of the barrel, a hand stomped down onto his wrist, causing him to let out a cry of pain.

[Y/N] was quick to pick up the pistol and aim it towards Ethan’s head, not hesitating as she pulled the trigger and sent a bullet through the back of his skull.

Moments passed as she panted heavily for breath, studying Ethan’s limp body in search of any signs of life. At length, her gaze shot over to the three women on the floor a few feet away. She discarded the gun, not caring where it ended up, and ran towards them to help them stand. “Come on, let’s get you three somewhere warmer.” She managed to lead them into the hallway, supporting Bela–who was struggling to prop her younger siblings up against her shoulders. “[Y/N],” she voiced softly. “There should be a fireplace two rooms down. I’m not sure if there’s any driftwood though.”

[Y/N] nodded and steadied them before walking them into the room. She sat them down a few feet in front of the hearth, glanced around the room in a panicked manner, and growled when she didn’t spot any wood. She ran to the next room, returning shortly to bundle all three of the women up with multiple blankets she had found. Not too long after, there were pillows that supported their weight as they relaxed into the small amount of warmth. “I’ll be right back,” [Y/N] assured, kneeling in front of them. “W-Where are you going?” “I need to go get the driftwood from downstairs. I’ll be back soon. I promise.”

They didn’t have any time to respond, only being able to watch as she ran past them and left the room. It felt like hours had passed before she finally made it back. She tossed the wood into the fireplace and lit a match, flicking it into the pile and watching as a small flame slowly came to life. “Okay, hopefully the fire will grow in a moment. Is there anything else I can do to help you three heal?”

All three of them shared a look and a few reluctant nods. Cassandra turned to [Y/N]. “I-It won’t help us warm up, but…drinking someone’s blood would help us regain a bit of our strength.” [Y/N] stood there for a moment, surprised. She nodded and looked around. “You could use my sickle, but it’s in the other room,” Bela offered. The maid nodded and dashed out of the room once more. She returned briefly with the blonde’s weapon.

Sitting in front of the trio, [Y/N] brought the sharpest edge of the blade to her palm. She sucked in a sharp breath before digging it into her skin and dragging out a jagged line of blood. The scent of blood heightened all three Dimitrescu sisters’ senses. Their pupils expanded and they forced themselves to sit up. They took turns drinking small amounts, going from youngest to oldest. Daniela went first, then Cassandra. When it was Bela’s turn, there was hardly any blood left, visibly upsetting her.

[Y/N] sighed softly. “Don’t worry. I can always lose a bit more,” she whispered. She sliced another line on the same palm with a small hiss of pain and lifted it towards the blonde’s lips. Bela latched on immediately, grabbing ahold of the girl’s hand and pulling it closer. Moments later, when she was finished drinking, she sighed and leaned back into the pillows to rest. “Thank you,” she mumbled. “Of course.” [Y/N] stood, shakily placed the sickle on a table nearby, and went to the cabinet adjacent to the door, thankful to find a small roll of bandages. She treated her fresh, self-inflicted wounds quickly before walking to sit beside the fireplace so she could keep an eye on the three.

She sighed heavily, the adrenaline from the fight finally wearing off and causing great fatigue throughout her body. She closed her eyes. They snapped open, however, when she heard the girls whining and shuffling under the blankets. “What’s wrong?” Cassandra groaned. “It’s so cold,” she replied. [Y/N] turned to examine the size of the fire, finding that it was still rather small. “I’m not sure what I can do to help you warm up faster. I’ve grabbed almost every blanket I could find.” Daniela tried to sit up, but could only manage to partially prop herself up with her elbow. “We could really use your body heat. Why don’t you let us huddle against you?” Bela and Cassandra nodded in agreement, letting out small “yeah’s.”

Flustered, [Y/N] cleared her throat. “I’m not sure,” she voiced, “I think you three might need to warm up by the fire instead. It’ll provide more warmth than I ever could.” Bela shook her head and motioned for her to join them. “We’ll take any source of heat we can get. We’re so cold, [Y/N]. Please just let us do this.” [Y/N] sighed. She stood and weakly sauntered over to the pile of pillows and blankets, sheepishly crawling under the multiple layers and planting herself in between Bela and Cassandra. With a groan, Daniela forced herself to shift over far enough to lie on top of the [h/c] girl while her older sisters each leaned against her opposite shoulders.

Collectively, all three sisters sighed in relief at the sudden comfort the softness and warmth brought them. They pulled the blankets tighter around themselves and nuzzled as far into [Y/N]’s body as they could. “Thank you for…you know. Saving us,” Bela murmured. Her sisters hummed in agreement, both too exhausted to be vocal about their gratitude.

“Of course,” [Y/N] reassured softly. “You three mean the world to me. I could never just stand to the side and let something bad happen to any of you.” They all shared a smile. “And, of course, if I hadn’t stepped in, your mother would’ve had my head,” she added in a joking manner. “We wouldn’t have let that happen to you,” Daniela whispered almost inaudibly, chuckling. “But you wouldn’t have been here to protect me.” “Ah, we would’ve found a way. Believe us.”

They laughed softly, enjoying the silence that fell upon the room afterwards.

“What’re we going to do with the body?” [Y/N] asked. “Eat him,” Daniela said as though it were obvious. “You want to eat the body of a man who nearly ruined everything?” “Oh, definitely,” Cassandra muttered, smirking when [Y/N] giggled.

Loud, hurried footsteps reverberated down the hall, growing louder within mere seconds. The door of the room flew open, striking the cabinet beside it with a loud crack, and a familiar voice called out. “Girls?” Alcina asked anxiously. She quickly walked to stand in front of the group, sighing when she saw everyone breathing. She knelt down and placed a hand on Bela’s shoulder. “Oh, my poor dears, are you alright? One of the maids informed me of what happened.” The blonde’s eyes fluttered open and flickered over to her mother. “We’re alright, mother. He’s dead.” “Yeah,” Daniela added, prompting her mother to turn her attention to her. “[Y/N] protected us and brought us in here so we could warm up.”

Alcina’s head tilted. “Warm up?” A look of pure fury crossed her features. “You mean to tell me that repulsive, pathetic excuse of a man forced you into the cold? Oh, [Y/N], you should’ve let me handle things. I would have sliced him to ribbons the way he deserved.” “I apologize, my Lady, I just wanted to ensure he didn’t hurt them again. There was a bit of a struggle, so I sort of…ended things as quickly as I could.” The matriarch of the castle sighed and smiled. “It’s alright, my dear. You kept my daughters safe. I’ll forever be grateful for that.” They shared a look of understanding before Alcina stood. “Now, where did the poor man-thing meet his well-deserved demise?” “Two rooms over.”

“Perfect. Dinner will be very satisfying.” With that, she left the room and headed to the place of the attack. The sound of the door opening followed by something heavy being dragged all the way downstairs informed the women that their mother had the other maids prepping for dinner.

[Y/N] closed her eyes, letting herself relax and focus on her senses. She opened her eyes to look down and study the fatigued, lounged body language and expressions of the girls. She could smell the ash of the burning driftwood and feel the heat it provided. Beneath all of the covers, she could feel where each hand rested against her skin, each shaky breath taken by the girls who clung to her for warmth. Daniela had both arms tucked underneath [Y/N]’s body to ground herself steady as she rested on top of her torso, Cassandra’s were wrapped weakly around her shoulders, and Bela had one buried underneath her and the other resting on her chest.

[Y/N] could hear everyone’s breathing and the crackle of the fire. For a group that had just been attacked mere moments ago, all four women seemed to be at ease. In an attempt to further soothe them, [Y/N] brought her hands up to rub Bela and Cassandra’s lower arms. Their slightly tensed muscles softened in relief. She hugged them closely.

“I promise you–all three of you–that as long as I’m here, I will never let anything bad happen to you.”

There was no response, but she knew that they had heard her. She sighed. Her head fell back to lean against the pillows. The plush surface provided a softness that helped her body still, her eyelids drooping from fatigue. A soft rustling and the feeling of a weight being lifted from her chest, however, prompted her to look down. She found the youngest of the daughters gazing up at her. “Is something wrong?” She whispered softly at Daniela, who shook her head.

“No, not at all. I just wanted to ask you something,” she responded just as quietly. “Hm?” “Could we possibly come to you more often? I hadn’t realized just how much warmth you can provide. It’s really cozy.” [Y/N] was far too exhausted to blush or be modest. Instead, she simply smiled with a barely-noticeable nod. “Of course.” Daniela smiled back at her and returned to resting her head against the girl’s chest. Her mind settled once she could hear [Y/N]’s heartbeat.

Flames crackling and soft snores took the place of the silence in the room. [Y/N] swore in her heart she would never let them get hurt again, no matter what it took. She squeezed the women closer to herself and shut her eyes, whispering a soft reassurance more to herself than the others as she finally let herself drift into a much-needed slumber. “Everything will be okay.”

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.”

Hug Me

[Attack On Titan] Modern! Touch-Starved! Annie Leonhart x Fem! Reader

Word Count: 1.7k

Proofread: Yes

Content Warnings: Brief mentions of slight bullying/toxic friendships

[A/N]: I had planned on adding much more to this, but I wanted to keep it relatively short so I can move on to the next character I plan to write for. I've got a masterlist in my drafts where I'm linking each post I've made for every character, but I don't plan on posting it until I've written for all of the characters I plan on writing for.

Enjoy!

Annie shuffled through her backpack for the spare key to [Y/N]’s house, cursing under her breath as she struggled. “Come on, dammit. I know I grabbed them on the way out.” Just as her finger grazed the key ring, the front door flew open to reveal [Y/N] standing there with a warm smile. “Annie, hey! Glad you could make it.” Annie raised an eyebrow and zipped her bag back up. “You sound like I’m showing up to a party of some kind.” [Y/N] chuckled and scratched the back of her neck. “Sorry, I’m just happy you’re actually here.” “I promised I’d come, didn’t I?” “Well, yeah, but…” She looked off to the side, her genuine smile becoming forced. Annie tilted her head. “What’s wrong?”

“Nothing, it’s not important. Uh…why don’t you come in?” The [h/c] girl stepped to the side, allowing Annie to walk past her into the den. The blonde gave her a confused--and concerned--glance as she headed inside. [Y/N] quickly locked the door and motioned for Annie to follow her upstairs to her bedroom. They trailed up the steps and into the girl’s room, where Annie often found herself staying when she felt upset or lonely. She dropped her bag down beside the door and took a seat in her usual spot against the headboard, far enough over that she could lean against the wall.

She watched [Y/N]’s movements, which seemed anxious as she searched the room for something to distract herself with. “[Y/N], if something is wrong, you can tell me. Who upset you? You know I’ll kick their ass for you, I just need a name.” A small chuckle passed the girl’s lips at Annie’s comment. The blonde felt more at ease now that she got her to smile. “It’s okay. Just had a few bad experiences with people in the past. It’s not happening anymore, it’s just painful to remember those times.” Annie nodded understandingly. She headed over to her bag and unzipped it. She dug through it for a moment, groaning as she failed to find what she was looking for. “No no no. Ugh, goddammit. I knew I was forgetting something.”

[Y/N] stepped over to peer inside the bag curiously. “What’d you forget?” Annie blushed and looked down, ashamed of what she was going to admit. “You know that stuffed lion I always have with me when I come here? The one I sleep with?” [Y/N] nodded. “I, uh…I forgot to grab it before I headed over.” “Oh.” The blonde sighed and put her bag down. “It wouldn’t be such a big deal if it was only a fidget toy. The problem is: I can’t fall asleep without it.” She never told anyone about this. She found it humiliating that she still had to cradle a stuffed animal at night just to sleep. She felt like a child.

“Oh, I know what you mean. I have the same problem–though I don’t really think it’s a bad thing. I don’t see why people find it so strange that others have comfort objects.” Annie looked up at her in surprise. “You…you sleep with something too?” [Y/N] nodded. “I don’t usually hold it when I have company over since I don’t know who will judge me and who won’t, but yeah. You can hold it tonight if you want to. I don’t mind.” Annie fidgeted with her hands, slowly nodding at length as she returned to her spot on the bed. [Y/N] headed over to the closet and picked something up from under a blanket. She turned to reveal a stuffed panda bear the size of a large pillow. She brought it over and handed it to the blonde with a smile.

“My great grandmother gave it to me before she passed. I didn’t know her very well since I was really young when she died, but it still brings me a lot of comfort.” Annie took it gently from her hands and examined it, her thumbs rubbing circles against the soft, soothing material it was made of. She slowly brought it to her lap and placed it down before cradling it against her chest. She sighed at the contact and blushed, trying to hide it with the head of the bear. “Thank you,” she whispered softly. [Y/N] smiled down at her and nodded before sitting down at the foot of the bed. “Of course.”

They sat there for a while in silence. Annie picked delicately at one of the ears that had been partially torn off, silently wondering what had happened. Probably from aging–[Y/N] had said that she had gotten it at a very young age. Surely it had been through some things during the girl’s early childhood. “So…why do you find comfort in holding things?” Annie’s eyes flickered up to see [Y/N] gazing back at her softly. She felt the heat rising to her cheeks again, spreading up to her ears. “O-Oh, well…I honestly didn’t start holding things at night until high school hit a couple of years ago.”

“Really? What caused it?” The blonde averted her gaze and stared down at the bear in her arms. “I just–um…I like to pretend it's the girl I like,” she admitted sheepishly. [Y/N]’s brows raised in surprise, a small smile toying on her lips. “Oh, that’s really sweet! Maybe someday you’ll get to hold her instead. I’m sure you will.” [Y/N] sounded as though she was being genuine, but there was something else behind her tone that Annie couldn’t quite figure out. “I hope so,” is all she said for a while. Finally, she glanced up. “What about you?” “Hm?” “Why do you find comfort in holding things?” [Y/N] smiled sadly and toyed with her fingers.

“Oh. Because I’m too worried about holding an actual person. I’m worried I’ll make them uncomfortable, or they’ll find me annoying, or–something like that. I don’t know. It just gets so lonely in my room. None of the people I call my “friends” ever stay more than a couple of hours, and that’s just because they’re always ranting to me and never listening to my own problems. I know they’re horrible people, but…I just want people to like me.”

Annie felt her heart aching at the girl’s words. How long had this been going on? Did [Y/N] talk to anyone about this at all? It seemed she truly was as lonely and touch-starved as herself.

“Oh, [Y/N], I had no idea.” [Y/N] chuckled and wiped her eyes before any tears could fall. “It’s alright. I just keep telling myself that someone will come along eventually–probably after high school, honestly. High school students are such bitches.” Annie smiled softly as the girl giggled at her own words. She turned to the blonde and pondered something for a moment. “Annie?” “Yes?” “Can I…can I hug you? Just for a little bit?” Annie’s eyebrows raised in surprise–the same way [Y/N]’s had done just moments ago. She cursed at herself mentally as she felt her face growing red once again. "I-I would..." She averted her gaze and cleared her throat. “I would like that. A lot.”

Within a moment, [Y/N] was across the bed and in front of Annie, tossing her arms over the blonde’s shoulders and pulling her close for one of those warm hugs that Annie had grown so obsessed with over the past few months. She gasped suddenly, her hands flying up to grip [Y/N]’s shoulders. She stayed there for a while, frozen in shock, before the [h/c] girl let out a choked sob. Out of pure instinct, Annie’s arms lowered themselves to move the stuffed bear to the side before pulling her even closer, letting her rest her head against her shoulder.

She felt herself tearing up, just then realizing that she wanted to be held by [Y/N] most of all, even if they weren’t together the way she dreamed. Just feeling her warmth and having the opportunity to take in her scent calmed her and made her happy. She closed her eyes, turning her head and burying her nose into the [h/c] girl’s neck. They stayed like that for a while, Annie gently swaying the two of them back and forth and rubbing her back in a soothing manner.

Although she hated to, [Y/N] did eventually lean back from the hug to wipe her eyes. She smiled tiredly at the blonde. “Sorry for getting so emotional. This year has been…really rough. You just–you’ve helped me through so much already, and I’ve wanted to hold you like that for so long.” Annie blushed, but didn’t mind it this time, a blissful smile painting her lips. “You don’t have to apologize. You’ve helped me through a lot too, believe me. I owe you so much. And I want you to know that hugging doesn’t feel like a chore to me–I really do enjoy getting to be so close to you.” They gazed at each other lovingly for a long moment, unable to hide their smiles. Finally, Annie looked down. “U-Um…so, I was thinking: maybe we could–and you don’t have to say yes–I just thought that maybe we could…”

She sighed after a second, growing embarrassed even further as [Y/N] giggled at her sudden inability to speak properly. “Just take your time. I’m not going to judge you for anything you ask,” she said softly as she rubbed Annie’s arms. “I was just wondering if we could maybe…c-cuddle? Like, while we sleep?” [Y/N] froze, though the blonde didn’t notice because she was still avoiding eye contact. After nearly a solid half-minute of no response, she glanced up through her eyelashes with pleading eyes. “Please…?” [Y/N] stared in shock for another long moment. Annie was about to apologize and tell her to forget about it, but the [h/c] girl suddenly smiled widely and nodded. “I would absolutely love that,” she finally said.

Annie felt her heart flutter. They stared at each other yet again, not sure what move to make to get comfortable and fall asleep. Finally, [Y/N] lied down on the pillow next to Annie, who then shifted down to lie beside her. Sheepishly, she scooted forward and placed her head on [Y/N]’s chest. [Y/N] smiled down warmly at her and wrapped her arms around the blonde to pull her closer. Annie could feel her heart racing–pounding against her ribs–but she didn’t feel ashamed this time because she could hear [Y/N]’s heart beating just as quickly.

She smiled, nuzzled closer, and closed her eyes with a small, soft sigh of content.

Sweets

[Attack On Titan] Modern! Annie Leonhart x G!N Reader

Word count: 1.2k

Proof-Read: No

Content Warnings: None!

[A/N]: Sorry for kinda just...disappearing! I've had a bunch of exams already, and I got overwhelmed. I'm working on different stories/preferences/imagines for all kinds of characters, so bear with me as I try to start writing again! Also, thank you all so much for the support on my first three posts! I was really nervous to post my works on here, but I'm so relieved to know you enjoy them!

I hope you enjoy this as well!

-Okay, so–

-We know Annie has a sweet tooth and absolutely loves sweet foods like pastries

-So, when she comes home one day to the smell of something deliciously sweet, wandering into the kitchen to investigate who could be responsible for her mouth watering and stomach growling, she’s surprised to see you in front of the oven

-She examines you for a moment

-You’re in a apron dusted in flour and sugar, and your hair is tied back to keep it out of your face

-She has always adored seeing you get focused and enthusiastic about your interests, so when she sees your concentrated face as you level off the cakes, she can’t bite back the smile that paints her lips

-You can bake?

-And it actually looks and smells good?

-She falls in love all over again

-After a moment of her staring, you finally notice her

-You turn back with a smile and wave

-”Oh, hi, Annie! You’re just in time! Wanna help me frost and decorate these cakes? I’m making them for Sasha’s birthday.”

-She absentmindedly nods and walks over to you

-She takes a small part of the layer of cake you had cut off to level it, pops it in her mouth, and hums

-Her outward reaction is minimal, but inside she’s ecstatic

-Not only does your cake look and smell good, it tastes incredible too!

-She fails to realize that a cheeky grin crosses her face, so she’s really confused when you chuckle

-”I’m guessing it tastes good?”

-She looks at you in confusion

-You point to your own mouth and then to her

-She finally registers that she’s smiling and blushes, turning her head away to hide herself a bit

-She still nods though

-You smile and turn back to the cakes

-At length, she turns back and watches as you layer the cakes with buttercream

-”What do you need me to do?” She asks

-”Oh. I was gonna see if you could help with the decorating. You’re really good at painting and drawing and stuff, so I feel like it’ll look way better if you decorate it instead.”

-If Annie’s blush wasn’t noticeable before, it certainly was now

-Sure, she’s used to getting compliments, but never on her personal hobbies

-And the fact that compliment came from you? Her favorite person?

-That alone made her heart flip

-”O-Oh, uh…sure.”

-She mentally slaps herself for stuttering

-You nod and finish putting the cakes together

-Once you finish, you wash your hands and dry them before handing her a spare apron

-She puts it on and waits as you gather the materials

-”What exactly is she wanting on the cake?”

-”Oh, she said she wanted something, like…forest-themed? I wasn’t entirely sure what to do with that. That’s kinda why I was hoping you’d agree to helping me decorate.”

-You let out a nervous chuckle

-Her expression is dead serious, however, as she puts a finger to her chin, the gears in her head visibly turning

-She takes her art very seriously

-She’s not going to goof around for this

-She grabs a piping bag with green frosting and gets to work

-You watch her for a bit, occasionally asking if there’s anything she needs help with, but she only shakes her head each time, her eyebrows furrowed together as she focuses on keeping her hands steady

-You realize after a moment that she wants to work on this on her own

-Instead of standing around and just watching her, you work your way around her and clean up the mess from everything else

-She’s still working by the time you finish, so you head into the living room and put on a movie

-It’s nearly two hours later when she emerges from the kitchen, small splatters of green and brown icing peppering her face and apron

-”I'm finished if you want to take a look.”

-She seems almost shy as she says this

-As stated before, she takes her art very seriously because it’s a very important personal hobby to her

-She wants you to approve of her work

-Your opinion is very important to her, even if she’s not the best at expressing it

-You smile and walk with her back over to the counter

-Leaning over to get a full view of the cake, your lips part themselves in awe

-You stay silent a little too long as Annie watches anxiously, and she assumes the worst

-”If you hate it, you can just tell me…”

-You turn to her, confused, barely realizing why she seems so upset

-”Oh! No, Annie, I don’t hate it at all! I love it. I-I’m sorry it came across that way. I’ve just…I’ve only seen your art a couple times. It just always blows me away how you know just what to do with the colors and concepts. You truly are incredible at doing what you love.”

-Your words make her heart flutter, yet another layer of blush dusting her cheeks

-She bows her head down to stare at her feet, unsure of how to properly thank you for your compliments

-Finally, she mumbles a soft, “thank you,” before wringing her hands together

-”Do you mind if I take a picture?”

-She shakes her head and takes the time you use to snap a photo to calm herself down

-You both wait for the icing to dry a bit before covering the cake and storing it in the fridge

-As you take your aprons off, Annie taps your shoulder

-You turn to find her blushing yet again and averting her gaze

-”U-Um…If you, uh…If you need help decorating anything next time you bake something, I’m willing to help.”

-You don’t respond, so she finally looks up

-Her blush worsens as she sees you staring at her with a warm smile, your eyes soft and welcoming

-”I think that’s a really good idea, Annie. We could be a little baking team.”

-She rolls her eyes at your slight enthusiasm, but she still smiles at the thought

-Each time you bake something after that, no matter how small, Annie’s always there to decorate it with or for you

-Sometimes you’ll switch things up

-She’ll bake the treat, with plenty of your guidance, and you’ll decorate, with constant suggestions and reassurances

-Holidays are especially fun because she gets really extra with designs and colors

-On Halloween, she’ll decorate your cookies and cupcakes to make them look like creatures such as spiders and roaches

-It always grosses everyone else out at first, but they truly do admire both the taste and the visuals

-Annie starts to get more compliments on her art and even starts to share it publicly

-She creates an Instagram account after plenty of your encouragement and occasionally posts pictures of her sketches, paintings, and always tags you in her posts of what you’ve created together

-Gains a large following rather quickly, and she’ll never admit it out loud, but she’s much happier and more confident in her work

-After a while, she even starts to consider going back to college to finish her Major in Art

One-Sided

[The Owl House] Boscha x Female Reader

Word Count: 3.82k

Proofread: Yes

Content Warnings: Pure angst: one-sided love, a small fight at the end between Amity and Boscha, toxic (?) friendships, language.

[A/N]: Final story for Boscha for now. It might take a while for me to upload again, but it's because I've got multiple drafts already written for several other characters that I need to finish.

Enjoy!

 “Amity, look at Boscha,” Skara whispered with a knowing smirk as she nudged Amity’s shoulder to gain her attention. Amity, who had been staring down blankly at her book, unable to study with all the nearby commotion, huffed and flipped the cover shut. She lifted her head to glance up at Skara, then followed where she was pointing. From surprise, her eyebrows raised. “Did she forget that other people are around?” She replied just as quietly. Even from her angle at her seat in the middle of her group’s cafeteria table, Amity was able to watch as Boscha held up her scroll.

She had been asked to take a picture of a few people, one of which was [Y/N] [L/N], the girl everyone knew Boscha had fallen for. She had her camera up on her screen, but it was very clear that she had zoomed in to get a visible shot of [Y/N] instead. A soft crimson managed to dust itself across the witch’s features as she bit back a smile. Before she turned her scroll to show the group, she snapped a much quicker photo after carelessly zooming back out in an attempt to hide what she had just done. [Y/N] grinned upon seeing the group photo and thanked her. She asked Boscha to send her the photo before she sat back down at the table across from Amity.

Boscha enthusiastically agreed and typed away on her screen. Within seconds, [Y/N]’s phone went off to show she had done as requested. She grinned up at the taller girl, whose face reddened even further as she giddily took a seat next to her. “Thanks!” “Yeah, no problem.”

Curiously, Amity cocked an eyebrow at her. When Boscha turned and made eye contact, she seemed awkward about something–almost as if she was wanting to ask a question. Instead, she turned to the surface of the table in front of her, her gaze landing on a drink she had brought in with her a few moments ago. With a small breath to steel her spiked nerves, she slid the drink over to [Y/N], who glanced over at it with confusion.

“I heard you liked that drink from a few people, so I figured I’d get it for you.” The grin she was met with as a reply made her own lips stretch up into a wide smile. “Oh, thanks! You didn’t have to do that.” “It was no problem, really.” Almost immediately, [Y/N] took a sip from the small cup, humming happily in satisfaction once she placed it back down.

Amity could see how Boscha got lost in a daze–much like the ones she found herself in once Luz arrived in the Demon Realm. The three-eyed witch’s gaze softened, a small smirk playing at her lips again as she continued to stare at [Y/N], who had turned away a bit to strike up a conversation with Amelia and Kat once they questioned the drink. Happily, [Y/N] explained to them that Boscha had bought the drink for her out of the kindness in her heart, to which the other girls glanced at each other. “That’s awfully sweet of you, Boscha,” Kat snickered. Boscha hadn’t even paid attention to the conversation, which was evident from the way she blinked at the sound of her name and finally managed to tear her eyes away from the girl sitting next to her. “Huh?”

Stifled chuckles were her response. She glanced at them in confusion, but ultimately shrugged it off and turned her attention back to [Y/N]. Amity pretended to open her book to continue reading, but she kept her hearing focused on what Boscha said, all the way up to where the bell rang. She had pretty much been talking about nothing at first, but eventually asked [Y/N] if she’d be at her “big Grudgby game” in a few days.

[Y/N] assured her she would be and started packing up her things from the table. She stood to toss her empty tray into the bin once the bell went off, then slugged her backpack onto her shoulders, still sipping from the drink Boscha had gotten her. She waved to the table and told them she’d see them at lunch. Before she could make it to the cafeteria door, however, Boscha practically bolted up from her own seat and darted over to catch up to the smaller girl, offering to walk her to her class.

No one at the table saw it, but they all knew [Y/N] had accepted her offer.

A groan of pure annoyance slipped past Skara and Amity’s lips as they tried their best to tune out Boscha’s words. All day every day, for the past several days, Boscha had been talking almost nonstop about [Y/N]. It only worsened after the final Grudgby match of the season, where she had shamelessly tried to flirt with [Y/N] after meeting up with her after the game. She messed up each line she tried to use, but didn’t mind it when the sound of [Y/N]’s sweet giggles met her in reply. It was hard for her team to witness, only because they had never seen Boscha act that way around anyone before.

That, and they weren’t sure how to let her know that [Y/N] wasn't interested in her in that way.

On top of the entire match being awkward, it had been clear that Boscha was trying to show off the entire time. More than she usually did, anyway. This time it was obvious why she was doing it. It wasn’t because she wanted to intimidate her opponents, nor was it because she wanted to impress her own team. Instead, she was showing off to an extreme because she wanted to catch a certain girl’s eye. She hadn’t been so aggressive during the first round, but that almost instantly changed once she finally spotted [Y/N] in the bleachers cheering her on.

Today seemed to be worse than the others. From the moment she walked in the building, Boscha had been talking nonstop about her, all but gushing about how incredible of a person she was. “Oh my Titan. Boscha, could we please talk about something else? Anything else? Anything at all,” Skara whined as the three of them sat down at their table for lunch. “Yeah,” Amity started, equally as exhausted, “I know I was pretty bad when I first started crushing on Luz, but I knew when to stop talking about her the way you’re talking about [Y/N]. I mean, talking about a conversation or a game or something is one thing, but the way you’re pouring out compliments left and right is kind of… tiring.”

“Yeah. Plus, there’s no way you have a chance with her,” Skara muttered, thinking no one had heard her. Amity stiffened in her seat, her breath hitching as her head snapped over to glare at her and her hand lifted to smack her arm. Upon realizing what she had said wasn’t just heard by herself, Skara gasped silently and covered her mouth, wishing she could take her words back. No one in the group had the heart to break the news to Boscha. They didn’t want to either.

Ever since [Y/N] had torn down her walls, Boscha started to soften up and take on a much kinder approach when dealing with others. They didn’t want her to find out the truth and revert back to her old ways. They were proud of her for showing she was willing to change for the better, and they didn’t want to ruin it for her or anyone else.

Boscha frowned as she turned to them. “What do you mean? Wouldn’t she tell me if she wasn’t interested? I’m pretty sure it’s clear to her what I’m doing. I mean, it’s obvious to everyone else, apparently.” She grimaced and looked down at her hands, watching as she tapped away at the backs of her hands with her nails. “I thought I was hiding it well, honestly.” Amity sighed and pinched the bridge of her nose, mentally preparing herself for the conversation she knew she couldn’t avoid any longer. Silently, she turned to Skara and gave a small motion, to which Skara nodded and stood, slipping away to another table and making sure the others left them alone.

“Boscha, I have to be honest with you. I can’t see you do this to yourself any longer. Just… promise me you won’t freak out and make a scene, okay?” Now, with her expression entirely riddled and contorted with confusion, Boscha could only nod. She subconsciously felt her hand sneak up to toy with the charms on her bracelet–the one that [Y/N] had given to her as a thank you for her first gift after stumbling into the Isles.

Letting out a shaky exhale, Amity pulled out her scroll and clicked onto a specific conversation she’d had with [Y/N] about a week or two prior. Upon finding it, she turned it around for Boscha to see, watching as she scanned through the messages. A nervous chuckle escaped her throat as she gripped at her charms tightly now. “Wh-What is this?” Amity frowned. “You know what it is, Boscha. These are texts between [Y/N] and myself. And, based on your reaction, you read the whole thing.” The taller witch now averted her gaze and dipped her head down to hide her face, staring at her lap.

Attempting to comfort her, Amity placed her hand on Boscha’s shoulder, only for it to be shrugged off. “I’m sorry, Boscha. I figured you would’ve found out for yourself, but I guess you were too focused on how you felt for her instead.” She waited, staring expectantly at her for some kind of reaction. “I’m sorry,” she repeated.

“She already likes someone else.”

The moment the words left her mouth, Amity could only watch as Boscha trembled before forcing herself to stand. She picked up her bag and finally looked back at the youngest Blight, whose eyes widened only a fraction once seeing how dull Boscha’s eyes now seemed to be. “Tell the rest of the teachers that I wasn’t feeling good, alright? I’m going home.” She nodded as an answer and frowned as her eyes followed Boscha leaving the room.

She glanced back over at Skara, who was already looking over at her. Her features crinkled with concern, a sign she wanted to know what happened. Amity huffed, ran her hands down her face, then moved to join her and the others at the other table to explain.

 Nearly a month had passed since Boscha was made aware of [Y/N]’s feelings for someone else. For the first two weeks, she tried to move past it and pretend she was still fine. She wanted others to think she was mature enough to understand it wasn’t the end of the world. She knew it wasn’t, logically speaking, but it felt so much like everything was crumbling around her. She had been trying to change herself for [Y/N], hoping to catch her eye, only for it to all fall apart.

Amity tried to tell her that she shouldn’t have been trying to better herself just to impress someone, but quickly stopped bringing it up after seeing how distraught Boscha seemed at the mere mention of anything that had happened. [Y/N] hadn’t been made aware of anything, although she thought Boscha knew anyway. She could still sense something was wrong, however, and slowly shifted where she sat in the cafeteria to give the witch some space. Ultimately, she ended up sitting at the table Luz shared with Willow and Gus.

It only sent Boscha spiraling further. Soon enough, she started to hide from the others during the times they’d usually meet up. During breakfast and lunch at school, she’d eat in the auditorium, out by the Grudgby field, or would skip eating altogether. Anytime Skara or Kat tried to invite her to hang out with them like they used to, she’d come up with some excuse to stay home.

As much as she hated teenage angst, and as much as she knew she was likely being overdramatic, Boscha couldn’t help but feel heartbroken. Her world seemed to shatter around her. She eventually stopped attending Grudgby practices and matches, only showing up when absolutely necessary to avoid getting kicked off of the team. To add insult to injury, because of her absences, she was demoted from Team Captain, the role instead being given to Skara.

It made it harder for her to keep attending classes or practice, even after Skara offered to ask the coach to give her the role back. Boscha denied it and told her she’d give the team a better chance anyway before ghosting her again, the same way she had been doing to everyone. It became rare for anyone to get a response from her. Most of the time, she could be found lying face up on her bed, her eyes blank and dull as she mindlessly stared up at the ceiling. She knew her social life was ruined, and she knew she needed to start moving on, but even a small glimpse of [Y/N] or something that reminded her of the girl had her curling up and away from the outside world all over again.

Amity and the others had to start bringing her the schoolwork she had missed, much to the dismay of their teachers. They eased up, however, once being made aware of the situation. They sympathized with her, but still continued to tell her she needed to try to keep up. After all, a love life wouldn’t get you anywhere in life. You needed to focus only on your future career, and that included any work that was involved. That’s what Amity’s mother, Odalia, had been saying anyway.

Amity eventually stopped bringing the events up around her family. Boscha had enough on her plate. She didn’t need her mother complaining to Boscha’s moms about it–that would only lead to them bombarding her with endless questions and unintentionally making her feel more guilty.

One day, Boscha seemed a little more hopeful than she had been. She came back to school and managed to make it throughout the whole day, attending each of her classes and even participating as much as she could. When Amity asked if she was feeling better, Boscha grinned, though it was clear it was forced. “Not exactly,” she muttered. She yawned, the lack of sleep visibly getting to her. “But I think there’s still a chance.”

Before Amity could ask what she meant, the final bell of the day rang, echoing down the halls to announce the dismissal. Boscha almost immediately headed out the door and hopped onto her staff once making it outside the building. She flew off. Amity sighed and looked over at the now empty seat next to her, spotting Boscha’s bag still resting on the ground.

She picked it up and carried it in front of her as she walked out to place her books in her locker. Once making it there, she gently let the bag settle on the ground in front of her, then tugging her books out from her own backpack and tucking them away in the large maw of her locker. “Amity, hey!” Luz called out, joining her over towards the wall. “Whose bag is this? I saw you carrying it over here. Is it some kind of collection of yours? Maybe like the ones Eda has piled up everywhere?”

Softly, Amity laughed at her excitedly laced words and shook her head. “No, no, nothing like that. It’s Boscha’s bag. She left it in class by accident.” Luz tilted her head, now concerned. “She forgot her whole bag? Jeez.” A short moment passed. She wanted to think ahead of how Amity might react to her next question. “Is she okay? She’s been seeming so… down lately.” The witch’s frown returned, and she shrugged. “Yeah, I know. She’s not doing so well. I can’t exactly talk about it, but she’s pretty heartbroken right now.”

Luz nodded, not wanting to pry any further. She glanced back down at the bag again. “Are you gonna bring this to her tonight? I know it’s the weekend now, but I’m sure she has plenty of work to catch up on. Kinda hard to do that without all of her folders and binders.” Amity nodded. “Yeah, I’m going to go give it back after dinner. I want to message her to let her know ahead of time so I don’t just show up unannounced.”

Amity knocked on Boscha’s door urgently, the bag she had tugged along the entire flight there long forgotten. She had messaged Boscha after dinner, just as she had told Luz she would do, only to receive a response for her to get there immediately. “Boscha? Are you alright?” She reached to twist the doorknob, only for it to rattle and rotate from the other side. She jumped and stepped back a bit once the door swung open.

Amity couldn’t help but gasp at Boscha’s appearance: hair tangled and matted, clothes wrinkled and messily thrown on, and tears streaking rapidly down her face. “Amity,” she choked out between sobs, instantly pulling her into the room and tugging her into a tight hug. Her body trembled with each cry and whimper that wracked throughout her body. She eventually collapsed to the ground, Amity barely managing to catch her.

“Boscha, what happened?” A much louder chain of weeping erupted from the three-eyed girl, making Amity’s heart stop for a moment. What had happened in the span of a few hours that had left her so devastated? “I fucked it up. I fucked everything up,” she finally responded after a moment.

“What do you mean? What did you mess up?”

Finally, Boscha pulled back from the embrace, summoning her scroll and clicking on her most recent conversation. She continued to sob as she handed it to Amity, who read through everything quickly. “Oh… Boscha, I’m–” “She rejected me. I finally managed to tell her how I feel, and she told me she didn’t see me that way: she doesn’t love me. That she loves someone else and–a-and,” she stopped mid-stutter before she could choke on her ragged breathing.

“And wants to confess to them and ask them out,” Amity finished for her. Boscha hunched over, now letting her head press against the rough, wooden floorboards beneath her, her arms flying up to cover herself. Another cry slipped through, though it was far weaker, her shoulders finally slumping with defeat. “I shouldn’t have said anything to her,” she managed to whisper after a long moment. Amity had no idea what to say. She could only stare down at her friend with tears pricking her own eyes and blurring her vision.

She tucked the scroll away to let the only source of light dwindle off before lifting Boscha enough to take her into her arms. Soft words of affirmation managed to leave her lips as she rubbed soothingly at her back. “It’ll be okay, Boscha. I promise it will. These things just take time to heal from. I know you can do it, though.”

Gently, she lifted Boscha’s head to look her in the eye as best as she could. “You have me and Skara, and I’m sure Amelia and Kat wouldn’t mind helping you through this too. We aren’t going to leave you to deal with this on your own.” Boscha sniffled, straightening her back a bit to sit up. She wiped at her wet eyes, though more tears spilled soon after.

“But I don’t want to do it without her. I don’t want to do anything without her.”

Amity nodded with a small sigh. “I know. But you can still do it either way. I know you don’t want to, but just give it a chance, okay?”

Boscha’s eyes flickered back and forth for a bit, as if reading a script. A concoction of emotions flooded her senses, fury and sorrow leading the brew. Chipped fingernails dug into the fabric of her shorts as she shuddered. There were so many things overwhelming her mind–so many things she wanted to say, all out of her need to channel her anger after bottling it up for so long. She didn’t know what to do, and certainly didn’t know what to say, but she tried for an exhaustingly long moment to come up with something.

Finally, with her brows furrowed tightly together, she sniffled and managed to stand, using the collar of her t-shirt to wipe away her tears. “I’m not promising anything. I don’t want anyone’s help either. I can do stuff on my own. I have all my life. I don’t need anyone else.”

“Boscha, don’t–”

“Get out.”

She stepped forward and practically shoved Amity out the door once she stood to meet her eye-to-eye, slamming it right after and locking it. Amity, surprised by both the sudden motion and change in mood, knocked repeatedly and rattled the doorknob. “Boscha, please, open the door. You can’t lose yourself over something like this. You have to move on.”

“Don’t you fucking dare tell me to move on!” She hollered back from the other side of the door, punching it to emphasize her anger. “I’ll do whatever I want, got it? Get out. Leave. Just– leave me alone already!”

Amity tried for an hour more to convince Boscha to let her back in, but quickly slipped out of the house once she heard the front door downstairs opening and closing, followed by familiar voices. Once she was sure she was alone, Boscha curled back up on her bed and threw her covers over her head to muffle out her cries.

Her heart throbbed uncomfortably in her chest, hammering against her ribs. She hated the feeling. She hated all of her feelings lately, including the ones that led her to believe making a last attempt of confessing would fix everything. She bit down harshly against her blanket, trying to prevent herself from letting out another audible cry. The last thing she wanted to deal with was her moms trying to comfort her. She wanted to be alone, even if it meant dealing with her bubbling emotions on her own.

Every nerve throughout her body felt numb, making her limbs feel impossibly weak. She couldn’t have even lifted the blankets back off of her if she tried. She closed her eyes, trying desperately to stop her silent rivers of tears and fall asleep, hoping it would ease the headache pounding in her skull. She hated all of the pain, both physical and emotional. She wanted it to disappear forever.

The feeling was only temporary, she knew. The one-sided love that had destroyed her and her life, however, was eternal.

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.”