Shielded Tranquility

Shielded Tranquility

[Resident Evil: Village] Cassandra Dimitrescu x Female Reader

Word Count: 5.07k

Proofread: Yes

Content Warnings: Blood, threats, handling a small panic attack, mentions of torture, suggestive dialogue, language, soft angst, and fluff.

[A/N]: Here's Cassandra's part for the continuation of Shielded! I'm working on the story for Daniela, so expect that sometime soon! Bela's part can be found here.

Enjoy!

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Faint laughter rolled down the crumbling hallways of the dungeon linked to the kitchen, softly rumbling its way past cracked bricks and snapped planks that littered the cold and rugged stone floor. Having noticed just how overwhelmed and stressed the majority of her fellow maids were, [Y/N] offered to assist them with the most anxiety-inducing task: cleaning out the remains and partially-dried bloodstains in each cage. After working with House Dimitrescu for so long, most maids and visitors–who later became victims–grew accustomed to these scenes.

The reason so many of the maids grew frail and hesitant with every action they took while on the lowest floor of the manor was because they were never sure if their predators would join them, taunt them, and ultimately torture them relentlessly, laughing at them and mocking them heartlessly as they took their final, strained breath. No matter how many times they were reassured by the head matriarch of the castle known for the bloodshed and lack of mercy, each maid felt their heart sink to their stomach each time they heard they were being assigned to work downstairs.

Knowing this, and wanting to help her coworkers feel at ease while working, [Y/N] made sure to crack jokes at every given opportunity. She kept a smile on at all times and forced herself to appear as though she had no concern for the potential punishment or death any one of them could receive at any given moment.

The maids, even those among them who had been fortunate enough to survive and work under one of the Four Lords for years, found themselves astonished at her carefree attitude. Although they weren’t sure how genuine she was being towards them, they couldn’t help but feel their own anxiety flicker away with each grin and pun sent their way. Within an hour, they had all begun to share jokes and laugh. They convinced each other to stay as silent as possible, but after a decent amount of time that lacked scolding from one of their employers, it was becoming much harder to stifle their giggles.

Each woman had grown comfortable enough to let their guard down, though one by one, they grew tense again and gasped as a familiar figure prowled past them, accompanied by the overwhelmingly strong smell of blood, sweat, and something rotten. Confusion riddled each maid’s face as the middle child, Cassandra Dimitrescu, paid no mind to them, not even gracing them with a single glance in their direction. Instead, she lurked forward with a smirk on her face. She had clearly just gotten finished with a hunt, which was evident from the way warm, wet, fresh blood had been splattered over her lips and gradually trickled down her jawline and throat. It seeped into her cloak, though it didn’t seem to bother her in the slightest. Likely the same blood that enhanced her wicked grin also drenched her tattered gloves and sleeves. Wherever she was going seemed to be more important than cleaning up after herself.

Then again, she tended to prefer keeping a wild appearance. She was thrilled when others feared her and viewed her as unhinged. It helped accomplish her desire to be intimidating and in control, which satisfied her even further each time she toyed with her prey. Knowing that her wicked, sadistic glare would be the final thing so many of her victims saw was addictive. Being feared was one of the most important, exhilarating things to her.

Her sickle dangled loosely from her belt, rocking and thumping against her hip with each sauntered movement. Strangely enough, it didn’t seem it was what she had used. The silver still gleamed effortlessly under the dim lighting from the candles burning punily against the walls. It seemed as though the blade had been sharpened recently, which only added to the bewilderment pouring throughout the entire level.

Pure terror and a feeling of helplessness riddled through the women’s bodies as they managed to shuffle closer to the wall and watch from the corners of their eyes as Cassandra continued to glide towards her target–which they quickly realized was the woman providing them with their only sense of comfort: [Y/N].

The maids closest to [Y/N] noticed her presence far too late to warn her. They instinctively stepped away and bowed their heads to both show obedience and to avoid potentially making eye contact with the cruelest daughter of Alcina. [Y/N] noticed their sudden change in behavior and tilted her head in confusion, never once twisting around far enough to see the woman mere inches behind her. Cassandra’s emergence from the stairs instantly became known to her, however, as cold, damp, strong arms encircled her waist and pulled her backwards far enough to lean against the partially-solid body of the taller woman now standing directly behind her. She yelped, puzzled at how she hadn’t heard the buzzing growing louder or noticed the tension returning to the room. A shiver crept through her body upon feeling the blood begin to seep into her uniform, once warm in the body of the victim, now frigid against her skin.

Before she could turn to face her, Cassandra’s strong jawline and chin, doused in thick blood, planted themselves into the crook of [Y/N]’s neck. Her voice hitched as the woman’s hot, staggered breath caressed her ear. She could feel everyone’s eyes on the two of them, as well as the sensation of a slick, crimson red substance instantly bleeding through her white cotton shirt-collar and streaming across her shoulder, all the way down to the skin just above her right breast.

She could feel her heart hammering against her ribs so violently, and given how enhanced Alcina’s daughters’ senses became after the experiment they unwillingly participated in, she was sure Cassandra could hear it as well. Her anxiety spiked immediately once she realized neither Bela nor Daniela were down here with her. She never had to fear what would happen around Cassandra as long as they were around to keep her in check, but now she was down here on her own. Thinking as quickly as she could, she did her best to remain calm and prevent the other women in the room from getting hurt. She took a sharp breath in and turned her head to peer at Cassandra through the corner of her eye.

“Lady C-Cassandra, what are you–” “Hello, [Y/N]. I’ve been looking for you everywhere. Why’re you down here wasting your precious time with these pathetic maids? You weren’t assigned to work in here.” [Y/N] swallowed the lump that had formed in her throat. She didn’t mind having to stand up for herself, but as a child, she had been forced to learn how to defend others after learning of the other kids in the village bullying her younger sister. She knew the other women who worked here were too terrified of the heads of the house to put their foot down, but she wouldn’t allow herself to stand aside and let them be thrown around and treated like they were worthless. In her mind, it would feel like she was letting her sister get hurt–like she would let her down. “Lady Cassandra, please. I’m no better than the other women here, and you know it. I’m a maid just like the rest of them, and none of them are in any way inferior to you or your family.”

A dark, forced cackle erupted from Cassandra’s lips as her fingertips dug into [Y/N]’s clothed skin. “Oh, you really do amuse me, my little maid. You know very well these pathetic, shoddy women mean nothing outside of their work. And even then, they can all be replaced.” She lowered her voice so only [Y/N] could hear her and tugged her closer. “All except you,” she husked with an impish smirk. A shudder jolted down [Y/N]’s spine. Before she had a chance to send back a retort of her own, Cassandra continued, instantly changing the subject.

“Aside from that, you still haven’t given me a reason as to why you’re down here. You weren’t assigned to clean out the cells, so why have you gone against orders? Don’t make me repeat myself again.” She turned her head, allowing her bloodstained, needle-like fangs to graze against [Y/N]’s soft, warm, tempting skin. “You know exactly what will happen.”

[Y/N] found herself suppressing the urge to roll her eyes. Cassandra was one who tended to put on a facade around others–especially those she deems to be lower than her–but her mask would periodically falter long enough to show her more sensitive nature, in which she always seemed ashamed of. “I didn’t go against any orders, Lady Cassandra. I was told–by your mother–to take the day off and do as I please, so long as I don’t interfere with her work. That’s why I’m down here: I’m doing as I please, which is helping the other women down here so they don’t overwhelm themselves with such a daunting task. I’m in no way interrupting your mother’s work. I hope that answers your question.”

The maids pinned to the sides of the, now dead-silent, halls held their breaths, mortified at how bold [Y/N] had been as she spoke to Cassandra–the sister known to be the most sadistic, aggressive, and short-tempered of the three. They feared they’d watch their friend be torn apart right in front of them, limb by limb. Rigid as boards, they shared silent looks with each other before a mocking laugh bellowed deep from inside Cassandra’s gut. Their eyes shot back to the two women secluded from the rest.

Cassandra cackled once more at [Y/N]’s remark, audibly growing annoyed with how confidently she was biting back. She sighed, gripping the smaller woman tightly by her right bicep and twirling her around to look her in the eye. “I suppose it does, maid. I just hope you haven’t made any other plans. You’re coming with me,” she sneered as she yanked her back towards the staircase leading up to the kitchen. She glared daggers at each maid this time as she passed them. Her footsteps echoed loudly as she stormed up in a swift movement fueled by her wavering pride. “Let this be a warning to all of you. No one speaks to me this way. If you’d like to be drawn to the most horrendous pain you’ve ever experienced, then by all means, be my guest and follow her example.”

Mortified gazes trailed after the two as they vanished through the arched doorway and up the stairs. The maid closest to where they left strained her ears in an attempt to hear anything further.

Once she knew they were both out of earshot and sight, Cassandra softened her grip on [Y/N]’s arm as she led her up the stairs in the main den. “Lady Cassandra, where are you taking me?” The brunette sighed and waited until she found a secluded room where there were no other maids stationed. She tugged her forward before practically slamming the door shut and locking it, flying over to the other entrance leading to the adjacent room and doing the same. At length, she spun around on her heel and glared down at [Y/N] with furrowed brows. “Why the hell would you speak to me that way in front of them? Do you know how humiliating that is for me? How difficult it makes it to maintain some sense of intimidation and control?” She scoffed, rolling her eyes and pinching the bridge of her nose. “No, of course you don’t.”

[Y/N] sucked in a shaky breath to steel her nerves. She stood up straight, strained her features to mirror neutrality, and steadied her voice to appear confident in herself. “Lady Cassandra, it wasn’t my intention to upset you. I just don’t enjoy watching how ashamed you and your sisters make my coworkers feel each time you speak to them. I’m sure they’d do much better while working if you treated them with the respect they deserve.” Cassandra laughed again. “Respect? You really think those lowly maids deserve respect? Even with how worthless they are?” Irritation overwhelmed [Y/N]’s senses. She stepped forward with a look in her eye that Cassandra had never seen before. It enticed her. “Listen. I don’t care what you say about me, or even what you say about your sisters. You know very well that they’ll have the courage to fight back, and so will I. But I will not stand by and watch while you degrade those women who are too terrified to speak up for themselves. They may not have your respect, but you sure as hell have theirs.

“I may be speaking out of place here, and you may very well have my head for it, Lady Cassandra, but it seems to me that I’m the only one here who will stand up for what’s right, and I won’t apologize for it. If you showed any decency towards the people who worked day and night for you, you would know better than to constantly berate them at every given moment. Any child who was taught basic proper manners knows that.”

Stunned, Cassandra only stared silently at the fuming woman in front of her, her mouth slightly agape as she blinked. After a moment of the two women staring awkwardly at each other, [Y/N] sighed heavily and took a step back, crossing her arms over her chest and tilting her head down to gawk at the floor beneath her as if it were suddenly the most interesting thing in the world. She cleared her throat.

“I apologize, Lady Cassandra. I didn’t mean to go that far. I’m just so sick of seeing you hurt others like that. I care about those women so much, and I don’t want someone else I care about to be the reason behind their suffering.” Another sigh slipped through her parted lips. “I suppose I should’ve expected this, though. After all, your family is known for being merciless towards those deemed even less valuable than the dust on the bodies of those you toy with and torture. Those that are unwillingly brought into this world with dreams and ambitions of their own, only for it to be taken away over several grueling hours that you seem to enjoy.”

The seconds that followed felt like hours, both women at a loss for words. [Y/N] continued to avert her gaze and stare at different objects decorating the same room that grew heavier with tension. Cassandra, however, couldn’t tear her eyes away from [Y/N]. She had always known the woman wasn’t afraid to stand up for what she believed in, but she had never heard her grow so aggressive and insulting. It piqued her interest. Aside from her sisters, Cassandra wasn’t used to anyone talking back, even to defend themself. She felt herself going to war inside her mind, desperately racking her brain for something to say.

“Just…” she started in a hushed tone. “Just call me Cassandra, for god’s sake. I think you’re already aware that you’ve earned my trust. You know I don’t have it in myself to hurt you, especially after you defended my sisters and I when that disgusting man-thing broke in a couple of weeks ago.” It was [Y/N]’s turn to be surprised. She had never heard Cassandra speak so calmly, even when she had rested against her after the invasion a few weeks prior. She cleared her throat. “But that’s…that goes against everything I was taught. I mean, you know I don’t think of anyone as superior or inferior, but I do know how important it is to show respect. It’d feel so improper to address you that way.” Cassandra sighed, though it shifted more into a low growl that rumbled in the back of her throat.

She stepped forward. “Oh my god, why are you–ugh! You’re so damn annoying!” “What…?” She stepped closer, prompting [Y/N] to cower back a bit and begin to trail backward. “You heard what I said, god dammit! You’re annoying! God, this is disgusting. I’m disgusting. I never wanted to feel this way–especially about you!” “Lady Cassandra, wh-what are you talking ab–”

“I hate you, okay?” She finally shouted. Tears pricked the corners of her eyes, the hue beginning to flush her face matching the blood still dripping down her chin. She began to pace back and forth in a panicked manner, her gloved fingernails digging into her scalp. “I hate the way you make me feel, I hate the fuzzy feeling I get when I so much as think of you, I hate how beautiful and selfless you are, I hate how you’re afraid to address me casually, and I hate how you always make me feel so good about myself!”

Processing the words and replaying them over and over again in her mind like a record player, [Y/N] could only watch in a daze as Cassandra continued to walk around in frantic steps. At length, the troubled woman halted her movements and buried her face in her trembling hands. She heaved, wishing she could shrivel away at that moment. She had never imagined she’d be so vulnerable around anyone. In her mind, any emotion aside from anger or sadistic pleasure was weakness. How had this young maid managed to break down her walls in such a short amount of time? Surely saving her wasn’t enough to make her fall into such shameful vulnerability.

Oh, how desperate she was to drown away in her own puddle of shame, far away from everyone and everything that could see how pathetic she felt.

“But, Cassandra, why does that seem like it’s such a bad thing in your mind?” Unwillingly, a pained sob tore through Cassandra’s lips as she once again clawed at her hair. Her lips curled up as a rough laugh followed soon after. “Because I don’t deserve it! Any of it, dammit! You should be afraid of me!” Her eyes screwed themselves tightly shut as another cry erupted from her throat, which was growing raw from the hysteric weeping.

She couldn’t hear anything over the sound of her own sniffling and sharp gasps for air. The feeling of two warm, gentle hands firmly taking her own made her visibly jump, recoiling back and nearly spiraling into the nearest wall out of shock. “Hey, hey, it’s okay,” [Y/N] whispered reassuringly, holding her hands up in front of her shoulders, palms facing towards the terrified woman. “I need you to breathe, alright? Just breathe. Here, give me your hands. If it’s alright for me to hold them, of course.”

Cassandra looked down as she panted fearfully, wrestling with her conscience to come back to her senses. Her golden eyes flickered back and forth between [Y/N]’s hands offering themselves to let her hold and the girl’s soft, yet stern, steadied gaze. “I’m not going to hurt you, I promise.”

Hesitantly, Cassandra found herself stepping forward at a painfully slow pace before outstretching her arms far enough to rest her hands in [Y/N]’s. She looked back up at the one trying to calm her down.

“Breathe, okay? Take three deep breaths, and then we’ll go from there.” She had to take a moment to understand the words, but Cassandra eventually nodded. She attempted to take the first one, though it came out in a strangled manner. “Hey, just look at me. Breathe with me, alright? We’re going to breathe in for three seconds, hold for three seconds, and then take the same amount of time to breathe back out. Got it? In three, hold three, out three.”

Too puzzled about what she was feeling, Cassandra nodded again and did as she was told. She watched as [Y/N] began to breathe in slowly and held up her left hand to count to three. Shakily, she followed her example, and after a few attempts, she had finally managed to take three deep breaths. “Good,” [Y/N] whispered. She began to kneel down into a sitting position, gently tugging the trembling woman with her. Once seated, [Y/N] squeezed Cassandra’s hands in her own.

“I want you to focus on your five senses, alright? We’ll take it one at a time. First, tell me what you can feel.” Cassandra’s hands twitched uncomfortably, tingling from being numb. After taking a second to muster her strength, she curled her fingers far enough to grip [Y/N]’s hands. She blinked, eventually closed her eyes, and let herself focus. “Y-Your hands. I f-feel your hands in mine.” “Try to describe them for me.”

She stammered, struggling to properly form the correct descriptive words. “Uh, s-soft, warm, and…” She squeezed her grip again. “They’re smaller th-than mine.” “Good, you’re doing great. Now tell me what you can hear.”

Her brows furrowed together tightly as she strained her ears, trying urgently to push past the rushing sound of ringing. “I–I can hear my v-voice, and our heartb-beats.” “Good. What can you smell?” She inhaled deeply, failing to notice that her breathing had already returned to normal. “Your scent, and, um…the ashes in the hearth. I-I think there was a fire going recently.”

“Taste?”

“Blood. I, well, you can see why. I forgot to wipe it off on the way up here.” Cassandra felt herself smile tiredly as [Y/N] chuckled in response. “Yeah, I know. You’re almost done. Now you just need to tell me what you can see. You might want to open your eyes for that, though.” Cassandra let out a snicker of her own before she let her eyes flutter open. Having to take a moment for her vision to adjust from being blurred from her tears, eventually her eyes focused on [Y/N]’s. She couldn’t see it herself, but her pupils–which tended to slit themselves as if she were constantly preying on something–were blown.

“I can see you. I see your gaze, your smile, and–” she paused and nervously glanced down. “And the bloodstains I accidentally left on your waist.” [Y/N]’s smile grew wider. “You did great. Do you feel any better?” Too uncharacteristically bashful, Cassandra could only nod as she stared at the ground beneath them.

“I’m glad. Now, why don’t we get you to bed? You look exhausted.” As if on cue, Cassandra felt herself yawn, her hands slipping from [Y/N]’s and rising above her head to stretch. “Actually,” she murmured while rubbing her eyes, “could we just sleep in here? Kind of like how we slept that night, but just you and I?”

[Y/N] froze for a moment. “Are you sure? I don’t want to overwhelm you. I mean, I’m sure you’d like some space and privacy while you rest.” Cassandra didn’t seem embarrassed in the slightest about keeping each other company, which was very out of the ordinary for her. “I’m sure. We’d just need to get the fire going again and gather up some pillows and blankets. I could go grab those if you wouldn’t mind getting some of the spare driftwood and lighting it up in the hearth.”

The two women, although they experienced different reactions to the proposal, both internally felt the mutual urge to be near one another. Neither one of them were sure what their relationship was, but they both craved a more intimate, romantic connection, though both were too afraid to make the first move. Cassandra’s fear was her pride being crushed because of her phobia of dealing with rejection. [Y/N]’s fear was the thought of ruining what it was they already had established, feeding on her linked dread of being despised and abandoned.

After realizing that Cassandra was already half-asleep, [Y/N] could feel her hesitation begin to fade. She sighed at length and nodded. “Alright, I can do that. I’ll be right back. I’m not sure how many pillows or blankets are up here though.” Cassandra shrugged and stumbled onto her feet. “I don’t know either, but I’ll see what I can find. Hurry up though. I’m about to collapse, and I don’t want to do that in this cold-ass room.” Finally, [Y/N] giggled again. “Alright, alright. Fair enough.” She hoisted herself back onto her feet as well and headed towards the door leading out into the main hallway, unlocking it and beginning to head out.

“Oh, and [Y/N]?” She halted her steps and peered back into the room. “Yes?” Cassandra gazed at her gently. “If you so much as breathe a word about any of this to anyone, especially my sisters, I’ll have your head,” she threatened emptily with a smile. [Y/N] paused before laughing. “I was honestly waiting for a wink or something with that last part.” Cassandra couldn’t help but roll her eyes as [Y/N] left, though she also couldn’t bite back her smirk. “Yeah, that’ll come later on,” she mumbled under her breath. She turned to the sofas lining the far wall, drifting towards them to retrieve the throw pillows propped up against the armrests and the soft, red cotton-weaved blankets folded neatly in the center of every other cushion.

//////////

Flames began to crackle loudly as they grew in the hearth. A soft light illuminated the room, casting wavering shadows throughout the room, which brought attention to the only highlighted spot shielded from the darkness. A few feet in front of the base of the fire, [Y/N] and Cassandra had bundled themselves together under layers of blankets and on top of piles of pillows. Similar to what she had done two weeks prior when recovering from the attack, Cassandra had huddled against [Y/N] as closely as she could. Her nose had nuzzled itself into the girl’s neck, allowing her to effortlessly breathe in her scent as she rested.

They had both stayed quiet for a while, watching the fire grow larger, though [Y/N] eventually broke the silence. “Hey, Cassandra?” The fatigued woman leaning against her, clinging to her for warmth, hummed almost inaudibly in response. The lack of clarity in the noise was caused by the lower half of her face being buried underneath the covers–as well as how she had positioned her head to bask in [Y/N]’s aroma. “Hm?” “If you don’t mind me asking, why did you come looking for me earlier when I was downstairs?” Cassandra huffed and yawned. “Because I was originally going to ask if we could come upstairs and do exactly what we’re doing right now. I just lost my temper, so things kind of took…a turn,” she slurred out sleepily.

“Ah.”

Silence fell upon them again. Several minutes passed before either one of them spoke. This time, it was Cassandra who broke the hushedness. “I cannot tell you how tempted I am to bury my face underneath your shirt.” [Y/N] coughed, attempting to stifle the sudden choking on her spit. “I-I’m sorry?” Playfully, yet tiredly, Cassandra smacked her shoulder. “Not like that, you dork. Well, not yet anyway.” Again, [Y/N] had to prevent herself from choking. “I meant because you’re really warm, and having your shirt over me would keep the heat in. I’d probably fall asleep there and never come out.”

“C-Cassandra, what the hell are you even talking about?”

“Honestly? I don’t even know anymore. I’m exhausted. I probably won’t remember half of the things I’ve already said once I wake up. It’s a nice thought though–I’d get to be close to you, I’d be warm, and your shirt would block out the sunlight so I can actually sleep in.” [Y/N] smirked, playing along. “Yeah, but then you’d have to hear all the weird noises my stomach makes 24/7.” Cassandra hummed out a small laugh, already on the verge of falling asleep. “Ah, I’d say it’s worth it.”

The two smiled, the tranquil setting returning comfortably this time. As Cassandra began to dream, [Y/N] reflected on all that had happened so far. Although she knew it wasn’t necessarily a permanent issue, her mind kept wandering back to the arguments and insults. It began to eat away at her consciousness.

Afraid Cassandra was still upset from her unintentional outburst earlier, [Y/N] desperately grasped at ideas on what she could possibly say to lighten the mood. She squeezed Cassandra’s shoulders to pull her closer. “Y’know, next time you get angry and I can tell you’re about to have a completely different mood or reaction, I’m going to yell “plot twist!” like I’m solving some kind of crime in one of Daniela’s corny mystery books, and then carry on. You think your sisters will be confused?” Cassandra, although she didn’t understand why she was asking, chuckled breathily. “Oh, definitely, but I will be too.”

[Y/N] grinned. “Yeah, but then that means I win.” Cassandra’s head perked up a bit to face the woman holding her. Her eyebrow raised as the gears visibly turned in her brain. “Huh?” [Y/N] beamed down at her. “I win because I managed to switch your attention to something else. That way you’re not entirely upset anymore.”

Finally, after a long moment of thinking her exhaustion was rendering [Y/N] as incoherent, Cassandra laughed and yawned. She let her head fall back gently to return to its resting spot on [Y/N]’s chest. She sighed as the familiar heartbeat behind the girl’s ribs filled her ears.

“You’re so stupid. I love you so much.”

[Y/N] froze, surprised that Cassandra was the first one to say it. Eventually, she felt herself smile in a tired, smitten way, before leaning her head back against one of the many pillows they were both propped against. Her head then tilted far enough for her ear to come into contact with Cassandra’s soft brunette locks. Her fingertips dug lightly into the blankets they shared and pulled them further around themselves, then driving further up and finding themselves scratching softly at Cassandra’s scalp, prompting her to purr in response. Pure bliss flooded both women’s senses. [Y/N] could feel her eyelids beginning to droop from exhaustion. Listening to the way her body begged her to rest, she finally closed her eyes and let her tensed muscles relax.

“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.

Scarred

[Arcane] Jinx x Fem! Reader

Word count: 1.9k

Content Warnings: Cursing, mentions of guns/gunfire, blood, fatal wounds, brief mentions of past trauma, death

[A/N]: This was heavily inspired by another post I read somewhere, but I’m not sure which site it was on. If I find it again, I’ll definitely leave a link! I did add my own twist, so it’s not the same thing, but the general idea is shared.

Enjoy!

“Piss off, you douchebags! I don’t have time to deal with you!” None of this was supposed to happen. [Y/N] wasn’t even supposed to be on this mission with Jinx, but she was, and now they were separated. No matter where she looked, Jinx just couldn’t seem to find her anywhere. She had to be around here somewhere, right? There’s no way she got that far from her. Each time she turned a corner, there were more thugs waiting to pick a fight, never once answering her when she asked where the [h/c] girl was. It was causing her anxiety to spike more and more. If she didn’t find her soon, she’d end up killing everyone in sight, which ran the risk of killing her beloved as well. Just as she finished taking down a small group of men with her shock pistol, a scream rang out–one that she recognized instantly.

“[Y/N]? [Y/N], where are you?!” She looked around, only having the sound reverberate long enough to get the general direction. “[Y/N]!” She took a few steps towards the cross-section of two buildings. Was it from the left or right? Thankfully, another scream sounded out from her left, seemingly from the fifth or sixth floor of the building closest to her. “Jinx, help! Please!” Her heart raced in her chest as she bolted as fast as she could up the stairs and into the room she could hear movement in. A group of around fifteen thugs surrounded someone on the floor, and as she realized who was on the ground, Jinx’s heart dropped. She froze momentarily. She wanted to doubt herself, hoping that it was someone else in front of the crowd. But a small glimpse of [h/c] locks and fearful [e/c] eyes confirmed her worst nightmare. “[Y/N]! GET AWAY FROM HER!” She pushed her shock pistol back into its holster before pulling her minigun out from behind her.

She made sure to aim higher than where [Y/N] was resting before firing, not wanting to accidentally hit the girl. Bullets rang out at a rapid speed, each one causing a member of the thugs to drop like flies. She cried out angrily until realizing everyone standing was dead. Taking a shaky breath to ground herself into reality, she lowered the barrel of her gun and panted heavily. Slowly, her gaze dropped down to find [Y/N]. Once again, her racing heart skipped a beat upon seeing her state. She ran over after tossing her gun to the side. Without taking her wounds into account, Jinx cradled [Y/N]’s head against her chest and let out a sigh. “I-I’m so glad you’re alive, toots. I-I thought–I thought…” She finally looked down.

Her pained smile faltered and quickly fell. The love of her life, still cradled in her arms, was in so much pain. A deep cut had been made from the top of her left collarbone all the way down to her right breast. Multiple stab wounds scattered themselves around the girl’s abdomen, each one seemingly worse than the last. Because of all of the wounds on her torso, [Y/N] had blood dripping down from her nose and lips to her chin, where it dripped off even more into a small stain on both the floor and Jinx’s shirt. Still, even in her state of distressing pain, [Y/N] was smiling. She lifted her hand shakily and brought it up to Jinx’s face to cup it. “Y-You’re…here.” Jinx quickly grasped the girl’s hand in her own as she softly shushed her.

“Hey, d-don’t talk right now, okay? Y-You need to save your strength. I can’t lose you.” [Y/N] chuckled, which quickly shifted into fits of coughing up blood. Jinx could only watch in horror. Finally, when she calmed down, the wounded girl leaned back into Jinx’s chest and smiled. “I’m not…going to make it, Jinx.” Both of them felt then, at those words, just how cold the room had become, and–more importantly–how warm the other girl was. God, how badly Jinx wanted to preserve that feeling. She never wanted to wake up without feeling that warmth next to her–cradled into her chest the way she was now.

And what a horrid way to go. So many wounds, all of which were likely fatal. Sure, Jinx had known pain in her life, but nothing like what [Y/N] was going through. If only she could take away that pain. She had always sworn she would do whatever she could in her power to ensure [Y/N] was happy and healthy. She certainly didn’t want things to end up this way. But here she was, supporting the girl’s weight against her own as she bled out, the light slowly beginning to dim in her eyes. That beautiful light that she had always adored. It always seemed to shine brightest when she looked at Jinx, or even when her name was just mentioned. Jinx chuckled dejectedly. [Y/N] had always seen her in such a positive light. She could never understand how, but she sort of understood because she felt the same way.

Jinx gently laid [Y/N] back down onto the ground, earning a hiss of pain. “I know, toots, I know. But I need to start treating these wounds before it’s too late.” “Jinx, it’s already–” “Don’t say it’s too late. I-I can fix this! You just need to trust me, okay? I promise I’ll fix this.” Ignoring the desperate tugs on her shirt (and the voices telling her she messed everything up), Jinx ripped the bottom part of the leg of her pants off to form a makeshift bandage. She tied it around the girl’s waist, cursing under her breath when she realized the cloth wasn’t long enough. She thought about using her belt for a moment to cut off the bleeding, but then remembered that it’s not safe to use a tourniquet of any kind on the torso. “Damn it!” She rolled the cloth into a tight ball before placing it over one of the deeper wounds on [Y/N]’s stomach and applying as much pressure as possible in an attempt to stop some of the bleeding.

[Y/N] groaned out in pain again, drawing another apology from Jinx’s lips. She stayed there for a moment. As she held the cloth in place, she thought about other ways she could treat her wounds. And, as much as she tried to dismiss the thought, she did–for a moment–consider experimenting with Shimmer. She was terrified at the thought of how badly [Y/N]’s body might react to it, but even more so at the thought of losing her completely. Silco would have to understand. Anything to keep her alive.

Drawn out of her thoughts by another round of coughing, Jinx finally glared back over at [Y/N], who looked even more disheveled than before. Her face was devoid of any color. Skin clammy and cold, shivers coursing through her body. Panicked, Jinx dropped the cloth and moved back over to hold the girl’s head against her chest again. “Shh, hey, hey…listen, toots. Can you–can you hear me?” The smallest nod of her head gave Jinx a slight sense of hope. “You can’t die on me. You just can’t, okay? You gotta keep living for me. I-I can’t lose you. You’re too damn important to me. We gotta keep going so we can get married and rule the undercity together, remember? Y-You know I can’t keep living without you. Just…just keep your eyes open until we can get help, alright? That’s all you gotta do. Keep breathing, and don’t go to sleep.”

A sad chuckle passed weakly through [Y/N]’s lips. “Can I…be honest with you, Jinx?” Jinx forced a smile as convincingly as she could. “Of course, sweets. You know I always want you to be honest with me.” [Y/N] smiled, but Jinx quickly frowned again as tears poured down the [h/c] girl’s cheeks like rivers. “I’m…I’m scared, Jinx. I’m so scared. I don’t–” She coughed again–harder this time. “I don’t want to die. Not…not like this.” With each passing word, Jinx’s heart was shattering into more and more pieces. “No, toots, you’re not going to die. I promise.” Again, [Y/N] shook her head. “Yes, I am.” “No, you–you can’t. I won’t let you.” “Jinx, I’m…I’m going to die.” She quieted her voice to speak with less strain. “We both know it.” Jinx shook her head harshly, pulling [Y/N]’s head further against her.

The girl, now barely hanging on by a thread, could hear her lover’s heartbeat racing faster than ever before. They stayed there as sobs racked through Jinx’s body. She trembled and jolted as she continuously begged and pleaded for [Y/N] not to leave her. Finally, [Y/N] gripped her shirt to gain her attention. Terrified that she’d see the light leaving her eyes, Jinx hesitated before looking down. [Y/N] still had that smile–the one she fell in love with all those years ago. “I don’t want to be alone, Jinx,” she whispered as her own tears began to flow. That fear–oh, that fear in her eyes–Jinx wanted to crush it. If she had to go, she didn’t want her to be afraid. But what could she say that would make this more comforting? She couldn’t say the pain would go away because it clearly wouldn’t. And she couldn’t promise an afterlife because no one knew for sure if that even existed.

She thought of all she could possibly say before finally whispering a soft, “You’re not alone, toots. I’m here, okay? I’m right here.” She leaned down and pressed her forehead against [Y/N]’s as gently as she could. “You’re not alone.” [Y/N]’s smile grew for a moment as they stayed there. When Jinx pulled back, however, that smile was gone, and her eyes were now closed. Jinx’s heart stopped this time. “[Y/N]...?” She shook her gently. “[Y/N], hey, no. [Y/N], please wake up. Please…? I-I can’t…please don’t leave me. Stay with me. I can’t lose you, dammit! Come back to me!” A few more violent shakes with no response finally grounded Jinx into reality. [Y/N] was really gone.

She clutched the girl’s head and shoulders and drove them even further against her–as close as she physically could–as she let out a scream of agony and sorrow. She heaved with every sob as she rocked back and forth. Her hands shook violently as she brought them down after several moments to cradle [Y/N]’s pale, lifeless face in them. This couldn’t be reality. She had already lost so much at such a young age–she didn’t deserve to experience this all over again! She was supposed to live out a happy life with [Y/N] and find ways to cope with her trauma in a healthy way. But now it was all in vain. Without [Y/N] by her side, she’d never be able to stay sane again–even with Silco there to support her. Could she have prevented this?

Of course she could’ve–she told herself. If she had found the girl sooner, she wouldn’t have been attacked. Or if she had just never let them get separated, she would’ve been able to keep a better eye on her. Or–better yet–if [Y/N] had just never come on this mission with her at all, there never would’ve been a risk.

But of course–she knew–there always would’ve been a risk. After all, [Y/N] was the lover of the most feared and hated girl in the undercity. This meant, in turn, she was also hated and feared. It was almost destiny.

Caught My Attention

[Mean Girls 2004] Janis Ian x Female Reader

Word Count: 3.41k

Proofread: Yes

Content Warnings: Hints of homophobia/slurs, language (?).

[A/N]: None.

Enjoy!

 “Janis, calm down, for god’s sake. You’re gonna pace a literal trench into the ground,” Damian voiced from the kitchen table, chuckling at seeing how uncharacteristically nervous his best friend was. The ravenette jutted her chin over to face him with a scowl at his comment, though concern still riddled her features, creasing her brows as she scoffed. “How am I supposed to calm down? You know damn well how long I’ve liked this girl, and you know I’ve wanted to ask her out for years now. If this doesn’t go right, and she doesn’t feel the same way, I-I don’t know what I’ll do.”

Cady, who had no idea who the two were talking about, watched the scene before her as she stood behind the island in the kitchen, her nails tapping anxiously at her plastic cup that she hadn’t taken a sip from since Janis left her seat. “Well,” the redhead started with a stutter, unsure of what to say. She hadn’t known Damian or Janis for very long, but even she was visibly surprised at how worried the goth seemed to be. “Maybe you should just focus on the positive?” Before Janis could bite back with a snarky retort, Damian chimed in again to agree. “Yeah, that’s what a lot of the group has to do for theater. It’s supposed to help with the nerves or something.”

An annoyed groan slipped through Janis’s lips as she ran her hands down her face. “Look, I know I shouldn’t be overthinking things, but it’s hard not to, okay? She just…she means so much to me. I don’t wanna make things awkward between us and lose her as a friend. I’ve known her longer than I’ve known you,” she said, lifting her hand to wave it in Damian’s direction, “and I just can’t lose all of that because of some stupid crush.”

At that statement, Cady left her spot behind the counter, setting her cup to the side to step closer to Janis and place a gentle hand to her shoulder. She had no idea how to comfort other people–she was still getting used to it–but she had seen girls in the hallway at school do similar things when talking, so she figured it was worth a shot. “Hey, look, I don’t know this girl, but if she caught your eye and makes you happy, then I don’t think that’s stupid. Do you really think that?” A moment passed with Janis glancing between the girl beside her and the hand still on her shoulder.

She let out a small sigh after a while, a defeated look forming on her face. “No, I guess not, but still. What if–” “Don’t focus on what ifs, okay? That’s what’s making you so nervous right now.” Again, Janis seemed at war with herself, though more confused about Cady’s sudden comfort. She chuckled quietly and nudged the redhead’s hand from her shoulder. “Since when did you know how to comfort people like that?” Cady laughed at herself with a shrug. “Honestly? Most of it is from what I’ve seen from those weird teen romance movies people told me to watch.”

The two of them shared a smile before Janis turned away, thinking silently to herself. Before Damian or Cady could ask if she was alright, she turned back to them, a genuine grin finally painting her lips. “Okay, okay, I’ll try to stay positive. But I’ve never confessed to anyone before, so–as much as I hate to say it–I’m gonna need the two of you to help.”

Somewhere along the way, while multiple suggestions were being thrown out for Janis’s confession, someone in the trio mentioned asking her to the prom, which was right around the corner. Janis was hesitant, voicing her concern about people making fun of her and [Y/N] for being “gay in public” like they often did to her alone–thanks to Regina. It took a little convincing, but she ultimately agreed.

Although she agreed to go to the prom with [Y/N], if she accepted, she managed to persuade Damian and Cady into letting her confess and ask her privately to avoid everything being ruined by one of her bullies.

She hated cheesy romance, and she especially hated cliches, but she was willing to step outside of her comfort zone if it meant she could be with the girl she loved. Over the weekend, they threw together a messy plan. Damian brought [Y/N] to a seemingly random field after school one day, which made [Y/N] genuinely wonder if she had said her final goodbyes ahead of time. Janis, who had managed to get the day off from work after classes, was waiting there for her, which instantly eased her spiked nerves. She led her to a more remote location after Damian drove off. After a couple minutes of walking, Janis finally stepped to the side to reveal a small setup that was mainly put together by Cady.

Underneath a large oak tree rested a thin checkered blanket, topped with a basket packed full with pastries, drinks, and small sandwiches. To the side, a large sign was strung up between one of the branches of the tree and an adjacent metal rod that was once a tetherball pole. In large letters, decorated with doodles and drawings that were very clearly made by Janis, was the question she hadn’t even known she would ever ask.

Will you go to prom with me?

The two of them sat down after [Y/N]’s initial shock wore off. Janis began unpacking the woven basket to avoid eye contact as she asked what her answer was, hinting that she was wanting to take their relationship to the next level. [Y/N] chuckled at her, prompting her small amount of confidence to begin crumbling. “Janis, I’m gonna be honest, I already thought we were dating, so I thought going to the prom together was a given.”

Never in her life had Janis grinned so wide.

They spent the rest of the day together, ending it with Janis sketching [Y/N] still sitting beside her and talking about their plans for the dance before Damian finally pulled back up to drive the two of them home. [Y/N] was first to be dropped off, leaving Damian and Cady, who was invited in case the confession went either way, to bombard the goth with endless questions about how it went. Completely lovestruck and excited, Janis held no irritation or annoyance in her tone at the questions she would’ve usually greeted with venom.

Upon seeing his best friend so thrilled about the events that had happened only a couple of hours prior, Damian seemed far more excited about the two getting together than Janis did. He not-so-jokingly started planning what songs they should play at their wedding and what kind of suit Janis should wear. The ravenette brushed him off with a playful shake of her head and shove, though the smile never left her face. The rest of the ride to drop her and Cady off separately, all she could think about is what [Y/N] would look like in a wedding dress, walking down the aisle towards her--how she would look wearing a band she gave her. Then she got to thinking of prom.

What kind of dress would she wear then?

Shortly after the confession, Janis and [Y/N] started to hang out far more often than they already did. There was a small tension between them, both too awkward to know what to do, though it was far from unbearable. Whenever there would be a long, outstretched period of silence, they’d usually bring up random memories they had made together, unsure of what else to speak of.

Three days before prom, the two of them managed to find a random movie neither of them had seen before. They bundled up together in [Y/N]’s bed as they watched it, snacking on a large bowl of popcorn that was washed down with the soda they had bought when they met up. Halfway through the film, which struggled to keep their attention anyway, [Y/N] turned to her girlfriend and tapped her shoulder. Janis turned to her and hummed curiously.

“I’ve been thinking about what to wear for prom, but I really don’t know what I should. I mean, I’ve never gone to a school dance before, so…never had to shop for a dress for one, y’know?” The goth nodded at her. “Yeah, I know. I’ve never been to one either–not with someone else anyway. But I wouldn’t be caught dead wearing some fancy-ass dress. Skirt? Maybe, but only if it’s long enough to cover my legs all the way. Don’t wanna be mistaken for the Plastics after all. By the way, have you noticed that Karen’s skirts are getting, like, half an inch shorter every single week?”

[Y/N] chuckled at her comment, making her smile without realizing it. “Hey, don’t speak too soon. Next thing you know, she’s gonna be walking around in bikini underwear.” Janis shrugged with a laugh of her own. “I don’t know, she kinda already is. I wouldn’t put it past her.”

They snickered at the remark. When she quieted down again, [Y/N] shuffled over to let her head rest on top of Janis’s shoulder, making the girl tense lightly and blush at the sudden contact. “But anyway, I was thinking. Now that I know that neither of us has ever really done this before, maybe we could try to surprise each other? Make it that much more memorable.” The goth hummed, finally letting her own head drop down to rest on top of [Y/N]’s.

“Yeah, that’d be cool. Not entirely sure if I’d be able to find something that would make me look as good as you will.” Playfully, [Y/N] let her hand gently smack Janis’s abdomen. “Hey, don’t sell yourself short. You’re beautiful–always have been.” Janis turned away shyly at that, her free arm coming up far enough to let her scratch the back of her neck. “Oh, I don’t know about that.” They argued back and forth for a bit about who’s prettier, and eventually stopped when they yawned. “I'm pretty sure I’m gonna crash, but don’t think this is over,” Janis teased, scooting up further on the bed to allow herself to lay her head down properly on her pillow. “It is. I win. You’re prettier,” [Y/N] replied, mirroring her motions.

They murmured to each other as they slowly fell asleep, still telling the other that they were prettier.

Days passed, and it was finally the day of the prom. Janis had chosen a suit in shades of black and purple, tying her hair up in a more formal fashion. She had planned on heading home before the prom to have time to get changed and steel her nerves, though she and Damian ended up sitting on one of the stairwells towards the main rear entrance to the school. The cool tile beneath them made Janis shiver and move to tuck her skirt further underneath her legs.

The two of them seemed to talk mindlessly about anything and everything. Neither of them realized what time it was until Damian finally looked up at one of the clocks hanging up towards the ceiling. “Oh shit,” he mumbled, looking down at his watch to confirm. Janis checked the clock as well, cursing under her breath as she moved to stand. A hand gripped her wrist firmly and tugged her back down. She looked over at her friend in confusion. “What the hell, man? I’ve gotta get back to my house to get changed.”

“Yeah, don’t worry about that. I actually brought your suit here in my car because I knew we were gonna stay late.” Now completely puzzled, Janis tilted her head. “You knew? What the fuck is this?” Damian smirked. “Yeah, [Y/N] and I planned a surprise. I wanted you to see her ahead of time. Her dress?” He pinched his fingers together and pressed them to his lips, kissing the tips of them before pulling his hand away and spreading his fingers wide. “Incredible. You’re gonna love it.” “You mean you’ve already seen it?” “Yeah, but only by itself. I haven’t seen her wear it yet. I know you’re gonna be blown away though. It’s pretty simple, but it’s definitely your style.”

“And that’s how you know I’m gonna like it, huh?” Damian nodded and grinned pridefully, crossing his arms and glancing back up at the time. “Yep. And she should be here any minute now.”

As if on cue, [Y/N]’s form emerged from the nearest hallway. With how Janis was angled, she couldn’t see her yet, but Damian could. His smile widened at the sight of her. “Holy shit,” he mumbled. “Yeah, you’re definitely gonna love it.” He could already picture his best friend’s reaction before she had it.

With now spiked nerves, Janis slowly turned her head at the sound of footsteps. Her mouth hung slightly agape as more and more of her girlfriend came into view, a deep shade of crimson dusting her cheeks as she froze. As the two of them made eye contact, [Y/N] shyly pulled her arm from behind her back to wave. “Hey,” she managed to whisper. Slowly, Janis rose to her feet to be closer to eye-level. Her green eyes traveled down [Y/N]’s figure, admiring the dress. As Damian had said, it was a fairly simple design: a black lace dress with extra fringe on the hem, which draped down to end about an inch or two above her knees. To match, she wore black dress shoes with small heels built in, basic floral designs etched into the toes.

A small chuckle managed to snap Janis out of whatever trance she stayed in for what felt like forever. She didn’t glance over to look, but she knew that it was Damian once she felt an elbow gently nudge her arm. “Damn, Janis. I’ve never seen you speechless like this before,” he teased, snickering when the ravenette could only blink in response, her gaze never leaving [Y/N].

“Holy shit, you look…” She managed to step forward and gently take [Y/N]’s hands into her own, her eyes once again studying her outfit and figure. “You look amazing. That dress looks perfect on you.” Shyly, [Y/N] smiled wider and lowered her head to hide the growing shade of red across her face. “Oh, thanks. I tried to think of what you might like, and this was pretty much all I could find on such short notice. I’m glad you like it.”

As Janis struggled to wrack her brain for something else to say to break the silence, Damian slipped away to his car, snatching the goth’s suit from the backseat and bringing it back inside. When he found the two of them again, he gently poked Janis’s arm, smirking as he watched her struggle to tear her eyes away to glance over at him. “I don’t know if you plan on going in that outfit or not, but the dance is supposed to start in fifteen minutes, so I’d suggest you suit up.”

Finally, Janis managed to nod and properly turn away to grab ahold of the suit. She murmured a quick, “be right back,” to [Y/N] before dashing to the nearest restroom to get changed. She had to mentally scream at herself to slow down so she wouldn’t accidentally tear or wrinkle the freshly pressed suit. Before leaving to find the two again, she checked herself in the mirror, quickly readjusting her hair into the neater bun it had been in all day. Her hands slid down her blazer to smooth it out even further. She sucked in a quick breath, glanced at her appearance once more, and finally left.

She met [Y/N], now alone, in front of the entrance to the auditorium, which had barely been opened within the past few minutes. A handful of students and staff had already made their way inside and started fixing themselves cups of the provided punch that centered itself in a bowl on a large table towards the side.

Before stepping inside, Janis gently took [Y/N]’s hand into her own and tugged her aside. In a whisper, she finally asked what she had been stressing about the entire time. “Are you sure you’re okay being seen with me? I mean, being seen together like this? I can understand if you don’t wanna deal with people treating you like shit because of it.” A confused tilt of the head was her response at first. “What do you mean?”

Janis sighed and glanced down at the floor beneath her. “You know. Like how Regina told everyone I like girls and how people call me–” she sucked in a breath to stop herself. “Certain names.” [Y/N] gently squeezed her hand in a reassuring motion. “Oh, I don’t care about all that. They can all fuck themselves, honestly. It’s none of their business.” Janis blinked, slightly caught off guard by the sudden use of language. [Y/N] hardly cussed so easily. It was usually hilarious to her when she did, but this time it felt strangely comforting.

She grinned softly. “So you really aren’t afraid to do this with me?” [Y/N] returned her smile. “No, not at all. I’d be proud to be seen with you.” Janis’s heart fluttered, a feeling she had long forgotten until the recent months when she finally realized just how serious her feelings were for this girl.

“Yeah,” she murmured. Her hand shifted a bit to allow her to interlock her fingers with [Y/N]’s. She squeezed her hand softly against her own palm, finally making eye contact again, accompanied with a far more confident smirk.

“I’d be proud to be seen with you too.”

Just as the two of them had expected, there were several students who glanced at them with disapproving looks. It bothered Janis for a while when the dances began, but after [Y/N] managed to find a way to keep her attention on her, she was able to completely ignore her insecurities. A few fast-paced songs blared through the large speakers at the end of the room, leaving [Y/N] and Janis laughing as they struggled to keep up with the beat. Finally, the music began to slow, and Janis found herself pulling [Y/N] closer.

With her sheepishness left at the door, [Y/N] beamed up at the ravenette gleefully. She hummed and glanced down at the suit she was wearing. “I wasn’t able to say it earlier since we were trying to get in before everyone else, but you look so damn good in that suit,” she managed to say over the music. Even with its much slower pace, the song still reverberated loudly throughout the large room.

Janis couldn’t help but blush at the sudden bluntness of the compliment. She chuckled, glancing down for only a moment. “Thanks,” she mouthed, her suddenly shy tone too soft to be heard over the noise buzzing from the speakers the two of them had accidentally drifted too close to. Her mouth opened and closed repeatedly, wanting so desperately to free the outpour of compliments bubbling up in her throat. She finally gave up after realizing she wasn’t able to project loud enough in the moment, instead laughing and tugging [Y/N] even closer.

The two of them settled against each other as they swayed side to side. After glancing up at her to confirm that it was okay, [Y/N] gently lowered her head to rest against Janis’s shoulder, the tip of her nose barely grazing over the skin of the ravenette’s neck. A muffled shudder was her only response for a moment, though Janis’s head soon moved to lean against her own. The two closed their eyes just as Janis realized she could now speak audibly into [Y/N]’s ear. There, her lips parted to finally speak again.

“You know, I’m not one for surprises, but… I really am glad that we agreed to surprise each other tonight. You were right about it being more memorable.”

[Y/N] giggled and nodded. “Told you so.”

Janis playfully scoffed and rolled her eyes, though she still moved to press her lips gently against the girl’s temple. “Yeah, I guess you did.”

Warmth

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

Word Count: 826

Proofread: Yes

Content Warnings: None!

[A/N]: This one is really short because I wanted to get something out quickly before writer's block hits me like a train. I'll try to write again in a few days once I find a way to gain inspiration again.

Enjoy!

Warmth flooded through Donna’s senses as a soft hand tapped away at her arm. She hummed, blearily opening her eye and subconsciously pulling the source of heat closer to her body. She inhaled deeply, taking in the familiar scent of the shampoo [Y/N] used. She was too exhausted and caught in her state of bliss to realize that the one in front of her was speaking. The tapping returned, this time a bit harder. Donna grumbled, cursing under her breath softly as she woke up a bit more. “Donna, are you listening to me?” She nodded after a moment of processing the words and leaned forward to press her forehead against the back of [Y/N]’s neck. “Mmhm.” “We need to get up and get ready for the day. You’re usually up so early. Are you feeling alright?” Donna groaned at the question.

“I’m fine,” is all she mumbled. “I’m glad. We still need to get up though. We’re really off on our schedule. It’s nearly two hours after we usually eat breakfast.” The doll-maker shook her head in response. She pulled her closer, not wanting to leave the state of resting vulnerability. She had never felt this relaxed in all her years–it was entirely foreign to her. She welcomed it without hesitation, however, and made sure to savor every moment of it.

She had craved this for so long–even before she and [Y/N] had started dating. Ever since she grew to be a young woman and saw all of the couples around the village–all the romance in the books she read–she craved the same. She wanted to hold someone and be held. She wanted to feel someone trusting her enough to hold her close and provide her with the warmth she had been longing for. She knew this wouldn’t be the only time she and [Y/N] slept like this, but she was afraid to let go in case it took too long to do it again. She didn’t want to miss out on this warmth for another long, extended period of time. [Y/N] shifted in front of her, turning to glance at her from the corner of her eye as Donna opened her own. “Donna,” she spoke softly. Donna hummed in response, letting her eye flutter shut again. [Y/N] sighed quietly in front of her. “Never mind. Just rest for now, okay?” The ravenette nodded and moved forward to nuzzle her face back into the soft [h/c] locks in front of her. She yawned before sighing heavily. Her lips perked up into a small smile of content as [Y/N] gently rubbed her arm with the pad of her thumb.

[Y/N] knew Donna had been exhausted over the week. She had multiple orders come in for dolls, a family meeting that completely drained her, Angie was being herself, and she still had to cook and clean to take care of herself and [Y/N]. It made the [h/c] girl frown each time she thought about it. She wanted to help, but she wasn’t sure how. She could clean, but Angie always got in the way and distracted her. She offered to cook multiple times, but Donna refused, too prideful of her own food to let her take over. She couldn’t help with the orders because she didn’t have any experience in making them, and she wasn’t allowed to attend the family meetings.

She felt guilty for not being able to ease Donna’s stress, so she figured she could do something simple now–letting her sleep in so she finally got the rest she deserved. And if that meant their daily schedule got messed up by a few hours, that was fine.

She sighed with a smile of her own, earning a soft groan as she traced patterns against Donna’s arms with her nails. She brought the doll-maker’s hand up to her lips and pressed a gentle kiss to her knuckles. “I suppose sleeping in would be alright,” she said quietly. “It’d be nice to have a day off to just relax.” Donna nodded in agreement, pulling [Y/N] even closer to her and letting the muscles in her arms relax again. They stayed in silence for a while, both enjoying the other’s presence. Donna was drifting in and out of consciousness, worried she’d miss something [Y/N] said if she fell asleep again like her body was begging her to. At length, a familiar tap touched her arm again. She hummed to show she was listening.

“You know, if you want, we can cuddle like this more often. It doesn’t just have to be at night while we’re sleeping.” The doll-maker felt the crimson red heat flush her cheeks as a smile unwillingly cracked across her face. She brought her hand up in search of [Y/N]’s, lacing their fingers together once they found each other and squeezed it tight. “I would love that,” she mumbled.

Overprotective

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

Word Count: 2.6k

Proofread: Yes

Content Warnings: Physical fighting, blood, violence, derogatory terms, strong language

[A/N]: I plan on doing three stories in a row for each character I write for, and then when I finish writing for all the ones I have planned, I’ll likely start over with the same characters. Also, if you have any requests, feel free to let me know! Please let me know if it’s a preference, imagine, or one-shot. I also plan on making a masterlist and pinning it so you can find things easily that way.

Enjoy!

“Alright. Have a good weekend, Annie. I’ll see you on Monday.” Annie gave a small smile and waved, slugging her bag over her shoulder as she headed out the classroom door. She pulled her phone out from her hoodie pocket once she was halfway down the hall and clicked [Y/N]’s contact. She sent a quick text to let her know that she was on her way. [Y/N] responded quickly, then Annie stuffed her phone back in her pocket. She let out a heavy sigh and rubbed her eyes. This week had been hell on her–physically and mentally. Finals for the end of the first semester were coming up, and even though she usually never studied for anything, [Y/N] had been urging her to so she did well. After some convincing (promises of donuts if she did well on the exams), Annie agreed and started staying after school and staying up late to study.

It’s not that she hated the idea of studying–she actually enjoyed the thought of improving grades with just a little extra effort. She just never had the time or energy. Her father always had her train each night, save for Fridays, which always left her utterly exhausted. Her headaches grew worse each day, both due to the lack of sleep and the constant studying for classes she struggled in, but she wanted to do well. Sure, the donuts would be a nice reward for her hard work, but in reality, she wanted to make [Y/N] proud–she wanted her to see that she could do well with the right amount of encouragement. [Y/N]’s view of her was much more important to her than her father’s. She loved this girl. She wanted to make her happy and help her get through every hard day.

She’d stay up late in her room studying for algebra and chemistry exams, and any time she felt the urge to fall asleep or get on her phone to distract herself from all the equations, she’d think of how [Y/N] would smile if she even passed these tests. She’d think of the warm, comforting hug that she was so addicted to. She just wanted [Y/N] to be proud of her.

[Y/N] was perfect in her eyes. She was her muse–her reason to keep going. She was–

“--A prude.”

Annie halted her movements and listened to the conversation taking place just around the corner. “C’mon, Andrew. [Y/N]’s not a prude.” Annie’s heart dropped at the mention of [Y/N]’s name. She stepped silently against the lockers to get closer to the two boys talking. “Yes, she is! Damn bitch is too worried about her grades. She should’ve let me help her feel good at that party. She wouldn’t have been able to walk for weeks.” “Yeah, and if you keep talking like that and Annie finds out, you won’t be able to walk for weeks either. It’ll just hurt way worse.” “Pfft, whatever. I could kick her ass with ease.” “You know damn well she’d flip you within a second. You’re not impressing anyone with your big talk.” “Either way, [Y/N] shouldn’t have turned me down.”

“Well, looking at you, I can see why she did,” Annie retorted as she stepped into view. Both boys froze and turned towards her. “A-Annie! Oh god, how much of what Andrew said did you hear?” She didn’t reply, but they could tell by the cold, darkened look on her face that she had heard pretty much everything. The boy who had been defending Andrew readjusted his bag on his shoulders and started walking the other way. Andrew tensed. “What do you–Hey! Marco, where the hell do you think you’re going?” “I’m gonna get out of the way. You have fun getting both of your legs broken.” Andrew scoffed and looked over at the blonde with his arms crossed.

“So, you’re gonna try to break my legs, huh?” Annie shrugged, her expression now eerily calm. “I was just gonna beat the shit out of your hideous face, but breaking your legs sounds more fun.” “Excuse me?” “Oh, don’t worry, I’m still gonna break your face. After you look in the mirror, you should finally see why my girlfriend won’t sleep with you. Or any girl, for that matter.” Andrew scoffed again and dropped his bag, getting himself into a very poor stance. Annie rolled her eyes and shrugged her bag off and onto the floor, not caring that her laptop was still inside, then rolling up her sleeves and getting into a much more refined stance than her opponent.

They stood there for a while, neither one wanting to make the first move. Andrew smirked after a moment. “What’s the matter, blondie? Too scared to throw the first punch? Afraid I’ll knock out your teeth?” Annie’s eyebrows furrowed. “No, just thinking of the best way to kick your chest through your back. Shouldn’t hurt too bad. Doesn’t seem like you have a heart for me to hit.” Andrew laughed. “You don’t need to project your own insecurities on me. I don’t understand why your girl won’t leave you for someone better. Guess she’s even dumber than I thought.” That sent Annie over the edge. She snapped, quickly stepping forward and thrusting her leg forward against Andrew’s calf. He stumbled back a bit but didn’t fall. Annie huffed.

Damn it, you need to calm down. Every time you get worked up like this, your movements get clumsy.

She got back into her stance, taking a deep breath in an attempt to calm her increasing rage. “I thought you were supposed to be good at fighting, Leonhart. Doesn’t seem like you’ll be able to protect that bitch you call your girlfriend.” Annie felt her teeth grinding against themselves as she clenched her jaw. Her gaze quickly flickered down to Andrew’s knees, knowing she needed to kick the back of them to get him down. She tried again to step forward and kick, but he caught her leg this time. Her eyes widened as he threw her leg up and tossed her down onto her back. She grunted as she came into contact with the ground, her mind screaming at her to get up and get him back. Andrew reacted before her though, standing over her and crouching down. He grabbed the collar of her hoodie and pulled her upwards as his fist came down fast. He struck her repeatedly before standing and kicking her hard in the stomach.

Annie groaned in pain, her nose, lips, and a part of her right cheek bleeding. Her skin had already started to bruise. Andrew stood there for a moment, watching her before walking over and grabbing his backpack. He slipped it on his shoulders and began walking away. “I told Marco I could kick your ass. Maybe when [Y/N] sees what I did to you, she’ll finally realize I’m the one she should be with.” Annie coughed, straining her entire body as she propped herself up on her arms. “She won’t date you, you bastard. You’re a horrible person.” Andrew stopped and turned to her, a cocky smirk painting his lips. “Well, unlike you, at least I can actually protect her.”

Adrenaline pumped its way through Annie’s veins, finally allowing her to get back on her feet. Andrew had already started walking away again, so he didn’t realize Annie was running towards him in time. Just as he turned around at the sound of her rapid footsteps, her fist had already come into contact with his head, sending him spiraling to the ground with a thud. He groaned and caressed the spot she had struck. “Ugh, you bitch!” He got into a stance once he managed to stand again, but Annie had already lunged forward. She swept her leg to the side as it made contact with the side of his leg, allowing her to hook her foot around and catch the back of his knee. She kicked with all of her strength, breaking his leg with an inhuman force as he cried out in pain and fell to the floor.

As he curled into himself on the ground, Annie rolled him onto his back. He opened his eyes and looked up at her weakly. “Take back what you said about [Y/N],” the blonde huffed out, her shoulders slumped. “As if. She’s a prude no matter how you spin in. And you’re disgusting for stealing her from someone who’s way better than you.” Annie growled and lifted her leg high in the air before bringing her foot down directly onto Andrew’s nose at full force. He cried out in agony. Before his hands could fly up to shield his face, Annie stomped on his face again, and again, and again. Finally, she stepped back with a pant, her nails almost digging into her palms hard enough to make them bleed.

She wanted so badly to say something–to threaten him to leave [Y/N] alone, but exhaustion had overwhelmed her body. She weakly grabbed her bag and shrugged it onto her shoulder. She stumbled down the hallway, limping as she made it a few feet from the exit. She panted for breath, leaned against one of the lockers as she rolled one of her sleeves back down and used it to wipe away the blood from her nose and mouth. She pulled her arm back to look at the stain, wincing at how much of it there was.

She carried on, her muscles growing weaker and feeling heavier as she made her way to [Y/N]’s house. Thankfully, she had already made plans with the girl to stay with her for the weekend, meaning she wouldn’t have to hear her father lecture her on her fighting abilities until Monday. The walk to her house felt like it was stretching out forever. By the time she finally made it to [Y/N]’s doorstep, Annie was on the verge of collapsing. She knocked on the door weakly. She waited a while, not sure if she had knocked hard enough for [Y/N] to hear, but just as she reached for the doorbell, the door swung open.

“Annie, holy shit! What happened to you?” Before Annie could respond, [Y/N] yanked her inside and took her bag. She dropped it to the floor and turned to close and lock the door. After the second lock had been turned, she spun on her heel and stared at the blonde who couldn’t meet her gaze. “You wanna tell me what happened this time?” Annie started to sway unsteadily, her face growing pale. [Y/N], upon seeing this, stepped forward quickly and grabbed her arm, leading her to the couch and letting her sit down. “Woah, hey, hey…just rest for a minute, okay? I’ll go get the med-kit from the medicine cabinet.” Annie could only nod as the [h/c] girl rushed to the hallway by her parents’ room. She returned a short moment later with a small white box.

“Is it just your face that got hit?” Annie didn’t speak, her hand trailing over to rest on the part of her stomach that had been kicked. [Y/N] sighed as she sat down beside her and took out some ointment and bandages. She cleaned off the partially dried blood smudged against the blonde’s skin before applying some ointment to a cotton pad and dabbing the small cut on the side of Annie’s cheek. The blonde hissed and turned away. “I know, hun, I know, but if I don’t clean it, it’s gonna have a higher chance of getting infected. Do you really want that to happen?” Annie stayed silent for a moment before shaking her head and turning her head back. [Y/N] smiled at her, though she couldn’t meet her eye, and finished treating the small wound.

She grabbed a bandage and gently placed it to cover the treated area. She smoothed it down with the pad of her index finger, then took a different kind of ointment out. “This will help your bruises heal a little quicker. And if it doesn’t, it’ll at least ease some of the pain.” Annie nodded. [Y/N] unscrewed the cap and scooped up a bit of the gel with two of her fingers before bringing it up to the blonde’s face. She gently applied it to the already bruised patches of skin, massaging it in until it was nearly dry to the touch. “Alright, now do you want to rub some of this on the spot on your stomach, or do you want me to?” “You…” “Okay. Lift your hoodie and shirt a bit so I can see it.”

Annie did as told and lifted her clothes up just far enough to reveal the nasty bruise forming on her abdomen. “Jesus, Annie. What the hell did you do? I’ve never seen you get beat up this badly before. Usually, you don’t even have a scratch.” “I know, I just…I lost my temper.” [Y/N] hummed and scooped up another small amount of the ointment before bringing it down to apply it to her stomach. Annie shivered at how cold it was. “You seem to be losing your temper a lot recently. What’s going on with you?” The blonde shrugged and looked away, guilt rising up in her chest. [Y/N] had asked her multiple times not to get into any more fights, and each time Annie said she wouldn’t, but the second she heard anyone making fun of the [h/c] girl, she went into a blind rage.

“I’m guessing that, based on your silence, it was about the same thing as usual?” Annie nodded. [Y/N] sighed, letting the ointment dry before pulling the articles of clothing back down to cover it. “Annie, you know I don’t like it when you fight for me like that.”

“Well, I’m not just going to let them talk badly about you like that, [Y/N]! It pisses me off so much that people can’t see what a great person you are, and then decide to assume things about you!” [Y/N] froze, the two of them staring at each other. Neither one of them had expected that outburst. Usually, Annie was the one listening to [Y/N] scold her or rant to her. It was a rare occasion to hear the blonde get so worked up over something, even though they’ve known each other for years. Annie sighed after a moment, looking down at her hands that were resting in her lap. “I’m…I’m sorry. I just want to protect you.” [Y/N] smiled softly, sighing as she shook her head. “It’s okay, Annie. I’m really grateful you do everything you can to protect me. I just wish you wouldn’t get physical about it all the time. I hate seeing you so exhausted and hurt.”

“I know. I’m sorry.”

“It’s okay.”

They sat in silence, not really sure what to say. The silence wasn’t uncomfortable though. They both often enjoyed just being able to sit quietly together, simply enjoying the other’s presence. [Y/N] broke the silence this time though. “Did you win though? You kicked his ass for me, right?”

Annie chuckled, a smile finally making its way across her lips. “Yeah, I did.” [Y/N] grinned and put everything back in the med-kit before placing it on the coffee table. “Good.” The quietness returned to the room. At length, [Y/N] gently nudged Annie’s arm with her elbow, prompting the blonde to look over at her finally. “Hey, I’m proud of you. You know that, right?” The blonde’s heart fluttered. A deep, crimson blush dusted her cheeks as she smiled uncontrollably. She nodded. “Yeah.” The [h/c] girl snickered at her expression and leaned forward, softly pulling Annie into one of those warm hugs she enjoyed so much. Annie stiffened momentarily before melting into her embrace and hugging her back tightly–even though it hurt like hell to force her muscles to move that way.

“I love you, Annie. Even if I scold you a lot for getting into fights. I truly do love you.” Annie smiled even wider and nuzzled into the crook of [Y/N]’s neck. “I love you too.”

They stayed like that for a long while before finally leaning back to look each other in the eye. [Y/N] gently rubbed the blonde’s arms. “Can you please promise me that you won’t get into any more fights for my sake?” Annie smiled. “I don’t think I can promise that entirely. I’ll try not to pick fights when people talk shit, but I want you to know I won’t hesitate to sock someone in the jaw if they lay a hand on you.” [Y/N] giggled, and oh, how Annie adored that sound. “Alright, fine. But just know that if you show up on my doorstep like this again, I’m not gonna baby you and treat your wounds. You’ll have to do that yourself.” The blonde rolled her eyes, though her smile never faltered.

“Fair enough, I guess.”