Chores

Chores

[The Owl House] Amity Blight x Female Reader

Word Count: 4.05k

Proofread: Yes

Content Warnings: Mentions of overworking, but that's pretty much it.

[A/N]: Story 3/3 for Amity! I'll be writing for Boscha next.

At the time I’ve finished this and proofread it before scheduling, we’re at 110 followers, so I just wanted to quickly say thank you! I hope you’ll enjoy my content as much as I enjoy creating it.

Enjoy!

 An occasional strained grunt filled the small space in between the idle chatter of citizens and workers. Lilith turned from her conversation with Steve, her gaze landing over to the source of the grunting. Amity, just a few feet away, was tugging at a rope in an attempt to lift a large wall skillfully tied to the other end. She seemed to struggle too much for a moment, but before anyone could step in to help her, her hand lifted enough for her to cast a spell circle and summon an Abomination. Two much larger hands joined hers on the rope and gave a hefty tug, finally allowing the wall to lift with ease. Once it was set in place, Amity sighed in relief, shrugging and rolling her shoulders back to ease the already growing tension.

She stared up at the work that had been done so far: three of four walls had been lifted, two of which were set in place against their designated pillars. Just one more left to go, then the Construction Coven would finish it off by tidying the design for the roof and building it on their shift. Hands on her hips, Amity smiled. They certainly had made a good amount of progress on the newest sets of households for those who’d had their previous home destroyed during the Collector’s reign of terror and Belos’s eventual defeat.

Thinking of all of the citizens who would once again be able to call somewhere home brought an even wider grin to her lips. Her mind wandered back to her own home–which she shared with her girlfriend [Y/N]. The mere thought of the girl made Amity feel warm and relaxed. She wished she was home with her in that moment. She knew, however, that she had to play her part in the reconstruction of the Isles. It had been months since she had been able to convince herself to take a day off. She was upset by it, but her guilt for not helping the others certainly combatted those feelings. It was a battle everyday about whether or not she should just stay home.

A quick yelp unwillingly slipped past her lips as a hand dropped onto her shoulder and squeezed. She turned, startled, but settled again when she saw her former mentor Lilith standing there. Her eyebrows were creased in concern. “Amity, you look exhausted. Why don’t you take a break for today? We’ve got it from here.” Amity smiled softly up at her and waved it off, gently lifting Lilith’s hand from her shoulder and letting it drop back down to her side. “No, it’s alright. I can keep working.” A frown crossed the Clawthorne’s features.

“I understand that you feel as though you have to help out all day everyday, but I can assure you it’s alright to take breaks here and there. I haven’t seen this many bags under your eyes since your mother had you competing for grades and status in school.” Again, Amity waved, this time shaking her head. “I promise I’m good to work like this. I feel guilty anytime I take a break anyway. I’d much rather be here.”

“You’d rather be here than at home with [Y/N]?”

Now silent, Amity glanced down at her feet and let her gloved fingertips scratch lightly at the back of her neck. “Well, no, but–” “Then go spend time with her. I’m sure she misses you. I mean, you’re gone so much. Please just take the rest of the week off, alright? No one will be upset with you for it. They’ll understand. And besides, you’ve done plenty already. It’s not as if you haven’t been efficient in your work.” The younger woman seemed unsure at the mention of taking the week off. It had been so long since she had taken even half of a day as a break–and that alone had her guilt eating away at her conscience–how would she survive an entire week?

“I couldn’t,” came her reply after a moment.

“Amity, at this point, it’s not a question anymore. It’s a request–an order. Not only am I worried about how little time you spend at home, I’m also worried about your health. When’s the last time you sat down to eat a proper meal and just relax?”

Amity wracked her brain to find the example, though she couldn’t, and ultimately sighed. “I guess you’re right. I’ll take tomorrow off, but could I at least finish up my work here for the day?” Lilith’s glare sharpened. “Only if you take the rest of the week off. Not just tomorrow. Deal?” Another sigh of defeat. She truly didn’t want to feel as though she was letting these people down. “Deal.”

The rest of the day had gone by rather quickly, much to Amity’s dismay. She wasn’t looking forward to the rest of the week. She felt as though she constantly had to be helping out in some way, always searching for approval and praise. After all that had happened, she thought she had moved past feeling like she needed to prove herself for merely existing, but it was hard to break a habit she had been in her entire life. It seemed to be getting better though–at least, when it didn’t come to reconstruction.

As everyone wrapped up for the night and began to disperse towards their own homes, Amity found herself fastening her tool belt more sluggishly than normal. Her eyebrow raised at this, though her silent question of, “why is it so hard to move?” was answered as she yawned. After wiping her watery eyes from the yawn, she grumbled under her breath about feeling horrible. Just as she turned to head home with her staff underneath her, Lilith called out to her. “Amity, remember to take the rest of the week off! If I find you working somewhere aside from home, I’ll be sure to tell [Y/N], and you know she won’t let you leave until you rest.”

Amity nodded and waved in acknowledgment before signaling for Ghost to float up and head home.

By the time she made it home, Amity was almost too fatigued to even make it up to the doorstep. She managed to force herself to push the door open and shut before trudging to her shared bedroom. The moment she stepped into the room, she smiled at the sight of [Y/N] curled up against the headboard, huddled in between pillows and under blankets as she silently read her book.

She looked up at Amity once she heard the doorknob twist, a wide smirk gracing her lips. “You’re home. How was work?” At the mention of what had made her so tired, Amity groaned and walked forward, collapsing onto the bed and murmuring something unintelligible into the pillow. A small chuckle made her turn her head. “What’d you say?” “I said good but tiring. Lilith–you remember her, right? My old mentor? She’s pretty much my boss for our projects, and she told me I had to take the rest of the week off.”

“Why do you seem upset about that? I mean, we’d be able to spend more time together.” “Yeah, I know. Don’t get me wrong, I love being able to spend time with you, you know I do. I just feel guilty for not being able to help them out at the same time, you know?” [Y/N] nodded softly before letting out a small sigh. She shuffled in her spot on the bed, and when Amity looked up to see what she was doing, she found her huddled up further in the blankets, already reading to distract herself again.

With a bit more effort than she thought she’d need, Amity picked herself up into a sitting position. She then shifted over to lean against [Y/N]’s shoulder and rest her head against it. “What’s wrong?” She questioned gently as she peered up at her. “Nothing’s wrong,” was the only response. Amity wouldn’t accept that, however. She nudged at her shoulder until they made eye contact again. “C’mon, you can tell me. Is it because of me? I won’t be upset.”

It took a few moments before [Y/N] finally answered, visibly hesitating. “It’s not necessarily because of you. I know you, Amity, and you know me. We’re both the same when it comes to wanting to help people. I just wish you would spend more time with me here instead–I want to help them out as much as possible too, don’t get me wrong, but it’s better to take breaks. If you’re exhausted all the time, then you won’t have the energy to keep working everyday. I’m really starting to worry that one day I’ll be called to one of the sites because you’ve collapsed.”

Amity’s heart ached at the thought of [Y/N] being so concerned for her. She knew she was likely overworking herself the same way she used to during school, but she had never really paid attention to how long she was away from the house for that work. [Y/N] had offered to help out more often as well a while back so she and Amity could alternate during shifts and not work for too long. She had denied the suggestion, but now, as she looked at the way her girlfriend’s eyebrows furrowed upward together while her eyes glinted with an accompanying distress, she regretted it.

Maybe Lilith was right–maybe spending so much time at work was doing more harm than good. Surely, after spending over ten to twelve hours a day doing near-constant labor, she was too fatigued to actually be helping out all that much. She thought she was doing most of the work, but looking back on it, the others did come in after her shift to correct some of the things she had messed up. And those errors were growing more and more frequent.

With a small sigh, she nodded and shifted up further to let her face burrow into the crook of [Y/N]’s neck. “I know. I’m really sorry. I had no idea I was concerning you that much. I’ll listen to Lilith and take the rest of the week off, but I’ll also start reminding myself to take more breaks and spend more time here at home with you, okay?”

At this, [Y/N] looked up at her again, having turned away to stare mindlessly at the thin pages of her book to avoid eye contact. “You promise?” Amity smiled and nodded reassuringly. She lifted her arm and let it wrap around the smaller girl’s shoulders, allowing her to pull her closer for a hug. “I promise.”

A few hours had passed since Amity made her promise, and she was finding it harder and harder to stay awake with each passing second. She had slumped down further into the sheets, eventually letting her head fall to rest partially against [Y/N]’s hip and thigh as she continued to sit up and read her book. She glanced up, occasionally managing to read a few words off of the pages of the story. The feeling of [Y/N]’s fingertips lightly scratching at her scalp in a soothing manner, combined with the comforting motion of those same fingers raking through her lavender locks, finally lulled her into a deep sleep after a while.

Moments later, at the sound of soft snoring, [Y/N] pulled her attention away from her book and glanced down at Amity. She beamed warmly at the sight and sighed. Her free hand left the book long enough to slip her bookmark from its place on her nightstand and tuck it in between the pages before letting the cover fall shut. As silently as she could, [Y/N] placed her book to the side–essentially replacing where the bookmark was just a moment ago–tugged the small cord on the lamp to turn it off, then wriggled her way beneath the sheets. She turned over onto her side and pulled Amity into her chest.

Her lips made contact with the top of Amity’s head in the form of a gentle kiss. “Night, Amity,” she slurred out softly as her eyes fluttered shut. She was dragged into slumber as well shortly after.

The sun’s morning light poked its way through the partially shut blinds and gently blanketed the room in a comforting glow. [Y/N] stirred once it reached her eyes, squinting and murmuring to herself as she managed to pry her eyes open and look around. With a yawn, she looked down to find Amity still tucked away against her chest. She smiled, getting caught in a daze at how she looked in the lighting. After the long hours of the week, the bags under the youngest Blight’s eyes were very visible, though she still looked managed to look so beautiful in her peaceful slumber.

[Y/N] leaned down far enough to press a small kiss to her forehead before she slipped her arms out from around her and snuck out of the bed and into the kitchen. There, she quickly prepared Amity’s favorite breakfast and placed it on one of the table trays they had gotten recently so they could eat in bed without worrying about crumbs. She crept back into the bedroom, set the tray down on Amity’s nightstand, got dressed for the day, and headed out, sending a message to Lilith in the process.

By the time Amity finally woke back up, mainly due to the lack of warmth and the smell of her favorite dish, [Y/N] had been gone for a while. She sat up in bed and looked around, confused. Quickly, she pulled out her scroll and messaged [Y/N], asking where she was. Soon enough, she got a reply, which explained she was taking care of a few of Amity’s daily chores so she didn’t have to worry about them that day, as well as letting Lilith and the crew know she would get a few things done throughout the week so they both didn’t completely disappear in the meantime.

Amity couldn’t help but smile widely at the message. [Y/N] knew she was feeling guilty for not being able to constantly help out, and that she also felt guilty for not spending more time together, so she was trying to find a way to compromise and make both of them work.

She turned over to the tray and lifted it. She set it on the mattress to rest over her lap and dug in, clicking over on her scroll for a bit to find a good video or movie to watch at the same time. Working for so long the previous day had built up her appetite, and she hadn’t eaten before she practically passed out the night before, meaning her stomach was roaring from hunger. She scarfed down the dish quicker than she meant to and slipped out from under the covers after picking the tray up. She brought it out to the kitchen, and while headed there, she noticed that the entire house–save for the bedroom, which hadn’t been cleaned in order to not wake Amity up–was spotless.

A sigh passed from her lips as she grinned. She rinsed her plate and glass and placed them in the sink, as well as her fork, and wiped off the bedside tray before folding it and tucking it away again in the pantry. “I’ll have to find a good way to thank her. Maybe I could make some kind of bot that could take care of the cleaning for her,” she mumbled to herself out loud. At the thought of this, she headed out to her laboratory and clicked on the light.

Her molten golden eyes shimmered as she noticed that her entire workspace had also been polished and reorganized. All of the discarded bolts and mixed puddles of Abomination slime had been wiped from the floor, every tool was in its designated spot, and every countertop was completely spotless. How long had it taken [Y/N] to do all of this? She thought back to her food, and within a few moments of reflection, realized that she had been asleep far longer than she thought. Her food had been cold when she ate it, but she must’ve been too hungry to notice.

Her hand moved back and slipped her scroll from her pocket once more. She sent another message off to [Y/N], asking what time she had left the room that morning. She made a mental note of the current time after her eyes flickered up to the digital clock at the top of her screen. Her response was quick. “I think I left around 4:30 AM. Why?” It was nearly 2:00 PM when the message was sent. Amity sighed and smiled again. “Just wondering. Thank you for cleaning everything.”

She sauntered over to her chair in front of the desk space she usually used to sketch out blueprints and got to work once she was seated. She’d find a way to repay [Y/N] for helping her out so much. If her idea worked out, she realized she could also design one similar to help clean the construction sites when she was back to work later on.

Picking up a pencil from its original spot in a small cup on the corner of the desk, she pulled out a sheet of sketching paper and began scribbling down different designs and the pieces that would be required for each part. It didn’t take long for her to get lost in her work.

“Thanks so much, Matt! I’ll make sure Amity gets them,” [Y/N] called out with a smile and a wave, a basket full of baked goods tucked away in her arm. Matt waved back. “No problem! It’s from the whole crew, as a way to thank the two of you for all you’ve done!”

[Y/N]’s smile grew wider at this, and she nodded as she headed back to the house. She yawned, exhausted from both the work throughout the day and the early hour she had chosen to wake up at. On the way, she ran into Lilith, who recognized her immediately and turned from the conversation she was having with her sister. Eda turned as well, grinning. “Ah, if it isn’t Miss Bossy Boots’s girlfriend! Lily told me about what happened yesterday. Is she finally resting up?”

A nod and a chuckle was her response. “Yeah, she’s at home. She’s awake and she’s eaten, but there isn’t much to do at the house except–” She froze, her realization kicking in. A groan erupted from her before she could realize it, and she ran her free hand down her face. “What’s wrong, kiddo?” “Well, I completely forgot to lock up her lab, so she’s probably still working, just not out here. I gotta get back and make sure she’s resting.”

Lilith stepped forward and squeezed [Y/N]’s shoulder with a smile. “Thank you for looking after her. I’ve been worried for a while now.” Her eyes flickered down to the basket, and her grin widened. “I see Matt gave you our appreciation basket. Make sure to eat them fairly soon. They don’t spoil quickly, but they’re best when they’re fresh. I’m sure Amity will appreciate it as much as you because, well, it is for both of you, after all.”

[Y/N] nodded again. “Thank you for everything, Lilith. Could you let the crew know that Amity and I want to thank them as well?” “Of course.” Eda grinned and stepped forward. “Why don’t you get home now and make sure she isn’t wasting away like her pops in that lab?” She cackled as Lilith elbowed her gently in the arm. “Edalyn, please.”

“Ah, I’m just messing with her. Seriously though, make sure she actually rests. "Working hard is important, but feeling good is important too," to quote a show Hunter got Hooty hooked on.” [Y/N] smiled and nodded once again before turning on her heel to continue heading home. She waved to the Clawthorne sisters.

Once she finally made it, she unlocked the door with a bit of a struggle, and headed inside. “Amity?” She called out, placing the basket of goods on the kitchen table as she wandered to her shared bedroom. She peeked in, but it wasn’t necessarily a surprise to find that Amity wasn’t in there. She sighed, then headed to the entrance of the lab, where she finally spotted the lavender-headed woman already crafting something new on her experiment table.

Even behind the dark purple-shaded lenses of her goggles, Amity could see the door swing open to reveal her girlfriend standing there, completely exasperated. She lifted her goggles and planted them up on her head to see her clearly. With a smile and a wave, she greeted her. “Hey, welcome home. How was your day?” [Y/N] stepped in once being acknowledged. “It was good, but why are you in here working? You’re supposed to be relaxing.”

“Well, inventing stuff helps me relax. And besides, this machine I’m making will actually help both of us relax more often–if it works properly, that is.” Now curious, [Y/N] stepped closer, peering over at what was being built. “What is it supposed to do?”

Amity smiled, happy to talk about her current work in progress. “It’s a cleaning bot. It’ll help us clean up around the house and the lab. If it works the way I want it to, then I was thinking I could help cut down the amount of time we spend at the worksites by making one specifically for construction cleanup.” [Y/N] cringed at a memory that she triggered. “Amity, I don’t know…don’t you remember what happened last time you tried to do something like this?” “Oh, believe me, I remember that. I remember the broken plates and frames–""--and chairs.” “And chairs, yes, but that’s why I’m going to set up a small practice area to test it out in. And I won’t use anything fragile.

“I promise I won’t try it out in the house until it’s perfected.” [Y/N] sighed, already anxious, but she smiled at how enthusiastic Amity was at her newest idea. She stepped closer again and pulled the taller woman into a tight hug, which was returned just as eagerly. “I’m proud of you, Amity.” At this, Amity couldn’t help but tear up just a little bit as she pressed a small kiss to the top of [Y/N]’s head.

“I’m proud of you too.”

After leaning away from the hug, [Y/N] grabbed Amity’s hand and led her out of the lab and into the kitchen, receiving very little resistance. She revealed the basket still resting on the table, pulling the small cloth on the top off to reveal the rest of the baked goods.

Amity tilted her head, confused. “What’s all of this for?” [Y/N] beamed up at her and picked a random treat out. “The construction crew, including Lilith, wanted to thank you and I both for all the work we’ve done recently–especially you.”

She grew warm at the thought of all of her work being appreciated, grinning uncontrollably as she plucked one of her favorites from the small woven basket. She unwrapped it and turned it in her hold before biting down into it, humming at the flavor. “It’s amazing. Hopefully my bot will be a good enough way to thank them for it.” [Y/N] nodded and bit into her own snack. “Maybe, but remember: this is to thank you for everything you’ve already done.”

“I know,” Amity started. “I’m excited to see them all again next week, even though I plan to spend less than half of the amount of time there.” At the sound of this statement, [Y/N]’s head perked up, her glee evident on her features. “Well, I’m excited to spend that time with you.” Amity smiled down at her and pulled her closer. “You know what else I’m excited for?”

“Hm?”

“I’m excited to eat all of these treats.” [Y/N] laughed at that, prompting Amity’s smirk to grow. The smaller woman stood on her toes to press a small kiss to Amity's cheek, already thinking of ways to spend time together during the next several days.

“So am I.”

Obsessed

[Arcane] Yandere! Jinx x Fem! Reader

Word count: 1.9k

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

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

Enjoy!

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

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

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

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

    "Hey toots,

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

        -Jinx"

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Possessive?

[Mean Girls 2004] Janis Ian x Female Reader

Word Count: 3.45k

Proofread: Yes

Content Warnings: Mentions of feeling possessive, language (?), implications of feeling like a burden.

[A/N]: This is based off of the movie from 2004, not the musical, but I changed a few things to help it better fit today: the characters have modern cellphones and use social media such as TikTok and Instagram.

Enjoy!

 Janis was well aware of how her mannerisms could come across to others who didn’t understand her. She knew that sometimes, even if she tried her hardest to prove otherwise, she came across as overprotective and possessive of her loved ones. When she had been friends with Regina back in middle school, things started to spiral. Regina soon started dating, only a few months shy of moving up into her first year of high school, and started to ignore Janis more and more, especially once things were official with her very first boyfriend. Janis, who had grown accustomed to spending every day with Regina, would text and call her relentlessly. The two of them would make plans, only for the blonde to cancel last minute without letting her know, essentially ghosting her each time.

After this happened a few times, Janis grew apart from the others and left the school for the rest of the year, cutting ties with Regina. When she returned to start her Freshman year of high school, she had a whole new style. Finding comfort in her new gothic aesthetic, she finally began to express herself the way she wanted, long forgetting about the bright shades of pink Regina would force her to wear in middle school. Because of this sudden change, Regina made it known she didn’t approve by convincing others to poke fun at her, progressively growing more aggressive with her bullying. After all, how would it look if she was still friends with the "weird punk girl?"

Soon after she started to become an outcast, Janis distanced herself from others, all except Damian and her fellow art lovers. She found solace in the company of her friends. She sat with them at lunch, chatting away about art projects and contests coming up in town. It was hard for her to connect with others outside of her circle, too worried there would be another repeat of what happened with the one girl she thought would be her best friend for life.

A student transferred into the school one day, however, and immediately caught Janis’s eye. She was introduced to the class, gleefully waving to everyone as she spoke her name, and was guided to sit beside the goth at the back of the classroom. Right away, Janis grew obsessed with her. From the moment they first spoke, [Y/N] was always on her mind. She was dressed similarly to Regina, although she never wore pink. Instead, she wore muted shades of yellow, green, and blue. Her style was comforting in comparison to the eyesore the Plastics wore everyday.

Even with her brighter clothes and nature, [Y/N] seemed to have more in common with Janis than either of them would’ve thought. Both were openly vocal about their opinions, not necessarily caring about anyone else’s views, albeit [Y/N] tended to take on a more open-minded approach. The two of them could also frequently be heard coming back at someone with a clever, snarky remark when insulted or teased. What drew Janis to her most, however, was her love for art. She was silently grateful that the two of them shared the same art class. Eagerly, they’d babble away about what either of them were working on. For each group project, Janis would ask if she could work with [Y/N] instead of whoever she was already paired with, to which the teacher would reluctantly agree.

Rather shortly after their first meeting together, Janis invited [Y/N] to her table, not entirely surprised to see that she got along with everyone immediately upon sitting down. Damian noticed Janis’s interest in her instantly, and once again, Janis wasn’t surprised when he started to taunt her relentlessly for it. He’d even begun to message her back and forth. Here and there, when the texts would grow too frequent too shortly, she’d block him for an hour or two before unblocking him to message him back and ask if he wanted to hang out.

One day, while mindlessly swirling her spoon around in her half full pudding cup as she curled up on the couch, Janis sheepishly admitted that he was right about her feelings for the newcomer to their group. Damian cheered triumphantly and bragged about how he knew it the whole time, laughing when he received a playful elbow jab to the arm or gut. Eventually, he set the teasing aside and asked her if she planned on confessing to her and asking her out. She shrugged, expressing her worry that [Y/N] wasn’t into girls or that she would laugh at her for taking an interest in her. Damian stared at her for a moment as if she were crazy.

“Uh, hello? Janis, are you insane? Have you not heard the way she talks about women? There’s no way in hell she isn’t as gay as you.” Janis rolled her eyes at his words, but reflected on them regardless, wondering to herself if she might have a chance with her. “Well, yeah, maybe. But what if she does say yes to dating, and then Regina or someone else finds out and makes fun of her for it? I don’t want her to deal with all of that shit. For fuck's sake, she just joined the school.” Damian shrugged. “Hey, she seems to be pretty tough. Like you.”

After a few weeks of planning, cowering, and chickening out of her plans, Janis finally managed to invite [Y/N] to her house when her parents were away for the night. The two of them watched a few movies while snacking on junk food, gossiped for a bit, and then bundled up under blankets as the mood shifted. Janis had turned in her spot on the sofa to gaze over at [Y/N], her eyelids lowered as she got lost in thought. [Y/N] noticed Janis’s staring after a while and questioned her about it, worried she had something on her face as she subconsciously swiped at her mouth. Janis chuckled at her motion and shook her head.

“No, nothing’s on your face. I just…” She sucked in a breath, unsure of how to carry out her confession. Her mind wandered back to a few hours prior when she had been talking to Damian about what she should say. She sighed, her teeth catching her bottom lip for a moment before she finally looked back up at the girl seated in front of her, who was now gazing at her with curiosity.

It took several tries, but Janis was eventually able to tell her about her feelings. There was an overwhelming wave of relief that washed over her upon learning that [Y/N] was interested in women. Uncharacteristically, the goth fell silent, too shy to ask the question burning on her tongue. Her eyes dropped down to focus on her nails picking at one another as she tried her best to steel her nerves. Finally, after swallowing the lump she hadn’t even realized formed in her throat, she managed to squeak her question out.

“Would you wanna go out with me?”

She freaked out after a soft giggle came as her reply. Her head lowered, allowing her to hide her disappointment-filled eyes behind her fringe. “Sorry,” [Y/N] murmured, gently grasping Janis’s shoulder. “I’m not laughing at you, I promise. Not about your confession anyway. I’ve just never seen you this shy before. It’s nice seeing this side of you.”

Janis sighed softly in relief at her words, smiling and finally lifting her head back up. “So, is that a yes?” [Y/N] grinned, shifted over on the couch cushion, and placed a small peck to the ravenette’s cheek. “Of course it’s a yes, you dork. How could I say no?”

After talking about a few boundaries after they started dating, Janis began to proudly show her girlfriend off, sneering at anyone who would glance at her wrong. And just as if it were clockwork, Janis was once again starting to come across as possessive. [Y/N] would record a small video or take a quick selfie to post to her Instagram or TikTok, and Janis would always be seen in the frame in one way or another. She’d do whatever she could come up with, wanting to set a reminder that [Y/N] was hers.

When taking a picture in bed to send to a friend on Snapchat or through chat, Janis was touching her in some way, whether it be an arm draped casually around her waist, stroking her hair, or just laying directly on top of her. When taking a mirror selfie, she’d stand behind her and hug her from behind, or casually be doing something in the reflection, such as untying and retying her boots or pretending to check something on her phone. She wanted it to be known that [Y/N] was taken. When they had to go their separate ways for a bit, she'd not-so-casually drape one of her trademark army jackets over [Y/N]'s shoulders, kiss her on the cheek, and tell her she'd see her in a bit. Then, when she was in classes without her, Janis would start sketching [Y/N] from memory. She'd come back to them later when [Y/N] was in front of her to clean the illustrations up.

She wasn’t overbearing with her tendencies, however. Not once did she have a problem with [Y/N] going out on her own or wearing something that showed off her body. On the contrary, she encouraged her to wear what she was comfortable with and be independent out in public. After all, she wasn’t going to be able to stay with her every second of every day, even if she wished she could. She’d compliment her on each of her outfits and even make suggestions that would help her feel more confident, such as framing certain parts of her body.

And after what happened with Regina a few years prior, she made sure not to overwhelm [Y/N] with calls and texts where she was constantly questioning her about where she was at all times. There were times when she would call back-to-back, but those instances only happened when she grew worried. Janis would ask her to let her know when she made it home safely, but if she never received that text, she would start calling to make sure she was okay.

The only time she would make it clear that she was going to go with [Y/N], no matter where she was going, was when she knew Regina or someone close to Regina would be there. The last thing she wanted was [Y/N] being cornered and made fun of without her there to stand in. She knew [Y/N] was fine on her own and that she could defend herself just fine, but she also knew Regina–she knew how brutal and manipulative she could be. She didn’t want [Y/N] to suffer with the same kind of bullying she already had to deal with herself.

During arguments with other students, including Karen and Gretchen, Janis usually blew them off with a quick, witty remark and walked away, not wanting to deal with the headache they would cause if she gave in. Whenever she saw [Y/N] being picked on, however, she would lose her cool. Insults and sarcastic comments would spill from her lips with a terrifying accuracy, never afraid to cause a scene if it meant the person picking the fight would leave [Y/N] alone. More often than not, a teacher, staff member, or even [Y/N] herself would have to pull Janis away and help her calm down. Not even Damian had ever seen her grow so aggressive towards someone–even when Regina was involved.

On more than one instance, Damian truly thought Janis was about to get into a fistfight with whoever she was arguing with.

Even when the two of them were alone, whether it be at [Y/N] or Janis’s house, the goth would get defensive over her. There had been a time towards the end of the first semester when a new dance was growing popular on TikTok, and [Y/N] hopped on the trend almost immediately. It wasn’t necessarily suggestive, but it certainly wasn’t modest either. To add onto the tone of the song, [Y/N] put on a bit of a revealing outfit to fit in with the other dancers.

She had set her phone up in the den of Janis’s home, having been there for the past couple of days to keep her company while her parents were away on a vacation that Janis didn’t want to have any part of. As the countdown timer for the video went off, Janis happened to peek over from the doorway leading into the kitchen, wondering what was going on. As soon as the dance started, that familiar feeling took over her senses. A couple of seconds in, she leaned against the doorway, watching as [Y/N] cussed to herself under her breath, stepped forward, crouched down, picked her phone up, and stopped the recording.

As she started the video over and repositioned it and herself to try again, Janis silently stepped forward into the frame. When [Y/N] shifted to let her hips move back a bit for a move, the ravenette--now standing directly behind her--moved closer and slipped her arms around the shorter girl’s waist. She tugged her firmly against her own torso and gently dropped her chin onto [Y/N]’s shoulder, glaring at the camera and lifting her hand to flip it off.

She knew Regina was likely going to watch the video if it were to be posted, so she wanted to send a “friendly” reminder that [Y/N] is off limits and she has someone with her to help her fight off any teasing she may throw her way. In the back of her mind, she knew Regina would comment on how controlling and possessive she was coming across as–a repeat of their final year in middle school–but she didn’t care at that point. It would crush her if she knew someone was making fun of her girlfriend when she could easily prevent it. Or, at the very least, lessen how aggressive it was.

[Y/N] smiled and chuckled at her actions, letting the pad of her thumb glide across Janis’s arm as she leaned back to kiss her softly on the cheek. “Hun, it’s fine. I’m yours, okay? You know that.” Hesitantly, Janis let go of her and stepped back, allowing her to stop the recording again. She typed something into the caption, then started the video over, asking Janis to let her finish the dance. Janis agreed and stood back a bit further.

She watched as [Y/N] carried out the entirety of the dance. At the end, there were still a few seconds left where the song played freely. [Y/N] improvised a few moves as she chuckled, pulling Janis towards her at the end and letting her wrap her arms around her again. She pressed another kiss to the girl’s cheek and slid forward in an attempt to end the recording. Janis caught her, however, by carefully gripping her hips and tugging them back against her own. She pressed a kiss to [Y/N]’s shoulder with a small smile before finally letting her go.

 She watched with a content grin as [Y/N] picked up her phone and twirled around to face her, smiling ear to ear as she bounced over to stand in front of her again. She tapped a few buttons on her phone before pulling the ravenette into a hug. “I honestly didn’t think I was gonna be able to figure out how to do the whole dance in one go,” she murmured as she leaned back, smirking at the feeling of Janis’s arms resting around her waist.

With a quick motion, she slipped from the goth’s embrace long enough to grab ahold of her hand and tug her towards the couch. As she did so, she snatched the remote from the coffee table and plopped herself down on the middle cushion. Janis followed suit, sitting down closer to the armrest. She watched as [Y/N] clicked the TV on and scrolled to YouTube to browse through the random videos suggested to her, asking which one they should watch first. Janis shrugged and hummed. “Whatever sounds good to you.”

After a moment or two, [Y/N] managed to settle on a video and turned it on. Before she could get comfortable, her phone began to ding and buzz repeatedly, prompting her to glance down at the several notifications popping up on her lockscreen.

She looked over at Janis, who had clearly noticed the sudden attention, and beamed at her. “It’s just people on TikTok talking about the dance. Nothing bad.” She held up her phone to reveal the likes and comments rolling in on the videos she had just posted. Surprised, Janis’s eyebrows raised as she scanned the screen. “You posted it? I figured you would’ve waited until you didn’t have to worry about me ruining it.”

“What? Why would you ruin it?” Janis shrugged and averted her gaze, glancing between the carpeted floor and the TV screen. Her arm lifted far enough for her chipped, painted nails to scratch anxiously at the back of her neck. “Ah, I don’t know. I guess I’m just worried I’m too much sometimes. I don’t want you to think I’m, like, obsessed or something. I mean, I am, but not in some kind of controlling way, y’know? At least, that’s not how I’m trying to have it come across.” She murmured on a bit longer, trailing off and sighing when [Y/N] laughed softly at her rambling. “Sorry,” she whispered much softer.

“No, no, don’t apologize. I think it’s cute when you ramble like that. And don’t worry, it’s not coming across like that at all. Not to me, anyway. In fact, I actually find it kind of attractive when you get all protective over me.” Janis’s head perked up at her words. “Really?” “Yep.”

She smiled, her tense features softening as she nodded. “I’m glad.”

She glanced back at the TV for a second before shuffling forward, sliding behind [Y/N] to hold her and let her lean into her chest. Softly, she let her head plant itself against the girl’s shoulder, hiding the lower half of her face. She peeked out from behind [Y/N]’s hair and watched her tap away randomly at different posts she scrolled past, liking and saving a few here and there. After a moment, Janis let her hand slide up [Y/N]’s torso and down her arm to link their hands together. She squeezed her hand gently.

Too shy to ask right out, Janis leaned her head to the side to nudge [Y/N]’s neck. “You, uh,” she started. “You don’t think I’m too much, do you?” Although she couldn’t see it, a wide smile cracked across [Y/N]’s lips. She clicked back onto TikTok and onto her profile, pulling up her recent video and angling it to let Janis see it from her position and read the caption.

Janis grinned upon seeing her girlfriend’s dance on the screen, humming and nodding once it was finished. [Y/N] swiped to the next video she had posted. Janis then watched the second video, cringing a bit at her own actions being played back to her, but glancing down at the caption that caught her eye.

My knight in shining armor shielding me from all the creeps.🤺❤️

She chuckled softly and swatted teasingly at [Y/N]’s arm. “You dork. You know how corny that sounds?” [Y/N] laughed with her and nodded. “Yeah, I know. That’s the point. You know I love a good cliche.” They smiled at each other, slowly leaning in to share a small, chaste kiss. [Y/N] leaned further into Janis’s touch. She sighed at the feeling of the strong, warm arms around her waist, focusing on the comfort for a moment before speaking again to finally answer the question she had been asked.

Her free hand slid down after dropping her phone, allowing her to cup the side of Janis’s face that wasn’t pressed against her neck. The tips of her fingers gingerly fiddled with the tips of her fringe that tickled her skin, brushing them away enough to let her stroke the soft skin on the ravenette’s cheek. At the feathery feeling, Janis’s eyes fluttered shut. She sighed silently and opened her eyes again when she heard [Y/N] speaking.

“But no, I don’t ever think you’re too much.”

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.

Mistake

[Arcane] Jinx x Fem! Reader

Word count: 1.8k

Content Warnings: Argument, degrading terms, cussing, voices, overall angst

[A/N]: None!

Enjoy!

A small hum of content made its way from Jinx’s lips as she nuzzled her face into the source of warmth in front of her. She took a deep breath in, enjoying the scent of the shampoo [Y/N] had used to shower the night before. “Good morning, toots.” A small yawn came from the girl in front of her. “Morning,” [Y/N] mumbled out, her voice slurring a bit. “Did you sleep well?” “Mhm.” “Me too.” Jinx sighed and tightened her arms around the girl’s waist, pulling her further into her chest. She closed her eyes to let herself enjoy the warmth and softness [Y/N] provided for her. She adored these blissful, intimate moments the most. Any time she could just be alone and comfortable with [Y/N] made her the happiest. Sure, she loved showing her off to others, but she knew how important it was to also have a private part of the relationship–one that no one else could disturb or ruin.

[Y/N] stirred in front of her for a moment, eventually shifting over onto her opposite side so she was now facing Jinx. And oh, god, did Jinx’s heart flutter when she saw her beautiful face. Her features always so comforting and affectionate. She cherished each little microexpression that altered her face: each soft, sheepish smile that was followed by a faint blush creeping up to her ears, each look of confusion that had her eyebrows furrowed tightly together, every moment she pouted and stuck out her bottom lip–even the way her face contorted with anger. She hated being the cause of her negative emotions, but she still found her expressions beautiful nonetheless. How [Y/N] managed to always look so alluring was a mystery, but Jinx definitely wasn’t complaining. It fascinated her beyond belief. She would stare at her forever if she had the chance.

She groaned, however, upon remembering her project for the day. How she longed to just stay in bed and hold [Y/N]. She considered it for a moment, but quickly shut herself down when realizing her deadline was approaching soon. If she didn’t get this new weapon built when Silco asked, she’d only be piling projects on top of each other, which would make her stress much worse. She unfastened the arm draped on top of [Y/N]’s waist and brought her hand up to caress her face. As her thumb tenderly stroked over her cheek, the [h/c] girl’s eyes fluttered open. “Hate to break it to you, toots, but I’ve gotta get up.” Instead of pouting the way Jinx had expected, [Y/N] nodded and closed her eyes before wriggling out from her embrace.

Jinx, after taking a moment to stretch properly, got out of bed and got dressed for the day. As she headed out the door, she paused, considering something. Finally, she turned around a bit to properly glance at [Y/N], whose back was now facing her. “[Y/N]?” She called softly. A small hum came as a response, barely audible. “Wanna join me in the workshop today? I could use some company.” Silence filled the space between them, making Jinx believe that maybe the other girl had already fallen asleep again. She was about to call her name a second time to repeat her question, but [Y/N] suddenly sat up and yawned. “Yeah, sure. I’ll be there in a minute.” Jinx smiled and nodded, heading out the door and over to her workspace.

She sat down and started working after turning on some music. She hummed along to the tune, already getting lost in her work and failing to notice a certain [h/c] girl’s footsteps lightly approaching her. [Y/N] sat on the extra stool over by a separate table. She rubbed her eyes groggily, her body begging and aching for her to go back to sleep. “Hey,” she called out after a moment. Jinx jumped, startled by a sudden voice. She turned her head around to show she had acknowledged the girl before looking back down at her equipment. When she got no response, she sighed. She could already feel herself growing irritated. [Y/N] knew how busy she was, so why did she always have to distract her?

“What is it, toots?” Another moment of silence passed, only fueling Jinx’s newfound anger. “Are we going to talk about what happened yesterday?” Jinx froze, grip on her screwdriver now so tight her knuckles were turning white. She shut her eyes tightly for a second. Taking a deep breath to calm herself, she began working again, now with unsteady hands. “There’s nothing to talk about. We worked things out last night before bed. Move on.” [Y/N] grimaced at her cold tone. She had grown accustomed to it during arguments, sure, but it didn’t mean she liked it. “But that argument was really bad, Jinx. Worse than usual. I’m…” She fiddled with the hem of her shirt. “I’m worried we’re not going to last much longer at this rate.”

A loud banging sounded from Jinx’s desk, prompting [Y/N] to look over in confusion. Jinx had slammed her invention and screwdriver down out of frustration. “I said move on, [Y/N].” The girl stood from the isolated stool and crossed her arms. “No! We need to talk about this whether you want to or not. Ignoring the problem isn’t going to make it go away.” Jinx growled, standing up and twirling around the chair so fast it almost tipped over. She bolted to stand in front of [Y/N], who cowered a bit at her seething gaze. “Why don’t you ever just listen to me? Are you trying to cause even more problems?” [Y/N] sighed, looking down to steel her nerves. She knew bringing it up would only spark the flame again, but she had made it her goal to make communication the most important part of their rocky relationship.

“You know that’s not what I’m trying to do. You know me, Jinx. You act like you do anyway. And if you even paid attention to me at all, you’d know that I hate any kind of conflict. But in order to avoid that this time, we have to talk things out, okay?” Jinx scoffed, pinching the bridge of her nose. “No. We don’t have to do shit. You’re just pathetic. You think there’s a solution to every little flaw.”

The already cold air of the room became frigid, the atmosphere now thick with tension. Aside from the music playing quietly in the background and the occasional tick of the large fan below, there was silence. Uncomfortable silence. [Y/N]’s head began to ache. It was far too early in the morning to be arguing. Maybe she should’ve just stayed in bed after all. Then nothing would’ve happened. They could both just ignore each other until it was time to go to bed like usual. But [Y/N] knew it was going to be brought up again at some point if she followed through with her goal of proper communication, and she believed it was better now than never. She wasn’t sure, though, if she’d rather have this discussion in the bedroom so no one could disturb them until a solution was made, or if she was fine with standing in the workshop that Jinx seemed to take priority of over her.

‘Just find a way to deescalate the situation before it gets worse,’ she told herself. ‘Stay calm, don’t raise your voice, and watch what you say.’ Even as [Y/N] stayed mostly silent throughout the rest of the one-sided argument, her expressions gave away what she was feeling–those same expressions that Jinx admired for so long. She could tell Jinx wasn’t going to back down–not with how badly she wanted to win the argument. She always wanted to be right. And it wasn’t just as simple as her wanting to be right. She truly did believe, in situations like these anyway, that she was always right, which is why the solution they agreed on usually only appealed and benefited Jinx.

As it continued, Jinx’s volume only got louder and louder. She stepped closer, finally, and [Y/N] forced her backwards as a reflex, afraid she was about to be hit. Jinx paused, registering the motion. Before she could apologize, [Y/N] was shoved down onto the ground. “Don’t you lay your fucking hands on me! That’s why we never agree on anything! You always mess everything up! And you know why that is? Because you’re nothing more than a mistake!” Right as the words left her mouth, Jinx froze, her expression shifting from outrage to one of pure regret. Her emotions only grew as she watched tears prick [Y/N]’s eyes, bubbling up until they finally spilled down in thick masses. Without breaking eye contact, the [h/c] girl stood and dusted herself off. “Maybe this relationship was a mistake too.”

She turned on her heel and left the room with her shoulders slumped in defeat. Jinx felt herself reaching out, but she was too late–the damage had already been done. Her mind had already been racing long before she uttered those words, but now it was worse. She couldn’t form a single word. The voices swarmed in her mind, scolding her, reminding her of all her failures before. They mocked her–the nicer ones listing all the different ways she could’ve handled the situation.

Should she apologize? Would [Y/N] even listen to her? She sobbed as she came to the realization that she possibly ruined their relationship for good. Any minute now, [Y/N] would come back and break the news that they’re done–the relationship is over. She curled into herself once bundling up on her bed. She waited for hours for [Y/N] to come in and give her the harsh reality of the consequences she had been avoiding for so long.

Only those words never came from her lips. Instead, a small, folded note was left on her desk out in the workshop. She unfolded it with a shaky breath.

Jinx,

I would apologize for the way that argument ended, but I’m not at fault. You are. I stand by what I said before leaving. This relationship was a mistake, just like me–according to you. I’m moving back home. I’ll stop by in a few days once you’ve cooled down so I can gather my belongings, but don’t bother meeting or talking to me. I don’t need your help or your fake apologies. Good luck on whatever it is Silco is having you create. I guess we’ll see just how horrible you can make others feel if you’re successful. May we never speak again.

-[Y/N]

Sobs wracked her body once more as she collapsed to her knees, clutching the note tightly against her chest. She screwed everything up. She always does. It was no surprise that she messed this up too–it was only temporary: temporary bliss, temporary love…She didn’t deserve any of it either way. Maybe [Y/N] was right. Maybe the relationship was a mistake after all. Did she even make [Y/N] happy? Was there actually any love? She hiccupped, wiping away at her tears with her available hand–though it didn’t help as they kept pouring. Her mind flooded with ideas on how to fix the situation, only to be followed by the fact there was no fixing this. It was her mistake, and now she had to face the consequences.

Shielded Devotion

[Resident Evil: Village] Daniela Dimitrescu x Female Reader

Word Count: 5.01k

Proofread: Yes

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

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

Enjoy!

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

//////////

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

“I love you too, Daniela.”