Is There Anybody On Here Who Writes Requests For House M. D...???

Is there anybody on here who writes requests for House M. D...???

Because I have requests I would like to send in

✩₊˚.⋆☾⋆⁺₊✧ And I wouldn't marry me, either part 2

You were Azriel's mate, but it took losing you three times for him to realise.

[thank you for the love on part one, I’m so happy Azriel is getting the love he deserves!!!! This is another long one, another 6k. But I’ve learnt a new love for writing about him and i have so many ideas. This is a continuation and final part, part one here. Enjoy]

warnings: references to sexual assault and references to suicide. nothing explicit but please don't read if this is sensitive to you.

The third time Azriel almost lost you, he was pretty sure he lost a part of himself.

They'd all gone into battle, knowing that Hybern had the numbers to match and the advantage. But they'd all gone to fight in spite of that.

It had took some time for you to get the boys to agree to let you fight- you'd trained and grew up with all three of them but this was fighting on another scale. Although, if they were going, there really wasn't much they could say to get you to stay.

You were clad in Illyrian leathers just like them, armed with weapons and power.

The first battle was over quicker than you'd anticipated. Hybern soldiers surrendered, Tarquin drowned them on land. You'd suffered little, only falling on bed exhausted by the end of the day. Sadly, you were sharing a tent with Cassian and Azriel. It was like you were young again, all sleeping in the same room. It was a habit you'd done when you were young- all looking out and protecting each other.

The only difference was that Cassian snored as he got older.

But the next battle was worse.

It was bigger than last. Hybern's forces had doubled, seemingly at of nowhere, cutting their forces apart.

It was chaos, everywhere. Every corner there was fighting and bleeding and dying. There was pain all around you. Pain you felt like it was your own.

You used all your power, as much as you could to kill and protect. From the corner of your eyes you could see Azriel fight. Your Azriel, weaving in and out of people. Your mate. He was alive. And that was all you cared about.

But you didn't realise how much you'd been pushing herself and draining your power. Every time you stopped, you swayed on your feet, stumbling.

One of Hyberns men came for you as you were crouched and you barley blocked with your sword, rolling onto your back and slashing his arm off.

Not before he landed a sword in your thigh.

It had been deep burning and you yelled, yanking it out. Even with the wound, you kept fighting and fighting your way through until you saw a blaze of red and a familiar cry.

Cassian.

He'd been run through.

It was easy to push past exhaustion and winnow to his side, killing the man who'd been near him and any others that had been close enough. You fall to your knees next to him. 'Cassian, you prick.'

'You kiss your mate with that mouth,' he gasped. He was the only one who knew about Az and the bond. The only one you'd allow to make jokes.

You look down to his wound and gaged. Mother above, his guts were hanging out. 'No, no, no, come on, big guy, you have to stand.'

He groaned. 'Yea, don't think I can do that, sweetheart,' his eyes, lulled back.

You slap him in the face. Perhaps you wouldn't have felt guilt if it weren't for the way his eyes widened. 'You know I hate being called that.'

He laughed as his stomach and all its contents heaved out. Ignoring the pain in you, you hold his stomach, keeping him together. 'I promised Nesta i'd look after her,' he said. 'Please look after her.'

'Do it yourself,' you groaned.

Finally, Azriel came to your side and picked Cassian up like it was nothing, flying him to the tents. If only you still had your wings, you could have done it, saved him quicker.

Then, you were thrown back into the battle. Covered in his blood and yours, you fought through them all, slashing and killing like it was nothing. Like you had no reason to bat an eyelash at anything happening.

Eventually, it ended, but you couldn't even concentrate on who won or how much you'd lost. Your head ached, your leg was tied up in a bloody bandage ripped from your clothes. But none of that mattered.

Cassian was in bed, healing slowly. But he would live, everyone could tell. Especially with the way he picked fights. He argued with Rhys about throwing himself into danger, him and Nesta appeared to be having words with their eyes. Even Mor and Feyre argued. You were the only one silent with Azriel in the back. Too exhausted to even open your mouth.

That night, you tied up your wounds and fell asleep without changing.

It only got worse.

Elain- Feyre's sister and the most precious- was stolen from Hybern. You had only agreed to go and save her with a few selected others because your mate was in that few selective others.

It hadn't escaped your notice how he looked at her, was watchful over her like he once was with you. You saw the tick in his jaw at the news she was gone. You knew that this was the reason you hadn't told him. Knowing that he deserved someone like her, better than you. Kind and hopeful. You weren't. So the only thing you could do was watch your mate find love in someone else.

And you'd do it grudgingly but happy for him.

Azriel had took of with her. You and your high lady fought, fought through ash arrows and everything.

'You should get out of her, y/n,' said Feyre.

You groaned as an arrow skimmed your shoulder. Another had already got your hip. 'If you try to order me out of here, i'll be really pissed off at you.'

'I don't care if it gets you out!' she snapped, arguing like a real sister would.

'Yea, well- I was never one to listen to Rhys either.'

And Azriel was gone. Everything was fine.

You and Feyre ran, ran even as Tamlin defended you, ran until-

An arrow hit you in the back, straight to one of your old wing scars.

You tumbled, rolling on the ground as it broke and imbedded in your back. You screamed, in spite of yourself.

'You have to fly,' someone was telling you. Or saying it in general, frankly you had no idea what was going on. 'You have to take her.'

You rolled onto your stomach, groaning and trying to get yourself up. There was blood running down your arm, how did that get there?

'Y'n.'

You groaned, 'Azriel. I can't fly.'

'I know, I know- i've got you.' He picked you up, arm under your legs and around your shoulders.

'Elian, Azriel-'

'Feyre has her,' he told you. He sounded angry. Or afraid. Somehow his emotions were very easy to mix up.

'Feyre isn't strong enough.'

'She'll have to be.'

'You should take them, Elian-'

'I don't give a fuck about Elian right now, y'n.'

Just like that, he took off with you in his arms and your blood raining down on the camp of Hybern. You could barley hear anything over the wind... but you could feel it.

Something had tugged painfully at the bond, throwing you into a scream. Something had happened to Azriel. You twisted in his arms, finding gashing claw marks in his back from one of the hounds that had chased them down. His face was bleached white in pain, his hold on you tight.

Glancing around, you could just see Feyre in a blur of people.

'Azriel-' you gasped. He was in pain, so much pain.

He didn't say anything, just squeezed you tighter and looking ahead, barking orders as Feyre flew for the first time in need, in desperation. You remembered what that was like, trusting your life in them. But Azriel's wings, they were bleeding out. You remembered the pain. You'd go through it every day to spare him a minute of it.

✩₊˚.⋆☾⋆⁺₊✧

You and Azriel landed back in the camp in a blur of pain.

Even with him leaving a trail of blood, he managed to set you down like you were porcelain. You didn't cry out. You didn't yell for help. You threw his arm over your shoulder and supported him.

Nesta and Rhys rushed to Feyre.

You hated your brother for a long moment.

Elain wondered over, chained but whole.

Azriel moved from you, checking on Elian. You only managed to watch them as she kissed his cheek.

The pain came to you then. Your head, shoulder, back. You turned from the crowd of family. Elain moved to hug her sister, Rhys stayed at Feyre's side.

Thesan, someone you barley knew as more than a healer, came to you first but you pushed him away, pushed him to Azriel. 'His wings. Heal him, or i'll rip you to pieces.'

He didn't have to be told twice.

You stumbled your way to camp, to your little tent. You didn't share it with Cassian anymore as he was still healing and Azriel would be a while- needing healing of your own.

You collapsed on the bed, promising to look after yourself- just after your nap.

You were so fast asleep you didn’t even hear Azriel come in and sigh at the sight of you…

✩₊˚.⋆☾⋆⁺₊✧

Azriel was fighting when it happened. Specifically, when it snapped.

Mate. Mate. Mate.

No, he wasn't completely healed. But he had to fight. He wouldn't push himself, he knew that would be stupid. But he wouldn't watch as everyone fought. As you fought. He'd hardly seen you. He knew your back would be in pain. He knew you'd be in pain and you were still fighting, so far from him and out of reach.

He was thinking of you when it snapped.

Mate. Mate. Mate.

His soul sang it, his heart rose with it.

His shadows whispered it.

Mate. Mate. Mate.

y/n.

And the first thing he felt over the bond wasn't happiness or love. It was pain. It was death.

Mate. Mate. Mate.

In spite of the pain in his wings, how he'd been told not to fly, he did. He jumped into the skies, soaring over armies and dead to find you. He followed that pain, he followed the bond until he found you.

You, lying in your own blood. Again.

He fell next to you, his power eradicating anywhere near you. They dissovled, the ground cracked under him and his syphons shone in raw power.

'y/n?' he held your body, shaking you. Blood, so much. A sword had torn through your gut. 'Don't do this to me.'

Mate. Mate. Mate.

You cough, a thin stream of blood rolling from your lips. 'Azriel?'

'You're mine,' it was the first thing he could bring himself to say. 'You're my mate. Y/n. You have to hold on, ok? I'm gonna-gonna get you to safety.'

Something like a laugh escaped you, your body wracking with it. 'Of course, finally snaps for you as i'm dying.'

Snaps for you. Mate. Mate.

She knows, his shadows sung. She's known.

Azriel called out to Rhys in every way he could. 'We're gonna be fine. We're gonna be mates, y/n. You have to live, you understand?'

'Not really.' your eyes flutter shut.

'No!' he yelled, shaking you again.

'What's happened?' Rhysand landed next to him, blanking when he saw you in Azriel's arms, bleeding to death. How many times did this have to happen? How many times would you throw yourself into danger?

'She's my mate,' Azriel repeated. He tested it out loud, speaking it to the mother. How cruel was she? to give him this then try to take her away. Well, the mother wouldn't get that chance. Azriel would fight her if she tried to lay a hand on your life.

'What?' said Rhys.

'My mate,' he all but growled as Rhys got closer.

He put a hand on the back of Azriels neck, a hand on your head. 'We have to save her, Az.' he knew all about mating of course, knew that Azriel wanted nobody around her. But this was too save her. 'She's my sister too, the last sister I have. I care about her to.'

Azriel wanted to throw a thousand insults his way but refrained. If not because he was high lord, but also because you were dying.

They got you to safety, Azriel carrying you through to a tent.

'Y/n?!' Cassian rushed over, seeing you in his brothers arms, bleeding out and unresponsive.

Azriel pushed past him, setting you down on the bed. 'Get everyone, every healer now.' He had no idea who he was trying to demand, but he couldn’t watch this, couldn’t see you in.

You were still in your bed. Behind him, Feyre rushed to her mate, wrapping her arms around his torso as your brother stared at you in muted horror.

Azriel was leaning over you, sitting on the edge of the bed. ‘She’s my mate.'

'What?' Said Cassian, ‘She told you?'

Azriel felt the world stop around him. Not did you know about the bond and hadn’t told him, you’d told someone else? Cassian? His hand stilled in brushing your hair back, his shadows coaxing you instead.

Rhysand spoke what Azriel wanted to scream. 'You knew?'

'She-She told me,'

Azriel had always had an iron fist control on his emotions, as relied on to be spy master, he had to. But his patience was hanging on by a thread. You were still bleeding out and nobody had come and Cassian knew. Cassian knew about his mate before he did.

His shadows caressed you and, leaving you in the coolness of their touch, he leapt up, marching around the bed toward him.

Rhys was quicker, a hand on Azriels chest to stop him. 'Calm, brother.'

'Calm?' He seethed. 'When-how long have you known?' He shouted.

Cassian breathed out, pushing his hair back . His wings were tucked in behind him. 'She told me, before she went under the mountain.'

Even Rhysand let him go, blowing out air and throwing his arms over his head as Feyre gasped.

Azriel stumbled, a hand to his chest. His shadows were divided between him and caring for you. 'Fifty years,' he gasped.

You’d known for fifty years- possibly longer and hadn’t said a word.

He was panicking, his breath escaping him. His shadows settled uneasy around him. And the only person who was capable of calming him was laying unconscious.

Thesan burst in, knowing the injured already and working on you quickly.

Azriel almost launched at him, just for touching you. The reasonable part of him knew he needed to touch to heal, but the part that was your mate wanted him dead.

Cassian held him back, physically.

Azriel glowered at him. 'I wouldn’t touch me if i were you, brother,' he practically spat the words.

Rhysand left Feyre with a kiss on her cheek, coming to Azriel who was looking over you on the other side. 'Az, you need to rest-you’re hurt, too, remember?'

He shook his head, staring down at you. Mother above you were pale, so pale. 'I-I can’t feel anything Rhys, I can’t feel her through the bond.'

'My sister is a fighter, she’ll make it through.'

Azriel scoffed. His shadows were caressing up and down your arm. ‘Don’t pretend you’ve ever cared about her like a brother.'

Rhysand inhaled sharply. This was just fear, he told himself. 'Azriel.'

'No,' he said, his finger brushing back your hair. 'You only care about her when she’s dying and all y/n does is worship you- ever since you were children.'

Cassian tried to advance, 'Azriel, you wouldn’t be saying any of this if y/n wasn’t hurt.'

He laughed, bitterly. 'No, I wouldn’t. I wouldn’t have to. I’d bite my tongue. But your sister is dying and the last time you cared was the last time she almost died- it killed her to lose her wings and you were never there! And you teach your mate to fly right in front of her!'

Rhys growled. ‘Don’t bring my mate into this!'

‘You’ve brought mine into this!' He yelled. 'Everything she does is for you. Working for you. My mate followed you down to the mountain even when you didn’t care.'

'Of course I cared.'

'Then why did she feel so alone down there!'

‘How would you know, Azriel? You weren’t there!'

'Because I know her, bond or not. And you’ve been otherwise occupied.'

Cassian moved between the two, holding them apart. 'None of this matters to y/n does it.'

Azriel blankes them all, settling next to you. He vaguely heard Cassian send Rhysand and Feyre away. He felt him longer before he felt him leave.

And then all Azriel could feel, was you.

✩₊˚.⋆☾⋆⁺₊✧

You felt pain first. The steady thumping of it through your body. It started in your leg, numbing it. Then, her back ached- a familiar pain you'd felt before. It sent panic through you before you realised they can't take your wings twice.

Then, it was in your gut, stinging. Just the thought of moving was hurting- aching.

There was a coldness around you, draped over like shadows. Shadows...

That's when you felt the tug that you'd neglected to feel for more than half a century.

The bond. There was finally something tied to the other end.

The shadows around you must've known you were awake as they grew frantic around you.

You opened your eyes, slowly, afraid to what you may see. Afraid to the eyes you'll have to meet.

Azriel was sat on a chair next to you, bare chested with only bandages around him. Immediately, you were at a disadvantage. He was looking at you, dark eyes pouring into yours as his hands curled around shadows.

'What happened?' you asked.

'You were run through,' he said, voice wavering.

'Oh.'

'You're my mate.'

Your eyes flickered away, staring at your tent. 'Oh.'

'That's it?' he whispered. There was some heart-break tainting his voice. 'You're not gonna say something?'

You pulled the blanket over you, daring to move to sit up. He shifted, but his shadows helped you. 'What do you want me to say, Az?'

'Why did you tell Cassian and not me?' he asked. 'Why didn't you tell me, for fifty years?'

'It's-it's not a big deal.'

'Not a big deal?' he all but seethed. 'I'd say finding your mate is a pretty big thing, y/n. It's the person to spend the rest of your life with.'

'Can we not, do this now?' you winced, as the words left your mouth.

'You're right, maybe we should wait another fifty years to bring it up when you're dying.' you've never heard him be so cruel, you'd never even argued with him before this.

'I wasn't dying,' you mumbled.

He scoffed. 'You had an infected wound in your leg that you didn't tell anyone about. An ash arrow was imbedded in your back. Imbedded! You didn't see anyone about it and then- you run into battle and get yourself stabbed.'

'I didn't get myself stabbed!' you argued, your temper rising above all other judgment. 'I didn't rush out in there, wanting to die!'

'I held you as you bled out!' he yelled, standing up from his seat. You were swinging your legs over the bed, ignoring every twinge in your body. 'Do you have any idea what that's like? Not even to hold you as you die in my arms the first time but the second. And to know this time, I was holding my mate?'

You bit down on your lip. He had to use the word with such care and love even when angry. You could feel it. For once, guessing his emotions wasn't needed as you felt it all. The taunt anger in him, the pull of anxiety and above all else, the weight of his love.

Azriel walked around you. 'Please, you have to tell me. Why didn't you say something to me? Why wouldn't you tell me you're my mate? Am I that repulsive to you?'

'What?'

He gulped.

You shook your head as he knelt in front of you, shadows pooled around the two of you, as if they were trying to hold the two of you together. You took his hands, holding them and let something like love flow down the bond. 'You are the most beautiful thing in this world. Something better than me. I wouldn't burden you with that.'

He rose his gaze to you. 'Burden me?'

'Do you think i've enjoyed lying to you?' you ask, finally finding your words. 'Do you think I've liked being your mate and never being with you? That I left you for fifty years and thought of you every moment of every day, all day long. That when I come back I wonder if you or Mor had grown closer? Or if Elian would finally tell you how much she loves you? It's been eating me alive. But it's a small price to pay.'

Azriel grasped at his words, chocking on them. 'Elian is nothing to me, nothing.'

You pushed yourself up, using his shoulder to steady yourself before you move around him. 'Why? Have you only just decided that because I’m your mate? That’s not how it should go, Azriel.'

He was following you around your tent as you slipped on armour and leathers over your night dress. ‘I want you, only you.'

'Because of the bond?'

'Because I’ve always only wanted you!'

You laugh. 'No, you haven’t.'

'If we’d talked about this maybe fifty years ago you’d know that!'

You shook your head. Perhaps a part of you didn't want to believe him and all those wasted years at your fault, but you didn't want to believe his words either. Because what did that mean? That he loved you and wanted you. But that seemed just as impossible to you. How could he want someone so wrecked who'd done nothing but run away from her feelings and does nothing to make anyone happy?

'I don't want you to feel like that,' said Azriel, approaching her. She thought she'd spoken aloud before she realised he could feel everything that was hers. She'd only ever had to shield her thoughts from her brother- and he rarely sort her thoughts. 'Please, please-' he took your shoulders, turning you around and gently resting his head on yours.

You could feel his warm breath over your lips. You almost lost all resolve, with him that close. You'd never been so close to him, close enough to touch. To kiss. To know finally what it mean to have that deep connection that everyone was meant for.

One person in the whole world to belong to.

And he was stuck with her.

'Azriel-'

'Whatever you're thinking about yourself, i've thought about me a thousand times. And ever since we were kids you've always stopped me from thinking that. You've always told me what I was worth,' he whispered. His hands were wondering down your arms, sending shivers down you. He could've been doing it on purpose, distracting you. 'Why won't you accept it for yourself?'

You gulped down every uneasy thought. 'Because you're good, Az and i'm-'

'You're everything.'

'I'm not,' you look up at him, his own face blurry from your tears unwilling to fall. 'I'm not a fighter, i'm afraid of pain. And I could never be a leader, because i'm scared of losing people. I'm terrified about it half the time. Why do you think I followed Rhys down to that stupid party that I knew I wouldn't come back from? Because he'd do the same for me? We both know he wouldn't. But what would losing him mean for you? or Cass, or Mor? I was a coward and I wanted to hide from all the pain his leaving would have caused.'

Azriel shook his head, words sinking in. You were comparing yourself, to warriors like him and Cass, to the high lord- your own brother. 'It was unbearable without you. Maybe if it was just Rhysand i'd have still been able to be spymaster, because that's what he needed. But when I realised you'd gone to, it ruined me,' he admitted. 'I didn't care what you would've wanted, because you weren't here to tell me.'

You rub at your forehead, the tension creating a pain in your already aching body.

'And to anyone who made you feel inferior or worthless, i'll kill them,' he said. It was a shine of the real Azriel. The one who made a promise and never broke it.

You smirk. 'Can't kill the high lord.'

'No,' huffed Azriel, like it was a mild inconvenience. 'But I sure can punch him in the face.'

You laughed at that and Azriel smiled. He'd cracked you.

But your amusement dropped quickly, he felt it like a penny dropping. He let go of you as you turned away, wiping at your eyes. He didn't want to see you cry, didn't want to be the one to make you upset. He only wanted to make you feel loved.

'This isn't how I wanted this to go.'

Azriel suddenly felt conscious of himself. Maybe this wasn't so much about what you felt, maybe it was more about what you felt toward him. 'You really hate the mating bond that much?'

You look over to him. 'Being your mate is my greatest honour. But I don't want you to love me just because you have to.'

'It's not that-'

'And I know you're gonna keep saying that.'

'Until you believe me,' he assured her. 'Even if I have to tell you every day until I die.'

'I can't ask you to do that.'

He smiled at you, a heart-breaking smile of love. 'You haven't.'

You open your mouth to say something, but you're interrupted by Cassain poking his head through the tent flaps. The rest of his whole body was hidden, only showing his bronze face and hair framing him. There was a sheepish smile on his lips.

Azriel huffed. 'Cassian.'

'What? It didn't sound like much love making going on.'

'Mother above,' you sighed.

'What?' whined Cassian. 'I'm just saying, didn't sound like I was interrupting anything.'

'Personally I didn't know he was capable of saying that many words,' said another voice, familiar and dull. Nesta.

You frown. 'I'm sorry, is the whole camp out there.' You storm out, without Azriel to stop you.

He let you get away, again, and now there was no way he'd get you to accept the bond until the battle was done.

✩₊˚.⋆☾⋆⁺₊✧

The next time you and Azriel spoke, the war was over.

Elian had stabbed Hybern, Nesta had delivered the killing blow, to the head. And your brother had died.

For those few minutes of his death you wanted Feyre weep for him as you stood paralyzed, unable to move. This was the brother you worshiped, the one you’d follow to the end of the world. Did he know that when he went where you could not follow?

Feyre had done everything she could, she begged for his life back. And when her wish was granted, you were collapsing on his other side. Tears of joy in your eyes that Rhys wiped away.

Your family, safe.

Everyone seemed happy to return to Velaris. Home. Scars were left over everyone, fears and pains. Some wore them better than others.

You'd thrown yourself into life. And avoiding Azriel. Suddenly there were many friends you'd neglected that you needed to take dinner with, or so many spontaneous Rita nights with Nesta.

And none of it escaped his notice. The steady thump of the bond still thrived inside of you, his shadows followed everywhere you went, even loitering in your room.

If he was doing it in an attempt to annoy you, then you weren't gonna break first.

After a particularly harrowing Rita's night, the only thing you wanted to do was sleep in for the rest of the day, hide away from everyone and everything. Call it your coping mechanism.

Alas, there was no peace as your curtains were thrown open, light spilling in and burning through your eyelids.

'Knock it off!' the shadows had never bothered with waking you up before- it seemed they'd picked the worst time to start.

'We need to talk,' said a voice that certainly wasn't a shadow.

Rhysand.

You groan, rolling over. 'Can't you talk to me when i'm not hungover.'

'And when would that be, sister? you're getting as bad as Nesta.'

You throw your pillow off and at him, but he dodged it easily and with a smug smile. 'I hate it when you call me that.'

'What? When I compare you to Nesta? Clean up your act then.' He stood over your bed, his arms folded over his chest.

You glare at him. 'I meant sister.' You shuffled up, brushing your hair back.

Rhysand frowned and perched himself on the edge of your bed. There was something he wasn't saying, and you watched it weight heavy on his shoulders. 'You know the last time I was in your room you were throwing glasses at me and yelling at me to get out.'

'Well, don't give me ideas.'

His lips curled into a smile of amusement before he turned solemn again. 'Do you love me, y/n?'

You hadn't expected that. Your hangover could only get worse, your head swimming with possibilities as to why he was asking. And nervous, you were nervous. Maybe you'd never said you loved him out loud but surely your actions were enough of a tell. 'You're my high lord and my brother, of course.' you shrug it off, as if it was nothing.

The shadows trailed up the bed, as if sensing your anxiety.

Rhysand glanced over at you. 'Do you think I don't love you?'

You hesitate, chewing at the skin of your gum.

'Because I do. I do love you. You're my little sister, how can I not?' he muttered. 'And I didn't know you felt like that.'

'It was just sort of... obvious,' you said. 'I was never your sister, not really. I always knew that. You'd never see me like that so, I gave up thinking you would. But you're the only family I have.'

'No, I'm not,' he denied. 'Y/n, everyone in this house loves you. They're your family. And i'm sorry- i'm so sorry if my actions have ever made you think different.'

'Why now?' you ask, eyes screwed up looking at him. 'Why are you saying all this now, what's changed?'

He shook his head, strands of his hair- the same as yours- falling over his eyes. 'You almost died, died on that battlefield and I-I wasn't the first one there. Granted, it was your mate that reached you first but I, I wasn't there quick enough.'

You meet his gaze, his purple eyes sad in a way you'd only ever seen under the mountain. 'You died.'

'And as I was dying one of my deepest regrets was not calling you sister enough,' he shifted closer, taking your head in his hands as if you were a little kid. 'You are my sister. Full flesh and blood. Full love of mine. You are my family. After everything you've done for me. You were right, I needed you under there, when there was nothing good to keep me grounded, but you. My little sister.'

You were sure you were tearing up in front of him.

'You'll always be my sister.'

You laugh. 'Maybe I should get stabbed more often.'

'No,' he said seriously. 'I don't think Azriel would like that very much.'

The mention of him changed the tone in conversation, changed the very beating of your heart.

'What's going on with you two?'

'Oh, I see,' you tease, 'talk to me above sister and brotherly relations just to get in my love life. Not a good look on you high lord.'

He laughed. 'No, it's not that. I just care about the two of you, a lot. And you both deserve to be happy. And I think you'd be happiest with each other.'

You look down, twirling the rings on your fingers.

'Would it be so bad to try to love him?'

You shake your head, smiling as a tear rolls down your cheek. 'I don't even have to try. Feels like i've loved him forever.' his shadows climbed up your arm, leaving Rhysand to smile at the affection.

'You'll work it out,' said Rhys, leaning over and kissing the crown of your head.

Your door was thrown open, startling the two of you.

Azriel stood there. For his entrance, he didn't at all seem that confident when he stood in front of the two of you. His hands didn't know how to hold themselves in front of him.

Your brows rose. 'Were you listening at the door?'

'Azriel,' scolded Rhysand with a stupid grin.

'Get dressed,' he said simply to you. 'There's something you need to see.'

Without much room for argument, you kicked them both out and dressed.

You'd grudgingly let Azriel hold your hand as he led you through the woods. You'd winnowed in at an illyrian camp before he took you through it and into the woods close by.

It was the same camp you'd first met Azriel in. The oldest where you'd all become friends. You'd asked what you were doing there, but he was quiet as he led you through, helping you over roots or breaking twigs from the trees so they didn't hit you.

'Azriel, to any other girl, you leading her silently through a woods without saying anything would be a bit suspicious,' you tell him. His shadows trailed behind the two of you and his hand was secure in yours. You knew not to be scared, but you were still cautious.

'I wouldn't show any girl this,' he said.

After another half hour of walking, the two of you stumbled across a small hut. It was a tiny thing really, made out of twigs and sticks, hay and mud. It looked like something a child was capable of making.

Azriel paused in front of it. He let go of you hand and reached for the door. He was as tall as it and his wings had to tuck in tightly behind him.

Hesitantly, you followed in.

It was just as small as it looked and dirty, like it hadn't been touched in years. Cobwebs hung low (his shadows quickly tried to bat them all away for you) there was dirt and hay all over the floor. Glasses were dust filled and left around with a hundred other things. Some looked new, others old.

And yet, strangely familiar.

'I made this place,' said Azriel.

You looked back at him. He was hunched over a large box that was overflowing with things. 'You?'

'The first time my brothers picked on me, I came to these woods, working on this for days. Every time things got too much back then, i'd come here. I've been coming back for years.' he glanced at you, a sheepish look on his face. 'I've never showed anyone this before.'

You look around the place in new perspectives. The shadows settled around the place. You pictured a little Az, running here and hiding from his brothers. Did he feel alone? Did he feel un-loved? You were so enamoured by it you didn't realise he'd settled on the ground, pulling out things from his box.

'This is your glove, the one's you were wearing when we first met. You took them off to beat up some kid who was being mean to me. You didn't go back for them, you didn't even care.'

He said, pulling out a pair of red wool gloves. In spite of the hut, they were in perfect condition. Pristine. You remembered first meeting him, remembered the little soldier who'd been horrible. Those gloves wouldn't go anywhere near your hand now.

Azriel went in again. 'This is the empty glass jar of the cream you used to help my burns. Here's a book you read to me when I couldn't flip the pages myself. The notes you'd leave when you had to go back to camp. The flowers you picked for me and gave me for my birthday. Dried and stamped from every time you gave them to me.'

You stood, in shock as he kept taking things out.

'A terrible drawing I did of you when I was young. A locket of yours that broke and you never wore again. Stamps from our first theatre trip. Empty bottles from our first night together in Rita's- and Cassian's too. A letter you wrote to me when I was on a mission. A black ribbon from your hair, you used to always wear it with these things. Honestly, the amount I have in here,' and he pulled out several, of varying shades. Black, white, grey, red, dark green. All yours.

Azriel wasn't done. 'A page of annotations you did in one of Rhysand's books. A copy of your favourite poems. A coaster from the first time just you and I went to dinner. Here's some stones from when I first taught you to skim them. A quill that I used to use to write you letters. An old ring of yours is here too. Here's the first dagger you got me. It's too precious to me to be used to kill.'

Tears were falling down your cheeks as you watched him pull them all out and explain them in depth. There was more but the sight of it all was becoming blurred through your tears. The bond felt heavy and beautiful in you.

Azriel finally put the box down and fell to his knees in front of you. His hands came around the back of your thighs, holding you there as his eyes looked up into yours. 'Don't you ever think I don't love you, when I have loved you since we were eleven years old.'

You stutter on you breath. 'H-how?'

He rests his head on your stomach, looking utterly at your will and completely in love. 'How could I not?'

Slowly, as you could not move too fast, you settled down on your knees across from him. His hands moved up to your arms as yours went to his cheeks, brushing back his hair.

'It was always going to be you, wasn't it?' you mumbled. 'How could it be anyone else?'

Azriel kissed you then, finally. His lips were as soft as they'd looked, as you'd always imagined. His hands drifted to your waist, finger tips digging into to hold you close. His hands were strong, but his lips were gentle. He pulled away, only to groan in need before reaching for your lips again, harder, desperate.

His teeth bit down on your bottom lip, tongue sliding in to feel every corner of your mouth as his hands wondered around you, trying to grip onto any bit of you he could. Your arms wrapped around his neck, bringing him closer. Close enough to consume, to breath in.

You pulled back enough to catch your breath, arms still around his shoulders. 'Mother above, am I gonna make you the best meal of your life.'

But that could wait. For now, you'd settle for a dusty floor in the little house in the woods.

✩₊˚.⋆☾⋆⁺₊✧

Taglist: @tothestarsandwhateverend @darlingbravebelle @lil-lupa @haileycannotcometothephantom @fairywriter-oracle @isa1b2h3 @tele86 @thebeautifulmysteriesoflife @unleashthelion @naturakaashi @aurora1115 @sirens-and-moonflowers @azriels-shadowsinger @willowpains @crazylokonugget @abysshaven @anuttellaa @wishfulwithwine @one-big-fangirl @harrystylesfan2686 @charlotteintumbleland @mellowarcadefun @starseedsamurai

Just WOW

meet my eye & vow to be true

pairing: cassian x reader

summary: what is sent through the bond is sacred, the most honest of all things - isn't it?

author's note: based on a request made by @horneybeach1, the first one i have ever received - i hope i did your request justice, and i apologize for the delay <3

warnings: brief description of injuries

word count: 2,789

As you pull your blade from the body in front of you, the nameless male falling to the ground, you see the end. The end of the carnage that has filled this camp for countless hours before the sun began its descent in the sky.

All that surrounds you now is the slow movements and utter quiet of the army that had defeated those laying at your feet. A combined Night and Autumn Court unit, formed for the destruction of one of the last of Hybern’s holdouts.

You instinctively begin searching for your family, scanning the area around you for some reassurance of their safety. You had seen Azriel and your mate hours before, both with their siphons ablaze, carving a path through your enemies.

In the time since, you had tugged at the bond, seeing to the safety of your mate. Cassian responded to each of your tugs with one of his own, conveying what you needed from him; he was safe and unharmed.

You had only caught glimpses of the other members of the Inner Circle and knew you would only settle once you had seen for yourself that they were safe.

It doesn’t take long for you to realize that none of them remained close, you had ended up on the far edge of the battle, one of the last areas to cease fighting. It is your name that pulls you from your forming list of possible locations of your family.

“Lady Y/N, what a relief! When you didn’t show up at the healers’ tent everyone became worried. The High Lord sent us in search of you.” It is one of Cassian’s captains approaching you. Thalien, a loyal male you had known for centuries.

“The healers’ tent?” You give him a puzzled look. “Why would you expect me to be there?”

“The entire Inner Circle is gathered ‘round it, no one knows any exact details about what happened to him.”

“Thalien, out with it. Who is so injured that it has the entire leadership of our court concerned?” The worry and anger replacing your curiosity leaks into your response and has the captain stumbling over his words.

“It’s…I thought you would have known…The General M’Lady, he was injured during the battle. No one knows how long it was before he was found.”

“Anything else?” Your words are grated, anger moving solely to the forefront of your emotions.

“That is all I know, I swear it.”

Although you know the captain is not at fault, you can’t help the look of contempt you throw his way as you take off past him without another word.

----------

Nesta is the first you see as the healers’ tent comes into view. You can tell by the way she steps into your path and raises her hands that your emotions can be clearly read.

“Y/N…he needs calm. They’re doing everything they can for him. Wait out here with us, it’ll be better that way, I promise.”

“Nesta…please.” Your voice breaks as you say the words.

You can tell by the way she looks at you that she knows there is no stopping your entering of the tent. She exchanges glances with her sisters, Mor, and Amren, all remaining vigil with her outside of the tent. After a moment Nesta steps to the side, the two of you having always understood the stubbornness of the other.

You move past her and pass through the opening of the tent. As it closes behind you, your breath is stolen form you.

Cassian, the imposing force of a mate that he is, is laying unconscious on a table in the center of the tent. His wings having fallen slack on either side, resting on the dirt floor. Blood covers the floor surrounding the table and you trace it to a wound on his abdomen so massive it would have meant death for any one other than an Illyrian.

The upper half of his leathers has been removed. Madja and several other healers work in tandem in what could only be described as controlled chaos.

You feel a hand grip your elbow and you realize for the first time that Azriel and Rhysand stand inside the tent with you.

You meet both of their eyes and see your worry reflected back at you. Rhysand knows the question that lays in your eyes and moves to put his arm around your waist.

“He was found in the woods; it would appear he was going after a group of fae being held captive. From what we gathered the men holding them captive ambushed Cas…they’re weapons laced with faebane. We don’t know how long he had been out there before he was found.”

You gave him a silent nod, doing everything you could to keep your tears at bay.

“What of the captured fae?”

“Already on their way to Velaris, Eris has also offered them sanctuary should they choose it.”

Venom leaks into your voice with your next question.

“And the men?”

It is Azriel who answers as he comes to stand at your other side and brings his arm across your shoulders.

“They’re dead. Somehow Cas remained conscious long enough to tear them down, allowing the captured fae to escape.”

You expect no less from your mate. His heart had always been his greatest attribute, his role as protector outweighing all others he donned.

The three of you fall into a tense silence, clinging to each other as you watch the one male you never thought you would see fall fight for his life.

---------

You aren’t sure how much time passes before Madja steps back and approaches the three of you.

“He is a fighter; he is only still with us because he willed it.” She meets your eyes and ensures you hear her words. “Your General will rise and fight another day. Give him time, he will wake.”

You can’t help the tears that fall with your next words.

“There are no words of thanks I can give you Madja that would repay what you’ve done today.”

“Your thanks would be wasted on me, my dear. You lot are more important to me than you could ever know…no matter how neglectful you all are in following my advice.” She pins the three of you with a glare but can’t help the small smile that crosses her face.

You return her smile, knowing that she is a vital part of the foundation on which your family stands.

A moment of silence falls between the four of you before you find the courage to ask her your small hope, grasping Madja’s hands in your own as you voice it.

“Can we…can we bring him home? He’ll want to be at home when he wakes.”

Madja glances behind her at your mate and you can see her considering her answer before she voices it.

“For you, my dear Y/N, I will make it so. Give us time to prepare him.”

---------

Cassian can hear the questions Rhys is asking Madja about his recovery, can hear the shit Az is giving him about letting mere mortals get the best of him, but all he can focus on is his mate. His strong, fearsome, beautiful mate, standing at the edge of their bedroom like a stranger, as though she doesn’t belong right by his side.

He has been looking past his brothers and the healer since he awoke, hoping to catch your eye. Only when Madja ends her examination, and you offer to escort her out do you finally meet his gaze. What he sees in your eyes outweighs any physical pain he has ever experienced.

He watches the door as it closes behind you, feeling nothing as he reaches out to you through the bond.

“Cas, she’s –”

“Az, don’t. I’m the one that fucked up, she has every right to feel how she does.”

“And how exactly did you fuck up brother? By almost getting killed?”

“I lied…through the bond.”

Both males fell silent, waiting for Cassian to continue.

“We had been sending waves through the bond throughout the battle, making sure the other was safe. After…After what happened, happened, I may not have let her know the extent of my injuries.”

“You made her think everything was fine, didn’t you?” Cassian’s failure to respond was answer enough. “You absolute dickhead, how foolish can you be? I could kill you myself, I certainly wouldn’t blame Y/N if she did.”

Rhys let out a low whistle from where he stood, his eyebrows raising higher than Cassian has ever seen them do so before.

His expression hardened a moment later.

“Never have I seen Y/N so terrified Cassian. For three days she hasn’t left your side, no matter how often we begged her to eat, to sleep. You’re right, you fucked up. Fix this or injuries inflicted by mortals will be the least of your problems.” The room began to darken with each word spoken by the High Lord. “Do. You. Understand. Me?”

Cassian could do nothing but nod, words failing him.

The two males gave him a look of disdain and turn to leave.

“Will you two at least help me up so I can find her?”

---------

It doesn’t take long for Cassian to find you.

The library at the House of Wind had always been the place you found solace. You found peace within the stacks of books.

He comes upon you in the furthest corner of the library, returning a book and undoubtedly searching for a new one.

Cassian knows by the whitening of your knuckles around the book you are holding that you hear him approach.

“Y/N/N, I know –”

“Cassian, don’t.” The anger in your voice is anchored by the tears he sees in your eyes as you look up at him. “There is nothing you could say that would excuse what you did. So please, do us both a favour and go back to bed. Then maybe you’ll actually be okay the next time you tell me you are.”

“Let me explain.”

“Explain what? How you used what connects us at our cores to deceive me? Or how you almost died, alone, in the woods because of your refusal to tell me the truth?” Cassian can’t help but recoil at your words, knowing each one is truer than the last. “There is no explanation you could give that is good enough. No reassurance you could give me that what you did was right. Leave, now, for both our sakes.”

As you turn away from him, he can’t help but reach for you, letting out a cry of pain as he does, having overextended his injuries.

Your hands are at his sides in an instant, helping him remain stable.

“You damn fool. You’ve likely undone Madja’s work, and you’ve only just woken up.”

Cassian can’t help but hold his breath as you begin to undo the buttons of his shirt; the two of you having been in this exact position under very different circumstances.

You both grow quiet as your hands skirt across his abdomen, checking the state of his bandages, refusing to meet his eye the entire time.

You let out a disapproving noise, “You’ve split your stitches. Our bathroom…now.”

You put his arm across your shoulder as you lead him out of the library and up the stairs.

---------

Cassian settles on the bathroom vanity as you gather the first aid supplies you both decided long ago to keep close at hand.

You step between his legs as you bring a cloth to clean the blood from his wound. He can tell that even in your anger you are as gentle as you can be.

And it’s your quiet apologies as you fix the stitches he tore, that he realizes it’s not your anger he should concern himself with.

Cassian grabs your hands to halt your movements.

“Y/N, please. You can yell, scream, say whatever vulgar words I undoubtedly deserve, but please, my love, at least look at me.”

You don’t make any movement, Cassian takes your chin between his fingers and tilts your face upwards, so your eyes meet his. He finds no trace of anger, finds nothing but immense pain. His next words come out broken, barely above a whisper.

“Talk to me…please.”

Cassian watches as your eyes search his.

“I was so scared, I thought…I thought I’d lost you.” Your voice breaks and he can see you give yourself a moment before you continue. “The thought of losing you steals the breath form my lungs, turns my world black. You were okay, you told me you were okay, and then I see you on that table…”

You choke back a sob as Cassian’s hands come to settle on either side your neck, resting his forehead against yours.

“What do you feel Y/N?”

Your hands come to rest atop his.

“Your hands, the…the callouses from training.”

“Good, what do you smell?”

“You, my mate. The coolness of the winds coming off the Illyrian mountains, and the crackling embers of the fire inside the cabin.”

“And what do you feel?”

“Safety and love, my home.”

“I am here Y/N, I am real. I’m not going anywhere, not now and not any time soon if I have anything to do with it. I will fight the Mother, the Cauldron, anyone, or anything to stay by your side.” He pulls back enough to look directly into your eyes. “I will spend the rest of our days showing you how truly sorry I am. I swear to you, never gain will I use our bond to deceive you. Never.”

You both wince at the same time with the voicing of his vow. Cassian watches as the mark appears on his lower sternum, knowing the same is appearing on you.

“Cauldron boil me, that definitely could have waited until my other injuries healed.”

You both let out a small laugh at his words.

“This doesn’t mean I’m not angry, you have a lot of groveling ahead of you General.”

“Hmmm…trust me when I say I will be on my knees before you the first chance I get.”

Cassian leans forward and captures your lips with his, quickly deepening the kiss as he leans your head back.

You rest your hands on his thighs and press further into him. Cassian breaks the kiss with a hiss of pain.

You’re quick to check him over, worrying about causing him further pain. Cassian once again takes you hands in his and leans in to kiss you again, pulling away a few moments later.

“As much as I would enjoy continuing our current activity, I think Madja was right when she said I need rest. Lay with me?”

You look up at him though your lashes as you give him a nod. You keep a hand on his arm as he stands from the vanity, and you help him slowly make his way to your bed. Helping him settle against the headboard.

“You know, if I could, you would be on top of me, gripping the headboard…it’s oh so lonely here by myself.”

“You’ll just have to make it up to me some other time, now, won’t you?”

He makes sure the look he gives you shows that he means to live up to your challenge.

“Let me change and I’ll join you.”

He gives you a small smile as you enter your shared closet and can’t help but push love and adoration down the bond when you emerge in the red silk pajamas he had gifted you on your latest name day.

Cassian watches as you grab your book off your nightstand and settle into your side of the bed.

“Read to me?”

---------

It isn’t the first time Cassian has asked this of you, and you know it won’t be the last. He had said once that your voice brought him comfort like nothing else. The wonder in which you fell into books being his favourite.

You motion for him to rest his head in your lap. He moves as slowly as possible, wincing only once as he settles his wings on either side of you.

You brush your hand through your mate’s hair and stare down at him, giving him the most loving of smiles, him giving you one of his own in response.

You lean down, ghosting your lips across his forehead and begin reading, watching as he quickly falls into a much-needed sleep.

You realize, in that moment, that your anger has dissipated, knowing nothing is as valuable as moments such as these with your mate.

 The General needn’t know of this realization though.

For he is oh, so good at earning your forgiveness.

i’m seeking revenge, what about you?

synopsis : after the great war of decline, the republic of andromeda made a way for the holy empire of montefeltro. after distinguishing yourself on the battlefield, you became a marshal of the empire, known to be the hero who put an end to the war. despite all the glory and fame, you seemed to be unable to get over your brother’s death. but one day, you discover that his death was a smokescreen. as you’re going into further investigations to put lights on his murder, you’re followed by the most infamous assassin of the empire. when he tells you he only wishes for its downfall, you both realise you’re seeking the same goal : revenge. but will you be able to work with him?

pairing : assassin!jeonghan x marshal!reader

genre : e2l, your family name is jeon but none physical description, wonwoo is your brother, you-want-to-kiss-me-so-bad energy, some suggestive jokes, very inaccurate military setting im only here for the vibes, tw : blood, death, swearing, war

word count : 8k w

a/n : i was so so excited to write this fic so i hope you’ll like it!! i had the purple hyacinth as inspo which is probably one of my fav webtoon. this is the longer version of this post

jeon y/n. 

all over the holy empire, this name resonated as the one of a hero, even a goddess for some. the strongest sword fighter of the country and the brightest mind among the armed forces. the youngest soldier of all time appointed as a marshal who prevented thousands of death. the scariest military whose strategies never failed and managed to kill the leader of the opposing country, taking down an important part of the army by herself. the current leader of the district of orpheus, the biggest of the whole empire, dubbed by the emperor himself. 

but the truth was, you were far from a goddess.

as you wandered into the city, you wondered how you could be so surrounded and so lonely in the same time. yes you managed to save hundreds of civilians, yes you killed the leader of the empire of lupus all by yourself, yes your chest was now covered with golden medals and bows, but you also hadn’t been strong enough to save your brother, the most important person in your life. and now, as his death dated back to the beginning of the war, you couldn’t help but ponder if this hadn’t been staged.

you weren’t being delusional nor naively hopeful : all the techniques you learnt as a soldier came from wonwoo. he used to be a major general, if you had survived, he should have done the same. but he died in a blaze provoked by an explosion while protecting civilians. if you didn’t doubt his altruism nor his abilities, you doubt that he would have been careless enough to be trapped by the flames. but you didn’t have any evidence of your theory nor any support to rely on. 

and, as you finally reached his former shared apartment, you started to remember how lonely you were. 

hypnotised by the smoke from your hot chocolate, you looked away awkwardly, trying to find an interesting topic of conversation, in vain. before you, mingyu cleared his throat, stirring his coffee mindlessly. after giving a glance at the cardboard box between you, he murmured :

"i think you won’t need to come by, this was the last box with his things."

nodding slowly, you noticed a picture of your brother and you when you were younger. stretching your arm, you grabbed it and skimmed your brother’s face softly. 

"it feels like yesterday," you sighed.

"you were so young by then," mingyu added fondly.

the photography had been taken by your former instructor at the high court of the republic when wonwoo had been nominated major general. you remembered this day clearly : you went to the florist in order to buy him the prettiest bouquet ever and bragged about his promotion all day long to your colleagues. but how could you not? when he was the youngest major general of the republic? wonwoo had raised you since his tenth birthday and worked harder than anyone else. he became your role model the moment your parents left this side of the world and you knew this nomination was only the proof of all his resilience. he was twenty four and you were twenty one. today, you were twenty five but he was still twenty four. and today, you were the one being praised as the youngest marshal of the empire.

shaking your head to erase those memories from your mind, you locked your gaze into your brother’s former roommate and right hand-man before starting carefully :

"do you… do you remember anything he said before…"

"i know what you’re about to say and the answer is still the same, mingyu cut, visibly trying to keep his composure, wonwoo didn’t say anything."

"but-"

"there is no but y/n, the young man insisted, wonwoo’s death was an accident. he was a soldier y/n, a fucking soldier. you need to understand that and stop clinging desperately to his death. you won’t find anything."

clenching your fists, you retorted coldly :

"he wasn’t an ordinary soldier, he was a major general! he was better than any of us, a simple fire wouldn’t have been enough. i can’t believe that and i can’t believe you accept it so easily!"  

"i’m accepting it because it’s the truth!"

"this- this can’t be the truth, i refuse to believe it."

standing up abruptly, you gathered your belongings and grabbed the box vehemently, mingyu on your heels. 

"y/n listen," mingyu started, trying to reach your wrist.

getting your wrist out of his grip, you asked him with a dirty look :

"listen to what? i’ve heard enough and i don’t think we have anything to say to each other anymore."

"but wonwoo said-"

"wonwoo asked you to take care of me i know, you cut sharply, but i am the marshal here, i don’t need your help to prove that his death is everything but normal."

storming out without a single glance behind, you left, the picture held close to your heart.

swiping a tear away, you murmured softly :

"hi wonwoo, how are you today?"

placing a crown of flowers on the stone, you started to remove diligently the old one and change the water of the vase.

"i finally got all your belongings back. i even found the picture from your nomination which was allegedly lost, you little rascal."

sitting down, your back against his grave, you played with your pendant -a simple medallion minted with a sun, wonwoo’s gift when you entered into the republican military school- instinctively before grabbing a case from your bag, the one about your brother’s death.

cause yes, if the name jeon y/n resonated as the one of a hero in the whole empire, it also resonated with the one of the girl who couldn’t accept her brother’s death, the major general jeon wonwoo. out of pity, when the procedure had been closed despite all your testimonies and pleads for advanced examinations, your colleagues in charge of his case had given you his folder, hoping it’d help you to get over it. 

but you didn’t. instead, you looked at the different records and papers daily, looking for something, anything, that would prove that your reticence wasn’t irrational. but, after a whole year of incomplete and fruitless researches, you had to admit you were as lost as day one. 

when you opened your eyes, you felt a pain near the back of the neck. studying little by little each of your senses, you finally noticed that you were still in the graveyard and had fallen asleep against wonwoo’s stone. slowly massaging your neck, you saw around you the different elements of the case. letting your eyes linger on each pictures seen and seen again to make sure none of them flew with the wind, your blood froze when one of them went past your field of vision. it was wonwoo’s lungs. the shot wasn’t clear but you were absolutely sure : there wasn’t any soot. yet, you had read it in a book Costagliola R, Telmon N, Duguet AM, Rougé D. Ann Burns Fire Disasters. the absence of soot means that the person didn’t breath the gas generated by the flames and the forensic expert has to conclude that the person wasn’t alone when their body had been burnt to ashes. but if there wasn’t soot in wonwoo’s lungs… it necessarily meant that he didn’t inhale the smoke. and, if he didn’t inhale the smoke from the fire, the only reason that could explain this was that wonwoo was dead before he could even inhale them. but it wasn’t possible, right? he had been devoured but the flames and struggled. he had necessarily breathed the smoke. there should be soot, even a infinitesimal quantity, unless… unless the report about his death was wrong. unless the persons in charge of the dossier lied. unless the persons behind his death changed it.

the following week, you presented yourself at the imperial palace. today was the last day of the month and, like each and every month, a meeting was held, gathering the emperor and the heads of the five districts of the empire. to you, this kind of conference was a hassle but you couldn’t deny that the population liked it, seeing it as a way to feel close to the army and to gossip about the famous figures of the government, making them forget in the same time about the astronomical amount of money spent on a single day. plus, it came along at just the right time to help you in your progress. even if you had managed to prove that wonwoo’s death wasn’t an accident, it was far from being enough. you had to find culprits and make them suffer.

arriving near the golden gate, the immense railings were already wide opened for you. sometimes, popularity wasn’t all that bad. you didn’t even have to introduce yourself that two guards were already welcoming you, in order to accompany you to the hall where the meeting was held. 

sat in the middle of the marble table, your gaze embraced the little assembly composed of the five leaders of the districts. thus, by your left side was positioned kwon soonyoung from atalanta’s district, a marshal well known for his overwhelming strength. next to him was sat hong jisoo odysseus’ districts, a sly major general with angelic features. by your right side and already bickering with soonyoung was seated boo seungkwan from otrera’s district, a major general who wore his heart on his sleeves. and finally, sitting down at the other side of the table was chwe hansol from perseus’ district, the most phlegmatic general you ever met. 

after ten minutes, the emperor finally appeared : choi seungcheol, the son of the former emperor who had taken the power when the republic fell because of the war. his father had been assassinated and seungcheol had replaced him, receiving in the same time all the golden laurels of victory. the young man greeted the five of you before sitting down right in front of you. ultimately, his closest advisor, lee jihoon, arrived in the hall and seungcheol invited him to open the session. the advisor executed himself, the most unreadable expression on his features. 

everything went under jihoon’s expert gaze, from the crime levels to the economy of each district as well as the popularity level. if you didn’t see this usefulness of such a huge gathering when you could simply send a written report to jihoon, you liked to analyse his point of view and the criticisms he gave were admirable : short, effective and objective. you always wondered why the young man never enrolled in the army because of his skills and knowledges. wonwoo used to be his friend during high school before they went on their way, one alongside the future emperor, the other in the army. but, despite jihoon’s precious work, this meeting was, admittedly, a waste of time but it also gave you a huge opportunity to find clues linked to wonwoo’s murder. indeed, old informations and archives were all stored in the imperial archives. hence, if your enemies weren’t high ranked soldiers, they wouldn’t have been able to reach this room to falsify their names. you felt that, after a whole year during which people looked at you with nothing but pity when you talked about your brother, you finally got closer to the truth, therefore, you couldn’t help but shake your leg under the table, excitement and pressure fighting inside you.

at the end of the meeting, orpheus’ district ranked first for the fifth consecutive time and, as usual, you received praises from your colleagues which you swept away with a swing of the hand.

"i’m only doing my job," you assured. 

usually, this announce would bring you pride and a little bit of vanity, especially when you knew how exceptional your colleagues were. but right now, despite your competitive nature, your mind was far from caring about some race between districts. instead, you were already planning on running to the next step of your investigation. 

when midday rang, everyone started to stand up in order to join the big banquet usually held for the day. speeding yourself, you caught the emperor up and excused yourself :

"i’m sorry my emperor but i’m awaited at my district, i won’t be able to attempt the meal although i am truly grateful for this event."

"it’s okay, marshal jeon, the young man assured, thank you for your presence and your amazing results, up to your reputation as always."

after a final bow, you left the huge reception not without noticing the weird look jihoon addressed you and the strange feeling inside you. 

slowly walking to prevent any sound of your presence in the huge corridors, you finally reached the next step of your journey : the imperial archives. the impressive door of polished oak tree was crowned with the latin expression acta, non verba written in gold, the motto of the holy empire. you found it kinda funny to put such an adage at the entrance of a place like archives. shaking your head to erase those thoughts, you started to walk through the different aisles.

with a groan, you finally managed to reach the top of the shelf. the archives were stored a huge room and, despite the irreproachable tidying of the place, finding a five years old record was harder than what you predicted. hence, after finding the right aisle and the right shelving, you had discovered that, because he died in january, wonwoo’s file was on the twelfth level.

"why didn’t you die in december woo? or better, why didn’t you die at all?" you had mumbled before looking around for a ladder.

but now, as you heart started to beat faster, you knew you weren’t far from your goal. sitting down in a corner of the room, you opened the folder, a hand on your pendant, when your hopeful smile dropped : despite the death certificate and the witnesses’s testimonies, the file was empty. you were back to square one. sighing deeply, you reasoned yourself. if your brother’s register was empty, it only meant that his murderer was way more influential than what you anticipated and probably more powerful than your brother. 

while you were replacing the different boxes that helped you to reach his record, you heard an almost inaudible sound. your entire body froze on the spot and, after five long seconds, you walked toward the doors of the archives. suddenly, a shadow appeared in front of you. pulling your sword out swiftly, you got out of room.

"oh my god y/n don’t scare me like that!" the stranger screamed. 

lowering your blade, you found a frightened soonyoung and an unfazed hansol.

"oh, sorry soonyoung, i got scared," you joked sheepishly.

"it’s okay y/n, i kinda deserved it," the major general added.

"note to myself, never scaring you ever," hansol teased.

"what are you still doing here anyway? weren’t you supposed to go back to your brigade? did you have something to look at in the archives?" the older man asked, overwhelming you with questions.

"well, i was but… something came up, you quickly answered before retorting, but what about you? you should be enjoying the astronomical buffet, shouldn’t you?"

"we were, but jihoon asked us to go get him his planner."

preventing yourself from raising your eyebrows in surprise at hansol’s dubious explaining, you content yourself with a single nod, perfectly aware that the advisor would rather die than letting someone getting their hands on his planner. with a laugh, you cut the conversation short :

"great, then i’ll leave you there. see you next month!"

"yeah, see you and again, congrats for the first place," hansol complimented.

"yes, you really are the greatest! soonyoung cheered, not many people could pull off first place five times in a row, but nothing new from a jeon, right?"

and, after a giggle, you turned around and walked away, your smile fading away instantly.

walking toward your apartment, you looked up in order to recover your concentration. the moment you had left the imperial palace, you had felt a presence in your back. the moment your foot was on the pavement to the moment you were sat in the chair of your office, you had felt those two piercing eyes and now, as you were finally going home, you felt them again, lying in wait and ready to attack at the slightest opportunity. 

this little game carried on for a entire week, forcing you to change your opinion on your mysterious hunter. thus, what you mistook as miscalculation was actually made on purpose. you also had to admire the abilities of the person who was following you. they certainly weren’t an amateur, being able to chase you without any interruption for so long. you easily guessed that they intentionally made their presence known, as if they wanted you to feel like a trapped animal. but they underestimated you. if they wanted a mistake, it wouldn’t come from you. you were a marshal and started like every soldier enrolled into the former republic military school. you were used to track someone and were even more used to being tracked. if you wanted this hunt to end, it’d be with a confrontation. 

hence, after checking with a quick glance that the street was empty, you stopped in your tracks. 

"don’t you think this little game lasted long enough? come show me your face now, unless you’re too much of a coward," you whispered with a mocking tone.

you were about to think that your mocking wasn’t enough until you felt the switch in the air. the moment the blade struck, you drew your sabre to block the attack, a smirk on your lips. teasing was such an easy way. 

"do you actually realise that attacking me isn’t a classic infraction?" you asked with disdain.

following the weapon with the eyes, you responded with an offensive and managed to disarm your opponent. pushing them against the wall, you hit them in the stomach.

"tell me who you are now," you ordered, your blade against his throat.

that’s when your assailant’s hood fell from their head. your heart missed a beat when his delicate features appeared, his beautiful brown hair slightly messy. and when your eyes met, you instantly knew who it was : yoon jeonghan, the greatest assassin of the entire empire. your enemy must be really powerful to be able to afford his services.

"i am your worst nightmare," the young man introduced himself with a seductive smile.

"you are an absolute pain in the ass," you deadpanned.

this wasn’t what you expected but might be your lucky day after all : if this man was at your heels, it meant you weren’t far from the responsible persons behind wonwoo’s death. plus, being able to catch this assassin would be an amazing help for the entire empire.

"it kills me to tell you this but, as a citizen of the montefeltro empire, you are holder of the right to remain silent and have access to a lawyer. you’ll be heard by a fair trial for your act-"

"-ions and will be able to receive an adjudication from an impartial judge," jeonghan completed.

"it seems you knew your fall was near," you teased, arching an eyebrow.

"maybe, but before you’re doing anything, i’d advice you to listen to me."

"and why would i listen to the most searched assassin of the empire?"

"because i am seeking revenge, just like you. i want this whole ridiculous system to collapse and i want to attend it in the front row."

"again, why would i listen to you? you’re not a trustworthy person," you observed.

"because you have nobody else to talk to and because everyone here can have a blade behind their back," jeonghan replied with a smirk.

"so? you mumbled, what makes you think you’re any different from them?" 

"because my blade is right in front of you, sweetheart, and i swear i won’t use it on you. plus, i can provide you inestimable help," the young man retorted.

bitting your lips, your slight hesitation was enough for him to grab you tightly by the shoulders and switch your positions. your back hit the wall because of the abruptness of his movements but his hands wrapped themselves around your neck, preventing your head to do the same. widening your eyes, you couldn’t even curse you for losing your focus that you already felt his grip dropping.

"don’t you want to know who you’re truly working for, marshal jeon?" jeonghan asked.

giving him a death stare, you let go of your sabre and sighed. realistically, he wasn’t wrong. he was untrustworthy, just like everyone else in the empire for the moment. you didn’t have a single track or clue and didn’t know who was your ally or your enemy. he might represent everything you work against but he was also your best option for the time being.

"i work with you. but i’m warning you : if you ever betray me, your head will be rolling on the floor."

"you make it sounds so romantic," the brown hair man teased with a smirk.

and, as his silhouette started to fade into the darkness of the night, you didn’t know if you just started to dig your own grave.

the following day at your brigade felt like a whole nightmare. everyone became a potential enemy and you started to make a list of the persons you suspected before starting to be racked by guilt. they were your colleagues, your subordinates and, for some of them, old classmates. contemplating them as targets didn’t feel right. but, as jeonghan’s words resonated inside your head, you couldn’t even refute him. everyone can carry a blade behind their back because, as far as you went, you never trusted anyone else than your brother and your instincts, remorse shouldn’t change that. and now that he wasn’t here anymore, you could only count on your guts and a dubious assassin. 

twisting your pendant pensively, you didn’t even flinch when a shadow entered into your office. giving a death stare to the young assassin slouched into your sofa, you groaned :

"would you at least remove your dirty shoes from my sofa? velvet is a living hell to clean."

"i didn’t picture you as the inflexible type," jeonghan retorted with an arched eyebrow.

grabbing a blade on your desk, you sent it toward his face. without much effort, the young man caught it midair and you repeated :

"i said, remove your shoes from my sofa."

"no wonder you’re still single," he replied with an exaggerated roll of the eyes.

when the young man finally executed himself, you observed :

"i hope you’re not here to debate about my relationship status because i actually have a lot of work and not a lot of spare time to grant you so make it quick."

"i prefer when it lasts at least three rounds but i can make an exception for you, doll."

the moment you raised your second dagger, jeonghan chuckled, his hands up in the air as if he was surrounding :

"okay okay i get it, no more jokes about what’s going on under the blanket."

straightening his posture, the atmosphere of the room dropped when he locked his gaze in yours.

"i hope you know we’re inevitably going to kick over the traces, marshal, he started, our adversaries aren’t just some high ranked members of the armed forces but the government as a whole."

"what do you mean?" you asked, slowly swallowing. 

sure you knew you were going after the big fishes after your investigation in the imperial archives, but you didn’t except that the entire government would have been involved. 

"the great war of decline was a mere pretext for seungcheol’s father and his partisans to organise a coup d’état and overthrow the republic."

your eyes widened at his words. no… this couldn’t be true?

"you… you’re saying that they started the war just to hide their coup and cover it up as a legal take-over? they sacrificed thousands of lives for some power?" you guessed, unable to hide your anger.

"power is an inestimable thing, marshal, jeonghan retorted, even ordinary people would kill their neighbours for some more influence."

bitting your lips before moistening them, you sighed, resigned :

"okay, so be it, our whole empire is built on lies and corpses, but in what way is it linked to wonwoo?"

"i think wonwoo was involved in this total venture."

"what did you say?" you asked, tightening the grip on your guard.

the next second, the both of you were above your desk, you sabre at the base of his jaw and his dagger pointing at your heart. glaring at him, you carried on :

"are you implying that my brother is linked to the coup d’état which is responsible of the fall of an entire outsider country and the deaths of thousands of innocents? i advice you to be careful with your words, yoon."

"i’m not foolish enough to bring the wrath of the youngest marshal of the empire," the young man whispered sweetly.

acting as one, you both dropped your weapons but you insisted :

"wonwoo would never have been alongside the silent partner of this plot. my brother was a honest man inherently good. i’m sure there is another reason to explain his death." 

"maybe, but you can’t put aside the fact that he was somehow involved, even the hypothetical idea of him being a spy for another organisation is worth considering."

when your gaze darken, he hastily added grumpily :

"i’m talking to you as a fair and impartial judge, marshal, not to the little sister who idolises her brother."

"please, don’t tell me you’re jealous of my admiration for my brother," you scoffed.

"and what if i was?" jeonghan answered back.

"then i’d definitely tell you that it shouldn’t affect you this much. i’m a marshal, remember? your entire existence is what i working against."

you thought that he’d come back with another witty barb but couldn’t help but raised your eyebrows in surprise when his smirk flattened.

"you sure have a smart mouth, marshal," were his last words before he flew outside the window, as furtively as when he came in. 

you didn’t even get the time to say a word that, at the same moment, a knock on your door rang out.  

for the second time in a row, you waited eagerly for the next meeting at the imperial palace. now that you knew you had to deal with hugest problems than what you originally envisaged. you had hoped this matter would have stay within the corps of the imperial armed forces. this place was an absolute playground for you. since soonyoung and you were the only marshals of the empire, the fact that you were one of the two holder of the highest-ranking title in the military hierarchy made you practically untouchable. you wouldn’t have had any issue finding the responsible of wonwoo’s death and would have executed them on the spot. but if this mess also involved state officers, this would be way harder. 

thus, when your district ranked first for the sixth time consecutively, you received praises and compliments with a bright smile and, when people called you marshal jeon, it felt like they were applauding both your brother and you. you wanted to laugh hysterically at their hypocrisy and execute them all but you knew better than to act hastily. you couldn’t kill anyone yet as long as their guilt hadn’t been exposed. 

when the little assembly left for the traditional banquet, you sped up to catch on jihoon. he was your first suspect after seungcheol and you needed to get closer to him. you managed to be seated next to him during the whole meal. despite his cold features and stern gaze, jihoon and you used to get along well. as the most efficient soldier, jihoon had recognised your worth a long time ago and your conversations had gone past niceties. he had even invited you numerous times at chess game parties you all had rejected in the past. but now, things had changed. hence your eager response when the young advisor suggested a chess game after lunch. 

"i’d be more than grateful to share a game with you, advisor lee," you had answered.

"oh please, y/n, you can call me jihoon after all this time," the young man had assured.

"we both know each other since ages and you always refuse me calling you jihoon," soonyoung, who had been eavesdropped, had groaned.

"that is because you’re infuriating and noisy," jihoon had deadpanned before inviting you to follow him in his office.

sat face to face, you couldn’t ignore the tension in the room when you asked, as you moved the first piece :

"do you remember much about wonwoo?"

you instantly guessed than jihoon knew that your unusual consent for a chess game was led by some other kinds of motivations than the pleasure of competition and that your question was far from the one he had expected. he finally answered after moving his pawn :

"wonwoo was an exceptional soldier and a great friend during high school time. we were more similar than i thought at first and, as time passed by, i became comfortable in his presence. we only parted ways because we had different ambitions."

"wonwoo was really secretive so i’ve never heard a lot about his time in high school, you confessed, he only accepted to tell me anecdotes from the republican military school because i wanted to go there too."

"that’s funny how you both decided to take the same path. and to be as remarkable as the other," the young man praised.

"like brother like sister, i guess. i’ve always walked not so far away from wonwoo’s footsteps."

your remark hit the nail on the head and jihoon raised his cold gaze to meet your eyes.

"are you implying something else, y/n?"

"why? do you feel threatened?" you responded with a sweet smile.

"if i were you, i’d be more careful about my surroundings and start being concerned about the things i should and shouldn’t follow."

a heavy silence followed his words and, after moving your queen, you chuckled :

"i don’t know what you’re talking about, jihoon, i was only referring to chess. wonwoo used to win so many tournaments, just like i did. and now, i made a checkmate."

colours left jihoon’s already pale face and the young man giggled shakily :

"i think i got carried away, sorry y/n. this was a very interesting game, come back again when you have some time to kill, okay?"

"oh it’d be an incommensurable pleasure, you assured, but before that, i need to eliminate a bigger problem."

and just like that, you left the room, your queen and bishop surrounding jihoon’s king. 

"what the fuck is wrong with you?" 

this were the first words jeonghan addressed after three weeks without seeing each other. sometimes, you felt his gaze on your back but, as time went on, you got used to his presence, making your life less lonely. but the moments his eyes weren’t on you anymore, you had the bitter reminder that jeonghan was an assassin who had to kill for a living and that your feeling of company was just an illusion. he was -for lack of better words- your partner, nothing more, nothing less.

but right now, as your back was pressed against the wall of the dirtiest alley and jeonghan’s blade on your jaw, the overall climate wasn’t right for sentimentality. flames were burning in his piercing gaze but, despite his anger, you noticed he still placed his hands behind the back of your neck to prevent your head from hitting the wall. 

locking your gaze in his, you answered :

"i’m threatening this whole system, isn’t it what you wanted?"

"i asked for revenge, he corrected, not for you to be killed like wonwoo and m-"

"i won’t get killed, you cut, if you want things to move, you need to take actions. words won’t change a single thing."

"i know but it doesn’t mean you have to be reckless, we have plenty of time."

"probably but it’s by catching them off guard that we’ll win," you argued.

"maybe, but theoretically i’m still contractually linked to them. i don’t want them to understand that i’m involved with your little schemes."

"if you’re unhappy with my methods, you’re free to go find another marshal thirsty for revenge and the truth," you mocked, opening your arms. 

"you really are the must stubborn marshal i’ve ever met," jeonghan chuckled while brushing his hair with his hand.

lowering his gaze on your lips, you breathed shakily. you hated this silly reaction and, after striking his chest with your fist to hide the blush on your cheeks, you replied with a pout :

"i thought you knew where you were getting yourself into."

"yet, i still didn’t get to be into you."

"and for the record, i actually don’t give a damn about my safety, which shouldn’t be your personal concern," you added, struggling to ignore his remark.

"it shouldn’t but, despite everything, it is. so please, be careful."

the seriousness and the controlled anger in his tone surprised you but, you didn’t even get the time to tease him about it that he was already walking away.

"but go on, do whatever your pretty face wants. i know i won’t manage to convince you and i never fight for anyone else anyway."

rolling your eyes at the pet name, you decided to walk toward wonwoo’s apartment. 

who knows? maybe you’d be able to find more evidences. if wonwoo managed to guess that the war had been planned in order to hide a coup d’état, he might have left some evidences or clues to help you. with a sigh, you frowned at the idea that your brother was fighting on his own and didn’t tell you a single word about it. and you felt even more miserable for having been unaware of his private investigations. what you told jihoon was the truth, your brother was an evasive person. he didn’t tell you much, always going by the motto that actions speak louder than words but still, you wished he let you into the secret. and now, you were in the dark.

apparently, you were in the dark and rather rusty because, you didn’t noticed the presences behind your back until you reached wonwoo’s old apartment. waiting for mingyu to open the door, you drew your sabre when the familiar clicking of the blade echoed before striking. 

"you’re more careless than i thought, soonyoung."

in front of you were standing soonyoung, a wide grin across the face, and jihoon, his face as unreadable as ever. your blades banged into one another and you asked with a derisive tone :

"to what do i owe the honour?"

"it seems like our promising little marshal is peering her nose into something that is far from her business," the other marshal teased back.

"a matter that is way too crucial for her understanding," jihoon added with a somber look.

"sure, the death of thousands and the establishment of an illegitimate empire is indeed very crucial," you mocked.

in the same time, the door behind you opened. after a quick glance, you ordered to mingyu :

"mingyu stay inside! you aren’t safe here."

"why do you say that?"

your blood pressure dropped when he continued, his voice dramatically changed from concern to satisfaction :

"they are my friends, i have no reason to be scared. you on the other hand…"

you only got the time to turn around when you receive a brutal blow on the temple and darkness took over.

when you opened your eyes, you felt the same pain in the back of your neck you had felt a month ago at wonwoo’s grave. your head was pounding like crazy and your arms and feet were tied up to a tree. you could feel the ground underneath you and, after noticing the humid air and on your pants, you guessed they brought you far away into the woods. 

"well well well, it seems the pretty doll is finally awake," a voice cooed on your left.

slowly opening your eyes, you mumbled :

"you could at least have the decency to put a pillow under my butt, those uniforms are a living hell to clean."

"you wanna outsmart us now, you insufferable little brat?" mingyu giggled, the full height of his height crushing you. 

"what about you? you are a fucking traitor! wonwoo trusted you and you betrayed him for some power? you asked disdainfully, please, i don’t want to outsmart you, there isn’t any competition."

mingyu scoffed at your words and started to deride your brother :

"wonwoo was an idiot. brilliant, kind, strong but an idiot. he really fooled us until the end but then…"

putting a hand on his face, he scoffed haughtily and a wide grin appeared on his face when he kept going :

"i didn’t betray him, he shot himself in the foot. your brother was clever but so stupid, typical behaviour from a hero. the day he was about to ruin everything, i found him in his room. he never ever questioned my allegiance to some idealistic values and had the intention to leave me a letter, a letter." 

coming closer, he grabbed your chin between his fingers and mocked :

"he was telling me that he understood that the empire was responsible for the war and did it to hide their coup. he knew he was going to die and asked me to keep you safe, do you believe that? when i would be the one to execute him."

a raging scream escaped your lips and you tried to free yourself from the shackles, soonyoung’s laugh ringing in your ears. 

"you’re a pathetic piece of garbage, you shoot, how could you possibly betray and kill your friend? you deserve to root in hell, you fucking coward!"

instantly, you received a blow in your right cheek and another in the belly. aversion twisted your stomach when you felt his hand gentle stroking your head.

"you know, i don’t take a great deal of pleasure in this, mingyu scolded you, you were like a little sister to me, i really wanted to protect you. but you had to believe in your brother’s abilities and stick your nose into someone else’s business."

his warm smile dropped immediately to show the cruelest expression you ever saw on mingyu’s face. an expression you never thought you’d ever see at all.

"you really do look like your brother. wonwoo had the same face when i killed him."

when mingyu got up in order to grab you didn’t even know what, you started to look around desperately. panic started to spread all over your body when you realised that you couldn’t see anything but mist and trees as far as your eyes could see. when the sound of the blade against the sheath, you knew this was the end. 

you wouldn’t be able to escape. you wouldn’t be able to show the truth to the world. you wouldn’t be able to get revenge for wonwoo and bring the truth on his death. when mingyu lifted his blade, your last thought was about jeonghan and his insufferable grin. he’ll probably make fun of your recklessness when the news of your death will come out. closing your eyes, you scoffed internally, unable to believe that he was the last person in your mind before dying. 

but the pain never came. instead, a croaky scream escaped mingyu’s lips. opening your eyes, you discovered with terror a blade stabbing his heart. a single drop of blood fell on your face and, the next moment, your arms were free. 

"j- jeonghan?" you murmured incredulously.

"you can kiss me when we’ll get out of here, sweetheart, but now i need you to help me kill those two bastards," the young man answered, trowing a sword toward you.

catching it midair, you ran toward soonyoung. you were still disoriented by how things turned out but this wasn’t the time for questions. thankfully, you hadn’t been the first one to be confused by jeonghan’s arrival. soonyoung stopped your blade in extremis with the sheath of his sword before pushing you away with his foot.

"i’ve always wanted to face up the youngest marshal of the empire," the young man laughed.

"then this is your lucky day : you will face her and die from her hand."

launching yourself straight toward him, the sounds of the blades knocking together resonated in the woods. taking a deep breath, you swept away the sweat on your forehead and fought back again. soonyoung’s endurance was the no match against the five leaders of the districts but your technique was beyond his. all the times he managed to dodge your attacks occurred thanks to his strength core and his agility. but he’ll get tired quicker than you.

from the back of your head, you could hear jeonghan and jihoon’s confrontation and you had to force yourself to prevent yourself from looking at him. jeonghan was an amazing fighter but the young advisor wasn’t outdone.

finally, you managed to make soonyoung fall. sending his sword far away, you straddled his torso and blocked his arms. 

"you fucking bitch," the young man groaned while struggling.

striking the pommel of your sword to knock him down, you growled :

"this one is for my abduction."

and finally, as you hammered your sword in his heart, you added :

"and this one is for wonwoo."

still on soonyoung’s corpse, you couldn’t lift any finger. your state surprised you as much as it upset you. you had gone on the battlefield, you had killed thousands of soldiers and almost got abducted once but hadn’t been as miserable as now. a reassuring hand stroked your hair softly and jeonghan whispered :

"it’s finally over."

raising your head, your gaze was still lost when you asked :

"why did you save me? i thought you never fought for anyone else."

"’cause i don’t. but you’re not anyone else, you’re the other half of me."

a tear started to roll on your cheek at his words. and another. tears were rolling down like a river while jeonghan’s fingers rushed themselves to heal your bruises and cuts. 

"after i drop you at your apartment, i’ll kill this asshole of an emperor myself," jeonghan mumbled lugubriously.

"don’t."

a silence followed your word, jeonghan’s tense hand still up in the air. 

"why wouldn’t i? he asked, slightly on edge, i know he is extremely powerful but he has to pay for what he did to you, to your brother, to his country, to all the innocents."

"i know. but we have trials and institutions for that," you argued.

"corrupted trials, you mean," jeonghan corrected heatedly. 

"not all trials! you feuded, listen, if we act hastily another organisation could easily overpower us and we’d go back to step one."

"weren’t you the one who wanted to catch them off guard?"

"yes, but things changed!"

"i don’t see how they are any different from few hours ago."

"they changed because three men died because of this mess. and if i am the one who was begging to act faster, weren’t you the one who scolded me for my so called recklessness?"

"this is none of your business!"

"as long as we are partners, this is completely my business! why are you so eager to kill seungcheol?"

"because- because i need to get revenge for my friend. and this can’t be done unless i kill this asshole myself."

jeonghan’s breath became less steady and he confessed :

"i used to have a friend, minghao, who also died during the war. we grew up in the streets after the collapse of our orphanage. the fucking republic never did anything good to us so, when the government asked for all the eligible men to join the army, i refused but he didn’t. he joined the armed forces because he believed in freedom. because he believed in the safety of civilians’ lives. because he believed our younger-selves would have wished for this kind of help. and he got killed." 

"i- i am really sorry to hear that," you whispered sheepishly.

"when i got the order to kill you, i followed you a whole week to know your habits but you reminded me of him : he was honest, true to himself and an insufferable little shit that i’ve never been able to manipulate. just like you." 

"so you refused to kill me out in remembrance of good old days?" you asked with an arched eyebrow.

"no, i refused to kill you because i love you." 

and, the next second, his lips were on you. the kiss had a weird taste, a mixture of tears, dust and you-didn’t-know/want-to-know’s blood. yet, the kiss also held hope and warm and, for the first time since wonwoo’s death, your feeling of loneliness finally vanished. 

when your office’s door opened, you froze before laughing :

"i’m sorry but i still can’t get used to see you in the military uniform."

in front of you was standing jeonghan, dressed in the uniform from the republican military school, ready to walk you home.

"i had to, since you told me you have a soft spot for men in uniform," the young man sighed, unable to hide his smirk.

standing up, you wrapped your arms around jeonghan’s shoulder while his hands found their place on your hips. and, as his lips softly pressed themselves against yours, you felt a weird feeling of nostalgia spreading inside you.

you remembered the day you had finally managed to gather enough evidence to prove the empire’s implication in the war after searching for hours in jihoon, soonyoung and mingyu’s offices.

you remembered the day you had finally testified at seungcheol’s hearing to bring justice to wonwoo’s death.

you remembered the day you had finally announced to your brother that you had put an end to his suffering and that he could finally rest in peace.

you remembered the day you had sworn to jeonghan that you’ll wait for him after his sentencing by the criminal court.

you remembered the day you had embraced him when he had finally ended his sentence two years later.

you remembered the day you had refused the suggestion of the high court of justice to become the new ruler of the country.

you remembered the day you had become the head of the republican armed forces.

but most importantly, you remembered the day jeonghan had announced that he’ll join the armed forces. "this way, i’ll be able to work legally with you. and i think it’d make ’hao happy."

when you finally gathered all your belongings, jeonghan solemnly moved aside and, with a swing of the arm, invited you :

"after you, marshal jeon."

rolling your eyes, you moaned :

"don’t call me like this."

"okay okay, sorry. after you, sweetheart."

and, with a final kiss on your temple, you both left to your home.

a/n pt 2 : if you managed to go throughout this fic until here, thank you so so much. please tell me your opinion, it’d mean a lot to me!

taglist : @junhour @lixiel0ver @caramyisabitchforsvtandbts @islandheaven @belladaises

@/som1ig 2023 | all rights reserved | do not plagiarise

love, guaranteed | kth

summary: with the celestial ball quickly approaching, kim taehyung is horrified to find out that you, his best friend, are dateless. to remedy this, he initiates The Match Project, a matchmaking service designed to find the most optimal date. to you, it’s an opportunity to meet someone else so you can stop pining after your clueless best friend. to him, it’s an opportunity to finally, once and for all, tell you how he feels.

{hogwarts!au, friends to lovers!au}

pairing: kim taehyung x reader word count: 11k genre: fluff + light, slow angst warnings: this is an idiots to lovers fic a/n: [distant screaming] [police sirens] oh god what is this !!! it couldn’t be…. a … a fic ?????? just kidding, it is! just a reminder that i am still on hiatus and will be for another month, so inactivity should be expected. other than that, i am on break this week so i figured that while the inspo was rolling i’d write something !!! only jungkook’s au left and then we’re done .. my god…..

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pairing: jungkook x (gender neutral) reader / word count: 20k / genre: fluff (author!reader, florist!jungkook)

summary: “You’re in love and you didn’t tell me?” Jimin sounds affronted. “Who is it? Are they cute? Where are you hiding them? I knew you were lying about those flowers, you lying liar.” or: the story of how you meet a pretty florist with soft hands and warm eyes, how he mends your broken heart, and how he helps you realise some other things along the way.

warnings: use of a few curse words, reader is self-deprecating and suffering from heartache towards the beginning (v mildly angsty ig? but dw it passes), but otherwise this is a Very Soft fic!

–

“It’s time to get up.”

“It absolutely is not.” Your voice is muffled under a layer of pillows and blankets, material pressing down on your body and head, covering you. A protective cocoon. “I’ve become one with my duvet and we shall never be parted.”

You yelp when the blanket is ruthlessly ripped from you. Your curtains have been thrown open and you can feel how the sun is streaming in through your windows, warming your skin, even if you can’t see it; there’s a particularly fluffy pillow smothering your face right now to keep the world outside at bay.

“This has to be against the Geneva convention,” you whine as your collection of pillows is similarly stripped from the bed, leaving you entirely bereft from their comfort and protection. You curl into a tight ball around your Pusheen cushion and try to protect her from Jimin’s grasping fingers— your final bastion of defence against him. “No! Not Pusheen! Please! Take me instead!”

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