Masterlist

izzy's playlists!
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@theartofmadeline
Sweet Seals For You, Always

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Origami Around
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cherry valley forever
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@fanficfunwrite
Masterlist
Hunger games ~
Peeta Mellark -
Haymitch Abernathy -
Finnick Odair -
A Wished For Future
I'll Carry You Home
Capital Princess - Part 2 Part 3 Part 4
District Baby in The Capitol - Part 2
Fire Girl and Water Boy
Childhood By The Sea With A Victor
Katniss Everdeen -
The Walking Dead ~
Daryl Dixon -
Truly Worth Loving
The One For Me
Rick Grimes -
Carl Grimes -
Just A Child's Crush
Together Until The Very End
Shane Walsh -
Z Nation ~
10K -
Apocalypse Chaos - Part 2
Bath Time and A Gift
Addy/Addison Carver -
The CW Flash ~
Barry Allen/Savitar -
He's Back
Zoom/Hunter Zolomon -
Harry Wells -
Twilight ~
Carlisle Cullen -
Centuries Old
Blooming in The Shadows
Emmett Cullen -
Charlie Swan -
Star Wars ~
Anakin Skywalker/Darth Vader -
A New Path
The Truth Shines Through
Obi-Wan -
Luke Skywalker -
Decendents ~
Ben Beast -
Games ~
Dispatch:
Robert Robertson ~
From ~
Randall Kirkland ~
Shouldn't Be Loving You - Part 2
So feel free to send any suggestions through to me, and I'll get to them when I can and make sure to check my request rules.
This list will probably be updated eventually, just whenever I have a new interest and I want to write for those characters.
And make sure to check out and follow my wattpad and any information about it.
Can I Be Loving You
Randall kirkland x Fem!Smile monster!reader
Tw: mentions of blood, swearing, scars and obviously monsters and possibly anything else.
Part 1
As harmless as a baby bird. But deeply deeply disturbed as the monster that lived under her skin against her will from when she arrived all those months ago and left to bleed out alone.
Randall spent most of the next day unconscious.
After being brought back to Colony House, nobody expected him to stay awake for very long. He had lost far too much blood, spent the entire night fighting to stay alive, and pushed his body well beyond its limits. By the time they got him inside, exhaustion had finally caught up to him.
Mariell spent hours treating his injuries. The deep cut that ran from beneath his earlobe toward the corner of his mouth needed several stitches, and it had taken a frustrating amount of time to stop the bleeding. The three claw marks running down the side of his neck hadn't required stitches, but they were deep enough to need thorough cleaning and fresh bandages.
Throughout the entire process, Randall refused to let go of a pink sweater.
Even while unconscious, his fingers remained wrapped tightly around the fabric. Every time someone tried to move it, his grip would tighten instinctively. It was stained dark red with his blood, and nobody recognized it.
Eventually Ellis managed to carefully pry it from his hands so Mariell could properly clean him up. Once it was free, everyone immediately became curious.
Fatima turned the sweater over in her hands, examining it carefully. "Anybody know who this belongs to?"
Donna looked up from where she was standing nearby and frowned. "No. I've never seen it before."
"It definitely isn't anyone's from Colony House," Ellis added.
Mariell glanced over while organizing supplies. "Did he say anything about it when he woke up earlier?"
Fatima nodded slowly. "Not much. He was barely awake."
"And?"
"He asked if she was okay."
That immediately got everyone's attention.
Donna folded her arms across her chest. "Who?"
Fatima shook her head. "He didn't say."
Donna looked back down at the sweater. "Great. Another mystery."
The sweater was eventually folded and placed with Randall's belongings, though nobody stopped wondering about it.
Later that afternoon, Randall briefly woke again.
Donna happened to be nearby when she noticed his eyes opening. Before he could drift back off, she grabbed the sweater and held it up.
"Alright," she said firmly. "Who's this belong to?" Randall's eyes immediately locked onto it.
For just a second, something softened in his expression.
Relief.
Recognition.
Concern.
The reaction was gone almost instantly, but Donna saw it.
They all did. "No idea," Randall muttered.
Randall simply closed his eyes again. Conversation over.
By late afternoon, they decided it would be safer to move him to the clinic. His blood loss alone was enough reason to keep him somewhere Mariell and Kristi could monitor him more closely.
Randall slept through the entire trip.
Fresh pajamas replaced his ruined clothes, and Mariell checked the stitches along his face one final time before finally allowing herself some rest. By the time darkness settled over the town, both she and Kristi were exhausted.
Eventually they headed to their room, leaving Randall asleep in one of the beds in the main treatment area.
Outside, winter winds rattled softly against the windows.
The clinic settled into silence. Hours passed.
Then Randall woke.
For several moments he simply lay there staring at the ceiling. Everything hurt.
His face felt tight where the stitches pulled at his skin. The claw marks on his neck burned beneath the bandages every time he swallowed. His entire body felt heavy, weak from blood loss and exhaustion.
Slowly he pushed himself upright.
Pain immediately shot through his jaw and neck. "Fuck..."
The room tilted for a moment before finally settling. He sat there quietly, waiting for the dizziness to pass. The clinic was silent.
No voices.
No movement.
Just the occasional groan of the old building settling around him. Then he heard it.
A soft tapping sound against the window.
Randall frowned. At first he thought he had imagined it. Then it came again.
Tap.
Tap.
His eyes narrowed.
A moment later came a whisper so quiet he almost missed it. "Randall..."
His stomach immediately tightened.
That voice.
Slowly he swung his legs over the side of the bed and stood. Every movement hurt, but curiosity pushed him forward.
Carefully he crossed the room.
The floor creaked beneath his feet as he approached the window.
When he finally pulled the curtain aside, he immediately saw her.
For a moment he simply stared.
Moonlight illuminated her completely. Long brown hair flowed around her shoulders as the winter breeze tugged at it. Her bright blue eyes reflected the warm light spilling from inside the clinic.
She was still wearing the cream-colored dress she'd had on the night before. And immediately Randall noticed what was missing.
The pink sweater.
The moment she saw him standing there, relief flooded her face. Real relief. Not the fake smiles the monsters wore.
Not manipulation.
Not cruelty.
Just genuine relief.
Like she had been worried about him. Like she'd spent all day wondering whether he would wake up.
Randall didn't know what to do with that. So instead he crossed his arms. "What do you want?"
Her shoulders relaxed slightly. "I wanted to make sure you were okay."
"I'm alive."
"Barely."
Randall rolled his eyes. "Still counts."
Her gaze drifted to the cut, running along the side of his face.
The sight visibly upset her.
Then her eyes moved to the bandages around his neck. "You got hurt pretty badly."
"No kidding."
A shadow crossed her expression.
Guilt.
At least that's what it looked like. For a few moments, neither of them spoke.
The wind continued to move through her hair while she stood outside beneath the moonlight.
Finally Randall broke the silence. "What's your name?"
Immediately she looked away.
There it was again.
Every time he asked, she avoided answering. Every single time.
"You still aren't going to tell me?" Instead of answering, she pointed toward his face. "Mariell did a good job." Randall groaned loudly.
"There it is."
A small smile appeared on her face. "What?"
"The subject change."
"I don't know what you're talking about."
"You're terrible at it." The smile only grew wider. Randall shook his head.
Then suddenly he remembered the sweater. His eyes narrowed slightly.
Without another word, he turned and began limping away from the window.
Confusion immediately crossed her face. "Randall?"
He ignored her.
"Randall, what are you doing?" Still not answering, he made his way slowly through the clinic and into the hallway. Every step hurt, but he kept moving.
Outside, she followed alongside the building, trying to keep up with whatever strange plan had suddenly entered his head.
By the time Randall reached the front entrance, she was standing outside waiting for him.
He checked through the small glass panel first.
The street was empty. Good.
Slowly he unlocked the door and pulled it open. Her eyes widened immediately. "What are you doing?"
Randall stepped aside. "I'm getting tired of talking through a window." For a moment she simply stared at him.
Then her gaze drifted past him into the clinic.
The lights.
The furniture.
The warmth.
The safety.
Something about it made her hesitate. She knew she didn't belong there.
Finally she looked back at him. "You really shouldn't trust me."
Randall snorted. "I don't."
The answer genuinely surprised her. "You don't?"
"No."
"Then why let me in?"
Randall shrugged. "Because I need something."
Her eyebrow lifted. "What?"
He pointed directly at her.
"Your sweater."
The surprise on her face was immediate. For a moment she simply stared at him. "You kept it."
Randall immediately looked away.
A smile tugged at her lips.
He groaned. "It was yours."
The smile that followed was impossible to miss.
Warm.
Genuine.
The kind of smile that completely transformed her face.
Randall pointed a finger at her. "Don't."
That only made her laugh. The sound echoed softly through the quiet clinic, warm enough to make Randall roll his eyes and look away again.
Finally he sighed. "They took it somewhere."
Her expression softened immediately. "And you want help finding it?"
"Yeah."
For a moment she simply looked at him.
Then she smiled again.
Not teasing this time.
Just happy. "Okay," she said softly. "Let's find it."
Randall stepped aside, allowing her to move fully inside. Once she crossed the threshold, he quietly shut the door behind her.
Neither of them noticed how strange the moment was.
The woman who wandered the night was standing inside the clinic, while Kristi and Mariell slept peacefully in their room, completely unaware she was there.
And for the first time since waking up, Randall found himself smiling just a little as they began searching for the missing pink sweater together.
They searched quietly through the clinic.
Randall moved slowly between the beds and storage shelves, still stiff from his injuries, still favoring the side of his face where Mariell had stitched the deep cut. Every movement pulled at his neck bandages, but he ignored it. His focus kept driftingânot to the shelves, not to the cabinetsâbut to her.
She moved differently inside the clinic.
Outside, she felt like something untouchable, something that didnât belong in any room with walls. Inside, she softened. Every time they passed Kristi and Mariellâs room at the back of the clinic, she went silent. Her steps became lighter, more careful, like she was afraid of waking them, or being seen too clearly.
Randall noticed that more than he wanted to admit.
He also noticed how she kept scanning the room as if she expected someone to appear and drag her out at any moment.
âWhy are you so quiet now?â he muttered as they checked a cabinet near the counter.
She paused, glancing toward the hallway.
âI donât need attention,â she said softly.
âThatâs not what I meant.â
She didnât answer, just moved past him again, careful not to let her dress brush anything that might creak.
Randall leaned against the counter for a second, watching her.
Somewhere between the exhaustion, the pain, and the strange quiet of the clinic, his thoughts started drifting.
He shouldnât have been thinking like that.
Not after everything. Not after the monsters. Not after bleeding half his body weight into the pavement.
But his mind didnât care.
It lingered on her anyway.
On the way she stood between him and things that shouldâve killed him.
On the way she looked at him like he wasnât just something to survive, but something worth saving. His gaze stayed on her as she bent slightly to check under a table. And then, uninvited, the thought came.
What it would feel like to kiss her.
It wasnât even fully formed at first. Just a flicker. An image he didnât ask for. Her face closer than it had ever been, blue eyes soft instead of guarded, that careful distance between them gone.
Randallâs throat tightened slightly before he even realized what he was thinking.
He looked away quickly, jaw flexing as if that could physically push the thought out of his head.
âDonât be an idiot,â he muttered under his breath. âWhat?â she asked without turning around.
âNothing.â
He rubbed a hand across his face, immediately regretting it when it pulled at the stitches near his jaw.
They kept searching.
But after a while, she stopped near the hallway again, listening. Kristi and Mariell shifted in their sleep behind the closed door. The faint sound made her freeze in place.
Randall noticed immediately.
She went completely still, holding her breath like even that might be too loud.
When the room settled again, she finally exhaled and continued forward, but more cautiously than before. Randall watched her for a moment longer than necessary.
Then she let out a quiet sigh. That small sound cut through his thoughts like a snap.
He blinked, suddenly back in the present. âWhat?â he asked.
She straightened, looking tired in a way that had nothing to do with physical exhaustion.
âI canât find it,â she said simply. âItâs not here.â
Randall exhaled through his nose and leaned back against the counter again.
âYeah,â he admitted quietly. âI donât think it is either.â
Silence settled between them for a moment. Outside, the wind pressed softly against the clinic walls.
âSo someone took it,â she said, more statement than question.
âProbably,â Randall replied. âDonna, or Boyd, or someone. They keep asking about it like itâs important.â
She nodded slightly, but didnât look surprised.
âThat makes sense.â Randall studied her for a second. âYouâre not upset?â She hesitated.
âNo,â she said finally. âItâs just a sweater.â
But the way she said it didnât match the way she was looking at the floor.
Like it wasnât just a sweater. Like it meant something she wasnât saying.
Randall pushed off the counter and walked toward the storage room at the back. âIf itâs gone, itâs gone,â he muttered. âWeâll deal with it later.â
She followed him quietly, still staying careful near Kristi and Mariellâs door.
They reached a small storage area where spare clothes and supplies were kept. Randall pulled open a box near the floor, more out of habit than expectation.
Thatâs when he saw it.
A black hoodie.
Folded poorly, like someone had shoved it in there quickly and forgotten about it.
Randall stared at it for a second. âSeriously?â he muttered.
He picked it up, shaking it out slightly. It was clean. Too clean for this place.
He turned back toward her. âHere." She looked at him, confused.
âWhat is that?â
âTake it.â
She didnât move. Randall held it out a little further.
âItâs mine,â he added. âOr it was. Before I ended up here.â
Her hesitation lingered for a moment longer, then she finally stepped closer.
Her fingers brushed the fabric carefully, like she wasnât sure she was allowed to touch it.
âItâs warm,â she said quietly.
âYeah,â Randall replied. âFigured you might want it.â
She looked up at him then, blue eyes catching the dim clinic light. "Why?â
Randall shrugged, trying to make it sound like nothing. âBecause I lost your sweater.â
A faint expression shifted across her face. Something softer. Something almost startled.
âI told you,â she said quietly, âitâs just a sweater.â
Randall gave a short laugh. âYeah. I know.â
But neither of them sounded like they believed it.
He placed the hoodie into her hands more firmly this time, letting go before she could refuse it. âCall it an apology,â he added.
She looked down at it for a moment, fingers curling around the fabric.
Then, very quietly, she nodded. âOkay.â
Randall glanced toward the hallway again, making sure everything was still quiet.
When he looked back, she was still holding the hoodie like she wasnât sure what to do with it. And for some reason, that stuck with him more than anything else that night.
Sorry for the late post. It was meant to go up yesterday, but my mum got married to my stepdad, so I got busy. But it's here now!!
Hope you all enjoy
Shouldn't Be Loving You
Randall Kirkland x Fem!smile monster!reader
TW: This will contain blood and swearing and torture.
Part 2
Not all monsters choose to become monsters. Some are dragged into darkness against their will, transformed by fate, tragedy, or circumstances they never asked for. Yet even with the nightmare living beneath their skin, they fight it every day. They turn away from the cruelty expected of them, refusing to take part in the violence that defines what they are. Their existence becomes an act of quiet rebellionâa constant defiance against the darkness inside them. There is something heartbreakingly beautiful about a soul at war with itself, about someone who knows they have become something terrible and still chooses kindness. They are not trying to return to who they once were; they know that person is gone. Instead, they struggle to create something new from the ruins, carving fragments of light out of the shadows that consume them, proving that even among monsters, humanity can survive.
The ambulance screeched to a stop just around the corner from the diner, close enough that it could still be seen from the main street. Its headlights cut through the darkness, illuminating the empty road and the shapes moving inside.
Inside the ambulance were Tabitha Matthews and Henry, Victor's father. The paramedics who had been driving it were already dead, their bodies left behind after the nightmare that had unfolded only moments earlier. The police officer who had arrived with them had abandoned the vehicle and sprinted toward Colony House in a desperate attempt to survive the night.
The town felt alive.
Not alive in a normal way.
Alive in the way it always did after sunset.
Watching. Waiting. The creatures were everywhere.
Boyd burst from cover first, Jim right behind him. "Tabitha!" Jim shouted, running toward the ambulance.
"Come on!" Boyd yelled. "Move! Move!"
The creatures were beginning to emerge. Then another sound broke through the chaos.
Screaming. Human screaming.
A young woman's head snapped toward the noise.
She stood partially hidden in the shadows between two houses, her long brown hair dancing in the cold winter breeze.
Her bright blue eyes followed the source of the sound.
Julie Matthews came sprinting from behind the Liu house. "Ethan, hurry!"
Ethan was right behind her, his face pale with fear. Sarah followed close behind, clutching a weapon and constantly looking over her shoulder.
The monsters were moving toward them from every direction.
Then a loud horn blasted through the night.
BEEEEEEP!
Everyone turned. The bus.
Randall Kirkland stood in the doorway. "GET IN THE BUS!" he yelled. Another blast of the horn echoed through town.
"COME ON!" For once, Randall wasn't arguing with anyone.
Wasn't fighting.
Wasn't making things harder.
He was helping.
The young woman couldn't help the small smile that touched her lips. Even now, with death surrounding them, he was trying.
Julie, Ethan, and Sarah ran toward the bus. Boyd and Jim continued toward the ambulance.
Everything was happening at once. Then Randall jumped down from the bus and ran toward Boyd.
"What do you need?" Boyd turned. "Go grab that emergency tool bag!" Randall nodded immediately.
"Got it." Without another word he sprinted back toward the bus.
The woman watched him disappear inside before emerging seconds later carrying a large medical bag.
"BOYD!" He ran as fast as he could.
But the creatures were already moving. Smiling.
Blocking the street. Closing in.
Randall slowed. "Fuck"
One creature stepped directly into his path.
Then another.
Then another.
The smiling faces formed a wall between him and Boyd.
"Move!" Randall shouted.
They only smiled wider.
The woman felt her stomach twist. She hated that smile.
Always had.
Randall looked toward Boyd. Looked at the bag. Then, with all his strength, he hurled it through the air.
"BOYD!" The bag sailed over the creatures.
Boyd caught it. "GET BACK TO THE BUS!" Boyd shouted. Randall immediately turned.
He started running. Then he froze. The woman saw it happen instantly.
Saw the terror enter his eyes. "No..." she whispered.
Randall stumbled. His hands flew to his neck.
Then his arms.
Then his face.
"No! No! No!" He crashed to the ground.
The cicadas.
Randall began clawing at himself frantically. "GET THEM OFF!" His voice cracked.
"GET THEM THE FUCK OFF ME!" He rolled across the gravel. Scratching. Pulling at his skin.
Trying to remove bugs that weren't there.
The creatures stopped moving.
Watching. Enjoying it.
The woman took a step forward. Then another. Her heart pounding.
"Randall..." he couldn't hear her.
Couldn't hear anyone.
He was trapped inside his own nightmare.
Boyd turned. His face filled with horror. For a brief moment, their eyes met.
Boyd. Randall. One man standing by the ambulance. The other lying helpless in the road.
The creatures slowly closing around him.
Boyd knew.
Everyone knew.
There wasn't enough time. If they stayed... everyone died. If they left... Randall died.
The choice hung in the air. Heavy. Terrible.
The monsters smiled.
Waiting.
Boyd's jaw tightened.
The ambulance engine roared. "Boyd!" Jim shouted.
The ambulance accelerated. The woman watched it pull away. Watched the red taillights disappear down the street.
Watched Randall get left behind. Alone. The episode slowly faded. His breathing became ragged. The invisible bugs disappeared.
Randall blinked, confused. Then he noticed the shadows around him.
The monsters.
Dozens of them. Standing in a circle.
His eyes widened in fear replaced confusion instantly. "Shit..."
A monster crouched beside him. Smiling. Another grabbed his arm. A third tilted his head. Like they were inspecting him. Like he was a toy.
The woman stepped forward. "Leave him alone." Nobody listened.
Randall struggled. "Get the fuck off me!"
One of the creatures dragged a sharp fingernail across his face. A scream tore from his throat.
The cut began beneath his earlobe. Then ripped downward toward the corner of his mouth. Blood immediately poured from the wound. The woman flinched.
"Stop!" Another monster dug its claws into the left side of his neck.
Once.
Twice.
Three times.
Deep gashes opened through his skin. Randall cried out again. The sound echoed through the empty street.
"STOP!" This time her voice carried authority. Power.
Every monster froze. The street became silent.
They all turned toward her. Her brown hair moved gently in the winter wind. Her blue eyes reflected the moonlight.
For a moment nobody spoke. Then she looked toward the horizon. The first faint hints of dawn were beginning to appear.
"The sun will be up soon." The creatures seemed disappointed. Several looked back at Randall. But eventually they began to leave.
One by one.
The smiling faces vanished into the darkness.
Until only she remained. Randall lay trembling on the pavement.
Blood covered his cheek.
His neck.
His shirt.
His breathing shook. She slowly knelt beside him. For the first time that night, he truly looked at her. Even though she is shes not a monster.
Not smiling.
Not cruel. Just... sad. Deeply sad.
"Why?" he whispered.
She swallowed deeply, trying not to let the monster inside her come out. "You are going to be okay."
Randall groaned weakly. The sound hurt. "I'm pretty sure I'm not."
"You are."
"You don't know that."
She carefully brushed some blood away from his forehead with her cold fingers. "I do."
His eyes were beginning to close. "No," she said softly. "Stay awake."
Randall winced. "Easy for you to say."
A small smile touched her lips. The first genuine smile of the night.
"Fair."
He stared at her. Trying to understand.
Trying to figure out who she was. But she never offered a name.
Never explained herself. Instead, she slipped an arm beneath his shoulders.
"I'm getting you help."
Randall looked at her like she was crazy. "You can't carry me."
"I can try." It took effort. A lot of effort.
He was bigger than her.
Heavier.
But eventually she managed to pull him to his feet. Randall groaned. "Okay... maybe this was a terrible idea."
She laughed softly. "Probably."
Together they slowly made their way through the empty streets.
Step by painful step.
Toward Colony House.
Toward safety.
Toward morning.
By the time they reached the ambulance parked outside Colony House, Randall was barely conscious.
She carefully helped him onto the top of the hood of the ambulance. Then sat beside him.
The night grew quieter.
The monsters were gone, well except her, but something about her feels different to him. Only the cold remained. She removed her pink sweater.
Without hesitation she pressed it against the wound on his cheek. Randall hissed. "That hurts."
"I know."
"You always this bossy?"
"Only when someone I care about is bleeding to death." That earned the faintest confused smirk from him.
For the next several hours she stayed. Talking. Keeping him awake. Telling him story after story.
Anything to stop him from slipping away. Whenever he started drifting off, she nudged his shoulder. "Stay with me."
"I'm trying."
"No. Try harder."
He chuckled weakly. "You sound like Boyd."
She smiled. "I'll take that as a compliment."
Slowly the sky began changing. Black became dark blue. Dark blue became gray.
Morning was coming. The first rays of sunlight appeared beyond the trees. The woman stood. Randall noticed immediately.
"Wait." She paused.
His eyes found hers. "Thank you."
For a moment neither of them spoke.
Then she nodded. A faint sadness crossing her features. "You'll be okay."
Randall opened his mouth.
Wanting to ask her name. Wanting to know who she was. But before he could speak she stepped backward.
Then another step.
The first golden rays of sunlight crept over the horizon. And just before they touched the town, She disappeared into the shadows.
Leaving only her blood-stained sweater behind. And Randall sitting on the ambulance alone. Wondering if she'd ever been real at all.
Thank you so much for reading.
I'm honestly kind of tempted to make a part 2. I didn't want to make this too long in case it wasn't liked.
Guys
lowk, my friend gave me an idea of a fic for a monster!fem!reader x Randall in from, and it actually sounds like it would be cool. Like she saves him when he gets attacked, and that's why he lives.
Would anyone read that?
District Baby in The Capitol (2)đđąđŠľ
Finnick Odair Ă Fem!OC
A/N: I have had the ideas for this post written in points for a while but have only just gotten around to actually writing it down in story form.
The Arena
Finnick sat in the shallow water, letting the waves lap against his arms. The salt clung to his skin, the familiar sting reminding him of District 4âs coastline. But this wasnât home. It was a nightmareâan arena where every breath could be your last.
Katniss and Peeta sat a little ways back on the sand, huddled beneath the shade of the trees. Their heads were bowed together, voices low, speaking words he didnât try to catch. His own mind was far too heavy to hear them.
Mags was gone.
The image of her still lingered before his eyesâthe way she had walked so willingly into the poisonous fog, sacrificing herself so that he and the others might live. He remembered her laughter back home, the way sheâd woven nets with her gnarled hands, and the way she had always looked at him like he was her own grandson. And now she would never meet the most important people in his life.
His little sea star.
His two-year-old daughter, Briar-Sea, with her golden-blonde curls and eyes like crystal blue oceans. She was all innocence, all joy. And Mags would never hold her.
And Pearl.
Pearl, with her soft brown hair and the same crystal eyes their daughter had inherited. She was his anchor in the storm of Capitol demands, the quiet force who reminded him he was more than a pretty face, more than a weapon to be sold. She was the mother of his child, his truest love. And she was trapped in the Capitol while he was trapped here.
Finnick closed his eyes and murmured, âYouâd have loved them, Mags. Both of them. My Pearl and my little sea star.â
The words slipped out louder than he intended.
Peeta and Katniss looked up, startled.
âWhat?â Katniss asked, her brow furrowed.
Finnick let out a bitter laugh, running his hand through his wet hair. âOh, you didnât know? The Capitol doesnât share everything, I suppose.â His voice cracked with a mix of grief and defiance. âI have a daughter. Briar-Sea. Sheâs two. She has her motherâs eyesâPearlâs eyesâand my cursed hair. And Mags⌠Mags will never meet her.â
Peetaâs mouth opened, then closed. Katniss just stared, her shock plain.
âThe Capitol raised them, like pets in a gilded cage,â Finnick continued, his voice shaking but growing harder with each word. âPearl and my little girl. They keep them fed, clothed, adored by some, hated by others. And all the while, I fight their wars and play their games.â He dragged his hand down his face. âIâm a District boy, and theyâll never let me forget it.â
The silence that followed was thick, heavy, broken only by the waves.
Katniss finally whispered, âI didnât know.â
âOf course you didnât,â Finnick muttered. âNo oneâs supposed to. It ruins the illusion, doesnât it? The Capitolâs darling, secretly in love with someone they canât control. A father, when I was supposed to belong only to them.â
Peeta shifted, sympathy in his gaze. âShe must be watching,â he said quietly. âYour Pearl. Your daughter. Theyâll see you fighting for them.â
Finnickâs throat burned, and he looked away, pretending the saltwater on his face was just the sea.
---
The Capitol
Pearl sat on the velvet couch in her beautiful apartment, her hands clutching Briar-Sea tightly against her. The little girl wriggled, golden curls bouncing as she tried to reach for the screen.
âDada!â Briar-Sea cried, pointing at the projection. Finnickâs image filled the massive Capitol display, sitting in the water, speaking words that made Pearlâs heart stop.
Her breath caught. He had said her name. He had said their daughterâs name. Out loud. To the world.
Gasps and whispers rippled through the Capitol audience watching alongside her. He wasnât supposed to do that. He wasnât supposed to expose what Snow had always warned was their secret weakness.
Pearl pressed a trembling kiss to Briar-Seaâs curls. âHeâs thinking of us, baby girl. Heâs fighting for us.â
The door clicked open. She stiffened, clutching Briar-Sea closer, but it wasnât Snow. It was Plutarch Heavensbee.
âMay I?â he asked smoothly, gesturing toward the chair across from her.
Pearl narrowed her eyes. âWhy are you here?â
Plutarch leaned forward, his expression both urgent and calm, as though every word he spoke had been rehearsed. âBecause Finnick trusts you. He told me about you, and about your little girl. And because Iâm here to offer you a way out.â
Pearlâs heart thudded. âA way out?â
Plutarchâs lips twitched into the smallest smile. âThereâs a plan. A rebellion. The Capitol is going to fall, Pearl. And when it does, you and Briar-Sea wonât be here when it burns. I want to take you both to District 13.â
She froze, her mind racing. District 13? The place people whispered didnât even exist?
Briar-Sea squirmed in her lap, still chirping, âDada! Dada!â
Pearl looked back at the screen. Finnickâs face, weary and grief-stricken, flickered before her eyes. He had revealed their existence, knowing the risk. He had trusted someone with their secret. He had trusted her.
Her voice was firm when she answered. âWhen do we leave?â
---
The Arena
That night, the jungle around them hummed with insects and the rustle of unseen creatures. Katniss stood watch with her bow, her eyes sharp, but Finnick could see the exhaustion in her movements.
He sat close to Peeta by the fire. The boy was restless, staring into the flames as though trying to draw strength from them.
Peeta finally spoke, low and uncertain. âFinnick⌠why tell us? About your daughter. About Pearl. You didnât have to.â
Finnick leaned back against a log, his bronze hair catching the firelight. He smirked faintly, though it didnât reach his eyes. âMaybe I wanted someone to remember them. In case I donât make it out of here.â
Katniss glanced over. âDonât talk like that.â
Finnickâs jaw tightened. âMags is gone. Weâre surrounded by death every second, and you want me to pretend? Iâve been in their games long enough to know how it ends.â He hesitated, then his voice softened, almost a whisper. âBut if I die, I need someone to know they existed. That Pearl isnât just a Capitol secret, and that Briar-Sea isnât just a bargaining chip. Theyâre my life. My reason.â
The silence after his words pressed heavy, filled only by the crackle of the fire.
Finally, Katniss murmured, âThen weâll remember. Both of us. Even if you canât.â
Finnick met her gaze, surprised by the steel in her tone. And for the first time in days, he allowed a small, genuine smile.
---
The Capitol
The next morning, Pearl found herself pacing with Briar-Sea in her arms. The Capitol was buzzing with Finnickâs revelation. Commentators on every channel were speculatingâA secret family? A hidden romance? How long has the Capitol kept this from us?
Pearlâs stomach twisted. Every whisper, every set of curious eyes turned toward her quarters.
Plutarch returned, carrying a small case.
âWe donât have much time,â he said briskly. âSnow is furious. He thinks Finnickâs slip might inspire sympathy in the districts. Heâll come for you and the child soon. We need to move before he does.â
Pearl clutched Briar-Sea closer. âHow? The whole city watches my every step.â
Plutarch opened the case, revealing sleek Capitol techâfalse IDs, a cloak that shimmered faintly when held to the light, and a vial of something green.
âDisguise and timing,â he explained. âThereâs a hovercraft that makes regular supply runs. If youâre with me when it departs, youâll be listed as cargoânot passengers.â
Pearlâs breath hitched. âAnd Finnick? Does he know?â
Plutarchâs expression softened. âHe doesnât. Not yet. But he fights with a clearer head when he knows youâre safe. If he survives the arena, youâll be reunited in 13.â
Her chest constricted, torn between terror and hope. She looked at Briar-Sea, who was tugging at her curls, babbling nonsense.
âAlright,â Pearl said firmly. âWeâll go.â
---
The Arena
The next day, the alliance moved deeper into the jungle. The oppressive heat clung to their skin, sweat dripping into their eyes.
âWater,â Johanna muttered, swiping at her forehead. âI donât care if itâs poisoned this time. Iâll risk it.â
Finnick helped Katniss steady Peeta when his leg buckled. Peeta gritted his teeth. âIâm fine.â
âYouâre not fine,â Katniss snapped, adjusting her grip on him. âYouâre burning up.â
Finnickâs mind churned, flashes of Pearlâs voice filling his head: Take care of them, Finnick. You always take care of people.
He swallowed hard, forcing his focus back to the group. âWeâll find something. Mags taught me to read the ground for signs. Weâll manage.â
But even as he said it, his thoughts betrayed him. Pearl, keep our little girl safe. Donât let her see this. Donât let her see me like this.
They stumbled upon a tree with strange, bulging fruit. Katniss raised her bow warily. âLooks poisonous.â
Johanna smirked darkly. âEverything here is.â
Finnick plucked one down, rolling it in his palm. âSometimes the only way to know is to try.â
Peetaâs voice was hoarse. âDonât. Not you.â
Finnick blinked, surprised at the sudden protectiveness.
Peeta looked away. âIf you die, she loses you. Pearl. Your daughter. You think I donât understand that?â His blue eyes softened. âI do.â
Finnick froze. He hadnât expected that kind of acknowledgmentâfrom the boy Snow had shackled to Katnissâs side. For a moment, his grief eased. He wasnât entirely alone.
---
The Capitol
That night, Pearl tucked Briar-Sea into bed, the little girl clutching a carved seashell Finnick had once smuggled back from a Victory Tour.
There was a knock. She stiffened, expecting Snowâs men. But it was Plutarch again.
âItâs time,â he said simply.
Pearlâs heart pounded. She scooped Briar-Sea into her arms and nodded.
They slipped through dim corridors, Briar-Sea whispering, âMama, shh?â as though she understood the gravity of silence.
Pearl kissed her daughterâs temple. âShh, sea star. Weâre going where Dada wants us.â
When they reached the loading bay, a hovercraft loomed, its engines humming.
Plutarch pressed the false ID band into Pearlâs hand. âOnce youâre inside, donât speak. Donât move. District 13 will take care of the rest.â
Pearl swallowed her fear, clutching Briar-Sea tighter. âAnd Finnick?â she whispered.
Plutarch met her gaze steadily. âIf he survives, heâll find you. I promise.â
Pearl stepped forward, her heart hammering. For the first time in years, she wasnât walking deeper into the Capitolâs trapâshe was walking out.
---
The Arena
The humidity pressed against Finnickâs skin as though the jungle itself was trying to crush him. The group had moved deeper inland, but every step seemed to drag.
Katniss scouted ahead, bow strung tight, while Johanna muttered under her breath about bugs and heat. Peeta leaned heavily on Finnick, his leg worsening.
âYouâre slowing down,â Johanna snapped at Peeta.
âLeave him, then,â Finnick shot back before he could stop himself. His voice cracked with sharpness, startling even Katniss.
Peeta gave him a strained look, as if expecting Finnick to regret his words. But Finnick didnât. He had promised himself never to abandon someone again. Not after Mags. Not after all the people the Capitol had stolen from him.
Finnick adjusted Peetaâs weight on his shoulder, forcing a smirk. âDistrict Fourâs good for something other than tying knots, you know.â
Peeta huffed a laugh through his pain. âIâll take it.â
They pressed on until they reached a stream that trickled between rocks, its water glinting under the artificial sky. Katniss crouched, testing it with her lips, then spat it out instantly. âSalt.â
Finnick sank to his knees, staring at the water. The image of the ocean tugged memories looseâBriar-Sea laughing as she splashed in the shallow Capitol fountains, Pearl kneeling beside her with her skirts soaked. Both born in a world of cages, but they still shine brighter than the sun.
Katnissâs voice pulled him back. âFinnick. You alright?â
He scrubbed a hand over his face. âFine. Just⌠thinking of home.â
Johanna scoffed and rolled her eyes. âSome home."
But he smiled faintly anyway. âNot the place. The people.â
---
The Capitol â The Flight
Pearlâs heart hammered as the hovercraft doors hissed shut behind her. The walls were stark, silver, humming with power. Briar-Sea clung to her shoulder, thumb in her mouth, eyes wide with the strange lights.
Capitol attendants bustled around, loading crates. None gave her a second glanceâher false ID band shimmering faintly under the dim light.
Plutarch leaned close before stepping back. âStay silent. No matter what you hear.â
Pearl nodded. She tightened her hold on Briar-Sea, who whispered, âMama, go up?â
âYes, sea star. Weâre going up.â
The hovercraft lurched, weightless for a moment before settling into the sky. Pearl swallowed hard, refusing to let her fear show. For two years she had smiled, played the part of Capitol darling for the sake of survival. But thisâthis was real.
Hours later, the hum shifted. The attendants disembarked at a checkpoint, and suddenly, the hovercraft veered off course. Pearl tensed.
From the cockpit, a calm voice announced: âApproaching District 13 airspace.â
Her knees buckled. It was real. It was real.
Briar-Sea squealed with delight at the descent, little hands flapping. âMama, we fly! We fly to Dada!â
Pearl pressed her lips to her daughterâs curls, tears slipping free. âYes, love. To Dada.â
---
The Arena
Night again. The arenaâs false stars flickered overhead. Finnick lay awake while Katniss dozed lightly, bow across her lap. Peeta shifted restlessly in his sleep, murmuring.
Finnick stared up, unable to keep the words in. He whispered softly, as though the trees themselves might carry it.
âPearl. Briar-Sea. If youâre watching⌠I hope you know I love you. That every step I take here is for you.â
The leaves rustled above, but no answer came.
Still, he closed his eyes with the smallest comfort. For once, he didnât feel completely hollow.
---
District 13
When the hovercraft landed, Pearl was ushered down a narrow tunnel, the air cool and clean compared to the Capitolâs perfumed rot.
People in gray uniforms approached, efficient but not unkind. A woman crouched to smile at Briar-Sea. âWell, hello there, little one."
Briar-Sea buried her face in Pearlâs neck, shy.
Plutarch placed a reassuring hand on Pearlâs arm. âWelcome to District 13. Youâre safe now.â
Safe.
The word nearly knocked the breath from her lungs. She clutched Briar-Sea tighter, unable to believe it. For the first time in years, she wasnât afraid someone might burst through the door and take her daughter away.
But even as relief washed over her, dread lingered. Safe didnât mean whole. Not while Finnick was still inside that arena.
She whispered into Briar-Seaâs hair, âWeâll wait for him here. Weâll wait for Dada.â
---
The Arena (Later)
When Beetee began sketching his plan in the dirt, Katnissâs brow furrowed. âUse the lightning to fry the forcefield?â
Finnick crouched beside her, absently braiding a strand of rope. His mind half-followed the plan, half-drifted to thoughts of Pearl. Of Briar-Sea.
Are they watching? Do they know Iâm fighting for them?
Johanna caught his distracted look. âYouâve got that far-off loverâs stare again.â
Finnick smirked faintly. âMaybe I do.â
But inside, his chest thudded. If the rebellion was realâif the ones long gone whispers, Mags once used to hint at were trueâmaybe there was hope.
Maybe his girls would live free.
I like how it looks like Finnick is looking at them ^^^ đ¤
--- Part 1
For everyone that liked this fic and especially for @theoraekenslover
Also, I've just learnt how to name links on posts, and honestly, you think if I was born in the early stages of phones and technology (early 2000s) that I would know, but um... no đ
So please shame and bash me in the comments (pls don't that's a joke)
Masterlist
3rd: Together Until The Very End
Carl Grimes Ă Walsh!OC
The Georgia sun had dulled since the world fell apart. The sky often hung in muted tones of grey, a heavy fog of dust and death lingering even on the brightest days. Still, the heart of the apocalypse beat on â quiet, cautious, but somehow still alive.
Among the ruins of the old world, two teenagers made a world of their own.
Carl Grimes and Charity Walsh had been best friends for as long as they could remember. Even when the dead started walking, when fences had to be built and guns had to be carried, that bond never broke. In fact, it grew stronger. Theyâd grown up in this nightmare together, aged too fast and smiled too rarely â except with each other.
Charity had black hair that fell in waves, a mirror of her father's, Shane Walsh. Her piercing blue eyes were the exact shade that used to make strangers stop and comment when she was a toddler. Her temper came just as quick as Shaneâs used to, but Carl had a calming effect on her. He always had. He knew just when to crack a joke or offer a hand to her shoulder before she exploded.
Carl had changed too. Gone was the boy with the sheriffâs hat too big for his head. Now, the hat fit, and so did the weight of the world. His hair was longer, his face sharper, and his eyes â once full of wonder â had grown distant. Except when he looked at her.
And Charity noticed.
They didnât talk about the crushes they harbored. They didnât say it, but it was there â in the way Carl always stood a little closer to her when they were in a group. In the way Charity always shared the last piece of rationed chocolate with only him. In the way they laughed a little too hard at each otherâs dumb jokes.
Everyone else saw it. Judith teased Carl relentlessly. Rick would smile and shake his head. Daryl once muttered, âShaneâs girlâs gonna break your heart, kid,â with a laugh, but Carl just shrugged. âShe already has.â
---
The day started like most did â tense and quiet. The group had been running low on supplies. Carl and Charity volunteered for a run, just the two of them. They were a strong team â smart, fast, and good with knives.
As they walked through the remains of an old neighborhood, Carl glanced over at her. She had her gun slung over her shoulder and a blade strapped to her thigh. She moved like a soldier but carried herself like a wildfire.
âYou okay?â he asked.
âYeah. Just thinking,â she murmured.
He knew better than to press.
They found a gas station with a few intact shelves. Charity climbed the counter while Carl kept watch.
âFound some cans!â she said, shaking one with a triumphant grin. âGreen beans â lucky us.â
Carl smirked. âBetter than nothing.â
âMaybe not better than death,â she joked, hopping down.
Just as she landed, a walker slammed against the window behind Carl. Then another. Then five more.
âShit!â Carl cursed. âWeâve got to move.â
They burst out the back door, running through overgrown yards and fallen fences. Carl turned just long enough to shoot two walkers down, but more poured in. One lunged at Charity, grabbing her arm. She grunted and stabbed it in the head.
âYou good?â Carl shouted.
âYeah!â she replied â but her sleeve was torn. He didnât see blood. He didnât think about it.
They didnât stop running until the sun started to set. They found an abandoned cabin just off the road, surrounded by trees.
Panting, Carl locked the door and leaned against it.
âThat,â Charity said between breaths, âwas bullshit.â
He laughed breathlessly. âYouâre telling me.â
They sat in silence for a while on the floor, backs against the wood.
âCarl?â she asked quietly.
âYeah?â
âI was scared.â
He looked at her. âMe too.â
âI didnât want to die today,â she added.
He shifted, moving a little closer. âNeither did I.â
She turned her head. âBut if I had to â Iâm glad I was with you.â
His heart stopped. For a second, the world wasnât full of walkers and decay. It was just them â sitting close enough to touch, both aching with feelings they didnât say out loud.
âIâm always glad Iâm with you,â he whispered.
Charity looked down, a rare shyness on her face. âCarl, if things were differentâŚâ
âI know,â he said quickly. âI know.â
---
Back at Alexandria, things moved slowly. Charity trained with Rosita in the mornings. Carl patrolled with Daryl. But their evenings were reserved for each other.
Theyâd walk the perimeter or sit on the steps of the church. Theyâd talk about stupid things â old movies, the way the stars looked different now, how Judith had learned how to braid her own hair.
One night, Carl caught her throwing a rock at the fence in frustration.
âWhat happened?â he asked.
âRosita said I have to âchannelâ my temper. I hate that.â
He leaned beside her. âYouâre not your dad, you know.â
She didnât answer at first. Then: âSometimes I feel like I am. Like something inside me is just waiting to snap."
Carl looked at her, blue eyes burning under the moonlight. âYouâre not Shane. Youâre you. And I like you.â
Charity blinked at him. âYou do?â
âYeah.â
She stared for a long second, then punched his shoulder lightly. âTook you long enough.â
They laughed, the kind of laugh that shook off the weight of grief and war, if only for a moment.
---
The next run was different. Too many walkers. Too few bullets.
Carl and Charity were with Aaron and Michonne when it all went wrong. They were in a cul-de-sac, checking houses, when the noise started â a screech from a metal door. Then the groans.
They fought hard, like they always did.
Carl stabbed, shot, yelled.
Charity was right beside him, blade flashing.
Then Carl heard it â a scream.
He turned. She was on the ground, kicking a walker off her leg. She stabbed it, hard. It fell. But the damage was done.
He rushed to her, shot the last one in sight.
âYou okay?"
Her eyes were wide. She didnât answer.
Then Carl looked down and saw it.
A bite on her thigh. Deep. Already bleeding dark red.
âNo. No no no,â he whispered, falling to his knees.
âCarlââ
âWeâll fix it. Weâllââ
âCarl.â
He looked into her eyes. âWe can cut it off. We can tryââ
âItâs too late.â
Carlâs hands trembled. âNo itâs not. Please, Charityââ
Then she pulled up his sleeve.
His blood ran cold.
There, just above his wrist, was another bite.
They sat in silence.
They didnât cry.
Not at first.
Charity leaned her forehead against his. âGuess weâre going out together.â
Carl nodded. âTogether.â
---
They didnât go back to Alexandria.
They couldnât.
Instead, they found a quiet house just off the road. Empty. Peaceful.
They laid on the couch, holding hands, legs tangled. The sun set slowly. Neither said much.
When night fell, Carl spoke. âDo you think weâll turn?â
Charity nodded. âProbably.â
âWe should⌠we should stop that from happening.â
âI know.â
Carl looked over. âDo you want me to do it?â
She smiled faintly. âWe do it together. Like everything else.â
His heart broke in pieces he couldnât count.
âI love you, Charity,â he said suddenly.
She blinked. âSay it again.â
âI love you.â
She touched his face. âI love you too.â
Their kiss was slow, sweet, sad. It wasnât fireworks â it was a flame, gentle and real.
They curled together that night.
And when dawn broke, they stood together by the fireplace, each holding a gun.
Charity reached for Carlâs hand. âOn three?â
He nodded, tears slipping down his cheeks.
âOne,â she whispered.
âTwo,â he said, his voice shaking.
âThree.â
---
They were found days later by Rick and Daryl.
Rick fell to his knees, clutching Carlâs hat.
Judith cried.
No one touched the guns still lying on the floor, side by side.
They buried them together â beneath a tree, under the open sky. Their names carved into stone.
Carl Grimes. Charity Walsh.
Best friends.
In love.
Together until the very end.
And somehow, even after everything, that made the world feel just a little less broken.
Finally done. I worked hard on this one, and my gosh did I struggle. But finally now you can all read it.
Masterlist
2nd: The One For Me?
Daryl Dixon Ă Grimes!Reader
The Georgia sun dipped low over Hershel's farm, casting the fields in gold as the last of the walkers from the barn ordeal were laid to rest. The group was still fractured, raw nerves and sleepless nights making tempers short and conversations clipped. But not all the tension was griefâsome of it simmered quiet, unnoticed by most.
Daryl Dixon noticed.
Or rather, he noticed her.
Briar Grimes. Rick's oldest. His grown daughter, even if Rick still hovered like she was a kid who couldnât handle herself.
Daryl chewed absently at a stalk of wheat as he leaned on the porch railing, eyes trailing after her as she walked across the yard. Long curly brown hair falling wild around her shoulders, rifle slung casually on her back like it was born there. Her blue eyes caught the sunset just right, a flash of stubborn defiance in them that made his chest tighten in ways he didnât appreciate.
She was shortâhell, barely came up to his shoulder at five-foot-threeâbut the way she moved? Confident. Capable. Like sheâd been running headfirst into the end of the world and dared it to push back.
"You watchin' her again?"
Daryl stiffened. Glenn's voice, smug and quiet beside him.
"Ain't watchin' nobody," Daryl muttered, gaze flicking back to the barn.
Glenn snorted, elbowing him lightly. "Yeah, sure. You look at everyone like they hung the moon? Or just Briar?"
Daryl didn't answer, jaw working as he looked anywhere but at her. He wasnât some dumbass teenager with a crush. He wasnât supposed to⌠care. Especially not for the sheriffâs kid. But damn if she didnât make it hard, stomping around like she owned the ground, sharp tongue and quick smile throwing him off balance.
Across the field, Briar paused near the makeshift shooting range theyâd set up. She adjusted her grip on her revolver, narrowed those bright blue eyes, and fired clean, each shot cracking the quiet evening air.
Bullseye. Every damn time.
Glenn whistled low, impressed. "You see that? Girl can shoot better than half the guys here."
"Sheâs alright," Daryl grunted, but his gaze lingered, pride curling in his gut. Heâd seen her practice in the early mornings when no one else bothered. Saw the focus, the frustration when she missed, the stubbornness when she kept trying. She earned every shot.
"Bullshit she's 'alright,'" Glenn grinned. "You like her."
Daryl shot him a glare sharp enough to skin a walker. "You say that louder, maybe the whole damn farm wonât hear ya."
Glenn raised his hands innocently, but the teasing didnât fade. Darylâs voice comes out annoyed. "And you think she's the girl for me?"
Glenn gives a shrug and that maddening, knowing smirk.
"She's tons of fun, and you're no fun at all⌠she completes you."
The words hit like a stray arrow to the ribs.
"Shut up," Daryl muttered, pushing off the railing and stalking toward the woods. But even as he walked away, his eyes drifted back to herâBriar laughing with Maggie now, curls bouncing as she teased her little brother Carl, blue eyes lit with the fire of someone who hadn't let the world break her yet.
He couldnât stay away.
Later that NightâŚ
Briar found him by the treeline, crossbow resting on his knee, head down as he cleaned the bolts.
âYou hidin' or brooding?â she asked, stepping into his space like she belonged there. Her revolver was holstered, curls pulled into a loose knot, a few strands framing her face.
Daryl didnât look up. âNeither.â
She grinned, cocking her head. âYou do know Iâm not stupid, right? You vanish every time I show up.â
âThatâs 'cause you run your mouth too much,â he grumbled, but his lips twitched.
âMaybe,â she shrugged, sliding down beside him in the grass. âOr maybe you just donât know how to talk to people.â
He snorted under his breath, shaking his head. âAinât worth talkinâ to.â
Briar nudged him with her knee. âYeah? Well, I think youâre worth it.â
Daryl's hand stilled over the crossbow, throat tightening. She said it so easy, like it didnât mean anythingâbut to him? It meant everything. And it terrified him.
âYou keep practicinâ?â he deflected, changing the subject.
Briar caught the dodge but let it slide. âEvery morning. Ainât gonna be caught slippin' out there.â
Daryl finally met her eyes, blue locking onto blue, and for a moment the noise of the camp, the grief, the constant threat of walkersâit all faded.
âYouâre good,â he admitted quietly.
Her smile softened, less teasing, more real. âYou noticed?â
I notice everything about you, he thought, but bit it back. Instead, he nodded once.
Briarâs gaze lingered on him, reading between the lines like she always did. âI notice you too, yâknow.â
Darylâs heart skipped. He looked away, fingers tightening on the crossbow. Maybe Glenn wasnât full of shit after all.
She completed him. Damn if it didnât scare him more than any walker ever could.
---
Masterlist
1st: Childhood by the Sea with a Victor
Finnick Odair Ă Oc!Fem!Reader
The sun hung low over District 4, bleeding orange and gold into the restless sea. The sand, still warm from the day, stuck between Finnick Odairâs toes as he walked along the familiar stretch of beach. The same beach he and Clover had grown up running barefoot across, collecting shells, daring each other into the surf.
But everything was different now.
The salt stung more than usual, or maybe that was just the ache behind his eyes. His fishing net-patterned shirt clung to his damp skin, and the gold Victory pendant around his neck felt heavier than it should. His hair, still damp and curling at the edges from the ocean, stuck to his forehead.
He was supposed to feel lucky.
Instead, Finnick just felt⌠lost.
A voice, soft but bright like sunlight through the clouds, called from down the shore.
"Finn?"
He turned, heart clenching the same way it always did when he saw her. Clover Spring. All blue eyes like the shallow tide and wild, blonde curls that never listened to her. She had a woven basket in her hand, probably collecting driftwood or shellsâalways the beachcomber, always the one dragging him away from whatever trouble heâd been brewing.
But she froze when she really looked at him. Her smile faltered.
"Hey," Finnick called, forcing something close to his old, teasing grin. "You gonna stare at me like I washed up from sea, or are you gonna say hello properly?"
Clover's sandals kicked up sand as she approached. âYou did wash up from the sea. Or close enough.â Her voice was gentler than usual, lacking its usual sharp humor. She stopped just shy of him, tilting her head. âYou⌠look different.â
He huffed a laugh, the sound bitter. âFour days home and thatâs the first compliment I get?â
âIt wasnât a compliment.â But her smile tugged at the corner of her mouth now, even if her eyes stayed sad. âYouâve always been beautiful, Finn. Now you just⌠look older.â
Older.
Like the Games carved years into his skin that no one could see but her.
Finnickâs throat tightened. He shifted his weight, digging his toes into the sand to ground himself. âOlder, huh? Maybe they shouldâve just left me in the Arena. I wouldnât be anyoneâs problem.â
Her basket dropped into the sand with a soft thud. In a flash, Cloverâs hand caught his wrist, eyes stormy now. âDonât say that.â
He tried to brush it off with his signature smirk, but she held firm. Her fingers were small but strong, calloused from fishing lines and nets.
âYou survived,â she whispered. âThatâs⌠thatâs not a problem.â
Finnick looked down at her hand on his wrist. It was shakingâwhether hers or his, he couldnât tell.
âIââ His voice cracked before he could finish. âI didnât think I would. Clover, Iââ
She stepped in, her forehead gently pressing to his chest. Finnickâs heart nearly stopped. Her curls brushed his chin. His arms hovered, unsure if he was allowed to hold her like this after everything.
âYou scared me.â Her voice was small, trembling like the tide against the rocks. âYouâre my best friend, and theyâthey took you and I had to sit there andââ She broke off, shaking her head. âI couldnât watch all of it. I tried, but I couldnât.â
âIâm glad you didnât see everything,â Finnick admitted, voice barely a whisper. His hands finally settled around her waist, holding her like she might disappear into the wind. âThereâs things I never want you to know.â
Clover tilted her head up, blue eyes sharp with defiance despite the tears brimming. âI want to know, though. You shouldnât have to⌠carry all that alone.â Her fingers curled into his shirt. âYouâve carried enough.â
The walls Finnick had been building cracked under her stare. It was always herâClover with her fierce loyalty and stubborn lightâthat got past him. Before the Games, she was the only person who made his heart trip over itself. Now, with everything twisted and broken inside him, she was the only thing keeping him tethered to the shore.
âCloverâŚâ His voice was rough. He brushed his knuckles against her cheek, tracing the freckle near her temple. âI thought about you. In there. Every day. Every second.â
Her breath hitched. She leaned into his hand. âMe too.â
For the first time in weeks, Finnick let himself breathe. He looked past her, out to the rolling waves, the horizon stretching endless and uncertain. But here, with herâthe girl with salt in her hair and stubbornness in her soulâhe wasnât drowning.
âPromise me something?â he asked softly, pressing his forehead to hers.
âAnything.â
âDonât ever⌠look at me like Iâm just the Capitolâs pretty toy.â His voice cracked with the words. âIâm still me. Iâm still⌠your Finnick.â
Her hand came up to cup his jaw, her thumb brushing away the tear that slipped free before he could stop it. âYouâll always be my Finnick.â
The sun sank lower, casting the beach in honeyed gold. For the first time since the arena, Finnick let himself smileânot the fake, charming grin heâd worn for camerasâbut the one Clover always brought out of him.
And under the setting sun, with the sea at their backs and the scars between them, Finnick Odair finally let himself hope.
The weeks after Finnickâs return blurred into a storm of whispers, visitors, and too-tight smiles. The Capitolâs claws stretched all the way to the sand-swept docks of District 4. People looked at him differently now â like he was a celebrity, not a fourteen-year-old kid with nightmares buried behind his green eyes.
But Clover never looked at him like that.
She still met him on the beach when the sun dipped low, when the fishing boats pulled in, and the sea turned molten with sunset. That stretch of sand became their safe place, the only place the Capitolâs cameras didnât follow. For now.
Tonight, the stars were already spilling across the navy sky when Clover found him, sitting alone on the rocks, rolling a piece of driftwood between his fingers. His gold Victory pendant glinted faintly in the moonlight.
âYou hiding again?â Clover teased, stepping closer, the wind tossing her blonde curls over her shoulders.
Finnick looked up, his smirk weaker than usual. âCanât hide from them, not really. Just⌠taking a break.â
She sat beside him, knees brushing his. The air between them buzzed with the quiet ache of unspoken things.
âHow badâs it been?â she asked softly, voice threading with concern.
Finnick shrugged, eyes on the horizon. âThey send letters. âInvitations.â Want me back in the Capitol for⌠events.â His fingers tightened around the driftwood until the edges dug into his skin. âThey want to show me off. Pretty Victor, fresh from the Games.â
Cloverâs jaw tensed. âYouâre not theirs.â
âArenât I?â His laugh was bitter. âThey made me into this⌠thing. Iâm not a kid anymore. I donât even know what I am.â
She grabbed his hand, prying the driftwood free. Her fingers laced through his, grounding him. âYouâre Finnick Odair. My best friend. The idiot who taught me how to fish and fell out of the boat trying to show off.â
A small, real smile tugged at his lips. âI was showing off.â
âAnd you nearly drowned.â She bumped his shoulder gently. âPoint is, they donât own your heart. Or your kindness. Or that ridiculous grin.â
His gaze softened as he studied her â those defiant blue eyes, the freckles on her nose, the curls haloing her face. She was so real, so untouched by the Capitolâs poison.
âCloverâŚâ His voice wavered, vulnerability bleeding through. âTheyâll never leave me alone now. You know that, right?â
She nodded, her hand squeezing his. âAnd Iâll never leave you alone either.â
For a second, he just stared at her, chest tight, words locked behind his ribs. Then, before he could lose his nerve, Finnick leaned in. His forehead brushed against hers, their noses almost touching.
âIâve wanted to do this for⌠forever,â he whispered, heart thundering in his chest.
Cloverâs breath hitched, her eyes flicking to his lips. âThen stop waiting.â
Finnickâs mouth curved into the ghost of a smile, and he closed the space between them.
The kiss was soft, salty from the sea air and tasting faintly of tears. But it was real â no cameras, no Capitol games, just them.
When they finally pulled apart, Clover rested her head against his shoulder, their fingers still entwined.
âYou donât have to pretend with me,â she murmured. âNot here.â
Finnick exhaled, the weight in his chest easing. âYouâre the only thing that feels⌠safe.â
They sat there, tangled together under the stars, with the waves crashing at their feet and the future pressing in like the tide. Whatever came next â the Capitolâs demands, the lies, the games they played â Finnick would face it.
But Clover Spring was his anchor. And as long as she looked at him like that, like he was still her Finnick, maybe he wouldnât drown.
---
Masterlist
Request Rules
What I will write:
Fluff, Angst, Smut, all three if you like. I'll write about any character that's in my masterlist nut if you have a different character feel free to ask and if I know that character and enough to be able to write about them I'll definitely write for them.
What I won't write:
Incest, stepcest, or anything along those lines. Piss kinks or poop kinks because that's gross, and I will not under any circumstances will I write r*pe because that's a big no no.
Unfortunately, I can only write Fem!Reader/OCs, and I could attempt to write GN!Reader/OCs because I am a girl, and I have tried to write MCĂM or Male!Reader/OCs with characters and I struggle so bad it's not even funny.
---
To see the list of characters I write for, check out my masterlist.
Truly Worth Loving
Daryl Dixon Ă Fem!OC
The woods were dead quiet.
Daryl moved through the trees like a shadow, crossbow at the ready. His eyes scanned the undergrowth, ears tuned to the faintest rustle. Something was out hereâhe could feel it in his bones.
He stepped lightly over a downed branch when he caught the low, almost imperceptible click of a boot behind him.
He spun around, raising his weapon.
âEasy,â came a voiceâcalm but firm. âI ainât your enemy.â
A woman stood there, hands lifted just enough to show she wasnât aiming her weaponâyet. A matte black Glock hung low in her grip, pointed toward the ground. Her stance was solid, practiced. She wasnât some lost civilian.
She wore dark cargo pants, a weather-worn olive jacket, and a charcoal-gray tank top underneath. Her light brown hair was half-tied back, strands framing her face, streaked with sweat and dust. Bright blue eyes locked onto his, alert but not panicked.
Daryl didnât lower the crossbow. âYou trackinâ me?â
She raised a brow. âI could ask you the same.â
He didnât answer.
âNameâs Adeline-Briar. Iâm on my own. Been that way a while.â She shifted slightly and grimaced. âNot here to steal your shit, Dixon.â
His jaw tightened. âHow the hell you know my name?â
She gave a wry smile. âRan into a group a week back. Some said theyâd traveled with a guyâquiet, crossbow, looks like he chews gravel for breakfast. Figured it was you.â
Daryl frowned, but didnât respond. He didnât like being known.
Adeline slowly lowered her gun and tucked it into her belt. âLookâI got separated from my people. Heard gunfire, tried to double back, but the herd was too big. Lost âem.â
âYou sure theyâre not dead?â
âDonât know.â Her voice wavered, but she didnât look away. âBut Iâm not about to stop moving. Iâm not done yet.â
He finally let the crossbow drop slightly. Just slightly.
âYou military?â he asked, noting the way she stoodâlike sheâd been trained.
She shook her head with a smirk. âDoctor. ER. But I learned real fast how to shoot.â
Daryl blinked, surprised. She didnât look like the doctors he knew. Then again, he didnât know many that were still alive.
âI ainât babysittinâ,â he muttered, turning back toward the trees.
âI didnât ask you to,â she replied easily, following a few steps behind. âBut if youâre heading somewhere, and youâve got space by the fire, Iâd trade a nightâs safety for antibiotics, clean bandages, sutures. I still got âem.â
Daryl paused.
She was tough, heâd give her that. He could see it in the way she movedânot cocky, just competent. She wasnât some burden.
ââŚFine. But you keep to your side of the fire. Any bullshit, and I ainât hesitating.â
Adeline gave a short nod. âFair.â
That night, the camp was barely more than a ring of stones and a tarp. Daryl watched her as she set her gun beside her pack and knelt to examine a sprain in her ankle she hadnât mentioned earlier. She worked fast, wrapping it tight, biting down on a piece of cloth as she cinched it.
âYou ainât gotta do it alone,â he said quietly from across the fire.
Adeline looked up. âDidnât think I had a choice.â
He studied her face for a long moment. âYou do now.â
She blinked, then smiled softly. âThanks, Daryl.â
He looked away, uncomfortable.
Days Later;
They'd settled into a rhythm. Daryl would scout ahead, sheâd check their map, track water sources, and share the supplies from her pack with no hesitation. She never whined. Never flinched at walkers. She could stitch a wound while half-asleep and shoot with near-perfect aim. Still, she laughed when it was quiet, sometimes hummed an old song under her breath.
It was messing with Darylâs head.
He caught her watching him onceâjust watching as he cleaned his crossbow.
âWhat?â he barked, more defensive than intended.
She shrugged, leaning against a tree. âYouâre careful. I like that.â
He glanced up, wary. âWhy you lookinâ at me like that?â
Adeline tilted her head. âLike what?â
âLike Iâm worth somethinâ.â
She pushed off the tree and walked closer, slow but sure. âBecause you are.â
âNo I ainât,â he growled, standing.
She stepped right into his space. âYouâve saved my life three times this week. You make sure I eat before you do. You didnât have to let me stay, but you did. So donât tell me youâre not worth it.â
Daryl clenched his fists, eyes darting away. âYou donât know what Iâve done. What I am.â
âI know exactly who you are,â she said, touching his arm. âYouâre someone who still gives a damn, even after the world burned down. Thatâs rare.â
He swallowed hard, voice cracking. âPeople like you donât... you donât look at people like me like that.â
Adelineâs voice dropped to a whisper. âMaybe people like me have been looking for someone like you this whole damn time.â
His breath hitched.
She took another step, resting her forehead against his chest. âIâm not going anywhere, Daryl. Not unless you make me.â
Slowly, awkwardly, he let his hand hover over her backâthen finally, finally let it fall.
It was the first time in a long while he let himself believe maybe, just maybe... he wasnât too broken to be loved.
The next morning broke with mist clinging low to the ground, sunlight barely pushing through the trees. Birds sang high above, soft and distant. It was the kind of quiet that usually meant walkers werenât nearbyâbut Daryl still stirred awake, tense, hand already reaching for his crossbow.
Adeline was sitting at the edge of the camp, tying her hair back with a leather string, her Glock resting beside her. She looked small thereâ5â3 and hunched slightly against the morning coldâbut not weak. Never weak.
He noticed sheâd already started boiling water, using a small fire sheâd carefully banked to keep low. Efficient. Smart.
âDidnât wake me,â Daryl grumbled as he stood and rubbed a hand across his face.
âYou needed sleep,â she replied without looking back. âI only slept a few hours.â
He stepped closer. âYou keep doinâ that, youâre gonna burn out.â
âIâll be fine.â Her voice was quiet, but firm.
Daryl didnât like the idea of her watching over him like that. It made him feel exposed⌠cared for.
âGot a plan for today?â she asked, glancing up at him now.
âYeah. If we cut east, thereâs a place I seen from a ridgeâcouple daysâ walk. Used to be a hunting lodge, might be stocked.â
She gave a short nod, rolling up a map. âLetâs go. Iâll keep pace.â
Midday.
They moved in silence, broken only by the occasional squawk of crows overhead. Daryl glanced back oftenânot because he thought she couldnât keep up, but because she looked pale.
âYou sure youâre good?â he finally asked.
Adeline pulled a protein bar from her bag and shrugged. âAnkleâs sore. Everythingâs sore. But yeah. Iâm good.â
âYou donât gotta act tough for me.â
She stopped walking and turned toward him. âIâm not acting. Iâm surviving.â
He looked at her for a long beat, then gave a slow nod. âAlright.â
But something shifted after that. He stayed a little closer than usual. Slowed his pace to match hers without making a big deal of it. When she stumbled on a root, he caught her by the elbowâfirm, grounding.
âThanks,â she mumbled.
He didnât answer. But he didnât let go right away, either.
That night; they holed up inside an old red barn that had mostly caved in, but the loft was intact. It smelled like mildew and old hay, but it was safer than sleeping outside.
Daryl paced the floor, listening to the creaks and groans of wood, checking the perimeter one last time.
âYou always on edge like this?â Adeline asked from her spot by the wall. Sheâd cleaned her gun and laid out the map again, marking their route with ash and a piece of twig.
âYeah,â he said. âKeeps me alive.â
She tilted her head. âYou ever... stop? Even just for a few minutes?â
Daryl sat down across from her, resting the crossbow against his leg. âCanât afford to.â
Adeline reached into her bag and pulled out something wrapped in cloth. Carefully, she unfolded it: a photo. It was water-stained, corners curled. A little girl stood beside a man, both grinning in front of a hospital sign.
âMy niece. Ava,â she said. âShe had a heart condition. I used to promise her Iâd become a real doctor one day and fix it. I was about a year into my residency when everything went to hell.â
Daryl watched her, unsure what to say. He wasnât good with that stuff. Never had been.
âSheâs gone,â Adeline said simply. âSoâs my sister. I think maybe thatâs why I keep going. Because if I stop, then they really are gone, you know?â
He swallowed, nodding slowly. âYeah. I know that feelinâ.â
She looked up at him, eyes searching. âWhat about you? Whoâd you lose?â
âMy brother, Merle. He was⌠a lot of things. Most of âem bad. But he was blood. Then the prison went down. I lost more there.â
âYou havenât lost yourself,â she said softly.
His jaw clenched. âNot sure thatâs true.â
Adeline leaned closer, resting her arms on her knees. âI see you, Daryl. All of you. You protect people who donât even ask. You take the hits, and then keep going. Thatâs not someone whoâs lost. Thatâs someone worth following.â
He shook his head. âYou got some messed-up ideas, doc.â
She smiled sadly. âMaybe. But I mean every word.â
Later that night â after midnight
Daryl hadnât meant to fall asleep, but when he opened his eyes, the fire was just coals. Adeline had curled up nearby, knees tucked under her coat. She shivered once, even in her sleep.
He hesitated... then slowly peeled off his jacket and draped it over her shoulders.
As he moved away, she stirred.
âDarylâŚâ she whispered, still mostly asleep. âYou donât have to protect me all the time.â
âI ainât,â he muttered, half to himself. âJust makinâ sure youâre warm.â
She didnât reply. But she smiled, even in sleep.
The next morning, as they packed up camp, Adeline paused beside him.
âYou never answered something,â she said.
âWhat?â
She held his jacket, folding it and handing it back. âWhy do you keep me around?â
Daryl took it slowly, staring at the worn fabric.
âI dunno,â he admitted. âMaybe I just... donât wanna be alone anymore.â
Her eyes softened. âThen donât be.â
Two Days Later;
The trail narrowed the deeper they hiked. Trees pressed in on both sides, the forest thicker than usual. Birds had gone quiet.
Darylâs hand hovered near his crossbow, and he kept glancing back at Adeline. She looked tired. Pale. But she didnât complainânot once.
âYouâre limping more,â he muttered, not slowing down.
âBecause weâve walked twenty damn miles, Dixon,â she shot back, brushing hair from her face. âIâm a doctor, not a triathlete.â
He smirked, just a little. Her sarcasm was starting to feel like⌠something familiar. Something good.
âWeâre close,â he said. âShould be over the ridge.â
âGood,â she grunted, âbecause if it isnât, Iâm staging a mutiny.â
Thirty Minutes Later â The Hunting Lodge.
The place was real. Nestled in a thicket of pine trees, with a rusted gate hanging off one hinge and the words Whispering Pines Retreat burned into a wood-plank sign. Most of the windows were intact. A miracle.
Daryl motioned for Adeline to stay behind him as he crept to the porch.
The door creaked open.
Empty, mostly. Dust and decay. But no fresh blood. No moaning. No immediate smell of death.
âClear,â he called back.
Adeline let out a breath sheâd been holding and followed him inside, carefully stepping around a fallen picture frame.
The main room had a wide stone fireplace, leather chairs still standing, and mounted deer heads on the walls. It looked like the kind of place people used to spend weekends drinking brandy and pretending the world was simple.
Adeline dropped her bag and slumped into a chair. âIf thereâs a mattress in this place, Iâll cry.â
Daryl disappeared into the back. Moments later, his voice rang out, âUpstairs has beds. Little stiff. Better than the ground.â
She closed her eyes. âMarry me.â she basically moand at the thought of sleeping in a real bed for the first time in years.
He froze in the doorway. âWhat?â
Her eyes shot open. âI was joking. Kinda. Mostly.â
He looked away quickly, ears pink. âRight. Well. Thereâs food in the pantry. Canned stuff.â
She smiled as he turned, flustered, and disappeared again.
An Hour Later â After they eat.
Rain pelted the roof like bullets. A thunderstorm had rolled in fast, the sky now a bruised grey.
Adeline was upstairs, drying off by the fireplace with a blanket draped around her shoulders. Her wet shirt clung to her collarbones, and her blue eyes reflected the flickering firelight. Daryl tried not to look. Failed.
He paced.
âYou always pace when it rains?â she asked.
âHate beinâ trapped.â
âWeâre in a locked cabin, not a cage.â
âFeels the same,â he muttered.
She tilted her head. âYouâre not the only one whoâs haunted, you know.â
He stopped, staring at her.
Adeline set down her cup of water. âI had to choose who to save once. A father or a little boy. I picked the father because he was bleeding out faster. The boy died thirty seconds later. They never let me forget it. Not the nurses. Not the mother. Not myself.â
Daryl sat down across from her, silently.
âI donât think people like us ever really come back from that,â she whispered.
âMaybe not,â he said. âBut youâre still here. You keep goinâ. That counts.â
She reached over and touched his hand, fingers barely brushing his knuckles.
He stiffenedâbut didnât pull away.
âI meant what I said before,â she said. âAbout you being worth loving.â
âYou donât even know me.â
âI know enough. Youâve never once let me walk behind you. You always wait when I fall behind. You pretend not to notice when I cry in my sleep.â
Daryl shifted uncomfortably. âAinât nothinâ.â
âIt is,â she whispered. âItâs everything.â
A crack of thunder shook the cabin. She flinched, and instinctively, Daryl reached for her hand this timeâholding it tight.
âI donât know how to be what you deserve,â he said, voice rough.
Adeline stood, dropping the blanket. She stepped between his knees and cupped his face gently.
âI donât want perfect. I want you. Even the broken pieces.â
He looked up at her, breath caught in his throat. âYou sure?â
She nodded. âIâve never been more sure of anything.â
Thenâcarefully, like she was offering him a choiceâshe leaned in.
And Daryl didnât pull away.
Their lips met softly at first, unsure. But then he held her tighter, like maybe if he kissed her long enough, the fear would melt into something warm. Something real.
When they finally broke apart, Adeline rested her forehead against his.
âYouâre not alone anymore, Daryl.â
And for the first time in years, he believed it.
â-------------â----
Please interact if you enjoyed.
Masterlist
If you write for TWD, would you mind doing a sweet little Carl Grimes Ă older reader story? From like S2 or whenever the prison is introduced. Nothing seriousâjust a harmless, adorable crush! Carl thinks sheâs super cool and really pretty, and maybe he tries to impress her in funny ways. Of course, she sees him more like a little brother and treats him with kindness and affection. Just something lighthearted and wholesome!
I just thought it would be cute.
Of course I can! Honestly, I think this is absolutely adorableâI hardly ever see things like this, no matter the fandom, so itâs such a fun surprise!
Just A Child's Crush <3
Young Carl Grimes Ă Older Reader.
When Carl Grimes first saw you walk through the prison gates, he was sure someone had taken a character out of a comic book and dropped them into the apocalypse.
You were tall, confident, and had this sharp look in your dark green eyes like you could take on ten walkers without flinching. Your long brown hair was pulled back into a braid, and your army-issued jacket was faded but still intact. You had a knife strapped to your leg and a backpack that looked like it had been through war.
Rick said you'd been in the Army before things went to hell. Alone for months. Quiet, but skilled.
To Carl, you were the coolest person in the world.
He was thirteen. Practically a grown-up, in his mind. Heâd fought walkers. Heâd lost his mom. He had a gun on his hip and a permanent crease between his brows. But the moment he saw you casually flip a walker with one hand and stab it clean through the skull, his voice cracked when he tried to say hi.
---
You were kind from the start.
Even though you noticed him following you around cell block C like a stray puppy, you never teased him. Youâd smile and say things like, âHey, sharpshooter,â or âNeed backup, Carl?â and his face would turn red every single time.
One day, you caught him sneaking glances at your knife while you cleaned it.
âYou wanna hold it?â you asked, lifting a brow.
Carl nodded quickly.
You handed it to him, handle first, and warned, âItâs sharp, but itâs balanced. Used to be my favorite.â
He held it like it was made of gold. âDid you, uh... take out a lot of walkers with this?â
âPlenty,â you replied with a smirk. âAnd two bad guys who thought I looked too small to fight.â
Carlâs eyes widened. He grinned like a kid at Christmas. âThatâs so cool.â
You gave him a playful wink. âDonât tell the others. Gotta keep some of the mystery.â
That was the moment Carl decided he was going to impress you.
He started wearing his sheriff hat more often, tipping it down low over his eyes when you walked by.
He practiced his aim daily, asking Daryl to time his shots, hoping you'd notice.
And heâd always, always be nearby when you were helping clear walkers, ready to step in with his pistol like a hero in training.
You noticed. Of course you did.
And you thought it was the cutest thing ever.
---
âSomeone's got a little crush on you, huh?â
Maggie had whispered it to you one afternoon when Carl brought you a half-squished flower he'd âfound near the fence.â
Youâd laughed quietly, twirling the stem between your fingers. âHeâs sweet. Brave, too.â
âYeah, he is,â Maggie agreed, smiling. âAnd youâre like a superhero to him.â
You glanced over where Carl was sitting on the steps, pretending not to look in your direction. âI know. Thatâs why I donât tease him. Heâs already grown up too fast.â
---
One day, Carl found you in the yard, sharpening your blade. He shuffled up awkwardly.
âHey, um... I drew you something.â
You looked up and smiled gently. âYou did?â
He held out a folded sheet of paper. On it was a cartoon sketch of you and him standing back-to-back, both holding weapons. You were smiling. Carl had a huge cowboy hat on and a serious frown drawn across his stick-figure face.
Above it, heâd written:
âY/N & Carl: Prison Defendersâ
Your heart swelled.
âThis is awesome,â you said genuinely. âYou even got my braid right.â
Carl grinned. âYeah, I, uh⌠practised.â
You leaned over and gave him a gentle side-hug. âYouâre my favorite sidekick, Carl.â
His cheeks turned crimson. âIâm not a sidekick! Iâm like... co-leader.â
You laughed. âAlright, co-leader. Just donât steal all my glory.â
---
That night, as the prison quieted and the sun dipped behind the fences, you found Carl on watch duty.
He looked tiredâolder than he shouldâbut still had that spark in his eyes.
âMind if I join?â you asked, settling beside him.
He shrugged like it didnât matter, but his smile said otherwise.
âYou know,â you said after a moment, âI think youâre gonna be a great man one day.â
Carl looked up, startled. âYou do?â
âI know it,â you said softly. âYouâre smart, brave, loyal⌠and you care about people. That matters more than anything in this world now.â
Carl stared at the ground, then mumbled, âThanks, Y/N. Youâre the coolest person Iâve ever met."
You smiled and nudged him gently. âAnd youâre the best little brother I never had.â
Carl tried not to sigh too loudly. âYeah⌠little brother.â
But then you added, âAnd if I had to be stuck in a zombie apocalypse with anyone? Iâd pick you every time.â
Carl straightened, pride beaming from every inch of his thirteen-year-old frame. âReally?â
âAbsolutely. Now scoot over, co-leader. Letâs make sure nothing gets past us tonight.â
And under the stars, behind the cold bars of an old prison, Carl sat beside his hero.
Not just someone he had a crush onâ
But someone who made the world feel just a little less broken.
I hope you enjoyed it. This was really fun to make.
If you liked this as much as I did, please interact in anyway, anything means so much.
Masterlist
Hey I was wondering if you could do a Carlisle Cullen Ă Fem!wolf reader?
Absolutely. Sorry this was asked ages ago but I've been really busy. So sorry I just got around to it now đ
Blooming in the Shadows
Forks had always been drenched in rain, secrets, and stories whispered between trees. When Ivy arrived, she brought the scent of wildflowers and something long forgottenâhope.
She wasn't born to the Quileute tribe, but her mother had married a member years ago, and the council had accepted them. Ivy was 21, newly shifting, and unlike anyone the pack had ever seen. With long, light brown hair that shimmered under the faintest light, and vivid green eyes, she drew attention not just for her beauty, but her calm defiance. She bore the pack tattoo, proof of her belonging, but her body also carried delicate floral tattoosâhoneysuckles twining around her forearm, lavender on her ribcage, wild roses creeping over her hip. They werenât just decorations. They were symbols of growth, pain, and survival.
Sam had assigned Leah to help her through her early shifts. Ivy was a fast learnerâgraceful even in her wolf form, a rich tawny hue with streaks of soft gold. She rarely spoke unless she had something meaningful to say, and the pack respected that. But what no one expected was how often sheâd start wandering past the treaty line.
Carlisle Cullen had sensed her long before he saw her.
It wasnât just the pulse in the forest or the unusual heartbeatâit was the feeling of being seen. The first time he caught her scent near the river, he paused mid-step. Earthy pine mixed with soft florals, undercut by something more electric. He stayed still, waiting.
Thatâs when he saw her.
Ivy stood just across the riverbank, in human form, watching him. Her green eyes didnât widen in fear or wrinkle in anger. They just held his gaze.
"You're him," she said calmly. âThe doctor.â
Carlisleâs voice was soft. âYouâre far from your territory.â
She shrugged. âYouâre close to mine.â
And with that, she turned and disappeared back into the trees.
Their second meeting was less civil. Ivy had chased a rogue vampire beyond the boundaries and found herself near the Cullensâ land. Carlisle had intervened before she could tear the creature apart.
âYou couldâve let me finish it,â she snapped, panting, her eyes glowing with rage.
Carlisle placed himself between her and the nearly unconscious rogue. âHe was fleeing. Not a threat anymore.â
She glared at him. âAnd next time he comes back and kills someone?â
His voice remained level. âThen we stop him. But not like this.â
Something in her defiance stirred him, not because she was reckless, but because she cared. Deeply.
That night, Ivy returned to the border again. And the night after that. Sometimes they talked. Sometimes they just stood in silence.
She told him about her mother. How she didnât know her father. How she had always felt out of place until the wolf woke up in her. Carlisle told her about his own transformation, about centuries of loneliness before he built a family.
And then one night, she asked, âDo you ever feel like the world has already decided who you are, and youâre just⌠acting it out?â
He looked at her with quiet understanding. âYes. More times than I can count.â
The imprint, when it happened, was unexpected.
Carlisle hadnât believed it was possibleâhe wasnât Quileute, after all. But the moment Ivy collapsed near his home, trembling from a poisoned cut left by another vampire, he rushed to her side.
Her eyes fluttered open, barely conscious, and she whispered, âI didnât want to come here but⌠I knew youâd make it stop hurting.â
And as he lifted her into his arms, the world shifted. It wasnât sudden fireworks, but a slow realization that everything he had been missing was right thereâin her, wrapped in pain and wildness and kindness.
Ivy healed quickly under his care. He treated her with the gentle reverence only he could provide, his fingers barely brushing her skin, always asking for permission. And despite herself, Ivy found comfort. Found⌠safety.
Of course, it wasnât simple.
The pack was furious. A wolf, especially a new one, falling for a Cullen? Sam nearly banned her. Jacob was conflicted. Only Leah, surprisingly, understood.
âYou donât choose the soul that calls to yours,â she said to Ivy. âYou just answer it.â
The Cullens were cautious too. Rosalie didnât trust the idea. Emmett found it fascinating. Edward kept his distance, knowing how complicated the future could become.
But none of it mattered when Ivy and Carlisle were together.
In the woods behind the Cullen house, he traced the flower tattoos on her shoulder. âWhat does this one mean?â he asked.
âHibiscus,â she whispered. âDelicate. But bold when needed.â
He smiled, lips brushing her skin. âJust like you.â
She leaned into him, resting her head on his chest. âI donât care if this is impossible. Iâve never felt more myself than I do with you.â
---
Years passed.
Slowly, the pack came around. Carlisleâs loyalty, Ivyâs strength, and the way they chose peace over pride began to change hearts. Ivy started assisting in the hospital, quietly saving lives with her speed and warmth. Carlisle kept her safe, never once asking her to hide who she was.
One spring evening, they stood in the meadow, her in a light sundress, hair catching the gold of the setting sun.
âI donât think the universe meant for us to be enemies,â she murmured.
Carlisle turned to her, his golden eyes soft. âNo. I think it meant for us to heal each other.â
And then, beneath the swaying wildflowers that mirrored her inked skin, he kissed herâtimeless, soft, and certain.
And in that moment, there were no lines, no curses, no rulesâonly love blooming in the shadows.
---
Masterlist
Fire Girl and Water Boy đđą
Blair was a broken girl, but the Capitol loved her. They adored her like some flawless porcelain doll, trapped in the gleam of their glittering, cruel world. The gleam that did nothing to hide the cracks beneath. She was their starâa young woman who could set others on fire, both in the arena and in the minds of Capitol citizens who devoured her every move with ravenous hunger. But while they cheered for her, she was drowning.
The night before the Games began, Blair had stared at herself in the reflection of the silver-plated mirror in her prep room, her eyes hollow. All she could hear was the sound of screams. The deafening screams that echoed through her headâof those she had killed, of those she had watched burn, of herself. The flames that had consumed the other tributes that had turned them into nothing but ash were nothing compared to the fire she carried in her chest. The memory of each face twisted in agony, their cries still seared into her mind, played over and over again. The Capitol loved her for it, but she hated herself.
She could barely hold it together anymore. There were moments when she couldnât even remember who she was before the Games, before the arena. It felt like someone had carved her soul out, and what remained was just a shell, trembling and trying desperately to keep it all intact. But every time she closed her eyes, she saw the flames again, and with them, the painâthe pain of others and the pain of herself.
It was Finnick Odair who made it quiet. Finnick, the boy who had been forced to grow up too fast in the Capitolâs blood-soaked spotlight, a winner at fourteen, a child of the water, with eyes that had seen too much. He was a reflection of herâbroken, yet shining under the Capitol's unrelenting gaze, a symbol of the Capitolâs twisted love.
But there was something about Finnick. Something that felt like a lifeline, even if they were both drowning. He didnât tell her that she could heal, didnât try to fix herâbecause he knew better than anyone that some scars ran too deep. Instead, he held her when she broke. When her fingers trembled as she gripped the edge of the bathroom sink, her body shaking violently as the memories overwhelmed her, Finnick was the one who held her, his strong arms wrapping around her until the tremors finally subsided.
âBreathe, Blair,â he whispered in her ear, his voice low, soothing, the only thing that ever made the world feel still for just a moment. âIâm here. Youâre safe.â
She leaned into him, her hands clutching his shirt so tightly it hurt. The scent of saltwater, of sea and memories long buried, surrounded her, pulling her into the calm of a storm she could never escape. His heart beat beneath her ear, steady and strong, like a pulse that reminded her she was still alive, that she could still fight.
âI canât do this,â she whispered, barely able to breathe through the weight in her chest. âI canât⌠itâs too much. I hear them, Finnick⌠I hear the screams, and I canât stop them.â
Finnick didnât respond at first. He just held her tighter, his own breath ragged, as if he too was struggling to keep the pieces of himself together. He knew those screams. He had them, too. They never left, not after the arena, not after the Capitol had thrown him into the Games, again and again, each time expecting him to come out unscathed. He had been their golden boy, their darling, but he had lost so much in the process. His innocence, his soul, his peaceâgone in the same way they had taken Blairâs.
âI know,â Finnick finally murmured. âI hear them, too. But weâll survive this. Together. Youâre not alone, Blair.â
She lifted her head, her tear-streaked face meeting his. His eyes, though haunted, were unwavering, like the ocean that could drown her but also save her. She was falling, but somehow, with him, she wasnât alone. Not completely.
âI canât be like this forever,â Blair said softly, her voice shaky, the rawness of her trauma spilling over the cracks in her facade. âIâm falling apart. I donât know how much longer I can pretend.â
Finnick gently cupped her face in his hands, his thumb brushing away a tear that had slipped down her cheek. His gaze softened, his own pain written in the lines of his face, but there was something resolute in him now. âYou donât have to pretend with me, Blair. You donât have to hold it together. Iâll hold you together when you canât.â
She closed her eyes, trying to steady herself, but it felt like the weight of the world was pressing down on her, like the darkness was swallowing her whole. The fire, the pain, the lossâit all felt too much to bear. But with Finnickâs steady presence, she found the smallest glimmer of something she thought was long lost: hope.
They didnât talk about the Games, or the Capitol, or even the screams. They didnât need to. The silence between them spoke more than words ever could, because in that silence, they understood. They understood that they both wore the scars of survival. That they were both broken, both pieces of a puzzle that would never quite fit, but somehow, together, they worked.
âPromise me youâll never leave me,â Blair whispered, her voice fragile as a piece of glass.
Finnickâs lips twitched, a hint of a smile in the depths of his grief. âIâll never leave you, Blair. Not now. Not ever.â
And for the first time in what felt like forever, Blair believed him. Even if just for a fleeting moment. Even if the world outside was dark, and their nightmares were waiting to claim them again. She could hold onto this. She could hold onto him. Together, they were still alive. Together, they could keep the noise at bay.
At least for now.
While they had the chance to be together openly and completely, they did everything they could to make the most of the time they had. In the quiet hours between the chaos, the Capitolâs glittering walls fading into the background, they became two broken souls trying to piece themselves together in the only way they knew howâthrough each other.
The quillâthe weapon they had been branded with since they entered the arena, the symbol of the Capitolâs hold over themâwas always there, lurking. But in moments like these, they could push it aside, if only for a short while. There was no arena here. No Capitol cameras. No screams. Just them, lost in a world that was small and fragile, but still real.
They found solace in the simplest things. A walk in the gardens behind the Capitol mansion, where the scent of flowers that didnât belong in their world wrapped around them like a brief reprieve. They didnât need to speak to each otherâwords were too heavy, too full of things they couldnât say. They simply walked, side by side, hands brushing in the humid air, the silence speaking louder than anything else.
Blair often found herself staring at the ground, trying to focus on the small, familiar rhythm of each step, each breath. But Finnick always seemed to know when she was struggling to hold herself together. When the air became thick with unspoken fears, he would nudge her with his elbow, a small, playful gesture to remind her of the world outside their trauma.
âRace you to the end,â Finnick said one day, a rare flash of mischief in his eyes, as he broke into a jog. âLast one there has to cook dinner.â
Blair's heart stuttered in her chest, her muscles frozen for a split second as she watched him, his long legs carrying him effortlessly down the path. For just a moment, she was caught in the illusion of normalcyâthe illusion that she wasnât a weapon, that she wasnât broken.
Without thinking, her feet followed his, the ground beneath her soft and welcoming. She ran after him, laughing, not the hollow laugh that echoed in the dark corners of her mind, but a real one. A fleeting moment of lightness. She could hear Finnickâs laughter, too, his voice warm and deep, pulling her out of the darkness, pulling her into something that resembled joy.
When they reached the end, both out of breath, Finnick threw his arm around her shoulders, pulling her into him as they both collapsed onto the soft grass. Their laughter continued, but it faded into something quieter, more vulnerable, as they lay there, staring at the sky. It was a luxury they didnât have oftenâjust being. No games. No expectations. Just Finnick and Blair, stripped of their Capitol personas, just two people in a fleeting moment that felt as fragile as the stars above them.
Blairâs chest tightened when she glanced over at him, her thoughts turning to the inevitable. The Games. The Capitol. The quill. But when Finnick caught her gaze, his hand found hers, squeezing it tightly. The unspoken truth between them was always thereâtheir shared trauma, the weight of survival, the past that neither could outrunâbut they didnât have to talk about it. Not then.
âYouâre not alone,â Finnick whispered softly, his breath warm against her ear. âNot anymore. I promise."
Her eyes closed, the weight of his words sinking deep into her heart. She could feel the storm inside her, the trembling inside her chest, but his presence soothed her, even if just for that moment. The quill was still there, always in the back of her mind, but with him beside her, she could breathe. She could exist.
They spent their days this wayâno longer hiding their connection, no longer pretending to be something they werenât. The Capitol may have thought they were playing a game, that their lives were just another show to be broadcast, but Blair and Finnick knew the truth. Their connection wasnât a game; it was the only thing keeping them from falling apart completely.
Some days they would just sit together, wrapped in silence, their heads leaning against one another as they stared out at the city beyond. The Capitol buzzed around them, but for once, it felt distant. It was just the two of them, lost in their shared grief, but also in the shared moments of something beautiful that they didnât have to explain to anyone.
Other days, theyâd venture into the Capitol, where no one knew the weight they carried. Theyâd stroll through grand halls and busy streets, lost among the Capitolâs towering buildings and loud chatter, but they werenât lost in each other.
They had each otherâbroken, scarred, but alive. Alive in a way that made the days feel like something more than just survival. They held each other together, making the most of these stolen moments. Because in a world so consumed with bloodshed and spectacle, their love was the only thing that had the power to heal them, to quiet the noise. Even if it was just for a few hours.
And maybe that was all they needed. Even with the Games ahead. Even with the quill hanging over them. For a while, they could forget about it all and just be Finnick and Blairâthe boy who had been broken and rebuilt, and the girl who set fire to the arena. Together, they were something more than what the Capitol had made them. Something more than weapons, more than tributes. They were alive in each other. And for that brief, fleeting time, that was enough.
Finnick won the poll so here is the story as promised.
Thank you to everyone that voted and I hope you enjoy so if you do give a like and who know if you like the rest of my work give me a follow.
Masterlist
Can you write something about Carlisle Cullen and a fem! vampire!reader? Like the reader is much older than any of the Cullen's and she found Carlisle a few months after he became a vampire but they got separated and while they are facing the Volturi to protect Renesmee from them, she reappears and helps them with like a child or something that is Carlisle's????
Ofc I can đ
Centuries Old
The icy wind whipped through the clearing, rustling the cloak of night that had settled over the battlefield of fates. The Volturi stood in their imposing ranks, crimson eyes gleaming with centuries of ruthless authority. On the other side, the Cullens stood shoulder to shoulder, their golden eyes burning with defiance.
Carlisle exhaled slowly, his grip tightening around Esmeâs hand. He had never wanted war, never sought conflict. And yet, here they stood on the precipice of devastation, all for the sake of a childâa child who, for the first time in vampire history, defied their rigid rules.
Then, the wind shifted.
A new scent carried on the breeze, both ancient and unfamiliar to most, yet to Carlisle, it was a whisper of a time long past. His breath hitched as his head snapped up, his golden eyes widening.
And then, she stepped forward.
Y/N.
The world blurred at the edges as she moved through the trees, flanked by Alice and Jasper. But it wasnât just her presence that stole Carlisleâs breath.
Beside her, a boy walked with poised grace. He was tall, with golden-blond hair and piercing gold eyesâeyes that mirrored his own.
For a moment, time stilled. Then, Carlisle whispered, "Y/N?"
Her lips curled into a soft smile, but her eyes shone with something deeperârelief, longing, love. "Hello, my love."
Esme released his hand as understanding passed between them. This was a love that transcended centuries, a bond unbroken despite years apart.
Edwardâs sharp intake of breath signaled what the mind-reader had discovered first. A child. Their child.
The Volturi stirred, whispers spreading like wildfire. Even Aro's usually unreadable face flickered with something akin to shock.
Carlisle took an unsteady step forward, his voice raw. "How�"
Y/N turned her gaze to their son. "Because my gift is life.
Murmurs rippled through the battlefield. Gifts among vampires were knownâtelepathy, pain illusion, elemental controlâbut the ability to create life? It was unfathomable.
Carlisle swallowed hard, his hands trembling as he reached out. "He's⌠ours?"
The boy, standing tall with quiet confidence, nodded. "My name is Lucian."
Carlisle exhaled sharply, his throat tightening. "Lucian," he whispered, testing the name on his tongue.
Y/N stepped closer, eyes soft with emotion. "I've missed you, Carlisle. But I couldn't risk his safety before now."
Esme stepped forward, her warm smile never faltering. "You kept him safe," she said gently, offering no resentment, only understanding.
Emmett let out a low whistle. "Damn, Carlisle. Youâve been holding out on us."
Rosalie elbowed him, but even she looked intrigued, her golden eyes shifting between Y/N and Lucian.
Renesmee, standing between Bella and Edward, tilted her head in curiosity. "You're like me?" she asked, her voice carrying over the tension in the clearing.
Lucian turned toward her, his gaze studying. "Similar, as I am a full vampire created from vampires," he said.
Aro's delighted laughter broke the moment. "Ah, what a fascinating twist! Another child of two worlds, but created through means unknown to even us." His crimson eyes glittered as he leaned forward. "Tell me, dear Y/N, how did you accomplish such a feat?"
Y/Nâs expression hardened. "I won't be your experiment, Aro."
Carlisle felt his heart swell with admiration. The woman he had loved, the mother of his child, had never lost her strength.
Aro chuckled, but it was clear he was intrigued. "Oh, but think of the knowledge you could share with us."
"Not today," Lucian interjected, stepping protectively in front of his mother.
A flicker of something unreadable crossed Aroâs face, and then he turned back to the Cullens. "It seems there is much we do not yet understand. Perhaps... another day, then."
With a wave of his hand, the Volturi began to retreat, the tension dissipating with each measured step.
As the clearing emptied, Carlisle turned back to Y/N, reaching for her hand as if afraid she might vanish again. "Are you staying?"
Y/N smiled, squeezing his fingers. "For as long as you'll have me."
Lucian stepped closer, his golden eyes meeting Carlisleâs with quiet reverence. "And Iâd like to know my father."
Carlisleâs throat tightened with emotion, his heart swelling with a love he never imagined heâd experience.
"You always have a place here," he promised, his voice thick with emotion. "Both of you."
And as the Cullens gathered around their newest family members, the long-lost lovers stood together once more, proving that even in the darkest of times, loveâand lifeâwould always find a way.
And the moment the Volturi vanished beyond the trees, a heavy silence settled over the clearing. The Cullens, still tense from the near battle, slowly began to relax. But for Carlisle, the war raging inside him had only just begun.
Y/N stood before him, real and solid, her hand still in his. And beside her stood their son.
Carlisle had always been measured, always in control, but now? His mind spun with too many emotions to name. He turned to Lucian, his golden eyes searching for answers in the boyâs face.
"How old are you?" His voice was quiet, reverent, as if speaking too loudly might shatter the fragile moment.
Lucian met his gaze with steady confidence. "Two hundred years. But physically, I seem to be about nineteen."
Carlisle exhaled sharply. Two hundred years. He had ached for Y/N all that time, never knowing she carried a part of him with her. His fingers tightened around hers. "You kept him safe all these years."
Y/N nodded, her voice soft. "I had to. The Volturi would have hunted us if they knew."
Edward, who had been silent until now, suddenly spoke. "Heâs like Renesmee, but full vampire." His gaze flickered between Lucian and the young girl still clutching Bellaâs hand.
Lucian smirked slightly. "I assume I don't have to explain how I was born?"
Bella flushed while Emmett let out a loud laugh. "I like this kid already!"
Carlisle swallowed hard, still staring at Lucian. "And your⌠abilities? Do you have any gifts?"
Lucian nodded, but before he could speak, Y/N answered for him. "He has my gift. But stronger."
Aliceâs eyes widened. "Life."
Y/N nodded. "Lucian can manipulate life itselfâhe can heal, nurture, and even grow things in a way I never could."
Jasper, who had been observing quietly, stepped forward. "Thatâs an incredibly powerful ability."
Lucian only shrugged. "It has its uses."
Renesmee stepped forward then, her warm brown eyes curious. "Can I show you something?" She reached out a small hand, palm up, toward Lucian.
Lucian hesitated, then placed his own hand gently against hers. A heartbeat later, his eyes widened. "I see," he murmured, blinking as Renesmeeâs memories played in his mind.
"Neat, huh?" Renesmee grinned.
Lucian chuckled. "It is." He withdrew his hand and turned to Y/N. "Can I show them?"
Y/N hesitated, glancing at Carlisle before nodding. "Just be careful."
Lucian took a slow breath, then lifted his hands. At first, nothing happened. Then, the frozen ground beneath them shifted.
Gasps echoed around the clearing as thin blades of grass and small flowers began to push through the ice-crusted soil. They unfurled, stretching toward the pale sunlight, untouched by winterâs grasp.
Esmeâs hands flew to her mouth. "Thatâs beautiful."
Even Rosalie, who had remained skeptical, took a step forward, her golden eyes widening. "Thatâs impossible."
Lucian smirked. "Apparently not."
Carlisle could only stare. His sonâthe son he never knewâwas extraordinary. But beyond his abilities, beyond his power, Lucian had something even rarer: a heart untouched by cruelty, despite being born into a world of darkness.
Y/N squeezed Carlisleâs hand. "Heâs kind and gentle. Like you."
Carlisle turned to her, overwhelmed with love and gratitude. "You gave me a son," he whispered. "You gave me something I never thought I could have."
Y/Nâs expression softened. "And you gave me something I never thought I could feel again."
Carlisle lifted a hand to her face, brushing his fingers over her cheek. "You never stopped being my heart, Y/N. Even when you were gone."
Jasper cleared his throat loudly, breaking the moment. "Not to ruin the reunion, but maybe we should continue this at home?"
Alice clapped her hands. "Yes! We need to properly welcome them!"
Esme beamed. "Iâll prepare the house."
As they all began to move, Carlisle turned back to Lucian. "Come with me?"
Lucian hesitated, then nodded. "Iâd like that."
And as they walked toward home, for the first time in centuries, Carlisle felt truly complete.
The Cullen house had never felt more alive.
Despite the grandeur of the home, it had always held a quiet stillnessâan elegant solitude that suited their kind. But tonight, with Lucian and Y/N finally home, warmth filled the air in a way even vampires could feel.
Esme flitted around the kitchen, arranging flowers in vases, as if decorating for a celebration. Alice had disappeared upstairs to dig through her extensive wardrobe, already planning outfits for their newest family members.
Carlisle stood in the center of the living room, watching as Lucian took in his surroundings. He had seen much of the world, that much was clear in the way he carried himself. But there was something about this momentâstanding in the house built by his fatherâthat made him pause.
Y/N stepped beside him, her fingers grazing his arm. "Itâs beautiful, Carlisle," she murmured, taking in the warm wooden accents and open windows that let the forest spill inside.
"Itâs home," he said simply, and when he looked at her, she knew he meant for you, too.
Lucian turned then, golden eyes settling on Esme as she approached.
"I hope youâll be comfortable here, Lucian," she said, her voice gentle, maternal.
Lucian hesitated. "Youâre⌠my fatherâs mate?"
Carlisle spoke before Esme could. "Esme and I love each other dearly, but what we share is different from what you might think. She is my family, my greatest friend. But what I had with Y/N⌠it never ended, even after all these years."
Esme smiled warmly. "Iâve always known a part of Carlisle belonged to someone else. Iâm only glad to finally meet her." She turned to Y/N. "Youâve been in his heart all this time. Welcome home."
Y/Nâs throat tightened with emotion, but she nodded. "Thank you, Esme."
A blur of movement, and suddenly Alice was in front of them, practically vibrating with excitement.
"Lucian!" she beamed. "I need to know your entire aesthetic. Do you prefer classic, edgy, or something that screams mysterious supernatural prince?"
Lucian blinked. "I⌠what?"
Emmett laughed from where he lounged on the couch. "Just let her do her thing, kid. You wonât win."
Rosalie, who had been watching quietly, crossed her arms. "You donât have to change anything if you donât want to."
Alice shot her a look. "Itâs just fashion, Rosalie. Besides, I need to update his wardrobe from the early 1900s look heâs probably been stuck with."
Lucian chuckled. "I appreciate the offer, but I assure you, Iâve kept up with modern styles."
Jasper, standing beside Alice, finally spoke. "Your emotions are surprisingly calm for someone in your position." His sharp gaze studied Lucian carefully. "No fear. No resentment. Just⌠curiosity."
Lucian tilted his head slightly. "Should I be afraid?"
Jasper smirked. "Most people are when they meet Alice."
Alice rolled her eyes. "I am a delight."
Carlisle watched the exchange, his chest tightening with something unfamiliarâpride. Lucian had been raised well. He was strong, confident, and met every challenge with quiet intelligence.
Y/N leaned into him, her voice barely above a whisper. "I always told him about you."
Carlisle turned to her, his hand instinctively finding hers. "And what did you say?"
Y/N smiled, a faraway look in her eyes. "That you were the kindest man Iâd ever met. That you had a heart bigger than eternity itself. That if the world had more people like you, it would be a far better place."
Carlisleâs throat tightened. "I should have searched harder for you."
Y/N shook her head. "No. The timing had to be right. And now weâre here." She squeezed his fingers. "All of us."
Before he could respond, a small voice broke through the moment.
"Lucian, do you like music?"
Renesmee stood before them, curiosity shining in her brown eyes.
Lucian smiled slightly. "I do."
Her entire face lit up. "Edward plays piano. And I like to sing. Maybe you can play something with us?"
Edward, who had been quiet until now, raised an eyebrow. "Do you play?"
Lucian shrugged. "A little."
Emmett grinned. "We definitely need to see this."
Edward gestured toward the grand piano in the corner. "By all means."
Lucian glanced at Y/N, who gave an encouraging nod, then moved toward the instrument. He ran his fingers over the ivory keys before pressing down, letting a single note ring through the space. Then another. And another.
Slowly, a melody began to form. It was soft, almost hesitant, but undeniably beautiful.
Carlisle felt a shiver run through him. He knew this song.
It was an old pieceâa melody he had composed for Y/N centuries ago.
The room fell silent as Lucian played, each note weaving through the air like a memory reborn.
When he finally finished, Lucian turned to Carlisle. "You wrote that, didnât you?"
Carlisle nodded, his voice thick. "Yes."
Lucian smirked. "I used to hear her hum it when she thought I was away in my room for the night."
Y/N laughed softly. "Betrayed by my own son."
Carlisle couldnât stop himself any longer. He closed the space between them, pulling Y/N into his arms. She melted against him, her familiar scent wrapping around him like a forgotten dream.
"Youâre home," he whispered against her hair.
Y/N held him tighter. "Yes," she breathed. "And Iâm never leaving again."
Lucian, watching his parents reunite, smiled softly.
For the first time in his life, he knew what home truly meant.
I hope you enjoyed this as much as I did writing it.
If anyone else has any requests please feel free to ask.
Masterlist
The Truth Shines Throughâ¨
PadmĂŠ Amidala Ă Twin!Sister!Reader Ă Anakin Skywalker
A/N: In this Emma and the galaxy doesn't know that Anakin is Darth Vader. The only people that knew were PadmĂŠ (obviously) and Obi Wan, and Anakin was never burned.
TW: Mentions of death and killing
Emma stood motionless before the cold, unyielding statue of PadmĂŠ Amidala Naberrie, her trembling fingers brushing the smooth stone. The figure lay serene, as though merely in a deep slumber, her hands resting protectively over her rounded belly. To the untrained eye, it appeared a symbol of peace, but to those who had attended her funeral on that storm-laden day, it was a monument to tragedyâhonoring a queen, a senator, a sister, and a woman who had fought for hope even as the galaxy crumbled around her.
The wind whispered through the garden, carrying the scent of rain-soaked grass. Emmaâs breath hitched as she stared at the lifeless eyes of the statue, her heart weighed down by the unrelenting tide of guilt. Her Jedi robes hung heavily, soaked from her aimless wandering through the drenched paths of Naboo. But the rain was a distant sensation, unimportant in the face of the storm raging within.
Her voice, when it finally emerged, was fragile, barely a whisper. "Ever since we were kids, all I ever wanted was to protect you." Her fingers curled into trembling fists at her sides, nails biting into her palms. "But I failed. I wasnât there when you needed me the most. I wasnât there to save you⌠or Ani⌠or your baby."
Her voice broke, and she squeezed her eyes shut, fighting the wave of emotion that threatened to engulf her. The words felt hollow, almost meaningless, against the overwhelming silence of the garden. Her knees buckled, and she knelt before the statue, her head bowed in anguish. "I thought we had more time," she whispered, her tears mingling with the rain. "I thought Iâd have more chances to fix everything. To be there for you. To protect you, like I promised."
She looked up at the statue, her voice trembling with both sorrow and confusion. "Ani was supposed to keep you safe. He promised me that, PadmĂŠ. He swore to me heâd always protect you. And yet⌠now heâs gone too. He died fighting that monster, Vader. He fought to save you, to save your child, and heâ" Her voice cracked, and she pressed her forehead to the base of the statue, her tears soaking into the stone. "He died a hero, and I wasnât there to fight beside him. I wasnât there to stop Vader from taking everything."
The words twisted inside her, and a shadow of bitterness seeped into her tone. "Vader." She spat the name like a curse, her voice turning cold, her grief mingling with simmering anger. "That monster took everything. He took Ani from us, PadmĂŠ. He took you. He took the future you fought so hard to protect." Her shoulders shook as she clenched her teeth, fury and despair battling for control. "I should have been there to stop him. To save you both. But I wasnât. I failed."
The garden fell silent again, the rain the only sound as Emmaâs whispers grew softer, raw with vulnerability. "You always believed in me, PadmĂŠ. You always said I was strong. But Iâm not. I couldnât protect you. I couldnât protect Ani. I couldnât even protect your child." Her breath hitched, and she buried her face in her hands, her tears pouring freely now. "Iâm just a Jedi who was too late to save anyone."
She stayed there, kneeling in the rain, her grief spilling out into the quiet garden. The statue loomed above her, a silent testament to all that had been lost. Emmaâs heart felt like it might shatter beneath the weight of her sorrow. She didnât know how long she stayed there, whispering apologies and broken promises to the sister she had loved and lost. All she knew was the gaping hole left behind by the ones she couldnât save.
The rain began to lighten, the steady downpour turning into a gentle drizzle. Yet Emma didnât move. She remained there, kneeling in the damp grass, her hands resting limply on her lap. The ache in her chest refused to subside, and her mind replayed the memories she wished she could forget.
She remembered PadmĂŠâs radiant smile the day she was crowned Queen of Naboo, a moment of pride tempered with a lingering sadness that her sisterâs life had changed forever. She remembered the hurried, whispered conversations in hidden corners when PadmĂŠ became a senator, their stolen moments so fleeting. And she remembered the way PadmĂŠâs face lit up when she spoke of Anakinâof the love they shared and the hope he gave her, even when the galaxy seemed to teeter on the edge of darkness.
But those memories were now tainted, overshadowed by the horror of what had happened. Emma could still hear the whispers of the Council, the rumors that had spread after the fall of the Republic. They spoke of Anakinâs death, of his final stand against Darth Vader, a Sith Lord who had emerged like a shadow to destroy everything in his path.
Anakin died a hero, they had said. A warrior who had tried to protect the galaxy from the Sithâs wrath. But no matter how noble his death seemed in the retellings, it did nothing to ease the pain in Emmaâs heart.
She lifted her head slightly, her fingers brushing against the rain-soaked grass. "You must have been so scared, PadmĂŠ," she murmured. "And Ani⌠he must have fought with everything he had to save you. To save your baby." Her voice quivered as she spoke, and a fresh wave of tears blurred her vision. "If I had been there⌠if I had just arrived sooner, maybe I couldâve helped. Maybe I couldâve stopped Vader before it was too late."
Emma tilted her head back, staring up at the gray sky. The storm clouds mirrored the turmoil within her, swirling and shifting but never breaking apart. "I donât even know if it matters anymore," she whispered, her voice barely audible. "Youâre gone. Heâs gone. The Republic is gone." She exhaled shakily, her breath visible in the cold air. "And I donât know how to fix whatâs left."
For a moment, she let her thoughts drift, her mind clinging to the fragile hope that maybe, just maybe, something of Anakin still lingeredâhis kindness, his strength, the love he had shared with her sister. But the thought was fleeting, drowned out by the bitter truth.
As she knelt there, a sudden sound broke through the quietâa soft rustling in the garden behind her. Emma tensed, her Jedi instincts sharpening as she rose to her feet, her hand instinctively reaching for the hilt of her lightsaber.
"Whoâs there?" she called out, her voice steady despite the storm raging inside her.
From the shadows of the trees, a cloaked figure emerged, their presence quiet but unmistakable. Emmaâs heart leapt to her throat as she tried to make out their features, the dim light of the setting sun casting long shadows across their face.
"Emma," the figure said softly, their voice low and unfamiliar. "Youâve come home at last."
Emmaâs grip on her lightsaber tightened, her eyes narrowing. "Who are you? What do you want?"
The figure stepped closer, their movements slow and deliberate. "Iâve come to pay my respects," they said, their gaze drifting toward the statue of PadmĂŠ. "To honor the sacrifices that were made⌠and to remind you that not all is lost."
Emmaâs heart pounded as she took a step back, her mind racing with questions. "What do you mean?" she demanded. "Who are you talking about? What arenât you telling me?"
The figure hesitated, their expression unreadable beneath the shadow of their hood. "Sometimes, the truth is not what it seems," they said cryptically. "And sometimes, those we mourn are closer than we realize."
Before Emma could respond, the figure turned and began to walk away, their form fading into the mist that had settled over the garden.
"Wait!" Emma called after them, her voice tinged with desperation. She took a step forward, but the figure was already gone, leaving her alone once more.
Her mind raced, the strangerâs words echoing in her ears. Could it be possible that Anakinâs story wasnât as simple as the Council had claimed? That somewhere, buried beneath the weight of loss and betrayal, a sliver of hope remained?
Emma turned back to the statue, her fingers brushing its stone surface once more. "I donât know what to believe anymore, PadmĂŠ," she whispered. "But if thereâs even a chanceâŚ"
Her voice trailed off as she straightened, a new resolve forming within her. The path ahead was uncertain, shrouded in shadows and questions. But for the first time in what felt like an eternity, Emma felt the faintest flicker of purpose.
If there was still somethingâor someoneâworth saving, she would find them. She owed that much to PadmĂŠ. To Anakin. To herself.
The rain had stopped by the time Emma left the garden, her steps slow and hesitant as she followed the path back toward the Naboo palace. The strangerâs cryptic words lingered in her mind, a puzzle she couldnât piece together.
"Sometimes, the truth is not what it seems."
What did they mean? How could Anakin be closer than she realized? He was deadâkilled by the Sith Lord Vader. The Council had been clear about that. Yet, something about the strangerâs tone unsettled her. It wasnât just what they said; it was how they said it, as though they knew something she didnât.
The wind brushed against her damp robes, carrying with it a strange, almost tangible feeling of unease. She paused at the edge of the garden, her senses tingling as though the Force itself was trying to warn her.
"Emma."
Her name, spoken softly but with unmistakable familiarity, froze her in place. She turned slowly, her hand instinctively reaching for her lightsaber. A figure stood in the shadows of the trees, partially hidden but unmistakably there. The voice wasnât the strangerâsâit was deeper, steadier, and heartbreakingly familiar.
"Whoâs there?" she asked, her voice firm despite the tightness in her chest.
The figure stepped forward, the moonlight illuminating their face. Emmaâs breath caught in her throat, her heart slamming against her ribs.
"Anakin?" she whispered, her voice barely audible.
The man standing before her looked exactly as she remembered himâstrong, confident, and whole. There were no scars, no signs of injury, none of the burns the Council had described. His dark Jedi robes swayed lightly in the breeze, and his piercing yellow sith eyes locked onto hers with an intensity that made her knees weaken.
But something was wrong.
Emmaâs hand remained on her lightsaber hilt, her instincts screaming at her even as her heart begged her to believe what she was seeing. "It canât be you," she said, her voice trembling. "Youâre⌠youâre supposed to be dead."
Anakin tilted his head slightly, a faint smile playing on his lips. "Thatâs what they told you, isnât it?" he said, his tone calm but tinged with something she couldnât quite place. "That I died fighting Darth Vader."
Emmaâs breath quickened, her fingers tightening around the hilt of her weapon. "You did," she said, her voice firmer now. "The Councilâ"
"The Council lied," Anakin interrupted, his voice cold as the faint smile vanished. He took a step closer, and Emma instinctively stepped back, her lightsaber igniting with a sharp hiss.
"Stay where you are," she warned, the blue blade casting a faint glow across her face.
Anakin stopped, his expression unreadable. "You donât need that, Emma," he said, his voice softening. "Iâm not your enemy."
Emmaâs heart twisted painfully at his words. She wanted to believe him, wanted to believe that her brother-in-lawâthe man she had admired and loved from afarâwas standing before her, whole and unbroken. But the Force whispered warnings she couldnât ignore, an undercurrent of darkness that surrounded him like a shroud.
"If youâre not my enemy," she said cautiously, her voice trembling, "then tell me the truth. How are you alive? And where have you been all this time?"
Anakinâs eyes flickered with somethingâpain, regret, or perhaps something darker. "Iâve been searching," he said simply. "For answers. For power. For a way to bring PadmĂŠ back."
Emmaâs stomach churned at his words. "PadmĂŠâs gone," she said, her voice breaking. "You canât bring her back, Ani. You have to let her go."
His jaw tightened, and for a moment, the man she remembered seemed to crack, revealing something far colder beneath. "You donât understand," he said, his voice sharp. "I could have saved her, Emma. I was so close, but they took her from me. He took her from me."
"Darth Vader," Emma said bitterly, her blade steady between them.
Anakinâs gaze darkened, a flicker of something sinister flashing across his features. "Darth Vader is what they call me now," he said, his voice dropping to a chilling whisper.
The world seemed to tilt, the air sucked from Emmaâs lungs as the realization hit her. Her lightsaber wavered in her hand, the glow reflecting the horror in her wide eyes. "No," she whispered, shaking her head. "Thatâs not true. Thatâs not possible."
AnakinâVaderâtook another step forward, his voice gentle but unyielding. "It is true, Emma. I am Darth Vader. I always have been."
Emma stumbled back, her blade faltering as her mind raced to process the truth. The man she had loved, the man her sister had trusted with her life, wasnât dead. He wasnât a victim of Darth Vader. He was Darth Vader.
Tears streamed down her face as she struggled to find her voice. "You⌠you lied to us," she said, her voice shaking with both anger and heartbreak. "You betrayed her. You betrayed me."
Anakinâs expression softened, a glimmer of the man he used to be breaking through. "I did it for her," he said, his voice almost pleading. "For PadmĂŠ. For our child. Donât you see, Emma? Everything Iâve done was for them."
"Then why are they gone?" she snapped, her lightsaber flaring brighter. "If you were trying to save them, why did they die?"
Anakinâs face twisted in anguish, and for a moment, he looked as though he might shatter under the weight of her words. But when he spoke again, his voice was calm, resolute.
"They didnât have to die," he said. "If you join me, Emma, we can fix everything. We can bring them back. We can bring balance to the galaxy together."
Emmaâs grip on her lightsaber tightened, her tears blurring her vision. "Youâre not the man I loved," she said, her voice trembling. "Youâre not Anakin Skywalker. Youâre just⌠a shadow of what he used to be."
Anakinâs eyes narrowed, his expression hardening. "Then you leave me no choice," he said coldly.
The garden fell silent as Emma raised her blade, her heart breaking with every passing second. She had failed to protect PadmĂŠ, Anakin, and their child. And now, she would have to face the man she once lovedâthe man who had become her greatest enemy.
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A New Path â¨đ
Anakin Skywalker Ă Reader
The underworld of Coruscant was a labyrinth of despair. Years ago, this world had thrived with commerce and culture, its towers reaching high into the heavens. Now, the planetâs once-vibrant glow was reduced to a sickly, artificial gleam. Stormtroopers prowled the streets like predators, scanning for any signs of resistance. In the shadows of this dystopian city, a hooded figure darted through the alleys, her breath shallow but steady.
Emmalia Nova Amidala had spent five long years in hiding, a ghost among the ruins of the galaxy she once fought to protect. The Jedi were gone. Her twin sister, PadmĂŠ, was dead. And the man she had once admired, maybe even loved, had betrayed everything.
Her heart twisted as she recalled his name. Anakin Skywalker.
The betrayal stung more deeply than she cared to admit. He was her sisterâs great love, but Emma had always felt the pull of something moreâa forbidden connection neither of them had dared to name. It had been buried beneath duty and loyalty to PadmĂŠ, but now that she was gone, the truth lingered in Emmaâs heart like a ghost.
---
Blaster fire ripped through the air, illuminating the dark alleys. Emma skidded to a halt, ducking behind a crumbling wall as a squad of clones stormed past. Their white armor gleamed in the dim light, their movements precise and relentless.
âShe went this way!â a voice barked.
Emmaâs fingers brushed the hilt of her lightsaber, but she didnât ignite it. The weapon felt foreign in her hands now, a relic of a life that no longer existed. She couldnât risk drawing more attention to herself.
She pressed her back against the wall, her breathing shallow. The sound of boots pounding against durasteel echoed closer.
âCome on, Emma,â she whispered to herself. âThink.â
A roar overhead made her glance skyward. A sleek Imperial shuttle screamed through the air, its searchlights scanning the ground below. The beams passed dangerously close to her hiding spot, and Emma clenched her jaw, forcing herself to remain still.
As soon as the lights moved on, she bolted. Her cloak whipped behind her as she sprinted through the labyrinthine streets. But no matter how fast she ran, the clones were faster.
She rounded a corner and skidded to a stop, her heart plummeting. A squad of stormtroopers blocked her path, their blasters aimed directly at her chest.
âHalt!â one of them ordered. âYouâre under arrest, by order of the Emperor."
Emma raised her hands slowly, her hood concealing her face. She tried to think of an escape, but the odds were stacked too high.
One of the troopers approached, yanking her hood back to reveal her face. There was a moment of stunned silence as they recognized her.
âBy the stars... itâs her,â the trooper muttered.
âWho?â another asked.
âThe twin sister of the late Queen Amidala,â the first replied. âThis oneâs valuable.â
Emmaâs stomach twisted. Valuable to whom?
---
The shuttle ride was eerily silent, save for the hum of the engines. Emma sat rigid, her hands bound in electro-cuffs. Her captors exchanged only brief words, and none of them answered her questions.
Her mind raced as the shuttle docked within the Empireâs most infamous weaponâthe Death Star. The air was colder here, heavy with an unnatural weight. The troopers shoved her forward, leading her through the sterile halls of the station.
âWhere are you taking me?â she demanded, though her voice betrayed a slight tremor.
âSilence,â one of the troopers snapped.
The doors to a grand chamber slid open, revealing a figure clad in flowing black robes. He stood with his back to her, his presence commanding and suffocating.
âEmperor Vader,â one of the troopers announced. âWe found her on Coruscant.â
Emma froze. Vader? The name sent a chill down her spine. This was the man who had destroyed the Jedi, the monster who now ruled the galaxy.
âLeave us,â Vader commanded, his voice smooth and cold.
The troopers hesitated for only a moment before obeying, leaving Emma alone with the Emperor.
âYouâve done well to survive this long, Emmalia,â Vader said, his tone almost... familiar.
Emma stiffened. âHow do you know my name?â
Vader turned to face her, and her breath caught. He wasnât the disfigured monster she had imagined. His face was unscarred, his piercing yellow eyes burning with a strange intensity but yet familiarity. He looked likeâ
Her heart stopped.
âAnakin?â she whispered.
Vaderâs lips twitched into a faint, humorless smile. âAnakin Skywalker is dead,â he said, stepping closer. âThe galaxy knows me only as Emperor Vader.â
âNo...â Emma shook her head, stumbling back. âThis canât be.â
âYou were lied to,â Vader said, his voice low and venomous. âThe Jedi told you I was dead to protect their secrets. To keep you from the truth.â
Emmaâs chest heaved. She couldnât reconcile the man standing before her with the friend she had once known, the man who had shared stolen glances and whispered words that had lingered far too long in her mind.
âYou betrayed us,â she spat. âYou betrayed PadmĂŠ.â
Vader flinched, just barely, but it was enough for Emma to notice. âI loved her,â he said, his voice darkening. âAnd she died because of the Jediâs lies. Just as you nearly did.â
Emmaâs hands curled into fists. âYou killed her. You killed all of us.â
âI saved the galaxy,â Vader countered, his voice rising. âAnd I can save you too, Emma. Join me.â
Emma recoiled, her heart pounding. âYouâre insane.â
Vaderâs expression hardened. âYouâre blinded by the past, clinging to a broken Order. But I see your strength, Emma. I always have. Together, we can restore balance.â
âPadmĂŠ believed in democracy, in freedom,â Emma said fiercely. âShe would have hated what youâve become.â
For a moment, something flickered in Vaderâs eyesâpain, perhapsâbut it was gone as quickly as it came.
âTake her to the holding cells,â he said coldly, turning away.
As stormtroopers dragged Emma from the chamber, her mind raced. The man she had once loved was alive, but he was no longer the Anakin she had known.
And now, trapped in the Empireâs clutches, she had to find a way to fight back.
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He's Back âĄď¸đ
Savitar Ă Fem!Reader
The past two years had been a blur for Y/N. After losing Savitar, her world had lost its color, its vibrancy. She had felt herself drifting in and out of reality, her thoughts consumed by memories of him. Savitar had saved her life, quite literally. The memory of that day was seared into her mindâhow she had been cornered by a rogue meta, her life flashing before her eyes as she braced herself for the end. But then, he appeared, his presence dark and powerful, like an avenging angel. He had taken down the meta with ease and, in doing so, he had taken her heart too.
Yet, despite his heroism in that moment, Savitar had been feared by many. He was a paradoxâpart hero, part villainâand in the end, he had met his fate in the woods just outside Central City. Barry had been there, fighting to stop him, and Iris... Iris had been the one to end it all with a bullet to Savitar's back. It was supposed to be the end of everything, a return to normalcy. But for Y/N, it was just the beginning of a long, painful mourning.
She hadnât spoken much since that day. Words seemed too trivial to convey the depth of her sorrow, the complexity of her grief. Her friends at S.T.A.R. Labs understood, at least on the surface. They gave her space, knowing she had been closer to Savitar than anyone elseâcloser, even, than Caitlin, who had been under Killer Frostâs influence during much of that time and could barely remember their interactions. But nothing could fill the void Savitar had left behind. She was taking it better than anyone had expected, but that didn't mean she was okay.
Her life became a series of mechanical motions: work, eat, sleep, repeat. But then, one day, everything changed. A new meta, more dangerous than any they had faced before, broke into S.T.A.R. Labs. The team was caught off guard, unable to fight back after being quickly captured. Y/N had been alone in the lab, separated from the others, when the meta found her. Fear gripped her heart as she backed away, but there was nowhere to run. She was about to meet the same fate she had narrowly escaped two years ago.
Just as the meta raised a hand to strike, time itself seemed to halt. Y/N blinked, her breath catching in her throat as she tried to comprehend what was happening. The air around her felt thick, almost heavy, as if the very fabric of reality had been torn open. And then, out of nowhere, the meta crumpled to the ground, unconscious.
She was frozen in place, eyes wide, as a familiar figure stepped into view. Savitar stood before her, his expression a mix of concern and relief. His armor glinted under the fluorescent lights of the lab, but it was his eyes that held her attention. They were softer than she remembered, less consumed by rage and more... human.
âY/N,â he said, his voice rich and resonant, cutting through the silence like a beacon.
Her heart skipped a beat, and for a moment, she wondered if she was dreaming. But no, he was real. He was here, right in front of her, alive.
âSavitar?â Her voice was barely a whisper, her mind struggling to catch up with what her eyes were seeing.
He stepped closer, reaching out to gently touch her cheek. The warmth of his hand was the confirmation she neededâthis was real. He was real.
âHow... how are you here?â she asked, her voice trembling with a mix of shock and overwhelming emotion. âI saw you... you died.â
âI did,â Savitar admitted, his gaze searching hers. âBut Iâve found my way back.â
She didnât know what to say, how to process any of this. All she could do was look at him, her mind racing with a thousand questions. Why was he here? How had he come back? Was he still the same Savitar who had been hell-bent on destroying Barry and Iris?
Sensing her confusion, he took a step back, giving her the space she needed. âIâm not here to hurt anyone, Y/N,â he explained, his tone gentle. âIâm not the same man I was before. When I died, something changed. I spent what felt like an eternity in a place between life and death, reflecting on everything Iâd done, everything Iâd lost. I realized that all the pain and anger... it was consuming me, driving me to do things I wasnât proud of.â
He paused, his eyes full of sincerity. âBut now, Iâve been given a second chance, and all I want... is to spend it with you.â
Her breath caught in her throat, tears welling up in her eyes. For so long, she had mourned him, had missed him more than she could ever express. And now, here he was, offering her the one thing she had never thought possibleâa future together.
âSavitar...â She stepped closer to him, her hand trembling as she reached out to touch his. âI donât understand how this is possible, but... I missed you. I missed you so much.â
He pulled her into a tight embrace, holding her as if he never wanted to let go. âI missed you too, Y/N. More than youâll ever know. And I promise, Iâm not going anywhere this time. Iâm here, and Iâm staying. No more fighting, no more darkness. Just us.â
As she rested her head against his chest, listening to the steady beat of his heart, Y/N felt a sense of peace she hadnât felt in years. The past was behind them, and whatever lay ahead, they would face it together. Savitar had returned not as the man of vengeance she had once known, but as someone who wanted to build a life with her, free from the shadows of their past.
For the first time in a long time, Y/N felt hope. The road ahead wouldnât be easy, but with Savitar by her side, she knew they could face anything. Together, they would carve out a new beginning, one where love triumphed over all.
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