wanting to write a daryl dixon x ellie williams! twin where it’s like, aged up obviously post jackson, they’re immune as well and traveled to the east coast while ellie stayed in jackson with joel (BC NOTHING BAD HAPPENS TO JOEL EVER.), and just being like “oh yeah there’s clickers where i’m from, bloaters, spores-“ and everyone else is like “w h a t do you m e a n”
maybe they switched worlds at one point or something idk
or incorporate tlou zombies into twd as post time skip “evolutions” maybe???
Summery: Reader is moved into the Iron squad and can't help but hear both Ridoc and Sawyer's constant flow of admirational thoughts about... her. Some of them are not family friendly. She gets sick of hearing about it and unintentionally demands they act on them.
A/n: Reader is unaware of Xaden's secret. Set during the events of Fourth Wing
Warnings: Swearing, Dain bashing (Remember, this is during fw when he was a dick), terribly written fight scene, Iron Flame spoilers, slightly canon divergent, biting, ambiguous ending, unedited, piv, anal
Dividers by: @empyreanevents
Word count: 6.3k
I can't take it anymore. They are actually driving me insane.
It was cute at first. Sweet. And sometimes a bit funny. A welcome distraction from everything going on in the quadrant. But once I joined their squad, it became. Way. Too. Much.
Before, it was every other class, and maybe sometimes when we crossed each other in the halls that Ridoc's thoughts would invade my brain space. They were loud and I'm pretty sure that even if I could control my inntinnsic abilities, it would still be impossible to ignore. His thoughts bully their way into my head no matter what I do.
But it was fine, I didn't mind. Ridoc was funny and being in his head was, for the most part, quite pleasant. It was easier to focus on one person's mental traffic than it was to block out everyone else's. It was especially easy to focus on Ridoc's, purely because of how loud and obstreperous it was.
This however, was just... overwhelming. It was no longer 'every now and then' it was Every. Single. Day. Obviously, being in his squad meant we shared all our lessons. To make matters worse, that also means I share every lesson with Violet AND Sawyer. I quickly learned that while Sawyer is quiet, he has a sharp tongue that is politely kept under wraps. It doesn't help that he seems to share Ridoc's sentiments about me, even if they are quieter.
Violet makes it onto the list of annoyances, not because of who she is, but because her thoughts are a whirlwind. This woman thinks at a hundred miles a minute and if I get caught in the currants, it's easy to be pulled under. What happens when you get pulled under, I don't know, and I don't intend to find out.
But, she's not too bad. Her mind is unobstructive. It's not that her thoughts are meek, they're just... easy to step around, if that makes sense.
The absolute worst part about being on Violet's squad, is that Xaden is constantly popping up. I know, I know. I'm a marked one, he sacrificed a bunch for us, I should be grateful, blah blah blah. And I am, don't get me wrong, but he scares the shit out of me, and I've so far done an excellent job of avoiding that man like the plague. If I really need to get word to him, I will talk to his cousin, or Garrick, thank you very much. (Not Imogen. She also scares me.) That becomes really hard when he is now everywhere Violet is. I know that's an exaggeration, but still.
But that's not my biggest problem. Violet? Fine. Xaden? My abrupt and shit excuses to be anywhere he isn't gets me weird looks, but it's manageable. Ridoc and Sawyer on the other hand? I am one stray hair from throwing myself off the parapet.
At this point, it's more distracting than just letting everyone's thoughts clamour over each other in my head.
For example, we were taking a test the other day. I had made the grievous mistake of sitting in front of the two boys and it was just a constant stream of me. You can't be telling me that you think my hair is absolutely gorgeous, and that you bet it would be so soft and nice to play with. Like, what do you mean you're certain I'd look amazing kneeling for you and begging? I'm not about to disagree with you, but could you not think about it during our physics pop quiz? I'm trying to calculate the specific heat capacity of dragon scales over here.
Now, you might be thinking, 'Why not tune into Sawyer's thoughts or anyone else's?'
Great question! Allow me to explain, Sawyer, is a 45/45/10 gamble. 45 percent chance he's thinking: 'I want to brush her hair back and kiss her forehead', another 45 percent chance of: 'I want to bend her over the desk and use her hair as a handle', —there is no in between— and a 10 percent chance of: 'Oh, I know this formula'
Not good odds. As for someone else, my telepathic abilities only reach so far and I did not trust the theoretical physics knowledge of the people who sat around me. It is safe to say, that was the last time I ever sat in front of Ridoc and Sawyer. Never. Again. I'm pretty sure I failed that test because not even 5 minutes past, and I was in desperate need of a cold shower.
I would really love to go one day without feeling an incessant need to take care of myself at the end of every lesson. If it's not Ridoc, it's Sawyer, and vice versa. One thing I learnt very quickly in the first few days of my signet manifesting, is that any thoughts people have about you present louder than any others.
I need to change squads direly, and I am about a hairs breadth away from murdering half of another squad just for the slightest chance to make it happen. Or I could ask Garrick if he could do anything, but that conversation would get very messy, very quickly. No one knows I'm an inntinnsic, not even another marked one. We have to do some illegal shit to get by, but this? This is another level.
I just hope that my second signet presents soon like my dragon says it will, because the length of time I've gone with no signs of signet manifestation and yet simultaneously no signs of spontaneous combustion either is starting to raise some eyebrows. Especially with the other marked ones.
'You know you are missing the most simple solution with you're boy problem, right?'
I'm not going to bed them, I insist for the umpteenth time. It is not the first instance my green scorpion tail, Nyalahrahck (Nyla for short), and I have had this argument.
'Why not? You want it, they want it, either of them would be a fine choice for some release. It's one night, not marriage.'
It's not about that. It's the principal of it
'You know what I like the principal of? Not having a rider so riddled with need that she falls off mid-flight'
That happened one time!
'Yes, and that is one too many'
She blocks any attempt I may have had as a come back, leaving me to stew in my thoughts. For most people, this would be a bad thing, but here, in my dorm, is the one place where I can actually hear myself think, and I revel in it.
All five seconds of it.
*knock knock knock*
What now?
I reluctantly get up to check who it is. Classes are done for the day, and the marked one meeting isn't for another four-ish hours.
Opening my door reveals Violet and Rhiannon standing there.
"Hello?" I ask, it's not in an unkind way, we're just not very close. I was only added into their squad under a month ago, so it could still change.
"Hi Y/n. We have an impromptu training session, Aetos's orders. Sorry," Violet says, grimacing.
I give her a tight-lipped smile in return. I think she's figured out I hold my alone time close to my heart, and she respects that, which I appreciate, "Not your fault, just give me a moment. You guys can go on so long if you want, I'll be there in a bit"
They nod and I close my door again to quickly get ready. I grab a few daggers and braid my hair then pin it firmly into a bun. When I walk out, they are still there waiting for me. I can't help but smile a little at them. It's a shame that I'll need to find a way to switch squads. I'm really starting to like them.
When we all get to the training room, the rest of the squad is already there. Sawyer and Ridoc are sparing while Aetos takes mental notes, and Liam looks extremely concentrated on the match, but he's actually thinking about the meeting tonight.
Just as we enter, Sawyer pins Ridoc, and he yields.
"Nice one Sawyer!" Rhiannon comments. He nods his head in thanks before helping his sparing partner off the ground.
"Perfect," Aetos starts, "Sawyer with Rhiannon, Liam with Y/n, and Ridoc with Violet"
No hello? No 'sorry, I know it's late and this is completely unexpected, but I think that the squad could benefit from some extra training', nothing? Asshole.
We all move to a mat nonetheless. I face down Liam, staring into his eyes, trying to get a read on his next move. You'd think being a mind reader would make that easy, but Liam's been training for a while, so his moves are pretty much second nature to him. He is almost always thinking about anything other than the fight at hand unless he's facing a second or third year. It makes it even more difficult to fight him.
What was on his mind during today's sparing match was my least favourite topic: "Why has Y/n not manifested her signet yet?"
The concern is sweet, but the thoughts themselves gives me anxiety. How long can I keep this up? When are they going to find out? Who will figure it out first, the marked ones, or the other riders? What happens to me when they do?
Liam strikes first, feigning a hit to my right and quickly redirecting to my left. I duck, and using his direction of motion to my advantage, I grab his arm, and pull him forward. It only sets him off balance for a second, but that's all I need.
I kick at the back of his knees, the small hiss of pain as they hit the mat does admittedly bring about a wave of satisfaction, but the feeling is soon erased. Liam is back on his feet in an instant, guard up as he circles me.
Light shining in from the window skews my vision, exactly what he planned, I should have seen it. He chooses that moment to throw a strong punch to my kidney. I barely get away fast enough, the air around his fist moving with the force. My heart is racing, and in a lapse of attention, I miss his non-dominant hand coming toward me.
Liam lands the blow to the bottom of my jaw, it hurts like a bitch, as well as knocking me down onto my back. In a moment fueled by pure adrenaline and luck, I manage to hook my foot around his leg and yank, hard, so he too comes toppling down. Admittedly not the best choice of action, as he almost fell on top of me.
The second his back hits the mat, I'm on him, pressing my forearm to his throat despite the spots still dancing in my vision from the previous impact. He bucks his hips to get me off, but the dragon riding must help because his efforts are futile. After a few more seconds slip by with no change in odds, he taps out.
I get off and help him up. He gives me one of his smiles, but he is still worrying about when I'll manifest. To be honest, so am I.
Sparring rotates until we have all gone up against each squad member. Twice. The urge to smack Aetos upside the head is strong, but the urge to not have cleaning duty is stronger.
Our Squad Leader finally calls it a night, and I was just about to go straight to my dorm and collapse into my bed before Dain asks me to clean up.
Should've smacked him
The rest of the squad leaves. All accept for Ridoc and Sawyer.
"You guys really don't have to help me"
"We know," Ridoc replies.
"But we want to," Sawyer finishes for him.
I decide I'm too tired to argue, and let them help me wipe down the mats to put them away.
Unfortunately, in the silence their thoughts invade my head way too easily. They're filled with their fawning over my fighting style, and I swear it's like they share a brain, because they both obsess sullenly over how Liam got to be under me, and how good his view must have been. It all becomes too much, too fast.
"Oh my gods, will one of you please just fuck me!" I freeze instantly. There is no way I just said those words. I slap my hands over my mouth, eyes wide.
Sawyer just looks guilty, a light pink dusting his cheeks. Ridoc on the other hand, smiles from his inconvenient position by the door.
"What was that, sweetheart?"
"Nothing," I squeak, rushing to put the last mat away and get out the hell out of this room, away from them so I can ridicule myself in private.
'That's certainly one way to get them into bed with you'
Shut up!
Ridoc catches my arm before I can bolt out, pulling me in and pinning me to his chest.
"Did you say you wanted one of us to be your bed mates? Getting lonely in your dorm, hmm?"
"I-"
"How about both of us?" Ridoc has a salacious smile painted across his face while I stand there short circuiting because what the hell did he just offer me?
He scans Sawyer who, despite his blush deepening, looks very much intrigued. Ridoc's rich brown eyes dart back to me once he's sure he's got Sawyer's interest and consent.
"Well?"
My gaze bounces between the two, unsure if this is even real. This is a dream. It has to be.
"Yes? Or no?" he drawls, head tilting from one side to the other. It's like he's taunting me, and it shouldn't be hot, but it is. I can already feel the slick gathering between my legs.
My heart is beating faster than it was during sparring. They can't be serious, they just can't be.
"You're joking," I say, but it sounds more like I'm trying to convince them —and myself— more than an actual statement.
"We're not," I almost jump out of my skin at the sound of Sawyer's voice so close. I was too distracted by Ridoc to notice the other rider had gotten right behind me.
I stare up at Ridoc, my chest heaving as if I'd just run a marathon.
"I- Yes. I want—," I gulp, "I want both of you."
He wastes no time, lifting me over his shoulder and eating up the distance from here to Amari knows where in long strides, Sawyer hot on his heels.
"Whose room are we going to?" the older boy questions.
"No one's"
It takes me a while to notice we're on the second year floor. I don't get the opportunity to say anything before I'm whisked inside a random dorm, and the door is shut behind Sawyer, leaving us in darkness.
One of them activates a mage light, casting a warm glow over the room.
"Whose dorm is this?" I ask.
"Like I told Sawyer, no one's"
Oh. It was someone's, but said someone died, and all their stuff has since been cleared out. I try not to think about it. It's kind of a mood killer.
The breath is knocked out of me as I'm basically tossed onto the bed. Ridoc practically leaps into action, kissing up my neck, caressing my sides while simultaneously —albeit very slowly— undoing our leathers.
My hands find his chest, frantically scrabbling for anything to grip so I can get these clothes off of him. It doesn't help that they are specifically designed to be impossible to grip.
I can feel him smirk against my skin. He's enjoying my struggling. Asshole. I'll show him.
I reach for the back of his head, tugging harshly on his curls. He grunts, but any complaints are silenced when I crash my mouth against his. He sinks into it, grinding down onto nothing, his body hovering too far above mine.
He emits a small whine and I smile. Ridoc loses his patience with our clothing, ripping himself away to grapple with the tough material. We must look ridiculous.
After an embarrassingly long time flailing to get out of our confines, we set eyes on each other. Both breathing heavily and gloriously bare. Ridoc begins another onslaught of kisses rapidly moving down. I buck my hips up, begging for him to put himself where I really need him.
Annoyingly, he does not. In fact, it feels like the closer he gets, the slower he goes.
"Ridoc," I grit out.
"I know, I know, love. Patience"
I want to smack him upside the head. What do you mean 'patience'? You dragged me here. You're the one who has been fantasising about me for months, I've been fucking patient.
An idea comes to mind. I can barely smother the smirk.
"Fine. If you're not going to do anything," I trail off and turn my gaze to the other cadet, "Sawyer?"
Immediately he rips his shirt off, as if he was waiting for an invitation before now. He practically shoves Ridoc away from me and clambers onto the bed to connect our mouths. The ice wielder yelps at being displaced and stares slack-jawed at his friend.
Sawyer doesn't seem to notice at all, too occupied with me to concern himself with anything else. I smile against his lips, letting my eyes flutter closed.
My nails scrape lightly over his back, drawing oblong patterns across the pale skin. Out of the corner of my eye, with my tongue still entangled with Sawyer's, I meet Ridoc's gaze, and smirk.
His mouth falls open as if I've offended his ancestors. I just might have, actually. Who knows what reputation the Gamlyn's have back home? The man above me still seems entirely oblivious to everything around him, and peeking into his thoughts, I can confirm he's thinking of nothing but me. It warms my body in a way I'm unfamiliar with, but completely open to. It feels good. Amazing even, to have two gorgeous men entirely enamoured with me unconcerned with anything else.
It isn't until Sawyer finally comes up for air to start fiddling with the clasp of his belt that Ridoc is shaken from his outraged stupor. He crawls back over to us and begins fondling my boobs from the side, thumbs stimulating the nipples. He slowly brings his mouth back to mine, balancing precariously on his haunches at my side.
Sawyer lets out a small disgruntled sound when he has to temporarily get off the bed to remove his pants and boxers. The ice wielder seizes the opportunity in record time, using to climb on top of me once again. The metallurgist looks positively distressed when he returns to the mattress, and he no longer has access to me.
He tries to shove Ridoc off me a second time, but the other rider is prepared this time, and doesn't budge. "Ridoc, move. You're hogging her," Sawyer complains.
Ridoc responds in true childlike fashion, "You did too. It's my turn."
"I barely had any time at all," he retorts, reaching an arm across my body and under Ridoc, then leaning sideways to make room for himself. They fight each other like that, and if I wasn't so needy and wet, I'd laugh. But that was not our current reality.
"Stop fighting," I whine, dragging out the syllables, "Need you"
This immediately grabs their attention.
"You need who, sweetheart?" Ridoc asks in a quiet, almost patronising voice.
"Both. Need both of you," my breathy words are emphasised by the arching of my back, tempting them further. As if they weren't already tempted enough.
The riders look at each other, then back to me, seeming to have made a silent agreement. Ridoc shimmies down while kissing every inch of skin he can reach. Sawyer goes back to kissing me, but this time it's slow. Full of worship.
His hands dance over my chest, caressing the skin with the same reverence as his tongue laved at mine.
Ridoc's fingers were dangerously close to where I needed him most, skimming the entrance but never dipping inside. I almost cried out when he removed them, however I was quieted by him adjusting his position so that his warm breath fanned over my centre. He used two deft fingers to spread open my folds for his viewing pleasure, and smirked.
He was about to dive in. Like, he was literal milliseconds away from plunging his tongue inside of me when Sawyer pulled away from my mouth, and reached down to yank Ridoc back by the hair with more force than what was strictly necessary.
"How come you get to eat her out first?"
He responds while his hair is still held in Sawyer's firm grip "I'm the one that got us in this situation, it's only fair I get to—"
"Stop! Please just— please," I don't even care how whiny I sound right now, I just need someone to give me an orgasm before I combust.
Sawyer reluctantly relinquishes the other man's curly locks, while Ridoc sports a mocking grin. He is finally, finally allowed to drag a long swipe through the gathered slick. The air is pushed out of my lungs, my eyes rolling back slightly.
It definitely has been way too long since I've gotten laid if just this is rocking my world.
Once he collected as much arousal as humanly possible, he retracts the muscle, savouring the taste of me. A low rumble emanates from his chest.
"You know, you're really missing out, Sawyer. She tastes—"
Ridoc's taunt is abruptly cut off due to his hair being grabbed roughly once again. He is shoved right against my heat, nose sitting between my lips.
"Either eat her out, or I'll show you how it's done"
The challenge sparks something within Ridoc, eyes igniting at the prospect of losing this new contest. Their gazes stay intertwined while the ice wielder makes a meal of me with renewed vigour.
It feels like no time at all has passed before I'm dangling off the edge. Ridoc has his tongue working away whilst his thumb rubs little circles on my clit. Despite Sawyer's earlier complaints, he appears to have no problems just watching his friend devour me. I can't say I blame him. Ridoc has turned into a performance. Not only is he playing my body like a fiddle, but his is moving fluently with him. Almost like he's more liquid than solid. If I could actually lift my torso long enough to really see him, I'm sure I too would be mesmerised.
Release crashes down upon me with no warning. Ridoc doesn't mind though, dutifully lapping up every last bit.
Both of their arousals' are prominent and on full display. I'm breathing hard, Ridoc is donning a dazed smile, his chin glistening, and Sawyer is rubbing circles with one hand on my stomach, and the other on Ridoc's back to help calm us down.
We bask in the stillness for a moment. A very short moment, of course. Ridoc doesn't really do silences after all.
His thumb is back inside of me, just barely penetrating. My walls flutter around the intrusion nonetheless, causing the corners of his lips to curve.
"So eager. So insatiable. What do you want, hmm? Tell us."
At this point, my mind is still muddled. Forming full sentences is daunting. And they'd have to be somewhat coherent too! Fuck that.
"Both"
"You have us, both of us," Ridoc says, like he's trying to console a child, which, honestly? It's not an unfair comparison right now.
"No! Both," I reiterate.
Realisation dawns on them simultaneously.
"At the same time?" Sawyer asks, surprise and shock evident in his tone.
I merely nod, not being able to manage much more. (I could, but I don't want to. Being taken care of feels nice.)
Once more, they communicate with each other, assumedly asking if the other consents and is on board. An eternity passes before the riders subtly nod. First at each other, then me.
"I don't have lube," Sawyer states, addressing a problem I hadn't even thought of. Not that I'm doing much thinking.
Ridoc rushes to his leathers and begins rifling through the pockets, cock swinging between his legs at each jerky movement. We could see him getting increasingly frustrated, but eventually he ripped out a small one use tube of lube and two condoms with a face splitting grin.
"uh uh, no condoms. I'm on the fertility blockers. I wanna feel all of you"
"Fuck me, I was hoping you'd say that," Ridoc groans. However, the ice wielder and I glance at Sawyer to garner his opinion.
He shrugs, "Fuck 'em"
Ridoc throws them down and clamours toward us.
"I was expecting tonight to be fun, but I had no Idea it would turn into this," he says, his eyes appraising my body head to toe.
He connects our mouths, his hands wrap around my waist, lifting me so our bodies are pressed together. Only once we've run out of oxygen does he stop and look to Sawyer.
"Have you ever done anal before?" he turns to me, "Have you?"
Both of us chorus different forms of no.
"Alright then, Sawyer, you take the front, I'll take the back," they move to their positions in tandem. We're all lying on our sides; Sawyer gently starts nudging a finger in, quickly upgrading to two just because of the sheer amount of wetness already there.
They both coo at me as small whines escape. After at least a good five-ish minutes of stretching me out with his long fingers, Sawyer props the bulbous head of his flushed cock at my entrance. Despite our compromising positions, he still has this boyish innocence about him. At least in terms of looks. Inside his head is complete filth, shattering the shy-boy act.
Ridoc's thoughts are no better, but he's never tried to hide it.
Sawyer pushes in just a bit, likely relishing in the sharp exhale it awards him. Gently, he coaxes the rest of his length inside. It fills me perfectly that I have to take a moment to just breathe before commenting.
"So big," it's nothing more than a breath, lighter than mesh, however their sharp hearing, honed for battle, pick it up anyway.
His chest swells almost imperceptibly. The smug look he shoots Ridoc —to which the rider in question no doubt rolled his eyes at— on the other hand, was less so.
"Yeah yeah, whatever, you just keep her still, okay?"
Ridoc squeezes about half the small tube of lube out onto his hand. He warms it up and then fucks it into me, starting right off the bat with two long fingers. A breath is punched out of me, the stretch unfamiliar, yet not unpleasant. His voice is right beside my ear, quietly praising me.
"Good girl, that's it. You can take it," the warm air tickles my neck causing shivers to run down my spine.
After he's satisfied, fitting four digits inside the tight ring of muscles, he squeezes the rest of the tube's contents directly onto his erect dick. Ridoc pumps himself in a way that seems like he's trying to tease me, but is too impatient to actually do so.
"You sure you wanna do this?"
"Uh huh, I'm sure. Promise"
He notches his tip between my cheeks, then stops momentarily to whisper in my ear: "Deep breath for me, okay sweetheart? It's gonna be a big stretch"
Sawyer rolls his eyes so hard, he moves his entire head in an attempt to fully convey his exasperation.
"If we weren't having sex right now, I'd hit you"
"You should do it anyway. I might like it," Ridoc counters.
With that, he thrusts his hips forward, enveloping at least four inches into me.
"Fuck!" I exclaim, scrunching my eyes shut.
"Shit, was that too much at once?"
"No... no, I just. I need a minute"
He accepts my answer, burying his face in the crook of my neck to cover the area in kisses. Sawyer plays with my hair, and mumbles affirmations I can't truly hear, but I like the sound of his voice either way.
I calm down enough to think somewhat clearly. Usually their thoughts would be annoying, but right now, it's just a steady stream of infallible devotion coming from both of them. It's almost too much. Like I need a distraction before the warmth suffocates me.
"Okay, keep going," I murmur.
His hands reposition themselves to curl around my waist. This time, he eases himself in little by little. Even then, sharp exhales escape me periodically causing him to pause. He helps me take him in further by encouraging me to inhale deeply every time he's about to sink in another inch.
It's not long until Ridoc is fully sheathed. He sighs in relief, his body melting into the coverlets as his grip on me tightens. It's grounding in a way I haven't felt since before the executions.
Sawyer leans forward, pressing our chest together and I think he's going to kiss me, but instead his arm snake behind my head to grasp Ridoc's jaw. He pulls him forward so that my back is flush against his chest and their lips collide in a searing kiss. They've crowded me in and I've never felt safer. This is what I want to be waiting for me when I meet Malek.
Sawyer pulls away and his eyes soften as they land on me.
"You ready angel?"
I bite my lip, the anticipation of what's to come roiling around and wreaking havoc on my insides.
Sawyer mimics Ridoc's earlier ultimatum, "Yes, or no?"
I'm tempted to tease them with silence, but decide otherwise.
"Yeah. I'm ready"
"Alright, we'll start with what's familiar," Ridoc declares, signaling Sawyer to move first. He begins with a slow rock and yet even those small movements make me want to moan like I'm being paid to be on camera.
They both try to make it so I just feel Sawyer for now, but it's impossible not to notice Ridoc's girth prodding at my insides, even if it is just by a minuscule amount.
One of my arms reaches for the metallurgist, nails leaving red marks streaked across his freckled skin as I try fruitlessly to bring us even closer. My other arm reaches blindly behind me toward the other man. I hook my fingers around the back of Ridoc's neck to coax force his head down, and turn my head to the side so I could kiss him.
He puts up a net force of zero newtons to dissuade me, eagerly allowing my tongue access. He groans, and I can feel the vibrations reverberate through my skull. He separates us, a thin string of saliva stretching across the distance created.
"Please. Please say I can move, I need to move. Need to feel you," he begs, face pressed against the underside of my jaw. It comes out in pants, as if the act of restraining himself was more strenuous than his daily work outs.
I scan his expression, taking note of the undiluted need in his eyes. I don't know if I'm ready for the pace he'll set. And if I asked him to slow down? I'm not sure he could.
So, I make a compromise.
"Stop," I command. My voice isn't loud, but Sawyer hears it, and obeys without question.
"Keep still. Both of you," Ridoc lets out a whimper. It sounds like he's about to cry; if his face was in view, I think I might actually be able to see tears forming.
"Shh, it's okay, it's okay," Sawyer consoles his friend, "I know you're desperate, but we gotta be patient for her."
I can't help but smile to myself. I mean really, the dichotomy of the Ridoc before entering me —suave, confident, the picture of a sex god taken form— and this puddle of desire is truly priceless.
I put them both out of their misery and start rocking back and forth. It feels heavenly. Constantly being filled and empty at the same time is an experience I never knew I needed. The best part? The very evident struggle on Sawyer's face which I'm sure Ridoc mimics ten-fold from having to remain motionless.
Sawyer's hand on my waist trembles with the effort not to leave bruises. Ridoc has thrown caution to the wind, he has one arm under me that curls up just under my breasts keeping our upper bodies together, while the other has a death grip on Sawyer's shoulder.
I want to turn the tables, want to tease them. I want to tell them how well behaved they're being for me but the sensations pouring throughout my body from my own ministrations render me speechless.
"Oh fuck, FUCK! Ple-please don't stop moving. Sweetheart, please, 'm begging you," Ridoc rambles under his breath while Sawyer has his eyes scrunched in effort not to make any sounds. If it weren't for my inntinnsic abilities, I'd think he's in pain, but no. He's just trying really hard not to cum too fast. I'd smile if I wasn't fighting off an orgasm myself.
I can feel them pulsing inside me. Mine and Ridoc's moans synchronise, filling the room's air with a symphony of sounds.
The coil inside me tightened unbearably. Every second that ticked by was a fight to hold on. I could practically hear Ridoc's teeth grinding, both of them clenching their jaws in restraint.
More helpless pleas fell from the ice wielder's lips, however unnecessary they were; I had no intention of stopping.
I couldn't take it anymore. I clenched around the both of them, loud, lewd moans ringing out across the room as I came. I can only manage slight rocking as I come down from my high. Breath still uneven, I realise neither had cum with me. My brows pull into a furrow until I feel warm air skitter along the sensitive skin of my neck, causing shivers to run down my spine.
"You didn't think we were done, did you sweetheart?" Ridoc questions. His voice is taunting, almost cruel, but still sends heat shooting through me.
Fuck. That's the kinda shit I'm attracted to? Oh well, I guess I did always fall for the villain in books.
"Now it's your turn to stay still," Sawyer chimes in, and the gravely tone to his voice surprises me. Who knew he had it in him?
A whimper escapes me, and my thighs clench. Sawyer takes one hand, placing it under my chin to lift my head. He plants a gentle kiss on my nose before whispering; "Hold on darling, this is gonna be a lot, but I know you can take it, huh," he uses his grip to nod my head for me, "Yes, you can. Our good girl"
"Your good girl," I echo dumbly.
"That's right. Nice and loud for us now. Let everyone know"
I didn't get to process that comment before they both pushed in to the hilt simultaneously, effectively rearranging my insides. I (unintentionally) do as told. I let them know, let everyone hear it. Amari, I hope no one finds out it's us. Sex is one thing, no one'll blink an eye at that, but news of a threesome just might pique some interest, and I really don't need extra attention on me.
I shudder at the image of all those thoughts bombarding me. Would it hurt? Would I finally crack? Would people find out I'm a—
My line of thinking is rudely interrupted by them pulling out and Fuck, I think they took my soul with them. Sawyer and Ridoc are so in sync with each other and it's absolutely ruining me. I can't breathe with the practically inhuman pace they've set. It's impossible.
My moans don't have the chance to be loud with the way I can't take a full breath. Lewd wet clapping sounds take their place, along with the other rider's groans.
Their movements are becoming frantic, less precise; they're close.
"Ridoc. Ridoc!" Sawyer gasps in between gulps of air with increasing urgency.
"I know, Sawyer. Believe me, I know. Me too. Are you ready?"
The question clearly isn't for me, yet I scrape together an answer in spite of it, "Wai- wait for me. I'm almost there," I pitch roughly two octaves higher than my usual tone half way through, I am, however, unable to find a fuck to give.
"Help her," Ridoc commands, and yet before he even opened his mouth, Sawyer got the memo to reach down, rubbing my clit in tight figure eights. I thought I was the mind reader.
Everything is too much, as it often is with them. I bite down on the metallurgist's shoulder, hard, certainly much harder than I'd meant to. Sawyer and I are the first to fall, Ridoc following just seconds after.
Gradually they slow their thrusts. helping me come down from the high gently. I watch them kiss each other reverently through bleary eyes, and smile. This really was the best night ever.
I try to fight sleep. Try to find the energy to go again because I don't know what will happen once we leave this room. If the spell will be broken. And if so, I want this to last as long as possible. Unfortunately, I am bound by my own physical limits, and by the looks of it, so are they. We drift off just like that. Still huddled together, gripping each other like it's the last time.
In here, it just might be.
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Daryl, pacing the floor at the foot of the bed: We should getcha to the infirmary. What if it happens again? Fuck! S’my fault. I did this. Did I hurt ya?
Y/N, tangled in the sheets, massaging her forehead: Daryl, relax. You know, any other person that fucked their girlfriend until she passed out would just be really proud of themselves, right?
Daryl: That’s fucked up! I’ma take ya to Denise.
Y/N, shrieks when he picks her up: Daryl! I’m still naked!
Big fan of the idea of Astarion’s baby being fucking weird btw. Like, she’d be a dhampir, that has to be a strange experience.
He goes to check on her in the nursery at night and she’s already sat upright in the crib looking at him? The light from the hallway catches on her weird little vampire eyes and makes them glow in the dark? Freak baby.
gonna write a fic where MC/YNs signet manifests and it’s talking to the dead
imagine people lining up to talk to their loved ones again 🥹
!!spoiler below!!
imagine violet asks to talk to her brother and since the signet is new she’s like “hm, i can’t find him - maybe we can try when i’m better at communicating?”
and lo AND BEHOLD later she in aretia and is like “oh that’s why i can’t find him LOL”
themes: pure FLUFF (disclaimer: the pic below is not how i depict bodhi i saw a tattoo and a really cute baby and for the sake of this scenario thats how i imagine him lying & talking to his baby)
"it's not like you'll understand, but some part of you HAS to get it don't you," bodhi durran sighs in exasperation.
he's met with silence and he sinks his teeth into the pink of his lips, formulating the right words next.
"the thing is, i love hanging out with you. i wouldn't jeapordise this for the world- wait that's a big word. it means um, you," he points right into soft temples and then back at himself "and me = together forever." yes, that should do it.
"it's not that you're not fun or anything, i just miss your mom so much," he boops his baby's nose as gently as he can, pressing his forehead to hers. she sleeps soundly, the little curls plastered to her skin as her face is smushed into his bare chest. a smile grows onto his face at the sight of your daughter and he stops to think just how fucking lucky he is.
your daughter may share bodhi's curls and warm complexion, but the soft honey eyes and dimpled cheeks were all yours. the giggles, quiet laughter and the exaggerated facial expressions that came with terrifying tantrum, bodhi would argue would be all you. you both have the same tiny frown lines that appear in your temples when something annoys you. and just like you had him wrapped around your finger, bodhi durran gravitated his entire existence around his/your child.
he sits in the quiet, your daughter's soft snores filling the air. parenting had come naturally to you both, of course it had. the constant nagging and looking out for your friends had paid off. sure you weren't ready for the midnight screams and the hangry cries and better yet, one that would always make the two of you laugh was seeing your daughter break out into a sob whenever she saw ridoc.
the poor guy pouted for hours when she had first done that whilst the whole family laughed and if she had memorised the sound of joy in the air, your daughter made it into a constant habit. she was however, excellent with imogen who you're sure her attitude was slowly rubbing off on the child in the form of eye rolls and glares.
the air in aretia is sweet, his chest rises slow to match your daughter's steady breaths and he presses a soft kiss to her temple. a gentle melody hums from his breath, the same one that his mother used to echo in his younger days and he halts for a moment, wishing that she could've been alive to see her grandchild.
he senses you before he knocks like its his second signet, its as if the entire air shifts and the earth bends at your will. your tired frame lags at the door but at the sight of your lovers you perk up slightly, dropping your bag to the floor with a quiet thud careful not to wake her and you pad over.
"hi," he presses a long kiss into your lips and you close your eyes in warmth and delight.
"hey handsome," you break free and readjust your sleeping girl in your arms. "how has she been?" you meet his loving gaze. he works around you, standing behind you and wrapping his arms into your waist, dropping his head low into your neck as you sway the sleeping infant on your arms.
"she's perfect as always," he rocks in rhythm with the two of you. "exactly like you," he presses a kiss to the side of your neck.
"and how are you, my love," you ask. he stops and lets out a small whine, "way better now that you're back. two days is far too long to be gone without you," he moans.
you and violet had been sent to neighbouring villages, helping oversee rebuilds and focus on bringing the livelihoods and communities of your people back together. you loved meeting people with different stories to tell of how the war changed them and provide hope for whats to come of the future but you missed home more than anything.
"next time i'll murder xaden if he puts your name down again," he mumbles in between kisses, his breath hot on your skin.
"you can't kill your last living relative," you scold and he raises a perfectly arched eyebrow at you.
"yes i can, he's got a replacement," and he smirks down at his daughter. "she's a much better leader anyways, i can already tell."
you put your daughter down into her cot, no doubt in a few hours she'll scream riorson house down and you'll both look over at each other with half opened eyes. you usually take it in turns tending to her and tonight, it's dad ready to be called in for reinforcements and challenge the little gremlin.
spoiler, he'll sing her a sweet lullaby, kiss her a million times and let her rest in between her parents till she's drooling sticky remenants all over the sheets. it's just the way life goes at this point and you wouldn't change a thing about it.
you relax at the quiet snores and the sight of her sleeping frame before you turn and get ready to peel off your clothes and head straight to bed yourself.
"ah ah ah," he stops you, grabbing you by the waist and hurling you in his arms.
"what are you doing?" you groan and give up, dangling in his grasp.
"its bath time for you princess, hopefully you'll be less of a headache then the little monster in there was earlier," he teases. you stare at each other, both sharing a lazy grin that is now imprinted on another tiny existence. the thought makes your heart swell and he loves every inch of his life with his family.
"i love you mr durran," you whisper, careful not to wake the sleeping princess.
"and i love you mrs durran," he returns with a warm kiss. and as if she's sensed not being the centre of attention you both still as you hear her stir. a little groan, then a sneeze and shes out like a light again.
"well damn," you speak after a second. "that was a close call."
"we love you too baby durran," he grins as he watches you miserably fail to keep your giggles to yourself and quieten down.
moments like this makes all the fighting and all the worst of it worth it for a million lifetimes.
Pairing: Eris x winter court!reader | WC: 12.5k | warnings: sexual tones, mentions of hunting
Summary: coming into his role as High Lord of the Autumn Court, the first thing Eris does is make a proposal of marriage to you, something you’re going to make him work for.
A/N: this has been in my drafts since October 2023, I’m so glad to let this be out in the world. Happy @sjmxreaderweek !! This is way too long but enjoy anyway
Eris Vanserra had three soft spots.
First: his mother - a female who spent her life trying to make his better. The first and perhaps only person to show him pure, unconditional love. Someone who did not balk at the terrible things he had to do and endure to survive. One of his most complicated and long lasting relationships where nothing truly made sense.
Second: Lucien. He had a soft spot for all of his brothers when they were born. Being raised by Beron sucked the life from most of them. He watched as they slowly became apathetic at best, cruel at worst. All except Lucien.
Lucien, his baby brother, who remained a good, loyal male, despite everything Beron tried to do to him. Lucien, who looked at him with wide eyes and a big heart. Lucien - his first contact leading up to his father’s death, the only person he wanted there.
Third: his hounds.
Eris adored his hounds. He spent thousands of hours training them, breeding them, and preparing for the next litter. Their kennels were a refuge for him, a place no one in the family ever ventured out to. Only a handful of servants ever got close and they merely mucked out the stalls and changed feed for the dogs. They were the first things to ever truly be his.
Eris had three soft spots. Now it was four.
Your continued presence, skirting on the outside of his periphery for years meant more to him than you could ever possibly know. The only fae willing to talk back to him but keep a twinkle in their eye.
He spent years trying to figure out why your eyes plagued his dreams, how the wind would blow past carrying your laugh. He could never quite pinpoint an exact reason.
Staying away from you during court events was the best course of action for everyone. He knew if he got too close to you, Beron would notice and insist on exploiting this weakness of Eris’s by either a) trying to arrange a marriage between the two of you, putting you under Beron’s control and driving Eris further under Beron’s thumb, or b) keep you far away from Eris.
He knew which one was worse.
-
You had known Eris for centuries, a tenuous friendship due to his lack of trust and your uncertainty as to where you stood with him. Something inside of you always felt there was more to him than the mask he wore to the public, but you could never truly be certain if it was just naivety and hopefulness.
Years of seeing each other at inter-court events, culminated in the two of you finding each other, having occasional moments that left you wanting to see more of him. You could never linger together for too long, lest Beron catch on to how his eldest son’s eyes bore into yours for a second longer than appropriate. Every meeting, dance, or word shared between you two always left you flustered, every moment shared was dissected at length afterward.
One night, while under the mountain, Eris took a risk and found you in your chambers. He had to know that you were okay - as okay as one could be in such an environment. He was used to this environment- he knew how to play the game, how to endure the atrocities in front of him. But you didn’t.
Eris had pushed his way into your chambers, quickly shutting the door behind himself. The intrusion had left you so flustered, you ran to him, prepared to chastise him.
Instead he grabbed your shoulders, quickly spinning you before he rested your back against the door, ensuring no one could burst in without his knowledge. He caged you in with his arms on either side of you, his amber eyes roaming your face, inspecting for injuries.
“I don’t have much time. But if this ever ends, it will not be long until I put the pieces into place to better my position.”
You understood the meaning behind his words, ones too worried to utter the real truth out loud.
He was going to kill Beron. Or someone was.
You knew he was concerned about ears in this place, so he didn’t speak freely.
“I cannot promise you much, but if you wait, I will do things properly. But I would not hold it against you if you cannot wait.”
He hung his head, his long, red hair falling into his face before taking a deep breath and slipping out the door before you could say anything.
So, you waited.
You had survived the atrocities that happened under that cauldron-forsaken mountain and helped your brother Kallias rebuild the Winter court.
Then the war with Hybern happened. You continued your work trying to provide security and sanctuary to your citizens, but it was hard and draining.
The years carried on, until one day Kallias was called off quite quickly by mail, leaving you and Vivian quite confused but not for long. News of the death of Beron Vanserra traveled quite quickly through all of Prythian.
Kallias had returned for mere minutes before a letter arrived in front of you, a second one appearing in front of Kallias a moment later.
The envelope was sealed with the Autumn Court insignia, one that you’ve admired for many years now: a fox curling around a fire. It felt homey.
It was the Court’s official crest - and the Vanserra family’s familial crest resembled it. You broke the seal, reading the letter.
Fawn,
It is my hope that this letter finds you in good spirits and good health. I am writing this as a formal declaration of my intentions.
With your agreement, it is my intention to court and wed you, making you the Lady of the Autumn Court. It would be my honor to serve my court as your husband with you at my side.
This decision lies solely with you. I have, however, written a similar letter to your high lord, Kallias, so he will not feel blindsided should you accept.
Take your time over this decision. I will be busy in the coming weeks, adjusting to life as High Lord, however I will make whatever time is necessary for you shall you wish it.
Yours,
Eris Vanserra, High Lord of the Autumn Court
You smiled at the title in his signature, sure that this was the first time he got to write it out.
Your eyes glanced up to find Viviane and Kallias’s peaking glances at you as they read the letter Eris had sent them.
“It would appear as though you’ve caught the eye of Prythian’s newest High Lord.”
It was no question that you would attend his coronation. Autumn was a direct border to Winter and Kallias had been waiting decades for Beron to die to potentially work with one of his sons on building better relations. He had always hoped it would be Lucien, the easiest and most diplomatic Vanserra. The two had a working relationship and he would be a lovely neighboring ruler.
During the whole affair, Eris’s eyes hardly strayed from yours. They followed you, not straying to any of the hundreds of fae gathered, not to the other court nobility that had arrived.
Just you.
His eyes had followed you as you lingered after the ceremony, finding Lucien just as the letter had instructed. You kept his gaze as you spoke to the youngest Vanserra, giving him the answer to Eris’s letter. You nodded just enough for the new High Lord to see, and his posture immediately relaxed. You stood taller knowing on a day all about him, he clearly had only been thinking of you.
-
You had written back to Eris after the coronation quite quickly, much more quickly than a proper lady should, but you couldn’t find it in yourself to care. Excitement coursed through your body, almost impossible to sit still.
Corresponding with Eris was more fun than you had anticipated. It took a few letters, but he began opening up more and more, telling you stories about his day or some memory long forgotten. Most letters include some story about Lucien, but they felt much more relaxed than the version of him you knew at court events. He even stopped signing them with his full name, shortening it to just ‘Eris’ eventually.
You had made the mistake of mentioning to Kallias about Eris’s intentions. Your brother had been upset at first to find out his sister had caught the eye of a Vanserra - he had never trusted the family, always on guard in their presence. But when he heard the words ‘courting’ and ‘traditional’, you swore his eyes danced with amusement as he plotted something.
Official courting was very similar across Prythian, with minor details changed for each court. For members of nobility and highly esteemed families of the Winter Court, it was usual custom for the betrothed pair to visit each other’s villages. Time spent partaking in the customs of each village was essential - life in Winter could often feel very insular. Villages less than a day’s travel from each other could be quite different, even language differences occurring. Holidays across the court looked similar to outsiders, but traditions held a wide range of activities.
Kallias would allow you to do as you wished as long as you weren’t tricked or coerced into anything. However, your brother would make Eris regret his exact words of a ‘traditional courting’.
Eris had agreed to the terms, but sent many letters about his brother in forewarning and to not take him seriously. Having met the youngest Vanserra on several occasions, you were well prepared for what he might do.
An agreement was formed - Eris was to spend two weeks in Winter before you would spend two weeks in Autumn. At that point, you would provide some form of answer. You had some idea of what you would say - you wouldn’t be wasting everyone’s time otherwise. But it would be foolish and rash to wed without spending any time alone with the male.
Eris was set to arrive in a week’s time, coming to your home, coming to Winter. It felt surreal, not quite allowing yourself to believe it until the male was standing before you. A week was nothing for a High Lord - Kallias’s visits to other courts usually required several months of notice. But seven days still felt too long after seeing him at the coronation. You did anything to make yourself busy - planning activities for the two of you, reassuring your brother once again that this was what you wanted, trying to showcase Winter in the best light.
Still, every night when you laid in bed, everytime you closed your eyes, you were brought back to the coronation, how his eyes followed you across the room. A room full of the most powerful and important people in Prythian, and his gaze never left yours.
-
You hardly slept the night before he was set to arrive, waking with the sun as if it would bring Eris here more quickly. The morning went by at a snail’s pace, the palace unhurried for the day. You had bathed, dried your hair, paced around, tidied your room. You did anything you could think to keep busy, to keep your mind off the clock.
Eventually enough time passed for you to make it to breakfast, sitting across from Kallias and Vivianne’s amused glances. They chatted idly, amused smiles directed at you that you pretended to ignore. You only pushed the food around on your plate, watching the sun through the window, trying to will it to move faster.
“Something wrong?” Kallias’s question made its way through the fog, the only words he had spoken you had been able to make sense of.
“Sure, sure.” You waved him off with your fork, eyes moving to the entryway to the dining room every so often. He laughed, amused at how little you were listening to them, but you had tuned him out once more. Doubt crept in as each second passed, your anxieties certain something would keep the two of you apart. Had he changed his mind? Was it all in the chase for a hunter like him?
As if your doubts had conjured him, he was striding through the entrance hall, his red hair practically melting the walls as he went past. Over the years, you had seen Eris in a variety of wardrobe: deep reds ranging to bright green, a variety of embroidery threads on every piece. He made every color his own, gravitating towards richer, earthier shades. The dark blue jacket that hung from his shoulders made the color seem so new and exotic, despite being a significant portion of your own wardrobe. The depth of color popped beneath his pale skin somehow, unjustly proving there truly was no color he couldn’t make his own.
The piece looked like anything you would find in Winter, but somehow like nothing you had ever seen before.
He had looked so sure of himself at the coronation, steadfast in a way a High Lord needed to be. In the few weeks since, he had somehow grown even more into himself, standing tall and sharp. His hair was much shorter now than it was under the mountain, the weight of that place chopped off with the fiery locks.
Eris stopped before you, smiling as he took you in, a bit of shock mixed in with the delight. Too caught up in your wandering eyes, you completely forget to even pretend to courtesy until it’s too late and you fumble a short bow. His face lit up with amusement, and you hoped he'd ignore it. Your prayers seemed to be answered until he leaned in and asked, “see something you like?”
The question sent chills down your back, your spine straightening. Your mouth became too dry to respond, and even if you could, you couldn’t think of anything to say. This thing with Eris, however mutual it may be, had alway been fleeting - small conversations, loose promises. No matter how your heart pulled to him, you still knew so little about him.
Kallias cleared his throat from behind you, his focus completely on Eris. The males only nodded to each other, not even attempting small talk. Kallias had been on edge ever since the first letter arrived - you heard him pacing at night, sure that the Autumn male was planning something. But those concerns hardly made it to your ears, your brother staying tight lipped about his reservations.
You didn’t think there was any validity to Kallias’s concerns for even a moment, especially not as he stood before you, a glimpse of vulnerability in his eyes.
“I didn’t think you would allow this. I expected to be thrown out of Winter.” His voice was soft, the usual sneer or jestful tone gone, leaving room for something more vulnerable.
“Do you take me for a liar, High Lord? Not a good look for a new bride.” The quip sent him slightly off balance, surprise or pleasure at the change in your attitude.
“My apologies.” He bowed low at the waist causing you to go completely still. As High Lord, he didn’t have to bow to anyone. The other High Lords were his equals, but they didn’t deserve this level of respect.
“I’m just kind enough to forgive you, Eris.” He straightened at the sound of his name, the slight smirk enough to let you know how much he enjoyed it.
-
You spent the afternoon showing him the palace and the grounds, noting the amusement on his face at the ice gardens. You showed him the deep blues of the palace, listening as he compared them to his own home, the Forest House.
“I have arranged for some private dining for us. Kallias wanted some grand banquet in your honor, but I shot that down.”
“Wanted to get me alone?”
“Oh, we won’t be alone.” He waited for you to go on, still keeping stride next to you. “There are eyes everywhere in Winter. Why do you think we don’t have a chaperone?”
Eris turned in a circle, moving around the landscape, searching for anybody. There wasn’t another living thing for miles in the vast wintery expanse.
“Can you keep a secret?” He nodded, leaning his face closer to yours. You did the same, leaning up on your toes to meet him. You lowered your voice, soft as the snow fall. “It’s the animals.”
“The animals?” A mixture of shock and delight came across his face, a hint of disbelief as well. You nodded, not elaborating further. As far as you could tell, the animals in Winter were vastly different from the animals of other courts. They were larger, better at hiding, and were connected to Kallias somehow. You had tried for years to get him to explain it - why arctic foxes lingered at the palace doors, hares burrowed beneath every window. He always stayed tight-lipped about it, but he always knew things he shouldn’t. He was always the first to know your business, even if you never told him.
“I don’t really get it, but they like my brother.”
Eris followed as you led him to the west side of the palace. Light snow fell, crunching beneath your feet as you made your way down the path to the stables. You finally reached the surprise the servants had set up - a massive sleigh fronted by a team of large reindeer, stocked with blankets and food.
“What is this?”
“Our chariot.”
Eris looked over the sled, the reindeer all standing at attention, dark fur accented with lush garlands.
“Couldn’t we just winnow?”
“Yes, but where’s the fun in that?”
He huffed, his breath visible in the air. He followed you into the sleigh, his body pressing close to yours. You let out a low whistle, the reindeer taking off quickly. Eris fell back into the seat, unprepared for the quick takeoff. Your hand covered your mouth, trying to hide the laugh that escaped, but you knew he heard it from the way he looked over at you.
His magic made a warm bubble around the two of you, blocking out the wind as the reindeer picked up a good pace. The sleigh glided across the snow, making fresh tracks as it moved. Eris looked around, trying to find any hint as to where the two of you were heading off to.
“What are we waiting for?”
“You’ll know it when you see it.”
He studied you then, really focusing on you. You did the same, studying how much he contrasted the wintry landscape passing behind. His blue coat helped him blend in somewhat, but he stood out too much from the ice and snow to ever be able to fully hide.
“Have you ever been to Winter?” Your voice was louder, trying to be heard over the wind. You’ve seen him in Winter three or four times, the Vanserras never lingering long, only here to discuss things related to the border. Your father despised having them around, always tense in the days leading up to their arrival. But you wanted to hear it from him, wanted to know what your home was like to an outsider.
“Officially or unofficially?”
“Both.”
He leaned back on the seat, stretching out his long legs in the sleigh, his body still touching yours but not encroaching on your space.
“Officially, a handful of times. Unofficially, a few dozen times. I’ve snooped around the border a time or two.”
“To see the sights? Or do something a bit more?”
He gave a sharp look, some debate happening behind his eyes on how much to tell.
“I’d be lying if I said the land on the border between our courts was anything less than spectacular.”
You had never been so far north as the seasonal courts, but the lands connecting Summer, Winter, and Autumn were quite the sight. A blend of all three courts, a beautiful lake laid in the middle of the tricourt border. The wind blew falling leaves and soft snow across the water, but somehow the air was the perfect temperature to go swimming. It was a beautiful spot, popular with travelers.
“My excursions were less than savory.” His face was grim now, hard set with bad memories. Your breath hitched at how quickly the conversation had turned. It’s not too surprising to know Eris has snuck across the border - you have snuck off into Summer a time or two, emboldened by youth and recklessness.
But a few years ago, someone had done something so heinous the memory still made you gag.
“Have you ever harmed one of Winter’s citizens?” It still wasn’t known who killed those children, their deaths still a heavy tragedy for your court. Their wailing parents could be heard across the court. Your brother had long suspected the High Lord of the Night Court of it, but he had no leads.
“No. Mostly a neutral meeting site for discussions.” He seemed less than forthcoming, not wanting to linger too long, but willing to answer any questions you had. You only had one last question, needing it answered before letting this subject die.
“Did you have any involvement with the children?” You didn’t have to specify, you knew he’d know what you were referring to.
“No. I would never.” Relief washed over you. He seemed open in a way you’ve never seen before. You wanted to see more of it, let him tell you who he is in his own words.
The sled started slowing down at your whistle, halting in the middle of a barren field. The dark sky stretched on for miles, filled with galaxies of stars too numerous to count and too small to quantify. You unfolded the blanket, draping it across both of your laps, before opening the picnic basket. You passed him a small mug, filling it with hot chocolate from an enchanted kettle.
“Tell me something I don’t know about you.” You tried for a more hopeful tone, the lilt in your voice asking to move on from the tragedy. He thought it over seriously for a few moments, watching the steam from his mug dissipate before settling on something.
“I have twelve hounds, all named after ingredients in pumpkin pie or apple varieties.”
“You have hounds?” He nodded, allowing you to continue. “I’ve only seen hounds from afar around here. In Winter, they work either with hunting or guardians. I’ve heard in Day it’s popular to keep them as pets. Are yours more pet or worker?”
“Anyone else, I’d say they’re workers. But in the interest of honesty, they are more pet.”
The mug of hot chocolate in your hands was the only thing keeping you from squealing in delight.
“Do you spoil them?”
“No.” You eyed him skeptically, not accepting his answer. “Okay, fine. I spoil them. But I make them work for it.”
“That’s so sweet. I’m sure they all love you.”
He didn’t respond, but you were sure it was the truth. You couldn’t imagine any being not falling in love with him, especially after spending years with him.
You slowly leaned into him, trying to soak up all his warmth. He turned, his face only inches from yours. His nose was a hair away from bumping into yours. Amber eyes flicked down to your lips and back up, but he stayed where he was.
You pushed back from him, catching the glimpse of color from behind his head, telling him to look up.
The sky above you, previously pitch black, slowly allowed streaks of green and light blue to ribbon across its landscape. The sky was a living painting, bright hues stretching across the blank canvas. The movements seemed random, smooth strokes looking for a place to rest. Every stroke looked intentional, every color carefully picked to complement the ones around it.
The hundreds of times you had seen it before didn’t matter - each time was brand new, never looking the same as the last. Eris was quiet beside you, the silence stretching up to the sky in appreciation of its beauty.
For a long time, neither of you say anything, but Eris’s hand slowly moved closer - first resting next to yours, each finger slowly and gently making contact, until he was holding your hand in his, gazing at this new beauty to bask in.
You smiled to the sky, thankful for whatever reason it was here. It would be the first thing the two of you would share, your shared focus on the same thing. The whole ride home would be devoted to talking about it, sharing feelings and observations, but now the two of you stared, necks craning at something that had stretched across Winter for as long as fae had existed.
-
On Eris’s second day in Winter, the weather was just right for an activity you were determined to see Eris try before accepting any proposals. You bundled yourself up, donning several layers beneath a coat before you bounced down the hallway. His room was several doors down from yours at Kallias’s input no doubt, but it gave you an extra moment to smooth out any wrinkles in your coat.
Deep blue skies filled the windows you passed, the day outside exceedingly bright. It was springtime in Winter, one of the warmer days that brought fae outdoors in droves, but your intended destination would be quite cold.
Your knock on his door was quick, three taps before his face greeted you.
“You’re quite chipper this morning,” he greeted.
You beamed, excitement for the day coursing through you. “It’s a beautiful day, of course I’m chipper.”
You looked down from his eyes to find his chest bare, no shirt to cover the pale skin littered with freckles. A set of two moles beneath his left clavicle caught your eye, before your gaze stuck on the red hair beneath his navel, leading into his trousers.
“I can meet you for breakfast downstairs if you wish to eat.”
Your eyes snapped back to his, a hint of arrogance lacing his words at having caught your ogling. He spared you from any other jabs at your expense, at least.
“No need, we’ll be getting breakfast out in town.”
A surprised look crossed his face before he quickly changed it for one of intrigue.
“Spare a moment so I can change.”
He came out exactly a moment later, not letting you wait too long. He stepped out in brown trousers, brown riding boots, a loose white shirt, and a beautifully decadent emerald green vest with gold detailing. He looked so autumnal, almost like a crisp apple you were dying to bite into.
Your lips puckered. “You’re going to need more clothes.”
“Oh? You seemed quite happy with the lack of layers I was wearing earlier.”
You scoffed, trying to cover the heat that was spreading up your face. “I am a lady, High Lord. Of course I am happy to see a lack of layers in my attractive guests.”
He laughed through his nose, an almost pleased snort at your unabashed comment.
“Any hints as to the day’s plans?”
“None until you get dressed.” He grumbled something as he turned back, leaving the door open before rifling through his trunks again.
“You do know I can warm myself quite easily with my magic.” He found a larger coat, probably the thickest one he owned, but it looked thin in comparison to the large, feather coats of Winter’s citizens. You followed him, standing in his doorway as he spoke to you.
“That’s cheating, though. Besides, your magic could be a hazard.” He stopped buttoning his jacket, fingers pausing mid movement.
“I thought I wasn’t getting any hints until I was better dressed.”
“You are better dressed.”
“I would never leave with my buttons undone. I’m not an animal.”
You stepped aside, walking down the hallway and away from him. His door shut softly behind him and he quickly caught up to you, matching your stride through the palace. No matter how much he asked, you didn’t let up, leading him out of the palace and onto the cool paths that navigated around the property.
You thought he would give up - it would only be a ten minute walk, after all. But he was unwavering, determined to get the answer from you, so much so he wasn’t paying attention to the upcoming view.
“We’re going ice skating!” You declared proudly, pointing ahead at the frozen lake coming into view. Figures glided across the frozen surface, laughing loud enough to be heard from far away.
“Why are we going ice skating, my ice princess?”
The nickname caught you off guard, the title not sounding as stilted as it usually did. You tried to keep your composure, a difficult task as your tongue suddenly became very thick in your mouth. “It’s tradition.”
“Is it now? Or do you just want to admire me gliding across the ice in those tight uniforms your skaters wear?”
A sigh escaped you, careful not to let him hear your laugh.
“It’s tradition in Winter for betrothed couples to skate together.”
“We’re a betrothed couple now?”
Heat rushed to your cheeks. You still hadn’t technically given him an answer nor did you plan to until the end of the trip. Everything was going so well, you had to ensure you liked being in his company before agreeing.
“We’re something.”
“I suppose ‘something’ is the most serious relationship I’ve ever been in.”
“Haven’t you been engaged to the Morrigan?”
“I was a child. I had met her all of a handful of times before it ended.”
“So us ice skating is the most serious romantic endeavor you’ve ever been involved with?”
“It would appear so.”
“If I may be so bold, that is quite sad.” A pair of ice skates appeared in your hands, the size determined by some servants who snuck into his chambers last night and measured his shoes. You held them out to him before gesturing for him to sit on a nearby bench to put them on.
“What’s sad is going to be seeing me out on the ice and that will be the end of my most serious romantic endeavor.”
You reached out, gently pinching his cheek between your thumb and forefinger.
“I wouldn’t end things with how pitiful you look on the ice. I find pathetic males endearing on occasion.”
“I will note to never allow you near Lucien again.”
Your own skates appeared in your hand as you sat next to Eris. The two of you laced boots in tandem, listening as a few kids played a game of hockey on one end of the lake.
“You’ll probably be a little wobbly getting out there,” you warned, standing up to help him. You held your hands out, which he gladly took, helping him find his balance on the mat.
“This is ridiculous.”
“Oh, just wait.”
You helped him waddle to the entrance, his body instinctively reaching for the short walls that had been erected around the lake. Eris moved onto the ice, attempting to keep the blades beneath his feet connected to the ice. It was much slippier than he anticipated, his feet moving at an odd angle before he quickly moved back to grip the wall once more. His eyes met yours, your face barely able to contain your grin. Your eyes shone with delight, your tone laced with wicked amusement as you held out your hands.
“Forgive me, High Lord. I didn’t realize I was in the presence of a skating prodigy.”
His jaw tightened at the jab, annoyance simmering beneath his skin. Everyone else on the ice made it look easy, skating past the High Lord in pairs. One male even did a jump right in front of him.
If there was one thing that would never change about Eris, it was that he was a sore loser if he wasn’t automatically good at something.
A skater passed by, ice shavings hitting Eris in the chest. It was enough to get him to remove himself from the wall, to move out toward your outstretched hands. He looked like a newborn foal, standing for the first time on fresh legs. You suppressed a giggle, reaching out for him.
He made it halfway between you and the wall when one of the kids from the other side of the lake hit the hockey puck too hard, the black circle skidding fast directly at Eris’s feet. It hit the blade of his left skate, sending him falling forward.
A loud, boisterous laugh fell from your lips. Your head tilted back, the sun nearly blinding you, but you couldn’t contain the joy you felt in this moment.
A beautiful male fell into your arms, looking more like a fresh fawn than the high lord he was.
He clutched at you, his feet giving out beneath him as he tried to find his balance. The blades slashed the ice, cutting and churning up slush until eventually he slowed down, his feet able to stay in place long enough for him to straighten up.
Eris still clung to you, but his face came close to your ear, whispering so only you could hear.
“I look ridiculous.”
“Yes, you do.”
“And you’re enjoying it.”
“Very much so.” A meteor couldn’t wipe the smug look off your face at his struggles. You pried his hands from your shoulders, holding them tight in your hands as you slowly started skating backwards. The shock on his face had you biting back another laugh, but you held him tight, gliding backwards without a concern in the world.
He slowly began figuring out how to move his feet, making short glides. Each sweep of his legs brought more confidence, but his hands still remained tight in yours.
-
Eris didn’t have many courtly duties to take up his time while in Winter. He had spent most of the last week preparing for this, but he only had to put up with daily updates and light correspondence taking no less than an hour a day.
You took him everywhere you thought of: nearby villages, sightseeing, trying restaurants. He was more receptive to Winter cuisine than you had anticipated, but it shouldn’t be too shocking that there was some overlap between your courtly palettes.
Today the snow came down in massive heaps, a sheet of white covering the windows, making it impossible to see past a few feet.
“Please don’t tell me we’re going out to do something like see how much snow we can catch.”
You smiled, turning from the window to find Eris looking down at you. You stood, practically bouncing the balls of your feet at the plan for today.
“I’d never do that to you and your delicate constitution.” A huff escaped his lips at your taunt, but no retort came back.
“We’re going to bake and assemble a gingerbread house.”
It was too early for yule, the ingredients necessary for the traditional dishes out of season. But you craved to showcase Winter in all its splendor.
“A gingerbread house? To live in?”
“Not for us to live in. For the gingerbread fae to live in.”
He only stared blankly, the concept clearly a new one to the High Lord.
“Do you not celebrate Yule in Autumn?”
“We burn bushes and the like, but we don’t make gingerbread.” He said it with a grimace, like the cookie was offensive.
“Well, you can help me build it and decorate it.”
-
A few hours later, when the cookies were taken from the oven, the two of you took a break, venturing around the palace grounds, talking about everything and nothing. At some point you were sure the cookies had cooled enough to work with, but there had been a break in the snow and you weren’t quite ready to return yet. Instead you had detoured into the nearby village, taking Eris to get hot chocolate.
“I promise, I’ve tried so much hot chocolate over the years, but this is the best.”
“Very convenient that they live so close by.” You smiled over the mug, taking your first sip, the sweet rich flavor one you couldn’t get enough of.
“I may have persuaded him to move his shop here.”
Eris held his drink, waiting for it to cool more.
“Here I thought I was the scandalous one of us.”
“It all worked out! He met his wife here and they’ve been very happy for a long time. And they have me to thank for it.” Pride was etched into every inch of your smile, to see happy citizens and watch things work out for them was a joy.
“Winter’s own little matchmaker.”
After enough time (and Eris admitting it was the best hot chocolate Prythian had to offer), the two of you had wandered back to the palace, taking your sheets of cookies into the dining room. Servants had already arranged all your decorating needs neatly onto the table: icing, gumdrops, sugar. Anything sweet your heart could desire was on the table.
“The world’s supply of sugar was dropped off in our absence.”
It didn’t take long before he was sucked into the work, determined to make a grand gingerbread house fit for a High Lord. You watched as he carefully iced one of the walls, applying windows and doors to it. His lines were perfect, a steely look of determination on his face.
This was what this trip was about. Seeing Eris for who he was at all times: relaxed, enthralled, annoyed. After a moment of watching him, you turned back to your own house, hoping a distraction would quell the butterflies roaring in your stomach. You picked up one of the tiny ginger males, picking out the perfect red icing to make his hair with.
-
Before long, Eris’s two weeks in Winter were coming to an end. It felt surreal to watch him winnow away, feeling juvenile over the longing you felt in his absence.
Eris would head to Autumn a day before you, so the two of you hadn’t lingered long on saying goodbye. It had taken longer than expected for him to depart, as if the both of you were unwilling to give the other up for any amount of time. The pull you had felt toward him all these years, the seemingly insurmountable obstacles keeping the two of you apart, and yet a whole day felt impossible.
Life had continued on in your whirlwind romance, but it felt different now. Two weeks away and it felt like being in someone else’s clothes, stepping into someone else’s life.
The silence felt louder, your room colder. The halls you grew up in, the room you’d known your entire life - they felt so empty now, so lifeless without a redhead blazing fires.
-
The next day Kallias winnowed the two of you to Autumn, somewhere about a mile from the perimeter of the Forest House. He spent the twenty minute walk probing you nonstop about if you were truly happy to do this.
“It would mean living here year round.” His arms spread out, sweeping across the landscape. It was so different from your home in the Winter Court, trees full of leaves that are about to shed, woodland creatures skittering all around, watching the two of you.
The air was always so still in Winter, but here it ebbed and flowed, carrying the scent of bonfires and apples wherever it went.
“I don’t think that would be so bad.” You failed to mention how excited you’d be to live with a certain male, not wanting to endure Kallias’s teasing or gagging noises from him.
Your brother escorted you through the woods, your arm tucked into his as you passed through the wards placed around the Forest House. The large, dark estate was tucked away in the woods, trees as tall as the sky surrounding it. The sun was hitting it just right, letting it shine in all its glory, as if even the weather was happy with the change in Autumn.
A servant had found the two of you - some guard, you assumed from the weapon at his side. He bowed quickly before the two of you, quickly turning on his heel for you to follow. You didn’t have to follow long, Eris already waiting in the front hallway for the two of you.
It was hard to decide what to look at - the male or the gorgeous interior of the home. You were set to be here for two weeks, plenty of time to ogle the decor and architecture, so you opted to keep your eyes on Eris. He looked different in Autumn, more at ease, but also brighter somehow, as if every room and background bent toward him, trying to complement his skin.
He kept his eyes on you the same way, likely figuring out how much you contrasted against the earthly shades of the court. You didn’t care, certain he would spin it in a more favorable light than you would. He eventually took his eyes off of you, turning towards your brother, reaching out a hand. Their hands met, slight steam coming off from their touch before your brother chuckled. It wasn’t until you peeled your eyes from Eris to find one of his brothers, Lucien, standing behind him
“Eris,” Kallias’s voice took on a more stern tone, one that had a groan coming from the back of your throat. Kallias’s blue eyes met yours, a silent conversation taking place while he was still shaking Eris’s hand. After a minute of glaring back and forth, he turned back toward Eris, patting his hand before retracting it.
“Eris.” It said all that Kallias wanted to. The threat hidden in the one word, the tight grip he had on Eris’s hand. Eris only nodded, a tight lipped smile at either Kallias’s rigid position or the tight grip he had on him. Kallias examined him for a moment before letting go, his arm moving to wrap you into a hug.
“Last chance,” he said quietly into your ear. You softly shook your head no as you leaned into his touch, the cool air enveloping you in such a familiar way. He patted your back before letting go.
“I’ll see you in two weeks then.” This time he spoke loud enough for everyone to hear, accenting every word in a ‘I’m the High Lord’ way. You chuckled softly as he turned, nodding at both Vanserras before walking out of the house.
The three of you stood in silence for only a moment, no one quite sure how to continue on after Kallias’s departure. Lucien’s eyes gleamed with excitement, a smile full of mischief and trouble sent your way.
“Would you like to walk around the estate?”
-
It was an interesting sight to behold - two fae, each over several centuries old, strolling about Autumn with a much younger and louder chaperone following behind them.
“I have to say you do seem quite different since the last I saw of you in Autumn, High Lord.”
Lucien’s steps followed the two of you, his whistling an overt measure to ensure you both remembered his presence. When you had asked for traditional courtship, you hadn’t had Lucien in mind.
“Autumn is seeing a great change.”
“You may speak freely, if you wish. I understand double speak is common around here, but I am unfamiliar with it and find it tedious.”
“Autumn is doing quite well now that the blight that was my father has been taken care of.”
Lucien’s whistling stopped, an almost choking noise coming from his mouth. Eris shot a spark from his finger at his brother. Even though he couldn’t see it, he heard Lucien patting the fire out of his breeches and smiled. Your eyes caught Eris’s, unable to stop the enjoyment at seeing him so happy.
“How crass, High Lord. To speak of your departed father in such a way.”
Eris’s eyes nearly bulged from his head, an excuse sitting on the tip of his tongue until he caught a glint of amusement in your eye. He clicked his tongue, looking straight ahead toward the path.
“You sound like Lucien, my least favorite brother.”
A cough came from behind, but Eris didn’t turn to look at his brother before replying. “Chaperones are merely to ensure our innocence and chastity, not to butt into conversation.”
“Yes, we are quite innocent and chaste up here. No deflowering has occurred on your watch,” you added.
“I do love a good deflowering, but watching it happen to my brother is not what I wish to see.”
Steam practically shot out of Eris’s ears at Lucien’s quip, but your giggles broke him from his anger.
“A virgin High Lord. How noble of you, your grace. And you picked me to deflower you? I’m so honored.”
The High Lord of Autumn had half a mind to forego the frivolity of tradition. Two weeks of his brother following him around was sure to end in murder. He knew you were quite a fan of them, some romanticized notion of courting traditions in your mind he couldn’t quite bear to see squashed.
Your first night there had been enough for him to put up with meddling brothers for a lifetime. He had shown you around the Forest House per your request. He listened intently during the tour as you compared the Forest House to the Snowflake Palace, comparing your current home to what was hopefully set to be a future one. You were now comparing balconies, ones you had shown him on his tour, balconies carved in part from ice in the upper levels of the palace.
“I’m sure you could remodel here with your flames a bit.”
A chuckle made you smile, happy to amuse him over such silly imaginings.
“I don’t think they’d be structurally sound to stand on.”
“Hmm, that’s a shame. A flaming throne room would really make the place shine.”
The two of you moved through the house, wandering through centuries of history. Stories flowed from Eris’s mouth - items that were millennium old, passed down through the Vanserra line carefully. Things the high lord has grown so accustomed to seeing every day he had forgotten to enjoy the intricate details of them.
At some point on the tour, Lucien had stepped away, having to attend to some matter on his own.
“I could show you where your chambers would be if you moved here.”
You stopped, grabbing Eris by the elbow to get his attention. You held his arm as you spoke, the fabric of his jacket soft in your hand.
“Eris, if I am to wed, I would rather spend my nights with my husband. It’s no fun sleeping alone.”
He swallowed harshly, needing a moment before he responded. “Noted.”
“Would that be a problem?”
“Not at all.”
“Then can you show me your chambers?” Eris swore under his breath, the direct question straining his pants.
“Lucien steps away for an hour and you’re already trying to deflower me.”
“Maybe the chaperone was for me, Eris.”
Eris was still staying in his old chambers, wanting Beron’s old chambers completely renovated before he moved into them. His room was somewhere in the west wing, the windows facing a large field that had massive stables at the end of the horizon. You walked to the window, ignoring inspecting the rest of the furniture in favor of the lush green pasture.
“Horses?”
“Hounds,” he corrected, his voice dripping with pride. It jogged your memory - the brief conversation you had earlier about his pack of hounds.
“Do they sleep in the bed with you?”
The silence stretched on for a moment before he asked, “how important is the answer to that?”
You shrugged your shoulders, squinting your eyes as you looked at the field, trying to make out any dog-like shapes. “I’m often incredibly cold during the night and a warm, furry friend would be nice.”
“It’d be a shame then to not tell you that they all end up here during the night.”
You whipped your head to him, incredulity coating your words. “How many are there?”
“A dozen or so.”
A laugh escaped from you. Eris Vanserra, a male supposedly cut from Beron’s cloth who had half of Prythian annoyed at him and the other infuriated with him, had a pack of hounds to keep him company at night?
“This is delightful.” Only a few hours into the trip and you had already learned so much about Eris.
“What?”
“Oh, nothing.” You leaned against the wall, turning your body toward him. It didn’t go unnoticed when he stepped slightly closer, following to not let any more distance linger between you two. “The other courts think you’re the Mother’s curse upon faekind. If only they knew you liked snuggling.”
“Even cursed ones have hobbies when they’re not ransacking villages or plaguing the common fae.”
The day was supposed to end with a dinner in your honor, celebrating relations between Winter and Autumn, and a way for you to meet more people in the Forest House. Instead you had asked if you could share dinner in his chambers, citing the travels of the day making you weary.
An excuse Eris saw through, but elected not to say anything. He’d be damned to give up this much alone time with you, certain Lucien would make himself known at any moment.
The two of you ate and drank in Eris’s sitting room, not having ventured into his bedchambers. This trip was about you and he’d follow your lead, no matter how straining it became.
“We’ve been on our own for several hours now. Do you think our chaperone’s gone?”
“With any luck he’s fallen into an uncapped well or perhaps gotten lost at sea.”
“I don’t think we’re that lucky, Eris.”
He leaned back in his seat, the wood creaking as he stretched out his long legs.
“It’s night time. He’s likely off writing a letter, waxing poetry about how much he’s missing his mate.”
“You’re not concerned about any interruptions, then?”
“At this point Lucien should be old enough to know better. What he sees is on him.”
The words had barely left his mouth before you glanced down at his trousers, noting the clear outline of his bulge. You looked back up to find his searing gaze on you, amber eyes full of molten want, the air around the two of you hot enough to have sweat prickling at your neck. You patted his shoulder, trying to soothe the rejection before it came.
“Still, he only has the one eye. Wouldn’t want to completely blind him.” You wanted to - your legs practically shook with need. Something held you back from allowing him in fully, to take in every aspect of this potential relationship.
Eris had escorted you back to your room, unperturbed by the earlier rejection. He only waited as you stood across from him, not quite ready to open your door and bid him goodnight. The longer you stood here, his body heat practically inviting you closer, the more likely you were to cave into your carnal wants.
His own restraint did little to quell the ache between your legs. In fact, it made it worse. He was being respectful, never pushing or upset at the space you needed.
“I should go to bed.”
A half attempt at moving, to get your brain in gear, to retire for the evening, but as long as his eyes were on you, it was hard to pull away from his orbit.
-
If Eris had it his way, this whole visit would have been structured so differently. Every meal just the two of you, spending only a few hours apart for some necessary meetings he had.
But you had asked for traditional courting.
So he put up with more chaperoned walks through the garden, meals spent with others, hardly getting a moment alone with you for weeks until you slipped into his sitting room each night, recounting the time spent apart. You saw more of Lucien than you did him, his brother neglecting almost all of his duties in favor of entertaining at all hours of the day.
Eris was on the brink of wringing Lucien’s neck. Watching his eyes pop from his head would amuse him, wondering if the mechanical one would pop out too or if it would stay in its socket forever.
Most of Autumn’s rituals around love and commitment were saved for the day of the wedding or the ceremony itself. Fire night was a big event, but that was six months out and Eris couldn’t wait that long. He had been racking his brain for ages, trying to figure out something to showcase Autumn.
-
The proposal weighed heavy on your mind over the days you spent with him. While you were having a great time, Kallias never made you feel like you had to marry for political advantage. He actually seemed to prefer you to marry outside of it. Your brother desperately wanted you to marry any of the athletes of Winter, preferably from his favored teams.
You were having a great time being courted - finally being allowed to soak in Eris’s company was a delight. But you couldn’t quite say yes.
Eris had told you it would be an early morning and to dress in layers and to wear pants, but it was all he’d give you. You took his advice, layering well for the Autumn chill, lacing up your boots when a knock came at the door. Eris stood on the other side of the door, a tweed jacket unbuttoned, showing off a matching vest beneath it. Dark pants clung to his thighs, disappearing into the knee high boots hugging his calves. He said nothing, letting his gaze trail up the pants that hugged your thighs, a devilish smirk on his face that almost had you pulling him into your chambers.
“Ready?” He asked, extending an elbow toward you. You accepted it, letting him lead you on whatever adventure he wanted to show you.
“I thought I would show you one of my traditions.” You stayed silent, waiting for him to tell you more, but he didn’t say more, only looking forward as he walked. He guided the two of you through the house, up to some side hallway that led to the pasture behind the house. Barks came from the door at the end, either excitement or aggression you couldn’t say.
“And what is this tradition?”
“Whenever my mother would successfully give birth, I would take my hounds out and catch dinner.” He paused, one of his hands resting on the doorknob before he turned to face you.
“Would this bother you?” He fully faced you, close enough that you could almost touch him. You reached out, your hand brushing his, letting his warmth wake you up. Standing in the hallway with him felt like standing in the sun after a long, cold day, his gaze enough to warm your bones.
You shook your head, hunting for game a familiar one in Winter.
“I’ve never hunted with animals before.” The only movement was an eyebrow before his fingers held your hand. “Kallias is really into trapping.” Furs and meat were the two necessities to make it in Winter, most court citizens avid hunters.
He nodded, surprise evident on his face, but he said nothing. He squeezed your hand gently, looking deep into your eyes, fondness clear in his gaze. He looked on the verge of saying something, but only turned the knob, letting the early morning haze in, not quite clearing the lovesick haze that had settled in your stomach.
All the barking stopped immediately once Eris opened the door, the sound of dozens of paws hitting the ground thunderous in your ears. They quickly mobbed the pair of you, standing politely, tails wagging furiously. Several colors of fur tried to make their way to you, a dozen noses desperately trying to reach you. You giggled, reaching a hand out to pet one of them. You’d get to nuzzle one of their heads before another hound pushed it out of the way, trying to get your affection.
Eris gave a short, high-pitched whistle, sending the party into a frozen state, each one on high alert as they waited for his next order. It was almost terrifying how well they listened to his command, moving in tandem as if from one mind.
They all focused on him, a few with tilted heads. He let out a series of whistles, the meaning lost to you, but they understood. They moved as a group, their movements wispy and light, practically floating on air as they moved through the pasture, keeping a pace you couldn’t even dream of reaching.
“How do we find them?” Eris began trudging off after them, following the line in the morning dew they had made. From the front of the house, when you had arrived only a few days ago, you couldn’t have guessed at this large field hidden among the trees, this quiet sanctuary beyond a house containing Prythian’s greatest secrets.
“We follow as best we can. They’ll let us know when they find something.” A large crossbow was hung across his shoulder, not quite sure how you had missed it beforehand. It covered the muscles of his back, showing off his broad shoulders.
“What sort of expectations are there for the Lady of Autumn?” You had briefly met the previous one on this trip, Eris’s mother graciously inviting you for afternoon tea. You spoke for an hour with her, charmed by her while also being moderately terrified of her.
A woman married to Beron for centuries certainly had some skeletons in her own closet. You hadn’t thought to ask about her duties as Lady of the court, but rather mostly about Eris.
“There are a few, first and foremost being at court events.” Something you had expected - it would be silly to have a title and never be seen by the public. “My mother has her own passions and hobbies that take up her time, I don’t expect anyone,” he sent you a pointed look, “to do exactly as she does. Be present, be someone Autumn recognizes. Represent Autumn and see dignitaries from other courts. Other than that, it’s how much or how little sway she wishes to have.”
“Would I have to wear all green and red?” He laughed, the sound disturbing some roosting birds nearby, their wings taking flight.
“You may wear whatever color you like.”
“How often is Lucien around?”
“Not very. He comes usually for a day at a time, if that. He’s only here so frequently because he jumped at the chance to be a thorn in my side.”
Barks came from up ahead, the whole pack in an uproar, clearly catching the scent of something.
Eris grabbed your hand, the two of you running to catch whatever it was they found. You felt giddy at it all - his hand around yours, running through the trees. You felt so much younger and freer as the wind blew through your hair.
Could this be life with Eris?
-
The dogs had been unsuccessful. Eris did not want to admit it, but you were certain it had to do with how many questions you asked him, the chatter enough to scare off any nearby game, no matter the lead the dogs had on you.
The two of you spent the entire day outside, trying to find anything worthwhile, only calling it a day as the sun began to set. You had trudged back to the Forest House, unsure what you wanted more: a good meal or a long hot shower. Stepping inside, the house smelled divine - rich, fragrant foods that had your mouth watering.
The cooks must have heard your dilemma and answered for you. The two of you sat and ate, not much to say, too exhausted and gross to have anything of note to vocalize.
The silence gave you plenty of time to think. Eris had shown you a part of himself today, showing one of his favorite pastimes, it was only fair you did the same.
“Can I stay with you tonight?” It was the first thing you had said since coming inside, waiting until Eris was walking you to your chambers to ask it. The question clearly caught him off guard, his head lightly shaking in surprise.
“Of course.”
A rhythmic ceremony of sorts played out as the two of you prepared for bed. Taking turns bathing and changing into bed attire, nestling into bed, it all felt so comfortable and relaxing. The room smelled like him, coated in a smoky scent so thick it nearly made you dizzy.
As you lifted the covers laying next to Eris, two of the hounds jumped onto the bed, curling at his feet. You laughed, patting the bed next to you for one of them to come closer, but it only invited one of the ones on the floor to jump up.
Her brown fur was soft as it landed next to you, your hand petting her automatically. You curled around her body, an almost crescent moon shape to both of you. You felt the bed shift before Eris had done the same to you: contorting his body around yours, pulling your back flush to his chest.
The room smelled of Eris, but it also smelled like his hounds in the best way. The one in your arms, Cinnamon, nestled in for the night, and the contentment at being cocooned between their two bodies quickly lulled you to sleep.
-
A few hounds had made their way into the bed through the night, rotating as if in shifts to ensure they all got a turn. One or two were posted at each entrance, guarding both the bathroom and the door to his sitting room. One sat beneath a window, stationed there most of the night, her eyes on you whenever you woke up in the night.
Eris woke not long after you did, his arms circling tighter around you as he breathed you in.
“Does she sleep at all?” You asked, breaking the stillness of the morning. Eris only groaned, burying his face into your hair. His fingers dug into your hips, the millimeter of space between the two of you too offensive. He grumbled something incomprehensible into your hair, the words unintelligible.
“What was that?”
“Who?” You nodded toward the dog beneath the window, her gaze already on the two of you. She had a dark auburn coat, her long hair perfect to disappear amongst fallen leaves.
“That’s Lady. Not a cuddler.”
“Not even with you?”
“She cuddles in her own way. Sits near me and I have to stay very still.”
The image was incredibly endearing - the High Lord of Autumn letting his dog come to him in her own way, accommodating her as best he could. It had your heart practically bursting in your chest. You didn’t ask anymore questions, letting the room grow quiet with laziness.
Nobody moved for a long while, even the hounds staying still as they sprawled across the floor. Eventually a stomach growled - yours or Eris’s, you couldn’t tell. One of the hounds, Clove, you think, came over and nudged his back, her long snout attempting to get him out of bed.
It took longer than the dog had wanted, reluctance in every movement from both of you, but eventually the two of you left the warmth of the bed and took a walk in the woods, dozens of paws following you around.
Your remaining days in the court went by in a blur of red hair, warm skin, and explorations of the house and the forest surrounding it. You spent your nights tucked in Eris’s arms, the sweet domesticity of sharing a bed enough for both of you.
Each day brought a new confidence, that this was where you were meant to be, but every day something would hold you back, some new question keeping you from saying yes.
Before long, your shared two weeks in Autumn were up, your last night spent in Eris’s chambers, tangled in his arms and legs. He had held you tight all night, not wanting to let you go even as he slept.
-
A few hours before you were set to leave, luck had been on your side. One of the servants had let slip that Lucien had set off early that morning, some business in the Night Court requiring his immediate attention.
The sun was rising through the trees, chasing away the darkness of the night, bringing with it new life. The sun, for all its glory, hadn’t warmed up the ground yet, unable to fight the cool morning air yet. The cold in Autumn was different from Winter. It was familiar, a few details exchanged. The cold in Winter was dry and bone deep. The Autumn chill clung to you, stuck like a second skin.
Eris walked beside you, a few of his hounds trotting around the pair of you. The rest of them were out in the woods, chasing each other, investigating every scent trail they could find. The ones left behind were a guard of sort, likely expected to raise an alarm should anything happen.
The air was heavy with humidity and uncertainty, neither of you ready for what the afternoon would bring. Once you left, he’d have a busy day, ironing out the details of all the things he had pushed aside the past few weeks.
You weren’t sure when you would be back, if you would be back. Your mind was telling you stay guarded, to not give in. But you remembered Lady’s bright eyes, how she watched Eris everywhere he went, how he made time out of his day to spend a few moments alone with her, letting her come to him.
But now he walked beside you, silent and sure, unwavering as he walked over roots and bramble, a dog weaving between his long legs on occasion.
You bent over, crouching low to the ground and picking up a fallen stick. The leaves on it were still vibrant, some perfect color between orange and red. You held it up to the light before holding it close to Eris’s head, comparing it to his long, bright locks.
“They’re the same color as your hair.”
He moved one of his hands through the air, vaguely gesturing all around. The movement caught someone’s attention, a ball of red fur sitting in anticipation for the stick to be thrown their way.
“Most of them look like my hair.”
“Well that’s not fun.”
“I’m the High Lord of Autumn. It’s not far-fetched to think my lands resemble me.”
You only hummed, marching onwards, more determined with each step. After a moment of pretending to ignore the dog, you threw the stick off to the left when you figured they would least suspect it. The two of you continued in silence, the crunching of your boots crackling through the woods as four legs darted after the stick.
After a moment, you stepped off the path, looking for what had caught your eye. Quickly plucking the flower from its stalk, you hurry back to the bewildered male you left behind. You presented the flower to him before holding it next to his face, pointed so you could see the flower. The bright orange flower flared to life next to him, the perfect companion to the hundreds of freckles dancing across his cheeks.
The flower practically glowed next to him, its petals slightly bending in his direction. You’re not sure which came first: the magic or the life of the land.
“It matches your eyes.”
“My eyes are not orange.” You pulled the flower back, rolling your eyes as you did so.
“Not the petals, the eye of the flower. The center.” You pointed to make it clearer for him, the deep amber middle a perfect match for his eyes. He watched you carefully before looking down at the flower, the orange reflecting in his eyes.
He smiled, his mouth curved in a gorgeous upward tilt. He looked made of the woods, the forest around him bending to be seen by him or to catch a fraction of his warmth.
The crinkles in the corners of his eyes were enough proof you would go to great lengths to see them more permanently.
“So, to whom do I owe the pleasure of your undivided company all morning? I haven’t seen Lucien running about today.”
Eris only looked ahead, picking up a fallen stick and tossing it as far as he could, two of the hounds circling you chasing off after it.
“It seems he found a new toy to play with.”
“Must be some toy to pull him away from any opportunity to bother you.”
“I’m quite skilled at bargaining when there’s something I desire.”
“It wasn’t just luck that sent Lucien off this morning, was it?”
He merely shrugged, his hands clasped behind his back, the air of nonchalance he was attempting not quite landing right.
“I’m sure my brother’s told you I’m a selfish creature.”
A coy smile made its way across your face.
“Perhaps.”
“He’s not wrong.” The look he gave you felt all consuming. Amber eyes peering through every defense, every blockade of yours. He looked down at you, more resembling his hounds on the hunt for their toys than a male. The look pierced through every defense you had, nearly crumbling at the sight of it.
-
You had one last meal planned with Eris, one last time to speak over everything. He didn’t ask - staying silent, waiting for you to come to him.
There was one last question you couldn’t bring yourself to ask yet. It was the one thing keeping you from saying yes. Your last inhibition. It could all end depending upon his response.
“Eris, how are you different from your father?” He had only touched on the subject of Beron your first day here. It had been in an unfavorable manner, but you couldn’t tie yourself to someone without knowing the full truth.
“I haven’t burnt anyone alive so far.”
Your fork fell to your plate, so surprised at Eris’s words all of your senses stopped working. You knew Beron was a cruel man, but the extent of the harm he was producing in his court was unknown.
“That’s diabolical.”
Eris put his fork down softly, wiping his mouth with his napkin.
“Forgive me, it’s a question I am asked over and over again, even by myself. It’s a bit frustrating.”
His hand reached across the table, holding yours softly. His eyes were molten amber as they looked at you, honesty pouring out of them.
“I fear becoming like my father. I fear it’s inevitable. That is why I wish to keep people around me who will keep me in check. Lucien does a decent job, but he’s an emissary. He’s not always around. My mother wishes to spend her time between Day and Autumn.
“I need a life partner. Someone that will keep me from my worst tendencies. Someone that will keep me from becoming him. Someone that I like spending time with.”
“And I’m all of those things?” Your voice was soft, a murmur amidst the candlelight.
“And more.”
“Well, for the sake of honesty, maybe you should continue on with that list.”
His smile made your heart beat wildly, erratic beats you couldn’t calm no matter how hard you tried. The incandescent glow of the candlelight made him so striking it almost hurt to look at his beauty.
“You have always seen me. And I made a promise to you all those years ago. I know you aren’t seeing anyone else, and I’m a lovestruck fool who can’t help but hope that that is because of me. That you return my feelings toward you.”
You leaned in, desperate to close the space between you.
“And what are your feelings toward me?”
“Ones of yearning and love.”
Your breath caught in your throat, his eyes pleading with you to return his affections.
“Eris Vanserra, the secret romantic.”
“Only for you.”
You reached a hand out, caressing his cheek. You watched him swallow hard, his adam’s apple bobbing with movement. Your gaze kept flickering between his eyes and his lips, debating where to pay attention to.
All along, every decision was yours. You took the lead while he waited, letting you guide whatever this was. He did it with Lady, taking his time, putting her comfort over his wants.
“You were right. I was waiting for you.” You closed the gap between your faces, bringing your lips to his. He tasted sweet and warm, a bit of spice to it. His lips captured yours, melding perfectly to the shape of them. It felt perfect as his hand slid down to your waist, pulling you closer to him.
You almost fell out of the chair, breaking the kiss to squeal, but he caught you, pulling you into his lap. His lips reconnected with yours, more fervent this time. He had gotten a taste, and now he was desperate for more. His hands cupped your cheeks, pulling you flush to his body.
It felt right. This was the last thing you needed to say yes.
You pulled back from his lips just enough to speak.
“There’s one last thing I need to know before I can make up my mind.”
“Anything.” Looking into his eyes, you felt the truth to that one word. He would give you anything you wanted, all you had to do was ask.
“I’d never marry someone without spending the night with them.” Your low voice was dripping with innuendo. The smell of his arousal coated the air as you leaned in to kiss him once more. His hands moved down to your ass, gripping you tight against him. Too caught up in the moment, neither of you heard the door open, ana mused Lucien trying to look displeased.
“Well, well, well, High Lord. And you mocked me for needing a chaperone. I leave you alone for five minutes and you’re-“
Eris quickly pushed the door close with his magic, forcing Lucien from the room without leaving your lips.
He held you close to him, savoring the moment. His mouth curled into a smug expression, an arrogant look in his eye before he said, “I’m sure I was worth the wait.”
summary. when midoriya suggests bakugou make his way up the rankings, he takes you under his wing: someone with no hero experience other than their license exam and a dream.
♯ characters included: the bakusquad ( jirou included ! )
⊱ cw: “y/n” usage, swearing, gn reader
⊱ a/n: i hope you guys like this one! it’s mostly random conversation / what it’s like texting them so i tried to make it as fun as possible! (ps: to whoever sent requests, i’ll get to them asap!)
⊱ masterlist
chat i uploaded two days in a row are u proud of me
turnnoffyourmind
pixelskylines
izzy806
snowghoul
jacobvanloon
areudirty
tangentwithtanner
yousharknotpass
