the fact that FEMALE FRIENDSHIP is what loosened Mel up...Mel's braid came undone at the hands of a friend, she let loose thanks to the invitation of a friend, she was able to be free in the company of a friend--
all firelord zuko could focus his gaze on was your neck. the last time he had seen the dull red mark, it was covered in bandages. you still remember the day it happened, ten years ago.
notes: contains some depictions of gore, burns, and violence. overall pretty fluffy with some angst. fem!reader. no proofreading sorry guys this man inspired me to write at twelve million words per hour.
-
all you could feel was the harsh pulse of your own heartbeat coming from your neck. you wish the beating came from your carotid, but it came from the hand shaped burn that now covered the right side of your neck and the connecting point to your shoulder. the green crystals of the catacombs shine above you, but you can’t focus on them well enough to admire them. aang had just been thrown back by azula when she had shifted her gaze to you and katara. you had been fighting against her using your earth bending, but your senses were nowhere near as sensitive as toph’s. you couldn’t even feel when zuko came up behind you, gripping your shoulder to pull you back. he used that same hand to let out a burst of fire that seemed to shock even himself; you went crashing into one of the stone walls of the cave, then fell to the ground.
your neck was raw. the skin covering it now charred and flaked, exposing the slick under layer of cells and blood. you’re able to peel your eyes open to see zuko. he is standing, watching. azula yells something towards him that you can't make out, it takes him a second to start running toward her, back to the fight with aang. you can faintly see katara fall after one of azula’s attacks. the last you remember was the entrance of the dai li surrounding katara as she tries to get back up.
waking up on a fire nation ship was… terrifying to say the least. not to mention the thick layer of bandages that covered your neck and shoulder. you felt like you could barely move your head. sokka was the first person you saw when you woke after three days in a coma. “thank goodness, you’re alive.” he said, you tried to push yourself up on the cot you were laying on, but you were still weak. sokka helped push you up from your back as to not disturb the bandages. “katara tried to heal you, but she had to use the spirit water on aang.” he said, rubbing the back of his neck. “is everyone okay?” you managed to ask, your voice raspy. “aang… hasn’t woken up yet.”
it took three more weeks for him to wake up, even longer for the plan on the day of the black sun to come together. the time in the fire nation passed too fast for your liking, and the feeling that the end was soon caused your anxiety to heighten as you stayed at the western air temple. the fight in the crystal catacomb gave you a sense of your own weakness, mortality.
zuko’s arrival after being beaten by the fire nation only heightened those feelings. you hadn’t managed to bend properly with him still around, his presence only made your burn throb more. it was still firmly wrapped in cloth bandages, barely scarring over in the past month. when aang had asked you and toph your opinions on letting him stay with the group after he defeated the assassin tracking you, you only gave a nod after toph said she’d get back at him. even with apologies from him to both you and toph, you couldn’t help the feeling of fear that consumed you when he was firebending with aang.
it’s only when zuko and aang returned from the firebending masters did your tension start to lessen. it had taken you a while to get back to feeling comfortable around fire, but something you couldn’t handle was the freezing nights at the western air temple, sucking up your fear was a necessity. something you didn’t expect to be comforted by, though, was the warmth of the tea that zuko had brewed every night. he’d sometimes tell stories of his uncle, or poorly thought out jokes. it helped. it made the fire feel more human. it made the skin on your neck and shoulder cool down. helping sokka bring back suki his father, then avenging katara’s mother with her made it difficult to ignore his changing.
a few days before the arrival of sozin’s comet, you had spoken to him maybe a handful of times. it was a warm night at the fire lord’s beach house when he sat next to you at the shoreline. your scar didn’t throb. the rest of the team was sleeping inside, in a food coma as a result of watermelon juice and barbecued veggies. even with the heat of the island, you had your bandages on.
“is your neck… healing well?” he asked without looking toward you. “uh, yeah. it just needs a few more weeks. i’m trying to keep it clean.” you responded. it was a complete lie. in full honesty, katara said you could stop wearing the bandage about a week prior. you wanted to keep the scar to yourself for now. the area was pulled taut as the fresh layer of new skin covered what once was a mass of char. you felt yourself sweat through the bandage a bit. he turns to look at you, his hand balled into a fist in the sand, “i can’t tell you how sorry i am.” his eyes shift to the bandage.
he was never the best at apologies, but you could tell he was trying. you were never the best at comfort, but you could also try. “you were doing what you thought was right. we all make mistakes.” “doing that to someone is never right. i regretted it as soon as i touched you.” he leans his body away from you. “well, you just gotta make sure you don't do it again, i’ll beat your ass now that my bending’s gotten better.” that actually got a chuckle out of him. “if that ever happens, i hope you do.”
he spoke of how his father was planning on burning down the earth kingdom, your home, a day later. although you were separated from your family at a young age, the people in the earth kingdom and the fighters that trained you were the closest people you had in your life. training amped up tenfold. aang disappeared, you all found zuko’s uncle, the comet changed the sky into a deep orange, you were split up from the group and caught in a fight against azula with katara and zuko, and then, suddenly.
aang won.
the fire lord could no longer bend. aang put out the fires at the edge of the earth kingdom and you reunited with the rest of the team. you stayed with toph at zuko’s coronation and to the celebration afterwards. the fire nation regalia laid thinly on your body, made for the heat. it was a high enough neck to cover what you wanted to be covered. everyone was in the traditional deep red for the celebration.
“so, do we have to call you ‘my lord’ now?” sokka asked, leaning on zuko’s shoulder. “please, never call me that.” zuko seemed to cringe. “then what is your first plan of action, firelord zuko?” you asked, making toph cackle. zuko would have to get used to it at some point. “i’ve already set up meetings with the other nations to start rebuilding our relationships with them. i’m just hoping they’ll believe in me.” “they will,” aang says.
-
ten years later proves that they did believe in him. the fire nation has majorly supported the other nations in their efforts to rebuild after the hundred years war. zuko has worked with royals as well as local communities to establish what is needed for their homelands as well as what is necessary for the construction of republic city. aang and katara have worked on peace treaties between all nations in connection with the new firelord. toph has set up a strong law enforcement team to protect against those that still may believe in what ozai once tried to enforce. sokka has become the new chieftain of the southern water tribe.
you, over the past ten years, have made an effort to find your family. and you did. only katara knew of this venture, and that you located your grandmother using old earth kingdom records tied to your last name. you found an orphan with the same birthdate as you and tied it back to two deceased parents. you almost gave up until you found one last grandparent–your mothers mother. she lived in the mountains in solitude, away from any main city, but she said she would recognize you anywhere.
you were shocked to receive the invitation to this fire nation event celebrating the ten year anniversary of the end of the war. first, you didn’t know if any of the original team knew your location. spending ten years trying to find your one last living relative did not give you a lot of free time to stay in contact with anyone, which you regretted deeply. second, you didn’t expect fire nation soldiers to knock on the door of your grandmother's small cabin in the early morning, nearly scaring the spirit out of her.
one of the soldiers said your name as you opened the door, ready to use your bending to send them all the way back to the fire nation, but you pause at his next words, “we are delivering a letter from firelord zuko, we apologize for the early interruption, he asked for us to get this to you as soon as possible.” the soldier put the letter in your hands and gave you a stiff bow. both of them left swiftly, leaving you and your grandmother shocked.
“the firelord, huh?” your grandmother looked at you with a naughty look in her eye. “spirits, please stop.” “haven’t you seen him lately, dear? handsome boy.” she said, smirking. “how have you even seen him? we don’t get any mail up here.” “you think i spend all of my time out in that garden? the city is a beautiful place to explore, even if i would despise living in it.” you decide to ignore the information that was just thrown at you to open the letter in your hands. there is a large chunk of cursive on the page written in red ink. it addresses you by name first, some of it is a little messy, but it looks like it took some time to write.
“i hope that the delivery of this letter did not startle you. you certainly did not make it easy to find your whereabouts over the years, but i felt it was important to share this event with you. katara was gracious enough to talk about your mission to find your loved ones after the end of my fathers rule. i admire you deeply for dedicating yourself to this for ten long years.
i am writing to invite you to the decennial celebration of the end of the war at the fire nation palace. i understand completely if you would rather spend time with your grandmother (this invite is extended to your grandmother as well), but i hope you do consider being in attendance. everyone from our original group will be in attendance and it would feel like something would be missing without you.
please do not feel as if you are being forced to come. i understand that the whole ‘firelord’ title can make official invitations intimidating, but i would appreciate writing with you like this just as i would seeing you in person.
i hope to see you there,
zuko”
“a special invite from the firelord himself.” your grandmother reads the letter over your shoulder, “and he only signed it as zuko! no ‘firelord,’ no ‘lord,’ oh, you have to go!” she claps. for an old woman, her energy is out of this world. “i don’t even know how i would get down there on time, i don’t even have anything to wear.” you said, putting the letter down. “we have enough money saved to call a carriage, and i’m an old woman who has lived by herself for twenty years, you think i can’t sew? i have many traditional dresses in my closet, i can tailor it any way you’d like, you would just have to choose one.” she opens her closet door to show her collection of traditional earth kingdom gowns. their vintage designs and traditional fabrics almost seemed to shimmer in the early morning sun. you just smiled and nodded toward her, she jumped with excitement.
-
now, standing at the foot of the fire nation palace, it is almost like all of your original confidence has washed away from your body. the carriage dropped you off just minutes ago, and yet you still haven't moved an inch.
your dress was perfectly tailored, a silk green and gold gown. it is low cut, and you have finally stopped wearing bandages around your neck and shoulders. the scar was a mix of reds and browns, but had healed with only a slight difference in texture to your unharmed skin, you still wore a shawl to fight against the cool evening breeze outside. your grandmother even put some light makeup on your face and gave you her precious gold jewelry to wear for the night. in the carriage, you felt beautiful. as you stare up at the palace, knowing that everyone from your past is in that building, it all feels too much.
ten years was too long of a time to not see any of your friends, though. instead of remaining stuck in fear, you made your way up the staircase into the bustling palace. music surrounded you along with warm firelights lining the walls. the main foyer was crowded with aristocrats and citizens alike. the first person you make eye contact with is aang.
his eyes widen as he says your name, the woman in front of him turns around to look at you too, katara. you smile at them as they rush toward you. “it’s really you, oh my god.” katara says, pulling you into a hug, aang comes in for one next. “i’m so sorry about being in the mountains for so long. i’ve been catching up on lost time with my grandmother.” you take in both of their appearances in shock. aang has somehow grown taller than both you and katara, and katara has grown into a gorgeous woman. you notice something different about her, particularly her necklace. instead of her mothers, there sits a blue crystal with a combination of air and water nation symbols.
“is that what i think it is?” you ask, looking deeper at the necklace. aang’s face bursts with red at the recognition. “we thought nobody would notice!” katara says, “notice what?” another person cuts across the foyer, you instantly recognize the voice as sokka, toph is beside him as he comes up. she is already smirking, probably from overhearing the conversation. katara’s eyes widen, aang splutters for a second before yelling out your name, “she thought nobody would notice her, can you believe it?” sokka instantly looks shocked as he looks at you and then pulls you into a hug. “holy shit, we didn’t think you’d come!” he pulls back but still has his hands on your shoulders. “neither did i, to be honest.” you said back. “you finally came in! i heard you thank your carriage driver outside like twenty minutes ago.” toph hits your shoulder. “your senses can’t be that good.” katara furrows her eyebrows at toph, “it’s been ten years, my senses are only getting better and better.”
conversation flows like it did ten years ago, like it did before the war. you realize how much you missed all of your friends. you loved your grandmother, but this little found family of yours was still by your side, even after a decade.
the sounds of drums interrupt your conversation as guards come up to the top of the grand staircase. the drums stop as the main guard begins to speak. “please join us in welcoming firelord zuko.” the guard says. the foyer erupts into applause as zuko stands atop the staircase and gives a bow.
he looks so different, his hair is long, near his waist at this point. he has grown much taller over the years, and he looks older. the weight of war cleanup and firelord duties has taken a toll on him. his eyes are slightly sunken in, but despite this, he looks happy. he looks good.
he gives a greeting toward the crowd and invites everyone to keep celebrating before descending the staircase. aang rushes to greet him first, still pulling him into a bear hug despite both of them being far too large for it not to hurt anymore. sokka and toph make jokes about the introduction while katara laughs. despite the chaos, he looks at you.
the shock on his face was astounding. he looks both happy and stunned at the same time, but he smiles at you nonetheless. “oh, yeah, we brought a surprise for you, dude.” sokka says, gesturing to you over his shoulder. you are pulled into another hug, this time from the firelord, who approached you at a shocking speed. despite his put-together facade, he really seems to act just like aang in terms of excitement. he pulls away from you, “i am so happy you came, did you bring your grandmother?” you laugh a bit but shake your head, “i tried getting her to come, she said parties aren't her thing.”
even after ten years, they were all still here. you couldn’t believe you hadn’t followed up with anyone for that amount of time, you couldn’t believe how fast time had even passed after the end of the war. the night nearly flew by, and suddenly the room was getting stuffy with the amount of bodies that filled up the palace. you stepped out into the garden for some cool air, slipping the shawl off your shoulders and sitting on a small bench by the fountain.
you heard him before you saw him, the thick fabric of the firelord robes made it hard to hide from anybody as it rubbed against itself. “what are you doing out here?” zuko asks from behind you, coming to sit next to you. “got a bit too hot. i havent properly partied in a decade, y’know?” you smiled back at him. “that is a fire nation issue, we tend to run hot.” he looks at you properly.
he takes you in little by little, maybe you notice, maybe you don’t. from your hair, to the slope of your nose, to your lips, to your chin.
to your neck.
all fire lord zuko could focus his gaze on was your neck. the last time he had seen the dull red mark, it was covered in bandages. in the dark of the night it appeared more purpley. it was very faintly shaped like a jagged oval. like his hand. the previous smile that was on his face has disappeared as he looks away from you. you notice it.
“why, um, why did you end up coming?” he asks, looking down at his hands that are now clasped together. he still isn't looking at you. “just wanted to see people that i cared for again.” he nods, “i think they really appreciate that. i mean, katara and aang haven’t stopped talking about you over the years. toph missed you so much-” “that includes you, zuko.” he closes his mouth and his eyes still shift on the grass covering the garden ground.
“you don’t have to say that, you know? i know i’m the firelord but i’m not going to, like, force you to be friends with me. especially not after what i did.” he can’t look at your face, so he settles by looking at your hands that were resting on your thighs.
“can i tell you something?” you ask, “anything,” he responds, so fast it almost shocks both of you. “for the longest time after… that fight, i was scared of fire. it didn’t matter how cold it was or how numb my fingers were, i was just too nervous to be around it. i was terrified.” he looks away from you again, but you continue. “i had made this connection in my head that you and fire were one, one being made to try and hurt my friends.” he nodded, you could barely even hear him breathe. “when you came to the western air temple saying you wanted to help aang with his fire bending, i felt myself really start panicking.” you had to remind yourself to breathe while talking to him.
“but then you started making us warm tea and staying up to kindle the fire, and even trying to keep appa warm even though he is covered in fur. i felt myself getting more and more comfortable with the presence of fire. maybe even sheltered by it.” that made zuko let out a breath. “i realized the connection i made between you, fire, and danger was unfair. we are just products of our environments, and during that fight, reacting with fire is what you were taught. somehow, during everything, you also taught me that fire isn’t always dangerous and uncontrolled, it’s also warmth and protection.” you finished.
“you are being too nice for this situation right now.” zuko says looking back at you, from your eyes, to your neck, and back again. you sigh and look away this time, “i know that this is your first time seeing it, firelord, but it has been a part of me for ten years. i have taken all the time i have needed to heal and grow from the war and this is just a mark of the past. it means nothing about your future or our future.”
“what i have heard from everyone is that you are a good firelord, a kind firelord, and i have a feeling that is a fact. you have grown into a great man and probably the best firelord your nation has known. your past doesn’t define you, zuko, especially when you have made such a change for the world.”
judging by the sheen covering his eyes, you got through to him. he looks away to wipe his face with his robes, but turns to look at you in the eyes. he smiles, “will i have to ask you to stop calling me ‘firelord’ for the rest of my life?” you laugh, “oh, definitely.” “thank you for coming tonight. i’ll be honest, i couldn’t sleep with how anxious i was at the thought of seeing you again.” he said, there was a tint of pink coming up his neck to the bottom of his cheeks.
one thing you weren't, after all these years, was a coward. “hm, do i make the firelord nervous?” his skin heated up. you couldn’t tell if it was from a blush or if it was a result of his bending. you leaned closer to him, “thank you for inviting me and, y’know, finding me.” he splutters a bit, “oh! it was nothing, yeah, no problem. easy, easy work. yeah.” you brought your lips to his cheek, giving him a soft peck that made him freeze. your lips felt warm from the heat of his skin as you pulled away.
he was still looking at you, eyes widened, as he touched his cheek. he looks down at his hand before it makes its way to cup the side of your face, “can i?” he asks, you just nod. he pulls you into a kiss, soft and deep. his hand is warm as it shifts its way to the back of your head, pulling you closer. his other hand grips your waist. you hold onto the front of his robes as he separates your lips with his tongue, making you gasp.
“zuko! did you find her- oh!” you hear sokka’s voice as a door slides open. you and zuko separate quickly, not looking at each other or sokka, standing in the doorway. “ten years and you couldn’t wait one more night? damn. well, i’ll leave ya to it.” sokka’s eyes light up mischievously as he shuts the door and enters back into the palace.
“he is going to tell everyone in there.” you said finally looking back at zuko. he was already staring at you. he puts a hand on the back of your neck to pull you in again, this time kissing up the area of your scar. he brings his lips up your jaw to your cheek, and finally to your lips.
“let him.”
-
my laptop is alive and so am i!!!! i hope you guys enjoyed this, tbh i am in love with zuko once again (he got me as a kid AND as an adult now). i havent seen the leaked movie so i am bullshitting half of this fic tbh. anyways thanks for reading!
little update post but my laptop is working again!! i’m working on the next chapter of jolt now but i actually ended up writing a firelord zuko oneshot so that should be coming out pretty soon. lord those edits changed me for real
Its so hard to find Luis Serra fics and I read yours multiple times.
I was wondering if i could request a resident evil where Luis is alive and in the future helping Leon out in RE 9 but he gets distracted by his wife wearing his lab coat. Thanks
Thinking about Luis helping Leon find a cure for the T-Virus in RE9...
A/N: Hello, love! Thank you so, so much for requesting Luis. I love him so much, but no one ever seems to like him as much as Carlos or Leon. I actually have another two fics lined up for him. I've been dabbling in working on, hoping someone would show interest in content for him. If you have more requests for Luis, please send them in when requests reopen!
CW: 2k words, Established relationship between the reader and Luis (married), AU in which Luis survives RE4 and Leon get's him a job at the DSO, Luis is helping Leon find a cure for T-Virus, Takes place right before RE9 would take place, Spanish petnames galor (I'm not gonna list them all out we all know Luis goes crazy with that shit and I will always write him like that), Domestic fluff, SO MUCH FLUFF.
"Mi amor, you’re still awake?" Luis’s voice carries from the doorway, half-amused, half-concerned, as he toes off his shoes with a tired sigh. The lab coat draped over the couch arm catches his eye first, his spare one, the one he keeps by the door at home for emergencies, before he spots you, curled under it like a makeshift blanket, glasses askew on your nose, hair spilling over the cushions.
The apartment smells like overcooked pasta and faint citrus from the half-finished mojito abandoned on the coffee table. You’d promised yourself you’d stay up until he got home, but the clock on the wall reads 2:17 AM, and the documentary you’d put on for background noise had long since given way to static. Luis crosses the room in three strides, kneels beside the couch, and brushes his thumb over your cheekbone. "Dios, you’re gonna give me a heart attack one day," he coos fondly, but there’s no real scolding in it, just warmth.
You blink awake, disoriented, then light up like a firework the second your brain registers him. "Luis!" The name bursts out of you, giddy, as you fling your arms around his neck. He laughs, catching you, his stubble scratching your temple as he presses a kiss there, then another to the bridge of your nose, then your forehead, relentless. "You’re home, you’re home- how’s Leon? Did you- ?"
"Shh, shh," he soothes, but he’s grinning, cupping your face in his hands like you’re something precious. "Leon’s holding on. Stubborn bastard." His thumbs swipe under your glasses, wiping away sleep crust, and you wrinkle your nose at him. "But you- mi vida, mi estrella- you should’ve gone to bed."
My life, my light.
You don’t answer, too busy mapping the exhaustion on his face, the dark crescents under his eyes, the way his shoulders slump forward like gravity’s doubled. The lab coat slips off your shoulders as you sit up, and Luis’s gaze drops to it, then back to you, his smirk lazy but bright. "Stealing my clothes now, cariño? Should I be flattered or concerned?"
Sweetheart.
"Both," you mumble, fingers already plucking at the wrinkled fabric of his dress shirt. "You smell like antiseptic and coffee." His laugh is a rough, tired thing, but he leans into your touch when you push his hair back from his forehead. "When was the last time you ate? Actually ate, not just- " you gesture vaguely at the empty energy drink cans littering his lab reports on the kitchen counter "Energy drinks and ashy protein bars."
Luis opens his mouth, then closes it when you narrow your eyes. "...Lunch?" he tries, and you groan, shoving at his chest. He catches your wrist, presses a kiss to your palm. "Ay, don’t look at me like that. You know how it gets when we’re close to a breakthrough."
"You’re worse than Leon," you grumble, but you’re already swinging your legs off the couch, tugging him toward the kitchen. He follows, compliant, his fingers laced with yours. The fridge light paints his face in stark relief as you rummage for the Tupperware you’d packed hours ago, arroz con pollo, his favorite, now cold but still edible. Luis makes a noise behind you, something soft and wounded.
You’d wanted to surprise him.
"You made this?" Luis's voice cracks as he watches you pop the Tupperware into the microwave, his fingers tightening around yours. The hum of the appliance fills the silence between you, the faint scent of garlic and saffron beginning to seep into the air. His thumb traces circles over your knuckles, a silent thank you, a silent “I’m here” even if his body is still halfway to the lab in his head.
You don’t answer, just press a Gatorade into his other hand, the one not currently clinging to you, as if you might vanish. "Drink. Now, babe," you order, nudging the bottle toward his lips until he obeys, the corners of his mouth quirking up around the rim. The microwave beeps, and you turn to grab the food, but Luis catches your waist and spins you back toward him. His nose brushes yours, his breath warm and sweet from the drink. "Te quiero," he coos, the words soft against your lips before he kisses you properly, slow and lingering, like he’s memorizing the shape of your mouth all over again despite years of marriage.
I love you.
The first bite of food is a revelation. Luis moans, shameless, his eyes fluttering shut as he chews. "Dios, I forgot what real food tastes like," he mumbles around the fork, already reaching for another bite. You snort, stealing a piece of chicken from his container just to watch him pout. "You’re lucky I love you," you grumble, but there’s no heat in it, just the same fond exasperation that’s been there since the first time you dragged him out of his lab to eat proper food.
The kitchen is too small for two people, really, but neither of you moves. Luis eats like a man starved, and you lean against the counter beside him, your hip brushing his, your fingers carding through his thick, wavy hair just to feel him sigh into the touch. His free hand finds your thigh, thumb rubbing absent circles through the fabric of his stolen lab coat. "You’re gonna crash soon," you murmur when his eyelids start to droop, his head lolling toward your shoulder. "Bed?”
Luis shakes his head stubbornly, even as his body betrays him, his shoulders sagging forward, the fork wobbling slightly in his grip. "Can't," he mumbles around another mouthful of arroz con pollo. "Need to review the latest viral sequences before- " A yawn cracks his jaw mid-sentence, and you press your lips together to keep from giggling.
"Before you faceplant into your microscope?" you finish for him, plucking the fork from his slack fingers. He blinks at you, slow and owlish behind his smudged glasses. "Luis. You've been awake for thirty-six hours. That’s a new record, honey."
"Thirty-eight," he corrects automatically, then winces when you pinch his side. "Ay, okay, okay, yeah, bedtime." He lets you tug him upright, his arms looping around your waist as he stumbles into you. His nose bumps against your temple, his breath warm and uneven against your curls. "But you're coming with me," he murmurs, half-plea, half-command.
You don't argue. The bedroom is dark, the sheets cool when you tumble into them, and Luis collapses beside you with a groan. He's asleep before his head hits the pillow, his arm slung heavily across your stomach, his face smushed into the crook of your neck. You card your fingers through his hair, still slightly stiff with curl gel, and listen to his breathing even out.
The quiet settles over you both like a second blanket, broken only by Luis’s slow, even breaths against your collarbone. His fingers twitch against your hip, some residual instinct from surviving Spain, before stilling again. You press a kiss to the top of his head, his hair smelling faintly of disinfectant and his own stupidly expensive cologne. The clock on the nightstand reads 3:02 AM, but you’re wide awake now, your brain buzzing with the leftover energy of seeing him home safe.
____
Morning comes too soon. The sunlight filters through the curtains, painting stripes across Luis’s back as he stirs with a groan. He blinks up at you, bleary-eyed and disoriented, before his face crumples into something unbearably soft. “You stayed,” he rasps, his voice rough with sleep. His thumb brushes your cheek, like he’s checking you’re real. “Thought I dreamed you.”
You huff a laugh against his palm, your fingers curling around his wrist to keep him there. "Where else would I go, idiot? I’m your wife." The morning light catches the gold in his eyes, the exhaustion still lingering but softened by sleep. His stubble scratches your fingertips as you trace the line of his jaw, memorizing the way his breath hitches when your thumb brushes the corner of his mouth.
Luis exhales through his nose, a half-laugh, half-sigh that ruffles your bangs. His fingers trail down your arm, pausing to fiddle with the cuff of his stolen lab coat still draped over your shoulders. "You look ridiculous in this," he murmurs, but his voice is thick with something that makes your ribs ache. He tugs at the collar, pulling you closer until your foreheads bump. "Like some mad scientist's beautiful assistant."
"You are a mad scientist," you remind him, but he's already rolling you onto your back, his weight a comfortable anchor as he noses along your jaw. His stubble rasps against your skin, his breath hot where it ghosts over your pulse. "Luis- "
"Fuck the lab today," he growls against your throat, and the vehemence in his voice surprises you both. He freezes, then pulls back just enough to meet your eyes, his own wide and startled behind his crooked glasses. "I mean- not fuck it, obviously, but- " He huffs, frustrated, and collapses onto his elbows beside you, his forehead pressing into your shoulder. "Dios, I can't even insult my own workplace properly anymore."
You bite your lip to keep from laughing, but your shoulders shake anyway. Luis lifts his head just to glare at you, but there's no heat in it, just exhaustion and fondness and the lingering panic of a man who'd almost lost too much already. His fingers find yours on the mattress, threading together tightly. "I need this to work," he says quietly, his thumb pressing into the hollow of your palm. "For Leon. For everyone."
The admission hangs between you, raw and unguarded, the first time he’s said it out loud since Leon collapsed at the DSO three days ago. Luis’s fingers tremble against yours, and you squeeze back, hard enough to ground him. “I know,” you whisper, pressing your lips to his knuckles. The taste of antiseptic lingers on his skin. “But you can’t save him if you’re dead on your feet.”
Luis makes a noise low in his throat, half-protest, half-surrender, before rolling onto his back to stare at the ceiling. The morning light catches the silver streaking his temples, the lines around his eyes deeper than they were a month ago. “I had the sequence right there, y’know?” he mutters, dragging a hand down his face. “But the viral load in his bloodstream, it’s adapting faster than we can…”
“Hey.” You straddle his hips, your knees bracketing his waist, and press your palms to his cheeks until he meets your gaze. His stubble rasps against your skin. “You’re the smartest person I know. If anyone can outthink this thing, it’s you.” His breath hitches when you lean down, your curls curtaining his face, and brush your nose against his. “But even geniuses need showers. And coffee. And maybe a break from smelling like a Petri dish.”
He huffs a laugh, his hands settling on your waist, thumbs rubbing absent circles through the fabric of his stolen lab coat. “You’re a menace, honey,” he murmurs, but he’s already tilting his chin up to catch your lips in a lazy kiss. His mouth is warm, still sleep-soft, and you can taste the lingering salt of last night’s arroz con pollo. God, you missed him.
hiii !! i just read the the first two chapters of jolt i’m obsessed with the idea and i just wanted to (respectfully) ask if you plan on writing more for it 🙃 im not trying to come off as rude or pushy or anything, just wondering what your plans are with it. have a good day !! ☺️☺️☺️
hi omg this isn’t pushy at all! i do plan on updating jolt soon and im sorry for the wait, ill be so honest i ended up spilling some water on my laptop a while ago 🤡🤡 so i haven’t been able to write very fast (victim of the ao3 curse), im really hoping i get it up and running again soon because i type much faster on my laptop than my phone. i plan on doing it chapter by chapter with the game as best i can, hopefully ill get out that next chapter soon, and im super sorry for the wait!
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