#ardent

[wishingstarinajar]

Belated Christmas gift for my bestie, @stankychee! These are all her babbies~ Her pretty, bootiful, and handsome babbies!

Let's go clockwise for all of them! Ardent, Cheebits, Cheebot, DJ, Nightcleaver, Qwert, Skyskimmer, Zinfandel, Pummel, Tau, Marci and CC!

[loveandleases]

Randomly got hit with nostalgia because "Again" sung by Hadley Fraser popped up in my Playlist and now I'm wondering, on the off-chance that MC met the ROs while still with Chris (if Chris is still cheating or not with Jade is up to you), would any of them try to talk to MC at/right before the wedding (preferably before and not objecting during the ceremony, but I'm not opposed to mess) to talk MC out of it and be with them (the RO, that is) before its too late? Damn you Hadley Fraser--

I had forgotten about that songs existence until you mentioned it. (I actually have canon scenarios for Cam, G, and Kara.) ❤️ Cam - Oh you know he is just looking for that moment, to get MC alone truly. To see that this wedding isn't what they wanted, that Chris isn't who they want. Cam is ready for it mess and all. If he did it before the wedding it would go something like this:

If his voice isn't giving away his nerves, then the shaking of his hands as he holds theirs is. His eyes are darting, never settling on one part for too long. Afraid that once he does he'll lose this burst of bravado. "You can't marry Chris."

"Wh... what do you mean I can't?"

Cam's grip on yours tightens, fingers intertwined hoping that, after all these years, you understand—this isn't selfishness. This isn't him trying to stake a claim.

"It's your choice, at the end of the day. But I'm asking you here... I'm," his voice falters, as he closes the distance and places his hand to your jaw. "begging you. Don't marry Chris."

"Cam I can't just... I-I need a reason. You can't just beg me not to and not say why."

Logic—of course you'd ask for logic. He wishes you wouldn’t, because it makes this part harder. And much more embarrassing.

He's not good with words, or at least he doesn't think so. (he's wrong.) Cam’s breath comes quick, his chest rising and falling faster than your racing heart. But before you can question what he's doing he steps closer. Tilting your face so that he can press a kiss to your lips.

"They say it’s good luck to kiss the bride/groom on their wedding day." He mumbles against your lips, just enough to speak but not enough to stop.

"Maybe... but I'm not getting married."

"Then good fucking luck indeed."

💙 G -The real question is whether they would have been invited at all.Chris would never have allowed it, but G would have found a way in anyway. Former friend, former lover—it didn't matter. It was still an important day for MC.

But G couldn’t sit through a wedding. Not this one. The thought of MC marrying Chris—a person so different from them, so full of hate—was unbearable.

So, G arrived early. Far too early. A note in hand, because they knew if they tried to say it out loud, MC would freeze. They’d get lost in pleasantries, in what-ifs and what-could-have-beens.

They waited until MC stepped out of the dressing room. Then, with a final glance at the words they couldn't bring themselves to speak, they left the note behind.

I won’t tell you everything it says. But I can give you a line from it.

💚 Kara - Internally, she would be at war with herself. Because she cares about MC—but she cares about Chris, too. And the Kara before the breakup is not the Kara you will come to know. Back then, she wouldn’t have realized that Chris wasn’t the person she imagined them to be.

So, she would suffer through it. Convince herself that loving MC from a distance was better than not loving them at all. She would force a smile, wish them good luck—

And regret it.

(similar to Angelica in Hamilton.)

💛 M - They are far too shy for the kind of attention that comes with interrupting a wedding. So, they would act weeks in advance. They would ask careful questions, fishing for insight into MC’s relationship with Chris—trying to see if they’re truly happy.

But M notices the truth early on. MC has settled. The spark that usually lights up their eyes when they talk about their passions is dimmed. When they’re with Chris, that glint is nearly snuffed out. The luster of who they are fades.

But not when they’re with M.

And in a fleeting moment, M realizes it. A split-second of shock. Because for all their intelligence, M can be painfully dense—especially when it comes to love. Their thoughts slip out before they can stop them. They tell MC how much they care. How they know they can make them happy. That they don’t want to change who MC is, only help them shine—if MC will let them.

(Expect several pages in their dedication section about the one time they were brave—and how, for once, it worked in their favor.)

💜 Isaac - They didn’t want to admit their feelings for MC. They fought it for so long. And part of them would have kept fighting—because Isaac doesn’t believe they’re good enough for MC. But they don’t believe Chris is good for MC either.

It’s a brash decision. An impulsive one. But on the wedding day, Isaac makes a mess of things. Because the second they see MC, standing there, more beautiful than they ever imagined, they crumble.

They told themselves they’d be okay with this. That they could live with it. (They couldn’t. They just chose to lie.)

So they say it. That it’s a mistake. The whole relationship is a mistake. If MC is going to be with someone who doesn’t deserve them, then they should choose him. Choose Isaac.

They’re not promising MC a life of luxury. Chris has money, influence. But Isaac? Isaac has heart. A broken thing that only felt whole when MC walked in. When they saw Isaac—not just the mess, the flaws, the defenses—but the person beneath. And they took that mangled wreckage and held it together. Made it worth something.

So if MC has to settle—then settle for him.

(And if Isaac found out Chris was cheating with Jade? MC would know before they walked down that aisle. And if MC chose to leave Chris at the altar with nothing but a note to be read in front of the guests? Isaac would be more than happy to do the honors.)

🖤 Ardent - He doesn’t believe for a second that MC is happy. He sees through them the same way they see through him—always has. He knows how terrifying it is to go against expectations, to walk away from the choices you thought you had to make. The ones you were led to believe were the only option.

There’s a knock on the door. You assume it’s the food you ordered, so you open it without thinking. But instead of a delivery, it’s Ardent—cheeks flushed, panting, rain clinging to his skin and flattening his hair against his forehead.

"Can I come in?" he asks, breathless.

"Did you run here?"

He doesn’t answer. Just steps past you, scanning the room. His gaze lands on the wedding invitations stacked on the coffee table—still blank. The wedding creeps closer every day, yet you haven’t filled them out. You haven’t invited anyone.

"Sorry about the... mess." Your fingers brush the embossed lettering, as if touching them will make it real. Before you can shove them out of sight, Ardent takes your hands.

"I need to talk to you."

No one likes hearing those words. And judging by the knot in your stomach, you’re no exception. But you nod, maybe out of shock. Maybe because he looks... hesitant. Scared, even. And that’s not like him.

You motion to the couch, watching as he sits, his rain-damp clothes soaking into the fabric. You can already hear Chris complaining about it.

But that’s not what surprises you most. It’s the way Ardent speaks—soft, careful. Like he’s afraid of breaking something. You’ve always compared him to a bull in a china shop. That’s who he is. That’s who you’ve come to—what? Care about?

The same man who held you when he told you about Chris and Jade. The same man who nearly broke when you said you wanted to give Chris another chance. Because your parents called it a mistake. Because they told you Chris cared. Because they needed you to forgive him. Not for you—for them.

"You're scaring me, big guy. Why are you here so... late?" Focus on that. Not on how your fiancé isn’t home. Not on how they haven’t answered your calls.

Ardent rests his elbows on his knees, threading his hands together under his chin. He watches you—every movement, every breath. Every glance at this hollow room.

"You're not getting married, are you?"

"What? Of course, I am."

He scoffs, raking a hand through his wet hair. Droplets fall from the strands, darkening his shirt. "You're not."

"Yes. I am." You hold his gaze, sharp and unyielding. But then he stands and grabs a handful of the blank invitations.

"Put those down. That doesn’t mean anything—"

"It means everything." His voice booms, unfiltered and raw. Loud. Unapologetic. Angry. Like you. Only, you’ve been holding it back. For what? For who?

"Whether I'm getting married or not is none of your business. It’s not like you care." And there it is. The truth beneath everything.

You want him to care.

"Is that what you fucking think?" He drops the invitations, letting them scatter across the floor. He doesn’t care about the mess he’s making—not of this, not of anything—as he pulls you toward him. His eyes lock onto yours, dark and searching. "You really think I don’t care? That I want you marrying that fucking idiot? That I’m just gonna stand by while you waste your life with them—hell, start a family with them?"

He’s close. Too close. But he won’t cross that line. Neither will you.

"I've cared for so long. You're just too much of an idiot to see it." His breath is warm against your skin, while his is so cool from the rain outside.

You swallow hard, words catching in your throat. "Are you saying..." You fight for air, for clarity, for something—someone—that is only yours. "Are you saying you don’t want me to get married?"

His nod is small, barely there. But you feel it, forehead resting against yours.

"I don’t want you marrying Chris. I don’t want you here in this place. I don’t... fuck, I don’t want you having a family with anyone but me. Is that... okay?"

His hands trace along your jaw, slow and reverent, mapping the lines like he’s memorizing them.

"More than okay."

[17th-shard]

January 2025 Bonus Art Commission

t h e a r t n e v e r s t o p s t h e a r t n e v e r e n d s T H E A R T C O N S U M E S A L L

Anyway here's the last commission from the backlog, after this we'll need to wait for more to be finished.

Our Patrons foolishly left us with too much cash after our bills, our first January commission, and our conquest of the known universe were done, so we had NaabArts bring everyone's favorite ardent and flamespren duo to life:

[xlaxannon]

For My Little Miss ❤️‍🔥💕

Going to make her MINE! 😌😈

[lulublack90]

Prompt 28 - Ardent

@wolfstarmicrofic February 28, word count 672

“What do you mean Remus is on a date?!” Sirius said, mouth hanging open in shock. 

“I mean, he and Marlene are currently out by the Black Lake having a date,” James explained calmly. Sirius couldn’t understand how they could all be so calm. REMUS WAS ON A DATE!!!

“I think it’s sweet, Marlene’s had a crush on Remus for forever,” Mary told the group gathered together in the common room. “She was so excited when he asked her. We spent hours getting her ready,” Lily nodded. 

“I’ve never seen her look so happy. She was blushing when they left,” Sirius grimaced at the dreamy looks on the girl's faces. He just couldn’t see Remus and Marlene together. They didn’t fit. Remus belonged with… He cut himself off there, unwilling to think any further about who he thought Remus should be with. 

“What do you think they’re talking about?” Peter asked as he set up the cards for a game of exploding snap. Yes, Peter, Sirius thought. That was a good question. As far as he was aware, Remus and Marlene had very little in common. 

“Oh, I don’t know,” Lily’s voice had taken on an airy air. “He’s probably telling her how ardent his feelings are for her, and she’s blushing in the sunset,” Sirius was horrified. Mary snorted. 

“You been reading Austen again Lils?” 

“Shut up, it’s romantic!” Lily huffed, her own cheeks turning pink. 

“He’s probably tripping over his words and Marlene’s probably tripping over her feet. Give it an hour, and they’ll both be back up having had a perfectly pleasant time and Marls will be soaked through because she tried to stroke the giant squid again,” James told them as he slammed down a card on top of Peter’s. “Snap!” He shouted loudly. An hour. Sirius could wait an hour. 

That hour was the longest of Sirius’s life. Every time someone came through the portrait hole, he sat up straighter. He lost abysmally at exploding snap, though Peter was the one who got a face full of smoke. Finally, Remus and Marlene returned and Sirius felt a rush of relief as Remus immediately walked over to him, leaving a dripping Marlene by the entrance. 

“Giant squid?” James asked. Marlene nodded, and a few Galleons got passed to James. 

“How’d it go?” Sirius asked Remus quietly. Remus leant over and whispered in Sirius’s ear. 

“It was nice,” The little hairs on the back of Sirius’s neck stood up, and he felt a ripple of something shoot down his spine as Remus’s breath tickled his ear. 

“Come on, let's go get you cleaned up,” Mary told Marlene, leading her up to the girl's dormitories. 

“I’m gonna go change as well; the squid squirted me a bit as well when I dragged Marlene out of the water,” Remus told them, heading up the boy’s staircase. 

“You should just tell him how you feel,” Lily said to him quietly, so no one else heard. 

“I have no idea what you’re on about,” Sirius said, confused. They were best friends, always had been. But then the images from the dreams he sometimes had floated into his mind, and the world stopped. His eyes darted up to meet Lily’s all-knowing ones, and he blinked dumbly at her as he figured out what she’d clearly known for a while. He swallowed, his throat suddenly dry. “Does everybody know?” He asked her, his eyes darting around the room. 

“Mary might, but everyone else, including Remus, is totally oblivious. Your secret’s safe,” she winked. 

“What do I do, Lils?” His heart was thumping so loudly he wondered that she couldn’t hear it. 

“You tell him, and then it’s his to decide what to do. Though you didn’t hear it from me, as I’ll deny it until I die, but Remus has been in love with you since the day you met,” Sirius’s heart stopped. He looked towards the spiral staircase and, without a moments thought, he was racing across the common room and up to Remus. 

Next part

[tomodachiposting]

You know this just seems like something she'd do in canon

[lambertcottage]

"Ardently" Meaning: with intense emotion, or in a way that shows strong feelings.