Annabeth sat at the edge of the lake. It should’ve been a sign, the draw to water she had always felt since she was young. Yet, she hadn’t needed help stayed blissfully unaware and buried that love deep within her heart. While Arsinoë and Perseleia had been beloved by both Poseidon and his kin due to the shared connection between them Annabeth didn’t have that protection. In fact, form some reason, Poseidon had taken an intense disliking to the majority of Athena’s demigod children.
Though that likely had to do with the earlier ones believing they deserved the same love, the same respect, the same benefits as their half siblings. Perhaps it had been due to him seeing Athena’s attempts at blonde hair grey eyed children as a poor imitation of Arsinoë and had acted as such. Annabeth had never really expected that, to be loved or given anything of much value outside of making her presence small. It is possible she’d even been conditioned to expect the opposite, to be scorned and pushed behind the curtains which had grown into a fatal flaw of pride when she’d done something that could NOT be disputed or overlooked. She’d thought that was why Poseidon hadn’t smitten her upon all her invasions, big and small, in his domain. It couldn’t have been because he’d been fond of her when even her own mother had deemed her unworthy of much more than a cap to make her invisible.
Once she’d gotten to know Percy, really gotten to know her, she believed Poseidon was merely keeping one of two people who cared about his demigod daughter safe to ensure her happiness. She’d never really notice how sometimes he’d stare at her during the trips to Mount Olympus that Camp Halfblood took, never noticing how he tried to catalogue her eyes as though he were a drowning man gasping for water that only she could provide.
Annabeth sighed, sliding bare feet into the water below, feeling a small wave of energy tingle upwards as fish began to swim closer to the intruding appendages.
“Annabeth.” A deep voice soothed and the blonde felt her heart constrict as her body tensed.
“Lord Poseidon-“ she began only to find herself cut off as the god of the sea sat down beside her at the edge of the dock.
“You always enjoyed lakes.” He said lightly. “I find myself somewhat pleased the you of the present still do.” The fabric of his Hawaiian shirt was covered in a god awful pattern that had Annabeth biting back a snort. “I am sad you were not born as my demigod daughter along with Persel- along with Percy.” He seemed to catch himself in a way many didn’t when faced with the reality of their past identities and it brought a wave of affection over her. “Do not take that to mean I am unhappy about your return. Annabeth, Arsinoë, I have always loved you and your sister. Will always love the two of you no matter what forms you take.”
“Even if Mr. D turn us into dolphins?” Annabeth whispered, trying to hide the emotion that was storing in her gut.
“Even if he turned you into owls and the only time I could see you was on the land at night. Annabeth, you have always been enough and you are loved.”
Tears were sliding down her face now.
“You don’t even know me now.” She whispered. “I could’ve become someone you hate.”
“Then I would learn to love you again, if you would let me.” His voice sounded hopeful and Annabeth found herself nodding.
“Only if you apologize to Percy for what you’ve put her through.” She commanded wetly.
“Of course sea star. Of course.” He wrapped an arm around her and kissed her head. It wasn’t what it used to be, nor what Paul and Sally made her feel when with them, but it was a start.
HI HELLO I SAW YOUR POST ABOUT GIVING U A PROMPT AND I LEAPT TO SUBMIT THIS
so uhh is it ok if you write some fluff about my bard Tav, Severin (he/him) having Astarion as the muse for his music? except Astarion doesn’t know this until after he shows the camp a song he wrote (and i didn’t add gale because i didn’t think to, i got the other main ones in cano though lmao). also this is Severin
tysm for reading this!!
Okay, I sort of went overboard with this because I haven't written anything longer than a few paragraphs in AGES, and I've literally never written fluff, but I hope this is alright! Your Tav looks so cool 👉👈 I was kinda afraid to write about him too much cuz idk his personality eksjejsjj
Content warnings: mild references to violence and problems with sexual boundaries
Astarion is used to people staring at him. The past two centuries of his life had been filled with wanton gazes; his life's purpose was to attract attention everywhere he went, and he did it very well. He knew he was beautiful, tempting and handsome. He even revelled in it.
...So why was Severin's stare sending chills up his spine?
It had been going on for a few days, now— this awkward little situation. Astarion would sit and read, or pretend to read and eavesdrop on others' conversations. This was the routine he'd adopted since he first arrived at camp. But, now, anything he did was accompanied by fleeting little glances from the camp bard. At first, Astarion figured the man had fallen head-over-heels for him, that he was hot under the collar and desperate for some attention. Now, he's not sure if Severin is crushing on him or plotting his murder. His gaze is too fiery, too trained on the features of his face to be lustful. He never directly approaches him, either; just watches from behind his tent flaps, crossed legged and only ever looking away when Astarion meets his gaze.
Confronting Severin about all of this had crossed his mind, but he'd decided against it. Avoidance, Astarion figured, was probably the best course of action, at least until Severin finally snapped and put a blade to his throat. After all, he couldn't exactly prove that the bard had murderous intentions. Maybe he was just shy. Maybe, he was working up the courage to ask for a fuck and had no idea how ridiculously creepy his staring was. He wouldn't be the first man to be so oblivious...
"Tonight, we feast!" Wyll's booming voice rips Astarion from his thoughts, head snapping around to see what the warlock was fussing over. Beside him, Lae'zel holds up an elk by the antlers, the creature's eyes lifeless and clouded. There was an arrow sticking into its neck, weeping blood fresh enough to smell on the air.
"Fuck yes! I'll start the fire," Karlach rubs her hands together, the heat generated between them enough to create flickering embers.
"I'll fetch our wine," Shadowheart adds.
All at once, everyone is bustling around the camp, grabbing pots and emptying baskets to find fresh vegetables. Everyone except Astarion, of course, who bristles in place. A camp get-together was the last thing he needed; declining the invitation would make him look sulky in front of his companions, and joining them would entail a night full of Severin's awkward stares. The Hells was he supposed to do?
"Astarion?" Wyll calls his name, pensive. He hadn't realised he was scowling, fangs just barely peeking out from under his lip. "I was going to leave a hunk of the meat raw, in case, you know..."
Aha! An opening!
"Oh, no, dead meat is of no use to me. I like my food... Very fresh. I'm afraid I'll have to hunt for my own meal tonight." He plays his best pout, eyes gleaming with insincerity. For once, his vampirism was a benefit; it was an excuse to hunt, to leave camp for a few hours while everyone else talked amongst themselves. Moreover, Severin wouldn't be able to chase after him with everyone else around him, watching. Most likely, he'd be the night's entertainment, strumming songs on his lute until his finger pads were raw and everyone was full of stew. Yes... Yes, this was the perfect excuse to get some peace and quiet!
"You're not joining us tonight?" Severin's voice is like honey, smooth and warm. There's a hint of... Disappointment? Sadness, perhaps, in it as well. Astarion regards him with a courteous nod, jaw clenching slightly. How could such an innocent face belong to a killer? Well— actually, that was a stupid question. Everyone in this camp was a killer; everyone had killed goblins and bandits and gods-know-what-else along their journey. Astarion mentally rephrased his sentence: how could such an innocent face, a face that had so openly welcomed his vampirism weeks earlier, be planning his demise? The idea seems preposterous now that he's up close to the other for the first time in days. Hells, there was no way it was true.
If he had the ability to, Astarion might've blushed in embarrassment. This paranoia was unbecoming of him; it was childish, something his siblings might've engaged in. Of course Severin wasn't planning on killing him!
"...not tonight," is all he manages before scampering away.
---
A small boar and a few hares. The forest was almost empty tonight. Lae'zel, all brutish and ugly as sin, must have chased all the game away in her hunt earlier...
Or, maybe, he's just sloppy tonight.
Astarion can't think of much besides Severin. Like many a man and woman before him, he was enchanted by his looks. Unlike most, though, he wasn't direct enough to proposition him for sex outright. He was more like a blushing maiden, or one of those gruff, bearded Gur he'd find in taverns— too scared to approach a man for pleasure but clearly interested in the idea. Confessing his vampirism must've put him on edge, blinding him to reason. Guilt pools in his stomach. Not only had he made assumptions about an ally, but he'd been depriving him of a service he wanted. What a horrible person he was.
---
The walk back to camp is more like a shuffle, his feet heavy and slow. Part of him hopes that everyone will be asleep when he returns, but he knows that chance is slim. And, sure enough, when the gleam of their campfire comes into view, he hears bouts of boisterous laughter and drunken conversation. Astarion steels himself, paints a confident facade over his face.
Before he can step into the clearing, Severin interrupts him.
"Alright, alright, I'll play it for you. It's not finished yet, though, so you mustn't judge it!"
Then, a gentle, melodic tune thrums to life through the strings of his lute. Astarion pauses, watching through thick tree branches. He sings gently, quietly— like he's embarrassed of his own work. The lyrics are hard to make out from behind the camp, but a few words make their way to his ears.
They make his jaw slacken.
Sanguine eyes, hair of silver, something something... Adventures, tales of legend, something...
Astarion kicks himself internally. He'd never been so wrong about someone. The tadpole in his head, clearly, was eating away at his intelligence and leaving him stupid. Of course Severin, a bard, was using his environment as inspiration for his music. The staring, the lack of conversation... It was all because he was observing him from afar. Every arrow he let loose, every book he nestled into after a long day— he was being immortalised in song, in poetry.
He releases a breath he didn't know he was holding. A deep dread, seated in the bottom of his unbeating heart, evaporates all at once and he feels a little lighter. Happy, even.
When Severin finishes, Astarion comes into the firelight and claps slowly, his usual confidence restored with a renewed vigor.
"Bravo, bravo! What an inspiring performance, darling!" The others seem to agree with him, nodding their heads and cheering with varying degrees of sobriety. "If I were a goblin, I'd lock you up like that Volo character and have you sing about me all day long." He makes sure to hold his gaze with those words, eyes radiating a sincerity he can't portray through words. Thank you, they say. Thanks for what, exactly, he isn't sure. But he's thankful nonetheless.
ironic. he feels he's lost all that he ever gained, what is he now? he was infinite and then he was nothing at all. reduced to a shell with a name attached to it. how it all slipped off of his hands and he stood by thinking it'll be fine until it wasn't. and it dawned upon him how he was supposedly doing the right thing but never in his life felt this terribly wrong. and he thinks as he sees standing by him, she carries it too.
shoko and gojou and a few minutes of transparency between them, where loss is hard but losing a friend harder and at the end of the day, they owe it to him.
- i know who you pretend i am
"getou suguru ofcourse, did you forget? how sad."
gojou satoru and the six walls of the prison realm and an excuse for me to write angst to yet another mitski song.
- ya'aburnee (darling you will bury me before i bury you)
In which the poster child prodigy of lonesomeness learns a little bit of something about falling in love, makes a blood pact, is an enabler who also gets enabled and can't seem to figure out the trajectory of his life. Not in that order.
ya'aburnee translation - "may you bury me" a declaration of one’s hope that they’ll die before their lover because they can't bear living in a world without them.
- to think that we could stay the same
Winters are harsh. A lingering loneliness follows like a bitter memory tainting the best days of your life. Or at least that's what winters are to him.
- for the greatest tragedy of them all is never to feel the burning light
Doomed from the start, tragic in everyway one's unrealized dreams can be. He'll fly too close to the sun, his wings aflame only to fall to his inevitable end.
And fly too close to the sun he did, hell Getou Suguru fell in love with the sun.
Anon requested: hi! how would the turtles react if their s/o was in a silly mood and jokingly proposed to them using a ring pop one day? Like with over the top gestures and everything? Also I stumbled onto this blog a few days ago and I absolutely love your writing! I hope this ask gets sent to you ok- tumblr likes to eat them too much
This is hella cute ❤️❤️❤️
Leonardo
He finds it funny and takes it in stride. It also may or may not get him thinking about how he should propose to you in the future.
He watched as you ripped open the wrapper of your blue raspberry Ring Pop and dropped to one knee in front of him. You grinned cheekily, taking his large three fingered hand in your significantly smaller one. “Oh, Leonardo! My love!” You cooed dramatically, holding out the pink sugary treat out to him. “I know that we haven’t been together long, but I can wait no longer! Please, I beg of you. Marry me?” You waved the ring around and squeezed his hand.
Leo chuckled, squeezing back. “As much as I’d love to accept your offer, darling, I don’t think that ring will fit.” He wiggled his fingers and gestured to the tiny piece of plastic connected to the candy.
You huffed, he was clearly right. “Damn…” You sighed, shaking your head and biting back your laughter, “Looks like I'll be looking for another ring then...”
Leo grinned, “Yes, I believe that would be for the best.” He coughed to suppress his laughter.
That's what broke you. You started laughing, ending your act as quickly as it had begun. You stood, sticking the ring pop in your mouth and grinning around it. “I’ll get you next time, Leo!” You jokingly promised, winking.
Leo rolled his eyes good-naturedly. “Oh, I’m sure you will.”
“I will!”
Leo just kissed your forehead, mentally plotting how he was going to prove you wrong by beating you to the punch.
Raphael
A little bewildered, a lot amused.
“Raph!” you shouted, ambushing the turtle while he was working out. To be fair, when wasn’t he working out? You laid on the ground next to him while he was doing pushups, poking his cheek with your index finger, “Raph~!” You attempted to get his attention again, but he was pointedly ignoring you like the ass he was. “Raphie! Come on~~!” You poked him twice more in quick succession, “Pay attention to me!”
Raph bit his lip, trying to hide his smile and stop his chuckles. He kept doing pushups, wanting to annoy you a bit. Having you working to receive his attention, even though you already had it, always brightened his day. It made him feel appreciated, and it was always amusing to see what you would come up with in an attempt to get him to crack.
You huffed, looking through your bag for your phone seeing as your boyfriend was a hard-headed brute that loved making you suffer from affection withdrawal while he worked out. Not that you could really complain, considering how hot those fucking biceps that could crush your head really were. All as a result of his diligent exercise routine. Instead of your phone, you found a particular piece of candy. A quirky idea popped in your head. You kicked your boyfriend's side, hard enough for him to notice but not to hurt him. You weren’t really sure if you could hurt him, considering the size and species difference. “Raph!”
Raph finally indulged you, turning his head to face you as he continued his rep. “Yes, Y/n? Any particular reason you-” He paused, his brain registering you knelt down with a ring pop in hand and a cheeky grin on your face. “What are you doing?”
“Raphael!” You said boldly, looking into his eyes, “Will you marry me?”
Raphael adjusted himself from the pushup position to a sitting position without breaking eye contact. His eyes shining with mirth much like your own. “Are you seriously proposing to me with a Ring Pop right now?”
“Is there something wrong with it?” You pretended to be offended, “Is my proposal not good enough for you, Raphael? Because I’ll have you know, I worked damn hard on this!”
Raph chuckled, “Y/n-”
“Now you're laughing at me?! How dare you?!”
“Y/n-”
“No!” You shouted hopping to your feet, “Fuck you!” You playfully stormed out of the room.
“Y/n, babe!” Raph laughed, trailing after you, “I’m sorry! Come back!”
You continued, walking straight into his bedroom. You had stolen his attention from working out just as you had hoped. Mission accomplished.
Donatello
Deceased. He'll find it funny once he cools off, but right now he’s too busy trying to calm his racing heart.
He turned in his chair only to see you intensely staring at the green apple Ring Pop in your hand. He raised an eye ridge, curious about your behavior. “Y/n? Did the Ring Pop offend you in some way?”
He watched as your vacant expression twisted into a devious grin, “No, not at all.” You jumped down from where you were perched on the only uncluttered table in the lab. You strode over before sliding into a kneeling position in front of his chair, holding up the lolly pop. The maneuver was surprisingly smooth.
Donnie blinked, confused at your sudden movements. “Y/n? Darling? What are you-?”
“Donnie, will you marry me?” You nuzzled your cheek against his thigh.
“Huh?!” You had to choke back your laughter at your boyfriend’s adorably stunned expression. “Wha-,” He continued to stutter, at a loss for words.
You fake pouted dramatically at his lack of response even though you were clearly amused, “It’s a yes or no question, babe.”
Michelangelo
Plays along like a champ. You only beat him to it because you were the one who bought the Ring Pops.
He rushed to greet you at the door for your movie date, knowing that you would be weighed down with snacks. And he was right. You had a grand total of seven grocery bags hanging from your arms. He quickly came to your aid, reaching out to relieve you of all the goodies you had dragged down into the sewers to share. You gratefully gave him the bags and followed him to the couch, “So, Cutie.” He pours the snacks on the table before turning to face you. “Which movie-”
“Mikey!” You cut him off, opening the ring pop with loud ostentatious flourish. “The terrific turtle of my dreams!” You continued, kneeling in front of him and taking both his hands in yours. Presenting him a strawberry ring pop, his favorite. “Would you do me the honor of becoming my husband?!”
“Y/n!” He yanked his hands away to cover his mouth in false shock. He put on the water works, theatrically fanning his face and looking up as if he was trying to not ruin his nonexistent mascara, “I- I… I can’t believe this! Of course!” He scooped you up and spun around, kissing all over your face while you both giggled.
broken bones are mending {stephen strange x fem!reader}
status — oneshot
warnings — cursing, name calling (whore), attempt at angst, attempt at fluff
word count — 5,758
a/n — so this is for @nastybuckybarnes‘s 7k follower celebration !! congratulations on this by the way, you deserve all the recognition for you really are a talented and skilled writer :) i know that stephen is a doctor but in this au he never became a master of the mystic arts, he’s just a doctor oki ,, as always, feedback is appreciated !! have a great day :>
masterlist
“Dr. Strange, you have a follow up check up with Mr. Roberts at 5:30 pm and after that you have a brief meeting with Dr. Palmer and Dr. West and you’re done for the rest of the day,” one of the nurses who assisted me in an earlier operation informed me about what the rest of my day will look like. I nodded my head as I paused in front of a hospital room wherein one of my orthopedic patients is currently confined in.
“Well, I’m just gonna check with Ms. Y/N and come collect me 15 minutes before my appointment with Roberts,” I informed him in and he looked at me weirdly, it was just 3:45 and he might have wondered why would I spend so long with one of our patients, but he did not have it in him enough to question my orders as he nodded and handed me the clipboard containing the progress report of the female patient inside the room.
As he walked away, I knocked on the door, “Come in,” I heard her voice shout out as she lowered the volume of the tiny television placed inside her room. “How you doing, Y/L/N?” I inquired as I went to her left side wherein she had injured her whole leg.
“Not too bad, considering how it’s nearing a month since I obtained this injury,” she joked as I playfully rolled my eyes and went to check her progress report. “Well, I’m just here to check your leg if that’s okay?” She nodded and paused the show she was previously watching, I then proceeded to remove her leg brace. I heard her let out small whimpers whenever I lightly grazed her leg, to which I quietly mumbled apologies.
“Does it hurt here,” I inquired while I pressed lightly on her fibia, “Or here?” and pressed on her fibula. “More on the first area. But only when you press it, not when I’m just laying down.” I nodded and quickly wrote down on the paper attached to the clipboard what I observed. As I looked up from the clipboard into her engrossed face, I lifted my eyebrows, and asked her, “What?”
Y/N shook her head and chuckled, which just made me become even more curious as to what was going on inside her head. After calming herself down with the chuckles, she sat up straight even more, “Are you tired?”
Her blunt question got me taken back, why the hell would she ask that? And seemingly out of nowhere as well. “Excuse me?” She smiled, though it did not fully reach her eyes and it looked as if she was genuinely concerned about my well-being, “You seem like you’re eternally tired. And it seems as if the life has been drained right out of you,” she snickered.
I shook my head, trying to shrug off her concern and not letting her see the appreciation of her attention. Instead, I directed my focus back to her leg and checked if there were anymore bruising and swelling. “You do know that I’m the doctor, right?” I asked as I began putting back the leg brace that helped her in her recovery, “I’m the one who’s supposed to be looking after you, not the other way around?” I asked after successfully assembling the brace and crossing my arms at her after doing so.
She shrugged her shoulders as she laid down again and casually replied, “Why can’t those two things happen?” I rolled my eyes as I collected the clipboard and headed for the door, not before reminding her, “Tomorrow we have therapy, so don’t go anywhere, okay?”
“Well, with this leg injury, don’t think I can go that far,” was the last witty comeback I heard from her before exiting her room and shutting the door. I paused briefly taking in our very quick encounter, she really is something huh, I thought to myself before walking towards my office — eager for this day to finally come to an end.
“Be honest, do you like hospital food? Or is it something you just learn to deal with?” I asked Dr. Strange as he was helping me stand up before guiding me into my first exercise. “Bold of you to assume that I eat that kind of crap,” Strange retorted as he slowly began to let me go. I worked on standing on both my feet, independently and despite a few initial wobbles, I was able to stand on my own after a few seconds of flailing my arms around in an attempt to gain balance and composure. I smiled widely and brightly at the doctor on my right, he looked as if he was fighting back a smile of his own before putting one hand under his chin and thought for a moment, “Try walking on your heels and toes across the room,” he ordered.
I began walking on my heels, away from him and towards the door, when I suddenly tried to converse, “Is it because you already taste like shit? Or you just got sick of what it tastes like?” As I returned from the walk and stood near him again he sighed, “If I answer, will it get you to cooperate and do what I asked you to do?” As I quickly nodded my head, he sighed once more before answering, “Well, if you’ve been working at a hospital for almost a decade, you get tired of their bland food. Besides, not all of their meals are that healthy, anyway,” he explained as he watched me walk on my toes.
“Try reaching for your toes without bending your knees,” he instructed and stood up — preparing for if ever I needed his help. I nodded and and bent down, I was able to do so, but not for a long time and slowly got back into standing straight. “Any pain in doing so?”
“Not much, just really not that flexible,” I stated and he nodded, “I reckon you should take more antioxidants, and not just rely on those protein bars,” I commented. “Why would you even bring that up?” he questioned, but before I could reply he immediately asked me, “Try bending your knees down with your legs together, then try to squat.”
As I was doing the exercises, I casually told him, “I chatted with one of the nurses the other day. He mentioned you’d pull double shifts and just snack on protein bars to help you get by,” I adjusted my stance, having my legs be shoulder-width apart, and moved to try for a squat, “Don’t think those will be enough to get you through two shifts. Plus, if I’m being honest, you need to drink some more water ‘cause you constantly look like you’d pass out from dehydration.”
He noticed I was having difficulty in squatting so asked if he could put one hand on my back and the other on my injured leg — to which I agreed. As he was aiding me on the exercise, he defended himself by saying, “Don’t see how my well-being is your concern. Plus, I’ll have you know that protein bars are delicious and substantial, thank you very much.”
After coming back up from a squat, I looked at him weirdly, “I’m not a nutritionist but I’m pretty sure that it isn’t a good substitute for an actual meal,” I commented before proceeding to go for another squat, “If I wasn’t confined, I’d cook you a homemade meal.”
“Alright that’s enough bending, did any of those exercises hurt when you were doing them?” I shook my head no and told him that it just ached a little when I was in that position for too long. “Now sit back down on the bed,” I followed his orders and let my legs touch the side of the bed with both my hands resting on my sides, “I’m gonna hold your leg and control it for a bit, that okay?”
I nodded my head and watched him lift my leg parallel to the floor and he asked if there was pain, even in the slightest, when he did so. This continued on for a few minutes, he'd move my leg a certain way, ask if there was any pain, and I’d always tell him if there were any pain or discomfort. “You know, if I’m being honest, I doubt if you can make a decent meal.”
Gasping loudly, I brought one of my hands in my chest, offended and hurt with his confession. He was kneeling on his left knee while both his hands were still holding on to my left leg and was moving it around to see if there were areas where I was experiencing aching — and even so he was performing a medical task, he had the nerve to smirk at what he said. As if he was teasing me even further.
“I’ll have you know, I can make one tasty and flavorful lasagna!” I argued, to which he just boisterously laughed at as he stood up and told me to lay back down so he can put back the leg brace. I let out a rather loud huff while doing what I was told, which amused him even more for he laughed once again, though it was softer and more quiet. “Perhaps that’s the only thing you can make tasty?”
I was about to retort him with a comeback when I found myself not doing it. This is the first I’ve seen him laugh out loud, genuinely and carefree, I thought to myself. “Laughing looks good on you, Dr. Strange.” This abrupt statement had him stop his reattachment of the brace halfway through, as he looked at me — puzzled and confused — and voiced out his statement of mentioned feelings, “What looks good on me, Ms. Y/LN? Is it the scrub suit?”
Even though I knew he was joking, I could not help but become a bit serious on the topic and told him, “Laughing — or joy, in general — looks good on you. It makes you seem relaxed and I dunno, more human, I guess?” I admitted to him nervously to which he just shrugged off and continued to hook up the brace. “Well, I’m glad that it was you who made me look not lifeless,” he said as he began writing down on the clipboard.
I draped the hospital blanket over me and reminded him, “Well they do say that laughter is the best medicine right, doc?” He chuckled as he finished writing down and looked at me and smiled, “Unless you’re laughing without a reason, then you probably need to be on medicine.”
I let out a few giggles while watching his form retreat and head for the door, “Will I see you tomorrow, Doctor?” He gave me one last look just before his whole body disappeared into the half-opened door, “As long as I’m still working at this hospital, you’ll surely see me, Ms. Y/N.”
“Thanks for providing your second opinion on my patient’s condition earlier, Stephen,” Christine praised me as we both walked out of one of the rooms wherein we’d meet with patients who came in for check ups or referrals. I patted her on the back, “Don’t mention it, Palmer, at least you came to me for help and not to Dr. West,” I remarked while quoting the word doctor.
She stopped in her tracks and looked at me seriously, “Can it, Strange. West is a good doctor, you just fail to see that.” Her defense had me rolling my eyes and crossing both my arms, “If he’s such a damn good doctor why don’t you always partner up with him and ask for his second opinion then?”
Before she could even prove her point even further, a nurse came to her and informed her about how her presence was required by one of the head doctors. “Honestly? I approached him first before you, so don’t get too cocky now, Strange.”
I stared at her with disbelief and disturbance with what she has just revealed to me. However, that state was cut short when the nurse who informed Christine had also reminded me, “Dr. Strange, you need to see patient Y/N one last time before she’s discharged and book an appointment in the following month for her follow up check up.”
Suddenly at the mention of the patient who continuously brightened up my day with her silly antics and attempts at conversing, I felt the slight annoyance within me disappear. I thanked the nurse and my feet took me to where my favorite patient had been staying for almost three months. As I stood in front of her room, I contemplated for a while about how I wanted our last — for a while, at least, since their next interactions would probably be a few and far in between — encounter be.
With a deep breath, I knocked on the door, and heard her voice call out for me to come in. Upon seeing her wearing her civilian clothing and just sporting a smaller leg support and not a bulky leg brace, made me sport a soft and serene smile. Being the one in charge of her recovery has made me incredibly proud — when she was first brought in here, her left leg had a partial tear in her ligament, near her tibia, while there was swelling on her tibia which made it difficult for her to move around. In the short three months that we have collaborated in order to get Y/N back to how she was post-surgery, I have witnessed how her bravery and determination has got her through the tedious and lengthy therapy sessions that she had to go through, as well as the other medical procedures that she had gone through.
And now that she is being discharged from the hospital, I couldn’t help but feel pride for her progress. But there was also a part of me that feels somber. As much as I hate to admit it, our daily interactions — despite some being short while some lasted for over an hour — provided an illumination filled with hope and joy in my everyday life that was filled with exhaustion and monotonous repetition. “So Ms. Y/N, are you excited about being discharged?”
I watched her gleam at me, happiness and excitement being more than evident on her face, she stood up with a bounce and showed me how she was now able to conduct a different range of motions — most of them she was not able to execute in the past months. “More than ready, doc. All thanks to you I’m now not walking away with a broken leg,” she expressed her gratitude.
Her declaration warmed my heart, “You give me too much credit, you should also take into account the hard work and effort into getting yourself back into the way you were prior to your unfortunate accident,” I commended her as I sat down on the bench parallel to her bed. She sat back down on the bed, with her swinging her legs she replied casually, “Well that may be true; but don’t forget that you had to put up with my nosy and talkative ass, so yes, I think you deserve more credit,” she giggled.
I shook my head as I reached for the clipboard placed on the bedside table beside her bed, filling up the form which when completed would finalize her release from the hospital. As I was writing down on the paper — very slowly, hoping to cherish our last few moments together — we casually chatted up until she suddenly brought something up out of nowhere, “You gonna miss me when I leave, doctor?”
I paused from filling up the form and looked up at her with a raised brow, “What’s with the sudden confidence, Y/L/N?” I managed to deliver in a cool and composed manner, I wasn’t entirely sure that I wanted her to know how I looked forward to checking in on her everyday and that our conversations were something that made me happy for she was quick-witted and absolutely hilarious.
She shrugged her shoulders and fiddled with her fingers that rested on her lap, “Nothing really. It’s just,” she thought about what she wanted to say for a while, and set down the clipboard — containing the now completed release form; although I wasn’t telling her that yet — and looked at her curiously and eager to know what she had in mind, “Talking and spending time with you, made my time here somewhat tolerable and you know? It took my mind off from the pain and difficulty I had to endure from the procedures and therapy.”
I could not help but soften my look on here, at awe with how she viewed our interactions and how she also saw me as someone who brightened up the past few months — months that should have been somber and bleak given her situation. Before I could even respond she further explained, “It might sound silly, or immature, or even childish; but I really looked forward to seeing you everyday. And I’m thankful that you nursed me back to health but you also help me battle through the loneliness. So yeah, I’m very thankful to have met you.”
I gulped down and somehow decided that now was the best time to tell her that I reciprocated what she felt, “Well there's something I needed to tell you,” I began and I saw her eyes look at me eagerly and just as I was about to voice out what I felt, someone opened the door and entered the room, to which we both brought our gaze into.
“Kian! Hey you found your way up!” Y/N happily greeted as she waved to the guy. “Of course, I had to make sure you got home safely, where’s your bag by the way?” he inquired and she pointed to the bags that were placed at the front of the bed. He nodded and grabbed it, Y/N then looked at me and remembered, “What was it you were gonna say?”
I abruptly stood up and handed her the clipboard, “Oh it was nothing, just sign here and hand it over to the nurse at reception. She’ll shortly release you after that. And on the 15th next month is your follow up appointment, at 4:30 pm” my dismissal to her might have come across as rude, but I didn’t find the strength within me to tell her of how she was important to me seeing how she had a guy this good looking that was probably around her age and someone who cared for her enough to pick her up at the day she was being released from the hospital. Insecurity and doubt taking over my usual cocky and confident facade.
She seemed taken aback with what I said, eyebrows furrowed, she signed on the form and looked at my retreating form. “Okay thanks, Dr. Strange, see you on the 15th,” I nodded at her as I began making my way out of the room, in order for the two of them to have privacy and for me to conceal how the situation was now affecting me. I patted the guy, Kian, on his back, “Take care of her.” My legs walked briskly, knowing that if I probably stayed it would have just made me more sorrowful than how I already was.
Upon closing the door, I immediately made a beeline for my office. Grateful that my afternoon schedule did not include operations or checkups. Entering my office, I immediately plopped down on the sofa that was a few feet away from the door. I rubbed my face and groaned out loud, of course a woman who was extremely beautiful, funny, quick-witted, and determined was bound to be in a relationship with someone. Did I really hope that Y/N was single when she was that great? After a few moments, I told myself that I probably just infatuated with her because I saw her everyday for the past three months. I was just excited to meet someone who was completely different from the people I encounter on a regular basis. This is just a stupid crush that he would not want to think about and won’t have to think about once again.
With a sigh, I stood up and headed for my office desk and tried to distract myself from the memories of Y/N brightening up his day and instead buried myself with medical work.
To say that my last encounter with Dr. Strange was a disappointment was an understatement. I told him about how much he has helped me get through this injury — and not just on the physical and medical aspect of it — and for him to quickly dismiss it. Perhaps he was just not comfortable talking about it with his patients? Maybe he was surprised to see your cousin, Kian, and did not want to keep you any longer?
With today being the 15th, half of me was excited to see him once again. While the other part of me was cautious about how he would react to seeing me once again — would he be as cold or as dismissive as he was from our last conversation?
With a huff, I pressed on the elevator floor where I knew his office would be. Upon reaching the floor, I immediately took in the surroundings, it’s been a month and it felt like not too long ago this had become my temporary home. Smiling to some of the nurses and other staff whom I recognized, I was making my way through the busy halls and found myself on the side of the building where Dr. Strange’s office would be.
“You’re the best, Stephen,” I heard a girl praise him as she untangled herself from her embrace with the doctor whom I’ve been spending too much time thinking about. I looked the other way, feeling as if I was somewhat violating their privacy by witnessing their intimate exchange. The girl was then called by a nurse leaving Dr. Strange to acknowledge my presence by saying, “Oh Y/N, you’ve finally arrived.”
I sheepishly nodded, “Is it a bad time?” He quickly shook his head and led me into his office, “No, no it’s not. Come on in and let’s start the checkup.” I nodded and went in first and he followed, directing me to sit on the examination table. “So, how have you been feeling? Any pain when performing tasks?” he inquired as he grabbed a notepad that was by his office desk.
I shook my head no, “Not really. Although I’ve noticed that I don’t really have the same endurance as I used to prior to the accident.” He nodded and took note of what I had said, putting down the notepad he made his way towards me and asked if it was alright if he touched my leg to inspect it. I agreed and let him move around my leg.
“If I had known you were busy, I would have insisted on a different date,” I meekly told him as he checked my leg. He looked up at me with an eyebrow raised and stopped his inspection, “What? I wasn’t doing anything before you came in, just a quick snack with the other doctor,” he explained.
Raising my hands up I chuckled, “Don’t have to explain to me your personal business, doc.” He shook his head and resumed his inspection. While doing so, there was an awkward and uncomfortable silence that enveloped his office. I would usually try to come up with a way of sparking up a conversion with him. But given how he was not the most approachable last time and now seeing him cozy with another person, made me hesitant to let him know about how he made me feel and how he was important in my recovery period.
“Everything seems to be good,” he concluded after observing my partially-recovered leg, “anything else you want to add or ask?” I bit my lip as I debated about whether or not I should confront him about his previous behavior. “Not much really, but there is something I wanted to talk to you about,” I trailed off as I was unsure on how to approach the subject without coming off as immature or making it look like I was interfering with his life — even though I had no right to do so.
“What is it about, Ms. Y/N?” He inquired, and I took a deep breath while I closed my eyes, as I opened them and looked into his eyes deeply, “The last time we spoke, when I told you how you were such an important and pivotal figure on my road to recovery. Not just on the medical and physical aspect of it, but also with you know?” I cast my gaze on my fingers for a little while, struggling to correctly put into words my appreciation for what he’s done, “It’s well, for a while it was lonely for me to be in the hospital for what? Three months? So I began chatting up with the nurses and other hospital staff whom I’ve always seen or encountered during my recovery.”
I paused, diverting my gaze from my fingers and into Dr. Strange’s face. From what I could make out, he was contemplating on the information I was telling him. I felt that he had his own question or comment on what I had to say, but he waited instead for me to finish whatever it was I had to say — and for that I appreciated his patients. “Despite chatting with the different hospital staff, it was my everyday exchange with you that I truly enjoyed the most. You talking about how 70’s and 80’s music is way better than the music today. Or when you’re just simply telling me how at some point you got sick of hospital food, hence why you don’t eat as much anymore. Talking with you has been really, um, therapeutic, I guess is the right word for it?”
I stared for a little bit at his face, and since he wore the same expression and did not open his mouth for any reply I went on, “Like, it may sound silly or what, but you’ve really helped me get through this dark period of my life. And no, it’s not just because you’re the doctor who helped me or something like that. But I don’t know? You’re one of the most intelligent — and not just on the medical field, honestly — and witty, and humorous person. While I could also see that you’re extremely kind and caring — which I suppose is the reason you take double shifts even if your body is begging for a break,” I chuckled lightly at the memory and shortly after I took in a deep breath before risking it all, “So what I’m really trying to say is that, I like you. And if this is weird for you, I can ask to switch doctors since you know, it might be awk-”
I was cut off when he spoke back in what seemed like forever by saying, “You like me?” he wondered out loud, to which I nodded to reaffirm that what I had stated earlier was true. His eyebrows furrowed and there were visible lines above his forehead, confusion now taking over his features. “That’s evil, alright? You don’t like me, you’re just playing with me!” he accused, slightly raising his voice at me.
I bit my lip and felt that my eyes were starting to water — though I had no intention of letting him know how what he’s doing is affecting me — and my voice cracked as I argued back, albeit weakly, “What? How could you question what I feel and accuse of something cruel?”
He crossed his arms and raised his brows, but not in confusion; for it seemed like he was challenging my declaration, “Really? You have your boyfriend pick you up when you were discharged and a month later you tell me that you like me? I didn’t know that you were such a -”
“He’s not my fucking boyfriend! He’s my cousin, you idiot!” I interrupted him as I raised my hands up in frustration. His mouth hung agape in shock, processing what I had just revealed. It was also then I processed why his demeanor had suddenly changed last month. Did he actually think that Kian was my boyfriend? “So you’re telling me, the reason why you suddenly became dismissive the time I was discharged was you thought that I was someone else’s whore?” I coldly asked him.
He gulped before moving from where he was seated and made a move to sit beside me. I turned away from him, trying to hide the few sniffles and tears I had let out. “I’m sorry,” he started, and he made a move to bring one of his hands into my back and soothe it — not prohibiting me from letting out the tears — “I should not have jumped into that conclusion. It wasn’t fair to you or to that guy. It’s just, I didn’t want to come off as nosy by asking you about your relationship with him.”
I scoffed, “Well I think I would have mentioned a boyfriend to you at some point during our conversations during those three months, don’t you think?” He too, laughed quietly at what I had said and agreed. “But it wasn’t only that. I thought to myself that you’re you. You’re this ray of sunshine who happens to be a lovely, beautiful, funny, quick-witted, and determined woman. And if you managed to make my days better and bright, then I was sure as hell that you brought that same effect to others — which led me to believe that there was already a lucky lad who got to call you theirs.”
His confession led me to face him, and his features softened and relaxed upon seeing how a few tears have stained my face. Both his hands were quickly wiping off the tears after doing so, his hands were planted on both sides of my jaw, he was caressing my cheeks and what he was doing resulted in a faint red blush appearing on my cheeks. “I guess this just both means that we’re both dumb and that we should both be more open in voicing out what we feel, huh?”
A hearty laugh escaped his lips and I couldn’t help but smile at this, “It’s nice seeing you like this, happy and carefree.” I said to which he sheepishly smiled as well, “Well, I’m only like this when I’m with you. So the past month I’ve been a pretty dull person,” he informed me as he scooted closer to me and his right hand was wrapped around my shoulder, leaving me to lean on his shoulder. Grabbing his left hand, I played with his calloused hand, enjoying our closeness and that fact that we had now voiced out what we both truly felt.
“Since we both like each other, why don't we both go out some time?” he cheekily said, causing me to look up at him pointedly, “Will you let me make my delicious lasagna for you?” I asked back to which he laughed once again. After throwing his head back in laughter, he looked at me, happiness and contentment evident in his whole face, “Of course, sweetheart. And don't you worry, I’m not pulling a double shift tonight and it’s my day off tomorrow — so I have all the time in the world to get to know you better.”
As he was speaking out those words, I found my gaze landing on his lips. He noticed this and smirked, “You want a kiss, Ms. Y/N?” he teased. I looked at his eyes — doing my best to pull off an adorable puppy dog look — as I told him, “Yes please, Doctor Strange, I heard that it would help me mend and heal my leg.”
We both laughed at our silly exchange both after the laughter died down, both his hands were once again caressing my cheeks and pulling me closer. As our lips touched, one of my hands touched his cheek, deepening the kiss even more. While the other settled on his lower back, wanting to feel his warmth even more and wanting him closer.
As he opened his mouth, it prompted me to do the same. Feeling his tongue wrestle with mine, made me shudder at how good it felt. After what felt like hours of kissing, he pulled away, in a daze I looked up at him and he muttered, “God, I like you so much, baby” before pecking my lips multiple times — which led me into a fit of giggles. We stared at each other for a while, dazed and on cloud nine. Just smiling, giggling, and pressing kisses to each other.
“Dr. Strange, Mrs. Fleming will be here with her toddler in a few minutes to have their checkup,” a nurse knocked on the door. This snapped both of us out of our bubble, Dr. Strange thanked the nurse and informed the nurse that he will be ready in a few minutes.
He then helped me stand up and put my jacket back on. As I was putting back my shoes, we both shared a few words, “Stephen,” I looked at him and wondered what he meant with what he had just said, “I mean, my name is Stephen. Stephen Strange.” I nodded and smiled, moving to him pressing a kiss to his cheek, “Well Stephen, since you have my file you know my number and address. See you later, thank you for that check up.”
Stephen watched as I made my way to the door and he was laughing as I waved at him goodbye and shut the door behind me. As I entered the elevator and headed for my car, I could not help but smile at what had just happened. Who would have thought that the person in charge of my recovery would also be the one to mend the loneliness that I felt, and that I do the same for him as well? Now, to prepare a meal for that person.
Summary: Prompt fic from @halzekrhodestead on tumblr: If you are still taking prompts can u do one with #halzek and #Rhodestead doing on a double date.
Author's Note: Thank you so much for the prompt halzekrhodestead! Literally my two favorite One Chicago pairings in one fic! Yes please! I was rewatching the Infection crossover when I started to write this and yeah, this happened. So in this, Connor never left Chicago. He never dated Ava in this either.
It had been a long couple of days for everyone in Chicago. More so for the doctors, fire fighters, and policemen working the streets and keeping Chicago safe. Will had worked with the CDC and headed up being cocked in the head with a freaking microscope by Seldon. Intelligence had managed to track down Seldon's next target and Jay Halstead being Jay Halstead ended up alone with him.
Now, Connor, Will, Jay, and Adam were sitting in a bar together. Each of them nursing their drinks in front of them. Jay looked around before looking back to his older brother and smiled. "Chicago is buzzing with life." He muttered, leaning into Adam's side. The blonde man placing his arm over Jay's shoulder and pulling him as close as he could without pulling the detective out of his chair.
"That's a lot thanks to you and Will. Of course everyone was involved... the firefighters, the medics, the doctors, Intelligence, the cops, the CDC but somehow you two seemed to do the most." Connor stated, taking another sip of his drink, grimacing slightly at the burn in his throat.
Jay shook his head. "I didn't do much. I was following orders." The detective stated.
"You were the one who saved an entire room of business people and distracted Seldon long enough for us to get to you." Adam countered. Connor gave him a 'I-told-you-so' look as the younger Halstead looked to him. Jay's face flushed for a second as he attempted to hide within Adam's shoulder.
Will chuckled. "Only after he literally cut himself, almost infected himself, and scared the shit out of me." The red head teased.
Jay sent a glare over to his brother. "Says the guy who got clocked with a microscope and freaked me the hell out." The detective retorted.
Connor had a smile plastered to his face as he watched the Halstead brothers bicker back and forth. Chicago had been terrified for the last couple of days. Seldon had struck the city with an act of bioterrorism just because he had lost his funding. So many lives had been lost because of the man's actions. The fire department, police departments, and the hospitals all worked to the everything that they could do to stop people from dying. Connor had been working with the people in quaratine while Dr. Marcel had been doing the surgeries. After his father's death, he had returned to working in the ED full time and Dr. Marcel came in and took his place in cardiology.
He had been terrified when he had gotten the message from Jay about Will. He mental image of Will's head and face bloody because he was working on a cure with the CDC wouldn't leave his mind. Will had been at Seldon's last target location, BRT Headquarters, when Jay had put himself in danger for the sake of the city. Everything that had happened terrified him. He knew that Adam had to be feeling the same way. Adam had been outside the room with Will when Jay had been with Seldon.
Connor brought his glass to his lips and threw back the rest of his drink before setting the glass back down. "Why don't we go get something to eat? You guys have to be starving. It's on me. You three did a lot more than I did these last couple of days." Connor questioned.
Adam was the first to crack a smile and nod. "Yeah, let's do it. Then maybe we can go to the park or something. Just spend some time together that doesn't involve hospitals or criminals." The blonde added.
Jay and Will looked to each for a moment before agreeing. "Let's do it." Will said.
Connor placed down enough cash to cover for all four of them before getting up and heading for the door with the other three in tow. The night air of Chicago was warm and soothing as it hit the four once they got outside. Jay shoved his hands into his pockets and leaned closer to Adam. Adam had his arm thrown across Jay's waist. Will and Connor walked ahead of them hand in hand, leading the charge to go to the closest food place.
x
They hadn't stayed long at the dinner before they were finished and heading out. The park wasn't too far away from where they currently were. Adam and Will looked to each other, a competitive look shared before they sprinted off across the street and into the park. Connor and Jay snickered to each other as they kept their pace and entered into the park.
"I bet you can't make it to that tree before I do!" Adam shouted, pointing to the farthest tree from them.
"Let's go for it!" Will hollered back.
Connor and Jay both chose to sit on a nearby bench and watch as the two raced against each other. Will managed to keep up neck and neck with Adam but the blonde pulled in victorious at the last second. The officer cheered loudly, throwing his arms up and doing a small dance, pulling a laugh from the three others.
"They never grow up, do they?" Jay questioned, throwing his head to the side to look at Connor.
Connor shrugged with a small smirk playing on his lips. "Not at all." Looking away from the detective to peek at his phone for a second.
Jay pressed his lips together for a second, making a noise in his chest. "It's oddly silent now."
Connor looked back over to Jay but before he could say anything he was pulled off of the bench and was flat on the ground underneath Will. Through the corner of his eye, he caught Jay getting pulled over the back of the bench by Adam before the detective fell on top of the blonde.
Will smirked down at the black haired man and smiled. "It wouldn't be a proper date if we spent all the time playing competitive games without, would it?" The red head said, his voice dropping low enough that Connor could feel the vibration of Will's voice against his chest.
Connor rolled his eyes, a small smile tugging on his own lips as he peered up at the blonde through his eye lashes. "Last time we all competed against each other, you broke my coffee table." Connor stated.
Will pouted. "But that wasn't me."
"Yes it was!" Adam and Jay both yelled in unison. Will peeked over his shoulder to see the two cops now sitting up and staring at them.
"This is why we don't play board games anymore. For a doctor, your fist is dangerous." Adam added.
Will looked back over to Connor to see the playful smirk still on Connor's face. "This isn't far. You guys are ganging up on me." The elder Halstead stated, the pout still on his face.
Jay let out a laugh, leaning back against Adam. The blonde laid down against the cold grass, his finger tips carding through Jay's hair. "I'm your brother," he paused before pointing to Connor, "He's your boyfriend." He paused once more before motioning to Adam. "He's my packaged deal. Get over it."
Will couldn't help but smile again as he leaned up, allowing for Connor to finally get off of the ground. He sighed happily, looking up to the starry sky. "Chicago sure is beautiful at night." He paused, looking back to the other doctor. "So are you."
Connor face flushed and he stummered to get words out. Adam chuckled from his spot, muttering a quick, "That was cliche."
"But it works." Jay added.
Connor looked up to the darkened sky and smiled. "It's peaceful."
"For the chaos that is our lives... it feels natural." Jay whispered, also looking up to the star littered sky.
Will perked up, looking over to Adam with the familiar glint in his eye. The blonde made eye contact with him and Connor knew it was game over. He chuckled softly as he heard Will say, "I bet I can swing higher than you."
Adam smirked, looking over to the nearby swing set. "I bet I can over over the bars." Jay quickly leaned up just before Adam was shooting off of the ground and darting towards the swing set with Will in tow.
Jay and Connor shared another look, rolling their eyes before pushing themselves off of the ground. "Let's make sure they don't break anything." The doctor muttered.
Jay nodded. "More like, make sure they don't break yourself. You doctors act like your invincible."
Connor snorted. "Cops are much better either. How many times have you and Adam almost been killed?"
Jay smiled, shoving his hands into his pockets as he and Connor made their way over to the swing set where Will was already dead even with the bar and Adam was flying over it, kicking his legs out. "More times than I can count and Adam isn't helping that count at all."
The two got to the swing set. Both Connor and Jay choosing two away from the competing men. The wind gushed around them as they got higher, talking as they moved along. Connor watched the other two on the opposite side. Will had also passed the bar, his butt coming off the seat every so often but Adam was still higher than him.
Adam threw words of victory towards Will before he felt his butt come off the swing and he free fell until his stomach hit the top rail. Jay grimaced as Adam groaned loudly and coughed before he slipped off the bar, managing to land back into the swing.
Jay and Connor both let out a loud laugh before Will slowed down and followed in suit. Adam held his stomach for a minute, grumbling that he was okay. The blonde shot Will a look through his messed up hair. "I win."
Author's Note: This didn't turn out the way I wanted it but half way through I ended up getting writer's block on the dinner part so I just didn't write it out and skipped to the next part. I hope you like it! Fluff isn't exactly my strong suit but with all the angst that I write, I wanted to write some fluff. Thank you so much for the prompt. I hope it turned out okay!
I liked how this was sounding and wanted to share a bit more of Arabella and Taayin. Enjoy~
Taayin sat beside Arabella in quiet wonder. He watched her play chord after chord in perfect harmony to him. Occasionally she would glance his way, smiling bright as the sun, causing his heart to melt a little more.
His fingers slipped a bit, bringing her to a pause.
“How long have we been playing?” Arabella stifled a yawn.
Taayin hummed, lifting his sleeve back to glance at his watch. “It’s about four in the morning so...I would say we’ve been playing,” he paused.
“Four hours, almost five.” Arabella stared at the ivory keys, soft yet cool under her fingers.
He wrapped an arm around her shoulders. “Any chance my little rose is tired?”
“Heh...I wish.” Arabella sighed, “sure I’m yawning but I’m more mentally tired than physically tired. I want to say I’m well past exhaustion at this point.”
She looked out into the sea of empty chairs. The deep blue cushions allowed the stark white wood to shine in the dim lighting. A few held traces of their age, while others proudly showed off their perfect form. Arabella smiled, how many times had she sat in those chairs as a child? She had lost count of the father-daughter dates John took her on and lost count again with the times Taayin was dragged along. Most times, she would lead him up to the rafters above the audience if she didn’t want to cause a scene.
Her eyes trailed up to the dark box seat she was forced in whenever she was here as the ambassador. The walls were more of a cage then a special viewing room. Arabella rarely used those seats, even with Taayin at her side.
“Ari?” Taayin absentmindedly traced the diamond shaped opening on the back of her cream blouse.
She flashed a smile, “sorry, I got lost for a second.”
“Well,” his eyes warmed, “how about one more song for m’lady? One just for her.”
“You wrote me a song?”
His gave a sheepish grin, “tried to.”
Arabella moved to stand so he could reach both sides of the keys.
“Just–no judging if it sounds off alright?”
“Deal.” She giggled.
Whatever Arabella was expecting, wasn’t this. Taayin played chord after chord of this new song, melting away whatever stray thoughts the day had brought. Her song was a gentle mix of haunting melodies and uplifting chords. Arabella faintly heard a few chords of her favorite songs before they danced on.
Taayin hummed along. “You know,” he glanced her way, “Alana is going to force me to write lyrics if she catches me.”
“Well,” Arabella moved to place her hands on his shoulders, “I would like to request it in your native language. I love the way it sounds when you sing.”
He chuckled, “as you wish, m’lady.”
Arabella resumed her place beside him as he played on. Is he repeating sections? She thought with a yawn.
Taayin grinned, glancing down right as Arabella leaned against him. He continued the section a few more times before moving on. She hasn’t changed at all.
