both of you are of the same soul, split into two and forced into separate bodies. they said twins are the same, but you beg to differ. you guys are... different.
he's gentle under all that cockiness and arrogance only a royalty could have.
you are just... you. a hound in human's clothing, with fangs stained with days-old blood and hollow eyes that could only belong to a starved wolf.
are you guys even the same at heart?
— a short concept
cw: uhh uhmmm canon typical violence (me thinks) / reader is a little implied to be coo coo coconut in the head but like, aren't we all? / reader being hypocritical, in case that shi pisses you off / mildly descriptive violence
a/n: writing this at midnight, publishing this at daytime 🥀 / not as long as I'd like it to be but geyulps
taglist: @cz19y , @aimonnova , @fandomhoppershxt
PROLOGUE (?)
Being born a mere ten minutes apart was detrimental to both of your roles.
The same face—sharp like your mother's, demanding like your father's—, the same body, the same mind, the same soul.
But Damian was older, and thus was the heir to the throne. The better twin, the better... everything.
You were... the right-hand? The brawn to his brain? (but that's ridiculous and even Ra's knows that—you guys have both brawn and brain.)
His servant?
From birth, it was drilled into you that your twin was less a brother and more a royalty, and you're less his sibling and more a butler at his beg and call, a maid to his every need.
You both have to be the perfect assassins, but it is so that he could live up to his name, and it is so that you could protect him. Failures weren't allowed, and committing such a sin would be followed by severe punishments—yours just a tad bit worse than Damian's.
Oh, but the favouritism was obvious, to both you and your brother.
By the age of ten, Damian felt like it was well past the thousandth time that he had seen his own twin be chained up to the wall, bleeding from head to toe as they're tortured in various ways.
And it's only in the dead of night when Talia stopped acting like a warrior and instead turned back to a mother that she'd give you a kiss on the forehead as she soothes your pain in silence—but that was all she could do. What else could she do?
And maybe your brother should've been more emotional, should've fought for your justice and eliminated every threat in his way just so he could protect his twin, but a child who grew up in that environment would think it's normal, right?
But that doesn't mean it doesn't hurt.
It hurts when his twin was lashed for what seems to be the nth time in a single night, where the same spot was injured over and over, until he swore he could see bones.
It doesn't matter if you can terminate threats in a matter of seconds, it doesn't matter if you can interrogate an enemy and get intel faster than any other assassins ever could — you will never be good enough for the son of the demon.
Nothing matters—you don't matter.
For someone who's supposed to be the servant, why is your bar so impossibly higher than Damian's?
If he comes back with a few bruises and cuts, he's brushed off with a pat on the back. If you let him come back with a papercut on his fingertip, your punishment is to be put right in front of death's door, then be thrown into the Pit, just so the cycle would continue over and over every other night.
And you don't hate your brother for it.
In what world is it Damian's fault? It doesn't prevent hatred from simmering under your skin, aiming at him, for just a tiny bit, but you don't hate him entirely. He's like you; he's just another kid. It's not his fault.
And you hate him for it.
You couldn't help but hate him for it. If he hadn't been born, maybe your fate would've been better. If you hadn't been born, you would've been rid free of this rotten life.
And every time, you fight back the urge to wrap your calloused fingers around his delicate neck, to squeeze the flesh tight until they bruise, and until maybe he choked on his own tongue and goes limp in your arms.
But you can't do that. You can't.
And you hate yourself for thinking that, because you know you could. Because you know he'd let you touch him in ways he'd kill others just for conjuring up the mere thoughts of it. He'd cradle you in his arms just as much as he'd let you rip his heart straight out of his chest.
Because you guys are twins.
He's the only one you have. He's the only one who truly understands. Not your unknown father, not your mother, not your insane grandfather.
It's maddening.
And after every torture, when you sit alone in that damp room, with hungry, hollow eyes and body stained by your own blood, he'd come in. To stare at you—in disgust? In contempt? In shame? In fear?—before wrapping his arms around your bloodied form.
"We'll get out of here," He promised at the age of seven, his boyish voice muffled against the scarred skin on your collarbone. He always hugs you like it'd be the last time he'd ever get to do so. "I'll get you out of this rotten place, and give you the world."
But that wouldn't be true for a whole three more years, until everything went wrong.
Until what they've always known as home was partially destroyed, and their grandfather disappeared. Suddenly, Mother thought it'd better if you and your brother go off to live with your biological dad. She'd kiss you both on the crown of your heads before sending you to the United States, to Gotham City.
This place stinks of jeopardy and poor choices—but it's a start.
Summary: Though the war was over, and Megatron, your twin brother, decided to change his ways and join the Autobots. It seems you are unable to face him or be in the same room as him after years of fighting on opposite sides. Optimus and the Maltos decided to change that and have you two finally have a spark to spark conversation.
Warnings: mentions of the war, angst, mentions of depression, reader has a conjux and sparklings, reader avoiding Megatron, some awkwardness, a little violence, anger, mentions of alcohol, and eventual reconciliation.
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You could still remember that day like it was yesterday. The day when you refused to join your brother's side, and the look of betrayal on his face. It was an expression you never forgot, even after billions of years since the war started.
You and Megatron, or D-16, as he was known back then, used to be inseparable. As you were twins, all you ever had was each other, as you were made to work in the mines with Orion Pax and Elita One.
You were the introvert of the two and more of a follower. D-16 was the one in charge of things, and you followed his lead. It was a dynamic you were happy with, and D-16 didn’t seem to mind either.
Though you were quieter and gentler-natured, you always stood by your brother’s side, supporting him through difficult times when society pushed you down. And he was there to support you whenever you were unsure or helpless when it came to being assertive, though he sometimes scolded you to have more bite.
Violence did not come naturally to you, nor did you like it. So, you mostly acted as the voice of reason. Your brother often listened to you when you reminded him to slow down or that not all solutions needed violence.
You supported his ideals of a better world and his willingness to stand against injustice. You helped him with his creation of the Decepticons and even aided him in fighting against the cybertronian society that ruled your planet at the time. And then, you watched him lose his way and turn the war into something violent and senseless.
You tried to talk sense into him, to stop him from crossing the line and tell him that he was going too far. He didn't listen to any of it. When he finally had enough of your interventions, he gave you an ultimatum: to stand by his side or be one of his enemies.
It was a decision you never imagined yourself having to make. Despite wanting to stay by his side, you could not force yourself to support the senseless violence. So you made the choice of saying no.
The look he gave you was something you never forgot. He declared you an enemy, took the name of Megatron, and returned to his founded faction -- without you.
You joined Orion Pax when he became Optimus Prime and took charge of the Autobot faction, turning it into something true and better.
You became a field medic and worked in rescue missions during the war. Violence was something you preferred to avoid, but you trained yourself to become a capable fighter and assisted on the battlefield when absolutely necessary.
You didn’t see your brother often during the war, not that you could bear to face him. Your refusal to join him felt like a form of abandonment, even if he was responsible for the many sorrows that followed.
Optimus and Elita suggested keeping your relationship with Megatron a secret, so you wouldn’t end up targeted for revenge by bots wronged by your brother. You followed it, and only a select few knew about your connection with the Decepticon warlord.
It hurt you to see your brother become more ruthless each day. Whenever you happened to cross paths, he never looked at you or acknowledged your presence, which made the feeling hurt more.
You wished you could have returned that indifference, to stop caring about him. But it was not something you were able to. It left you with a lot of shame, too. He hurt many people, including some of your friends. Something that should make you despise him. You did hate what he became, but there was a small, persistent hope that he might stop and see what he was doing. That the brother you once knew could come back.
You never told anyone about this feeling. Your comrades would likely ridicule you for it. So, you took silent comfort in your twin bond as its existence allowed you to know that your brother was still online.
But that changed after a mission to save Optimus.
Optimus and some of your other comrades were held captive by the Decepticons. With most of your numbers down, you joined the mission, also bringing necessary medical assistance.
You and the other Autobots managed to rescue your leader and comrades and escape on a ship. Your brother and his cons gave chase and caught up with you. Your brother was about to fire his cannon at a pilot until you stepped out and stood in the way.
You locked optics as you stood in his fireline, and though you silently hoped he wouldn’t shoot you, you were prepared to face your end. That he wouldn’t get his way without shooting you. To your surprise, your brother laid down his weapon, though with a silent sneer, and let you go. It was something you didn't expect, and it gave you silent hope that maybe he wasn’t too far gone.
But that was perhaps the moment that decided what followed after.
After some time since that mission, you suddenly felt the twin bond vanish, cut down into the cold nothingness like a blade cutting down a string.
You fell into shock and suffered from the side effects for a while. It caused your Autobot comrades to panic as they didn't know what was happening to you. But you knew. Something had happened to your brother, or he had died. Though you probably shouldn’t have, you felt devastated to think your brother was dead.
But turns out your brother was alive and had decided to cut down the twin bond by surgical means. The news made the reality fall cold around you. Never had you imagined he would do something that cruel, and it essentially told you that you were dead to him.
It hurt you. A lot. And since most of the bots didn’t know of your relation with the Decepticon warlord, you felt even more devastated, as you had no one to talk to about it. Optimus and those who knew helped a little. Though it did not banish the dark thoughts that spiralled in your mind.
You doubted everything you had done. You even felt as if you had made the wrong decision. That if you had decided to join the Decepticons, your brother wouldn’t have done something like this. You were already less confident in making major decisions. And this made it worse.
The depression that followed crippled your mind for a time. You struggled to look after yourself and even became a bit reckless on your missions, which worried some of your friends. You felt ashamed because you couldn't tell them the real reason for your weak mental state, which honestly did not improve your condition.
It took some support from Optimus and some knocking into the helm from Elita to finally pick yourself back up on your feet. The pain became easier to live with, and you came to accept that you were dead to your brother. You even stopped caring about his existence, too, as he had become a complete stranger.
You healed, in a way.
And though not recommended in war, you found love and were blessed enough to have sparklings. Their birth allowed you to feel joy you hadn't felt since the beginning of the war. But as the war progressed, you sent your family to live in a distant colony, away from danger.
You stayed with Optimus and the others, continuing to fight by their side. You had come to accept that things between you and your brother would never be the same, and even accepted the possibility that he might die. The brother you knew was long gone.
But all changed when you arrived on a planet called Earth. While fighting over the Allspark, Megatron suddenly had a change of spark, leaving his faction and joining the Autobots. It was a change you weren’t prepared for, even if he helped you fight against his own people and had the Allspark thrown into the space bridge.
Then the war was over. You were stuck on Earth. Megatron was suddenly an Autobot, assisting Optimus and a division called GHOST to hunt down renegade Decepticons.
Though a small part of you rejoiced that your brother saw the error of his way, you kept your distance from him. You didn’t know how to act around him or react to his change. You grew used to the roles between you, but now that he was an Autobot, everything was different all over again. And you didn’t know how to adjust to that.
Not to mention that, though you accepted it a long time ago, you still felt hurt over the breaking of your twin bond.
So, the best thing you could do was to avoid him.
And it showed.
You pushed yourself to focus on tasks that could keep you away from the base, or assisted your human partner, who worked as a rescuer in natural catastrophes. Whenever Megatron appeared in the room, you found a quick way to excuse yourself or claimed your next assignment required your attention. Or whenever you would see him, you would turn the other way before he could even see you. You were polite when you had to talk to him, though, keeping your answers short and quick, which made things awkward.
It was obvious that you were avoiding him.
Optimus eventually brought it up, and you spoke honestly about it and why adjusting to his sudden change felt difficult for you. Your leader was understanding of it, though he encouraged you not to avoid your brother and maybe take the chance to reconnect.
Your avoidance was clear to your brother, too, and he does want to reconnect with you.
After hearing that, you tried to give it a chance. You really did.
When Megatron talked with you, you tried to talk more, though every processor in your body told you to walk away. It felt forced, too. It was like talking to a stranger, especially when that stranger is your own sibling. The conversations between you often fell into awkward moments.
However, when you tried to aid him in a task of capturing a con. The way he handled it violently made you see the warlord he used to be. And the way he boasted about it kinda made you recoil from him. It made you remember many unpleasant memories and see that, despite claiming to have changed, he hadn’t truly changed much.
You didn’t accept missions with him from Optimus anymore and fell back into your routine of avoiding him.
This, of course, was noticed by your brother.
You knew about the Terrains living with the Maltos. It was an accidental meeting, but when you learned the story, you were willing to keep them a secret from the GHOST. They were young, curious, and recklessly carefree, but you liked them. They reminded you of your sparklings, even if some of their less-than-safe shenanigans left you scolding them.
Sometimes, whenever you had free time, you would visit them to check on them. Despite your neutral expression, they seemed to like your presence, and you told them stories of your many travels.
One time, you helped them make up to each other after they had a bad argument. When they declared that they never wanted to see each other again, it left you startled, as it reminded you of your falling out with your brother.
You gently guided them to talk things through with each other, which eventually led them to discover that the core of the argument was just a huge misunderstanding. They apologized and hugged each other tightly. The sight left you happy and glad that something like your broken bond didn’t happen with them.
As you did tell them about what arguments and animosity can do to a relationship between siblings, and the possibility of being cut off from their sibling entirely, the youngsters asked if you had a sibling you didn’t talk to anymore. You didn’t reveal much, except that you had a twin brother you had a pretty bad falling out with. You didn’t reveal much after that.
Though it left them guessing, they noticed how you avoided Megatron or left whenever the grey mech showed himself. They thought it was strange.
Strangely enough, Megatron didn’t reveal your relationship with each other to the Terrains either, only revealing that he had wronged you in a way that couldn’t be fixed.
When the pattern continued, after being pressured by the Terrains, Bumblebee would be the one to reveal that you and Megatron were twins. The revelation would shock the Terrains, and that the twin you spoke about was the former warlord himself.
You had a different look compared to Megatron, so the resemblance wasn’t immediate, though you did share some mannerisms with the mech.
After hearing the story, the youngsters were motivated to try to help you and Megatron reconnect. So, they made a plan.
The Terrains invited you to spend time with them, suspecting nothing, you accepted the invitation. They did the same with Megatron. You arrived at different times and would then be surprised to see that Megatron was there too. Like out of instinct, you tried to find a way to leave, but Optimus had made sure there was nothing that required your attention.
Unable to find a way out or refuse the youngsters, you stayed and tried to pull through. You were polite when the youngsters asked about stories with you both, though it was awkward, and it showed. Watching their awkward expressions and attempts to have you and Megatron talk to each other. You realized that they knew about your relationship with Megatron and that this was their attempt to help you two reconnect.
You stopped the facade there. You told the youngsters that you knew and that their gesture was nice and all. However, they should not have gotten involved in your business, and Bumblebee had no right to reveal things about you. You then attempted to leave.
Megatron then suddenly stopped you, saying that he understood that you didn’t want to see him, but you couldn’t fix anything if you avoided each other.
“Yeah. Maybe it would be a good time for you two to talk honestly. Have a heart-to-heart conversation. Or, in this case, spark to spark,” Dot packed him up, and the kids nodded.
“A spark to spark? Is that what you really want?” you asked Megatron.
“Yes,” he nodded.
“Fine. Outside. Now," you stated.
"And you all stay inside." You told the Maltos, then you and Megatron walked out.
It was midnight when you two walked out of Maltos’ barn. The moon shone brightly over the farm fields. The stars twinkled. The Maltos' cows were sleeping in their pasture, and somewhere was a cricket filling the nightly silence with a high-pitched chirping. A calm, lovely atmosphere. One you would have enjoyed if it wasn't for your current situation.
You and Megatron walked some distance from the barn, so Dot's children and the Terrains wouldn’t try to eavesdrop as they had a tendency to do.
“Okay. This should be far enough.” You stopped, crossing your arms and turning toward your brother.
It was quiet for a moment.
“Well… you wanna start?” you asked.
“I… “ Megatron started, hesitating at first. He then sighed, composing himself.
“(Name). I have been led to understand that my change of sides had been a... difficult adjustment for you," he began.
You rolled your optics. “Let me guess, Optimus told you?”
“No need to sound hostile. You and I both know that he means well,” Megatron defended.
“And I understand. Considering the things that happened between us, I wouldn’t expect you to be happy with me,” he added.
You scoffed dryly. “How could I not be happy? You switched sides, helped us keep the Allspark away from the cons, and finally ended the war."
“I’m just filled with joy,” you said sarcastically.
“I feel like you’re being unnecessarily sarcastic,” he remarked with a raised brow.
“Oh no, I think I’m being sarcastic just enough,” you said back.
“So, what am I supposed to do about it? Welcome you back as if nothing happened?” you asked
“Like we didn’t fight each other for billions of years, witness many of our friends lose their lives, and get trapped away from home because the space bridge exploded. I remember quite clearly that you decided that I was your enemy when I refused to join your side,” you continued.
“I know that. And I know it's not something that could be easily mended. But we can’t fix anything if you keep avoiding me,” he stated.
“It’s not that simple, especially when I got used to the fact that you hated me,” you shook your helm.
“Hated you?” Megatron looked taken aback for a moment. “No. I never … hated you. I did think you were being blind, and I waited for you to see things my way, and possibly return to my side."
"Though, after everything, I realized I was the blind one the entire time," he muttered.
"But I never hated you for it," he said with clear conviction.
"Oh, really?" you asked, looking at him.
"Yes," he nodded.
"Well... tell me. What message were you sending when you broke the twin bond between us?" you asked, and he froze.
When he didn't answer, you decided to continue. “I can still remember that moment when your side of the bond went quiet, and all I could feel was frame-chilling coldness."
“I really thought you went offline,” you said.
“And when I learned that you were alive and had the bond forcibly severed. I was… broken. Devastated that you, my own brother, would do something so horrible,” you said.
"And then… after years since that incident, you just suddenly switched sides. And now everyone keeps telling me to make up with you like it's that simple,” you threw your servos around in frustration.
“Is that why you had been avoiding me?” Megatron asked.
“I… admit that it was not one of my proudest decisions,” he said.
“Then why did you do it?” you asked bluntly.
“I… “ he hesitated. “I thought that by removing any constraints I had, I would not be held back."
“Oh, so, it would be easier to shoot me if I stood in front of your fusion cannon again?” you asked.
“What! No!” he answered.
“Well, that’s what it told me. That I was dead to you!” you exclaimed. “I mean, what kind of other message could it send?”
“I couldn't get my helm out of the gutter for months. I spent weeks ridiculing myself for making wrong decisions in my life. Feeling ashamed and angry that I still felt any form of care toward you. Avoided fueling properly and nearly got myself killed in missions," you continued. "I couldn't tell anyone because the bots you had wronged could have taken it out on me. I can only thank Elita for knocking some sense into me and helping me get back on my feet."
"I stayed away from the field for a while because I feared you would actually kill me if our paths crossed again,” you said.
"And worst of all, I came to accept it. That I was nothing to you, and the bond between us is gone for good," you added.
"Then you end up doing something like this!" You tossed your arms up again. "And everything's upside down again!"
"(Name)... I know I can't take back what I did. I know the twin bond between us is gone for good." Megatron spoke. "But I have opened my eyes and changed my ways."
“It’s not only that!" you pointed at him.
"You claim to have changed, yet you still fight with the same violence as in the war. You speak about giving chances, yet you ruthlessly take down your former people just because they're still Decepticons. You even boasted about it when we went on that mission," you explained.
"I still hate violence by the way."
"You might no longer attack humans, and even work with them, but the truth is, you haven't changed at all. Honestly, from what it looks like, you are running from the past," you added.
“How can I accept you back when you still act the same mech who had led this war on, and don't even look like you're trying to fix what you broke?" you asked.
Megatron frowned. “You speak about what I broke… yet you were the first to break us,” he said.
At that moment, all the anger and pain you had suppressed began pouring out. You tried to control it, looked away, and clenched your fists. Tears burned in your optics. With a controlled growl, you punched Megatron straight in the jaw.
Megatron grunted, stumbling back from the hit. You then tackled him to the ground, standing over him while holding the front of his chassis.
“Frag you, Dee!” you yelled at him. His optics widened when you used his former name.
“I didn’t care that you were the Leader of the Decepticons! Even if it was you who led this war on, even if you had done countless crimes, even if you despised me. You were still my brother. Despite everything, I still cared. Your side of the bond going cold was the worst feeling I ever felt! “ you said, tears running down freely from your optics.
Megatron’s stayed put, despite holding your arm back in an instinct.
“I wept, felt ashamed, believing everything I had done was wrong. And I couldn’t tell anyone about it. And I hated myself for it for still caring,” you continued.
"You hurt me in ways you can't even imagine!"
“And then you do something like this,” you added, punching the ground next to his helm, the rough soil cracking beneath your fist.
“Frag you, Dee! You are a primus damn son of a glitch. And I will never forgive you for all the slag you put me through,” you uttered, venting out the anger you felt.
Instead of fighting, yelling, or hitting you back, Megatron laid his servo over your own. His optics softened.
“(Name)... even if you don’t forgive me. Even if I apologize a hundred times…” he began, his tone quieter. “I'm really sorry… for all the pain I caused you.”
You didn’t know what to say. Inside, you wanted to scream at him and beat him to the ground. You pushed yourself off him and looked away, trying to sort out your thoughts. You stayed silent for a moment before reaching your servo toward him.
Megatron looked confused for a moment.
“Come on. Let’s go get some oil and talk things through like grown-ups,” you explained. Megatron then grabbed your servo, and you helped him up.
After getting some oil from your hidden stash, you and Megatron sat down on some haypiles to look at the stars.
“I didn’t know you still mixed oils,” Megatron remarked.
“With the war over, I have a lot of free time. How else do you think I earned those extra shanix during our miner days?” you questioned, opening one of your bottles and handing him one. “Don’t tell Optimus and the others, though; they will likely start pestering me to make some for them. I especially don’t want to risk the Terrains getting curious to try alcohol,” you added.
He released a chuckle. “They are far too young for that.”
“Yet they’re rebellious enough to join dangerous missions, especially when told not to,” you pointed out.
The silence hung for a moment before you both chuckled.
“They have a whole life ahead of them,” Megatron said.
"They are amazing..." You murmured.
Silence fell between you.
"So.... What now?" He asked.
You shrugged your shoulders. "I don't know, everything is a mess." You said, taking a sip from your oil.
“Honestly… I thought you hated me when you started avoiding me.” Megatron revealed.
You sighed. "I was upset for a time. But I was actually glad that you changed for the better,"
"Then why did you start avoiding me?" Megatron asked.
"Well, how would you exactly react when the twin who you had been fighting against for billions of years suddenly decided to change their ways and join your side?" You asked with a raised brow.
"Oh...good point," he uttered.
"I guess... I grew used to the roles built between us when I refused to join your side and the war," you said. “So, when you came back. I didn’t know how to act.”
"I understand," he said. "But I really do wish things between us to be better, or at least good enough, to make you stop avoiding me," he added, making you snort.
"I wished that every day throughout the war..." you said, then exhaled. "Okay. I give you a chance," you decided, and Megatron looked hopeful for a moment.
"But I'm not gonna let you back into my life that easily. I still feel resentful for what you did. When it comes to trust, especially broken trust, it is not simply given or demanded; it's earned. You need to have patience and willingness to listen to do what is required,” you explained.
"I might not fully understand it yet. But I am willing to learn..." Megatron said. “Perhaps in this, I could follow your lead,” he suggested.
You softly smiled.
Megatron groaned after having a sip from his oil, moving his jaw which you punched.
“Did I hit you too hard?” you asked.
“Maybe just a little. For someone who hates violence, you sure know how to throw a punch,” he stated.
“Just because I hate violence doesn't mean I wouldn’t learn how to defend myself,” you said. “And I will not apologize for it.”
“No need. I’ll say I deserved it,” Megatron said.
“So… no longer avoiding me?” he asked with a hopeful tone.
“Let’s see what the future will bring… I will make you work for my trust,” you said.
“That is what I am willing to do,” he said.
Silence fell between you as he drank, and you thought about things.
You thought about the war and everything that had happened. Weirdly enough, letting your anger burst out actually kinda helped. It was honestly a surprise you suppressed so much. You probably shouldn't forgive him at all. In moral sense, at least. But after that little burst, you felt less angry and even hopeful for better days.
Your thoughts then fell onto your conjux and sparklings. It gave you a realization. After all these years, Megatron still has no idea about them.
You leaned toward Megatron. "You're an uncle now, by the way."
Megatron froze for a moment, processing what you just said. He then choked on his oil and began coughing.
"(NAME)!" he exclaimed after recovering from his coughing fit.
"What? It's been like eight billion years." You looked back at him. "Believe it or not, I found myself a conjux and had sparklings,"
“Who?” He asked.
“Sorry. But you don’t have enough trust to acquire that information.” You bluntly said.
He then softened. “Then can I ask how many?”
"Three," you answered. "Twin femmelings and one mechling,"
“Brats?” he asked.
“Oh, you have no idea,” you chuckled. “The moment my twin girls learned how to walk, it was over for everyone. It was like they decided on world domination while their little sparks still orbited mine. My poor son often fell victim to their pranks.”
Megatron softly laughed.
You then stared at the stars with a distant Look. "As Optimus needed my assistance, I convinced my conjux to take our little ones to live at a neutral colony, away from the war," you explained.
"I lost contact with them when we came to Earth." You added
Megatron listened.
"My sparklings must be in their teens now. I can still sense my conjux, so I have faith they are alive and safe." You said.
“But I miss them,” you added.
Megatron laid a servo on your shoulder.
"Like Optimus would say, have faith. We never know what the future might bring. Maybe one day we end up finding a way to get back to Cybertron, and you'll reunite with your family," Megatron said. "I would like to meet them one day,” he added.
You smiled. "I hope so too,"
There was silence for a moment. Then.
"What!!" Thrash’s voice yelled from the barn.
You and Megatron looked toward it.
"What do you mean (Name)'s married and has kids?!" Robbie followed.
“Ooh! Do you think we can get (Name) to show pictures of them?!” Hashtag’s voice followed.
Then came loud shushing before silence.
You and Megatron glanced at each other before silently laughing with a shake of your helm.
You took a sip from your cup. This was not how you imagined your night to go, and it will definitely take time for you and Megatron to properly rebuild your bond. But maybe the Terrain's little plot wasn't so terrible at all.
twin!Izuku who is the dipper to your mabel, the king to your luz, the anna to your elsa, the luigi to your mario, the gumball to your darwin.
twin!Izuku who does things in unison with you without even realizing.
twin!Izuku who felt a twinge of jealousy when you got your quirk that was outweighed by the pride and joy he felt seeing you learn to use yours.
twin!Izuku who cried a little the night before school started because he realized he wouldn’t get to be with you as often anymore, and that was kind of scary, even though he knew you would see each other again at home.
twin!Izuku who would sometimes ramble (borderline brag) about you to his friends from UA, so much so that you give All Might a run for his money.
twin!Izuku who sometimes getting distracted or even sad in school because he can’t help but notice your absence.
twin!Izuku who set up a blanket fort for the two of you the night before moving into the dorms and crying a lot a little because he realized just how much he was gonna miss you.
twin!Izuku who got used to bracing himself when he senses you coming in to tackle hug him.
twin!Izuku who gets a boost of confidence upon realizing he’s finally able to lift you without breaking a sweat.
twin!Izuku who is always so grateful to have someone as awesome and supportive as you as his twin.
Ageon the conqueror request, thank you for sayiny youre okay with doing him,
Aegon might have married Visenya and Rhaenys but it's all in name only, he faked the consumantion as he is obsessed like full on yandere with fem reader his third wife his twin sister. He never bothered to Hide his devotion to her and that Visenya and Rhaenys are wife only in name
First time writing this character hope I did alright!
TW: Targcest, possessiveness, this one's pretty tame tbh, also short sorry about that.
Visenya was out of duty, Rhaenys was out of obligation, but you? You were out of love, though people claimed it to be an obsession. No one would dare say it in his presence, deeming any insult towards you was an insult towards him, the two of you were halves of a whole and he would not have it any other way.
The consummation between Visenya and Rhaenys was nonexistent. He had walked into those chambers but all he had done was sleep beside them.
He could not bring himself to perform the act with anyone other than you. He knew it would not be fair to them as his mind would be thinking of you no matter what they did.
Aegon spent nearly all of his nights with you, in your chambers, tangled in the bed sheets and in each other’s arms. The act was always full of passion and intimacy, his broad arms holding you close as he pumped you full of his seed night after night.
When you became with child, your twin brother was thrilled to see you pregnant with his heir.
Though, no matter how thrilled he was there was also a fear that you may not make it. He would shower you with more love and attention, constantly checking on your wellbeing himself.
Your first child, Aenys, would be sickly and though Aegon loved his child with all his heart, since he was a product of your and his love, he would still be weary of having another child in case the next one would take a toll on you and your health.
The conqueror would eventually give in to your want of another child, unable to truly deny your desires, and thankfully your second child would come out healthy much to your husband's relief.
You and Aegon would only produce two children despite his passion for you. He would not want you to risk your health on multiple pregnancies.
He would never force you to drink moon if you did not wish to, no, the burden would fall on him to take preventative measures. To use sewn linen to keep his seed from spilling inside of you to pulling out in time, all of it in effort of keeping you healthy and joyful.
The few times you were not by his side was when he was off to war, along with your sisters, leaving you behind with guards that would ensure your safety. He would never want to risk losing you, his love, his life, his light, his everything, his other half that completed him, if anything happened to you he would not be able to bear it.
Your twin brother-husband would absolutely shower your children with love and affection, seeing them as a product of your love for him and his love for you.
He would not produce children with any of his other sister-wives seeing it was a betrayal to you and your children.
If it weren’t for Visenya and Rhaenys’ involvement in matters of the realm and advising Aegon, the realm may have forgotten they were even married to Aegon. It was easy for that to slip from their minds, when they constantly saw their king by the side of their third queen, showing clear favoritism towards you. It was clear in the fact that you were the only one who bore the king any children and many wondered if the other queens were barren or if you had cast a love spell over the conqueror.
No one would dare bring up those accusations in front of anyone that would inform Aegon of them. The king was generous to many but all knew how quickly that could and would fade if any were to insult his twin, his wife, his only love. None were that foolish to do so.
Despite the rumors of you being a witch that had spellbound their king there were smallfolk that did adore you even if you and your kin were still quite alien to them. It was hard not to when they saw how much the king did and how filled with love your children were and how much they were loved by you and your husband.
You would earn the title ‘The Conqueror’s Darling,’ marking just how obvious and unwavering his love was for you.
Pairings: Slight jake sully x daughter reader // neteyam x twin reader // loak x older sister reader
A/N: idk just thought this would be cool. And this is probably so crap I'm literally writing this half asleep
💀˚~˖𓍢ִ໋ ♡*°◇🎧✧˚.⋆◇🦢+*°♡+
You emit a sigh as you sat on a dock with your legs dangling off the edge. Your ears perking up as they heard footsteps approaching you.
Jake sat down beside you, dipping his feet into the water as well.
You flashed him a smile and spoke "hi dad"
"Hey babygirl" he replied with a slight chuckle "how are you sweetheart?"
"Fine" you replied sweetly. He patted your back and rose to his feet. He walked you to your marui so you and your family could sleep.
----------------------
You awoke to your younger brother loak roughly shaking you awake
"Y/n! Y/n! Come on!" He groaned while smaking you with a pillow. You whined and put the pillow over your head, and loak just tore it off.
"Bro what?!" You shouted at him sleepily while he dragged you up by your hand
"Nothing i just wanted to annoy you" loak replied, running off so you wouldn't murder him
"brat!" You yelled in the direction he ran in. You started your morning after sulking for a moment
--------------------
As you finally finished your chores, duties, ect, you plopped down on the sand to allow your body to rest
But this moment of peace didn't last long. You began to hear snickering behind you. You turned toward the sound to find aonung and a few other boys standing there
Aonung still had a bruise from the fight with your brothers last week
"Guess you do fit in here" aonung spoke with a chuckle "with the sand"
you sighed and stood. Spinning on your heel to walk away from these bullys.
Though, they kept teasing you.
Usually you didn't let it get to you. But this time felt...off
You felt tears sting your eyes when one of them pulled your hair. They let go soon after
You spun around and hissed at the boy. "Ooh im so scared" said the boy
You looked around to see if anyone you knew was around, which there was not.
One of the boys mothers called out for him and they all snarled. You let out a sigh of relief when they sprinted away from you
You walked toward a tree, your back pressing up against the rough bark. You slid down to sit on your knees.
You lightly played with the sand beneath you. You heard more footsteps behind you the moment your soft hands cluched a fistfull of sand. Instead of a bully, it was only your twin.
"Hey teyam..." you spoke to him in a dull tone
"What is it, sister?" He sat beside you, placing a hand on your shoulder. "Nothing."
"Dont give me that. I wont hesitate to get dad into this." He hissed. "Jeez i sound like loak..."
You chuckled sadly at his amusing realization. You looked back down at your knees, the Bioluminescent freckles dotted carefully along your legs in a wavy path from your hips, all the way to your ankles.
Neteyam placed two fingers under your chin, his thumb in a light grip just above. He lifted your head and gently turned you to him
"Aonung?"
"Aonung..." you whisper while nodding your head in small movements. Your twin pulled you to his chest in a tight embrace.
"Dont worry, its ok. Loak will handle them" you giggled at the image of your baby bro beating another guy to a pulp for you. Again.
Neteyam brushed some of your hair behind your ear. Running his delicate fingers through it gently.
He pulled you back toward him, with your eyes closed you felt the soft skin of his forehead meet yours.
You let out a small sigh before completely melting in your best friends arms. Your own arms wrapping around his waist and your head resting against his chest.
With every beat of his heart, with every breath he took, every stroke of his fingers running through your beautiful hair, you felt loved. Special. And that your bullys didn't matter.
💀˚~˖𓍢ִ໋ ♡*°◇🎧✧˚.⋆◇🦢+*°♡+
A/N: guys please read this I spent so long on it 😭
angst one shot of gotham knights dick grayson with twin reader of damian? reader was away for training and visited gotham after bruce's death, they're not taking his death well and dick tries to comfort them but they get mad at him. they say he doesn't understand what it's like bc he knew bruce the longest and out of all the kids reader spent the smallest time with bruce. on the other hand dick mostly got a cold, silent bruce while in the moments bruce and reader spent together bruce actually opened up to them.
A little more complicated… but yeah I’m down for this, I need to think of a concept for the twin but I like the challenge. Certainly an interesting concept. Apologies for this taking so long, lots came up that made it hard to feel motivated. Hope you enjoy.
Lost
TW: mentions of death, grief, loss, anger, violence outbursts, let me know if I missed any.
When you returned to Gotham… well… imagine… honestly it’s not something easily described or compared. Bruce hadn’t been around you for long, and the news he had another biological child kind of threw him. You didn’t intend to stay with him, merely wanted him to know of your existence. You figured he’d want you out, he already had Damien and almost a dozen other children, you felt unnecessary.
Bruce made you feel more than necessary. Learning about your situation, where you were living, what you did working for the league of assassins, never forcing you to do anything that you didn’t like, offering safe house locations if you needed space of your own, and even providing you with his contact information if you needed to get a hold of him. Bruce wasn’t afraid to talk to you, tell you about his own life. For once in your whole life, you had someone to look up to, someone who was willing to raise you better, someone who could look past your flaws and bring out the person you were meant to be.
Now he was gone.
You’d left for training, simple combat stuff that you’d been taught already but wanted to improve on. You weren’t meant to be gone long. When the news of his death came to you, you felt shattered. The air was sucked out of the room, your blood ran cold, you could barely speak. Someone may as well had opened your chest, poured liquid nitrogen on your heart, and smashed it with a sledge hammer. That might have been more relieving. Instead, you gathered what faculties remained. “Sorry uh… thank you. What um… where…”
“His body has yet to be released but is being examined at the Gotham City Morgue.”
“Thank you…” you replied. You hung up. It was too much. You’d dealt with bodies before, it was your job as a cleaner for the League of Assassins. You never thought you’d have to deal with the body of someone you’d grown to love, let alone your own father.
Grayson met you when you arrived at Gotham. You were quiet and distant. He didn’t blame you. No, you didn’t want to go to the manor, you had a place of your own. You needed some privacy with your own self. Grayson would later learn it was because you were talking to “Bruce”, seeing him in the room. He overheard you talking to him one night when he came to check on you. You went along to help with funeral proceedings, discussions often leading to you staring off and sometimes digging your nails into your wrists or palms.
During a small meeting with the police you actually broken skin, pulling yourself out of your trance. Grayson tried to help, but you just walked away without an answer to clean yourself up. That day had been the worst because you learned what had happened, but didn’t say anything about what you knew, at least not to the police. Your grandfather, that fucking monster, was responsible. You’d cleaned up enough of the Leagues messes to recognize it, and in the bathroom you were pissed. Your rage and anger, that they took the one person you could call family who treated you like a person and made you feel like you were good enough. When Grayson went to find you after, all he found was a shattered mirror in the bathroom.
Your emotions got the better of you there was no denying that. The training you’d had was put to good use, but to a dangerous degree. More than once you nearly sent thugs to early graves, you’d even held one on the edge a roof, demanding answers before dropping him on a trash bin. You kept ignoring phone calls from Grayson, knowing he would just berate you for taking things too far. You weren’t killing anyone. You weren’t crossing any lines! The Assassins? That was crossing the line, you were just putting criminals in their place. You couldn’t make anyone happy it seemed. “Stop that’s too far!” “Come on you should know better.” “You’re better than this.” “You’re not good enough.” “This isn’t right.” “There’s no next time if you’re caught.” “You’re not an assassin.” “Pathetic.” “Messy.” “You’re not a hero!” “Why aren’t you picking up the slack.” “Stupid child.” “Get me another beer!”
“Nobody wants you.” “Quit screwing up!” “Again, and do it right!”
SHUT UP!!!
“FUCK!” You shouted realizing you’d hit a brick wall. Literally. Your knuckles were bloody still, and now had pain running through them from the impact, and up your forearm. You had to crouch, cradling your hand, and gritting your teeth.
"The fuck do you want?" You asked, still wincing. Grayson had shown up, fully suited, on patrol. He wasn't on patrol though he just opened with the whole "I was in the area" bs. You'd heard him coming, but outrunning him was pointless, especially with everything your head was dealing with.
"You can't keep going like this." Grayson said. Really? Really right now? This is what he decides to start with? The Last of the Flying Graysons everybody! Stating the incredibly obviuous from new heights. Before you might have said that out loud, but you didn't have the energy too. Your mouth control was a lot better too.
"You're self destructing." Why did he have to be so calm when he was talking, it pissed you off.
"What told you that? My cradled arm or your fifth sense?"
"The number of battery cases at the hospital." He answered. ...it was a rhetorical question, but you didn't think your escapades had gone that far. Then again why did it matter?
"No one else in this family has added to it?" You asked, rhetorical again.
"Y/N you're going too far. You keep going like this, you'll end up the same way as the guys you've put in hospital beds. Or worse.
"Good maybe I'll get to spend more time with dad." You muttered. Yep, Grayson was right. That's what this was.
"I get it, you;re hurting, but hurting yourself and other people isn't going to bring him back." Grayson told you. You tried to walk away, turning and rolling your eyes. Yeah no shit, you'd dealt with death before, you were a cleaner for god sakes, you knew what it entailed. Grayson didn't know shit about your life. "I'm serious, if you keep going on like this, you'll-"
"End up in the same place as dad, I fucking got it." You snapped. "Point still stands."
"...I know what it's like, losing your family."
"No you don't." You mumbled.
"I lost my family." Grayson argued.
"I LOST THE ONLY FAMILY I HAD!" You screamed. He didn't know anything about it. He'd had a family, he had another family, you never had anyone else but your dad, and no one would understand that. You grew up not knowing what family felt like until you met your real dad. "You don't know what any of that feels like! You have a family! You had a family! You had parents!"
You took a minute to pace, and let the emotions get out and consume, do whatever the fuck emotions did when you felt yourself exploding. Someone needed to hear it because at this rate no one seemed to understand but was pretending they did. You turned back to Grayson, who just had a look on his face that you couldn't read. Maybe it was clam or shock or pity, you didn't care.
“You had a father way longer than I ever did. Those few moments mean more than anyone will ever understand!” You yelled. "The day I met him, was the first good memory I ever had. Those were the only good memories I had!"
Grayson stood there. Bruce had been cold with him for a long time, warming up to him took time. Maybe it was because you were younger, maybe he saw himself in you from the night he lost his parents, maybe you were just able to warm up to him better. Regardless he’d opened up to you much easier and much faster than he had with Grayson. Training had been for you to prove yourself. Prove you weren’t just a cleaner. Bruce covered for you when the League of Assassins tried to look for you.
Maybe Bruce opened up after everyone else had slowly tugged away at his walls. You found a way through because they'd made holes for you to get in.
You stared back at Grayson, before throwing your arms up, in a fed up shrug.
"And I fucking left..." You said, your voice raw.
You sat on the ground, frustrated. You missed him. For the short while you had, it was basically everything. For once in your life you had real father, one that didn’t give you shit for overlooking something he’d missed or tried to peer pressure you into drinking rather than letting you talk it out. You could talk to him, feel at home, feel safe, be happy! Grayson had all the time in the world with him, he couldn’t know what that was like. You pulled your knees in, as if trying to squeeze into the brick behind you.
Grayson sat down next to you, more relaxed, while you just stared at the ground. You wanted to tell him to go away. You didn't want a big brother right now. You wanted your dad. You couldn't have him, so Grayson was the next best thing. That's what you told yourself at least.
"I think you had some of the best times with him." Grayson said finally. "He used to be a lot colder. A lot of it was business or vigilante stuff. It took a lot of time for him to open up. Told me about his parents after I lost mine. I think he hid a lot of it at first because he was worried about me, I mean I was like 10 at the time, not exactly a safe hobby. He was like that for a long time with me and pretty much everyone else. Then you came along, and... I think that little time you had, was after several practice runs with us."
"So...?" You asked. What was he getting at?
"You had the best times with him, and I think those were some of his best as well. Even if it didn't seem all that exciting, for him they were good. They were fun to watch from the sidelines too." Grayson told you. You felt some warmth in your chest. Maybe it was just exhaustion. "He's gone but you still remember him. That makes those moments better. Breaking yourself isn't going to bring him back, it just makes you hurt in other places. Trust me I know from experience."
"... Am I gonna be okay?" You asked after some silence.
"...No. It gonna be different... and eventually you learn to live with those differences. It will be alright... but it will not be the same. That...that is okay." Grayson told you.
"...Okay." You said, taking some time to breathe. It was the first bit of relief you'd had in what felt like months. You kept pawing at your eyes, tearing up.
"We should get out of here. Stay still and some punks with find us." Grayson said. "No more fighting for a bit, you need to find other coping skills."
You scoffed at that. Good, your hand was still hurting anyways.
"Water, food, first aid, and then we'll figure something out from there." Grayson told you getting up. He gave you hand getting up.
"We?" You questioned.
"The last time I left you alone you broke a whole ass public bathroom mirror." He stated. "Like it or not, you're part of the family. Family doesn't get left behind."
"Deal." You said, and he got you back to the clocktower.
Pairing: Beric Dondarrion x Jon Snow’s twin!Reader
Characters: Beric Dondarrion, Eddard Stark, Jon Snow, Thoros of Myr, Jory Cassel (mentioned), Jaime Lannister (mentioned), Arya Stark (mentioned), Sansa Stark (mentioned), Septa Mordane (mentioned)
A/N: Requested by @futuristicyouthvoid!! Sorry it took so long for me to finish this, just had a long week at work and I was feeling lazy. I finally finished myself to finish it tonight but I haven’t proofread so it might be a bit shitty compared to my normal stuff. I hope you still enjoy!
Disclaimer: I do not own any characters mentioned. They belong to George R.R. Martin. I do not own any gifs used. They belong to their original creators. I do not consent to my work being published by other accounts or on other platforms.
Being a bastard was never easy. However, being a bastard of Ned Stark and the twin sister of Jon Snow made it significantly easier. Though you were detested by the Lady Catelyn Stark, no one went out of their way to make your life difficult. Your upbringing was fairly peaceful. Jon protected you and your half-siblings were kind. Robb would tease and joke with you, but was never anything less than a gentleman. Sansa was always friendly, bonding over your needlework with her. She was far better than you were, her mother being her teacher, but yours was not shabby by any means. Despite your friendship with Sansa, Arya was also quite fond of you, though not nearly as much as she was with Jon. When she was a bit younger, the two of you would play sword with longer branches you could find in the Godswood.
The Godswood was your favorite place in the entirety of Winterfell. It was quiet and always peaceful. Which is why you had sought it that particular evening. Dusk began to grow, but you could only sob under the watchful eyes of the heart trees’ faces. The godswood, typically a place of peace and sanctuary, was the only comfort you could think of after your brother told you of his plans to leave for the Night’s Watch when your father left for King’s Landing.
You had been aware of this trip as soon as the wheels began to turn for it. You had resigned yourself to the fact that your father was leaving and taking your sisters with him. As long as you had Jon, you could face down Balerion himself. But the Night’s Watch? That wasn’t just someplace you could follow him to. You couldn’t and you wouldn’t. There was nothing at that frozen castle for a woman, let alone a bastard woman. A shiver ran down your spine at the thought of being surrounded by the criminals you knew lurked there. Even Jon couldn’t fight the entirety of the Night’s Watch for you.
A particularly strong wind blew through the trees, making you look up. A large frame was walking towards you, forcing your back ramrod straight. Another anxious beat of your heart resonated in your chest before you recognized the shape. “Lord father, I did not realize it was you.” You relaxed as Lord Stark’s stoic face appeared clearly from the shadows.
“I did not mean to startle you, (Y/N).” He settled down on a log next to you. “I was told that I may find you out here. Jon has told you of his plans.” You nodded in affirmation, teeth finding your lip as you nibbled it anxiously.
“My dear, I do not wish to see you unhappy. But I cannot allow you to go with your brother. I am sorry.” His tone was sincere as he placed a warm hand on your knee. Looking up at him with teary eyes, you nodded. You had no desire to go to the Wall anyways, but this command from Lord Stark only solidified it.
The two of you sat in silence for a short time before you spoke. “Father, may I ask you for something?” He chuckled softly and gave you a curt nod. “Would it be at all possible for me to go with you to King’s Landing? I know that I should not ask since I have asked so much already, but I do not wish to stay in Winterfell without Jon. I think I’d like to explore, see more of Westeros. If you would permit it, of course. I-I-... I can protect myself. Gods know I’ve knocked Robb on his arse plenty. And I wouldn’t need much! I would never ask anything to be a burden on you.” You were rambling, you realized, and cut yourself off from continuing with a shaky breath.
Ned gave you a soft smile before wrapping his arm around your shoulders. You leaned into him and closed your eyes, taking in the feeling. His strong arm was warm and cradled you gently. He smelled of the Godswood and the hall in the keep. Burning this moment into your brain rooted you back to reality and you looked up at him with a smile. “I would not deny you this, daughter. You are a Stark, even if you do not have the name. If it is your wish to accompany us, then it shall be so.” Your face lit up with a grin as you wrapped your arms around him tightly. The action caught Ned offguard, but he returned it nonetheless. “Now, come. You are missing dinner.”
—
The Red Keep was not at all what you had imagined it to be. It loomed over you as the Stark party finished the final leg of its journey. King’s Landing, however, was exactly what you imagined. The stench and crowds as described your lord father had not been exaggerated, making you hate both upon arrival.
It was fairly easy to trudge through the rest of the day, seeking the comfort of a comfortable bed after many months on the road. After all formalities had been seen to, you were shown to your rooms. Here, you had a servant prepare a bath for you as well as bring you food. The woman curstied and scurried away when you thanked her. As soon as she left, you worked on stripping yourself, hands working on their own as your mind strayed to the ride in. It was there, that you saw a familiar yet almost unrecognized face. Ser Beric Dondarrion. A few years your elder, he was someone you had met at a tourney in honor of the betrothal of one of the Tully cousins to one of his own cousins. You were both younger then, you only turning two and ten while Beric had recently celebrated his 17th nameday.
He had gone to the abandoned training grounds that were on the other side of the castle from the tourney field. The day had been long and it was only midday. His father pushing him to find a bride was not something he wanted to deal with all day, so he decided to hack at a training dummy all day instead.
Here, he found you sparring with Jon, still short and awkward and chubby-faced. Despite the small age gap, the three of you became good friends over the duration of the week-long tourney. When you all bid goodbye for the last time, he swore to send ravens and Jon agreed to do the same. Over the past few years, however, the ravens became sparse and the letters not as detailed as when you were children. Seeing his face again had been a slight shock. He seemed older now, his hair cropped short and close to his head and a certain weariness in his eyes that had not been there before. You know, of course, that he had been named Lord of Blackhaven a few years after that tourney, but you were not prepared to see him like that.
Reaching up, you pulled free the few pins in your hair, shaking your mane out as you did. Your fingers pressed lightly into the slightly aching areas the metal had left behind. Once you were free from your confined clothing, you grabbed a robe from one of your chests that had been delivered to your room. It was slightly too warm for the warm climate of King’s Landing. The thick material still smelled of home, however, and it brought a sense of comfort to you. You wrapped it around yourself, burying your nose into your shoulder.
A soft knock broke you from your reverie and had your feet following the sound to your door. “Thank the gods,” you muttered to yourself. The ache in your stomach had begun to grow. You were quite surprised, however, to find someone holding a tray of food that was not your maid. “Lord Beric!” The shock must have been evident upon your face because he simply chuckled and nodded.
“Lady (Y/N). A pleasure to see you again after all these years.” Still a gentleman, it seemed, given his use of a title that did not belong to you. “I thought I had seen you this morning in the Great Hall but I was not sure. Forgive the intrusion, but I had to see for myself if it was truly you.” There was an almost childlike expression of excitement on his face as he gazed upon you. A beat of breath held silence between the two of you before he realized he had caught you at a stage of undress.
“I was wondering the same, actually.” You admitted, wrapping yourself a bit tighter in your robe. “Forgive my state, I was expecting my maid.” He nodded, holding up the tray he seemed to have forgotten momentarily.
“Yes, that is where I got this. She went off to fetch bathwater, I believe.” He kept his eyes firmly planted on your face, honor not allowing his eyes to drift. The thought made you smile slightly, glad to know he hadn’t grown out of his knightly habits. “Jon is not with you?” In the short time he knew you both, the dark-headed twins were never far from one another.
You shook your head gently, opening the door fully and gesturing for him to come in. He set the tray of food down on the table before turning back to you. “I’m afraid not. He’s actually gone to the Wall. My brother plans on taking the black.” A bittersweet smile graced your lips.
He answered with his own small frown. “I’m sorry to hear that. For you, at least. I know that must not have been easy.” You shrugged slightly but nodded in affirmation.
“I will be alright. It’s about time I got rid of the sack of bones.” You attempted with a lighthearted joke, which he graciously chuckled at. “Truthfully, I am glad he is doing what will make him happy. He deserves it.”
Beric took a few steps closer to you. “And, if I may be so forward, my lady, what do you plan? Hopefully to find your own happiness.”
Your cheeks warmed imperceptibly. “I do hope to find that, yes. I must admit, I have thought quite a bit on what I will do here, but I still do not know.” You chuckled softly, eyes flicking up to his.
“Perhaps we would be able to know each other better while you are here. If you can make the time for me, of course.” His tone was teasing and the glint in his eyes was full of mirth. The soft scuttle of shoes on the stone behind you drew your attention from the knight in front of you. Your maid had returned with two others to fill your bath. “For now, my lady, I will leave you.”
“I think I will be able to make time to see you, my lord. A very thoughtful offer that I would gladly take. A good night to you, Lord Beric.” He now stood right in front of you, bowing to take your hand. His lips brushed your knuckles, light as a feather. Your eyes never left each others, so you curtseyed, the only thing you could think to do.
“Sleep well, my lady.” With that, he was gone and your maid was informing you that your bath was ready. When you sank into the warm water, you blamed the red heat across your face on the steam.
—
Days turned into weeks that turned into months of your time in King’s Landing. Three months, to be exact. You managed to fill your days despite your earlier doubts. You spent your time either exploring the Red Keep with Arya, working your needlepoint with Sansa, or spending time with Beric. Often times, the two of you would spar with one another, There were days, however, when you spent your time with him walking through the gardens or walking the markets of King’s Landing.
“My lady, I hope I have not kept you waiting.” His voice behind you made you startle, but you turned to look up at him with a warm smile.
“Not at all, my lord.” You took the arm he offered to you before your short trek to the palace gardens. “I hope your morning was kind to you.” He had told you before that he prefers to do any and all business that he must as Lord of Blackhaven.
“It was nothing too difficult, my lady. Mostly, I spent my time waiting for a delivery from the marketplace.” Your brow quirked at him but you kept your face forward.
A small smile graced your lips when you felt his eyes on your face. “I hope your purchase was worth your wait and coin, my lord.” He nodded in agreement.
“I suppose you will have to tell me.” The two of you came to a halt as he removed his arm from your hand to reach into his coat. From an interior pocket, he produced a box, just longer than his hand that it sat upon.
Your eyes lit up in surprise as you gazed up at him. “Is it…?” Gifts were not something you were entirely unused to, but they were very unused to handsome young men, even if it was just friendly.
“For you, my lady. I hope you will find it as beautiful as I find you.” His words were spoken gently, though they still brought what you were sure was a pink dusting to your cheeks.
Opening the box, you found the most beautiful dagger that you had ever seen. The hilt had carvings of direwolves on one side, while a small purple jewel, one of his house’s colors, sat in the middle of the engravings on the other side. Your eyes, suddenly watery, turned up to him.”My lord, it’s…” Words failed to come to you. “I don’t know that I can accept this.” He smiled and shook his head, clasping the hand that held the knife gently.
“You can and you will. I insist.” You couldn’t help the grin that grew on your cheeks. The moment your eyes met, however, you swore a spark hit your chest. His gaze drew you in, leaving you nearly breathless. No words were spoken, the heat of his hand on yours suddenly very intense.
“Lady (Y/N), your father sends for you.” The voice of one of your father’s men snapped the pair of you from whatever moment you had just been caught in. A guilty blush engulfed your cheeks as you nodded.
“Thank you. I will be along in just a moment.” You returned your gaze to Beric. “Only because you insist, my lord, I will thank you for this incredibly generous gift.” You dipped into a curtsey before placing the lid atop the box again. He bid you a soft goodbye, which you returned, before you followed your father’s man.
Arriving in your father’s chambers, a bolt of panic struck any floating feelings you held of your moment with Lord Beric into the dirt. “Father!” You cried as you rushed to his bedside, kneeling by your lord father’s head. Sansa stood to your right while Arya, on the other side of the bed, looked almost wrathful. “What has happened?”
A gleam of sweat covered your father’s pale face and his leg was propped up under blanket. “There was a… situation with Ser Jaime.” Ned did not wish to delve into the details with your younger sisters around, so he motioned to Septa Mordane, who herded the younger two Stark girls from the room. “He attacked us in the streets. Jory is dead.” His hand found your free one, gripping it gently as a sob racked through your chest. Jory had been the first of your father’s men to train you willingly, acting as another older brother. You held a great amount of love for the man. Gently, your father tugged on your hand and motioned for you to sit on the bed next to him. You obliged, Beric’s gift resting in your lap. “Daughter, I worry. For your safety, especially. You do not have the Stark name to protect you.”
“I can protect myself, father. I can protect Sansa and Arya, too.” Your voice was pleading as you looked at him, scared of his next words.
His smile was sad as he looked up at you. “I know, my child, I know. But I would rather you protect yourself somewhere else. King’s Landing is too dangerous. (Y/N), I want you to leave tonight. Ride for Riverrun. Though Cat is not your mother, the Tullys will still protect you. You are family. Hoster and Edmure have always been kind to you and your brother.” He readjusted his position on the bed gently, trying to keep the pain from flaring. “Tonight, you will pack a bag and take some money and food and ride.” His voice left no room for discussion. Though you knew he wanted only to protect you, fat tears still dropped onto your cheeks.
He reached up to pet your hair softly before looking at the box in your lap. “A gift? From who?” His attempts to distract you from tears made you smile softly. You lifted the lid from the box and presented the blade to him.
“Lord Beric. He has just graced me with it before I came to you.” Ned’s eyes looked over you with a small, knowing smile.
“I’m sorry I am making you do this thing, but it must be done.” You nodded your agreement before standing. “And, for your safety, I beg that you do not tell anyone that you are leaving. I will explain it to Sansa and Arya.”
You nodded again. “I suppose I shall go prepare then. I shall see you tonight, Lord Father.”
That night, you found yourself pressing a kiss goodbye to your father’s cheek before one of his men whisked you away to the stables. An extra simple gown, a bag of gold, and a few days rations of food weighed your saddle pack while your sword and gifted dagger swayed on your belt.
—
“Lord Beric Dondarrion. You shall have the command. Assemble one hundred men and ride to Ser Gregor’s keep.” The young lord agreed and, after Lord Eddard sentenced Ser Gregor, was ready to leave so he may prepare. “A moment, Lord Beric.” The younger man nodded and approached the Hand as everyone else left the Great Hall. Though the pair received an inquiring look from Littlefinger, they were soon alone. Ned’s voice was soft as he spoke, not wanting to be overheard. “As well as bringing Ser Gregor to justice, I would like to ask something else of you.”
Beric nodded. “Anything, Lord Hand.” Eddard’s gaze flicked to the doors and then to the hall leading to the Small Council room.
“My daughter, (Y/N). I have sent her to the Riverlands for her safety, after I was attacked. I told her to ride for Riverrun, but I fear she shall not go to my good father’s home. I ask that you search for her while in the Riverlands. Protect her, make sure she makes it to the Wall if you can. I imagine that is where she will want to go.”
Beric’s heart skipped a beat at the Hand’s request. When you had disappeared a week ago, no note and no goodbye, he feared that he overstepped his boundaries. “I will find her, Lord Hand, and give my life for hers if I must.”
—
Months had passed since you had fled King’s Landing. Eddard’s suspicions were correct. He was taken prisoner and beheaded not long after. The rest of your household was killed with him, the only ones spared being Sansa and, presumably, Arya. When you had heard the news, you were staying at an inn in the Riverlands. Riverrun was nearby, but you had not yet decided if you wished to continue as your lord father had wished or if you wanted to find your brother.
Sitting at a table by yourself, you mulled over your thoughts with a tank of ale in your hands and the leftover remnants of your warm dinner in front of you. So lost in thought, you almost didn’t notice the man who decided to sit across from you. He was pock-faced and stank immensely of piss and ale. Immediately, he tried to get you to lay with him, his words slurred together. His attempt was shortlived, thankfully, as a lithe man with a bun pulling the hair from his face stepped in. The new man boxed the other around the ears, which had the drunk man grumbling before stumbling away.
“I apologize for my man. He’s drunk. My name is Thoros, my lady.” Thoros sat in the now vacant seat across from you.
“I thank you, Ser Thoros. I was worried his smell would bring my dinner back onto my plate.” He chuckled at your sharp tongue. “I am (Y/N) Sn-... Stone.” After recent events, you had to remind yourself that being a Northerner outside of the North was far less safe than being a bastard of anywhere else. Thoros eyes narrowed at you slightly before he smiled politely.
“Well, (Y/N), it is a pity that you’re not a Snow. My men and I have been instructed by our lord to look out for a (Y/N) Snow. My lord is not looking for any Stones, though, so I suppose I shall leave you to your drink.” He stood from the table and started to make his way back to sit with his men.
“Wait!” You turned to stand after him. “Who is your lord?”
—
“Thoros is returning, my lord.” Beric nodded at the soldier before standing from his seat. Resheathing his sword, he walked towards the approaching party. He counted an extra horse, however, and greeted Thoros with a confused look.
“My friend, may I present to you, (Y/N) Snow. Or so she says.” Thoros grinned at his friend teasingly, who gazed up at you with surprise in his eye. You dismounted your horse before approaching him timidly. It was not lost on you that you had disappeared from him, not saying anything about where you were going, and you were worried he would be upset with you, though it would be rightfully.
“Lord Beric,” you murmured before dropping into a curtsey. The man said nothing. Fear crept into your gut as you kept your eyes fixed on the ground in front of you. You were more than surprised, however, when Beric approached you quickly and pulled you into his arms. A small gasp fell from your lips before your own arms wrapped around his neck, face buried in his strong shoulder.
“(Y/N)... I was so worried,” he admitted when he pulled away from you, his hands holding onto your arms gently. Eye flicking around you, he noticed that many of his men were watching the pair of you. “Come. Let us find some privacy.” You nodded in agreement as he lead you to a secluded area of their hideout.
“I’m sorry,” you said as soon as you were alone. “My father was attacked and he wanted me to be safe so I ran. I wanted to say goodbye, truly, but he forbade it and I’m so sorry. Especially after you gave me such a thoughtful gift, I felt most horrible to leave you as I did.” You knew you were rambling but struggled to shut the floodgates as words tumbled from your lips.
Beric did not mind. Instead of letting you continue your rambling, his warm, calloused hand cupped your face before dropping his lips to meet your own. Your eyes shot open in surprise before fluttering closed, returning his soft yet desperate kiss. He was the first to pull away, resting his forehead against yours. “I thought I had scared you away. But your lord father sent me here and he told me everything. He asked me to find you.” Tears welled in your eyes at his words. “I am so sorry for your loss, (Y/N).” His voice was soft as he spoke.
Tears spilled over but his thumbs were quick to wipe them from your cheeks. “I was supposed to go to Riverrun but I couldn’t bring myself to do it.” Your voice was watery and trembling as you spoke.
“The Lord of Light. He knew we would find you.” You giggled softly, more in surprise than anything. “My lady, I ask that you forgive my boldness again, but I must admit. You have my heart, (Y/N). When you left, I knew I had to find you again. Now you are here. I beg that you stay with me. Let me protect you. Let me love you.”
Your own hand came up to caress his cheek, his head leaning into your palm. “The old gods and the new would have to drag me away from you, Beric.” He smiled at you, sunshine from his grin warming you through. Pulling away from him slightly, you allowed yourself to take in his appearance. His beard had grown out much more, a patch covered his right eye, and a new weariness made him look older than his 21 years. “What’s happened to you?” Your fingers drifted over the patch.
His shoulders shook with a soft chuckle. “I will tell you everything later, my love. But it was all worth it. I have you back, so it was worth it.”
