𝐧𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭_𝐞𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐫

cw: mentions of vomit

An odorless vapor releases from the four corners of the room at the end of the ominous countdown, but you don't pay it mind, your head focused on one thing and one thing only—saving Leon.

Holding your breath not to breathe it in and hopefully stall the nerve agent’s debilitating effects, you place your fingers on the keyboard, ready to begin.

The screen flashes with a series of codes you are meant to input, only you did not expect the series to be so long and for the codes to have specific placements within a form you’re meant to fill.

This will take forever.

The realization dawns on you with a gulp, but your fingers start to work nonetheless as you try and fail to ignore the pounding on the door behind you.

Outside, Leon has completely lost it. His palms are red from all the slamming he has done against the immovable steel, and now he has moved on to try and break the glass with anything he might find.

He doesn't care if the mist will seep out to infect him as well, he quite literally would rather die than let you do it for him.

“Kid— Kiddo—” he babbles to himself in a wavering voice as his eyes frantically roam around the place, like calling out to you will somehow keep you safe.

His gaze lands on a fire extinguisher, and he doesn't stall to grab it with shaky hands, just to bang it against the window so hard he feels an electric jolt through his bones.

Smash after smash and the window won't budge. The room is sealed air tight not to let out the compound, and he feels like he wants to claw at the walls to make them yield open so he can get to you.

Every passing second brings him closer to delirium, and he knows—he knows—if this is the end, if this is how you die while he watches, then at least he has a gun he can put to his head. Fuck your sacrifice. He’s not doing this shit without you.

Only a couple of minutes pass of typing out the endless sequence when you begin to feel your eyes burn. There’s beading sweat on your temple, and a bitter, metallic taste is settling on your tongue. Even without breathing it in, the toxic mist has started to affect you, and you know this is only the start.

Your lungs protest when they reach their limit. So, with abnormally shaky hands you reach for the long skirt of your dress to lift it to your mouth, using the silk fabric as a makeshift mask. It won't do much, but it might give you a few extra precious seconds.

You don't dare waste a single moment to look back at Leon who is causing a ruckus, throwing every possible object he can find at the unyielding door.

He tried a metal trashcan, a chair from a nearby room, and now he’s pointing his pistol at the glass knowing fully it will ricochet against the bulletproof material.

Sure enough, it rebounds and grazes his shoulder with a sharp sting, but he barely pauses to acknowledge it before he’s pounding at the door again like a madman.

“Fuck!!” he curses in a broken sob, and takes a moment to watch you inside only to have his heart shatter all over again.

There you are, repeatedly blinking hard against the growing blurriness of your vision. Your muscles have started twitching, your chest constricting with every labored breath. At some point you drop the fabric you were holding against your mouth—it’s useless, and you would rather use two hands to type quickly as long as you're able to.

Leon wipes his tears roughly with the back of his hand, a new wave of determination hitting him at the sight of you still there, still trying. He won't stop trying either.

A sudden idea comes to mind and he sprints before he can even think if it’s a good one.

He reaches the bathroom in record speed, unlocking the special mechanism you had used earlier to keep the guards confined, then kicks the door open with his gun pointed.

The two men inside already have their weapons drawn, no doubt having heard the loud commotion he’s making. He can feel adrenaline pumping through his veins so thickly it's like time slows around him.

Without hesitation, Leon mercilessly shoots the first guard through the chest, the latter’s body falling on the tile with a startled groan. Then, taking advantage of the second man’s shock, he disarms him quicker than he can retaliate.

“With me,” the agent simply grits out, wrenching the worker's arm behind his back and placing his firearm’s muzzle to his temple.

He drags him forcibly back to the control room, every laborious effort feeling like it’s eating at his soul when he can't get there in the light speed he wishes he had.

“W-what the hell do you want?” the guard manages to squeak out, only to be met by a smack to the side of the head with the handgun's handle.

“Open the fucking door,” Leon hisses and shoves him against the metal. 

The man looks at him cluelessly, then peers inside to see the vapor engulfed room and blinking red light. His eyes widen with realization of what's happening.

“I-I can't, badges don’t work during the override!” he gestures to his lanyard.

Behind him, Leon can see you past the man’s shoulder. You have fallen to your knees, every muscle spasming, and breathing faster than a rabbit’s pulse. There's snot and drool leaking down your face in addition to tears, the compound causing an overstimulation in secretory glands. 

The numbers blur together as you fight your own body to continue inputting the correct series. You have to hone every bit of fraying brain power to not enter the wrong code, deleting and retyping every time you make a mistake. 

Each and every cell in your body burns. The nerve agent blocks the very enzyme that allows your muscles to relax, to function, and you can feel yourself reach the very end when the splitting headache you're experiencing goes from throbbing to pounding. You can barely hear yourself think through the pain.

Outside, Leon punches the man so hard he sees double. “Fucking open it!”

The guard brings a hand to his bleeding lip, and in a trembling voice shakes his head in desolation. “I told you, man… The badges don't w—Argh!”

He’s interrupted by a bullet to the thigh, the agent’s furious scowl wild like that of a feral animal in a cage as he glares at him. “I will rip your fucking guts out if you don't open it,” he seethes.

But even as he grips his gun tight enough the stock indents his palm, ready to inflict more harm to force the man to comply, Leon knows his attempts are futile. So when the guard just cowers in fear, shielding his face with trembling arms, he simply grabs him by the hair and slams his head hard enough against the unbudging door that he passes out.

Never has he acted so unnecessarily violent towards anyone, but he’s certain he has officially lost all mental capacity of rationale and logical thinking.

With the bloodied man’s body limp on the floor, all that is left to do is watch you again through the window, resting his forehead against the screen as all hope drains out of him.

You’re throwing up the little contents of your stomach on the floor on all fours, dry heaving and quivering as the last remnants of strength leave you. You try to get back to the keyboard, but fall face first on the tile, your arms giving out from under you.

Leon feels his own knees buckle, but he holds himself up—he won't look away. He wants to watch you until the very end since his company is all he can offer you through the cruelly resolute steel separating you.

After years of vowing he will do everything he can to keep you safe, he has failed miserably. This is the price to pay for holding something precious in his life. He should've known. You were never meant to be tainted by his proximity. He ruins everything he touches, and now you will be added to the ever growing pile of skeletons in his closet. Hurt, destroyed, desecrated, and left to die in a puddle of vomit.

Maybe he never should've returned with ice cream that day.

He can still remember it like it just happened, when the emergency services came to your front porch. He had stayed by your side as you sobbed, a hand on your shoulder because that was the only way he knew how to support the poor teenager whose zombie father he just put down.

Your cries wouldn't stop no matter what measly words of reassurance he gave, but you still sat by him, unmoving even as first responders showed up.

When an FBI agent asked you to get into the ambulance so they could take you for a checkup, you shook your head, then scooted closer to him to his great surprise.

Leon never saw himself as someone who could provide comfort. The last time he had to give a pep talk was an awkward attempt with Ashley Graham, the president’s daughter he was tasked to save. It worked well enough it got her to calm down, but he still cringed at himself later for not doing better.

And yet, his lame “you’re gonna be okay” seemed to be all you needed to hear, because no matter who they brought to talk to you, you stuck to him and even reached for his sleeve when he was about to move away.

“Do you want me to ride the ambulance with you?” he asked quietly as he used his body to shield you from the view of the hazmat suits collecting your father’s corpse.

“Yes,” you responded in a quiet whisper, the first word you ever uttered to him.

And just like that, he was sitting beside you in the vehicle five minutes later, while EMTs checked your vitals and any signs of injury. He heard your name when the workers asked for it, repeating it in his head, and he remembers you stealing a glance his way that would have made him smile if not for the terribly sad situation.

“I’m Leon Kennedy,” he murmured softly while your temperature was being checked. “I’m, uh… a special agent.” 

He distinctly remembers the twinkle in your eye from his introduction.

When you arrived at the hospital, he couldn't go in with you past the intake point, but he made sure to repeatedly tell the staff you weren't infected. He’d know—it’s his job to deal with the flesh-eating kind.

“Are you, um… Are you going to be here when I finish?” you asked in a tiny voice when the nurses began guiding you away.

Leon felt his heart squeeze in that moment, and that's when he knew he would do anything he could to help you. “Yeah, I’ll be here... Promise.”

It was never part of the plan. It wasn't part of his job either. But an hour later, when you were done with medical checks and being escorted around by a fed, he showed back up.

Your eyes lit up when you saw him despite the weariness of your features, even more so when you noticed the two ice cream cones he held in hand.

“I heard the place across the street has decent stuff,” he muttered awkwardly, looking down at the sticky cream dripping down his knuckles and questioning his stupid choice of treat. “I didn't know what flavor you like, so… I got two.”

A ghost of a smile spread on your lips at the sight of the mess he was making on the bleach-smelling floor tiles. Then, with a tentative hand, you reached to grab the cone that looked the most enticing. 

“Thank you… Leon,” you whispered gratefully. From that day onwards, vanilla with rainbow sprinkles became your favorite.

Through the fog of unconsciousness, a tiny voice in your head asks you to get up. You try to listen to it, but find the task impossible. It gets louder, “you’re so close,” it says in an echoey yell, and you recognize its smooth timber, but your brain is too messed up to think of who it belongs to.

When it shouts one more time, you finally manage to raise a shaky arm, your vision entirely blurry and spotted in black when your hand thuds lifelessly on the keyboard and makes it clatter to the floor beside you.

There, with your cheek pressed to the cold tile, you can see the single final step towards hope. If you can just reach far enough, you can press the ‘enter’ key, and it will be okay. You think. You hope.

At least, that's what he said.

A pathetic gasp leaves your saliva leaking mouth when your spasming palm slides across the floor. And then, with a final shuddering breath, your index presses the button weakly.

You can barely hear a muffled robotic voice echoing around you, but the blinking red lights turn into a steady white, and you finally let yourself close your eyes when you realize… You did it. You saved Leon.

Next chapter coming soon.

Part Seven (Coming Soon)

Midnight Muse Playlist

Chapter 1: The Bronze Bitch's Daughter

Prince Daemon Targaryen has grown tired of his Lady wife, the “Bronze Bitch” Rhea Royce. But he is not so easily rid of her. She survives not only his brutal attack, but his cruel violation of her. Though she remains broken and weak, she endures just long enough to deliver a child: a girl of silver hair and steely eyes.

Chapter 2: The Bench

On Arianwyn’s thirteenth nameday, a grand reception is held in her honor. Though most guests are not in attendance for the Lady of Runestone, but rather the Princess Rhaenyra, who is mere weeks away from giving birth. But Arianwyn does not care, for Aemond is there. And he has a present for her.

Chapter 3: The Book

Though Arianwyn wants nothing more than to devour the book Aemond gifted her, she finds herself tear her mind from Aegon’s taunting words. But as she recalls a difficult conversation with her cousin and lady’s maid from the night before, she decides that perhaps she does not want to be married – ever.

Chapter 4: Rune of Endurance

Over the next few months, the young scholars begin to make their own translations of the Runes of the First Men. However, the lives of a Prince and a Lady are not all leisure. After a harrowing encounter in the Dragonpit, Aemond needs Arianwyn to comfort him.

Chapter 5: The Funeral

As the Targaryen and Velaryon households gather on Driftmark to mourn the late Lady Laena, Arianwyn is anxious about meeting not only her half-sisters, but her father for the very first time.

Chapter 6: Cold Fire

Having been worse than ignored by Daemon at the funeral, Arianwyn finally comes face to face with her father.

Chapter 7: The Beach

After overhearing a conversation between Prince Daemon and Corlys Velaryon at dinner, Aemond recruits Arianwyn to help him achieve a lifelong dream.

Chapter 8: The Tunnel

On their way back from the beach, Aemond and Arianwyn are confronted by their four furious cousins.

Chapter 9: The Decisions of Fathers

Aemond is permanently maimed, Arianwyn wounded. As their family quarrels over how to deal with the aftermath of the fight, all they can do is cling to each other.

Chapter 10: Prayer

Faced with the possibility of their separation, Aemond joins Arianwyn in prayer.

Chapter 11: Dearest Friend

As Arianwyn adapts to her new surroundings, and Aemond heals from his wound, the pair take comfort in the letters they exchange.

Chapter 12: The Girl in the Tower

With the knowledge that she will not soon be released from her father’s control, Arianwyn finds what comforts she can on Dragonstone, and receives a gift from Aemond.

Chapter 13: The Sapphire

Aemond struggles to adjust to Arianwyn’s absence. But on his fifteenth nameday, Ser Gerold Royce arrives with a bronze-wrapped present.

Chapter 14: The Garden

For the first time in the six years she’s been on Dragonstone, Princess Rhaenyra asks for Arianwyn to join her for a walk in the gardens.

Chapter 15: A Holy Sight

At long last, Arianwyn returns to King’s Landing.

Chapter 16: The Legend of Gahaelon and Aeremys

After being reunited after so long, Aemond has one request of Arianwyn: to read him a story.

Chapter 17: Families

Arianwyn is joyfully greeted by Queen Alicent, Princess Helaena, and her young children. But the happy reunion is soon ended as she is called to attend dinner with her Daemon, Rhaenyra, and their children.

Chapter 18: The Petition

When Vaemond Velaryon petitions the Crown to grant him succession of Driftmark, Arianwyn is faced with her worst fears.

Chapter 19: Final Tribute

Arianwyn delays her escape to attend the King’s family dinner to say goodbye to Aemond. But emotions run high, and a final toast may jeopardize her plans.

Chapter 20: The Library

Daemon confronts his daughter.

Chapter 21: Beneath the Weirwood Tree

Arianwyn meets Aemond in the Godswood.

Chapter 22: The Bedding

To prevent Daemon from contesting their marriage, Aemond and Arianwyn proceed with the Bedding Ceremony.

Chapter 23: The Shears

The following morning, Aemond and Arianwyn tell the Queen of what happened. But they soon realize an important figure is missing.

Chapter 24: The Trial of Brynna Taler

Aemond, Arianwyn, and Queen Alicent race to find Brynna. Larys Strong informs them that she has been taken to the Throne Room by none other than Daemon, who claims that it was Brynna herself that attacked him the night before. Not only that, but he also accuses Aemond of forcing Arianwyn to marry him, and of raping her so that the marriage could not be dissolved.

Chapter 25: The Breakfast

With Brynna safe and Daemon on his way back to Dragonstone with the rest of the Blacks, Aemond and Arianwyn enjoy some time alone. However, they are quickly interrupted by the Queen, her children, and her grandchildren joining them for a family breakfast.

Chapter 26: The Women

Arianwyn, Helaena, Alicent, and Brynna sip tea (and wine) and enjoy a moment of relaxation as the dressmakers and craftspeople of King’s Landing present them with their wares.

Chapter 27: Pillow Talk

Together in bed, Aemond & Aria exchange new vows and old secrets.

Chapter 28: Vhagar & Emrys

Six years after the beach on Driftmark, the Queen of All Dragons and Emrys, the young black dragon called Balerion, Second of His Name, by the smallfolk of King’s Landing, finally meet.

Chapter 29: The Bath

Aemond and Arianwyn relax with a shared bath after their dragonflight.

Chapter 30: Storytime

Arianwyn is summoned to the Queen's chambers to fulfill a promise she made to Prince Jaehaerys.

Chapter 31: The King

Arianwyn asks for an audience with her uncle Viserys. He has not woken since the family dinner two nights before, and she is not sure that he will even hear what she says. She is not even sure what she wants to say. Still, she needs to say it.

Chapter 32: The Sound of His Voice

After her visit with the King, Arianwyn returns to her husband.

Chapter 33: The First Death

Aemond and Arianwyn awake with grand plans of spending another day together. But they are met with the news that the King has died in the night, leaving not only their plans unsure, but the fate of the realm.

Chapter 34: The Search

The King is dead. Aegon, his heir is missing. While Aemond ventures into the heart of Flea Bottom to find him, Arianwyn is left in the castle with the Queen as she realizes her fairy tale has likely come to an end.

Chapter 35: The Hearth

Aegon has been found, and will be crowned in the morning. But Aemond’s mind races. As he descends deeper and deeper into the darkest recesses of his mind, there is only one person that can pull him back from the brink of despair.

Chapter 36: The Coronation

Aemond wakes from a vivid dream. The family gathers at the Dragonpit to crown Aegon.

Chapter 37: The Beast Beneath the Boards

Chaos erupts at the coronation and Princess Rhaenys, mounted on her dragon, Meleys, bursts from beneath the floor of the Dragonpit.

Chapter 38: The Feast

Though the events of the coronation cast a dark cloud, a feast is held at the Red Keep in celebration. Aemond makes a decision, and Arianwyn dances with the new King.

Chapter 39: The Small Council

A plan is made to secure the support of the kingdoms. Unfortunately for Aemond, that plan involves sending Arianwyn on a diplomatic mission. Alone.

Chapter 40: The Long Goodbye

Aemond and Arianwyn mount their dragons to fly in separate directions. But not before saying goodbye.

Chapter 41: Three Days, Part I

On the first day they have spent apart since they were wed, Aemond and Arianwyn fly far away from each other on missions for the new King.

Chapter 42: Three Days, Part II

In the Vale, Arianwyn receives a wedding present from Ser Gerold and has a candid discussion with her Godsmother. At Storm's End, Aemond goes on a tumultuous hunt with Borros Baratheon. Both are met with unpleasant interruptions to their missions.

Chapter 43: Three Days, Part III

Aemond return to King's Landing. Arianwyn tells the Vale the truth.

Chapter 44: The Curse of the Kinslayer

Arianwyn returns to King’s Landing triumphant, having not only won the support of the Vale, but by striking a great political blow to Daemon. But her feeling of triumph is quickly shattered when she learns that Aemond has already returned – with blood on his hands.

Chapter 45: The Silence

Arianwyn wakes in Aemond's arms and faces the fact that her world has changed irrevocably.

Chapter 46: The Truth

Now that Aemond has broken his silence, what truths will he reveal?

Companion Stories

Daemon POV

Lord Flea Bottom's Heir

He was so sick of it, so fucking sick – every day since summer started you’d go out to tan by your pool in the tiniest bikini (how many of those could you even own, by the way?) and the most sinful shorts, thighs squeezing out around the bottom and tits practically spilling from your top. 

And then you do this stupid fucking thing – you’re doing it now, actually, he realizes it when he looks through the big window above the sink – where you shimmy out of your shorts only to reveal probably the most revealing piece of cloth he’s ever seen in his life. And you know he’s watching, and he knows that you know, because you always bend over to fish the shorts off the ground when they pool around your ankles, always in front of the window. Every. Fucking. Time.

Your brother would fucking kill him if he knew that Mike was eyeing his sister like a goddamn perv, watching her tan by the pool and popping a fucking boner while he’s at it. 

Can’t you see he’s trying to be a good friend here?

Of course you can – you’re just a fucking minx who thinks it’s fun to tease him. He notices, he’s not stupid; he sees how you arch your back up from the chair as if you’re stretching, how you make sure he’s in view of the window while you lather sunscreen on your thighs. He wants to bash his head against the marble countertop.

Mike’s only brought out of his own thoughts when he realizes you’re looking at him – really looking at him, not coy glances like you usually do when you’re out there. This one’s bolder. More loaded.

His breath hitches in his throat when he sees you bring a pretty hand up to wiggle your ringed fingers at him in a cute little wave. There’s a smirk on your face. He leans forward, feeling his cock brush the counter and almost gasping. It felt good. 

You think it’s cute how stupid he must think you are. Or maybe he doesn’t and he gets off on being known. Whatever it is, it makes you feel hot all over, like you’re doing something bad. You’re just glad he’s finally caught on to years of pining.

You’ve often wondered how bold you could get before he finally decided to fucking do something; he was driving you crazy, always trying to act so self righteous as if your brother wouldn’t fuck Nancy giving the chance. You were a spoiled brat, Mike knew that, he indulged you in it in every other way – so why not this one?

Your eyes survey the area around you, flicking around behind dark pink shades to make sure no one else but your intended audience is seeing. Once you’re satisfied you let out a little sigh, wiggling your painted toes and stretching out your arms, making a show of it all as your hands snake up to tug at your bikini top. It falls into your lap and you smile, not at him but for him. 

Mike can’t believe what he’s seeing, and he thinks he should definitely feel embarrassed about how shamelessly he’s grinding into his own hand right now. He does, but the bliss he feels while looking at your tits outweighs it. He wants to bite them. His mind is swirling and he feels dizzy but he’s chasing something, all to fantasies about those tits spilling between his fingers while he fucks into you.

And then you stretch again, arms up to the sky, before you turn around and lay yourself down on your tummy – right at the time Mike feels his boxers get sticky. He groans inwardly, collapsing against the counter again with a heaving chest. He just came in his pants to the sight of his best friend’s little sister’s tits. That was fucking humiliating.

He doesn’t even have time to consider what the fuck just happened because your brother’s hand is coming up to clap against his back, making him jump and let out a yell.

“Dude, you good? Look like you just ran a marathon or some shit – hurry up, will you? We’re starting a new game.”

“U-uh yeah, I’ll be right there, I just gotta–”

“I’m making him help me with my homework. He said he took my bio class before and can help me with it – right, Mikey?” His blood runs cold and his face gets hot when he hears your voice, devastatingly sweet. How the hell did you get in here so fast? He tries not to frown when he notices you’re clothed again.

He only nods, unable to get anything out other than a stammering confirmation. How cute.

Your brother only groans and tells you guys to hurry up but doesn’t think anything of it – why would he? Mike had known you since you guys were in diapers – he was harmless. Supposedly. He turns to walk back to the living room and Mike sighs, all the tension visibly leaving his body.

Only to come back again when you saunter next to him, leaning over him to grab something from the sink and letting your tits squish into his back in the process. He feels light headed.

“I’ll be waiting for you – don’t clean up, by the way. Kay?” 

He gasps and you can only giggle, suddenly pulling off of him and turning so you can skip off to your room. You knew. 

“Thanks, Mikey!” You call behind you, and he watches your hips sway while you go. He realizes you had only been out there for five minutes max, not a shade darker. You’d planned this.