24 gaby!

You made a confused hum, checking the time on the microwave to confirm that it was indeed past the reasonable hour for potential visitors. Not to mention, you weren’t expecting anyone.

The hairs on the back of your neck stood up, instincts telling you that something wasn’t right, that your best option was to pretend you weren’t home. However, the person on the other side knew otherwise as they knocked on the door again, this time with more fervor. You inhaled sharply, taking hesitant steps towards the door until you were mere feet away from it. Eventually, you worked up the courage to look through the peephole, your brows furrowing in distress when all you could see was black—They were covering it. All the more reason not to open the door…

What if it’s a robber? Ridiculous, they don’t knock.

What if it’s just the neighbor? Why cover the peephole?

More and more did your mind swirl with endless possibilities, each one becoming less and less believable. Taking a long, deep breath, you doubled-checked the door-chain was on before slowly cracking it open. And as you attempted to peek through the sliver, nothing could’ve prepared you for the arm that forced its way through, startling you as you yelped, stumbling back as it made a grab at you.

Before you had the thought of shoving the door closed on the offender’s arm they grabbed the little chain, then yanked it clean out of the wall. To your terror, a dark hooded figure entered your home, head hung low, concealing their identity.

You began to hyperventilate, backing up to keep distance as they staggered further into your home before kicking the door closed behind them, effectively blocking you from the exit. Surely, someone heard your scream and would check in, or call the police. But, how long did you have before the intruder decided to make a move? Not to mention, your sleeping child just down the hall…

With that last thought in mind, you immediately steeled your nerves.

Even if you had to use your bare hands, you were going to do whatever it took to keep your baby out of harms way.

You reached for the closest weapon without taking your eyes off the figure, hands clasping onto a discarded umbrella that was leaned up against a closet door. It wasn’t ideal, but it would have to do. Taking a defensive stance, you prepared for what you assumed to be the inevitable.

“I-I don’t know who you are, or what you want…b-but if you don’t leave…my..my boyfriend will be home any minute! H-He knows how to fight, and he’ll fuck you up if you try anything!”

Your means of intimation fall on deaf ears. It were as if you hadn’t spoken at all. They just…stood there. Watching you from the darkness. That feeling, that hovering presence you’d been weary about all evening…there was no doubt in your mind it was because of this individual. Suddenly, they gave a watery chuckle, hand coming up to rub the lower half of their face as the chilling noise dissipated into soft snickers.

You sweatdropped. “I mean it! He’ll be here real soon, so you better get out of here before-”

“[_____]…” the figure finally rasped, voice heavy with an emotion you couldn’t decipher in the moment. You froze, eyes widening.

“…How the hell do you know my name?”

Without much urgency, they stepped forward into the light. Beneath the warm glow, it took you mere seconds to recognize the person standing before you. You gasped, trembling hands dropping the umbrella, it landing with a harsh clatter. Soft, mortified hitches in your breath echoed through the small space, memories flashing before your eyes as you covered your gaping mouth.

“M.. Ma..” you whimpered, throat tightening. A shell of a man, who gazed upon you with stormy eyes flooded with tears at the mere sight of you.

He gave another strained laugh, muttering to himself as he soaked you all in. “Needed to know.. Needed to know it was really you…”

Mikey eyed you up, intensely, eerily silent as he did so. Then, he took in the surroundings, the warmth, the interior, the smell of dinner—It truly felt like a home. A bitter pill to swallow once he reminded himself that you built it without him.

His sharp gaze returned to your stunned expression. He sneered.

“Must’ve been easy for you. To forget me and move on, just like that. Like I was nothing.”

You blinked, taken aback. All you could do was remain speechless, cemented to the ground with thoughts and questions racing in your head. Now matter how many times you opened your mouth, no sound would come out aside from choked whimpers.

“Do you know…how long I’d been searching for you? Been mourning for you?” He hissed through clenched teeth. “When you left, I thought… I thought someone had taken you. That I lost you all because I was too stubborn to say I’m sorry…”

As he spoke, Mikey slowly closed the space between you. The more he came into the light, the more you could see how the years had treated him. His cheekbones were more pronounced, the dark circles under his eyes as well. His lips were dry, cracked, his fair skin now ghoulishly pale. If not for the black hoodie you would’ve mistaken him as such; ghost of your past.

Your shoulders shook, hands hovering over your face as you gaped in disbelief. He’d been looking for you?

That night, that stupid fight you could barely remember…he made it crystal clear that he wanted nothing to do with you. He pushed you away. Pushed so hard that you almost believed he really wouldn’t have cared if you dropped dead. You knew he didn’t mean it, knew it was just another dark impulse…but none of that mattered when all your pregnancy tests came back positive just hours prior.

That night, you made the decision for the sake of your daughter. And also, for his sake. At the time, you were certain he wasn’t ready to be a father. He was quick to rage, merciless, losing himself to the darkness you tried to protect him from. If you had stayed, you were certain Mikey would’ve never forgiven himself if he lost control in front of his own flesh and blood, if the child grew to resent him for something he struggled to control.

You thought you were doing him a favor…but it appears to have done the opposite.

“And this whole time…you’ve been here, alive. Playing fucking house with someone else.”

You stiffened. Someone else? Your visible confusion only irritated him further.

He scoffed. “Don’t play dumb. You said it yourself. Too bad he won’t be coming home anytime soon. I’ve already got Sanzu and the Haitanis looking around for the bastard. And when they find him, I’ll make him regret sticking his filthy dick inside you.”

Confusion morphed into realization. You did threaten him with said hypothetical boyfriend…But, that was before you knew it was him!

“Oh, Manjiro…” you whispered. He glared, scorned.

“Don’t you dare pity me. I mean, you got the family you always wanted, right? So who cares who it was with, right? Congratu-fucking-lations.”

You shook your head, exhaling deeply as you held your face in your hands. For years, he thought you dead. Then, when he received word of your appearance, he finds you with child. And not once did he consider that child to be his? It’s like…he couldn’t fathom the thought.

If only he had looked just a little bit closer, he would’ve seen that she had his eyes. How they resembled those pools of ink that used to shine with so much hope back in his youth, so playful and full of love…those same eyes that now gazed upon you with contempt.

It stung.

He thought so low, not only of himself, but of you as well.

Taking a deep breath to reel in your emotions, tears began to well up in your eyes. He assumed they were tears for your doomed lover, further breaking his heart as Mikey clenched his fists to the point of nearly drawing blood. Luckily, even though you struggled to find the right words, someone else happily found them for you.

“Papa..?”

Both of you instantly drew your attention on the toddler standing near the kitchen, one fist clutching her blanket while the other rubbed the sleep from her eye. You glanced at Mikey, and he was stiller than stone. His once dead-stare had morphed into what could only be described as incredulous. Surely, he heard her incorrectly…

With a sniffle, you crouched down to address her, offering a soft grin as you nodded earnestly. “That’s right, sweetheart. Papa’s finally come home.”

The little girl blinked sleepily, taking a second to reboot. But, as soon as the words registered, a bright smile stretched across her face as she excitedly rushed towards Mikey, throwing herself onto his legs and hugging them like a koala as she chirped, “Papa, home!”

Said man hobbled a bit at the force, arms windmilling as he caught himself to keep from falling backwards. He didn’t know what to do with himself, especially when those big, round pools of ink opened and stared right up into his soul. Mikey’s heart nearly stopped. With a hitch in his breath, the gangster did everything he could to hold his composure, looking between you and the child as you both gazed at him with so much warmth…it was suffocating.

Sensing he was overwhelmed, you reached down to scoop up the bubbly bundle, holding her close as you eyed Mikey, apprehensively.

He resembled a cornered animal—Muscles stiff, jaw tight, eyes wild. After a moment, Mikey began to slowly back away into the shadows of your home, conflicted, devastated. It wasn’t until his back hit the door did he eventually fall to his ass, of which caused your child to giggle at how silly he was being. However, all you could do was hold back tears, watching as the reality started to weigh down on a man who just discovered he was a father.

Nervous, you gently explained. “I didn’t leave you because of our spat, Jiro…and I never moved on. I just…thought that I’d be doing more harm than good sticking around when I found out I was pregnant…I didn’t want to add any more stress on your plate, so I…”

Mikey didn’t respond. He sat there, stare vast and unfocused. But, you knew he hung on to every word. So you continued. “I wanted to tell you. But…I wasn’t sure how. At the time, I believed you had stopped caring about me altogether. And to hear you’d been looking for me, I-I’m…I’m so sorry. I’m sorry you harbored all that guilt. I didn’t mean for any of that to happen.”

Your daughter wiggled around in your hold, making small grunts in complaint. Her eyes were trained on his figure huddled in the dark, wanting to be acknowledged, wanting his attention. “Papa!”

Mikey flinched. He focused his gaze on the two you, haloed by the light emitting from the living room. You both were like salvation, reaching down to a broken sinner…How could she want anything to do with him? When he had missed so much already…

To keep from accidentally dropping her, you placed your daughter back on the ground, watching wearily as she wobbled all the way to Mikey, blanket in tow. You weren’t worried about him hurting her, far from it…if anything, he appeared to be the fragile one.

Eventually, she made it to her destination, standing before him with a curious, but eager expression as she rested a hand on his knee. Mikey watched her, took in all of her features, every last detail as he engraved it to memory. She was beautiful, just like her mother. One would think his genes didn’t stand a chance. But the eyes. That was all him. From his mother to his older brother to himself, there was no doubt in his mind that those were Sano eyes.

His lower lip quivered, reaching out hesitantly to caress her cheek. She didn’t cower away, merely babbled as she began patting his knee, allowing his thumb to rub over her chubby cheek. You clasped your hands over your mouth, growing even more emotional at the delicate moment. Mikey looked enamored already, eyes subtly sparkling from what you could see as they interacted.

“I-I told her stories, about you. And I made sure to show her photos, too. Old ones, but still you nonetheless. I wanted her to know who her father truly was. Despite everything else…”

Your daughter cooed, then placed her blanket in Mikey’s lap before climbing into it. Mikey didn’t dare move, rigid as she made herself comfortable. He looked up at you, looking for guidance, for reassurance. Your encouraging smile was enough for him to hesitantly place his hands on her small back for support, carefully adjusting so that she was stable. She laid her head on his chest and stuck her thumb in her mouth, sighing contentedly.

And, for the first time in years, he smiled.

When you hadn’t seen her familiar pigtails bobbing around, or heard any of her excited chatter with the receptionist up front, worry couldn’t even begin to describe what you felt the moment you realize…your daughter wasn’t here.

As soon as the meeting looked like it was wrapping up, you politely excused yourself from the room. Masking your worry wasn't too difficult, but there's no doubt a couple people might've noticed the spring in your step as you exited. One of them being Rindou Haitani. He watched you speed down the hall with mild interest, corner of his mouth ticking up ever so slightly as he thumbed around on his phone beneath the table. Having been updating his older brother during the meeting while he was on his smoke break, he was more than eager to inform him of the storm that was no doubt heading his way.

Little did the younger Haitani know, he was already dealing with one.

"And then, Haruka-kun tries to take Momo-kun's bento box because she had cuter animal shapes, but Momo-kun already said no, and so Haruka-kun pushes Momo-kun, and then tries to take it! But I pushed him and hit him with my fist, like this," she clenched up her tiny fist and held it up to Ran before striking down on his forearm with all her might. It didn't even pitch. "Like that."

The lavender-eyed man merely gazed upon her with mirth. "Did you now?"

"Mmhm! And teacher got so mad, and said that she would tell Ma about me fighting, but she's stupid because Ma didn't pick me up today, and I told Haruka-kun if he snitches, I'll beat 'em up!"

Ran lowly whistled. "Quite the little menace, ain'tcha?"

She pumped her fists. "Yeah!" Then, she paused, holding a finger to her chin in thought. "Wait...what's a menace?"

"Ah, something you inherited from your old man." He ruffled her hair, much to her displeasure. Though her innocent jab earlier regarding his age still hit a sore spot, he was starting to like the sound of it. She, on the other hand, wasn't convinced.

"I already told you; Ma was on her happy juice when she said that. She said not to believe anything she says when she's on happy juice. It makes her do silly things."

Ran chuckled. He knew that all too well. The little girl wouldn't be in this world if not for your inability to hold your liquor. But judging based on how you've raised her so far, clearly you made the right decision keeping him in the dark.

He'll admit, he wasn't the best in terms of commitment. Throughout his day to day, Ran just didn't have the energy. With being in Bonten, keeping an eye out for his younger brother, handling business, dealing with numbskulls and disposing of their bodies, there was never a time to even consider settling down. One-night stands and on and off flings were the easiest choice. At least, until he stumbled upon you.

You were the whole package and more. Classy, independent, witty, and a looker to top it all off. When Bonten started collaborating with the organization you worked in, he couldn't help but to be drawn to you—Like a moth to a flame. It started out as the occasional bantering, trying to one-up the other, catch them off guard. Ran was smooth with his words but could never quite beat your sharp tongue. Thus, things escalated to something more flirtatious. Harmless, but it didn't take long before the months of tension between the both of you began boiling over...and throwing alcohol into the mix, it was the first time Ran finally felt like he had the upper hand. Seeing how poorly you handled just a few glasses of wine, it endeared him. Seeing a piece of you that no one else had the privilege to witness. Your sloppy side, the clumsy, whiny, touchy side. After that long, passionate night beneath the sheets, the one time you and Ran allowed yourselves the space to be vulnerable with one another...you found yourself pregnant. And Ran found himself being nonethewiser.

He wonders, if he hadn't left the next morning and completely ghosted you...would you have kept him in the picture?

Suddenly, his phone dings. Reaching back to pull it from his back pocket, Ran half expected it to just be another update on the meeting or Rindou cursing at him to hurry his ass back inside. But, it wasn't that at all. And at the sound of your kitten heels rushing out of the building and halting at the top of the steps, Ran didn't even need to look up to know who was glowering down from them.

"Hey, Ma! Guess what, the purple man isn't such a meanie after all!"

Ran snorted, finally looking up from his phone to greet the woman who not only still had his heart, but evidently his first child. You, on the other hand, weren't so thrilled to see him.

"Rika. Wait inside. Ma's got some words for the purple man."

He smirked. "Wanna say 'em over a glass of wine?"

"You son of a-!"

"Bad word!" Your daughter covered her ears. You flushed, your composure nearly slipping just by being in his prescence. Ran, immediately seeing the opportunity, teasingly pouts at you whilst covering her tiny hands with his larger ones, shielding her.

"Honey, please, not in front of the child. Can't have her repeating those dirty words at school, can we?"

You fumed, speaking through clenched teeth. "Haitani, as soon as I get her in this building, away from you, I swear to God, I'm gonna wring your neck."

He hummed, amused. "Well. Guess she didn't get her violent side from me after all. Speaking of which, did you know at school today-"

"Hey! No snitching!"

“...What did you say?” 

You were hoping you heard the teacher wrong. Surely it was just your exhaustion taking the wheel. But, when her kind smile didn’t falter, nor did her gushes for the supposed “adorable display”, you immediately grew suspicious.

While heading home from work, you went to pick up your children from daycare. And when you arrived, the teacher merely informed you that it was already taken care of by your very handsome and very devoted husband. 

“I-I think you’re mistaken. My boyfriend and I aren’t married…”

The teacher, finally coming back down to earth, tilted her head in confusion. “Eh? You aren’t?” 

“Did he…say we were?” 

“Well, no. I just assumed since it was easy to tell who he was here for. Hikaru and Kaoru look so much like their daddy.”

You choked on your spit.  Hikaru and Kaoru look so much like their daddy. Hikaru and Kaoru look so much like their daddy.

You did everything in your power to keep from strangling the poor woman. Sure, she didn’t do anything wrong per say…but she sure did make a grave error. And your struggle to restrain your intrusive thoughts must’ve shown on your face from the way she placed a concerned hand on your arm. “Are you alright, miss? You look like you’re about to faint.”

“M-Mhm, yep, great, just peachy.” You squeaked through clenched teeth, sweatdrop on your forehead. “Could you um…confirm something for me?”

“Uh.? Er, sure. I’ll try my best.”

With tense shoulders and a tight smile, you asked, “Their…father…did his mouth have two scars in the corners?”

The teacher blinked, confused. Shouldn’t you already know that answer yourself?, she was probably thinking. And she would be right; you did know. But her simple, hesitant nod was the final nail in the coffin that was your delusion—Haruchiyo Sanzu had found you. And to make matters worse, he had the children.

Your smile faltered, twitching ever so slightly. Covering it with a forced chuckle, you cried, “Oh, that’s..wonderful! He’s always been self conscious about them, and I’m j-just.. beaming with joy that he’s embracing them more. Have a nice evening, Ms. Yuki.”

The teacher didn’t get a chance to respond as you quickly turned on your heel and began speed walking home. You’d apologize for your abrupt exit another day…right now there were more important matters to worry about. For instance—How on earth did Sanzu find you? How did he know about the twins and where they were? Oh, God…did he know about Satoru?

Dialing him up a few times only for the calls to go straight to voicemail weren’t reassuring in the slightest, having you rush across oncoming traffic just so you could avoid any further delays for your fraying nerves. You could see your apartment complex up ahead, heart thumping in your throat at the familiar, black SUV parked a couple blocks down. Had it not been for the heavily tinted windows and no license plates, you probably would’ve overlooked it. He knew where you lived. Stomach in knots, muscles stiff, nerves shot. You didn’t know whether to feel relieved or devastated. Your kids were safe at home, but at what cost? You stood in front of the building, rooted to the ground. Despite mentally preparing for this exact scenario for years, it all went down the drain the second you went to that daycare and discovered your children were missing.

It wasn’t until your phone vibrated did you snap out of your thoughts, shakily pulling the device out of your back pocket to check the notification.

from : unknown 1:06 pm     “ hi, mama.~ ”

Your stomach twisted. Attached to the message were two photos.

The first photo was of your kids eating McDonald's in the kitchen, happily cheesing and waving at the camera. You couldn't hold your choked gasp, hand coming up to hold your quivering lower lip—They were safe.

The second photo...was of Satoru. Tied to a chair, gagged, and beaten senseless. And standing behind him, holding him by his hair so that he could pose for the camera, grinning like a cheshire cat...

Another message pops up. Your grip tightened around your phone.

from : unknown 1:09 pm " daddy's home.~ "

“okay so… this is called a high kick.” mikey says as he demonstrates it, flashing a grin to the camera. the next few minutes were spent with him showing the camera all the kicks and moves he knows from the dojo.

“and finally… this is my special nuclear kick, as kazutora would like to call it– wait! let’s get a better view.” he says before he lowers the camera. “there.”

“in three… two… one…—oh oops!”

your boyfriend accidentally kicked the camera off the table.

the impact caused the tempered glass to shatter and the noise caused you to run back inside.

“what happened?!” you asked as you assessed the situation, mikey only gave you a sheepish yet guilty smile. “they couldn’t handle me…”

commenter: it started well until he knocked me tf out ⅖ will not babysit again, the kicks were cool tho.

commenter: bro struggled with placing us on a higher place but he’s a cutie patootie so i’ll give him that.

chifuyu:

“i’m gonna take a walk, watch my boyfriend for me.” you say to the camera before placing it in front of chifuyu who was combing peke j’s fur.

“baby? where are you—” “i’ll see you in a bit, baby! be nice.” you cut him off, closing the door shut.

“uh…” chifuyu didn’t know what to do. is this a new tiktok trend? are you messing with him? is the camera even— yep, it was recording.

“hi so uh.” chifuyu coughs. “my name is chifuyu, i’m (y/n)’s boyfriend.” he awkwardly introduces himself, green eyes fluttering back to the front door, silently hoping for you to walk back in.

after a few seconds and no sign of you, he refocuses back to the camera and raises peke j in view. “this is my cat.”

“his name is peke j.” he grabs one of peke j’s paws and waved it to the camera, making a small meowing sound as he does so. “he’s saying hi too!” chifuyu grins before he laughs at his cringe.

“what the hell am i even doing.” he says before petting peke j’s head and running over his scar. an idea suddenly coming to his head.

“so… my mom didn’t want peke j at first. i had to hide him in my hoodie when i was 12 just so i could keep him…”

you came back to chifuyu talking animatedly to the camera, a big smile on his face as he pets his cat.

“oh, baby! you’re here.” chifuyu notices you immediately before he pats the space beside him. “i was just telling them how peke j was the reason how you and i met!”

the two of you talked to the camera until your phone notified that there was no more storage. you should really clean up your gallery, stop procrastinating.

commenter: HE’S SO ORANGE CAT CODED

commenter: his lil cat adoption story was so sweet pls make a part 2!!

rindou:

your boyfriend was in his homemade gym room doing his sets when you placed the phone on the tripod that you set up in the room. rindou sets down his dumbbells as he looks at you with a raised brow.

you say nothing to him before you start recording, “make sure my boyfriend doesn’t hurt himself, thanks!” you say to the camera before you bolted out the room before rindou could say a word in.

rindou sighs as he gets up from his bench press, all sweaty and gross as he approaches the camera. he rolls his eyes once he realizes that the camera was recording. nevertheless, he returns back to his sets, grunting heavily every time he finishes parts of his routine.

you came back to see your boyfriend doing push-ups, a circular weight on his back and his biceps flexing everytime he pushes down.

“really?” you asked and rindou pauses mid push-up to look at you with a confused gaze.

“you’re being all slutty and sweaty for my camera?” you cross your arms, a deadpan expression on your face, rindou kneels from his position and gives you a look of disbelief.

“you’re the one who started recording! i’m just doing my normal routine.” you scoff.

“then why’d you have to look like a whore doing it!”

“excuse me?”

commenter: bro groans like a good boy

commenter: excuse me sir that groan? what happened to hi and hello?

(rindou had to make a follow up video explaining that he was taken AND he does NOT take it like a good boy.)

baji:

“i’m going to get the food outside, can you watch him for me?” you say, shoving the phone to baji’s face before running away. the action causes baji to jolt up from the couch and gripping the phone to stop it from falling in his grasp.

“oi, what the—” “oh, and no swearing, keisuke! we don’t want to get flagged.” you say before running out the door.

“huh?” it was only then baji realized that the phone was on a livestream and there are dozens of comments squealing over him.

“i’m so fu–darn hungry, (y/n)’s taking so long” he groans

“what am i supposed to do with this?” baji asks the chat and one comment in particular caught his eye.

“that’s a great idea, kazutora” he smiles ominously.

the next thing you knew was chifuyu calling baji’s phone. you picked it up and before you could even get a word in, you can hear chifuyu’s panicked voice.

“(y/n)! baji’s about to commit arson in your backyard!”

“he’s about to what?!”

commenter: 2/10 will not babysit again, he looks like he bites

commenter: 1/10. he scares me

kazutora:

“hey, babysit my boyfriend for me? thanks!” that was said with no context as kazutora finds himself facing the front camera of your phone. he stiffens up, not used to looking at himself much.

he awkwardly reaches for his bowl of cereal, eyes hyper focused on the camera as he scoops the spoon into the bowl.

“uh… hi.” he waves awkwardly, trying to watch the series that was on tv but he still couldn’t feel comfortable with the camera pointed at him so he turns the tv off.

“so uh… i’m eating a bowl of cocoa puffs.” kazutora says, showing the camera his meal, “they’re really good. it tastes like cocoa… i mean obviously– anyway!”

kazutora coughs. a blush forming on his cheeks on how awkward the entire situation is.

“so uhm. cats are cool.” he starts. “did you know that the calico cats were brought in japanese voyages because sailors thought they brought good luck?”

“it’s uhm. a pretty cool fact if i do say so myself.” silence.

“uh a cat was also mayor in an alaskan town for 20 years so there’s that.”

“oh! also, did you know that isaac newton invented the cat door?”

commenter: 5/5 he’s a lil awkward but his cat facts are so cute

commenter: 4/5 did not know about these cat facts and ill change my rating to 5/5 if we get more cat facts

sanzu:

“watch haru for me, thanks. he’s your problem now.” you say as you plop the phone in front of sanzu’s desktop.

“babe, what the hell?”

“careful, chat, he bites.” with that, you turned on your heel and left.

sanzu looks at the livestream and realizes that everyone was either thirsting for him or asking when your next shared content will come out.

“i’m in the middle of editing the video when that headache forced you to babysit me” sanzu said, shaking his head. “i do have one with senju coming out tomorrow, we tried 1 star hair products.”

he reads a comment and shakes his head. “of course not on my hair. (y/n) loves running her fingers on it and i’d be damned if i ruined it." he says before reading more comments

“what are your hair recommendations for someone with dry hair? well first, go condition that shit…”

“your curly hair is getting frizzy? souya said to not comb it while dry but i don’t know, if you fuck it up, blame the twins. my hair is pin straight so i wouldn’t know”

“skin care? i don’t know. whatever (y/n) puts on my face— don’t you dare take me out of context.”

commenter: was expecting to babysit this babygirl but got great skincare and haircare advice

commenter: apparently i was using the wrong toner, thanks for the help 5/5 will babysit again.

ran (bonus):

did not need any babysitting, was just asleep.

commenter: bro’s snoring

commenter: hes meditating guys

commenter: he’s died

He blinked his eyes open and looked around the bed. Somehow Daenerys and her dragons made their way in between him and Helaena, the little girl being embraced by her mother protectively. The man sighed at the peaceful sight and he took himself out of bed with smooth movements. He didn’t want to stir his family from their sleep, not yet anyways.

The person at the door had a great amount of patience, [Name] noted. So the list of names got shorter. It couldn’t be his twin, Aegon, or his younger brother Aemond. Both would have stormed in without a second thought. His mother had patience, but her anxiety would have made her knock on the door again. The other people on this list like the council members, he didn’t want to talk to at such an early time. 

Politics were boring. 

Even still, he slipped a loose shirt over his head and popped his arms into the sleeves. Then he walked over to the door, the sleep gone from his eyes and his lips ready to spew out a curse here and there at the person for wanting to have a conversation so early. 

His hand grabbed the handle of the door and he opened it up to reveal a disheveled Aegon. His twin brother looked like a terrible mess and [Name] swiftly brought him into the large room. Aegon didn’t need to be seen by the castle people. Lords and Ladies would be talking about him for days, maybe even weeks about how he looked. 

The curse words on his lips fell short when he caught a glimpse at his twin. [Name] led Aegon over to the couch and sat him down while he took a seat across from him. Aegon sniffled and looked over to the left where he saw bodies laying on the bed with relaxed breathing. 

“They’re making mother and Jeyne follow Jaehaerys on a cart,” Aegon said softly looking back at [Name], “they s..stitched his-”

“I know, brother,” [Name] responded with a defeated sigh. It was no secret what those ratcatchers did to Jaehaerys. The poor boy had no reason to go through that pain and suffering. “You can tell Otto not to go through with this. You can grieve in a healthy way, Aegon. Have you seen your queen at all?” 

Aegon looked down at the floor with his hands fumbling over with each other, “No.”

[Name] leaned back into the sofa and said, “You should go and see her.”

“She can’t see me like this!” He whispered, gesturing to his messy look. His red eyes puffy from all the crying he did. His breath smelled of wine too. 

“It’ll be good for her to see you like that,” [Name] replied, “because it shows Jeyne that you are a grieving father. She is a grieving mother, you think she looks pretty like a queen right now?”

Aegon processed his words and he wiped his nose with his sleeve. Then he asked, “How do you not look like me? How can Helaena sleep as if her son didn’t die?” The glare didn’t go unnoticed by [Name] and he leaned forward feeling animosity radiate off of Aegon’s body. If Aegon wanted to speak ill about him and his wife, he should have spoken to someone else. 

But he bit his tongue and relaxed, his twin just needed to understand. To learn how to grieve properly. 

“I don’t look like you because I leaned on my wife for support. Helaena could sleep knowing I was in bed with her along with our daughter. Listen to what I have to say Aegon, you need your wife and she needs you. Nothing is more important than her. You do your best to love your family and to protect them.”

The lilac eyed man clutched his knees and sneered, “I regret not being there for them. I regret taking Balerion on patrol when I should have been asleep already. But she lifted the weight of my shoulders and loved me. She understood my plight despite dealing with her own. A husband and a wife need a sturdy foundation to stand on. If the floor beneath her crumbles, I know I’ll be there to hold her hand. To repair that foundation with her. That’s what you and Jeyne need to do. Grieve together, love each other and repair the foundation.”

[Name] lowered his voice when he saw a small body rise up in her bed. The little girl looked around frantically and finally spotted her father sitting on the sofas across the room. Quickly she slid out of bed and her feet carried her over to her father. 

“Daenerys,” [Name]’s features softened and he opened his arms wide to capture his little girl in his arms, “why are you crying, little one?” 

Aegon watched how loving his twin was. He never admitted it out loud, but [Name] made high expectations in being a father. He didn’t drink every night, he trained his son every day, cared for their studies and even joined Daenerys in her embroidery classes. To which brought happiness to Helaena. 

“You weren’t in bed, I thought you left us,” Daenerys cried and hugged her father tightly. Meanwhile [Name]’s heart constricted with a little heartbreak. Left us, she said. Daenerys recognizes the danger without him, the consequences of an absent father. [Name] rubbed his hand up and down her back, bouncing the leg she sat on. 

“Everything is alright, Dany. I’m here, I’m here,” He repeated and pressed a kiss at the crown of her head. After a time, her sobs quieted down and she remained in his arms, not wanting to go anywhere else. 

Aegon with a small smile on his face said, “I forgot how close Dany was to you.” He spoke the truth. Daenerys very rarely left her father’s side besides when she had to go to classes. She often flew on Balerion with him and watched Rhaegar train in the fields. Daenerys admired her father a lot, no one could ruin his image. Not even the ratcatchers. 

“You hear that Dany,” [Name] peered down and nudged his forehead against hers, “Your uncle thinks you spend too much time with me.” 

Dany wiped her tears and said, “Not enough time, uncle. You always take Father away.” Her teasing glare made Aegon feign a surrender, his hands held up high. A chuckle left Aegon’s lips and [Name] came to another realization. Aegon didn’t need Jeyne to help him grieve. 

“Please forgive me, dragon warrior,” Aegon playfully responded, “but your father is an exceptional fighter. He protects this kingdom so well and always stands up for me.” 

Daenerys laughed and sat up wanting to play along with her uncle. The little girl wrapped her arms around [Name]’s neck and said, “But who will stand up for Father? Do you think you’re worthy enough to protect the Warrior of Light, the rider of Balerion?” 

Aegon subtly looked at his twin and [Name] mouthed, “She takes play pretend seriously, you’re in for it now.” 

To which, Aegon didn’t mind because this moment distracted him from the night before. His niece took away the pain, her demanding words and playful attitude brought him into a different world. Play pretend, [Name] called it. How often did his twin brother play like this with his children? 

[Name] knew exactly what Aegon was thinking and he spoke up, “Daenerys and Rhaegar are very creative and imaginative. She plays the role of a dragon warrior, defender of the realm while Rhaegar played as a priest, a man of truth and light.” 

Aegon smirked and before he could ask what was up with that, [Name] shook his head with a grin, “Don’t ask me why, Rhaegar was different in many ways. Anyways Helaena, chosen by Rhaegar, was the Queen and you could only imagine what they made me.” 

“Oh~” Aegon kept his smirk, “they made you a king?”

[Name] laughed and responded with mirth, “A bloody peasant in love with the widowed queen.” 

Aegon hollered and fell back into the cushions of the sofa. “Your kids hold you very high in opinion, but in their world they made you a peasant!” Aegon could not believe what he heard. 

“Yes, we all dress up for our game too,” [Name] laughed again, “my clothes are very itchy, I tell you.” 

The brothers laughed together, but [Name]’s died down a bit before Aegon’s. The older twin enjoyed seeing that smile on his brother’s face. Aegon needed him, [Name] told himself. Him and his family to cheer him up. But they were to leave, very soon. Guilt ate at him and he debated whether to tell Aegon of his plan, but his brother wouldn’t take it lightly. 

[Name] planned to move to the other side, taking Dreamfyre and Balerion with him. Taking Moonlight, Nightmare and Frostfang, his children’s dragons. That’s adding two dragon riders to the Blacks. Technically one because Helaena could never burn people. [Name] would have to make that point abundantly clear to the Blacks. 

“Aegon, there’s something I must tell you.” 

[Name] saw Aegon catch his breath, a faint smile still present on his face. 

“You are strong, brother,” [Name] kindly said, “Yes, others may think you’re only a drunk. But I’ve seen you in the throne room trying to help out your subjects. Only to have Otto strike you down. I’ve seen you try to take charge, only to have that fire stoked out by the council members.”

[Name] brought his lilac eyes to meet Aegon’s shining eyes, “Do what you must to keep your fire burning. Because once it’s out, who knows how long it’ll take to rekindle it. Don’t let Mother strike you down, don’t let Otto control you anymore and most of all, don’t let Aemond underestimate you. You are their King, not their pawn.” 

A spark ignited in Aegon’s chest. Little did [Name] know, his fire was already out. But his words ignited the hearth in his heart. And it burned with strength and passion. Then [Name] stood up, carrying a quiet Daenerys in his arms. 

Aegon followed quickly and shook his head, “You should have been King, [Name]. I don’t know why Father chose me when you were the perfect candidate.” 

Smoothly [Name] responded, “I never wanted it.” The confusion on Aegon’s face made [Name] continue, “The crown, the throne, it’s all a game. I don’t know how to play it and you don’t know either. But Otto does, he played it well too. Having his daughter court our father while he grieved for our half sister’s mother was a ploy to get one of us on the throne. To have someone he can control. Do you think you sit on the throne, brother?” 

Aegon blinked then casted his eyes onto the floor, “Not really. No one takes me seriously. The council meetings take place with my opinions never heard.”

“Which is why you announce your presence. Every member of the council is afraid of Aemond because he rides Vhagar. Everyone is afraid of me because I have Balerion. What can you do to make them afraid of you?” 

“I don’t know.” Aegon replied. 

[Name] shifted Daenerys to his other hip and said, “We all have something in common that people are afraid of. Dragons are dragons, beasts the normal folk cannot begin to understand. Not like us. So show them you’re a dragon rider and a king, make them afraid of you. You’re the rider of Sunfyre.”

Aegon cleared his throat and walked over to the door. He felt a shift in the room and he looked back at his brother. This moment, it felt too somber and Aegon had to tell him something too. 

“Brother, thank you for this.” 

[Name] nodded, “I always have your back, Aegon.”

After Aegon left, [Name] moved over to the bed and wasn’t surprised that Helaena woke up. Perhaps she had already risen long ago. 

“Hello, my sweet lady,” [Name] sang and placed Dany on the bed next to her mother. Then he leaned over and pressed a light kiss on Helaena’s lips. His hands held her face with love and he pressed into a little deeper. She returned his passion and asked in between his kiss, “Did you mean it when you said it to Aegon?” 

“Of course, I did,” [Name] pulled back and sat by her bedside, taking her hands into his own. He rubbed her knuckles and brought them up to his lips. He kissed her gently and put them back on her stomach. “Now we shall get ready for our journey before the rest of the castle wakes.” 

Helaena pushed herself upward and suddenly embraced her husband. His eyes widened in surprise and he looked down at his wife with questions. Nonetheless, he kept his mouth shut and embraced her back. She felt amazing with her chest pressed up against his. He could feel her heartbeat, hear the slow breaths her lungs took in. Without noticing, his hands dragged themselves lower holding onto her waist. 

He dipped his head down and his lips started leaving a trail of kisses on her neck. One hand held her back pressing her further into him while the other hand held her head. His fingers threading in her long hair and pulling the strands gently down, so she could look up at the ceiling. It gave him more access to her neck, to her breasts. 

He would have dived straight for them if she didn’t remind him who was watching. “This isn’t the place, [Name],” Helaena spoke timidly and he pulled back to see Dany covering her eyes with her small hands. He chuckled with an apology to his wife and daughter. 

“You’re very hard to resist, my love. Excuse my behavior.” He pressed a sweet kiss on her cheek and stood up, ignoring the beautiful look in her innocent eyes. 

Helaena smiled at his bashful look and pushed the throbbing in her core away. Yes, he was also very hard to resist. She’s surprised they didn’t have more children running around them. In due time, she told herself. 

……

They’ve been in the air for quite some time and the morning sun began to rise with soft yellows and pinks.  [Name] opted out on wearing his black armor while riding with his children, but kept Hellfire strapped to his waist. 

Viserys, given a medicine to help him sleep during the flight, drooled onto [Name]’s shoulder. The father didn’t mind and he looked down in front of him to see Daenerys holding onto the cages that kept the three tiny dragons there safely. Her long hair braided into two and she wore a light blue dress paired with her mother’s. 

[Name] looked to his left and watched Helaena fly quietly next to him. She was a good distance away from him because of Baelrion’s long wingspan. So he kept a careful eye on her from time to time as well as their surroundings. If the Blacks attacked them now, the fight would be devastating for his surrendering family. 

He came for answers and sanctuary. He didn’t want a fight. 

Finally Dragonstone came into view and [Name] commanded Balerion with a powerful voice to land on a beach near the Black’s base. Balerion roared into the sky to announce their presence, no doubt alarming the people in Dragonstone. The descent was a little too fast for Viserys and the tiny boy cried all the way down, alarming Helaena who followed after the Black Dread. 

When they touched, Balerion dug his claws into the sand and lowered his neck so the Targaryen family could climb down. [Name] being the first one off the giant dragon helped his daughter down. The small girl watched hopped into his arms, careful that the cage didn’t smack him. 

Helaena touched down fast next to Balerion and released the reins on Dreamfyre while [Name] moved the swaddle from his back to his front. 

He tried to ease Viserys and when he turned around to ask his wife for help, Helaena was already next to him. A worried mother is quick to help her babes, he’s always reminded. [Name] handed Viserys over to his wife with no hesitation and she soothed him with gentle caresses and hushed mumbles. 

Then a loud screech resounded in the sky and he looked up to see three dragon riders making their way to the beach. A golden dragon, a burning red one and a small one. [Name] knew these dragons and their riders, Rhaenyra, Rhaenys and Jace. Luckily for him, Daemon wasn’t with them.

The three landed on the beach a safe distance away from Balerion who challenged them a little too quickly for [Name]’s liking. The black beast held his head high and covered [Name]’s family with a wing. Daenerys awed at the sight and Helaena looked at [Name] wearily. 

“Lykiri, Balerion,” [Name] walked forward with a hand raised at his defensive dragon, “lykiri.” 

Balerion quieted down, his throat bobbing up and down a few clicks and groans rumbling in his chest. His tail swished about on the sand and he lowered his head down to his rider, pressing his large head onto [Name]’s side making the man stumble on the sand. 

With a quick pet, [Name] ran his hand down the scales and rough skin of Balerion’s snout. His eyes dragged away from his beast to the three hesitant dragon riders across from him. He looked back at his family and Helaena gave him a nod of approval. This wasn’t a fight, [Name] reminded himself as he walked forward. Be respectful and pledge your support to Rhaenyra. 

Offer yourself and Balerion to her cause, he told himself again. 

When he walked up to a respectful distance for a conversation, [Name] greeted his estranged family, “Sister, cousin and nephew, I don’t mean to alarm you.”

Was that a good start? To let them know that he wanted no fight. He didn’t use their titles, not quite used to addressing them as so since he acknowledged his brother as the king and such. 

“If not to alarm us,then what do you want?” Jace questioned, resting his hand on the pommel of his sword. 

[Name]’s own fingers itched to rest on Hellfire, but if he did that Balerion would take it as a sign to defend his rider and his family. So he kept his hands at his sides and responded with a calm tone, nothing like Jace’s hostile tone. 

“Originally I came here looking for answers-”

“With two dragons at our front door, one bigger than the rest of ours?” 

Rhaenrya and Rhaenys both snapped their heads over at Jace to silently tell him to keep his mouth shut. Both being mothers and both wanting to know the reason why [Name] was here. But if the lilac eyed man kept getting interrupted, then he wouldn’t get to the point. 

“Please, nephew, let me finish my sentence,” [Name] gritted his teeth, his patience running thin, “I came here looking for answers about my son’s death. They are pinning Jaehaerys’ death and Rhaegar’s on your shoulders. So did you or did you not give the order to murder our sons?”

He directed his question to his half-sister. 

“Sons?” Her voice faltered and she took a step forward, “Rhaegar was killed as well?” Rhaenrya looked behind [Name] and saw a visibly concerned Helaena with Daenerys and Viserys by her. But no Rhaegar. 

[Name] sadly nodded, his throat constricted closing the airways painfully. He cleared it away and said, “He died trying to protect his cousin. They slammed him up against the wall and strangled him. My boy didn’t stand a chance against a ratcatcher.” 

“I-I,” Rhaenyra’s eyes watered up, “I did not give the order, this was done without my knowledge by my husband.” 

Immediately a scoff left his lips and [Name] looked over at the water. He muttered with a disdainful look on his face, “Of course he did, I’m sure he did it to get revenge for you. Aegon is looking to do the same, but I am not. I blame my mother and her cunt of a guard, Cole.”

“What happened?” Rhaenys asked, trying to get the whole story. They received word that Jaehaerys was killed, but no mention of Rhaegar. Now [Name] put the blame on his own mother and her sworn protector, Criston Cole. 

“I went out to fly Balerion in the night while Helaena and Jeyne entertained the children in their rooms. One ratcatcher and a man of the Night’s Watch came in claiming ‘A son for a son’.  They cut Jaehaerys’ head off while another strangled Rhaegar. This happened because the knights were relieved from their watch on the order from their Lord Commander. While the boys were on their way to their deaths, Jeyne and Helaena took the remaining kids out of the room looking for help. But there was none. So Helaena went into our mother’s room.”

He took a deep breath in and balled up his hands, he looked back at Rhaenyra and finished off his explanation, “My son died because my mother wanted to get a good fuck in before she turned in her bed.”

Rhaenyra couldn’t believe it, but at the same time she did. Alicent always posed as this woman of faith. Cole posed as a man worthy of the white cloak, ordering people here and there like he was above them. But they were scum, trash beneath her feet. They disgusted her. 

“We are very sorry to hear about this, [Name],” Rhaenys spoke for the emotional Rhaenyra, “We would never order something like this, we want to avoid fighting as much as we can. We tried reaching out to your mother-” 

[Name] rubbed his chin and pulled his sword out, it didn’t ignite into flames, but it unnerved the three members of the Targaryen family. Their dragons, mainly Syrax and Meleys, roared at the action. In turn Balerion puffed out his chest and let out a louder roar than those two dragons combined. 

The sand hit his back and [Name] took a knee, surrendering his valyrian sword over to Rhaenyra. With his head bowed, [Name] spoke, “I don’t care what happens to my brother or mother. I only care about my remaining family. As a father it’s my responsibility to choose them. So here I am, pledging myself and my dragon to your cause. If you’ll have us, Queen Rhaenyra, I will put an end to the Hightower-Targaryens. I will answer your call and go to battle with Balerion. You do  not have a need for an army anymore when you have us.” 

The three Targaryens looked at each other very shocked to see a Green kneel before them. Pledging his support to Rhaenyra, she couldn’t believe the rider of the Black Dread was doing this. The Blacks have always been afraid of the green monstrosity Aemond rode even more so of Balerion. 

Yet the rider, [Name] Targaryen, had different views in this war. 

“I accept you and your family, brother.” Rhaenyra walked up to [Name], her dress fluttering in the light breeze. She could hear the small protest Jace let out of his mouth, but Rhaenyra knew [Name]. 

He was the only brother she didn’t feel threatened by. He always stated that he was happy father named her his heir, saying that he never wanted the crown and its burdens. Plus she saw the love for Helaena in his lilac eyes. He would never bring her harm. 

Rhaenyra kneeled down and picked up his head with her hands. The tears running down his face cemented the fact that [Name] needed her to accept him and his family. His hands dropped his sword and he hugged Rhaenyra tightly, holding onto her like a son does to his mother when looking for comfort. 

“She didn’t apologize to us,” [Name] growled out, “She had my son killed and she defended Cole instead of admitting to her faults.” 

Rhaenyra accepted his hug and said, “I don’t know why she did that.” His words carried in her stomach heavily, he truly did blame the death of Rhaegar on Alicent. It almost felt like he hated his mother. Rhaenyra pulled away from him and wiped his tears away with a frown on her face. 

“You would fight for me? Kill your brothers if the situation calls for it?” 

[Name]’s eyes hardened and he didn’t falter in saying, “I pledged my help Rhaenyra, I will answer any call and support the Blacks in the battles to come. I will support you.” 

Rhaenyra’s frown curved upward into a gracious smile, “Let’s get you and your family settled in some rooms. You can send Balerion and Dreamfyre to hunt after we land in Dragonstone. Then we can talk about your place in the council.”

“My place in the council?” [Name] asked and picked up his sword from the sand and followed after her to stand proudly. He sheathed Hellfire back into its holster and watched Rhaenyra. 

His sister nodded her head and said, “There’s a lot of old men on my council. They say they support me, but disagree with me on almost everything. They want to spill blood, but we don’t have capable dragons to do so.” 

[Name] agreed with her words, “Yes, that is true. Father always said your dragon was more of a spoiled mother than a warrior. Meaning no offense to you or Syrax.” He chuckled seeing the expression on Rhaenyra’s face. 

“Yes, well the ones capable of fighting are Meleys and Caraxes, but we need them for Vhagar or even Balerion.” She looked over at the Black Dread and his red eyes pierced her bright ones. “Now that you’re here, we could do a lot of defending our supporters and their homes. I will pair you with Rhaenys, you two could pose to be a formidable duo. One with speed and the other power.”

“Well we do pose a huge threat to Aegon’s claim to the throne, sister,” [Name] looked back at his wife and remembered something important. 

“But I will not allow Helaena to fly Dreamfyre. Both of them will remain in Dragonstone, safe from any battle.”

Rhaenyra understood his demand, but she had to know why. “Any particular reason why she cannot fly her dragon to battle?” 

“Have you ever seen Helaena hurt a creature, crawling or walking?” [Name] shot back feeling defensive for his wife. 

“Well no, I heard she likes to keep bugs and take care of them.” Rhaenyra responded with a small laugh. 

[Name] smiled back, “That she does, sadly we had to leave the ones she had in King’s Landing behind. My point is she cannot give the command to burn people, sister. Please don’t make her do it.” He begged. 

“Of course not,” Rhaenyra reassured him, “She will remain here with your children.”

“There’s something else I would like to ask of you,” [Name] stopped Rhaenyra and looked back at Balerion. “I don’t know if you noticed, but Rhaegar…he’s with us too. We would like him to be honored here at Dragonstone in Targaryen tradition.” 

“We shall set it all up for you, will Balerion be the one to ignite the pyre?” 

“No,” He stretched his hand out and Daenerys immediately ran over to her father. As his little one ran towards him, Rhaenyra spotted the two dragons; one perched on her shoulder and the other clinging to her hip. “Daenerys has bonded to two dragons, Moonlight and Nightmare; Rhaegar’s dragon. She will command them and we shall see if Nightmare truly bonded with her or just smells Rhaegar on her.” 

“An interesting child, you have,” Rhaenyra commented lightly. 

And [Name] would have it no other way. 

……

The Targaryen family stood behind the Hightower family respectfully watching Balerion with weary eyes along with their council members and guards. If [Name] wanted to he could turn his attention on them and have his beast burn them in black fire. 

But Rhaenyra reminded them of his oath to support her. After all, [Name] came to Dragonstone to honor his son and protect his remaining family. 

Daenerys stood at the side of the pyre holding back her tears. She watched Rhaegar being tackled by the ratcatcher, heard his last words then the clang of his dagger when it fell from his hand. She was going to miss his stupid jokes and his protective nature. She held her hands out, Moonlight perched into her right hand and Nightmare on her left hand. 

They looked at her as if they waited for her command. “Brother,” Dany spoke quietly, no one could hear her over the crashing waves below the cliff, “In our next life, I hope we live long enough to rule the skies together.” 

A moment passed then she gave out the infamous command, “Dracarys.” The two dragons looked away from her and aimed their snouts at the pyre. Slowly they opened up their mouths and breathed out a stream of orange fire. The twigs caught on fire first before the chain reaction began. 

The funeral rite went slow and [Name] walked up to Daenerys, letting go of Helaena’s hand. He pulled his daughter away from the small fire, so he could finish it off with Balerion’s black fire. He gave a subtle nod to everyone surrounding Rhaegar’s body and immediately they all backed up. 

“My love,” He spoke to Helaena and handed Daenerys’ hand over to hers. Helaena hugged a crying Dany who could no longer hold her tears. Then he walked a bit forward away from his mourning family, holding the pommel of his sword tightly.

“Balerion!” He shouted over the waves.

The black dragon shook his whole body responding to his rider’s call. The ground beneath his clawed talons broke under the pressure of his weight. 

“Dracarys!”

Balerion puffed out his chest, his wings spread out and his neck peered over the pyre in a grim image to the rest of the people. His large mouth opened up and all they saw was a dark pit, the fire blending in the dark of his mouth. With a resounding screech, Balerion breathed his black fire onto Rhaegar’s body. 

[Name] watched on in silence, hearing his wife and daughter cry out in anguish. They couldn’t express their sorrow the night of. But here, they let the water flow out of their eyes like a river. The crackling of the fire, the waves below and their cries felt unreal to him as he lost himself in his thoughts.

If he ever sees Criston Cole on the battlefield, he’ll snatch him from the ground. He’ll bring the oathbreaker into the skies, above the clouds and let him fall to his death. He wanted to instill fear into Cole. He wanted to burn Cole, he wanted to behead him. There were so many ways to kill a man. 

The black smoke reached the skies and he turned away from the pyre. He outstretched his arms and embraced his girls. Daenerys clung to his leg while Helaena wrapped her arms around his neck. 

Quiet.

It was so quiet.

He waited. Aemond stood at the foot of your bed waiting...he knew by the look in your eyes that you somehow knew what happened.

He waits for some sort of reaction. For you to scream or hit him. Something...anything. Your silence deafining feeling heavy on his eardrums. Giving his brain room to think and go over what happened.

He silently begs for you to say something. To snap him out of his thoughts, to help get the images out of his head. He can't bare it. Any of it. He can see the anger that creeps on to your face, the pain that is starting to bloom in your heart. Can he survive you hating him? You not loving him knowing what he has done?

What has he done?

He's not sure how long you both stay in that silence. He knows once the first words are spoken its gone forever.

Finally willing himself to speak he takes a deep breath, licking his lip.

"...Iksan vaoreznuni."[I'm sorry] That is all he says, all he can say. What else is there really for him to tell you? He killed your brother. The war has started and you are trapped here. If you weren't a prisonner before you sure are one now.

"Get out..." that is all you can bring yourself to say, and he needs to hear. Despite everything in him willing himself to stay, to fight it out with you in hopes you would forgive him by the end. He knows that ending is unlikely. He's gone and ruined everything between the two of you and for what? Revenge?

He turns and leaves your chambers, his footsteps not making a sound. Aemond would not return to his chambers that night but instead would spend his time until the morning drinking his fill. Trying to push the face of Lucerys Velaryon out of his mind. Guilt eating him alive.

He sat on the ground in the old chambers of the boy he killed.

His face painted his memory. The last look Luke had before he was torn to shreds by Vhagar...by him.

He had not meant to kill Luke. He only wished to scare him, to envoke the same fear Aemond had felt when Luke took his eye. When he was ganged up on by 4 children, his family. Aemond only ever wanted to be one of them. To train his dragon alongside his nephews and brother. But instead he was mocked and ridiculed for not having one.

He watched his father dote on his sister and nephews and ignore the family he had wanted. The sons he wanted. Though Aemond disliked his older brother he knew that the balme for the way Aegon turned out was his father's.

He chose to take another wife. It was his choice to sleep with his mother, a mere child at the time and plant his seed in her. He wanted to a boy to carry on his name and when he got one he casted them to the side and named Rhaenyra heir and "his only child.".

How was Aemond to feel? How could he not feel resentment. Nobody was here for him. Nobody breathed for him or walked this earth in his name. He had no one.

Luke had everything he had ever wanted. Love.

Hollow. That was the only way to describe how you felt. The void the death of your brother caused was not one that could easily be filled.

Morning came and you remained in the same spot Aemond had left you in. You ignored your handmaids as they came to prepare you for the day. You ignored the sounds coming from outside your window.

Your heart hurt, your chest was heavy. Lucerys was gone. He was dead. Your poor mother...and here you were. Of no use.

Tears pricked your eyes once more. You begged them not too fall. You could not bare crying again.

Your servants returned once again. Leaving a tray of food. They begged you to let them get your washed and dressed but their pleas fell on deaf ears.

You thought of every moment you ever shared with Luke. He was a sweet boy. He was your brother. The tears that fell burned your cheeks. That hole in your heart grew ever so slightly.

Your sobs filled your room.

You remained in that spot for the entirety of the day. Tears no longer falling, your stomach empty and throat dry.

You do not remember when Alicent had come in. You do not remember her giving her condolences or trying to convince you to eat.

You didn't see Aegon smirking behind his mother next to his grandfather.

You do however remember the gentle touch of Helaena. She sat next to your her hand on yours. She was never one for touch. But even she knew you needed it.

You were in an ocean of your own emotions. Sorrow. Pain. Loss. Grief. Agony. It was pure agony.

How could you go on? You feel the love still in your heart when you think of Aemond. You were digusted by it. You still loved him even after what he had done. All while you hated him.

You hated what he has done not just to look but to the two of you. How could you both move on now? How could you marry your brother's killer. The chance at happiness, the chance at the life you always dreamed of having with him were gone.

There was anguish in your throat, all the way up to your chest.

How could you save this? How could you reverse what he has done?

You do not know when you stood up. You don't remeber slipping on your robes and your shoes.

When had it gotten so dark outside?

You opened your chamber doors. Your emotions controlling your feet as you walked towards the chambers accorss from yours. The hallway empty and quiet. Where were the guards?

You opened the doors and stepped inside. You looked around everything where it was the last time Luke was here. You walked over to a chest near the fireplace and opened it. All of his toys sat inside. His drawings, his memories...but he was not here.

He was in the water...you had to get him back...he was calling you to come and get him.

You returned back to your chambers and found a quill and paper. Your final words. You wrote three letters. One for Aemond, one for your mother and one for Jace. You got dressed quickly in your riding clothes with an added black cloak.

You left the letter for Aemond on your bed.

You opened the door again and peered out. The guards still not there you walked over to a different room. Your mother's. You knew of the passages inside it. You had listened to many stories of her escapades. You left her and Daemon's letters in here. You knew they would eventually come and would find them.

Your body moved on its own. Every twist and turn. You did your best to move slowly and cautiously. As one turn brought you down another hall you heard a footstep.

Halting all movements you looked ahead. Narrowing your eyes wondering what it was. You prayed its was a rat or some sort of animal.

You see another person turn the hall. But who it is does not send you running. Helaena looks at you shocked.

What is she doing here?

She does not say anything but lowers the hood of her own cloak and walks up to you. You don't get the chance to say anything before she pulls you into a deep hug.

She knows. Of course she knows. She must have seen it and came to say goodbye. Helaena wouldn't stop you. She loved you too much to keep you here nor to alert anyone of your escape.

With a final kiss on your cheek she walks past you and makes her own way down the passages.

It took you a while to locate Vermithor but you managed. He was excited to see you but could feel the pain you felt.

You got settled onto his back and rubbed his scaly back gently. You knew where you had to go. Where you wanted to be.

The flight was smooth but long. The sun had finally rised. You knew it wouldn't be long before the castle would notcie your dissapearence. As you finally arrived you spotted something on the beach. Something dark and large. You landed near it and as you got close your heart only broke more.

Arrax's bloody wing was nestled on the sand. For what felt like the millionth time you cried. Touching the wing gently. Evidence of the crim that took place only a day ago.

Luke was here...you could feel it.

You sit on the beach, enjoying a last moment of peace.

It is quickly broken as you hear the screech of a dragon. You look up to see the giant body of vhagar approaching.

"Don't be afraid." You turn your head back in front of you in shock. Luverys stands there. His clothes drenched. "It will be alright."

He turns around and begins walking into the water. You could hear Vhagar getting closer and Aemond calling your name.

Wasting no time you follow after Luke. Your shoes pooling with water. Aemond's only gets louder as he finally lands and rushes to get unbuckles to get to you.

Panic sets into his chest as he watches you get deeper in the water.

He finally manages to get out of the straps and climbs down vhagar. He kept his eye trained on you still screaming after you as you got deeper in the water.

You had not learned how to swim. It was not a skill you needed.

But you did not fight it. You did not fight it when water pooled in your lungs. You did not regret the choice. It felt warm and right. You opened your eyes. The dark water surrounding you as you sinked deeper and deeper into its depths.

Far down below you, you could see it. You could see Luke. He was looking at you with a smile. This was right. This was what you needed. Peace.

As quickly as the Dance of Dragons started it ended. When word of your death reached the ears of Daemon there was no stopping him. He had already sent blood and cheese to avenge Luke. But now. Now he had to avenge you. His daughter.

Your mother lost any hopes of this being a peaceful war. Of their being no bloodshed. She had already lost two of her children through no decision of her own. The Greens had started this and The Blacks would end it in red.

Daemon gathered everyone he could. Whoever could ride a dragon did. Dragonseeds were located and were quickly taught to claim and dragon. Though some died in failed attempts enough suceeded. There would be no waiting. And when word reached of Aegon's party he threw in honour Aemond for killing Luke and starting the war it only made him happier for the pain Aegon would soon feel.

It was easier then they thought it would be. The amount of dragons no match for theirs. The most shocking part? Vhagar and Aemond were nowhere to be found.

The Blacks seized the castle by nightfall. By the morning Rhaenyra took her place on the throne, her fathers crown nestled on her head. Daemon had found your letters and both him, Rhaenyra and Jace read them and by the end their eyes filled with tears. Though against Daemon's judgement Rhaenyra spared Helaena. Though it would do no good. Helaena already wracked with grief would later that day throw herself from Maegor's Holdfast and die on its spikes.

Alicent would die begging her old friend. Claiming she still loved her and that she regrets her choices. Saying she had no other choice and that she only did what was expected of her.

The word Dracarys would be said three times that day. Alicent, Aegon and Otto were all sentenced to die. Rhaenyra would not kill a child though. She could not bring it in her to kill Maegor or Jahaera, the two had already suffered losing their brother. She would raise them as her own.

It wouldn't be until a week after her official crowning that word of Aemond and Vhagar were to delivered to her and her family during their meal. They were all on edge assuming the prince would be coming to burn them inside the castle.

But were shocked when they were told where he was.

Aemond had throw himself into the waters of Storm's End. He had tried to stay alive, hoping he could do good by yoru memory but it was all to much. The death of luke and now you had taken its toll. And all he wanted was to be with you.

The memory of him desperately trying to find you in the water. Trying to swim down but the instinct of survival making him swim back up. He repeated the process over and over until he simply laid on the sand.

He knew the blacks would be coming for his family now. And honestly? He could not bring himself to care. What had his family ever done for him. You were all he ever wanted and needed and he couldn't see that. There was never a need for revenge cause he had already won. He had you. You would've been married to him, spent the rest of your life with him.

How could he not see that victory? It was an easy choice. He could stay and die alongside his family or die where you were. So that's what he did, he joined you in the cold salty waters and felt the same warm embrace you did.

He had left a letter of his own. For his big sister Rhaenyra. Her hands were shaky as she opened the letter, the eyes of her family on her. Her eyebrows furred together as she began reading Her eyes pricked with tears and a sob escaped her lips as she read the first line.

"To Queen Rhaenyra."

The letter detailed how sorry Aemond was. For what he had done. He begged her forgiveness for the death of both Luke and you. He blamed himself for it all and wanted her to know he never meant for it. Rhaenyra would quietly thank her brother and prayed to the Gods that he was at peace now.

Rhaenyra was named the "The Black Queen." but also "The Merciless.". She would sit the Iron Throne and Jace after her. She would never be the same though, happiness never rteurned to her as she would dream of her two beautiful children every day.

Surrounded by clouds light and warmth. You watch. You watch your family continue on, to build, to heal. You watch with a smile.

On one side of you your brother's hand in yours as he shares the same smile. And Aemond's arms wrapped around your waist on your other side. This was peace. And you didn't regret it, not for a moment.

You were no longer in agony.

A/N: Finally finished!! I hope it wasn't shit to yall but i cried while writing this. Recently re read "Smoke, Fire and Ash" by @asumofwords and it made my cry and put me in this mood.

To be honest I always imagined reader dying in this. I just had different ways. One was her offing herself after Aemond dies above God's eye. The next option was Aemond killing her himself while drunk and blinded by pain then he would off himself when he woke up. And lastly was both of them dying together, sharing a final moment before commanding their dragons to kill them.

I did not imagine them having a happy ending. Ecspecially since reader was alwyas conflicted about her family. She did not know what side to be on, and the death of Luke would only make her more confused. So it was easier for her to just not be anything at all.

Anywho. That's it! I hope y'all enjoyed this. I do plan on writing a full Aemond x reader series but i gotta plan it out properly!

Gen Taglist: @valeskafics. @thought--bubble

Agony Taglist: @vyctorya, @cluz1babe, @alexa554, @sinistersnakey1427, @glitteryeggalmondherring