#7k fic

🎄 December 3rd 🎄

Does It Ever Drive You Crazy? (Just How Fast The Night Changes) by @loveyourmum

Lukewarm

The Jedi is sick, this much is clear.

It wouldn't be any business of Din's except this is the guy that's supposed to watch over his kid. The guy that’s supposed to protect him when Din isn’t around, and if there's one thing Din has known since the moment he’d survived a shootout to find the little gremlin’s bassinet, it’s that danger follows Grogu like stink on a bantha.

If his kid is going to be here his life depends on the Jedi being in fighting shape. And this—this rheumy-eyed, dewy-skinned, slightly-shivering man—is decidedly not in any shape to fight.

"I'm fine,” the Jedi lies from where he sits at the clearing’s edge, legs crossed and leaning just-this-side-of-too-much against the trunk of a tree. “Really."

The cough that follows his words wracks the Jedi's body so hard he doubles over, torso practically folded into his own lap from the force of it.

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“Oh? You won’t talk?” Donella smirked at the alchemist.

Although he knew that the man’s grip was nearly inescapable, the boy still struggled against the muscled arm that prevented him from moving. The futility of his attempts weighed him down, yet Varian refused to give up. 

It was one of those rare times in his life where he’d decided to abandon all sense of rationality and chuck logic right out the window; right now, tactics couldn’t save him.

Not against brute force.

He’d run out of options completely. Varian’s backpack — which contained the majority of his explosive weapons — had been ripped from his body the second he’d been apprehended, and the only useful items remaining on his person were currently unreachable, seeing as how both of his arms were now pinned behind his back.

The silver-haired woman approached him now, bending down so that her threatening green eyes met the alchemist’s panicked blue ones. 

Her vein-like scar only inches from Varian’s face, Donella unsheathed a small dagger and brought it up to the trembling boy’s neck.

“Now, shall we try this again?”  

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✧ Excerpt from Chapter I: Serenity of the Dawn ✧

✧ Prompt: Sleepy Morning ✧

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✧ Full chapter is here! ✧

✧ Full fic is here! ✧

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“It’s beautiful, isn’t it?”  

He’d whispered so softly that Hugo had just barely managed to catch the words that had escaped his lips. The alchemist had had a strange expression on his face, as he’d stared out at the cerulean surface of the river before them.

What had it been, sadness? Nostalgia, perhaps? Despite his lengthy contemplation, Hugo hadn’t quite been able to decipher what it was.

The lanky blonde slowly made his way towards the water. The serenity of the scene was enough to put him at ease, and he already forgot about the visions that had haunted him less than a quarter of an hour ago.

Hugo closed his eyes, sighing in relief as the brisk wind tickled the back of his neck. He stayed like that for a while, standing on the outskirts of the river, as the stillness of the morning washed over him and cleansed his mind.

It wasn’t until he turned around to start his short trek back to the campsite that he noticed the small lump leaned against a rock not too far away. Hugo squinted, his eyes widening as he realized just what — no, who — he was looking at.

He strolled towards the rock, careful not to make any sudden noises so as not to disturb the form propped up against its hard surface. When he reached it, Hugo glanced down at the younger boy before him.

His sunken eyes were gazing out onto the open water, unwavering even as the blonde sat down next to him.

Whether Varian had known he was there all along or had only just noticed his presence, Hugo didn’t know. The pair sat there in quietude, neither acknowledging the other’s existence as they mutually relished in the tranquility of the dawn.

Finally, after several minutes, it was Varian who broke the silence.

“It’s beautiful, isn’t it?”

Hugo flinched, momentarily startled by the sound of the alchemist’s voice. Then, a pause. Varian spoke again.

“Hugo…what are you doing out here?”

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✧ Excerpt from the one shot A Slight Detour ✧

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✧ Full fic is here! ✧

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“Hey! I didn’t lose it,” Hugo argued, raising his arms defensively.

“What do you mean, you didn’t lose it?”

Hugo shrugged, his right hand pointing vaguely at the dark-haired child walking behind them. “I gave it to Yong for his experiment.”

“You did WHAT?!” Varian practically shrieked, unable to suppress his horrified expression.

“He said he needed something flammable, to like, test something?”

“Hugo. Are you telling me you gave Yong our only reliable map so that he could set it on fire?”

The blonde scratched the back of his head, eyebrows knitting together as he pondered the question. “I mean, at the time, I didn’t know he wanted to set it on fi—”

“DO YOU EVEN KNOW WHAT FLAMMABLE MEANS?”

“I thought he just wanted to test its general properties! How was I supposed to know he’d use it for his instant firecrackers?” Hugo defended.

“Because the kid’s a pyro—okay you know what, forget it! It’s fine! It’s all just fine!” Varian placed a hand to his temple, closing his eyes as he attempted to convince himself well, that this was all just fine. “It’s no problem, we’ve got this,” he muttered repeatedly.

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✧ Excerpt from Chapter II: Our Spot by the Shore ✧

✧ Prompt: Sleepy Morning ✧

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✧ Full chapter is here! ✧

✧ Full fic is here! ✧

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How long had it been now?

Hugo looked out onto the tranquil water, opalescent waves crashing softly against the sand. Fleeting rays of sunlight enveloped him in their comforting warmth as the freckled blonde watched the blazing star in the sky descend. 

He’d waded into the cool water, shoes and all, not noticing — or perhaps, simply not caring about — the discomfort brought by damp clothes as they clung to lanky limbs.

He’d come here not long after it happened.

Like a sleepless corpse, he’d wandered aimlessly for hours before stumbling upon the familiar clearing. Hugo had stayed there for a while, simply staring at the melancholic scene with dulled eyes. 

He couldn’t remember ever moving, but he’d woken up the next morning curled up against a rock near the shore.

He spent countless days in that glade. 

Day after day, night after night, Hugo remained as unmoving as the rock he slept close to. His dreams were haunted by sweet memories before they were yanked out from underneath him like a rug, slivers of reality slipping their way into his visions. 

He’d wake up in a panic, arms reaching out for the ghost of something that was no longer there.

There was no comfort anymore, no loving silence, in that spot by the shore. 

Their spot.

Hugo closed his eyes, taking a few more steps as the water sloshed up to his knees now. 

He could still hear his voice, that quirky laugh reverberating within the chambers of his pained heart. The wind picked up now and with it came the soft brush of a hand against his cheek.

How long had it been by now? Days? Weeks? He didn’t know.

But as he stood there amidst the crashing waves, Hugo let the tears fall freely and he cried for the boy he never thought he’d love.

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