Long Fanfic - Tumblr Posts

The Lost Queen - IV

— summary: You woke up near a military camp without remembering how and why you got there, you didn’t understand why they were dressed like ancient Greeks, all you knew was that you weren’t safe and you needed to get out of that place as soon as possible. Too bad for you that you found yourself attracting unwanted attention from the Macedonian King and he won’t let you go so easily.

— genre: yandere, dark!au.

— warnings: time travel, obsessive and possessive behavior, murder, mention of torture, kidnapping, angst, fluffy (very rarely), dub-con, possibly smut.

— pairing: yandere!alexander the great x female!reader, yandere!generals x female!reader

— word count: +1,870.

— tag list: @devils-blackrose, @faerykingdom, @hadesnewpersephone, @mariaelizabeth21-blog1 , @kadu-5607, @zoleea-exultant

— prologue; chapter 1; chapter 2; chapter 3;

Chapter 4

Perdiccas didn't know what to do with himself.

The macedonian general felt confused and troubled by the thoughts that were running through his head. He didn't understand why he was feeling this way about someone he had just met but couldn't help it.

There was something about this strange woman that appealed to him profusely.

He watched her like an eagle but kept silent as Alexander questioned her. She seemed quite calm, or so he thought, as she had answered all of Alexander's questions with unwavering grace and confidence. He respected that, respected that she hadn't shown fear even though she was clearly in a vulnerable position.

And when he learned her name it was like a weight had been lifted from his chest. (Y/N). A name he had never heard before but it suited her, suited her beauty. The way she spoke with so much softness and confidence, as a Queen would speak was one of the things that attracted the general's curiosity.

''(Y/N)…'' Perdiccas whispered and was satisfied when the beautiful woman's name fell from his lips.

''What did you say?'' Ptolemy asked and leaned towards Perdiccas, who shook his head quickly.

''Nothing.'' He lied quickly and Ptolemy glared at him for a bit but turned his attention back to the King and (Y/N).

Perdiccas didn't need anyone to find out the thoughts that were in his head, not even his closest friends. There were things that were better left unsaid and he knew within himself that he should never speak what was on his mind about (Y/N). He was sure no one would understand, in fact, not even he understood his thoughts and feelings.

He turned his eyes to (Y/N) again who was escorted to the tent that would be assigned to her. Perdiccas watched her whimpering, wanting desperately to keep up but it wasn't smart to do so.

He clenched his fists as his fellow generals filed out of the King's tent and he promised himself that he would visit her later. Perdiccas needed to make sure she was okay, something inside him screamed that this was what he should do and, for some reason, the general didn't question it.

He closed his eyes and counted to twenty. This habit of counting to calm down has always worked since he was a small child. If he concentrated more, he could hear the sweet sound of his mother's voice telling him epic stories.

And how much he missed his mother. Perhaps she knew what he was supposed to do in this situation.

Perdiccas sighed heavily and left the tent and started walking aimlessly. He didn't know where he was going, he just knew he needed to distract his mind a little and he could choose between walking a little or a sword practice with Cleitus.

He chose the first option.

Not that he didn't like the older general, he did but he preferred to be alone. Cleitus would probably tell him not to stress, get a drink and a woman. The order didn't really matter.

Perdiccas had nothing against getting drunk and sleeping with a woman, but he wasn't in the mood for something like that today. At least not for now, there was the feast and he needed to talk to (Y/N) about something.

He just needed to find out what he needed to talk to her about. And most important of all, he needed to get her out of his head.

Visiting her tent hadn't been the smartest decision he'd made in his life.

Perdiccas was a general, a proud and skilled macedonian warrior. He knew how to wield a sword as well as he knew about diplomacy, maybe he wasn't as good a diplomat as Hephaestion, but he had his talents. And, modesty aside, he was an attractive man. And he knew it.

He knew all this but even so he felt cornered like a wounded animal when addressing the beautiful and strange (Y/N).

His heart broke when he saw her crying and he wanted to hug her and try to calm her down. He didn't understand why he felt that way about her, although he was considerate of others, Perdiccas never acted like that with anyone, not even with his friends from Mieza.

He felt a little better when she smiled at him. It was a forced and sad smile, but it was still an attempt at a smile and he promised himself that he would do everything to make the feast pleasant for her.

And for that to happen he would need to talk to his friends, to make sure they didn't do anything or say anything that made her more uncomfortable than she already was.

Which was why he was sitting on the couch in his tent, with his friends gathered, except for Alexander and Hephaestion who were talking about something he didn't know. He looked at them all and smiled faintly, Ptolemy, Cleitus, Philotas, Nearchus and Cassander.

He took a deep breath and started talking, ''I called you here because I have something important to talk about.''

Ptolemy looked into his friend's face and pursed his lips, ''And what is it about? I imagine it is not about any attempted conspiracy against our King and friend.'' This was Ptolemy's way attempt to lighten the mood and it paid off when everyone laughed.

''No, but it's always an idea!'' Perdiccas chuckled, ''But I want to talk about our guest. (Y/N).'' At the mention of her name, a suffocating silence fell and he swallowed hard.

''What about her?'' Cassander's dry, cold voice broke the silence.

Perdiccas frowned at Cassander's sly tone, ''Are you aware that she will be at the feast tonight?''

Everyone nodded hesitantly.

''We must be sure to make her as comfortable as possible.'' Perdiccas took a deep breath and continued, ''It is our duty.''

Philotas blinked in surprise and said in a voice full of disgust, ''Why?''

Perdiccas glared at him, ''Because we are not wild and uncivilized. She is our guest.''

''I wouldn't say guest, Perdiccas.'' Ptolemy's calm voice interrupted the argument about to form. ''We don't know her and she doesn't know us. We don't know anything about her, only that she is a stranger who appeared out of nowhere in our camp. ''

''Precisely and that's why we should be kind and also why Alexander is treating her like a guest. Our King knows how to be kind, but has he ever bestowed a tent, food and clothing on just anyone?'' No one replied and, satisfied with that, Perdiccas continued, ''We don't need to be cruel or act savage, she is not a threat and we should be courteous.''

''I agree with our friend.'' Cleitus replied and smirked as attention shifted to him, ''She appears to be harmless and, moreover, she is very pretty and appears to be polite. Even if she is a foreigner, we don't need to act so badly unless she poses a threat. ''

''I think the same, Cleitus.'' Nearchus replied with a laugh. ''She may be a stranger to us, but we can try to be kind and tolerant. There is nothing wrong with that.''

''So are we in agreement? Shall we do our best to make this feast something pleasant for her?'' Perdiccas finally asked and everyone thought for a moment.

''We are.'' Ptolemy replied and soon Cleitus and Nearchus did the same. Cassander and Philotas frowned a little but nodded in agreement with their friends.

Satisfied with the arrangement, Perdiccas finally felt lighter that day.

He had decided that he would try to be as gentle and calm as possible with her.

Perdiccas wanted to do a favor, a kindness, and sent two servants with some clothes and jewelry for (Y/N) to use at the feast.

Although she looked very pretty in what she was wearing, because she was, but it wasn't the appropriate type of outfit to wear to a banquet. Whatever that was, it definitely wouldn't be of good use for the occasion.

Perdiccas finally finished getting dressed and hoped he looked presentable. His hair was braided and one part loose and he wore a white chiton with some gold bands, along with some bracelets and wore his traditional sandal. He hadn't dressed up as much because he didn't think it was necessary, but he wanted to make a good impression on (Y/N).

The general got out of his tent and started walking towards (Y/N)'s tent. As he walked, he surveyed his surroundings and smiled when he saw that the soldiers were busy with bonfires, lots of wine, and small talk. Sometimes he and his comrades are like that.

Once he arrived in front of (Y/N)'s tent, he waited a few minutes to make sure she was dressed. Seeing her naked wasn't in his plans, but it wouldn't bother him. Shaking his head to rid himself of such thoughts, he entered when he had permission from (Y/N)

And he almost fell to his knees right there.

She just looked... Divine. Her face was clean and natural, with just a little bit of kohl applied to her eyes, bringing out the beautiful color in them. Her hair was done in a rather ordinary but very attractive hairstyle, showing off her neck which was adorned with a necklace that he had chosen himself. A beautiful gold necklace. And her clothing, oh, the chiton fit her perfectly and although it was long and covered her legs, Perdiccas could still catch a glimpse of her thighs when she turned around and the cleavage was subdued but pretty. He was sure if he got close to her he could catch a glimpse of her breasts, but he didn't.

Instead, he blushed a little without knowing why and smiled at her, which she returned with a shy smile that made Perdiccas' heart skip a beat.

He moved a little closer to her and offered his strong arm, which (Y/N) accepted, hooking hers in his.

''Are you ready?'' His voice was as low as a whisper and she nodded. Perdiccas began to guide her to Alexander's tent, the place where the feast would be held.

As they approached, Perdiccas could hear the noise of his friends' voices and he felt (Y/N)'s body tense. He stopped walking and forced her to look at him.

''You have nothing to worry about. You are under Alexander's protection and, dare I say, mine,'' he murmured, looking into her eyes tenderly, ''no one will dare to hurt you and I promise they will all be kind.''

''Thank you.'' She whispered, closing her eyes. ''For everything.''

Perdiccas smiles widely and in an act of weakness, he leans his forehead against hers.

''Whenever you need something, come to me or call me and I'll come to you.'' His voice was so low that it could barely be heard over the loud noises echoing from the King's tent. But they didn't care.

Perdiccas and (Y/N) didn't care because the only importance was themselves at that moment.

— lady l: and that ending there, huh?? I know it wasn't the feast, but I wanted to show Perdiccas pov, but don't worry, because the next chapter will be the feast and I promise A LOT of drama!! What did you think? I hope you enjoyed it and forgive me for any mistakes that went unnoticed. I love you all!! ❤️

Someone like me

Pairing: Abe Sapien x f!mermaid!reader

Summary: Bored of her normal human life, (Y/N) tried to think of a way to contact the BPRD. However, before she could figure out how to achieve catching the attention of an institution that supposedly didn't even exist, it instead found her.

Warnings: female reader, use of she/her pronouns, maybe ooc characters?, long fic

A/N: A piece for @riyaselfships <3 I am glad to get back to writing for this adorable man though, so thank you so much for requesting! I am so, so sorry it took so long and for all the complications, but it was a fun challenge! It's nice to be back. I sincerely hope you like this!

Footsteps approached the quiet premises of the library. You quickly closed your email on your work computer and directed your attention to the person who just came in. They greeted you in a soft voice as they walked past you and disappeared in the sea of bookshelves.

Once they were out of sight, you quickly turned back to the computer screen and reopened the email you've been reading. Your heart sounded like a giant drum in your chest, the rhythm picking up the pace with each line your eyes scanned over.

You couldn't believe it. After months of sleepless nights and gallons of consumed coffee you finally found the book you were oh so desperately looking for. This one wasn't like the rest of the occult books that were in your collection. While you couldn't deny that they were very interesting, this one wasn't just a copy you happened to find in an antique bookshop. No, this was the original. well, sort of.

The contains of the book were basically rituals, instructions on how to summon great evils into this world. Nobody really knows who wrote it anymore, but it's assumed that the first appearance of this piece was in the form of notes, scribbled onto individual pieces of paper. Until one scribe, who supposedly belonged to a cult of sorts, decided to rewrite the notes into a book. The original cult had been long dissolved and the book kept well hidden.

And now it won't take long and it'd belong to you. You've always been interested in the occult, ever since you found out you weren't human, which was at a very young age. From then on you've been determined to find out just how many secrets this world holds.

But, that hasn't been always easy. Of course not. You started on the internet. Over the years you've joined many fan forums that "spread the truth". Most of it were conspiracies unfortunately. Save for the BPRD. Bureau of paranormal research and defense. An organisation that supposedly didn't exist. And yet, whenever somebody took a mysterious photo that looked a bit too real, you could always see the same man on TV explaining how it was only a hoax. Tom Manning.

Fortunately, you were able to find people who had the same intentions as you. You never told them the complete truth about yourself, always fearing you would take it too far, but it still felt good to be understood on such a level. From these simple connections, you slowly moved on from the digital realm back to the physical one, getting more and more contacts to collectors, who had the good stuff, or so you thought.

Very early on you found out that what you've been able to collect were copies, although old and rare, they still had little real significance. But, you persevered and many years later, you were finally surrounded by people, friends dare you say, although you've never really met any of them, who were able to get you the real good stuff.

Like the book you were just heading out to get from the post office. The original owner of the book did not want to send it right to your address, labeling it as a registered package, so there would be a lesser chance of someone stealing it, he reasoned in the email you read at work.

Once the book was in your hands, you couldn't help but admire the packaging. It was a simple brown cardboard box, nothing that could ever raise suspicion or curiosity. You imagined the book would be bigger though. But the more you thought about it, the more you had to admit it was probably for the best. The whole way to your home you couldn't help but to imagine how you would spend the entire night rearranging your entire collection. So far, you stashed your books on a bookshelve, but now that you had this very important piece and expected many more to come, you would need to secure them more.

There was a box sitting in your bedroom containing some very expensive glass case that you could lock. It would put your collection on display while also keeping it safe. It wasn't much, but it was something.

Lost in your daydreams about a calm and quiet future, you didn't notice your front door was unlocked. Stepping inside your home and taking off your overgarments, you froze. You could hear quiet footsteps and hushed conversation coming from somewhere inside your home. You clutched the book tighter in your hands. It was clear that somebody broke in while you were away and you had to do something about it and fast.

Hoping the intruders haven't noticed you yet, you quietly took off your shoes and grabbed your metal shoehorn in case you needed to defend yourself and slowly made your way to the kitchen, where you could hopefully get a better weapon and call the police.

It would be a blatant lie to say you weren't absolutely terrified. You didn't have anything worthy of being stolen, except for the package in your hand, so who would try to get into your home? But people are capable of all sorts of things when they are desperate. Hopefully you could reason with them without the situation escalating.

Just when you were almost exactly where you wanted to be, you heard a smooth voice say "They're here." You felt fear spike through you, a small gasp leaving your mouth. You quickly slapped your hand over it and prayed to whatever deity there was that you haven't just blown your cover. Did you make a noise? How did they know you were here? This whole situation felt wrong. The sound of a gun being cocked made your knees feel weak, the deep, gruff voice following it, saying "Let's go find that son of a bitch then." did not help either. But just as you lost all hope and prepared to die, your body lurched forward, driven by the need to survive. You sprinted into the kitchen, hearing sets of footsteps seemingly from all sides at once, you threw yourself to the drawers and drew out the biggest knife you could find in your haste.

Quickly turning around, your weapon raised protectively in front of you, you saw a creature standing in the doorway to your kitchen, staring at you with a confused expression and bright yellow eyes. He was HUGE. So huge you wondered how the hell did he even fit through your doorway. His sking was bright red, with longish dark brown hair on his head. The top of his head was bald though, only two stumps adorning the space there. It seemed like at some point, this creature had horns, but got them cut off. His face was framed with sideburns and a short goatee with the same colour as his hair. His eyes, the first thing you noticed about him, were piercing yellow, like a cat's. He was wearing an open trenchcoat, a necklace with a cross dangling from around his neck. His sleeves were rolled up, showing of his powerful arms, one much thicker than the other and seemingly made out of rock rather than flesh.

In his more human looking hand he was holding a strange gun. It seemed to be specifically created for killing non-human creatures. Strapped to the belt of his pants were many other weapons, some of which you weren't familiar with at all.

Before the creature could utter a word, a woman appeared from behind him "Hellboy! Did you find...them...?" her words died on her tongue when she took in your terrified expression. She was a human. Or so it seemed. She had short black hair, with a swept fringe to one side. Around her neck was a black choker with a mathing cross. She was wearing a leather jacket and, like her partner, had weapons strapped to the belt holding up her black pants, although these ones looked relatively normal to what you've seen.

"Who are you? And what are you doing here?" the woman asked you with suspicion. You tried to swallow the lump in your throat, only to find out your mouth has gone dry. "I could ask you the same..." you rasped out quietly, the hand with the knife trembling. "Don't tell me we're in the wrong place..." Hellboy muttered.

"Don't worry Red, we're not." the same smooth voice you heard in the beggining called out from behind the duo, successfully turning all three of yours attention to him. When his two partners stepped aside so he could walk in, your breath caught in your throat.

His skin was a light shade of blue with loads of different markings in different shades of the colour. He had a black bodysuit concealing most of his body. Around his shoulders and up his neck was a strange contraption which consisted of what looked like tubes and small water tanks. Topped off with big goggles over his eyes and his webbed hands, you realized he must be a merperson.

"We are terribly sorry for scaring you ma'am." he spoke to you with a tilted head and suddenly, as your eyes locked, you realized just how beautiful they were. He radiated serenity and you found yourself calming down, your heartbeat slowing, and lowering your weapon. "We've been sent to this location to retrieve a very special artifact." then he pointed at your package "The book you are holding."

Your grip on the book tightened as a frown stretched on your face "I bought that book, you can't just take it away!" Hellboy scoffed "Do you even know what you're holding lady?" "Yes. In fact, I do. And I've been searching for many years to find something like it." you stated protectively, although your confidence wasn't strong enough for you to say it to his face directly.

"And just what were you planning on doing with that book?" the lady suddenly spoke up. "Nothing...I'm a collector." you mombled, feeling offended by the accusation. "Oh really? Because to me it seems you're just a filthy little liar-" she continued, her tone turning more and more menacing, until her blue partner stopped her "That's enough Liz. She's telling the truth." turning his gaze back to you, he gently told you "If you hand over the book, there will be no repercussions, I can assure you."

You thought about it for a moment. Taking a deep breath, you dared to look in his enchanting eyes and spoke "Where the book goes, I follow." you decided. While it seemed to not make much impact on him, Hellboy and Liz seemed flabbergasted. "Listen lady, you can't just make demands here-" "I think I can. I am still the owner of this book." you said, although your gaze never left the blue merperson in front of you.

"You were sent here by the BPRD right?" you asked, looking at Liz. Hellboy frowned "How did you..." to not raise any more suspicion, which you already felt you were failing horribly at, you explained, finally mustering up enough courage to look the red demon in the eyes "You're Hellboy, right? Everybody has at least heard about you by now. You are the one everyone thinks of when BPRD is mentioned, and vice versa." "We can't just bring a human to the base!" Liz exclaimed.

"But she's not human. Isn't that right?"

It felt as if every time the blue man spoke, everyone in the room calmed down. Despite not looking much, he had a powerful aura around him, almost mystique. Whatever he lacked physically, he must've made up with something else, something you greatly desired to find out.

Interrupting your train of thought, you remembered you still had to answer the three agents. You slowly nodded. "Well then, show us what you can do!" Hellboy smirked. You felt your cheeks grow warm. The only people who ever saw your true form were your parents and you weren't really sure if you wanted to show yourself like that to complete strangers. "Well uhm, I'm a mermaid, so..."

You sighed and decided that stalling would get you nowhere. Rolling a sleeve up to your shoulder, a fin growing from your arm was revealed to the others. "A mermaid huh?" Liz mumbled. Hellboy shrugged "Ah alright, if it'll make you stop complicating things, you can come." With those words he turned on his heel and began walking out of your home. Liz soon followed, but you heard her utter "Manning is not gonna like this..."

You had to fight the enormous smile that would otherwise bloom on your face. It was like a dream come true! After you quickly got dressed and locked your door again, Liz insisted you walked between them, just in case you tried anything. You didn't protest and so you found yourself in between Hellboy and the blue merperson, whose name you still didn't know. You exited through the back and quickly boarded what looked like a garbage truck.

As you rode, you started becoming more and more uneasy. There weren't any windows, which made sense, but it made you feel kind of trapped. The fact that at first, nobody said a word, wasn't helping. And you had no idea how long the journey was going to take.

"I believe I don't know your name yet." the blue man spoke to you, making a small smile appear on your face "I'm (Y/N)." he extended his webbed hand to you, saying "Abe. Nice to meet you." As your hands made contact in a handshake, you felt a shiver run down your spine and a subtle pressure inside your head, as if someone had climbed into it. The feeling, however, disappeared immediately when you let go of Abe's hand.

He seemed...almost embarassed as he apologized "I am so sorry. I promise I did not mean to do that!" he said. You blinked at him before asking timidly "Were you...in my head?" Abe looked away from you "Yes...But I promise I didn't see anything! Or, well, I tried to not look..." he added sheepishly. "So you're a..." you asked. "Telepath, yes."

"That's...actually really awesome!" you beamed at him. "You think so?" Abe asked, head tilted to the side in the cutest way. You giggled "Of course. Ever since I was young I wanted to learn everything this world hid from the average person. And when I learned about who I truly am, that feeling only grew. That's why I started collecting those books in the first place, to learn." you smiled softly, looking down at the book in your lap, caressing the packaging gently.

And so your life changed. When you arrived to the BPRD, you were immediately brought to Manning himself, who first yelled at Hellboy and the others for five minutes before realizing nobody cared and so he sent them away, confiscated your book and had a talk with you, not different from a regular job interview.

He was reluctant to let you stay, but when you proved you weren't human, it seemed almost mandatory that you stay. Of course, before you could even start learning about your new...job, you had to go through multiple examinations. Luckilly, the scientists and doctors were very accomodating and tried their best to keep you as comfortable as they could.

You were given a room with an en suit bathroom, with a very spacious bathtub, which was heavenly, you had to thank somebody for that, and started your training. It was actually fun most of the time. You were pretty intimidated when you were told the one who'd teach you to fight would be the raven haired woman you hadn't had the best interactions so far.

And while the begginings were nothing short of rocky, over time Liz opened up to you as you did with her. You learned she was not only a skilled agent, but quite a gentle soul and a great confidant. And with Liz's trust earned, it didn't take much more time for Hellboy to warm up to you as well. He, too, had much more to him than the rough exterior he showed to his opponents. He was a funny guy, who was always up for trouble. He loved cats and you know what they say: someone who loves animals can't be a bad person...or, demon in this case.

What you cherished the most though, was spending time in the compound's library. The books in your little beginner collection couldn't compare to the massive variety of spell books, mythological books, scripts and many many others.

Besides, Abe's tank was there. The first time you saw him without all the gear to help him survive without water for longer periods of time, you felt as if somebody poured a bucket of hot water over you. His eyes held kindness as he looked at you with that small smile of his. You could see clearly all the shades of blues that coloured his beautiful skin, all of his toned swimmer muscles that made him look like a sculpture, a work of art.

But you didn't allow yourself to stare at him any longer. He was the first person to be nice to you, the last thing you'd want is to offend him by ogling him like an animal in the zoo. But if he saw your staring, he didn't mention it. And soon, every day in the evening, or anytime you'd wish to just relax, You'd head to the library, meet up with your favourite friend and spend hours upon hours just reading and discussing, until you barely could keep your eyes open.

Any time you'd think of Abe as your favourite person in the compound, you could feel your cheeks grow warm and it took everything in you not to giggle out loud. You were slowly starting to realize you were crushing on the guy. Hard.

What helped you come to terms with your feelings was when one time, you were having so much fun with your research about selkies and the fae world, that despite Abe asking you if you wanted to retire for the night, which you could barely respond to anymore, at one point, you didn't hear his words anymore and darkness overtook you.

When you became aware again, you quickly found out you weren't in the same spot you fell asleep in, the fact that you actually fell asleep in front of Abe of all people made you a bit embarassed. None the less, you were now in one of the bigger armchairs in the library, basically in front of Abe's tank, snuggled up into a cozy blanket. It wasn't just draped over you, you realized, he must've taken the time to properly tuck you in.

And for some reason suddenly everything felt...different. While you knew that what he'd done could just be a platonic gesture, you...wished it wasn't. But it's not like you were going to do anything about it. Soon after you woke up, Abe saw you from his tank and waved to you. Standing up and stretching your slightly sore muscles, you walked over to him to greet him and properly thank him.

"Red was looking for you. I told him you're sleeping and that I'd send you to him after you woke up." the beautiful man informed you after exchanging a "good morning". You rubbed the back of your neck with one hand, your gaze cast to the side "Thank you. For the information and for...what you did for me yesterday. I'm sorry I fell asleep like that. I hope you didn't feel obligated to do that-" you chuckled nervously, but Abe interrupted you "No, no! Of course not! I figured it would seem weird if I carried you back to your room, but maybe I should've. This is really the least I could've done for you." he assured you and place one of his hands on the glass of his tank.

You reciprocated, placing your own hand to the exact spot from the other side. The feeling of him being in your head was always strange, but now it felt more...intimate. Luckilly, as he could feel what you were feeling, you could feel what he was feeling. And it assured you that what he was saying was true.

After that day, Abe started seeking you out more. It was strange at first, but you couldn't say the attention was unwanted. You started training together, because Abe, while usually not the one in action, should keep in shape, just in case, as he explained, ate lunch in the library instead of the caffeteria and just spent more one on one time together. Until one day, he asked you a very serious question.

"Would you go for a swim with me?" he asked you one day at lunch. It was just you two in the library, but you still stiffened, and the air suddenly became hot and unbreatheable. Abe, ever so perceptive, noticed this and quickly added "We don't have to if it makes you uncomfortable! I don't mean to push my boundaries or anything, I just figured...well...it could be another form of training, no?"

Taking a few discreet deep breaths, you internally calmed yourself down. It's fine, just training, excercise, yes, just that, nothing else. It's not like you were scared of him hurting you, gods no. But you feared if you would be so close to him in such a vulnerable environment, you might lose your mind. So many things could go wrong. You could stare at him in a weird way or you could say something you wouldn't mean to say or-

Despite the raging storm inside your mind, you nodded with a small smile "Alright!" you chirped. Abe, too, smiled "Great! Meet you here in an hour?" You nodded, hoping your smile didn't seem too unnatural and waved your friend goodbye as you walked out of the library and towards your room.

Although you had half a mind to just fake a sudden food poisoning, you still found yourself at the library door exactly on time. Abe walked out, only holding a neatly folded towel. You let him lead the way to the pool, which you didn't even know was there to this point. And although there wasn't anything inherently wrong with the situation you were in, both of you kept quiet the whole way and the air was tense.

The pool room was plain. White tiled walls and floors, with the pool taking up most of the space in the room itself. There were a few chairs lined up at one of the walls for people to put their belonggings on. The most advanced thing were lights, as you found out. Next to the door were a few knobs that changed the intensity of the lights and the colour, for some reason.

It was then that Abe turned to you "The pool has a minimal amount of chlorine and other chemicals in it, so it shouldn't damage the skin on your tail and fins. But if anything happens, let me know." you nodded with a smile, being reminded how sweet he actually is. Abe wasted no time getting in the water and as you watched him, you could see how he visibly changed. Not in appearance, but it was certain water was his home. He seemed relaxed and confident. Well, more confident than usually.

You realized it was about time you get in the pool. You looked at the water nervously. This would be the first time after years that somebody would see you. Really see you. Deciding to just get it over with, you backed away from the edge, before jumping into the water.

The transition never hurt, but the feeling of your legs morphing into a tail was still strange, given that you didn't have many oppoturnities to fully transform. But you now truly understood why Abe felt so at home in water. Because you felt the same. It was so freeing, feeling the water on your skin in such a different way. With one powerful movement of your tail, you felt as if you shot out of the water when you resurfaced. Giggles erupted from your throat and then soon escalated into full on laughter. Relieved laughter.

You felt Abe watching you and when your eyes met, you sensed the familiar hot feeling bloom all over your face. "Uh, sorry about that. It's just...It's been a while." you smiled bashfully at your reflection in the water as you swooshed your arms around. Abe shook his head "It's fine. I like seeing you like this." You looked at him, slightly confused "Like what?" "Like this." he gestured to you as he swam closer "Happy...Relaxed...Free." he explained, his eyes never leaving yours. The moment felt so special, you were worried that if you even breathed in the wrong way, you would ruin the mood.

But you needed to answer him and you needed to do it right now. "Thank- thank you. It...really means a lot coming from you." you struggled to get out through the haze in your mind.

The conversation then faded again into the uncomfortable silence, until Abe suddenly seemed to remember why you were here in the first place and challenged you to a game of tag to warm up. Knowing that if you declined, you could just leave the pool alltogether, so you did the opposite. Besides, it sounded like fun.

And fun it was. Abe went easy on you at first, seeing as he was very agile and fast in water, being so used to it, while you needed some time to properly get ahold of your tail. But once you got used to it, which, to be fair, didn't take long at all, your abilities were nearly on the same level. Abe couldn't help but admire the way your fins glistened in the light and when you chased after him or swam away from him, trying not to get tagged, he thought you looked like a dream. You were right there in front of him and in the blink of an eye, you were gone. It tested your strength and stamina, while his ability to focus was being tested. He knew in that moment that you'd make a great agent.

You didn't know how long you were chasing each other in the water, but you could feel yourself getting tired. You swam to the corner of the pool and supported yourself with your arms on the edges as you rested. Abe was quick to catch up to you. He stopped in front of you and just took in your resting form. If you didn't look beautiful to him then, you were absolutely ethereal now. And sure, nobody looks their best when they just immerged from under water, your hair was sticking to your head, your eyelashes were stuck together in clumps as well and you were slightly out of breath, but the way water droplets glistened onbeautiful skin, the way your chest rose delicately with each breath, everything about you combined took Abe's breath away.

Longing to touch you, to be in contact with you, he jokingly put his hand on your shoulder "You're it." he said.

In that moment, your eyes shot open, the usually non invasive way your minds connected when one touched the other, was now replaced by an overwhelming emotion taking over your brain. Warmth, longing, happiness and a strangely pleasant kind of emotional pain spread through your entire body in seconds.

Love.

Abe jerked away, only now realizing that maybe he'd made a mistake. You two stared at each other owlishly for a few moments, before both of you spoke at the same time. "I'm-" "Hey-" Both of you stopped and chuckled. "I'm very sorry. I didn't- I didn't realize that you could...agh, I screwed up didn't I?" he said with his head down, only briefly glancing at you, guilt swimming in his beautiful eyes. You were...shocked. Your mind was tripping over itself to correct him, to just let him know, to find the right words to describe that no, he didn't do anything wrong, he did not screw and his feelings were indeed reciprocated, and very happily so.

But before you could make up your mind and decide what to say, your body instead made the decision. Quickly grabbing his hand, you gazed into his eyes and hoped, prayed, he could feel it. That he understood.

And he did.

As your hand fell from his, Abe stepped closer to you, chasing after the contact. He was now right in front of you and it allowed you to wrap your arms around his neck. You didn't allow yourself to think too much about it and just let yourself do what felt right. For a while, you stayed like this, just feeling both of yours emotions at once, but at some point, it wasn't enough and that's when your lips met in a desperate, but gentle kiss. It was sweet, your heart swelled in your chest as you angled your head a little to accomodate to him and enjoyed the feeling of his lips on yours.

When you pulled away, you were still looking into each other's eyes. The phantom bliss was still there and you couldn't wait to do it again. Somehow now, that your feelings were exposed, you wanted nothing more than to be close to Abe all the time, to never leave his side. To love and cherish him. An as if he could read your thoughts, Abe said gently "I would very much like to do that again soon...If it's alright with you." You knew you were smiling like an idiot, but it didn't matter right now. You nodded to his suggestion.

Hello!! Could I request some sweeney todd x reader heavy fluff please? thanks!

Marked by an angel

Pairing: Sweeney Todd x gn!reader

Smmary: A chance meeting of two strange people on Fleet street. What started just as part of your job lead you to finding a new friend and perhaps...a lover.

Warnings: hints of murder (it's Sweeney, c'mon), unfair boss/employee dynamic, description of getting robbed and bruises (1 blackeye)

A/N: After what felt like an eternity, I am back! I am so glad I finished this. I was dealing with mental issues, financial struggles, work and uni so I had no time and time or energy to do anything. But I am very happy to post this! Maybe it's not as fluffy as you wanted and for that I am sorry, but I feel like it is as true to the character as possible :) I'll gladly hear your feedback on this piece and all likes, but especially reblogs and comments are greatly appreciated! Also, if you'd like to hear some bonus stuff about this oneshot, feel free to shoot me a message!

There are many men in the world. And yet you can't say you've ever met anyone the likes of Mr. Todd.

The quiet barber from Fleet street. With his pale complexion, white streaked hair and dark eyes that held the depths of the ocean that surrounds Britain. He had captured your attention the very first time you made an appointment with him for your boss. The recommendations for his shop floated around your part of town and all the gentlemen could not seem to praise his skills enough.

Your boss had ordered you to find him a new barber, since his old one was ripping him off on money. Not that you blamed the poor bloke, times were tough, prices high and it wasn't like your boss couldn't spare a few pounds, especially since he liked to have his hair and beard trimmed once a month. Luckily, you managed to talk him out of getting the authorities involved, knowing that if the man was to be jailed, it would take a massive toll on his family.

Your job as an errand person, a sort of secretary, was simple enough in theory. You followed your boss around, a businessman dealing in produce from a few farms that he owned in the countryside. All you had to do was carry a notepad and a pencil with you to scribble down tasks that had to be managed and appointments that had to be made or dealt with. But in reality your legs were probably stronger than most people's, with how many steps you walked every day. Even though it wasn't in your job description, you did everything your boss didn't want to, went everywhere he wasn't exactly needed. You swore that the lazy bastard would have you walking to the latrine instead of him, if it were possible.

That was one of the reasons you liked the visits to the barber's, because you got to just sit on a chair by the window for an hour at least, quietly listening to the conversation made between your boss and the man grooming him, only occasionally having to scribble down one thing or another. But ever since your boss started to frequent Mr. Todd's shop, the rest wasn't the only reason accompanying your boss there was enjoyable or you.

Mr. Todd was an enigma. Mostly silent during work and outside of it, you learnt to appreciate the sound of his voice and to study his body language, little quirks that gave off pieces of his personality. The way his eyes flitted around, scanning the face of his customer for any imperfections that needed to be dealt with. His hands were steady, working seemingly without relying on his eyes or even brain, with a level of discipline you haven't seen before in your life. And from time to time, his eyes would flick up to meet yours, for a fraction of a second, before falling back down to your boss, lounging on Mr. Todd's intricate chair. You wondered why it had to be so intricate, compared to other barbers you've seen in your career, but you didn't question it, just as you never questioned the way the man's eyes would inevitably get stuck on your boss' neck every once in a while for some reason that had yet to reveal itself to you.

Maybe it was morbid curiosity or some other strange pull that made you want to find out just what was the cause of the deep emotion swirling behind Sweeney's eyes. The kind of pull that made sure the mysterious barber did not leave your mind for longer than a few hours. So you started to come around to the meat pie shop right under Mr. Todd's. The shop owner, Mrs. Lovett, was a sweet and terribly lonely woman, whose meat pies were, also, quickly gaining popularity around its part of town, and it didn't take long for her to take a shine to you as soon as she recognised you as one of her regulars.

While making a new friend wasn't your primary goal when you started hanging around the pie shop, you didn't mind how Mrs. Lovett warmed up to you. She was a sweet and funny woman, in her own way, and you soon recognised she was also dealing with romantic feelings towards Mr. Todd, as she confided in you one day. These feelings were unreciprocated, as far as you knew, although Sweeney visited the shop every night, coming down to fetch his dinner, for free of course. He usually came around after closing his own shop, sometimes even later, when even Mrs. Lovett closed down for the night. He would walk past you two sharing a glass of wine and exchanged a quiet and smooth, although cold 'good evening', before taking a pie and disappearing upstairs again.

But the longer you kept visiting Mrs. Lovett, the more Sweeney started to notice you. Once in a blue moon he would share a glass of wine with you both as you would more or less listen to Minnie ramble about this and that. After some time, one night, when Sweeney was upstairs and you were spending an evening at the pie shop, Mrs. Lovett told you cheekily that Mr. Todd asked about you, how you and her met and why you were around so much. Despite her mischievous smile you felt as if he was wary of your presence here, which puzzled you, but it did not deter you from wanting to get to know the man more.

In the end, it was him who made the first move, and you didn't even realise until much later. One time, when you were accompanying your boss for his monthly trim, Sweeney suggested that he should come around more often, at least every two weeks, because it would do wonders for his hair and beard health. It was evident your boss had no idea whether that was true or not, so he looked at you for confirmation. You shared a look with the barber, through which you tried to communicate to him that if he was planning to swindle your boss, it would be on your head, but something in those dark eyes of his made you trust him, so you confirmed to your boss that yes, coming to the barber more often would not only be beneficial to his hair, but it would also be good for appearances.

From that point on you got closer with the barber much faster than you could even register. One night, as you were sitting at the table in the pie shop across Minnie, nursing your second glass of wine and venting out frustration from your job, Sweeney came down to get his dinner. Before he left though, he stopped in the door to the kitchen, where the pies were made, and stared at you for a while, gaze calculating, but not as cold as you were used to. With the alcohol flowing through your veins you called him out on it, to which he simply replied "Your hair. It would do good with a trimming." before turning around on his heel and walking out. Mrs. Lovett cursed his lack of etiquette and assured you that you looked fine, although getting a trim wouldn't be a bad idea. She knew that given what your job was, you didn't have much time left to treat yourself.

The next time you accompanied your boss to his barber appointment yet again, Sweeney brought up the subject as your boss left you to pay. "Have you thought about my offer?" You blinked up at him, not knowing for a second what he meant, before his eyes shifted to your hair and you understood what he was implying. Feeling the heat rising to your cheeks, you tried to keep your cool as you asked, just to be sure "You meant that you would trim my hair?" You didn't want your voice to come out as unsure and surprised as it did, but if Sweeney noticed it, and something told you he did, the barber didn't mention it or let it show. He only smirked the slightest bit, making you wonder later if you didn't just imagine it, and replied "Well, at this point I would be offended if the first person you tasked with such a job wasn't me. Or do you deem my skills inadequate?" he raised his brow as he jokingly asked, knowing well what your answer would be. Feeling as hot as a boiled potato, you quickly settled the date of your appointment before you were out the door, so that your boss wouldn't scold you for dilly dallying.

When the day of your appointment came, you felt strangely nervous, your legs slightly shaking as you walked up the stairs to Sweeney's dark shop. For some reason, you couldn't shake the feeling of cattle being herded to a butcher. You chalked it up to your crush making you nervous, but that feeling only intensified when Sweeney positioned the barber chair you had sat on, so that you were half laying down. And yet when he tended to your locks, his touch was soft, quick and precise, never wandering where it didn't need to and leaving as soon as he was done in one area, moving swiftly to another. What came as a surprise to you was that he made small talk with you the entire time you were in that chair. Maybe it was because he sensed your nerves, but maybe not, you really couldn't tell. He asked you where you came from, why were you in London of all places, he even asked about your job and your family. The last topic he brushed upon quickly, which made you suspect it was a tough subject for him, an information you filed away safely in your brain to mull over later.

The last thing he told you when you were done and admiring yourself in the mirror he provided was to not tell Mrs. Lovett who cut your hair. You nodded softly and made your way home, feeling like a brand new person. Although the next time you set foot in the pie shop, Minnie's first question was "Did Mr. Todd cut your hair? It looks wonderful, darling!" You didn't confirm nor deny her rhetoric question, only smiling a bit bashfully before Mrs. Lovett insisted on opening 'the good wine' for the occasion. You didn't mention the fact that he refused to take payment for the service...

And as if that wasn't enough embarrassment in the short amount of time, this night at Minnie's pie shop turned out to have gone on much longer than any other one. Mrs. Lovett insisted you stay a bit longer any time you brought up going home for the night. Her reasoning being that since you finally did something for yourself after what must've been quite a long time in her opinion, you deserved to treat yourself some more, because when would an opportunity like this arise again?

And so you stayed seated in the dimly lit pie shop that smelled of baked meat, the likes of which you have never smelled before, and a mixture of herbs that reminded you of a memory long buried in your mind.

The conversation flowed freely and as the alcohol made its rounds through your bloodstream, your tongue became looser, as well as did Minnie's. She told you how her attempts at wooing Mr. Todd were progressing, or rather, were stagnating, with the man ignoring any and every romantic gesture or hint made towards him by his friend. That brought you to joining her in her admiring words for the handsome barber, leading to many laughs and jokes. Maybe it was because of her tipsy state, but you were surprised Mrs. Lovett took your admission of your crush on her upstairs neighbour better than you expected.

Your conversation then moved elsewhere and you were both so engrossed in it that neither of you heard the quiet footsteps leading to the shop. Sweeney's brows rose a little as he opened the door to a peculiar sight. The two people he had allowed closer to himself than anyone else since his return to London were sitting huddled at a table, which wouldn't have been that unusual, if it wasn't for the nearly empty bottle of old and undoubtedly strong wine. Both of your glasses were somewhat filled, the precious liquid spilled here and there in small amounts on the table. If Sweeney wasn't such a gentleman, despite his cold and often ruthless heart, he would say you were drunk. And not just a little bit.

Announcing his presence with a gruff cough, both your and Mrs. Lovett's heads snapped around to face him and he fought the small smirk that grew on his face at the sight. "Mr. Todd! We haven't even noticed you were here!" Minnie quickly addressed him with her signature friendliness. You stayed silent, instead opting to just admire the way Mr. Todd looked in the dim lighting in the shop. You felt you were seeing him completely differently than the other nights you spent there. His eyes reflected the light, making them look even more mysterious and alluring than usual and his normally pale face seemed more livelier. You would have spoken up, offered him some wine, but suddenly, being brought out so suddenly from your conversation with Minnie, your tongue felt big in your mouth, the weight of lead and you just did not have the energy to move it. Or open your mouth for that matter. Somewhere in the back of your mind crossed a thought that maybe you have had a bit too much to drink.

"It is quite late, I am surprised to catch you awake." Mr. Todd pointed out in a neutral tone, despite the playful mirth he was feeling. "Oh but the same could be said about you, Mr. Todd." Mrs. Lovett retaliated cheekily "Besides, we have a good reason to drink into the night! It is my friend's birthday, after all." she announced with an air of pride. You blinked at her a few times, not knowing where she had gotten that information from, because you were pretty sure today was not your birthday at all. Perhaps Minnie has forgotten the reason you were celebrating altogether and her drunken mind just made up a reason on the spot. As you were pondering when actually was your birthday, Mr. Todd spoke up again "Is that so? Well in that case-" and in a few strides he was at yours and Mrs. Lovett's table. He grabbed her half full glass of wine and before you could start wondering if it wasn't half empty, he raised it, grabbing your hand. "Happy birthday." he smiled slightly while you stood up, because you were being congratulated and you didn't want to appear rude, even though there wasn't actually a reason to congratulate you. Mr. Todd downed his, previously Minnie's, glass in one gulp before setting it down again.

Turning to Mrs. Lovett, he addressed her "I need to discuss something with you." he then turned his attention towards you "But it seems there is a more pressing matter at hand." he smirked as he gave you a once over. You felt your cheeks flush, knowing he was right. Standing up was the last straw before your alcohol fueled downfall. You were barely standing, your body swaying side to side slightly to keep itself balanced. Mrs. Lovett studied you for a while as well, before standing, with only a slightly lesser difficulty than you. "Oh I'm so sorry, dear, it seems that I have gone overboard with the drinks." she apologised and you couldn't help but smile softly at her sad tone. "'S alright, Minnie. 'M not mad." you shook your head with a small smile "I best be off though..." mumbling to yourself, you bid your friend a goodnight, not really paying attention to Sweeney, assuming he was waiting for you to leave so that he could discuss whatever it was with his neighbour.

Stumbling away from the table, you were surprised when a hand gripped your upper arm, supporting your weight and grounding your otherwise spinning world. Tracing the arm the hand was attached to with your eyes, you found Sweeney's already looking at your face. You said nothing, in the case that he only supported you in your struggle to weave through the tables in the shop, but as he continued to lead you out of the old building, Mrs. Lovett having gone in the back already, you were confused by this act of chivalry. Not that you took Mr. Todd for a brute, you just didn't expect such a gesture aimed at...yourself. The fact that this was also the first time he has touched you in any way while not necessarily needing so, unlike when he gave you your haircut, did not help your inebriated mind from running wild with conspiracies.

The crisp night air helped clear your head a little bit and you gulped it greedily with deep breaths when you walked out, arm in hand, with the barber. He stood, patiently, right next to you, his secure, but not tight grip on your arm never faltering. If he noticed how you took your sweet time collecting yourself, he didn't mention it, his eyes instead trained on the silver moon hanging in the sky like a lamp, blurred slightly by the infamous London fog. When he sensed you move more into the street, however, he tugged you back towards him slightly, as if he could not let you stray far.

"Where are you going?" he asked, his tone devoid of emotion and yet his eyes shone in a particular way that you couldn't exactly put a finger on in your state. The smirk that once rested on his handsome face was gone and you were perhaps more confused than before. "Home?" you half answered, half asked, unsure of what was the problem. Mr. Todd shook his head sternly "I cannot send you home alone at this time of day and retain a sound mind." he said as if it was the most obvious thing in the world. You couldn't help but laugh at his statement. Where were you supposed to sleep then? Inside the shop? Sliding your arm out of his grip, you grabbed your stomach, your laughter gaining in volume, making you double over. "Oh, you're funny, Mr. Todd!" you wheezed, not caring the man you were addressing was looking at your drunken self with a completely neutral expression, not understanding in the slightest what was so funny "I have to go home! Where else would you have me spend the night?" you asked when you caught your breath, your laughter simmering down into tired giggles. Drunk laughing was hard, but really fun at the same time, you thought.

Sweeney reached out to take your arm again, turning you around to face the stairs like a puppet and started leading you to his home. "You can spend the night upstairs. If I sent you home, alone, you're sure to get robbed...or worse." his voice was cold and harsh and yet you had the sense this sudden change of tone was not due to anything you said. Not taking any chances, just in case, you kept your mouth shut and let him lead you up the stairs while you could feel your face heat up. It felt awfully wrong to just...invade his space like that. If there's one thing you learned about Sweeney, and let's be honest, there weren't many to choose from, it was that he was a very private person. At the same time, he invited you here. If he didn't want you in his space, he could've just let you stay downstairs with Minnie, she would take good enough care of you without a doubt. But what did all this mean?

You said nothing else as you let the barber move you along, much like a puppet, while trying to focus on every confusing thought and feeling that ran through your head. But your energy was quickly dwindling and you couldn't help but to succumb to sleep as soon as our head hit the pillow.

Regaining consciousness again was...unpleasant, to say the least. The first thing you registered was rain. Not very unusual for London though. The next thing was a piercing headache, that threatened to split your skull in two. Groaning, you flipped over in bed. That's when you noticed the smell. This didn't smell like your sheets... Slowly, but surely, the events of the previous night came back to you, even the less than appropriate ending of it. Blinking open your eyes, you let yourself get adjusted to the lighting of the room, before taking a look around. You were, in fact, in Mr. Todd's small abode and you were very probably in his bed too. You could feel heat creeping up your neck as you registered the all too familiar objects of the barber shop, now from a brand new perspective. There was the barber chair, as ominous as ever, the normal chair to the side, where you usually sat, now occupied by the master of the house.

Polishing and sharpening his blades, Sweeney sat by the window, seemingly uninterested and unbothered by basically a stranger waking up in his bed. His unwavering focus was only on his blades, a focus so intense it would send shivers down your spine, if you weren't so engrossed in your own embarrassment. Only when you began to sit up, your arms threatening to give out underneath you, did the barber tear his gaze away from his tools. You tried to get up to your feet as quickly as you could, manners all but forgotten, your only desire was to get out and never return to Mr. Todd's barber shop or Mrs. Lovett's meat pie establishment ever again. But your knees were wobbly and you felt in your body like a newborn fawn, so your quick escape proved to be harder than you thought.

Sweeney looked at you inquisitively and it seemed like he wanted to say something, but you beat him to it, the thought of anything he could and probably would have said making bile rise in your throat. Fighting the nausea, you pushed yourself off the bed and lightly stumbled before standing in front of the barber. "I am so sorry for what transpired yesterday, Mr. Todd." you apologised first and foremost after clearing your throat "You should not have had to witness any of that." looking awkwardly to the side, you continued "However I am very grateful for everything you have done for me yesterday." And with those last words, you bee lined it for the door, only briefly noticing the 'closed' sign on the door that should have been turned around probably hours ago. It wasn't until you were in the middle of the journey home that you realised you didn't even know what time it was, nor did you at least have the decency to make up the bed after you have slept in it. Which brought forth a question...Where did Mr. Todd sleep? There didn't seem to be another sleeping area nor any kind of furniture suitable for such activity in his living/working quarters. You weren't sure what made you blush more, the possibility that you shared a bed or the possibility that he stayed awake somewhere in the same space as you were the whole night. Both seemed strangely...intimate.

For the next few weeks, you avoided Fleet street like the plague. Luckily for you, your boss wasn't in need of a trim anytime soon, even though you did convince him to visit the barber's more than he did previously. But whenever you thought about the mysterious gentleman residing above the pie shop, hot embarrassment flowed through your body like lightning. And so you didn't remind your boss to upkeep his appearance and as usual, the big oaf wouldn't think of such thing himself. He had money, so what if he looked a bit disheveled? Everybody was saving up on everything they could, the rich and poor alike.

Mrs. Lovett was especially vocal about your absence. She worried that she really did offend you or did you wrong somehow during that a bit too wild night. Whenever Sweeney would appear in the shop to fetch his meal, she would bombard him with questions, if he had any news of you, your whereabouts, your wellbeing, or whether your boss' appointment was coming up anytime soon. She regretted now never asking for your address, with how much she'd come to like you in the time you've spent together. You brought a normalcy to her life that she's dreamed of oh so much.

And while Sweeney wasn't pretty much vocal at all towards your sudden absence, when he closed down for the day and looked out of his window, overlooking the grey London sky and dark and gloomy rooftops, he wondered where you could possibly be. What were you doing? Were you alright?

You had came into the vengeful barber's life unexpectedly and while at first Minnie's obsession with you irritated him, making his goals, his work, that much more dangerous, he couldn't help but notice your good nature. Not only towards his neighbour, even though with how strange the woman could be it was surprising in itself, but towards him, even towards your boss. It wasn't that you were naive, no, he could see in your eyes that you knew exactly how cruel and unjust this world was, and yet you still chose to be kind. Despite all the hardships he knew you were dealt by destiny, no, by other people, the biggest monsters on this earth, you still remained with your heart open to others. And he admired that. Your presence on Fleet street was like a beacon of clean light in the constant grey fog, when he sometimes glanced at the street below him and you happened to be there, he always recognized you, as if you shone more brightly than others.

The lonely man spent many a night pondering on what was it that made you occupy his mind so much, what made you so special. He still loved his wife, and his daughter, wherever she may be, that much he knew. But sometimes...sometimes when he looked at you, your face, as you were laughing with Mrs. Lovett about this or that, he could see her smile. And it was so reassuring, as if Lucy herself was sending her mark upon you, signaling to him that you were someone he needed to protect. And when he came to terms with this revelation, he swore to himself that that was exactly what he was going to do.

So of course it was no problem for him to let you spend a night in his bed. He found your drunken antics and your embarrassment the next morning quite endearing. If you would've paid more attention to him and your surroundings that morning, you would've noticed the small smirk on his face as he watched you clumsily apologize, even though he saw no reason for it. And you would've noticed the two cups of coffee, along with some painkillers standing prepared on the table near the bed. But Sweeney didn't think his actions would've driven you away from him and Mrs. Lovett like that. He knew there was nothing that he could do except wait for you to come back, although he didn't like the idea of something happening to you without him knowing it, being able to prevent it. And he didn't even want to think about the scenario that you would never be back. He saw the way you looked at him, studied him, the confusion in your eyes from the way he behaved so often and now he wanted nothing more than to tell you everything and sort things out. Even if he wasn't sure how exactly to do that. Benjamin was good with words, but Sweeney? Sweeney was all about action, because unlike Benjamin, Sweeney Todd knew just how little weight words could hold in the world.

It didn't take long for you to start missing Fleet street, with your two favourite residents, Mrs. Lovett and Mr. Todd. You contemplated when should you pay them a visit and how you would explain your avoidance of them, until after one night, when that became irrelevant.

It happened in the evening. You were let go from work for the day and while you were on your way home, thinking mostly about whether you had any leftovers from yesterday or if you had to cook dinner from scratch and not paying much attention to your surroundings, when you were jumped. Two men, none of which you knew, cornered you against a wall of a building along which you were walking, asking for some money. You, not wanting any more trouble than necessary, pulled out your pouch, where you kept all the change you needed, but it wasn't enough for whatever they were planning. With two figures towering at least a good head above from you, demanding you do what they say, you didn't dare look them directly in their faces, so you knew little of what they looked like. But they smelled awful and faintly of fish. When they asked to show them what more you had in your bag, yo asked them to leave you be, that you've already given them everything important you had on you. That proved to be a mistake, since one of them grabbed you roughly by the arms from behind, while the other ripped your bag from your hands and turned it upside down. You struggled to get away from the bastard's bruising grip and started calling out for help, which was another mistake. The guy that was going through your things, most of which were only daily necessities, such as your keys and whatnot, suddenly sprung up and hit you in the face, gruffly telling you to shut up, if you valued your life. It was at that point you noticed his voice was slightly slurred.

Luckily, an officer must've been patrolling nearby, or someone must've taken pity on you and called him over, it wasn't that late in the evening after all, because as soon as you heard the distinct sound of a bobby whistle, the first guy let you go while the second one hastily grabbed your notebook and both of them booked it down the street, weaving through the city's intricate alleyways. The officer quickly asked what happened and told you to stay put while he chased after them. But it wasn't even five minutes before he was back, informing you that he lost them and he asked you to accompany him to the police station to give a statement on what happened and they would see what could be done.

The next day, you showed up to work with a nasty looking black eye, without your notebook or a single penny. The police officers told you that with the limited description you provided they weren't sure how much could be done. After telling your boss what happened, he surprisingly took the matter quite seriously. Not only did you write down ever single appointment he needed to attend to in your notebook, but some quite serious and important information, codes to safes, finance tracking, different information having to do with sales and so on. He asked what police station you went to yesterday and said he would get in touch with the officers, since it wasn't impossible that the attack wasn't planned ahead and the notebook was exactly what someone was after. You didn't need or want to know anything more than that. Your boss also gave you two weeks off, to let your eye heal, commenting how it would seem weird if you accompanied him looking like that and he didn't need any more rumors being spread about him, like physically abusing his personnel. He gave you your money back, saying it was going from your next paycheck until the police got your original money back, plus some more to buy a new notebook. As incompetent as he could sometimes be, he was still a businessman, and even though his motivation for these choices was questionable, you were still glad he made them.

As soon as you were outside again, your legs immediately took you in the direction of Fleet street. Still quite shaken up after the incident, the thing you needed the most at that moment was a friend and something told you Minnie would not turn you down.

And you were not mistaken. As you took a step inside the pie shop, Mrs. Lovett's arms were around you, her worried and apologetic rambling reaching your ears as soon as they got used to the buzz of the busy establishment. As soon as the woman pulled away from you, her relieved expression turned to one of shock as she carefully cradled your cheek where the bruise was, asking "What in god's name happened?" Immediately she brought you to the back of the shop and fetched the cleanest rag, which was then promptly soaked in cold water, so that you could relieve some of the ache of the black eye. And she had you remain there until closing, spending her time between serving customers and preparing pies chatting with you. She informed you that she wasn't mad about your sudden disappearance, that she was just very worried and then she promptly asked you your address "In case you want to pull something on me like that again." she reasoned with a cheeky smile.

After Minnie closed down in the evening, you both could sit uninterrupted in the main area, with the businesswoman cleaning up here and there and re-wetting your rag. Anytime you tried to offer her help as a thank you, she would just sternly order you to sit back down and not even think about work, since you've been given 'a sick leave'. Just as she was done with cleaning and was about to head out to get rid of the dirty water, a person you were still dreading to meet walked into the room. You immediately knew who it was by the way Mrs. Lovett's eyes brightened, her face blooming into one of sweet happiness as she cooed out a greeting "Oh, Mr. Todd! Look who decided to join us today! Poor thing got mugged yesterday, can you believe it?" she shook her head, carrying her bucket out the door "So nice of you to join us, there are some pies hidden in the oven in the back for you!" she called behind her as the door clicked close after her.

There was nothing for you to do but turn around, your face heating up again, only praying Mr. Todd wouldn't pay attention to it. But to your slight surprise, he only stared intently at the black eye adorning your face, like a joke of a monocle the more posh men liked to wear when out and about. With a few quick strides, the barber was next to you, his hand under your chin, tipping your head upwards, so he could assess your wound better under the light. His face was contorted into a frown, but his eyes were nothing but gentle as he murmured "Who did this to you?" His voice was ice cold, but somehow you knew you didn't need to be scared. "I don't know." you whispered "The police are after them now." You both said nothing as you only continued to study each other.

When the sound of a door being opened could be heard, Sweeney gently let go of your chin and took a step back from you, but not quite leaving your side. Mrs. Lovett trotted happily back into the room, taking the seat across from you and looking up at her neighbour, she patted the chair beside hers. Not waiting for him to comply, which was good, because Sweeney did not move an inch from where he stood, she asked you, her expression concerned "Darling, do you think it'll be okay for you to walk home alone at this hour?"

Looking out of the window, you saw the street was getting dark. It would not take much more time for night to completely settle over the city. You felt so safe and comfortable, that you completely forgot about the passage of time. Surely there will be little to no people out at this hour. And those who will be outside roaming the streets are definitely not the kind of people you want to associate yourself with. And while you had no problem walking on the bring of darkness alone before, after yesterday's events, you couldn't help the cold shiver that ran down your back at the thought of the many alleyways you'd have to pass before getting home.

Seeing your hesitance, Mrs. Lovett placed her hand softly on yours "It's alright, love. You can stay here for the night! I'm sure there's plenty of room for one more person in the house." her smile was so reassuring, you couldn't help your own taking over your face. But you shook your head "As much as I appreciate your offer, I have to go home. The officers might need me for more questionings, it's best I don't stay out of the house too long." you explained with a small smile and got up from your chair. Surprisingly, it was Sweeney who spoke next "I'll walk you home. If you wouldn't mind, that is." he offered, his eyes flickering between your face and the table during the latter part. "Oh, Mr. Todd! Such a gentleman!" Minnie squealed adoringly, standing up as well "Trust me, love, with Mr. Todd, you're in good hands." something about the way she looked at the barber when she said that made you feel strange, but you had no reason not to believe her or the quiet man standing beside you. So you nodded and looked towards the window again "Best we head off though, I wouldn't want you to have to return when it's completely dark." you muttered, more to yourself and then looked at your companion for confirmation. The dangerous glint you caught flashing through his eyes made you shiver again, but you ignored it.

After hugging Mrs. Lovett goodbye, you were on your way. The first few minutes passed in complete silence, you had no idea what to say and Mr. Todd wasn't one for many words. Sighing, you decide to be the one to break the ice "I...I'm sorry, once again, Mr. Todd. For running out on you like that. You've done so much for me and I repaid you horribly." your gaze was set on the stone path as you apologised. For a while, the barber said nothing, which did not help your nerves at all. "Sweeney." That was the only thing he said. You whipped your head around to look at him, your mouth hanging agape in confusion. "I'm sorry?" Sweeney then looked at you, a single chuckle escaping his chest through his smirking lips. In the dim night lights of the London street, he looked possibly more attractive than ever before. "My name. I feel like we don't have to keep up such formalities, since you've spent a night in my bed already."

You couldn't look him in the eyes anymore, your face heating up. "You make it sound like something much more serious." you pouted. He chuckled again. This was the most you've heard him talk or just express himself in any way since you've known him. "And it wasn't? I don't let just anyone into my bed, you know." It was clear as day he was enjoying this. But his words held an underlying meaning, one which was much more deeper than the lighthearted teasing. Sweeney slowed into a stop and you followed suit beside him. The last street lamp was now behind him, leaving his face covered mostly in shadows. And yet you could see his eyes, vulnerable in a way he probably hasn't been in a long, long time, you could feel his intense gaze on your face, studying your every small reaction. "What are you saying?" you breathed out, your heart in your throat. Sweeney took a step closer "What I'm saying is that you've grown to be quite important to me. After that night..." he stopped, searching for the right words to continue "I realised many things. And I've realised...that I want to keep you close. To protect you. To know you and to allow myself to be known by you. If you'll let me, that is." and he slowly reached for your hand, holding it in both of his oh so gently. "Do you deem me worthy of knowing your heart? Your soul?"

You could feel your breath hitch in your throat as you were overwhelmed by sudden conflicting emotions. But the one that stood out from all of them was... "As long as you'll deem me worthy of knowing yours." you replied in almost a whisper. And with those words, that one sentence, it was as if the tension in the air disappeared all at once. Sweeney stood beside you once more, this time offering you his arm to take and after you've linked your arm through his, he continued to escort you home. Not just as an acquaintance, not as a friend...but perhaps not yet as a lover. But there was time for all of that. Right now, there was the chilly London night air, you and him. And you could figure out the details, such as breaking the news to Minnie, or discovering why exactly there was a trapdoor behind the barber chair, some other time. Tonight was just for you.

Part 4: Not Alone

Part 1: Making Friends on Pabu

Part 2: The Warning

Part 3: Truth & Intimacy

Warnings: Fluffy AF, Light Romance, Violence

Word Count: 2324

Hi friends, thanks for reading. This little fan fiction has been my escape for a few minutes every day. It's not amazing and there's probably some plot holes I won't dig myself out of, but I'm having fun. Crosshair is such a brutally sweet character and I've loved trying to write him decently. There's some cameos and serious plot going on in this next chapter. Sorry if you were here for a one-shot. Maybe I'll try to write some of those after I conclude this story. Anyway, enjoy!

You awoke the next morning next to Crosshair in your ship’s narrow bunk. Rolling into him, you noticed he was already awake. 

“Have you been awake long?” you turned more fully towards him, concerned.

“I slept well enough,” he sighed. “Maybe better than I have in years.” He tightened his embrace around you. You relaxed into him once more and admired his breath on your skin.

“You know,” he started to open up, “I’ve spent too many nights alone in barracks, prison cells, and ship bunks. I woke up early, assuming I was alone again.” He hesitated, “But you were here… with me.”

He pressed a kiss into your shoulder. “This is the longest I’ve ever wanted to stay in bed,” he admitted.

You smiled and interrupted his embrace to turn to face him. You leaned your forehead against his and gazed into his intense brown eyes.

“Even if we could stay here forever—” you started, but Crosshair interjected, “It wouldn’t be long enough,” he sighed.

—

Feeling well-rested, you and Crosshair eventually made it out of bed and wandered into your ship’s kitchen. Feasting on what cereals and rations you had, you filled pockets and your bag with extras for the road. 

“I have a bunch of armor laying around in the back,” you said with a mouthful of cereal. “I figure we just see what fits and blend in with the crowds.”

“What is your plan to sell the piece off?” Crosshair interrogated a little. “I have some contacts that collect Jedi artifacts. I’m hoping they’ll be interested,” you sighed. “You’re hoping?” Crosshair grumbled. “I don’t have a plan. But this is all I can do right now,” you worried. 

“You are — ,” Crosshair started.

“Reckless. I know,” you admitted.

“ — Trying your best,” Crosshair tried to lighten up.

“Do you have any ideas?” you asked softly. “You can definitely call some shots if you want.”

Crosshair exhaled, “No. There’s no way to shake the Empire’s attention off of you, but getting rid of this should help.” He hesitated to open up with you again, “I’m here to protect you, for as long as I can.”

—--

Coruscant's underworld buzzed with foreign and familiar chatter between living species and droids. Each street had its own crowd to get lost in. Wearing the dark, unique helmets and armor you had on the ship, you and Crosshair moved through the crowds attempting to attract as little attention as possible. It was much easier said than done. “We already have eyes on us. You didn’t have any helmets that would make you look—” Crosshair complained. “What?” you stammered back.

“Well, less like a bounty hunter?” He opined.

“I already told you; I can’t show my face here,” you looked him up and down, “And you shouldn’t either.” “Nobody is going to care about another long-lost clone,” Crosshair muttered. “You were never an ordinary clone, and you know it,” you rebutted. “True.” Crosshair concluded.

You and Crosshair continued to wander up a street in Coruscant. The gutters were littered with trash and reflected blurred neon lights. Changing music boomed from each venue you passed; hearing passerby’s slice of life conversations in the midst. 

Walking as casual as you could, it was true that you were gathering eyes. Crosshair’s height and stature along with your full-faced black helmets caused the on-coming foot traffic to spread, giving you space in every direction. It was as if you and Crosshair were walking through the crowd in a bubble.

“We’re almost there,” you sigh close to Crosshair’s helmet. You duck into a faintly lit bar with Crosshair following closely behind you. Making your way past the bartender, small dancing crowd, and booths, you disappear down the back stairs into a hallway with closed doors.

You slink to a door in the middle of the hallway and knock, but nobody answered. “You didn’t check to see if they were here first?” Crosshair pressed. “I couldn’t risk using my personal comm number. She won’t pick up anonymous calls either,” you explained while trying to manually open the door. The door wouldn’t budge.

“How the hell did you end up back here?” A voice down the hallway materialized. 

Pulling your pistol out startled, you shined a light on the figure approaching. 

“I see you’re still kinda jumpy, baby,” the man ran his hand through his longer locks and stopped advancing just a few feet from you and Crosshair.

“Oh Maker, why are you here?” you lowered your blaster and light. 

“Who’s he?” Crosshair and the man said simultaneously. You looked at Crosshair and hesitated, “Crosshair, this is… my friend, Ric.”

“Just friend?” Ric, boisterous as always, exploded, “You faked your death and didn’t tell anybody you’re actually alive?” “That would defeat the point of faking my death,” you bickered. Ric pressed harder, “Or rather, you faked your death instead of breaking up with me?”

“Yeah, well,” you shrugged, “It’s a lot more believable for all parties if someone mourns my death.” 

“Do you even know what you put me through?” Ric nearly yelled. You shrugged again acknowledging the question.

Ric took a step forward in anger. “You’re psychotic!”

Crosshair took a step forward and put his arm in front of you in hopes to de-escalate the conflict and protect you. 

Ric flinched forward at Crosshair, you raised your blaster at him.

“Don’t touch him,” you ordered to Ric.

Ric took a step back, motioning his hands to drop the conversation.

“Does he even know who you are?” he eyed Crosshair up and down and paused. You and Crosshair didn’t move from your near-combat stance. 

Ric sighed, “Why are you back?” “I’m looking for Zena,” you said tartly.

“Off-planet. So I guess you’re stuck with me,” Ric huffed.

“Lovely,” you grumbled.

Gritting your teeth you mentally ran through your situation. Ric knows you're alive, so regardless if you worked with him or not to get rid of the holocron, he’s a real liability. He knows your identity and situation with the Empire. “So, what can I do you for?” Ric tried to restart the conversation.

Crosshair felt your hesitation to rengage. “We’re looking to offload something of high value,” Crosshair snaked into the transaction.

“Does Zena still collect Jedi artifacts and weapons?” you found your voice again. Ric’s face shifted to a more serious expression, “What did you find?” “How do I know you’re not going to sell me out the second I tell you?” you fretted.

“If Zena is interested, then it’s in my interest to acquire it,” Ric crossed his arms. The deal was going nowhere fast. Your gut growing anxious from distrust, you exhaled and looked around the hallway to ensure privacy.

“You rarely squirm, baby” Ric imposed, “You must have something real good.”

“You’re gross,” you shot at him while you unzipped your bag. You took out the holocron and showed Ric. His eyes grew large and he came closer. 

“Is that real?” Ric reached out to grab it, but Crosshair pushed his hand away. “It’s real. Is Zena interested?” you bantered back. “No. Not in that. But I know someone who is,” Ric responded. You and Crosshair look at each other, both sensing something was off. “I’d rather know who I’m selling it to personally,” you said as you put it back into your bag. “Thanks for your time, Ric.”

“You don’t trust me?” Ric stepped in front of you to prevent you leaving the hallway. “How is it that you don’t trust me, but I trust you?”

“I’m not here to rehash the past, Ric. I’m dead to you, remember?” you affirmed.

Embarrassed that Crosshair had to witness a conversation with a ghost from your past, you took his hand and squeezed it a little in gratitude that you had him there for support. Ric was manipulative and years ago; you’d use him and he’d use you. 

“Just let me know if Zena is interested, okay?” you pushed your way past Ric in the hallway, Crosshair following you closely. Crosshair looked down at Ric intimidatingly as he passed. 

The club music rattled within your chest as you tried to make your way up the stairs and out of the bar; it was so loud you couldn’t make out what Crosshair was trying to indicate to you. 

With his helmet masking his lips, it was difficult to make out his sudden urgency as he waved his hands and was shouting. He jumped on you, forcing you to the ground, just as blue blaster fire went over your head. The music stopped.

You peered up from the table Crosshair dove you behind. Imperial guards moved into the bar, their blasters fixed on you. Looking back to the rear staircase, you see Ric lean against the wall, as if he were waiting for a show to start.

“Bastard,” you muttered to Crosshair.  “He must have called them before we even got inside.” 

“You sure know how to pick them,” Crosshair mocked you a little.

Crosshair readied his rifle and patiently waited for more soldiers to file inside. He focused on one of them, hesitated, then pulled the trigger sending a ricocheting fire that blasted nearly all of the stormtroopers down. The few remaining soldiers were easy to pick off between you and Crosshair. Within seconds, the room was stabilized and returned to silence.

You stared up at Crosshair, “My boyfriend is a… God.”

“Boyfriend?” Crosshair gushed. “Uh-huh,” you could hear him smile through his helmet.

More soldiers burst into the room, sending more shots into your direction. You and Crosshair blasted a few, but were ultimately overrun. You and he ducked behind the table once more in a slight panic.

“Where were these Imperial reinforcements when I needed them?” Crosshair fumed. 

“They know I’m here. I’m not a big ticket item for the Empire, but I am for—-” you lost your thought as you peered to the door. “Oh, son of a sarlacc.” 

The guard at the door divided and a familiar face appeared, Admiral Wilhuff Tarkin. 

The room fell to silence.

“It’s a coincidence I happened to be on-planet for your arrival,” his words danced in the air. “I had a feeling you would re-surface eventually,” 

You sighed, the jig was up. You stood and bravely took off your helmet, locking eyes with the Admiral. 

“Hi Uncle,” you snarked.

“And you’re not traveling alone, I see,” the Admiral tilted his head to see Crosshair kneeling behind the table at your side. 

Crosshair stood and took his helmet off too.

“And with a clone, no less,” Tarkin sneered. 

You grabbed Crosshair’s hand and laced your fingers with his.

“Or, with a clone, no less.” Tarkin emphasized, raising an eyebrow. He squinted his eyes at Crosshair, “It has been a while since we documented you escaping imprisonment, CT-9904.”

Crosshair narrowed his eyes at the Admiral and tightened his jaw. “You remembered. How touching,” he growled.

“I never did understand your fascination with old toys,” Tarkin said, focusing back on you, “Or how you could lower your standards to court Imperial property.”

Crosshair lurched forward in anger, but he hesitated as the blasters remained fixed on you both. 

Tarkin walked close, inspecting you and Crosshair. “Search them,” he instructed his guards. 

The guards took your helmets, blasters, patted down your armor, took your knife, and then your pack. One guard opened the bag and slowly lifted the holocron from it.

“Sir, we found this,” the TK buckethead reported handing the holocron to Tarkin. 

“This changes a few things,” Tarkin said as he took it into his hands. “The Emperor and Lord Vader have searched the galaxy for such artifacts with little success.” His eyes traveled from the holocron back to you and Crosshair. “I have little interest in their ancient religion, but not disclosing this information would be unwise.”

“Guards,” Tarkin began to walk from the room, “Load them up on my cruiser and take them to our ship. I’m sure Lord Vader will have no mercy for these traitors.”

“Lord–who?” you questioned. You remembered the Inquisitor saying the same name back on Pabu, but you dare not reveal your run-in with the Inquisitor in front of the Admiral.

“It appears you’ve been smuggling valuable information, Jedi information.” Tarkin explained poorly.

“Jedi information? It’s an art piece,” you argued.

“Take them away,” Tarkin jeered.

“But you’re family!” you grunted as a guard cuffed your wrists and hit your shoulder to walk forward. Tarkin turned before exiting and without emotion relayed, “You are no family of mine.”

You and Crosshair were led to a cruiser parked in the middle of the street. Coruscant's social rumblings gave the scene no pause, as if Imperial arrests were as common as a local stray loth-cat. 

“I’m sorry,” you shifted to Crosshair as much as you could. “We’re in this together,” Crosshair assured you.

“I’m not sure what this just turned into. But I have a bad feeling about this,” you whispered.

“Mm-hmm,” Crosshair agreed.

The cruiser’s doors locked and sealed dampening the club scene of Coruscant behind you. You and Crosshair were shuffled to the side of the ship and were motioned to sit. Hearing the engines ignite, the ship took flight. 

The cruiser left Coruscant's atmosphere and docked inside an Imperial starship. You and Crosshair stared out the small corner of the window you could see.

You were then led off the ship and checked into the starship’s detention level. 

You were pushed into your cell, which was across the hallway from Crosshair’s. The transport guard left you without a word, leaving you and Crosshair imprisoned. You stood at the cell door and listened to the Stormtrooper’s chatter down the hall. 

“Vader will arrive sometime in the next few rotations to deal with these prisoners personally,” the transport guard said to the prison guard.

You gazed at Crosshair, his eyes complex in emotion.

“I’m sorry you’re alone in a prison cell again,” you apologized.

“I’m not alone,” he remained soft.

Part 5: Family Matters

-----

Tag list: @tentakelspektakel