Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

Sunset

Word Count: 185

Universe: Canon

Xaden breathed in the crisp air as he watched Violet play with a stray puppy that had jumped out of the bushes a few yards from him. They had stopped a few hours’ flight away from Basgaith, just to get away, when she’d seen the puppy.  He had fully intended to join her on the ground and join in, but instead he stood there and just watched.

After dismounting Tairn, she had decided to unravel her braid and let her hair flow down her back. Xaden watched her silver tipped hair sway with the breeze; the happiness written all over her face as she pet the over energetic pup.

It was almost idealistic — the way the sunset had created an ethereal glow to the atmosphere. It was almost as though Violet were glowing, radiating light to everything around her, and if Xaden were honest, it didn’t matter that she wasn’t the cause. Violet had that effect on him, regardless.

It was perfect the way his life had started to come together in the dimming glow of the sky, and he couldn’t have wished for anything else.

Chapter Text

Sock

Word Count: 172

Universe: Modern

Sloane, for the life of her, could not find her sock.

It was strange because she found one of the pair, but the other had been missing for days on end. Sloane went through and searched every nook and cranny of her apartment — on her bed, under her bed, the kitchen, the closets, the bathrooms. Hell, she even went through her dryer’s filter, but it was as though the sock had magically disappeared. 

To be fair, it was just a sock, but Sloane couldn’t stand having just one half of the pair. It seemed wrong . 

Until she got a call from Dain the next day that she turned her apartment upside down. 

“Are you missing a sock?” was the greeting she received as soon as she answered the phone call.

Sloane blinked once. “Um, yes, and hello to you too.” She refrained from adding dick at the end of her sentence. 

“You left it here,” he laughed. “Pretty sure in your hurry to get to work, you never grabbed the other sock.”

Chapter Text

Marry You

Word Count: 174

Universe: Modern

Violet was zoning out, staring at the sea in front of her. Her eyes were focused on the way the sun glinted off the gentle waves, and she felt the sensation of Xaden playing with her fingers quietly, but her mind was blank. It was rare for her to be at peace in such a way — usually her brain was going at many miles an hour, constantly thinking or worrying about one thing or another.

But then again, ever since Xaden came into her life, peace had begun to visit her mind more often. 

“Let’s get married,” she blurted, not even bothering to look at him. The sensation of him playing with her hand stopped, instead the grip of his fingers tightened around her palm.

“I know you’re waiting to propose — I found the ring — but I just…really want to marry you.”

“Now?” He was, obviously, astonished.

“Now.”

She finally turned to look at her boyfriend, and with her heart in her throat, Violet anxiously waited for a response.

He only grinned at her.

Chapter Text

Emerald

Word Count: 121

Universe: Canon

The emerald had gleamed while it was on the hilt of the Sword of Tyrrendor.

It still gleamed while it rested on her finger, but somehow it felt different.

The emerald, along with everything it symbolized, was now hers. The words binding the two of them sank into her soul, hopefully ensuring that she would carry a piece of him at all times. 

He turned to look at her, the veins branching out from his eyes, and she resolutely looked right back at the man she loved, not what he had become. 

“I love you,” he whispered, taking a hold of her hand. She squeezed his fingers tightly, trying to hold onto him the best she could.

“And I love you.”

Chapter Text

Blue

Word Count: 184

Universe: Canon

To many, Sgaeyl was a ruthless, fearless dragon, capable of killing anyone with a flick of her tail.

To Xaden, she was his lifeline, his source of power, his most treasured confidant besides Violet.

To Tairn, she was his mate, and currently wrapped around him as they rested in the sun. 

To her rider’s daughter, however? She was just Blue.

“Mommy! Blue!” There was no hope that the little human would be able to pronounce her name, and she had a small vested interest in keeping her rider’s hatchling alive, so she let it be. 

Tairn’s rider simply chuckled, “No, baby. We can’t go near her right now since she’s resting.” 

Let the child approach, Sgaeyl spoke into the shared connection. To her credit, Violet did not startle and simply smiled. “Okay, never mind. Go on.”

“Blue! Blue!” the little girl cheered as she was set onto the ground and hobbled her way over. A hand came down to Sgaeyl’s snout, and Sgaeyl simply closed her eyes.

Your daughter is a handful, she told her rider.

You love her, was his instant response.

Unfortunately.

Chapter Text

Poison

Word Count: 194

Universe: Canon

“Violet, you can’t keep defaulting to poisoning people,” Xaden said as he trailed after her on the way to meet Andarna. 

“Who said I poisoned them?” she answered, refusing to turn around to look at him. If he wanted, he could have very easily caught up to her, but he remained a few paces behind. 

“Your previous history of poisoning people so you wouldn’t have to fight them?”

“That was then, and this is now.”

“Then was only a few years ago, love.”

That made Violet pause and turn to look at him. “People can change over the course of a few years,” she responded in a very matter of fact tone.

Xaden stopped right in front of her. “Violence.”

He simply looked at her for a bit, and, just like he hoped, she crumbled with a sigh and a roll of her eyes. “Okay, fine. I was getting annoyed by the constant questions about having a kid so I may have mixed something into the assembly’s food to make them sick for a few days. It’s no big deal.”

“Oh, yes, of course.”

“Your sarcasm is not appreciated.” He just laughed in response.

Chapter Text

Confidence

Word Count: 191

Universe: Canon

The girls, and the occasional guy, were surrounding Ridoc at the bar, and Violet didn’t even bother smothering her smile at the sight. Ridoc was thriving under the attention, and yet he still turned back to look at the squad every so often with a bright smile. 

“Where does he get the confidence from?” Rhiannon muttered, sipping at her beer. Violet turned to look up at her friend.

“Don’t you remember? He fucks like a third,” Violet answered, trying to keep a straight face but a snicker escaped her anyway at the thought of Ridoc trying to get a third-year into his bed a couple of years ago.

Her friend joined her in the laughter. “I wonder if that is still a compliment now that we’re out of that hell-hole.”

Violet turned back to look at Ridoc, to see him intensely in conversation with a man. She watched as he trailed a finger down the man’s nape, watched as the man’s eyes fluttered, and damn. Hook, line, and sinker.

“I’m not going to lie,” Rhi started, “his confidence reminds me of Xaden. These two are smooth.”

“Please don’t make that comparison.”

Chapter Text

Jealousy

Word Count: 200

Universe: Canon

“Was that how it felt with Cat?” 

The question was sudden, breaking the silence between the two of them. Xaden looked down at Violet, her head in his lap as her fingers twisted around themselves. He reached out and placed a hand over hers, stilling the movement. Violet’s shields were up so he couldn’t get a feel for her emotions, but they were clear on her face.

And yet, he still asked. 

“How what felt?”

“The jealousy. My insecurity. I see you with Halden and wonder how you could ever imagine being jealous of…that. And then I remember the conversation we had about Cat after the mat fight.”

Xaden smirked at the thought of that day. “I don’t remember the conversation as much as what had occurred.” The insinuation was clear in his voice. Violet reached up and pinched his bicep, and he pretended that it didn’t sting.

“Be serious.”

He laughed lightly and moved his hand to run his fingers through her hair. “To be fair, I told you all of that and still did the exact same thing, so really, I can’t blame you. I just can’t help it, and it’s nice to know that you couldn’t either.”

Chapter Text

Arranged

Word Count: 159

Universe: Modern

Xaden watched the baby Sorrengail, but it was very clear from her stiff shoulders that she did not want to be watched. Her eyes were trained on the window, but he knew there was no way she was actually looking at anything twenty stories off the ground. 

He resisted the urge to tap his boot on the ground, but the atmosphere was just so goddamn uncomfortable. Xaden was trained to never show it, though, so he kept his eyes forward.

“Can you please stop staring at me?” she asked with a strong voice but he could hear the waver in her tone. “It’s not like we don't have the rest of our lives for you to stare at me.”

“What if I just want to start now?”

That got her to turn to look at him. “Why? You hate me, and the feeling is reciprocated.”

“Well we're getting married, I might as well get used to seeing you around.”

Chapter Text

Drive

Word Count: 190

Universe: Modern

Xaden was over everything.

It had been a long and exhausting day, and he just wanted to crawl into bed. Unfortunately, however, he was an adult, and he had adult things that needed to get done. For one, he had to feed himself. There was also folding the laundry that had been sitting in the dryer for two days.

He was tempted to go pick up takeout instead of spending time and energy cooking, but as he considered his options at a red light, he just happened to look over at the car that pulled up in the lane next to him. He blinked and then turned his head back to stare at the red light.

Until Xaden processed exactly what he had seen.

He turned his head back around to find his neighbor, Ridoc, banging his head and jamming to whatever was playing in the car. Ridoc turned to look at Xaden, probably sensing his stare, and waved at Xaden while bobbing his head to the music before making a right turn.

By the time he got home with his takeout, there was a reluctant smile on his face.

Chapter Text

Forest

Word Count: 197

Universe: Canon

“I can’t believe you’ve tainted forests for me,” Ridoc muttered from beside Violet. She turned to look at him, sending him a questioning glance. He looked back at her and simply raised an eyebrow.

“What?” she asked, still absolutely confused with where his brain was going. And apparently, so did Tairn because even though the surly dragon didn’t say anything, Violet could feel his judgement seeping through the bond. 

“Every time the two of us go out for a walk, we somehow end up in a forest,” Ridoc said with a sigh, the exasperation clear in his voice. It wasn’t true exasperation, though, and Violet knew that he was going to say something stupid. “And then, I have to be careful not to piss you off so I don’t piss your boyfriend off.”

And there it was.

“You really should be more scared of me, Ridoc,” she casually pointed out. “I could stab you a lot faster than his shadows would strangle you.”

He raised his arms in a placating manner. “Hey, I’m just saying. I can’t go into a forest with you anymore without thinking of knowing way too much about your sex life.”

“Shut up.”

Chapter Text

Peace

Word Count: 159

Universe: Canon

There was something about sitting in this place, quietly listening to the scratch of her quill on the parchment. Everything was muted. He knew that it wasn’t simply because he was in the Scribe’s Quadrant, but rather the presence of the beautiful woman next to him.

He simply watched her, taking in everything about her appearance and her actions. Of course she knew he was watching her, but if she had a problem, she’d tell him.

He just wanted to be near her, and he was content.

Her robe’s hood was lopsided over her shoulder, and papers and parchment were spread out in front of her. Despite the fact that they were in public, nothing else mattered; the quiet chatter from a few tables away, the movement as people walked back and forth, the squeak of the wheels on the carts. Even Slisaeg was quiet.

And for the first time in a very long time, he was at peace.

Chapter Text

Wand

Word Count: 185

Universe: Modern

She felt like a little kid.

To be fair, with her short height, she looked like one too. 

The robe was engulfing her, the edges almost brushing the ground, and if it weren’t for her (almost indecently short) skirt peeking through the robe, Violet would truly look like a 12 year old, and not her 24 year old self. It was even worse seeing Xaden stand next to her in his costume. 

At least it was obvious they were dressed as wizards from Harry Potter with the house emblems embroidered over the breast pocket — Ravenclaw for Violet, and Sytherin for Xaden. 

“It’s wrong how you look like my dad,” Violet pointed out, holding out her wand in the direction of their reflection in the mirror. Xaden snorted and pushed her hand down and stole her wand. He used it to poke her gently in the cheek, and she batted him away with a scowl.

“It’s not my fault you’re so short.”

“It’s not my fault, either!”

“Oh yes, we should entirely go visit your mother and blame her.”

“I’d rather stick myself with that wand.”

Chapter Text

House

Word Count: 185

Universe: Modern

“Okay, so what you’re telling me is that you’d be Gryffindor? And not Hufflepuff?” Ridoc asked, surprise written all over his face.

“Of course!” Rhi exclaimed, leaning back against the couch. “I’m the first one in line to try out the new stuff we do. If anything, you’d be Hufflepuff.”

Violet looked back at Ridoc, waiting for his response. It was like she was watching a tennis match, her eyes following the volley of the conversation. “Me? Since when have you known me to be patient? That’s Sawyer.”

“Why am I getting dragged into this?! Drag Violet!”

“Oh hell no,” she answered, pelting Sawyer in the face with a popcorn kernel. “I’m a Ravenclaw and there’s no question about that.”

“Okay, what about Xaden?”

“Hands down, Slytherin. The man would outwit you in seconds,” she answered proudly. “If you want someone who’s clearly another in-between — Liam.”

“Hey, now wait a minute,” he started, “I have no intention of getting in between this.” 

Ridoc grinned. “Oh, yes! You’re clearly a Hufflepuff too!”

“Gryffindor, obviously,” argued Rhiannon. 

“Oh for fuck’s sake. Violet, I’m going to kill you.”

Chapter Text

Beauty

Word Count: 154

Universe: Canon

Despite having been awake for nearly 20 hours, she found herself in the library yet again. 

She should’ve wanted to be out of her dress by now, having been squeezed into a corset on top of her dragon scale one. The women that had helped her dress had suggested leaving the dragon scale corset off, but there was no way in hell she’d take it off. Not now. 

But beauty was pain, and all that, but so was surviving. Violet was barely surviving. 

Violet carefully took the crown off her head and placed it on a table as she walked past it. The library was her only safe space for the last week. There had to be answers in some book, in some journal entry, something. As she walked along the rows of bookshelves, she fiddled with her wedding ring, and the thought of Xaden out there rejuvenated her.

She’d find the answers. She had to.

Chapter Text

Beast

Word Count: 169

Universe: Canon

He’d avoided looking in a mirror for nearly a week, instead only looking at his warped reflection whenever he gazed down on the gold ring on his left hand. Xaden didn’t need to look into a mirror to know that he was a monster, a beast. The bright red veins branching out from his eyes were just a physical, visible, clear sign that he had nearly killed off his entire soul. 

The only piece remaining of his humanity was with the girl he loved, and it was some sick and twisted coincidence that his venin veins branched out in a pattern of lightning strikes. 

Xaden desperately wanted to reach into his bond with Violet, but he couldn’t. There was too much of him lost, and the only good part remained with her. He couldn’t go back to her like this. 

There were times when he remembered telling his wife that they would be together when all of this was over.

Now he doubted if it would ever be over.

Chapter Text

Cat

Word Count: 200

Universe: Modern Universe

“You look like a cat, all stretched out like that,” Mira laughed out. Violet smiled, her eyes still closed as she basked in the sunlight. 

“That’s not a bad way to live,” Violet answered, and she heard Brennan snort from beside her.

The sound of the wind accompanied his voice as he spoke, “I’d like to be a domesticated cat that just eats and sleeps all day.”

Violet finally opened her eyes and sat up, putting a hand on the grass underneath her to steady herself. “Could you imagine? Having someone wait on you day and night? With no responsibilities?”

Mira sighed. “Sounds amazing.”

“Sounds wonderful,” Brennan agreed.

“And entirely out of our reach,” Violet sadly continued. “I hurt too much all the time.”

“I spend too much time doing physical work.”

“And I barely sleep enough with all of the hospital hours.”

“Why is it that you three are either arguing or talking about the strangest things?” Violet turned her head at Xaden’s voice. He approached the Sorrengail siblings with a wry smile on his face.

Brennan countered, “Come on, you can’t seriously think we’re wrong about wanting to be cats.”

“No, but I can certainly think you’re insane.”

Chapter Text

Broccoli

Word Count: 154

Universe: Canon

“Are you sure you’ll be fine with her?”

“Yes, Mira, I’m sure. I am more than capable of handling it.”

“Uh-huh, and what happens when she freaks the fuck out once you take to the skies?”

“Nothing because she will be in my pack.”

“She has claws, Drake.”

“And?”

“And she will scratch the shit out of your pack and your back.”

“Through my leathers? I doubt it.”

“Look, I don’t particularly care about you but you best believe that I expect to see Broccoli when we are back in the same place.”

“That’s great, a cat takes precedence over a human?”

“Your gryphon takes precedence over you so I don’t see why a cat wouldn’t.”

“That can’t be how you think of Violet and Brennan.”

“It’s not. They’re my siblings. You’re not. Either way, I better see Broccoli soon alive and well. Do not over feed her.”

“For fuck’s sake, it’ll be fine!”

Chapter Text

Flying

Word Count: 138

Universe: Canon

It had been years since he had been flying, and yet every time it felt special. Every time, Xaden was appreciative of the fact that he was able to get on Sgaeyl’s back, that she trusted him enough, and they were able to just fly together. It was a rush to feel the wind on his face, the sun shining in his eyes as they took to the skies, gaining elevation every minute. 

It was one thing to be flying for battle, another for recreation. While he was flying, he couldn’t remember his problems. All of his worries and anxieties were left on the ground, and as they soared through the sky, all of that felt meaningless. 

For that short period of time, he could close his eyes, empty his mind, and all was right in the world.

Chapter Text

Black

Word Count: 186

Universe: Canon

“Have you told Tairn, yet?” Violet asked as she rubbed a hand down Andarna’s snout. There were times when she missed when Andarna was golden and small — at least she could reach Andarna’s snout easily. Now the dragon had to reach down to be in Violet’s reach. Plus, her paws were just absolutely adorable. However, there was something incredibly special about Andarna’s newfound abilities to change the color of her scales.

No, Andarna responded. I have not yet mentioned my reasonings to him.

“He’ll figure it out, you know.”

Violet could feel Andarna’s hesitation before she spoke. I am afraid.

“Of what?” Violet questioned, desperately trying to keep any anxiety bleeding into her voice or their bond. Andarna’s teenage self was incredibly snarky, but there were moments like these where her insecurity bled through.

Of not living up to what it means to be a black dragon.

“Oh, Andarna,” Violet breathed, “I think it means more to him that you would want to look like him than you think. He loves you like his own. So do I and Sgaeyl.”

I truly hope you are right.

Chapter Text

Nuclear

Word Count: 180

Universe: Modern

Violet had been seeing him around for two weeks now. He wasn’t a new transfer to Basgaith University, so clearly he had existed in the same space as her for the entire semester. Yet, after running into him — literally — for the first time two weeks ago, she’d been seeing him everywhere.

At every party, at the library, at the local coffee shop.

It was maddening.

Especially in the dark haze of the low lights and the music thrumming through her veins, she felt his onyx eyes on her the entire time she moved to the rhythm with her friends. Normally, she would have no problem going up to him and introducing herself, but she didn’t have to. He knew who she was, and she knew who he was. Their meeting would only be catastrophic because she knew that the combination of the two of them was dangerous. 

She felt as though it was inevitable, their lives crashing and intertwining, but she was also terrified that the fallout would be nuclear. 

But for the night, it might be worth the risk. 

Chapter Text

Second Minute Hour

Word Count: 178

Universe: Modern

He knew the music was blasting, could feel the bass vibrations under his feet, but he was only really paying attention to her lips and the way her mouth moved as she shaped words he couldn’t hear from afar.

Xaden wasn’t sure what it was about her that drove him to approach her at that moment. They’d been running into each other consistently for two weeks and never spoke, but he couldn’t wait another moment to be in her space. 

She saw him approach, and he watched as she stepped away from her friends. 

“We can’t,” she said as soon as he was close enough to hear her speak.

“We can,” he insisted. “Tonight, we can. I won’t be Xaden and you won’t be Violet. Give me whatever time you can.”

He could see the hesitation in her face, and he took another step, their chests brushing barely. “Tell me what you want, and I’ll give it to you. I don’t care if it’s just for a second. I want you to love me for whatever you can.”

Chapter Text

Forever

Word Count: 145

Universe: Modern

They moved at once, crashing into each other as though they were differing poles on a magnet, spending their entire lives destined to meet. He grabbed her face, and she wrapped her arms around his neck, and they were gone.

The pair had an unspoken agreement that this was only to last the one night, and they had to make this one night last forever. 

It may only be in their memories, but to them, this one night would be everything .

The circumstances would never be right for them, so they would just have to make them right and not let each other go. If it weren’t for politics or their family names, it would be location or simply life keeping them apart, but not tonight. Tonight they would indulge in their own happiness, in their own willingness to fuck it all for the night.

Chapter Text

Coffee

Word Count: 187

Universe: Canon

“Are you sure you want your coffee like that?” Imogen asked, raising an eyebrow at the idiot sitting in front of her. Garrick looked down at his cup, and she could almost see the hamsters in his brain working overtime to run the wheels so he could answer. It was quite fascinating, if she was being honest. A fierce dragon rider, one who was built like a boulder, had entirely just put salt into his coffee instead of sugar, and she was watching him genuinely contemplate drinking it.

“Yes,” he answered, entirely confident based on his tone. He sent her a bright smile that Imogen could tell was simply him bracing for the worst. 

She wouldn’t argue with him so she simply shrugged her shoulders and took a sip of her own tea — sweetened.

He picked up his mug and took a solid sip, and Imogen bit down on her lower lip to stop herself from laughing at the panic that was clear to her. His eyes widened, and he seemed to hold the liquid in his mouth before swallowing. “Ah,” he started, licking his lips, “delicious.”

Chapter Text

Honor

Word Count: 168

Universe: Canon

If Liam had learned anything from his parents, it was how to be honorable. They had painstakingly instilled the idea of integrity and honestly as some of the most important qualities for a person to have and live by. But, they also taught him how honorability came in different forms — what one may consider honorable may not be what someone else considers to be honorable.

So Liam also learned an important caveat to honor. Being honorable largely depended on how he felt towards someone, and that made Liam a great son, brother, and soldier. 

It also made him incredibly trustworthy, especially to those that did not deserve it. Liam did his best not to judge anyone based on stereotypes — Violet was the living proof of that — but Jack Barlowe was a whole other creature. He’d gained Barlowe’s trust to test his limits to see just how far he’d go to harm Violet. Turns out, the answer was much too far.

It would be his honor to destroy Barlowe. 

Chapter Text

Protection

Word Count: 198

Universe: Canon (but not…)

“Hey! Watch out for the claws,” he warned, watching his niece run right towards the dragons laying along the beach. He turned his back for a minute, and Amelia went sprinting away. There were times when Liam couldn't believe that the little terror was a child of Violet Sorrengail, until he remembered that she was also part demon spawn — DNA generated through Xaden Riorsan. For a seven year old girl, she was wild and carefree and absolutely way more fearless than he had expected.

“I will!” Ameila screeched back, and he could clearly see Andarna's ears twitch in response. He jogged after her, quickly catching up to Amelia and swooping her up in his arms so she could be close to the dragons but far enough that she wouldn’t actually impale herself on a tail or claw.

“Amelia, lower your voice. And be careful! Don't go running off otherwise your mother will gut me.”

“Mommy won't hurt you! You're her best friend! Plus she doesn't trust me with anyone else.” Damn, she also inherited the Sorrengail brains.

“Correct. That also means that if something happens to you while you're under my guard, I'd lose my niece visitation rights.”

Chapter Text

Gone

Word Count: 166

Universe: Canon

“Can I tell you something?” Violet whispers into the night, cocooned in Xaden’s arms. She feels him tighten his hold on her before he answers.

“Of course,” he says, equally quiet. 

“I saw Liam…when I was down there. It sounds insane to say this but he kept me safe and sane. He didn’t let me break.” Violet blinks rapidly, desperately trying to keep the tears at bay. 

She’s so closely pressed up to Xaden that she feels him swallow, his Adam’s apple moving against her cheek. It’s clear that he’s trying to find the words to say so she continues speaking, trying to fill the void that’s growing in her heart. 

“I like to think that it was Liam fighting Malek, to protect me even in death.”

“He did like to show off by doing the impossible,” Xaden answers with a rough laugh that gets swallowed up by the emotion in his voice. “I miss him.”

“Me too. I’m so sorry, Xaden.”

“As am I, Violet.”

Chapter Text

Hands

Word Count: 171

Universe: Canon

“Oh!” Imogen jerked away from Liam in surprise. “Why are your hands freezing?” 

Liam pulled his hands away from his friend with a cringe. He had meant to touch her to get a hold of her attention, and obviously, he didn’t realize that he had accidentally started channeling his second signet. He had to get a hold of himself — he couldn’t let it be known widely that he was causally channeling two signets. 

Leadership was already aware that he had farsight, no one needed to know that he could manipulate ice as well. Xaden already knew, but he wasn’t sure if that information had been passed around. 

“Just came in from outside,” he answered, glancing around the hallway to make sure no one had heard Imogen’s exclamation before rubbing his hands together, ridding himself of the energy building in his hands. Imogen side-eyed him, and he returned a sheepish smile at his blatant lie.

She looked down at his hands pointedly before nodding at him. “Did you need something?”

“Gloves, apparently.” 

Chapter Text

Roof

Word Count: 181

Universe: Canon

Violet wished she could stop living the moments that Xaden told her about from his childhood.

As she sat on the roof, a plate of chocolate cake in hand, she remembered how Xaden had told her that he would sit in this exact spot and wait for his father to return. It was horribly, hilariously tragic that it was her turn. A Riorson waiting for a Riorson to come home.

Chocolate cake should’ve honestly made her feel queasy considering how Garrick had been terribly poisoned with it, but all she could think about was how much Xaden loved it, how much he treasured those little moments as a child, how much he still did. Somehow it made her feel closer to him in this world that tore him away from her.

She dearly hoped it was still true.

It was stupid of her to be sitting so out in the open, but as the sun sank, turning the sky into hues of reds and oranges, all she could think about was that when Xaden came home, she wanted to be ready.

Chapter Text

Carve

Word Count: 189 

Universe: Canon

Liam blew on his desk, the wood shavings flying off the desk onto the floor (or his bed, but really it wasn’t as though he was using it very often). He put the little statue of Andarna on his desk, inspecting the grooves and shavings around in the fading sunlight for any mistakes. It was hard to carve Andarna when he had only seen her a few times, but he had tried his best to capture her innocence. 

Of course, the small dragon was already quite massive, and she would only grow larger, but Liam appreciated how young she was and so ready to fight for Violet. He took his knife and made some more cuts around her paws, trying to really define the curvature of them. Once he was satisfied, he picked up the palm sized statue and held it up in one hand. 

He hoped that once he gave it to Violet and Andarna saw it, the two would love the carving and saw the adoration and the effort he had put in. 

He hoped he’d survive to see Andarna grow up and make her another one.

Chapter Text

Brother

Word Count: 199

Universe: Canon

Every time Xaden watched her and Mira interact, he would mention to Violet later on that he was glad that he didn’t have siblings.

“And yet you and Liam are always bickering like brothers,” she pointed out, walking to her dorm with Xaden trailing behind her. She knew Liam would be waiting by her dorm, and she was ready to prove that she was right. Liam and Xaden may not be blood siblings, but they were siblings anyway.

“Yeah, but we’re not related.” 

“I knew you would say that, and that’s stupid. You and Liam grew up together in the same household being fostered by the same man — just by the basics that counts.” Violet continued as soon as Liam came into view. “And I’m sure Liam has plenty of embarrassing stories about you.” She stopped next to Liam and looked at him expectantly with a smile before turning to look at Xaden.

Thankfully, bless the man, Liam immediately caught on. “Oh yeah, for sure. I remember the time Xaden fell off the roof trying to sneak out of the house. He landed in a bush and had a thorn stuck in his cheek until I pulled it out.”

Chapter Text

Father

Word Count: 171

Universe: Canon

“Dad!” Fen turned at the sound of his twelve year old son only to stumble back a few steps from the force of his son running into him. Fen laughed and instinctively wrapped his arms around Xaden. The kid almost came up to his shoulders, and he was growing up so, so fast. It was terrifying that his son was almost old enough to learn the terrors of the world they lived in. 

He would love to just shade him from the world forever, but he knew he couldn’t do that. Not when Xaden was one day destined to be the Duke of Tyrrendor, one day be destined to handle everything that came with that title. 

But Fen would be damned if he didn’t try his absolute best to protect Xaden from their harsh reality for as long as he could. It had only been two years since Xaden’s mother had left them, and it was all up to Fen as Xaden’s father to protect him, and he would die trying.

Chapter Text

Twenty Two

Word Count: 179

Universe: Canon

It was kind of insane that his fucking dragon was the same age as him. In a world where the dragons are old and ancient, his dragon was born in the same year as him. 

Ridoc liked to think it was fate, and that’s because it probably was, but he wanted to think it was more than the magic binding the two of them together.

Especially because the dickhead of a dragon tried to bite his head off when Ridoc approached him at first. Ridoc had even followed all the proper rules, waited for the sign that it was okay to approach him, and Aotrom sniffed him. 

Then snapped his jaw so fucking close to his head that Ridoc thought he was done for.

The first thing Aotrom ever said to Ridoc wasn’t even his name. Actually, it wasn’t even a word.

It was a fucking laugh.

But it was okay, because that moment bonded the two of them together, and now Ridoc and Aotrom were growing up in this crazy, batshit world together.

Roaring twenties’ and all that.

Chapter Text

Too Early

Word Count: 185

Universe: Canon

It was too early. Way too fucking early.

She was supposed to die after knowing Violet was safe. Their mother had left her one fucking job, and it was to keep her siblings safe .

Mira was going to fail.

The blood was gushing from her neck, and the cut was too deep. This was it, and as much as Brennan was skilled, she didn’t think he'd be able to save her. She tried to speak, try to tell Violet and Brennan to leave her — that this was her end, but Mira spasmed in pain when Violet applied pressure to the wound.

She could see Brennan reaching out his hands towards her, Xaden behind them, but it was beginning to blur. 

Mira knew she was always going to die in battle but not. Like. This.

Mira was battered and bruised to hell and back, but all she could think about was that she was leaving her little sister and her big brother too early. She was leaving Teine too early.

Her last thought before she succumbed to the darkness was that she didn’t want to die.

Chapter Text

Onyx

Word Count: 158

Universe: Canon

Violet couldn’t see his eyes from where she stood, but she knew instinctively that there was no red. Yet, she hesitated to step forward. She knew that he had to be fine, felt it in their connection, but it still seemed so much like a dream. 

Violet had spent so long looking at her husband through a dream that she couldn’t tell when she was in reality. She took a few staggering steps forward and the closer she got, the easier it was to see the color of his eyes.

Onyx.

They were onyx and the gold flecks through his eyes were back. A hand came up to cover her mouth in a feeble attempt to hold back the sob that was building in her throat. It ripped free anyway when Xaden walked towards her with a gentle smile on his face, not a single tinge of red to his eyes.

The red was gone.

Xaden was back. 

Chapter Text

Sports Car

Word Count: 196

Universe: Modern

There wasn’t enough space in the damned car, and Brennan announced just as much after the third time his head banged into the roof as he tried to adjust himself.

Naolin, the infuriatingly handsome piece of shit that was currently under Brennan, just laughed as he reached up a hand to run it through Brennan’s hair.

“Well what did you expect, Bren? It’s not like we’re in a bed, or anything,” he teased. “We’re parked in a fucking alley in your stupid fancy sports car.”

“It’s not stupid!”

“Unpractical,” Naolin amended, and okay, considering what they were trying to do in said car, he was right.

Brennan plopped himself down onto Naolin’s chest in response. “We could roll the windows down, though.”

“So anyone walking by could hear us?”

“It could be hot, with the streetlights making a nice atmosphere?” Brennan continued, pushing himself back up to kiss Naolin’s throat. A strangled sound left Naolin, and Brennan felt the butterflies in his stomach turn into pterodactyls. 

“How about we just drive home and continue this in bed?”

Brennan pretended to think about it, but he was already getting up and moving to the driver’s seat. “Deal.”

Chapter Text

Professor

Word Count: 200

Universe: Modern

“Are you actually fucking kidding me? I’m going to lose my shit,” Violet silently ranted, trying her best to keep her voice quiet. She was walking through the hallways of the university building, dreading each step that took her closer to her destination. 

Unfortunately for her, she couldn’t exactly turn around leave because she’d be out of a much needed job and definitely useful TA experience required for her to secure her position as a professor in the future. 

Of course, she would’ve been more than qualified but when your mother was the dean of the university, suddenly nepotism became the first assumption and Violet wanted to have extra qualifications.

So here she was, walking to what was the beginning of a very, very long semester as she went to meet with the professor of Military History so she could join him in a few years as the youngest professor to join the faculty. 

Violet stopped in front of the door and took a deep breath before nodding to herself and knocking on the door. 

“Come in,” answered a deep voice, and she opened the door and entered.

“Oh, yes, hello Violet. It’s good to see you again.”

“Hello, Xaden.”

Chapter Text

Bond

Word Count: 193

Universe: Canon

Violet sometimes wondered if there was something more to the bond that she and Xaden shared, something connecting them that was more than their dragons. The way that fate threw the two of them together made it feel as though the world itself was doing its best to connect them, and it conveniently chose their dragons as a means to that. But, that didn’t seem right either. 

Even when she learned that the man who wanted her dead was bonded to her dragon, that didn’t change the way she felt about Xaden. The love and care that she held for him came much later, and that was born from something entirely different.

Of course, it didn’t hurt that her life was magically bound to his through their dragons so she would never have to live a day without him. They would never truly be apart, always linked. 

So maybe the world had done them a favor, connecting them through their dragons and not their souls individually. That way, the two of them had a choice in the matter, choosing to give each other pieces of themselves until they gave each other up completely. 

Chapter Text

Signet

Word Count: 147

Universe: Canon

He had known that she would try to contact him, but in his panic to get as far away from everyone he loved as quickly as possible, he had made the assumption that once Imogen wiped Violet’s memories, she would have no way to send a missive to him. She would have no idea where he was going, and so Violet would never be able to contact him. It would leave him in a miserable existence — sadly extending that to Sgaeyl — but it would've been fine if she was safe.

But he fucking forgot about the dreams. She was so much more powerful than him, than he ever would be, and he was so fucking proud. Violet had mastered her signet enough that he was standing there looking at her as if they were awake and in reality. 

She was beautiful, and he had to wake up.

Chapter Text

Cake

Word Count: 200

Universe: Canon

"Can you please stop almost dying? That would be incredibly appreciated.”

“So what I’m hearing is that you’ll miss me if I do die.” 

Amari, give her patience. All she wanted was to check in on Garrick after he almost died eating cake , and here he was, being a dumbass like usual. Imogen wanted to believe it was just bravado and he was covering for it, but typically just him opening his mouth made her want to punch him or kiss him.

She knew which one she was leaning towards but had no interest in ever considering it, much less revealing it. 

“No, you dumb fuck. It’s going to be that much harder for me to do my job, and as much as I hate it, Xaden likes you. He’ll deny it but he’ll be moping. Especially if you died eating his favorite thing. Could you imagine that? You’d tarnish cake forever.”

Garrick laughed but something about his demeanor changed. He took a few steps closer to her. “Are you sure it wouldn’t ruin cake for you?”

She didn’t think they were talking about cake anymore, so without flinching, looking directly into his eyes, Imogen answered truthfully. “It would entirely.”

Chapter Text

Nice Things

Word Count: 160

Universe: Modern

“I can’t believe he spent so much money on you and then fucking cheated.”

“He wanted to take me to SoHo after I caught him, too,” Violet responded with the straw in her mouth before she sipped on her mango milkshake. 

Liam let out a short laugh. “Okay, but at least tell me you thought about saying yes just to break up with him afterwards.”

“I wish,” she agreed. “He kept trying to buy me out, I guess? I don’t know, but he did just take me around the country on his private jet, so I got that out of the so-called relationship.”

“He really just assumed that buying you stuff was going to let him have sex with others, huh?”

Violet rolled her eyes. “On brand for a Tauri.”

“Hey, Cam’s going to be pissed about that,” Liam said with a teasing lilt to his voice.

“He can suck it,” she responded. “But also, he’d entirely agree with me.”

Chapter Text

Domesticity

Word Count: 198

Universe: Canon

They sat in silence, simply existing next to each other. Violet was reading her book at the dining table in the kitchen while Xaden sat across from her, working on setting a new rune into her gloves. They didn’t speak to one another, and Violet felt content to simply stay within his presence. People were bustling around them, but it was as though they were in their own little bubble. 

She didn’t even startle when Xaden trapped her ankles between his feet, keeping her legs still in the air as she felt his shadows applying pressure on her calves and thighs, massaging the always sore muscles. 

At some point, he gently dropped her feet back onto the floor, his shadows providing a cushion so they didn't suddenly drop down to the ground. She looked up at him in question, but he simply leaned over to kiss her forehead before moving to the stove. Violet watched him fill a bowl with stew and drop it off in front of her before moving back to the stove to fill a bowl for himself. 

There were no words spoken between the two of them, and yet Violet had heard every one.

Chapter Text

Ethereal

Word Count: 133

Universe: Modern (Anastasia AU)

She looked ethereal; the black strapless dress hugging her curves with the sheer blue net attached to the sides of her dress trailing behind her. She looked as though she had come to life from a painting.

It was almost as though the violins playing around them within the opera house were for her - to announce her presence. The white gloves trailed up her arms, stopping just underneath her elbows and the single gold chain hanging around her neck was the only piece of jewelry she wore. 

Her hair, the defining trait of her ancestry, was bound up in a bun, showing off her clavicles. 

Xaden was enthralled by Violet. She was the oasis for a parched man.

Yet, Xaden Riorson was lying to her, and he was going to break her heart.

Chapter Text

Puppy

Word Count: 164

Universe: Modern

“I can’t believe Violet let you watch her puppy. I was literally coming over to keep an eye on Tairn and Sgaeyl.”

Dain shrugged as he watched Andarna attempt to bite his finger off. She was teething, and he really should’ve just given her one of her toys, but she was adorable. He couldn’t help but just let her play with his hand, especially since it wasn’t like she was biting his fingers off. 

“She asked me to drop by to make sure Andarna wasn’t losing her mind, and if I didn’t mind also just making sure Tairn and Sgaeyl were good too. Clearly, Xaden asked you to keep an eye on the dogs so we’d be interacting with each other.”

Sloane narrowed her eyes at him, and Dain resisted the urge to smile. He shouldn’t be so excited about riling her up, but he was most definitely enjoying herself.  

“And you’re okay with that?”

“Anything to spend more time with you, dear Sloane.”

Chapter Text

Sunrise

Word Count: 114

Universe: Canon

She was flying, her eyes closed as the wind rushed through her hair, forcing strands loose from the crown she had braided them into. It was so incredibly rare for her to feel at peace considering the lives of danger they were living, but at that moment, there was no other way to describe what she felt. She opened her eyes and looked around, taking in the slow sunrise with the clear sky and the beautiful man flying on his dragon nearby her.

She felt him reach out to her, his shadows caressing her cheeks before his powers brushed up against her mental walls.

Love? he asked. Are you okay?

She smiled. I’m perfect.

Chapter Text

Cart

Word Count: 174

Canon: Modern

“Hey fuck off! You can’t just push me off the track!” Garrick protested, pushing Xaden with his shoulder in retaliation. 

He heard Xaden yelp in surprise and watched his character veer off the path before drifting back onto it. “I didn’t push you! You just can’t drive properly!”

Garrick loudly scoffed. “As if! Look who’s talking — you can’t even keep up with the turns without hitting the wall.”

“You know the controllers have steering sensors on, dumbass. If you push me, of course it’s gonna veer off!”

“So what I’m hearing is that you can’t drive properly.”

“I won the last two games!”

“I had more points!”

“Oh yeah just because you got more coins.”

“Coins are what you use to win points, idiot.”

“You two do realize you’re just playing Mario Kart, right? It’s not that serious,” Violet chimed in from her spot in the kitchen. Even Garrick found it slightly comical at the speed he and Xaden turned to look at her. 

“How dare you,” Garrick breathed. “It is absolutely that serious.”

Chapter Text

Blood

Word Count: 168

Canon: Modern

Unknown Number (12:43AM): 

Question. 

I have a very important question for you.

What do I need to get blood out of a carpet?

Unknown Number (12:44AM): 

This is very important.

Also hypothetical. Not real. 

You (12:46AM) :

I’m really hoping you didn’t murder anyone, random person.

Unknown Number(12:48AM):  

Nooooo I’d never murder. You know that!

You (8:23AM): 

Good morning, did you ever get the blood out of the carpet?

Unknown Number(10:25AM):  

Who is this?

Unknown Number(10:25AM):  

You tell me, wrong number. You’re the one who texted me at almost 1AM.

Unknown Number(10:36AM) : 

Oh my god. 

I am so sorry

I was drunk and spilled my vodka cran on my carpet.

You (10:38AM):

How does vodka cran turn into blood?

Unknown Number(10:42AM):

I may have cut myself picking up the glass shards.

You (11:42AM):

Fancy tastes. Now, I must know the conclusion to this riveting saga. Did you get the blood out of the carpet?

Chapter Text

Time

Word Count: 167

Universe: Modern

“Violet, put the cat down and step away before I have to make you,” Xaden warned, taking one careful step towards his wife. 

His wife refused to listen to him, and instead simply held the dangling cat a few inches further away from her body. 

“You can’t just expect me to not hug my son, Xaden,” Violet retorted, visibly struggling in trying to hold the black cat still as Tairn tried to wriggle out of her hold. He was almost fifteen years old, and Xaden understood why Violet wanted to get every minute of affection she could, but god’s sake, her dress was sage green . The fur would very much stand out. Xaden rolled his eyes, not even trying to hide his reaction.

He walked closer to her to take a hold of the poor cat and let him down. Tairn immediately scampered away, probably running to hide under the sofa.

“Yes I can, love, especially if you expect us to be on time to the wedding.”

Chapter Text

Twitch

Word Count: 200

Universe: Modern

“Sawyer!” Ridoc pestered as Sawyer moved further into the castle, the music picking up intensity as the creepiness factor shot up. 

“What?” he snapped, turning around to look at his cousin. He hoped that nothing would pop out on his character in the time that Ridoc did his backseat gaming. 

“Don’t you think we should revive our Twitch channel?” Ridoc asked, leaning back in his chair, his hands supporting the back of his head. Sawyer blinked, unable to respond at first, until a loud cackle followed by a door slam scared the living daylights out of him. Sawyer jumped and spun around in his chair to slam the keyboard in order to pause the game. 

He took a deep breath to calm his racing heart before he responded, turning back to Ridoc. “Our Twitch channel? Didn’t you delete that?”

“Nah,” he responded, “I just marked it as inactive. We could totally just start streaming again.”

“You do realize that we haven’t streamed in 5 years? We don’t exactly have a following anymore.”

“We don’t need a following to stream, Sawyer. It’d just be for fun!”

“Ridoc, no. The world, including our boss, will see how quickly we scare as bodyguards.”

Chapter Text

Concert

Word Count: 189

Universe: Modern

“Oh my god,” Violet breathed as they climbed the stairs, “that was insane .” Her voice was hoarse from screaming and singing along which made Liam smile. She was going to be suffering all day tomorrow, but she’d be happy.

“It was really fun,” he agreed.

“It was more than fun! It was a life altering experience, Liam. You just don’t understand!”

“Vi,” he laughed, “I get it.”

“Well, if we ever go to a Fall Out Boys concert, you’ll actually understand,” she responded. Liam rolled his eyes, but she wasn’t wrong. 

“Also, I love Xaden’s dad. He’s literally the best.”

“I got you the tickets, you know?”

“I know, and I love you for that, but he’s also getting me the polaroids,” Violet grinned. Liam snorted. This woman had a problem, and her boyfriend was only enabling it.

“Yeah, that’s because he doesn’t know how much of a terror you are.”

“Oh please, you’re saying that as if he doesn’t know about all the horror stories from our arguments.”

“You’re a terror beyond those arguments.”

Violet scoffed in outrage, “Rude.”

“Not so rude considering I paid for your tickets.”

Chapter Text

Argent

Word Count: 197

Universe: Modern (Miraculous AU)

“Can you stop pretending that you know everything for, like, five seconds?” Violet huffed as she jumped down from a ledge onto the neighboring building’s roof, bending her knees to absorb the majority of the impact. She resisted wincing as she felt a twinge of pain shoot up her hip. The fight against the Venin had been a rough one, and she knew that the second she lost the power of The Empyrean, she’d feel the pain all at once. 

“Well,” Shade responded, voice gruff, “I did tell you that distracting the venin would give you the perfect opportunity to electrocute him.”

Violet rolled her eyes. “Yeah, no shit sherlock. That didn’t mean I was that interested in electrocuting you too. If you had just used your powers, you could’ve blocked out his eyesight. That would’ve distracted him plenty instead of running at him and then getting flung nearly halfway across the city.”

Even with a black mask covering half his face so only his lips were fully visible, his dark eyes expressed enough of his amusement towards her. 

“Argent,” he said around a broadening grin, “are you worried about little ol’ me? Your ‘partner’? I’m flattered.”

Chapter Text

Boyfriend

Word Count: 161

Universe: Modern

Violet stepped out of the car, hand placed in Xaden’s as he led her into the paparazzi filled lot that led to the building where the final press shoots and poster shoots would be taking place for her show. It was still absolutely insane that something she had written was actually going to be a TV show for the whole world to see, but another absolutely insane thing was the fact that she was pressed up against Xaden’s hard body, trying to pretend to be absolutely in love with him.

“Who is this man?” she heard one of the journalists ask, and she wanted to say that she didn’t exactly know either considering she had just met him last night, but this was the perfect opportunity for the world to know that she had a boyfriend.

Technically. 

Smiling, she pulled Xaden to a stop as she turned to the vague direction from where she heard the voice. “This is my boyfriend.”

Chapter Text

Notes

Word Count: 156

Universe: Modern

“Can I borrow your notes?” Naolin asked with his mouth stuffed. Brennan grimaced at the sight and wondered at the marvels of how the human brain worked when in love. If it were anyone else, he would’ve been absolutely disgusted by the entire display.

He even thought about it for a bit, but nope. He was just in love. 

Disgusting.

“For what? Immunology?” 

“No, to the path that takes me to your heart. Obviously immunology.”

“I cannot believe I didn’t immediately punch you for that.”

“You love me. It’s kind of a side effect of that.” Naolin poked Brennan gently in the shoulder with a smile on his face, one that was endearing and annoying all at once. Brennan tried to push him off, but Naolin was right.

Instead of answering, Brennan just passed over his notebook. Naolin grinned brightly and started flipping through the notebook. 

“Oh my god, thank you so much. I love you.”

Chapter Text

Touch

Word Count: 162

Universe: Modern

A featherlight touch on her collarbone that made her breath catch. 

A hand running up the side of his jaw that made him shut his eyes. 

A palm on the small of her back, silently supporting. 

A finger brushing back strands of hair that hung in his face. 

Sloane didn’t think of herself as someone as touch starved, but as Dain slowly traced her lips with his thumb, she was considering changing that opinion. She might not be touch starved in general, but she was most definitely Dain starved. 

“That’s cheating,” she breathed, moving her own hands up his arms, feeling the muscles strain as she squeezed his biceps. 

“It’s not cheating if it’s a valid move,” he countered. “You said touching the upper body was fair game.”

She entirely did, but she wasn’t going to concede to him that in this game of who would crack first, if he kept doing what he was doing, Sloane was going to crack first. 

Chapter Text

Watch

Word Count: 173

Universe: Modern

Dain was obsessed with watching Sloane; he wanted to live in her orbit, cataloging every reaction. He wanted to live with his eyes always on her, watching as her breathing became more shallow as he touched her waist and moved his hands up her ribs. He wanted to watch as her eyes fluttered as she kissed him, finally, finally , letting her guard down to let him in. 

There was something so captivating and entrancing about Sloane Mairi, and he had never once thought that he would be absolutely obsessed with her. Once upon a time, she hated him and he…disliked her, but to be able to watch Sloane be part of his life was magical. 

But at that moment, all he wanted to do was watch Sloane lose at her own game. She really believed that he was going to break and give into this game of foreplay she devised, but what Sloane didn’t realize was that Dain had been holding onto his wits and his desire for much longer than she did. 

Chapter Text

Twenty

Word Count: 149

Universe: Modern

Imogen was eighteen when she first saw him. 

At first, her gaze was on his deep brown hair as he stepped into the lecture hall of her first math class at university. Even from afar, she could tell that his hair was soft, and she was fully aware that recognizing someone’s hair texture was definitely strange. As he got closer, though, her attention was drawn to the little dimple on the left side of his mouth, barely appearing at first as he spoke, but when he laughed, the dimple deepened. Right before he passed by her with a slight glance down to avoid her backpack on the floor, she saw how beautiful his hazel eyes were. 

She was nineteen when she first spoke to him, and they became friends. 

She was twenty when she fell in love with him, and she learned that Garrick did not love her back.

Chapter Text

Swipe

Word Count: 180

Universe: Modern

She was mindlessly swiping through Bumble to waste time as she sat in the busy airport, and her body froze when a familiar face popped up on the screen. It was for a split second that her mind flashed back to her freshman year at university, seeing his dimple for the first time and then to her junior year, remembering feeling as though she could dive deep within his smile and happily drown.

Except, she didn’t, so Imogen simply swiped left on the photo, choosing to put him out of her mind again because what even was the point. 

Until she felt a sigh fall over her shoulder, and she flinched, turning around, and she swore her heart stopped beating in her chest for a split second.

“Oof, Imogen. That hurts. I honestly didn’t know if you’d swipe right, but seeing you swipe left did something to my heart,” 

“Garrick,” she breathed, out of reflex more than anything else. Garrick dropped his hand and let the smile take over his features, brightening them up. 

“Hi, Imogen. Long time, no see.”

Chapter Text

Cooperation

Word Count: 172

Universe: Modern

"Why did you think it was going to be a smart idea to take Andarna on a walk?" Violet groaned as she tried to hold the squirming cat down long enough for Sawyer to get the harness on.

"Youtube made it look easy!"

Twenty minutes, several treats, three scratches, and a (finally) proper set harness later, Violet and Sawyer were walking out to the sidewalk in front of their apartment building. At first, Andarna seemed intrigued by everything around her, so Violet carefully set her down on the ground.

She took a few steps forwards, looking at the birds flying in the sky before trying to follow one that had dipped down low to pick up a piece of bread from the ground before the leash stopped her from going too far. 

And then she just sat down.

Sawyer groaned. "Why can’t you just cooperate for once?”

Violet snorted. “Her ability to cooperate with things is limited to once a year.”

“Yeah? And what’s the one thing from this year?”

"Moving."

Chapter Text

Sparkling Water

Word Count: 188

Universe: Canon

“You’re evil, you know that?” Sawyer casually spoke. He was intensely watching as Ridoc tried his absolute hardest to quietly open a bottle of sparkling water. 

“I’m not evil,” Ridoc responded, “I’m simply returning a favor.”

“And what favor would that be?” Rhiannon asked from her spot on Violet’s bed. The squad was lounging in her room, ignoring Xaden’s presence as he perched himself against the window sill. Ridoc was standing over the desk while Sawyer, Rhiannon and Violet were all leaning against each other in bed.

“Aotrom singed the tips of my hair the other day, so I’m simply giving him something in return,” Ridoc answered with a nice smile on his face. Violet snorted, recognizing the situation for what it was — a continuation to the prank game between the two.

“Yeah because that’s going to go so smoothly,” she retorted. 

“I just need him to try the sparkling water, and for none of your dragons to spoil it.”

“I don’t think our dragons care about your prank war,” Sawyer answered.

“And that’s fine with me,” Ridoc said. “But I can’t wait to see him drink this.”

Chapter Text

Silence

Word Count: 200

Universe: Canon

They were sitting on the rooftop, watching people walking around and enjoying the cooling weather. It was very much welcome after the sweltering heat of the summer months as autumn neared.

Xaden bumped her shoulder gently, drawing Violet out of her trance. She looked up at him and found him looking down at her already, love written clearly on his expression.

“Are you planning demise, Violence?” he asked, teasing her. 

That drew a smile out of her. “Of course I am. I’m planning on how I can beat Garrick.”

He raised an eyebrow. “In what?”

“I don’t know,” Violet answered, turning back to look towards the city. “In something.”

He laughed, and she felt butterflies fluttering in her stomach. “Entirely understandable. Do you want some cake?” he asked, pushing his plate into her view.

Instead of responding, she grabbed a hold of his fork and cut herself a piece, humming around the sweetness. They went back and forth sharing the cake until there were crumbs remaining on the plate. The two of them were quiet, but they didn’t need to speak. The silence was comforting, and as she rested her head on his shoulder, the silence was all she needed.

Chapter Text

Power

Word Count: 177

Universe: Canon

It rushes through her, the feeling of strength and pure energy, and Violet hates that she enjoys it so much. Xaden will say that it is her earned right to control the lightning in the sky, and she believes him. but no matter what, Violet has the power to bring buildings down within seconds, to kill a person by frying them from the inside out, and to destroy the Earth with her strikes.

Maybe it’s because she felt powerless all her life, her disability defining her as weak and marking her with her silver hair, but now that she has this power, she enjoys it. She can revel in being the one to make others fear instead of the other way around. When her joints are inflamed, and she feels sore all over, her lightning is what gives her support. When she cannot defend herself with her body, her power will do it for her.

So maybe her lightning is dangerous and everyone fears her, and maybe she’ll hate the power that can kill, but it’s hers.

Chapter Text

Birthday

Word Count: 192

Universe: Canon

She didn’t think that she would be sitting here on her birthday, actually celebrating it, but here she was.

Or well, lying in bed. Her dragons had already wished her, commenting on the frivolity of a birthday when dragons had so many it lost meaning. 

“Happy birthday,” Xaden murmured, tightening his arms around her, and she almost felt like it was a dream. It didn’t feel real that not only had she lived through the disaster of the last few years with the war, but she had Xaden back as well. 

He continued speaking, after squeezing her tightly again and getting out of bed. “We have plans, so you need to get up now.” 

She got through her morning routine in a daze before realizing that she was sitting in the kitchen surrounded by her family and friends. There was a cake in front of her - chocolate because Xaden had influenced her enough - with candles. There was even the little carving of Andarna that Liam had made, sitting off to the side next to what looked like leather bound books of some kind. Presents.

It was the best birthday she’d ever had.

Chapter Text

Change

Word Count: 198

Universe: Canon

“Breathe, Violet, please.” Violet could hear him, could feel his hands running up and down her arms, but she couldn’t get her body to follow what he was saying. 

Her brother was alive, venin were real, Liam was dead, Andarna was asleep. 

Everything she was told was a lie. She wanted to reach out to her dragons, but she couldn’t ground herself in her Archives, couldn’t find a standing in this tilting world. 

She couldn’t breathe. Her chest was tight, and her heart was racing. 

Everything was different yet nothing had changed. She had learned the truth, but Liam was still dead. Leadership knew the wards were failing, yet they still did nothing. 

“Violet,” she heard Xaden say, and somewhere in her mind she felt him try to reach her through their bond. Violet slightly recognized he was beginning to sound panicked. 

Violet suddenly felt his hands tugging her face up towards him and shaking her slightly. It was enough of a stimulus that it jarred her away from the terror in her body and forced her to take a shaky breath. Xaden took one with her, then another, and another. 

“I’m sorry,” he breathed. “I’m so sorry.”

Chapter Text

Pain

Word Count: 181

Universe: Canon

There was a knock on the door, jolting Violet away from the in-between state of awake and asleep. 

“Come in,” she answered, hoping her weakened voice would carry to the door. A part of her had hoped it was Xaden, not willing to let anyone else see her like this, but Xaden wouldn’t knock. A bigger part of her knew that she was in a lot of pain and would be in a lot more if she didn’t allow others to help her. 

She had woken up immediately knowing that the day would not be anywhere even remotely a good day. She was just incredibly lucky and grateful that she was able to stay in bed. 

“Hey,” Bodhi said as he peeked his head through the door before he took a few large steps into the room. “I brought a bag of warmed salt. Hopefully that will help the swelling and the pain.” He gently set it on her hip, and the pain flared for a brief moment before waning. 

“Thank you,” Violet whispered.

“Of course,” he said. “What’s family for?”

Chapter Text

Attention

Word Count: 145

Universe: Canon

The back of her neck itched, the sensation worse with her hair tied up in a crown braid. It felt as though there were tiny needles piercing the skin in the area over and over, but Violet knew it was just because someone was watching her, yet again.

Ever since she joined Basgaith, someone was always watching her. Whether it was Xaden and Liam, in their bodyguard tendencies, or Colonel Aetos, in his murderous tendencies, or The Assembly, someone was always watching her. 

If anything, she had been attracting attention since she was a kid thanks to her hair. 

One would believe that Violet was used to the attention, but despite being bonded to two dragons and leading a revolution, she was absolutely not.

She wanted to blend in, stay away from people, and simply exist. But unfortunately, she didn’t have the luxury of that.

Chapter Text

Scribe Mind

Word Count: 152

Universe: Canon

The general’s daughter is weak, Codagh spoke, stretching his neck out wide. Andarna paused, pretending to be sniffing at the grass beneath her as she waited for him to continue speaking. She is not fit to be a rider. 

Aimsir answered in a bored tone, My rider believes her to be capable. She possesses the bravery of the riders.

Isn’t she supposed to be the head of the scribes? asked Smachd. That is the child that everyone praised for her mind, is she not?

You are correct. Her mother believes her daughter to be the best of her and her mate. She will have the mind of a scribe and the heart of a rider, and she will be great. Aimsir stated, not a doubt in his tone.

And just like that, Andarna had found her human. This girl would be unique, just like her, and they would conquer the world together.

Chapter Text

Quiet

Word Count: 146

Universe: Canon

It was quiet.

The wind was rustling the leaves nearby, and there was the occasional clap of thunder in the distance, but otherwise, it was quiet. 

At times, Violet felt as though speaking required too much effort, too much of herself. She didn’t want to be around anyone, except of course, her dragons.

Tairn and Andarna were always ready for some alone time with their rider, and their rider felt exactly the same way. Violet knew that she didn’t always give her dragons the attention they deserved, especially with the bond they shared, but it was so special to her, the ability for her to simply exist with them. 

The quiet wasn’t suffocating or anxiety inducing. The quiet wasn’t scary. It was comforting when she was around them.

She could lie against Andarna’s side, Tairn curled around the both of them, and she could simply be. 

Chapter Text

Patience

Word Count: 154

Universe: Modern

In hindsight, she really should’ve looked into who she would be sharing the apartment with.

Granted, this situation was brought to life straight from one of her nightmares, so really, it wasn’t as though she could’ve done anything even with the knowledge of who her roommate was going to be.

Violet resisted the urge to scream as she gingerly sat down on the edge of her bed, just wanting nothing else in life except a moment of peace. But no, that was too much to ask for because within a few minutes of her trying to figure out her shitty situation, there was a knock on her bedroom door. 

“What?” she yelled, not even bothering to try to be nice. Her voice sounded gruff even to her. 

“Wow, Sorrengail, what crawled up your ass and died?” Violet rolled her eyes and stopped herself from answering with you . 

“My patience for you,” she answered instead.

Chapter Text

Rage

Word Count: 163

Universe: Modern

Rhiannon believed that the best way for someone to relieve their stress was to go to a rage room, and that was exactly where she and Violet were headed. Violet was practically vibrating, which was impressive for her small body. Rhiannon almost wanted to laugh since this was all over a boy, but as a good best friend, she did not. 

She did, however, tease her best friend.

“I can’t believe you’re so mad over a boy, Sorrengail.”

“I’m not mad ,” Violet insisted.

“Your tiny body is basically screaming ‘do not touch me’!”

“Look I just need to get this restless energy out.”

“Before you kiss Xaden?” A sharp glare was sent Rhiannon’s way, and she laughed that time. 

“No.”

“Violet.”

“Okay, fine, yes. I need to do something that doesn’t involve me going near Xaden.”

“Because you will kiss him or do more than kissing?”

“Can you do me a favor and stand in front of my axe when we get there?”

Chapter Text

Starstruck

Word Count: 199

Universe: Modern

“Oh, look at that,” Bodhi said, and Xaden could hear the grin in his voice. He was so fucked. “Mr. I-have-no-emotions is completely smitten.”

“I think starstruck is the word you’re looking for,” Garrick corrected.

Xaden tore his eyes away from the woman on the screen to glare at his best friend. He was reconsidering giving him that title. For a moment, he even considered disowning his cousin. 

He tried to come up with an argument against the two, but all he could muster up was a feeble, “I’m not starstruck.”

Xaden watched as Bodhi and Garrick eyed each other before they both let out loud barks of laughter. He had two of them. 

“You can admit that you have a little crush on an actress,” Bodhi insisted. “We’re not going to think any less of you.”

Oh how he wished he could say that it wasn’t simply just a crush, and she wasn’t simply just an actress. If only they knew that he had seen her in that red carpet dress the night before because she wanted his opinion on it. 

If only they knew that he had seen her out of that dress later that night, too. 

Chapter Text

Numb

Word Count: 178

Universe: Modern

“Is it bad that I’m so incredibly happy that his mouth is numb right now?”

“Nope. It’s quite peaceful. There’s no chattering in the car.”

Sawyer laughed at Rhiannon’s direct response. He wasn’t sure why it surprised him so much considering how blunt she normally was, but he figured she’d give Ridoc a bit of reprieve after his wisdom tooth removal surgery. Sawyer glanced in the rearview mirror to check on his friend and was not surprised to see Ridoc’s face next to the window, cheeks puffy and eyes red. 

“So I suppose the answer to shutting Ridoc up is to numb his mouth?” Sawyer mused as he tapped his fingers against the steering wheel. 

“I guess, but how exactly are we meant to do that? It’s not like we can steal local anesthetic.”

“We could ask Brennan.”

“And he’d give it to us?”

“No, but he’d give it to Violet.”

“Violet won’t give it to us.”

“Xaden?”

“...that may work. He would probably just go steal some himself if we made him spend more time with Ridoc.”

Chapter Text

Secret

Word Count: 199

Universe: Canon (mostly?)

“Oh my god, we cannot tell Xaden about this,” Violet panted as she ran by the castle. He was going to murder her if he found out that she had left the grounds in the middle of the night with Rhiannon.

It was supposed to be a quick outing, simply a fun little night trip to go out and get some free time away from everything, except, of course, they had run into some infantry soldiers that figured that they would have some fun with the girls. Unwarranted.

Obviously, Violet and Rhiannon had gotten rid of them quite easily, but it took much longer than expected to get back, and now the sun had started to peek above the horizon. The dark night sky was beginning to lighten, and that meant that Xaden would know that Violet had slipped out during the night. 

She was fully aware that Sgaeyl would mention it to Xaden; Violet was just hoping she’d be back before it happened.

“Obviously,” replied Rhiannon, sounding less out of breath than Violet. “I will take this to my grave if it means not having Xaden snapping at me forever for letting you go out of the castle.”

Chapter Text

Thunder

Word Count: 177

Universe: Modern

The thunder was loud, shaking her to her bones, but Xaden’s presence warmed her. He had her pressed up against a window for a brief moment, and she wondered if he would kiss her or keep them both waiting. He leaned in, but before their lips could touch, he laughed.

Violet pulled away. “What?” she asked, her lips turning up in a smile as she watched him glow. Another clap of thunder sounded, and she didn’t jolt that time.

“Come on.” He took her hand and started running, and Violet let out a bright laugh. He checked around each corner before sprinting through the hallways, and she felt as though she were doing something wrong with the way they were sneaking. Well, technically, she supposed they were. 

He took her outside through a side door, out into the pouring rain, and he pushed her up against a wall. The rain soaked her clothes, accompanied by another clap of thunder, and yet all she could feel was his large hand on her jaw and his lips against hers.

Chapter Text

Victory

Word Count: 196

Universe: Canon

It felt strange knowing that they had won.

The last of the venin were laying on the ground, wyverns still dropping from the air. She was surrounded by death and destruction — too many of the riders and infantry amongst the dead. Despite that, even though Violet should have gone to check on her squad, her dragons, her attention was solely on one person. 

And he was dying. She felt the sensation through the bond, the rippling of him losing consciousness before it began to grow weaker. The shadows in her mind were fading, and Violet started running. 

They had won, and this was supposed to be their moment. They had won, and it was time for them to reclaim their lands.

They had won, so why was he dying? Violet didn’t realize she was sprinting until she was panting when she reached Xaden. He was on the ground, eyes closed, and she knelt on the ground beside him.

“Xaden,” she whispered, her voice cracking. “It’s over, love. We won. It’s time to go home.” Violet was shaking his shoulders, but he was unresponsive. 

They had won, but why did it feel like she was losing everything?

Chapter Text

Together

Word Count: 168

Universe: Canon

“You cannot die on me, Xaden Riorson! I refuse it!” Violet screamed at him, still shaking his shoulders. The dragons were surrounding them, grief emanating from them. 

Silver one… Tairn spoke, and Violet knew what he was going to say, but she refused. There was no way.

“We were going to get through this life together, you hear me?” she sobbed. The tears were making her vision blurry, but she had to try. She crouched over his body, settling her head on his chest, willing it to move.

It didn't.

She didn’t know how long she stayed like that before she felt a part of her break before Tairn roared in pain.

Sgaeyl fell on her side by Xaden, and it was the beginning of the end.

“We go together,” Violet whispered. Together, she said again through the bond.

In this life and the next. Andarna answered.

Violet felt herself fading, but she wanted to make sure she said it again. Together in this life and the next.

Chapter Text

Heir

Word Count: 171

Universe: Canon

At some point, he was sure that the tears would’ve dried because there was no way that he could keep crying over his lost family, but standing there in front of the remains of The Assembly and the rebellion, Bodhi had to stop the tears from falling.

The mood was somber, despite the incredibly fortunate reason for their meeting. They were meeting to figure out how to rebuild their home, but Xaden and Violet would never see the fruits of their hard work, of their sacrifice.

Bodhi had been given a new chance at life by Xaden after their parents had been killed. Xaden was the reason Bodhi was alive, Violet the reason why Bodhi had gotten his lovable — yet grumpy — cousin back, and now, Xaden was the reason why Bodhi was the heir to Tyrrendor. 

He didn’t want this. He wanted his cousin and his friend back.

Bodhi wasn’t sure he’d be able to lead Tyrrendor knowing that it should’ve been Xaden.

He had not earned the title of heir.

Chapter Text

Meet Cute

Word Count: 198

Universe: Modern

In her effort not to spill her smoothie but also respond to Liam’s text, Violet was well aware of the fact that she was not watching where she was going. She knew it was a bad idea, especially with how Andarna was tugging at the leash wrapped around Violet’s waist. Sure enough, Andarna let out an excited bark and yanked on Violet hard enough that her elbow rammed into someone. Her body jostled a little on the impact, but her momentum kept her going. It seemed it was the same for the other person because they missed each other at first. 

“Oh, I’m so sorry,” Violet said as she turned around, pulling on the leash and recalling Andarna to heel by her side. She found herself face to face with a tall, incredibly handsome man with a wide build and tawny skin. If she were being honest, he was the most attractive person she’d ever seen, and she wanted to climb him like a tree.

“No problem,” he answered. His eyes were trained on her, and normally Violet would want to cower at the attention, but she didn’t. 

Instead, she walked away with his number ten minutes later.

Chapter Text

Rumor

Word Count: 188

Universe: Modern

“So,” he started, “rumor has it that you’re into me.” Dain paused, waiting for the scathing response that was sure to follow his statement.

Sure enough, Sloane whipped around to glare at him, finally looking away from her textbook. Dain had been sitting at the same library table as her for the last hour, attempting to study, but his attention kept shifting to her. 

“Did you start that rumor yourself?” she asked, raising an eyebrow.

Dain unexpectedly laughed. He was fully prepared for some comment along the lines of how much of an asshole he was and how dare you even think of something like that . Instead, she turned it back on him. Honestly, he should’ve expected that more. 

“Nope, but I kind of wished I did. It would’ve given me an excuse to be around you more.”

“Are you serious?”

“Why wouldn’t I be?”

“Dain.”

“Sloane.” It seemed that he had finally made her speechless, and he was going to remember this moment forever. 

She bit her lip, contemplating something. “Well, guess what,” she stated, rather than asked.

“What?”

“I started that rumor, and it’s not wrong.”

Chapter Text

Truth

Word Count: 180

Universe: Modern

“You started the rumor? Why?” The look on Dain’s face was priceless, and the utter surprise on his face was worth being truthful about the so-called rumor.

Sloane shrugged. “I didn’t want to like you, but you made it hard to stay away. I wanted to test out the water, see if you’d actually be interested.”

It looked like Dain was buffering with how he opened his mouth once or twice to respond before finally speaking. “How did you even manage to do that?”

“Some careful whispers about how I thought you were handsome,” Sloane said. It was strange being this honest about her feelings to him, but she hoped it would be worth it. Dain had thrown the ball in her court, and it was time to reciprocate. 

“You think I’m handsome?” he asked. If Violet had said that about Xaden, he would’ve gotten incredibly smug, but Dain looked hesitant, as though he wasn’t sure if he could trust her. 

Sloane stood up from her chair and moved over to the one next to his. “Unfortunately, I really do.”

Chapter Text

Geese

Word Count: 165

Universe: Modern

There was a family of geese hanging outside his building, and Liam wanted no part of whatever the hell was happening outside. Geese were insane creatures, and he didn’t want to find out how crazy these ones were. 

He turned around, heading back into his lobby of his apartment building and called Xaden.

“Hey,” he answered. 

“Sloane and I can’t come.”

“You can’t come…to dinner?” he asked, sounding confused. Liam understood his confusion. It was their biweekly family dinner, and everyone made full attempts to make it. 

“Correct.”

“Why?”

“There are rabid geese outside my apartment.”

There was a lengthy pause. “Are they foaming at the beaks?”

“All geese are insane, Xaden. I’m not testing it.”

Liam could practically hear Xaden pinching the bridge of his nose. “Just get Sloane to scare them away. If you say they’re insane, she’ll fit right in.”

“I would take offense at that for her, but you’re probably right.”

“Just…” Xaden sighed deeply. “Just get your ass over here.”

Chapter Text

Apology

Word Count: 195

Universe: Canon

“I’m sorry.” Dain watched as Xaden’s shoulders stiffened before the man turned in his chair to look at him.

“For?” Xaden asked, his tone rough and strict. It was clear Xaden was wondering why the fuck Dain would have the gall to talk to him after everything that happened. Everything that Dain caused. It had been months since they had left Basgaith, but Dain needed to apologize. 

Dain helplessly shrugged. “Everything. I screwed up with Violet and—and Liam. Sloane hates me because I’m trying to make sure she lives because I can’t go through that again. But then it seems like I’m just doing that out of guilt, but it’s not just guilt. I’m trying to make amends. I can’t take back everything but I’m trying . I wanted to apologize earlier, but you’re always around someone, and it didn’t seem fair—”

“Aetos.” That took him out of his rambling stupor, the military instincts kicking in at his superior’s voice.

“I will not say it’s okay. I will not say that I fully trust you. However, Violet does, and I trust her. Fuck up, and I will not hesitate to kill you. Get back to work.”

Chapter Text

Sapphire

Word Count: 152

Universe: Canon

She was glaring at him, a normal response, but it was the bright blue of her eyes that always got him. He knew her eyes were blue, but they shined like sapphires at times. 

He’d heard other first years talking about her — how she was a rebellion child, how she was Liam Mairi’s sister, how her hair was so shiny. The one that really got to him was that she was pretty .

Pretty didn’t really cut it. She was gorgeous, ethereal. Stunning.

Her eyes were what drew him in. The way they were so expressive when she glared at him or came up with something unhinged to say. His favorite moments were when she would be threatening him for existing, and yet her eyes would take in his features for moments after the conversation had ended.

Cath would make fun of him for it, but suddenly, he had a preference for sapphires.

Chapter Text

Tutor

Word Count: 192

Universe: Modern (Harry Potter AU)

“Ms. Sorrengail, you are going to fail this class if you continue like this,” Professor Kaori said. His voice was gentle, but she could hear the judgement underlying his tone. She was a Sorrengail — it should be in her blood. 

Violet bit down on her lower lip, trying to control her impulse to lash out. It wasn’t her fault that she got thrown into a class she had no intentions of taking.

She was supposed to be in Potions, but no. Her dear mother had to change her schedule half-way through the year so Violet could join the Sorrengail family career track. Violet had no preparation, no insight into the class, and she was incredibly behind in the syllabus. 

“I apologize, Professor. I’m trying to catch up on my lessons outside of class.”

“I appreciate the effort, however, I have a suggestion for you.”

“I’m assuming it’s not really a suggestion?”

A kind smile preceded his words. “No. I’m assigning Mr. Riorson to tutor you.”

Oh good. Xaden Riorson tutoring her in Defense of the Dark Arts. The exact class that his father had beaten her mother in.

That’ll go well.

Chapter Text

Hades

Word Count: 158

Universe: Modern (PJO)

Xaden was surrounded by shadows, and he had no idea what the ever loving fuck was going on. He was beginning to become encased in darkness, and he suddenly couldn’t see the monster that was trying to attack him just moments prior. He was panicking, and he had no idea what the hell was going on.

Something had been charging at him, and while he tried to defend himself with his pocketknife, suddenly these shadows had sprung out of nowhere and thrown the monster back. Xaden heard the monster get back up to try to attack him again, but he could no longer see it because the shadows had turned on him.

It was the most terrifying situation Xaden had ever been in, and he wanted to shout for help but who was going to help him? 

Do not fear, son. The shadows are your friends. They will protect you. You now control the power of the underworld.

Chapter Text

Mistake

Word Count: 147

Universe: Canon

Lilith Sorrengail knew she was flawed. 

She made mistakes and made decisions that weren’t the best in hindsight, but everything she did was for her children. Everything.

Lilith didn’t care if the world burned down around her as long as it meant that her babies would be safe, and when it came down to herself or her youngest daughter, Lilith didn’t hesitate to make that choice.

As she lay there in Brennan’s arms, surrounded by her biggest loves, she wanted to tell him that she was immensely happy that he was alive. She wanted to tell Mira that she was in awe of the command she held. She wanted to tell Violet that she was proud of her.

Lilith hoped that her sacrifice would be enough since she never said any of those words to her children.

That may have been the biggest mistake of her life.

Chapter Text

Nightmare

Word Count: 173

Universe: Canon (ish)

Xaden was proud of himself for holding back until classes had ended for the day. The panic that he had felt through the bond had been strong enough that Xaden almost left his post at the ward edge to come back immediately. Instead, he had asked Sgaeyl what had happened, and then decided to bide his time.

“I don’t trust you, Barlowe,” Xaden snarled, cornering Jack against the wall. To his credit, Jack tried to glare back at Xaden, but it was laughably weak. The rage seemed to be seeping through Xaden — the only thing that kept him grounded. 

“I’m not here to hurt her,” Jack insisted, and Xaden scoffed.

“ I just told you I don’t trust you.” Xaden took another step closer. “Forget your greatest nightmares, I will become the one thing that you fear the most. I will never rest in making your life absolutely miserable , and neither will you. I will find you anywhere you run, and I will kill you. Touch her, and the penalty will be your death.”

Chapter Text

Horses

Word Count: 172

Universe: Canon

“Come on, Dain!” Violet shouts, calling for her best friend to join her. It was rare that they had the time to enjoy themselves outside, and while she still felt good, she wanted to go ride her horse. Mira and Brennan were already in the stables, but there was no way Violet was going to leave Dain before.

He quickly jogged to catch up to her, and not for the first time, Violet was jealous of his long limbs. 

“I’m here, I’m here, Vi,” he answered, smiling at her. Violet’s heart skipped for a moment before she turned and ran into the stables with him.

Mira and Brennan had the horses set up and ready to go, so the two didn’t waste a moment. Dain helped Violet get up into the saddle and settle into the horse. She could feel the immediate ache in her hips, but soon enough, they were laughing and screaming as they rode their horses well into the trees. 

It was freeing, and Violet couldn’t imagine anything better.

Chapter Text

Needle Eye

Word Count: 167

Universe: Modern

It was a cosmic joke. That was the only explanation that Ridoc would see her at the bar, close enough that he could forget all his attempts to say goodbye and go up to her and kiss her like he so desperately wanted to do.

He had gotten out of the house, out of the never ending silence and loneliness, to get away from the reminder that he was alone. He couldn’t keep thinking of the way that she had taken up every corner of his house and his life, only for her to let him go so easily.

All he wanted to do was get wasted, forget her, and throw himself into bed with another girl. 

It was such a shitty thing to do considering that was exactly what she had done to him, but the thoughts just kept churning in his mind, and he had to get it to stop.

Rhiannon didn’t love him enough, but he couldn’t just diminish what he felt for her.

Chapter Text

Darling

Word Count: 200

Universe: Canon

Sloane blinked once, then twice, at the sight before her. It was actually quite gruesome with the blood slowly dripping out of the gash and then down his arm and onto the floor. The cut looked like it was made in a jagged motion, as though the blade had struggled to cut through the skin. It seemed like the bleeding was beginning to naturally slow with the pressure he’d been applying, but there were three towels on the ground soaked with his blood.

“It’s not nearly as bad as it looks, darling.”

Sloane spluttered for a moment, first at the casual use of the endearment and then when his words actually registered. “Not as bad as it looks?! Dain, what the fuck?”

“Wow I really thought that would make you feel better,” Dain dryly commented. Sloane moved towards her boyfriend, taking the jar of salve off the table next to his bed in the healer’s wing.

“What, calling me darling? I think that’s pretty low on my list of things to care about.” She removed the towel and started gently applying the salve, apologizing when he let out a hiss at the sting.

Dain shrugged. “It was worth a shot.”

Chapter Text

Car Crash

Word Count: 200 

Universe: Modern

It wasn’t common for Violet to trust someone so quickly, to let them into her personal bubble. As an actress, she was well aware of the fact that people would try to get close to her for their own benefit. Some were looking for secrets or photographs to sell to the paparazzi. Some were looking for a monetary favor. There were even the occasional few that wanted to fuck her just to say that they did. 

Xaden was different, though. He didn’t care about money — he had enough of his own — and sure, he wanted to fuck her, but the different was that she wanted him to fuck her. The attraction was instant when they met at the most random place Violet could imagine — at a long term dog daycare.

He looked at her once, smiled, and Violet was a goner. The whiplash she got upon realizing that Xaden could give a shit about who Violet was made everything that much better, and it was as though she had seen a car crash happen in slow motion. She couldn’t stop staring at him, and she was waiting for the damage he would cause in her life.

Except it never came. 

Chapter Text

Switch

Word Count: 167

Universe: Modern

“Excuse me?” Violet looked up at the voice, finding a man standing over her with a sheepish smile. “I hate to be that person but my wife and I accidentally got seats in different rows. Would you mind simply switching with her? You’ll keep your window seat.” 

“Oh—um,” Violet paused before she stood up. “Sure.” The couple thanked her profusely, and she moved to the row behind her. 

“Excuse me,” she quietly said to the man sitting in the seat next to hers. He looked up, and she was taken aback by his bright blue eyes. “Could you please shift my carry on over a bit? I hate to ask, but I can’t always lift—” 

She didn’t even finish speaking when he stood up and motioned for her to sit down before shifting her carry on. “Thank you.”

“No problem,” he answered. “Happy to help such a pretty woman.” He smiled at her, cheeky and self-assured, and Violet knew that she’d be best friends with this man.

Chapter Text

Clouds

Word Count: 141

Universe: Canon

“That one looks like a hand,” Ridoc said, lifting a finger to point at an ambiguous cloud. 

“Are you dumb? That’s obviously a flower,” Sawyer retorted. 

Ridoc heard rustles from his left before he heard Rhiannon answer. “You both are idiots. That doesn’t even make a shape. Also, I’m going to have grass stains on my riding leathers.”

“Rhi, you don’t have the required imagination ,” Ridoc responded, waving a hand in a sweeping motion to emphasize his point. 

“Look at that cloud on the right,” Sawyer said, “and think about it. Doesn’t it look like a slice of cake?”

Ridoc turned his head to watch Rhi squint her eyes and tilt her head. “Uh kind of, actually.”

“See! You just have to bring the images to life.”

“You sound like you’re a few minutes from becoming a full motivational speaker, Ridoc.”

Chapter Text

Quality Time

Word Count: 151

Canon: Modern

“Come on, Dain,” Sloane begged, pulling at his bicep. He barely budged, not even really looking at her. His eyes were trained on the TV as he watched some drama that he was stupidly invested in. 

“Sloane, I just wanted to spend some quality time with you,” he murmured in response. Oh, so he was listening to her. Dain’s hand blindly found hers, and he laced their fingers together. It was incredibly dumb how her heart melted a little bit at that gesture, but she couldn’t give in now.

“We could do that if you decided to look away from the TV. Besides, if we go out tonight, we’d be spending time anyway!” 

“You know I meant at home.”

Rolling her eyes, she decided that it was time for her to pull all the stops out. This wasn’t part of her plan, but it was time to go for the kill. 

Chapter Text

Plans

Word Count: 181

Universe: Modern

Sloane decided that it was time to do things her way. She stood up, stretching her arms above her head and letting out a soft grunt as her muscles relaxed. Sloane knew Dain’s eyes were on the TV, but she also knew that it wouldn’t stay like that for long, especially when she felt his gaze on the back of her neck when she turned away from him. 

Sloane grabbed a hair tie off the table, and then moved in front of him. At first his eyes snagged on her before he turned to angle himself to watch the TV behind her, but then Sloane placed her hands on his shoulders, settling herself on his lap.

“If you come, we can spend some quality time later tonight,” she whispered, smirking against his ear when she felt him stiffen ever so slightly under her. He let out a slight gasp, as though he had stopped breathing momentarily before remembering that breathing was a vital function, and she pushed herself away from him far enough to look into his eyes. 

Game, set, match.

Chapter Text

Intoxicated

Word Count: 189

Universe: Modern 

The music was pounding in his head; the bass was incredibly bone-jarring, and yet, Xaden felt himself loosening up after being here for the last hour or so with the rest of their friends. He felt himself giving into the music and the feeling of Violet’s body on his own. They were impossibly close, and even though she was barely showing off any skin in her black leather jeans and dark red blouse, she was still absolutely captivating. 

He always wanted to kiss her, but in that moment, he said fuck it to their hesitations of any public displays and kissed her deeply. He dug his fingers into her waist, and she let a small gasp out against her lips. 

Kissing her was intoxicating, and not only because he could taste the alcohol on her tongue, but rather because it felt like with every movement of their lips, he was slipping more and more. It felt like he couldn’t get enough of her, and he was addicted to her as though she were the only thing that he needed to live, and if he had her, he’d be okay.

Chapter Text

Buddy

Word Count: 183

Universe: Modern

“So, since we’re now seat buddies, I must know where you’re headed,” Liam asked, pulling Violet away from her period of zoning out as she looked at the view from thousands of feet in the air. 

She sent him a confused look. “We’re flying to New York,” she pointed out. “You must’ve made that connection.”

“Well yes, I just didn’t know if you were taking this as a connecting flight or if New York was home or if you were traveling to New York.”

“You’re full of questions.” She watched as Liam pulled out a rubix cube from his carry on bag, beginning to solve it while keeping his eyes on her.

“I live to surprise, but let me tell you my life story so you feel more comfortable. I live in New York, and was just visiting my little sister who’s off at college in California. She’s basically a mini-me, and that makes her very uncomfortable.”

As Liam kept talking, she realized he was right. His mere presence made her feel comfortable, and their seat buddies would definitely translate past the flight. 

Chapter Text

Idiots 

Word Count: 187

Universe: Canon

“Honestly, it takes skill to be so dumb,” she heard Xaden murmur off to the side, startling her away from Garrick and his lips. She opened her eyes to find him already looking at her, his hand still clutching the nape of her neck. Imogen could feel his fingers flexing every couple of seconds, as though he were trying to fight the instinct to drag her back into another kiss. 

She wouldn’t mind, except although Xaden was comfortable with kissing Violet in public, she and Garrick had quite literally begun about a minute ago, so she wasn’t sure she was up to that just yet.

“What the fuck are you talking about?” Garrick finally answered, eyes still on Imogen.

“The fact that you two have been eye-fucking each other for years. Violet even caught on.” That caught Imogen’s attention.

“What do you mean Violet caught on?” 

Xaden smirked. “She’s known about your little crushes since her first year.”

“Wait, her first year?!” Garrick exclaimed. “You’ve liked me for three years?”

“Please, she’s liked you since we were kids, and you’re no better,” Xaden, oh so helpfully, answered. 

Chapter Text

Confessions

Word Count: 196

Universe: Canon

“Hey, Im,” Garrick greeted as he sat down next to Imogen. He set his hand behind him in the grass and leaned back, putting pressure on his hands. 

She looked up at him and smiled.. In the moonlight, she looked as beautiful as ever, the pink of her hair almost shimmering. 

There was something about the way she looked at him that seemed familiar though, but he couldn’t really put his finger on what. 

“Hey,” she answered. “Nice of you to grace me with your presence. Is there a reason why?”

Her tone was clearly teasing, incredibly typical for the two of them, but he wasn’t sure why he felt off . Maybe it was because they were sitting alone, and he was getting distracted by how pretty she looked. 

As he studied her, he realized that the reason why her expression seemed so familiar was because she was looking at him how Violet looked at Xaden — glad to not be alone, glad to be around someone she felt was safe, glad to be with him. 

It spurred him on enough to give him the courage to speak. “Just wanted to tell you that I love you.”

Chapter Text

Vulnerability 

Word Count: 191

Universe: Canon

Garrick wanted to be alone, but for some fucking reason, every corner he turned in the goddamn house, there was someone already there. A guard, a rider, a scribe, someone.

He could feel his throat closing, the tears building in his eyes, but he couldn’t be seen like this. It took him a few minutes of wandering and blinking back the tears before he gave up and took a page from Xaden’s notebook.

Ten minutes later, Imogen found him staring up at the clouds, his back against the shingles of the roof. He could feel her gaze on him, clearly studying him, before she sat down next to him. Of course she could see the tears on his face, the defeat in his body. 

“What happened, Garrick?”

“I don’t know how to save my best friend,” he whispered, his voice cracking halfway through. “He’s fighting this battle all alone, and I can’t help him. I can’t be with him. I can’t take some of that burden. He’s just there, and all I can do is watch.”

She laid down next to him, wrapping her arms around his waist, and he broke. 

Chapter Text

Fighters

Word Count: 171

Universe: Canon

“You really want to challenge me while you’re still recovering?” Imogen asked, raising an eyebrow.

“I’m fine. Just a mere poisoning.”

Imogen looked at him with skepticism. “Sure, a mere poisoning considering you were dead for a minute there.”

“Are we doing this or not? We’re already on the mats.”

Imogen rolled her eyes but deigned to not respond, instead throwing a punch on his right with her right hand so he’d shift towards the right out of instinct. As he tilted his body, Imogen quickly pulled her arm back towards his body, elbowing him in his right shoulder instead. He let out a grunt before laughing.

“Oh, I see, this is how we’re doing it today.” He swept a foot trying to take her legs out from underneath her, but he only managed to slightly trip her up. It was enough that she fell right into his chest before pushing herself away from him and willing herself not to blush. 

Well, this was going to be just great, wasn’t it.

Chapter Text

Snow

Word Count: 181

Universe: Canon

It was snowing, and all Imogen wanted to do was sit inside by the hearth, but no. Her dumb friend had these so-called better ideas. It wasn’t like they were kids anymore! They had finally hit the double digit ages, and making snow angels and snowmen were little kid stuff.

“Come on,” Garrick pestered, tugging on her sweater sleeve. Imogen swatted his hand away, but he just changed his target from her sleeve to her braid. 

“Stop that!” she insisted, swatting him upside the head. 

“Not until you say yes,” was all he said with another tug to her braid. “It’ll be fun!”

“It’s freezing.”

“Please,” he said, dragging the word out, and Imogen gave in. She’d never say it, but even though she came inside with a bright red nose and snow everywhere , she had so much fun. She wanted to go back out the next day with Xaden, Liam, and Sloane. She wanted to drag her parents out too. Maybe the dragons could come along and watch, and they could all have a snow day.

But first, hot chocolate.

Chapter Text

Tattoos

Word Count: 168

Universe: Modern

“Hey Imogen, when you get a tattoo, where would you get one?”

“What the— Garrick, how did you get from calculus to tattoos?”

“I have a random brain, and you know this. Just answer the question.”

“What if I don’t want a tattoo?”

“That’s a blatant lie.”

“How the fuck would you know that?”

“You keep doodling random shit in the corner of your notes.”

“And how exactly did you become psychic to read the intentions behind the doodles?”

“Not really. Drunk-you was just very forthcoming with information like that last week.”

“You told me I didn’t do anything stupid!”

“You didn’t! You just told me a lot of information.”

“But didn’t tell you where I wanted a tattoo?”

“Ha! So you admit that you want a tattoo!”

“Oh my god, you’re insufferable—wait, don’t grin at me. Just because you can give me a cute smile doesn’t mean jackshit.”

“Oh, now I’m cute?”

“I want a tattoo on my wrist.”

“Don’t you dare try changing the topic now!”

Chapter Text

Soulmates

Word Count: 167

Universe: Canon

“Can I tell you something?” Garrick whispered into the space between him and Imogen. He pushed a strand of hair away from her face.

She hummed in response, but her breath caught in her throat before it gave way to a slight wheeze. Garrick’s heart squeezed in his chest, and he swallowed down the urge to rage against the world that was stealing her away from him. Imogen’s eyes fluttered, and he leaned down to kiss her forehead, closing his eyes as a fresh wave of grief tore through him. 

Glane let out a moan nearby, and Garrick tore his eyes from Imogen to look at her dragon, lying simply feet away. Garrick shifted the two of them so Imogen was lying on Glade’s leg. They would not be in this world for long.

“What did you want to tell me?” 

He smiled down at his best friend, even as he felt the tears begin. “You made me believe in soulmates. You are my soulmate, Im. Forever"

Chapter Text

Running

Word Count: 198

Universe: Modern

“I can’t believe you woke me up so early for this ,” Garrick complained, his chest heaving as sweat dripped down the side of his forehead. He looked like a mess, but a hot one if Imogen were being honest. They were both in workout clothes, but it really wasn’t fair how she had started to notice his body more and more over the last few years.

It wasn’t as though she had never had the thoughts of what if her best friend could be more, but for a while at first, Garrick was just another Xaden or Liam or Bodhi to her. Until, he wasn’t. 

Him wearing that stupid fancy tux at the work event he accompanied her to last week definitely didn’t help. He was incredibly built, which she had known, but it was so painfully obvious when his shirt was stuck to his skin, the sweat causing an outline of his abs to appear. 

Even though her hormones were trying to force her to jump him, Imogen rolled her eyes as she let out a breath, trying to manage her breathing pattern, “It’s literally 7:30, not 5AM.”

“Any time before 9:00AM should not exist.”

Chapter Text

Is It?

Word Count: 165

Universe: Canon

“Are you aware,” she said, trailing a finger down his bicep, “that every time you say you shouldn’t, just makes me want you more?” 

Liam could tell that her actions weren’t as innocent as Violet had made them out to seem. There was a purpose behind her touching him, and he was trying terribly hard to not focus on how easy it would be to say fuck it .

“Violet, you know Xaden would have my head.”

“That’s only if I die,” she answered with a quick eye roll. “Besides, I can’t just leave when I know that your eyes trail after me for reasons other than just my protection. Is it wrong that we both have an itch to scratch?”

“I can’t be protecting you if I’m too busy fucking you, Vi.”

“Oh, if anything, I’d say you’d be in the best position to do so,” she quickly answered, as though she were expecting his counter.

In that case, he supposed, she would be correct. 

Chapter Text

Infantry

Word Count: 198

Universe: Canon

“You told me once that your dad hoped you would go into infantry,” Violet brought up, and he felt her brush a hand alongside his bicep before she wrapped her hand around his. Xaden felt a smile begin, and for once, he let himself feel the emotions as they came. That was something he was still learning.

That didn’t mean that he was going to change his base instincts to be a dick.

“I never said that to you.” A shoulder knocked into his bicep. He could’ve pretended it hurt.

“You told me in a letter, semantics. Will you tell me more about your dad?” Her question ended a bit more quietly than it began, and he didn’t need to read her intentions or need the bond between them to read the hesitation in her body language. 

“He thought that riders were pompous dicks, but I fit in too much to argue with that assessment,” he said, laughter lining his voice. “He was strong, and he’s part of the reason why I’m so good with hand-to-hand. He would line us boys up and spar with all of us to train. At the time, it was everything to me.”

Chapter Text

Black Widow

Word Count: 199

Universe: Modern

“Tell me Mira doesn’t give you Black Widow vibes,” Ridoc stated, entirely out of nowhere. Violet turned to look at him — he wasn’t even looking at any of them. He was simply staring at the wall.

Rhi leaned over to whisper in Violet’s ear. “Do you think he’s high?”

“No? He’s been with us all day,” she whispered back.

Sawyer humored him with a response. “She actually kind of does. Mira has the whole leather look down, and she will hunt you down and murder you if you cross her.”

That made Violet pause. “Actually…you’re entirely correct. She’s the one who taught me how to throw knives.”

“Where did she even learn how to do that?” Liam asked.

Violet shrugged. “I’m not entirely sure. She just always knew how to do it, and then one day she taught me.”

Rhi seemed to decide that this was the perfect time to join in on the conversation too. “It’s not a military thing?”

“Nope. She taught me before she left for training.”

Ridoc finally turned to look at them with what Violet could only describe as all-knowing for some reason. “I’m telling you. She could be Black Widow in another life.”

Chapter Text

Practice

Word Count: 173

Universe: Canon

“If you’re going to practice using your signet in battle, you actually have to practice sparring, Sloane.”

“Fuck off, Wingleader,” she spat, the venom clear in her tone. Dain simply rolled her eyes at the defenses she had attempted to build between them. Something about their relationship had shifted after the battle where they had lost Xaden — where she had siphoned from him and saved Mira. He had summoned her to the gym to try to get her to open up and let her anger and grief out in a way that wasn’t self-destructive.

“You could make me by sparring me.”

“Why are you so insistent on controlling what I do?” 

“I’m not,” he answered calmly. “I’m more concerned about making sure Liam’s little sister stays alive.” 

She stomped up to him with a finger pressing into his chest. “How dare you bring up Liam? You killed him!”

“Sometimes it’s me, sometimes it’s Violet. You should really pick one.”

“You’re an absolute dick, you know that?!”

“Want to take that out on me?”

Chapter Text

Trigger

Word Count: 182

Universe: Canon

He saw the way her body weight shifted mere seconds before she actually acted on the rage Dain knew she felt. He knew those words would trigger her, and he was absolutely ready when she leaped at him. Sloane tackled him to the mats, but he twisted his body away before she could punch in the face. Instead, her fist hit the mat next to his head, but Dain wasn’t expecting that she would absolutely knee him in the stomach in her attempt to follow his movements.

“Oof.” A grunt escaped him, along with the air in his lungs. His legs came up towards his stomach as he tried to ball himself up as instinct took over, and Sloane toppled off of him.

“Oh my god, oh, are you okay?!” The panic in her voice was clear, and he wanted to say he was okay but he was still struggling to breathe. “What— this wasn’t supposed to happen, did I break a rib?”

“You have terrible aim if that’s what you wanted to do,” he wheezed out. 

“Not the time for jokes!”

Chapter Text

Batman

Word Count: 200

Universe: Modern

“Oh for fuck’s sake, can you please just fucking come down?!” Violet yelled. She felt like an idiot, standing there in front of a tree, yelling up in the branches at her black void of a cat that refused to listen to her. Tairn had gotten startled by a car driving by a little too closely while Violet had been letting him get his weekly grass time, and the next thing she knew, he had somehow gotten out of his harness and was up in the fucking tree.

This was quite possibly one of the most embarrassing things that had ever happened to her, and she was praying no one would be around to see this.

“Do you need help?” Violet flinched at the voice of her — hot — neighbor, because of course, he was there. He hadn’t been there a few seconds ago so he must’ve seen her from inside his house.

Violet didn’t even respond before Xaden started climbing the tree, easily grabbing a hold of the thick branches to haul himself up, and within minutes, he was on the ground with Tairn.

She felt her jaw unhinge a little at the sight before she asked, “Are you Batman?!”

Chapter Text

Speed

Word Count: 197

Universe: Modern

“Violet,” Xaden said, and for once, she could hear the tension in his voice, “maybe you should slow down?” 

She looked over at him quickly and shot him a grin. “Relax, there’s literally no one around. This is the best part!” 

It was almost one in the morning on a Thursday, and true to her words, there was no one else on the roads. It was Xaden’s idea to go out for a midnight drive, except he let Violet drive. She had a rough few days, and she figured he thought this was the best way to let loose for a little bit, especially since she had taken the rest of the week off from work. 

And she was definitely letting loose. She felt more free the faster she drove, and Violet chose that moment to open the windows, letting the full force of the wind in.

“You’re driving at 90 miles per hour in a 55,” he pointed out, halfway to screaming.

“And?!”

“Please don’t kill us!”

“You’re the one who let me drive!”

“A mistake I will not make again!”

“Hey! I’m a safe driver!”

“I’ll believe you when we get home in one piece!”

Chapter Text

Reunion

Word Count: 197

Universe: Modern

>> Are you sitting down?

Sloane frowned, staring at her phone screen. A quick glance at the clock told her that it was nearly midnight in England, and Dain should’ve been fast asleep, but instead he was texting her.

<< Yeah, I’m at the library. Why?

>> Perfect.

Somehow, Sloane frowned even harder, feeling the tension from how hard her eyebrows were furrowing. 

<< Perfect?? What do you mean???

When a few minutes passed without any response, she texted back.

<< Dain.

<< Hello??

“Hey, Mairi,” came a voice behind her, and she startled, spinning around in her chair. Her body seemed to have caught up to the fact that Dain was standing behind her before her mind did because her body was immediately swaying towards him, but there was no way he was there.

Dain was supposed to be in England, away on a year-long work project. He was supposed to be in his apartment that she had seen countless times through video calls, not in the library where Sloane was studying.

She stood up on shaky legs before launching herself into his arms.

Her boyfriend wasn’t where he was supposed to be, but she was right where she needed to be.

Chapter Text

Enchanted

Word Count: 195

Universe: Canon

There was a man staring at Lilith, and if he didn’t stop soon, the quill in her hand may very well find its new home in between his eyes. 

He looked down at his parchment when she glared at him, making sure she was sending a clear message with her expression, but Lilith didn’t miss the slight twitch of his lips. He found their exchange amusing, and she gripped the quill tighter. 

The man was the one of the scribes assigned to work with Lilith and a few of the other rider and infantry officers when they came back from recon missions, and he was new. She’d never seen him before, and Lilith loathed to admit that he was quite handsome. There was something about the way his eyes spoke volumes without him speaking a single word, and despite her glares, he never backed down from taking her in. 

She cornered him after the meeting and was a little peeved to discover that he was taller than her by a few inches.

“Is there a reason why you were staring at me?” 

“Can a man simply not be enchanted by a fierce woman in leather?”

Chapter Text

Uno

Word Count: 200

Universe: Modern

“You guys have to be cheating,” Liam stated, pushing his chair back from the table to stare at them in denial. “There’s no way that coincidentally all five of you had +2 cards in your hands.”

Dain simply slid the deck of cards over to Liam. “No cheating here. Either fork out another +2 or pick up twelve cards.”

“Fuck off, you know I don’t have another +2.” Liam looked to his sister for support, but Sloane shrugged and stole a bite of Dain’s ice cream.

Violet leaned into Xaden exhausted but unwilling to get up because she was having way too much fun watching the drama unfold. Xaden shifted in the seat next to her to put an arm around her shoulders, fingers tapping against her bicep. 

What was supposed to be a dinner with all of Xaden and Violet’s friends and family, turned into an accidental triple date situation where only Bodhi, Liam, Sloane, and Dain showed up for dinner. 

Dain brought Uno, and suddenly their night evolved into screaming matches over betrayals of wild cards.

As Liam pulled the cards, Bodhi announced, “I hope you guys know I will be hearing about this for the next week”

Chapter Text

Glasses

Word Count: 199

Universe: Canon

Sloane knocked on Dain’s door, unsure of what she was going to say to him. She had the vaguest idea of wanting to apologize for asking Thiort to singe his eyebrows, but having been forced to go speak to her wingleader by Xaden meant that she didn’t actually have a plan on what to say.

Except all of that went straight out the window because when Dain opened the door wearing glasses, her mind went straight to ‘holy shit what the hell’.

“Hey, what’s up? Did you miss me that much?” he casually asked. Sloane managed an apology as she entered Dain’s room, and he laughed at her.

“Please, I knew you were just riled up. I do that on purpose,” he smirked. “You’re hot when you’re pissed.”

Sloane’s control snapped. She surged up to kiss him, wrapping an arm around his neck as she tugged him down to her. He responded immediately but pulled away slightly.

“Wait, come back,” she whispered against his lips. 

Dain yanked his glasses off, threw them onto the desk nearby. “I’m not going anywhere.”

A gasp escaped Sloane at his motions. “I think that may have been the hottest thing you’ve ever done.”

Chapter Text

Killer

Word Count: 193

Universe: Modern

Violet stared at the murder board, finger tracing the timeline she had drawn on the bottom. There was something about the timeline of the case that wasn’t adding up, and it had been irking her long after she had gone home for the day.

It got to the point where she dragged herself out of bed just to come back to the FBI headquarters, and she found herself piecing through the alibis of their main suspects for the serial killing that her team was focused on.

She moved back to the evidence folder on her desk and started scanning the sheets and photos again. It wasn't till she’d been at the desk for another hour when she found it. The missing piece of the case.

Violet stood up when the door behind her opened. She wasn’t startled because there was only one other person who would’ve come into work this late when there wasn’t a pressing emergency, and Violet turned to speak.

“I know who the killer is.” Xaden spoke alongside Violet, and she looked at him with a slight smile, and she was pleased that there was a matching one on his.

Chapter Text

Mickey Mouse

Word Count: 199

Universe: Modern

“Will you just wear the goddamn Mickey ears? Even Imogen is wearing them!” Violet asked for the seventh time that day, and honestly Xaden was so tempted to just keep saying no to piss her off even more. If there was anything the two of them agreed on the most, it was that Xaden would do almost anything for Violet, and when there was something he didn’t want to do, he refused to piss her off even more.

It was fun for him, and then fun for her when he made up for it. 

“She helped you plan the trip, Vi,” he answered. He saw her squint her eyes at him, and swiftly moved out of her foot’s path as it tried to make its way to his shin. “Jesus, Violence. Do you want me to keep walking today?”

“Xaden!”

“Fine,” he answered, rolling his eyes as he lowered himself so that she could slip the Mickey Mouse ears onto his head. He would never admit it out loud, but it was a bit cute that he had the standard ears while Violet had the matching Minnie Mouse ears. 

“Aw, look at Mr. and Mrs. Mouse!” 

“Fuck off, Garrick.”

Chapter Text

Sister

Word Count: 190

Universe: Canon

“Your sister needs to back the fuck up if she doesn’t want me to break her pretty little nose,” Mira snapped, stepping in closer to Syrena’s face. Violet was off with Xaden, and Mira was supposed to join them in one of the rooms but a little detour was required.

“I don’t control Cat.” Syrena sounded resigned.

Mira rolled her eyes and spoke. “You think I can control Violet? She’s fucking the man who is the literal representation of everything our mother stood against. It’s your job to get it through that demon spawn’s mind that you do not mess with Violet. Forget Xaden, I will be her biggest problem in that case. Of course, that’s after Violet is through with her.” 

Syrena backed away from Mira and started walking away. “I can talk to her, but don’t be surprised when Cat does what she wants. Xaden really hurt her, and hell hath no fury like a woman scorned.”

Mira laughed out loud, causing Syrena to turn around to look at her in confusion. “You’d be dead if Violet wanted to raise hell. Get Cat to back off, or else.”

Chapter Text

Late

Word Count: 199

Universe: Modern

“You’re late,” Sloane commented casually, entirely pretending that she hadn’t sprinted from her car in the parking lot to the changing room in the gym before setting herself up in front of the dumbbell rack to wait for Dain to show up.

Dain put his duffle bag down along the wall before turning to look at her. “Am I late or are you just early for once in your life?”

She groaned, deciding to turn away from him to begin her stretches. It didn’t matter that he was right, but it did matter that he knew. “That’s such a lie.”

“Liam told me everything, Sloane.” She could hear the laughter in his voice.

“I knew it was a bad idea to let you and Liam meet.”

“That’s what happens when you bring your brother to your personal training sessions.”

“Oh so it’s my fault that I wanted to build some muscle and asked my brother to come join me?”

“Yes. He told me that you are late to every event and social gathering ever. You also had a track record for being late to class?”

“I did not! I was only late a few times.”

“A year?”

“...a month.”

Chapter Text

Pebble

Word Count: 180

Universe: Modern

Xaden jerked out of his daze when he heard a clatter against his window. At first he thought it was just him hallucinating, but when he heard it again, he straightened up. 

He paused, waiting to see if he would hear it again, but instead, there was a knock on his door before Xaden heard it open. Only Garrick would just waltz right into his room.

“Dude, you need to go to the window. Now.”

“Why?”

Garrick just groaned and motioned for him to hurry up, so when Xaden opened the window, he thanked all the gods for his quick reflexes as he ducked just in time to avoid a pebble hitting his eye.

“Violet! What the fuck?!” he exclaimed, louder than he wanted to. “You could’ve taken my eye out!”

“Sorry! I didn’t expect you to stick your head out the window like an absolute dumbass,” she retorted with a smile on her face as she looked up at him. It infuriated him that even in yoga pants and a t-shirt, covered by a large cardigan, she looked beautiful. 

Chapter Text

Threshing

Word Count: 200

Universe: Canon

“What the fuck are you going to do, Tyrr?” Xaden gritted his teeth, watching Garrick get pushed and shoved by another cadet. Xaden had seen him around before — it was hard to avoid someone who was so dead set on seeking them out. He was one of the few repeating first-years, and despite not bonding the year before, the cadet seemed to have the arrogance of a seasoned bonded rider.

Garrick pushed back, but from Xaden’s view point in the trees, he saw the glint of the knife before Garrick did.

Instinct drove him to fling his own dagger out, sending it down mere inches away from where the two stood. The two looked up at Xaden in surprise, and he took the moment of distraction to his advantage. Xaden jumped down from the branch, tucking himself into a roll as he hit the ground before taking his other dagger and shoving it into the cadet’s chest. Xaden relished in the way the cadet’s mouth fell open in shock before he staggered a few steps away and keeled over.

He would die, and Xaden felt no remorse.

“Xaden—”

“He was going to kill you. I did what I had to.”

Chapter Text

Walk

Word Count: 200

Universe: Canon

There were the moments that Xaden truly cherished — the quiet of their surroundings, the calmness bleeding through his bond with Sgaeyl, and the girl walking beside him were things he didn’t get to experience often.

Normally, Xaden would never really partake in such affection, but Violet changed him. He relished in every moment of contact, and he was especially enjoying how plastered she was against him. With her hand in his and her shoulder pressed up against his arm, he hadn’t felt at ease in months. Maybe even longer.

“What are you thinking about?” Violet asked. He turned to look down at her and found her staring at him with her big, beautiful hazel eyes.

“Hmm,” he hummed, piecing together how he was feeling into words. “You. Us. How the world doesn’t feel like it’s about to fall apart?”

“Well that last one probably has to do with how we basically ran off to the middle of the forest mid-meeting,” she pointed out. Xaden rolled his eyes, playfully jostling Violet with the arm she was holding.

“We’re on a walk, Violence. We did not run.”

“Do you really want to get started over semantics?”

“Of course, have you met us?”

Chapter Text

Anniversary

Word Count: 200

Universe: Modern

So are you guys doing anything special?” Rhi asks, plucking a piece of lint off her sweater.

Violet pauses mid-text to Xaden, trying to figure out what her best friend is talking about. “For what?”

Rhiannon looks at her with a strange expression. “What do you mean ‘for what’?”

“That's exactly what I mean.”

“Violet…did you forget what today is?”

“It’s Tuesday?”

“Yeah but the date.”

“The, uh, 21st?”

Violet actually thought Rhiannon might kill her with a glare.

“It’s your fucking anniversary?”

“Oh.”

“Yeah, oh.”

“Fuck.”

“How did you forget?!”

‘I don't know! We've been busy!”

“So Xaden forgot too?”

“He didn't say anything to me,” Violet cried, pulling up her text chain again and deleted her ongoing message in exchange of frantically messaging if they had plans for tonight. “How did you even remember?”

“Oh, please as if we could forget the blow out argument you two had over something stupid before just making out in front of us.”

Right. That did happen. “It was over how to load the dishwasher…” Violet mumbled, feeling her face heat up. Her phone buzzed in her hand.

Did we have a date planned?

“He forgot too!”

“You both are actually hopeless.”

Chapter Text

Arms

Word Count: 178

Universe: Modern

Sloane never thought she’d be lusting over arms, but here she was.

Lusting over arms.

The veins in his forearms bulged as he used the knife to expertly chop the onion for the stir fry he was cooking. Sloane couldn’t cook to save her life, so for her to have found someone that was more than happy to fill that void in her life was quite fortuitous. Even more so now that it was a whole experience for Sloane — a meal with a view.

“Enjoying the view?” Sloane jerked in her seat at his voice, startling out of her daze to look up at Dain. His annoyingly handsome face had a slight smile, almost bordering on smug. 

“No, I’m wondering how to get you to move faster. I’m hungry.”

“Not sure that it’s food that you’re hungry for, Sloane.”

Sloane let out a laugh at his retort. “I didn’t think you had it in you, Aetos.”

“I have many tricks up my sleeve.”

“Speaking of, can you roll them up? I would like to continue watching your arms.”

Chapter Text

Swoon

Word Count: 172

Universe: Modern

“There has to be some sign!” Sloane insisted. “Look for it.”

“Do you want the mouse?” he asked. Dain’s frustration was clear in his voice as he tried to scroll around on the game screen. 

“No. I want you to zoom in so I can see.”

“Sloane, you could do it yourself.”

“I don’t have geographical knowledge!”

“We’re playing GeoGuessr. Kind of the point to have geographical knowledge.”

“You’re the smart one here,” Sloane continued to insist. “Now zoom in on that banner! I think I see a link.”

Instead of zooming in, he put a hand under her seat and dragged her chair over to be closer to him. Her stomach swooped at the casual display of strength before she felt the pterodactyls attack. His forearms rippled, and suddenly she was shoulder to shoulder with him. 

She looked at him in surprise, unable to stop replaying the last thirty seconds on repeat.

“That was incredibly hot,” Sloane blurted out. Dain studied her with a smile.

“Are you swooning over me?”

“Possibly.”

Chapter Text

Meet Cute

Word Count: 200

Universe: Modern

“I’m already at the store, Vi. I’ll bring the snacks,” Mira spoke into her phone, scanning the shelf in front of her for the cheese puffs. 

“Alright, I’ll see you tonight! Don’t forget my salt and vinegar chips!”

“Of course, you heathen. I wonder how we’re related, though,” Mira joked. Catching sight of Violet’s chips, Mira lodged the phone in between her ear and her shoulder to grab a bag to toss into the basket. 

“Bye, big sister!” Violet answered in response.

“Bye, little sister.” As her eyes scanned the shelves, she finally saw the single bag of spicy cheese puffs she was looking for — right as someone else’s hands grabbed for them mere seconds before she could.

“Excuse me, she was reaching for that,” she tried politely, eyeing the handsome man that had committed the atrocity.

“Oh, apologies.” 

“Can I have it? That was the last bag.”

“Uh, no. I need these.”

“They have zero nutritional value. You don’t need them.”

“Yeah, I know. But maybe we could trade?”

“What?”

“Names. Mine’s Drake.”

“Mira.”

“Great, now to complete it, I’d like your phone number, as well.”

“How awfully bold.”

“Do you not like it?”

“I like my puffs more.”