pairing - gabriel reyes x f!reader wc - <3k warnings - power dynamics (sort of), age gap, princess/bodyguard notes - this spun out of control far too quickly oh no, anyway bodyguard gabe is one of my favourite things and i had to make it medieval, enjoy! also on ao3!
Things have been tense around the castle lately.
Your
step-brother’s reckless endeavors have your mother, the Queen, on high
alert. As part of her marriage to your step-father, it was agreed he’d
be given a small part of the army to commandeer in the fight against the
invaders from the west. Her frayed nerves often leave her in a state of
hysteria, as she becomes increasingly overprotective of you with each
passing season.
Currently confined to your chambers, this time of
day is usually when you’d be escorted into the village to help out with
the orphanage—an activity that had been stopped by your mother in one of
her fits.
Everything was changing, and not at all for your or
anyone else’s betterment. The conversation you overheard yesterday has
you worried, as you chew on your lip with reckless abandon. It won’t do
well to dwell on these thoughts, you think. Sighing as you turn away
from your window and approach the door.
Outside stands your
personal knight, the one person you can rely on to be constant during
this tumultuous time. Or so you had thought.
“Gabriel?” You call, as you peek out from round the door. He stands
sentinel right outside, his posture rigid and his jaw hard set.
You
can’t help but admire how dashing the older man looks in his
armaments—or how the scars on his face add to his rugged charm. Despite
being a decade or two your senior, infuriatingly vigilant, and only ever
reluctantly playful—you undoubtedly have a soft spot for the man. More
than you’d ever admit to him, or anyone else for that matter.
“Can
we go for a walk?” You ask sweetly, fluttering your eyelashes in an
attempt to persuade him. You know he will insist on adhering to your
mother’s restrictions.
His eyes narrow, as he instantly detects
mischief. He crosses his arms across his broad chest, staring you down,
yet you know there’s nothing behind the look. “In the courtyards, or
outside the castle grounds?”
“Outside.” You giggle, as you push past him into the corridor, a grin on your face.
“Your mother won’t be pleased.” He states simply.
You know she won’t, and that’s partly why you want to do it. But
also, you’re sick of being cooped up and restricted, and you know that
with Gabriel by your side, nothing could possibly go wrong. You pace
backward, returning Gabriel’s look with a cheeky smile, urging him to
follow you. “I don’t really care. I’m going, whether you do your job is
up to you.” You shrug.
“You’re infuriating.” He grumbles, as he pushes himself away from the wall and follows behind dutifully.
Infuriating, you snort. “You haven’t called me that in a while.”
Gabriel has definitely softened lately, you think.
“You’ve
been less infuriating as of late.” He retorts, yet with no bite to his
words. His large strides allow him to catch up to you with ease before
he’s right by your side.
“Sorry.” Your brows raise with a hint of
embarrassment as you stare up at him and recall how difficult you’d
been when he’d first been placed with you.
You expected him to be
just like the last—indifferent and ineffectual—and you intended to make
his job difficult. Yet you’d come to learn that your Knight may be the
most stubborn man on earth, and despite your antics, he had gritted his
teeth and played you at your own game until you were marching to his
beat more often than not.
He’d make you think you were breaking
the rules in favor of danger, yet he anticipated your moves and planned
accordingly. Most strikingly, he was anything but indifferent and seemed
to struggle to hold his passion and his personal feelings inside when
it came to his daily life.
You remember asking him for lessons in
swordsmanship, just as you did your last guard. Then, you’d been
dismissed for being a little girl wanting to act like a man. Gabriel
wasn’t happy, but he knew you’d try one way or another, so he indulged
you and kept you safe every step of the way.
Your eyes fix upon
his swords—two large, scary blades strapped to his back. You remember
struggling to hold them on your own. “Do you really have to bring
those?” You sigh, you’re only going on a walk after all. From the
whispers you’ve heard, he doesn’t even need them to hold his own. The
other Knights are afraid of him, never mind the townsfolk.
“You know I do.” He mutters.
Even just thinking about them makes you frown. While swordplay
interested you in the lessons he’d give you inside the castle walls, you
weren’t naive to the bloodshed beyond them. Imagining them coated with
blood makes your discomfort even worse, and worry for your guard flare
within you. “I don’t ever want to see you use them.” You frown.
“I
hope you never have to.” His voice is gruff, and you imagine he’s
probably thinking back to his previous engagements in combat. “Battle is
barbaric, a man’s job.” You know he only half believes what he says.
You’ve
long known Gabriel to have faith in your mother as a fierce leader, yet
you suspect that’s not the life he wishes for you. His coddling is
equal parts annoying and endearing. Your laugh echoes around the stone
corridor at his observation. “If you say so, but we both know my mother
would disagree.”
Gabriel reaches the large wooden doors before
you do, holding one open for you to slip through. Your last guard was
too prideful to do something so demeaning in his eyes, but Gabriel sees
it all as part of his service—even if he doesn’t necessarily do it with a
smile.
You thank him before taking in lungfuls of fresh air. You
can smell the horses from the stables, Gabriel having led you out the
back way—you resolve to go for a ride sooner rather than later. Though
sneaking out the horses is harder than sneaking out on foot. “See, the
weather is perfect today.” You spin freely, embracing the sun as it
soaks into your skin. The Knights practicing in the yard eye you— a
mixture of judgment and awe, until Gabriel’s presence deters them from
looking any further.
Gabriel laughs derisively at your observation of the weather, “If you’re not in armor.”
In
an instant, you come to a stop, concern overcoming you and replacing
your sunshine mood. “If you’d prefer, we can head back to your chambers,
so you can take it off?” You frown, before cracking at the implication
of your words. Very unbecoming of a Princess. “I mean…so you’re not
overheating!” Very much like your cheeks are right now.
“It’s not
about what I prefer, Princess.” He smirks, somewhat reveling in your
shy embarrassment—yet maintaining his facade of being resistant to any
trouble or discomfort.
“You’re infuriating.” You sigh, yet lace
your voice with fondness. The whimsy inside you forces you to Gabriel’s
side, slipping your arm around his as he escorts you off the castle
grounds. It’s not an unfamiliar position, yet today you find yourself
enjoying it more than usual. It must be the euphoria of finally being
outside. "Come to think of it, I believe all Knights are infuriating,
and my last was definitely even worse.“
That earns a sincere
laugh from your guard, a deep yet melodic sound you relish. Gabriel and
your former guard had not gotten along, but Gabriel’s opinion had soured
even further upon learning of his treatment of you and his laxity as
your guard. “He was stupidly inept, and had all the charm of an ass.”
“You say that like you don’t too.” You nudge Gabriel with your dainty hip, yet he’s too solid to move.
He peers down at you, a brow quirked in offense. “I have plenty of charm… when I’m off duty.”
You giggle at first, finding the idea of Gabriel being charming
entirely amusing. Those are two words not easily married in your eyes,
yet he wasn’t known for being boastful of a trait he didn’t possess
either. You suppose he didn’t make it this far in royal service by being
stiff and not silver-tongued.
“I’m sure the girls at the inn are thrilled.” You’re fishing, and you know it, but you hope your loyal guard doesn’t see it.
Despite
his status, you’ve long considered Gabriel a friend, a confidante.
After much wearing down, and lectures on status and professional duty,
you believe he returns the sentiment. Yet still, he can be a little less
than forthcoming in regard to his personal affairs.
“I don’t see girls at the inn.” He growls, seemingly offended at the idea of being associated with ladies of the night.
The
two of you make your way into the forest surrounding the castle, and
you find yourself thankful for so many things. The chirping of the birds
and the freshness of the air—and especially thankful for the fact that
there’s been a severe lack of rain, meaning no dirt on your dress to
evidence your foray into the woods.
“I was teasing you.” You smile shyly, trying to shake off some of the tension.
Gabriel
knows this route well, as he’s accompanied you on many walks over his
tenure with you. He guides you to a clearing that you frequent, and the
two of you take a seat on an all-too-familiar log. Sometimes you could
convince the man to let you wield his swords here too, swirling around
only as long as he had his hands guiding you. Other times, the two of
you would engage in deep discussions, and he would indulge you in ways
no other would dare.
Today would be a day for another deep conversation.
“There’s
something I wanted to talk to you about.” You start, your voice frayed
with nerves. You barely slept last night thinking of all of this.
“What’s that?” He asks, concern in his tone.
You
fiddle with the lace adornments of your bodice before you meet your
guard in the eye. “Are you aware that my mother is thinking about moving
your post, placing you with my step-brother instead?”
His jaw
clenches and his eyes narrow as he seems to regulate whatever response
he intends to give. "I’m aware.“ He comments simply.
That you hadn’t expected.
"You
are?! Why in the gods haven’t you done something about it then?” You
practically cry out, a sting of betrayal coursing through you at the
revelation. It was one thing that your mother was keeping you in the
dark, but him too?
“As always, it’s not about what I prefer.” He
mutters, and you sense there is more he wishes to say. Sometimes he’s
too gallant for his own good.
“But it is about what I desire,
correct?” You laugh bitterly, your chest clenching at the idea of losing
your guard. “Are you really just going to accept it?”
He shoots you a glare then, one you’ve seen directed at many others, but not often at you. “And what do you suggest I do?”
“Well… say something!” You demand, your patience waning and temper rising at his attitude.
“Convincing your mother is your job.” He snaps, standing and walking away across the clearing as he begins to pace.
You
watch him keenly, knowing there is more going on than he is letting on.
The two of you spend almost every waking moment together, and you know
there’s something you’re not being told. “I—” Your voice cracks as you
rise from the log too, making your way over to Gabriel who is now
standing guard next to a tree and not meeting your eyes. “It’s like you
don’t even want to stay.” You intend the words to be scathing, to poke
at the bear inside and reveal his true nature—instead, they betray your
inner heartache.
Gabriel continues to look away, coolly observing your surroundings. “I go where I can best serve.”
“And
you don’t want to serve me?” You cry out, never feeling more entitled
than you do at this moment. The Princess role is not one you usually
wield offensively, and yet your guard’s actions push you to the
edge. The idea that he could be better utilized under your step-brother
is likely accurate, at least for him. But what about your needs? What
about what he means to you?
Something within Gabriel snaps, and
before you know it, he grabs your fragile body and pushes you against
the nearby tree. His strong, broad frame pins you to the bark as he
stares you down. His hands grasp harshly at your waist, his hips flush
against yours. "I want to do far more than serve you, Princess. I want
to cater to your every whim and protect you till my dying breath. I want
to spend my days by your side and be the only reason you ever have to
scream.“ His hot breath fans across your face as he reveals his secrets
like a man possessed.
"So maybe this move is for the best,
perhaps the rest of the guard have noticed the way I look at you.” He
snarls, revealing a more primal side of himself that certainly affects
you deeply.
Even with this display, you know he wouldn’t hurt
you, yet his behavior isn’t one you’ve seen before. “The way you look at
me?” You ask in disbelief, having assumed your inappropriate feelings
were entirely one-sided.
“Like I want to defile every inch of you,
turn you from a princess to my plaything.” His lewd, forbidden words
send a shiver through you, as you desperately hold onto him. “Or as if I
spend every minute thinking about how pathetic it is that I’ve fallen
for the one woman I could never have.” For a moment, his confession
seems to hang in the air as you reel from the words.
Your loyal guard—renowned and respected Knight, Gabriel Reyes—is in love with you.
“Gabriel…”
You sigh, so many feelings coursing through you as a litany of words
sit at the tip of your tongue.You know it’s forbidden, that it would
never be allowed—yet your heart soars knowing your connection hasn’t
been one-sided this whole time. All the late-night conversations, the
assistance around the clock, wasn’t just his duty—but a genuine desire
to provide for you.
Gabriel pulls away, the intimate moment
snapping as he turns on his heel. “We should get back to the castle.” He
grumbles, making his way out of the clearing.
“Gabriel!” You
call out, waiting for him to still. “When we return, I’m speaking to my
mother.” It’s not the best way to phrase what you mean, but actions
speak louder than words, don’t they? Besides, it’s not like you have
much experience in this regard.
Gabriel looks solemn, the usual
tender look in his eyes completely absent. He seems resigned, defeated.
“I apologize for my outburst, Princess.” His words are stiff, and he
continues on his path away from you.
“You really are the
infuriating one.” You mutter, scrambling up to him until you can grab at
his wrist and still him. It’s then you turn his head to face you,
reaching up to touch him, so his eyes will meet yours. “I’ve spent the
past year with thoughts of you in my bed chambers, or protecting me when
I need you most.” Every banquet they bring me some boy I should marry.
But I don’t need them, nor want them.“
You sigh. "I want a man. I
want you, Gabriel, and I have for a long time.” Your hold on him begins
to waver as nerves overtake you. Gabriel is honorable, and you don’t
doubt he resents himself for the way he feels, and the fact he revealed
as such to you. Despite you returning the feelings, you worry he may
still try to do the honorable thing.
“Princess…” His words are gentle, as all the softness you’re used to seeing from him rushes to return.
“I
have no doubt when we are alone you are going to turn the tables and
have your way with me, but for now, I’m your Princess. And I want you to
stay as my guard, so you will.” You say firmly, hoping that shows your
intent.
“Understood.” He nods before he quickly snakes an arm
around your waist and pulls you into his body. You’re unsteady on your
feet, but of course, he is there to hold you. “But you’re right, when I
sneak into your chambers tonight I’m going to ruin your virtue. Make you
unfit for any other man.” He growls in your ear, his voice dropping low
and teasing in a way you’ve never heard before, and yet are already
addicted to.
You melt into his body, safe and at peace in the arms
of the man you trust most in this world. There’s nothing you can do to
fight the smile on your face or the flutter of your insides. “There’s no
other man for me than my protector.”
Gabriel’s hands move to cup
your face, holding you tenderly before his lips press against yours.
The kiss is the right mixture of soft and demanding, the perfect
representation of the man before you. And as his love flows through you,
you find it impossible to imagine a life without your knight. You only
hope his dedication will not waver in the face of everything that is to
come.
pairing - gabriel reyes x f!reader wc -
9,130 warnings - power dynamics, deep throating, face slapping, consensual but not safe or sane, rough sex, degradation, dom/sub, dirty talk, spitting, angst notes - uploading to tumblr as well as ao3 bcs yay, but you can also read it there if you like!
The sweltering heat hasn’t let up all day even as the evening
comes, and yet the peak of summer has yet to arrive. Adding to the
feverish haze of it all, Commander Reyes decided to make two firmly
annoying decisions. Firstly, that training would be conducted outside
today, and secondly, that it would be an all-day session. And when he
said all day, he meant all day.
Luckily for him, he’s foregone his
usual hoodie in favor of a tight-fighting tank top that’s molded to his
abs, showing off his bare arms. His tan skin is covered in the barest
sheen of sweat, unlike the cloying, soaked fabric that clings to your
own body.
You, and the rest of Blackwatch around you, continue to work
away—pushing your bodies to the limit in the hopes of appeasing your
scrutinous Commander.
pairing - gabriel reyes x f!reader wc -
9,130 warnings - power dynamics, deep throating, face slapping, consensual but not safe or sane, rough sex, degradation, dom/sub, dirty talk, spitting, angst notes - uploading to tumblr as well as ao3 bcs yay, but you can also read it there if you like!
The sweltering heat hasn’t let up all day even as the evening
comes, and yet the peak of summer has yet to arrive. Adding to the
feverish haze of it all, Commander Reyes decided to make two firmly
annoying decisions. Firstly, that training would be conducted outside
today, and secondly, that it would be an all-day session. And when he
said all day, he meant all day.
Luckily for him, he’s foregone his
usual hoodie in favor of a tight-fighting tank top that’s molded to his
abs, showing off his bare arms. His tan skin is covered in the barest
sheen of sweat, unlike the cloying, soaked fabric that clings to your
own body.
You, and the rest of Blackwatch around you, continue to work
away—pushing your bodies to the limit in the hopes of appeasing your
scrutinous Commander.
You’ve learned it’s not easy being Genji’s partner.
First there’s the whole Overwatch business - he’s always busy, following odd hours for other timezones in order to be functional for missions, training to be at his sharpest, getting tune-ups and such from the doctor whenever something breaks (and things frequently break when you’re a cyborg ninja trying to save the world). At least most of his teammates are nice to you, and you even got Lúcio’s autograph to boot. Maybe next time you’ll work up the courage to ask for Zarya’s…
Then there’s his teacher, Zenyatta. You feel like you’re practically sharing Genji with him half the time, with how often they’re together (though you bear it gracefully, knowing how much the monk means to him). He seems to like you well enough though, and has given the occasional word of encouragement when you aren’t so certain about your relationship.
[Image ID: A dictionary entry of the word Afearican.
Someone from the U.S, enjoying freedom in a safe country, but still experiencing the fears that are rational in the U.S but are irrational in the country they are in.
Examples:
-Fearing the cost of the ambulance called for you, instead of worrying about your injury.
-Thinking the sound of fireworks could be gunfire.
me, 14: dear puberty, i feel a deep insecurity about being a boy. please make me tall with a strong jaw and a big dick, so i can feel confident and desirable
Puberty: ok! you asked for it… but i’ll see you again in a couple years
turns out y'all love a tall woman with a strong jaw and a big dick, so, everyone wins i guess
one of the more valuable things I’ve learned in life as a survivor of a mentally unstable parent is that it is likely that no one has thought through it as much as you have.
no, your friend probably has not noticed they cut you off four times in this conversation.
no, your brother didn’t realize his music was that loud while you were studying.
no, your bff or S.O. doesn’t remember that you’re on a tight deadline right now.
no, no one else is paying attention to the four power dynamics at play in your friend group right now.
a habit of abused kids, especially kids with unstable parents, is the tendency to notice every little detail. We magnify small nuances into major things, largely because small nuances quickly became breaking points for parents. Managing moods, reading the room, perceiving danger in the order of words, the shift of body weight….it’s all a natural outgrowth of trying to manage unstable parents from a young age.
Here’s the thing: most people don’t do that. I’m not saying everyone else is oblivious, I’m saying the over analysis of minor nuances is a habit of abuse.
I have a rule: I do not respond to subtext. This includes guilt tripping, silent treatments, passive aggressive behavior, etc. I see it. I notice it. I even sometimes have to analyze it and take a deep breath and CHOOSE not to respond. Because whether it’s really there or just me over-reading things that actually don’t mean anything, the habit of lending credence to the part of me that sees danger in the wrong shift of body weight…that’s toxic for me. And dangerous to my relationships.
The best thing I ever did for myself and my relationships was insist upon frank communication and a categorical denial of subtext. For some people this is a moral stance. For survivors of mentally unstable parents this is a requirement of recovery.
