Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

Rules

• Non-sexual only
• I can write any pairing, but am more likely to write F/F
• OCs are allowed, so long as I'm given a proper description.
• Absolutely no kink interaction. Period.

Fandoms I will write for

• The Arcana (Haven't played it in a while, might be rusty)
• Mlp (G4, G1, G1 Tales, G3, G5)
• Fnaf SB (only cg animatronics)
• Bugsnax
• Centaurworld
• Kipo
• Invader Zim
• Starkid
• Stardew Valley
• Sucker for Love
• Extraordinary Attorney Woo

How to Request

1. Fandom
2. Pairing / Dynamic
3. Brief idea, summary, or plot
4. Specific requests, dislikes, etc.

Chapter Text

Winona Nevermore was a curious case in the eyes of one Saria Songbird. Saria, being a star student herself in the Everglade Flight School for Gifted Girls, had been given her fair share of praise and fortune in life. Throughout her childhood and teen years, she was what could only be described as a social butterfly, eagerly climbing the social hierarchies and establishing herself as a popular kid, on top of being a skilled wingball player.

It was no surprise to anyone, let alone her strict, no-nonsense mother, that Saria would be awarded a scholarship and admittance to Roostpoint's most esteemed academy.

Winona, on the other hand, was more out of place among the socialites and wealthy young avians who populated the academy. Being from a poor, broken family, she stuck out like a sore thumb, and thus was often the center of gossip and ridicule among students.

Despite this, Winona seemed to truly be a genius in Saria's eyes. While Saria was no spring chicken, she had to admit that her affinity for sports was the main catalyst in her admittance to the school. Winona on the other wing excelled in nearly every subject, refraining from any sports or extracurriculars.

Saria was not proud to admit that she had grown a tad bit obsessed with the other student, observing her from a safe distance lest she risk her social status, trying desperately to figure out the wonderful and beautiful puzzle that was Winona Nevermore. Well, maybe she had a bit of a crush on the shorter avian as well.

Despite the finch-type's social and bubbly exterior, when it came to romance, she was clueless. It wasn't until a partner project came along that the two would be grouped together by chance.
As it turns out, they had a wonderful chemistry.

Winona had never trusted somebody as much as she trusted Saria. The rook-type had come from a neglectful, unsafe household, where as the oldest sibling, she had taken full responsibility over herself and her little siblings at as young of an age as five years.
She took her sisterly duties very seriously, to the point where it bled into her adult life, feeling the responsibility to protect those smaller than her.

But with Winona, it was different. Winona made her feel safe, comfortable, protected, and...small.

It was a feeling Winona was familiar with. An unwelcome feeling that she would repress the best she could. She didn't know what it was, but it had a strong enough hold on her that she felt the need to keep an old, worn out baby's pacifier, and a raven-shaped security blanket from her babyhood, wrapped up in a tight little box and shoved as far under the bed as she could manage.

Usually, those feelings of soft, fuzzy clouds fogging her brain only came about when she was stressed, or panicked. Usually, she would fight that fuzziness for as long as she could, which only seemed to tire her out, leading her to seek refuge under her blankets, with the contents of her precious box.

But now that she had moved in with her girlfriend, things were different. That fuzziness came along far more often, without warning, and she had no way to safely ride it out without being caught. It was wearing her thin, stress building up with no way of relieving it. Had she really grown so dependent on her strange, childish way of coping?

The thought made her feel ill. She was meant to be an adult. She always had been. If she had acted this way in her childhood, what would have become of her poor siblings? Would they starve, or would their father have gotten to them first?

It didn't take long for Saria to realize that something was wrong. It was worrying her to see Winona so worked up, and she had no idea what was wrong. Not for a lack of asking, of course not. She had asked many times. And a few times, she had even seen what she believed to be a glimmer of contemplation in her girlfriend's gaze, as if she was debating on whether or not to confess.
And yet, she never did.
It broke Saria's heart to see her soulmate like that.

Winona just wanted a break. Not from her girlfriend, but...she needed some time alone, so she could seek out the comforts of her baby box. She might die of embarrassment if Saria saw her like that, right before dying of heartbreak when the finch-type inevitably laughs in her face, before promptly dumping her.
Winona groaned quietly, resting her hands on her face to block the light from her eyes, her head spinning. She rolled over on their shared bed, hugging the pillow tightly.

"Winona, hon'?"
Saria's singson voice sounded from the other room, making the rook-type shoot up, a smile tugging at her pale lips at the sound of her girlfriend's voice.
"Yeah babe?"

Saria appeared in the doorway, immediately breaking into a grin, and scooping Winona up to deliver a barrage of kisses onto her face.
"There's my beautiful girlfriend."
Saria sighed lovingly, stroking her thumb over Winona's cheek, and causing the avian in question to flush a bright red.
"Did you know I love you?"
She planted a final kiss on Winona's adorable button nose, before parting from her, leaving the both of them feeling a bit cold without the other's warmth.

"I, uh...I know this was supposed to be movie night, but..."
Saria fidgeted nervously, grimacing as if she were having trouble delivering some particularly bad news.

"Practice sprung up on you again?"
Winona gently took Saria's hand in her own smaller one, giving her an understanding smile.
"Don't worry. We can scoot movie night over to tomorrow. I know how important wingball is to you."

The wingball captain let out a sigh of relief, bringing her girlfriend's hand up to her lips and gently kissing the back.
"I love you so much."

"I love you too babe."
Winona hopped up to kiss Saria on the cheek, trying to mask her giddiness. She loved movie nights with the girlfriend, of couse, but she really needed this.
"Now out with you. You don't want to be late again, do you?"
Winona grabbed Saria's bag of gear with a labored grunt, handing it to the stronger girl.
Saria shuddered at the mention of being late to practice. Their coach didn't take tardiness lightly. The last time she was late, she had to run laps with wing weights, and all of her gear on during warmup.
"No, definitely not, never again."
The finch-type huffed, allowing her smaller partner to usher her out the door.

"See you tonight?"
Winona smiled gently up at her beloved, holding the door open so that she could leave without needing to put down her bag.
"Of course, my love. I have nowhere else to go, after all."
They shared a laugh, and before she knew it, Winona had the roost to herself.

She took no time at all in retrieving her baby box, throwing it open and delicately acquiring the coveted items inside.
She felt the tension melt from her shoulders as she popped the pacifier in her mouth, impossibly tiny on her tongue, but soothing nonetheless. Hugging her security blanket tightly to her chest, she got up and opened the closet, swaying a bit on her feet as the cloud encompassed her brain more and more. She pulled out some fuzzy jammies, shedding her school clothes to don the comfy attire.

She toddled around the roost with a happy smile on her face, finally feeling a sort of relief from her everyday stressors, when she realized something. It was quiet. Far too quiet. In fact, the only sound she could hear was the gentle suckling of her pacifier.
Suddenly, a bright idea came to her. Who said she couldn't have movie night on her own?
She hugged her blankie gently, waddling into the living room and flopping down on the couch, grabbing the remote.
It took a few tries to get the remote to do what she wanted, but eventually, she figured it out, putting on a cute children's cartoon that she wasn't familiar with, and lying down to cuddle with her blankie, her eyelids already drooping.

~

Saria returned from practice earlier than she had anticipated, hauling her bag behind her with aching arms. She had practiced hard today, a thought that filled her with satisfaction. She wasn't the captain of the team for no reason.

Luckily, she had managed to use one of the communal showers before leaving, not wanting to come home to her girlfriend, smelling of sweat and dirt.
She opened the door, putting on a grin as she stepped inside.
"Winnie? Honey?"
The finch-type looked around in bewilderment, not hearing a response. Well, maybe she was sleeping. Winona was known to stay up at night when she was stressed, leading to long naps throughout the day. What was even more puzzling, though, was the colorful and exuberant noises coming from the living room.

Is that...a cartoon?
Saria approached the couch, eyes glued to the television as it continued to broadcast the hatchling's show.
A small snuffling noise brought her attention to a figure on the couch, the sight of which made her brain lag.
"Winona?"
It was her alright. With an old, desecrated security blanket snuggled up to her chest, and a worn out pacifier between her lips.
Saria's mouth hung open slightly, unsure of what to make of the sight before her. She gently tilted her head, her hand reaching out almost on its own accord to softly caress her cheek.

Winona stirred, blearily blinking her eyes open to see Saria standing before her. In her sleep-addled state, her mind didn't cross what kind of state her girlfriend had found her in. Instead, she only wanted to be held, rocked until she slipped back into sleep.
Her pacifier fell from her lips as she let out a big yawn, reaching her arms toward Saria.
"Hold me, please," was what she wanted to say, but all that crossed her lips was an unintelligible babble, a drop of saliva falling from the corner of her mouth.

"Oh, uh...alright!"
Saria scooped the babbling bundle up into her strong arms, gently bouncing her as if on instinct. Winona smiled and cooed gently, bringing her fingers to her mouth and sucking on her knuckles.
"Ah ah, none of that."

Saria scolded softly, guiding her regressed girlfriend's hand away from her lips.
Winona huffed, squirming. Her brows were drawn tight, and her nose twitched in a way Saria had come to recognize. Winona was getting ready to pitch a fit.
"Hey now, calm down little one."
Saria chuckled, bending over to pick the paci up off the ground. She walked over to the kitchen, rinsing off the yellow rubber teat, and popping it back into Winona's mouth.
"There. Isn't that all better?"

Winona heaved a sigh, snuggling into Saria's chest and rubbing her eyes with her fist.
"You sleepy? I bet you are...you were tossing and turning all night last night."
The finch-type carried her girlfriend to the bedroom, gently placing her down and covering her up with the comforter.
The rook-type's eyes shot open, and she let out a loud whine, making grabby hands at her girlfriend.
"Hey! Hey now, calm down. I'm getting in too."
Saria stripped off her school clothes, climbing into the bed. Immediately, Winone latched onto her again, resting her head comfortably on the finch-type's chest, where she could hear the gentle thump of her heart.

"Atta girl."
Saria gently praised, stroking her partner's hair as she was lulled into peaceful sleep.
"I love you so much Winnie."