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blackbat05 · 2 years

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Hero

Frank Castle x Reader

A/N: First Frank Castle fic! Frank and reader are neighbors, reader is an elementary school teacher and requests help from Frank that leads to just more than an ordinary Friday. Feedback is appreciated as always!🙇🏽‍♀️

Genre: PG-13

Warnings/Notes: Fight sequences, blood, profanities. Usage of O/C characters.

***

He had no idea what he was doing here.

Sometimes, the world had the most funniest ideas that involved screwing him inside out.

Here, stood Frank Castle. In front of a class of third graders, sitting in their tiny plastic chairs, eyes wide open in anticipation.

Would he rather go to war?

‘Hi!’

Frank turns around to see you, the next door neighbor hurrying towards him with your own basket of clean laundry.

‘Looks like it’s laundry day for you too huh?’ You tried to make conversation. He nods numbly, not wanting to embarrass himself in front of his neighbor that was the absolute polar opposite of him.

‘Yeah, got a few stains. Here and there.’ Frank mumbles, not wanting to scare you about the exact nature of the “stains”.

‘Damn, they can be a real pain in the ass,’ you laughed, unaware of the strange effect you had on him. ‘Well, I wouldn’t want to hold you up any longer but could I ask you for a favor?’ You see an unreadable expression on his face.

‘You can say no if you’re not comfortable.’ You quickly added for good measure, not wanting to pressure your neighbor.

But he was never going to say no when it came to you.

‘Alright class, you can ask questions but one at a time.’ You emphasized, giving a quick thumbs up to him while the little ones weren’t looking.

To Frank’s surprise, the kids had posed rather insightful questions that made him think about his time in the military. But it was a little girl with purple framed glasses that would make this day at an elementary school memorable.

‘My grandpa was a soldier like you Mister. He went to Vietnam,’ she tells Frank. ‘Grandma tells me that he still gets a lot of nightmares. How can I help him to get better?’

Your breath gets caught in your throat, prepared to step in as you see Frank tense up.

‘Well…’ The man ponders, wondering how he should proceed. ‘Nightmares are always scary when you have to face them alone… but if you’re together… you won’t feel as scared.’

She takes it in, nodding thoughtfully. ‘Grandma always spends time with Grandpa.’

As you see Frank starting to slip into another world, you take that as you queue to step in. Quickly getting things into order, you reminded your students to thank today’s special guest for their time before dismissing them.

You could tell that the kids were growing attached to Frank despite his intimidating appearance to most grown adults. Filing out of class, some kids had stopped to give him hugs. It was adorable really, seeing Frank bend down to return the warm hugs.

If you dared say so yourself, he needed these hugs from the young ones.

Returning to your table, you see Frank glancing in the direction where the same girl was sitting, waiting for you expectantly.

‘Uh, seems like we have a lone straggler.’

‘Oh no, Madam Wu and her husband are helping out at a veteran support group every Friday. I offered to look after Tammy, spend the evenings with her.’ You filled him in on the specifics. ‘Would you like to join us for dinner? We’re having pizza today.’

Despite the tempting offer to spend more time with you, he felt wrong intruding on your shared time with little Tammy. Before he could give a polite rejection, Tammy speaks up, eyes sparkling.

‘Oooh! Can Mister Castle join us? Please? Pleaseeeee.’

His heart skips a beat, hearing you chuckle. It was almost like the girl was your own flesh and blood.

‘It’s the least I could do after asking you for this huge favor.’ You reasoned with him. ‘Besides, Tammy has a tendency to order a bit too much food. And I won’t take no for an answer.’

A cute kid. A pretty neighbor. How could he say no to that?

***

‘How was dinner Tammy?’ The three of you exited the diner, the girl striding to keep up with Frank’s big steps.

‘It was yummy!’ She gave a thumbs up. ‘Can Mister Frank come with us again next week?’ Tammy instinctively reaches for his hand.

‘Of course kiddo,’ his large hands hold her tiny ones. He could get used to this bit of normalcy in his life.

Thank you, you mouth to him. He gives you a quick wink before turning his attention back to Tammy who was animatedly telling him about the strawberry soda she had earlier.

Although he only knew the kid for less than a day, Tammy had found a way into his heart. Just like you did. The young girl reminded him too much of his daughter. Perhaps Frank didn’t know it, but they were more alike in more ways than one.

‘Tammy lost her parents when she was just a toddler. Car accident.’ You tell Frank sadly while Tammy was out of sight.

‘Thank god her grandparents gave her so much love. Especially Mr Wu. He’s going through things of his own, but he wouldn’t stop talking about his granddaughter.’

Walking past a pharmacy, Frank realizes that he should probably stock up on his bandages that were slowly depleting at home.

‘Hey, I gotta get some supplies. Mind if you give me a minute?’

‘Of course. We’ll be waiting here, do what you need.’ Frank enters the store, feet directing him to the section filled with first aid necessities. Not like it wasn’t his first rodeo. No more, no less. He makes his way to the counter, not wanting to leave the two of you outside on a street like Hell’s Kitchen.

Why did his gut feeling always had to be right?

***

While you waited for Frank, the two of you kept yourselves entertained with a piece of paper and pen, playing tic-tac-toe.

Honestly, you weren’t sure what was up with this neighborhood and people not being able to take a hint.

A heavyset male stumbles across, movement erratic. He’s clearly drunk and you’re more worried about Tammy seeing this rather than anything else. Still, you tried to keep calm. It wouldn’t be long till Frank was out.

‘Hey gorgeous! Where you goin?’ He slurs the last few words out, eyes nearly rolling backwards. You bring Tammy closer towards you, attempting to ignore him.

Tammy tenses up, shifting closer to you. ‘Miss L/N…’

‘Don’t be scared girlie!’ The drunkard waves his arms aggressively. ‘I’m not a scary man!’ He then leers at you. ‘How about I show you a good time?’

That’s it. You had enough. Standing up, you were about to tell him to fuck off in the nicest way possible while Tammy was still there when the door opens, the cold air rushing onto the streets.

Frank stands behind you, looking murderous. It took him his entire willpower not to bash the man’s skull into the concrete with a young kid there. He didn’t know how he did it at that time, but he had never been so calm in his life.

‘Y/N. Could you get me an extra box of these bandages?’ He passes you the bag, referring to the boxes inside. ‘Take your time. Oh and I forgot the sweets for Tammy.’

Confused, you could only nod, taking your student along with you inside the pharmacy. As the door shuts behind you, Frank descends on the unsuspecting man, dragging him to the alley behind the shop.

‘Try that shit one more time and I promise you won’t be walking after tonight.’ He growls, hands firmly on his collar.

‘Whatcha- do about it huhh? None of your business if I want to give that lady a good f- ARGHHH!’

Frank has dislocated both knee caps in under ten seconds. Squatting down to face the whimpering man, he repeats the threat again.

‘I told you.’

Getting out of the alley, he sees you and Tammy waiting for him outside the shop.

‘Is the scary man gone?’ Tammy stands behind you, eyes darting around. ‘Did you tell him to go away?’

‘Yeah, I did.’ Frank ruffles her hair. ‘No need to be scared now kiddo.’

***

‘Ah, this is Tammy’s.’ The three of you finally arrived at a three-story apartment. ‘Looks like Mr and Mrs Wu are back home too.’

‘I’ll wait here, you can drop her off.’

‘What? No don’t be silly, they’ll like to meet you too!’ You held his hand, leading him towards the apartment.

The old couple had embraced Frank warmly. Perhaps it was the common bond of being military men, Frank had immediately started conversation with Mr Wu while you chatted with Mrs Wu.

‘Marine eh?’

‘Yes sir.’

The older man smiles, ‘Harold will do son. Seems like Tammy enjoyed her time today.’

Catching wind of the conversation, Tammy runs towards the sofa in record time, plopping her tiny frame beside Frank.

‘Yeah! Mister Castle beat the bad guys! Told them to go away!’

‘Did he now?’ Mrs Wu walks slowly to the sofa, with you at her side. ‘Thank you for spending time with Tammy today.’

Frank had beat you to it, ‘Pleasure’s all ours. Tammy’s a sweet girl. Thank you sir for serving the country.’

The older man freezes in his tracks and that’s when he knew that this had meant a lot to him.

‘We shouldn’t hold you up any longer,’ you stood up along with Frank. ‘Enjoy your weekend and see you at school on Monday Tammy!’

Less than fifty meters from the entrance of the apartment building, you hear a voice calling for you. You see Tammy running as fast as she can, carrying a shopping bag.

‘Miss L/N!’

She skids to a stop, getting back her breath. ‘Grandma says to give this to you and Mister Castle Chinese New Year cookies that she made herself.’

You look into the bag, seeing one red box. Cheeks heating up, you were determined not to look at Frank’s reaction.

‘Oh! And I bought some more plasters for you!’ She walks over to Frank, tossing a box into his hands. You had to bite your lips to prevent yourself from grinning. Taking a closer look, Frank sees that the colorful box was a plaster that had cute cartoons as its design. It looked like… an egg?

‘Be careful and don’t get injured okay?’

Frank hugs the little girl, a rush of emotions flooding in. He can’t say much or maybe he’s just afraid of shedding a tear or two.

Continuing the journey back home, Frank decides to ask the question that was on his mind since he agreed to help out today.

‘Y/N…’

‘Yeah? You can take the cookies if you like,’ you responded absentmindedly. ‘I think the guys would like them.’

‘Nah, you take them. I’ll drop by sometime to try them out.’

A moment of silence passes through.

‘Y/N. If it’s ok with you, I would like to join you and Tammy from now on.’ You take a double take at him.

‘It doesn’t mean anything. I mean… Tammy stays in the back lanes… can get dangerous for you and her at night. If you want to that is… you don’t-’

‘I think Tammy would love that. And so do I.’

Frank does his best to not show his excitement, keeping his best poker face. ‘Really? That’s great.’

You nod shyly, processing the past few minutes. Finally, the two of you reached the corridors before going in separate ways.

‘Thank you for today Frank. Remember to take care of that bruise ok?’ You pointed, referring to the injury on his knuckle that he used on the man earlier. ‘I’ll see you tomorrow.’ You waved him goodbye, shutting the door.

You felt like a giddy school girl that had the best time of her life. What made it better was that Frank had reciprocate your feelings back.

When he had first moved in as your next door neighbor, a lot of people had misunderstood him due to his appearance. You were glad that you had made that conversation for the first time.

He was so much more than neighbor’s gossips made him out to be. He was a good man.

A hero.

Yes, you will aware that a certain someone was following you when you had late nights at work. And no, he did not try to be discreet about it.

Today was no different. He had readily put himself in front of you and Tammy, no questions asked.

Slipping into bed, you see the screen of your phone light up.

Frank had sent you a picture of the egg patterned plaster looking quite out of place on his large and bruised hand. A message is attached along with the photo:

‘Treated.’

You snorted. This man was truly something else.

Responding back with your own message, you pulled your blankets close to you, thinking about today’s events.

Who knew that the grumpy man next door had many layers to discover? And you were the one to slowly uncover his different side?

Best of all? This was only the beginning.

***

A/N: As usual my endings can be sh*t but I thought of this in the shower and I just had to get it out? Hope you enjoyed it?😆 Points to you if you realized Tammy gave Frank gudetama plasters!🥰

#frank castle x reader #frank castle #frank castle x reader fluff

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drwcn · 3 years

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NEW!

《 Without Envy 》 storyboard 11 - concubine/sleeper agent!wwx & prince!lwj

Other snippets and storyboards can be found on [Master List]

Lan Wangji knew his Uncle and the imperial court and the elders of the royal family were never going to be okay with him making Wei Wuxian one of his concubines. The servant status is one thing, but that's not the crux of the issue. The issue is that there's already a rumour circulating about how WWX is a wily fox whose sole purpose in life is to seduce and befuddle the prince. Xue Yang: quite a reputation you've cultivated for yourself. WWX: *kuzo's meme*.........ah yes, everything is all coming together now.

Lan Wangji is a smart boy though. He knows how to get what he wants. As Wei Ying inched towards full recovery from his whipping, the autumn hunt is upon them.

The autumn hunt in the royal hunts ground was a competition. Anyone invited could compete if they chose to, and of Lan Wangji's household, Jin Ziyan, Luo Qingyang and himself were in attendance. Mianmian, being his concubine and a woman, had two escorts/chaperones accompanying her for propriety, but flashed him dazzling smiles of gratitude upon her horse.

"I'm very grateful, dianxia, for your allowing this indulgence." "Of course," replied Lan Wangji from his saddle. "My Luo-furen should have what she wants." "Dianxia, ce-wangfu." Qin Su approached them and curtsied in proper form. "I wish you all best of luck in the hunt." Then to Mianmian, she said quietly, "Be careful, Qingyang." Jin Ziyan paid the two women no mind, but Lan Wangji saw the hand Qin Su had clandestinely wrapped around one of Mianmian's booted ankles. Oh...well, this is certainly a positive development.

The rest of the noble women not participating in the hunt rested in their tented pavilions, with Meng Yao as their hostess. They drank tea and ate sweets and enjoyed their free time to themselves. Meng Yao noted Wei Wuxian's absence from Jiang Yanli's side, as did several other noble women, but Jiang Yanli only smiled and said, "A-Xian has been living at my father's manor for several years and is an excellent marksman. Dianxia thought it a waste if he were kept from participating."

The truth of the matter is like this: when Wei Wuxian cheated and lied his way into Jiang-fu, he'd told Jiang Fengmian and his family that he'd lived most of his life by the charity of a hunter's family, and so had trained to hunt game in the wild. After the hunter's family died of some infectious illness that plagued the region, Wei Wuxian had supposed made his way into the city and found employment as a shop boy. He couldn't reveal that he'd been trained in martial arts, but there is no need to hide his skill as an archer. At first, it was so he could use archery as a common interest to get close to Jiang Fengmian's son Jiang Cheng, but Wei Wuxian soon realized that it could also be used as a way for Lan Wangji to cultivate further interest.

"Lan Zhan..." Wei Wuxian stroked the snout of Lan Wangji's beloved ferghana horse and grinned. "You really want me to ride him?" "Mn." "You...won't be mad then, if I win?" Wei Wuxian's grin turned slightly wicked. "If I beat you?" Lan Wangji's brow twitched with interest, "Not at all. That's rather what I'm counting on." "Yeah? And why is that?" "Because while I can claim victory with the sword -" "- Very modest, you." Wei Wuxian teased, grinning, which earned him a subtle little glare. "- amongst my cousins, my marksmanship is not unrivalled. You may have a greater chance of winning with him. Huangxiong promised that whoever wins today's hunt will be granted one wish." A wish? Wei Wuxian mulled over this information. His own mission turned and circled in his mind. If I could but gain access to... ... Of course, Wei Wuxian glanced at the prince and the saw the light in his eyes. Lan Wangji is probably thinking of something entirely different.

And so it was inevitable that went the count of the hunt came in, Wei Wuxian's name was at the top. Lan Qiren's little mustache just about flew off his face the way he scrunched it up in displeasure.

Gentries, nobles, dukes and princes watched with envy and shock as a servant came forth to accept the Emperor's reward.

"Jiang-xiong," Nie Huaisang leaned close to Jiang Cheng while they watched from the sidelines as Wei Wuxian bowed before the Emperor. "Why do you look so smug?" Jiang Cheng played with the end of an arrow with an air of mock innocence, "I don't know what you're talking about?" Nie Huaisang pulled at the leather of his riding attire in discomfort - this was so not his style - and tsked, "I know you, Jiang-xiong, you're not subtle. What did you do?" "I was the one who told Lan Wangi that Wei Wuxian is an excellent archer when I went to visit Hanguang-fu." Nie Huaisang understood instantly, "Oh....oh I see..." "What? Don't judge me! You know what they did to him. String up like some unruly animal and whipped. I never agreed with my mother's plan to send him along with my sister anyway. Wei Wuxian may be lowborn but..." Jiang Cheng scowled. "He's too good for them. For Lan Wangji. He's clearly not going to do right by Wei Wuxian. I won't stand to see a perfectly good man wasted as some prissy prince's concubine instead of being where he could put his real skills to use." "Shhhhh, ancestors, Jiang-xiong, keep your voice down! Words like that are a great dishonor against bixia, you'll lose your head!" Jiang Cheng shrugged.

Xue Yang *at a later times*: so lemme get this straight, you won the Hunt, and then Lan Xichen asked you what you want as reward - WWX - as a good little servant I said "I want for nothing that wangye and Jiang-zhuzi hasn't already provided me" - XY *rolls his eyes* Right. And then Jiang Wanyin came out of nowhere and said - "陛下，魏婴乃微臣之家生子，是前管家魏长泽的独子，因幼年时父母过世一直遗留市井。上天庇佑，几年前父亲将他巡回。魏婴为人端正淳厚，虽未上过学堂，但头脑机智。陛下也看到了，他弓发出众，是。。。如能加强训练，以后必会为我姑苏所用 - " Bixia, Wei Ying is this subject's home-born servant, the only son of our previous head of staff Wei Changze. Due to the unfortunate passing of his parents in his youth, he has been getting by doing odd jobs in the capital. Heavens be willing, Father was able to find him after these many years and brought him home. Wei Ying is kind and righteous; though never have been taught by scholars, he is sharp of mind. As bixia has seen, he is a great marksmanship, is ... If he could be granted proper training, he would be a great asset for Gusu in the future. - And what a waste it would be if you were left to twindle away within the confines of a harem. I bet Lan Wangji just loved that. The balls on Jiang Wangyin - I do love his style. WWX You're the only one. Jiang-shushu just about had a heart attack when Jiang Cheng dissed Lan Wangji in public. Madam Yu nearly popped a vein too. XY: Yeah well, he's got a point. You may be Jiang Yanli's companion, but you're not Lan Wangji's concubine, you're just a servant with a skill. Honestly why shouldn't they put you to better use than waiting to maybe spread your legs for a prince who might just as easily toss you aside after the newness fades. WWX *slaps him up the head* Rascal! I'm your shixiong. Don't be so rude. Anyways, Lan Zhan, he - he was willing to let me go. I think he loves me you know - XY: He what now - WWX: He said - Lan Wangji came to kneel beside Wei Wuxian and Jiang Wanyin and bowed to his royal brother, "Huangxiong, Wei Ying is the peijia of my Jiang-furen, a servant of my manor. I... I long knew he is an excellent marksman and should have submitted his candidacy for the ranks but -" Lan Wangji looked at him then, eyes huge with something unreadable. "Jiang-xiao-jiangjun is right. Wei Ying is good, his mind is bright. He would be more suited to militia than...than within the walls of the inner court." "Wangye, have you....have you grown tired of Wei Ying -" "Wei Ying, no -" XY: Oh barf. So please tell me you chose to go to bingbu (ministry of war). WWX: Going to bingbu was never the assignment. If yifu wanted me in the ministry of war, I would've infiltrated them from the start. I refused. And it had the intended effect. "No?" Lan Xichen leaned forward curiously. "Joining the ranks will elevate your rank to that of a subject of the imperial government, and if you are truly as skilled and talented as my brother and Jiang-xiao-jiangjun say, you may rise yet to stand in my court as an officer of the imperial military. You will have your own commission, your own manor, marry, have children - all things which will be forbidden to you if you remain as you are now. As you are male, you cannot provide for Hanguang-fu any offspring, and your low-born status has precluded you from the position of consort or even vice-consort. Have you considered your options carefully? " "I understand bixia, and my decision is made. Nothing would please me more than to stay by wangye's side. I regret nothing." XY: >_> And A this has absolutely nothing to do with the fact you're increasingly horny for Lan Wangji? WWX: Of course not. Because of Lan Qiren, I couldn't advance in Hanguang-fu. But now that Lan Xichen had given me his royal decree, I am Lan Wangji's sanctioned mianshou. XY: *insert eye emoji* So...y'all fucked? WWX *wistful, thinking about the night he spent at the autumn palace after the hunt* : We did, you pervert. Ya happy now? *WWX sighed* But I know who we are and what I must do. Yifu needs me by Lan Wangji's side, for what reasons I do not yet know. No matter how he and I are now... one day it will

all end. XY: *stares into the camera like he's on the office*

Note: yifu = Wen Ruohan, WWX's adoptive father.

#cql #the untamed #wangxian #wei wuxian #lan wangji #xue yang #without envy #cql ficlet #corie fics

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hitoshisbabygirl · 4 years

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Lambient Nights ~ K. Bakugou

Author's Notes ♡: Hey guys, it’s me, ya girl and I’m back with another collab this week! I really loved this masquerade idea and I hope I tackled it in a modern way. It’s kinda all over the place but the smut was immaculate (ha sorta ).･ﾟﾟ･(／ω＼)･ﾟﾟ･.! This is nice and heated, I liked making Bakugou his common aggressive self with a bit of tenderness so ʕ⊙ᴥ⊙ʔ. I hope I did a decent job with this wonderful idea , I tried to make a modern masquerade but I feel like I failed 😅 anyway I hope you enjoy reading this and much as I did writing it ~ bunny ❥

Warnings : NSFW!!! (◎_◎;)

Semi public sex, female oral, Big Dick Baku , Dom! Bakugou, name calling , Bakugou cursing as usual

Word count : About 2.2 k!

Paring(s) : Katsuki Bakugou x F! Reader

Enjoy ♡

———————————————————————

Number 2 Hero GorundZero!

Youre invited to the annual Midnights Masquerade

Meet around the back at the Twili Castle

Have your masks and outfits ready

Make sure you bring a friend or that special one tonight ~

Madam Midnight

Bakugou lets out a deep sigh, setting the dark paper down on the counter as he let out a growl, sparking up his kitchen counter. “Damnit!” He yelled as he glared at the mocking note. With a huff, he picked up his phone, calling up some of his friends. “Shitty hair, did you get one of these things too?” Bakugou yelled as his red haired and laughing counterpart answered his question “Well hello to you too Bakubro! I did, I'm planning on inviting Mina , she said she always wanted to go to one of those Masquerade Balls, She'll probably leave me for the girls anyway! Why don't you bring that one girl.. What was her name, Er Cassy? Carie? Camie? Yeah Camie! Why dont bring her?” Kirishima rambled. “ Hell NO, she's been dating some guy from their old highschool, that big wind brute. They've been dating, and me and her were a fling a while ago , why they hell would you even say that?” Bakugou huffed as Kirishima laughed once again, stopping his yelling blonde friend. “How about [ ]?” Kirishima said as the blonde on the other side fell silent, making the red haired friend call out to him again, a grunt falling from his lips as Kirishima questioned him again. “Sooo…[ ] ? what about her?”Bakugou responded with an uncommonly quiet tone “She probably would, but not with me..” Kirishima stopped and tried to figure out why his usually confident friend was so self conscious “Why do you say that? She'd probably love to go with you!’ With a deeper sigh Bakugou continued , “Yeah She’d love to go to that shitty thing , but it's stupid.” Kirishima couldn't help but laugh at his friend's conflicted feelings. “Bakugou, ask her and tell me what she say and we'll see you guys tonight okay?” Kirishima sia dand before his explosive friend could argue anything with him he hung up, prepared to deal with the aftermath of his best friend.

[ ] hearing her phone ring from her bedroom , running from her bathroom up the stairs to the room,she saw the iconic “angry pomeranian” lighting up her screen. With a laugh she picked up the phone. “Well hello Katsuki, how are you today?” A grunt on the other line made her laugh harder as the blonde finally spoke. “What are you doing later?” He gruffed out as [. ] stopped, biting her lip as she thought about the context of his question. “Hmmmm nothing, I’m probably gonna cook later and just hang out with Mina. Why? Aww Katsuki are you finally going to admit you like me?” With a crash coming from the other line she heard Bakugou yell. “OW. HEY DUMBASS I DONT LIKE YOU WHO THE HELL DO YOU THINK YOU ARE” with a howling laugh she calmed down and waited for the reason the angry blonde called her in the first place. “Sigh..well since you’re not doing shit, coming with me to this shitty masquerade party” [. ] squealed out as she hopped off her bed as he told her the details and who’s masquerade it was. “YOU of all people got an invite to Midnights’ Masquerade? Count me in! I’ll be your date!” With a sigh Bakugou agreed to pick her up at 8:00. As they hung up [. ] couldn’t help help the giddy feeling pooling up in her stomach as she got dressed quickly, heading to the store for her outfit for the night.

Promptly at 8:00 , Bakugou pulled up to her house, sighing as he looked at himself. All black everything, he hated the suit jacket Kirishima kept trying to give him so he decided to go with a vest and opt in a black button up instead of the white one the shop had. Looking down as he scrolled through his phone he heard a door shut as heels clicked down the driveway of the rather pretty house he was in front of. Looking up from his phone he saw one of the prettiest sights he’d even seen. Sure he’s seen his fair share of women of all types and ways of life but something clicked seeing [. ] come from her door. A long black low cutting dress framed her body as long curls fell down her back. She ran to his car and got in, dramatically falling against the seat. “Who knee dressing up took work” she said as she looked at the usually angry blonde beside her, that unusually head a unreadable face. “What?” [. ] said as Bakugou snapped out of his trance, grumbling as he stepped on the gas, headed to the mysterious mansion on the invite.

“Look at you mamas!” Mina called out to [. ] as she hugged her, the two laughing together as they took in their appearances. “Look at YOU, even with the mask on your adorable Mina! Where are the other girls at?” [. ] laughed as the pink girl took her hand. “The others are inside. We can let the brutes talk to eachother.” She said as she gestures to Kirishima and Bakugou, walking into the mansion. “This place is huge..it’s nice though” Kirishima started as he looked to Bakugou who was paying him no attention, watching the duo of girls walk into the main doors, vermilion eyes staring at the girl he came with. “ Yknow if you want you could catch up to her?” Kirishima suggested as the blonde let out a gruff. “Shut up. Let’s get this shitty night over with.” Bakugou said as Kirishima laughed, running to join his bestfriend. Throughout the night Bakugou joined his friends, the group of them talking about work, and watching their significant others wander and dance around the hall. While the others drained on about their life , Bakugou couldn’t help his rage boiling over as he watched [. ] roll her hips onto Mina , the two laughing and enjoying the night.

As he watched Mina go for a different girl to hit on, he saw a mystery man walk up and put his hands where minas were, letting her continue her actions. With pops of explosions coming from his hand he stomped to the girl, snatching her away from the guy as he took her to a nearby room, shutting and locking the door behind them. “Uh is there something wrong here Katsuki?” [. ] said with a slight slur as the older and towering blonde stepped to her.

“What the hell was that!? You let that extra put his dirty hands all over you, you’re here with me no one can touch you but me” He growled out as [. ] scoffed, stepping right back to him. “Like you care now Katsuki , I was with Mina not some random” She said as she tried to get past him. Grabbing her arm , Bakugou turned her back to him as he put her onto the bed in front of them. “Oh no sweetheart, there was a nobody touching you, and it seems you want me to let everyone know how much I actually care about you.” He started as she looked at him confused. “I’ve liked you since last year you dumbass..and now here we are with me admitting this stupid shit with you under me” Bakugou said as [. ] blinked , a slow grin coming to her lips. Unknowing to him , the incident he witnessed was planned out by her devious friend herself. Mina let it be known that she , Kirishima and everyone knew the hidden feelings he had for her, and giving him a little show should spark him and his feelings to be admitted. And they were right.

“Oh Suki..I’m glad you’re finally admitting it. Now shut up and make me yours”

And with that fateful sentence, Bakugou pinned her arms to the bed, kissing her lips quickly as she let out a gasp , wrapping her arms around his neck, pulling him closer to her. Deepening the kiss, Bakugou crawled over her, picking her legs up and wrapping them around his waist. Pulling away Bakugou smirked , pulling the dress up and off of her revealing the orange and black lingerie underneath. “Well damn baby, seems you wrapped my gift up already..you planned this shit didn’t you?” Bakugou snarled as [. ] bit her lip and giggled, opening her legs wider. “Why don’t you unwrap it” she said , revealing that the underwear had an opening through the crouch, revealing her glistening and puffy lips to the hot head. “Fuck…” Bakugou whispered as he pushed her legs up and opened. “Can I have a taste babygirl?” He said as his voice dropped octaves , causing a shiver to go down [. ]’s spine. Shaking her head for permission, Bakugou snapped his wrist, lighting the straps off of her underwear and pulling them off. “Hey!” She started as she was soon cut off from complaining when a warm mouth sucking at her clit. “F-fuck...Suki” she moaned out as Bakugou smirked, popping off her clit. “Shut up shitty woman , I’ll buy you as much shit as you want. Right now I wanna fuck you so the whole place know who you belong to..I want you fuck you silly yeah? So be quiet or I’ll make the after party even worse” And with that he continued, sucking her clit , soon putting a thick and warm finger inside, then another, rolling his tongue diligently again her nub as she whimpered and moaned out, pulling the blondes hair as she rocked her hips against his lips, Bakugou letting out a growl as she sped up his actions, doubling down on his actions as he felt [. ]’s hips jerk, her orgasam flooding her senses as she screamed out as it hit, her pussy gushing as her body fell down onto the bed. With a smirk Bakugou snapped up, pulling her clit up as he came from off of her. “Geez you made a mess slut...Ready for the main course?”

He laughed as he rubbed at his tent in his pants, a spot forming on his dress pants as he pulled his zipper and pants down, showing his throbbing and heavily length. “Well sheesh..I know you were packing but geez Suki...you’re gonna split me in half with something like that..” [. ] laughed nervously as Bakugous’ smirk widened “or I’ll give you a nice stretch. I promise, you’ll be nice and full..and I won’t hurt you okay?” He said as he leaned down to kiss her temple “only if you want it” he finished off with as [. ] smiled softly. “Of course I want it , I’m just surprised. At least your attitude matched what your packing” she laughed as he rolled his eyes, grabbing her hips and flipping her to her stomach as she gasped. “Don’t worry, I’ll treat you like the good little bitch you are” He said, pulling her closer as he smacked her clit with the head of his dick, grunting as he slid between her wet walls, moaning out as the girl underneath him whimpered, pushing her hips to meet his.

“Fuck yes..take this dick baby” Bakugou said as he started to push his hips against hers, spreading her ass as he watched him disappear between her legs, his pride growing as he heard her little noises and moans spurring him on to go faster and harder. As she threw her hips back to match his Bakugou reached down and rubbed her clit from behind, her walls closing tighter as she screamed out at the sudden simulation, her eyes rolling back as he smacked her ass and soon after reaching up to pull her hair back to him, her back against his chest as he continued to rub her clit, pumping into her as his other hand slid to her neck, keeping her against him.

“Take it pretty slut, let them know who’s doing this to you...you’re close, I can tell by how tight you keep getting..let it out baby..and I’ll make you feel even better once we get home” [. ]’s mouth dropped open as she moaned out, Bakugous name fumbling from her lips as he bit down on her neck , pushing her over the limit.

With a whine of Bakugous name she came, falling forward as she shook in oversimulation. As she clamped down on Bakugou it pushed himself over the edge as he came into her, grunting as she get even tighter “Fuck..you wanted me to come in you hun? Damn..to know my girl was such a little cumslut..I’ll have to remember that for later” He chuckled as he pulled out of her. “Let’s try to wrap this little party up..then I can give you the real show later..”

#my hero academia #bnha #boku no hero academia #bnha x reader #bakugou katsuki x reader lemon #the circus dome collab #collab time!!

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rosaliepostsstuff · 3 years

Text

Chapter 10 - Of convenient interruptions and deceiving magpies

series masterlist

warnings: angst, mention of food and eating

word count: 2856

tags: @gloryekaterina ; @thatguppienamedbae ; @sagittarius-flowerchild ; @scoobiessnacks ; @pandaxnienke ; @harrysweasleys ; @ickle-ronniekins ; @hufflepuff5972 ; @izzyyy-1 ; @amourtentiaa ; @thisismynerdyself ; @hufflepuffalice ; @pxroxide-prinxcesss ; @lumos-barnes ; @weasleygrapes ; @famdomhideout ; @mollenniumfalcon ; @accioweaslcy ; @whizboyhalo ;

—————⑩—————

January rolled around, bringing the new term with it. With a few months left until the N.E.W.T.s, the professors were nagging the seventh years only ever so slightly more.

So you settled back into your routine – classes, studying with occasional breaks to hang out with your mates. Schoolwork-free evenings spent in the common room or the D.A. meetings that resumed after winter break – those were your treats.

In one of your attempts to socialize whilst getting some revising done, you found yourself sitting by one of the more secluded tables in the library, as to avoid getting on Madam Pince’s nerves too much, with Hermione, Ginny and – Loony Lovegood.

The girl was alright, apart from being blunt and not adhering to some social norms in situations where it really couldn’t hurt – you thought. But there was just something about her that made you uneasy when she was around…

To be fair, you hardly ever studied during those studying sessions with Ginny and Hermione. And today was not that bad – your chat was pretty ‘normal’, Ginny was complaining about her boyfriend – Michael’s recent behaviour.

“Why do I even bother with guys anymore..?” she asked rhetorically, lying down on the table, on top of forgotten books and untouched parchment. “That’s a bit dramatic,” Hermione chuckled sympathetically. “Yeah, yeah… but look at Y/N, she doesn’t care about stupid boys and she’s doing just fine,” Ginny commented and you involuntarily let out a loud, high-pitched laugh, thinking about how fine you were doing, making all of them look at you.

You instantly composed yourself, clearing your throat – they didn’t know. Or at least that’s what you thought.

Luna appeared to be intrigued, Ginny was clearly confused and looked at you with amusement, but Hermione – she had a meaningful look about her and you wouldn’t be surprised, she was good at observing people – she knew.

“Oh no,” you let out as you looked at her and your face fell. It was awkward. “You know.” “I don’t know,” she countered very quickly. “Oh, I think you do-“

“Wait, wait, wait, what’s going on,” Ginny followed rapidly, the words melting into one. Hermione looked down onto the table, unsure what to do and you felt your insides turn. You had not prepared yourself mentally for Ginny to know yet – you just had a bad feeling she wouldn’t like the fact that you fancy one of her brothers. Over the years she had mentioned on multiple occasions how she likes you being Fred and George’s mate.

It’s over – you though – cat’s out of the bag. You glanced at Luna, trying to estimate just how uncomfortable confessing in her presence would make you.

“Y/N’s in love with George..!” Hermione blurted out, covering her mouth right after. “I’m sorry, I can’t deal with situations like that!” she hasted to explain herself when you glared at her accusingly.

“Ginny’s brother?” Luna asked airily.

“Aaaaw…” Ginny moaned in disappointment as if she just dropped a scoop of ice-cream. Though her facial expression was mixed, a grimace with a small smile.

You smiled at her awkwardly and shrugged, but no one said anything else.

You sat in this awkward silence as Ginny watched you with the same, unreadable expression. Luna got back to reading her book, and Hermione pretended to, while biting her lips harshly. You didn’t know where to look, or if you should say something else. When no words seemed fitting, you just fiddled with your fingers and the edge of your notebook page.

“Alright, that’s… that’s good, actually. I prefer for you to date him than anyone else. I wouldn’t want him to end up with some bimbo,” Ginny announced after what seemed like hours, with fake seriousness on her face, then smiled at you cheekily.

“Thanks, Gin,” you breathed out, the word ‘date’ echoing in your mind. Dating seemed so, so remote to you at that very moment. You were glad not to have had added more obstacles to your already tricky path, though.

After leaving the library you made your way to the Great Hall and parted ways. Without much thought, you took an empty spot next to George. You shot him a small smile as a greeting, but he looked distracted. He didn’t talk to you – he wasn’t even talking to Fred, who was discussing the future of the new Gryffindor quidditch team on his other side.

You got a bit worried, nevertheless, you were hoping you were just exaggerating - maybe he was tired. And if anything was actually wrong, he’d tell you when he’d feel ready.

“Pumpkin juice?” you asked, hovering the pitcher above his empty goblet. He nodded, then thanked you when you poured him the juice.

Throughout the meal, you tried to make a conversation, ask about his day and tell him about yours. Whatever his behaviour was, it probably had nothing to do with you, because he spoke normally and wasn’t shutting you down.

When you left the hall, the crowd seemed especially dense, you and George got separated from Fred and Lee and you noticed that when you walked an empty corridor on your way to the common room.

You were close to your destination, you could see the Fat Lady in the distance when George stopped hesitantly. He had his hands in his pockets and he looked around, anywhere but at you. This unusual behaviour made you uneasy.

When he finally looked at you, he spoke, “Y/N,” then crossed his arms on his chest, then turned his eyes back towards the stone floor. “…I’ve been meaning to ask you something, when we’re alone, for a while…” he continued, making your blood run cold. “…What is it?” you asked, doing your best to sound normal.

“You know, you’ve been… you’ve been behaving a bit-“ he bit his lip, looking for the right word, “differently, lately.”

You swallowed thickly, your hands started to tingle and your mind was going a hundred miles per hour. There were countless possibilities as to why he could be asking that question, was it the one you were expecting the most? The one that would expose you?

“Have I?” you continued your act, failing miserably. You couldn’t read the expression on his face. It was not warm or cheerful like you were most used to, but it wasn’t cold or accusing either. You were at a loss, trying to decipher what was going through his mind.

“Yeah, for some time now,” he answered, nodding slowly.

This did not give you any more information you needed desperately to play this right. You were thinking hard about what to say next, when the portrait of the Fat Lady opened, revealing Lee.

Upon noticing the two of you, Lee beamed right away, clearly not having read into the situation.

“Oi, have you seen what’s happening in the entrance courtyard right now?!” he shouted. “No, why?” George replied, not matching Lee’s enthusiasm. “Come on, everyone’s gathering there!!”

Lee’s appearance cut the topic off completely. The air between the two of you was awkward for the rest of the day but neither one mentioned it again. And the next day, it was like the conversation never happened.

At least formally – it has planted even more questions into your mind.

—————⑩—————

“Just remember, the memory must really be powerful and you have to focus!” Harry explained to the group standing in front of him.

You stood next to him, a bit to the side – he asked you to help out with the teaching side a bit that evening, seeing as you’d be working on Patronuses – a spell you had mastered a couple of years before.

“Could we see it again?” asked Colin Creevey, hoping Harry would show off his own Patronus once more. Harry turned to you instead, “Y/N..?” – waking you up.

Put on the spot, you felt a rush of nerves but tried to push them back. You took a deep breath and recalled your go-to memory of a sunny day, three years prior, when George came along with you on a weekend trip to your grandparents across the country.

You woke up with a rush of adrenaline that day. At the breakfast table you kept glancing at the clock on the wall, dreading that no matter how fast you’d finish your toast, you couldn’t be there to pick up George earlier than 8 AM.

It felt weird to depart without Fred, but you couldn’t have expected him to turn his aunt Muriel’s bag invisible, resulting in him being grounded. You didn’t want to be glad he wasn’t there, but the trip with just you and George was something truly unforgettable.

While your grandparents’ place wasn’t anything extraordinary in itself, unlike at your home at the Burrow, the two of you were left to your own device.

Just you, George, sunny weather and the call of adventure.

The memory’s energy filled you to the brim, with full confidence you said “Expecto Patronum!”, excited to see the familiar shape of a feisty wivern.

What you saw when you looked up shocked you – a small bird fluttering its wings above everyone’s heads. Your mouth fell open slightly as you stared at it, the bird perched itself on one of the bookshelves on the side of the room.

The group didn’t notice your shock however, they didn’t know your Patronus’ form, they were in awe of the small animal’s beauty. Everyone – except for two people you had shown your Patronus before.

Of course, you showed off to Fred and George almost right after learning that spell. Which is exactly why they both looked puzzled as well.

“Alright, I think we can get to practice now!” exclaimed Harry, the group scurried and the bird turned into mist, then disappeared.

You tried your best not to dwell on that mystery just yet, but actually try helping others out. Which is why you didn’t stick around Fred and George for too long, afraid that one of them might want to discuss it.

That was until, after many tries, close to the end of the meeting, after succeeding in making a shield form - George’s corporeal Patronus appeared. It was incredible.

“A magpie…” you whispered to yourself underneath your breath, covering your mouth with your hand. A magpie, just like yours, flying in circles above Fred and George.

George stared at it in shock, at a loss of words at first, then a relieved smile started to show on his face.

But then Fred, in a rush of excitement, succeeded as well - his Patronus appearing as a magpie, too.

George’s face fell, and his bird vanished. But you weren’t paying attention anymore.

On your way back to the common room you stuck to Fred, George and Lee, mostly because it was just a custom. The atmosphere was strange the whole way.

You felt tense, you avoided looking at George, afraid it might prompt him to speak to you. You were sure he had figured it all out by now, and you did not want to hear the words of rejection.

After all – if he had felt the same, surely he would’ve reacted more strongly, come up to you right away and confess too – daydreams.

Instead, he was walking a distance from you with a stone face, his hands in his pockets. Fred was walking in the middle, dividing you two – a casual, content expression on his face.

When you got into the common room, most of the D.A. members went upstairs to their respective dorms. You didn’t miss how George sped up in front f Fred and went up - two steps at a time. You collapsed on the sofa, not seeing the point of going about your day at that very moment. You felt crushed.

Just as the last students were leaving, Fred came back downstairs, on his own this time. He was just looking for something to do when he saw you.

He made himself comfortable in the armchair directly opposite you and looked at you expectantly with a smirk.

“You’re alone?” you asked quietly, thinking it was the least invasive way to ask for the information you truly wanted. Fred understood. “I don’t know what his deal is, he doesn’t seem to want to talk to me,” he answered simply. “He’ll sort himself out.”

When you didn’t say anything for a few seconds more, he took it upon himself.

“Soo – you wanna tell me what that was about?” Fred asked the question you expected from the very start. If you were him, you’d probably have asked too, out of sheer curiosity. You took a moment to think, but he was impatient – “the whole Patronus thing – as far as I know, it doesn’t just change on a whim… and a very interesting new form, indeed,” he got to the bottom of the case.

You wanted to tell Fred, you really did. You saw no point in denying it and just making yourself look stupid. He was your friend after all, and even though you had not thought about it, you have gotten even closer lately. Maybe partly because of how things with George changed, or maybe because you’ve all grown.

Fred truly felt like a brother, even if he could be a major prat, he was actually more like a brother to you than George ever was.

The only problem for you was how impartial would he remain? The last thing you wanted was anyone meddling with the situation between you and George – even his twin brother. And it would be hard for Fred not to, but you’d just have to trust him to see what’s right.

“Alright, but you have to promise me something. Everything stays between us, and whatever you do – don’t interfere, please.”

Fred sighed and his smirk got replaced with a kind smile. He got up and sat next to you on the sofa, laying his arm on the backrest. “Alright, promise. I’m listening.”

But where should you start? It felt weird all of a sudden, you’d never discussed your love life with Fred, and admitting to being in love with his brother felt even stranger.

You decided to start as simply as possible.

“I don’t really get it either. You know George and I have been close since we met, I’ve always loved him as a friend, and really didn’t see him that way before…” you spoke as quiet as possible, knowing how the sound could travel in the silence of the common room. You avoided looking at Fred and played with your hands in your lap, sitting cross-legged on the sofa, continuing – “A while ago, sometime in November, it… just changed.”

Fred hasn’t replied right away, and you kept your face down. “I love him,” you whispered, bowing your head even lower to hide your face. “Idiotically much.”

When you finally looked up, Fred was leaning his chin on his arm, on the back of the sofa, thinking.

“And how have you not told him yet?” he asked after a few seconds. “It’s not that simple. And I had a lot to figure out.” “I know, but I don’t get how you can spend so much time with someone you fancy and not snap- and just tell them,” he reasoned, looking at you. It actually made you quite happy - that meant you got to the Fred you wanted, he wasn’t judging you or wanted to tease you, but was trying to really understand and have a conversation. “Maybe…” you mumbled. “And if you’re wondering if I’m gonna tell you he’s in love with you too in a second, then I can tell you right away, that I don’t know. We don’t really talk about stuff like that.” “Better that way,” you pointed out, “I really prefer you impartial.” “Impartial’s a bit much-“ “Regardless, I don’t think he does,” you admitted, seriously. “He said a few days ago that he noticed me acting differently and the whole thing was really strange, but we never spoke about it again. And now today – there is no way he hasn’t figured it out and you saw how he’s acting… He’s probably upset right now because he doesn’t feel the same and knows we can’t be friends like before.”

There was another moment of silence and Fred was about to say something, when the two of you heard a door close loudly in one of the staircases, then a pair of footsteps travelling down from the boys’ dorms.

You automatically turned that way to look and saw George step in, with a neutral expression. He looked at the sofa, then quickly looked around the otherwise empty common room. He glanced at his feet for a second and in the semi-darkness, it looked like he scoffed, then back at you and Fred, with a look in his eye you’ve never seen before. It was hurt.

“Done brooding?” Fred asked, probably as an attempt to lighten the mood, but George turned around without a word and stormed back up.

“He hates me,” you whispered, mostly to yourself, feeling tears reaching your eyes, and your whole world falling apart around you.

#george weasley #george weasley x reader #george weasley fanfiction #george weasley series

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turning-dreams-into-chaos · 4 years

Text

The Jimmy Jab Games

Chapter 2: Riding Thestrals

~The Jimmy Jab Games Master~

Paring: Sirius Black x Reader

Word Count: 3.5K

~Master~

“Y/N, wake up!” There wasn’t enough reaction time for you to really awaken before a pillow was chucked at your head. Despite you being completely against it, your eyes opened and you yanked the pillow off you, sending it to the floor with a groan.

“No. I don’t wanna.” You mumbled, snuggling into your blankets more. Lily rolled her eyes, nudging you with her hand but you didn’t move.

“I’m not fighting you, girl. I’ll go get Sirius.” She called out as she left you alone in the room, the morning sun broke through your window enough to tell you it was well into the morning and you should’ve gotten up a couple hours ago. You could hear footsteps coming into your shared room a few minutes later as you let out a sigh and pulled the blanket over your head.

Sirius was sitting in the common room, not admitting he was waiting for you to come down from your room. He tapped his hand against the couch, as he kept glancing back at the stairs and the action caused his friends to chuckle under their breaths.

“Just go wake her up.” James smirked, slapping Sirius’ shoulder. The boy who obviously wasn’t paying attention snapped his head to look at James.

“What are you talking about?” He tried to play it off, closing the potions book on his lap that everyone knew went unread.

James turned to Remus, both holding back their scoffs. “Well its obvious you’re not getting any work done.” Remus said pointing towards Sirius’ discarded book. “and neither is James.”

“Yes I am!” James protested, slamming his book shut. Sirius wrinkled his nose as he looked at his friend, not believing his lie.

“Oh yeah?” Remus asked. “What potion are we learning about?” He quizzed James. James thought for a second, trying to remember anything about the book he really wasn’t at all interested in.

He sighed in defeat. “And neither is James.” He grumbled, crossing his arms in front of his chest. “Wait, we’re supposed to go for Sirius, not me.” He reminded Remus who mumbled a quick ‘oh yeah’ before turning to the unimpressed Sirius.

He rolled his eyes. “There’s nothing to go for. I’m not waking up Y/N because I don’t care if she’s awake or sleeping in.”

“Sirius, I need you to go wake up Y/N.” Lily exhaled as she stood in front of Sirius who’s mouth thinned into a straight line.

“Well, duty calls.” James poked his head out from behind Lily as Sirius glared at him but didn’t say a thing as he stood off the couch and headed towards your room, charming the stairs not to disappear under his feet. As soon as he was out of view of his friends, he began skipping up the stairs faster before Lily’s words last night stopped him. He could see in this moment how it could be perceived that he liked you, not in love with you, but liked you. He took slow steps, much slower than normal before he was at your door, priding himself on beating Lily accusations.

“Oh, this is ridiculous.” He grumbled when he realized he was convincing himself, not his friend. Pushing open your door, he saw you bury yourself in your bed and he snickered. “Y/N!” He shouted and lightly jogged across the room, jumping onto your bed. He laid next to you, on top of all your pillows and staring at the ceiling.

You squirmed as Sirius landed half on top of you and tried to remove yourself from under him. “Siri, move! You’re crushing me!”

“Wake up and I won’t crush you.” he pointed out, hearing you sigh as you came out from under the blankets, glaring at him. Sirius let a smile cross his face as he saw you, your bedhead hair brushed over your face as your brows knitted together.

“Fine, I’m up.” You complained, fixing your hair and seeing Sirius still staring at you. You raised a brow at him. “Why are you looking at me like that?”

Sirius averted his gaze, opting to look at the ceiling again with a teasing face. “No reason. Just forgot how ugly you were in the morning.”

You snorted, giving Sirius a shove as he was forced out of the bed, landing on his back with a thud. “You deserved that.” You told him with a sweet tone.

“Yeah, yeah. Help me up.” You reached an arm over the side of the bed, Sirius taking your hand and hoisting himself up. He took his spot on your bed back and you scooted over to give him room. He put his left hand behind his head and allowed you to rest your own head on his elbow as a pillow. You both settled into the silence, enjoying the moment before you ran a hand over your face.

“I forgot about the games.” You admitted, turning your head to see Sirius. He looked as well, nodding his head.

“Oh yeah. I guess I did too.” He whispered. You pushed yourself out of the bed and stretched, seeing Sirius watching you carefully. You felt your cheeks heat up as you picked up your pillow, gently slapping him with it as you told him to get up so you can make your bed. “I’ll do it. You just get dressed, everyone’s waiting.”

“Pads, you don’t even make your own bed. Do you even know how?” You bit your lip, seeing Sirius deadpan as you giggled, grabbing your clothes and toiletries and headed to the bathroom. You came back to your bed fully made and Sirius laying across it, waiting for your return. “Okay, lets go.” You told Sirius who stood up, watching you walk towards the door before stopping. He stood in his place as he watched you repeatedly remember to grab your belongings. First a hair tie, then your wand, and finally when you remembered to grab your robes and throw them on, he made a move towards the door, joining you at the right time to walk down together.

“Finally!” Lily yelled when she saw you and Sirius. “Sleeping Beauty awakens with the help of the prince of course.”

“Shove off, Evans.” Sirius blushed, happy you couldn’t see as you tried to hide the small tint of your own.

You looked around at your friends, furrowing your brow at being one short. “Peter still sick?” you asked and looked towards Remus who had taken him to Madam Pomfrey last night.

“Yeah, Madam P said it best he stay in bed for a while.” He told you and you felt a little guilty, the games were your idea. Sirius put a hand on your back, getting you to look at him.

“He’ll be alright Y/N. We all ate the tarts as well and none of us are sick.” He shrugged off the thought, knowing Peter would be fine a few days. You knew he was right or else you’d all be sick, he probably just ate too much. “So what’s the plan for today McKinnon?”

Marlene clapped her hands together. “For that, we go for a walk.” You and Sirius exchanged glances with each other before with the rest of your friends and followed Marlene out of the common room. She didn’t say anything as you began your walk outside, leading you down to the forbidden forest and the Thestrals Paddock, a place that while not ruled off limits, everyone knew to stay away from.

“Thestrals?” You spoke up, glancing to Marlene who wore a proud look. You remembered the gamekeeper at Hogwarts, Hagrid, he’d always talk about the creatures and you’ve done some reading at your teachers request to soothe your curiosities about the magical creatures.

“What? No fair! You know Y/N’s fascinated by these things, she’s got the upper hand!” Sirius complained as you rolled your eyes, shooting him a grin.

“Well, you better get your act together then because it looks like I might be winning.” You heard a few huffs of annoyance from your friends before Lily put her hand on your shoulder and got you to pay attention to Marlene.

“For today’s challenge, you will be riding Thestrals!” She announced and threw her hands out in triumph. No one cheered, instead you all looked at her confused.

“Isn’t that dangerous?” Remus spoke up, voicing your concerns. “We can’t even see them.”

Marlene’s hands fell to her side, her lips thinning as you turned to look at your friends. “It’s not a bad idea.” You tried to reason, aware of how much Marlene was doing for you all and hating making her feel bad. “The Thestrals in there are some of the most trained in the world. I’m sure it won’t be that hard to ride them.” Everyone seemed reluctant, still worried about the repercussions of something not ending well. You sighed as your shoulders dropped.

Sirius was nervous about the aspect of riding a Thestral, but you do your research. If you say they’re fine to fly, then it’s fine. “I’m in.” Sirius declared as you met his eyes, a smile growing on both of your faces. Soon, the rest of your friends were in as well and you were bouncing on the balls of your feet as you waited. You could hear Sirius laugh behind you as you leaned back against him, letting him support you. “You’re way too excited.” He said quietly, aware of how loud his voice would be in your ear.

“Are you kidding? Of course, I’m excited! We should’ve visited here far sooner.” A few heads turned in your direction, not aware you were talking to Sirius. Lily, Remus, and James couldn’t hold their eye rolls back at the sight of you and Sirius not knowing how couple-y you were acting. You carried on with the walk just a little ways more before a clearing appeared, the trees covered it well, the look reminding you of twilight despite being midday. It was beautiful, but what caused you to stopped walking, breathing even, was the sight of 6 horses, their bones showing as they were fleshless and their wings when expanded were the larger than anything you’d ever seen before. “They’re beautiful.” You breathed out, not catching the turn of heads.

Sirius knotted his brows, glancing between you and the spot you were looking. You took a few steady steps forwards as he tried to figure out what was happening. He didn’t know much about Thestrals, just that you couldn’t see them. He did however remember you a few months ago telling him something about only certain people being able to see them.

“Your father.” Sirius mumbled, suddenly realizing the only reason you could see the Thestrals was due to your father dying last spring when you went home to be him and your mum. He’d been sick for years and doctors, even as skilled as the wizard doctors were, couldn’t save him. Sirius remembers how distraught you’d been, he stayed awake with you almost every night for weeks to comfort you.

You nodded your head, turning around to your friends and clearing your throat. “I guess I have more of an upper hand than you thought, Pads.” He offered a small laugh, one clearly for your benefit as you faced the Thestral again. You were careful as you brought a hand up, running it down the Thestrals mane. The horse-like creature took a step back as you paused, but not a moment later it allowed you to brush you hand across its boney face.

And to think, this morning you didn’t even want to leave your bed.

Sirius couldn’t take his eyes off you. The look on your face was one he loved seeing, happiness dripping through every feature. He wasn’t even aware as his friends started whispering behind him, feeling Remus’ hand nudge his shoulder before he was finally knocked out of his trance. He didn’t need to turn around to know his friends were smirking at him, so he chose not to, instead getting your attention. “So uh, how do we ride them?”

You helped your friends onto the Thestrals, Remus and Lily gripping onto their creatures as much as they could while James messed around, having too much fun on riding something he couldn’t see. You had to admit, if you couldn’t see the creatures, floating in the air while feeling it beneath you would be fun. Sirius was next as you walked over to him, pointing in the direction of his Thestral. He watched you pet the mane again like you’d done with the others, only this time you grabbed Sirius’ hand and let him touch the Thestral. You covered his hand with yours and Sirius had no where to look but at the side of your face. You caught him staring, a blush making it’s way on his face as you smiled and moved to the side of the pony.

“Put your foot here.” You told Sirius, pointing to its wing joint. Sirius was hesitant but trusted you, placing his foot where he was told. You giggled as he tried to lift himself up, loosing balance and falling back onto you. “Woah, it’s okay. I got you.”

“You better not drop me, Y/N.” He joked.

“What? Me? Never.” You shared a smile before you helped him the rest of the way, not letting go of his hand you didn’t know you still had until he was seated. You took a few steps back, taking in the sight of Sirius Black perched a top a Thestral before you shook your head, letting out a shaky breath.

Lily watched you and Sirius, very disappointed in your obliviousness as you climbed onto your Thestral. “Okay Marlene, what’s the challenge exactly?” She yelled over to the one friend who wasn’t on a pony.

“Whoever stays on the longest wins! First to fall off is eliminated!” She told you all as nods went around. You told everyone how to ride, trying to remember as much as you could. You demonstrated how to hold on and how to sit properly and soon your friends and you were ready to go.

“Ready?” Marlene asked as you all prepared to take off, you ran a hand over its mane, waiting for Marlene to give the cue. “Go!” Your creature took off, soon leaving the ground as you flew into the air. Your hair flew back, wind rushing across your face as you smiled.

You threw your head back in laughter as you gripped the horse, not wanting to fall off. You turned back to see your friends, thinking they’d be in the air having fun but instead you saw James and Remus almost fighting, while Lily shook her head at their antics. The three of them were still on the ground, Sirius being the only one who managed to get into the air. He followed behind you, struggling a little but getting the hang of it real quick. The other three managed up as well and soon the challenge officially began.

It didn’t take long before Remus fell off, in fact he barely made it off the ground. James and Lily apparently couldn’t hold on either, and ten minutes later Lily fell first and James got distracted, his grip loosening enough to send him to the ground as well. Their creatures returned themselves to the ground, acting like nothing happened.

“Y/N!” Sirius called out as he flew up next to you. He pointed up in the air as you furrowed your brows. “Trust me.” He yelled before flying up past the trees, you chuckled as you followed his lead, soon getting one of the best views of Hogwarts you’d ever seen.

You paused momentarily, both you and Sirius enjoying the view together. It was that moment you forgot you were playing the games again, just being with Sirius and here of all places. It was breathtaking. “Come on, lets go higher.” You told Sirius who nodded and at the same time you both flew up, into the clouds as the wind passed by your faces, the speed of the Thestrals taking you both by surprise as you screamed. The scaredness of your voice disappeared in an instant, a cry of joy breaking free. Sirius let out a holler with you, both of you completely lost in the freedom you felt.

The moment though didn’t last as long as you hoped because Sirius lost his grip, unable to see what to grab onto as he slipped off the Thestral that was still soaring higher in the sky. For a moment he became motionless before he started falling to the ground from way high up.

Suddenly this idea of going higher seemed to be one of the worst things he’s had in a while.

“Y/N!” He screamed in hopes you heard him.

Your head whipped around when you heard Sirius’ voice and your heart felt like it stopped as you watched Sirius free fall to the ground. You turned around faster than you thought possible, reaching your hand out to Sirius. “Siri! Take my hand!” Sirius didn’t need you to tell him, but the sound of your voice was a comfort as you grabbed his hand and pulled him behind you. Sirius hung onto you for dear life, the reassurance there was something underneath him and you next him.

You didn’t breathe until you were sure Sirius was alright behind you, his arms wrapped around your waist as you put your head back onto his shoulder, leaning your head against his. Sirius buried his head in your wind-swept hair, feeling his heart beating practically in his ears.

“That was stupid.” You breathed out, feeling Sirius nod.

“Agreed.”

“We were careless.”

“Agreed.”

“That was-“

“Something we won’t tell the others?”

“Agreed.” You confirmed and heard Sirius laugh behind you. You peaked behind you, looking Sirius in the eyes and grabbing his hand. “I’m glad you’re okay.”

He smiled at you, butterflies filling your stomach as you faced forwards, leading you both to the ground as Sirius tightened his grip on you, resting his chin on your shoulder as you landed. Your friends were very confused to say the least when you and Sirius were together on one Thestral.

“What happened?” Remus called out as Sirius slid off the horse, extending an arm to help you down. You took it graciously, letting him catch you in your arms.

“Uh, Y/N won.” Sirius sort of filled in, not taking his eyes off you as you planted your feet on the ground, feeling your cheeks heat up as you looked towards the ground. Only when Sirius took a step back from you did you glance up, seeing Lily smiling crazy at you. You raised your brow at her, but she waved her hand in front of her face, mouthing that you’ll talk later.

“Well, then.” Marlene spoke up, putting a hand on Remus’ shoulder. “I think it’s time to announce Y/N the Queen of Thestrals. Everyone agree?” Everyone laughed and said yes, Sirius in particular turning to you and mumbling the word Agreed, making you chuckle under your breath. “And Remus, I’m sorry to say, but you’re eliminated from the Jimmy Jab Games.”

“Oh thank god.” He groaned out, putting his hands on his knees and bending over. “I think I hurt my back.”

“You fell like 2 feet mate.” Sirius deadpanned as Remus played offended.

“Says you! You didn’t even fall!” Sirius looked towards you, hiding the need to laugh as you nudged him with your shoulder. Remus pointed between you and Sirius. “Did we miss something?”

“Nope. Don’t know what you’re talking about Moony.” You shrugged. You all shared laughs as you all spoke about what it was like to ride, Marlene conflicted about whether to feel jealous or relieved she wasn’t riding an invisible creature. You felt Lily pull you ahead, glancing back to everyone as you looked at her confused. “Lily, what’s with you? Are you feeling alright?” you asked her, putting a hand to her forehead to pretend to take her temperature.

She swatted it away with an eye roll, locking arms with you. “I was just wondering when you were going to tell Sirius you’re in love with him.” She said, trying to get you in the same conversation she had with Sirius last night. “How long do you plan on just flirting with him?”

Her words took you by surprise as you stared at her, unaware of Sirius’ eyes on you despite not being able to hear the conversation as he smiled. “What on earth are you talking about Lily? Flirting? Sirius and I don’t flirt.”

“Oh, you don’t?”

“Of course not! And I’m not in love with him, we’re just friends!”

“Oh, you’re friends? Then forget I ever mentioned it.” She told you, bumping your shoulder with hers. She didn’t say more, the conversation seemingly ending as you couldn’t think anymore. Lily wasn’t right. You and Sirius were just friends- best friends. He was your rock. You weren’t in love with him.

Right?

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anika-ann · 4 years

Text

Hands Too Cold, but Heart of Gold - Pt.8 (M.M.)

The Date

Pairing: Matt Murdock x reader, onde-sided Steve Rogers x reader

Word count: 3850

Summary: Avenger!reader AU, love triangle. You go out with Matt Murdock and to your own surprise, it doesn’t end up a disaster. Quite the opposite.

Warnings: swearing, fluff, angst

Story Mastelist

────── ·❆· ──────

“I honestly don’t know why I’m freaking out about my outfit. He won’t even be able to see it! Why am I freaking out, Tasha?” you asked her on a verge of desperation, smoothening your dress for the millionth time.

As you got to the hem of the dress, all you wanted to do was to pull it over your head and change. Again. You stared at your reflection in the mirror, honestly considering it.

Natasha, standing behind you, put her hands on your shoulders to keep you in place and raised her eyebrow.

“Hey. You have every right to be nervous. How long has it been since your last date?” she asked gently, surprisingly so for a super-spy.

You bit your lip guiltily – of course, she found the root of the trouble. It had been too freaking long. The fact you were going out with Matt – an amazing human being – was not helping to sooth your nerves either.

“Almost two years.”

“Well. I think you’re entitled. But you’re gonna be fine,” she reassured you and you caught her honest gaze in the mirror. She squeezed your shoulders. “That guy? He fell hard – I hope you figured that out already. Just be yourself and you’ll be fine.”

You took a deep breath. “Thanks, Tasha. I really should go or I’ll be late. The taxi might even be here already.”

You picked up your coat, leaving the dresses you didn’t even want to count – Natasha had supplied you with too many of hers and still, you took the only dress you owned yourself – and grabbed your purse on the way.

You were insanely grateful to Natasha for her help – yet, your heart was fluttering nervously and ached a little. You wished Steve was here too, but you understood this was more of a ladies thing. You were sure he wished you the best for your date even if you hadn’t heard him say it.

You opened the door only to meet with Steve’s surprised face. His eyes measured you from head to toe and you fought the urge to hide – god knew why. That was until his gaze returned to your face and a smile appeared on his lips.

“You look beautiful, Snowflake,” he whispered, checking you out shamelessly once more. “He’s a lucky guy.”

You bit your lip, feeling the rush of heat colouring your cheeks. You lowered your gaze, examining your shoes; they had heels, you were about to kill yourself in them, why were you wearing them again…?

Steve chuckled at your reaction. You couldn’t help but feel like there was something foreign in that supposedly happy sound, something you couldn’t decode.

A hand appeared under your chin, fingers tucking a strand of your hair that fell in your face behind your ear. He kissed your forehead lovingly and you inhaled deeply, trying to calm down your rapidly beating heart. You knew he was trying to help, but it didn’t really work.

“Hey, Snowflake. Hold your head high, you look wonderful. It’s gonna be fine. If he upsets you, you not only can let him go, but you have five– no, six pissed off friends actually, I’m sure Thor would stop by for that – to punch Matt in his face. Understood?”

That finally made you relax and the tension in your shoulders eased with a huffed laughter. Steve’s eyes twinkled for a moment and you couldn’t but laugh again.

“Did you just say ‘pissed off’?” you asked incredulously and Steve shrugged it off – except a hint of a blush appeared in his cheeks too and hell, you could not miss that. You feasted your eyes on his embarrassment and only then gave Captain Language a proper hug, which was reciprocated tightly.

“I guess I’m nervous for you that much,” he murmured over your shoulder and the statement melted your heart.

“Thank you, Steve.”

He squeezed your waist once more, caressed your back and released you from his embrace, uneasy smile on his lips.

“Go. We wouldn’t want you to be late.”

You just nodded and made your way to the elevator. You sparred one more glance at Natasha, who joined Steve in the hallway, couple of dressed folded over her forearm. She grinned at you.

“Not to make you nervous, Frosty, but just because he won’t be able to see you with his eyes, it doesn’t mean he won’t appreciate your appearance! And other stuff! Considering all of his senses are heightened!” she called after you and you felt you face turning into a mask of horror.

All of his senses. Shit. What perfume did you use? How much could he— would he be able to tell you hugged-- did Steve just hug you to make Matt jealous and possibly make him think you were wanted, so he would value the fact you were going out with him more?

No, wait, you were the one who hugged Steve, which--- this was so going to be a disaster. You whined and slid into your coat, hoping it would make you invisible. And undetectable in any other way. This evening started swimmingly…

With you going down in the elevator, Natasha and Steve were left alone.

“Smooth, Rogers. Very subtle,” the spy exclaimed, patting his arm patronizingly. Steve shot her an unreadable glare.

“I have no idea what you’re talking about.”

“About the fact Mr. Hot and Devilish wouldn’t even have to make her unhappy. It’s him making her happy that you want to punch him in the face for.”

Steve grinded his teeth, his look turning murderous. “That’s not true. I want them to get together.”

“Sure,” she agreed, shrugging. “That’s why you marked your territory like a goddamned dog.”

The rush of irritation and shame at being caught hit him stronger than excepted. Natasha knew exactly how to push his buttons and it drove him crazy.

“I didn’t-“ he protested lamely, only to realize he indeed hadn’t. “She was the one who hugged me.”

“Yeah. Keep yourself telling that. She did hug you, but what happened before that, that was on you. I’m surprised you didn’t kiss her on her mouth. I don’t understand how one can be so blind— eh, sorry-”

Steve’s hands curled into fists and he paced to his room to change into something more suitable for workout. He needed to punch something and as much as he was pissed at Natasha for mocking him, he liked her too much to hurt her – the punching bags would have to suffice. Bags, definitely plural, because he would tear some today, no doubt.

“Have a good workout, big guy!” she shouted after him almost cheerily and he slammed the door with such force that dust of plastering snowed down around the doorway.

Snowed down. Fuck. That would be more than one ruined bag today.

────── ·❆· ──────

Entering the restaurant was one of the scariest things you had ever done. But the friendly space welcomed you, soft lights illuminating the room, white clothing on the tables, each with a candle on it, several people talking rather lowly. You gulped looking around – probably forgetting everything Natasha had taught you about subtle observation, because the hostess spotted you immediately and walked to you, assuming you were completely lost.

“Good evening. Do you have a reservation, madam? Are you meeting anyone here? Or I am going to look for a table for one?” she asked politely, professionalism never leaving her face.

You gulped. “Uhm… meeting someone actually. There should be a reservation for seven o’clock under the name Murdock?”

“Of course. Mr. Murdock is waiting for you. Follow me.”

‘Waiting for you?’ You were five minutes early! You were kinda hoping you would have time to calm your nerves-

Matt probably knew about you the second you entered the restaurant – still, it surprised you when he rose as you approached the table and pulled out your chair for you to sit down before helping you from your coat.

“Hi, Matt,” you greeted him unsurely, obediently sitting down. “Thank you.”

If he wouldn’t have stood up, you wouldn’t have recognized him – or at least it would take you a while. He wore a nice-fitting black suit with white shirt and crimson tie – not something you were used to; the only outfit you had seen him in was either his armour or the shirt he wore in the hospital, where you hadn’t really paid attention.

His face was partly hidden behind a pair of round red-toned glasses, making you feel like you were meeting a completely different person. You had already met Daredevil, you had met Matt, you supposed, and now you were meeting Mr. Murdock. Though the colour of his tie and glasses was a hint, sending a vibe of familiarity towards you.

“Your waitress will be here shortly,” the hostess announced, barely noticed.

Matt smiled at you. “Hi. Glad you could make it.”

You inhaled sharply. Was your nervousness that evident?

“Yeah. Yeah, me too. It… it was… okay, uhm, I guess you can tell I got hugged profusely. By Steve. And Nat. I was… nervous. Sorry,” you mumbled, watching the flame of the candle flicker as you exhaled. “It’s been a while since I was… out.”

“Don’t worry about it,” he said, his tone surprisingly soothing. It worked for you, okay. “It’s been a while for me too.”

That made you snap your head up.

“Really?” you blurted out. “I mean… you just seem like a guy who…”

He tilted his head, his eyebrow rising in challenge. “…yes?”

“Oh god, no I didn’t mean like…” You whined silently. Now it sounded as if you were saying he was a manwhore.

“I’m waiting for you to finish that sentence. Are you suggesting something?” he teased you and it ignited the flame of banter-queen that had revealed herself while on the mission with the Devil.

“I’m suggesting that you seem like a guy who can’t complain about the lack of attention from women – possibly men. I don’t know where your train of thought headed…”

He grinned, impressed and possibly satisfied with himself; he had every right. You found the uneasy sensation in your stomach resolve as you stepped into a more familiar territory of teasing. And with him grinning, damn, he was a handsome little shit.

“Thanks. I do have a rich nightlife, but…”

“Right. I can understand that there are different kinds of nightlife.”

“Exactly. Sneaking from bed every night doesn’t work well. And loading every potential partner with why I do it… it’s not that easy.”

“I’m sorry,” you whispered and Matt just shook his head.

“It’s my choice. I’m glad you’re here and we have this part out of our way.”

You bit your lip as he gave you yet another smile, this time softer. “I’m glad too. But are you suggesting there’s more?”

He chuckled dryly. “Well. Of course there is, but we can work with that later. I’m sure I’m not the only one who has some things that are important, yet not the best thing to discuss on the first date.”

The flutter of your heart caused by the mention of heavy baggage on your side turned into an excited one as you were reminded this was your first date – with a great man, who was as badass and cocky as he seemed understanding, sweet and gallant.

“Yeah. You think wine would help?”

“Absolutely.”

────── ·❆· ──────

The wine did help. You two made it through why you hadn’t been on a date for a while, which featured your struggle with the disease and you ‘dying’ and joining the Avengers. To balance the heaviness, you mentioned few stunts your friends in the Tower had pulled so far.

Matt told you about his best friend finding about his nightlife, but also about the work they did in their little firm with big ambitions, throwing in stories from college.

You laughed, your cheeks hurt and your belly too, your body was pleasantly buzzing and you hadn’t even noticed the restaurant was almost empty until Matt took off his glasses, toying with the earpiece of them.

“I like it better this way,” you noted deliberately and his fingers froze. “Uh-uh, no, leave them off, please. I really do like it better, if that’s okay with you.”

He sort-of looked at you shyly and you were welcomed by the warm of his brown irises, twinkling in the soft light of the candle.

“You sure?” he pried hesitantly and you nodded, hoping he could perceive that.

He resembled a lost but hopeful puppy and it was such a surreal look on his face – through the night, you had had an opportunity to know him a bit more, but this was… new. No matter what you had been discussing, there always had been confidence in him – more or less. You didn’t think he would be self-continuous about his eyes of all things, but it made sense. Your heart swelled.

“Yeah, Matt. I really am.”

Time flied and before you knew it, the waitress politely pointed out they were about to close the restaurant.

“Oh,” you let out intelligently, honestly taken aback. This time wary of being subtle, you checked the space – it was empty. Everyone was out. Oh.

“Of course. Bring me the check, please,” Matt asked, apparently unfazed. You could only wonder if he had been aware of their situation; given his abilities, he probably had. Huh. Guess he didn’t want to leave either – the thought warmed you heart.

He paid for you both, helping you with your coat again. Once you were outside, pleasantly cool air brushing your cheeks, he turned to you sheepishly.

“May I walk you home? Or do you prefer a cab?”

Your heels were killing you already; yet, the choice was clear, because you didn’t want the night to end.

“Walk?”

Your reward was his wide smile and silent request for your elbow. Damn the heels, this was worth it.

“Lead the way?” he asked as he folded his cane, his hand sliding under your arm.

You would be hesitant about the direction, but the Avengers tower was too much of a highlight to miss it. Still, you couldn’t help but tease him.

“Do you trust a woman with directions?”

He chuckled. “Well, I am blind, so I’m trusting anyone who can actually see where we’re going. Perhaps not any woman. I think we established a while ago that I trust you.”

Your heart skipped a beat at that, making Matt’s smile grow. Well, that wasn’t embarrassing at all, that he could read literally every reaction your body had. Not awkward at all.

“Thanks.”

You weren’t stupid enough to walk to the Tower. For all you knew, Tony had his eyes on everything within a half-mile radius at least and you didn’t want him to spy on you two. That man had no sense of privacy whatsoever.

“Well, I guess this is me,” you murmured, stopping in your tracks. Matt frowned and you cleared your throat. “Uhm… eyes and ears everywhere. I don’t want to…”

A flash of understanding appeared on his face and he laughed silently as he turned his whole body to you. He was close. Very close.

“That makes sense. Too bad it means we have to say goodbye now.”

“Technically, we don’t have to. Say it, that is,” you added at his confused expression. One corner of his lips rose higher, his free hand finding yours and running up your arm.

“Very true, Gerda.”

Your breath hitched as he used your nickname for the first time that night. His hands weren’t helping you to control your breathing either.

“We can always go with a goodnight.”

“Is a goodnight kiss too bold?” he whispered, leaning in just slightly, giving you a room to escape if you wanted to. You didn’t think you wanted to escape.

“Very bold…” His face fell, silent ‘oh’ escaping him. “But I’m okay with bold.”

“Mean woman,” he murmured, erasing the distance and meeting your lips.

Your heart positively stopped the moment it happened and it felt like eternity before it kicked back in.

His lips were warm against yours, gentle and hesitant at first. Your own hand deliberately shot up to his face as you realized a response would be appropriate, but dammit it had been a while and his mouth on yours felt so fucking good. Your fingers found his nape, pulling him just a little closer as heat coiled in your abdomen, welcoming the butterflies fluttering their wings in your stomach. You felt the grip on your elbow tightening and Matt took your lower lip between his, fondling with more boldness indeed.

You sighed in appreciation, your heart hammering in your ribcage that suddenly felt too small, even for your breathing. You retreated just slightly, needing some air, but aching at the thought of creating a distance between you and him. He inhaled deeply too, his hand on your jaw, his thumb caressing your cheek.

“Goodnight?” he tried out silently and you couldn’t help but chuckle, enjoying the tickle of his breath as he did the same.

“Fight me, but that didn’t feel like a goodnight kiss.” You shortly met his lips again, unable to resist – but aiming for only a peck that wouldn’t leave your fingertips tingling like the previous kiss. “Goodnight?”

“Goodnight indeed.”

He kissed the corner of your mouth before letting go of you and you pretended you didn’t feel cold all of sudden. At least his warm eyes were still watching your chin.

“Stay safe,” you whispered and Matt gave you one more gorgeous smile.

“I’ll try. Take care.”

You nodded and forced your body to spin on your heels to go, because if you wouldn’t do it now, you might as well end up going home with him or taking him to the Tower, which something you weren’t really ready for.

You started walking, snuggling into your coat, crossing your arms on your chest to keep yourself warmer. You spared one more glance at Matt, who was still standing where you had left him, raising his hand in tiny wave as you looked over your shoulder. Your cheeks burned as you got caught; then again, he hadn’t move from his position, watching you as well, so you had no reason to be truly embarrassed.

Or you thought so, until you realized the air actually was unusually chilly for September and to make it perfect, a snowflake fell on your nose. You looked around, realizing it started snowing.

Snowing. This wasn’t normal. Which meant… did you just…?

“Holy shit,” you muttered under your breath, unsure whether you should be horrified or not as you turned your palm up, catching few more snowflakes. You… you somehow did this. It was as terrifying as awesome.

In the end, you just giggled at what you had caused.

Let it snow.

────── ·❆· ──────

Natasha was standing in her room, staring out of the window as snowflakes slowly descended. None of them stuck, melting as soon as they collided with the surface, but there was no denying it really was snowing. And given the fact that the temperature needed to drop significantly for this to happen, there was no doubt whose doing was that – deliberate or not.

Your emotions were running high.

“Hey, Steve. What are you still doing awake?” she heard your astonished voice from the hallway and she bit her lip. This was definitely your excited voice; the date went well. The snow was a good sign.

“Couldn’t sleep.”

Natasha’s heart ached for her friend, simultaneously wondering if you could hear the subtle hint of pain in his voice. She suddenly felt guilty for helping you to get ready for the date – but it felt like the right thing to do.

“So you went to a gym? It’s after midnight. You’re making us all look like couch potatoes.”

Natasha could easily imagine that the soldier ‘casually’ shrugged.

“Felt like working out,” he explained easily. No shit. How many punching bags did he destroy this time?

“Is everything okay? I know it’s not the first time. Something troubling you? Talk to me, Steve,” you pleaded softly.

Natasha sighed. That would be your placing your hand on his forearm in comforting gesture, your eyes screaming ‘you can trust me’. You always did that, because it was the thing you two did and you two were so utterly hopeless it hurt.

“It’s nothing, Snowflake. Nothing you need to worry about. You look happy. I take it the date went well?”

His voice was strained and the spy had no doubt you could tell. Yet, you answered him, tiny chuckle bubbling in your throat. “Yeah. It did.”

“One more reason for you not to worry about me,” Steve offered kindly and Natasha just gritted her teeth. Rogers was such an ass. Noble, maybe, but bozhe, such an ass. “I’m happy for you, Snowflake.”

“Thank you. But we’re talking about you, soon. I need you to be happy too, Steve. You’re too important to me and too good not to be.”

Natasha agreed wholeheartedly, glancing at the flash drive on her nightstand. She had downloaded the conversation she had with Steve, him confessing his feelings for you, but now, it seemed worthless.

While she wished for you to be happy, she was hoping you could do that with the supersoldier who was head over heels for you. She had been sure you felt the same, but now she had doubts. You could easily fall in love with Daredevil, he was charming enough, and she had no right to interfere with your love-life.

“Okay. I promise I’ll tell you later.”

Natasha scoffed. Yeah, sure. On your deathbed, maybe.

“ ‘kay. Love you, Steve. Goodnight.”

“Goodnight, Snowflake.”

Natasha heard your footsteps trailing off and slowly went to open her door for a slit.

“Don’t say a word,” Steve warned her icily, a heart-breaking crack in his voice.

“I was gonna offer you a drink, an ‘I’m sorry’ and a hug.”

She heard him inhale and exhale shakily and she stepped out to find him resting his forehead against the nearest wall. His eyes were squeezed shut and she would swear it wasn’t sweat what gleamed on his cheeks. She pressed her lips together, hesitantly bringing her palm to his arm. His Adam’s apple bobbed.

“I’m really sorry, Steve,” she whispered tentatively, surprised when he bounced off the wall, looking her straight in the eye. His own were indeed glassy, but he wasn’t crying.

“You don’t have to be. She deserves the win, I’m happy for her.”

He said it with such conviction that if she hadn’t known him well enough, she wouldn’t notice how fragile the façade he had hastily built up was.

“Good. But you should know you don’t have to be, macho man. It’s okay to be angry, not just with yourself, but also with her and especially with him. You can be sad and you can be hurt. I know I’m not exactly the most open person when it comes to emotions, but that doesn’t mean I don’t feel. And you can feel too.”

Steve escaped her gaze, but she could see his tiny nod. She took it as a victory and encouraged, she took his huge arm.

“Come on, Cap, let’s find out where Thor stocked the good booze.”

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Tags: @mermaidxatxheart, @murdermornings, @elisaa-shelby @ask-hellbent-tweek

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Thank you for reading! If you read for Matt x reader, this is it for ya, sorry ;) You can always check out Steve x reader ending or my other Matt Murdock fics :-*

#marvel #fanfiction #matt murdock reader #matt murdock imagine #daredevil x reader #daredevil imagine #mcu #avengers #avenger reader #matt murdock fanfiction #matt murdock #marvel fanfiction #love triangle #hands too cold but heart of gold #anika ann

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kindofcashton · 4 years

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𝕕𝕚𝕤𝕔𝕠𝕟𝕟𝕖𝕔𝕥𝕖𝕕 • chapter 2 (Calum Hood AU)

THE REST OF dinner was much more enjoyable once Calum left. Luke, Michael, and Ashton had no problem making me feel at home, and soon I was laughing and free from the stress of the day.

From what I'd gathered, Luke and Michael about a year younger than Ashton. They'd all finished high school and decided against university, much to their parents' pleasure. Ashton however had landed a pretty lucrative gig at an advertising firm, even without a degree, and he said that it was the kind of job good enough to support him as long as he needed. Luke and Michael had odd jobs here and there, preferring the care-free bachelor life to a scheduled, overworked routine. I envied their easy-going attitudes; if only I could afford to live as freely as they did.

"We're not total bums though," Luke defended himself, blue eyes smiling. The five us were sipping beers around the table, lights dimmed since it was so late. "Mike is wicked good with video games and is helping this guy with his startup. And I work down at the music shop, but the manager says he's gonna try to hook me up with an internship at a record label."

Michael snorted. "I can not imagine you fetching people coffee. And they'd probably force you take out that lovely lip ring."

Luke rolled his eyes and took a swig of his beer. "You work for a guy with a purple tiger tattoo, of course you can keep your eyebrow piercing."

Ashton waved his hand dramatically, other arm slung over Hannah's shoulder. She'd moved her chair so close to his she was practically on his lap.

"Yeah yeah, you're little startup and you're little internship are cute, but I am working on the next campaign for Fido Feed."

Everyone burst out laughing, and I furrowed my eyebrows in confusion. "What's that?"

Hannah slid her hand down Ashton's cheek lovingly, and said, "It's a dog food brand, and he is single-handedly pioneering their success." Ashton grinned and gave her a kiss.

"Hey, Ash, what happened to the wheat crackers ad? I thought you were killing it with the cracker game." Michael bat his lashes innocently.

Ashton flipped him off and I took a sip of my beer, happy and buzzed. This was the most fun I'd had in a long time, and only hoped it would be like this every day. Leaving university had been a difficult but inevitable decision, and I'd feared I wouldn't be happy for a long time. Anxieties still plagued the back of my mind, but right now I found it easier than ever to ignore them.

"Alright, I don't know about you morons but I'm pretty tired." Michael stood up from the table and motioned to me. "How about I show you you're suite now, madam?"

I smiled and nodded, as Luke reached over to throw away my empty beer for me. His blue eyes were so warm and kind, and I think I was most grateful for his calming presence.

Michael led me up the stairs into a darkened hallway, and I noted four doors upstairs. One was partially open, revealing the bathroom. One at the end of the hall was shut tight, with quiet music reverberating softly from it. I guessed this was Calum's room, and as Michael led to me to his my stomach sank. I'd be right next to Calum, bumping into him as we went downstairs or tried to get to the bathroom.

Great, more opportunities for him to hate me.

The room was fairly small, but not cramped. The bed was big with dark blue sheets, and the gray walls were plastered with posters of all different types. A closet had been cleared out for me, as well as a set of drawers and desk in the corner. It was definitely a nicer place than I thought I'd be staying in.

"I don't know how to thank you," I admitted, still embarrassed at Michael's charity.

He crossed his arms, goofy smile on his face. "You'll figure something out. I like anything with cheese or frosting, so maybe start there?" I laughed, and he gave me an encouraging thumbs up before turning out of the room.

"Night, Scar!" he called, and I closed the door gently behind him.

My bags were all arranged in one corner, and I reminded myself to thank Luke later. Blowing out a sigh, I fell onto the bed. The events of the past couple months truly felt like bricks on my shoulders, and every day was a struggle to get by. The ache in my heart never seemed to subside, even during happy times like tonight. Pulling the blankets over my shivering body, I simply hoped for a good night's sleep to be able to tackle tomorrow.

Unfortunately, my prayers were not answered. I tossed and turned all night long, partly because of the unfamiliar atmosphere and partly because of my never ending anxieties. Pale dawn light was peeking through the curtains when I finally opened my eyes, and I frowned.

Quietly getting up, I checked my reflection in the mirror and yawned. My hair was tousled, the hoodie I wore nearly covering my shorts. I didn't look too great, but I decided it was better for people to see this me early on, seeing as she'd be around a fair amount.

Padding down the stairs, I didn't notice anyone awake. Ashton had stayed the night with Hannah, both of them down in the basement on the futon. Michael was passed out on the living room couch, red hair disheveled.

Suddenly a sound from the kitchen made nearly jump out of my skin. I whirled around to see Calum fishing through the cupboards, clad in only sweatpants. He must have heard my surprised gasp, because he turned to me with a scowl.

"Of course you'd be up this early." He faced away from me as I entered the kitchen, pausing as I gripped the back of a dining chair. His back muscles were taut and tan, his bare shoulders rimmed with shadow in the dim light. His hair was curly and messy, laying just over his eyes.

"You're up this early," I countered innocently, meaning it more as a joke. He gave me a distracted glance.

"Never really went to bed, I guess," he grumbled, moving to set up the coffee maker. His movements were clumsy and confused, and I could tell he had no idea what he was doing.

"Here, let me," I offered softly, striding over. His brown eyes tracked me as I dumped the ground coffee into machine, once again completely unreadable. I worked quietly, my movements automatic as I had done this a million times at college in order to survive late nights and early classes.

"Ashton usually does this," he mumbled, rubbing a hand on the back of his neck. I shrugged, flipping the lid down and setting the timer. I turned so I was leaning against the counter, arms folded. Calum backed away from me, choosing now to busy himself in the fridge.

I sighed, but was thankfully saved by Michael waking up over on the couch.

"I really hope that racket was coffee being made," he said, voice thick with sleep.

"Shut up, we weren't that loud," Calum snapped, finding the milk and grabbing some frosted cereal. Soon Luke was awake and joined us in the kitchen, followed shortly by Ashton and Hannah from downstairs. She looked lazy and happy, glowing almost. Luke rolled his eyes and shot me a smile; we all knew why the two of them looked so content.

We all sat at the table, Calum included. He ate his cereal silently, and didn't look up when I poured him a cup of coffee. I took my mug and sat down, letting the warmth of the coffee seep into my cold hands.

"Cream and sugar?" Luke asked, but I shook my head.

"No, this is fine."

"You take it black? Damn, badass." He grinned, and I chuckled. Calum snorted, and everyone turned to look at him.

He reddened at our stares, and said curtly, "What, she's some brave hero for drinking black coffee? Please."

Luke didn't take his comment to heart, his expression amused. "Right, I forgot no one is cool in your eyes. You enjoy vodka straight out of the bottle." Calum met his eyes, and for the first time I saw a spark of humor in the brown orbs. Little flashes of the boys' friendship peeked through sometimes, and I knew despite his rough exterior the guys really loved Calum.

"What are we doing today?" Michael asked, stuffing some toast into his mouth.

"Some of us have serious jobs to go to," Ashton joked, and Hannah giggled as she ran a hand through his curls. I was jealous of how close they were, wishing I had someone like Ashton to support me. He would walk through fire for Hannah, and she for him. Their bond was unlike anything I'd ever seen let alone experienced, and I wondered if I'd ever be lucky enough to discover that feeling.

"Ha-ha," Michael said dryly. "Reggie doesn't need me today since we're waiting for a streaming service to get back to us, so I'm free."

Luke nodded. "Same here, the Jared doesn't need me since he's training a new guy. Looks like we'll all have the day together, eh?" He shot me a wink, and I smiled. I'd hoped to be introduced to the area, and what better way to do it then with all of them? It would give me even more time to get to know the guys.

"Why don't we give Scarlett here a tour? She's gotta know about all the good spots," Hannah proposed, and was met with sounds of approval. The only one who didn't reply was Calum, who's eyebrows hung low over his eyes as he ate his breakfast.

"Count me out, I've got some shit to do." No one questioned his vague answer, and I guessed this was routine around here. Calum did what he pleased and no one pushed him. To me it was peculiar, because I'd always been the kind of person to appreciate communication. Clearly I had a lot to learn if I was going to stick around here.

They parted ways to get ready, but I stayed behind to clean up the dishes. Small things like this made me feel better about staying at the house. Calum was last to leave the table, and was watching me with steely eyes as I rinsed out the mugs. Wordlessly, he stood up and stalked over to the sink, halting. I stopped what I was doing and glanced up at him, intimidated when I met his gaze. A beat went by, and then he set his bowl down and promptly left.

I let out a breath I hadn't known I was holding.

Soon after I'd changed and put on a bit of makeup, glad that my appearance looked slightly more acceptable. I was nervous and excited for the day ahead; seeing a new city was always fun, especially one I'd be living in for a while.

Between the guys they had three cars, the nicest belonging to Ashton which he'd bought after his first promotion. Luke and Michael shared an old station wagon since their jobs were fairly close together, and Calum drove a vintage mustang. I whistled under my breath, wondering how he afforded such a nice car. He climbed in and sped off within seconds, and I watched him disappear from view.

The rest of us piled into the station wagon with Michael behind the wheel and Luke riding shotgun.

"Alright, where to first ladies and gentleman?"

"We gotta show her the music shop," Hannah proposed.

"Oh yeah, it's a real exciting place," Luke joked. "Dusty, too."

We drove off, and Michael lowered the windows. The sky was sunny and blotted with clouds, a small breeze cooling down the warm air. I rested my arm on the window, and leaned out to look at the trees blurring by. Michael drove fast but controlled, and I could feel my heart flutter as we flew down the street.

The music shop was actually pretty cool, and Luke even took us to the back to show us where they stored the vintage and expensive stuff. Guitars, basses, even a dismantled drum kit were hiding in the back room. Michael and Luke were like little boys around all the stuff, itching to play and show us their chops.

"For a while we wanted to start a band," Luke explained, strumming a simple tune on an acoustic guitar. "But life got in the way, I guess. Besides, our parents basically told us we'd amount to nothing, so here we are."

I frowned. "You shouldn't let someone else tell you what you should do." He looked up, smiling sadly.

"Yeah, but when that someone pays for your entire life, it's pretty hard to say no." I nodded, understanding what he meant. Money was the ultimate decider in life, as I knew all too well.

After the music shop we drove by Michael's start-up, which he claimed was the "most legit garage in the whole city." It was quite literally a garage attached to some guy's house, but Michael insisted all the geniuses started out small.

As we continued driving around, I briefly thought about Calum and where he could possibly be, and I even kept an eye out for his mustang. But he was nowhere to be seen, and by lunch the thought of him had completely evaporated from my mind.

Lunch was at Michael's favorite place, which served the best cheese fries I'd ever tasted in my whole life. As I was eating a thought occurred to me.

"Hey, do you guys know any places hiring? I've gotta get a job now that I'm not spending all my time on school." Back at university, I'd thrown all of my energy into schoolwork since my scholarships depended on it. Now though, a job was a necessity.

They were quiet for a minute, thinking. Then Hannah said, "Oh, I think the cafe on fourth street is looking for someone. You have any experience?"

"I worked retail when I was seventeen back home, so I guess not. But I think I'm a quick learner."

"Wanna swing by right now?"

"Nah, I'll go tomorrow. Today's been too fun, I want to keep it going."

We finished lunch, and perused around town for an hour or so more, showing me various shops and places I'd want to know about. When we finally got back home, the driveway was still empty.

"Think you're in the mood for a beat down in Smash, Lukey boy?" Michael goaded, and Luke shoved him good-naturedly.

"Nobody's getting beat down here except you, my friend."

Hannah and I rolled our eyes, but followed them into the living room nonetheless. We wasted the afternoon watching them play video games and arguing over it, until Hannah got so sick of it she begged me to do something else with her.

"How about we organize your closet? I want to go out later, so we've gotta find outfits."

I readily agreed, excited at the prospect of going clubbing. Hannah had been my partner in crime and always made sure to drag me out of my dorm so I had some fun instead of always staying in and studying.

We began to sift through my bags, and after emptying all of them I realized how little I actually owned. Hannah didn't comment; she knew the reality of the situation, and gave me an encouraging smile.

"Don't worry, we'll go shopping once you get that job and fill this closet right up." I knew I wouldn't be wasting my paycheck on party clothes, but I appreciated her idea nonetheless.

"Where are we going tonight?" I asked.

"Where we always go, it's a place Ashton discovered. It's big, so it never feels cramped. They have a killer DJ, which is rare in this town." She pulled out a black skirt and long sleeved black crop top with a lace up back.

I raised my eyebrows in slight surprise. "Kinda dark, no?"

Hannah rolled her eyes. "Trust me, black is the way to go. You look sultry and dark, and with the lights in the club it looks great."

I laughed but accepted the outfit. "Who am I trying to look sultry for?"

Hannah put her hands on her hips. "Scarlett, you're hot, you're single, and you've got nothing better to do. Get yourself some."

I flushed, embarrassed at her confidence in me. I'd never been the outgoing type of girl to go after guys I liked. I'd been pursued only a few times, mostly by guys I found repulsive. I'd had two boyfriends my whole life, one in high school who had no idea how to kiss with tongue, and one in the beginning of college who left me alone at a party where I knew no one and got thrown up on by a drunk guy. Needless to say, I wasn't crazy about either of them.

Hannah left to get changed herself, and I sighed as I looked at the outfit on the bed. You might as well let loose, I told myself. Hannah was right; you have nothing better to do.

I pulled the skirt on and tied up the crop top flipping my hair over my shoulder as I combed through the reddish brown locks with my fingers. Frowning in the mirror, I swiped some eyeliner on and curled my lashes, sticking out my bottom lip in a pout. Hannah was right; I looked dark, but sultry was still up in the air.

Realizing I had no idea what shoes to wear, I went downstairs and saw Michael and Luke waiting to leave in the living room. They both had dark jeans and leather jackets on, looking like hot bikers. Luke whistled as I walked by, blue eyes tracking me.

"Looking good, Scarlett."

I blushed and thanked him before running into Hannah, who actually had boots in her hand. They were the black knee high kind, and I snorted at her insistence of keeping to a black theme.

"Wear these, I'm going with heels tonight." She looked hot herself; her black skirt was leather, and her shirt was off the shoulder and very low cut. A wave of appreciation for her washed over me; I could always count on Hannah to make me feel good about myself.

We were all ready, and the sky was dark with only a few stars dotting the black canvas. Michael had ordered a cab, and it was waiting for us as we descended the driveway.

As Hannah and I slid across the back seat, the driver glanced in the rear-view mirror.

"And how are you ladies doing tonight?" he asked suggestively, making my face redden.

"Seriously, dude?" Luke said, glaring at the guy from the passenger seat. "Just drive the car and don't say anything, please. Or do you not want to get paid?"

He met my eyes in the mirror, and I hoped my expression showed my gratitude. I knew I could rely on Luke to defend me if I needed it, and that was a comforting thought.

"Ashton and Calum are already there," Hannah told us, and I was slightly surprised to hear that Calum was coming. He'd blown off the day with us, but I guess he couldn't turn down a night out.

When we arrived, I saw how big the club is and my jaw dropped. I could hear the hammering music from outside, and watched as bodies waded in and out of the door. Hannah stuck close by my side, with Michael and Luke leading the way. I smiled nervously at the bouncer, who met my eyes with a blank expression.

Bright lights danced across bodies glowing with sweat, and a crowded dance floor pulsed with the heartbeats of dozens of people. Girls hung onto guys, guys held onto girls. Tables were piled high with empty glasses and bottles, and everyone's eyes were dull with a buzz.

I couldn't help but smile, and Hannah grabbed my hand as she led us through the throng of people. My body itched to join them and dance, the music almost as intoxicating as the alcohol at the bar.

We found our way to the back, where Ashton and Calum were at the bar drinking. Ashton spotted Hannah and grabbed her for a big kiss, whispering something in her ear that made her giggle and grip his bicep. Calum emptied his glass and turned to greet Michael and Luke. His dark eyes raked down my body, face barely illuminated by the roving lights. He looked good; black jeans and boots, his staple apparently. But today he had a leather jacket hugging his broad shoulders, and the glint of rings showed on his fingers. He looked like a shadow ready to melt into the background.

"How was your tour?" he asked, leaning back on his forearms against the tabletop. I couldn't tell if his question was genuine or mocking, so I decided to answer honestly.

"It was great, I think I'm really gonna like it here."

He didn't react to my response, instead motioned to the bartender to get him another drink.

"You good here?" Hannah yelled over the music. "I'm gonna go off with Ashton for a bit, but I'll be back to dance with you later, okay?" I nodded, and the two of them soon dissolved in the crowd. Michael and Luke recognized someone, and went over to talk. I was fine with being alone, and took a seat at the bar.

The bartender had a kind smile and bright eyes. "What can I get you?"

I drummed my fingers on the table, thinking. I don't know, what's good?"

Someone scoffed next to me, and I glanced over at Calum. I hadn't realized he was still here, and suddenly regretted my juvenile question.

"Get her a juice box or something, Joe," he said, knocking back his second glass of dark liquid. He was probably already drunk, but I knew he'd be mean even if he was sober.

Feeling like I had to prove something, I straightened up and said firmly, "I'll take a tequila."

Calum didn't react, much to my disappointment. I wasn't a crazy drinker, but I could handle my alcohol. I actually quite liked getting drunk; the buzz made me happy and loopy, and everything was funny when I was drunk.

Joe poured me the drink, and I inhaled deeply before taking a sip. It burned as it slid down my throat, but I didn't wince. Calum's empty glass was refilled, and he lifted it in mock cheers.

"Where were you today?" I asked, voice getting slightly drowned out by the music. Calum scowled at my question.

"Why?"

Shrugging, I replied, "I don't know, you missed a fun day."

He took a big gulp of his drink. "Why do you care?"

I blinked, deciding to be candid. "I don't, I was just trying to be nice." My answer must have surprised him, because he actually shifted to face me.

"What makes you think I want you to be nice to me?" His freezing stare sent chills down my spine, and I took another swig for some liquid courage.

"Generally speaking people are supposed to be nice to one another, but I can see how you wouldn't understand that concept." With that, I finished my drink and flipped my hair behind my shoulders.

"See you later, Calum," I said before striding off onto the dance floor to find Scarlett. I spotted her dancing with Ashton, and she gave me a big drunken hug before jumping around with delight.

As my hips began to sway and I danced along to the music, I could feel the heat of someone's stare on me, but it only made me dance harder.

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rosegoldannie · 4 years

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Tell Me no Lies-Chapter 9

Awoken by the familiar sound of jingling keys, and thunking of leather, Aelin lifted her head from where it had been nestled in the crook of her elbow. Rowan stood in the kitchen, his silvery hair in slight disarray.

“Sorry,” He murmured, giving her an apologetic smile. “I tried not to wake you.”

Aelin simply waved it off, stretching her arms way above her head and yawned. “I was waiting for you.” She stated.

Surprise coated his gaze. “Were you, now?”

“Well, yeah.” She murmured, carefully standing. “You said we were going to hang out before I left.” Her hip gave a painful, radiating twinge as she passed him, pulling an ice-cold water from the fridge.

The painfully cold liquid was a blessed relief against her parched throat.

Unaware of how her roommate studied her, his eyes lingering on her hip, Aelin tossed the now empty bottle into the sink. “So?” She prompted, gesturing out to the city that now came to life as the sun set.

“Right,” Rowan murmured, moving towards the door, where he slipped into regular tennis shoes in favor of his leather work ones. Aelin followed his lead, slipping on her worn Nikes.

~~~~

The mid-November chill was a welcome sensation. While not painfully cold, it was an energizing jolt that made Aelin feel as if she had imbibed a gallon of pure coffee.

The two walked in companionable silence, taking in the city around them. Not for the first time that day, Aelin thanked her past self for making peace with Rowan, because he always seemed to know what she needed, as evidenced by him leading them into a small pizzeria.

Aelin slid into a warm booth, taking in the scent of wood and cheese that permeated the air. Rowan slid in across from her, shucking his hoodie.

Her eyes scanned the small restaurant. Only a handful of booths, a few tables, and a play area. It was a small shop, but very modern, with wood and leather accents. All in all, it was very homey. A place she knew they would likely frequent.

Turning back to her roommate, she grinned. “So what did you do today?”

Rowan visibly slumped in his seat, letting out a low groan as his pine green eyes clenched shut. Aelin blinked; he had never shown such emotions. After running a hand down his face, he braced his elbows against the table. “Let me tell you. I swear to God if I have to deal with another lawsuit because some absolute fuckass couldn’t be bothered to read the goddamned fine print on his lease, I will personally gauge my own eyeballs out.” Rowan let out a sharp sigh. “It would also help if over half of our clients were not day-drinking, crackheaded, illiterate, money-grubbing gold diggers.”

Aelin blinked again, fighting the urge to laugh. “So you had a good day, I take it?”

He bared his teeth at her, turning sideways in the booth. “Positively lovely, madam. And your day?”

“Splendid.” She replied, happiness turning her face a light pink.

A young server came over, menus in hand. They both declined, saying they would share a pepperoni pizza. She shrugged, but headed off to the kitchen.

They returned to talking, the subject somehow shifting to Thanksgiving, which was only a few weeks away.

“Wait, let me get this straight.” Aelin began, in between bites of pizza. “You aren’t going home to visit family, and are just going to be at work all day?!” She hissed, disbelief in her voice.

Rowan waved her off. “Like you’re one to talk, princess. Lorcan told me you double up on shifts during the holidays.”

Grabbing a second slice, Aelin glared at him, and mentally cursed Lorcan. “I’ve got a reason, Buzzard. Most of my colleagues have families, and every extra shift I take on means they can be at home. You, on the other hand, do not have an excuse,” She paused to take a long sip of ice water, then began again, her voice taking on a teasing tone, “and quite frankly, I am disappointed in you.”

“Oh no, whatever will I do?” He moaned theatrically, hand pressed to his forehead as if he were about to faint. “How am I to carry on in this life, knowing the failure I am?”

Aelin couldn’t help the loud chuckle that slipped past her lips. That warm, familiar feeling spread across her cheeks.

Suddenly, an idea popped into her mind. “Hey, since we’re both going to be here for Thanksgiving, we should try to set up a Friendsgiving.” Instantly, Aelin regretted her words, the presumptuousness behind them. Gods, they had only just begun to get along, and now she was asking him to spend the Holidays with her? “Well, actually nevermind. That’s asking a lot, and you probably have better things to do-”

“No, no.” He interrupted, an unreadable expression on his face. “That’s a great idea.” Rowan gave her a broad, warm smile.

“Really?” Aelin asked, disbelieving.

“Yeah, of course. It sounds great.” Rowan replied, sounding so different from the harshness she had grown accustomed to. “Would it just be the two of us, or who would we invite?”

Fighting the urge to blanch, she stammered out a shaky reply. “I, uh, was thinking we could invite Elide and Lorcan, Aedion, Lys, Evangeline-” Rowan gave her a confused glance, and she quickly clarified, “Lysandra’s kid sister, Dorian, Manon, and Dorian’s brother. But if not, that’s totally fine!”

Rowan waved her off yet again. “No, seriously. That sounds great, princess. Trust me, if I didn’t agree, you’d know. Now, should we do a customary Friendsgiving, or modern?”

Aelin thought for a while, head propped up on her fist. “Customary.” She paused for several long seconds. “A lot of us didn’t have a real Thanksgiving when we were growing up.”

tag list: @sailorsassley @whiskeybusiness1776 @mad-scientist-pyromaniac

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boarix · 4 years

Text

Wraith in the Ruins: A Fallout 4 Story Part XVIII

Lighthouse

Trigger warnings: canon violence/language/gun, alcohol and drug use. Mature/sexual content - not explicit

Bloody Mess warning!

Please Enjoy!

Marie stood in the doorway, shifting her weight from one foot to the other. After about five minutes or so, she began tapping her foot in a staccato of irritation, “Did you want something or not? I’m very busy.”

Atom’s Assassin didn’t bother to turn around, “You are massing in Crater House, yes? We had agreed to wait.”

“My followers are impatient.” Despite not having been invited, she briskly walked around the chair the ghoul was lounging in to fold her arms and glare down at them, “This is taking too long. You are taking too long.”

Infamy’s leader was toying with their favorite weapon: a combat knife with a serrated, wicked-looking blade. Flipping it around the back of their hand and thumb with remarkable speed, they locked eyes with her, “You have no followers. Those with you follow Atom. Atom rewards patience.”

“Yes, well, while you sit here and patiently wait for this church’s roof to cave in, my followers and I will take back Kingsport Lighthouse!”

“You will be annihilated.”

Anger caused her to react without thinking; swatting the knife out of the ghoul’s hand and sending it spinning to a dark corner. In the space of a heartbeat the ghoul was out of their chair and lashing out with a backhand that sent the young woman crashing to the floor.

“You will bring those Children back to this church. You will all wait.”

As the glowing one moved to retrieve the knife, their radiance illuminated the room which revealed a large number of ferals, standing perfectly still, in arcing rows around the chair. Marie hadn’t even noticed their presence and felt the whole thing to be incredibly unnerving.

“But, what are we waiting for?!”

Turning, the ghoul went to the doorway just as an Infamy runner stepped through. There was a brief, whispered conversation before Atom’s Assassin turned back to her.

Cackling madly, they brandished their knife and spun in a circle, “They are here! Ahahaa!”

“Who? What’s happening?!”

The mad ghoul roughly pulled Marie to her feet and shook her, “It won’t be long now; the Pretender’s doom has arrived in the Commonwealth!”

“Did you make those pants?”

Shaun looked up from the workbench, “Yeah why, are they weird?”

“No, I like the color. Green is a good color on you. They look like they fit nice…”

He favored her with an indulgent smile, “Grandma, do you want me to make you a pair of green slacks?”

“Oh ho, not pants but slacks?” Her smile broadened when he rolled his eyes, “Yes, please make me a pair of slacks.”

“Are you coming back home after ghoul training?”

Wraith didn’t answer at first. She wanted to but since she had no idea how long learning to influence feral ghouls would take, let alone if she was even capable, she didn’t want to make promises she couldn’t keep.

She had intended the past week to be a vacation of sorts, but found herself elbow deep in reports and meetings instead. In addition to the seemingly random attacks, Infamy had taken to raising radiation levels in some of the southern settlements.

She also spent as much time as possible with Danse; helping Curie with his rehab and his occasional skips in memory. Now, with it being her last day, she was spending it with Shaun and found that she really didn’t want to leave at all.

“Oh, honey… I don’t know… There are too many variables to give you a definitive answer.”

“You’re using lawyer-general speak again,” He stuck his lip out and nodded, “I could go with you…”

“No. Absolutely not.”

His caramel complexion couldn’t hide his flush, “Why not. Is it because I couldn’t defeat Infamy? Do you think that I’ll be a burden?” He had balled up his fists, “I know I screwed that up but…”

“I don’t find you to be burdensome. You didn’t screw anything up! I need you to stay and help Mac…”

“That’s brahmin shit! That’s what YOU TELL LITTLE KIDS WHEN THEY WANT TO HELP YOU BUT YOU THINK THEY’LL BE IN THE WAY!” When Wraith didn’t cut him off and start yelling back he lost some of his momentum, “I’m sorry I let Danse and RJ get hurt!”

“You three were a team. Not one of you failed to fulfill… ugh… Okay, no more lawyer speak.” She got up from her stool, “I can’t lose you. And it’s not just you! I’m keeping Mac, Danse… I’m being completely selfish, I know… If I can keep all you strong fighters together, you will be able to keep each other safe, when I’m… gone.”

“Are you going to let the Valentines leave?” Her honesty had taken the wind out of his anger, “I’m surprised you let Grandpa John go.”

She furrowed her brow, “For the last time; I’m not a tyrant! I’m not going to hold innocent people against their will! I want them to stay and I already made my case, plus Curie wants to study Ellie’s pregnancy… wait… Grandpa John?”

Shaun’s blush deepened, “Cause you two… you know… he asked you to marry him. What the heck am I supposed to call him?!”

“I’m sorry, you’re right. Are you going to start calling Mac ‘grandpa’ too?”

“No, that’s weird.”

She nodded after a couple seconds of rapid blinking, “Okay, I guess that tracks.”

MacCready opened the door and stuck his head through, “Hey guys, Danse, Curie, the Valentines and dinner are here so stop yelling at each other and come in the house.”

“Technically speaking, RJ, the workshop is still in the house.”

“Who’s ‘Dinner’, they sound nice.”

MacCready sighed and slumped his shoulders, “Hilarious. You two done?”

“Did Dinner walk here on their own?”

Shaun started giggling, “How many legs do they have?”

Dinner was very nice and the conversation pleasant. Although space was limited the group squeezed together amicably and Valentine, a wonderful story teller, was regaling them with child-friendly versions of the behemoth and alien artifact cases.

“… climb the whole way up with me tied to her back! Of course, I told her she’d do just as well building castles in the air…”

“Mr. Colonel Garvey Minuteman has a castle! He said that grandma Wraith fought a monster there this one time and it was really big!” Duncan threw his arms out wide, knocking his cup off the table. His father neatly caught it however, and not even a drop was spilt. His excitement turned to dismay at the near loss of juice and he hung his head, “Sorry, daddy.”

MacCready tousled his hair, “Don’t be sad, Dunk. Spilt drink never hurt anybody; just work on your aim.”

“I still say I could’ve pulled us up and out with no problem.”

Valentine smiled and shook his head at her, “You are aware of a distinction between could and should.”

Wraith stuck her lip out in much the same way Shaun had, “You never know unless you try.”

“I tried cheese today!” Duncan’s confidence had returned.

Danse grimaced, “You’re a braver man than I. The smell reminds me of the training mats in the Citadel…”

As Valentine finished his tale, with he the unfortunate ending of Imogene, Curie leaned slightly forward and her eyes tracked his mouth with a hungry intensity.

“And this alien artifact, where has it gone?”

“Well… I’m not sure, actually. I was in and out at the time.”

“It’s put away.” There was a warning edge to Wraith’s voice. “I’d have destroyed it if I could.”

“Oh, but why? Surly this item would be of great use, not only to the scientific community, but to the studies of medical…”

“No!” Wraith gentled her tone, “No, Baby Bird. It is evil and cannot be used for anything but.”

“It’s like the One Ring!” Shaun deliberately directed his comment at MacCready.

“Oh, jeez. Not you too! I’m surrounded by nerds.”

“What’s this now?”

“Oh, Danse, it’s from this great book grandpa John let me borrow. You hav’ta read it!”

MacCready smirked, “Yeah, just when you’re finally starting to feel better…”

Shaun took the snide remark rather personally and so his retort had real venom, “You’re face looks better, now that you shaved that beard!”

Danse’s eyes snapped up to lock with the sniper’s, “You grew a beard? A full beard?”

“Yeah, so what?” His shrug was meant to be nonchalant.

Danse expression was unreadable, “Nothing, just surprised.”

“You’re surprised that I grew a beard? I’ve had a goatee…”

“Surprised that you’re physically capable of growing more than those rat whiskers you normally sport.”

Normally such banter would quickly degrade into actual bickering, but after giving Danse the One Finger Salute, (making sure Duncan didn’t see) MacCready laughed and flashed a bright smile.

After dinner, the group settled in to play cards: the children, Danse and MacCready playing Go Fish while the other four grown-ups indulged in Euchre. After a couple of hands, Wraith began making a conscious effort to memorize the evening. She planned on using bright-spot memories like these to battle against future bouts of her berserker rage.

Acknowledging her addiction to Buffout was only a small step in combating her tendency to slide toward madness. She had publicly denied, on more than one occasion, that she was a tyrannical monster but didn’t want to fall into the trap of declaring yourself a savor to the people whose house you’re burning.

“I’m sorry I scolded you, Curie.” Wraith had followed Danse and Curie out the door and across the yard. Watching Danse use a cane made her feel all the more guilty over the decision to keep the artifact’s location secret. “I shouldn’t have spoken to you like you’re a kid…”

“Ah, Madame, please don’t worry about it. Forgive me for saying so, but I feel you have been treating me as your daughter since almost the first time we met.” She arched her arms out to mimic her Miss. Nanny silhouette, “Even when I was just a metal egg.”

Wraith chuckled, “Well I guess it’s reassuring to know that I have at least some maternal instinct.” She took her by the shoulders, “I know why you would want to study it. I don’t blame you but… it has a way of… pulling at you. Shaun’s analogy wasn’t that far off.”

“I… understand. I was only, so excited! Here was a thing from another world! A… a science beyond the capabilities of the one I am only barely familiar with. One with an almost unlimited capacity for healing…” She looked at the clinic door that Danse had just struggled to open, “He gets lost in his memories and he’s still, so very thin…”

“Time, Baby Bird. With you caring for him, maybe not as much as you think.”

“It was a group effort that saved mon amour. Even Monsieur MacCready, with his Beard of Solidarity…”

“His… what?”

She laughed, “Danse had told me a story of how, when a member of your unit is badly damaged, so that they cannot shave their chins, the rest of the group stops this as well. This is done regardless of the team member’s gender, of course. Those who cannot grow a beard will sometimes shave their head… the focus on hair in this instance is rather fascinating, don’t you agree?”

Wraith felt a surge of pride in MacCready, “He takes such care with his goatee. They bicker so much I had no idea that they were that close.”

“Perhaps it is like siblings, oui?”

“How did Mac find out about the hair thing?”

“He came to me and asked what he could do. For some reason telling him the story that mon ours told me made me feel a little better. And when I saw that he was honoring him this way, why, I felt… I’m not sure how to put it…” Curie’s face lit up, “Robert is a protector, and this act was very much him shielding and bolstering my resolve. Which, is what I believe, it is meant to do.”

She could feel the heat of climax pooling below her navel even as MacCready began to shake beneath her. Bearing down as he thrust upward, the breath was driven from them both each time their hips came together.

Their lovemaking would appear a desperate, clinging act; exciting and needful as their first. Yet, it was practiced and refined with each moving in concert toward and against the other. They fought to hush their moans and gasps of pleasure, as to not disturb the sleeping household.

The realization that they might finish together heightened the anticipation of release and Wraith couldn’t stop her cry of passion at the mere thought.

Pushing himself to an almost seated position, MacCready attempted to silence both their cries by kissing her fiercely. Head swimming, he came almost as soon as he felt her muscles contract, somehow maintaining enough control to last until she finished.

Collapsing back to the bed, he kept his arms around her, holding her to him to feel that wonderful sensation of oneness that was almost better than the orgasm.

Almost.

“Shit, Wraith… That was amazing!”

“Ah ah ah, potty mouth. You’re lucky Hancock isn’t here to punish you. Not that you’d mind.”

“Not that I’d mind.”

Wraith nuzzled his chest, “I wish the three of us could be together more. Not that I mind havin’ a bedfellow at every port…”

“Every port?!” He raised his pitch in mock indignity, “Are you sleeping with jabber-jaw?”

She pushed him playfully as she rolled away, “That’s not nice!”

“Ha ha! Doesn’t change to fact that you knew who I meant!”

“I’m gonna tell Piper on you!”

After a bit of cleanup, a check on the children and MacCready settled in her arms, Wraith let her perpetual exhaustion take hold and settled into a light doze. She entered a dream almost immediately.

The cave was dark and full of the echoes of dripping water. At first random and natural, it swiftly changed to a rhythmic percussion.

Voices. No longer was it mere water. A multitude of vaguely familiar voices, chanting her name.

“Wraith! Wraith! Wraith! WRAITH!”

Then, like smaller streams coming together to form a great river, the cries became a defining torrent.

“WRAITH! WRAITH!”

It was cold! And the voices swirled around and through her. She desperately tried to ask them what they needed but when she opened her mouth, their chant poured forth.

“WRAITH! WRAITH! WRAITH!”

Then, with a flash of light, the voices ceased. The darkness returned, this time heavy and oppressively hot. There was a sizzling noise, like a burning fuse. The outline of a figure materialized from the inky black.

“Pippa…” Deacon lifted his face; glasses gone, his eyes shone, as if from within, “Pippa please…”

“Yes! Tell me! Anything. I’ll give you anything! Please, tell me what…”

“Please…” The light from his eyes spread until his whole body glowed.

“DEACON!”

“Please, don’t; you’re killing us.”

The following morning dawned grey and the clouds in the east were leaden with the promise of rain. Wraith didn’t want announce her departure to anyone who may be watching and so planned to use the settlements back, secret door. She had extended a tunnel she found in the basement of one of the original houses, so that it led further into the hills north of Sanctuary. Doubling as Bear’s tannery, it was rarely used by the community due to the odor and its true purpose known by only a select few. After saying her final goodbyes in the kitchen, Wraith, dressed as a male settler, left by the office door and walked briskly to the last northern house on the left.

“I still say this is crazy,” Bear’s deep, rasping baritone rolled like thunder from a dark corner, “like something from Astoundingly Awesome Stories.”

“It’s ‘Tales’, Bear. I thought you were just going to drop off my kit, whatcha need?”

“I never gave ya yer present. Catch!”

Wraith easily caught the object the large ghoul tossed to her. Turning it over in her hands, she gasped in appreciation of the artistry: using the pale hide of the albino deathclaw she had slain on her way to D.C, he had created a helmet in the likeness of her defeated foe. There were a pair of horns, beautifully intricate scales and a visor sporting a pair of faux eyes outlined in blackened steel.

“Oh, Bear! This is the coolest thing I think I’ve ever seen! It’s so light!”

“Light in weight but super heavy-duty, thanks in part to the ballistic weave. There’s some in the suit too.”

“You made a whole suit?!”

“Yeah, I wanna see you in it before you leave. I couldn’t do a final fitting cause it was a surprise, so haveta make sure it fits ya.”

It fit perfectly, of course. It came in four pieces: a vest, jacket, pants and over-the-knee boots. And it wore exactly like her modified wet suit; allowing her a range of motion as if she wore nothing at all.

“I suppose it’s fine.” Bear’s overly critical eye scanned her from toe to crown, “Ya lost weight again.”

“Tch. It’s your imagination. This is so awesome!”

“One more thing,” Not wanting to risk injury, he passed her a wrapped bundle. “I found this in the armory. It was a little bit beat up so I replaced the fittings for ya.”

When Wraith returned the stolen egg to a distraught deathclaw parent, she had found a gauntlet festooned with the sharp, blade-like claws of a deathclaw near the nest. Picking it up, she considered it a consolation prize, but had never once used it. Now, she slipped it over her hand and struck a dramatic fighting pose.

“How do I look?”

“Not too shabby, if I do say so myself. Start calling you General Deathclaw.”

“Ugh, don’t I have enough nicknames?” She embraced him carefully.

“There’s throwing knife pockets throughout, even in the boots, a belt with clips and compartments for extra storage and the jacket should fit over your shoulder holster… are you wearing it out?”

“I sure am! This is perfect; I’ve used Phil the Settler too many times anyway. And if anyone should happen to see me, they’ll probably think I’m a raider boss.”

“Well, I’m happy if yer happy, Wolf.”

The midmorning rain beaded on the armor and rolled into the channels that Bear had strategically crafted; wicking the water away from her eyes and face. She had greatly lamented the loss of her original custom Marine helmet to the ruin of Gunner Plaza, but found that the range of peripheral vision in this new one to be far superior then even its replacement. With the horror of the previous night’s dream forgotten and delighted by the sense of freedom, she flew through the bush unimpeded by the weather and almost completely invisible to any of the Wasteland’s people or fauna.

Just as the warehouse and fence of Wicked Shipping came into view, she felt an odd prickling sensation and instinctively dodged to her left.

A trio of feral ghouls rose from the underbrush.

“Well, Zen time’s cancelled.” She crouched slightly and waited for them to rush her.

“Not to worry, General,” The echoing and otherworldly voice belonged to a glowing one. Dressed in the humble robes of the Children of Atom, he beckoned to her from the shop roof, “come along inside, sister. They surely will not harm their friend.”

Harkness yawned and waved at her by way of greeting. He was sitting in an office chair with his feet up on the desk of one of the former Flynn brothers. “Those are some fancy duds there, General Dragon-Lady.”

She removed the helm and wrinkled her nose at him, “Nice. You two just get here?”

“Nope.” Groaning, he stood, stretched and removed a pot of steaming water from a hotplate, “We headed out from Goodneighbor as soon as I got back. Sun called ferals to him the entire way; it was pretty surreal.” He waved a mug at her, “Tea?”

“Actually, yes, thanks.” She accepted the mug and idly played with the steeper. “You said he called to them?”

“Not very many and not out loud. He says that when you’re done, he will lead them to the Glowing Sea.”

“Like a Pied Piper, huh?”

“I actually think I know that reference.”

“As do I. And I approve.”

Sun of Atom swept into the room with a floating grace that left Wraith green with envy. Almost immediately the prickling sensation returned and she outwardly flinched away from the ghoul.

“Apologies, Mother’s Chosen One; I’ll turn down my intensity.” He smiled warmly at her, “It is extremely gratifying to learn that you are so receptive. Perhaps this training will go swiftly and we each can return to our chosen paths.”

She forced a smile of her own, “I’ll bank on your optimism, but please refrain from using that title,” The forced grin had started to make her cheek twitch, “if you must be formal, please call me General Wraith. Although, I’d prefer you refer to me as…”

“Wraith the Undying?” Harkness had a stole-the-last-cookie grin, “Or maybe, Death in the Shadow?”

Determined not to let him nettle her, she continued as if he hadn’t spoke, “as Wraith. Just ‘Wraith’ is perfect. How may I call you?”

“You may use ‘brother’ or ‘Sun’ as you are comfortable, sister Wraith.” He accepted a mug from Harkness, “Will you be leaving us, brother? I know you are resistant to rads, but it may yet be too dangerous for you to stay.”

“Oh no. I’m not going anywhere. I haven’t finished fixing the fencing and besides I’m going to stay and make sure things don’t get out of hand.”

The ghoul laughed, “I am well practiced, and I can assure you that no harm will come to your friend.”

He leveled a stern gaze at Wraith, “I’m not worried about you harming anyone, Sunny.”

She wanted to argue, but considering their past encounter, felt she couldn’t blame him. Her guilt must have made a clear mark on her face because Harkness’s softened almost immediately and he brought a hand up and rubbed the back of his head.

“I’m sorry. I’m really tired and it’s made me a grouch. Are you two going to start right away? I kind of wanted to watch.”

“I’m afraid there won’t be much to see until the fence is done. I’m holding them here for now but as soon as I let go they’ll either attack or wander off.”

“What about the glowing one in the warehouse?”

“She’s pushed me away every time I’ve asked her. She is very strong and I may be unable to hold her.”

“Was she here already?”

Harkness frowned and shook his head at her, “She came yesterday; just sort of appeared in the yard outside. We left the warehouse doors open and she went in by herself.”

“I believe she heard me and was curious. And now I am feeling that she’s waiting for something.”

Harkness washed his face with his hands, “That sounds really ominous.” Letting his hands fall to his sides, he shook his head to crack his neck, “I guess I’ll go finish up the fence.”

“It’s still raining…”

“The wet fence, then.”

Wraith frowned at his back, “How many ferals are out there?”

Sun crouched over a pack in the corner and began rummaging through it, “I managed to call twelve on the way here…”

“And Our Lady of Perpetual Radiance makes thirteen.” Harkness’s shoulders sagged as he stepped out into the drizzle.

“Lucky thirteen.”

Having found what he was looking for, the ghoul waved Wraith over to him, “We can use this to sit on…” He spread a woven, padded mat on the floor, not unlike a picnic blanket, “no sense in being uncomfortable, any more than we have to.” In one fluid movement, he descended to a seated, cross-legged position and motion for her to sit across from him.

Wraith set her jacket over the back of the chair and removed her boots before joining him. “It’s been a while since I’ve meditated. Over two hundred years, in fact.”

Probably something that would have helped me. I could teach Shaun and we could make mats!

“I think that you will find this to be a very similar practice.” He looked into her eyes, his omnipresent smile warm and disarming, “Why don’t we start with your overall impression of feral ghouls. What was your first reaction?”

She frowned, “Unfortunately the first ferals I came across were some of my neighbors from before… Ms. Rosa and… and her son. They rushed me and… well… I honestly didn’t know it was them until after. Her dress… I recognized her dress.”

“I’m sure, at the time, you had no alternative.”

“I didn’t understand what they were at first. And now; as much as folks think they’re mindless… sometimes I can see a glimmer… when they pick up a teddy or even a pencil, and put it in their pocket,” She lifted her hand and closing it, made a fist around an imagined object, “I can see the flash of memory, of a time when they were people, and not monsters.”

Sun’s smile faltered but he held up his hands when, assuming she had offended him, Wraith attempted to apologize.

“It is alright, sister. I myself am no longer human and because of my glow, am considered to be a monster, even amongst non-feral ghouls. But, having witnessed horrific calamities that those still yet named human have done; I count myself instead as, not a monster, but closer to Atom. And there is a domain that I happily occupy, no matter what others deem me as.”

“If you and Infamy are closer to Atom and doing his bidding, then I say you are well within the realm of monsterhood.”

His smile went out like a candle, “I cannot abide Infamy’s tactics. Their use of ferals as fodder is unforgivable! I would rather see them mercifully slain than used as soulless killing machines.” He steepled his fingers, “When Brother Harkness came to me for help and described who you were, I took it as a sign. I came without hesitation because I knew that it was His will.”

“I can admire your conviction to your beliefs, but they aren’t mine. I’m having a real hard time with this whole plan. I question the idea of assuming the identity of a religious figure. No matter what good I might do, it’s still a lie.”

“I’m not here to convert you. But, I know that you are part of Atom’s plan.” His smile had returned, “Ask me anything. I embrace questioning my faith. After all, what credibility would it maintain if it couldn’t stand up to scrutiny?”

She narrowed her eyes, “Give me one truth.” She leaned away and folded her arms, “Let’s start there.”

“I too have traveled to the Sacred Spring, drank from its waters, seen visions provided by the Mother. Among some that were terrifying I was struck by a singular image,” He abruptly stood up and went to his pack. “I made a sketch as soon as I was able to hold a pencil.” He handed her a piece of paper as he sat down, “The Mother spoke to me; she named them ‘Harbinger’.”

The crude drawing was of an upright, humanoid deathclaw.

“The Mother showed me you.”

“Hmm. That… does look a little like my armor.” She wrestled with the fact that she had just received her gift that morning and no one apart from Bear had seen her in it.

“I left the Capital Ruins because Harkness is a good, trustworthy friend. I had a suspicion of your significance but wasn’t sure until I saw you today. You and the Harbinger are one and the same. I came here to help him, but it has been revealed that I am meant to help you!”

“Okay, Sun. I will agree that you came here with good intentions. And whether or not that,” She tapped the drawing gently, “is me, shall remain to be seen.”

“It is a place to start.” He returned his sketch to his pack and returned himself to the mat. “When you are ready, I’m going to reach out to you, and I want you to describe how it feels.”

Telling herself not to flinch, Wraith closed her eyes and nodded, “A little like a static charge; doesn’t hurt but it feels a little… zappy.”

“Do you feel any impressions? See any images?”

“Nope.”

“Very well. This time I want you to try and push back. I want you to imagine a wall or shield, blocking the zappy feeling. It may help you to think of it as an attack. Find where it is hitting you, and try to stop it.”

For several minutes the two sat across from each other, quietly waging war.

“We should stop for now.”

“Oh, thank god. I have to pee so bad…”

Sun tilted back his head and laughed, “Is that what it is? Your attention was very strong up until about fifteen minutes ago, ha!”

“You mean I’m actually doing something?”

“Certainly. Your light is very bright, even at rest. It is no wonder you’ve been able to ask them for help without any training.”

“My light?” She shifted her weight, uncomfortable but stubborn in her excitement for knowledge.

He laughed again, “Go to the latrine!”

On her way back, she spotted Harkness. At that moment he happened to pull his arms up over his head, stretching and yawning, affording her an opportunity to size him up and watch him move in the light of day.

He really is a big one. At least as big as Danse… he moves a little lighter though…

“You know, General Death in the Shadow, most people would get pretty excited, having someone as important as you, eye them up and down like that.”

“And what? You’re not most people?”

Jeez! He irks my very soul!

“I don’t see wanton eyes filled with lustful assessment. It’s not flattering; it’s scary.” He came to stand directly in front of her. Almost toe to toe, “I see you deciding how best to kill me.” He folded his large arms and glared down at her, “How did you put it? Ah, yes; ‘rip me in half’.”

“Ouch.” Reminding herself that he came a very long way to help and that she did in fact threaten to kill him, Wraith tried hard to be peaceable, “I truly apologize for both my actions and demeanor when we first met.”

He tilted his head to the side and squinted, “That’s it?”

“I’m sure that I would find ripping you in half to be… at least half again as difficult as I may have suggested.”

Letting his arms fall to his sides, his blue eyes widened before he erupted in bombastic laughter. Shaking his head, he patted her none-to-gently on the bicep, “Harley’s right; you are the scariest person ever!”

He had no idea how much those words hurt her.

“Yeah, that’s me; the Commonwealth Monster.”

“Tell Sunny I’m just about done with the fence. I’ll come in and make food when I’m finished.”

Noting the grim line of Wraith’s mouth, Sun turned up his glow and literally gave her his brightest smile, “Harkness is a moody sort of person. He fusses at me a great deal as well.”

“It’s not all on him. I just wish… nope… We need to focus on the ‘here and now’.” She forced a smile of her own, “Tell me about lights.”

“The lights of the soul,” He settled back to the mat, “you may see them in your mind. You’ll call out to them, guide them and push them.”

“So, when you’re pushing at me, my light is where you… aim?”

“If that analogy helps you, then yes.”

“So if I can see your light, can I talk to you? Make you do stuff?” A horrible thought had crept through her mind, “Even if you don’t want to?”

“Ah, yes. This brings us to something very important. Wraith, you must always be the brightest light.” He set his hands together and briefly touched their tips to his scarred lips, “Most sentient beings carry a light inside them and most of those are strong enough to withstand any attempts at manipulation. It is possible to be overwhelmed however, so think of yourself as a lighthouse. Your radiance is a strong beacon of hope and you gather the smaller lights to you. You offer them peace, direction, safety and tranquility.” Separating his hands he waved them in a gesture of dismissal, “You do not ever go to them. Don’t follow the lights!”

“I’m sorry, but why? I know that they aren’t just…”

“Infamy and I are not the only Children who have herded feral ghouls.” Sun’s eyes filled with pain and sorrow, “Some of the other parishioners started to call us The Necromancers.” His smile was sad, “I’ll admit, I thought it was very cool and along with our friends, I began to act like… well, rather high and mighty. Some of us, rather than simply move ferals to more convenient and safe locations, started aiming our small collections at wastelanders who might have offered us some slight.” Now his eyes filled with guilt, “It went too far, of course. People died; people who didn’t deserve that level of admonishment.”

“So, the Necromancers became infamous… then Infamy?”

“Yes. At this point I was still a member, but I was having problems reconciling the deaths… and I wasn’t the only one.” He leaned toward her, “There was a power struggle within the group; those who wanted to return to The Necromancers and those who chose Infamy. Each faction had a leader and when the two faced off, Atom’s Assassin came out on top. Multiple ferals were used in their attack, and once their opponent was lost in a sea of overwhelming lights, Infamy took hold of what little of their mind was left and bent them to their will.”

Brow furrowed, Wraith stuck out her lip, “Wait… and you… you all think I’ll somehow be able to…”

Leaning back, Sun waved his hands dismissively, “Oh, no. This isn’t a coup d’état; it should be sufficient for you to simply demonstrate your ability to herd fearls. We are seeking to establish credibility to the claim that you are Chosen and therefore not a pretender as Marie has claimed.”

Suddenly overwhelmed, Wraith surged to her feet and bolted for the door. At that moment Harkness was heading inside to prepare a meal and so the two nearly collided. Near tears, she muttered an apology as she ducked under his arm and twisted away.

She didn’t get very far. Just past the remains of the semi-trucks were the three feral ghouls she had seen that morning. She stopped and crouched, instinctively preparing for battle. They all but ignored her, continuing to pick unknown detritus from the grass and putting it their mouths. As she watched them she patted herself down, stopping when she realized what she was searching for.

“Need a cigarette?” Harkness, seeming to appear from midair, leaned against a truck cab and offered her a pack.

“No, thanks. I’m after something a little stronger.”

“Oh, yeah. Buffout, right?”

“Christ! Does everybody know?!”

Pushing himself away from the vehicle, he folded his arms and gave her a pitying smile, “Hancock didn’t tell me, if that’s what you’re thinking.”

“Let me guess…”

“No, it wasn’t Harley either.” He watched as the ferals shuffled away toward the warehouse, “I figured it out on my own. When we met you acted so out of character from what I was expecting that I knew something had to be off. That and the ability to lift me off the ground with one hand…”

“It’s been getting steadily worse; every time I got scared, or even nervous, I’d pop a Buffout ‘just in case’.” It was easier to watch the ferals then meet his eye, “I’d take one and I’d calm down because then I was strong enough to handle what was coming. The times that I’ve lost control… I didn’t take it because I wanted to… no matter who they are or what they’ve done the people I’ve killed are, well, people. When I go berserk there is a good chance I won’t remember the little details of the murders I’m committing. Curie has warned me that it was all psychosomatic; I thought I was controlling myself with the chem when it was actually all in my head.”

“Let’s fight.”

“I don’t wanna fight with both myself and you.”

“No, I mean spar.” He widened his stance, bent his knees slightly and raised his fists, “Harley says you used martial arts to help Cait overcome her lingering cravings. Maybe it’ll help you too.”

“That’s not a bad idea, actually.”

Plus, I might get to sock you one - guilt free.

They spent the next few moments testing each other with quick jabs and minor kicks. Nothing connected as they each skillfully deflected the others probing attacks. Wraith found herself thoroughly enjoying the exchange and let herself relax and focus on the movements of her opponent.

He’s really quick! He may have Danse’s frame but he moves like Deacon. I wish the two of us could’ve done some exercises like this. Although, if it was anything like sparing with Hancock then other things would have… No, he never thought of me that way… What a thing to think about now!

Sensing her distraction and hoping to capitalize, Harley stepped in close and aimed a knee at her midsection. Dropping her hips to guard, she wrapped her arms around his torso and hefted him into the air while swinging him slightly forward. On the backswing she used his body’s momentum to pop him up and over her back and slam him to the ground.

“OOOFFFHA!” Utterly defeated he made the time-out signal with his hands and attempted to gain air into his lungs.

“Ooo! Gotcha good that time.” She hoped her smile wasn’t too obvious, “You let me know when you’re ready for round two.”

Wheezing, the large man took her offered hand and let her pull him to his feet, “No thanks! I don’t want to wrestle anymore today.”

She held on to his hand, “Thanks for this, really. I was freaking out and… you made me feel better.”

Laughing ruefully he placed his other hand atop hers and gave it a pat, “I’m glad you tossing me around made one of us feel better.”

Sun had come to look for Wraith and was confused by the juxtaposition of fighting and laughter, “Are the two of you… well?”

“She’s better and I’m going inside to cook because my ego and I need to prove that there is something I’m capable of being successful at.”

“The… fence looks… complete…”

“Thank you, Sunny. I can always count on you to be mildly complementary.” He lifted a cautionary finger, “Don’t let go of the ferals just yet, I want to make another circuit before you do.”

As the three of them headed back to the office, Wraith felt the now familiar sensation of a mental intrusion. Sun, who was slightly ahead of her, felt it as well and he stopped and turned toward the warehouse. The three feral ghouls had stopped feeding and were standing perfectly still; staring intently at the building that contained the feral glowing one.

“She’s calling us… she… ah, she’s lost interest.”

“Are you sure it’s a good idea to keep her in there? If she’s that powerful…”

“Not to worry, sister Wraith. I am quite proficient in my craft. Even if I cannot move her as I like; I’m confident I can keep her in a state of peacefulness.”

Wraith’s tone was grim, “And if that fails, I am confident in my proficiency of my craft.”

After they ate, (Sun more out of polite interest than necessity) Harkness asked the other two to clean while he made a final check of the fence, “I’m going to circumambulate one last time before you take off their mental leashes. It would be less than polite to let them wander off into someone’s tato plot.”

Wraith and Sun spent the remainder of the day cross-legged on the mat, quietly sparing until the sun made the western hills its grave.

Exhausted from the training, Wraith fell asleep almost as soon as she lay down for the night.

She was back in the cave.

“I have to find the source!”

The dripping water proved directionless; echoing through her ears and reverberating from the rough, pitted walls. She spun in a circle: searching, searching, searching… Drawn to the faint light cast by glowing fungus she moved as though floating. A faint flicker at the corner of her vision caused her to flinch and spin away.

“Pippa, you need to stop.”

Deacon phased in and out of focus, as if he was using a glitching Stealth-Boy, and no matter how she twisted and turned, she couldn’t see him but from the corner of her eye.

“Please stop or we’ll die.”

His voice came from directly behind her. She spun around; putting her back to the mushrooms to see him fully. His tear-streaked face was a pallid green from their illumination.

“Stop what?!” She tried to go to him but could no longer move, “Stop how?!”

As before his eyes began to glow, brighter and brighter it spread until his whole body shone. It created a strobe-like effect when combined with his flickering in and out of sight. Then, ever so slowly, he raised a hand. Clutched in his fist was a single glowing fungus and he offered it to her as if it were a rose.

“This one is yours.”

Wraith’s next three days followed a pattern: breakfast, meditative combat, lunch, meditative combat, sparing with Harkness, dinner, meditative combat then bedroll. Thankful that the cave dream didn’t manifest again, she got some much-needed sleep each night.

On the fourth day she had a breakthrough.

“HA!” Her forceful shout corresponded to a particularly successful mental push. The result of which knocked Atom’s Sun over and made Harkness jump out of his chair.

“What?! What’s happening?!”

Scooping the ghoul from the floor, Wraith spun them round, “Eeeeeeeee! That was awesome!”

“Please!” The glowing one somehow managed to look even more green, “I’m about to be sick!”

“I take this to mean that progress has been made.”

“Yes, very much so.” Grateful to have his feet touching the floor, he wobbled slightly but was smiling, “Congratulations, sister Wraith. Now we will work on refin…”

As if in response to their celebration, there came an incredible psionic pulse from the warehouse’s glowing resident. It was so powerful in fact, that Harkness turned along with the other two to stare toward the building next door.

“Whoa!” Wraith’s voice was hushed in awe, “Radiance just threw down the gauntlet.” She pointed toward the ceiling, “Let’s go check up on her.”

On one of her previous ghoul-problem checks, Wraith had created a makeshift bridge between the roofs of the two main buildings. Once the trio crossed over they quietly moved around the catwalk until they could see the feral glowing one.

And what a sight she was: bathed in light of her own making, Our Lady of Perpetual Radiance stood perfectly upright with her arms slightly raised and palms facing her hips. Sensing them, she turned and took several elegant steps in their direction. Her poise and grace called to mind an expert ballerina. Further, rather than the normal growths, welts and malformed lumps caused by ghoulification, she was adorned in glowing funguses of varying pastel hues. There was a large concentration trailing up her spine to encircle her scalp which made it look as if she had been crowned by luminescent jewels.

“She’s a queen.” Breathless, Wraith couldn’t take her eyes off her.

Tilting her chin slightly downward, Radiance gave the other woman an intensely scrutinizing look while sending out another powerful mental challenge.

“She’s here… for me…”

“Wraith!” Harkness stepped between them, “Hey! Snap out of it.”

“Sister Wraith, we should return…”

Nodding wordlessly she followed behind them in a haze.

The next 3 days passed with much the same routine. The difference being that after her sparing with Harkness, Sun would take her to the warehouse roof where they would alternate trying to connect with Radiance and the other feral ghouls.

This made Harkness very nervous and he made several comments to that effect. When asked “why” he couldn’t properly articulate his forbearance, “It’s dangerous. The other ferals… that is what you came here to learn but her… I don’t know. We didn’t bring her, she brought herself.”

On the ninth day, Wraith awoke with a start and leaped to her feet. She could hear voices, raised in anger, coming from outside. One of them was Marie’s. Quickly donning her new armor, she slipped out a window while activating a Stealth-Boy.

Once outside, the early dawn light shown over a grim scene: the bodies of several ghouls, both feral and clad in Infamy’s darkened Children’s robes, lay across the grass in between two of the semi-truck trailers. A few living members ringed a kneeling, and obviously injured Harkness while Marie held Sun of Atom at gunpoint. A glowing one, whom Wraith presumed to be Atom’s Assassin, sat on the top of one of the trailers, letting their feet swing in and out of the opening.

Marie’s voice was shrill, “How could you?! How dare you kill your own people?!”

“Tch. Don’t waste words on that foolish, old Necromancer.” Infamy’s leader had their dagger out and was playing with it in a way that was clearly meant to be menacing. Pitching forward, they did a perfect flip and landed lightly on their feet. Purposely bypassing Marie and her hostage, they held their blade under Harness’s chin, forcing his eyes up slightly to meet their own, “Where is the Pretender, hmm? Where is Death in the Shadow?”

“She’s no pretender, Infamy. I promise you; Wraith’s the real deal.”

Infamy was intrigued.

“Don’t listen to this… blasphemous lout! He himself aided Morningstar in infiltrating the Apostles of the Holy Light by acting as a member! He is no less an enemy than she is!”

Marie had taken to waving her pipe pistol around as if it was a visual aid. Distracted by her wrath, she was easily disarmed by Sun who, in turn, put her in a headlock with the muzzle at her temple.

“Oh! Unhand me you… bastard!”

Infamy was amused.

“Hear us out. Please, my… please.”

Arching a hairless brow, Atom’s Assassin sheathed their weapon and folded their arms, “I’m all ears. Oh, hahaha; that’s funny cause I haven’t any! Ha ha heeee!” They gave Sun a dismissive wave, “By all means, kill that obnoxious psychotic. Ha! We only need one in our party and I am more than sufficient! Hahaha!”

Instead, Sun released her and backed away with his hands in the air, “She’s barely more than a child.” He directed his emphatic smile at her, “You have your whole life in front of you. You can be anyone and do anything. You can stop this right now; by telling the truth!”

She spit in his face.

Wraith flinched. She was unwilling to act because she couldn’t figure an attack pattern that would guarantee the survival of her friends. At war with herself, her patient side was winning, but the berserker would not be silent.

In a gesture of good faith, Sun returned the pistol to Marie. Raising his hands he turned back to Infamy’s leader. “Wraith is by no means a false profit. In fact she makes no claims of prophecy herself. High Confessor Tektus proclaimed her Chosen because she, being granted the Mother of the Fog’s holy Icon, aided in the preservation of our sect in Far Harbor.” He placed his palms together as in prayer and brought his hands to the ruin of his nose. “I too have made the pilgrimage to the Sacred Spring. Atom has not yet granted me the clarity to fully understand the visions I received, but ultimately, I believe Wraith to be our friend and ally.”

“Lies!” Marie returned to waving her weapon, “She is the destroyer of Crater House! She has slain countless of our brothers and sisters! She is no friend; she is a heartless killer!”

Infamy fixed her with a withering glare, “Be quiet for now or I will silence you forever.” They set a finger to their lips and shushed her. Then bringing the digit away from their face they shook it back and forth in the air, “Ah ah ahhh, Sunny boy. I myself have heard the settlers speak of their leader as a ‘master over ghouls’ and they call her ‘priestess of Atom’ awayyyy up north. If she didn’t start this herself, as you claim, then she certainly didn’t stop it, as I know.” They put their hands on their hips and leaned toward their fellow glowing one, “Infamy doesn’t care much for those to garner fame at Atom’s expense!”

“She is no self-proclaimed priestess, and is prepared to denounce this publicly over Radio Freedom.” Sun smile was sly, “As for her ghoul mastery; we are prepared to give you a demonstration of her abilities… as a Necromancer.”

Marie, in an attempt to hybridize scoffing and laughter, ended up chocking and coughing instead.

Infamy was confused.

“How? Unless my mother was right and I’ve finally gone blind, she is no glowing one; feral or otherwise.” They folded their arms and turned to where Wraith was hiding, “Please, by all means, show me your power.”

Wraith deactivated her Stealth-Boy and walked out to them with her hands in the air, “I’d say you’re far from blind.”

Marie hissed.

“I don’t know how you put up with her.” She gave Harkness a searching look, “How bad are you?”

“I’m fixing to live.”

Atom’s Assassin closed the distance between them remarkably quickly, “Take off your helmet, if you would, General. I’d very much like to see your eyes as we speak.”

Wraith refused to flinch away from the heat as the ghoul placed their face less than an inch from her own. She couldn’t prevent the involuntary gasp of air however, and was once again amazed that a being capable of generating that much heat and light would do so with a complete lack of body odor.

“You’re defiant of Marie’s claim that you are a heretic of the Church of Atom? That these rumors of your prestige are in fact, the propaganda of others and not of your making or design? Do you have the ability to call and control feral ghouls? Did you lay waste to the settlement of Crater House and slay the Holy Guardian at Kingsport Lighthouse?”

The rapid-fire questions put Wraith back on her heels, “Yes.” She lifted her chin defiantly, “I didn’t know that Kingsport was a claimed site. Outside of the… guardian, there wasn’t anyone there when I scouted it for a settlement. I destroyed the war camp at Crater House due to repeated attacks of the established Minutemen settlement, and only after my attempts at diplomacy…”

“I care not for your reasons.” They leaned away and waved Sun over to them, “What exactly did you see on your pilgrimage?”

“A figure with a remarkable resemblance to General Wraith, named as ‘Harbinger’. I know not of what she proceeds.”

“All Atom’s knowledge is granted to the patiently devout.”

The now familiar sensation of a glowing one’s summoning buzzed in Wraith’s mind. Shortly, a quartet of feral ghouls shambled their way over to stand in a row in front of the group.

“Now, I shall release them…”

“Wait! She is but a novice…”

Infamy’s eyes blazed at the interruption, “Atom will protect her, if that is his will. That being said; you have five minutes or I’ll kill you all.” They clapped their hands, “Isn’t this fun?! Wheeeee!”

Marie snorted.

“You can do this, Wraith.” In pain, Harkness’s voice was strained and horse.

Almost immediately the ferals rushed her. This fostered suspicion that they had been ordered to attack rather than simply “let go”. She stayed ahead of them; happy to move them away from her friends.

During her training she had found that tapping into her berserker side had actually helped her when connecting to the ghouls.

Two sides of the same coin, it seems.

Donning her helmet and relaxing her mental self-restraint, she sent out a tentative greeting to her pursuers. As soon as she saw their lights she knew that these were reavers. Atom’s Assassin had deliberately chosen some of the most powerful of his arsenal to test her. Little did Infamy’s leader know that she had been practicing with a feral of Radiance’s caliber.

Come to think of it; why hasn’t she been throwing challenges at Infamy? Maybe I just piss her off…

As she wooed the ferals she felt what could only be an attack from Infamy. Distracted, she stumbled and was hit hard on the side of the head by one of the feral ghouls. Thankful for her armor, she spun away from the reaver unhurt.

Infamy’s attack made her angry, but she channeled it into an attack of her own and broke through to two of her assailants. These immediately rounded on their allies and pinned them to the ground.

Infamy was shocked.

“Well… well...” They snapped their fingers and the guards surrounding Harkness immediately broke away and retreated through the hole the group had cut in the fence. “It seems as though Atom has seen fit to grant you special abilities. We will be returning to the Capital Wasteland now. Once there, I shall meditate long and hard on this Holy Lesson…”

“You CANNOT BE FUCKING SERIOUS!” Spittle flew from Marie’s mouth as she shrieked, “YOU PROMISED ME YOU WOULD DESTROY HER! SHE IS A MONSTER! I WILL NOT LET HER GET AWAY WITH THIS…”

She shot Atom’s Sun, point blank, in the temple.

Infamy, Harkness and Wraith all ran to them but Wraith, already lost in her berserker’s rage, reached them first.

She ripped Marie in half.

At that exact moment the garage door of the warehouse burst open in a white-green blast of radiation. Surrounded in a nimbus of prismatic light, Our Lady of Perpetual Radiance seemed to float across the grass as she came to Wraith’s side. The two of them together was an image out of the darkest of nightmares: Wraith in her blood and intestine draped deathclaw armor and the apparent queen of all radioactive monsters.

The others could only stand back and watch as Radiance reached forward and grabbed Wraith’s head in her scorched and twisted fingers. She pulled her forward until their foreheads met, then spun away toward the south east. Not even slowing down when she met the fence; she simply melted her way through and continued on at a swift pace. All the remaining feral ghouls followed her through.

And Wraith followed with them.

Thank you so much for reading! Like what you’ve read? Looking for more? Please see my master link post in my tags under Wraith in the Ruins. As always, my ask is open for questions/comment/concerns. More to come! =^..^=

#wraith in the ruins #fallout 4 companions #fallout fan fiction #fallout fanfic #fallout companions #rj maccready #maccready #nick valentine #fallout 3 harkness #fallout curie #danse

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quidfree · 4 years

Text

i would never say no to those two!

12: kiss on the nose

she’s two weeks into dating james before she finds herself alone with sirius again.

this in itself is not surprising; where james goes sirius follows, and vice versa, so it’s not like she’s had much of a chance to catch him alone. james is on head boy duty, though, settling some kind of fight between fifth year ravenclaws which caused three of the castle stairs to turn into slides, and so it’s just the two of them heading off to hogsmeade, more by accident than anything else. a month ago she would have been quite excited about it; now, though....

things between them have been odd. in a way lily was more friends with sirius than she was with james, before. god knows why- sirius was just as bad, and less remorseful, for the severus issue, but she’s since learnt the perils of even sarcastically indulging sirius black. they’d been friendly for a solid year by the time she admitted to herself that james potter had gotten under her skin, and in a way it had made things easier come seventh year, to have him as a buffer.

since the start of the year, though, sirius has changed, somehow. for a while he’d reverted to the barbed mockery of earlier years, sting disguised by laughter, but that had faded quickly; the last while he’s been nothing but charming and as approachable as he gets. it’s off, though, and she doesn’t know when she started paying attention enough to notice, but she has- he is almost physically removed, nowadays, impenetrable distance between them.

she’s not an idiot. it comes down to her dating james, obviously. but the specifics- understanding whatever cardinal sin she’s committed- those she struggles with. sirius isn’t like other boys. he may well resent her for supposedly taming james and himself by extension, but he could equally resent her for just about any other obscure slight.

it bothers her, she’s come to realise. it bothers her a lot. and the reasons for that are just as convoluted as sirius black’s own frustrations.

“you’re quiet,” sirius says, startling her out of her thoughts. he has a very dramatic way of going silent; when he’s quiet it’s an all-consuming sort of quiet.

“thinking about those stairs,” lily answers, offering him a smile. a while ago she might have jokingly linked their arms together but now she feels awkward doing it.

fucking ridiculous. she managed to get all this way into james potter without feeling too stupid about it, and sirius black is the one she’s tongue-tied around.

“ah, kid’s stuff,” sirius snorts, waving a hand. “it’s the same kind of spell they have on the gryffindor dormitory stairs.”

“oh, that archaic nonsense,” lily says, and rolls her eyes. “like people don’t find ways around it.”

“spare me the details,” sirius leers, and it’s jokey but his eyes match the forbidding grey of the winter sky and she just wishes there was some way to shake answers out of him.

“i’m fairly sure you will be first to know if anything of that sort happens,” she says aloud, turning to look towards hogsmeade as it bustles merrily ahead. god, she doesn’t even know where they’re going. he’s following her lead today, being amenable, and she thinks that’s probably worse than the alternative. “james isn’t exactly discreet.”

“you may be right,” sirius concedes, puff of laughter visible in the wintery air. there is healthy colour in his cheeks from the cold, but he never goes pink, lily has noticed. beneath him, she supposes. twat.

“marlene mentioned she saw peter and yvonne heading into town today,” she says, kicking herself mentally into gear, because she needs to get a grip and gossip is an easy avenue for it. “i don’t suppose you know anything about that?”

“pettigrew’s got a girl?” sirius asks, brow quirking and smile going toothy. “well i never. do you know, he has been awfully cocksure lately. i reckon this is a first date.”

“good for him,” lily says, laughing a little. “god knows yvonne could do with a confidence boost. i’m glad he’s actually asked her out.”

“that’ll be what remus was being so sneaky about the last while,” sirius decides, shaking his head. “like we’d do anything to sabotage our precious pete’s happiness! honestly. he wounds me.”

“asshole,” lily laughs, before she can overthink it, because the innocence dripping from his words spells trouble and sirius can be such a dick to peter. “can’t you just leave him be? it must be very hard for him to get girls with friends like you lot.”

“we’ve never interfered with peter’s love life!” sirius protests, hand to heart. “hell, i tried to set him up with four different girls, but he fucked it up each time. there’s only so much you can do for the bloke.”

“i’ll believe it when i see it,” lily cautions, then shakes her head. “anyways that’s not even what i meant.”

“what did you mean, then?”

“don’t feel like sharing, now,” lily declares, and sets off at a quicker pace. no need for any unwarranted ego boosts, though she really does pity peter for having to fight for scraps.

“oi!” sirius exclaims, catching up quickly. “you wound me, woman. i thought we had a bond of confidence.”

“i wish we did,” lily says, and means it more than she lets on. “unfortunately, i’ve heard too many tales of woe about your roguish charms to trust you outright with my innermost thoughts.”

“roguish, me?” sirius protests, walking backwards to face her. “evans. honestly. name your sources.”

“james,” lily says, impish, and pushes past him.

the thing with sirius, she thinks, as they descend bantering down the hill, is that she really likes him. that’s the crux of it. if it was just her boyfriend’s mate, she wouldn’t care about impressing him and whatnot. they’re plenty civil, after all. and it’s not that she worries that if they don’t get along better james will dump her- he might, if it got down to it, because sirius does have first dibs, but the two of them are so intertwined that if it stays awkward she’d probably have to dump james anyways in the long run. no, it’s that lily gets it- gets why james adores him so much, anyways. he’s quick-witted and daring and bold and a fierce friend, and above all lily wants to be friends with him.

if it came down to it, she might prefer just being friends with the both of them, if that’s what it takes. because she really, really likes james (she can admit that, if only to herself, post two years of denial), but she also really likes sirius, albeit in a different way, and she doesn’t see why she should have to choose one over the other just so she can slap the boyfriend label on him.

god, if she just knew what sirius’ deal was with her, that she could make an informed choice, know what to say...

the thought pulls her short as they enter hogsmeade, and she stops dead in her track, frowning hard. what the hell is wrong with her? since when does she stew silently on these things? they’re gryffindors, the both of them, they confront this type of nonsense. what has she been waiting for? sirius to make the first move? ridiculous. she could kick herself.

“earth to evans,” sirius says, raising a brow, and she steels herself, meets his gaze dead-on.

“i know what we’re doing today.”

his second brow rises to meet the first. “sounds high stakes.”

“we,” lily declares, “are going to madam puddifoot’s, so we can spy on peter’s date. we will play the part of the cloying couple if interrogated, but mostly for my entertainment. and most of all, before we go suffocate in glitter and hearts, you are going to tell me what your deal with me is, so that we can fix it.”

sirius blinks slowly at her, eyes shifting tones and expression unreadable barring light surprise. for a moment she thinks he’s going to deny all charges, then his gaze goes sharp, almost violent, and he leans in uncomfortably close.

“what makes you think it’s fixable?”

her pulse thuds once, off beat, then she gives him a look back, loops his scarf tighter. “i reckon it is. and if it isn’t i suppose i’ll probably be entitled to hex you as consolation.”

there is a second where she thinks it could really go either way, sirius’ features locked into distant scrutiny, and then with transformative abruptness a smile cuts through his stony expression, eyes flashing bright with amusement.

“yeah, fair enough, then. shall we?”

“i knew you’d listen to reason,” lily affirms, serene, and hooks her arm through his. “start talking.”

“don’t know where to start,” sirius says, easily enough, though it sounds wary. which is understandable, lily thinks, so she ignores her own slightly shaky self-esteem on the topic and pushes forwards for his sake, watching the flow if students in and out of shops around them.

“well, i’ll give you your options, if you like. you tell me if i’m right.”

“oh, i have options, do i?”

“i’ve been thinking about it a lot,” lily confesses, because despite their casual tone she’s really quite serious about all of it and she has the feeling sirius should know that. nearby some third years shriek with laughter outside zonko’s.

their eyes meet, green to grey, and he looks away.

“so it would seem,” sirius replies, belated, smiling wryly. there’s something briefly tired to him before he tosses his hair out of his eyes. “well, go on, then.”

she gives herself one second of reprieve, then starts, tone companionable. “do you think i’m terrible on my own merits and don’t deserve james?”

“oh, yeah, that’ll be why,” sirius retorts, scoffing like she’s joking. “don’t be ridiculous. i’ve always said you were the best girl in our year.”

“right,” lily manages, caught off guard, then has to pause to respond properly. “you’re not so bad yourself.”

this makes sirius smile, at least in the eyes, so she presses on, relaxing a fraction. “fine. so- you think i’m a bad influence, maybe.”

“what, cause james grew up after fifth year?” sirius asks, lightly. his gaze is thoughtful, though, like this one isn’t so off target. “don’t think you can take credit for it, really. james’ type tends to develop more of a conscience at some point. was inevitable. and there were other triggers in fifth year.”

he says the last part wryly, but lily recalls those godawful weeks in fifth year where james and sirius hadn’t spoken, and though no one but the marauders had ever known just what had happened, she doesn’t press the issue.

“okay,” she says, and then has to bolster herself, because if this is right she’s not sure how it’ll go down. “so- you think i’m stealing him.”

sirius doesn’t quite still, because in a way it isn’t a surprising next offer, but something in his eyes shutters.

“hm. not quite.” his smile is impish when he looks at her. “our relationships are slightly different, you’ll have noticed.”

“yes, you’re far more symbiotic than we will ever be,” lily replies, deadpan, but her mind has caught onto it, for some reason, and she pauses, rewinds, feels her chest constrict a little with an odd mixture of feelings.

their relationships are slightly different. obviously they are. it’s just- now that she thinks about it, it’s not necessarily in the way people would assume. and she’s never really thought about it because they’re boys, and they’re boyish, and people whisper about these things but never seriously, except in retrospect she feels like a fool for never contemplating it properly. because lily has lived with james and sirius for seven years, and she knows them, and she knows what they’re like, and she’s seen them through every iteration of themselves, and she thinks with dawning clarity that maybe she understands why sirius would balk once she got involved, actually. maybe this explains the odd guiltiness that has stayed her hand for so long.

“sirius,” she says, mind still buzzing but tone urgent, and stops a little, trying to get her words in order. “i just- it’ll never be one or the other, you understand? i’m not- i don’t want what’s yours.”

“what’s mine is yours,” sirius replies, ironic, like she’s being dramatic, but it’s not what she means, and she grabs him by the shoulders, makes their eyes meet.

“no, it’s not. but i don’t mind if it’s the same thing. you can have it too so long as i get my own. all right?”

it leaves her lips before she can think too much about it; her pulse is racing, and for a moment she envisions petunia’s face if she were hearing what lily’s offering, but she’s not afraid, not really, because this makes the most sense, after all is said and done. dating james is in part dating jamesandsirius and lily doesn’t mind jamesandsirius so long as she has james. hell, so long as she has sirius too, it would seem.

sirius, who frowns like he must not be understanding her right, sirius whose eyes are dark and grey and expectant, who bests lily in charms some days and learnt how to work a cassette player over summer so they could trade tapes. sirius who she wants very dearly to say yes, now that she knows what she can offer.

“lily,” sirius says, cautious, slow, “you’re not- you can’t just share like that. you can’t give that away.”

“can’t i?” lily asks, emboldened. “was that not what you were intending on doing, without saying anything? no, that’s right- you were just going to give the half of it up, like an idiot.”

“salazar’s sake,” sirius protests, now disbelieving, shaking his head like a wet dog. “you must be joking. evans, you’re- you’re a lovely young woman, you are not calling splitsies on your future husband-”

“well, you had first dibs,” lily interrupts, “and i do not steal other people’s men, so you’ll have to tough up and say yes or i’ll go off and dump james and tell him you were being very unreasonable.”

sirius laughs, incredulous, snaps: “yeah, cause james doesn’t have a say in this? james’ been obsessed with you for two years, you silly twat, he wants you.”

“sirius black,” lily says, darkly superior. “have you met yourself? james is obsessed with me? who exactly has he not detached himself from since the first day of hogwarts? who currently lives with him?”

when sirius’ expression goes blank at that, she pushes on, giddy with triumphant relief: “james has made his choices, you colossal idiot. plural. you’re just stupid, the both of you, that’s all.”

“well, fuck,” sirius says, after a beat. he glances towards hogwarts, then back, looks at her like he’s never quite seen her before. “you’re really serious about this, aren’t you.”

“dead earnest,” lily answers, and this time he accepts it, something easing in the way he holds himself, a tinge of disbelieving admiration in his gaze.

“you’re unhinged. what exactly do you get out of this?”

“well, james,” lily lists off, ticking her fingers. “can’t have james without you, anyhow. and you, also, while we’re at it. i really wasn’t enjoying the cold shoulder this last while.”

“yeah, all right,” sirius snorts, going keenly curious when he raises a brow. “and where does this all leave you and me, then?”

this one lily isn’t quite so sure about. she thinks she’ll let him handle it- settle into the new status quo and then figure it out for them. she’s done enough of the emotional labour this time around.

all of that can wait for later; she shrugs and takes his hand in hers. “as of right now? disgustingly in love and quite prepared to make a show of it at madam puddifoot’s.”

“ah,” sirius says, considering, and then smiles, sharp and conspiratorial and entertained. “just the way i like to spend my saturday.”

“quite, darling,” lily replies, amused, and then tugs him downwards so she can stand on her tiptoes and kiss him on the nose, lips warm against his cold face, just because she rather suspects no one has ever dared to do so and she enjoys being the first. “shall we?”

“you’re a minx, beloved,” sirius says, recovering remarkably, the split-second shock a memory lily will treasure forever. “lead the way.”

poor peter has the worst first date of his life.

#reposting bc tumblr didn't want me to edit the og #prompts #my writing #qui ecrit #qui repond #lmv #sirius #lily #not sure what the ship name is #sirius and james is starbucks so...#pumpkin spiced latte #??

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tracingpatternswrites · 1 year

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I posted 1,412 times in 2022

That's 1,412 more posts than 2021!

348 posts created (25%)

1,064 posts reblogged (75%)

Blogs I reblogged the most:

@squintclover

@heartofspells

@tracingpatternswrites

@sliebman10

@soloorganaas

I tagged 947 of my posts in 2022

Only 33% of my posts had no tags

#wolfstar - 453 posts

#sirius black - 410 posts

#remus lupin - 377 posts

#wolfstar microfic - 262 posts

#wolfstarmicrofic - 117 posts

#harry potter - 84 posts

#sirius/remus - 57 posts

#sirius x remus - 55 posts

#my writing - 53 posts

#rory tag - 49 posts

Longest Tag: 87 characters

#god i dont even remember the titles of some of them because i read them when i was like

My Top Posts in 2022:

Today’s @wolfstarmicrofic was a struggle but here we are, prompt breathing room.

“You sure you’re okay?” Remus mumbled, voice low where he was seated on the edge of Sirius’ bed, glancing down at his leg propped up on some pillows.

“I’m fine,” Sirius assured him again. “Just a tumble, Pomfrey said my leg’ll be fine in the morning.”

“Okay,” he frowned, glancing down between them, taking Sirius’ hand and squeezing lightly. “It looked really scary.”

“Aw, Moony,” Sirius cooed with a grin, “you worried about me?”

Remus snorted, glancing up at Sirius and he could feel himself flush at the teasing grin on the other boy’s face.

“Shut up,” he groused, but there was no real heat behind it and he couldn’t help but smile back as Sirius laughed. “It just looked scary, that’s all.”

Sirius smirked, “I think it’s a nice change, me. Usually you’re the one in the hospital bed, it’s about time you try the other side.”

Remus gave a dramatic sigh, “S’ppose so,” he conceded with a smile.

He opened his mouth as if to say something else but then the door to the hospital wing slammed open, the Gryffindor Quidditch team streaming in with Prongs in the front. Remus yanked his hand back quickly, jumping to his feet. He pretended to smooth out the blanket thrown over Sirius’ legs as the team descended on them, peppering Sirius with questions about his fall and his leg whilst also giving a blow by blow on how the Ravenclaw captain had tried to convince Madam Hooch to let them finish the game despite them being a Beater down.

Remus wasn’t paying attention, his thoughts drifting as he looked at Sirius who was laughing at Marlene’s impression of the Ravenclaw Chaser, head thrown back, grey eyes shining, and he felt something hot in the pit of his stomach. He startled at Prongs’ voice against his ear. “You alright there, Moony? I think that blanket’s quite straight enough.”

Remus looked down at his own hand and realised he was still tugging uselessly at the fabric. He flushed, letting go quickly as he glanced up at Prongs who was watching him with an amused sort of expression. He desperately tried to come up with something clever to say to wipe the smug look off his friend’s face when they were interrupted again (thankfully, Remus thought).

“That’s quite enough,” Madame Pomfrey’s voice rang above them. “Give him some breathing room, please. This is a hospital wing and there are too many people in here, Mr Black needs to rest. One of you can stay but the rest of you – out!”

“That’s okay,” Prongs said promptly. “I’ll stay!”

Sirius was quiet for a beat, glancing at Remus before he cleared his throat.

“Er,” he said, gaze flitting awkwardly around the room for a moment before he turned it up to the ceiling, not looking at any of them. “I was thinking, uhm, maybe…Moony?” he shifted his eyes to Remus, teeth worrying at his bottom lip. “If you…want?”

Remus felt something hot expand in his chest and he could feel Padfoot’s blush mirrored on his own face as he ran a hand through his hair, clearing his throat.

“Uh, yeah. Yes. Sure,” he glanced at Prongs who was looking between them, an unreadable expression on his face before he grinned, slowly, clapping a hand on Remus’s shoulder.

“Even better,” he said, briskly. “I’ve got stuff to do anyway, need to sort out the rematch with Hooch. C’mon, team, off we go! Padfoot’s in good hands.”

Remus didn’t say anything as Prongs gathered the team, ushering them towards the door. He hesitated in the doorway, turning around to look at them.

“I heard snogging does wonders with broken legs,” he smirked, arching an eyebrow pointedly at Remus who felt himself go crimson as Sirius barked out a laugh behind him.

“Sod off, Prongs,” he said, weakly, but he merely winked at them before disappearing through the door, leaving the two of them alone.

270 notes - Posted June 15, 2022

It’s past midnight where I am, so here’s today’s @wolfstarmicrofic for the prompt swing. For @impishtubist who’s had a bad week, hope this cheers you up at least a little, darling.

”Pa’foot!” Harry shrieks as he spots him walking through the gate to the school, setting off into a run and Sirius just about manages to catch him as the boy throws himself into his arms.

”Hiya, sprog,” he laughs, feeling his chest expand as he hugs the boy, pressing a quick kiss to the top of his head, knowing it’s something Harry will grow out of any moment now. But for the time being it’s allowed, and he spins him around before setting him back down on the ground. ”Eager to get home, are we?”

”No,” Harry shakes his head, blinking up at him with bright green eyes. ”Don’t want to go home.”

”Oh?” Sirius asks, ruffling his hair. ”Where d’you wanna go then?”

”I want to go with Teddy,” says Harry, already tugging Sirius along with him, but not towards the exit but rather back towards the school. ”Teddy has a swing and a trampoline behind his house and I think that would be so cool to try and Teddy says it’s very safe and he says he can jump super high and I think if I could just try and jump on a trampoline I’d be very good at it too but if you say I can’t then at least I can swing and you know how much I love to swing and–”

”Whoa, Haz,” Sirius laughs, holding a hand up as he pulls the boy gently to a stop. ”First thing’s first: who’s Teddy? There’s no-one in your class with that name.”

”There is now,” Harry says, practically jumping on the spot as he shoots his godfather an impatient look. ”He started today and he’s all new here and he doesn’t know anyone so I said we could be friends and did I say he has a trampoline and a swing?”

”You did,” Sirius confirms, trying not to smile at the boy’s obvious eagerness. ”But we don’t know if it’s okay with Teddy’s parents yet.”

”Teddy’s daddy said it was,” Harry interrupts eagerly, ”Come oooon, Padfoot!”

Sirius lets Harry tug him along then, towards a boy with brown curly hair that looks about the same age as Harry albeit a bit taller.

”This is Teddy,” announces Harry with a gesture to the boy, ”and Teddy’s daddy.”

Sirius smiles at the boy before shifting his gaze over to the man next to him, his hand extending automatically and he’s got the polite greeting on his tongue but then his gaze moves up to catch on golden eyes and oh.

Sirius feels his world tilt a little, the golden eyes light and shining as he meets Sirius gaze, face framed by brown curls identical to the boy’s and skin impossibly tanned. Oh, Sirius thinks again, numbly.

”Hello,” the man says, voice warm and with a melodic sort of accent that Sirius can’t immediately place. ”You must be Harry’s dad.”

”Godfather,” Sirius corrects automatically before he catches himself, realising how short he must’ve sounded, ”Er, I mean, well, godfather, technically, but also his guardian–”

”Padfoot’s my Padfoot,” Harry explains, tugging at Sirius’ arm keenly. ”Can we go, Padfoot, please?”

”Padfoot?” the man asks, an amused sort of curl to his lips and Sirius can’t help but smile as he looks down at the black haired boy, excitement radiating from him.

”It’s, well…a nickname, I guess,” he shakes himself, turning his eyes back to the man. ”My name’s Sirius.”

The man smiles properly then, shaking his hand, grip firm and warm and the long fingers closing easily around Sirius’. Oh.

”Nice to meet you, Sirius, I’m Remus. And this is Teddy,” he gestures towards the boy who is chatting away happily at Harry, the two of them practically buzzing with excitement.

”Er,” Sirius says again, once he’s managed to tear himself away from the man’s (Remus’) piercing gaze, ”well, Harry said something about wanting to go with Teddy but I don’t want to inconvenience you if–”

”It’s no inconvenience,” Remus assures him before he has a chance to finish the sentence. ”We live just around the corner from here and we just moved in. It’s just me and Teddy so I’m only happy if Teddy’s managed to make a friend on his first day. Really, it’s no problem.”

”Oh, right,” Sirius says, frantically searching for something else to say even as Harry is practically hanging from his arm now, pulling at him. Just me and Teddy, echoes in his head and he steals a furtive glance at the man’s left hand. No ring. ”Well, then…”

He trails off, unable to think of anything else to say, as if he’s completely forgotten everything about how to set up a playdate and he drops his eyes to Harry, the boy groaning dramatically and impatiently, and Sirius recognises it as him being only about half a minute away from a tantrum.

”You could come too.”

Remus’ voice pulls Sirius’ thoughts back and he looks up at the man again. He’s tall, just about taller than Sirius himself which is no mean feat. And his eyes. Sirius can’t look away.

”What?” He asks, because his brain feels foggy.

Remus nods, amusement dancing in his eyes and mouth quirked into a smile, ”Yeah, it wouldn’t hurt if I made a friend on Teddy’s first day either,” he pauses, an uncertain sort of pull around his mouth as he studies him, “Unless you’ve got somewhere else to be?”

”No,” Sirius says quickly, too quickly, he scolds himself but it’s too late now and he clears his throat. ”I mean, that’d work, we just planned to– god’s sake, Harry, stop pulling at me,” he interrupts himself, a little exasperated as he looks down at the boy who pouts at him.

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301 notes - Posted August 14, 2022

Look at that, another day, another @wolfstarmicrofic and the prompt is bubbles.

Remus can hear Harry shrieking in delight, the sound of splashing water, of Sirius’ roaring laughter and then Padfoot’s yapping. He knows that for his own sanity he should probably keep away from the bathroom but he can’t help himself, sneaking down the hallway from Harry’s room that he had been tidying.

He nudges the door open with his foot, peaking in through the doorway and even though he thought he was prepared, he feels himself pale slightly at the sight that greets him.

Harry is in the tub, not that it matters much because most of the bathroom is covered in water, at least an inch of it on the floor, and Sirius is sitting cross-legged on in the middle of it, looking very much like a wet dog, black hair plastered to his head and the white tee shirt he’s wearing is mostly see-through and clinging to his chest and–

Remus stops that train of thought abruptly, physically shaking his head a little to clear it. Instead he takes in the tub, Harry’s elated appearance, his hair sticking out in all directions.

”Padfoot,” he says, faintly, and two sets of eyes turn to look at him, one pair silvery grey and the other one bright green.

”Moony!” Harry shrieks, ecstatic, throwing himself against the edge of the tub as he makes a move to climb out, making the water slosh over the edge.

”Wow, okay, easy there, mate,” Sirius laughs, catching him with an around the toddler’s waist, holding him back.

Harry doesn’t seem to mind much, slumping back into sitting with a splash.

”Moony, look!” Harry says, excitedly, before turning to Sirius again, green eyes wide and pleading. ”Do it again, Pa’foot!”

Sirius grins, widely, throwing Remus’ a half-apologetic, half-guilty look before he turns back to Harry. He winks at the boy, tapping the side of the tub with his wand and colourful bubbles begin to rise from it.

They rise quickly, overflowing, spilling onto the floor, Harry shrieking in delight as he dives into them, emerging seconds later with silky bubbles in all of the rainbow’s colours clinging to his hair and skin.

”Moony, bubbles!” Harry says, sounding almost awed, scooping up a handful and holding them out towards Remus.

Sirius is watching him, eyes dancing.

”Yes, look Moony. Bubbles.”

Remus’ lips twitches a little, unable not to smile as he takes in their overjoyed face, their drenched appearances, both of them with flushed cheeks and shining eyes. He feels something hot expand in his chest as he huffs out a laugh.

”Yeah,” he says, a little faintly. ”Bubbles.”

302 notes - Posted June 8, 2022

Today didn’t turn out quite how I planned but here is a thing. This is a combined effort for @wolfstarmicrofic with the prompt fortress and Sirius and Harry Saturday, written for the lovely lovely @impishtubist

“I’m the Prince and Moony is the King,” Harry says as he adjusts one of the pillows with his hands, and Sirius does not miss the smug twist to Moony’s grin at that.

“And what am I?” Sirius huffs, a little affronted. ”A distant cousin?”

“No,” Harry gives him a strange look, “you’re the Queen, Padfoot.”

Sirius hears Remus’ chortle, the muttered “Dunno how right you are about that one, Haz. Ow!”

Moony grabs his ankle where Sirius’ stinging hex hit him, a weak little thing that couldn’t even have been all that painful but Sirius still receives a glare from his husband.

They had spent most of the day building a fortress made out of pillows in the living room, held together by a bit of luck and quite a lot of magic. Now the three of them were were hiding behind one of the walls, Sirius and Remus with their wands and Harry with a chopstick left over from last night’s Chinese takeaway.

“NO, Padfoot!” Harry’s voice is admonishing, and the look he receives from his godson a little exasperated. “You’re supposed to be here!”

He points at a spot roughly an inch to the left of where Sirius is currently standing. He raises his brows at Remus’ amused expression, rolling his eyes in a way as if to say you just wait as he moves where Harry wants him.

“Sorry, Haz. My bad.”

“Hm,” Harry says, looking at him intently before he’s satisfied with his position, swirling around on the spot to face Remus instead. “And you’re here, Moony.”

Remus moves dutifully to the place he’s assigned, trying not to smile at Harry’s serious expression. Harry nods his approval before turning to face the room, head peaking up over the top of the wall of pillows in front of them.

“Er, Harry?” Sirius asks after a while, when Harry has been staring intently at the sofa on the other side of the room for a good two minutes. “What are we waiting for?”

“Shh,” Harry glares at him. “We’re waiting for the monsters!”

“Ah, yes, of course,” Sirius nods, trying his best not to smile.

”We’re waiting for the monsters to come and then we will fight them with our wands. We’re protecting the castle. Shh!” Harry stares at the sofa for a moment, body tensed, before he relaxes again, whispering. ”I thought I heard them.”

Sirius watches him fondly, focusing his attention back in the direction that Harry is looking in. Silence settles for a moment, and then…

”Oh no,” Remus’ voice is grave, serious, and Harry whips around to stare at him, eyes wide and voice barely over a whisper.

”What?”

”I think the Monsters are here, Haz,” Remus nods gravely but Sirius can see the hint of a smile behind his eyes as Harry sucks in a dramatic breath. ”It’s, yes…” Moony pretends to listen carefully, looking around them, ”oh no, Haz, it’s the tickling monster and I think– I think– I think it’s taken me over!”

”Noooo!” shrieks Harry in protest as Remus makes a move towards him, and he backs away until he he knocks against Sirius.

Remus follows, a helpless sort of expression on his face, ”I’m sorry Hazza, I can’t help it. It’s– it’s taken over now.”

Harry squawks as Remus dives for him, making a fruitless attempt to escape Moony’s long arms, shrieking in laughter as he’s hoisted into the air and flipped upside down.

”Noo–ooo,” he gasps, laughing delightedly as he writhes in Moony’s hold, clinging to his arms and legs kicking. ”Help, Padfoot!”

”I dunno, Haz I’m not sure I can beat the tickling monster,” Sirius teases as he watches them, chest expanding with the love he feels for the two of them as Moony easily throws the child into the air before catching him again.

”Mooo–oony,” Harry cries between fits of giggles, squirming out of his grip and throwing himself at Sirius instead, and Sirius catches him, finding himself with a five year old in his arms as he takes a step back to keep his balance. “Save me Padfoot!”

Remus grins, positively wolfishly as he closes in on them both and Sirius backs up against the wall of pillows behind them, still with Harry in his arms, the boy clinging to him, arms wrapped tightly around Sirius’ neck.

He doesn’t have a chance to reply properly before Remus is right there, and the three of them tumbles into the wall of pillows that comes down around them, the spell breaking, Harry twisting and squirming and laughing breathlessly between them.

Once they’ve worn themselves out, they lie gasping for breath in the pile of pillows, Harry fitted snuggly between himself and Remus, face flushed and eyes wet from tears of laughter.

“You ruined the castle, Moony,” says Harry as the twists himself around, Sirius smiling fondly at the loving expression on Remus’ face as he ruffles the boy’s hair.

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304 notes - Posted August 6, 2022

My #1 post of 2022

Today’s word is accident for @wolfstarmicrofic so here we go, some wolfstar raising Harry.

”It was an assisdent,” Harry says, looking up at Sirius from his place on the floor, green eyes blinking innocently up at him.

Sirius presses his lips together so not to laugh, ”An accident, really, sprog?”

Harry nods emphatically before looking back down on his hands, studying them intently as if he’s surprised at the smudges of colour coating them, wiping his hands against his paint covered trousers. Sirius sighs as he looks at the wall; he knew that Harry had been way too quiet for way too long, he should’ve known that something was up.

He’s secretly quite impressed at the rather elaborate painting which was now covering most of the wall, running the length of the hallway. He’s also impressed at how Harry had managed to have any colour left for the wall as he’s also covered in it.

”We’ve talked about this, Hazza,” he says, picking the kid up so he could look him in the eye, doing his best to keep his expression serious even as green eyes widen and bottom lip starts trembling. ”The finger-paint is only for when me or Moony are with you, okay? And not for the walls, only on paper.”

”But it was an assisdent,” Harry insists.

”Mhm,” Sirius rolls his eyes, but he can’t stifle the smile at Harry’s innocent expression. ”Sure it was, sprog. Let’s get you cleaned up.”

When Remus comes home, Harry has been cleaned up and put to bed and Sirius is on his knees in the hallway, scrubbing at the wall.

”What’s–” Remus starts, then he falls quiet as he catches sight of the wall, ”Oh.”

”Quite,” Sirius says as he sits back on his heels. ”I’ve been at it for a while. Whoever thought magical finger-paint was a good idea, I don’t know, but Scourgify won’t take properly.”

Remus huffs out a laugh, toeing off his shoes before sinking down on the floor next to him, ”Left him unattended, huh?”

”For like fifteen minutes,” Sirius grumbles. ”Kid’s fast. And he kept saying it was an accident,” he chuckles lowly, ”But hey, look,” he stops, tugging Remus along, pointing at the wall just next to the entrance to the kitchen.

He feels something warm bloom in his chest as he looks at what is very clearly himself, Remus and Harry painted with Harry’s enthusiastic fingers. He glances at Moony who is smiling vaguely.

”Figured we could save that,” he says, taking Moony’s hand and squeezing lightly, the other man nodding.

”Yeah, good plan.”

464 notes - Posted June 23, 2022

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