#//'but I heard someone say this just yesterday!-- Stop saying I spoke a dead language!'

[reflections-of-mobius]

Tenebrosity is so damn time-blind.

This mate has been around since Mobius was first formed, and she usually only wakes up to destroy it, maybe to chat with her brother when he's at the peak of his end of the cycle. She knows every damn language on the planet, written and spoken- she knows it intrinsically as the embodiment of fear and terror.

That mini-paragraph just to say- I fully believe she'd pick up an ancient tablet no modern archeologist of her world can decipher, read it flat-out, and then be confused on why she's being stared at. Isn't there a nation at present that writes with those glyphs???? No????????- Oh yeah she burned it down 900,000 years ago...fuck.

[rayons1only1started]

Gone-Forever

----------Blue POV--------------------

No one has seen Red since he has fallen asleep in his rooms. Is he hiding from us? He would feed Orange, but Orange says he's seen Red only once, and that was weeks ago. 

It's not like we see Red daily, but every few days one of us sees him walk by. But none of us have seen him, or heard him. This is weird.

A few days ago Yellow asked Purple to look for Red, but he has not found him. No surprise, Purple doesn't like Red, and was probably not trying very hard. 

Oh, and Cyan found these cards in a trespasser's backpack. We've played so many games and versions of uno that now those cards lie shredded around the racetrack. And Oranges' gotten SO annoying, without Red to annoy.

Orange said that Red had turned on the electric fences, but trespassers were still getting in somehow. But now we rarely got to kill them because most of them were already dead, covered in ash. Things keep getting weirder and weirder.

Yesterday, we found a whole group of people dead, covered with ash. Has Red been preventing all this? 

------------Time Skip-----------------------------

I was chasing a trespasser through my castle, when they stopped abruptly, gasping. I paid their body language no heed, and killed them. Then I stopped and gasped too.

Next to the Throne was a disoriented human in a lab coat, with red skin, their head in their knees. Red! 

"Red?"

He slowly raised his head, and even though I couldn't make out his expression, I could tell there was something off about him. Then he spoke.

"...are you... blue..." he said in a tortured, quiet, disoriented voice, cracked from not using it for weeks.

What's wrong with you Red? Why are you here, and why are you like this? 

"I'll come back with the others, they'll know what to do." I told him.

I turned to leave, when something tapped me on the shoulder. I turned around. Standing there was a pale white humanoid being, with purple hair. Red is gone. You won't see him again. All that's left is a shell, and his mind is beyond repair. Don't bother. it said, in a soft, feathery, voice.

"But, that's Red. He literally created us. You too, probably. What did he do to deserve this?"

He did nothing. This is revenge. And he wasn't the one to create me. Besides, if you were in his place, he would leave you there. Why bother?

"Because I'm not Red. The rest of the Rainbow Friends might have left him, but I'm not them. And you don't know if he would have helped us or not. He has before." I snapped back.

That was his fault in the first place. Oh, and if you try and do something, you might end up like him. Have a good day! it said, and vanished.

Well, that was... interesting. Is the reason Red is like he is now its fault? Were the things it said true? Nevermind, there's no time for that. If Red wasn't insane, he would be soon.

Quickly gathered Yellow and Cyan, because they were the closest ones.

Yellow: "What's this for Blue? There are still trespassers around."

Cyan: "Did someone get hurt?"

"I found Red. But... here, I'll show you." I said hurriedly.

I led them to the throne room, where Red was still sitting.

"Red... I'm back" I quietly spoke.

He looked up and Yellow and Cyan gasped. His face must have looked bad. Just wait till they hear him. 

"...blue... is he here... are you ... afraid... Ash... don't... leave me... voices..." he stuttered in the same voice as before.

"Damn" said the voice of Yellow behind me. "We need to do something fast.".

"There's someone else whose part of this. But I'll tell you later, go tell the others to come to the infirmity. Red's probably insane." I stated, like this was an everyday comment one would make.

Yellow and Cyan nodded, and ran off. 

I picked Red up carefully, and he didn't protest. Or react at all. He really has changed. I walked off to the infirmity. When I got there the rest of the Rainbow Friends were waiting there.

Orange flinched when he saw Red. But remained silent.

They were all looking at me for an explanation. I couldn't give them a great one, because I didn't know that much. But it was more than they knew.

I put Red down on the bed. Then sat up, sighed, and began.

"I was chasing a trespasser in my castle, when they ran into the throne room, and gasped. I didn't think much about that then, and killed them. Then I saw Red sitting with his head in his knees. I said his name, and he looked up and asked in a quiet, not Red voice, if I was Blue. I said I would come back with you guys, and turned to leave. But that is where things get weird." ("Weirder than before, you mean, said Orange, and the others glared at him)

"I felt a tap on my shoulder. I turned and saw a pale white humanoid being with purple hair. They told me that Red was a shell now. That Red is how he is now because it wanted revenge, and that Red didn't create it. Then it told me if I tried to help Red I would end up like him." I finished.

"Wow." Green said. Wow was 'a bit' underrated.

"So... Red's not getting better" said Cyan, looking down at Red who was absently laying there, staring at the ceiling. 

"I don't think so." I sighed. Everything was changing. We used to be afraid of Red. Now we were afraid for him. 

Orange sniffed, and went and curled up by Red. We were staring, but he glared at us, and so we stopped.

"Well, some more trespassers showed up. Best go get rid of them." Green says.

I left, but not before looking back at Red. He had not moved since I put him down.

_______________________________________

1019 words! Btw just so everyone knows, Ash is my oc, and I hate it. Same with Neko Seek, I just love to draw them. I was smiling so hard when I was writing the chapter. I'm ok.

[rayon-the-great]

Kill Me Now, My Love

Gone- Forever?

----------Blue POV--------------------

No one has seen Red since he has fallen asleep in his rooms. Is he hiding from us? He would feed Orange, but Orange says he's seen Red only once, and that was weeks ago. 

It's not like we see Red daily, but every few days one of us sees him walk by. But none of us have seen him, or heard him. This is weird.

A few days ago Yellow asked Purple to look for Red, but he has not found him. No surprise, Purple doesn't like Red, and was probably not trying very hard. 

Oh, and Cyan found these cards in a trespasser's backpack. We've played so many games and versions of uno that now those cards lie shredded around the racetrack. And Oranges' gotten SO annoying, without Red to annoy.

Orange said that Red had turned on the electric fences, but trespassers were still getting in somehow. But now we rarely got to kill them because most of them were already dead, covered in ash. Things keep getting weirder and weirder.

Yesterday, we found a whole group of people dead, covered with ash. Has Red been preventing all this? 

------------Time Skip-----------------------------

I was chasing a trespasser through my castle, when they stopped abruptly, gasping. I paid their body language no heed, and killed them. Then I stopped and gasped too.

Next to the Throne was a disoriented human in a lab coat, with red skin, their head in their knees. Red! 

"Red?"

He slowly raised his head, and even though I couldn't make out his expression, I could tell there was something off about him. Then he spoke.

"...are you... blue..." he said in a tortured, quiet, disoriented voice, cracked from not using it for weeks.

What's wrong with you Red? Why are you here, and why are you like this? 

"I'll come back with the others, they'll know what to do." I told him.

I turned to leave, when something tapped me on the shoulder. I turned around. Standing there was a pale white humanoid being, with purple hair. Red is gone. You won't see him again. All that's left is a shell, and his mind is beyond repair. Don't bother. it said, in a soft, feathery, voice.

"But, that's Red. He literally created us. You too, probably. What did he do to deserve this?"

He did nothing. This is revenge. And he wasn't the one to create me. Besides, if you were in his place, he would leave you there. Why bother?

"Because I'm not Red. The rest of the Rainbow Friends might have left him, but I'm not them. And you don't know if he would have helped us or not. He has before." I snapped back.

That was his fault in the first place. Oh, and if you try and do something, you might end up like him. Have a good day! it said, and vanished.

Well, that was... interesting. Is the reason Red is like he is now its fault? Were the things it said true? Nevermind, there's no time for that. If Red wasn't insane, he would be soon.

Quickly gathered Yellow and Cyan, because they were the closest ones.

Yellow: "What's this for Blue? There are still trespassers around."

Cyan: "Did someone get hurt?"

"I found Red. But... here, I'll show you." I said hurriedly.

I led them to the throne room, where Red was still sitting.

"Red... I'm back" I quietly spoke.

He looked up and Yellow and Cyan gasped. His face must have looked bad. Just wait till they hear him. 

"...blue... is he here... are you ... afraid... Ash... don't... leave me... voices..." he stuttered in the same voice as before.

"Damn" said the voice of Yellow behind me. "We need to do something fast.".

"There's someone else whose part of this. But I'll tell you later, go tell the others to come to the infirmity. Red's probably insane." I stated, like this was an everyday comment one would make.

Yellow and Cyan nodded, and ran off. 

I picked Red up carefully, and he didn't protest. Or react at all. He really has changed. I walked off to the infirmity. When I got there the rest of the Rainbow Friends were waiting there.

Orange flinched when he saw Red. But remained silent.

They were all looking at me for an explanation. I couldn't give them a great one, because I didn't know that much. But it was more than they knew.

I put Red down on the bed. Then sat up, sighed, and began.

"I was chasing a trespasser in my castle, when they ran into the throne room, and gasped. I didn't think much about that then, and killed them. Then I saw Red sitting with his head in his knees. I said his name, and he looked up and asked in a quiet, not Red voice, if I was Blue. I said I would come back with you guys, and turned to leave. But that is where things get weird." ("Weirder than before, you mean, said Orange, and the others glared at him)

"I felt a tap on my shoulder. I turned and saw a pale white humanoid being with purple hair. They told me that Red was a shell now. That Red is how he is now because it wanted revenge, and that Red didn't create it. Then it told me if I tried to help Red I would end up like him." I finished.

"Wow." Green said. Wow was 'a bit' underrated.

"So... Red's not getting better" said Cyan, looking down at Red who was absently laying there, staring at the ceiling. 

"I don't think so." I sighed. Everything was changing. We used to be afraid of Red. Now we were afraid for him. 

Orange sniffed, and went and curled up by Red. We were staring, but he glared at us, and so we stopped.

"Well, some more trespassers showed up. Best go get rid of them." Green says.

I left, but not before looking back at Red. He had not moved since I put him down.

_______________________________________

1019 words! Btw just so everyone knows, Ash is my oc, and I hate it. Same with Neko Seek, I just love to draw them. I was smiling so hard when I was writing the chapter. I'm ok.

[adonis-koo]

Star Struck

| 2 |

↳ Summary: You’re a creature of habit, you plan everything from each hour to each day, so you can imagine the chaos which ensues after you discover a random guy leaking black goo in a ditch- who just so happens to be an alien.

↳ Pairing: Jungkook/Reader

↳ Genre: lowkey strangers to lovers, alien!jungkook, fluff, smut, 

Word Count: 13k

Tags: tentacle sex im sorry, foreplay, oral (f) but not?? jungkook is technically a virgin by human standards ayyy, penetration, nipple play, over stimulation, double penetration, squirting, sub!jungkook, breath play, spit kink, jungkook can make his own lube??, anal im so sorry, praise kink, they become soul mates on accident oops,

Previous | Next

You didn’t see nor understand what JK was talking about at first, he just fumbled along between alleyways and roads and nobody, or what little people were on the streets didn’t look at you twice given your friend was as tall and broad as he was. Perks of being with a man you guessed. You still didn’t know what he was actually talking about except for the assumption that he had found his...friends…?

Eventually JK had dragged you through a lot of fields which had made you increasingly anxious, what if a kidnapper was out here? True you wouldn’t mind him using his talon like tentacles then but still...You also didn’t want to go to jail for assisting a homicide...Standing in an empty field, at the dead of night, was not what you intended on doing on a friday night.

JK seemed excited though as he bounced, grabbing a hold of you, he pressed his thumb to your forehead, your eyes fluttering shut on instinct from being so close to him suddenly but your brows pinched and an uncomfortable ache throbbed in your head before he released you. Rubbing your head you whined before you looked up again, only jumping with a screech at the...ship...in front of you...which was NOT there a moment ago. 

“Home!” JK announced proudly as he grabbed your hand, tugging you along against your will, was this really...his ship? Oh god what if he was abducting you...You didn’t have time to think as he ushered you inside. It looked small on the outside admittedly but on the inside it was all glossy and clean, a sleek futuristic look dawning the interior.

Futuristic, he was an alien, you weren’t shocked at the assessment but still. This must’ve been the hanger or...living area… or...hell if you knew ship terms, it looked like the dining room but you didn’t expect two others to appear. All of them speaking in that same throaty tongue as he ran to them, embracing them with pure excitement on his face before he pointed to you, a look of pride on his face as he cleared his voice, “Y/n.” He spoke clearly as if introducing you.

 You gave an awkward stiff wave before immediately dropping your arm, you were going to be extremely pissed if this was the LSD trip you thought you were having yesterday. You watched them all speak to one another before the one on the right nodded, saying something before gesturing JK off, who hurriedly ran off leaving you alone....with two aliens…

They both looked at you expectantly as you looked around, “Hi…” You offered an awkward smile, “You guys are terrifying…” Watching the one on the right grab a watering can to pour over a small...purple colored...tree? “You less so…” You turned to the other one, his eyes dark and piercing and wow…if you thought JK was hot you hadn’t even thought about what it would look like to seem someone attractive from his species, “You the most…” You wrapped your arms around yourself uncomfortably. 

“He’s just assessing you, Taehyung’s like that with anyone associated with our Jungkookie.” You nearly wheezed at the sound of the one on the right speaking full...English…he offered a dimpled smile as if anticipating that reaction, “Apologies. I’m Namjoon, I’m sure you’re extremely confused and scared with everything going on.” 

“...You could say that…” Your twisted somewhat painfully as you nodded rapidly, it was midnight and you were in a fucking spaceship, “Ummm, where did JK go…?” 

Namjoon as he called himself suddenly snorted, shaking his head as he sighed, “Told him he should’ve paid more attention in the academy,” He rolled his eyes, “Jungkook,” He emphasised the name, “That’s his full Earth name. He just forgot it because he never pays attention,” He offered a weak smile, “And he’s in the memoir chamber rememorizing English so he can actually speak to you. It’s handy for us Orionian’s in case a situation like this happens and we don’t know archaic languages like English.”

You didn’t understand a word of what he just said, “I’m sorry...I think I’m too dumb to talk to you, honestly…” You felt extremely stupid but much to your surprise Namjoon laughed in delight, as if endured by your words. 

“You humans are pretty humble huh,” He hummed as he continued watering the rest of his  plants, “Anyways, our ship crashed here on Earth on our way to the andromeda galaxy and Jungkook ended up falling out, it was an...extremely rocky crash…” His smile still weak as if a vague memory entered his mind, “You have our utmost thanks for taking him in when he was injured and housing him.” 

“It’s no problem, I would’ve done it for anyone.” You shifted a little, smiling a tiny bit despite still not feeling as comfortable as you wish you could be, it was just difficult to take in everything that was rapidly changing but your words still stood, you would have. Especially for...Jungkook...you lingered on the same, it sounded more fitting for the tall puppy like boy. 

“So what are your intentions with Jungkook?” You jumped at how deep the second voice was...Taehyung if you remembered correctly and he only looked about as hot as he was intimidating, “Why did you take him in if you knew his identity.” 

You flailed a little, intending to speak yet no words came out...you...you hadn’t really thought about it...at all honestly…”I...I ummm...well…” 

“Are you working for them?” Taehyung stepped towards you, his expression becoming cold as you feebly took a step back looking towards the ground and unsure of how to answer or if you’d even given him a satisfying answer. 

“Stop.” The new voice was raspy and low, not too terribly deep, but just enough to sound charming and rather rugged, Jungkook had appeared again only this time, immediately standing defensively in front of you, “She found me and even after finding out about me being an Orionian she didn’t report me to any Earth officials. I trust her, and you should too.” 

He...he could speak...perfect English now...What!? 

Taehyung’s eyes narrowed onto you, still distrustful but he laid off, “Right...and what is this about you bonding with her? I don’t think she’d be a good vessel.” 

Jungkook’s jaw twitched and you could see the glow of the crescents on his hand burning in red, “Well I’m not asking for your permission to bond with her.” He spat back, his brows furrowed and his lip twitching in anger, suddenly he didn’t look so cute and puppy like anymore, “And it’s not like we’re getting off Earth anytime soon with the ship in this state, so it’s best if we just resume the plan as originally intended.” 

“You think I’d choose a vessel as inferior as humans to have my offspring?” Taehyung’s face curled as if that was the biggest insult he had ever heard and yet you nearly choked at his words, vessel? Offspring? Uh what? 

“Stop fighting,” Namjoon sighed and much to your surprise both of the two boys quieted down, Jungkook still stood in front of you, shuffling a little closer as Namjoon sighed, “Jungkook is right…” He made a noise of victory as Taehyung’s mouth twitched in anger, the marks along his body burning a deep red that was just a little scary to watch from afar, “With the technology at hand here on Earth and with Arbitrators searching for us, it’s in our best interest to make the most of what we have here. Besides, Earth is unsuspecting and was one of our forerunner’s best creations. It’s not too far off irony to let them be the vessel of our offspring.” 

You stared up at Jungkook’s broad back in disbelief...this man was trying to impregnate you after a half a day of knowing you!? You weren’t sure plan B was prepared for this shit. Jungkook looked deeply satisfied at Taehyung’s reaction though before he turned to you, his expression soft and puppy-like as he smiled somewhat timidly before speaking as if he was a little giddy, “Hi…” 

You could’ve said anything in this moment, in which Jungkook looked like he had been excitedly waiting for, and yet your choice of words had been admittedly poor.

“You’re gonna have to bag another bitch, I don’t do kids! I...I did NOT sign up for this!” You immediately backed away from him like he was poison and you didn’t know how these fuckers procreated and at this point you weren’t sure you wanted to learn!

Jungkook’s lips parted and he looked a little hurt before he quickly approached you again, “I don’t expect you to want to carry my children yet….” 

“Yet!?” You shouted out making all three of them flinch a little, “I...I just let you stay at my place because you looked like you were dying in a ditch, and now! I’m in a spaceship, I can’t find the exit and you can suddenly speak English and you’re talking about kids!? This...nu-uh this is going way too fast. I...I really need to get home.” 

Jungkook’s lips trembled a little as he reached out for you, “I’ll take you back! Or-! Or you could stay here until the morning, you shouldn’t be out alone, Earth has proved to be unsafe at night.” He tenderly held your forearms as your expression awkwardly twisted. 

“Nothing worse could happen to me than what happened earlier tonight,” You shook your head rapidly as you sighed, “Just show me the exit, I’ll be fine, really. I’m happy for you! Seriously! I mean it looks like you’re reunited with your kin so there’s no reason for us to stay in contact and it’s been fun and out of this world- literally.” You laughed a little as you rambled, all three staring at you wide eyed, “But like, seriously I’ll keep this to myself and just hope it’s a really shitty drug trip like I originally thought it was…”

Jungkook sighed, lowering his head in defeat and his lips trembled a little in that sulky way it had been this morning as he went to the hatch where you both had come in, dialing a few buttons he waited a moment as he mumbled, “I just want to explain everything to you, I owe you that, at least…” 

You said nothing waiting for the door to open as he dialed a few other buttons, and a few more, and again...and again…”Um,” He cleared his throat a little, “Namjoon…? The door?” He asked, his eyes doe like as he stared at his companion who sighed, squeezing between you both as he also dialed a few numbers into the glowing pad. 

They both waited before Namjoon’s lips twisted into a sigh as if somehow expecting this to happen before he spoke, “Doors’ jammed...again…”

“This is fucking perfect.” Taehyung swore with a sigh, gritting his teeth as his eyes glared into you briefly, causing you to sheepishly back a little towards Jungkook, “I’m going back to my pod, I can’t deal with this.” He brooded before leaving as you looked between both aliens. 

“...Jammed? The door? As in…?” 

Jungkook’s lips twisted into a nervous smile, his marks glowing a light purple as he coughed, “Looks like we’ll have plenty of time to talk now…” Fuck! Why did things have to be this complicated, it could have been worse, but it was the same annoyance you had when Youtube played an unskippable ad, or when the lead in your pencil broke, a cookie falling onto the floor, that type of inconvenience.

Unshockingly Jungkook didn’t hold the same feeling as he spoke gently, “I can show you to my pod, it’ll be awhile before the door gets fixed…” He gave you an endearing apologetic smile. 

“...As long as you aren’t gonna try to knock me up then sure.” You stared at him in disdain, making him weakly smile as he stepped back up the metal stairs and if you didn’t know any better you would’ve assumed he was actually happy you were stuck with no other choice but to stay. 

“Once you see her to your pod, a word please Jungkook...” Namjoon’s gaze was fixed on the door quizzically as if already trying to deduce what had made it jammed, he made no effort to look back at you both but you could tell it was probably important. 

Jungkook only nodded eagerly and kept your hand in his as he lead you down the small the hallway, lights flickering and while you were anything but an engineer or mechanic, it wasn’t hard to tell they had crash landed, Jungkook ignored the mess against the walls as he typed in something before a door slid open revealing what you assumed was his room, the door slid shut behind you making you jump a little as you investigated the space. It was a minimalistic room, a few trinkets laid around and a messy bed was against the wall.

“You can sleep if you want...I know you were tired when I woke you up…” Jungkook’s marks glowed a soft pink as he bashfully looked at the ground, scratching his cheek as if he didn’t know what to say, “I um...I should go speak to my brother.” 

Before you could even say anything Jungkook had already left looking somewhat sheepish, leaving you to curiously look around the room, it was spacious and in tones of deep brown and black, a few gadgets laying around on his nightstand as you tilted your head. 

His pod...so basically...a bedroom. You assumed as much as you couldn’t really make a distinct difference between the two. True you could’ve slept like he had suggested, you were exhausted but too wired to even think about sleeping at the moment due to how bizarre of circumstances you were in. You were in an alien’s bedroom, on a space ship...

You had took your time browsing around the room, curiously holding a few trinkets in an attempt to figure out what they were, time passed slowly and for a while, you began to wonder if this was just a set up for them to butt probe you like Jimin had original thought they would. Not that you would mind as much as him but- besides the point, the longer you were left with your thoughts, the more that piled up.

When the door abruptly opened you nearly jumped out of your skin, hurriedly setting down what looked like a portable flame thrower before whirling around, Jungkook looked a little timid as he smiled, “I’m sorry that took so long...Um...” He closed the door gently before he gestured, “Please, go ahead and rest, from my understanding...um...humans have a standard sleep cycle yes?” 

You didn’t fully understand what he was asking besides if you slept at night, rubbing your neck you did as he gestured, taking a seat on the bed before you jumped a little as it did not feel like a normal bed, “Uh I guess...? Why...why didn’t you just leave? You...didn’t have to wake me.” You mumbled, scooping your feet up as you laid down, shifting a little as you tried to get comfortable.

The bed felt almost like a marshmallow, something in between water and memory foam as the bed moved in slow, lapping waves as you attempted to get comfortable again with a pout tugging on your lips. 

Jungkook watched you with endearment before he laid on the bed next to you, “You have to stop moving, coranium matches the pattern of your body to keep everything aligned and slowly adjusts to the movement of your body throughout your sleep duration.” 

You rolled onto your side to look at him as you curled up a little, his marks still a light pink and his smile a little shy as he spoke, “To answer your question I mean...I feel like it should be obvious, I want to make my bond with you so it was natural I wanted to take you with me. I don’t know Earth well enough to confidently navigate it on my own without getting lost. I couldn’t risk leaving you and then being unable to find my way back. As well as I knew I’d be able to learn English fast in the memoir chamber, so then we’d be able to talk…” he smiled a bit timidly, his eyes fondly washing over your face as you awkwardly scooted a little away from him. 

His eyes downcasting a little at the gesture as he frowned, and once again, even despite speaking english now it didn’t help his case in looking like a kicked puppy, “Well...am I supposed to know what a memoir chamber is? And….bonding and...literally everything you guys have said thus far?” 

Jungkook rested his chin on his hands as he hummed, thinking about your words carefully before he spoke, “The memoir chamber is in most Orionian ships, it helps us adapt to the planet around us and depending on what region we’re in, the language. Our kind carry human DNA- or...moreso the other way around, so inherently we know all Earth languages as they descended from Orionian dialect, but…” He scratched his cheek, marks glowing pink once more, “I had a difficult time studying earth languages in the academy. It’s unrealistic for us to know them all, so the Memoir serves as a rebrief to put in the language back into our minds.” 

God what were you in now? A shitty sy-fy film? You rolled onto your back as you said no more, thinking about his answer for a good long minute before you parted your lips only to shut them...Hold on one damn minute- did he just insinuate his kind created humans? Knowing all languages? What!? “I don’t even know how to unpack that sentence…” You muttered, staring up at the ceiling which twinkled in a galaxy of constellations and if you didn’t know any better you would’ve assumed it was an open glass ceiling to outer space.

It aligned with nebula’s and stars, planets for what looked like miles and miles. You could stare at it for hours in awe, how did you not notice that until now.

“I could only imagine being human, it’s a lot to take in,” Jungkook offered a gentle smile, “As for bonding…” He was pink all over as he scratched his cheek again, eyes fluttering away from yours almost shyly, “It’s what it sounds like, when we Orionian’s find a person who we like and want to share our life with, we begin a bond, and it takes awhile for the bond to grow but once it’s finished, we’d complete it with a mating cycle, and then...We’re celestially bond together.” He mumbled a little shyly, his eyes looked like stars twinkling as he talked about it, almost in a dreamy fashion. 

“....” You couldn’t even find the words to say anything before you muttered, “You’ve known me for a day…” True Jungkook was cute, but all of this stuff about bonding and space really made it difficult to grasp the concept in a way which wasn’t him basically proposing to you.

Jungkook looked as if he had been abruptly pulled from his little fantasy world as he frowned, propping himself on his forearm as he spoke, “Time is only a concept for Orionian’s, when we know who our bond is meant for, we just know. It doesn’t matter if I’ve known you a day or your whole life, my feelings won’t change. I want us to bond.” His voice lowered a little, his eyes doe-like and filled with a sugary sweetness as he closed the gap between you both. 

You were speechless. Many times in your life you had felt this way, but genuinely, you had no words. An alien just professed his love to you within twenty four hours of knowing him all because...what…? You fed him twice? Let him sleep in your bed once? What had you possibly done for him to think you could be his...his wife!? 

“I’m not getting married, I- I mean I’m flattered! I am.” You sat up, once again, pulling away from him as he mirrored you, his lips jutting into an almost frustrated pout, “But like...I just turned twenty one this year....I’m hardly a person let alone wife material.”

“Bonding is hardly even close to the equivalent of human marriage,” Jungkook wrinkled his nose, almost a little endeared, he knew little of human marriage from the media he had watched when you weren’t present, and while humans had similar ideas of romance, it was hardly comparable, he spoke gently, “It’s far more special and permanent. Being bonded is…” He closed his eyes, a half dimpled smile on his lips as he hummed, “It’s like feeling like the universe has completely aligned on your behalf, and that the planets and stardust gifted you a celestial mate who would never turn their back on you, who would always dry your tears and heal you when you’re hurt. The bond extends past this lifetime and into the next and so forth.” 

“...You lost me at ‘more’ permanent…” For a woman with a whole baggage load of commitment issues Jungkook was really not selling this idea to you well, “Sorry but I think you got the wrong girl.” You could appreciate the bizarreness of this situation and admittedly you felt like you’d always have a superior ‘main character’ moment story to one up somebody with but this whole business about being stuck with someone for multiple lifetimes and having alien babies was really not something you could follow up with.

Jungkook looked severely hurt which made you do a double take, not quite anticipating such a pitiful reaction as his lips quivering and his eyes even looking somewhat glassy as he spoke, “O-oh...I see…” 

wow way to make you feel like an asshole. He had shuffled a little curling up against himself as if trying to make himself appear small as he looked away from you. Sighing you ran a hand through your hair, well fuck, what did you have to lose at this point in your life?

“...Jesus christ, okay...what...what does...you know…” you coughed a little, rubbing your neck as Jungkook’s doe eyes looked at you timidly before darting away when you met his gaze, “What does this bonding shit entail anyway?” 

Jungkook was incredibly attractive, there was no denying it and the worst that could happen would be things didn’t work and you just went back to normal non-tentacle men. Jungkook perked a little at your question, still seeming a bit reserved as he mumbled, “Well...bonding is a long process...it’s not something out of human fiction that just immediately happens. When a bond is first created it’s incredibly delicate, you have to be careful and make sure both partners dedicate time to strengthening the bond.”

Laying your head against your arms that were folded in front of you while listening intently you hummed, “And let’s say hypothetically, could the bond be broken?” 

Jungkook’s expression crumpled a little as he mumbled, “It can be severed, but the more strengthened the bond is, the more painful it’ll be for both partners. But yes, it is possible. I should also mention a bond is only possible unless both partners are in agreement and want it just as much as the other.” 

You hummed, thinking about his words, so technically it wasn’t really possible given both of you had different alignments right now, “Alright well, here on Earth we call it dating, which is a lot less intensive than that, so if you want me to do that then you’re gonna have to go by human standards first.” It was reasonable enough and a happy compromise.

You wouldn’t deny you felt a pull towards Jungkook, ever since he had arrived yesterday morning your life had been anything but normal and yet you embraced every twist and turn so far and...there was admittedly a secret giddy part of you that revelled in old childhood nostalgia that someone had actually fallen from the sky and would now show you a world of many possibilities outside of earth. 

The only thing holding you back was the logic and reason that your family held and pushed onto you at a young age, long gone were the days of staring up at the stars in hopes of seeing something supernatural and daydreaming during recess about being whisked off earth. You didn’t know how to connect with that childlike side of yourself anymore, it had been so long since you bothered with those thoughts that now that the opportunity was presented to you, you genuinely didn’t know how to react.

Jungkook had immediately perked up his brows raised and immediate interest in his expression, “I’ll do it! If it means winning your affection,” his smile was a little toothy and innocent as he spoke, “How do humans date? What do they do?” He tilted his head in curiosity while waiting excitedly for your reply.

You couldn’t help but smile a little at how enthusiastic he was, “Well…” you drew a breath in thought, “It’s not too different then it is from now, we’ll go out to eat together, get to know each other, stuff like that.” 

Jungkook deflated a little, confusion in his eyes as he frowned, “But that’s stuff we do now...as...friends…” his frown furthered on his lips, “What sets friends and dating apart if we do the same thing…?” 

You rubbed your neck, beginning to get a little flustered at his question as you shifted a little, mumbling, “Well the difference is friends are strictly platonic, dating someone means you’re interested in them romantically and...you know...we hold hands...or cuddle or...I don’t know romantic shit…Stuff friends don’t do.” 

When did Jungkook get closer to you? His head tilted in curiosity as he spoke, “...And? Is that it? I’m sorry,” he apologized a bit bashfully, looking rather pink, “I’m trying to discern possible differences in boundaries set between a regular human relationship compared to Orionian’s…I don’t want to do anything that might make you...uncomfortable…” 

You stared at him for a good moment, as if trying to discern whatever he was trying to say without actually saying it, “Well...I’m not sure how different it can be…” Jungkook said nothing, fidgeting a little as you looked at him for a long moment, “...I’d tell you if you made me uncomfortable.” Was this...going where you thought it was going? 

Jungkook shuffled a little closer, his nose nearly brushing yours and his lips that looked so soft jutted into a slight pout, his eyes could hardly meet yours as he timidly asked, “...How...intimate are humans in their relationships?” 

Your face felt like it was on fire though as you muttered with raised brows, “Uh pretty hands on...if you wanna fuck me you can just ask.” You looked up at him, feeling a bit bold given he was a little more on the shy side, you could tell just him asking that had obviously taken a lot of courage on his part.

Jungkook’s marks had suddenly filtered from baby pink to a deep maroon, his face looked nothing except shy and a bit hazy as he mumbled, “Would you let me…? I don’t...exactly share the same anatomy as your male counterpart...Orionian’s...intimacy looks a bit different.” 

You felt intrigued and horny at the same time, it was tentacles wasn’t it? Please god let it be the tentacles, “You can’t threaten me with a good time,” you laughed a little, trying to take a little bit of the nervous edge off Jungkook as you offered a small smile, “Just show me, I’m...what other humans would consider pretty kinky. Doubt it’ll scare me off.” You couldn’t admit that his tentacles were immediately making your panties soaked because god did you want to be filled up like a scared hentai girl right now.

You squeaked at Jungkook suddenly climbing on top of you, his eyes hazy and he pulled the sweatshirt over his head, revealing the strip of glowing maroon that led up the center of his arms and wrapped over his shoulders, his tentacles suddenly emerging from his back much to your horny excitement, “Our tendons are both are strongest and weakest point of our body.” Jungkook mumbled against your neck, the feeling of something extremely foreign wrapping around your thigh, almost something between like a soft silicon and jello substance. 

Not sticky like you had anticipated, but soft enough that it could be almost considered wet, “They protect us but they’re also what we use to procreate with, if they’re cut off or majorly damaged, we become sterilized. My eggs…” He suddenly became a bit timid as he mumbled, “They aren’t fertile yet...But regardless I wouldn’t fill you unless we were bonded, so you won’t have to worry about impregnation. Intimacy is still an act of strengthening a bond though, so it’s utilized a lot at the beginning of an Orionian relationship.”

You weren’t fully paying attention at this point, too busy nearly drooling at the feeling of his tendon slithering along your clothes, “I can understand if you’d prefer to not do this though.” Jungkook seemed somewhat embarrassed and timid, his tendons slithering around your pajama band but doing nothing further.

“No!” He nearly jumped  at how you almost yelled it, your eyes frantic and you were nearly dripping at how horny you were, your voice needy as you whined, “I’m literally a slut Jungkook, I’m more than happy to experiment.” 

Jungkook didn’t need anymore confirmation then just that, his tentacle that had been playing with the band of your pajamas immediately pushing underneath it as you whined, your legs immediately parting for it as it ran up your panties, the soft wetness that ebbed from it soaking whatever was dry of your panties, was this arousal of his own? He moaned softly as he pressed his face into your neck, “I know you feel this is fast, but Orionian’s tend to not like to waste time.” His tentacles slid along your panties before pushing inside the band.

Your lips parted at the soft wet sensation of it gently prodding along your clit in exploration making a yelp escape you.

Jungkook jolted a little in concern as he looked down at you, somewhat shyly and his cheeks were a deep maroon much like his marks, “Keep…! Fuck!” You whined at the way his tentacles as if testingly flicked along your clit, another tentacle which had been floating behind him absently had suddenly emerged forward, making quick work of your pajamas and panties as the other continued working along your clit making you whimper as your back arched a little. 

The second tendon slowly brushed along your soaked cunt, embarrassingly wet sounds could be heard throughout the room as Jungkook moaned in contentment, “This feels so nice,” he mumbled with a whine, the second tentacle which had been stroking you slowly wiggled against your entrance making you squeak. Your horniness couldn’t be put into words at how bad you wanted this man to shove all tentacles inside you.

Your lips immediately parting at the tip of the tentacle pushing inside you, it was too soft to be considered that of a toy or dildo but too firm to be anything foreign, you couldn’t resist propping yourself up onto your elbows, your legs spread as you looked down, your face twisting and cheeks throbbing at the lewd sight of two tentacles hard at work on your cunt, one continuously flicking your clit and rubbing along it while the other began to testingly thrust inside you. 

Your lips dropped open as you moaned feeling Jungkook push it further and further inside you before giving it a testing wiggle, a scream nearly ripped from your throat at how it hit all the right spots.

Unable to even support yourself as you dropped back down with a whine as Jungkook quickly began to pick up the pace even more, “Fuck,” he moaned softly, the tentacle pulsed and throbbed as it squished and wiggled while being thrusted back and forth in short motions, your cunt was so tight and your walls kept trapping him further and further inside you as you whined, “Mm, females of my kind don’t have anything like this,” he moaned two more tentacles had suddenly appeared from his back, one pinning your wrists above your head and the other wandering to your flimsy shirt before pushing underneath it, and much to his delight Jungkook found nothing underneath except your soft breasts, “Nothing this- mmm, fuck,” it came out more of a whine this time as you felt his tentacles wiggling in delight at the way your cunt clenched around him, “small, and warm...Fuck,” Jungkook dipped his head, running a hand through his hair, the third tendon wrapped around your nipple making you whimper, jolting as your cunt squeezed around the tentacle that was beginning to roughly split apart your walls as it discovered your g-spot, your mouth parting as whined spilled from your lips at the insane feeling of the tip of his tentacles flicking up against it rapidly.

“Ah! Fuck fuck fuck, Jungkook!” You whined as your back arched, your eyes nearly rolling to the back of your head at how many sensations were going on, between him finding the sweet spot of your clit, the tip of his tentacle flicking up into your g-spot the other one squeezing with just the right amount of pressure on your nipple. 

Jungkook’s lips parted and his eyes were hazy but in awe at the way your body contorted, your small little walls nearly entrapping his tentacle as you came harshly, whined and whimpers escaping you as he forcefully kept flicking up into your g-spot, his other rubbing gently against your clit as your body frantically moved, yet your hips kept thrusting up to try and take more of his tendon as you whined, “Fuck…! Jungkook! Ah..!” Jungkook moaned softly as he gave you just what you wanted, pushing himself further inside you until he was dangerously close to your cervix.

His tentacle was soft enough that no pain was even involved as he kept wiggling it into you, soundless moans escaped you as your cunt began wrapping convulsing around him, your clit burning in pleasure due to sensitivity as he kept letting the soft tendon rub against the tender bud.

“Fuck!” You whined, liquid suddenly spewing from your cunt much to Jungkook’s surprise, his tentacle had immediately restricted at the feeling leaving your cunt feeling empty and tears nearly escaping yours eyes in frustration due to it despite his second tendon continually abusing your clits sweet spot, within the second the first tentacle entered your once more pushing with no hesitation right back to its original position as Jungkook began wiggling once again with short thrusts. 

Your walls kept squeezing around him causing him to moan as he whined, “You- you need to stop doing that...feels too good.” He mumbled shyly against your skin as you nearly convulsed in pleasure at the way his third tendon was wrapped around your nipple, giving the bit of pressure that had your cunt squeezing around his tentacle, too busy in your own pleasure to care about what he wanted, your hand wrapped around his throat making his eyes widen and his lips part submissively, “I’m gonna keep doing what I want baby- fuck...I think you like it when my little cunt squeezes around it.” You purposely clenched around his tentacle and you could physically feel it throb inside you.

Jungkook’s lips trembled a little a moan escaped him at your hand squeezing lightly around his throat his tentacle immediately fucking you even faster in comply as your lips parted in glee, your hips rolling a little to slide along the slick thick tendon, “Thats right baby boy, I bet you’ve never felt a cunt like this before huh?” You let out a shaky cackle as your hand sadistically squeezed harder around his neck. 

His gaze dropped and he only whined, quickly crumbling to your dominant hands that only excited you further, it was one thing to cross off your bucket list getting fucked by an alien, it was two being able to dom one, “Oh am I suddenly in control now?” You mockingly pouted before a twisted smirk curled on your face at how Jungkook wouldn’t meet your eyes any longer.

Power was practically leaking in your veins, you were getting fucked by a tentacle alien and he was a shy little sub? Your squeezed harsher around his neck, a whiney moan suddenly escaping him as his tentacle harshly pulsed inside you before it frozen, his face buried into your neck, impatient and now knowing you could boss him around freely your hips lifted, squelching and slipping around the tendon with ease as his lips trembled against your neck, “Mmm! P-please! You have to slow down…” he whimpered a little at how cruel you were being with him. 

You could care less in this moment though, too busy living out your dream fantasy bucking your hips against the soft subtle material, your cunt squeezing around him as you moaned softly.

Your moan twisted to a growl at the feeling of his tentacle pausing in your clit, your hand finding his hair as you harshly balled it into your hand, “I didn’t give you permission to stop.” Jungkook’s gaze lowered and his eyes a little watery despite the angry pout on his face.

“You aren’t listening to me.” He mumbled stubbornly and your lips twitched, outwardly showing displeasure but inwardly seeking the chase he was trying to give. Jungkook fumbled with you had pushed away, briefly his tendons pulled away in semi surprise, at first assuming you had taken his shy words the wrong way but he was quickly mistaken when he was shoved onto the bed, a whine escaping him as the tentacles quickly adjusted to be semi flattened. His lips were quivering at the sight of your naked body straddling him and your hand on his jaw, “Truthfully, I don’t think you want me to listen baby.” You pouted mockingly, the feeling of his stretched tentacles seekingly wrapping around your thighs, “Open.” 

Jungkook’s lips parted a little, his eyes watering and looking a little confused at your words, but you had took advantage of the opportunity, spitting into his mouth as he suddenly whined, his ears bright red following along with the magenta color coursing through his body as your hand wrapped around his throat in a firm grip, “Good boy.” You smiled loosely, wiping a stray bit of saliva from his lip as he whined, a tentacle beginning to stroke against your soaked cunt once more but this time he did nothing except in hopes of an invitation.

“Such a good boy, go on, I know you want to.” You cooed out, your head hanging a little and your lips parting at the feeling of the tentacle plunging back inside your warm walls with a loud squelch, “Stay still.” You commanded sharply and with a noisy whine from Jungkook as he obediently listened, you could feel the foreign tendon inside you pulsing still as if it nearly killed him to do so. Your hips steadily began to move along the tentacle, your cunt clenching around it as you took more of him it only got fatter and thicker the more you took. 

“Ahh, fuck. That’s it baby, c’mon keep filling me up. I know you want to. I can see it in your face.” You taunted, feeling his tentacle doing a test wiggle inside you as you slid along it, arousal coating him as he whined, you had a great view of his other tentacles sliding from under his back and extending upward, the second quickly made way for your clit much to your excitement, your lips parted and a whine escaping you as it kept rubbing into your sweet spot it had previously discovered. 

You were too busy trembling and moaning, attempting to fight off another orgasm at the feeling of your clit almost feeling like it was being ate out at how soft the tip of his tentacle was gently lapping against it and a soft wet arousal of his own leaking from the tip, you had bounced against his tendon in short motions, craving all of him inside you as your body began to convulse, your hands balling against his chest with a whine at how difficult it was to stop yourself from cumming immediately.

Jungkook wasn’t letting go without a fight though, a third tentacle had surprised you, pushing between the cheeks of your ass making you nearly gasp a whine, “Fuck! Fuck, please.” You mumbled in a moment of weakness, giving your consent that you’d like to trust he’d be able to make this feel good. Jungkook didn’t hesitate for a second, the tentacle oozed a slippery liquid, his own arousal along your puckered rim. You were almost too fucked out to even pay attention, your body busy still riding him and trying to focus on anything but the feeling of the slippery tentacle flicking at your clit and finding nearly every pleasurable nerve physically possible. 

It was difficult to miss the third one pushing slowly into your ass as your lips jumbled something nearly incomprehensible, your body collapsing semi against him, only being held up by your weak forearms, “Mmph! Fuck baby keep going, just like that. Such a good boy for me.” 

Jungkook squeaked out what sounded like a pleasant noise at the praise, perhaps sensing your body beginning to crumble as his tentacles took back over, quickly thrusting inside you once more and wiggling to his heart's pleasure as drool nearly dropped from your lips. Unable to even do anything or say anything with two tentacles plunged inside you. 

The tip of the tentacle was just narrow enough to slip inside your ass with a gentle sting but pleasurable enough to make your toes curl and whines escape you at the feeling of the force of his thrusts on either side of your body. His second was still lapping up around your clit, finding that perfect spot that nearly made your vision go white and you weren’t sure what escaped your throat other than possibly the best orgasm you would ever experience in your life. 

And it didn’t stop after a second, it just kept going with his tentacles drilling inside you and lapping around your delicate hyper sensitive clit as you whined and cried against him. Jungkook moaned softly as you felt what potentially might have been a second tentacle greedily pushing inside your cunt, whimpers escaping you at how harshly he was thrusting up inside you and how stretched your body was. 

Your mouth parting at the feeling of the forth tentacle pushing its way to meet the first as you squeaked and whined against him, a tentacle wrapping around your waist to hold up your lower body that nearly collapsed as your vision blurred with tears at how hard you were being fucked. Jungkook’s eyes were shut tightly and his hands had finally grabbed your waist as extra support as his third tentacle wiggled its way further into your ass. The pleasurable sting becoming more and more noticeable as you cried out at the feeling of one tentacle flicking up against your g-spot and the other harshly thrusting into you while your clit was hypersensitive at the feeling of being rubbed and flicked. 

Your last orgasm couldn’t even compete with this one as you cried out, body convulsing and cunt tightening as you nearly scrambled almost looking possessed to the unknown eye, your body had clenched up so hard at being so filled you hadn’t even heard the sharp whine from Jungkook. Hot liquid suddenly spurted everywhere the majority of it inside you but some getting on you, over the bed, everywhere. 

Jungkook whimpered and whined, digging his face into your neck and his tentacles were pulsing sharply as if literally pumping out every drop of liquid they could inside you. You were so fucked out you could hardly even ask what in the actual hell he just injected inside you. You had already been tired before but your body was burning and aching, feeling as if you had literally been ripped to pieces. 

At least you finally got a piece of that tentacle action.

You were not someone that fucked and then immediately slept afterwards, typically after a one night stand, depending on your relation with the person you would either ghost them by pretending to go to the bathroom, talk and hang out afterwards, or go get something to eat together, or by yourself, you weren’t picky.

Rubbing your blurry eyes you yawned, your body aching with even the slightest movement, Jungkook was the first man who had ever fucked you so hard, you had little to no choice but to fall asleep afterwards, you probably couldn’t even stand if you wanted too. He was curled up against your chest at the moment, his head pressed into your breasts looking way too content at the moment. 

Your eyes trailed down at his fluffy raven hair before down the warm tawny skin of his back, something in your chest stirring, it felt like it was almost physically tugging you closer to his body, your hand finding its way to his hair making him stir a little. Jungkook’s arms wiggled against your waist to make himself comfortable once more before relaxed with a content sigh. 

The marks on his back glowed a sentient purple, you had never gotten a good look at his back before. 

And while this wasn’t that great of a position to view, you were still curious with what you could see, they formed two long strips down his back widening a fair bit and they stopped just at the smallest part of his waist. If you didn’t know any better you would’ve remarked that it looked like he had wings ripped from his back.

As morbid as it sounded, and that is of course if they glowed like this. Jungkook really was the prettiest thing you had ever seen, your hand hadn’t even meant to pull from his hair down his neck, you couldn’t help the tug in your chest wanting to touch.

However the moment your fingers grazed over the mark that covered his left shoulder blade Jungkook nearly flew out of your arms making you jolt in just as much surprise as him, his lips parted and he had sat up, gaze sharp as he looked around as if for any possible intruders. Slowly as he woke up though he came to the realization it was just you and him, your smile becoming somewhat sheepish as you mumbled, “Um, sorry, I didn’t mean to wake you.” You cleared your throat feeling bad now, was it just that sensitive? You might not know much about Orionian’s but you could take a guess and assume that was the opening to where his tentacles laid dormant, and given they were also how they procreated...It was natural Jungkook was probably a little defensive about them being touched. 

Jungkook said nothing though, only staring at you for a long moment before he whined a little, suddenly crawling back up to you before collapsing on top of you as you huffed, “You can’t startle me like that, my scaling is sensitive.” He mumbled a little shy, grabbing your hand as he placed it back on top of his head obviously wanting affection. 

Your fingers dug back into his scalp making a pleasant noise escape him as his body relaxed once more, “...Scaling?” Your brows furrowed at his words, complying with his silent demand to have his hair played with as he curled up against you, his lips tugged into a smile as he rested his face between your breast. 

“Yeah, my scales.” Jungkook nodded as he held up his arm, pointing at the glowing marks making you frown, that...looked nothing like scales....Jungkook smiled a little as he rested back down while explaining, “There filled with hyper plasma so depending on the hormonal chemistry of my body will change colors.” You got that part, even before he could speak English, but still...when you thought of scales, you thought of stuff like fish and...scaly things. Not aliens. 

Jungkook only smiled happily as he looked up at you, it looked like thousands of stars twinkling in his eyes and the dim lights reflected off his iridescent skin, little tones of purple and blue could be spotted as he lifted his hand up to cup your cheek, his fingers carefully trailing down your jawline. There was a wave in your chest, something strong like...the only thing you could describe was pure happiness, “Hey what did you blow inside?” You hadn’t even meant to ask that question but it had abruptly crossed your mind. 

Jungkook’s gaze faltered a little, his scales suddenly turning bright pink and his bashfully lowered his gaze, pressing his cheek on your chest as he mumbled, “It was just plasma, it’s what helps carry eggs when they’re released but...I already told you...my eggs aren’t ready yet. You have no possible chance of getting pregnant without my prior knowledge.” 

His fingers tethered against your stomach as if saddened at the idea that his future kin weren’t in your stomach, a wave of sadness fleeting inside your chest briefly as you frowned, why did you feel so odd? You weren’t even the least bit sad about not being pregnant. 

“Okay...good I was just..wondering since…” You coughed a little, not finishing your sentence which you were originally going to say because he used you like an actual cum dump- not that you minded. But still. It was good to know. Jungkook said no more, only burying into your chest with a pouty whine. 

Yawning you stretched out looking around before grabbing your phone which had somehow made it alive on your night stand, your notifications flooded with Jimin’s drunk texting on where you went last night and why you weren’t home...Wait, your eyes darted to the time, it was noon?! You had a lecture in half an hour! 

“Fuck! I have to get to class!” You immediately jolted up making Jungkook whine as he was jostled onto the bed as you limped along in search of your clothes, your body aching and resisting with each fumble before you nearly collapsed out of fatigue while grabbing your panties. 

“Can’t you just stay? Just for a little longer?” Jungkook mumbled, his lips in a large puppy like pout as he held out his hand to you, something stirring in your chest that wanted to just curl back up against him, his eyes doe like and soft, almost pleading for you to cuddle back up against him. 

“I have midterms coming up Jungkook, I really can’t afford to skip class.” You offered an apologetic smile, “Besides it’s not like we can’t go get something to eat later or anything.” Pulling your pants up you wobbled to the door, frowning as you pulled your sweatshirt back over your head, where was the door handle…?

“..B-but!” Jungkook fumbled as he pulled his shirt over his head before hurrying over to you, “Just five more minutes? Or two? Please…!” There was something urgent in his voice as his lips trembled as if he would be devastated if you left. 

Examining the door your lips parted as you pushed the button on the wall, jolting a little as the door slid open, “Jungkook,” You paused briefly, feeling a dull ache in your chest, a brief desire to do as pleaded as you looked up at him, “I really have to go to class okay? I’ll drop by later when I’m finished for the day I’m sure you...have stuff you need to talk about with your...um...kin…” You raised your brow a little awkwardly before you back walking down the hallway, something inside the back of your head almost tempted to stay with him. 

He looked so panicked and whiny, it made you feel bad for having to go, and furthermore you secretly wished you could stay longer but you couldn’t afford to miss class with midterms so close. 

If your memory was correct this should lead to…! Aha, you felt victorious at the sight of the main, living area?  The circular table was towards the smaller three step ledge that went up into the control room and the purple bonsai-like plant which had just been freshly pruned sat delicately on the other side of the room. 

“No! I....Can I come with you then? And then we can come back here together later?” Jungkook pleaded, his lips trembling and his eyes almost watery as you paused with a sigh, he was really tugging on your heart strings huh...It was almost easier to deny him back when he was unable to actually speak his wants to you. 

“Jungkook I- I mean I guess you could…? But like, it’s just lecture, it’s boring, I have to be focused the whole time and no offense but...I feel like if you came I wouldn’t focus.” You pulled a little away from him with an awkward smile while silently hoping the door had been fixed. 

“Morning you two,” You turned around at the sight of Namjoon appearing from the large opening of the control room Taehyung who still looked sour following after him only to lean against the wall with crossed arms, Namjoon stepped down the three steps as he offered a polite smile, “I hope you slept well, I’m sure it’s a lot different compared to human dorms.” 

You looked away from Namjoon unable to speak at the question of having slept well, you hardly slept half the night after getting your back blown out, but he was right, it was nothing like human- in any aspect whatsoever, whether it was the bed or who you got fucked by last night. 

“It was fine...um the door....Is it fixed?” You pointed your thumb behind your shoulder as you offered a weak smile. 

Namjoon nodded stepping closer before he abruptly paused, his brows furrowing before he looked between you and Jungkook without so much as a word, it made you somewhat self conscious as you shuffled in your spot at nobody volunteering to get the door open, “Yeah, it’s fixed, umm…” His smile was a little tense before he looked between you and Jungkook, “Are you both going out? Already?” 

Jungkook refused to look his elder in the eyes, his lips plush and pouty, hair dusting over his eyes as he shuffled in his spot refusing to answer whatever unasked question his elder had, “Uh yeah, I’m going to class, Jungkook can stay here though, I’ll be back later.” You shrugged, not understanding what their problem was. 

Taehyung had not interjected into the conversation yet, his dark hair brushing over his eyes only in the opposite effect of Jungkook, making him look as if he had a death warrant with your name on it, “And leave Jungkook alone?” He gritted his teeth looking like he was ready to snarl at you, your lips quirked a little and your brow lifted in confusion, wasn’t that typically what people meant when they said they had to leave…? 

“Uh yeah, and I’ll come back…?” You trailed off, making it sound more like a question then a statement before Taehyung suddenly pushed off the wall, his walk was by no means in any hurry, but his shoulders were squared and his steps were paced with determination that had you taking a step back at the sight of him not stopping until he was right in front of you. 

The energy of the room had gone tense before Taehyung snarled, “You bonded with my little brother and now you’re going to leave him!?” 

You shrieked at suddenly being shoved against the wall, your ribs throbbing in pain as Taehyung’s hand wrapped around your throat, crushing your windpipe as you gagged, “Humans really are pathetic selfish people.” Tentacles suddenly wrapped around Taehyung’s hand before he was ripped away from you, hot red scales were a blur as Jungkook stood in front of you protectively. 

Your hands rubbing your sore throat as you leaned against the wall gasping for air, “Stay out of this!” Jungkook growled, his lips twitching and his eyes burning into his brothers, “This doesn’t involve you, let me sort it out and if you ever fucking touch my mate like that again I won’t hesitate to rip your eggs straight out of your utaria.” 

You jolted at the sight of Taehyung lashing out at Jungkook, both of them slamming into the wall near the hallway as they grappled and yet you could only stare in shock at what had just happened and what you had just heard. Namjoon was immediately between them both separating the two as he growled, “Taehyung that wasn’t necessary! I doubt she even realizes what happened!” Namjoon immediately twisted towards Jungkook with a scowl, “And you! What did I tell you last night?” 

Jungkook’s jaw was clenched, his scales a hot burning red that matched Taehyung’s and yet his eyes couldn’t meet Namjoon’s, his lips twitching a little as he glared into the wall, his expression slowly melting as Namjoon snapped, “What did I tell you!? Why can’t you two ever listen for once? If you had we probably wouldn’t even be stuck on Earth right now! This is your mess Jungkook, I told you it wasn’t a good idea to bond this early on in our stay on Earth.” 

Jungkook’s expression had turned neutral but something in his eyes still seemed bitter as he stared at the ground now, perhaps too scared to look up at you, who had backed away from all the men in shock. You...but...Jungkook said…The silence set in and slowly each brother turned their gaze towards you before Jungkook was the last, his face filled with remorse at your expression as your lips parted, “You…! You told me-” Your lips parted variously before you finally forced out a sentence, “You lied to me!” 

“I didn’t!” Jungkook immediately hurried over to you, his expression filled with guilt and desperation, “I- Y/n I wasn’t even aware we had bonded until Taehyung pointed it out! I’m sorry I had no idea I…!” All you heard was excuse after excuse though, something indescribable filled your chest and your vision blurred in anger. 

“I’m going! I can’t…! I can’t even look at you right now Jungkook!” Upset felt like it had magnified tenfold in your chest as you rushed down the metal stairs, punching against the button before the door opened, your throat felt squeezed and like you were suffocating as you ran as far and fast as your legs could take you. What was happening to you? 

“I’m fine…” 

Jimin and Seokjin exchanged glances, light poured in from the opened door behind them of your bedroom, the blanket wrapped around your body has you held it up above your nose, “Uh don’t lie bitch,” Jimin quirked a brow, his lips twitching in anger at just the sight of you trying to tell such an obvious lie, “It’s been three days since...whatever happened with JK- “Jungkook,” “I don’t give a fuck what his name is, you’ve been a recluse ever since, what happened?” 

Just the mention of Jungkook’s name made your chest physically ache as you curled further into yourself, you weren’t in physical pain, you couldn’t even fully describe it. 

All of your feelings just felt so amplified, like they swirled at just the surface of your chest and ready to burst out at any given moment. It felt like a physical string around your heart that squeezed and tugged harder and harder that left you in a depressed state with no energy left to do anything except what you had been doing.

Weakly sleeping half the time or scrolling on your phone in a useless attempt to think about anything other than Jungkook. You couldn’t even understand how you felt so attached to him and how much your body ached to just be wrapped up in his arms, but you were still so upset at what had happened. 

Questions swirled in your mind and to which you didn’t have the answer too and it made you even more upset that you wouldn’t get answers unless you went back, “Y/n, we’re just worried.” Seokjin raised his brows, his expression apprehensive but softened at the weak state you were in, “You haven’t been out of your room ever since the morning after the party. Midterms are just around the corner, I doubt you slack off for a shit reason.” 

You only curled up further before you sighed, closing your eyes as you finally caved in and mumbled an explanation as to what had happened and what you were now suffering under. Seokjin seemed more calm but Jimin’s lips were twitching in anger as he scowled, “You’re joking! Well let’s just go and demand he cut whatever alien ties he has on you.” 

You knew he was just trying to help but you only shook your head, “...Taehyung said I was the one that had apparently formed the bond, I didn’t even know that was possible.” You mumbled, you buried into your pillow, a feeling of guilt building into your chest as you tried to forget the ghost image of Jungkook’s hurt eyes in your mind. 

“Well it’s obviously affecting you mentally and physically, I mean seriously, you haven’t showered in days, you aren’t eating, Y/n…” Seokjin kneeled down, a frown on his face, “You need to swallow your pride, as stubborn as you are, and go talk to Jungkook about this. We’ll come with you, you probably won’t even have the energy to get there, but he’s the only one who can help.”

You managed to roll over to your side, your back facing them both now as you pulled the blanket over your head, you didn’t want to face Jungkook again, you weren’t sure you were ready to. You had so many mixed feelings and you weren’t even sure what to begin on asking questions. 

Neither said anymore before you heard Seokjin reluctantly sigh, “I’ll leave it for tonight, but tomorrow morning you’re giving us directions and we’re going to get this sorted.” They both left shortly after and closed the door sinking the room back into a depth of darkness. A heavy weight back on your chest and sudden ache filling you as you curled up, a dull sense of urgency inside you but you couldn’t distinguish what for. It felt like you needed to cry even despite not feeling sad, but maybe as a way to just release this energy.

But you didn’t do anything besides lay on your back, staring up at the ceiling as you sighed, trying to ignore the dull ache of your head, what a shit show. If you had known what your life would come to by just trying to be a good person, you would’ve left him in that ditch. ----

It felt like your body was being dragged through the mud, through the fire and hell maybe even gitting shit on at this point, “This is so stupid.” You mumbled, curled up in your hoodie as you hugged your knees into your chest in the back of Seokjin’s car. 

“You’re the one that fucked an alien,” Jimin snorted, twisting in his seat as he cocked a brow, “Which, what possessed you to do that seriously? Your stupid little hentai fantasies?” He stared at you with a bizarre expression as you snorted weakly. 

“Yeah pretty much.” 

“Fucking knew it,” Jimin collapsed back in his seat, “We could get our assholes probed by aliens now because she couldn’t keep her panties on at the sight of a slimy tentacle.” He raised his hands dramatically and you could’ve sworn you heard Seokjin try to keep from laughing at you both. 

“They’ll probe you with their tentacles too, apparently they make their own lube home made so they’ll slide it right in no problem.” If you had the energy you would’ve died laughing at the way Jimin whipped around in his seat in horror. 

“No fucking way. You WILLINGLY let him do that to you?” 

You couldn’t stop the weak laugh escaping you as you leaned your head against the window, “I’m a slut.” You shrugged before you lifted your head a little, “Right there! It should be in the field. I think it has some sort of cloaking shield or something.” Seokjin pulled off on the old winding back road which looked familiar enough.

He hadn’t been going fast to begin with and you had already stopped twice and the two other fields had been empty so this one had to be it, and if it wasn’t then it was safe to say you broken Jungkook’s heart right in two and he and his other space fuckboy brothers left Earth for good. Which you hoped not because you felt like you were in a weird limbo between life and death at the moment. 

Stepping out of the car you paused as you heaved a breath, leaning against the car as you sighed, the energy feeling like it had been sucked straight out of your soul every passing minute. Jimin looked at you mildly concerned as you waved him off, slowly pushing yourself straight up as you wrapped your arms around yourself. 

The comforts of your hoodie keep you warm as you ignore the dull ache in your chest, Seokjin and Jimin both kept close as you all looked like idiots wandering around in an empty field. The empty field however, upon stepping forward had suddenly blurred before the familiar sight of the ship came into view. Seokjin and Jimin were dumbfounded at the sight as they both stared. 

You only trudged forward towards the door before you slammed your hand against the metal door, “Well? What are you both doing just standing there?” You asked with a furrowed brow.

“Well sorry I didn’t fuck an alien the first chance I got.” Jimin fumbled out with a huff as he hurried over along with Seokjin. 

The door had immediately been opened to a relieved looking Namjoon, his eyes briefly landing on Jimin and Seokjin warily as he spoke, “I’m glad you came back! Come on, hurry in.” He ushered you in, “...I’m assuming these are your...friends…?” 

“Best friends, roommates, the same guys that also allowed your little space fuckboy to stay with us.” Jimin growled out as he crossed his arms, standing as a big brother you never asked for as Seokjin snorted. 

“Chill,” He shoved Jimin a little who only grumbled under his breath before he spoke, “I’m Seokjin and that’s Jimin, we’re Y/n’s roommates we’re already uh...aware of what you guys are we just...we don’t know what’s going on, we just want Y/n to be okay.” 

Namjoon nodded slowly, still a little wary but it was to be expected, he said no more as he widened the latch for the three of you, “Y/n left right at the beginning stage of their bond when it’s imperative that the newly bonded couple stay together and establish a stable connection. If not, it becomes unstable and drains the life force out of both individuals causing a wide variety of ailments and illnesses to take over. It’s good you guys came back when you did, Jungkook is doing even worse sense he was the Si in the bond.” 

“What is she doing back here?” Your lips twitched a little at the snarl from Taehyung who had shot up from his seat at the table, his eyes glaring holes into you and honestly, if he could vaperize you into dust at the moment you were sure he probably would. 

“Here to break the little probe ass connection your fuckboy put on her,” Jimin snapped back unappreciative at someone talking this way to you especially in the condition you were in right now.

Taehyung’s lip twitched as he shot out of his seat, “My little brother may be naive but he had good intentions and she took advantage of his fragile state! He wasn’t in any sort of headspace to do anything!” You only curled away from Taehyung with mixed feelings, you wouldn’t necessarily describe Jungkook’s state of mind at the time, fragile as it was just horny. 

Namjoon sighed as he looked at Seokjin before at you and then the two feuding men who were practically glaring into one another, “Taehyung, don’t do anything irrational, I’m going to get Jungkook.” Namjoon disappeared and it was quiet inside the ship as a tension took over the room. 

You tried your best to ignore it as you slumped against the wall, listening to the whirling on the interior running. Not a minute later you heard a loud flutter of steps as you looked up, Jungkook’s hair had been ruffled and he had looked extraordinarily tired, his scales however were lit up a sky blue, his lips parted as if trying to figure out if you were real or not before he hurried to you. 

His arms wrapping around you and a small whimper escaping him as his nose rubbed into your neck, your face pressed into his chest with a sigh of relief, the dull ache in your chest fading quickly as you basked in the warmth of Jungkook’s arms. You had hugged many people in your life before and sure it was nice, but you couldn’t even describe the wash of comfort and love that radiated through your entire being at being curled up in this man’s arms. 

Jungkook’s nose nudged at your neck a little and buried himself into your embrace as his fingers fiddled with the thick material of your hoodie, “Jungkook,” Jungkook shuffled a little, his body practically wrapped around you as his eyes slowly looked up from his content figure to meet Namjoon’s gaze, “You both should go lay down and begin to properly set your bond together, I’m sure you’re both exhausted.” 

Jungkook nodded wordlessly, perhaps not trusting himself to speak as he began to lead you towards his pod, “Woah, wait hold on.” Jimin cut in only for a snarl like growl to escape Jungkook, tentacles suddenly shooting from his back protectively pulling towards the front of his body to create a barrier between you and any threat that might take you away from him. 

“Woah holy fuck!” Jimin nearly screeched, holding his hands up and freaking out a little at seeing a killer glare on such an innocent face, “We didn’t come here for this…! What, what do you mean, set a bond? I don’t want Y/n out of our sight…!” 

Jungkook’s lip twitched in annoyance as he set his chin on your shoulder, his arms tightening around your waist and you could see the red glow of his scales slowly deepening further into a dark maroon, he did not look happy. 

Namjoon put up a hand, offering a tense smile, “All that entails is them being together and being close, they need to stabilize their bond. Once it’s set they can figure out whether they want to...bond further or…” Namjoon didn’t finish his sentence, is eyes warily lingering on the younger’s expression which was sharp and annoyed, “...You get the idea, I would advise against stopping him, trying to separate them now when he just got her back….I can’t guarantee I’ll keep you both alive.” 

Jimin and Seokjin shared a wary glance before stepping aside, Jungkook’s gaze broody as he watched them sharply as he trudged you both forward, his tentacles still out and floating behind him now as if ready to strike on contact. The tension didn’t leave until you were back into his pod once more, the room having not been changed except for a lot more clutter accumulation- much like your own room. 

You hadn’t even had the chance to open your mouth before you were suddenly picking up, your legs wrapping around Jungkook as you squirmed, “Jungkook!” You squeaked out, his hands gripping your ass tightly but his face kept nudging into your neck as he whined,  the killer aura he had not seconds ago immediately disappearing, “Don’t ever do that again,” You were nearly crushed when you were dropped onto the bed before Jungkook collapsed on top of you, “Please.” Guilt nearly devoured your heart at the way Jungkook held back a sob, his voice pleading and cracked, “It’s not fair! You-! You can’t just do this to me then leave. Never again.” You felt warm substance dripping onto your skin and your heart was pounding in your chest. 

An innate need coursing through your veins to dry his tears as you did so, “I’m sorry! I’m sorry okay?” You whispered out, your hands cupping his cheeks, that iridescent glow on his skin and his eyes watery and big, “I’m just…! I was just scared, I didn’t know what was going on and I just thought I needed time to think. I had no idea what the effects were and what would happen if I left. I’m not going to leave okay? I won’t leave.” 

Jungkook only closed his eyes, tears falling down his cheeks and you couldn’t help but watch in a melancholy awe at an almost glittery substance filling his tears, making the stains on his skin glisten and glitter under the dark lights of his room, Jungkook said no more, perhaps not trusting himself too and only curled himself further against your as your hands soothingly ran through his hair as his body melted into yours. No words were further spoken between you both as you curled against him once more, your nose burying in his hair with the innate need to comfort him. 

Feelings were too intense and magnified, as if you could feel every speck of hurt and misery Jungkook had suffered without you and despite being cognitively aware you in any other case wouldn’t be like this, you still were. You didn’t understand what happened, or how it happened, but what you did know was that despite all of the uncertainty, Jungkook needed you. 

You weren’t sure how much time had passed, neither of you had talked for what seemed like hours, only staying close in one another's arms, and slow but surely, that unstable feeling in your chest was beginning to fade and was replaced by what you could only describe as a warm, bright thrum.

Both of you were awake, but Jungkook’s eyes looked far away, his face still laid against your chest as you tenderly stroked through his hair, “Jungkook,” He didn’t respond right away, shifting a little before those doe eyes looked up at you, his lips jutted into a soft pout that nearly broke your heart out of guilt, “What....what’s going on? I don’t understand anything.” Your fingers delicately traced his prominent cheekbones, his face immediately nuzzling into your hand as his eyes closed. 

Jungkook’s lips trembled only a little as he mumbled, “...I...I’m not sure...I told you before that in order for a bond to be created it has to be wanted between both parties involved,” His nose nudged your hand as you tenderly thumbed his cheek, “Wh-which means...even if it wasn’t a surface thought you still energetically reached out and initiated the bond making you the Fi and me the Si since I accepted without realizing.” 

His lips went pouty before he pressed his head back against your chest as you stared down at him mildly confused, perhaps realizing this he spoke further, “Fi and Si are considered sacred opposites, in a bond both people take on one or the other, the initiator the Fi and the receiver the Si, it makes sense you didn’t feel as much as I did, the Fi in the bond isn’t affected nearly as heavily as the Si is because you were the one who created the bond.”

You still didn’t quite understand other than this being a Yin and Yang equivalent with a dash of omegaverse on the side, but then again, if humans had descended from Orionian’s then the apple truly didn’t fall too far from the tree. 

“And...the Fi is what…? The more dominant one?” You quirked a brow, a smile threatening to tug on your lips as Jungkook looked up at you, an unfair pout of his face as he set his chin on your chest, leading you to believe there was some merit to your words. 

“Not exactly, it just means you were the one who established the bond, making you the one who, in more primal words, the caretaker. With newly bonded couples, it’s imperative that you be together for the first few days to stabilize the bond. Si tends to be more....” He shifted a little, his scales becoming pink as he buried into your chest, “...Clingy...and Fi tends to facilitate and care for Si while the bond stabilizes.”

Your hand made its way back to his hair as you tenderly combed through the soft silky locks as Jungkook’s relaxed back against you, practically melting into your touch as you hummed, “And...if it isn’t stabilized?” 

Jungkook shifted a little against you as he mumbled, “...Well, both people become....I don’t know how to truly describe, if a bond isn’t stabilized...it becomes difficult to distinguish your own feelings from your partners, and with the bond unstable it causes an emptiness to fill both which causes sadness and pain, but because feelings can be mutually felt, it magnifies those feelings tenfold...Until eventually….” Jungkook frowned as he shrugged a little timidly, “Both go insane, or end up commiting suicide out of despair. Si feels it a lot more intensely then Fi though because of being the one who was tethered into the bond rather than creating it.”

Oh…

You said nothing, feeling even worse now knowing what had happened and what you could have possibly caused, not only this but for Jungkook to suffer through so much all because you couldn’t just hear him out for less than five minutes, “Don’t blame yourself,” Jungkook sat up a little to look at you earnestly, as if knowing exactly what you felt despite not saying anything, “You don’t know anything about Orionian’s, I...I should’ve handled everything better then I did…” His gaze lowered looking a little glassy as he sighed, “Just...please never do that again.” He collapsed back against you with a quiet mumble, “I was miserable.” 

“I won’t baby.” You ushered softly, pressing your lips into his hair as he basked in your love, the silence taking over once more as you relaxed back down against him, intending on letting yourself fall asleep again before you felt a low rumble in your stomach, before you sighed...Well he did say since you were….Fi...that you were supposed to be a caretaker....?

“Hey, I’m starving...you want me to get us something to eat?” You sat up a little as Jungkook shifted beneath you with a whine, his cheeks puffing a little as he huffed, saying nothing but you had a suspicion that he was definitely hungry, “I’m getting us something to eat, what do you want babe?” You got out of bed making Jungkook scramble with another whine. 

He immediately latched himself to you as you sighed, “Then we’re going together. Do you guys even have human food here?” 

“We have plamatic barrettes.” Jungkook perked a little in excitement as you frowned. 

“Can...Are...are they edible for humans?” You raised a brow as you opened the door, doing an awkward waddle as Jungkook back hugged you, happily nuzzling into your neck before he frowned.

“Well...um…” He rubbed his head as you tutted, it wasn’t that you weren’t willing to try it but you were really craving some fries right now and whatever it was they ate, didn’t sound even close to a potato. 

“We can try it later babe, I brought my wallet so we can go get something to eat, if Jimin and Seokjin haven’t left it’ll be like a two minute drive.” You shrugged as you both entered the common space. 

“You both aren’t going anywhere.” Namjoon had been running around with Taehyung while Jimin and Seokjin were working frantically on...what looked like an engine box as the man turned around with a serious expression making you and Jungkook twist into concern, “The Arbitrators are here on Earth, which means we’re leaving.” 

You didn’t quite understand the gravity of the situation but...you had a feeling this wasn’t an ideal situation.

[daryl-dixon-daydreams]

Words: 3,324 Daryl Dixon x Reader Reader pronouns: she/her Era: Alexandria Warnings: Language, typical TWD stuff A/N: This is Part 6 of a series! Find the previous parts on the Masterlist! Summary: Daryl worries about Y/N after the traumatic incident outside the wall.

Your name: submit What is this?

Daryl didn’t see you that whole day after he had talked with Rick, or the next morning so he decided to pay you a visit and make sure you were okay. He wiped his hands on the rag he always kept in his back pocket and put away the tools he had been using to work on his bike. Just as he was getting ready to leave, Aaron stepped out into the garage and Daryl greeted him with a nod.

“Done for the day?”

Daryl shrugged. “For now at least.” He thoughtfully chewed his bottom lip for a moment. “Hey, uhh, ya seen Y/N since that night we got back?”

Aaron’s face fell a bit but he nodded. “I stopped by her place yesterday.”

Daryl leaned back against the table, crossing his arms over his chest. “How’d she seem?”

Aaron shrugged and sighed heavily. “She seemed… okay. I don’t think she’s been sleeping,” he said a little hesitantly. He shook his head, frowning. “The bruising on her neck… it’s bad. Thank God you were there.”

Daryl’s stomach flipped at the thought. “Ya… Well, the whole thing was bad. Those people? Seemed like—” he hesitated to say what was on his mind, to confide in Aaron, but he also felt like it was eating him alive. Maybe if he spoke it, he would feel less consumed by it. “It seemed like they knew her.”

Aaron’s brow drew down low over his eyes. “Hmm. What do you mean?”

“I heard ‘em say she was comin’ ‘back where she belongs.’ And more than that—if they had wanted to kill her, she’d be dead. They both had guns and knives on ‘em. But they didn’t. They were tryin’ ta take her.”

The shadow on Aaron’s face deepened and he rubbed a hand thoughtfully over his chin and mouth. “Well, I don’t think I need to tell you that the intentions of some men out there in this world are even more emboldened now,” he said with disgust.

“Yeah… But ain’t the first time neither. That night I stitched up that gash in her arm she said the same thing. She said ‘if they had wanted to kill me, I’d be dead.’”

Aaron gulped and shook his head. “I don’t know what—I just—I don’t know,” he said vaguely. “She hasn’t told me much about before.”

Daryl turned back to the table and fiddled with some of the parts. “Seems like she’s got a target painted on her. Maybe she shouldn’t be out,” he thought aloud.

Aaron shook his head. “Yeah, well that will never happen. Trying to keep her inside Alexandria is like trying to hold water in your hands. We’d probably have to lock her up.” He sighed heavily again and rested his hands on his hips. “Whatever is out there, whatever her past is… she knows the risks of going out. There isn’t going to be any convincing her to stay inside.”

Daryl nodded and chewed the side of his thumbnail. “Ya…”

Aaron let out a wry laugh. “I mean, can you imagine if someone told you that you needed to stay inside?”

One corner of Daryl’s mouth twitched upwards. “Ya. I know. Ain’t happenin’.” Daryl sighed. “Well, I guess the only thing for it is to try to convince her not to go alone.”

Aaron smiled at the archer. “Sounds reasonable. Know anyone for the job?” he joked. Daryl shot him a look and Aaron laughed and held his hands up. “See you later, Daryl.”

Daryl hummed an acknowledgement, set down the part he’d been anxiously fiddling with, and headed out of the garage in the direction of your house.

He felt a bit nervous as he climbed the stairs on your front porch, noticing how clammy his palms suddenly felt, and when first he knocked there was a long silence. He wondered if you were going to answer the door at all and a distinct worry seized him—that you really weren’t okay. But, finally, he could hear some soft footsteps approaching the other side of the door and then it opened a crack.

You peeked out hesitantly but as soon as you saw it was Daryl you opened the door wide. “Daryl. Hi.”

He cleared his throat a little awkwardly. “Hey.”

Aaron was right. You looked exhausted. There were dark circles under your eyes and your shoulders were somewhat slumped.

You continued to peer at him, waiting for some explanation for why he was standing there at your door.

“I, uhh—I hadn’t seen ya since we got back. Just wanted to see if ya needed anything. Ya know, and see how you’re healin’ up.”

“Oh. That’s—you want to come in?” you offered stepping back to make way for his broad-shouldered frame.

“Thanks,” Daryl murmured as he crossed the threshold. You shut the door behind him and he followed you up the hall and into the kitchen. He could see a pillow and blanket laid out on the couch in the living room. It looked like you’d been camping out there. He gave you a questioning glance. “So, how ya feelin’?” Daryl’s eyes found the dark bruising around your neck.

“I’m fine. Thanks,” you said a little quietly.

He considered you thoughtfully for a moment, chewing the inside of his cheek. “Ya sure?”

You sighed heavily and pressed a hand to your forehead. “Yeah. I just—haven’t slept really,” you admitted.

Daryl nodded, looking again at the makeshift bed in your living room. “Ya camping out down here?”

You followed him as he trailed over to peer at the blankets spilling off the couch and onto the floor. “Uhh… sort of. I thought maybe a change of scenery would help.” And you had the thought that if you were on the ground floor, you’d hear someone trying to break into your house…

“Did it?” he asked, his blue eyes finding yours.

“Not really.”

The archer’s brow drew down, veiling his eyes in shadow, and he let out a hum of acknowledgement. “Ya know if having other people around would help, ya could—” he cleared his throat again, his heart racing, “ya could come stay over at our place. We’ve got a full house. Ya know, if—if it’d feel safer. Ya could take my bed. It’s in the basement away from everybody.” He watched your eyelashes flutter as you looked up at him in surprise.

“Oh. I can’t—that—that’s okay,” you said, averting your eyes back down toward your feet.

Daryl’s heart was pounding as he offered up his second idea, nervously rubbing a hand over the back of his neck. “Well, I—I could stay over here. Just to, ya know, keep an eye on things. If it’d help.” Your eyes lifted back up to his face again and there was that vulnerability in your eyes again that always surprised him. He watched as your lips parted slightly as you prepared to speak.

“I can’t—I can’t ask you to do that,” you said softly, quickly averting your eyes from the sudden softness in his and fiddling with the hem of your sleeve.

“Ya ain’t askin’. I offered,” he said. “If ya think it’d help ya get some sleep. You’re healin’ up. Ya need it.”

You glanced up at him again, now your expression was somewhat guarded as you took him in. You gulped at the nervous lump in your throat. “They aren’t gonna miss you over there?” you asked hesitantly.

“Nah,” he said.

You watched him for a long moment, considering his offer, but at length you nodded, remembering how well you had slept with him nearby even outside of Alexandria’s walls. Since you’d gotten back the nightmares had returned and gotten worse, likely a result of your latest encounter. “Okay. If—if you don’t mind.”

Daryl’s heart fluttered at the grateful look you gave him, your eyes fixed on him and only him. He nodded. “I dun mind.” He nudged his nose up at you twice in a nod. “I’ll come by later.” You watched as he stalked into the kitchen and went over to the refrigerator.

“What are you doing?” You watched him pull it open and look inside before glancing back over his shoulder at you.

He closed the door pointedly. “Just what I thought. Ain’t got no damn food in here either. Ya been eatin’?”

You gulped and shrugged vaguely.

“Ya, uh huh. I’ll bring somethin’ later. Ya need to eat,” he rumbled. He started to stride quickly to the front door and you trailed a little behind him. He stopped on the threshold and looked back at you. There was that softness in his eyes again that always made your heart jump. “I’ll be back later, alright?”

You avoided his eyes, feeling suddenly silly and ashamed of what you were asking him to do, that you needed someone else when you tried so hard not to need anyone or anything. His deep voice, rough with gravel called your eyes back to his.

“Hey. It ain’t no big deal. Alright?” he said, trying to reassure you, reading the shame on your face as clearly as if the word had been tattooed on your forehead.

You nodded a little, giving in to his reassurance. “Okay.”

“’Kay,” he agreed. You watched him cross the porch and go down your stairs, headed back home. That’s what he had. A home. It hit you that all you really had was an empty house and your heart ached. It was the price you paid for trying to keep almost everyone at arm’s length. You sighed heavily and shut the door.

Several hours later, there was another knock on the front door. You got up from your spot on the couch, still carrying your book and went to the door. Daryl was standing there with his crossbow slung over his shoulder and a small container in his hands. Night had fallen outside and the porchlights illuminated the strong angles of his jaw. You felt a flush in your cheeks and hoped he couldn’t see it.

You stepped back and gestured for him to come in.

“Brought ya some stew. Venison. We’ve still got a bunch of it,” he said, heading immediately for the kitchen and starting to open cabinets, looking for a pot to dump it in so he could heat it up. “And you’re eatin’ some of this now.” He paused and looked up at you over the counter. “When is the last time ya ate?”

“Uhh…”

He scoffed and rolled his eyes at you. “Too damn long, then.” He resumed his searching and eventually succeeded. He set it on the stove to heat up. You sank down onto one of the kitchen stools at the island, watching him as he stirred the hearty meal. Daryl turned around and took in your expression from across the kitchen, slinging his crossbow off his shoulder and letting it hang at his side.

“Whatcha readin’?” he asked.

Your eyes shot up at the sound of his voice. “Oh, uhh… it’s just this classic novel. The Brothers Karamazov.”

Daryl’s eyes narrowed as he looked at you. “The what?”

You actually smiled at him, your whole face lighting up. Daryl felt his heart flutter and he was relieved to see that some of the weight that seemed to be on you was lifted, even if just for a moment. “Yeah, it’s a mouthful,” you said. “I’ve got this thing for the great Russian writers so…”

“Russian, huh? What’s so special about ‘em?”

“They just—I don’t know. They write these beautiful, insane, touching, tragic stories. I just—” you shrugged. “The writing is incredible, even in translation.” You paused thoughtfully and Daryl felt a warmth in his chest as you looked down at the novel in your hand and smoothed your hand over the cover, staring at it like it was something precious. “And I suppose now, since the world changed, the tragedy in the stories is even more relatable,” you said softly.

Daryl felt a pang in his heart at your words. Your eyes flitted back up to meet his and he felt a spark of electricity jump up his spine.

Daryl rubbed a hand across the back of his neck and hoisted his crossbow up onto the counter, using it as an excuse to break eye contact with you as he felt suddenly terrified of the magnetic pull he was feeling.

“What’d you tell everybody?” you asked quietly.

Daryl didn’t look up from the bolt he was examining closely. “Didn’t tell ‘em nothin’.”

“Won’t they worry about where you are?”

He shrugged. “Nah. S’fine.” He quickly turned back to the stew on the stove which now had curls of steam rising from the surface of it. He pulled open some more cabinets until he found a bowl and quickly poured stew from the pan into it before setting it in front of you. He opened drawers until he found a spoon, which he slid over to you with a metallic clinking against the granite of the countertop. You were giving him a queer look. “What?”

You shook your head, one corner of your mouth twitching up. “Nothing.”

“Mmm,” he hummed, his eyes narrowed. “Eat,” he drawled.

The corners of your eyes crinkled in a smile. “You’re awfully bossy today,” you joked, picking up the spoon. You stared down into the stew, not feeling the least bit hungry despite not eating anything all day.

He let out a scoff and leaned on his forearms on the counter, his curtain of brown hair falling forward around his face. “I’m bossy when someone needs bossin’,” he quipped.

You took a bite of the stew, holding the spoon a bit awkwardly with the brace on your wrist, and chewed it slowly. Daryl watched you carefully. The smile on your face had disappeared again and he couldn’t stop his eyes from drifting to the bruises on your neck. He felt a renewed flush of hot anger every time. He sighed and straightened up, picking up his crossbow and slinging it over his shoulder in a well-practiced habit.

“How’re your ribs feelin’?” he drawled.

You dipped your spoon back into the bowl of stew and shrugged. “Fine. Really, I’m fine.”

Daryl nodded, but you could tell he was a little skeptical. He moved around the counter and into the living room, sinking into a chair and kicking his feet up to rest on the coffee table. You dutifully sat and ate your stew until it was gone before going to join him with your book. You pushed the blankets on the couch out of the way and allowed yourself to watch the nimble workings of his strong fingers as he fiddled with his bow and the narrowing of his blue eyes in concentration. Your heart increased its pace. Finally, you broke the silence again. “Thanks for doing this,” you said. You hadn’t meant for it to come out in a whisper but it had, the tightness in your throat from shame and nerves strangling your voice a little.

The workings of Daryl’s fingers ceased for a moment and he looked like he was frozen, turned to stone. “I dun mind,” he finally said. His blue eyes lifted and met yours and briefly he thought he saw some glistening light there, but in a moment he had blinked and it was gone. You were simply pulling the blanket over your lap and running your fingers along the spine of your book. Daryl pulled out a sharpening stone and went about carefully sharpening some of his bolts. You settled back against the couch and opened your book, curled up beneath the blanket. It was strange how usual, how comfortable this felt. Each passing moment of silence, each murmur to one another, each question and response all felt so easy, and that was something Daryl kept turning over and over in his mind. He wasn’t used to that. He wasn’t used to feeling so at home around another person and it was becoming a habit with you. The thought made him bounce his knee nervously.

Daryl wasn’t sure when, but at some point as he sat across from you sharpening his bolts you had drifted off to sleep. Your book was still open but had dropped down onto your chest, your left hand resting on it. Your breathing was slow and deep and Daryl felt a wave of warmth and gladness wash over him that you were actually asleep. And he wondered at the fact that not only were your comfortable enough with him around to fall asleep, but he was what enabled you to when you otherwise couldn’t. Did you think of him as safety? God, he hoped so… He was puzzling over this, smoothing his thumb across his lower lip as he took in your soft expression and the way your hair was falling around your face.

He felt his heart speed up as his eyes traced the gentle pout of your mouth and the slope of your nose in profile. He rubbed a hand at the warm and achy feeling in his chest that was becoming common, annoyed at how his mind was running away on him...

The archer stood and silently crossed the room to you. He grasped one corner of your open book and slipped it gently from your hands, setting it on the coffee table. He pulled the blanket up over you before retreating back to his chair and his bow.

You awoke as the sun was coming up, lighting the living room slowly, drenching everything in warm light. You blinked a few times, getting your bearings, and then gingerly pulled yourself up into a sitting position. Your eyes landed on the archer, asleep in his chair with his head cocked to one side, his bow leaning up against the armrest next to him. He must have heard you stirring because he was awake the next instant, taking in a deep breath and straightening. His eyes meeting yours. “Hey.” The gravel in his voice was thick, heavy with sleep still.

“Hey,” you replied. Daryl was relieved to see how much brighter your eyes looked. The dark circles beneath them were also diminished.

“I didn’t—I slept,” you said with gentle surprise.

He nodded. “Ya. Ya were exhausted. Ya fell asleep early. Ya needed it,” he said, grabbing his crossbow and pulling it onto his lap, his heart rushing at the sight of your somewhat tousled hair and the rosy glow in your cheeks.

“Thank you,” you said softly.

He nodded and stood, throwing his bow over his shoulder again. “S’nothin’. Glad ya got some sleep.”

You pulled yourself up, subconsciously wrapping an arm around your ribs as they panged with the movement. Daryl was already heading through the kitchen and toward the front door. He stopped and his blue eyes fixed on your face. “Ya know, I get ‘em too sometimes,” he said quietly.

You heart raced. Had he guessed why you weren’t sleeping so easily? “What?”

“Nightmares,” he said. “About the people we’ve lost. About losing more.”

You gulped at the tightness in your throat and nodded. “Yeah…”

“I’ll see ya later, Y/N,” he drawled. He pointed at you sharply. “Eat some more of that damn stew.”

You smiled at him, the corners of your eyes crinkling. “You got it.”

[writingtoforgetreality]

I’m Only Me When I’m With You (Sam Wilson x Reader)

Request: Hello! Hope this ask finds you well! May I request a Sam Wilson x reader in which the reader is very stubborn but finds herself falling for Sam despite trying to resist those feelings? Thank you so much! I hope you stay safe and healthy during these crazy times! (by @agentmalfoy24601), [Marvel-Masterlist]

Summary: You liked Sam. Was it a secret? You hoped so but your team would state otherwise. While the teasing was funny & all, it actually made you distance yourself from your feelings even more. Luckily, there was a certain someone who could see right through you.

Words: 1,990

Warnings: language, feels, fluff, this is a cute one, I love Sam but barely anyone writes for him :(, slight TFATWS spoilers, (Y/E/C) = your eye color, REQUESTS ARE OPEN!

If you like my work & wanna support me: a coffee would be highly appreciated ❤

“Nope, forget it.” you argued with the three men in front of you. “I understand that this mission is important but I will not pretend to be his wife.” your finger pointed at Sam while your eyebrows raised.

“You could always pretend to be my partner.” Zemo reasoned. Shaking your head, you let out a scoff.

“(Y/N) & Zemo? Makes a cute couple.” Bucky spoke up & earned a death glare from not only you but also Sam. Though you did not see what Wilson was doing. Not in this moment.

“I hate every single one of you.” you snarled through gritted teeth.

“Sure.” Bucky mumbled almost inaudible, followed by a low chuckle.

The thing about this mission was that you knew if you played pretend next to Sam, it would not actually be pretending from your side. Truth was, you were falling for him. More than you would have liked to admit. You were not born yesterday, you were aware that relationships did not work out. Not with a job as dangerous as yours. Besides, this was Wilson you were talking about. Hell, he could have anyone, he would never choose someone like you. And you did not want him to choose you. Relationships complicated things. Complications led to danger & danger led to death. The rest of the team, especially Bucky, had picked up on the fact that you kind of liked Sam. And they teased the shit out of you. They even made bets on how long it would take the two of you to start dating. No way would you give in. Nope. That was not in your nature.

Though you had to admit that Sam did not make your plan of burying your feelings deep down any easier. Most of the times, he did not even realize the effect he had on you. It was simple things, really. The way he moved his body. How his shirts fit just right. This heartwarming smile of his that had you weak at the knees. His efforts to make you smile constantly, especially after failed missions. He was a good guy. And good guys never chose people like you. An acquaintance. That was what you were to him. Maybe it was for the better anyway.

“(Y/N)?” you heard Bucky’s voice coming from the closed door to your room. Jogging over there, you slowly opened it for him, checking if it really was him & not a threat or something. He entered after you stepped aside as a silent invitation.

“What’s up?” you were fixing up your appearance for the upcoming party you all had to attend. The outfit you wore made you feel like a strong goddess. The colors complemented perfectly, hugging every curve in the best way possible. It was not often when you got to dress up like that but when you did, it definitely paid off.

“Tell Sam you like him.” Bucky wasted no time with his words. Spinning around in order to face him, you gave him your best dumbfounded look. It made him roll his eyes. “I’m being serious.”

“How much money do you win if I do?” you asked curiously, knowing that this was most likely just part of one of their stupid bets.

“Zero, actually. Because I said you’d get together after this mission.” you gave him a look that he gladly ignored. “But that’s not the point…I do believe that the tension between you guys will be unbearable, though.”

“Oh, come on, dude. You’re totally exaggerating.” you gave an awkward chuckle to hide your embarrassment.

“I’m afraid I’m right.” he sat down on one of the chairs, then looked into your eyes. “I don’t know why you make such a big deal outta it. You like him. He likes you-“

“Which is not true. You’re just assuming shit.”

“He likes you. (Y/N), you’re not the same when you’re not with him.” his words were soft, the sincerity clearly shown.

“The hell is that supposed to mean?” your arms raised in confusion. Plopping down on your bed, you sighed loudly.

“He completes you. I didn’t think it was possible, actually. I used to laugh at people when they said stuff like that.” he chuckled. “You & Sam deserve to be happy. You belong with each other.” when there was a long pause from you, Bucky got up & approached the door. Stopping briefly after touching the doorknob to turn around & face you. “Please think about it, (Y/N).” shooting you one last warm smile, he exited. Leaving you alone with the silence being your only company.

Bucky was one of your best friends. You knew he would not lie to you. Not about something like that. And even though he loved messing with you, he was serious when he talked to you just now. Yes, you liked Sam. Of course you did. How could you not? His broad shoulders, muscles that you only ever got to see when he decided to change in front of you (which did not happen often enough for your liking). But why were you even thinking about that? If you were honest, you were not even sure if you would go on a date with him if he decided to ask. Was it to protect him & the others? Or was it to protect yourself from possible heartbreak? Or was it just to show yourself & the others that you were not someone who gave in easily? Not when everyone around you pushed you to do something. Wanted you to do something.

There was another knock on your door. This time, your head was thrown back in frustration. Bucky was a pain in the ass sometimes. He did not even give you enough time to go talk to Sam if you planned on doing so. Which you were not. Walking over to the door, you prepared a speech for Barnes.

“You know you’re actually an awful frien-“ you stopped dead in your tracks when the door opening revealed that it was not Bucky who came to invade your privacy again. It was Sam. Realizing what you just said, you started stuttering out an apology. “Oh God, Sam. I’m so sorry. I thought Bucky was-“

“No worries.” his laugh warmed your heart as much as you disliked to admit it. “Can I…?” he gestured to your room. Quickly stepping aside, you motioned for him to enter, apologizing once more. Why were you even saying sorry? There was literally no need to.

“You-You look gorgeous.” he eyed you up & down, taking in your appearance. Training your eyes down to the floor, you regained your composure a second later. You were not the embarrassed type.

“You don’t look too bad yourself, Wilson.” winking at him & his black turtleneck. Sam wearing this? Well, it did things to you. He patted the spot next to him on your bed. Getting the message, you walked over & seated yourself right beside him, body facing his. The most gorgeous brown eyes locked with your (Y/E/C) ones. It was hard to look away. Like you were trapped in them. But truth was, you did not want to look away. Sam was the first one to speak up. Voice only a whisper.

“What are we doing?” he asked & you furrowed your eyebrows in confusion.

“W-What?” you really had no clue what he was talking about.

“This.” he gestured between you two. “What are we doing?”

“Well, Zemo said we’ll have to pretend to be married, right? So I guess we should just stay close to each other at all times & then see-“ you got interrupted by him shaking his head frantically, a smile still on his lips.

“I’m not talking about the mission, (Y/N).” his eyes met yours once more, an expectant expression on his face.

“O-Okay?” your head tilted to the side.

“Why are you making this even harder?” he sighed frustratingly but you could hear the sarcasm in his tone.

“I’m sorry?” it was more of a question, really. Quickly, he shook his head, one of his hand moving on top of yours.

“No, please don’t apologize. You do that way too often.” he chuckled. “Am I the only one thinking that there’s something between us?” your face changed in realization. No. Whatever he was doing, you hoped he would not go that way. If he did, it could ruin your entire friendship. And you were not sure if you could live without him. You did not want to live without him.

“I’m- I mean…I think we shouldn’t-“ you started only to be interrupted by him again.

“Why shouldn’t we?” he asked, voice raising just the slightest bit. You gave him a shrug in return, eyes focusing on his hand on top of yours in your lap. “Oh, I think I get it.” Sam started again when he realized that you were not planning on giving him an actual answer. “You’re scared.” this statement made you glance at him. He smirked at your expression because he knew that he had you now. “You’re scared that this won’t work out. And you don’t wanna give in.”

“Don’t wanna give in?” you played dumb but actually, it shocked you how well Sam knew you. Yeah, you had been close friends for a while now but still, nobody else could read you like he did.

“People have been bugging you to go out with me, haven’t they?” his eyebrows raised while waiting for you to confirm this. After a few moments, you nodded slightly. “That’s one of the reasons we aren’t dating yet.” he was straight forward with all of this. Like he had been preparing this speech for ages. Maybe he had, who knew?

“Yeah? You seem pretty damn sure about this.” you smirked at his certainty. Deep down, you knew he was right. But a little teasing never killed nobody, right?

“I know I’m right.” he pointed out, mimicking your smirk.

“Is that so? And why do you think that?”

“Because you’re too stubborn for your own good sometimes. “ you should feel hurt by him calling you out on this but you felt the exact opposite. It just showed you how much he actually paid attention to you. “You’re too stubborn & you like to do things your way. So when people tell you to do something…you tend to do the exact opposite.” his bright smile plastered one on your face as well.

“Guilty.” suddenly, it was way too silent. Not the usual silence but one that was uncomfortably quiet, even more so than normal. His hand cupping your cheek brought you back to reality. Leaning into his touch involuntarily, you closed your eyes briefly. Sam took the chance & closed the gap between you two. You were frozen in place at first but found yourself melting into the kiss soon. It was better than you ever imagined. And you were glad that he was the one who took that first step. Because you were, you had to agree with Sam here, way too stubborn to deal with this yourself.

After breaking away from each other, he rested his forehead against yours. Neither of you said anything for a few minutes. You simply enjoyed being with each other. Bucky’s words made their way into your mind again & you could not help but start laughing.

“What?” Sam pulled back, looking at you with that charming smile of his. Oh, how he loved when you laughed.

“Just…” you shook your head. “Bucky told me earlier today that I’m only myself when I’m with you. And I think I finally know what he meant.”

“Yeah? What did he mean?” he inquired.

“You know me better than I know myself.” this made him smile even wider. Leaning in one more time, he pressed another loving kiss to your lips. Wherever this was going, you could not wait for your journey with Sam.

Published (04/29/2021) by Cathy

Tags: @bibliophilewednesday, @msmarvelsmain, @babygirlwilly, @patricexirene (thanks for your support <3)

[randomshyperson]

Wanda Maximoff x Reader - Land of Thieves #ChapterTwo

Western/ Red Dead Redemption AU / Slow Burn / childhood best friends to lovers

AO3 (English)

Chapter warnings: explicit language, explicit violence.

Summary:  When you were a child, you swore that no matter how high the reward in your head, she could always count on you. Life as an outlaw in the west is not easy, but you believe that train robberies are still easier than asking a pretty girl to dance. Land of Thieves, also know as your love story with Wanda Maximoff in the Wild West

Marks: @mionemymind

You wished you could sleep longer when you felt the first rays of sunlight invade your tent through the tarp, the light making you instinctively raise your hand against your face to avoid the glare. You grumbled, but forced yourself to get up. You didn't bother to put on your boots, or fasten your suspenders around your shoulders, letting them fall against your waist. You stretched, walking toward the fire with the intention of making some coffee.

- Good morning, kiddo. - You heard Steve greet you, and you just nodded to him, yawning. He walked toward you, pouring himself some of the coffee you had just brewed. - I have an assignment for you.

You took a sip of the coffee, frowning at the bitter taste. You walked over to the supply wagon, looking for some milk, while Steve waited for you at the campfire, which was only a few feet away.

- What do you need, Captain? - you asked as you poured some milk into your drink. Steve smiled at the nickname. Only the early members of the gang called him that, in reference to his former position as an army captain.

- We need to restock a few things. And we haven't picked up our mail in a few days. - He says to you, reaching into something in his left pocket. He raises his hand and offers you a few dollars. - I need you to buy the items on Pepper's list from the warehouse and go to the post office.

You signal him to put the money away, finishing your coffee. 

- Don't worry, I will sell the panther skin I got yesterday. - You explain. - It's worth enough to buy the necessities, and if we need more, I still have some change left.

Steve smiled at you, grateful for your kindness in paying for the groceries. You exchanged one last glance with him before returning to your stall, looking for your clothes.

Suitably dressed, you decided to detour your way for a moment, thinking about something. You walked toward Wanda and Pietro's stall, your gaze slipping inside when you caught a glimpse of the redheaded girl's sleeping figure, the image racing your heart. You looked down uncomfortably, and thought about coming back later, but the next second Pietro stumbled out, smiling at you.

- Hey Y/N, good morning! - He greeted you while buttoning up his wool shirt.

- Good morning, gambler. - You greet him with a teasing tease that elicits a smile and a roll of the eyes from the boy. - You still haven't told me if you won anything at poker.

You followed Pietro toward the campfire, waving to Pepper as you passed the supply wagon, and she handed you the list with a grateful look as she hurried off in Peggy's company, you had no idea what they were doing. Pietro stretched as he grabbed a tangerine from a crate in the supply wagon and gave you a wicked smile.

- Of course I won at poker. - He announces and you laugh before giving him a suspicious look. - I don't understand why you doubt me; you're a great teacher.

- Of course. And that has nothing to do with you being a light-handed cheater, does it?

Pietro laughed at the insinuation, taking a bite of the fruit he was holding. You switched the weight of your feet, and he looked at you curiously.

- I wanted to ask you something. - You began, looking down at the floor. - Something about your sister.

He looks at you with a suspicious expression, but with an amused smile threatening to escape his lips. He gestures for you to ask. You hesitate for a second, then take a deep breath to gather your courage.

-Do you know if she's seeing anyone? - you ask, looking intently at Pietro. He frowns, and you hasten to add, "Romantically, I say. If there are suitors

Pietro finishes chewing the fruit slowly, increasing your anxiety considerably. And then he lets out a loud laugh.

- You've got to be kidding me. - he says between laughs. - You two are a total disaster, I can't believe it.

You looked at him with confusion and impatience, not understanding what it all meant. Was he laughing because Wanda had so many suitors that the question was ridiculous? Or maybe he was laughing at you, stupid enough to think that someone like Wanda would look at you. 

Pietro dried the tears of laughter, panting breathlessly. Before he could clarify what he had said, you heard a familiar hiss. Steve caught your eye, gesturing to his watch, signaling you to hurry.

- You can tease me later. - You grumbled to Pietro before walking towards the camp exit. Your gaze lingered on Wanda's tent, you pushed the feeling of shame to the back of your mind.

Valentine was crowded today, you thought as you took a few steps to the side of the warehouse door allowing a lady to walk past you. You greeted the shopkeeper with a nod, pulling Pepper's list from your pocket as you ran your eyes along the shelves. You decided to hand the list to the shopkeeper, knowing that he would ensure that no items were missing with the intention of charging every cent.

- Do you have a cart? - asked the man, looking up at you from the list. 

- Yes, it's parked across the street. - You informed him with your hands in your pockets.

- I'll sort it out and my boy will carry the items for you. - Said the man with a smile, you knew that kindness very well, and were not surprised when he added - A young woman can't carry that much weight alone.

With no intention of arguing, you just looked at him without smiling, which seemed to embarrass him slightly. The man made a noise in his throat, and went back to reading the list. You walked over to the newspaper section and were slightly distracted by the horse racing headlines, when you heard the shopkeeper's voice again.

- You're new to Valentine, right? - he asked, stooping to the counter to pick up a package, which you recognized as coffee. A red-haired, muscular boy entered the place through the back door, and began to carry in his arms some of the items the shopkeeper had put on the counter before leaving. 

- Yes, I came from the South. - You simply say. Steve always taught not to give too much information to strangers.

- Not exactly much to do around here, if you ask me. - Said the man, you just grumbled in agreement, but he seemed willing to hold a conversation. You considered just walking out the door and waiting outside, but you didn't want to be rude. - Nothing happens in Valentine.

- That's fine, I appreciate the quiet. - You grumbled, but he didn't seem to pay any attention. 

- We only have brutes in this town in my opinion. - The man continued his monologue, and you went back to looking at the magazines. - And when they're not brutes, they're weirdos. Even the town doctor hides out in your house, nobody knows what he's doing there.

Now you have some relevant information. You blinked intently, but the man seemed to be just complaining, and you understood that he wouldn't have any more information about this, and that it was worth your while to check with the local doctor. A few minutes passed, until the red-haired boy returned, waving to you and telling you that the wagon was loaded. You handed the shopkeeper a few dollars, and seeing the bruises on the red-haired boy's hands, you decided to give him a small tip.

You walked over to the wagon, stroking the horses before climbing on, guiding the vehicle toward the post office, which was at the other end of town. You would return to Valentine at another time to investigate the doctor.

When you arrived at the post office, you grabbed two apples from the crates behind the wagon, and handed them to each of the horses. Your boots got muddy when you climbed down, but you didn't care much.

-Hello, good morning! - greeted a man when you arrived at the booth. You smiled.

- Good morning. Do you have any mail for any of these people? - you asked, handing him a list of aliases created for the gang to receive orders. The man frowned, and took the paper and started looking through the shelves.

- You live in some kind of commune, do you? - He asked in an amused tone, given the number of names.

- Big family. - You grumbled in an almost ironic tone, and he didn't seem to notice, smiling in agreement.

After a moment, he had separated two package boxes and about five letters for you. You smiled in appreciation as he handed you the items.

-I couldn't find anything for "Carol Marvel" and "Natasha Black. - He announces as he hands you the list. You nod your head. It was common for Carol and Nat to have nothing to receive, both of them had no other family members, or friends that you knew of. And as for you, you didn't even put your name on the list anymore, the gang being the only people you had.

- All right, thank you very much. - You thanked them before you left. Stowing the packages in the cart, you kept the letters in your jacket pocket so they wouldn't get crushed.

You climbed into the vehicle again, whistling slowly as you rode back to camp. You stopped only when you heard a whistle that was not yours. Feeling a sharp pain in your shoulder, you turned your head to notice the arrow pierced through your left shoulder, and then the wagon was surrounded by about ten men, you guessed there were others within the forest around you. 

Gritting your teeth in pain you stared at the man in front of the wagon. 

- You're not from around here, stranger. - He began, stroking the horses that were quite agitated.

- What do you want? - you grumbled, feeling the sweat dripping down your face from the bleeding.

- Heartlands is O'Driscoll territory and we don't share it. - The man spoke in a warning tone. - Tell your leader that there is no room for another gang in the region.

- Fuck you. - You retorted through gritted teeth. The man let out a hoarse laugh, raising his gun at you.

- Or maybe I'll shoot you now and that will be warning enough.

You were so tired of all this shit. You couldn't even buy food without some asshole wanting to shoot you. Rolling your eyes, you raise your hands, thinking that Steve wouldn't be happy to see you die.

- I'll tell him. - You grumble. It takes him a moment to put the gun down, but when he does, he has a satisfied smile on his face. 

- Yeah, yeah, be a good girl. - The man says, and signals to the others to let go of the horses' reins. He takes a few steps to the side, allowing the cart to move. 

As you ride a few yards, you hear him shout in an ironic tone to wash the wound, and you just ignore the urge to shoot the fellow in the face.

Climbing down with difficulty from the wagon, you groan in pain as you feel the arrow still stuck against your flesh. You walk around the vehicle, unfastening the straps of the tarp that covered the cargo compartment. You groan again, feeling the wound throbbing a little. Looking around the camp, you look around for someone. When you notice the figure of Bucky a few feet away from you, you call out to him and wave for him to come closer. He smiles as he walks over to you, but his expression turns to concern as he notices the arrow in your shoulder.

- Girl, what is it? - He hurries worriedly raising his hands to touch it, you take a step towards peace, smiling helplessly.

- It's okay, I just need help unloading the wagon. - You say and Bucky looks at you with a mixture of concern and surprise, but nods frantically.

- Of course I'll help, now go treat that wound, for God's sake. - He says looking at you. You let out a breathless laugh before you leave.

Walking toward your hut, you grab some alcohol to clean the bruise, but before you can sit down, Pepper comes up to you with a worried look.

- Oh my god, Y/N, what happened? - She questions, and you mutter "ambush" but she's not paying attention. Pepper drags you into her own hut, while letting out exclamations of concern, complaining that you should have taken someone, and that you should be careful, and that the gang was in a dangerous place now, attracting the attention of several people in the camp who look at you with curiosity. 

-It's okay, Potts, really. - You speak as you feel her push you down on the bed. She reaches over to grab a makeshift medical kit. You feel embarrassed by the attention, but still appreciate the care.

- Take a deep breath, okay? - She asks, and you know what's coming. Closing your eyes, you obey, feeling her break the arrow, the movement hurts nothing compared to feeling her push the rest of it away, seconds later. You groan in pain. - There, now I'll just clean it up.

You nod with tears in your eyes. Pepper smiles tenderly at you, and you look away from her to the rest of the camp, noticing that Steve and Peggy are walking toward you.

-What the hell happened? - Steve blurts out in a mixed tone of anger and concern, he would probably already be wanting to cause a war against whoever had attacked you.

- I made some friends. - You joked, but shut up with a mumble as you felt an intense burning sensation when Pepper poured the alcohol on your wound.

- Who did this to you? - Peggy asked, stepping closer as she watched Pepper clean the wound.

- They surrounded me a few meters from town, on that stretch of road covered with trees. - You explained, looking at Peggy. - About ten men, maybe more hiding. They said that this is O'Driscoll territory and that they won't share it.

Peggy and Steve exchanged a look, until Steve assumed a thoughtful pose, turning away.

- They could become a problem in the bank's job. - He says simply, and you frown.

- They are already a problem now. - rebuts Pepper, looking away from your wound. - If they attack our people in the streets!

- That was just an idle threat. - Steve retorted without looking at Pepper. You hated it when he assumed this posture of being the owner of the truth. - If they were going to kill someone they would have done it. Maybe they think that we want to take Heartlands from their domain, we just need to warn them that we have no interest and that we will only be here for a while.

- Steve, we can't risk everyone's safety. - Peggy said looking at the man, and he offered her a tender smile. 

- I'll talk to them, Peggy. - He explained. - If they don't accept, then we will fight.

You let out a surprised exclamation.

- A gang war before a bank robbery? You've got to be kidding. - You retorted and felt the three of them stare at you. - And who do you intend to take to these two services? The last time I checked, half of the shooters were wounded.

-I don't understand your attitude. - scolded Steve, causing you to swallow dryly. - I'm trying to do what's best for the gang.

- How is putting us at risk the best thing for the gang?

Steve looked really shocked, and even hurt by your words. But he straightened his posture before he spoke.

- Treat your wound first and rest. We will talk after that.

And he left. Peggy gave you a tender look, as if to wish you to get better, before following Steve to his tent. Pepper patted your thigh as she finished dressing your shoulder. You sighed, looking at the ground.

- Y/N, get some rest, okay. - She said to you in a calm tone. - We are all nervous lately, and I know that you hate fighting with Steve as much as he hates fighting with you.

You shook your head in agreement, a sad smile on your lips. 

- Thanks for the bandage, Potts. - You said softly, and she smiled, placing a tender kiss on your forehead. You smiled.

Leaving the tent, you walked around the camp toward the stream, feeling quite thirsty. It took three seconds for Pietro to surround you.

- I can't believe you got an arrow shot through you while buying coffee. - He announced in an amused tone, but his eyes showed his concern. You laughed softly, and continued walking toward the creek, being accompanied by him.

- You know how rival gangs are. They shoot first and ask questions later.

- I saw Steve coming out of the hut with a scowl on his face. Did you fight?

You groaned.

- Oh yes. I was being an unfair jerk and he was being a hardhead. - You grumbled, stooping down to drink some water.

- Damn it, I'm sorry. But you'll figure it out. It's not like Steve's going to be mad at you for very long. 

- I hope so. - You say, sitting down at the edge of the stream, and enjoying some of the breeze. Pietro looks unnerved. - What's the matter with you, anyway? You're nervous.

He is silent for a moment, and then sits down next to you.

- Promise me you won't get angry? 

The sentence makes you look at him suspiciously.

- What did you do?

He hesitates a moment, looking away from you to the stream as he drums his fingers on his knee.

- Look, I know you warned me to stop cheating, but it seemed so easy...

- Pietro... - You interrupted in a warning tone, looking at him with concern.

- Damn, I screwed up everything, okay? - He spoke in a tone of guilt and despair. - I thought that there were only peons with me at the table, but then one of them saw me stealing and the next second two brutes appeared and I almost got shot.

You blinked a few times, frowning. Feeling a slight headache coming on, you signaled for him to continue explaining.

- I don't know who they are, but they're staying in Limpany. - He said, looking back at you.

- You're an idiot. - You grumbled, looking back at the creek. - How many men did you say?

- I played with one of them, and there were two more as security. - He explained, you started planning. - I guess it's a small group, since they're all at the brothel.

You nodded, lifting your knees to rest your arms and head against them. You closed your eyes for a second.

- I imagine that you have no intention of paying off the bets. - You said in an ironic tone.

- Well, I don't have two thousand. - He replied in the same tone, and you let out a surprised exclamation.

- What the hell were you doing at a two thousand table? - you exclaimed, and Pietro shrugged, causing you to roll your eyes. - I told you to only play with what you can cover, idiot.

- And what's the fun in that? - He grinned back, and you grinned back at him, it was true after all. You took one last look at the stream, and sighed wearily.

- Five minutes. I had five minutes of peace. - You grumbled, and Pietro laughed.

- You're getting crankier every day, you know. - He teased, and you gave him the middle finger, which made him laugh. You both stood up, and Pietro pushed his shoulder lightly against yours several times on the way to the horses.

Limpany was so small, you were surprised they even considered it a town. It was in the middle of nowhere, in front of the same river that flowed into the camp. You guessed that the main income from that place came from the town's brothel, which was probably visited by the citizens of Valentine as well as Rhodes, and of course by the many travelers passing through.

You warned Pietro not to attract attention, and he rode silently beside you, following your lead. You left your horses at the entrance to town, and walked together toward the saloon, which was buzzing with the noise of music and voices.

But then the place fell silent the moment you stepped through the door. Even the pianist looked at you angrily. What the hell had Pietro done in this place, you thought. Two tall, stout men stepped out of the crowd, signaling to the bartender that all was well, and the music resumed. The brothel girls laughed again, and everyone focused on their drinks and games. You swallowed dryly as you watched the man approach, and Pietro took a step beside you.

- The little thief decided to show up. - Said the bigger man in an ironic tone - Do you have my money, boy?

- How about I bet the money back?  - You suggest to the man and he looks you up and down, a mischievous smile on his face.

- Sweetie, you can pay me back another way. - He says, and Pietro gets angry enough to push him away. The two men are as quick as you are to draw their revolvers. 

- Hey, Louis, please. No guns in the saloon. - says the bartender in a fearful tone, you imagine it took a lot of courage for him to give some kind of order around here. The taller man laughs lightly and then points his revolver at the bartender, who raises his trembling hands. Seeing the man's desperation, the man named Louis lets out a laugh and lowers his revolver, nudging his friend by the shoulders to do the same. You only holster your gun when he holsters his. - I'm just messing with you, Charles. - Mocks Louis, and then he turns to you.

Pietro continues with a defensive posture around you, and you almost laugh at the thought that it was him in the first place who will ask for your help. But any thoughts of amusement are quickly interrupted when the man suddenly punches Pietro in the face. You widen your eyes in surprise, and hold your friend back from advancing on the man again. You notice the worried and curious looks at you, and you also see two other angry looking men standing up, which suggests that they might be members of the group. You wouldn't stand a chance to fight them all off.

- I suggest you only come back here with my money. - The man grunts and turns to walk toward the bar. 

You raise Pietro's face with both hands, noting the damage from the punch. His nose was bleeding but not broken. He looked irritated. You sighed, and gave him a short smile as you said softly.

- There are five men in total. Two at the bar, one on the stairs, and two more at the back. Can you see them?

- Yes. - mumbled Pietro, running his eyes around the saloon. 

- Can you aim? 

He nodded, and you patted him on the cheek before turning around. Taking a deep breath, you quickly drew your revolver, three shots echoed through the room, and were followed by two more. Screams echoed along with the sound of bodies falling to the ground. The vast majority of the people were too shocked to react, but many ran out of the saloon. You walked over to the body of the man who had punched Pietro.

- If we have any luck, it's just these. - You said checking to see if he had anything of value.

And then you heard shots outside, and someone shouted:

- The bastards are in the saloon! 

- I think you spoke too soon. - joked Pietro, and you ran to use the door frame as cover. 

At this point, the vast majority of the people ran out of the saloon through the back door, desperate with the commotion and afraid of being shot.

- Steve had said that bar fights were forbidden, right? - You joked, and Pietro laughed as he loaded his revolver. Someone shot at the door and you turned your face to the right.

- I think he just said that you were forbidden to fight. - Pietro replied in the same tone, putting his arm out to the side and firing twice. You started exchanging fire with the men outside, but it wasn't easy to aim correctly. - In fact, I am surprised. 

- At what? - you asked as you finally hit someone. You hid your whole body against the doorframe to reload your revolver.

- You still haven't asked where Wanda is. - He teased, and you felt your cheeks heat up, but you laughed. He wasn't lying after all.

You managed to hit two more shots, but they were not accurate, and the men continued to fire, although with less precision. You let out an impatient grunt.

- You know, I think you should give up poker. - you commented, drawing a laugh from Pietro. 

- And I think you should propose to my sister. - He hits back and you almost get shot, stumbling back in surprise. Pietro laughs but looks at you, worried that you've been shot. You assure him that you are fine with a nod. 

- Don't say things like that to me in the middle of a gunfight, please. 

Pietro laughs and then puts the body out, firing three more shots. The noises finally stop.

- Now that this is over, can we talk about it then? - He asked in a provocative tone, you blush and look at the floor as you walk him out of the saloon.

- You're very annoying, you know. - You grumble, and then you look around, but identify no one else wanting to shoot at you. 

Quickly checking the bodies for anything of value, you feel Pietro tap you on the shoulder signaling you to get up, and when you look up you see the town sheriff walking towards you.

- Murder and pillaging is punishable by hanging. - He comments while holding a stick between his teeth. It doesn't sound like a threat.

- Not interfering with the shooting is punishable by what, officer? - Pietro retorts, and the man smiles slightly. 

Ignoring the provocation, he walks toward the body of one of the men you have killed. He kicks the body slightly to the right, showing his face bloodied from the bullet in his forehead.

- See the scar? - He asks and Pietro nods in agreement, you just stare at the body intently. - These bastards are Lemonye's raiders. They took over the town weeks ago. - The sheriff looks around for a moment, observing the curious looks of the inhabitants who were hiding in the few establishments in Limpany. - We have no gunslingers around here, no one strong enough to stop domains like these. And well, the state has no interest in protecting a place that has no cattle, gold or oil.

- We are not gunslingers. - Pietro tried to lie, and the sheriff just let out a laugh.

- Of course. - He spoke in a slightly ironic tone. - Just good friends from the neighborhood. - And then he assumed a serious posture. - Anyway, I have to thank you for what you've done here. 

- Why don't you make a deal with Valentine's sheriff? - you asked after a moment. Neither you nor Pietro felt exactly honored to have helped the town, killing was not exactly something you enjoyed doing, although it was almost always indispensable in the life you led. The sheriff let out a dry laugh at your statement.

- That man is too concerned about the married ladies of his town to help me. - He replied simply. - Don't worry about the bodies, I'll get the boys from the brothel to help me with it. I won't report you to the state either.

Pietro smiled but you just nodded, nudging his arm to let him follow you. You waved your hats lightly in farewell to the sheriff before you left.

You rode off in silence, and you told Pietro that you should ride in the opposite direction, because one should never ride straight back to camp after conflicts like these. He nodded, and you both rode in silence.

- Wanda went to Saint Denis. 

Pietro's voice startled you. Blinking in confusion, you were very distracted and had to look at him to be sure that he had really said something. Noticing his insinuating smile, you confirmed that he had.

- I didn't ask. - You grumbled stubbornly, and Pietro chuckled.

You spent a moment in silence, before you gave in to the urge to know more.

- Not that I have any interest in that. - You started without looking at the man riding beside you. - But why did she go to Saint Denis?

- Work. - He answered, hiding a smile, and you squeezed your hammock slightly at the vague answer. And then Pietro let out a chuckle. - Didn't you just say you have no interest in knowing? - he teased, and you let out a lame laugh.

- Screw you, Pietro. - You mumbled, and you continued in silence for a moment.

- I really can't tell you. - He said after a while, and you frowned. - If you ask me, I think she went to buy you a present.

- What? - you exclaimed in a mixture of surprise and embarrassment. Pietro laughed at your expression.

- Have you forgotten that it's your birthday the day after tomorrow? - he teased. - I already bought your present too, by the way.

- You didn't have to buy anything. - You said, looking forward, your cheeks flushed. - But I'm sure I'll love it.

Pietro smiled, and you were silent. You really had a tendency to forget your birthday, and this was probably because it wasn't really your birthday. The date had been chosen by Steve, as the day he adopted you as part of the gang, but you had no idea if it was even close to your actual birth. You were too small to remember what day it really was, and besides, you didn't have any documents. So you just accepted the chosen date. And in outlaw life, it wasn't really your priority. Almost every year you forgot, and were always pleasantly surprised by the other gang members with cake and music. Unlike the twins' birthdays, where you always took time out of your day to do some activity with them, you didn't feel very comfortable with all the attention, so you always spent your birthdays inside the camp, helping out with chores like a normal day. You were lost in your own thoughts, when you heard Pietro whistle softly for you to stop, and you looked at him confused. He got off his horse, stretching his body.

- You're bleeding, miss. - he warned as if it were obvious. You blinked and then looked down at your shoulder, the cotton bandage completely red. - Come here, I'll clean it for you.

You dismounted the Horseman carefully, and now that the adrenaline had left your body, you felt your shoulder ache. Unbuttoning your shirt, you walked over to Pietro as you took it off. He gave you a playful look and whistled.

- Wanda is going to lose her mind on her wedding night. - he teased, and you felt your face heat up.

- Are you willing to get punched in the face again? - You retorted angrily and awkwardly.

He just laughed and made a motion with his hand to the water in the lake, making you wet. You let out an irritated grunt, feeling the cold liquid against your body.

- I'm really going to punch you, Pietro. 

- Shush, stop being grumpy. Sit here. - He said, pointing to the rock beside the lake.

You sat down and he began to change the bandage in silence. You looked at him while you waited, and he made a few faces that made you laugh.

- There you go. - He announced after a while

- Thank you. 

When you thanked him, he looked at you seriously, and you didn't get up.

- You won't hurt my sister, right? - he asked, looking straight at you. Feeling your heart race a little, you swallowed hard.

- I have no intention of doing that. - You confess sincerely, and Pietro shakes his head.

- I know we are like family, but I won't forgive you if you hurt Wanda. - Pietro says in the same tone, his gaze wavering between you and the lake beside you. You sigh

- I won't forgive myself if I hurt her either. - You confess with your head down, and Pietro puts a hand on your healthy shoulder.

- I think it will be fun to be your brother-in-law. - He jokes and you laugh, pushing him lightly. - I'm hungry, can we stop at a saloon before we head back to the camp?

- Sure, Pietro. - You say, getting up. - Rhodes is closer, and they have great rooms. We can spend the night.

- Any chance we could play poker? - He jokes, and you tell him to shut up, nudging him with your shoulder as he lets out a laugh.

When you finally get back to the camp, it is almost lunchtime for the next day. Pietro sleeps a lot when he drinks, and you saw him with a bottle of beer being escorted by a pretty girl toward his room in the Saloon in Rhodes, both of them stumbling slightly while you laughed and played with your set of cards. Then it took a while for you both to leave town for the camp. 

You nodded to him as you walked toward your own tent, while you unbuckled your belt and holster to throw them on the bed. You were changing into more comfortable clothes when you heard someone calling you.

- Can we talk, kid? - Steve's deep voice came into your tent. You looked away, closing the trunk of clothes on the floor of your bed.

-Sure, Steve. - You said and followed him toward the camp trail, and you walked side by side in silence for a few minutes.

- Do you think I'm putting everyone in danger? - he asked after a while, his tone slightly concerned.

You felt your cheeks heat with guilt.

- I'm sorry I said that. - You mumbled. - It wasn't fair.

- We don't apologize for telling the truth. - He retorted, making you smile.

- The truth is that we all chose this outlaw life, Steve. - You said, stopping walking to look at him. - I guess I was just trying to pin my frustration on someone. Things have been going wrong ever since we left Armadillo. 

Steve lets out a sigh.

- Yes, I had that feeling too. - He confesses, looking away to his surroundings. - But I'm optimistic about everything. We've been through worse, right? We just need to get back to our normal rhythm.

- I think so. - You grumble. - Things will get better when we're all here.

- Oh, sure. - Steve seems to remember something and you look at him curiously. - Maria and Monica came back yesterday while you were away. They must be packing up.

You felt a wave of excitement rush through your body, but then you took on an almost disappointed expression, and Steve added:

- Natasha will show up soon, don't overthink it. - He tried to reassure you, and you looked down at the floor.

- It's been two weeks since she left for Tumbleweed. - You grumbled, and Steve laughed lightly.

- Which happens to be on the other side of the country. - He pointed in a playful tone. - Nat will still have to decipher Peggy's letter to find us. And the trip from Tumbleweed to the Heartlands is not a short one. Relax a bit.

You shrugged, knowing he was right. Steve came over and ruffled your hair after a while, laughing tenderly and earning a grumble from you.

- How's your shoulder? - he asked, watching you try to fix your own hair with a grimace.

- Sore. - you said, and he nodded.

- Do you think you'll be able to shoot it during the robbery?

You chose not to mention that you had been involved in a shooting less than twenty hours ago, so you just nodded. Steve smiled and looked straight ahead. You followed his gaze, feeling your heart race a little as you saw Wanda, at the moment laughing as she helped Bucky carry some wood and he made faces as if he was trying too hard to lift the weight.

- You'll be eighteen tomorrow, won't you? - Steve asked in a gentle tone, and you agreed softly, without looking away from Wanda. - At that age, it is common for young women to be courted.

You almost choked at the insinuation, and turned your head very quickly to the side, watching Steve stare ahead, a playful smile threatening to escape.

- What are you talking about now? - You asked awkwardly, and he let out a little laugh.

- I'm just trying to say that it's perfectly normal at this age...

- God, I'm not talking about this with you. - You grumbled, your cheeks flushed, making him laugh. You looked forward, staring at your feet.

- Now, don't be so grumpy. - He teased, If we were like those families in the city, I'd have married you to some magnate about five years ago.

You let out an indignant sigh.

- If my father had tried to marry me off by force, I would have fled the country. - You started - And then I would have ended up as an outlaw, just like now.

Steve laughed, and you looked around again.

- I'm only saying that because you and Pietro have been riding together a lot. - And ignoring the look of absolute horror on your face, Steve continued. - And he's a decent guy, he'd be a good choice.

- I have to admit that it is brave of you to assume that I would marry any of the guys we met. - You countered, and Steve laughed heartily. - Although Pietro is a good man, we are just friends. I've never seen him like this.

- If none of the guys catch your eye, what about the girls? - Steve asks and you feel your stomach sink with nervousness, he continues talking however, not expecting your answer. - I know you're missing Natasha terribly.

 My dear God. - You grumble with reddened cheeks, bringing your hand to your face to cover it in embarrassment. You laugh nervously. - You really do get everything wrong. - You say, staring at him after a moment, you decide to tease him. - Not everyone is in love with their best friends, you know?

Steve chokes in surprise, but laughs at your teasing. He looks away, and replies:

- I know, I know, especially since Wanda isn't your best friend, is she?

You blush profusely, and mumble something like "mind your own business" before leaving in a huff. Steve laughs as he walks with you, and you walk back to your tent and he says goodbye, ruffling your hair again, making you let out a dissatisfied exclamation.

Back in your tent, you try to fix your hair as you look in the half-broken mirror that hangs from one of the canvas's timbers, and you blush when you see Wanda through the reflection standing at the entrance to your room.

- Hi. - She greeted you with a smile, and you turned around, feeling warm, and smiled back.

- Hi Wanda. - Trying to hide your complete lack of posture, you kept your hands in your pockets, pressing your fingers against the fabric. - I haven't seen you for a while, everything okay?

- I should be the one asking you that. - She comments, stepping closer. You hold your breath when you feel her inches from your face. She shifts her gaze from yours to your shoulder, pulling your shirt aside to see the bandage. - Does it still hurt?

You ignore the uneven beating of your heart as you deny it with your head. She smiles at you, without turning away.

- Knowing you and Pietro, I'm sure he's already told you what I went to Saint Denis for. - She comments with a slight smile, and you think she is going to pull away, but she brings her face closer to your ear. You feel something in your stomach clench as you hear her whisper, her breath tickling your skin. - I went to get your present.

Holy fucking God, you think, closing your eyes for a moment. Your body becomes hypersensitive to Wanda, but she pulls away in the next moment. Her cheeks are slightly reddened, but she has a falsely innocent look on her face that makes you realize she knows exactly the effect she has on you.

- You're not going to tell me what it is, are you? - you ask, relaxing your body slightly, which attracts the attention of Wanda, who looks at you with her pupils slightly dilated. - Not even a hint? 

You joke in a playful tone, pouting, and watch Wanda look down at your mouth. She smiles and grabs your belt and holster from the bed, only to approach you again, causing you to lose all relaxed posture. Without saying anything, she lifts the belt, and to slip it behind your back she comes even closer, her breasts bouncing against yours, making you hold your breath. She closes the belt in front of you and gives you a mischievous smile.

- That's your cue. - She whispers, and you can't think of anything with her so close. 

-R-right. - You say breathlessly, Wanda bites her lips, a smile threatening to escape. She gives you one last look before turning away. You let out a breath you hadn't even realized you were holding.

- Let's get some lunch before Bucky comes to grab us by the hair. - She says in a playful tone, pulling you by the hand out of the tent. 

- I want to hear about what you found along the road, Wands. - You told her, honestly, you just wanted to hear her talk to you, even if it was to say that she had ridden in silence for twelve hours. Wanda smiled in agreement with a nod of her head. She only let go of your hand when she needed to grab the quilt from the soaking, and you tried not to miss the feeling so much.

[katnissmellarkkk]

Chapter Four

“Dang it!” I bellow eight days later, as my body gives way and topples over, having used too great of force to yank a now dead primrose from the ground.

Yesterday morning I had come outside to discover the yellow evening primroses, the flowers Peeta had planted upon his arrival back in Twelve, had all but died.

And I didn’t even notice. I’ve been so distracted with everything else going on in my life—namely Peeta and his blonde companion—that I entirely forgot about the flowers. The flowers that my sister was named for. The flowers meant to represent her when she was no longer alive to represent herself.

The idea that I could forget the plant, that I let myself lag on the simple duty of keeping them alive and watered and healthy, felt as if I had let my little sister down all over again. It felt as if I’d failed Prim a second time.

And it’s more than I can handle. I can’t even endure the thought. The very implication that I am, in any way, dishonoring my sister’s memory is entirely unbearable. Even if it is just me implying it, inside my head.

But in any case, it looks like the primroses are too far gone and I don’t have even a chance at resurrecting them back to life. I took too long to notice their wilting, I was too caught up in other things, that I let the plants die and now there’s no going back.

For a split second I consider returning one of my mother’s many calls to ask for gardening advice. She has always had a green thumb and been able to grow whatever she set her mind to. I never had any of those skills. I was a hunter by nature, not a nurturer.

No, that was Prim. The soft and gentle one, who loved animals, who could heal any wound she could identify, who could garden and grow herbs just as well as our mother.

And I miss her so much. I miss my little sister so very much that I almost breakdown into tears right then and there, right in front of the dead primrose bush outside my house.

“Katniss?” I hear someone call in the distance. I recognize the voice instantly.

And rapidly get up and make a beeline towards my front door.

Unfortunately he’s determined to catch me. After eight solid days of evasion, Peeta is dead set on catching me at any given opportunity before him.

It’s almost funny how once upon a time it was him who wished to avoid me. It was him who craved distance between us, who acted icy and detached at every encounter, whether forced or by chance.

Now it’s him trying to force an encounter between us, trying desperately to make up for hurting me, trying to still be a part of my life, even after I pronounced our relationship finished.

The bread he left on my doorstep—that I immediately tossed in the garbage—is proof of that. The cheesebuns he left on my counter who met their demise to a flock of birds on my back porch is proof of that. The cookies he baked and passed through Greasy Sae when I went to trade at the new, rebuilt Hob is glaring proof of his efforts.

I did actually eat those but I made sure to do it in private, where Peeta would never know if his token was accepted or not.

Because I don’t want him to think we’re okay. I don’t want Peeta to believe me and him can still be friends, with Bailey Robyn, the uptight, controlling blonde still lingering over his every move.

Okay, maybe I’m being a bit overdramatic. Bailey isn’t residing over Peeta’s every action. She probably doesn’t even know he’s made all these treats for me. And she surely wasn’t sitting by his side in the corner of Greasy Sae’s booth when our eyes briefly met before I stubbornly stormed out.

But I feel like she is. I feel her presence overcast in every one of Peeta’s actions, in every deed he partakes in, in every moment I run into him. Maybe it’s only inside my head but it’s enough reason for me to avoid Peeta. It’s enough reason that I wish to stand by my words eight days ago and cut him directly out of my life. With a chainsaw if necessary, I wish to cut the invisible cord that has tied me and him together for so long now.

“Katniss!” Peeta calls again, his arms grasping my waist just in time to prevent my escape into the house.

“Go away,” I mutter under my breath, ire and ache still seeping off me even after a week separating this moment here with our last interaction.

“Why are you upset?” He asks, a little breathless now from the race to my front door. But even tired, concern still manages to leak into his tone. His blue eyes still show anxiety for my well-being.

And it’s still not enough to thaw me.

“You know why,” I say rigidly, pulling my front door open and shoving his hands away from me.

“No, no, I mean,” he quickly tries to correct his question. “I meant, what’s happened out here that has you upset?”

I audibly huff, my eyes about as warm as a popsicle in a snowstorm. The last thing I want to do is stand here and recount just about anything to Peeta, especially in regards to the way I’m currently feeling.

Especially after the last time we spoke about our feelings, when I chose to let him in and allowed him to see the vulnerable parts of me that I never trust anyone with.

Only for him to turn around and side with Bailey over me.

But knowing how persistent Peeta can be when properly determined—his intensity to train like a Career, Brutus’ murder and him warning District Thirteen about Snow’s incoming attack all fly to the top of that list—I merely gesture widely to my backyard, where the dead flowers lie.

It only takes Peeta a moment to click it all together, to his credit. Though I’m hesitant to even offer him that right now.

“I’ll replant them,” he instantly offers, like a dog begging to fetch his owner a carcass bone.

“Don’t bother,” I say, about as rude and uninviting as humanly possible. “It’s not your responsibility.”

I’m just stepping into the house when Peeta’s hand shoves on the door, hard enough to keep it open. For a split second, I contemplate putting all my strength behind it and slamming his fingers in the door. But even as mad as I am—even as wounded as I am—I won’t physically harm Peeta.

After all, he already lost his leg once about I tied it in a tourniquet. I may have saved his life but I also cost him half a limb and that thought alone stops me from nearly taking his fingers off too.

“Katniss, I want to,” he pleads and his eyes are so big and blue and I feel my heart involuntarily melt a bit upon at the sight. “I want to replant them.”

I release an unconscious breath, for the first time in over a week not completely hostile towards the boy with the bread, who in my eyes, completely turned his back on me. Or so it feels. “I’ll just end up killing them again, Peeta. I’m serious. Don’t even bother.”

“Then I’ll tend to them,” Peeta throws out, getting more and more desperate the more I refuse, it seems.

I’m about to brush off his offer once again when another voice joins us. “Oh, let him do it, sweetheart. The boy needs a hobby besides baking,” Haymitch chimes in, standing at the bottom of my porch, looking drunk as ever.

“You love that baking is his only hobby,” I shoot back at the paunchy, old man.

“Well, not anymore. Since you two started fighting he’s been making me fat. I need a break.”

I’m about to come back with another comment, probably one to suggest Haymitch doesn’t have to eat everything Peeta brings, when we’re joined by a third presence.

Of course, she has to join us. Bailey can’t seem to let Peeta go anywhere without her nowadays.

“What’s going on?” She murmurs, looking around at all our tense body language. Well, at mine and Peeta’s tense body language. Haymitch is currently sitting on the bottom step of my porch now, as relaxed as Buttercup is in the window.

Peeta opens his mouth to respond but then shuts it again, glancing back at me. I don’t know if it’s the fact that he doesn’t wish to discuss his offer to help me with his girlfriend or if it’s the fact that he clearly knows I dislike the notion of Bailey in my business, but either way I’m a little pleased when he closes his mouth and adverts eye contact away from the blonde.

Instead it’s my drunken mentor who elaborates. “The girl’s flowers died. Your boyfriend just wants to replant them.”

To my utter astonishment, Bailey seems amendable to the idea. “The flowers for your sister?” She inquires, looking right at me. I shoot her a quizzical—and perhaps slightly unfriendly—look out of the corner of my eye but she continues on anyway. “Peeta, you should help her plant them again. Especially since you let them die-“

But I’ve heard enough from her—and everyone else here, for that matter—and I turn to Peeta, my hand still holding the doorknob tightly, ready to slam it shut. “Fine,” I cave, my tone anything but grateful. “Go ahead and replant the primroses. If that’s going to help you, then go for it.”

I don’t wait to hear a response from any of the parties now camped out on my property. Instead I shove Peeta’s fingers off my door—first time I’ve touched him in eight days—and throw it shut with such a force I feel the walls in my entryway shake.

“She’s always been a spitfire,” I hear Haymitch mumble as three sets of footsteps make their way further from my porch.

I barely catch Peeta’s response. If I hadn’t been standing by the door, unintentionally listening to hear what they may be saying, I would have missed it altogether.

“That’s the best thing about her.”

/

It’s just mere hours later before I’m disturbed once again. This time not by a crew of three but by one solo intruder.

“Sweetheart?” Haymitch barks, evidently not too keen on the fact that I decided to turn every light in my house off after returning home from the Hob.

“Go away,” I mumble out, knowing well and clear that he can’t hear me from upstairs. I’m in my bedroom, lying in the safety of my own bed, in my own private sanctuary, where I do not wish to be disturbed by anyone at any cost.

Of course, it only takes a few minutes of bumping into things and cursing for Haymitch to track me down. “Girl, it’s six at night?” He says incredulously.

“So?” I snap, as he turns my light on, effectively blinding me.

“Did you just forget about dinner tonight?” He asks, his voice neither kind nor hostile. In all honesty, he just sounds puzzled.

“Why are you in my room, Haymitch?” I murmur, rubbing my eyes until they adjust to the beaming brightness and pulling myself upwards now. Off his dismissive glance, I let out a deep sigh. “I wasn’t hungry.”

Of course, we’re not really talking about me skipping a meal. I highly doubt Haymitch truly cares if I miss dinner by my own accord. He surely wasn’t too interested in my meal intake when he brought me home from the Capitol and dropped me off on my doorstep.

No, we’re referring to the weekly dinners me, Peeta and Haymitch have at the old man’s pig sty. The same dinners I’ve brought Delly along to, that Haymitch is constantly passing out drunk during, that Bailey has been crashing nonstop since arriving here in Twelve.

When I came home from trading at the Hob tonight, I decided I was done with those dinners. I don’t need to subject myself to bossy Bailey any longer, and my resolve to keep Peeta out of my life as much as humanly possible is still strong. Despite the fact that I agreed to let him plant the primroses in my garden again and tend to their growth, I still don’t wish for us to be friends. I still don’t want to subject myself any further to him and Bailey’s exhibits.

And I figured no one would mind my absence anyways. At least not for a few dinners. I knew eventually Haymitch would try to push me to come back and Peeta would probably ask me very sweetly to join again, but I didn’t think the first night I skipped would be a huge production.

And okay, maybe there is a small part of me who deep down hopes if I refuse to come, Bailey may be disinvited in order to make me feel welcome again. It’s a long shot and not one I’d consciously admit to counting on, but I’d be lying if I said there wasn’t a small, minuscule part of me wishing for that to happen just the same.

Haymitch glances at me suspiciously now. “You’re always hungry, kid.”

“I am not.”

“Yes, you are. You’re the most enthusiastic eater I know.”

Okay, he is blatantly confused apparently. His drunken goggles are blurring his perspective of reality, it would seem.

In any case, I flop backwards on my bed and roll away, hoping if I ignore my mentor long enough he’ll just evaporate into thin air.

But for some reason, Haymitch is weirdly dogged tonight. “Come on,” he urges, shaking my shoulder a bit too roughly. “I know the boy always says you’re just like me, but this little display is over the top, Katniss.”

I roll my eyes. “Why do you even want me at those dinners, Haymitch? You have Peeta and Bailey there.” I can’t stop myself from throwing the extra emphasis on Bailey, as immature as it may be.

However, the old man isn’t interested in dignifying me with a response. “And Delly. And Johanna. And Annie Cresta.”

That catches me completely off-guard. “What?”

In the time since the war ended and I returned to Twelve—or rather, was exiled to Twelve—no one from the other districts have visited. I have barely seen anyone I know in the last few months, outside Haymitch, Peeta and Delly.

“Some of which are anxious to see you at dinner,” he adds, gesturing for me to get up.

I shoot him a mordant glance. “Johanna’s anxious to see me?”

“I said some. Meaning Delly and Annie,” he clarifies. Off my still hesitant expression, he reaches down and tugs on my wrist, trying to get me out of bed.

“Fine!” I exclaim, feeling strangely embarrassed now as I realize that our roles are suddenly being reversed. I’m the one who always forced him out of bed, who made him come to meals, who fought with him to hurry up and get moving.

In the end, I don’t bother cleaning myself up or trying to appear presentable. Johanna and Annie won’t care and Peeta doesn’t get to care anymore.

And it wouldn’t matter anyway. Even if Effie Trinket or my entire prep team were here, I’d never stand a chance of looking anything but plain next to Bailey.

It’s not that I care that she’s so blatantly pretty. It’s just that her looks are one more thing about her presence to be bothered by, and that list is getting long and extensive. Even after her apparent approval of Peeta gardening my primroses, even after no negative interactions in eight days, I still sense hostility with her. And I still can’t stare at her without feeling my stomach churn.

Because every time she’s around, I know I’m about to be the odd one out. For whatever reason, outside of Delly, the people I care for, hold a deep affinity for Bailey Robyn.

And it bothers me above anything I can express. It bothers me beyond words, beyond measure, beyond any sense of feeling.

“Look who I found,” Haymitch announces as we enter through the threshold of his filthy residence.

“Katniss!” Annie exclaims and tosses her arms around my neck, despite the fact that we’ve never been too close. I can’t even remember the last time we had a conversation in person. The only true communication between me and Annie is the letters she sends, the ones filled with details of her life in Four and Finnick’s son. The ones I rarely respond to, but always read just the same.

Still, despite the fact that Annie might as well be a glorified stranger to me, I return the embrace, instinctively at first and then, simply because I want to. Because no one besides Peeta has given me any sort of affection in months and I miss it. Now that Peeta has put conditions on our relationship, I am hungry for any physical touch at all.

It shocks me to realize, in that moment, just how completely starved I am, for closeness.

I hug Annie for far longer than I think anyone watching anticipated but she doesn’t seem to mind. In fact, she seems to welcome it too.

Then again, her husband died and left her with seemingly no family at all to help raise their baby. So perhaps she’s just as desperate for a human touch—I suppose besides her son—as I am.

I don’t receive the same welcome from Johanna, unsurprisingly, but as soon as me and Annie break apart, she shoots me a satirical glance and pulls on a piece of my hair.

“Ow!” I exclaim, my thick brows furrowing in confusion. “What was that for?”

“It was sticking up,” she explains with a shrug and then smirks. “Did you just roll out of bed and come here?”

“Did you?” Her outfit is just denim pants and a low cut t-shirt. Not that different from my attire.

“Yes. And I’m not ashamed of it.” She runs a hand over her hair which has grown out to about length with her shoulders. “But I know how to use a hairbrush, at least.”

I roll my eyes as she nudges me. “This is dinner,” Haymitch deadpans as he makes his way to the table. “Not a Capitol Beauty Contest.”

Jo examines the unwashed table as we follow the grumpy man’s lead. As of right now, the table is completely void of substance. “Doesn’t dinner imply food?” She asks and Annie laughs lightly, suggesting she was thinking along the same lines.

“Haymitch doesn’t believe in cooking himself,” I retort, earning a look from the old man. “He’s waiting for Peeta to arrive with food.”

“You’re more than welcome to provide the meal, sweetheart.”

“And what are you providing?”

“The residence the meal is served at.”

“And what a residence it is!” Exclaims a completely different voice, a higher pitched soprano.

And like clockwork, three blonde heads round the corner of the dining room, abruptly joining the party.

Delly looks as enthusiastic to be walking with Peeta and Bailey as I am to be in their company right now. Which she further evidences by hurrying to the seat at my right.

“Don’t think I’ve ever seen you without a grin,” Haymitch remarks as he pulls out a bottle of white liquor and pours it into a half-clean glass.

“Wonder why that is,” I murmur out loud before thinking better of it. After all, Haymitch seems to care for Bailey more than me nowadays. I should probably not stir the pot before the food is even presented before me.

But he doesn’t reply back. Even if he did, I doubt I’d notice anyway.

Because, in the flash of a second, the attention of the room is completely shifted.

I knew Bailey was coming with Peeta. She’s practically glued to his hip at all times of day, almost as if she’s afraid to let him out of her sight. But it would seem that Haymitch did not inform Johanna or Annie about Peeta’s new relationship, effectively catching them both by surprise at the additional dinner guest.

And there’s little room for doubt to anyone with eyes that they’re together. Their hands are practically singed as one, in an airtight grasp, her manicured nails intertwined with his long fingers.

For a split second I wonder if that’s what my hand looked like inside Peeta’s last week. I wonder if this is what Bailey saw before her, when she caught us roaming through town at the crack of dawn.

“Barley?” Johanna says in a shocked voice.

It takes a moment for her comment to compute in my brain. “Bailey,” I correct, trying to be helpful. Though I’m unsure where she even managed to get the name Barley at all. Especially if Haymitch didn’t warn her about the girl Peeta was bringing and I strongly suspect he didn’t.

Jo looks at me like I’m insane for the amendment before turning back to Bailey and Peeta. “You’re dating Bailey Barley?” She say incredulously.

Bailey Barley? Is that a nickname? Now I’m the one who’s completely lost at sea, feeling like there was a good chunk of time I somehow missed.

Bailey’s blue eyes stare into Jo’s now, not exactly friendly but not as belligerent as I’ve seen her before. As I saw her last week.

I don’t know nor do I understand what they’re silently communicating, but I do comprehend one thing without a doubt.

Johanna knows Bailey. Somehow, someway, Johanna knows Bailey even more than I do.

Peeta doesn’t seem too confused though. He doesn’t even seem fazed by the exchange at all. Instead he drops Bailey’s hand—not soon enough, in my opinion—and moves to set some kind of meat and potato meal down on the table.

“Where did you get the meat?” I ask abruptly, recognizing it as deer. I just shot my first in a long time only the other day. How on Earth did Peeta get deer meat around the same time I did.

“I traded a cake for it. At the Hob,” he explains nonchalantly, avoiding my bewildered eyes now.

I just stare at him for a second, debating on even further commenting.

The Hob is where I traded the deer after killing it. Peeta literally baked a cake and traded it for meat, just because I wouldn’t speak to him.

He literally traded a cake so I could eat the meat that I hunted myself.

Something about that scenario vindicates me slightly. And I have to wonder if I’ve become sadistic with time and solitude.

My attention though is pulled back to Johanna and Bailey now. “What’re you doing in Twelve?”

Bailey takes her seat, between Haymitch and Peeta, with grace. “Peeta and I met in the Capitol,” she states simply. “I decided to come here and spend some more time with him. Get to know him a little better.”

As if to punctuate her words, she places one dainty hand on top of Peeta’s and gives it a squeeze.

I can’t even fight my eye roll.

“I see,” Jo murmurs, casting a sideway glance at me, none too subtle. “Well, it looks like you did... that.”

Delly snickers into her water glass and I don’t miss the way Bailey shoots her an irritated glance. Peeta seemingly does though. Haymitch is already too tipsy to care if an actual fight breaks out among us, his white liquor kicking in quick.

Annie on the other hand, who I’ve always believed to often be oblivious to all those around her, decidedly cuts the tension here. “Well, I’m hungry. Peeta, pass me a plate.”

And just like that, we’re having one of the most awkward meals I’ve ever had to endure.

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[sunaswife]

Summary: It’s been five years since you’ve seen your ex, Rin. He’s still not over you and you’re not over him. When he finds out you have children he thought he didn’t have a chance. Then he finds out they’re his? All of a sudden you’re teaching Suna how to be a single dad.

🔪: wow it’s been awhile how is everyone?! I apologize for being a shitty writer but sometimes you just don’t have motivation

Warnings: Fluff, angst I guess, drama, and cuteness twin overload

Previously Up Next Masterlist

Chapter 11

“You’re up early.” You heard and you looked up from your laptop. “I could say the same for you. You always needed your beauty rest.” You joked and Rin laughed. “You do know work can wait. You shouldn’t overwork yourself.” Rin pointed out. “I know, this isn’t really work. I was so distracted yesterday with our talk that I didn’t get a lesson plan ready for the kids so I have to rush and do it right now because I have the kids on a schedule and—“

“Relax.” You felt his rough hands on your shoulders. You completely froze, your heart started racing. “Like I said you overwork yourself. When I finish packing up all my crap you can teach me and we can do it together, okay?” Rin leaned forward to see your face. “Um..yeah sure.” You gulped and looked back at the screen. “Oi, your face is red. You have a fever or something?” Rin asked and tried touching your forehead but you smacked his hand away. “No I’m fine. No fever.” You assured and took a sip of your tea. “Oh so you’re falling for me is that it? Did I make you blush?” He teased and you elbowed his stomach. He winced and hunched forward. “Go pack or stay with Osamu.” You muttered and began to furiously type on your laptop.

“Alright Alright geez. Don’t miss me too much.” He said sarcastically and you rolled your eyes. “Wait before I go.” He said and you looked up with raised brows. “You’re allowed to have pets here right?” He said. “Yeah why?” You asked. “I have my dog...remember..?” He bit his lip. “Oh geez.” You groaned and rubbed your temples. “Don’t worry, he has his shots and everything. He’s trained too. Like he plays dead and stuff.” He said. “Plays dead? A more convincing argument would be like sitting or opening the fridge and getting a can of beer.” “He’s a dog not a servant.” He argued, “How big is your dog?” You asked. “Mmm medium sized, smaller than a German Shepard but bigger than a Jack Russel Terrier.” He said and you raised another brow.

“You act like I know dog breeds. Hell I didn’t even know you knew dog breeds.” You said. “I got chewy’s mom after the whole incident and she really distracted me when I had episodes, she had pups and died since she was sick so I kept one of her pups. I kind of became obsessed with dogs I guess you could say.” He replied. “Fine, is he an inside or outside dog?” You asked, “Both but he sleeps inside.” Rin said. “Okay, I’ll get the back ready for him so he can get cozy and mark his territory or whatever dogs do.” You said. “He’s actually at my parents house, Osamu’s apartment doesn’t have a backyard for pets of his size.” He said.

“Well then that means we take a car instead of a train to Hyogo, right?” You asked and he nodded. “Okay cool. Now hurry and you’ll make it back in time for lunch or snack time.” You waved him off. He chuckled and gave a mock salute and he was gone. You took a deep breath and leaned back in the dining chair.

“What have I done?” You asked yourself. You avoided Rin’s emotional confession yesterday, but now you can’t stop thinking and getting confused with your own emotions. You chugged down your tea and finished making the lesson plan for today. Today is focusing on math and science. Tomorrow is language arts and history.

You got this.

You’re an independent woman.

Relax

“Damn you, Rintaro.” You huffed.

“Remember-“ you started off pointing a finger at Rin. “Do not give in to their puppy faces when they want candy, we already have some at home. We don’t need more.” You started and he nodded. “I’ll remember to get your almond milk, you still drink it right?” You asked and he nodded. “Why doesn’t daddy drink regular milk?” Rini asked, “He’s lactose intolerant.” You replied, “What’s lack toes interant..?” Akira asked, “My body can’t handle the sugar that’s in milk.” He said as you you began looking through the grocery list while he pushed the cart.

“What happens if you drink milk?” Rini asked, “His stomach will hurt and he’ll make the bathroom all smelly.” You teased and the kids said a synchronized ewww, Suna suddenly flicked your forehead and you lightly smacked his hand away. “Stop embarrassing me in front of my kids.” He huffed. “Stop embarrassing me in front of my kids.” You mocked under your breath and the kids giggled.

“Alright fruit. What kinds of fruit do you want this week?” You asked, “Strawberries!” Rini said, “watermelon.” Akira chimed in. “Rin?” You asked, “O-oh I can pick?” He asked completely confused, “Obviously, you live with us now. It’s your house too.” Akira said in a duh tone.

For a second it felt like time stopped when he saw you laughing with the kids, you all live together now. Like a family...an odd family but a family nonetheless. He’s already told you that he still loves you, and he respects your decision whether you don’t want him back or you need time. But at least you’re in his life and that’s all he wanted—no, all he needed.

“Green grapes..?” He asked, “Hey I was thinking grapes too!” You chuckled and the kids saw how their two parents divided and concurred the produce section, throwing in fruits and veggies into the cart.

“Y/N..” Rin called and you turned to see him and the kids making puppy dog eyes. He was holding a packet of chuupets, the ones where you freeze them and you can break them in half to share. You already had a half pack at home, “Seriously? I thought I had two kids not three.” You crossed your arms over your chest. “But chuupet is life.” Rin replied

“Chuupet is life.” You kids nodded, “You guys don’t even finish the ones we have at home.” You told your kids, “Because they have sugar and you won’t let us eat a whole bunch.” Akira defended, she was right. “Fine, one packet. We’ll buy one packet every two weeks.” You said and Suna fist bumped the kids and tossed the chuupets in the cart.

These past two weeks with Rin and the kids have been eventful. Rin has begun helping you with lesson plans, he likes the idea of homeschool because you both have hectic schedules and you’d rather watch the kids then hire a babysitter or nanny. The awkwardness between you both has died down and you’re comfortable in this new environment. You and Rin made a contract to split everything 50/50 and hung it on the wall of your living room as a joke.

Life was very much easier with Rin around and you began teaching him how to use a planner, he wasn’t keen on taking one with him everywhere but he found an app that works just as good. Everything was new to him as well, it was a bit hard to keep up and even though he doesn’t really like change he was comfortable as well. He just needs to stop staring too much when you’re cooking or helping the kids with school work. But it’s so hard for him to look away, you’re just so beautiful.

In his memo app he even has a list of Rini’s allergies and phone numbers for the kids doctor, dentist, and school. He was grateful you didn’t just toss all of this responsibility, when you called the doctor to schedule a six month check up, he was listening intently and took mental notes on what to ask.

He was also glad he got to know a little bit more about you as well, he didn’t know you had cooking karaoke time for the kids. The kids would sit on the counter laughing at your performance of ‘Let It Go’.

Also your favorite flower changed it’s no longer daises, you also can’t stand the taste of pickles anymore because when you were pregnant you craved them and now the smell makes you wanna vomit.

There was so many new things to discover in your little family and he was grateful that you allowed someone like him to waltz right in as if he didn’t break your heart. You were too kind for your own good.

He felt more confident now as he drove to his parents house with your head against the window, asleep. He looked at the rear view mirror and saw the kids sleeping as well with their mouths open and their snores filled the car. He smiled softly and looked back at the road, he passed the arcade he used to take you, as well as the old drive thru movie theater, and the road that led up to the hills where he took you on your guy’s first date. Before he knew it he saw his childhood home and he carefully parked the car to not startle the kids.

“Y/N..wake up.” He shook your shoulder lightly, your eyes slowly widened and you turned to him with tired eyes. “We’re here. I’ll help you take down the kids and you can go inside, I’ll have my dad help me bring in our bags.” He said softly. “Okay..thanks Rin.” You yawned and opened the door to go get the kids.

“Wake up princess.” You said as you unbuckled Akira’s car seat. She yawned and rubbed her eyes, she opened her arms for you to carry her and you rolled your eyes playfully. You held her in your arms and she wrapped her arms around your neck and rested her head on your shoulder. You grabbed her fox plush with your free hand and closed the car door. Rini was already running around and stretching with Rin.

“Akira you don’t wanna stretch?” You asked and she shook her head. “Are you really that tired..? You teased and she nodded. Rin grabbed some bags with Rini helping as well, he could only carry a backpack that barley had anything inside. You followed Rin up the familiar steps and he rang the door bell.

Soon enough the door opened and it was Rin’s dad, “Oh it’s been so long.” He sighed as he held his son in his arms. “It has.” Rin replied and slowly pulled away. He put the bag down to carry Rini and brought him eye level with his dad. “This is my son, Rini.” He spoke up and his dad gasps.

“He looks just like you.” He said and Rin nodded. “Yeah I get that a lot.” He chuckled. “Hi Rini, I’m grandpa but you can call me pops or gramps.” He said and Rini’s eyes widened. “Grandpa?” He asked and he nodded. “I always wanted a grandpa!” He yelled and tackled him in a hug. Rin’s dad took a few steps back with Rini in his arms and he chuckled. You gave a soft smile. “This is also my daughter Akira, they’re twins.” Rin spoke up and his dad look as you turned to show him your sleeping daughter.

“There’s two?!” He asked. You gave a small nod, “You must be Y/N, it’s nice to finally meet you.” He said. “It’s nice to meet you too Mr. Suna.” You said. “No need for that just call me Kauru.” He smiled softly and you nodded. “Alright, Kauru. Thank you for allowing us into your home.” You said and he waved off. “Your mom should be here in a few she just went to buy some groceries.” He told Rin and he nodded.

You were shown to Rin’s old room which is where the kids will be sleeping, you and Rin will be sleeping on futons in the living room. Akira had finally woken up and her and Rini were outside playing with Rin’s dog. A car horn honked outside and Rin and Kauru went outside to help with the groceries. You followed them as well to help and that’s when you finally met Rin’s mother.

She gave a small glare and scoffed, she walked past you, purposely bumping her shoulder with yours. She clearly stated you weren’t welcomed and you had no idea of the shit storm coming your way.

🏷: @therealwalmartjesus @differentballooncollection @aaesuki @atsunflower @dope-squish @prettysetterboiss @june-phantom @tomo-uwu @austriasmariazelle @xrnia @katsulia @aprettyfruit @shut-your-eyes-kiss-me-goodbye @tvbiio @sun-daddy-yoriichi @kamenoyaki @ppangiiroo @loeyprivvv @kmskj92 @lovinnoya @sarahvvictoria @tris-does-stuff @mokkeguts @sunaluvr6969@bara-rose-would @sempiternal-amour @volleybloop @leykyuu @bokutoichigo @stfucanunot @iloveanime691 @atsumusdomain @ohrintarou @shoutosimp @rintasuna @bokutosdivineass @anngelllla @toworuu @hidden-otaku-stuff @seijohiselite @caxsthetic @aquariarose @hhwanggu @bakuhoetoedoroki @yoozuku @osamus-onigiri @akaashi-todorki i @donica95 @kakaokenma @airheadpillar

Thank you for being patient and understanding!

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[h0tch-r0cket]

Infatuation (18+) {a.h.} : chapter 8

summary: you needed a job. aaron hotchner needed a babysitter. the rest was inevitable.

word count: 4.9K

warnings: explicit language, building tension, drinking alcohol

table of contents

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"Hey Esmé? Are you up? I really need you right now," you called out through her bedroom door. You shifted your weight on the balls of your feet, knocking on her door.

Aaron had just dropped you off at your apartment, leaving you stunned at the fact that the two of you almost kissed in his car. You had to talk to someone about it otherwise you were certain you would have spontaneously combusted on the spot. You threw your head in your hands in frustration and let out a frustrated groan as you knocked on her door, this time a little bit harder than the first.

"Esmé, please." Artemis was at your heels and she barked at the door, as if she was trying to help you out and get Esmé's attention.

Aggravated mumbling from behind the door grabbed your attention as you heard Esmé shuffling her feet on the floor. When it opened, she was rubbing her eye with one hand and waving her finger around at you with the other.

"I swear to God, Y/N, this better be life or death because I am exhausted. I had some guy puke on me at the ER on my shift and I'm not in the mood to deal with-"

"He tried to kiss me in his car after his lecture," you blurted out to interrupt her rambling.

She stopped rubbing her eyes, looking at you with the one uncovered eye extremely wide. "I'm sorry. Can you repeat that?" She took a step closer to you, still keeping her one hand on top of her eye.

You took a deep breath, trying to calm yourself down. "Aaron. He tried to kiss me today after the lecture."

Esmé quickly grabbed onto your hand and dragged you into her room, making you sit down on her bed. She stood in front of you and was pacing back and forth, her face contorted in disbelief and confusion.

"Aaron...tried...to...kiss...you," she said slowly as if she was taking a moment to process what you just told her.

"Yes, Esmé. It was after his lecture before he dropped me off here." Esmé continued to pace in front of you, holding her chin in her hand.

"Aaron tried to kiss you," she said faster.

"Esmé. I know. Focus here, please. I literally don't know what the fuck to do with myself right now," you said, a hint of annoyance in your voice. You knew that it was a lot to take in and quite frankly, you were still reeling from the moment yourself.

"How the fuck did that even happen?" Esmé asked as she finally gave you her undivided attention.

"It just sort of came out of the blue," you told her. "Well, maybe not that out of the blue the more that I think about it."

"Why's that?"

"He said some things during the lecture and I am pretty positive that they were supposed to be directed at me. Or I guess how he feels about me," you explained. Esmé squatted down in front of you, resting her hands on your thighs.

"What the hell did he say in the lecture?"

You briefly told Esmé about how he kept looking at you during that one specific part of the lecture, how Zeus didn't care about what people thought and that he just wanted to be with the woman he loved.

"He said that in front of everybody?" she asked, her eyes widening in shock.

"Yeah, E. That's why I'm trying not to read too much into it because it was a lecture after all. But it just felt so real."

Esmé let out a small laugh and stood up. "Y/N, I told you this man was smitten. Look at him! He almost kissed you in his car. Jesus fucking Christ. It's like he got smacked upside the head and is finally growing a set to not just tell you how he feels but to show you how he feels."

"I'm trying not to get my hopes up," you said quietly, the lingering uncertainty rattling around in your head.

Esmé looked down at you and furrowed her brows. "Wait. You said tried to kiss you? How do you try to kiss someone and not actually kiss them? I mean it's not that hard. You just have to-"

"Esmé," you said, cutting her off from her impending rant again as you heard the excited yet confused tone in her voice. "He got a call from Jack's school so he had to take it."

Esmé flopped down on the bed next to you on her back and stared up at the ceiling. "So you're telling me that it literally was like a scene out of a fucking movie? Oh my god, Y/N," she said excitedly as she held her face in her hands.

You shrugged your shoulders, twiddling your fingers in your lap. "I guess it was kind of cliché. But, God, E, when I tell you I felt like the world was completely stopped around us when he was moving his head closer to me," you said, exhaling deeply.

Esmé propped herself up on her elbows and a smirk grew on her face. "How about next time you see him, you just go for the gusto. Fucking grab him by the collar or something and just go for it."

You laughed at Esmé's so-called advice, rolling your eyes.

"I mean come on. He clearly has a thing for you already and you sure as hell do too, so might as well reassure his thoughts and feelings by sealing the deal and finish what you started in his car," she continued. She sat up on the edge of her bed next to you, wrapping her arm around your shoulder and giving it a reassuring squeeze. "And you know just for your sanity, and mine," she muttered as she spoke. Esmé grabbed onto your chin and turned your head to look at her. "Turn your fucking phone off," she said, sending you a death glare as she still held on to your face.

"Noted," you said, laughing lightly as she poked you on your nose, letting go of your face. Your phone buzzed in your pocket and you grabbed it quickly, hoping it was the person you needed to hear from the most.

                                     Aaron Hotchner

-Hey, Y/N. Just wanted to let you know that I am keeping Jack home from school tomorrow. Don't worry about coming here to watch him. I took off for the day to make sure he's doing alright.

-And thanks again for coming to my lecture. I'm glad you enjoyed it.

                                -Tell Jack I hope that he feels better soon!

"Oh my god, did he ask you out yet? Was that what that message was?" Esmé asked excitedly.

You shook your head no and put your phone away. "Jack is sick so I'm not going over there tomorrow."

"Well that's not the worst thing in the world. Now you have an extra day to figure things out." She paused, giving your leg a reassuring squeeze. "And now I have the next day to help you come up with a plan to seduce Mr. Tall, Dark, and Handsome."

"I don't think that will be necessary," you laughed lightly, not wanting Esmé to meddle in whatever was going on with Aaron.

"Me making the plan? Yeah, probably not. But you definitely have to get into his pants," she encouraged. "Don't let this one get away from you."

"I'm not planning on it."

-----

Your days off flew by and before you knew it, you were back to your daily routine of watching the young Hotchner.

"How are you feeling, buddy?" you asked Jack as he wrapped his arms around your legs when you picked him up from the bus stop.

"A lot better. I slept a lot yesterday and the day before. I missed school though," he said as he looked up at you from around your waist. "But it's okay. Ms. Kingston told me not to worry about my work or anything." He let go of you and you began to walk towards the Hotchner home.

Your usual game of pebble kicking commenced as Jack told you about his school day.

"Hey Y/N?" he asked as he hopped up the stairs to the porch.

"Yeah, Jack?"

He stopped in his tracks and turned to look at you as you grabbed the key to the house from your pocket. "I missed you while I was sick."

You smiled, ruffling his hair. "I missed you, too." You unlocked the door and headed inside, being greeted by the German Shepherd who was eagerly anticipating someone coming home to be with him.

Jack gave Buster his usual scratches behind the ear before going to do his homework at the kitchen table.

You settled down on the couch, still trying to figure out how exactly you were going to bring up the whole almost kiss incident later on with Aaron later on when he got home from work.

It was all you thought about the past two days, keeping you up at night. With Esmé practically interrogating you every time she saw you, you were growing more anxious to talk to him. You worried that there was a lapse of judgement. That he was just caught up in the moment.

But you hoped that wasn't the case.

You hoped that that was his overall intention. That he did want to kiss you. That the words he spoke during his lecture, although they were about the myth, that they applied to the situation that the two of you currently found yourselves in. The words seemed too real, too thought out to only be about the way that the story went. And the fact that his mannerisms in the lecture changed when he was talking about the desire to be with someone and that he didn't care what others thought. He went from glancing around the room and pacing in front of all of his students to stopping dead in his tracks and looking at you.

You could vividly remember how his eyes were searching yours in the lecture hall, as if he was hinting that it all was about you. That it always had been about you.

As you sat on the couch and tried to process everything and think of what you were going to say to Aaron, you were interrupted by the young Hotchner plopping down on the couch next to you.

"Y/N, I'm hungry," he said as he twiddled with his fingers.

"What are you in the mood for?" You turned your attention towards the boy as you propped up your elbow on the back of the couch.

"Can we make pizza together?" he asked softly.

"Make pizza?" You were shocked at his request, not expecting him to want to make his own dinner.

"Yeah. It would be fun and delicious." He smiled softly at you, and you knew he was going to win. That kid was slowly leaving a lasting impression on you, one that you never expected. You truly cared about him the more you spent time with him and you wouldn't have wanted it any other way.

You glanced at your watch quickly to get a gauge on the time. "We probably won't have enough time to make our own sauce but we can buy it from your favorite pizza place and still make everything else like the dough. Does that sound good to you, buddy?"

"Yeah!" he hollered in excitement. You gave him a quick high five, an agreement on the plan for the night.

"Give me a few minutes to check to see what Dad has in the kitchen for the dough and toppings and then we'll head out to the store for everything else," you told Jack as you got up from the couch.

"Thanks, Y/N!"

"Of course, Jack."

————

After your successful shopping trip to the grocery store and the pizza place, you and Jack were back home prepping the kitchen for your pizza making night.

"Alright, Jack. Ready to start?" you asked, looking at the ingredients scattered on the counter.

Jack nodded in excitement from across the counter and eagerly awaited your instructions.

You helped him measure out everything for the dough and had him start to mix it together while you grated the fresh block of mozzarella cheese to use for your pizzas. And of course, according to Jack, no pizza night would have been complete without pepperoni for the topping so you were going to cut that up as well.

"Okay, Y/N. The dough is all done," Jack said as he wiped his hands off above the counter. He looked adorable as ever, his shirt lightly coated in a bit of flour and a couple little white spots of flour on his face.

"Nice work, Jack," you said as you put down the cheese, figuring you grated enough. You passed Jack a sliver of the pepperoni, taking one for yourself. "Always fun to snack while you're cooking."

He nodded, leaning across the counter awaiting your next instruction. You cleared the countertop of everything besides the bowl of dough by Jack.

"Step one," you said dramatically, trying to get Jack even more excited, "is to put some flour on the counter." You took a pinch of the flour in between your fingers and sprinkled it onto the counter where the two of you were going to work. Jack followed your lead and sprinkled some flour on the counter too.

"Why are we doing this?" he asked curiously.

"It's so the dough doesn't get too sticky on the counter." He let out a small oh as you grabbed the bowl of dough in front of him. "Are we doing little pizzas for everyone or one big one to share?"

Jack tapped his finger on his chin, taking an ample amount of time to think about his decision as if the world depended upon it. "Little ones," he decided.

"Alright, well in that case we have to split the dough evenly." You grabbed the nearby knife and cut the dough into 3 equal parts, one for you, Jack, and Aaron.

"Now what?" Jack asked.

"We have to knead the dough," you explained as you placed one of the sections of dough on the counter where you had sprinkled the flour. You rolled the dough around for a second to coat it in the flour and watched as Jack stared at you, mesmerized at what you were doing.

You rolled the dough on the counter, working to get the air bubbles out of the dough. You kneaded it for a few minutes until you heard the familiar car alarm chirp in the driveway.

"Dad's home?" Jack asked, clearly not expecting his father to be home so soon.

You glanced at the time to see that Aaron was home about two hours earlier than you had anticipated. "I guess so," you said as you heard the front door open.

You continued to work the dough as Aaron came into the kitchen.

"Wow, what's going on here?" he asked as he leaned against the entrance of the kitchen.

"Making pizza," Jack said simply.

"Mhm," Aaron hummed. "Who's idea was that?"

"It was mine," the young Hotchner admitted happily. "I'll be right back. I have to go to the bathroom."

"Make sure you wash your hands good if you're going to be making this pizza," Aaron called out as Jack ran down the hallway.

You chuckled lightly at Jack's unnecessary announcement as you continued to roll the dough around on the counter. You glanced over to see Aaron watching you work the dough. He furrowed his brows as you worked, pushing his glasses up on the bridge of his nose.

"Can I help you?" you teased, clearly catching him watching you.

Aaron let out a light laugh, coming over to where you and Jack had been cooking. "Nothing, I just—" He paused and clicked his tongue. "It's nothing."

You brushed a strand of hair off your forehead with the back of your hand and looked at him, wondering what he was talking about. "No, what was it?" you asked.

"You're doing too much to the dough," he told you, raising his eyebrows as his way of pointing towards it.

You scoffed playfully, feigning a hurt expression at his comment. "Well, Mr. Chef Boyardee, how should we be kneading the dough then?"

Aaron rolled up the sleeves on his dress shirt and you watched as he came around the counter.

You definitely weren't expecting what was coming next.

Aaron stood behind you, pressing his front against your back as he wrapped his arms around your body, his forearms boxing yours in. He placed his hands on top of yours, starting to guide your hands in rolling the dough. His hands covered yours completely, manipulating their movements to continue to knead the dough. He moved his head next to yours, keeping a watchful eye on the workspace in front of you. You felt the warmth radiating off his body as he continued to stand behind you.

"You don't have to work it so much," he whispered into your ear. You shivered at the closeness, trying not to lose your composure as Aaron continued to move your hands, now in a more circular motion to work on getting the dough to be the right shape and to have a bit of a crust.

"The less you keep kneading it, the better," he continued. You leaned back against him, falling into a state of intoxication because of the whole incident that was unraveling.

You couldn't form any coherent words. Or any other thought than the fact that you wanted Aaron to take you right then and there on the countertop. It took all your willpower not to moan in the moment, even though you felt at any moment one would slip past your lips.

Aaron could feel the way your body tensed when he first came up behind you. He thought that maybe you felt uncomfortable in the situation. But then as your body relaxed underneath his touch, he figured you were enjoying the moment just as much as he was.

He didn't want to ever let you go. The feeling of your body pressed against his was permanently engraved in his mind.

He wanted more.

He was tired of running around his feelings. He was determined to talk to you about everything.

"Aaron," you muttered out, practically breathless as he stayed behind you even though the pizza dough had long been stagnant on the counter. Now, it was only the two of you pressed against each other, both of your hands locked together on top of one another on the counter.

"Hm?" he hummed as he leaned forward, pressing a gentle kiss on your shoulder.

"We need to talk later," you said, feeling overwhelmed by the closeness of him. You knew that you had to talk to him about the events of the past few days and if you didn't stop him now, you wouldn't have been able to help yourself.

"Whatever you want," he muttered as he pressed another kiss underneath your earlobe.

As much as you didn't want him to, Aaron let go of you and you could still feel the way he was pressed up against you. You could subtly make out the mildly toned muscles that were hidden underneath his dress shirt and you imagined what they looked like, how they would have felt underneath your fingertips.

You tried to shake the thoughts from your head but to no avail.

You stood there practically frozen as Jack skipped back into the kitchen. "Okay! I think I can make my pizza now. I think I'm going to be an expert," he asserted.

"I'm sure you are, buddy," Aaron said as he washed his hands in the sink.

"Alright Jack. Let's get going," you told him, feeling your cheeks blush thinking about what just happened.

You were truly in deep shit and there was no going back.

————

"Can we play a game now?" Jack pleaded as the three of you just got done eating the pizzas.

"Go pick one out," Aaron said as he wiped his mouth off with his napkin.

Jack ran up to his room, leaving you and Aaron alone. Again.

He cleared his throat as he took a sip of his wine. He placed the glass down in front of you and clasped his hands together, his honey eyes glancing at you. "What did you want to talk about?" he asked.

You took a deep breath, trying to prepare yourself for the impending conversation. "Well to start, I guess, I want to ask you something."

"Anything."

"Now this may be my brain just over analyzing but in, uh, light of recent events we'll say," you started, trying to phrase everything the best you could, "the day at your lecture. I know you were talking about the myth of Zeus and Io. But I just... the words seemed to be saying more than just that. Am I overthinking or was there actually something behind all of that?"

"You'd be right about that," he said bluntly as he took another sip of his wine. "It wasn't just about the myth."

You felt your cheeks blush again as he looked at you. "So you actually meant it?"

"You're a smart girl, Y/N. I figured you'd pick up on it," he said with a smirk.

"And in the car when we were about to kiss—"

"Interruptions are never fun," he interjected. "Like I said that day, Y/N, you're such an amazing person. And if my actions haven't been clear about that and the way I feel about everything, then what can I do to make it clearer?"

Your eyes widened, realizing what he just told you. You figured that some part of him had some sort of feelings for you but to hear it from him was a whole different sense of euphoria.

"I don't want to force you into anything that you don't want," he added. "I know that there are a lot of things about all of this that could be a bit taboo to some people."

You nodded your head, taking a sip of your own wine. "What makes you think that this isn't something that I want?" you asked curiously.

The footsteps of Jack returned and Aaron raised his brow as a way to tell you to stop the conversation for the time being. Later, he mouthed to you as he got up from the dinner table and grabbed your empty plate from in front of you.

"I haven't played this game in forever," Jack said dramatically as he rattled the box in his hands.

"What is it?" you asked as you got up from the table to see what he had.

He held the box out in front of you and you felt your heart race. Of course, it was just the thing that you needed right now to add to the tension that was clearly building between you and Aaron all night.

"Twister!" he hollered.

Jesus fucking Christ, you thought to yourself.

You pinched the bridge of your nose, trying to figure out a way out of playing. You couldn't see it actually helping the current situation in which you found yourself. If anything, you knew that it would make you want to have Aaron absolutely destroy you into oblivion.

"Jack, buddy. I, uh, don't think that this is such a good idea after eating such a big dinner," you told him, trying to think of anything to get out of playing the game. "You don't want to get sick."

"I'll be fine! Come on, Y/N," Jack practically whined.

"Yeah, come on Y/N," Aaron said smugly as he came up from behind you. "It'll be fun to say the least." He placed his hand on the small of your back as he guided you into the living room. Jack ran around in front of the two of you, quickly laying out the mat for the game on the floor.

You whipped your head around towards Aaron, your eyes wide. "What kind of sick joke is this?" you whispered at him.

He shrugged his shoulders and shoved his hands in his pockets as he smirked. "I had nothing to do with this. But," he whispered as he moved his lips closer to your ear so that Jack wouldn't hear what he was about to say. "I'm sure it won't be the last time the two of us get tangled up together."

"Cheeky bastard," you said back to him, feeling his words go straight to your core.

"Come on guys! I'll go first," Jack said as he spun the dial. "Left hand green." He smacked his hand onto the green dot closest to him and was waiting for you or Aaron to make the next move.

"Let the games begin," Aaron said loudly, making sure to steal a glance at you as the smirk grew on his face.

It wasn't long before the three of you were all twisted and tangled on the game mat. You were positive that you were mere moments away from falling over but you were determined to hold on, if only for a bit longer.

Aaron was thankful for his son for being his unintentional wingman. The game allowed him to be close to you with absolutely no remorse in his body. Especially the few times your ass had rubbed against his groin area. He clenched his jaw each time it happened, trying to not let it affect him. Or at least not that much.

He couldn't even remember how you got tangled up with him on the mat, your limbs crossing here and there with your fronts facing each other.

He was surprised to see how you were twisting and bending your body and could only think about how you would be in bed when he was relentlessly fuc—

"Right hand green," you announced as the spinner for the game came to a halt. "Oh no," you groaned as you soon realized how far away you were from the green spot.

"Don't think you can do it?" Jack teased as he peeked over at you and looked at your current situation.

"No, no. I got this," you told him. You stretched out your arm, reaching over Aaron's crossed legs as you planted your hand firmly on the green dot. "See? Told you."

"Dad, your turn!"

Aaron muttered under his breath, something about being too old for this game as he reached over and spun the spinner. "Left foot yellow?" Aaron peered down at his feet to see that his foot was already there. "Well would you look at that."

"You have to move it," Jack told his father.

"What? No, I don't," Aaron said, determined to keep his foot in place.

"Jack is right. Your foot was already there but you have to try to move it to a different yellow spot," you told him as you glanced at him over your shoulder.

Aaron rolled his eyes and begrudgingly moved his foot to the nearest yellow spot, which looped his body underneath yours.

"Right foot red for me," Jack said as he stretched out his leg to reach it. His foot just made it as it looked like he was in the position that runners were in when they were starting the race.

You flicked the spinner and watched it go until it slowed down, landing on a spot. "Right foot blue," you said. You stretched out your leg, going over Aaron's waist to get to the blue spot. "And that is how it's done," you said cockily.

A mere moment later, your knee buckled underneath you, as it gave out from tiredness underneath you. You quickly fell to the ground, taking Aaron down with you. You landed on his lap, a small huff of air leaving him from the impact.

"Are you okay?" you asked him as you tried to hold in your laughter.

He nodded, trying not to wince from the sudden weight that was dropped onto his groin area.

Aaron was, in fact, more than okay. Sure, the initial fall from you hurt like a bitch but as the two of you sat there for a moment, taking in what just happened, he really didn't mind.

"I win!" Jack yelled in victory.

"That you did," you agreed. You shuddered quickly as Aaron's hands found your waist, splaying them across it. It became all too noticeable to you now that you were practically straddling Aaron's lap right there on the Twister mat.

"You okay?" he asked you as his face softened in concern. You felt his thumbs run gentle circles on your hips as he awaited your answer.

"I'm fine," you assured, brushing the loose strands of hair off of his forehead with your fingers. "I fell on you. Are you okay?"

Aaron nodded his head, a small smile turning up on his lips.

"I think I'm more okay than I have been in a while."

-----

author's note:

i have literally had this chapter planned out and the idea in my head before i even any idea as to where this story was going and i am so excited that it's finally out there!

i hope you all enjoyed it! as always, thank you for your continued support <3

see you next chapter!

-jordyn

[summerlovingbaby]

War Torn

Y/N was walking home to find it crawling with cops, that’s when she knew something was off. Because it wasn’t just cops it was special agents, and shield agents crawling in her neighborhood, sure she lived in a rough part of town and there were always cops, it was never this many, so she knew something was wrong.

She had an escape plan, she always had an escape plan. She knew what she was doing and where she was going. She hoped that he would be there, waiting for her just like promised, but when she saw the news she knew that he wouldn’t be.  Y/N  was planning her next move when she read another headline.

All the headlines everywhere read: Winter Solider Escapes Custody With The Help of Capitan America and Sam Wilson. Millions of questions ran threw Y/N’s head. Where was he being held? Why was he being held? How did he escape? Why did he escape? And mostly how did they find him?

She had to find him, Bucky would do the same for her. She had to find him, though she would be breaking a promise. They made a deal if something happened to one of them, they wouldn’t come back for one another, but she had to. She owed Bucky a great deal, and he would do the same for her.

All Y/N knew was that The Winter Solider escaped custody, he was with two of the avengers, all the borders were locked down tight, the rest of the avengers are looking for him, and they set up a 12 mile blockade. That means that they were probably hiding out somewhere, planning for their next move. Y/N had an idea of where he would be, and she somewhat had a plan.

The next thing she knew she was at a abandoned warehouse, with an AR-15 slung over her shoulder. She could hear muffled voices, one of them was Bucky’s voice, at least he wasn’t dead. As she walked closer she heard the voices more clearly. They were talking about trust, about trusting Bucky.

“ Hands up.” Y/N said peeping around the corner her gun pointed at the black guy.

The black guy reached for his side arm and had it pointed at her within seconds , but the white guy held his hands above his head. Bucky looked up when he heard Y/N’s voice, he knew that she would be coming for him, but hoped that she wouldn’t, He didn’t want her to be apart of this right.

“ Buck-.” Y/N started to say but was stopped,

“ Y/N I’m okay. Drop it.” Bucky’s voice was breathy and he sounded tired, he looked tired and sad.

“ James-” Y/N said looking for reassurance. Her eyes still trained on Sam.

“ Put it down.” Bucky said, he was watching Y/N, he knew that there was only about a 45% chance that she would actually listen to him, but he had to try.

Y/N shrugged her shoulders and pointed her head toward Sam. Steve began to lower her hands, he took his hand and he pushed Sam’s gun down and angled it towards the floor. Y/N did the same, her finger still on the trigger.

“ Y/N you shouldn’t be here.” Bucky said, his head hung low from shame and tiredness.

“ Neither should you.”

“ I did something bad.”

“ I know, I saw.”

“ Buck who is this woman.” Steve said breaking the silence.

“ She’s a friend.” He said looking at Steve with puppy dog eyes, that he didn’t mean to use, those where just his eyes now.

“ Hate to break up this reunion but we need to leave. Like yesterday.” Sam said putting his gun away. “ We need a car.” He said, he begrudgingly looked at Y/N, who payed him no mind. Y/N was too busy looking at Bucky for any sign of trouble. To be honest he looked mostly okay, just tired.

“ Can you get us a car.” Steve looked at Y/N with those Captain America eyes.

“ Yeah I can.” Her eyes moved between Steve and Bucky. “ Should I?” She asked towards Bucky.

“ Steve.” Bucky said in a quiet shaky voice. So that was Steve, the Steve. Y/N thought he was dead by the way Bucky spoke of him.  Y/N knows how much Bucky cared for Steve, respected him a lot too. Y/N heard story’s about him, and Bucky cried for him. She just thought he would be smaller.

“ I can get you a car, not legally.” Y/N spoke, finally looking away from Bucky.

“ Go.” Steve said nodding towards the exit.

“ No, no, no, no. Go with her.” Sam said to Steve. “ Leave the gun, might get some looks.” He said with a sarcastic smile.

Y/N leaned the AR-15 against a pole, and her and Steve left. They walked for a bit in awkward silence, the parking garage that they were going too was surprisingly full, but they needed a car that wouldn’t be reported stolen. Steve broke the silence.

“ You know Bucky.”

“ Yeah.”

“ I guess I meant how do you know Bucky?”

“ I-  he’s a friend.”

“ How did you two meet?”

“ He saved me.”

“ What did he rescue you from a burning building.” Steve said half as a joke.

“ No, he shot me.”

“ He shot you?”

“ Yeah, I deserved it though, it’s not his fault.”

“ Did you do something bad?”

“Define something bad.”

There was a pause, Steve knew Y/N was playing coy, avoiding questions.

“ I am assuming that he told you about Siberia- the others. I was one of the others.”

“ Okay.”

“ Under the circumstances, the brainwashing didn’t work as well as they planned, so I got away. And then I heard about HYDRA and SHEILD, so I moved to Romania because I knew that they wouldn’t look for me there, but they found me anyway. And then they said the words and they made me someone I’m not. I guess James- or Bucky whatever you call him, he saw me on the news, and then he found me, so I tried to kill him. And then he shot me and hit me on the head really hard, helped me remember who I was. He helped me, he cared for me. I was sick, mentally and physically. HYDRA wouldn’t feed me, I was underweight had some broken ribs, my hair was falling out, I couldn’t keep food down. He kept  me alive when I didn’t want to live. Then there was the incident-”

“ What incident?”

“ I don’t think you want to know. I helped him, and then he helped me. He let me stay, at his place. It was only supposed to be for a little bit, but it felt nice to have someone looking out for you, so I stayed. And then we made plans, plans incase something happened. We promised that we wouldn’t come back for each other, but I couldn’t- I can’t leave him. I owe him, I owe him a lot. More than my life, I owe him about a dozen times- a dozen lives. So he’s my friend.” Y/N said. Steve just now noticed that she was crying, but didn’t press the issue because they found a car.

Steve started to break the window, but stopped when Y/N started to pick the lock quite eloquently. Then she popped the dash board and started cutting some wires, so the car started, The ride back to Bucky was almost silent.

“ You know he saved my life too.. fell off a train for me. I’m glad you were there for him, sense I wasn’t. If he trust you I trust you, you seem like a good person. All things considered.”

“ Thanks.” Y/N said watching the windows, it calmed her to see the tree flying by her. It made her feel like she was flying and she liked flying.

They got back to the empty warehouse, Bucky’s arm was free, and Sam was holding the AR-15 begrudgingly, aimed at Bucky. When Y/N saw him free, she fought the urge to run to him. She just wanted to hug him, to touch him, to feel him, hear his heat, his heartbeat. It looked like Bucky was fighting something too, but he opened his arms anyway. Y/N walked to him, and fell into his arms. He enveloped her in a his arms pulling her close to his chest.

Sam tried to break it up, but Steve made Sam give them a minute, he knew they needed a moment of calm before the chaos. They stopped hugging and got in the car. Steve stopped and got some gear, and when Y/N blinked they were at the airport. Something was about to go down. Y/N knew a fight was going down.

Sam noticed that Y/N and Bucky were sharing words in a language, that wasn’t English.

“ You can still leave, its not too late to back out of this.” Bucky said in Romanian

“ I’m not going anywhere.”

“ You don’t have to stay, not for me.”

“ I’m doing this.”

“ This is a suicide run, if they catch you they will kill you.”

“I could say the same to you.”

“ This is my mess, let me clean it up.”

“ Its our mess, and you’re not talking me out of this so drop it.”

“ We had plans, you made plans. You promised that you wouldn’t come back for me.”

“ You would have done the same.”

“ That’s not the point.”

“ Then what is the point?”

“ You can leave, I won’t be mad at you.”

“ I know you won’t. That’s why I have to stay.”

“Y/N-” Bucky started to started to say but was interrupted by the overhead speakers. They were evacuating the airport it was now or never.

‘ May I have my gun please?” Y/N asked. “ I won’t kill anybody I swear, just distract them.”

Steve nodded for Sam to give her the gun, but Sam was still protesting.

“ We don’t need another gun.” Sam said.

“She’s more than a gun. If you’re going to fight do it right. Show them.”

So Y/N did. She was standing next to Bucky one minute, and then she took the place of Sam. Literally. She swapped places with Sam, then Steve, then Wanda then Scott. They didn’t have much time to further press the issue, because they saw a plane landing. Sam was very thrown off, but was too busy thinking about the fact that he was about to commit a war crime.

Y/N was hiding in the hanger with Bucky and Sam. Steve and Tony seemed to be sharing unpleasant words, then something blew up and they got their signal to start running. So they ran like hell. Then a spider-child crashed through the roof, he sounded pretty young. He sounded adorable. Y/N would have found it amusing if it wasn’t for the civil war part. What really threw them for a loop was when he caught Bucky’s arm midair. He wasn’t punching to kill so it wasn’t full strength, but hard enough to knock him out.

But Sam used his drone to trick the boy into falling off the roof, so they were clear. They exited the hanger, and made a bee line to the quinjet, but were stopped. Y/N was stopped by Nat, Clint was stopped by Black Panther, Falcon was stopped by Tony. Y/N didn’t see much more though. Wanda was putting up a good fight, but Y/N was too. 

Everyone was tied up fighting someone, but they didn’t have time to fight. Steve asked for something big and we got something big. Y/N could hear Scott mumbling about tearing himself in half, then he grew. Really big, taller than the airplane hanger. Scott started swinging his arms aimlessly, then he grabbed onto Rhodey, and Ironman starting blasting at him and Vision flew threw him. This couldn’t get any weirder was all Y/N was thinking. Y/N was distracted with Nat and Black Panther. She was doing her best to hold them off, but Black Panther slipped past her.

She looked up to find Antman being tipped over, and saw the spider-ling flying through the air. He was falling, falling fast. He would hit the ground, hard. It would probably kill him. Without thinking Y/N took his place and crashed into a stack of boxes. She thought it would be fine, maybe break a few ribs, but she felt a sharp pain in her abdomen. She tried to raise herself up, but yelped groaned loudly. She looked down to see a large piece of metal through her stomach,

When she saw it she tried to muffle a loud cry. Bucky heard her scream and asked for her status, she didn’t respond. All anyone heard was heavy panting and muffled screams and moans. Suddenly spider-boy ran over to help her. His mask was half off. Wow, he was young.Y/N thought he looked like he was 15 maybe 16.  

“ Oh mu gosh are you okay? You don’t look so good. Just stay there, Mr. Stark will know what to do. “ The boy stuttered.

Y/N would have found him funny during most circumstances, but she had steel sticking out of her stomach so she wasn’t amused. She was watching when she saw war machine free falling. Crap. He was going to die if he hit the ground. She grabbed at the spiderboy and pulled herself up. She could see him falling, but her vision was fading, her wound was bleeding a lot. Her eyes were growing heavy, she tried to wait til he was closer to the ground, but she couldn’t. Her eyes started closing, and it was now or never. She switched places with him and she was now free falling through air. She was falling, she was 100 feet from the ground.

She opened her eyes slightly and could see Sam racing to her aid.This calmed her down a bit, but she knew that he wouldn’t catch her. Her eyes closed as she fell to the ground, she landed hard. It made a crater where she landed. Sam narrowly missed her, but landed beside her. All Sam could hear was Bucky asking if she was okay, but he wasn’t responding because he didn’t know.

Y/N didn’t know this but Bucky was watching the whole time. He tried to convince Steve to turn it around, so they could help her, he just wanted to help her, but Steve wasn’t budging. Then Steve heard strained gasping and heavy breathing.

“ She’s breathing.” Sam whispered.

“ Good, can anybody help.” Steve was glad that Y/N was okay, but he was still focused on the mission, and Iron Man was still tailing the plane.

“ How far away can you get in the next minute?” Y/N asked, her eyes still closed her voice barley above a whisper.

“ Y/N no.” Bucky yelled.

“ Far.” Steve said, his voice laced with confusion.

“ Y/N don’t.” Bucky repeated

“ Don’t do what?” Steve asked.

Everyone could hear Y/N straining through coms, Bucky’s eyes went wide, he started pleading for her to not be dumb and the fight was over, but it was far from over. Suddenly Y/N’s eyes opened wide, they were glowing white.

 “ What the hell?” Sam said.

Y/N’s chest started to lift from the ground, so did her whole body. A bright white light surrounded her body like a shield, as she rose higher and higher. Everyone stopped and watch Y/N go higher and higher. The energy around her glowed brighter and brighter. They could hear Y/N straining harshly, then she started yelling. She flew up higher and grew brighter, then with one final yell she pushed it outward. The energy field expanded in a wave, knocking Iron man off kilter just enough to let Bucky and Steve escape. Y/N could see them flying off in the distance which made her happy. But that’s the last thing she saw, and then she fell from the air. Sam caught her, but she didn’t know that because she was passed out.

Y/N woke up in a straight jacket, and a shock collar, in a cell. She was confused and in a lot of pain. She didn’t know a lot at the moment, but the one thing she did know was that she wanted Bucky.

part 2

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[beewolfwrites]

And When I am Formulated, Sprawling on a Pin - Chapter Fourteen: Half-Sick of Shadows

Hello again! This is instalment 14 of my Chishiya x OC/reader fic. You’ll also find it over here on AO3 too. 

Thanks for all the support so far, and all of the people who have gone through every chapter and liked them. It means so much to see that you’re enjoying this <3 

childlikeempress/mercipourleslivres - I have a feeling you’ll get this chapter title :D 

--------------------------------

By the time we made it back to the Beach, Kuina and I were too tired and overwhelmed to bother with the everlasting party. The teenage boy clung to my side, thanking me repeatedly for saving his life. I tried to tell him that there was no need, that anyone would have done the same, but I had to force the words out. It wasn’t true.

In this world, you’re supposed to look out for yourself.

He promised me he’d repay the favour, but I just shook my head and smiled, telling him to survive instead.

I retreated into my room for the rest of the night, and immediately hopped into the shower. The water swirled, washing away the remains of the pinstripe tent, the red water, yellow eyes and leathery skin.

Don’t focus on it. Don’t think about it.

The stained red scrunchie bobbed on the surface of the water as it spun towards the drain.

My legs collapsed beneath me. Sinking to the to the bottom of the shower, I finally wept.

------------------------------------------

The next morning, I awoke with a splitting headache. My eyes were pink from the night before, and my hands stung, irritated from the metal pull of the wire and the weight of the teenage boy. It was tempting to stay in bed and dream away the blood and guts of the Borderlands. But there was something I needed to do.

‘Don’t you want to thank Chishiya?’

Back then, Kuina’s words had been a lifeline, cutting through the fear.

Sitting up in bed, I took the copy of Wuthering Heights out of the bedside drawer, flicking through the pages. It was all in Japanese, meaning it was illegible to me. But there was something else; one of the page corners was turned over. Flipping to it, I found that a line of the text had been underlined in pen.

Did Chishiya do this?

It seemed unlikely, although he could have done it with the intention that I would translate it. It was impossible to tell, since he was such a closed book. But seeing the words acted as a reminder that I still needed to find him anyway.

Kicking back the covers, I got up and dressed, and while I still felt half-dead after the game, I somehow felt more confident approaching Chishiya. When I finally left my room, it was nearly noon, and I had a pretty good idea as to where he would be.

The hotel was mostly quiet as I slipped through the halls, following the same path Kuina had led me just days before. Having memorised every turn, I eventually came to the doors that opened up to the roof. A cold gust of air sent goosebumps across my skin, and rubbing my arms, I spied the hunched figure sitting, one leg bent, near the edge. Just seeing him alive and well was a huge relief.

He didn’t turn or react as I sat beside him. ‘I didn’t see you yesterday. How did your game go?’

There was silence at first, before he spoke, half-teasing. ‘So you’re speaking to me again? I see.’ When he realised the words had no effect on me, he added, ‘Eight of Diamonds – it was nothing.’

For him, it was nothing. Personally, I would have struggled with an Eight of Diamonds. Knowing myself, I’d second-guess every move. Chishiya didn’t elaborate on the game, or even speak at all.

‘Aren’t you going to ask about my game?’

He was idly watching the pool-goers splashing around and having fun, but his expression was apathetic. ‘I already know. Kuina told me everything.’ He glanced briefly at my reddened hands ‘Apparently you saved a boy. It was a stupid move.’

To someone like you, it would be.

‘I disagree. He lived because of it.’

‘And if he dies in his next game, then it was a waste of time,’ Chishiya berated. ‘It’s pointless to risk your life for a stranger.’

I spun around to face him fully, crossing my legs beneath me. ‘Okay,’ I challenged him. ‘What about if it was you down there? You’d want someone to save you.’

The question was shut down immediately. ‘That’s different. I wouldn’t be stupid enough to end up in that situation.’

I pouted. He wasn’t technically wrong. It was hard to picture Chishiya scared and hanging upside down on a tightrope. If anything, he wouldn’t hesitate to cross it. But he did get nervous. That much was clear from the Two of Spades game, when I’d felt his heart thudding as his arms tightened, pulling me into the darkness.

And now, as my eyes traced over his deadened expression and the thin hair that stirred in the breeze like spider’s silk, I couldn’t stop the question from slipping out. ‘And what if it was Kuina?’ I paused, whispering, ‘or me?’

Now I had his attention, as his lips twisted in that cruel, cruel smile that used to make me shudder. ‘Do you really want me to answer that question?’

No.

The answer was already clear, and for some unknown reason, it hurt.

I don’t want you to say it out loud.

I swallowed, instantly regretting bringing the subject up. ‘You were wrong, by the way... about what you said before.’ This prompted him to lift his brows in mock surprise. ‘You did end up in a similar situation. Both in the Tag game… and in the Two of Spades. Your injury… how is it?’

During our argument, it hadn’t been the right time to ask, but better late than never. I unconsciously reached for him, as if trying to make sure he was okay. However, Chishiya’s hand darted out, catching my fingers in a tight squeeze.

‘Don’t.’ His tone was icy, and it was the first time I’d seen him grow so cold.  

It hurt, seeing him so reluctant to let me in. But to him it was a moment of weakness, a reminder that he had lost control of a situation, even if only for a second.

‘At least tell me you’re okay.’

‘I’ve already told you it’s nothing.’ He clasped my fingers harder. ‘It shouldn’t matter to you anyway.’

I pulled myself free, rubbing my fingertips where they’d turned white and red. ‘That’s not true. I care, and that makes it relevant to me.’

For just a second, I thought I heard him begin to call me an idiot. But then he stopped. ‘You care too much about things that have nothing to do with you. You should focus on what’s in front of you.’ It was fleeting, the way his eyes washed over the bruises on my ankle.

I see.

It felt nice, knowing that in his own abrasive way, he was telling me to watch out. ‘You know what’s strange? Niragi hasn’t bothered me again. I thought he’d have killed me by now.’

Chishiya sighed. ‘That’d be too easy, and not as much fun.’

So Niragi did have his eye on me, but he was biding his time before coming after me again. It was a wonder he seemed to think that by attacking me, he’d be getting to Chishiya. Their rivalry had nothing to do with me, and Chishiya had all but confirmed moments ago that he wouldn’t even risk his life to save me in a game. Coming after me was pointless.

But that’s not what Niragi thinks.

‘It’s only a matter of time before he tries something again. You should watch your back,’ Chishiya warned. Then his face stretched into that familiar, all-knowing smile. ‘But you didn’t come up here to talk to me about Niragi.’

He already knew. He must’ve been waiting for me to track him down.

Mixed feelings swirled within me; embarrassment that he’d so easily predicted my behaviour, annoyance over the fact that he’d been smugly waiting, and something else I couldn’t identify.

Warmth, perhaps?

No, that wasn’t the right word.

‘I’m sorry.’ The words came out in a whisper. Grimacing, I cleared my throat and spoke up. ‘I want to thank you for the books, but I also want to apologise. Everything you said back then was true.’ The words were hard to admit, even to myself. ‘I’ve been living in a hole all my life and I got too used to it. And now the world seems terrifying. But if I survive here and make it back, I know that nothing my dad does will be scarier than these games. I’ll try and make my own freedom from now on. So, thank you… but also, I’m sorry.’

I waited for a response, some kind of acknowledgement. Anything. Instead, there was a rustle of clothes as he stood and began walking to the door. My heart froze over, and I blinked at the empty space beside me.

Did I say something wrong?

‘Antiseptic ointment and gauze,’ I heard him say, before the roof door swung shut.

I was alone, with nothing but the breeze and the distant laughter from the patio below. Looking down at my reddened hands, I smiled, finally understanding.

-----------------------------------------

It had been three days since our conversation on the rooftop, and I had been following Chishiya’s advice, using supplies I’d borrowed from the medical room to treat the irritated skin of my hands. The bruising around my cheek, neck and ankle had faded to a fainter yellowish brown. Kuina kept telling me that we’d find a way of getting back at Niragi for what he did, although I knew she wouldn’t want to do anything drastic without Chishiya’s input; she was just as nervous around Niragi as I was.

I spent all my time pouring over the Japanese language textbook and trying to translate the opening sections of The Metamorphosis. Twice, I’d picked up Wuthering Heights and attempted to make sense of the underlined words. But it was hopeless. There were complex kanji I didn’t know how to pronounce, meaning they were impossible to search in the dictionary I had, and Google was no-go in the Borderlands.

Closing the book yet again, I rubbed my temples, trying to ease the headache brewing after hours spent squinting at different characters.

I should just ask Chishiya.

I hadn’t seen him much since the rooftop, as he was always busy with executive work. And even now, with the late afternoon sun beating through the windows, there was no guarantee he’d be free to talk. But it was worth a shot.

That’s it, I’m going to go ask him.

Pulling on my hoodie, I picked up the copy of Wuthering Heights and left my room. The hallways were pretty quiet around this time, as people were either downstairs enjoying the party while they could, or tucked away in their rooms getting some last-minute sleep before the long evening ahead.

Heading down the hall, I tried to remember where Chishiya’s room was. I had only been there once, after Kuina had given me directions, but at the time I’d been nervous and distracted by the argument that ensued. The hotel was like a maze. No, not a maze – a labyrinth. And his room was hidden somewhere behind one of these identical doors.

I’ll know when I see it.

Rounding a corner… I immediately froze. At the end of the hall, Niragi and his thugs were dragging a man by his bloodied scruff. When the man thrashed wildly in their grip, they stopped to kick him in the ribs and jaw, sending speckles of blood up the wallpaper.

Niragi was a sight. The nail marks down his cheek had scabbed over, and beneath his right eye was a faint purple bruise from where I’d kicked him in the face.

My limbs stiffened in place. I couldn’t move.

And even when his eyes lifted, widening with fury as they locked onto me, I couldn’t move.

He began striding towards me, jaw clenched and hands readying his rifle.

Run, run, run…

As if struck by electricity, I bolted back the way I came, shoving past the occasional person I ran into. Niragi’s footfalls were close behind me. He was following fast, and I could hear his growls.

‘You fucking bitch, get back here!’

The words sounded faint and close at the same time. Everything was close but far away, and my legs had turned to rubber. I spied a familiar looking door and threw myself into it, panting hard as it closed behind me. Outside, Niragi’s footfalls grew closer and closer… then further and further away.

He was gone. At least for now. My relief was cut short when it became clear where I was.

Sitting on the bed with open first-aid kit, gauze held delicately in one hand, Chishiya was completely shirtless. His side was swathed in old bandages, spotted with red. And he was staring at me.  

‘Get out.’

[rosesvioletshardy]

Just Like Old Times - Frank McCullen (b.h. - Pixie)

wow i actually wrote something shocking ! but i’m sorry that i’m posting today and not yesterday like I promised. i was having trouble writing everything and such. this idea actually came from when one of my friends and i were watching Pixie together and quoted what Pixie said and i ended saying i should write something based off that line

thank you so much to andi ( @venombxby​ ) for helping with and encouraging me when writing and helping me when it came to explaining things you truly are the best and our conversations helped so much

i’m really sorry if it’s really bad i haven’t written in a long time, let alone smut in a long time so i hope you like it ???

masterlist

warnings: drinking, language, drug use mention, SMUT (18+) (please don’t read if your under 18 !!!!!), oral (both m and f receiving), riding

# of words: 2,187

---

Going to the club wasn’t necessarily the way y/n would spend the weekend or even bother to think about going, but something felt different for her and she felt the need to go after Pixie convinced her to. She didn’t really have anyone else to go with but she felt like if she went, she would find some people she knew seeing that everyone knew everyone in Sligo and how you had to be careful about everything. Pixie Hardy was the only person who would be able to convince her to go out and it didn’t matter as to what it was but seeing that she was back in town, she would go. There were only two people y/n was hoping she didn’t see and that was Frank McCullen and Harland McKenna. It’s not necessarily that she hated them, but it was something with Frank that made her always annoyed at him. Maybe it was him always bothering her for no apparent reason or the fact that he felt the need to try and sleep with every woman in town. But then again it beat sitting on the couch alone in her apartment.

“You need to go out.” Pixie told her as she saw Y/N coming out of her kitchen with a glass and bottle of wine

“I do go out, and have fun. Just don’t feel like it today” she answered back, completely lying seeing that the only time she went out was when it involved her family or work

“When was the last time you actually went out and had fun that didn’t involve your family, food, or some form of work?”

“Exactly my point. Now i didn’t come back to Sligo for us to just sit around and watch shit movies. We’re going out.”

-----

“See isn’t this fun?” Pixie asked Y/N handing her a drink while taking a sip of hers

“What’s your definition of fun? Because i’d rather not be pushed up against sweaty bodies while people are high or drunk, or both”

“You need to let loose a bit. Have a few drinks, maybe hook up with someone” she nudged at y/n smirking hoping that it’ll make her have some sort of fun

Y/N couldn’t help but glare at her when she said that and shake her head. It’s not that she didn’t want to hook up with someone it’s just that she didn’t want to hook up with someone and it would be someone she’d instantly regret it with seeing that everyone knew everyone

“Don’t look now but i think a Mr. Frank McCullen is looking at you” Pixie smirked causing her to look behind her and he looked away and back at Harland and Daniel

“What’s going on with the two of you? What happened?”

“Not sure, he’s the one to ask since it was his fault.”

“Oh I think I remember. Did it really end that bad?”

“Mmhm, clearly he doesn’t know how to keep it in his pants. Even when we were together”

“And the fact that he got really high one day and told me he had a crush on you and was using me as a rebound to get over you.” y/n finished looking down at her drink, making the two of them go silent until Pixie spoke up

“I’ve got an idea.” she said getting Y/N’s attention as she took a drink

“Dance with me” was all she said 

“What-” Y/N managed to get out before Pixie grabbed her arm and pulled her to the dance floor and begun to dance

“Listen, Frank still has feelings for you and I know you still have them for him and getting him jealous is something that might come good for the both of you, and since he used to like me, it’ll make him even more upset. Now grab my hips, and dance” she yelled over the loud music

“Are you sure this is going to work though?” y/n answered back putting her hands on Pixie’s  hips 

“I’m sure of it. And by the looks of it, Harland's telling him what’s going on. I’m going to move my hands a little lower and I want you to move your hips, and i’m going to make it look like i’m kissing your neck is that alright?” Pixie whispered in her ear

“Yeah that’s fine, just as long as he sees and gets jealous”

“Frank, man? I think you’re going to want to see this.” Harland said hitting frank’s shoulder to get him to look at the scene in front of him and stop talking to daniel

“What could possibly-” Frank starts as he sees Y/N and Pixie grinding against each other

“Shit” he finished

“Exactly. You need to do something Frank. I know you still love her and if  you’re not careful, you’re going to miss your chance of getting her back. So you might want to go over there and get her away from Pixie Hardy quickly. Who knows what could’ve happened the last time you saw her” “Don’t worry nothing’s going to happen. I know the both of them too well.” Frank smirked finishing the rest of his beer

---

“It’s working” Pixie mentioned as they moved to a corner where frank couldn’t see them

“You should’ve seen his face. I think if he clenched his jaw any tighter, he’d break his teeth and need a dentist.” she finished laughing at the thought of it

“Really? I guess it’s working then.” y/n shrugged then laughing

Pixie and y/n continued to talk, but after a few minutes went back in to continue what they were doing to continue to make Frank jealous. Frank on the other hand was back at the bar and would look back at the two women every now and then turned back to the two men he was with. Frank couldn’t help but think about where he went wrong. He knew that using her as a rebound was wrong and he should’ve gotten over Pixie the moment him and Y/N got together. He did enjoy those two years but when Pixie left, something inside him felt like he needed to let go of every memory they had together.

Y/N kept eyeing Frank every now and then to see what he was doing but she always got the same thing. Him sitting at the bar and drinking his beer. Pixie noticed and went over to wear he was and made sure that Y/N was with someone to make him more jealous

“Hello boys”

“Pixie, what are you doing here?”

“Cut the crap. now I know that you, Frank McCullen, still miss our dear Y/N and would do anything to get her back now that she’s also back.”

“Wait how long has she been back?”

“Don’t know, maybe a year? Anyways it doesn’t matter. I just wanted to come over here to tell you that you better make a move now because it looks like someone is about to get to her” she finished grabbing another drink, smirking and walking away from the two men and walking towards y/n and whispering in her ear

“I got you his attention, now’s your chance” 

Y/N continued to dance with the stranger as she could feel Frank's eyes burn into her. Smirking, she gave the stranger a kiss on his cheek, close to lips which caused Frank to set his drink down and go over to her. 

“We need to talk.” Frank yelled over the loud music and grabbed her arm. Y/N ignored him and pushed him off to set him even further

“Did you not hear me?-”

“I heard you, can’t you see i’m busy?” “Y/N-” “Mate just leave her alone.” the stranger told him as he moved her away

“You be quiet. Y/N i really need to talk to you.” Frank told her, looking dead in her eyes. She looked back at the stranger and then back at Frank as he raised his eyebrows before she looked back and apologized and went with Frank. Y/N didn’t know what would happen with him or if anything would happen before she was snapped out of her thoughts when the music was dimmed out and she and Frank were alone. There was a moment of silence and awkwardness between them as they stared at each other before she leaned in and kissed him. Frank was shocked that she did what she did but didn’t hesitate to start kissing her back.

“Let’s go to the bathroom”

---

“You know what you were doing wasn’t so nice” frank said kissing her neck as he held her against the wall as she moaned

“Well, maybe I wouldn’t have done it if we were still together.” she moaned out causing him to pull away

“Oh really, you’re still thinking about what we used to be? What I used to do to you? How easily you fell apart whenever I kissed a certain spot.” he whispered, placing small kisses over her neck as she felt herself get wet

“Are you still rooming with Harland or did you finally move out after saying it for 2 years?”

“Well, I did end up getting a place of my own and you’re welcome for that.” he tells her going back to kissing her lips 

“Then what are we still doing here in this dirty bathroom?” she whispered in his ear, pulling away from his grip and walking out as she made sure to walk in a way so he would look. 

“You fucking minx” he whispered to himself as he followed her out 

When they got out of their cab, they quickly reconnected their lips as he tried to open the door pushing her inside and closing the door. Y/N started to take off his jacket and his shirt as he took off his shoes and grabbed the zipper from the back of her dress and brushed the straps down and pushed down the dress, leaving her in her bra and underwear. They walked over to his bed, not breaking apart as he laid her down, his chain dangling over her as she ran her fingers through his hair

“You’re still wearing too many clothes” she mentioned as her hands went to his pants and began to fumble with his belt, pushing his pants down and leaving him in his underwear

“Yeah? So are you” as his hands went to the back of her to unclasp her bra

His hand wandered over her exposed chest before grabbing one of her breasts, causing her to moan. Frank continued to kiss her before pulling away and slowly went down her chest, leaving marks all over her. 

“You’re still so beautiful as I remember. I was an idiot.” he mumbled against her skin

“Yeah you were, but i guess you’re making it up for now” she managed to let out as he took her underwear off and began to tease her by running his fingers over he slit causing her to moan. 

“Already so wet for me? How long have you been this wet? Hm? Since maybe you and Pixie were dancing? Or was it the random guy you danced with? Tell me.”

“None of those. It was when I first saw you at the bar. I realized that I-” she gasped out as he pushed a finger in

“Realized what?” 

“Realized that I still have feelings for you. Oh fuck” she finished as he pushed another finger in and using his thumb to rub her clit, her back aching as he leant down and began to lick her

Letting out a mix between a moan and a groan, he continued to finger and eat her out before he took out his fingers and put them in his mouth, smirking while looking directly at her and edging her

“I forgot how good you tasted. Do you want a taste? Go on and taste on how much of a slut you are.” he whispered to her as he put his thumb near her mouth as he rubbed his thumb across her lip. Y/N took the opportunity to take his thumb and suck on it causing him to become weak enough for her to flip him over so she was on top of him and kissed him

“Remember how I used to ride you? How you held my hips, while I took control?” she whispered into his ear while one of her hands went down to palm him through his boxers, making him let out a groan

She hooked her fingers around the band of his boxers and pushed them down letting his dick free. Taking it in her hand, she began to move her hand up and down as her thumb brushed over his tip as she left small pecks over his chest before moving down and putting him in her mouth. His first instinct was to grab the sheets in a fist as she bobbed her head, sucking him while moving her hand. Taking her hair to put into a makeshift ponytail, he caressed her face as she looked up at him as he groaned, thrusting into her mouth. Her hands gripping his thighs, Y/N kept taking more of him, making her gag as she felt him in the back of her throat but it didn’t stop her until she felt him become close

“Fuck, shit. ‘M going to cum, fuck.” frank whined as she began to suck him harder before letting go

“What’d you do that for? I was close” he asked her as she came up and straddled his lap as he sat against his headboard

 “Aww, did you really think i was going to let you finish? Funny” she told him faking a upset face 

“You really haven’t changed a bit have you?” 

“No, and it looks like neither have you.” she smirked before grabbing his dick and teasing the tip of him with her entrance. She slowly slid on top of him as his first instinct was to grab her hips, tight enough to leave bruises in the shape of his hands as he groaned and looked up at the ceiling. Y/N’s first thought was to grab his jaw and point it towards her.

“Eyes forward like a good boy now.”  she whispered as he let out a groan as she sank down and traced his jawline, his lips parted as she kissed his bottom lip and pulling it

“Fuck you’re so tight. I forgot how good you felt.” he whimpered making sure that she was still secure around him

Smirking, she started to roll her hips, letting out sighs of relief and breathy moans. Circling him, he groaned out her name, his grip loosening as she clenched around him.

“Oh shit.”

Y/N began to move her hips faster, moving her head towards him and attaching their lips together as one of his hands let go of her hip and went to one of her breasts, his thrusts hitting getting sloppier and hitting her G spot, her hand leaving his shoulder so she could touch herself. 

“I’m close”

“So am I.” Frank panted out as the two were on the edge of their orgasms. Moans and groans both left their mouths, with small pants of breath escaping them. Y/N could feel the build up in her stomach as her fingers digged into Frank’s shoulder. At this point, her makeup was smudged, hair messy, and lipstick stains were visible all over his body and neck. Frank wouldn’t have thought that this would be happening again after what had happened between them and he wanted to make sure that she would feel and be treated better than the first time they were together

“Fuck, Y/N” he groaned 

Letting out a cry of his name, she came undone, both of them having the feeling of their first time together. Waves of pleasure both escaping each other as he let out one final thrust, his cum coating her walls inside of her. Her vision going white as he released inside of her. The pair sweating and heavily breathing, knowing how good it felt to be back together. Y/N fell and laid beside him on his bed he got up to go get a towel for the both of them. When he came back, he pressed the damp towel on her, cleaning the mess they both made as she let out a small whimper, before he handed her some clothes to borrow. 

“Do you think we can try again?” he asked Y/N, handing her one of his shirts. 

“Just like old times? Other than what happened?” frank finished looking into her eyes as she took the time to think before nodding

“Yeah, I think we can do it if we tried.”

[jaycewrites-192000]

Growl: Chapter 9

Warning: This chapter includes sensitive themes such as language, violence, drugging, and sexual assault (nothing too extreme though). Read with caution.

Tag List: @theravencawsatmidnight @etroman @kaariqueen

Your P.O.V

I made my way through the halls to get to my next class, all day I couldn't stop thinking about yesterday. I spent the entire day with Kyotani, it really was like we were on a date, even though we're both just friends. I hated to think of it like that, but it was the truth. And it would stay the truth until I finally confess, which is very unlikely. I already made things awkward enough last night at the restaurant. I can't believe I told some random stranger that we were "dating". God, why did I do that? I'll have to apologize to Kyotani later. Just as I turned the corner to walk down the last hall before my class, I heard someone calling my name.

"Hey, L/n!" I stopped dead in my tracks and grimaced. And just when I was in a pretty good mood too. Not bothering to turn around, I respond. "Not in the mood today Chiharu. So save me the effort of wasting my time and fuck right off." I say before I continue walking. "Oh really? That's pretty bitchy of you L/n, walking away before I could introduce my friends to you."

"What friends? You mean more of Oikawa's annoying ass group of fan..." I trail off as I turned around. Instead of girls at Chiharu's side, there were tall buff guys. They looked liked third years. "Wow Chiharu, totally didn't figure you as the type to date more than one guy at a time." I smirked. Chiharu returned the smug grin. "Can't say the same for you though, huh? I saw you hanging out with that freak that came to your rescue yesterday. I bet Oikawa wouldn't be too happy to hear you were with another man." Before I could remind her for the hundredth time that me and Oikawa were not in a relationship, she continued.

"I mean, whoring yourself out to every guy you meet is bad enough. But going so low as to date someone like that freak? Ha! Now that's just pathetic! Didn't know you needed attention that badly!" I felt a vein pop in my head. I could care less if she made fun of me, but she brought Kyotani into it. He's done nothing wrong. She had no right to talk about him like that. I stormed over to her and grabbed her by her shirt collar. "Listen here bitch! Keep Kyotani's name out of your mouth or I'll-"

"You'll what!? You won't do shit! And besides, I'm not here to fight you. Like I said before, I wanted to introduce my friends." Chiharu snapped her fingers, and two of the third years grabbed onto my arms and pulled me away from her. I was going to scream, but the third one covered my mouth before I got the chance. "Come on, I think it's time we teach this one a lesson." With that, the third year that was keeping me quite, knocked me out cold.

"Ugh...What...What happened?" I groan before slowly opening my eyes. My head was pounding, and I felt dizzy. My vision finally adjusted and I could tell just were I was. I was behind the school near the dumpsters. Why was I hear and...why can't I move!? It was then I noticed my hands were tied together behind my back. All at once it hit me. Chiharu, the third years, she had them knock me out. My breathing picked up rapidly. Why? What were they going to do? I managed to sit myself up, if I could just stand, I can run back inside the school and call for help. But I couldn't, I was so dizzy, it made standing was difficult. I felt something warm hit my knee, blood. I felt it run down my cheek this time, my head must have been bleeding.

"Come on!" I say to myself, attempting to stand once again, but again I couldn't bring myself to stand, I could hardly sit up straight. A hit to the head wouldn't do all this. "They must have drugged me..." I say breathlessly. "Right we did, sweet cheeks." I gasp and look up to see the three third years from before towering over me. "W-what do you want from me? Did that bitch tell you to do this?" I ask, glaring up at the three. "Oh, she's smart. I like em smart." Siad one of the three. "I prefer them more dumb honestly. But she'll do." Said another. "Yeah, Chiharu told us to do this. But really, we would have done it sooner." The one talking to me crouches down to my height.

He looks me up and down, practically undressing me with his eyes. It felt disgusting. "You're pretty cute. How have we not met you before?" He asks. I make sure my legs were firmly pressed together and close to my body. "I prefer to keep to myself so I don't meet people like Chiharu or you scumbags. Now let me go!" I demand. The guy in front of me chuckles. "Sorry, but no. We ain't going anywhere, anytime soon, princess." He moved his finger down my leg. I kicked at his shin roughly, making him groan in pain. The other two third years laughed at his pain.

"Damn, Chiharu was right. You are a bitch." Suddenly his hand was around my throat. He slammed me back down to the ground, hovering over me. "Hey! Make sure you leave some fun for us!" One of them called. "Shut it. There's plenty of her to go around." Says the one on top of me. his free hand tugged at my uniform's tie, loosening my blazer. "No! Stop! Stop it!" I cried.

"See, I knew you didn't give her enough. She's still bitching and moaning." One of the two said, referring to what I only assumed was the drug they slipped me while I was unconscious. "Who cares? No one's gonna hear her." I yelled and cried, but like he said, no one would hear. "Would shut up already!? I promise you'll enjoy it." The guy on top of me purred into my ear. "W-why? Why are you doing this?" I managed to croak out between sniffles.

"Chiharu figured you needed to be taught a lesson. If you want multiple guys, then that's just what you'll get." I sobbed and shut my eyes tightly. 'Someone please help me...' I whimpered in my mind. Just as the man's hand began to go up my skirt, a loud cracking noise filled my ears. Soon after was a cry of pain. My eyes shot opened when I felt the man's grip on my throat loosen. "What the fuck!?" He yelled. Another cracking sound and a cry of pain, then fast approaching footsteps, and before I knew it, the weight of the guy on top of me was gone.

From what I could see, my tears blurring my vision slightly, was someone grabbing the guy and punching him multiple times in the face before kneeing him in the gut and throwing him aside. The person who saved me walked over to the guy's limp body and kicked at it, yelling out in fury while doing so. That yelling closely resembled a man's yells.

After a few more seconds, the person hurried to my side and sat me up. Now that he was closer in view, I could make out who he was. "...Kyotani?" I whimper. "Y/n...I'm sorry I got here late..." He muttered before holding me in his arms tightly. "I'm so sorry." The dizziness that filled my mind had finally gotten the better of me, and once again I fell unconscious.

I woke up again sometime after that, there was something soft underneath my body, and something warm on top. I slowly opened my eyes, narrowing them momentarily due to the brightness of wherever I was. After a minute my eyes adjusted, I was in a room this time. Not just any room, Kyotani's room. "Kyotani." I breathed. Memories of what just happened replayed in my mind, tears begin to fill my eyes. Kyotani saved me. If it wasn't for him, I might have been...I felt sick just thinking about it. I didn't want to think about it. I just wanted Kyotani. Where was Kyotani? "Kyotani..."I whimpered pathetically. From the other side of his bedroom door, I could hear his voice. It was feint, but I could just barely make out what he was saying.

"...She's not coming today, neither am I......Look I'll explain everything later just trust me ok?....Alright, see ya." After a few seconds Kyotani entered, his expression brightening when he saw me. "You're awake!" He rushed to my side. "Are you-Did they-what happend?" He fumbled over his words. I didn't respond, I just stared at him. He's done so much for me. He became my friend when he didn't have to, he helped me study when no one else would, and now he's saved me from a very horrible situation. I rose my shaky hand and gently pressed it to his cheek. "Kyotani...thank you. Thank you so much." I say weakly.

Kyotani put his hand on top of mine. "It was nothing. Y/n, what...tell me what happened. Who were those assholes?" Kyotani asked, repressing the anger in his tone. I removed my hand and turned my head away from him, not wanting him to see me cry. "Y/n?" Kyotani speaks softly. "I really don't want to talk about that right now." I tell him as calmly as possible. I felt Kyotani's thumb gentle wipe away a stray tear on my cheek. "Ok. you don't have to right now. How are you feeling?" He asked. I only shrug, still not look at him. In honesty, I was better. That damned drug wore off, my head was a lot clearer.

I felt something press down at the foot of Kyotani's bed, I glance down to see Killer. His ears were flat against his head and he was whimpering while pawing at my leg. I smile sadly. "Aw, it's ok boy. I'm ok now." I say gently. Kyotani pet killer's head a few times. "He went crazy when he saw me carry you in here. I'm glad my mom and sister weren't here to see it. They would have started pestering me." I glanced over at him. "Asking why I'm carrying an unconscious girl into the house, then having to explain what I just had to fucking see..." His hand moved away from Killer's head, and covered his eyes. He was shaking. I sat up and wrapped my arms around him. "You don't have to talk about it either." I say softly.

His arms found their way around my waist. "Right..." I sniffled. We both sat in silence, just enjoying being in each others embrace. After a moment or two, I finally spoke. "Who were you on the phone with?" I asked. "Iwaizumi. He wanted to know why we didn't show up to practice." I shifted my position to get more comfortable. Kyotani picked this up and laid me back down on the bed before crawling in next to me. He draped his arm over me and I laid my head on his chest. "I won't say a word about this to him or anyone, until you're ready. Until then, I'll be here for you ok?" I nod and close my eyes, breathing in Kyotani's scent. He was so warm. "Thank you Kyotani."

"This will be selfish of me to ask but, can I stay here with you tonight? I don't want to be alone right now." Kyotani rubbed my back softly. "Of course you can." I thanked him again before texting my mother, letting her know I'll be staying with Iwaizumi. I wouldn't have lied but my mom trusted him the most. 'Hope you don't mind Iwaizumi.' I set my phone aside and snuggled closer to Kyotani.

Previous | Next

[starr-fall-knight-rise]

HASO, “Into Dust.”

I have been working little hints into the story for a very long time, and now I am going a bit more obvious with it. Super exciting and I hope you enjoy :)

GA physicians and psychologists sat across from the human as he stared at them. Neither of them moved, and neither of them spoke. Outside the pop-up medical tent mist swirled in great undulations around them thicker than it had been yesterday.

All down the tent,, separated by curtains, other doctors were examining the other human, none of which moved, beside those that were ordered to guard the entrances and exits. The tent held its own atmosphere inside, so no one was wearing helmets, though they were resting very close by just in case.

“What is wrong with them?” Ramirez whispered from somewhere in the darkness.

Krill stood next to him from where he could see both Maverick and Adam at the same time, “Physically they are both just fine, but neural scans are showing…. Strange brain waves.”

“And that…. writing … what was that, do you think they can actually read it?”

There was a sharp hiss from behind them as the Tent’s airlock popped open.

Another Vrul stepped inside and pulled off their helmet. They gave krill a quick once over, and began to speak despite the look of destain, “I have examined the writings on the stone, we found some more of the markings and have arranged them according to their break pattern. Using what I know of this strange language from the first lines of text the humans translated, I believe…..”

The two of them stared at the Vrul pent up with questions.

“I believe that they CAN, in fact, read it.”

Ramirez blinked and stared at the little alien, “but…. That doesn’t make sense, why can some humans read it and other humans can’t” 

That is what they had learned through the course of the last few days. There were some humans that could read it and other humans that could not, but no aliens could read it. Those who could read it, didn’t exactly read it, or so they said, but understood it inherently. They looked at the word and knew it’s meaning, but they wouldn’t have been able to give you a lesson on proper grammar.

The linguist walked past them, “A few other things of interest.” Krill and Ramirez moved to walk after the Vrul, “I have done a preliminary analysis of the linguistic structure of the language itself. Though I am not entirely sure about some words, I have nailed down the structure, and have seen that it does not seem representative of any alien language yet known-”

“How is that interesting. It seems like that is just a dead end-”

The Vrul glared at him, “If you would let me finish, you might have heard me say that, while it does not match any KNOWN alien language, it DOES have structural similarities to common human languages that can be found in the Lower middle east and upper Africa.”

Ramirez blinked, “And what exactly does that mean?”

The Vrul’s antenna twitched, “I have no clue, it could be a simple coincidence of language, but that is what my analysis has found, what is done with that information, I do not know.” He glanced towards the table, “Has there been any change with the humans behavior.”

“No they are just…. Like this…. In some sort of trance or something. They haven’t spoken since putting the pieces together.”

“Don’t let them hear that we found more.” Krill ordered.

THe other vrul looked at him askance but didn’t say anything.

Krill ignored it, an exchange that Ramirez would have found curious if it wasn’t for his concern for his friends 

Ramirez huffed in frustration, he didn’t want to say that he was “jealous” the others could read the strange spooky rock language because he definitely didn’t want to be put into catatonia, but there was still a part of him that worried it had something to do with something being wrong with him. If this was supposed to work on humans, than why didn’t it work on him. Was there something inherently wrong with him?

He tried to shake off those thoughts. Thoughts like that were like….. Well they were like getting angry when the person you rejected finds someone else to date. You didn’t want them to begin with, you just wanted to be special enough for them to notice you.

And Ramirez, well he didn’t get jealous of other people.

Other people got jealous of him.

There was another slight pop from the airlock behind him, and he turned just as a couple of officers stepped into the room. They were all the way down from the UNSC, and they didn’t look particularly pleased to be there.

Admiral Kelly was at their front, and she stopped just next to them as she entered, turning to look at Ramirez.

She knew Ramirez from back in the day when he had done his first tour on the Enterprise. He had been on the Team with captain Kelly when Adam discovered the existence of alien life. It was kind of crazy to think back on those times. It seemed so strange that in his lifetime, no one had thought aliens existed, now to be surrounded by them without batting an eye.

“What do we know?”

“Not much Ma’am.” he began, “We know that there is some sort of…. Strange writing that only humans can read, and in that case, only certain humans. After reading it they sort of just locked up like this and we haven’t gotten them to talk since.”

Admiral kelly grunted, “ALright, put orders out that no one is to go near that writing, at least no one human, until we can determine what it is. Get some linguists on it, and see if we can’t identify authenticity.” She glanced over to where Admiral Vir was sitting, “I want to take a closer look.”

No one stopped her as she stepped across the room. 

Krill followed her and Ramiez hung just back from where she stood as she walked over and traded seats with the scientist who was sitting across from Adam. She sat down, and Adam did not move.

Krill stood with her and stared at him.

From the outside, nothing seemed so different about him. IT was the same skin and the same eyes and the same mouth that sat there, but there was… something off about it. He couldn’t really understand until he noted  the expression on the man’s face.

It was almost as if he was holding his jaw differently than usual, not in an abnormal way just not in a way that Adam ever did. It didn’t lend itself so much to a smile as it did to a frown of serious contemplation. His eyes, while glassy seemed intense, as if he was staring off into something they could not see.

When he stared into his eyes Krill got the…. Uncomfortable feeling that he was looking through a window staring inward….. As something tried to break it’s way out.

He shivered and threw away his strange musings.

Admiral Kelly leaned forward, “Adam…. Adam Vir.”

She reached a hand across the table and placed her hand over his.

Krill jolted in surprise as the man slowly lifted his head to look at them.

Admiral Kelly sat back.

“It was not for us to see.” he said, and when he spoke his voice…. Seemed to echo strangely in a space that shouldn't have supported that kind of acoustic  phenomena.

“What wasn’t for us?” She wondered 

He tilted his head, “The writing was not for us. We are prying into things we shouldn’t pry into, admiral kelly.”

“I see…. We couldn’t have known that it wasn’t for us. We were just doing our jobs.” Krill didn’t know where this was going, but the way Adam spoke made him nervous.

Adam tilted his head, and the way he did it was just so… wrong somehow.

“That is true.”

“Adam…. What is that language…. Do you know.”

He turned his head back to look at her, and when he did the glassiness in his eyes vanished leaving him shrewd and sharp, though there was still something about him that struck Kril as odd, the way he held his body as if…. As if it was not his…. Or perhaps the inflection of his voice making him sound much much older than he was. Or perhaps not older, but….. Timeless? No that was just ridiculous 

Admiral Kelly slid back in her seat surprised.

“Am I…. speaking with Adam?”

He had no idea what caused her to ask that question, but the human smiled, and when he smiled it was also…. Off somehow. It wasn’t an unpleasant smile or even all that sinister, it was just…. Different.

“Yes, and no.”

He wouldn’t speak more after that, and no matter what they tried to get out of him, he would not speak.

They did not get any words out of the other humans. For days and nights the humans sat there in the darkness of the tent. They did not eat and they did not sleep. Despite attempted medical intervention, it appeared as if they needed none, as if their bodies had frozen in time. Their hearts still beat, their lungs still breathed, but there was no deterioration. They simply sat there unmoving.

Despite the secret nature of the military operation, someone somewhere got hold of some information until rumors were spreading around the galaxy like wildfire. Ships landed planetside only to be turned away as nosey reporters and stubborn scientists tried to get a peek at the humans.

That was until one ship landed.

WHen the door opened a tall shape came stepping out from inside. The marines in their space suits moved forward to stop them, but were stopped in their place as the tip of a sharp metal spear was pointed towards them and their suits.

“Corporal, its good to see you again.”

***

Ramirez stared down the shaft of the spear, “Sunny, That your spear or are you just happy to see me.”

The Drev huffed humming with laughter, “I’, glad to see you haven’t changed much.”

“What are you doing here! I thought you were supposed to be back on Anin…. Bringing light and truth to the people like some sort of space Moses.”

“Again with that comparison.”

“Sorry, but seriously. How did you get here, and how did you know we were here.”

She tilted her head, “It's hardly difficult to find out where Adam Vir is. He has this habit of being the center of the universe without trying.”

“So I assume you heard.”

“I heard… something…. Something about strange writing, and humans behaving strangely. There was only one person that it could be.”

Ramirez sighed, “I suppose that is true.” he waved the other marines down and motioned her to follow him. Together they stepped onto the hovercade and drove themselves through the swirling red mist, “They haven’t eaten, and they haven’t slept for over a week, but Dr Krill says that…. Nothing seems to be medically wrong with them. There is no dehydration or deterioration. They don’t sleep, but they don’t seem to need to. Whatever is going on with them…. Well we can’t be sure.”

“Have they spoken?” Sunny wondered.

“I mean yeah, once to tell us that the writing wasn’t for us.”

“Who spoke?”

“It was Adam, but he was, weird….”

Sunny went very quiet just then, and he couldn’t get her to speak the rest of the trip over.

***

Krill stood next to Adam, who still sat in the same spot as before. He checked his pulse and his breathing which were regular and unlabored. He was worried about him remaining in one position so long afraid that he would develop blood clots in his legs. They had tried moving the humans for their safety in this matter, but they had refused to be moved. All signs should have pointed to their slow and eventual demise from dehydration. Based on the timetable, they should have been critical about two days ago, but still they sat there without being bothered to move or even die.

Their brain waves were, just odd, it wasn’t that something was wrong, but almost as if there was some sort of interference in the way.

He was just Examining Adam’s good eye, which seemed reactive when the airlock popped open.

He turned surprised to watch as Ramirez pulled off his helmet, followed by another familiar face, bright blue with yellow eyes.

“Sunny!” His exclamation was lost as she dropped her helmet into Ramirez’s arms and walked across the intervening space, her eyes locked on Adam. She ignored everyone else in the room as she pulled the seat back and sat down resting her upper elbows on the table as she leaned forward.

“Hello, Deus.”

The room stared.

And watched as Adam cracked a smile, “It's good to see you again, Sunny. I missed you.”

“What are you doing here.”

Adam shook his head and sighed, “You….. understand so little about what is going on here…”

“What do you mean?”

“Deus for one. I think you have confused that as my name.”

“Then what is your name.”

“I already told you, it's me, Adam.”

“You don’t act much like him.”

He turned his head to look up, “That's because I AM Adam but MORE or perhaps, Adam but disconnected, not the whole Adam.”

“Stop speaking cryptically, and just tell me who and what you are.”

He watched her his single eye wide and green, “I am human.”

“Bullshit.”

“I am Human.”

“Now your just being difficult.”

He laughed, and for a moment she DID see a bit of Adam in there. He reached out a hand placing it over hers, “Assume for now that I am…. Perhaps a piece of Adam, it does not accurately describe me, but it will work for now.” he looked at her, and the expression on his face was so soft….. And familiar, “We did miss you…. I suppose we can actually thank you for all this. If it wasn’t for you he would not have been able to read those words.”

“What are you talking about.”

“Nothing you will understand.” “What are you doing?”

“We are waiting.”

“For what?”

“It hardly matters now, our waiting has been in vain, and I must finish this.”

“This…. What is THIS, you aren’t making any sense.” 

Adam stood legs unbothered by days of sitting in the same spot. The other humans turned to look at him. Maverick even smiled, but did not move further. He began to walk forward, and Sunny reached out a hand to grab him, but as soon as her hand came in contact with his skin, she yelped and had to draw her hand back as his skin…. Burned.

He looked down at her, “Please…. For your own safety do not try to stop me. For the safety of this body…. Bring a medical team.”

She stared in confusion as Adam made his way towards the airlock door. 

Others tried to stop him, but their reactions were similar. Sunny raced after him as he stepped into the airlock, without a suit.

The door shut and before she could do anything, and airlock door hissed open. She expected Adam to fall to the ground as noxious fumes permeated his lungs and began to suffocate him, but he seemed to ignore it, stepping into the mist which swirled around him in great waves of red billowing and undulating at his feet.

As he walked he seemed to…. Slow slightly, as if the heat of his skin was letting off heat.

Scientists in suits stepped back in shock and horror as he walked, unprotected between them though his breathing was even and unbroken. 

Mist swallowed him, and Sunny had to run to catch up.

Noxious gas rippled against his skin.

Krill ran after, and Dr. Katie and ramirez were close behind.

“He should be on the ground by now.” She heard someone say.

Her own breath was making the inside of her suit a bit muggy.

They had reached the site now, and sunny looked down to see large blocks of metal or stone on the ground, carved with strange symbols. Scientists stood around having been examining the rocks, but when they looked up they stepped back in shock and awe, and horror as the human stepped into the middle of their work.

He turned to look at Sunny, “They are not ready?” He said 

And then he held out his hands.

As he did, the ground around them began to vibrate. It wasn’t a large vibration, like an earthquake, but a small vibration, a small vibration so powerful, Sunny found herself staggering to her knees as her very bones went numb. All around them scientists and aliens alike keeled over onto the ground.

The vibrations grew stronger until the rocks danced and wobbled with fury.

Adam raised his hands and the vibrations grew more powerful. Sunny couldn’t feel anything below her midriff.

His hands were raised high and wide, red mist swirl around him, though his skin seemed to glow white

He lifted his head underside of his chin and neck exposed, and then he clenched his hands violently.

All around them it seemed like the vibrations hyper focused, and the rocks around them crumbled to dust.

Sunny collapsed onto her chest and arms as a billowing wave of black ash roared up around them.

When the ash settled, he was still standing there.

Groggily she watched as he lowered his hands and the subtle glow faded from his skin.

He lowered his head, and as she watched, a look of confusion crossed his face, confusion that was replaced suddenly by fear. He took a step forward hand outstretched, and then collapsed to the ground body violently seizing.

Limbs still numb, barely able to walk, Sunny struggled to her feet and over to where he lay. A few others had raced forward.

An emergency shroud was deployed, similar to a vacuum sealed bag you could pull over someone and then close shut while pulling out bad air and putting good air in.

Little was she to know what back in the tent, the other humans had come out of their seeming trance.

And below her feet dust was kicked up into the air as the last remnants of the words faded into ash. 

[tkc-info]

Her Apprentice

OCtober 2021 day 6 - mask

2009

Mirror Luxembourg was a very small city, and so very alien to Hunter. He was used to the congested roads, enormous buildings, and the immenseness of his Mummy’s Shanghai. And still, Luxembourg was nothing like Daddy’s village in Yunnan, nor Hunter’s isolated house.

Being in a city divided in two was a surreal experience to Hunter. Daddy had carried him on his shoulders to Luxembourg’s upper floor, and then to the uppermost spot in the city. Hunter had seen how very small the city was —and the trees and fairytale landscape that loomed little beyond its borders— and thought how much of a canvas it looked.

Hunter was not a painter, but he had wanted to make the fluffy clouds rain red, and dozens of mini xíngtiān dance around the prairies while the bāshé crawled in search of a victim. He had dreamed about all that last night, and it had felt all so real —he’d felt the rain hitting his head; heard the xíngtiān’s heavy footsteps— and what had probably been a nightmare became a memory Hunter wanted to draw. But he wasn’t a painter.

Sekros da Silva, on the contrary, was. When Daddy and Hunter had entered Lucienne da Silva and Werner Flammang’s house in the outskirts of Luxembourg, they’d found Sekros painting an automaton’s face in bright reds and cold blues. His mother had explained that he had a flair for the arts.

That’s when Sekros had turned to Hunter for the first time. He’d blinked at him owlishly silver eyes, and said, “I was doing Wolfgang’s avant-garde makeup.”

Hunter didn’t know what ‘avant-garde’ meant, but Daddy had smiled at Sekros as if smitten, so Hunter had followed suit and smiled as well. Lucienne da Silva had been the only one who hadn’t smiled; instead, she’d told the automaton to take Sekros and Hunter ‘somewhere else’, and Daddy that they would have their reunion in the adjacent room.

Now, Hunter sat in Sekros’s bed as the imlium continued painting Wolfgang’s face. Sekros’s room was very artist-y: the walls were painted colourfully (most likely by Sekros himself) and covered in the imlium’s drawings. The one closest to Hunter showed two figures that had been named ‘Wolfgang’ and ‘Me’ in Sazla, Luxembourgish, German, and French (Daddy had told Hunter people in Luxembourg spoke three languages, which was very cool —but Sekros had ended up writing ‘Wolfgang’ the same way three times).

“Do you want me to put makeup on you?” Sekros suddenly asked. He’d climbed down Wolfgang’s arms and was staring at Hunter in a way that made Hunter very uncomfortable.

He didn’t like being stared at a lot; his amber and brown eyes were weird and ugly, unlike Daddy, Mummy and Sis’s dark ones. Still, Sekros wasn’t looking at him with any judgement, and the uneasiness in Hunter’s tummy eased.

“I don’t think I like wearing makeup, but thank you.” he eventually said.

Sekros only shrugged. “That’s okay. Do you want to help me put makeup on Wolfgang?”

Hunter thought Wolfgang already had enough makeup on, but readily jumped off Sekros’s bed and made to join him in front of the automaton. “Okay.”

Sekros smiled for the first time, his teeth very white. Then, he handed Hunter a pencil he called ‘lidstrich’ and told him to do whatever. Hunter hand’t known that a Lidstrich was an eyeliner, so he used it to draw Wolfgang a fake moustache.

At first, Sekros and him worked in silence, but soon shifted to ever-more animated conversation. Hunter was very pleasantly surprised by the imlium; he’d never thought making friends was that easy! Or perhaps it was only Sekros who was easy to befriend.

The imlium asked Hunter many questions, and cracked jokes here and there that made Hunter giggle. He told Hunter he wanted to be a painter and an astronaut and the Commander-in-chief of the Archaic Army, and asked him whether he wanted to see something ‘really cool’.

“Yes!” Hunter answered.

Sekros nodded wisely. Then took Hunter’s hand and dragged him away from Wolfgang, to sit at his bed.

“I am really good at morphing.” Sekros whispered, as if telling a secret “I can become any animal you want.” he frowned “But koalas. And kangaroos. And elephants. And giraffes. And fish. Do you want me to be a cat?”

Hunter nodded vigorously. Sekros smiled at him, and —as he did so— his skin began growing fur, and he became smaller and smaller. His pointy ears went to the top of his head in the form of fluffy triangles. A few seconds later, a silver-eyed kitten was meowing victoriously at Hunter, who clapped happily.

An idea suddenly formed in his mind. “Sekros?” Hunter asked “I had a dream yesterday, and I saw some very cool things. Can you become Xíngtiān for me?”

Sekros slowly morphed back to his normal body; he cocked his head to the side and frowned. “What is a xíngtiān?”

“A monster!” Hunter flailed his arms “He’s this big. Xíngtiān was decapitated because he wanted to kill Tiān, but didn’t stay dead and fights with his tummy as mouth and chest as eyes.”

Sis said Xíngtiān was creepy, but Hunter found him really cool.

Unfortunately, Sekros hadn’t seemed to understand Hunter. “Can you paint him?”

“No.” Hunter shook his head “I’m not a good painter like you. But—” his eyes widened “I can describe him?”

“Okay.”

And thus, Hunter began saying everything he remembered of Xíngtiān: he had very big eyes like Hunter’s where his nipples should be, his mouth was all his tummy so he didn’t have a belly bottom, he was always frowning and dancing, he didn’t wear any clothes but Hunter would very much appreciate if Sekros kept his pants…

It was funny, because the more he talked, the more he saw the monster. Xíngtiān was breathing down Sekros’s back, an ax in his right hand and a shield in his left one.

Sekros’s eyes were very wide.

“Shuren!” he exclaimed, because Hunter still went by his birth name at the time “I can see Xíngtiān!”

“You can?” Hunter asked, very happy. Even though he’d just noticed his vision was beginning to blur a little bit.

“No, I mean yes.” Sekros shook his head “I mean I can see him. See see.”

Hunter’s mouth opened without him wanting it to. Sekros and him were very little —Hunter wasn’t five yet— but they both knew what that meant.

Hunter had awakened to his insignia.

It now made sense why his eyes were doing funny things. Using your insignia for the first time was difficult and people usually grazed the line of overexertion. For a mirage like Hunter, masking Sekros (and his) vision was naturally taking its toll.

“Stop masking!” Sekros urged “I don’t need to see Xíngtiān now!”

Hunter frowned, trying to guess exactly how to stop masking. Would cease thinking of Xíngtiān help? It did, but Hunter had to spend a few minutes trying to control himself.

When he was back to normal, Sekros rewarded him with a very big grin and hastened to drag him out his room. He and Hunter ran across his house to the room Daddy and Sekros’s parents were meeting.

The adults looked very surprised —Sekros’s parents even a little bit annoyed— but jumped to action the moment Hunter exclaimed, “Daddy, I’m a mirage!”

Daddy’s face became the happiest Hunter had seen in a very long time. He immediately materialised at his son’s side, and swept him up his feet. Daddy spun Hunter round and round, and kissed his cheek proudly in between exclamations of joy. “My Shuren, are you really a mirage? This is incredible, incredible!”

Hunter giggled as Daddy spun him round and round more. “I am a mirage! I am a mirage!”

He felt so good. Hunter was only four, but he had the impression Mummy and Daddy had been hoping he was either a mirage or a historian. They often spoke of their friends Dahlia and Matthias Everitt, who’d had those insignias respectively. Mummy and Daddy loved their friends very dearly, and now they must be very happy that Hunter shared insignias with one of them.

Because Mummy was also very happy to know Hunter could mask the senses. When Daddy announced what had happened after coming back from Luxembourg, she’d also ran to Hunter, swept him up his feet, and spun him round and round.

“Like Dahlia, like Dahlia.” she’d repeated happily.

Afterwards, Mummy and Daddy assured Hunter that they loved him regardless of whether he was a mirage or a puppeteer. That they’d only got a little ‘carried away’.

But Hunter was already curious.

Mummy and Daddy —he’d noticed— spoke of Dahlia as if she were the most powerful mirage alive. They told him she’d mastered immersion and could fully mask whoever she wanted into whatever she wanted.

How cool was that? Hunter heard his parents’s stories of their friend’s grandeur, and imagined what it would be like. Creating a whole reality. Putting a tailor-made mask on someone or himself, and being the master of your worlds.

That’s when he decided: he wanted to be like Dahlia Everitt.

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