#[ and now for something completely different with the other bastard clogging up my brain right now ]

[once-was-muses]

Things Talbot Shithead Sinclair Grimes is:

A Wet Bitch

Fruitier than the produce aisle

Deeper in the closet than that pair of shoes you forgot about

Certified Gruncle

Tumblr Sexyman Material 😔

Not Irish

Definitely Not a Sir

Evil Kool-aid Man

[umbrahighpriestofgiratina]

Greenhorn Prometheus Chapter 2

Part two! Since I wasn't initially super-clear about this before, this whole thing is a parody-of-a-parody/retelling of Mel Brooks and Gene Wilder's Young Frankenstein, which should give some context but isn't required viewing for this fic (indeed some of the jokes might land better if you don't). Weirdly AO3 has a Young Frankenstein tag but FFnet doesn't. Anyway...

Chapter 2: Construction

The next morning, Silver, Colress, and Sabrina were having a lovely breakfast like nothing had happened. "Pass the pancakes, Sabrina?" said Silver. Sabrina telepathically lifted over a platter of pancakes, Silver taking bites while looking at How We Did It. "...We're going to need a lot of DNA," said Silver. "How so?" said Colress. "Some of our own, for starters, human DNA was a vital ingredient in the original Mewtwo project... Then we need Alakazam DNA, Lucario DNA, Mismagius DNA, all sorts of others... And last but certainly not least, Mew DNA." ~That's going to be a tall order...~ said Sabrina. ~Are you absolutely sure you can reverse engineer the Mewtwo project for good?~ "Positive. I know what made the first project fail. I know what to avoid." "If I may chime in?" said Colress, "I have... Connections that can provide us with every bit of Pokemon DNA that isn't Mew's, as well as more modern flash cloning equipment. "Really? Colress thank you!" "Give me one moment..." He pulled out a phone and dialed a number. "Yes, hello? Colress here. I have a favor to ask..." --------------- Silver heard a thud on the side of the estate. He ran out to see an airship had parked out in front, with men in strange outfits swarming around. "What in the name of Lugia is this?" Colress approached. "Oh hey! These are my ex-Neo Plasma friends! They offered blood samples from their Pokemon and, ahem, acquired the necessary cloning equipment!" "That's great but can they park the airship further from the estate?" "Certainly! Hey guys, back it up!" The airship started making beeping noises as it indeed started backing up. Silver sighed. ------------ In the laboratory, the DNA samples had been lined up in front of a massive machine. Silver placed three samples with the others - one labeled "Silver", one labeled "Colress," and one labeled "Sabrina." The three sources of the samples looked upon the display. "We just need the Mew DNA, right?" said Colress. "Precisely," said Silver. "But I'm not sure how to get it..." ~I may have a lead.~ said Sabrina. ~Pewter Museum has some samples of Mew DNA in the back. Including that of one Mew of the Tree Of Beginning.~ "That would be perfect!" said Silver! "I'll sneak in and get it!" said Colress. "They'll think I'm just there for normal research!" "Excellent, Colress, thank y-" Silver stopped and stared at Colress, specifically at his swirl. "Wasn't that twisting in the other direction before?" "Huh?" "...Never mind, just go get that Mew DNA." ---------------- It was dark, and stormy and a night. Colress had already made his way into the Pewter Museum and was headed for the back rooms. He reached through a slot in the door to open it from the inside, and after being briefly startled by his own hand, entered. There before him were vials of the DNA of various different Legendaries. Colress grinned as he made his way over to one vial in particular - Rotan Mew. He reached out to take it, but a bolt of lightning hit very close to the museum at that instant, startling him and causing him to drop the sample, splattering it all over the floor. In a panic he looked around, spotting a sample labeled "Abnormal Mew DNA" - well it was still Mew DNA and he didn't see any more, so it'd have to do. He grabbed the sample and spirited it out of the museum. ---------- The samples were ready. The machine was ready. Silver and Sabrina stood before it, at the ready. "Colress! Are the preparations complete?" From atop the machine Colress gave a thumbs up. "Get down from there then! You'll get electrocuted!" "What?" "I said get down from there you'll get-" "I'm down, I'm down," said Colress, suddenly right next to Silver, "no need to shout." Silver merely stared and shook his head. ~Well this is the last situation I thought I'd be in,~ said Sabrina. "Well creating an ultimate lifeform to serve as a force of good is pretty new I say-" said Silver. ~Not that. Getting neck deep in former Rocket shit.~ "...Oh?" ~Rocket was always interested in my powers. Ever since the Black Fog incident. They offered me a job with them but I refused, and have been keeping my eye on them and their since.~ "Black Fog incident?" ~...Never mind. Let's just get this done.~ The group started making more preparations. "Colress, release the safety valve!" said Silver. As Colress turned to do so Silver turned to Sabrina with an almost-like-his-father's grin. "Can you believe it? A second Mewtwo! We'll have achieved this all ourselves!" Sabrina simply raised an eyebrow as Silver turned to the machine. A manic look appeared in his eye. "From that fateful day when stinking viscous slime first crawled from the seas and shouted to the cold stars... I am mon! Our greatest dread is our inferiority to the gods... But tonight! We shall hurl the gauntlet of science straight into the face of Arceus themselves!" The machine activated, started glowing, whirring, churning. "Tonight! We shall ascend into the heavens! We shall mock Groudon! We shall command Zekrom's thunder!" On cue lightning cracked outside. "And we shall penetrate the sacred domain of Xerneas himself!" Something started forming inside the machine. "Pull the first switch!" Sabrina pulled it. The machine glowed brighter. "Second switch!" Colress pulled that one. Brighter. "Third switch!" "Not the third switch..." said Colress. "Did I stutter?!" said Silver. Colress and Sabrina pulled it. The machine gave off an ominous glow. "Give my creation life!" The thing inside the machine grew, sprouted limbs, a torso, a head. Eventually it stopped. The machine whirred to a pause. Silver pressed his face very close to the thing within. "Speak to me... Speak to me..." Nothing. Nothing but the cold, hard glass and the lifeless meat doll inside. "...Nothing..." ~...Silver, I'm sorry-~ "No no, you're alright... If science teaches us anything, it's to accept our successes and failures with... quiet... dignity and... grace..." There was a pause before Silver started angrily pounding on the glass, Sabrina and Colress trying to hold him back. "I'LL GET YOU FOR THIS YOU BASTARD SON OF A BITCH! WHAT DID YOU DO TO ME?!" After a bit he curled up on the floor somberly. "Worthless... you're all worthless..." ~That's a mood,~ said Sabrina. "Quiet dignity and grace, huh?" said Colress. --------------- At Viridian City Town Hall a crowd of people and Pokemon had gathered, two people standing in front. "Now I assure you," said one to the crowd, "this one is different! He's only been back for what, a few days?" Another man came to face the first two. "He's an Altamura! They're all alike!" There were yells of assent from the crowd. "It's in their blood, they can't help it! They say they're working for us... When what they really want is to rule the world!" More yells. "Enough!" said the first man."These are very serious charges you're making, in particular because we still have nightmares about the first three times! We haven't heard from the one man most qualified to judge this fairly." There was a knock at the door. "Oh! Inspector Looker! Come in!" Looker entered the room. Notably, he had bags under his eyes, and was tightly clutching a box of tissues. "Dreadfully sorry, came down with a cold..." "A what now?" "A-" he sneezed - "Cold." "Oh, then go on." "Well, see, a riot is an ugly thing... Once you get one started, there is little chance of stopping it, minus bloodshed. I think before we go around jailing people we had better-" he sneezed, causing the others to recoil "-make damn sure of our evidence. We need to confirm the fact that Altamura is following in his father's footsteps - I've met him and he doesn't seem like the type." There was a chorus of "whats" from the crowd, Looker's clogged nasal passages rendered him so illegible. Looker sighed. "He's probably not following in his father's footsteps." There were several "ohs" from the crowd. "I think what is in order is for me to pay a visit to him, have a nice chat, you know?" There were disgruntled murmurs among the crowd. Looker sighed. This was going to be a long assignment. ---------------- Silver was slouched over the dining room table of the estate, muttering the word "reputation" to himself. Sabrina looked at him and sighed. ~You really shouldn't do this to yourself.~ "I should." ~Could you at least stop thinking about it? My powers keep picking up your angst and it's dragging me down.~ "No." ~At least touch your food.~ Silver leered at the plate of macaroni and cheese in front of him and started aggressively poking it. "There. Now I've touched it. Happy?" Sabrina just scowled. "You know, this reminds me of my mother," said Colress. "When these things would happen to her, she'd always know what to say..." "Like what?" said Silver, a brief glimmer of hope returning to his eyes. "'Oi, what the hell are you doing in the bathroom day and night?! Why don't ya get out of there and give someone else a chance?!'" Silver and Sabrina stared. "What? My mother was Galaran." "No, about the bathroom-" Silver started to say. "That was the only place I could set up my chemistry set!" Silver breathed a deep sigh of relief before he started slouching again. ~Don't do that again, unless you want me to beam my mental image straight to everyone else's brains,~ said Sabrina. "Maybe it's better this way," said Silver, pointedly ignoring them. "The damn thing. Maybe it's better off dead." ---------------- In the deep dark of the basement the being's hand twitched. There was an unearthly moan. ------------ The moan was heard up above. "Glad you guys like the mac and cheese at least," said Silver. ~Uh, no,~ said Sabrina, ~That was-~ "That sound. You made a sound like it was good. It should be obvious." "Neither of us made a yummy sound." said Colress. "But you did," said Silver, "I just heard it." "Wasn't me!" "Well if it wasn't either of you what was-" There was another moan. ~...It's coming from the laboratory,~ said Sabrina. There was a long pause before everyone jumped from the table and ran. --------------- The three ran up to the machine, where the new Mewtwo, eyes wide open, was shifting around inside. "Alive! It's alive!" said Silver. ~She's alive.~ said Sabrina. "...You can tell?" ~Once you pinpoint the brain patterns behind gender it's pretty easy. And more accurate than... you know.~ "Aha! Stand back then..." said Silver. He once again got uncomfortably close to the Mewtwo, who stared into his eyes oddly. "Hello there girl. I'm going to set you free now..." ~Mmmmmmm,~ said the Mewtwo, her moans now more distinctly feminine. "Is the sedative ready?" said Silver. Colress held up a rather large syringe and gave a thumbs up. Silver pressed a button on the machine. The fluid drained, the glass lowered, the tubes connected to the Mewtwo detached, and she wobbly floated out of the device that birthed her. "Stand... On your feet," said Silver. The Mewtwo touched down and looked around, then stumbled. "Now... Walk... You can do it..." The Mewtwo attempted to alternate between using her feet and hovering. Silver took her arms and attempted to help her along. "Yes... Good.... Good..." Suddenly, a spark came off the machinery, and a loose piece of paper caught fire. The Mewtwo's eyes widened and she let out a frenzied psychic moan, attempting to psychically throttle Silver. "Ack! Quick, give her the-" The throttling cut him off, resorting to him attempting to pantomime as the Mewtwo tugged him around like a marionette. "Okay, charades!" said Colress. Silver started pointing rapidly at the Mewtwo's side. "Uh, tickling? No, that can't be it... Spinal cord?" The jabbing continued. "Oh! The sedative!" Colress fortunately managed to plunge the syringe into the Mewtwo's backside, knocking her out cold within seconds. Silver gasped and panted upon being freed from the psychic grip, and Sabrina put out the fire. ~Are you okay?~ said Sabrina. "Yes, yes, absolutely fine, but... Colress? May I speak to you for a moment?" Colress scooched over to Silver. "Now that Mew DNA you gave me... Was it that of the Mew Of The Tree Of Beginning?" Colress shifted nervously. "No." "Ah, good. And you mind telling me what DNA I did put in?" "You won't be angry?" "I will not be angry." "...Abby-someone." "Abby someone? Abby who?" "Abby Normal. A bit of an esoteric Mew specimen apparently." "Abby Normal." "I'm almost sure that was the name," Colress said, sweating. Silver gave a joyless smile and chuckle. "Are you saying that I put abnormal Mew DNA into a six foot seven, two hundred and sixty nine pound... Demigod?!" At that last word he stood up and started throttling Colress. "Is that what you're telling me?!" Colress started holding up fingers and mimiming two hands moving apart as he was throttled ~Okay, charades,~ said Sabrina. ~V? No, a valley, toss him off a cliff? Oh, wait, separate you two.~ Sabrina was about to separate the two when a loud knocking echoed through the estate. Silver paused and let go of Colress. "...Who could that be at this hour?" ------------------- Looker was continuously pounding at the door with what little energy he had. He really wished he wasn't here right now. --------------- Silver shook his head. "Sabrina, go see who it is. Colress, make sure the Mewtwo is contained!" "Alright what are you doing?" "I'm going to wash up," said Silver, a manic look in his eyes. "I've got to look normal. All of us, have to behave normally!" He stormed off. Colress just nodded slowly. ---------- Silver and Looker were sitting together, playing New Super Mario Bros. co-op. "So," said Looker, stomping on a Shroomish in-game, "how's it been since I last saw you?" Silver paused. Not paused the game, just paused. "Remind me?" "When you were a child. I was on the trail of your father, and I sought out you." "Oh, yes, now I remember," said Silver. "It's... been good. I turned my life around, became a Pokemon professor, I have a stable life and income and all that, my Pokemon are faring well..." He sighed. "That's good to hear!" said Looker. "I've been all over the world, chasing new assignments, coming up with different disguises..." He frowned. "Though, it's not all sunshine and rainbows; I lost my dear Croagunk partner." "...Oh. Oh." said Silver. "I'm... sorry to hear that." "I appreciate your sympathy," said Looker. He thought a bit. "The people of Viridian are concerned about... you being here." Silver kicked a Torkoal in-game. "Why?" "They're concerned about the usual. Organized crime and genetic monstrosities," Silver scoffed. "Genetic monstrosities are passé, like ghost stories." "Well see to them it's real," said Looker, sniffing and wiping his nose. "Especially with an Altamura in this house." "So?" "I'm not worried, but they're worried about... Things like genes and chromosomes and behavioral similarities. All probably bullshit of course but to them it's-" Silver twitched. His character fell into a pit and floated back out as a bubble. "They have nothing to worry about." "Something upsetting you?" "No, no, this whole thing is deeply... amusing." "Very well! I'll go reassure them that you have no interest in the family business! If that's alright with you." A telepathic voice echoed from the basement. ~Mmmmmm.~ "I'll take that as a yes!" said Looker. "Mmmmmm," said Silver. "Very well. Until we meet again," he sneezed, "Silver." "Same to you." Looker got up and left. Silver sat there for a moment before turning off the game and taking his own leave. ------------- In the laboratory, the Mewtwo stirred and moaned in her prison. A figure approached, in awe at the sight of her. "Oh... Mary, Mary we've done it!" The figure stroked the glass. "I'm going to set you free. Would you like that?" ~Mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm.~ The figure pressed the release button. "They wanted to hurt you... but I'm going to help you!" Suddenly Silver, Sabrina, and Colress entered the room. "Thank Lugia that's over with," Silver said. The three froze in shock upon seeing the figure. "Agatha!" Silver said. More Mudsdale winnies. "Don't come any closer," said Agatha. "What are you even doing?" said Silver "I'm going to set her free!" said Agatha. ~That's a really, really bad idea,~ said Sabrina. "She'll kill you!" said Silver. "Not this one!" said Agatha. "She's as gentle as a Mareep." On cue the Mewtwo emerged from the chamber, an angry glow in her eyes. "Stand back, she has unstable DNA!" said Silver. "It's not unstable!" said Agatha. "It's good DNA!" "It's unstable I tell you!" The Mewtwo turned her head in Silver's direction, eyes glowing further. "Ix-nay on the unstableway," said Colress. "I am not afraid!" said Agatha. "I know what she likes!" She pulled out a suspiciously familiar violin and started playing. The Mewtwo's eyes stopped glowing, and she adopted a happy expression as she started pawing the air in a cat-like fashion. "That music..." said Silver. "Yes!" said Agatha. "It's in your blood! It's in the blood of all Altamuras! It reaches the soul when words are useless! They used to play it to the Mewtwo your father and Fuji were making..." "Then it was you all the time!" said Silver. A chord. "Yes!" "You played that music in the middle of the night!" Another chord. "Yes!" "To get us into the laboratory!" And another. "Yes!" "And it was you who left out my father and Fuji's book for me to find!" "Yes!" "So that I would-" "YES!" "And you and my grandmother were-" "Yes, yes, say it! She was my girlfriend! She's almost as foxy as Oak!" Sparks flew from an old machine. The Mewtwo panicked, and used a blast of psychic force to break out through multiple layers of ceiling into the cold, stormy night, the lightning only panicking her further. "You'll never catch her now!" said Agatha. "She's free I tell you! Free!" "Gone... Gone!" said Silver. "We've got to find her before she kills someone!" He slumped to his knees. "What have I done... Oh Lugia what have I done..." ***

[dingletragedy]

82. “Just breathe, okay?” (Robert to Aaron 😊?)

{if you don’t feel comfortable reading about panic attacks give this one a swerve}

Aaron is the strongest person Robert knows.

He’s the kind of strong people shouldn’t have to be.

At least not good people.

And Aaron, well he’s the best of them all.

He’s survived a countless number of battles in his life. Battles that are evident on his stomach and wrists, jagged scars of all the unimaginably tough times he’s won - a constant reminder of how delicate Aaron can be, but how courageous he is that he’s never given up.

No matter how many battles he’s been through, he’s never lost the war - never let the fight seek out of him.

And he’s in the best place now - he’s happy, really fucking happy. Robert sees it in the way he holds his head high with a sense of pride, sees it in the way his eyes smile along with his mouth, sees it in the way he walks around the village with a spring in his step, as if he’s finally found somewhere he belongs.

He has. They both have. They belong together.

Robert knows that he could go anywhere with Aaron and feel at home, but he reckons they’ve got everything they need here in Emmerdale - a far cry from the two troubled teenage boys who were so desperate to be wanted, to be loved and to have a home.

—

But Robert soon came to realise that the calm and content routine they’ve found themselves in wouldn’t last forever.

He supposes that’s the honeymoon period over. Literally.

Because that bastard Billy just had to rear his ugly head, didn’t he?

It doesn’t sit well with Robert, that the man who made his husbands life hell in prison is allowed to swan around the village, doing what the fuck he wants.

And that’s the thing with this damn village, news travels fast. It can work in your favour, you can make someone public enemy number one with just a few hushed whispers in the cafe - Robert should know, he’s been on the receiving end of those whispers countless times.

But the damage can be undone just as quickly as it’s caused.

He’s not sure there’s anyone else in the world you can go from zero to hero quite so timelessly.

Sometimes Robert thinks he lives in a village full of fucking goldfish.

Considering Billy is now living with Marlon and working at the factory, as if he’s some pillar of the community.

So much for village loyalty, Robert thinks.  

—

It’s hardly been a week since Billy showed up and Aarons lost that happiness, that sparkle, that was shining so brightly. It’s been replaced with a dull ache.

He’s blood, sweat, and tears again. It reminds Robert of a time he wished didn’t exist.

Haunted by the memories, held captive by the fear.

But he loves him all the same.

The nightmares have come back with a force that knocks them both down, they fester and grow and make all the good things seem a world away.  

And he’s doing all he can to help Aaron, but when he’s refusing to leave the house it’s easier said than done.

Because this is so much more than fear for Aaron now, it’s terror. Terror and fear, Robert has learned, are two different emotions. Fear is what you feel when something might happen. Terror means it already has.

And right now, he knows Aaron is terrified.

—

It’s taken Robert three whole days to help Aaron out of the house. He’d called ahead, made Chas promise that Billy wasn’t in the pub and nor will he be ever again - if she anything to do with it.

The weather outside was calm, a hint of sunshine trying to peek through the thick January clouds and the wind was gently blowing, making the grass dance.

Robert hoped that the stillness somewhat calmed Aaron - made him feel slightly more at ease.

They’d only just left the house, still in that state of holding onto the warm home comfort before the chill seeps into your bones, when they see him.

Billy.

If looks could kill, Billy would be 6ft under the mill driveway by now and they wouldn’t have a single thing to worry about.

But unfortunately Robert doesn’t hold those kinds of superpowers so instead, he gives Aaron’s hand a reassuring squeeze, in the hope he can send some strength pumping up Aaron’s veins.

He’s trained in Aaron.

Aware of every trigger and tik.

Therefore Robert is more than aware of what’s happening now.

Aaron was turning his head frantically, and it was a matter of fight or flight, but Roberts not sure Aaron has any fight left in him - he could only stand motionless in the driveway, breaths huffing like that of an angered bull, trying his best to hide the tremors in his fingertips.

He was screaming in silence.

And Robert, well his mind was awash with riptides, clogs turning ten to the dozen - and he’s been here so many times, helping Aaron through - but it’s usually in the darkness of their bedroom. Not out in the open, exposed to everyone.

Exposed to Billy.

Billy who was still fucking standing there, staring.

If he had a single brain cell he’d of scarpered by now.

But Robert reckons people was cold as Billy don’t give much thought to anyone but themselves.

Unlike Aaron, who is still shaking. Tremors consuming his whole body.

With his hand still in Aaron’s he gently tugs his husband towards him, bodies turned inwards in the hope of reaching Aaron’s eyes, fingertips shaking beneath Robert’s hand.

“Look at me. Look at me, Aaron. Shh.”

Robert isn’t all that surprised when Aaron keeps his head cast downwards, breaths still rapid.

He wishes it was that easy.

“Aaron it’s me, it’s Robert. You’re safe, I promise.” Robert speaks with a calmness that contradicts the fear that’s persistent inside him.

He’s thankful his hand was already in Aaron’s, it means touching him won’t shock Aaron into further panic. He gives it another reassuring squeeze before lifting his free hand to Aaron’s face, “It’s going to okay Aaron, I just need you to work with me and we can go back home, okay?” Robert explains, words softly spoken and touches tentative.

And Roberts never felt relief like he does when Aaron’s glossy and bloodshot eyes met Robert’s own, while he nods his head slowly.

“Just breathe, okay? Breathe with me”

“I c-can’t -“ Aaron stutters out between breaths.

Robert cups a hand around the back of Aaron’s neck. “Breathe, Aaron, come on,” Robert pleads.

He could feel the bile begin to rise in his throat. The fear and trepidation that one day he might not be there to help Aaron, that one day Aaron might not be strong enough to come out the other side.

“Do you know where we are, Aaron?” Robert questions.

Aaron’s eyes search his surroundings frantically as a whimper slips through his cracked lips. And Roberts thankful Billy finally found an ounce of common sense and made himself scarce.

“Yeah that’s it, we’re just on the driveway, we’re home Aaron,” Robert reassures.

It was then when Aaron seemed to calm down slightly with the realisation he was safe. With Robert.

“Copy my breathing Aaron, nice and slow, yeah?”

Robert registered Aaron taking one complete breath, which seemed to fill him all the way to his toes. He let it out slowly, counting to five, eight, ten… twelve, fifteen.

“Okay? I’m here. It’s just you and me.”

Aaron visibly sags against himself, shoulders drawn in, making himself seems as small as physically possible.

“I’m sorry Robert,” Aaron says, voice sounding wreaked, and it breaks Robert’s heart. 

“Hey you’ve got nothing to be sorry for, do you hear me? Nothing,” Robert emphasises as he pulling Aaron into his chest, and he’s still shaking slightly, body trying to catch up with him. He wraps his arms tight around his waist, fingertips drawing soothing patterns on his back.

And he knows it isn’t enough, he knows Aaron is still going to spring awake in the night, plagued by another crippling, all-consuming nightmare. But it’s all Robert has to offer right now, himself exhausted from the constant thrum of worry.  

“I tried, I really did,” And with those five words, Robert feels his heart shatter into a million tiny piece, unsure of how to stitch it back together. 

“I know, I know,” Robert voices gently. 

“I love you,” Aaron whispers.

And God does Robert love Aaron. So much.

And that’s why he’s going to phone Aaron’s counselor tomorrow, see if she can help Aaron, help the both of them, through this.

prompt list

[spideybitey18]

Should I Stay.. Or Should I Go? (Part 3)

Hey guys! I’m back with part 3 with my Soulmate!au. I am really sorry about the wait but here you are. I’m so thankful about the responses i’m getting with this series, there is so much positivity and i love that so much! THANK YOU AND I LOVE YOU ALL SO MUCH! Please enjoy reading and please leave any feedbak as that would be greatly appreciated <3 <3

~~

Warnings: ANgst, heartbreak, not edited

Y/N - Your name

~~

Should I Stay... Or Should I Go?? - Tom Holland Series

You woke up with a start. Your eyes wide open with fear, your muscles achy and throbbing from the lack of movement. Moving your eyes around frantically, you noticed that the room you were in belonged to no one else other than Tom. Which meant that you were lying in his bed.

You were all alone, in the darkened room with the fan on high as the only source of noise, until you heard a broken sob from outside of the room.

“Tom! Mate you need to stop”

Multiple thuds resonated throughout the house as if someone was punching a wall. Each punch left an echo of pain down the hallway. Your throat was too dry to yell out, your instincts telling you it was Tom who was injuring himself. You wanted to scream, to shout out that you were awake and okay, you wanted him to know that you were here and well alive by the feel of it. God knows what you looked like though. How much time has passed? How long have you been unconscious? You slowly twiddled your fingers to create any sort of circulation in your stiff fingers. You lifted the warm blanket off of you after a few minutes, before quickly noticing that you weren’t in the same attire that you wore on the night that everything had happened. Your eyes ran over the different pictures of Tessa on the pants you wore, assuming that the owner of these pair of pyjamas was Nikki.  

~~

The sounds of the wall being punched resided, only to be followed by a frustrated yell.

“This is all my fault.. everything is all my fault..” The person shouted, the voice cracking painfully. You could recognise that voice from anywhere. It was Tom’s.

You gasped, your eyes tearing up at the fact that he was only in the next room, a few feet away from you. You needed him, you wanted him to know that you were awake. You wanted nothing but for him to engulf you in his arms and tell you everything was going to be okay. The familiar feeling of your heart throbbing caused you to let out a silent whimper. 

A tear fell from your cheek, your lips quivering pathetically knowing you couldn’t do anything but hear Tom sobbing in the next room.

“She most likely will be dead because of me.. All of this bullshit soulmate nonsense about choosing to live or di-”

“That’s nonsense Tom, you know that’s not true, she would never leave you and you know that. She wouldn’t want you to give up like this mate” Another voice spoke up, the voice sounding like Harrison’s.

You stiffly nodded as if you were there, as if Tom could see you agreeing to every word Harrison said.

“Why didn’t she tell me! All of this could’ve been avoided, what? Didn’t she trust me!” Tom yelled, his voice raw with emotion, the shards of his broken heart spilling out with each word.

“I saw it..” Tom mumbled. 

“See wha-”

“I saw my initials. I can’t believe I never noticed them” he sighed, “Why didn’t she ever tell me?”

“She was afraid Tom.. she was afraid of rejection. You mean so much to her, heck you were her world”

“You aren’t making me feel any better Haz, i treated her like shit, i tossed her aside like she was nothing.. god i’m such a bastard” Tom whined, his eyes tearing up once again.

“You didn’t toss her aside you found Zendaya, your soulmate. She backed away and accepted it, that’s why she kept quiet. You need to talk to her when she wakes-“

“IF she wakes up” Tom interrupted, his voice laced with bitterness.

“She WILL wake up”

You moved your lips to speak, but nothing fell out as if you have no voice to begin with.

You groaned internally, wanting nothing but to be reunited with Tom. You wanted him here, you needed him here. You wanted to take away all of his guilt, Afterall you forgave him long ago before any of this even took place.

“T-tom” You whimpered, the tiniest of sounds leaving your chapped lips before getting lost in the whirlwind of noise coming from the fan. Goddamn it.

Your throat felt sore and raw from the attempts of speaking. You wanted to scream out your frustrations, but you knew it could never happen.

You heard footsteps moving, the noise sounding distant as each step was taken. You shook with fear, knowing that the two boys must be leaving.

“We’ll go get a beer mate, Nikki is in the kitchen so she will be here with Y/N” Harrison spoke up, his voice bouncing off the walls and into Tom’s room. Frantically you looked around to find something that you could use to create noise so that they couldn’t leave. Your eyes fell on your bag that was perched on the bedside table next to you.

You weakly pushed the bag onto the floor with your weak arm, the pain surging through your veins causing you to jolt, your body slipping off the edge of the bed. The impact of your body and your bag falling onto the floor created a loud thud. You cried out silently, your frail body curling into a ball on the hardened floor. Tears welled up in your eyes as you silently prayed that the boys heard the commotion. Your body screamed with pain, your sobs coming out silently wishing that Tom was here to hold you.

~~

Just as the boys finished putting their shoes on, a loud thud was heard coming from down the hallway. Both boys heads snapped towards the direction of Tom’s room.

“Shit, did you hear that?” Tom whispered, his eyes wide with worry.

Without another word, Tom bolted down the hallway, the fear of something happening to you clogging up his throat.

He reached his room in a matter of seconds, his heart racing at a fast pace.

He noticed your body on the floor in a curled up position, and your shoulders shaking due to the silent sobs leaving your body. Upon hearing the rush of footsteps, you lightly craned your neck to look up at who was at the door. You noticed Tom was standing there in shock, with a worried Harrison behind him. You gasped, the small sound snapping Tom out of his trance. He hurriedly reached down to your level, his arms wrapping around you, lifting you back onto his bed. His heart throbbed at how small and frail you felt in his arms, you felt and looked like a skeleton.

“Darling, are you all right?” Tom asked, his eyes filled with worry and panic as he scanned your face and body for any injuries. You weakly smiled even In your state, the happiness filling your cheeks as your gazed up at Tom, your soulmate.

“I’m o-okay” You whimpered, your voice coming out in broken whispers, “now that you are here”.

“Darling…” Tom whimpered, his eyes watering at the sight of you. His heart was filled with pain as he watched you smile up at him, even when you were hurt. You were a beautiful warrior, he knew that for sure. The guilt was slowly eating him up again, knowing that he was the cause of all of this. He couldn’t bring himself to genuinely smile back at you. He hesitantly moved away from you, his ears ringing with insecurities. He watched as your face fell at his move, his heart cracking beyond repair. He was the cause of all of this, this was all his fault… maybe you were better off without him.

He gasped, his tears pooling and blurring his vision as you moved your arms to reach out to him, your arms weak and shaky. He shook his head frantically, “I- I can’t do this”.

He hurriedly ran out of his room, running a hand through his curly locks, the frustrations eating him up alive. He thought he could handle this, he thought that once he knew you were awake he would do everything in his power to make you happy again, he made a promise to himself.

but now he was doing the complete opposite..

…I will only be hurting her more, he thought.

You watched as he left the room, your heart strings snapping all at once, as the love of your life left you in his room without a second glance.

Harrison stood at the door dumbfounded, as he watched two soulmates break apart once again. He hesitated with following Tom, but decided he was going to stay here with you. Tom was going to be okay, he thought, he just needs time.

He weakly smiled your way, noticing the blank expression you held. He softly sat on the bed, his hand reaching to hold yours, careful not to hurt you. Your lips quivered, as you gazed back into his icy blue eyes.

“You are a trooper, Y/N” He whispered, his hand lightly squeezing yours.

Your lips upturned lightly, silently appreciating his kind words.

Your dull and red eyes blinked back at his, the shock of Tom’s quick exit swirling around in your exhausted brain.

“H-he knows?”

Harrison gulped, “Y-yeah”

“How?”

Harrison’s lips moved to speak before he hesitated, as if the words were caught up in his throat. He sighed, before he squeezed your hand again in comfort.

“That night, when everything started..” he paused, his eyes shut as if he was trying to push the thoughts away, “That night…”

“Harrison p-please tell me” You mumbled, your eyes searching for his eagerly but he refused to have any eye contact.

“You died Y/n. You died and Tom had to perform CPR, hence why he saw your initials because he had to take your woolly jumper off”

“I d-died?”

 ~~

Lmao this is fiction so yeah, she died and came back to life. What did you guys think of part 3!? Part 4 will be posted very soon <3

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Congruence

Chapter 3 of It’s Okay [Ao3] Zaeed/fShep

"Better stop all that g'ddamn thinking," he says, popping your bubble and recalling you into the present. "S'one thing I learned, Shepard: Never think about what you have to do. Better off with just doing it and getting it over with. You idle too much and you'll never get it done. Or you live in the dread of doing it. That's no way to live." _____________________________________________

"And then the bastard got up and started to run, smoke trailing off his singed head. We laughed our asses off. I couldn't even line up a shot to take the fucker out!" You smile, wishing you could have seen the debacle go down. You're starting to wish you could see the universe through Zaeed's eyes a lot more with the way he lays the cosmos bare in bits of truth. Even the embellishments have become charming in their own way. It's an escape from how heavy the mantle of "Commander" has been on you and it grows even more burdensome as time drags on. Every second seems your last. Every breath and heartbeat, a gift. Moments of respite are few and far between. You're glad he stayed. There was a look in his eye suggesting he might run, but then again, you've never seen Zaeed back down from a challenge. Why would he start with you? He'd already seen you at your worst. He had no reason to leave. So, as he falls into silence, a smirk still on his face, you're left to puzzle out your draw to the man. He's a merc, made cold and hard. Former military. Former co-leader of the Blue Suns. A man who'd left Earth and found the confines of known space within his tastes. You wonder about his life before and about what caused him to take on the creation of one of the most renowned gangs. How had he dealt with the pressure, then? "Better stop all that g'ddamn thinking," he says, popping your bubble and recalling you into the present. "S'one thing I learned, Shepard: Never think about what you have to do. Better off with just doing it and getting it over with. You idle too much and you'll never get it done. Or you live in the dread of doing it. That's no way to live." "Carpe diem, huh?," you let slip a smile. "Seize the goddamn day," he reaffirms, returning your smile. His eyes shine beneath the alcohol and mirth. His good eye seems so blue. You almost say something, then you decide not to spoil the mood. He regards the notion curiously and you hope he doesn't press but as the thought crosses your mind, he opens his mouth. "What?," he asks, "I always see you on the verge of spilling something but you don't quite come to it. I think tonight is the most I've seen you discuss anything with anyone. What gives, Shepard?" "I didn't exactly plan to discuss all that," you say sheepishly, heat dances across your cheeks in a flush of embarrassment. "A leader must always remain in control, balanced. What good is it if I'm oversharing my emotional status. It would affect the team's morale." "What a load of shit," Zaeed's voice cuts through your thoughts. And it insults your belief, everything you've been taught, everything you learned about a good leader, everything you've survived through on the thought of protecting others. "You know what your problem is, Shepard?," he goes on. "You have this misconception that everything is in black and white. Never quite between. Never grey." He sees the hurt on your face and his tone softens. "Look, kid, accept there are things that will be out of your control. Since when did sharing break a leader?" "So," your frown goes from petulant to determined to understand where he's coming from. He's a friend, so you don't want to snap at him for sharing his view. "Is this a talk about morality?" "Morality?," he asks as he sips from the glass tumbler. "Nah. It's more about accepting that bad shit happens and sometimes it's too much for one person to deal with. I'd know a fuckin' thing or two about that." It then crosses your mind Zaeed is a self-taught man; the path he's walked has brought him far and taught him much. He's eager to instruct because he doesn't want anyone to fall where he fell. Not such a strange way to care about people, even if he can be a bit crass about it. He never quite had the tact to be anything other than what he is. You've accepted him for it. In theory, it should be no different to accept the grey in situations as it is in people. "You've got a damn good team, Shepard. It'd be a shame not to lean on them from time to time." "Yeah, I do," you agree. The anger fades as you comprehend his words. He may not be always right in your eyes, but he's sharing his perspective. It doesn't quite feel right, but there is some truth in his words. The argument about gray morality would be circular between you. He is a cynic. No reason to trust anyone. In his world, credits speak volumes. Yet, he has some spark of honor. Almost died because he wouldn't bend. You can relate with all this very strongly. Silence falls between you and the mercenary. You and he both take a drink simultaneously. It gives you a moment to soak in your thoughts, pull them together through the haze of emotion and drunken processes. "Did you have anyone to lean on?," you ask as one question nags your brain. He glances at you, then looks thoughtfully briefly. "I thought I did, a long time ago. Told you about that one. Aside from that, I've old crew I'm not in touch with lately. Now, I guess it's just the Normandy." "You know," you can't wipe the smile from your face, "Everyone seems to enjoy your stories." "Good to know I'm not completely wasting my breath." "Oh, come on!," you scoff and smack his arm with the back of your fingers in a brushing motion. "You enjoy telling them!" He snorts out a breath, lip curling as though disgusted. "Yeah, yeah, I do." He takes another sip and sucks in a breath between his teeth, "Though I think my favorite currently is how hard the Commander Shepard can deliver a g'ddamn punch." "Shut up!," you feel a blush creeping across your face in unabashed embarrassment. "We were both in the heat of the moment." "Y'know, Shepard, I've never been decked by anyone and stayed beside them." The memory burns thickly in your head, as thick as the dark clouds of smoke rolling up from the facility. You can still feel the heat from the fire licking at your boots as you strode through ruined walkways, pipes bursting at the seam with liquid flame and beams collapsing from the constant explosions that rock your normally steady steps. "I've never had to deck anyone like that before. I was sure you would leave." "I was sure you'd leave me there," Zaeed quips back. You gawk in horror at the prospect of leaving someone to burn alive trapped beneath a steel beam. "I was angry, Z, but I wouldn't have left you!," you speak quickly to dismiss the treacherous image accompanying that thought. "Had me thinkin' otherwise, Shepard," he said then, looking somewhat intimidated, or wounded. The light in his eyes dimmed as his lids narrowed. He sucked his thin lips in between his teeth. "Z, we're a team," you shake your head, "And like I said, I was angry. I couldn't on good conscience leave you there." "But you were right. I wouldn't have blamed you." "That's not how I work," you sigh and slide your drink onto the table, feeling somewhat lost in the bad memory lingering between you. Santiago had made a narrow escape, leaving Zaeed robbed of his vengeance. However, he was focused and dedicated to stopping the Collectors now. The mercenary heaves a sigh, "Yeah, that's probably a good thing, Shepard. Someone should stick to their word or there'd be more salty bastards like myself around, clogging up the order of things." "Salty bastards with good stories?," you shoot him a smile. "Salty bastards with knowledge and wisdom. S—" You cut off as he stands, forsaking the glass to the table. A frown flattens your smile out. Was it something you said? "Sorry, Shepard," he turns away, masking whatever emotion he might be donning if any. "Don't want to ruin the mood here. Think it's really time to call it a night." He doesn't allow you time to escort him to the cabin door. It shifts open, and he throws a hand up in a wave just as you rush up the three stairs up. "Some other time, Shepard. Thanks for the drinks." The door shuts, cutting off your view of him, and a sudden sense of deja vu happens all over again. Liara. Kaidan. Always a door in your face. Always cut off by circumstance. Always alone in the end. You're left to wonder exactly what did it, this time.