#{ wasp better sleep with one eye open tonight }

[tearfallpixie]

Trust and Love - Chapter 5: Tease

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“Hey, have you seen Vinny? I wanted to ask him where his dye kit was.” Justin asked one morning. Chis looked up from his phone at the bassist.

“Have you checked in Ricky and Olives room?” The singer offered. “He’s been in there a lot at night lately.” Justin went back to their door and knocked on the door. When he received no answer he opened it up to see the drummer he was asking for curled up with the two other mentioned names. Justin snapped a quick picture of the adorable trio and closed the door silently. “Did you find them?”

“Yeah. They are all asleep. I didn’t want to bug them.” He texted the photo to Ricky and Vinny in a group chat and closed his phone.

~

Rickys phone dinged waking me from my slumber and making me slowly blink open my eyes. I groaned and stretched, feeling a body shift behind me. I turned to see Vinny sleepily rubbing his eyes.

“Morning.” He murmured. I rolled around and curled onto his chest as he reached behind him for his phone.

“Thank you for staying.” I hummed.

“Sunshine, I spend most of my nights in here. You don’t have to thank me every time.” He teased me. He clicked open his phone to see a text from Justin so he opened it. My cheeks instantly went red when I saw the picture of all three of us curled together. “That’s cute.” He mused with a sleepy grin on his face.

“Can you send it to me?” I asked shyly. He saved the photo and clicked my name in his texts.

“Done.” He went back to his home screen and changed it to the picture of us. “And done. I think that looks better.” Ricky groaned behind the two and tightened his arms around my waist.

“Baby girl. It’s too early.” Ricky complained.

“Dude its 10:30.” Vinny laughed. “In fact, I need to get up. I promised Justin I would help dye his hair today.” I whined and clung to him tighter. “I know baby. I’m sorry.” He had never given me a pet name before, besides sunshine which still felt like it fell under the friends nicknames so that shocked me. I pulled back and sat up as he started walking out.

“You liked him calling you that, didn’t you?” Ricky asked.

“It just shocked me I guess.” I reached down to grab my bag, but he pulled me back.

“You wouldn’t get turned on if he were to watch me fuck you?” He asked darkly, making me gasp. “That’s what I thought. Imagine him sitting in the corner, you sprawled out on display on the bed.” He slipped his cold fingers under the waistband of my sleep shorts and ran them along my panty line. “Mmm. You’re wet just thinking about the idea.” He teased me. “I can stop whenever love.” I shook my head and felt him grin against my neck. He hoisted me up and pulled me back onto his lap, finally letting his fingers slip under my lingerie.

“Please, Ricky.” I whispered.

“Please what?” He growled, barely brushing my folds with his finger.

“Please. I need more.”

“You need Vinny?” I started to shake my head but he growled. “Don’t lie to me. I’ve seen the way you watch him perform on stage. I’ve seen the looks you give him on the bus. You want him.” I let out a soft whine and nodded. “There’s my good girl.” He pressed two fingers inside of me and curled them to scrape deliciously against my walls. “We’re in a hotel tonight. Maybe we can make this a reality.” I felt the coil of heat in my belly and whimpered.

“Please Ricky. I- I’m so close.” I cried softly.

“Come for me baby girl. You’ve been so good on this tour. You’ve been so good for me.” I crashed into my climax hard enough that I see stars for a moment. When I raised my head I saw Ricky had laid me down and was laying next to me. “You enjoyed that quite a lot.” He teased me, tracing patterns on my side.

“I can’t deny that it’s a hot prospect.” I giggled softly. “We should probably get up.” I stripped and got a fresh pair of lingerie and slipped it on.

“Make sure to wear the purple bralette. Vinny will like it.” Ricky smirked as I gapped at him. He winked before stepping out of the room. I grabbed the suggested article of clothing and put it on, getting dressed quickly after. I went to the kitchen to get coffee and felt gentle hands take my waist. I knew instantly it was Ricky and leaned into him. He nosed at the collar of my shirt, managing to move it back enough. “Mm. Good girl listening to instructions. I wouldn’t have to punish you for wearing something else.”

~~~~

“What is this?” I asked that night. We had just entered our hotel room to see that there were two beds in the room. We usually got a room to ourselves.

“Remember what I said this morning?” He murmured, stepping up behind me. I thought back to this morning and my eyes widened. I spun to look at him when I saw the drummer standing in the doorway, looking at me through his curtain of hair. I looked back at Ricky who was giving me a soft smile. “This is up to you. We can include Vin, or we can all just chill and hang out tonight. You call the shots.”

“Please.” I whispered. Vinny stepped into the room and closed and locked the door behind him, dropping his bag to the floor.

“Vin. Over to the chair and sit down. If she’s a good girl for us, then you might get a chance to play with her.” My heart caught in my throat. We had discussed him watching me but not touching me bt even more so I was shocked at how unbothered I was by it. Vinny dropped into the chair and unbuttoned the top few buttons of his shirt. “Strip for Vinny baby. Let him get a good view of that pretty lingerie you’re wearing.” I blushed bright red as Ricky shoved me towards Vinny. I slowly pulled the shirt over my head revealing the purple bralette and then moved my hands towards the buttons on my jeans. I saw Vins fingers twitch. “Do you want to undress her Vinny?” Vin gave a slight nod and moved to drop to his knees. His hands brushed my waist and I shuddered.

“You are so beautiful.” He whispered. His fingers expertly popped the button on my jeans and slipped under the hem. He pulled them down slowly, revealing the matching lingerie. “Fuck.” He hissed, kissing right below my belly button and digging his nails into my hips. “Rick, you are one lucky man.” He tore himself away from me and sat back in the chair. I felt arms loop around my waist and pull me into Rickys shirtless body. I melted into his heat and dropped my head to his shoulder.

“Lay on the bed for me baby girl.” I dropped onto the bed and he grabbed my legs, spinning me around and spreading my legs. He drug my lingerie down my legs and placed gentle kisses on my inner thigh. He started nipping little bruises into my thigh before licking them to soothe the sting. “Can I taste you pretty girl?”

“Yes.” I whispered. I felt his hot breath ghost over my entrance before I felt his tongue lick a stripe up my walls. I shuddered at the sensation and clawed my fingers into the bedsheets to give me some sense of stability. My eyes flicked to where Vinny was sitting and saw that he was watching with such intense focus. I could tell his eyes were dilated to their full extent in the dim lighting, watching me like a hawk. I let out a whine when Ricky finally pressed his tongue past my ring of muscles but immediately retracted it.

“You are so wet for us baby girl. I didn’t know you’d find this so hot.” He slid his tongue between my folds again and caressed my inner walls. As he was assaulting me with his tongue I could feel the coil building in my lower belly. I toppled over the edge when he sucked on my clit while quickly inserting two fingers alongside his tongue. I must have zoned out for a moment because when I came too Ricky was sitting next to me with an amused look on his face. I glanced over at Vinny who looked concerned and I but back a giggle.

“I’m fine. Better than, actually.” I promised them.

“Promise?” Ricky asked softly.

“Pinky.” He nodded and brushed a piece of hair from my face. “Please Ricky. I need you.” I begged.

“Are you ready for me?” I nodded. “Words baby girl.”

“Ricky. Please. Baby, I am so ready for you.” I begged. He stood and removed his jeans and boxers before climbing between my legs. He gave himself a few pumps before lining himself up and pressing into me. I gasped at the stretch and wrapped my arms around his neck to cling to him. When he was flush against me, I noticed movement from where Vinny was sitting. He moved over to us as if he was in a trance and knelt on the end of the bed as Ricky hovered over me with his dick deep inside of me.

“Touch her.” Ricky ordered him. Vin brought his hands to my shoulders and slid them down to cup my breasts. “She’s beautiful, isn’t she?” Ricky lifted me up and Vinny moved closer, pressing himself up against my back. His hands slid down to my hips and his right one continued until it met my clit where Ricky was sliding in and out of me. He put a little pressure against my entrance where Ricky was moving and wiggled his finger alongside his member. I whined and dropped my head onto Vinny’s shoulder at the newfound stretch as he and Ricky worked in tandem to ease me to and through my second orgasm. Ricky followed quickly after, spilling his seed into my core.

“Such a good girl for us.” Vinny huffed. “So pretty.” He leaned forward and pressed his lips to mine, making me gasp. I kissed back for a minute before he pulled away. My cheeks must have been red because Ricky chuckled as he pulled me into him.

“You were so perfect baby girl. Did you enjoy that? Vinny joining us?” I nodded shyly. “Good. Lets get a shower and then we should all go to bed. We have an early morning.” We all showered quickly and when I returned to the room both Vin and Rick were sitting on Vinny’s bed. “Hey, our bed is a little… messy. Are you ok sharing a bed with Vin?”

“Yeah that’s fine.” I blushed for the millionth time that night. It wasn’t as if we hadn’t shared a bed before. They crawled into the bed and held out their arms. I grinned and settled between the two of them, instantly melting into an exhausted sleep.

[oflostinfound]

Wasp gently picks up and hugs Eath like he's just gonna give her some normal affection for once. . . And then he fucking throws her off the balcony (there's stuff below to catch her since some scouts are doing parkour/urban environment drills. She'll be fine. Probably.) -- @/strigidaeparliament

@strigidaeparliament

|| 🔷 ||: ❝ Wasp? Everything alri-? ❞

|| 🔷 ||: ❝ WASP-! ❞

SOUNDS OF CRASHING AND INCOHERANT SCREAMING

[storydays]

Legend of Korra X Male Reader

Hey guys! I’m loving all the likes you’re giving. I want to hear more of your questions and comments. Also I would really appreciate it if you would tag me and give me credit when you reblog my work. Thanks

(All credit for Legend of Korra goes to Nickelodeon and it’s creators ❤️)

Season 1, ep 5, p2

Kazan and Meelo yawned sleepily, full from dinner. "That was really good, (Y/N)." Pema complimented, rubbing her belly happily. "Glad you liked it Auntie." You then turned to your Aunt Rene who was sulking in the corner with a smug grin. "So, Auntie, thoughts?" you teased, making her start. "Listen little boy! Don't you dare give me attitude just because you're a better cook than me!" Everyone laughed at the banter between you two. "It's late, and the children are sleepy, why don't you guys sleep here for the night? Nagisa can sleep with Jinora and Ikki, and Kazan can bunk with Meelo." Pema suggested. 

"Yay! Sleepover!" cheered Ikki and Nagisa much to Jinora's annoyance. "Here, I'll help but the boys to sleep, Uncle."He smiled appreciatively at you, grabbing Meelo while you carried Kazan. "You did good tonight, nephew." Tenzin said, leading the way to the boys' room. "You heard from the radio?" you tilted your head, adjusting your grip on the young firebender. "No, I saw from the corner. You really are your parent's son."

You stared at his back in shock before smiling. "Heh, thanks Uncle."

*That night*

You inhaled the fresh air as you and Nevermore walked to the arena to get ready. But stop seeing Mako and Korra each facing different ways, and leaned against a pole, out of their sight line. "What kind of game are you playing?" asked the Firebender. "Um, pro-bending? We have a quarter final match." Korra stated like it was the most obvious thing. "No, I mean with Bolin. You got him all in a tizzy, and I know you're only using him to get back at me." Mako accused. 'Ooh bad move, Mako.'

"I am not. We're just having fun. What do you care, anyway?" Korra defended. "I'm looking out for my little brother. I don't want to see his heart get broken." 'That is such bull.' you laughed silently. Korra knew it was too, "Wait a second. You're not worried about him; you're jealous," Korra was smirking and you were too. "You do have feelings for me." Mako didn't miss a beat. "What? Jealous? Don't be ridiculous." 

"Admit it, you like me." Korra didn't realize she was playing with fire, quite literally. "No, I'm with Asami." "Yeah, but when you're with her, you're thinking about me, aren't you?" The Avatar sounded so smug right now, and you were silently rooting for her. "Get over yourself." Mako snapped. "I'm just being honest!" "You're crazy!" Mako denied. "You're a liar!" cried Korra.

That was when you decided to step in. You splashed the two with water you kept in your pocket, and sent your teammates a raised eye brow. "If you two hot heads are done, we do have a match to go to." You then walked away, your pony tail swinging behind you. You stopped the two from entering the room and to keep Bolin from getting him involved. 

"Listen you two, don't bring this energy around Bolin. And while you are out on that ring, keep your personal feelings out of it. We've come too far for you two to mess it up. Am I clear?" The younger teens looked at each other and sighed, when Nevermore snapped her jaws for good measure. "Yes, sir." "Good, I'll be here when the match is over." You walked in and over to the railing, waiting for the match to start. 

*15 minutes later*

"Eight teams have been eliminated, and eight advance into the quarter finals, which get underway tonight. The rookies are about to take on the former and longest running champs--the Boar-Q-Pines. Youth clashes with experience in a battle for the ages or rather of the ages. Korra dodges and--ooh slams right into her teammate! Down goes Mako, and Bolin and Korra." You face palm and growled as the second announcer said, "Round One goes to the Boar-Q-Pines." 

Your (e/c) eyes narrow, noting Mako was saying something to Korra in a very aggressive way. Poor Bolin looked so confused. The waterbender part of you wanted to switch out with Korra, but the airbender part of you, reminded your that this was how Korra and Mako were going to make up. Nevermore nuzzled your cheek making you chuckle and rub her head. "Thanks, girl."

"The Ferrets looking to mount some offense here in round 2. Bolin lets fly a flurry of attacks. He's a one man bending battalion." "Yes! Way to go, Bolin!" You cheered for the Earthbender. "The Ferrets having a tough time finding their rhythm tonight. But thanks to Bolin, they narrowly notch round two." 

Round 3 started and at this point the crowd noticed their was something wrong as well. "Not sure, what's eatin' them, but this is not the same team that took out the Rabbaroos." You winced in sympathy as the Avatar took Earth disk to the stomach. "Round 3 is a tie. We go to a tie breaker to decide the match." A referee tossed a blue and red coin into the air, and caught it, covering it up. 

He moved his hand to reveal the red side. "The Fire Ferrets win the coin toss. Which element do you choose?" Immediately the three tried to decide who would go to fight, until Bolin stepped up with the older Earthbender. "Looks like the Earthbenders will collide in the tie breaker face off. Bolin goes in for the grapple, Chang reverses." You grit your teeth as Bolin was flung into the air but cheered when he fired from mid air. 

"Bolin strikes from mid air, knocking Chang to the edge of the circle, and another strike from Bolin, knocking Chang into the drink!" "The Future Industries Fire Ferrets win their quarter final match!" You, Mako, and Korra sighed in relief as the announce continued talking. "Ooh, close one folks, youth trumps experience tonight." 

You met the trio at the edge and grinned at Bolin. "Good job, Bo! You were awesome out there!" You watched as Korra and Mako went their separate ways. You sighed, and walked over to Mako and whispered in his ear, "You better get your act right, Mako. You maybe my best friend, but I won't hesitate to kick your ass." He looked at you with wide eyes, knowing you were dead serious. "Hey, (Y/N), come with me! I need your help!" Bolin dragged you out the room, making you laugh. 

*Time skip*

You and Bolin walked up to where Korra could be hiding and you stopped seeing Korra and Mako kissing. 'Are they kidding me?!' "Wait, Bo, don't--" 

You were too late, as he stopped seeing the scene in front of you. You hid half your face in your hand, Nevermore trying to hide her head in your hair. It was silent until Bolin started crying and ran away. "Wait, Bolin, this isn't what you think!" He turned to Korra with a glare on his face. "Great! Look what you did." "You're blaming me?" demanded Korra. 

"You kissed me!" "You kissed me back!" Both gasped being splashed with freezing cold water, and turned to you. Nevermore's teeth were drawn back into a snarl, and you had a dangerous look on your face. "It doesn't matter. You are both at fault! Now what matters is how the hell you are going to fix it." You and Nevermore growled as Mako groaned and ran after his brother. You turned to the city view and didn't even look at the Water Tribe girl.

"Korra, I know you've been isolated all your life, and you probably thought you would get your happily ever after with Mako. But there's so many fish in the sea for you to explore with. Don't settle for the small fry." "Well played, Korra." she said, hugging herself. "Live and learn, Korra." you sighed, "Live and learn."

*The next morning.*

You followed Mako into the restaurant.  "Morning, Narook. Is my brother here?" The man behind the counter gestured behind you guys, and Mako waved in thanks. "Thanks." He walked over to Bolin and shook his shoulder. "Come on, wake up. I'm taking you home, bro." That cause Bolin to sniff and look up sadly. 

"Don't call me that. You're not my brother!" He drunkenly slapped Mako's hands away from him. "You're a brother-betrayer." He sobbed into his arms. "The only ones I can trust: are Pabu and (Y/N)! They love me!" "You're a mess, and we've got the biggest of our lives tonight. Let's go." Mako tried grabbing Bolin who screamed at him. "No! I'm not going anywhere with you traitor!" You sighed, pushing Mako and grinning at Bolin. 

"Come on, Bo. I need my favorite Earthbender to fight with me tonight!" He finally got up with his arm slung over your shoulder. "Only you Bolin, can drunk off Water Tribe Noodles." You laugh gently. "I told you dating a teammate was a bad idea." Mako sighed. "You're a bad idea!" You laugh at their antics, even if you were pissed at Mako. 

*That night* 

You finished braiding your hair so it hung down your back, and out of your face, as Korra walked into the room. She looked at Bolin slouching on a bench,and noticed you over at the mirror. You were lost in thought, but it was clear something was bothering you. You suddenly snapped out of it and stood up, putting your helmet on. "Let's go guys. And leave your personal feelings here." 

"You can't find a team more evenly matched. In age, size, and strength than the Fire Ferrets and the Buzzard Wasps. Believe me, I looked." he joked. "This should be a pulse-pounding semi-final, folks." The bell rang and the Buzzards fought first. "The Buzzard-Wasps open with a flawlessly executed combo. 2 of the Ferrets take an early visit to Zone 2, and Mako's knocked all the way back into Zone 3! The Ferrets have been struggling to stay alive since the opening bell. It seems Bolin and Mako are out of sync tonight. (Y/N) taking the brunt of the impact from the front lines." 

The crowd groaned with Bolin as he was hit in the gut, hard. "Ooh, that has got to sting." You heard retching and groaned, knowing it was Bolin. "And Bolin looses his noodles, literally." All the players seem to have froze with that disgusting scene. "Which reminds me, this match is brought to you by our sponsor, Flamey-O-Instant Noodles. 'Noodlest- Noodles in the United Republic.' " Soon Bolin was knocked back into Zone 3 with Mako, leaving you to get defend from Zone 1. 

You were suddenly knocked into Zone 3 by an Earth disk, while avoiding a flame burst. "The Buzzard Wasps fly deeper into Ferret Territory. And Mako plunges into the pool. Can the Fire Ferrets hold on?" You and Bolin looked at each other and continued to fight with all you got. "The Ferrets are backed to the edge now, and are saved by the bell! They had better pull themselves together, folks, for round two. Otherwise they can kiss their finals goodbye. "

"Round 2!"  You used water in a arch to knock two of the Buzzards back into Zone 2. "Oh, what a strong start from (Y/N)!" Mako groaned being knocked into Zone 2, and sent fire towards them, hitting Bolin in the process. He cried out, and turned onto his back to glare at Mako. "Hey, watch it!" He gasped being knocked into the water, from his distraction. "The Wasps take advantage of Mako's unforced error, and move forward." 

You and Mako spun your elements together and knocked the opposing  Water and Earth benders out and into the drink giving the round to you guys. Round 3 came and you looked between the boys. "Look, we've been working for a long time for this. Get your heads in the game guys. Please." You begged slightly; they knew what this tournament meant to you. "Let's get this over with." Mako sighed.

When the match started, Mako was already in the drink, and Bolin's shoulder was messed up,and then he was in the drink. "The Ferret's dream of making it to the finals rests on Councilman (Y/N)'s shoulders." You smirked to yourself, used your waterbending to get the team into a line of three, and knocked them down like dominoes. "It's the big kaboosh! What a knockout!" 

The crowd went wild and you could hear Mako and Bolin cheering for you.  "It didn't seem possible folks, but the Fire Ferrets are headed to the finals." You laughed, waving to the crowd, before walking away. You took your helmet off and groaned when Korra gave you a big hug. "Korra! Korra! I need my....lungs...to breathe." "Oh! Sorry!" she sheepishly let you go. "Sometimes, I forget about my own strength." You sent her a lopsided smile, "It's okay, Korra." Bolin and Mako walked up to you. 

"That was pretty much the coolest thing I've ever seen." "Thanks for not giving up on us; we never would've made this far without your level head. We owe you big time." You rolled your eyes, walking past them, taking your helmet off. The three looked at each other, uncertain. "(Y/N)--" "Look, I know things are confusing between the three of you, but this team means everything to me, and the last thing I need is for some petty love triangle is to mess it up." 

Your sudden attitude caught the other's off guard; you were usually so carefree and cool. You got ready to leave the room when your ex walked in, making a scene. "Ooh, ooh, you boys smell something in here?" Tahno pinched his nose before smirking. "Oh, wait I know what that is. Yeah, it's the scent of losers." "I hope we see you in the finals. Then we'll see who the real losers really are." Korra said back. 

"Yeah, I'm peeing my pants over here." Tahno said confidently before turning to you, with a very faint blush on his cheeks. "I'll win this match for you, (Y/N). Maybe we can go out to that Water Tribe restaurant you like so much." You turned to him with a bored look and said, "Gag me. We are not together anymore, Tahno, I just can't trust you." You brushed your bangs into your face and left without another word. 

You ran into Asami in the hallway. "Oh, hey Asami." she hugged you and took a step back, noting your mood. "Great job! What a comeback! I--Hey...what's the matter?" she asked, green eyes shining earnestly. "Nothing, why don't you go see you boyfriend." You began to walk away when she grabbed your arm. 

"Hey, you don't need to be strong around me, (Y/N), you've been there for me when I needed it. You can talk to me--" "No! I can't talk to anyone and especially not you because on of my main problems is I'm in love with you, and I just think you're wrong for Mako because he and Korra kissed and they belong together and I--" Asami cut you off by hugging you tightly, your arms tight around her waist. "(Y/N), I-I didn't know you felt that way." You took her hand in yours and kissed the top of it, locking eyes with her. 

"Asami..." you left it at that and walked away, leaving her to her thoughts. 

You ran to where you hid Neo, and hugged him with all your might, begging your tears not to fall, and while the polar bear dog didn't know what caused your pain, he simply nudged you with as much warmth as possible.  You took such good care of him, it hurt him to see you so upset.

You sniffed, and looked into Neo's blue eyes with a watery smile. 

"Let's go home, boy."

[yandere-tech]

Comfort (Jin Bubaigawara X Reader)

Being alone with your thoughts was possibly the worst thing you could be doing right now. Sitting in the darkness of your room, cheeks stained with tears and eyes red, you tried to get rid of the overbearing sensation of...guilt, sadness, loneliness. It all seemed to swirl around in your brain like an angry swarm of wasps, ready to attack with each second you weren't distracted. Having thrown on some feel good music on low, trying to read something that would bring back that smile. When was the last time you smiled? You were sure it was over something stupid like a tiktok video or short clip about a cat. A quick, small laugh and half smile that would dissolve the moment the video was done. The more you thought about it- when was the last time you were happy...?        A shudder of a cry escapes past your lips as you try to keep quiet- knowing the walls of apartment complex were thin as paper- and it was one in the morning. You didn't need to wake up anyone- you certainly didn't need to accidentally wake your boyfriend either. As much as you'd love to cry and cling to him, he had it far worse and you knew it. Constantly battling himself- much like you did. But you knew how to silence your pain, you were his 'home' and, honestly, he was yours. Despite trying to hide these feelings behind dark humor or a half assed smile, he somehow managed to make things better. His ability to somehow deal with everything and still be the most kindest and most loyal man you had ever met.         Your hand had slipped over your mouth as a hiccup and slight whimper manages to slip out. Nothing was helping this time and it felt like the world was slowly closing in on you. Your tears come back full force as the thoughts take off with you again, reminding you of how worthless you were- how lonely you were- how you weren't worth the life you were given. It bombarded you to the point you were doubled over, hand now firmly pressed to your lips to keep from crying out or sobbing, your other hand shakily gripping your hair. The feelings would be gone by morning...You'd fall asleep and you'd wake up feeling numb once again. But right now- in the late hours of the night when sleep wouldn't drag you in, when the darkness swallowed you whole- it felt never-ending.        And that's when you heard his voice, gruff from sleep and concerned. Just the way Jin said your name made the darkness reel back just enough as you quickly look toward the other side of the bed, where the blonde had shifted slightly, propping himself up on his elbows, blinking in the low light of your computer glow. Quickly closing the laptop, you wipe at your eyes and try to find a way to make your voice sound normal.        "Sorry, Jin. I didn't mean to wake you." You tell him as you slide your laptop to the side of the bedside table and slowly curl up under the blankets with him. The moment your body is under, he sinks down as well, an arm snaking around your waist to pull you closer.        "Are you alright...?" "We need our beauty sleep, babe." He says before grumbling and opening his eyes once more to look at you in the dark. A small hum escapes you as you run a hand through his hair.        "Just fine." You lie easily. However, you soon feel his hand on your cheek as he strokes his thumb in small circles.        "Then why is your cheek still wet?" "Lying to me- I'm hurt!" He shakes his head a bit, making you tense slightly.        "It's nothing, Jin, really. I just get sappy and over emotional at night." You tell him, taking his hand off your cheek.        "Mnn...You seriously suck at lying..." Jin yawns as he sits up again, pulling you up and into his lap. "Now let's try that again... Why were you crying?" The male asks, resting his chin on the top of your head, his arms wrapped around you in a comforting way.        There was a long pause as you try to think of if you should tell him or not. Unconsciously, you begin to bite and chew on your lip. You wanted to tell him, you really did. But the thought of being so vulnerable- the thought of letting him see the real you, the broken, the damaged, the pieces of you that wanted nothing more than a short drop and sudden stop. Certainly he'd understand better than anyone else! He had too! But- he had so much to deal with already- adding onto that- you didn't want to burden him- or scare him off. You were his rock after all- and if that rock started to slide- who would catch both of you?        As thoughts begin to start up again, Jin gently nuzzles his face into your neck, making you tense slightly.        "Calm down, your heart rate is astronomical." He mutters against your neck, only really making it skyrocket further. "Hah, look at that, I still have the power to distract you." His other personality chuckles, making you huff lightly and look away. "Come on, just tell me what's up... I always open up to you. I always come to you for help when I start to feel down, like I'm splitting- you're my comfort. So- let me do the same for you." Jin says, now messing with your hair. "I'll do my best to help-" "Or at least help in distracting you and making you smile!"        Giving a small sigh, you glance at the male out the corner of your eyes before looking down.        "Okay- but- please- don't hate me." You say, making the blonde pull away briefly to look down at you, confused.        "I couldn't hate you even if I wanted too." "Except when you eat my leftovers! I still haven't forgiven you for the deep fried cheesecake last week!" At this, you can't help but give a short, small laugh as you lean back into his chest.        "Well...I've struggled with really bad depression my whole life." You finally admit, closing your eyes, almost as if afraid to see his expression. "I've been able to bury it around others pretty damn good though. I can easily be around the League or Giran and you- but the moment I have to deal with myself on my own- I dig myself into a deep hole." Feeling Jin's arm move from your waist to lightly tracing your jawline with a finger, you relax a bit more. His touches really were such a nice thing. Gentle and slow. "Most days I just feel nothing. Like- like going through the day is just another task I have to complete. Other days, like tonight- I end up feeling everything at once. There's no stop to it, really." You feel tears slowly stirring up again as you continue. "People half my age have done so much more than me, I feel like, at my age, I should have done something- anything! Yet, I can't find a job, my best friend, only friend and boyfriend are all the same person, I only talk to the League- I don't have friends. And-and." You hiccup as you curl up in his lap, a hand gripping his wrist as you pull it to you in a comforting manner- much like one might a pillow to hold. "I feel like such a disappointment, a failure. Like my life isn't even worth it." Turning to have your face against his chest, you bury your face there and try to stop the flow of tears. "You have to do everything for us- I'm useless- I don't- understand why you'd want someone like me. All I am is a huge headache and mess of a person. I have nothing going for me- so why? Why keep going?" By now, you were sobbing between words and trying to stop the shaking that rocked your body like a chihuahua.        Jin was silent for a moment or two- a real concern, as he was almost never quiet. It seriously made you feel like your heart was in a vice grip- maybe you shouldn't had said anything. You start to pull away, looking up at Jin, who had tears in his own eyes as he held you tighter.        "I'm sorry- that you felt you couldn't talk to me about this." He says, pressing a few kisses to your forehead, he hugs you as if he could lose you the moment he lets go. "I know how it can be- the loneliness- the fear....I know how it feels." Jin's voice wavered, as if he was keeping himself from sobbing on you as well. "But you're my heart. I can't live without you, doll." He states, his breathing hitched slightly. "We're both pretty fucked up, huh?" A weak laugh escapes the male as he nuzzles his face into you again. "Please, if you're going to help me- let me help you too. When you feel like this, I want to be there to cry with you." "And trust me, I can cry a LOT." This earns a small laugh from you as he smiles down at you in the dark, wiping at your tears. "I'm sorry you feel like that. But I want you to know that I love you, alright?" "Like- a lot. It's unhealthy. I think I might be love sick~" He says, gently clutching his head and hissing. "Shuddup." He mutters before sighing lightly. "I'm here for you, okay? And all these thoughts you have? They're just thoughts. We can get rid of them- like fighting off heroes! They may be strong, but we can overcome them!" "Through love and friendship!" Jin gives you a bright smile. "And you'll always have me! Sorry, you already threw out the receipt , no returns." He then gives you a few little chaste kisses, earning one of those laughs you know he adored so much.        A small smile pulls onto your lips as you look up into those grey-blue eyes of his. Maybe this was a good thing for you- for both of you. Opening up to him was relieving and he seemed all too happy to hear you out. Jin had a way with words- even when he didn't mean too. It really did brighten the rather deep and unending tunnel. You knew the feelings wouldn't just vanish...But at least with Jin, there was someone to help you battle off these demons with. The way ahead would be heavily loaded with trials- but maybe just having someone there for you- at your side- would be the saving grace to keep you from diving into a permanent solution to this feeling.        "Okay, okay." You sniffle lightly before leaning up and kissing his lips lightly. "I'll try and come to you when I'm like this from now on." You assure him before he gives you a rather excited smile.        "I'm gonna be such a good supportive man." He says, pulling you back onto the bed with him, with you resting on his chest. "We're both pretty crazy, huh? Like we cancel out each other's weirdness." He teases as you get comfortable.        "Cancel out is a strong way to put it." You hum as you look up at him, his hand gently stroking your hair.        "Fine, fine- we help each other out mutually now." Jin chuckles, the rumble in his chest sending such a small signal of happiness to your brain that you finally feel a slight genuine smile. He was such a good man- How you were so lucky to have him, you didn't know.        "So- how about some depression sex~?" His other personality asks, making Jin smack a hand to his forehead. "I-Ignore that." He mutters, shaking his head. "This is seriously not the time for that." He says, lightly smacking himself a few times in the head. You grab his hand and gently pull it down, placing a kiss on his palm.        "Mnn, maybe it would help distract us though." You tease before giggling as he get's all flustered.

[artificialqueens]

Ever in Your Favor, Chapter Five (Rosnali) - Athena2

Summary: Denali and Rosé officially enter the arena.

A/N: Thank you so much for the amazing comments on the last chapter! It really does mean a lot to me, especially because this one has been a little challenging to write. I'd really appreciate any feedback you have on this chapter!

Denali opens her eyes to gray.

The arena is gray and wet, mist falling over the damp grass, fog curling around tall trees and a massive cliffside. A chill bites at her, but Denali doesn’t mind. She might even have an advantage here. The warmer districts don’t know this cold, wet weather, but Denali knows the cold like an old friend.

Rosé coached her for this part, said to find a bow and whatever she could grab, but not to go in too deep or engage in any fights. After that, her first priority is getting far away and finding water.

Denali repeats it to herself, avoiding how the other tributes tower over her. The gong sounds, and she runs—

“Denali!”

Rosé’s voice brings her back, and the world around her isn’t wet, but grassy, with forest all around. Pine hits her nose, and it reminds her of the hours in the woods back home, her dad showing her which plants were safe to eat. The odds just might be in her favor this year.

Rosé is on her platform a few feet away, and the Cornucopia looms in front of them, an enormous golden horn stuffed with weapons and supplies. The others are spread in a circle around the Cornucopia, waiting for the gong that releases them.

The gong sounds.

“Denali, run!”

Denali doesn’t think twice. Her boots fly over the grass, the other tributes just blurs in her vision. She reaches the Cornucopia seconds before anyone else, and in those seconds, she finds what she needs: a bow and a quiver stuffed with arrows. The quiver is a comforting weight on her back, the bow warm in her hand, and if it wasn’t for her pounding fear she could almost convince herself she’s back home. She grabs a backpack and two knives in another heartbeat before footsteps and shouts erupt.

The tributes have arrived.

Most brush past her, deeper into the Cornucopia, where the best stuff is--weather-proof tents, huge bags of food, medicine. Part of Denali wants to join them, but there are always a lot of deaths at the Cornucopia, and she has what she really needs. She can’t get killed on the first day.

Blood suddenly splatters over Denali’s boots, and she sees the District 7 man hit the grass with a knife in his back. Denali tugs it free and adds it to her weapons, running towards the woods. She can’t see Rosé among the bodies at war with each other, and her heart skips a beat at the thought that something happened to her--

A distinct flash of red comes on her side, and Denali almost crumples in relief. Rosé has a sword and two spears, plus a backpack. And better yet--four full water bottles. Denali doesn’t want to know what she went through for those.

“You good?” she asks Rosé.

Rosé nods. “Let’s get out of here.”

---

They go for hours, switching between walking and jogging, trying to get as far from the Cornucopia as possible. They haven’t run into any dangers yet--no murder-wasps or anything--and Rosé doesn’t know if that’s good or bad. They don’t want to be complacent, and they keep pushing themselves, not even stopping to check their supplies, taking only the smallest sips of water. Rosé’s grateful for all that running with Denali--she probably would have dropped by now without it.

When the sun sets, bathing the arena in a golden light so warm and peaceful it almost makes you forget where you are, they finally stop. They’re in a clearing, and Denali arranges thick bushes and leaves to cover them.

“Let’s see what we have,” Denali says, and they lay out their stuff.

A sword, two spears, a bow, thirty arrows, three knives, four water bottles, a tiny first aid kit, six packs of dried meat, matches, and a sleeping bag.

“Damn, we did good,” Rosé whispers. “I got a freaking plastic tarp and a sword I didn’t know how to use for my first round.” She doesn’t want to get overconfident yet--it’s still day one, after all--but there’s comfort in knowing they have stuff, in not ending the first day so hungry and thirsty it hurts.

Denali nods, splitting up the food, and it’s almost nice in their little hiding spot. If they weren’t in the arena, if they both weren’t constantly looking around for danger, it’s a place Rosé might like to be. Berries even fill the bushes, ripe and juicy-looking.

“You think we can eat those?” Rosé asks. Denali taught her the most common edible leaves and plants when they trained, but Rosé’s never seen berries like these.

Denali almost jumps in the air. “Do not eat those, Rosé. They’re nightlock, they’ll kill you instantly. If we--if we get separated or anything, promise me you’ll remember.”

“Promise,” Rosé says. She’s quiet after that, and it’s because of what Denali said. If we get separated. Rosé’s been with Denali so much lately that she can’t imagine her not being there. She did fine on her own last time, and figured she’d be on her own again this time. But they’ve somehow crawled back into each other’s lives, and Rosé doesn’t want to do this--doesn’t want to be here--alone. The thought of them getting separated, of losing Denali in the arena, is enough to make her sick.

The anthem cuts across the dark sky, and they look up to see the images of the tributes that were killed today. It starts with the man from District 3 and ends with the woman from District 11. Ten dead tributes ticked off on Rosé’s fingers. Pretty high for day one, but not the highest. She knows she should feel something, but she doesn’t. She didn’t even learn their names. It’s easier that way.

“Twelve more left besides us,” Denali says.

“Glad all that math help I gave you paid off,” Rosé teases, and Denali smiles big enough to show her dimples. God, those dimples. Rosé forgot how much she missed them. She grabs the sleeping bag and hands it to Denali. “Get some sleep. I’ll take first watch.”

“You’re sure?”

“Yes.”

“Wake me in four hours.” Denali slides into it with a white-knuckled grip on her knife and her bow within arm’s reach. She keeps twisting in the bag--Rosé figures she’s right on Denali being afraid to sleep around people--but eventually settles down, exhaustion winning over.

It’s too dark to see much, and quiet enough to hear Denali’s gentle breaths. Rosé doesn’t think any tributes will attack tonight--they’d only be putting themselves in danger attacking in the dark--but she wouldn’t put it past the Gamemakers to spring something. Rosé is sure she keeps hearing noises, every muscle tense in preparation of an attack. The only thing that eases the tension is closing her eyes and listening to Denali breathe. It centers her somehow, helps Rosé figure out what she’s really hearing and what her mind is making up. As long as Denali’s here, as long as she’s breathing, Rosé is okay.

“Denali, wake up,” Rosé says softly after four and a half--she gives Denali some extra rest; she probably won’t know--agonizing hours. She’d tap her shoulder, but something tells her it’s not a good idea. Definitely not, because Denali immediately shoots awake and her knife hits Rosé’s chest. Even with the tip there, Rosé’s reluctantly impressed at how good Denali’s sight and aim are in dim moonlight.

“It’s just me. Rosé.”

Denali inhales sharply, yanking the knife away. “I--Rosé, I--I’m sorry.”

“Don’t worry about it.” Rosé understands. She’d shoved Lagoona after a nightmare once, her brain convinced her sister was a threat.

Rosé crawls into the sleeping bag and feels Denali’s unease seep over her. Besides her family, she never has anyone around when she sleeps. What if something happens? What if they’re attacked before Denali can do anything? What if she has a nightmare in front of Denali? She doesn’t know if they’re on camera, but that won’t look good in front of the Capitol. They want strength and toughness from their tributes. Waking up screaming from a nightmare will only hurt their cause, make them question Rosé’s strength, and she can’t do that.

But she’s tired, really tired. The sleeping bag is surprisingly plush, so thick she can’t even feel the hard ground beneath her. Everything is warm and soft, and though she tries to fight it, she sleeps.

---

The sun wakes Rosé before Denali does.

Day two in the arena, and Rosé resists the urge to burrow back into the sleeping bag and sleep until it’s over.

“I was just about to wake you,” Denali says. She’s ready to go, bag on and weapons in hand, and Rosé thinks Denali gave her some extra rest too, paying back the favor. “There should be a water source nearby,” Denali continues.

Rosé nods and follows, trusting Denali to guide them. Rosé’s world was one of icing and sugar and butter, of kneading dough and sweating in front of hot ovens. But Denali knows forests better than anything, her childhood made of branches and trees and plants. Rosé is amazed at how she keeps track of it all. Those water bottles won’t last forever, and if anyone can find water here, it’s Denali.

They continue through the woods, and again they don’t encounter anything. It has to be deliberate. The Gamemakers want to lure them into a false safety so the danger is that much more frightening when it does come. Rosé doesn’t want to think about what they might send.

She makes a mental map of the arena as they go. The forest seems to be the largest part of it, leading to another large valley, and then the mountain. Not an obviously threatening arena, and again Rosé thinks it was a choice. When faced with tributes who’ve seen so many different arenas with so many different dangers, leave them guessing about what to expect. A basic arena like this could accommodate anything the Gamemakers want to unleash.

But nothing is unleashed the second day, and they trade uneasy sleep shifts.

---

Day three brings the first threat--a group of lizards in bright neon colors that roam down a tree when Denali and Rosé are resting. They're definitely a Capitol hybrid, and Denali isn't sure if they're poisonous, but she doesn't wait to find out. Five arrows, five dead lizards, before they even know what hit them. It's almost comforting, in a way, to have something to fight against for a few seconds. Instead of just wandering the arena and waiting.

They decide to move on in case more lizards come, and see the District 4 tributes crossing the field.

Denali freezes, grip tight on her bow. They're out in the open, and she could get them both before they even hear her arrows whistling by them. Two less tributes to worry about. More odds in their favor. But they're defenseless. No threat at all, just walking along. Denali knows that they'll have to be killed eventually if she wants to win. She just doesn't want to be the one doing the killing. At least not unless they try to kill her first.

She lowers her bow. "Rosé, I don't think I can do it. I'm sorry." She hangs her head, expecting Rosé to tell her she's being stupid, or get mad at her for blowing an opportunity most tributes would literally kill for. What if Denali's lost her nerve? Will she be able to kill when her life really is on the line, when she really has to?

But Rosé just nods. "It's okay."

And they move on.

---

By day four, Denali is on edge. She flinches at every rustle, every snapping of a twig, but they haven't run into anything or anyone since District 4. Two tributes die, cutting it down to ten more besides them. They’re at the halfway point, and that surely means something big is coming. The Gamemakers won’t leave things alone this long, won’t let the tributes stay separated. This suspense, this tension hanging over their heads, while intentional, has to break at some point, to the interest of the viewers and horror of the tributes. Something has to come.

And on day four, it does.

Denali senses the change in the air before the rain comes, reaching her hand up to catch a drop.

It sizzles against her palm.

“Run!” she barks at Rosé, cradling her singed hand to her chest.

Burning rain pelts off their jackets as they tear through the woods. The material offers some protection, but tiny drops make their way over Denali’s hands, on her face, down her back. She hisses against the burning, and Rosé curses beside her as they try to find dryness. In one direction, gusts of wind almost bring Denali to her knees, ruffling her jacket and making the rain pound down, and she glimpses a thick spiral in the distance that she numbly realizes is a tornado. A fucking burning rain-tornado combo. The Gamemakers really want their money’s worth today.

“There,” Rosé pants, and Denali realizes a valley to their left is perfectly clear. They sprint into it, collapsing on the grass, and Denali can’t even look at the blisters on her hands. There’s a plant that helps burns, her father told her, she just has to remember--

“Aloe!” She runs to the leaves. She finds the plant and cuts it with her knife, letting the cool gel soothe her hands and face, sighing in relief. She cuts more and takes it to Rosé, who’s bent over in the grass so no one sees her face screwed up in pain.

“Rosé, it’s okay. I can help.” She places the gel on Rosé’s hands, ignoring the tingle in her arm at the touch.

“Can I do your back?” Denali asks gently, and Rosé only hesitates a second before she nods.

Denali lifts Rosé’s shirt and jacket, letting her hands trace up the hard muscles of her back as she spreads the gel over her blistered skin. She keeps her touch gentle, not wanting to cause more pain, and she knows this has to be on camera and exaggerates her touches, makes herself seem extra caring, even if she hates herself for it.

“Let me do yours now,” Rosé offers.

Denali freezes. For the briefest second, her ankle tightens with the grip of the girl from District 4, but Rosé isn’t her. Rosé is only trying to help, not hurt, and Denali nods, even if she hasn’t asked for help in years. It would blow their cover if she refuses anyway. She holds her breath as Rosé moves her shirt, not letting herself tremble or show pain in front of the Capitol.

“I’m gonna put it on now,” Rosé says. Denali sighs when the gel hits, grinning when Rosé scolds her to stay still. She hasn’t had someone care for her like this since her mother died. In seconds, the pain is gone, and they watch the rain. Denali wonders how long they’ll be trapped here. Not to mention that finding aloe seems too good to be true. Too suspicious.

“Some rain, huh?” Rosé mutters.

“Don’t forget the tornado,” Denali laughs bitterly.

“Wait.” Rosé stills, ear toward the rain. “Do you hear something?”

Denali doesn’t hear anything before five tributes sprint into the clearing. The storm was clearly meant to send them into one dry spot, and even with the burns, a windswept tribute from District 1--Denali thinks his name is Castor--launches himself at her with a sword. It’s too late to string her bow, and he’s too close--but Rosé jumps in front of her, the sword cutting across her leg as she swings her own sword at him. Metal clangs as they go at it, and Denali can’t even process that Rosé just saved her life before the woman from District 4 comes at her. Denali grabs a spear that Rosé dropped and blocks the woman’s arm, sinking the point into her chest a second later. The woman hits the grass, and cannon fire joins the noises of battle.

“On your left, Fox!” someone yells. The voice is too deep to be Rosé, and Denali realizes it’s Finn from District 4, currently locked in battle with the man from District 8. She barely has time to thank him before the woman from District 1 pounces at Denali, nails clawing at her neck. Denali blocks her just in time. The world is sweat and blood and heaving breaths, and Denali just hopes Rosé is still alive.

The fight ends as suddenly as it started, when Denali stabs the woman and looks around and realizes the rain has stopped, and there’s no one left to fight. The man from District 8 escaped into the woods, but the clearing is littered with dead tributes from Districts 1 and 4. Her bloody hands still grip the spear, just in case. Her arm is trickling blood, and her neck stings with scratches from the woman grabbing at her, but she’ll survive. She hardly feels it, hardly feels anything, really, as she looks around. And Rosé--Rosé is still standing, thank God, limping over to Denali. The gash on her leg is huge, soaking her pants with blood, but she’s alive, and Denali’s knees almost buckle in relief.

“Are you okay?” Denali asks. “We gotta get out of here, then we can bandage your leg.”

Before Rosé can speak, a wheeze sounds from the ground, and they dart toward the noise. It’s Finn, clinging to whatever life he has left. The man from District 8 must’ve got him. As she looks at him lying there, golden hair stained red, she finds the numbness fading into emptiness, emptiness that swallows her heart. Sparing his life yesterday had been for nothing. But deep down she knew it would be. There's no escaping the fate of the arena. He had been kind, had offered her an alliance she barely considered, had warned her of an attack even when she killed his fellow tribute. And now he’s dying. Would things have been different with an alliance? Would they have protected each other? Would he have become a friend that she would inevitably lose? He was going to have a baby, she remembers, but hearing it in the training room and remembering it now are two different things, and she wishes she didn’t remember. She understands why Rosé avoided the other tributes and didn't talk to them, why she tries to avoid the Games entirely.

“You said he was having a kid,” Rosé says quietly. Her normally wary eyes seem sad.

It’s not a question, but Denali nods anyway.

Finn wheezes again, letting out a hoarse please. Please what, Denali has no idea, and watches in confusion as Rosé approaches him. She can’t mean to kill him--he’s good as dead. Instead she crouches down, takes his hand, and begins to hum something. It’s a simple melody, one that sounds like a lullaby. Denali understands--Rosé can’t help him, no one can, but at least he won’t be alone. Denali kneels with her and just listens, goosebumps on her arms, and pretends she’s somewhere else. Somewhere she never had to do this. Somewhere the two women she killed today never attacked her in the first place.

The cannon sounds, and they leave the clearing in silence.

---

They don’t talk again until that night.

They bandage each other up and eat some fruit Denali found as they walked, lost in their own minds. Rosé’s eyes finally lose that far-off look as she eats, though she keeps turning her apple over and over like she’s never seen one.

Denali doesn’t know what to say. The cold side of her has already calculated that six other tributes remain--both from District 2, both from District 8, the woman from 7, and the man from 9. But how can she focus on who’s left after this afternoon?

They both jump when two parachutes appear.

The first contains a medicated cream, one that instantly starts healing their burns and soothes any remaining pain. The second is a platter of bread and fish, clearly from District 4, the fishing district, and Denali knows it’s because of what Rosé did for Finn. She swallows the lump in her throat, resenting the part of her that’s so hungry it wants to grab the food and shove it down without a thought. Another part of her doesn’t want to eat it at all, doesn’t want this reward when there’s blood on her hands. They don’t deserve this. They weren’t even friends with him, didn’t do anything to help. But Rosé made his last moments easier, and maybe that counts for something.

“I almost don’t want to eat it,” Rosé whispers, and Denali knows she feels the same way.

“I know. But I think it’s disrespectful not to,” Denali says.

Rosé nods. She turns her head, because there’s clearly a camera on them, and thanks District 4 for their gift. They split the food and eat slowly, savoring each bite.

The silence continues until the anthem ends, and Rosé nudges the sleeping bag toward her.

“I don’t really feel like sleeping,” Denali admits.

“Me neither. Nightmares are a bitch.”

Denali had long assumed Rosé had nightmares, given that the lights in her house are on almost any time Denali wakes up in the night. Denali’s not worried so much about dreams--it’s more that she’s sure she won’t be able to sleep and will just be lying in the sleeping bag with nothing to do but think of today’s deaths, or how Rosé protected her. Denali’s come to rely on her, to enjoy her company, and today just proved how close she is to losing Rosé and doing this on her own.

“Things seem...different now,” Denali says.

“It feels more real,” Rosé says simply, because she understands.

Denali nods. “We left while everyone fought at the Cornucopia. We didn’t see the other deaths. But this time...”

There’s a difference between watching someone die and killing them yourself, and it’s a difference only a few people fully understand.

“We did what we had to,” Rosé says quietly.

Denali nods, because it is true. She never wants to kill just to kill, only when she has to in order to live. And being in the arena again makes her realize how much she wants to live. She wants to go home and and watch the sunrise each morning instead of just ignoring it on her runs. She wants to invite Kandy and Kahmora over for dinner, and talk to Jan and Lagoona again, wants so many people in her house that she’ll need a whole new set of coffee mugs. And she really wants Rosé to be part of it. Maybe she can. Somehow.

Denali doesn’t want to talk about it anymore, and she can tell Rosé doesn’t either, from how she’s picking at her sword.

“I--I’m glad we both made it,” Denali says. “I’m glad I’m here with you. Thanks, by the way. For saving me back there.” Her subconscious knows it's a good thing to say strategy-wise, to prove the romance, but she really means it. She’s used to fighting tooth and nail for what she wants, not anyone helping her or protecting her. She didn’t have an older sister running to the stage to save her from the Games, didn’t have an alliance in the arena last time. She really is grateful for Rosé.

“So am I,” Rosé says sincerely. “And you don’t have to thank me. We look out for each other, okay?”

“Yeah. What was that thing you were humming?” Denali asks before she can stop herself.

Rosé looks down at her lap. A shaft of moonlight falls over her face and bathes her in silver, and Denali’s heart skips a beat. “It’s a lullaby my mom used to sing us. I don’t actually know all of it. We were usually asleep before she finished. But I never forgot the melody.”

“Oh.” Denali’s mother wasn’t one for singing. She told stories instead, old fairy tales of princesses and knights that Denali used to fight sleep to hear the end of. Sometimes her father would join in, and when he died, Denali lost not one but two storytellers. Her mother became a half-finished story after losing him, one that ended abruptly eleven years ago. Denali’s hand goes to her necklace, but she meets empty space.

No. No no no--

“What’s wrong?” Rosé asks.

Denali hadn’t realized she was speaking aloud. She doesn’t answer, instead digging through their bags while her heart pounds. She’s making too much noise as throws aside knives and food packets, but she doesn’t care because it’s gone--

“Denali,” Rosé says, and her calm voice breaks through. “What’s wrong?”

“My mom's necklace. It’s gone. I must’ve lost it in the fight.” Denali remembers the woman from District 1 clawing at her neck. She must have torn off the necklace in her struggle, and Denali didn’t notice among the chaos. Now it’s gone and she’ll never get it back, when she has so little of her mother at all, and she angrily forces back the tears stinging in her eyes. She won’t cry. Not in this arena.

“I’m sorry. It's your mom's, right?” Rosé asks quietly, and Denali nods. “Tomorrow we can go look for it. It could still be in the clearing.”

Denali knows it’s a long shot, but the mere offer—an offer to go back into danger for something that’s not physically necessary—stirs something in her chest. It’s more kindness than she’s been offered in years, more kindness offered without any reward expected, just like Rosé sneaking cookies into her bag, and it’s too much to take. She mumbles a thank you and crawls into the sleeping bag, explaining that she’s tired after all. It’s an excuse to not look at Rosé, at the concern in her eyes, because Denali can’t bear it. No one has looked at her like that in years. She feels too exposed, just like at the interview, and looking at Rosé is impossible when every part of her is raw and laid bare.

Surprisingly, sleep comes easy, and it brings not nightmares, but dreams of Rosé.

---

The sound of trumpets wake Rosé the next morning, after a restless sleep of tossing and turning. Her leg felt like it was on fire, and sweat ran down her neck all night even though it was cool outside. Her head kept swimming with images of the fight, but what really kept her awake was her confusion over Denali. Why couldn’t she look at Rosé, and why did she throw herself in the sleeping bag minutes after saying she didn’t want to sleep? Maybe it was the stress of losing the necklace. Maybe she wanted to hide in the sleeping bag so no one saw her cry. The necklace is obviously a touchy subject for Denali, and she’s probably just stressed. They both are. Rosé won’t pry.

She sits up and rubs her eyes with a groan. “What’s with the trumpets?”

Denali shrugs, seeming back to normal. “Must be an announcement. Maybe because there’s only eight of us left? We’re at the last third.”

Rosé can’t believe sixteen people have died, that they’re already at the final eight. It feels like ages and yet like no time at all has passed.

“After we win this, I should be a math teacher,” Rosé says, heart lightening when Denali smiles. Announcements are usually done to bring tributes together for a big bloodbath. Though the rain accomplished that yesterday. Maybe this is something different.

Rosé listens as the announcer explains an unprecedented rule change. In light of three full teams remaining, the most ever at the eight-tribute-mark, both tributes from the same district will be winners if they are the last two alive.

“Does that mean…”

“It does,” Rosé answers. If she and Denali are the last two standing, they’ll both win.

“We can do this. We can really do this.” Denali leaps to her feet, all the sorrow from last night gone. Rosé hesitates, a dark part of her wondering if there’s a catch, or if this is a trick. But they can’t just announce something like this and take it back, not when the audience will expect a team victory. Not when the audience will expect a District 12 team victory, because the parachutes last night just prove that they’ve succeeded, that their love has won over the crowd. They can win this, and the audience is rooting for them.

Rosé nods. “Let’s move, before they send more rain.” She hauls herself up, but a sudden pain explodes in her leg. The world spins around her, blackness closing in on her vision. She hears Denali saying her name but she can’t answer, can’t do anything but close her eyes and let the darkness take her.

[airi-p4]

Last chance - Chapter 4

Chapter 1 | Chapter 2 | Chapter 3 |  AO3 This chapter is Luka's POV of what happened before day 6 and during chapter 3 (present time). 

___________________________________________

Luka’s POV

6  days earlier - somewhere in United States of America

As soon as I reach the airport with Chloe, our private jet is already ready, with her loyal assistant (butler?) ready to take the controls of the plane. Who would have thought Mister Jean… what was his name again? Jean-Paul? Jean-Pierre? Jean-Pascal? Whatever. We have a pilot and we can reach Paris in a few hours.

The plan is to get there and use Adrien's private plane instead of Chloe's to go to Tibet: a safer plane for difficult flying conditions, that’s mostly it.

Adrien… it's been a while since we talked. I wonder if he hates me like Chloe used to. Was he even aware of Chloe's revenge plans? I can't deny I'm curious, but these aren't the thoughts that occupy my mind at the moment.

There's still a few hours left and I can't stop thinking about Marinette's messages.

'I love you'

Is it for real? This isn't some kind of hidden camera, isn't it? Can I trust these words? I certainly want to… but should I? I need to hear it directly from her to believe it. I don't want to keep my hopes up just to sink deeper.

No matter what, I need to arrive earlier than the time Alix created for us. I need to stop her from doing something stupid and unnecessary.

Please… let me save her. Let me make it in time. Let me help her find her happiness. That's all I've ever wanted… What can I do to help her? Am I really the one she wants? Can I really help her? What if I'm not enough?

A big sigh leaves from my mouth.

"Baby, you should rest. You haven't slept much tonight, haven't you? There are still some hours left. Try to get some sleep"

This… is unexpectedly considerate from Chloe. I'm relieved her attitude has improved after these years. Hell, I wouldn't have proposed to her if I weren't sure she had changed. But her plans against Marinette… Oh, that’s right. I still have some talking to do with her. But maybe I should listen to her advice and get some rest first.

"Thanks, ho- Chloe"

Stupid habits. I need to stop calling her ‘honeybee’ already. Ugh… it's not as easy as I expected… I'm the type of man who likes stability… habits are hard to break for me.

I don't need to see Chloe’s face to notice her heart song is now sad and remorseful. My eyes are closed, but I can't sleep. Worries about Marinette keep my mind occupied. But it seems at some point I had entered my dreamlands. I really was exhausted, no wonder. A music video recording plus wedding preparations with Chloe is some energy-draining combo.

"Where are we now? How much time until Paris?"

"Still a long way. You've only slept for 30 minutes. Get some more rest, baby, you’ll need it"

"No. I'm fine. I got enough sleep. Instead… We should talk"

I’m trying to sound serious and not scary, but I’m not sure if I’m accomplishing it… probably not.

"Oh… already? You didn't need to think much, huh? Geez. All this is ridiculous. Am I that easily disposable to you?"

"You know that's not it, Chloe. You know I care for you. But you also know my feelings for Marinette are… never going to fade. I don't know if she's still the same girl she was when we used to spend time together, but if she is… Then I know my heart won't hesitate"

"Yeah… I've always known that. Always Dupain-Cheng. I've never been good enough for you"

"Hey! That’s not true. Don't take it as if you're not extraordinary, Chloe, because you are. And I’m sure there's someone out there ready to notice and appreciate you. You deserve better than me"

"Well, I don't care about that 'someone out there'. All I want is you, Luka! Is staying with me even an option for you? Has it ever been? Why did you propose to me if you planned to throw me away as soon as you had the chance to?"

She's hurt. Horribly hurt. Still working her pride to cover how devastated she actually is. But the tears on her eyes are not doing a very good job to hide it.

I feel horrible.

And I have no excuse.

I never expected Marinette to return my feelings. But if she really does… I have to be honest with Chloe. She deserves the truth.  

"No, hon- Chloe. I'm sorry. I never planned to use you as a rebound. I wanted to marry you, for real. I really tried to move on. I’ve wished for Marinette's happiness over everything, and... If I had known she wasn't happy… things would have gone differently, no doubt. I’m sorry for hurting you. You don’t deserve it"

"You would have run to her the instant she broke Adrien's heart if you had known about her feelings. You’ve never loved me like you love Marinette, not even close if you’re able to decide this fast to dump me even when our wedding is coming soon. You have no shame"

Wow, her words surely sting. Who is supposed to be the snake one here? Oh, well. I guess she wasn't a wasp for nothing…

"I wouldn't have met you if I had known she wasn’t happy. I don't regret the time we have spent together. I love you too, just in a different way"

"Do I have a chance to win you back?"

Straight to the point, huh? Typical of her. I don’t want to hurt her, but I need to be honest with her.

"I don't know. Probably not, I'm not going to lie. But I really wish for your happiness and I wish we could still be friends when everything is over"

Ah... I can feel that deadly glare pierces through my heart. Wow, she’s really angry. And hurt. Not that I can complain. It’s totally understandable and I deserve the hate. Anger over embarrassment, huh?

"Give me a percentage. What are my chances?"

What an unbelievable question. But it’s so Chloe. I blink a few times as I think of a proper answer. I like her, I can’t deny that. But if Marinette is ready to accept me this time… I’m not going to reject or ignore her and regret it forever. No more.

"Love and feelings don't work with percentages, hone- Ugh. Chloe. They're uncontrollable, beyond our understanding and wishes. But... if you insist on a number… a 2% maybe? I don't know. Almost 0% if Marinette's feelings are true and her heart song remains unchanged"

"That’s so low it’s ridiculous... Hmph! But it’s still not a 0, so I don’t have to give up yet. I'm not losing to Dupain-Cheng again. Not without putting on a fight, at least!"

I can't help it but giggle. She's adorable in her own way.

"Good luck, then."

To be honest, a part of me doesn't want to break up with Chloe. Even if her original reasons to approach me had evil intentions, I know she has changed now. But if Marinette's feelings are for real… if she really turned her heart towards me… that's all I've ever wished for. And I'm not going to run away from her.

Not again. Not anymore.

But first...

"Hon- I mean- Chloe. I want you to return me the ring I gave you”

"WHAT!? NO!! No way I'm giving it up! You're still my fiancée! At least until everything is over or until we get married. I really hope it’s this second option, let me tell you! I have no intention of canceling our Wedding!"

Stubborn as always, huh? I sigh again.

"OK. You can keep it for now. But you're returning it to me when everything is over”

Chloe seemed to be about to say something, but she stopped.

“Hmph”

Her face then buries on my shoulder and I hug her a little, patting her head. She’s mad and sad, of course. And her bawling starts, like a baby. I feel bad for breaking her heart like this and I’m sorry for her. I’m the worst... I wish she finds her happiness and someone who can fully love her as she deserves.

___________________________________________

My eyes open again at the sound of the PA message.

“Landing in 10 minutes”

Chloe has fallen asleep with me at some point. We exchange looks and a nod, preparing for the arrival to Paris. I look at Chloe. I know she’s afraid of landings, so I hold her hand, like always, and I notice her relax a bit, closer to me. Damn, she's cute when she’s scared.

And here we are: Paris.

It’s been a long time since I’ve been home. But I won’t be staying long. The Eiffel Tower looks as pretty as I remember it. Home... I wonder if I can go back when everything is over...

Adrien’s bodyguard (doesn't he have a name?) is waiting for us at the airport. He grabs Chloe's massive amount of luggage (when did she have the time to prepare it?) and guides us to Adrien's private plane.

The plane is definitely bigger. Just how rich is the Agreste family? Did Marinette really renounce owning part of this empire? I know she’s not interested in money or fame, but if she really gave it up for me, then I’m more than flattered. It still doesn’t sound real, though.

The Gorilla leads us inside and everyone is waiting for us there: Alya, Nino and Adrien. I can immediately notice the tension in the air when they see me. Wary of Adrien’s and my reaction. Nothing to be surprised about, I guess…  

And there's Adrien, handsome as ever, standing in the middle of the plane and looking at me with his intense emerald green eyes. Before I can move or speak he takes the first step and hugs me.

"Luka!"

"Hey. Nice to see you, Adrien" I hug him back as I hear his friend's relieved sighs. What did they expect?

Adrien looks like he really wants to have a word with me. Something serious. And I'm quite sure I know exactly what it is. But before he opens his mouth...

"Hey, Adrikins! I'm here too, you know? Where's my hug?"

Chloe. She really doesn't know how to read the mood. Geez... Well, go on, I signal to Adrien, who follows Chloe's petition.

"That’s better. Now bring me my favorite drink and let me sleep for a while. Make it double in alcohol. I’ll be at the back of the plane. Don’t disturb me!"

And there she goes, disappearing through the aisle. I can't help it but smile. That's so Chloe: looking for an excuse to cry alone at her heart content. I’ll check on her later, but she'll have to get used to it.

I exchange some greetings with Alya and Nino before Adrien calls me again.

"Luka, come here. We need to talk"

"Yeah, I figured. Can I do something first?"

The plane is getting ready for take-off, but I make sure to grab the speaker first.

"Hello everyone. Luka here. First of all, I want to thank you all for coming. Sorry it's been so rushed, but the cause demands immediate action. As you may know, Marinette is trying to use some of the Miraculous for her own benefit and we can't allow that. Adrien may know better than me, but the universe’s balance could break because of that and we can’t let it happen. Since there's a long way until Tibet, we'll hold a strategy reunion when we get closer. Miraculous team: let's save Marinette, let's save Ladybug! Now get some rest and we'll discuss the strategy details later. Thank you for your attention"

After some claps, I return to my seat next to Adrien. Take off takes place without incidents and we can reassume our conversation.

"Luka… I-... I want to apologize to you. I'm sorry... Back then... I hurt you, didn't I? I didn't know you had feelings for Marinette and yet… all the advice I asked you for… whenever you joined our dates… you never looked sad and… Why didn't you tell me? I would have been more careful and-"

Yeah… Giving Adrien advice definitely hurt me. Seeing how happy Marinette was after he followed my indications to surprise or make her happy made it even worse. But Marinette was happy and Adrien was happy too and I convinced myself that it was enough for me to be happy too (for a while, at least…).

"I just wished for your happiness, Adrien. My friend's happiness makes me happy too”

"But Marinette's not a friend to you. Why did you leave? She’s never been the same since you left… I couldn’t fill in for you in her heart…”

“One-sided love hurts, Adrien. It’s like a double-edged blade. You can be happy for the one you love but lonely for not having them by your side as you wish”

“That’s- I see… It makes sense…” he pauses and looks straight to my eyes. “Luka, do you still love Marinette? Will I be able to understand your feelings better if you two get together? I still love Marinette but I’ve only seen her unhappy since you left and I hate it. Can you make her happy again?”

His green eyes are honest as usual. I keep holding my gaze, never breaking eye contact as I answer his questions.

“Adrien… I’ll be honest with you: I love Marinette, I’ve always had. Since the first moment she appeared in front of me, even now. All I’ve ever wished was for her happiness. I confessed to her and she never gave me an answer. She was in love with you. And I was happy for her happiness with you. That’s why I left: I didn’t want my feelings to interfere with your relationship. I had no chances anyway… You know: destiny is supposed to be unavoidable. I could have never imagined you two not getting a fairy-tale-like happily ever after”

“But it happened. Destiny didn’t work this time... Why didn’t you say goodbye? It broke Marientte’s heart the way you left, I was hurt too. I thought we were friends”

“And we are friends, Adrien. Wouldn’t you have asked me to stay if I had told you? That’s why I never did. And then there’s…”

“There’s what?”

“I don’t know if Marinette has ever told you, but I kissed her. The day before leaving. I know I should have been more considerate about you but I was selfish. I needed to move on and… Oh, but she rejected me immediately. ‘I hate you’, she told me. How could I stay after that?”

"That's- I see. She never told me that… That explains… many things, actually… But that doesn’t change the fact you weren’t there for her when she needed you the most”

“I left my contact open for her, Adrien, but she never contacted me. Hell. I thought you were married until yesterday!”

“Wha- Why? Didn’t you see the news? It was everywhere! The press wouldn’t stop following us around for a while… The gorilla even went to trial for punching one ‘journalist’ while protecting me”

“Wow, that’s rough. I’m sorry this happened to you”

“Marinette’s case was even worse… They even managed to sneak into her office. No chill. I think that was the start of her depression… Wait! Yours and Chloé’s news was what made them stop, now that I think about it… Maybe that was the true reason they left us alone… and the true reason after Marinette’s depression...”

“I didn’t know… Chloé made sure to hide all those news from me”

“Why would she do that?”

“She did it for you. And for herself. But you should ask her directly. Phew, I was scared to ask but I’m glad you weren’t aware of her plans”

“What plans?”

“You should ask her about it. I don’t know much about them, to be honest, but she wanted to get Marinette back with you and keep me out of your way”

I shrug my shoulders and Adrien makes a surprised face that makes me smile.

“Chloe… never learns, doesn’t she?” he says, and I chuckle at his words.

“Isn’t that one of her charms?”

“Maybe?”

It’s nice we can laugh together after all what happened. I’m happy to have Adrien back as a friend.

“Hey, Luka. I want you to be honest with me. Do you love Chloe? What do you plan to do when this is over?”

I’m not surprised at Adrien’s question. But I’m not sure what answer he is expecting.

“What would you like me to say?”

“Tell me your true feelings. Both Marinette and Chloe deserve to be happy. But they both love you and you can only be with one of them. I’m going to encourage you whatever your decision is”

Adrien has really matured, hasn’t he? I’m glad we’re on good terms, sincerely speaking, no hard feelings. Just like old times. I guess I missed him too.

“The truth is… I don’t know. You all keep saying Marinette has feelings for me but it’s still hard for me to believe it. I don't think I can believe it until I hear it coming out her mouth. But… If she really does love me the same way I love her… Then I’m never leaving her side again”

“So Marinette will finally get her happiness… that’s good, I’m relieved. What will you do about Chloe?”

“We’ve already discussed it. Our engagement is practically broken and, as much as it pains me, our relationship can’t go on. I’m sorry. I know she’s your childhood friend”

“She must be very sad and angry now... I’ve never seen her so in love before. You really mean a lot to her”

“And I care for her, too. But Marinette…”

“Yes, I know. Marinette is amazing, isn’t she? How can she be so cute and strong at the same time? How can one not fall for her? I don’t think I need to tell you this, though”

“Certainly not”

Funny how we can laugh together about loving the same girl. I’m glad I got to talk to Adrien from man to man, from friend to friend. I hope we can keep in touch from now on. But I won’t stop him if he ever wants to stop contacting me. Because I did the same at some point and I would understand his reasons.

“What are you going to do, Adrien?”

“Me...? Do I have a choice? Marinette has stopped contacting me after we broke up. I doubt she wants to see me anymore. But I can’t ignore her when she’s asking for help. And I want to help you too. I’ll wish her happiness from the shadows, like I’ve been trying to do for a while”

“Adrien… Don’t take it in a bad way, but I don’t think that’s a good idea. Look at me. I had to leave exactly for that same reason. I’m not saying this out of fear or jealousy, but as a friend: why don’t you try to move on? I’m sure you can find happiness. You’re young and handsome, and you have one of the purest hearts songs I’ve ever heard”

“How do you expect me to forget about Marinette, Luka? You should know that it’s impossible… It’s fine, I’ll live with it”

Well. I can't disagree with his words. He's totally right. But I still want to support him.

“Hey, you can count on me anytime, ok? I’m sure you’ll find the right person when you expect it the least, you’ll see”

“I don’t think so… but thanks for your words. I’m happy to have you as my friend”

“I’m glad too. Don’t worry, it will be fine. You deserve happiness, Adrien”

It’s only at this point when I notice the time.

“Oh, look at the time. Should we start our strategy meeting?”

“Sure, I’ll let Alya and Nino know. Can you get Chloe? I doubt she wants any of us to see her… you know…”

“Got it. Meeting in 10 minutes”

__________________________________________

As expected, Chloe is crying with her eye mask on at the back of the plane, lying down on her first-class like seat. The bottle of her wine is empty. Great...

“Hey honeybee- Chloe!” Damn habits! “It’s time for the strategy meeting. C’mon, show me your face”

Wow, her eyes are red and puffy as I remove her eye mask. Can she even stand up? She looks like she’s about to throw up. Great… I bring her a cold towel and a disposable bag and pat her back a little while I check her temperature. No fever at least. Good.

“C’mon Chloe, answer me”

“I’m not going… Let me sleep, snacky. Or kiss me and I’ll go. Yeah, kiss me…”

And there she goes, bawling again. That’s why I never let her drink… I guess she’ll have to miss the meeting.

“Have some sleep. I’ll explain you the plan when the discussion is over”

“No… Don’t go… Stay with me… Don’t leave me…”

Ah… honest Chloe is finally talking. I wish she didn’t need the alcohol for that. Crap, since when was her grip that strong? She’s not letting go of my jacket. I can’t help it but roll my eyes. I kiss her forehead to distract her and remove my jacket. Good thing I’m fast enough to avoid her catching my shirt next.

“Sleep well. See you later”

Ah… There she goes again- the crying. I wish the pain in my heart could finally end… I hate seeing her like that.

But what else can I do? If I have one last chance with Marinette, I’m definitely not going to waste it.

Wait for us, Marinette. We’re coming back to you.

_________________

The meeting goes on smoothly. We discuss the essential: how to reach the cave (Adrien has the Miraculous Compass that should lead us there), which Miraculous could be used and how to act in any case (keeping special attention to the absolute power of creation and destruction Miraculous used together and the rabbit Miraculous, which was most likely the one planned to be used), and finally, how to proceed if anything goes unplanned.

One more thing is decided: the team will be led by me. I’m not really comfortable giving commands, but I guess the cause requires some leadership, and with my experience with the snake Miraculous, Adrien, Nino, and Alya all agree I’m the best fit for that role. I have no choice but to accept. Failure is not an option.

There’s something more to take into consideration: Alya’s state. She has just had a baby and her body is not ready for harsh action, so I need to make sure she has a back-up role, nothing dangerous.

We come to an agreement that what we must try first is to stop Marinette from using the rabbit Miraculous. And, if we can’t stop her at step 1, stop her at step 2, before she can enter the time portal. It’s game over if she gets in.

No resets available- a one chance mission.

We can’t afford to lose.

And in case absolute power is called… We don't have much knowledge about it, but we’ll have to try to remove her Miraculous or make her pass out before she can ask for her wish. Nino, Adrien, and I should have enough strength to stop her and carry out the mission- if there are no surprises. And if it fails, Alya is carrying some chloroform to make her sleep in a few seconds - or at least that’s how it works in movies, according to Nino.

After setting the plan, I return to Chloe’s side and try to get some more sleep. I tell her about the plan, and she just nods “Why didn’t you give me a role?” she asks, but I have no answer to that. I guess I can’t trust her around Marinette… But I better not tell her that. I already feel bad. I really don't want to hurt her unnecessarily any further.

At this point, I’m not sure why I keep looking after Chloe this much. Is it because of love? Pity? Remorse? Worry? Habits? Ugh… Habits can really be bad, can’t they? Here am I, holding her hand at her sleep again. I really should stop this… but my eyelids are so heavy…

“Landing in 10 minutes”

I shake at the call and get Chloe on her seat, fasten our seatbelts, and get ready for imminent landing. Poor Chloe is not even awake, she’ll surely get surprised when we touch the floor.

“UaAh!!”

See? What a jump! I can’t stop laughing at her reaction. And now she’s angry and embarrassed. Cute.

“Stop laughing!”

Oh. She should know at this point this only makes me laugh louder. Chloé is funny. Not the same funny as Marinette, but still funny. Damn… I miss Marinette's laugh and funny actions… But maybe I shouldn’t think of her now that I have a deadly glare on me. I can feel a chill going down my spine. Chloe can be really scary when she’s angry...

______________________

And we finally arrive at the Temple of the Miraculous.

It's good Adrien's Compass is working well. And it's also a good thing Adrien can speak Chinese because we would be screwed otherwise. But Adrien's translation gives us some bad news.

“We can’t go to the cave…”

“What!? Why not, bro?”

“Only the Guardian can enter the cave… Unless the guardian is with us, we can’t go in. And they said Marinette is already inside… so the gate is closed again”

Silence surrounds us for a moment, until Alya breaks it to speak- shout.

“No! This can’t be!! What are we going to do now!? I’ve never heard of anything like this in my research! There has to be a way! We can't just stay here and do nothing!”

“I know Alya… But I have an idea… I don’t know if it will work but… It may take us at least one or two days too... but maybe…”

Adrien doesn’t look confident, but we don’t have any other ideas, so it’s worth giving it a try. I want to do anything to save Marinette. Hell. We must save her at any cost!

“It’s ok, Adrien! Tell us! We need to rescue Marinette!”

God, did I sound as desperate as I am? It’s difficult to keep my cool when it’s Marinette related stuff, even if I’m trying hard. Yep, Chloe’s glare confirms it… Desperate. Of course I am! What do you expect? Shit. Focus, Luka! I need to pay attention to what Adrien has to say.

“Listen. I know the previous guardian of the Miraculous, Master Fu. He’s the one that entrusted me and Marinette our Miraculous at first”

“Good, we have a guardian then. Where is this Fruit person?”

“Chloe, show some respect” I warn her. ”Tell us, Adrien”

“That’s the bad thing… He’s in London but… he lost his memories after passing the Miraculous box to Marinette. He doesn’t have his knowledge anymore…”

Everyone becomes quiet, pensative, and Alya is once again the one to break the silence.

“What are we going to do, then!?”

All looks focus back on Adrien and he starts talking again. Everyone is listening to him carefully.

“I have a plan. We’ll go get him anyway first. We’ll take him in front of the monks of the Temple, and explain the situation. Maybe… if anyone here recognizes him, an exception can be made for us. I would destroy that stupid door if I had my Cataclysm, but it seems Master Fu is our only chance. What do you say?”

“Well… it’s uncertain and risky, but we have no choice. We should leave as soon as we can. No time to waste”

“But we’ve just arrived! Don’t be ridiculous, baby”

“Nino, Alya and Chloe can stay here. Adrien and I will go get him” I tell them and they nod. Except Chloe… as expected.

“Oh no! No way! If you’re going I’m going too!”

“Chloe, don’t be childish. Stay and wait here. Try to find out as much as you can about the Temple, the cave and the miraculous meanwhile. Will be back soon”

“HEY!”

Chloe tries to follow us but is stopped by Nino, who wishes us a safe flight.

“Take care and good luck”

And there we go, Adrien and I rushing to the plane once again.

Next stop: London

______________________

It wasn’t easy to convince Master Fu to come with us when he can’t remember Adrien, but somehow we managed to after insisting for a whole two days. Well, Adrien did, as expected.

After using one of the Zodiac Miraculous, one of the monks recognized Master Fu, and lent him one of the Miraculous with memory-related powers.

And old Master Fu was back. Along with his knowledge.

The old man cried and apologized to the monks for his mistake when he was young, and then to Adrien, for leaving them alone against Hawk Moth. Adrien then explained the situation with Marinette to Master Fu but the shock of what was happening was too big for him and he passed out for some hours.

As soon as he recovered he rushed to the gate to open the door, but nothing: memories and knowledge weren't enough to open the gate. He needed to become the guardian again, so they started a ritual to give him the guardian status permanently. The ritual took a few days… and we finally made it. Just in time: day 6.

Finally! Waiting while unable to do anything was frustrating and stressful.

Will we make it on time?

We need to hurry.

And it looks like a joke how easily the Master could open the gate to enter the cave after having his previous status back. We had tried everything and nothing. And yet, with one sole finger, Master Fu could completely open it. The power of the Guardian is surely impressive.

I nod to the team and we hurry inside, each one of us carrying a torch. Nino is taking care of Alya, who at the same time is looking up for Master Fu. Adrien is slightly in front of me and Chloe is grabbing my jacket from behind, scared of the dark. We move deeper into the cold darkness that surrounds us, guided only by Adrien’s compass.

Here we go, Marinette. Please, wait a little longer.

Don’t leave us. Don’t leave me!

___________________________

Torches guide us through darkness and we finally arrive at the room the Miraculous rest in. My throat hurts like hell from the shouting, but I don’t care if I’m not able to sing ever again: Marinette is much more important than that to me.

And there she is, in her rabbit miraculous suit and in front of the time portal: Marinette Dupain-Cheng.

I can only see her from afar but she looks beautiful in that suit…  long ears on her head and a cute ponytail. Wow. But now is not the time to admire her beauty. We must stop her before she disappears forever!

I'm so relieved we made it on time before she acts. It was a good thing Adrien’s plan about Master Fu worked. We made it barely on time, but on time, nevertheless. But we need to hurry. And I run, closer to her, still shouting.

Meeting Marinette’s eyes sparks something in me that seemed forgotten for a long time.

I love her. I love her so much.

How can I be without her now that I've met her again?

I can't.

My feelings are as strong than ever. My heart-beat is beating fast and is at this point when I want to believe she feels the same way the most.

I need to know. I’m ready to give everything else up for her. Can’t you see it, Marinette? I’ve never stopped loving you!

I can see how she's trying to run away from us, moving inside the time portal.

Shit! I won’t make it on time. I need to try to stop her with my words.

“Marinette… Marinette, please, stop! Don’t go in there, I beg you! Don't you have something to tell me? Let me listen to it from yourself, with your voice! Let me see your face so I can dare to believe it! Don't make me go after you across that portal or wherever you’re going to”

She seemed to be about to listen to me but her face suddenly lost her light. What happened? How could I let her become so sad? Is it my fault? I don't want her to go.

So I ran towards her, the fastest I can.

"Goodbye…" she says in an almost inaudible voice.

“NO!! Marinette!!!!"

And she slips through my fingers- just like the time we've been apart: lost forever.

No! No! No! DAMN IT! Was I late again? This can’t be! Please… I was so close!!

And just like that, all hope disappears from my heart. Broken again. Even worse than she told me ‘I hate you’.

I still wanted to apologize to her… To tell her so many things… To ask if it’s true I can have a future with her… but the portal in front of me is blank and my tears won’t stop falling like waterfalls. Any question is pointless now… I wish I could have apologized in front of her…

"Marinette… Sorry for being absent for so long. I’m sorry I left... I’m sorry for being selfish…I’m back now. Please… Come back… Is it too late...? Please… Please!”

I can feel the rest of the team sobbing with me, as I beg to Marinette to come back. I appreciate Adrien’s hand on my shoulder, in support, but the pain I’m feeling now is unbearable.

I failed… it's over...

I take a final hopeless look at the portal, waiting for something magical to come and erase us. But I find something unexpected instead: HOPE.

Marinette’s long rabbit ears from her magical suit are slightly coming out of the portal, which means- she’s still here.

It’s not over yet! I’m not giving up. Hell no!

NEVER AGAIN.

But I need to be careful with my words…

“Marinette… I know you can still hear me from the inside… Please, come out. We're here for you. Please… Come back…"

I’m not sure what the best words to convince her would be (I've never been good with words), but I have to try with what I’ve got. She’s not answering, as expected. Is she considering getting out or she’s already moving towards a new timeline? Her ears are not visible anymore, so I can't know. But I’m not willing to wait to find out. Yes, I can be impatient too- why does everyone seem surprised?

“You don’t want to come out? Very well, I'm coming in, then! I’ll get you out of here even if you don’t want me to. Excuse my rudeness, but you leave me no choice”

And her hands appear in front of me to stop my actions, just as my hand is about to touch the portal.

I hold a gasp when master Fu explains what happens to those who enter the portal without a magical suit. 

I didn’t know that. 

Not that I care about disintegrating- Marinette’s more important than myself at this point, and I don’t mind disappearing if her existence banishes from this world as well.

How I'm supposed to be happy in a world without Marinette, anyway? It's impossible.

And my heart gets filled with something warm the moment I can finally touch her hands. My long fingers find their way to lock with hers and I’ve never been more relieved than the moment she falls into my arms, after I pull her out of the magical time hole.

I missed her so much… Can I keep holding her forever? Can I be selfish this time? I'm so glad she's safe…

I thought I could feel her corresponding my feelings: love, need, comfort, relief… but I must have misunderstood again, because the sweetest dream becomes a nightmare the moment she speaks again…

“Plagg, Tikki, unify”

The darkest nightmare.

[mnthpprt]

Chapter 50: Raspberry Crowns

[Surprise, bitches, bet you thought you’d seen the last of me! I was never able to repair my old laptop but I have a new (aka cheap) one. I’ve had it for a while, but life is life and a slump is a slump and a writing block is a writing block. Alas, I’m finally out of my funk and ready for some time travelling shenanigans. Stick around if you want to find out what those are about :)]

“Where hast thou been?”

William’s distressed voice reaches me from the doorstep as I step out of the carriage. He looks... worried? No, he looks angry. 

“As I said, running errands,” I plainly state. “I needed to grab some things from the mansion.”

He stares at me coldly, the red in his left eye bright under the afternoon sun. I hold his gaze in my defiant search for a reaction. Instead he scrutinizes my expression with a special brand of ever growing fury that I have learned to shrug off by now.

“Well?” I gesture behind me, toward the chest and the book filled fruit crate that await. “Are you going to help a lady out?”

Without bothering to wait for an answer, I make my way past him and up the steps that lead to the front door, nonchalantly twirling the key between my fingers. William stands immobile for a moment, still drilling his eyes into the back of my skull, but soon gives up in favor of moving my belongings onto the unpaved street.

I place my worn down backpack on the floor to hold the door open and proceed to trace back my steps to aid him with the chest. Though there is no doubt in my mind that he is strong enough, its shape is rather awkward to hold, so I take my place across from him to lift it on one end.

Eventually, and rather clumsily, we finish carrying everything up the stairs and into my bedroom for the time being. Under William’s watchful gaze, I proceed to pull my newly brought clothes out of the travel chest and hang them neatly in the closet.

“Thou took thine time returning to me.”

The bard’s pristine voice projects effortlessly across the room, much sterner and more cutting than I would have, once upon a time, thought possible for its soft tone.

“If I’d planned on not coming back, you would know,” I lazily moan, my eyes mirroring the rounded motion of my hand hooking a hanger on the rail. The sound of William’s footsteps over the bare wood inches closer like a tank, slow and imminent. A long, pale hand slams the wardrobe door shut before me. “Unlike you,” I chuckle nervously, “I like to make my intentions clear.”

“So tell me, my nightshade...” His breath on my ear sends a shiver down my spine. “What intentions dost thou have tonight?”

A low whisper. That’s all it takes for my hand to go limp, allowing the fine silk blouse to slide onto the floor. Shakespeare’s chest tenses when I lean my head back.

Electricity is such a curious, fickle thing. It runs static through my burnt umber hair, coaxing the loose tendrils to reach for William’s jacket and meeting the woolen fabric with the crackling sound of a distant fire. It runs through his hand as he grips my waist from behind, turning knuckles white with the strength with which they dig into my corset hard enough for me to feel through the boning. It runs through my body in waves, its muted pulses dampening the seemingly eternal pangs of hunger and giving life to the angry wasps in my belly instead.

I do not know how to describe this buzz that biting his lower lip gives me. My neck is craned upwards and twisted enough to reach William’s mouth as his arms snake around me to take care of the inconvenient barrier that is my clothing. Do I want it off? Is this question even worth asking?

For the third time in my life, I feel powerful.

The first time it happened, my honey was replaced by something bitingly sour, just toxic enough to give me the strength to walk away from the life I knew. Its sweet venom awoke me from a slumber I had been wasting away in since the God forsaken day I was born.

The second time, this nectar became tinged with blood. The lives of two men who had wronged me were sacrificed, but not wasted. Sticky like jam, they became the sickly magenta that now fills my heart. “Too much” became a descriptor I was tired of hearing. I realized there was nothing wrong with some sweet indulgence. The regrets that would come later were not yet of my concern.

This time, I do not have to fear hurting anyone with my sting. Perhaps William was always meant to trap me in his net. Perhaps it was just meant to be, us crossing paths. I seem to wreck everything in mine... An unstoppable force meets an unmoveable object, and thus he becomes my punching bag, my target practice bullseye. He is older, wiser, stronger, and certainly persuasive enough to wriggle himself free of the trap we unknowingly rigged together. I somehow know he will not be surprised when he bites into a sweet pastry only to find it became a wasp’s nest in his mouth. His red eye will see me coming from a mile away, and that ensures that I am safe with him. Safe from my own self hatred after the tide inevitably changes and we both tumble into mutually assured destruction. He knew what he was getting into when he let me into his home.

The back of my head hits the pillow as I gasp for air, covered in sweat. Apparently vampires sweat, huh. A glimpse to the side reveals William’s messy hair over his face. He brushes it away with his free hand, propped up on the other sideways.

I barely have time to playfully roll my eyes at his stare before I am rudely interrupted by my own body. An angry growl of hunger makes him chuckle. I throw my hands over my face, annoyed.

“Ugh, come on,” I groan. I peak between my fingers at William, who is still watching me with an amused smile.

I half expect him to poke fun at me, but all I hear is the rustling of bed sheets as the mattress shifts, free of his weight. When I finally move my hands away from my face, unmistakeingly dusted in pink, I am alone.

And then I remember. The reason I came back to him. The reason I chose to stay here to begin with. I shake my resignation with a sigh, trying to focus, before I reach for my bag, my entire body precariously hanging with nothing but a weak grasp on the headboard to keep me from falling over. Slim fingers clumsily pull at the pocket’s zipper and retrieve a folded piece of paper.

By the time William returns, I remain seated on the edge of the bed, covered only by the wrinkled chemise I discarded on the floor earlier. I am so lost in thought I barely process his footsteps, but a bottle of rouge breaks my line of vision, snapping me out of it. I half ass a smile and take it without saying anything.

“What is this?”

His voice is calm, but I sense the well masked tension behind his query. I simply hand him the note and let him read it for himself.

“I need you to give it to Vlad as soon as you can,” I explain, putting the empty bottle down. Sensing his dissatisfaction with my answer, I wave his doubts away. “I figured I could help with his grand plan and we have some details to discuss, that’s all.”

A silent nod is all I get in response before he leaves again, shutting the door behind him. William may not know anything about this grand plan, but he knows better than to question the pureblood.

That night, I sleep alone. After doing some chores, I tried to look for him, but he was nowhere to be found in the house. I never heard him leave, but I know better too. He’ll be back eventually.

[coolskinless]

Between Pleasure and Pain

I was getting ready for our date night, even though I felt a little uncomfortable because it was that time of the month and my belly did not feel right. I usually never get cramps, but I do not know what it was with me tonight that I just did not feel good enough. So, I decided to call Lou and change the plans.

*On the phone with Lou*

Lou: Hey babe, what’s up?

Y/N: Hey babe, I don’t feel very good enough to go out tonight, can we just say in this time?

Lou: Omg, sure! Are you ok? What’s wrong? Do you need me to take you something? Do you need to go to a doctor? Tell me what to do, what do you need?

Lou sounded frenetic which made me giggle because of how adorable he is.

Y/N: Noo haha I’m fine, I just don’t feel comfortable enough to go out, maybe we can stay here tonight…order something…watch a movie?

Lou: Of course! Whatever you want, you got it. Are you sure you don’t need me to take you something? Medicine or…?

Y/N: Nah, I’m good, thank you babe, you’re very sweet.

Lou: Mmmkay, I’m on my way.

We hung up, and I just smiled looking at my phone, he´s just so sweet and attentive, he literally can’t be any more perfect. I put my phone down and start putting some more comfortable clothes because just the thought of putting on some jeans made my uterus rumble.

A few minutes passed and I heard a knock on the door and I immediately get happy butterflies in my stomach instead of angry wasps in my lower belly, so I drag my sorry but excited ass to the door and open up to see Lou holding a grocery bag up to his face. Just when I thought he could not be more perfect, he tops himself.

Lou: I did not know in what mood you might be in for, so I brought you everything.

He dumped the whole bag in the kitchen island, and he did bring me everything. Ice cream, instant noodles, strawberry milk, spicy chips, mini cakes, the whole ass store! I looked at him with grateful eyes and reached out my hands to cup his face.

Y/N: Thank you babe…

Then joined out lips in a gentle and warm kiss. His lips are so soft and plump, his hand grab me tenderly by my waist and pull me closer to him. I move my hands to the back of his neck and intensify our kiss. He really is the perfect man.

We break the kiss and look at each other smiling.

Y/N: So, what movie do you wanna watch?

Lou giggles

Lou: You pick the movie, first I wanna make my famous homemade instant noodles for my sick girl.

Half an hour went by and Lou finished making his so called “famous instant noodles”, lowkey they looked bomb, smelled spicy, lots of veggies and an egg, just how I liked it. I was grabbing my first bite, but as soon as I swallowed the spicy broth, my cramps started to act up again intensely, like Satan started to shake hands with my womb. So, I couldn’t help but to make a painful face with still the noodles in my mouth. Lou started to panic, as usual and came to my side of the island.

Lou: What is it!? You don’t like it!? Is it too spicy!? I’m so sorry babe! Spit it out, its ok! Tell me what’s wrong! What do I do!?

I smiled at him as I still chewed the food in my mouth, trying to look better so he would stop worrying. But the look on his face told my total opposite, he looked concerned af.

Y/N: I’m fine babe, its not the noodles, its just that time of the month and it hurts a bit.

Lou: Omg babe, why didn’t you tell me? I’m so sorry!

Lou apologized as he hugged me in the chair, putting one hand in my back, the other at the back of my head and resting me on his chest.

Y/N: Sorry for what? Its not your fault.

I smiled while looking at him

Lou: Still! I don’t like it when my baby is in pain.

Lou looked at me with those puppy dog eyes, and it just made me melt. I convinced him that I was fine after much insisting to go to the doctor lol. We finished our noodles, we talked and laughed about our day, this kind of distraction is just what I needed to make me feel better. Then we grabbed some more of the snacks Lou brought and moved to the couch. We started watching some movie while eating the snacks, but at some point, I feel asleep in his chest, my favorite place.

I was sleeping comfortably with the movie noises on the background when all of a sudden I feel a sharp pain in my lower belly that made me sit up abruptly scaring the shit out of Lou who was also falling asleep.

Lou: Babe, what’s wrong!? Are you okay!?

Y/N: Yeah, it’s just…

I couldn’t even finish my sentence, I just sat there holding my belly trying to make the pain away. Lou held me tight against him and surprisingly the pain went away almost immediately. I was happily surprised and looked at him in awe.

Y/N: It stopped…

Lou: It did!?

Y/N: Yeah, I guess it has something to do with the apartment being so cold and your body temperature being warm.

Lou: Okay, that settles it.

Lou got up, picked me up in his arms bridal style and started walking to my bedroom.

Y/N: What are you doing? Haha

Lou: We are going to bed

He said that with total confidence, and I was in shock because we´ve never been in bed together. But I couldn’t help but to look at his side profile and smile at him.

He tucked me into bed, went to put the unfinished groceries away, turn the TV off, to switch all the lights off so just the moonlight entered the room and crawled in next to me under the sheets. This was a next step to our relationship, but I was loving it. Just the two of us together, in bed, you could listen to our breathing, and just by feeling Lou´s warm body next to mine made me feel so much better.

The hours went by and I didn’t even notice when I fell asleep, but another sharp pain woke me up out or nowhere. I opened my eyes and saw Lou´s face get illuminated by the moonlight entering the dark room through the window. I felt a sense of peace just by looking at him sleep, so calm and beautiful. I wanted to keep admiring him, but a second wave of pain appeared like the one in the living room, making me move and moan a little, waking Lou up.

Lou: Babe, what’s wrong?

Lou´s groggy and confused voice next to me made me stop my complaining and look up at him because he highkey sounds very sexy when he just woke up. His roommates are very lucky guys.

Y/N: I’m fine…

I say out of breath, while I press on my lower belly trying to make the pain away. I can tell by the look in his eyes that he knows that he can’t do much. So, without saying anything, he just grabs me and pulls me close to him, again, my head in his chest, his arms wrapped around me, our legs intertwined, if my lower stomach wasn’t so uncomfortable I would say this is heaven.

Some minutes went by and the pain would come and go, mild, I can handle it. But it started getting worse to the point where I couldn’t keep still, I was moving and moaning and shaking. All I could do was hug Lou for some comfort.

Lou´s POV

It hurt my soul so see Y/N in pain, I couldn’t do much but to hold her and wait for her to feel better. But then something happened...

She was moaning, and moving her body against mine, I didn’t know what to do. She was like, asleep still, but in her discomfort, she couldn’t keep still. She was moaning and rubbing her body with mine, her legs went up and down on mine, she kept tilting her head back with her eyes closed, just enough of the moonlight hit her so I can see her features het enlightened in the most flattering way. I’ve never seen her this way, not that I haven’t imagined it, I actually think about her like this all the time but seeing her like this in real life is just so much better.

Little moans escape her slightly opened lips, making me go crazy, but I can’t do anything about it. Her arms keep moving back and forth at the back of my neck, and all I could think about was this is how she would look like if I was insider her.

Lou get your shit together…your girlfriend is in pain and you are here next to her just perverting yourself. You´re right…I should stop thinking, I should stop thinking about her breasts pressed to my chest, her hips pounding against mine, her breath against my ear, saying my name over and over again. How can I focus on making her feel better when she is turning around, and her ass is literally pressing on my cock??? I mean..I cant to much but hug her anyways, so I just hug her by her tiny waist and pull her even closer to me to feel her even better. She keeps moving and if I let myself go I can easily cum right now, but I keep my cool and just snuggle my face into the back of her neck and breathe in real deep. She smells amazing, a combination of her shampoo and Y/N, makes my blood boil in lust just like that. I run my hand through the side of her body making a perfect wave between her arm, her waist, and her hips, I cant believe that this is…like, she…and…I have no words to describe the effects that she has on me.

She turns around again, facing me and breaking my trance, she has her eyes open and is looking at me. I was breathless for a second because I didn’t know how long she was awake, if she felt me grow in my pants, maybe I made her feel uncomfortable by touching her in her sleep, I don’t want her to think that I don’t care about her feeling sick. I was lost in my thoughts when I feel Y/N lips against mine.

Y/N POV

I was half asleep and half awake, I was so uncomfortable, I couldn’t find a comfortable position to sleep in, the only thing that made me not lose my mind was Lou next to me holding me tight. I was moving nonstop in my sleep without realizing it when I felt it.

Lou was rock hard next to my thighs, pressing against them, me with still my eyes closed I kept them that way, I don’t want him to notice that I felt him and scare him away. I’ve always thought about Lou that way, we’ve been dating for two months and since we met, I’ve always wondered what’s he like in bed. We´ve never done much but make out on the couch, but this was different, he was rock hard, and I knew he wanted me. So, I just kept pretending that I was asleep in discomfort and kept moving, the only thing that wasn’t pretend was the pain, the cramps actually made me shake, I was just gonna keep my eyes closed while I ride the waves of pain and see how Lou reacts.

I turn around and purposely face my butt against his bulge, feeling grow harder. I don’t know if he is asleep anymore, but I don’t care, I keep moving slowly and little by little, so he doesn’t realize that I’m awake. But then I feel him trace my side with his hand, his slow steady hand drives me crazy, then he puts his face in the back of my hair and I feel him inhale and exhale, he is definitely not asleep anymore. So, I turn around and look at him wide awake, I stare at him for a few seconds and just see him look a little surprised, like waiting for me to do something, but all I can do is cup his face in my hands and press my lips against his.

I would love to continue this kiss and see what happens next, but unfortunately I’m on my period and we cant do anything about it, so I just kiss him softly and return to our original position and try to fall sleep again.

Lou´s POV

A few days have gone by since that night, and all I can think about is Y/N. Her body in the moonlight, her collarbone exposed, her thighs rubbing mine, her lips letting out little moans. I find myself distracted thinking about that in everything I do, while I’m cooking or eating, while I’m in the studio, with the guys, cleaning, or literally just laying awake at night thinking about her. The bathroom of our dorm has been very busy lately, not gonna lie, she is all I can think about. Its hurts that I can´t see her every day because of my schedule, but I gonna see her tonight and I cannot wait.

Y/N POV

A few days have gone by since that night, and all I can think about is Lou. I keep daydreaming of what it would be like to have him inside me, moaning in my ear, squeezing my flesh…ok that’s enough. I need to focus, because thanks to all these thoughts I have been washing a lot more of my underwear than any other clothes lately. I’m gonna see him tonight, and maybe who knows, maybe tonight is the night.

Y/N POV

Lou arrives late at night as per usual, he greats me with a kiss like always but it feels different this time, the kiss was longer and more passionate than usual, you know…those kisses that leave you breathing a little heavier after. And in general, you feel like there is a heavier mood around the room, like, dense, but I ignore it. We order dinner and start our nightly ritual of eating and watching a movie. While we have dinner, we talk about our day and just regular stuff, but with these glares he gives me, I finally figure out what this dense mood I feel is, its sexual tension. You can feel the sexual tension in the air like fog, this boy wants action tonight, and you know what? He´s gonna get it.

We finish our dinner and move to the couch to watch a movie; we start cuddling like usual, me slightly on top of him resting on his chest and his arms around me, but the dense fog of sexual tension is still there. I look up at him and smile looking for some clue, but he just gives me a side smile with a kiss on my forehead. So I look back at the TV and continue the movie, but then I feel his hand slowly lower from my upper back to my lower back where my skin is showing because of my crop top and I feel his thumb draw a little heart between my Venus’s dimples which send shivers all over my body. I look up at him and we stare at each other’s eyes for like 5 seconds looking for permission, and we join our lips on a profound kiss. My hands are around his neck and his hands are all around me, we continue kissing for a few minutes with hot and heavy breathing before I break the kiss to look straight into his eyes again and tell him:

Y/N: Lou…can you make love to me tonight?

Lou´s pupils dilate with hunger and just nods lightly before joining his lips with mine once again. He stands up with me on top of him and we stumble across the room on the way to my bed while his hands rumble across my body in desperation. Oh my god, this is finally happening.

The back of my knees feel the edge of the bed and Lou lays on top of me as we continue kissing frantically. For a second Lou break the kiss and with heavy breathing he looks at me asks:

Lou: Are you sure you wanna do this?

Y/N: Im sure…

And I pull him back to me kissing him anxiously, I run my tongue lightly through his bottom lip and bite it softly, making him let out a little grunt from the back of his throat. Which was the drop that spilled the glass, I was soaking wet and ready for him.

The make out session became a little more rough, I could feel ALL the weight of his body all over me and then some…I wrapped my legs around his waist pulling his pelvis in between my legs and feeling his bulge press against me as he starts to grind driving me crazy making me moan out loud. His hands move up to my hair and his lips move down to my neck, down my cleavage, placing wet kisses all over my chest. He sit up a bit to lift my shit off and down a bit to take my bottoms too, after he strips me off my clothes he stays at the edge of the bed just staring, and I start to feel shy and he notices.

Lou: You´re perfect

He leans down on me again kissing me painfully slow from my stomach up to my now very exposed breasts. You could se my hard nipples through the lace of the bra, and he is just over them basically breathing on them, he places his mouth over my nipple and starts playing with it over the fabric making me feel electricity. I tilt my head back to the bed and just enjoy the moment, but then he starts softly biting on my nub making me moan and squirm of pleasure. I put my hand on the back of his head to pull him closer to me at the same time he bites a little bit harder making me pull a fistful of his hair, which he moans to the motion. At this point I’m kind surprised because this boy lowkey kinky, and I live for it.

He leads the kisses downtown and continues kissing me over the wet fabric of the underwear, he runs his hands along my legs until he reaches the sides of my panties to pull them down. Instinctively I try to close my legs on his face, but he stops them by putting his palms on both my knees and spreading them wide open.

Lou: Oh my god, you´re perfect, you´re so wet

He starts sliding his hands through the outside of my thighs as he starts going down on me, slowly licking, and caressing my pussy. Giving kitten lick on my clit making me whimper, slowly making his lick bigger and bigger on my clit warming me up for the main event.

Y/N: Oh my god Lou!

I start moaning and arching my back as he is sucking at my clit like as if it was a tiny cherry flavored lollipop. My moaning just encouraged him more to keep going because he wasn’t stopping anytime soon. He grabs me by the hips and pulls me closer to his face to the point my legs are at his back and his mouth is at my entrance inserting his tongue in and out scooping my juices out for him as I’m curving my back in ecstasy. I’m moaning to loud at this point, I have to cover my mouth, but I feel a hand from underneath uncovering my hand from my mouth.

Lou: Don´t stop, I love hearing you scream for me

He picks up the pace and its getting me closer, I’m a moaning mess, my body was reacting by its own, I wasn’t in control any more, was I ever in control with Lou? I start to feel my stomach knot up, you feel yourself getting tighter and tighter, your legs start to shake and close on Lou´s face, but he keeps them open with his arms as you cum on his mouth, drinking everything from you.

Lou: Oh my god, you taste delicious

Lou incorporated himself and started to take his clothes off right in front of me, I was already a breathless mess by just climaxing, now seeing him strip is another type of high. He starts to take off his shirt and you´re blown away just like the day you saw him for the first time, he was just perfection. Then he proceeds to take off his pants to release his hard cock from his boxers, he starts to stroke it as he looks at me, and I can see his jaw clench and his arm muscles tense and release with every stroke.

Lou: You like what you see?

He asks with a smirk on his face as I, apparently, was staring at IT all this time. I just couldn’t stop imagining how his size was just perfect to stretch me open and fill every bit of my insides.

Y/N: I love what I’m seeing…

I said trying to be smooth. He smirk again and starts to crawl over me again, looking straight into my eyes, he positions himself right over me but a few inches away, so I move my hips a little closer to have him right at my entrance. I started to open my mouth to say something, but he started to enter in me before I could say anything, what was I gonna say anyways? Who know? All I knew was that Lou was finally inside me, and without breaking eye contact he started thrusting in an out of me. I move my legs around his waist to give him more access, I want to feel all of him, with every thrust I can feel him stretching me open, and all of a sudden he stops and rests his head on my neck, I was confused and wanted to ask him to please keep moving, but I realized, he was already close, if I asked him to keep moving he was gonna cum and this was gonna be over very soon, so I just cupped him by his cheeks and started kissing him with all the love I have for him.

His breathing intensified as he is trying not to move, but just feeling his cock throb inside me made me quiver, and I cant stand it any longer, I just need him to move and fuck the shit out of me.

Y/N: Lou…please…move

Lou starts to move faster and faster each time, you can hear him moan in your ear, it’s like hearing an angel sing with a very deep voice, I want more of that, so I start pushing my hips at his compass with every thrust.

Y/N: Oh my god Lou, it feels amazing!

I cry out, with every thrust you feel a spark starting to form in the pit of your stomach.

Lou: You´re amazing baby, you feel so amazing, taking me all in, swallowing… me… all… in…

His thrust started to slow down, and I feel him getting harder and bigger inside of me as I start to get tighter around him. He buries his face in my neck again, occasionally biting and sucking at my soft skin, probably gonna have marks later.

Y/N: L…Lou…i´m gonna…

Lou: I know baby I know, you´re getting so tight, cum for me

I tried to warn him, but I feel myself snapping into a million pieces. He picks up the pace and starts circling his thumb around my clit, wrapping my arms around his neck, clinging onto him as hard as I can, I feel my core bursting making me moan like crazy as I’m seeing his name in starts.

Lou: FUUCK!

He moans as he comes with me, riding my orgasm like a wave. He stays inside me while I continue shaking, he moves some hair from my face and kisses me tiredly but passionately. He pulls out gently and you can feel the your juices combined pour out of you, he lays next to me and pulls me onto his chest, laying on top of him he wraps us in the blanket, hugging him I can get a scent of his cologne and his sweat, the perfect combination to make my endorphins act up.

Lou: Y/N, I love you

Y/N: I love you too

[camillemontespan]

her one constant [part seven: book & whiskey club] [drake the bodyguard AU]

Master List

@ibldw-main​ @jovialyouthmusic​ @katedrakeohd​ @moonlightgem7​ @pug-bitch​ @princessleac1​ @burnsoslow​ @notoriouscs​ @dcbbw​ @saivilo​ @rainbowsinthestorm​ @marshmallowsandfire​ @marshmallowsaremyfavorite​ @sirbeepsalot​ @gardeningourmet​ @emichelle​​

Warnings: Violence

A/N: I wrote something very different for this but deleted half because it didn’t work. To be honest, I was trying to keep to TRR canon and thought I would include the random camera taking Camille’s picture, as happens in the book. But you know what? I wrote the scene then deleted it because it jarred with this entire chapter. I realised that some of the canon is actually ridiculous and doesn’t work.  No wonder I prefer AUs. Or just fanfic in general. 

BTW, you were all very perceptive after the last chapter saying that Tariq getting into her room would break Drake. It makes sense he would feel guilt, doesn’t it? So, be prepared for angst and a lot of guilty feelings from Drake.  *****************************************

All Drake could feel was sheer blind rage and guilt. His fists kept pummeling this man in the face, unable to stop. He was holding him down on the floor now, punching and punching him, not holding back; not wanting to hold back. Drake wanted blood. 

The man screamed for him to stop and punched him in the ribs, making Drake wince, but it wasn’t painful enough for him to stop kicking the shit of this guy. He kept swinging his fist and he heard a bone crack. The man beneath him punched Drake in the ribs again, this time, hard.

Camille screamed in horror at the scene unfolding in front of her eyes.  As Drake continued to attack the man, thoughts started to flood his mind like a swarm of wasps, stinging him with accusations.

Because of you, Camille has an intruder. You didn’t do your job properly and god knows what was going to happen if she hadn’t screamed. What if she had been silenced? What would have happened then? You’ve let her down. 

‘Drake, stop!��� 

Drake stopped punching the man at the sound of Camille’s voice that broke through the wasp nest of his mind. His breath was ragged and his chest was heaving from the exertion. The man was staring up at him, his eyes black and blue, his lip burst and he was whimpering like a coward.

Drake let go of his collar and stepped back, staggering on his feet. The man lay in a heap on the floor, unable to stop staring at Drake with terrified eyes. He raised his hands. ‘I’m sorry,’ he rasped. ‘I thought this was my room-’

‘Get the fuck out,’ Drake growled. 

The man didn’t need telling twice. He pulled himself to his feet and ran out of the room, slamming the door behind him. 

Camille stood in the corner with her arms wrapped around her body. She was looking at Drake in a way she never had before; as if he was a different person. 

He was a different person right now.  Drake knew that. 

Drake let out a breath that sounded like he was choking. Camille stared at him with wide, frightened eyes. ‘Drake?’ she croaked.

He slumped down on the edge of the bed and held his head in his hands, looking down at the floor as he tried to calm down. He was breathing heavily. He heard Camille rush over the carpet towards him; she sank down to her knees and he felt her hands pry at his, trying her best to see his face. Drake allowed her to glimpse him but only just. He didn’t want her to see the tears forming in his eyes.

‘Drake?’ she asked again. ‘Talk to me.’

Camille watched in horror as Drake’s shoulders started to heave. He let out a strangled sob, breaking Camille’s heart into a million pieces. 

‘I failed you,’ he croaked. ‘I’m so fucking sorry.’

‘Oh Drake, you haven’t!’ she whispered, throwing her arms around him. Drake nestled his face into her neck, hot tears rolling down his cheeks as he let her hold him. 

Thank God she was here to hold him.

Thank God she was safe. 

*******************************

They sat down on the edge of the bed, both feeling numb. 

‘How did he get in here? Tell me every single detail.’’ Drake said, putting his Bodyguard coat on. 

‘He just let himself in..’ Camille said quietly. Drake’s head whipped around to face her as alarm bells rang in his head. He could only listen to her as she told him what happened; how this random man had gotten into her room, how he had been all over her, tried to kiss her. The fact that Camille had been getting changed into her pyjamas - but had been interrupted when the door opened- was why she had been found in her underwear. 

Horror and guilt mixed into a sour cocktail in the pit of Drake’s stomach when Camille finished telling him the story. 

He quickly got to his feet and stormed to the door, checking the lock - or lack of one.

His face turned ashen. ‘That because there’s no lock in this door,’ he said, his voice remote. ‘But my bedroom has one and I’m sure all the others do too. So why not yours?’

Camille was on her feet instantly, rushing to check the door too. ‘Oh god.. Oh god, I don’t like this-’

Her hand instinctively reached out for his as she examined the door. Drake clasped her hand, not caring that it was unprofessional. If anything, he needed something to hold onto too. 

Because of you, this happened. 

‘I’m so fucking sorry,’ he whispered. ‘This is all my fault. I should have checked the door, I should have checked every fucking thing in this room. My one job and I failed spectacularly at it. God, Camille, after all the shit you went through with your previous bodyguard, I have been determined to restore your confidence. I want you to be able to sleep easy at night and I’ve failed-’

Camille shook her head furiously as tears welled up in her eyes. ‘No,’ she choked out. ‘You haven’t failed. You have done so much to help with my confidence and safety. You really look after me-’

‘But it wasn’t enough!’ Drake burst out, throwing his hands in the air. ‘Camille, I won’t blame you if you fire me. Actually, yeah, go ahead. Fire me. There will be a better bodyguard out there who wouldn’t have been careless enough to put you in this position. I thought I could be that person for you but I’m not, I’m really not. I was careless like fucking Mara.’

He broke off and let out a choked breath. Camille clenched her fists; her lower lip was trembling. ‘You are that person for me,’ she said. ‘You are the best bodyguard in Cordonia. You’ve won awards for your service. But, more than that, you are my friend and confidante. You know me more than anyone else in the world actually.’

Drake opened his mouth to protest but Camille bulldozed through. 

‘You are never careless. You take your job so seriously, it’s insane. I would actually call you a workaholic. You double check every room I stay in, you keep me shielded from paparazzi, you defend me from weird men who find their way into my bedroom! You are incredible and if it wasn’t for you, who knows what would have happened tonight? Sure, the guy acted innocent at the end but he may just be a good liar. The fact is, you rescued me. So don’t you dare say you’re careless or that you failed me, Drake. You never fail me. You look out for me in more ways than one and I’m not letting you go because you didn’t check a fucking door, okay?!’

She broke down into heavy sobs, unable to hold herself together. 

Unable to watch her break down in front of him, Drake pulled Camille into him and held her close, his hand wrapping around the back of her head as he soothed her. Camille held onto him and cried again, her body shaking.  Drake rested his chin on top of her head, trying to keep himself together too. 

Camille was more emotional than he was. Even though Drake felt things, like a deep overwhelming protectiveness and love for her, he didn’t feel much about other people or things. Before he met Camille, he had been an emotionless void. He had to be due to his job; if he got attached to anyone he protected, he would never get anything done. But Camille had changed that for him. When he was with her, he showed a side of himself that he never shared with anyone. 

He took a deep breath. ‘I’d never be able to live with myself if something happened to you,’ he murmured. He looked into her eyes to gauge her reaction. God, they were beautiful eyes. 

‘I feel the same about you,’ she whispered. ‘Don’t get yourself hurt because of me. You.. you mean too much.’ She broke off before speaking again, clearing her throat. She had stopped crying.  ‘Did my intruder get you?’

Drake winced. ‘My ribs. Kinda hurt but it’s okay, I’ll survive.’

Camille’s eyes narrowed. ‘Drake..’

‘I’m fine,’ he said quickly. He could see that Camille didn’t believe him. Sighing, he stood up and raised his shirt to show the bruise developing on his ribs. It was dark with yellow edges; an ugly bruise that shouldn’t have been easy to make. 

Camille clapped her hand to her mouth in shock. ‘You need ice!’

‘I’m fine,’ Drake protested. ‘Honestly, I’m okay.’

‘Shut up and let me look after you,’ Camille said fiercely. ‘You got hurt by protecting me, this is the least I can do. Sit on the bed.’

Drake hid a smile as he sat down on the edge of the bed. ‘I like bossy Camille,’ he said wryly. ‘She’s feisty.’

Camille rolled her eyes as she scooped up some ice from the ice bucket and wrapped a cloth around it. Kneeling, she settled in front of Drake and placed the ice on the bruise. Drake let out a hiss as the cold flooded the bruise but when Camille pressed her warm fingers on the surrounding skin, Drake felt warmth flood his veins instead.

‘If your mother knew the scrapes you’d been getting into.. ' Camille sighed mockingly, ‘she would not be happy.’

Drake chuckled. 'How about I give you her number and you can tell her all about it?' 

'I'd actually love that,' Camille said, smiling. 'Me and Mrs Walker gossiping about you.'

'Her name's Bianca,' Drake said softly. 

Camille grinned at this new information. 'Bianca. She sounds awesome.'

Drake watched as Camille pressed the ice a little harder against the bruise but he didn't feel pain. Instead, he felt the irony that it was Camille looking after him now. When had their roles reversed? Why was she now in this position? She shouldn’t have to be looking after him.  She was the Duchess of Valtoria. 

But Drake knew that he was dealing with Camille Montespan and she and the Duchess of Valtoria were two very different people. 

*********************

Drake was still quiet after she had fixed him up. Camille poured him a glass of whiskey in a bid to calm him down. ‘What will make you feel better?’ she asked. ‘Please, tell me. I’m alright. I’m safe.’

Drake bit his lip before answering. 

'Tell me about your book.' 

Camille blinked in surprise at Drake's request. They were lounging on her bed, heads propped up against the pillows. Camille's book, The Beautiful and Damned, was on her bedside table. 

'I thought you didn't like my books,' she said. 

'I've changed my mind. I thought we could start a Book and Whiskey Club.’

He said it half jokingly but Camille pounced on the idea. ‘Yes!’ she cried. ‘You’re a genius! Wait, let me pour a glass of whiskey.’ 

Drake watched her as she poured herself a glass and picked up the book.  Her eyes were alight and she pulled her knees up to her chest as she faced him. 

'Okay, so Anthony Patch meets this girl, Gloria Gilbert, and they fall head over heels in love,' she explained excitedly. 'They have all these grand plans for a future together but as this is set during the Jazz Age, things don't go as planned!' 

Drake raised an eyebrow. 'Like what?' 

'Debauchery,' Camille whispered. 'Hedonism! Guilty pleasures!' 

Drake sipped his whiskey and listened as Camille read him her favourite lines in between drinking. 

'They were stars on this stage, each playing to an audience of two,' she recited, her voice like caramel. 

Drake smiled. 'Very intriguing,' he commented. 

Camille snuggled into the pillow, hooking her legs over Drake's so they became entwined. She held the whiskey glass casually in her hand and propped the book up against her knees. She looked content. 

Drake pushed down the feeling that this was unprofessional. Right now, he didn't care. He wanted this night with her. He wanted to listen to her read to him while they drank whiskey, like he had thought about earlier, and he wanted to feel her warm body against his and feel the love he wished he could express out loud. 

'She was dazzling-- alight,' Camille read. 'It was agony to comprehend her beauty in a glance.' 

Drake gazed at her as she continued to read aloud, her voice smooth and low. The lampshade cast a glow against her profile, lighting up her brown and golden eyes. 

Camille was dazzling to him. She may as well have been reading about herself. 

***************

Drake knew he wasn't going back to his room tonight. He refused to leave Camille alone in this bedroom without a lock. 

He was planning to sleep on the armchair but as time went on and Camille's eyes began to drift, Drake settled for sleeping beside her. When he heard her snore lightly with the book still in her hand, Drake smiled and took the book away from her gently, careful not to wake her. 

Drake settled down and turned off the bedside light. He closed his eyes, trying to calm the anxiety in his mind. But the wasp nest was swarming. 

She can't be alone tonight. She won't be safe. Because of you, she was put in harm’s way. You’re lucky she’s the forgiving type. She could have fired you right then and there. 

Camille rolled over, slinging her arm across his broad chest as she snuggled into him. She was snoring softly. 

Drake loved that she snored. He loved that she liked old books. He loved that she teased him about his mom. He loved that she was so unlike any other person he had ever met. 

As Drake listened to her snore, he had another thought. 

Give yourself this one night and then you can be normal tomorrow. 

He knew they had both agreed to be normal after their dance. Drake had a feeling that this agreement would be repeated every day if they continued to spend time together like this. 

Be normal. Be normal. 

They had been determined to act like the Bodyguard and the Duchess. Two stars on the stage, playing to an audience of two. 

[vadersmom1]

What, Like it's Hard?

https://archiveofourown.org/works/21599779

“Help me pick out what to wear!” Tony calls Pepper and Jan, vibrating with excitement. “I… I think he’s proposing tonight!”

“Oh my gosh, Tony! I’m on my way!” Jan squeals. “Pepper, be ready in two minutes!”

They spend 2 hours picking out the perfect outfit. Ty pulls up. As he gets out, Tony walks out the door. “Hi sweetheart.” Tony kisses him on the cheek.

“Snookums.” 

Once the Bugatti pulls away, Jan squeals, pulling Pepper into a tight hug. “Oh my gosh! I’m soo excited!!!”

Pepper, the more reserved one, smiles brightly. “Why can I see the three exclamation points after that?”

Jan flips her hair. “Skills.”

Tony and Ty enjoy a nice salmon dinner with roasted potatoes and fried calamari. Right before dessert comes out, Ty takes Tony’s hand. “Snooks, can we talk?” 

Excited, Tony nods eagerly. “Sure Ty!”

“Snooks, we have to break up.”

“OF COU- wait, what? Ty? Why?”

“I am transferring to MIT. I’m going to be running Viastone soon, and I need someone serious and useful by my side, not a party animal. I’m sure you see my side.”

“Ty, you can’t be serious. I love you! I thought you were going to propose!” The restaurant grows silent as Tony’s eyes fill with tears. 

“Tony… errr… can we not do this here?” Ty shifts uncomfortably.

“Why? You thought this was a great place to break up, why can’t we talk here?”

Ty signal for the check and quickly pays, pulling Tony out after him. The ride home is uncomfortably silent, but Tony doesn’t trust his voice enough to speak.

Ty gets out to walk him to the door, but Tony hops out. Ty grabs his elbow. “Snookums. You know I still love you. I just can’t be with you.”

Tony ignores him as he walks into the house. Pepper and Jam are still here! Jan has a bottle of champagne to open, but seeing his face, she sets it on the table and wraps him in a hug. “Oh baby. What happened?”

“H-he broke up with me!” Tony sobs. “He s-says he needs someone useful and serious.” 

“He’s neither useful nor serious. He’s wrong, Tones. He’s a jerk. Take his words with a grain of salt.” 

Tony wipes his eyes. “No. He’s right. He has to run a business after his dad dies. He doesn’t need someone like me causing more problems from bad press. So I’m not going to do that anymore. I’m going to serious up. I’m going to transfer to MIT.”

“Tony, you don’t have to prove anything to him.” 

“I don’t,  but I want to be with him. He loves me, you know. He’s just making the best choice for himself. But if he sees I can be serious and useful, he'll take me back.” 

+++++++++

Howard Stark laughs when Tony tells him he is planning on transferring to MIT. “You think you'll get in? Hilarious.” 

Undeterred, Tony makes a call to the Dean, who advises he should send over his information as they may have a few openings. 

After a few weeks of held breath, Tony gets a letter with his transferal acceptance. Jan and Pepper are happy for him, but they think he’s making a mistake.

He flies to Massachusetts, deliriously happy. 

Checking into MIT, he learns he has a roommate – one James Rhodes. Rhodes is in Philadelphia on break so he wouldn’t meet him for another week or so, so Tony sets up his stuff in the room. Tomorrow’s the first day of class! He memorizes the schedule and hall map. Everything is falling into place. Now, to find Ty… Tony drifts off to sleep dreaming about the next day.

Heading down the hall for Lecture Hall 3C, Tony runs into Ty. “Hi Ty!” He says brightly.

Ty almost trips over himself. “Tony? What are doing here?”

“I got into MIT. I’m going to show you I can be serious and helpful in…”

“Ahem.” A beautiful woman cuts Tony off, wrapping her arm around Ty’s back. “Hi love.” She addresses Ty. “Who’s this?”

“Snookums, meet Tony. Tony, this is my girlfriend, Rumiko Fujikawa.”

Snookums?? That was Ty's pet name for TONY! He smiles through the pain. “Nice to meet you. I was heading to class.” He straightens his back and walks past them. 

The first week of class,  Tony is depressed. He knows his stuff, but he's just not into it. Ty moved on,  apparently. Nevertheless, Tony presses on. One little thing won’t bring him down when he is determined. 

He stops past a parts store after class and chats with the man behind the counter. A young army vet who lost his arm in Afghanistan, the man could seem to overly threatening to some, but Tony’s sunny personality wins him over.

Tony buys a few new parts for a project while they talk. The door opens and the man stands ramrod straight. It’s just the delivery guy. “What’s up, buttercup?”

James, the vet, grumbles. “Nothing. Pigeon.”

Tony must look so confused because the delivery guy laughs. “He’s just mad because I was Air Force, and he was Army.” 

“I see.” 

“Sign here and I’ll be out of your hair.”

James signs while saying, “Screw you.” After the delivery guy leaves, he releases his tension. “That’s Sam.”

“He’s cute.” Tony grins.

“Shaddup. Is that everything?” James shoots back good-naturedly.

+++++++++

James Rhodes is tired. His flight was delayed and the cab he took got stuck in traffic. Upon arriving, the dean tells him he has a roommate, some rich transfer kid from UCLA. Daddy probably paid his way on his whim. He knows he shouldn’t judge, but he had to work hard to get a scholarship here, and there’s just so many people who waste it. 

Rhodes unlocks the door to his dorm. There’s… machinery… everywhere. This new kid’s a mess. He groans internally. Bewildered, he looks around searching for… where’s my charger? He finds it on the other side of the room from where he had left it. He quickly unpacks and settles into bed. When he wakes up and goes to class the next morning, he realizes he hasn’t seen his new roommate yet. Oh well. Not his problem. He might be better off not ever seeing him.

Engineering class is definitely his favorite even though Professor Ross is a jerk. A little bit racist, VERY homophobic, and with a power complex, it is very hard to get anywhere with him. His TA, Bruce, is a very mild-mannered man. How he puts up with Ross all the time is beyond Rhodes. 

When he gets to the classroom, there’s a boy in his usual seat. Wow, he is adorable – his glasses are almost bigger than his face! However, he’s in Rhodes' seat. “Excuse me? This is my seat.” He stands beside his desk. The boy looks up with big doe eyes.

“I sat here all week, and you weren’t here. It doesn’t seem like your seat to me.” He replies. 

Rhodes wants to yell and scream, but he’s better than that. He simply just sighs and finds a new seat, one with a much worse view of the board, but, hey, a great view of the new guy!

Ross walks in and asks a question. Rhodes raises his hand and answers. The new guy scoffs. “Are you kidding? That’s not true.” Of course, Ross asks for his opinion. The new guy goes on a long spiel of the ways Rhodes was wrong. The funny thing about this was, he had basically recited the chapter. This new guy just told the book it was wrong! And his points were accurate! Who is this guy? Rhodes is caught between admiring the guy and hating his guts. 

Class goes on the same way, this new guy and he were arguing back and forth, the rest of the class enjoying the ride. 

The day is over and Tony is tired. He wants to get back to his dorm and work on BUTTERFINGERS a little more. He also has to finish JARVIS' code. He hopes he can use that as his project. Oh, his roommate is supposed to be back today! Tony curses himself because he forgot to clean up. He runs the rest of the way to his dorm. Unlocking the door, he finds the cute guy from Engineering sitting at the desk. The guy stands up. “You? Not youhoohoo.” He groans.

Great. Just one letdown after another. Tony smiles. “I’m sorry. I lost track of time and forgot that you would be back today. I’ll clean up everything. I’m Tony Stark.” He reaches out his hand to shake. 

His roomie warily takes it. “James Rhodes.”

“James. Aw, there’s already another James here. Can I call you Rhodey? I’m calling you Rhodey. What are your classes? Mine are…” He rattles off all his classes. He knows he's rambling but he can’t seem to stop.

+++++++++++++

Does this guy ever shut up? Rhodes thinks. And he thinks he can just call me Rhodey because he knows another James.

He ignores Tony for the first couple weeks, only talking to him when needed. Rhodey starts to notice a few things about the guy, though. He rarely sleeps, he doesn’t eat enough, he talks to himself, and he loves to build things. 

One night, he overhears Tony talking to “Pepper?” – probably another nickname.“Pep. It’s not doing too great. Ty, he doesn’t talk to me. He’s got this Rumiko chick with him at all times, and she scares the crap out of me. I don’t know, I just thought he’d still want me if I went to this school, too. And I paid attention in school and tried.” His voice cracks. “Uh huh. Mmhmm. Yea, I know Pep.” He sniffs. “I miss you guys so much! Yea. There’s a few people. Steve and Nat are great. Yea, there’s a guy at the parts shop. I think, yea that’s James, I think he’s in love with the UPS guy. I’m gonna set that up. Oh Rhodey?” Rhodes stretches his ears to listen as Tony’s voice drops. “I don’t know if he’s here or not. I think he’s really cool! He’s an engineer and in the ROTC program. I don’t think he likes me much though. He won’t talk to me. Maybe I should stop talking so much. Pep, I know. But just because you like me like this doesn’t mean most people do. Ok, thanks Pep. I love you too. Tell Wasp I said hi and that she better call when she has a chance. I already left 4 voicemails.” 

He walks out of his room to see Rhodes at the table. “Oh, hi.” He fumbles with his phone. “How-how long where you out here?”

“Just came in.” Rhodes lies to see Tony’s reaction. 

He visibly relaxes. “Oh ok. You just… startled me.”

Rhodes tries to be nice to Tony after hearing this. He will make dinner and give Tony a plate when he’s on a work binge and forgets to eat. They throw ideas off of each other when experimenting for Engineering. Tony tells him about Pepper and Jan (Wasp) from Malibu. He tells him about Ty, and Rumiko, and even about James and Sam. Rhodey gets used to his nickname and end up telling Tony about his family in Philadelphia. 

Tony is very tactile. He loves so much, even if the person doesn’t love him back. Rhodey can’t believe he disliked the guy in the first place. One night in January, a blizzard held them inside their dorm. They marathoned all the Star Wars movies. Tony loves Luke while Rhodey is a huge Anakin fan. When Tony cuddles up to him, he glances timidly at Rhodey. Rhodey doesn’t react-it just feels right. Oops… he’s falling for Tony… and hard.

+++++++++++++

Rhodey’s actually being nice to him now! Tony is happy. They worked on BUTTERFINGERS together. Rhodey is great cook – his mom, too. Tony’s had many cookies that she sent up. He’s Tony’s best friend at MIT.

Tony has made several other friends. Natasha is a drama student, Steve’s in for art. Bruce, Ross's TA, is someone who can keep up with Tony’s racing brain. He’s actually interested in Tony’s project. 

James Barnes, the parts store worker, is a hoot. Tony feels bad for him, though. He was in a bad relationship that totally screwed him over, and he can’t do anything about it. Now, he really likes Sam, but he doesn’t know how to approach him. He also is convinced no one could love him (compliments of his ex) so he will not ask Sam out. Tony is determined to set them up.

James-“My name's Bucky, kid.”-'s ex is a rich man on the good side of town. Tony wants to get back at him for Bucky. Against Bucky’s knowledge, he sends a package to this Alexander Pierce. One that’s rigged to blow when opened. Two days later, when Tony is in the shop, the man comes in, furious… and with no eyebrows. 

“Barnes! I am going to kill you! I have a date tonight with a hot heiress, and you ruined it!”

Doing his best to keep from laughing, Bucky says. “Alex. I have no idea what you're talking about. What happened?”

“You know.”

“Don’t you think that if I wanted to get back at you, I’d have done it 6 months ago? I’m over it and you.”

“You’re going to regret this.” Pierce storms out of the shop. Tony bursts out laughing.

Bucky falls off his chair. “That’s freakin hilarious, but who would’ve done that?” 

“Twould be me.” Tony raises his hand. 

“I can’t believe you! Why would you…?”

“To show you he’s a big bowl of jerk. And you should not worry about what he says.” 

Bucky gives him a side hug. “You’re alright, ya know?”

Sam walks in with a package. “What’s so funny?”

“We-ahh- well, it’s none of your business!” Bucky yells, turning to Tony and cringing so Sam couldn’t see him.

“Ok… sorry I asked.” Sam grins.

“No, it’s ok. I just sent a little bomb to his ex. It was hilarious and well-deserved. He just came in spluttering like a walrus.” Tony says easily.

“Non-lethal?”

“Nope. It killed him. Deserved it. He was a jerk to our dear Buck.”

“Ok. Deserved indeed. Bucky doesn’t need jerks.” Tony can SEE the hearts in his eyes. This needs to happen.

Sam leaves and Bucky sighs. “ I am in love with him. But he’s way out of my league.”

“Lies. You just need to catch his attention. Skinny jeans - put those thighs and that butt to good use. Wear a man-bun to show those cheekbones. Bucky, you’re HOT.” Bucky blushes but follows his advice.

++++++++++++++

Bruce asks a few of the top Engineering students to join a special club headed by Ross and himself. Tony, Rhodey, Ty, and Rumiko are all members. They have to create something to present at a science fair. 

Ross is demanding and demeaning. Nothing Tony or Rumiko says goes at all. She stops past Tony’s dorm one night. “Hi. Can I come in?”

Good thing Rhodey’s not here. He’d say no. “Yea sure! We only have one couch, though.”

Rumiko sits down, and they sit awkwardly in silence. “You know, Ross doesn’t like us.”

“Yea, I’m gay and you’re female.” Tony replies.

BUTTERFINGERS rolls up, beeping happily. Rumiko smiles. “Oh my gosh! It’s so cute! A robot.”

“Yea his name's BUTTERFINGERS. I think he likes you. Here.” He hands her a ball. “Throw it. He loves fetch.” 

When she leaves, Rumiko touches his arm. “I’m sorry I was such a crappy person. Can we be friends?” 

“Sure! See you in class tomorrow?”

Rhodey is skeptical when Tony tells him. “She’s probably just using you.”

“I want to give her a chance.” He says brightly.

Class is the same the next day, but Tony brings in plans. He’s going to miniaturize the arc reactor. Ross laughs at him, but Bruce looks at the plans and believes it’s possible. This is what they’re going to do for the science fair, and if it works, Tony will go places. Ross starts taking his advice over Ty’s. He sounds like he respects his decisions. 

After two months, Tony finishes the final touches. The device starts to glow with energy. It powers all the lights in the room. It’s finally ready for the science fair. 

+++++++++++

Ross calls Tony into his office one day. “You know, if all goes well, I may ask you to lead a group I run with me. We tour the country teaching science to groups.”

Tony is interested in this so he sits to talk more. Ross stands up to pour them glasses of Scotch. “You know, you’re VERY attractive for a man.” He runs his index finger and thumb over Tony’s beard and cheekbone. 

“What are you doing?” Tony leans away.

“Oh, come on. You’re a party boy from LA. You’re as easy as they come. Do you really think you’re smart enough to be in this club?” Tony jumps up, disgusted, and runs out of the room.

He finds Rhodey in the dorm. Crying, he tells Rhodey what happened. Rhodey is furious. “You need to report him. You are the reason we’re still IN this competition.”

There’s a knock at the door. It’s Rumiko. “I thought we were both discriminated against! We were both trying our hardest to get in this! And you have to go and screw the teacher.” She accuses.

“Rumi.” “Don’t call me that.” “Rumiko. I didn’t… I didn’t do anything. I should’ve punched him in the face. I ran out instead. I wouldn’t touch that old codger even if it was the only way I could pass.”

She looks at him warily. “Then why were you in his office?”

“He offered me a job that I’m definitely NOT going to take now.” Tony fumes. “We can get him unseated. I just need you as my witness. Let’s go to the Dean.”

Ross is fired, and Bruce takes his place. Tony’s team wins the science fair. Ty comes over after the fair and asks to talk. “Tones. I made a huge mistake. I didn’t think you could be serious, but I was wrong. I dumped Rumi. Will you take me back? I’m on my knees.” 

“Ty. You know I came all this way for you, but I realize now that it wasn’t for you. It was for me to see that I don’t need or want you. I made so many friends here that I don’t regret coming, but I’m done chasing after you. Bye.”

+++++++++

Rhodey can’t believe his ears. Ty is asking Tony to come back! After all that! He can’t hear what Tony said, but he hopes he rejects him. Rhodey will not be able to bear the pain of seeing Tony with Ty. Tony walks back in the room, and Rhodey asks. “What did he want?”

“To get back together.”

“And?”

“Are you kidding me? The guy’s an idiot. Never gonna happen again. Thank you Rhodey.”

“For what? I didn’t do anything.” 

Tony hugs him. “You made me realize that I can do so much better than him. I love you Rhodey.”

Does that mean…? “I love you, too, Tones.” A moment of crackling charged air. Rhodey leans down and kisses Tony, who surges up to kiss him back. They take it to Rhodey’s room so BUTTERFINGERS can’t watch. It would feel weird if he could.

++++++++++++

“He told you he dumped me? I dumped HIS butt. Figures. I don’t know what I saw in him. And you KNOW his dad paid his way.” Rumiko rants. 

Tony cuddles up to Rhodey and laughs. “I thought as much. I’m glad you saw the light like me. I’m going to introduce you to my friends, Pepper and Jan. You’d love them.” 

Bucky and Sam visit a few days later. “I followed your advice. He definitely noticed.” Bucky rambles. “I want to thank you for all your help and for listening to my rants. You helped me see that I am capable of being loved.” 

When they all leave, Tony hears JARVIS' disembodied voice. “They all love you, Sir. I am very happy to know you.”

Tony used love and happiness to draw people in and never let them go. 

@rocknrollonthat45

[tearfallpixie]

Trust and Love - Side Chapter: The First Time

Tags: @nerdraging4point0 @thesazzb @synthetic-wasp-570 @circle-with-me @beaker1636 @itsjustemily @witchyweeb34 @agravemisstake @cookiesupplier @cncohshit @faceless-mirror @nonamessblog @yournecessaryevil @black-damask1999

@lyschko666 @vinyardmauro @skulliecadaver-blog @some-daniela @latenightmusiclover @rye14-blog1 @somewhere-diamond @Shilohrosechicken @abiomens @awkwardalex @miss570

Vin and Ricky were walking back from their hunt for coffee, prior to the show that night. They had been running on way to little sleep since one of their techs had gotten sick and had been coughing and sneezing up a storm for the last week. Their shoulders bumped together as they walked through the abandoned corridor of the venue.

“God we are the only two single people in the band. Doesn’t that get to you sometimes?” Vin asked

“What do you mean?” Rick looked at his friend curiously. The drummer stopped in the middle of the hall and turned towards the guitarist.

“I mean, I’m so sick of listening to everyone get laid after concerts or in the corners of the venues when they think no one is watching. I’m fucking pent up.” Ricky took a sip of his coffee as he watched Vinny in amusement. Vinny looked at him with one of his teasing grins making Rick raise an eyebrow. “Maybe we should kiss.” Ricky knew he wasn’t being serious but part of him took that challenge and stepped closer.

“Oh? Should we now?” Ricky rumbled in a low voice. He set his cup on the ledge before placing his hands on Vinnys chest and pushing him against the wall. One hand trailed up to the back of his neck while the other looped around the drummers waist. Ricky tugged him in and pressed their lips together for a few seconds before pulling back and retrieving his coffee. “Better get back. We need to start getting into costume.” The guitarist walked off as if nothing happened, leaving Vinny stunned and with a confused boner.

~

Vinny was a wreak. He had flubbed so many kicks that night which in turn made Ricky stumble. He had tried to recover quickly but that made him mess up some of his symbols. His snare even broke during the performance and he had to borrow their opening act drummers snare. He quickly tossed his drumsticks to the crowd and dashed off stage before any of the other band members could rip into him for his terrible performance. He ripped off his tank and chucked it on the dressing room floor with a yell.

“Whoa. Calm down hulk.” Ricky chuckled as he walked into the room.

“This is your fucking fault.” Vinny snarled.

“What did I do exactly?” The guitarist smirked.

“What- Fuck you. You fucking kissed me! You fucking turned me on and fucking bailed you piece of shit.” Vinny snapped. Rickys hand pressed against his chest and shoved him against the back wall.

“Watch your tone when talking to me.” Ricky murmured in a sickeningly sweet voice. His free hand moved down to the button on Vinny’s pants and thumbed at it. “You could have just asked for some assistance.” Voices sounded down the hall making Ricky pull away. “Behave and maybe I’ll help you at the hotel.”

~

“I’m tired guys. I feel horrible for messing up so much tonight. I think I’m just going to go sleep off whatever this bullshit is.” Vinny mumbled when they reached the hotel. The band wanted to go out to get drinks but Vinny just wanted to die in shame and wallow in self-pity. The drummer took his keycard and left to head down the hall to the elevators. The doors were closing when a hand reached through them, stopping the door. They opened again to reveal Rick on the other side. He stepped in and dropped his bag to the floor before pressing the door closed button. Once the metal contraption closed them in Ricky rounded on Vinny and shoved him up against the wall, joining their lips again. Vinny grabbed his sides and pulled them closer. Their lips fit together like they were meant to be.

“Is this what you wanted, Link?” Vin pulled away and looked into the grey eyes of his best friend.

“Link?” He asked.

“Link, like two puzzle pieces. We just clicked when we first met so it makes sense.” Ricky shrugged.

“I like it.” Vinny laughed.

“Good, now I asked you a question. Is this what you wanted?” Ricky growled.

“Fuck yeah.” Their lips had just barely touched again when the elevator dinged signaling that they had reached their floor. The guitarist pulled away and picked up his back, leading the other down the hall to their room. They stepped inside and suddenly Vinny felt like he couldn’t breath. He had made a joke, they had shared some kisses, he had gotten pissed off and yelled at Ricky, his best friend who had told him if he behaved that he would help him out at the hotel. Now here they were at the hotel and the reality of the situation set in. Ricky hadn’t gone out with the boys so obviously he remembered because the guitarist never turned down an opportunity to go celebrate.

“Breath Vincenzo. I can practically hear you having an anxiety attack from here.” Ricky chuckled, taking his bag from him and setting it on the bed next to his. “Come here.” Vinny moved to the guitarist who placed his hands in his pockets. “We don’t have to do anything you are uncomfortable with, link.”

“You’re a fucking ass. It was supposed to be a joke about us kissing. I had to spend the entire concert turned on and ended up screwing us both up. I haven’t fucked up that bad in forever.” Vinny reached up and tugged at his hair only to have his hands pulled away gently. A hand cupped his face and pulled him forward until his lips met the guitarists.

“Take a deep breath. Do you want me to take the stress off?” Vinny couldn’t bring himself to speak so he only offered a nod. Ricky fumbled with the buttons on the drummers pants again and popped them open. His tattooed hands pushed Vinny’s jeans down and took his member into his grip. Vinny’s breath hitched and he gripped onto Rickys shoulder tightly. “I can stop.”

“D-Don’t you fucking dare.” Vinny growled. The guitarist reached for his bag to pull out a bottle of lotion and squeezed some onto his hand before returning to his task. He stroked Vinny to full hardness, dragging his thumb over his tip.

“You messed me up today.” Ricky rumbled in his ear.

“It’s your fault. You shouldn’t have kissed me.” Vinny snipped, gasping as Ricky gave him a particularly mind numbing squeeze.

“You asked for it.” Ricky pressed their lips together again, licking into the drummers mouth and tangling their tongues together. Vin moaned into his mouth and gripped the front of his shirt.

“Fuck Ricky. I’m so close.” He groaned.

“Come on Link. Come for me.” Ricky ordered. Vinny shuddered as he released over the guitarist hands. Vinny dropped his head to Rickys shoulder and let out a long sigh.

“Jesus Rick. If I had known you were that skilled with your hands I would have done this sooner.” Vin huffed making the guitarist let out a deep laugh.

“Feeling a little bit better?”

“Definitely.” Vinny mumbled. He stripped off his shirt and tossed it to the side. “What about you? I can-“

“I’m fine. Next time.” Rick waved him off. “Go shower.”

“Next time?” The drummer asked.

“If you would like that.” The guitarist shrugged.

“I definitely wouldn’t hate that.”

~~~~

(Further)

“I miss Liv.” Vinny moaned, making Ricky laugh.

“She’s only home with her grandma one more day. She’ll be back tomorrow.” He teased the drummer. Vinny forced himself to sit up on his bed and look at Ricky.

“But what if that asshole stalker followed her there? What if he’s trying to get dirt on her to make her look bad.” Vinny grumbled.

“I think she’ll be ok.” Ricky said crawling into Vinny’s bed and placing himself on top of the smaller body.

“I just worry. What if someone touches her or sends her into a panic attack. What if she can’t pull out of it because one of us isn’t there?” Vinny fretted.

“Hey, hey. Link focus.” Vinny’s head snapped up and looked at Ricky. Link was a nickname that the guitarist had given him as a joke when they first fooled around. He had said that he and Vinny had just clicked like pieces of a puzzle linked together. He didn’t use the nickname often, so it was impossible to ignore when he did. “You’re stressing out more than me right now. I promise you, our girls fine.” Vinny nodded and laid back. “Plus, if she was having a panic attack that bad, she and her family know to immediately call me. So they will take care of her.”

“Sorry. I just love her. I wouldn’t be able to forgive myself if anything happened to her.” Ricky leaned down and kissed Vinny slowly, encouraging the drummer to kiss back. Their lips fell into a familiar rhythm, nipping and biting at each other. Ricky licked at Vinnys lip, begging him for entrance to his mouth which Vinny granted quickly. Their tongues battled against each other for claim over the smaller’s mouth only to won by the guitarist. He withdrew his tongue with a satisfied smirk and pulled away.

“Do you let me win?” He whispered with a heavy voice.

“No.” Vinny blushed.

“That’s what I thought.” Ricky growled, moving to place kisses along the column of the supple neck beneath him. He nipped at the skin, freshly clean from that night’s paints and made Vinny gasp.

“Rick-“ Vin placed his hands on Rickys chest and pushed him back a little.

“What’s wrong?” Ricky murmured, nuzzling his head into Vinny’s curls.

“What are you wanting? This seems a bit more intimate than normal.” The drummer mumbled.

“Are you complaining?”

“It just seems a little different than what we usually do.” He stuttered.

“Do you want me to stop?” Vinny shook his head vigorously. “Didn’t think so.” Rick pulled Vinny into another kiss. “What do you want?”

“Fuck-I want- No, I need…” Vin trailed off. He had been wanting more from their time together but by the time he was brave enough to ask, Ricky had told him he was seeing Olivia so he wimped out.

“What do you need?” Ricky pressed.

“Can you fuck me?” Vin whispered. The guitarist pulled back and looked down at him with a shocked expression. “It was a stupid idea. I’m sorry.” Vin tried to push Ricky off of him, but Ricky sat up, straddling him and pressed a hand to his chest.

“I can. If that is something you want. I just didn’t think you were interested.” It was Vinny’s turn to look shocked. The man on top of him leaned down so he was right next to his ear. “Do you want me to fuck you Vinny? Want me to make you feel how I make Olive feel?” Vinny’s mind took him back to the first time they messed and how awkward he felt. He felt like a fool for feeling like that all over again as the words got caught in his throat and he nodded. The guitarist climbed off of him and went to his bag to grab a bottle before turning back to him. “Strip and roll over.” The drummer obeyed, shoving his pants down his legs and pulling his shirt over his head. He rolled onto his stomach crossed his arms under his head.

“What are you-“

“If I am going to fuck you I need to stretch you properly.” Gentle hands touched his back and slid down to the crevice of his ass. He felt some cool liquid being dropped on his skin as fingers worked it past his cheeks. “I’m going to need you to relax if you want this.” Vinny took a deep breath and nodded, feeling a gentle digit press against his hole and press slowly inside of him. “Good boy.” Ricky murmured, making the drummer blush. He worked his finger a little further into Vinny’s body before retracting it and pushing it back in. “You’ve done this before?”

“What? How can you tell?” Vinny sputtered.

“You aren’t as tense as someone who’s never played back here before. Have you played with yourself Link?” Ricky asked lowly. “Has someone else had the pleasure of taking your virginity from you?”

“No-no. I haven’t-only I have played with myself.” Vinny groaned as Ricky thrust his finger harshly into him. He gripped the bed sheets and dug his nails into his palms through the fabric.

“Good. I don’t share well.” The guitarist pressed another finger along the first making the drummer shift at the stretch. “Come on, you’re going to have to take more than that to accommodate me.” Ricky teased him.

“I’m fine. Just-fuck. Just give me the third. I can take it.” Ricky gave a disapproving hum but listened and immediately pressed the third finger in. He curled his fingers together making Vinny gasp.

“You asked for this Link. Don’t wimp out now.” He pulled his fingers out and pressed them back in slowly, the resistance making it a slow process. Ricky kept up his assault for a few more minutes before pulling away. “Do you think you can take me?” Vinny nodded and dropped his head into the pillows. He heard the sound of shuffling and a zipper being undone before hands returned to his lower back. “Kneel up for me Link.” Vin pushed himself into a kneeling position but kept his head down. “Good boy. Are you ready?”

“Yeah, fuck yeah.” The hands slid to his ass and pulled his cheeks apart before the blunt head of Rickys member was lined up with his entrance.

“Deep breath for me.” Vinny took a deep breath as his member pressed past his entrance. He let out a deep breath allowing Ricky to slide into him a little easier. The guitarist stilled for a moment to allow Vin to adjust to the intrusion before picking back up and moving inch by inch. “You are doing so well for me. You’re about halfway there.” Vinny groaned. It felt like he was being ripped in half in the best way possible and he didn’t know how much more he could take. One of Ricky’s warm hands pressed down on his lower back making him relax just a little more. They worked Ricky into him for a few more seconds until he felt his hips meet his ass. “How do you feel?” The guitarist murmured, running Vinny’s side and curling around his waist.

“F-full. Good though.” Vinny stuttered. Ricky pulled out at a torturous pace so he didn’t hurt the man beneath him. “Shit. The pull feels so good.” He felt his partner drop his head to his and smile against his neck as he pushed back in.

“Do you know how long I’ve wanted to be buried inside of you?”

“Really?” Ricky nodded against his neck.

“I’ve thought about this for a long time.” Hot breath ghosted across Vinnys neck making him shiver.

“W-why didn’t you say anything?” He asked.

“Never thought you were interested.” Rick groaned, running his hand down the drummers arm and lacing their fingers together as he rolled in and out of him.

“We’ve been fucking around for years. I think its pretty obvious I’m interested.” Vin laughed.

“Sex is different though.”

“In a way. But with you I don’t mind.”

“Fuck Link.” The guitarist picked up his pace and started thrusting into him now that Vin had gotten use to the stretch.

“Shit, don’t stop.” The drummer begged. Ricky shook his head.

“Never. I don’t think I could anyway.” They moved in sync as they grew closer and closer to their climax’s. Ricky hit a spot inside of Vinny that made him see stars.

“Fuck! I’m- I’m so close.” Vin moaned.

“Me too link. Come with me.” The guitarists thrusts became sloppy and he crashed into his release at the same time as Vinny did, spilling his seed all over the bed. They took a moment to catch their breaths before Rick pushed up a little. “Did you come untouched?” Vinny groaned and buried his head into the sheets.

“Shut up.” He muttered, embarrassment flooding him.

“That was fucking hot.” Ricky teased him as he slowly pulled out of him. The drummer curled in on himself but Ricky wasn’t having it. “Come on. We have to shower.” Vin whined but pushed up to a sitting position.

“Rick?” The guitarist looked over at him. “This changes everything doesn’t it?” Rickys face softened into a smile and he moved over to where his partner was sitting. He brushed a hand through his wild hair.

“It doesn’t have to.” He shrugged.

“What will Liv think?” Vinny cursed himself for not thinking of Rickys actual partner.

“Liv is very understanding of our arrangement.”

“But- never mind.” Vin shook his head. It was stupid of him to think this was more than sex to Ricky and he shouldn’t let himself to think about such fantasies. He liked what he had with the couple and there was no point in risking losing that now.

“What?”

“Its nothing. Lets shower.” He stood up and pulled the guitarist into a kiss before padding to the shower and turning on the steamy water.

[sabraeal]

Knock Three Times (Meet Me in the Hallway)

Written for @youseimanami‘s birthday, who requested some fallout for Obi sharing the knock with Zen. Last year, Viki’s birthday fell less than two weeks after the birth of my son, and thus I didn’t have the headspace to even attempt a birthday gift (I *just* managed to get Laura’s in like a week before my C-section, an entire month late), but this year hopefully 3K and a nice, on-time birthday gift will make up for it :joy: 

Obi will grant: the tree isn’t the easiest climb.

Master had taken a running jump, shoving his foot in a divot in the bark as he grabbed for the first branch. It’s not low, not at all, but the fork in the trunk makes for a good hand hold once a palm’s wedged in there, and three nights ago he’d barely had to bother with a standing hop to get started.

Not tonight.

His side stings, a hundred wasps buzzing through his nerves, and oh, that blade had caught him a bit deeper than he’d thought. His fingers clap tight around it, and ah, yes, there’s a sticky heat that clings to them when he pulls away.

He grimaces. Miss won’t be happy about that.

He can see it now, those glass-green eyes turning stormy, mouth pulling thin right before she takes a breath to scold--

His mouth curls. At least, one can hope.

With a steeling breath-- tttt-- he backs up a step, swallows his pride, and follows Master’s lead. One sole bounces him off the bark, hand wedging deep in the fork, and then he’s up, shuffling out to where the branches brush at iron and glass.

The limb dips threateningly under his feet. Obi sighs. Master doesn’t have problems like this.

The window is shut tight, latched, just like he’d told them. Eisetsu promised to keep them safe, but no matter where he says his loyalties lie, Obi won’t forget how he tricked him here, how keeping Miss and Ryuu at the estate while he ran off to deliver the lord’s message was little better than holding them hostage for good behavior. Besides, there’s no need to count on his lordship when Miss can look out for herself.

He leans in, raising a hand. Tap-tap-tap. Tap-tap.

There’s no answer.

Obi shifts, stomach churning as the branch bobs under him. It’s dark inside, not even a single light in the parlor, but-- it’s late. There’s no reason to think he’d be back, no reason for them to sit up, waiting for him to return. No reason for there to be warm dinner on the table, Ryuu slumped over on the sofa as Miss turns to greet him--

He shakes himself. There’s no time for that. Tap-tap-tap. Tap-tap.

The tangle in his gut knots, rising to choke him. There’s no need to panic; it would take an army to rouse Miss when she’s sleeping, and though he’s never tried to wake Ryuu-- that boy gives a whole new meaning to early bird-- he can’t have napped under a pharmacy desk for years and been a light sleeper.

Still, still. He reaches for his tools and is glad his hands never learned to quiver like his heart.

It doesn’t catch the first time. Lock picking is about finesse, about patience, and ultimately about the correct application of force, but all that is lost to him when he keeps trying to peek through the glass. It’s useless anyway, he doesn’t see anything but the shape of ornate, uncomfortable furniture and his own reflection.

Finally, it turns over, window pushing into his hand. Obi guides it open, braced for a squeak or a groan, but it seems hinges are one thing Eisetsu keeps well maintained. Too bad the same couldn’t be said for the rest of his security.

He slinks through, throwing one long leg over the sill before pulling the other to join him, dropping down into a crouch. There’s no toppled furniture, no sign of a struggle, but there’s no signs of life either, each table scrupulously clear of the sort of mess that follows scholars no matter where they go.

It takes a moment for his eyes to truly adjust, but even so, every missing cup of forgotten tea fans his suspicion. He’s only been gone a few days, but so much can happen in mere hours, too much--

White grabs his gaze. It’s a sheet, wrapped tightly around a small body--

It’s Ryuu. He’d recognize that shock of hair anywhere, no matter how much he’s cut it.

With his heart in his throat, he approaches. Ryuu’s bound tight in the blanket, wrapped like a larvae in a cocoon, arms and legs locked beneath it. Anger flares hot in his belly; someone must have subdued him, not willing to take him when they only needed Miss.

Obi’s hand trembles as he reaches out, fingers seeking the pulse at his jugular-- who knows how long he’s been here, minutes or hours or maybe even days, Obi arriving far too late to--

Ryuu snuffs as skin brushes skin, annoyed, and flops over onto his stomach. His limbs sprawl, spilling over the sofa’s edge onto the floor.

A breath hisses through Obi’s teeth, half-relief. Not dead, then. Not even concussed. Just a teenager.

That handled one of them. But Miss--

(I don’t want to rush you, but come back quick, she’d told him, eyes too large in her face.

She’s not supposed to look at him like that; it’s Master who is her savior, not him. Afraid you’ll miss me?

I know I will. There’s something in her face that won’t ease, that won’t leave her. I won’t sleep well without you.)

Ryuu might fall asleep sprawled across the sofa, too young to keep vigil, but Miss would be up, a lamp burning well into the night, wearing a runnel in the carpet. She’d want to be there to open the window at his knock and tell him welcome home--

He shakes himself. That’s only if she knew he was coming back, if Master had somehow found a messenger faster than him-- impossible, even waylaid as he was-- but still, the worry won’t leave him. Wrongness permeates the darkness, and Obi’s lived far too long to ignore instinct.

He turns the corner, heading down the hall, only to be pulled up short by the spray of light that fans across the carpet. It’s her room-- or his room, really, though there’s no point to pretending much longer. Not when Eisetsu already knows.

His lordship could be in there, even now, pressing his suit. After all, what is a knight next to a peer?

Obi grits his teeth, eyeing the shadows that flicker across the carpet, and brushes his hand over the grip of his knives. Eisetsu would have to be an idiot to ask a favor of a man and then woo his lady out from under him. Quite literally, in this case, if his lordship still thought he’d interrupted something more intimate than a shared bed.

(Could you relay a message to your master? His lordship’s eyes dart around the room, almost as if marking the exits. I seem to have gotten myself into a...one might say, sticky situation.

He raises a single brow, arms folded over his banyan. Oh?

The man stutters out a quivering laugh. Ah...yes. A, um, political one.)

He shakes his head. At least the steward might talk him out of something so stupid.

A shadows passes before the door again.

Obi’s eyes narrow. Or not.

Rising up to his full height, knight’s swagger in place, Obi swings open the door--

Only to be greeted by Miss’s startled gaze on the opposite side of the room. “Obi!”

She’s alone, only a single lamp burning on the desk, but it pales to the way her face lights as she sees him, as she takes a step toward him--

And stutters short. Her glow gutters, and she shrugs her shawl tighter around her shoulders, ducking her chin as if even though her nightgown’s flannel she is chilled.

“I’m home,” he says into the still between them, heart pounding so loud in his ears he’s sure she can hear it.

Something in her thaws, mouth softening as she meets his gaze again. “W-welcome home.”

There’s a runnel in the carpet, the pile askew. It leads from where he stands at the door to where her feet lay pressed together, bare. The tightness in his chest releases, as he takes a step into the room, closing the door behind him with a soft snick.

“I tried the knock at the window.” Every word he picks is carefully plucked, lain before her as if on a platter. “But no one came.”

“Oh.” His offering must not please his miss, for her mouth pinches, drawing thin across her face. “I didn’t know if it was you.”

He blinks, head cocked. “Miss?”

“I mean, since you’ve been showing other people,” she explains hurriedly, pulling her shawl even tighter. “I wasn’t sure if I should answer.”

The air between them is tense, charged, and Obi has no earthly idea why. “I only showed Master.”

“I wasn’t sure.” Her shoulders twitch in a nervous shrug. “I thought it might be Eisetsu.”

“Eisetsu?” he spits out. He’d hardly trust the man with a lamb and a cabbage, let alone his miss.

“It made sense,” she says, shoulders curling defensively, and it hits him-- she’s angry. “You were doing him a favor. Maybe you thought it would be safer if--”

“If I gave the man with all the keys somehow even more unguarded access to you?” He tries to keep his voice level, calm, but he knows by her flinch hasn’t quite managed it. “Miss, a favor does not a friend make.”

“I know that,” she murmurs, the line of her shoulder tense, almost braced.

He wants to shout, wants to snap, and you think I don’t, but--

But he breathes instead, letting the fight seep from him. An argument is never the quickest cut to his Miss’s knottier points. “Miss,” he sighs, “have I given you some reason to think that I would be--” stupid-- “lax with your safety?”

She blinks, some of her anger fading from the shadows of her mouth. “N-no! I know you always do what you think is best.” She hesitates before she adds, softer, “Even if you don’t tell me about it, first.”

For a solid minute, he’s stymied. Years ago, he’d have taken the lump-- fresh from his tenure with the underground, he’d had little faith in anyone’s cleverness but his own-- but no one knows better than him how adept Miss is at her own survival. She’d even been the one to propose the knock--

The knock.

“Are you--?” His teeth snap shut around the question. It can’t be. There’s no sense to it. But still, still--

It’s the only thing he can think of. “When I gave Master the knock,” he starts again, left-footed, every word feeling wrong as it falls from his lips, “I thought you would be happy to see him.”

Her cheeks flare a telling red, and no, no, he has to be reading this all wrong-- “I--I was! I just...”

Obi dares another step closer. “You just...?”

“It’s nothing,” she insists. “It’s only that...”

Her breath catches, knuckles blanching where they grip her shawl. “It’s supposed to mean I’m safe.”

“Master’s safe too.” The words leave him before he can think, a certainty. But Miss’s lips twist as they hang in the air between them, and his ears roar with the rushing of his blood, so loud he can’t hear himself ask, “Isn’t he?”

“He is.” The words burst from her too quick, too rote, too little feeling being them. “I only mean...”

He needs her to speak, to explain this all in a way that might make him make sense of it, to assure him that what he’d thought about Master all those years ago when he’d arrived too early from Yuris could not be true. “Miss?”

Her chin lifts, gaze tangling with his in a way that is almost defiant. “He’s not safe the way you are.”

He can’t help himself, he takes another step forward, and then another, reaching out to close the space between them--

“Ow,” he hisses, pressing a hand to his side.

Miss stares, and, ah yes, that would be blood blooming from his gash, of course. Perfect timing. “Are you injured?”

“Ah-ha, only...only technically.” he grimaces as she flutters close, slender fingers prodding at the wound. “It’s just a scratch, Miss.”

Her mouth pulls thin. “I think I’ll be the judge of that.”

A thrill goes through him, and he can’t help tacking on a wry, “Yes, Miss.”

The glare she flicks up at him is unamused, which only makes his heart flutter faster in anticipation. It’s been far too long since she’s scolded him--

“Go sit on the bad,” she says, twisting him around, “I’ll tend to it.”

Obi lets out a graceless honk. “But I’ll bleed on it!”

He may not like Eisetsu, but that’s no reason to give his domestic staff more work.

Miss scoffs, giving him a firm shove. “I’m sure the maid knows how to get blood out of the sheets by now.”

He stumbles with a squawk, nearly tumbling onto the bed as she fetches her things. “Miss.”

“I know he’s a bachelor, Obi, but there were plenty of women at that party,” she informs him matter-of-factly, digging through her things as if the implication she’s making is usual for her, “and people have periods all the time!”

A laugh huffs out of him. “Ah, that wasn’t quite where I thought you were going with that...”

Her head darts up, cocked in question. “What did you--?”

“Ah!” He waves his hands, warding off her questions. “Not anything you need to worry-- ah--” he hisses, dropping his arms the moment one swings too far-- “about.”

If anything, her expression turns even more grim, marching over to the bed with kit in hand. “Take off your shirt.”

“Miss,” he whines, but it’s far too late; when she fixes him with that stern look of hers, there’s nothing for it to obey. He peels the black cloth up his torso, wincing as he pulls it away from his side, and submits himself to her tender ministrations.

That is, until she pulls out the brown bottle, clear liquid sloshing around the glass. “Uh-uh, I don’t want you near me with that when you’re mad.”

His nose stings when she pulls the cork. “I’m not mad,” she informs him primly, soaking a clean scrap of cloth. “I’m perfectly fine. I’m reasonable.”

“Oooh.” He ducks in close to her, grinning. “You’re super pissed.”

She jerks back with a frown, and then with no fanfare at all, presses the cloth straight to his side.

“See?” he hisses, squirming beneath her hand. “This is only proving my point.”

“I’m helping,” she tells him crossly. “The sting means it’s working.”

He hums, unconvinced.

“You’re lucky.” She lays his hand over the cloth and turns to rummage through her kit. “It doesn’t need stitches.”

“Ah.” It’s not wise, but then no one ever accused him of playing it safe-- “So it was just a scratch?”

His only warning it a displeased glower she gives him before she lays her hand over his and presses. The sting shoots coldly up his spine, and ah, yes, she’s made her point.

Miss busies herself with preparing the bandage, and her movements are so familiar, so soothing, that he lean back on his hand, eyelids fluttering shut. Even with his eyes closed he can see her, tracking her progress through the soft sounds of her practice. There, she’s unwrapping the bandage, and there, the grind of her prepping the salve--

“It’s different.”

He jolts back to awareness, gaze dropping to the back of her head. She’s bent over him, face hidden against his side. “Miss?”

“Zen,” she tells him. “He’s not...he’s not my home.”

His heart had sunk into its familiar lull as she worked, but now it races again, so fast he’s sure she can feel it under her fingertips. “He’s not.”

“No,” she murmurs, touch suddenly hesitant. “Not like you are.”

Obi hardly trusts himself to speak. “Me?”

Her eyes dart up to his, and then scurry away. “A-and Ryuu, of course.”

“Right,” he breaths, dragging her gaze back to him. “And Ryuu.”

Her breath shivers out of her, and the way their gazes tangle, green twining into gold, is too much, too earnest. He’s paralyzed by it; any other woman he would know what to do with, what this tension meant, but with Miss--

“There you are!” Eisetsu calls out, bursting into the room.

There’s only a moment to make a decision, and Miss is already jolting away, but if this man expects a pair of young lovers, well-- Obi knows exactly what to give him.

His hand darts forward, fingers hooking behind her ear, and it’s nothing to pull her closer, to lean into her until their lips touch and his mouth swallows her gasp.

“Oh!” Eisetsu flounders graceless at the door. “I didn’t think I would be interrupting.”

Miss pulls from with a pant, giving him a guarded look before insisting. “You weren’t! We were only...”

There’s no easy explanation, so Miss crosses the floor to her bags, making herself busy.

Obi can’t help but let his mouht tilt smugly as he says, “We were only catching up.”

“Ah, yes.” Eisetsu is not so pale as Master, but he flushes just as prettily. “We should also be catching up. I mean-- what was it your master said?”

Obi mouth bears down in a grimace. “Funny you should ask...”

[storydays]

Season 1, Episode 2, p1

".and in the final round, the Buzzard-Wasps, won with a decisive knock-out." Korra read the newspaper eagerly before peeking over at Tenzin. "What do you say we go to the arena tonight, catch a few pro-bending matches?" She grinned hopefully at the airbender. "That sport is a mockery of the noble tradition of bending." He snapped, ignoring you as your coughed into your morning (tea/coffee/hot chocolate). As intelligent as he is, the man hadn't a clue of where or why you spent so much time in the city. You couldn't keep it a secret from your Aunties, and Aunt Lin or Pema were usually the ones who patched you up.

"Come on, Tenzin, I've dreamed about seeing a pro-bending match since I was a kid, and now I'm just a ferry ride away from the arena." She gestured out towards the city. "Korra, you're not here to watch that drivel. You're here to finish your avatar training. So for the time being, I want you to remain on the island." He took another sip of his tea, as you took another bite of your breakfast. "Is that why you're keeping the White Lotus sentries around to watch my every move?" She waved her hand towards the soldiers, who were standing around the room. "Yes, in order to learn airbending, I believe you require a calm, quiet environment free from any distractions." Tenzin finished sternly.

"All right, you're the master." Korra relented, looking out the window, longingly. It was quite yet tense before you abruptly stood up from the table and stormed off angrily, catching the attention of everyone in the room. "(Y/N)? Where are you going?" Korra asked, confused by your behavior. "Fine! Going to meditate!" You grumble, feeling guilty at your Aunt's concerned look. You quickly made your way to the tree you and your Grandfather planted when you were younger, and sat down, crossing your body into a half-lotus position, breathing in through your nose and out of your mouth, praying for a peaceful session.

Your prayers went unanswered.

--Vision start--

You found yourself watching a middle aged Aang look around curiously. The old monk smiled seeing a small figure curled up on the tip of Air Temple Island, before sitting next to said figure. The two remained silent until the smaller sniffed, and pulled his tunic tighter in its fist. "Are you ready to talk about it, grandson?" You walked closer, to see a young you, look up at him with teary eyes. "Hi, Papa." Younger you sniffled, wiping a tear away. "I'm sorry I left dinner like that." Aang merely pulled you to sit on his lap, and wrapped his cloak around you, waiting patiently for you to say what was wrong, because he knew you wouldn't cry over something so little.

"Now, it's not nice to lie about something so small like that. What's really bothering you, my little monkey?" Aang asked with a mischievous grin. Your (e/c) eyes peered at him from under your bangs. "I'm just scared, of the future." You admitted. "What do you mean?" asked Aang. "When I'm sleeping, I see things. I see the next Avatar, but I can't see their face. I-I know their a waterbender because of their clothes, but that's it. And then I see different endings based on her choices, and the world keeps changing and I am afraid--" "Okay, okay. (Y/N), take a breath, you're hyperventilating. You need to relax, before you pass out. Copy me, alright?"

Aang put your hand on his chest, and mimicked deep breathing. He'd dealt with plenty of panic attacks with the Gaang, and of course with his own kids. Eventually you calmed down and that's when Aang spoke again. "I know the future is scary, and no one can truly prepare for it, but what we can do, is be ready to make the future brighter. And if you're seeing the future Avatar, that must mean your destinies are intertwined tighter than I thought. I know the Spirits have a plan for why they're allowing you to see the future. You've already made us so proud, (Y/N). You're a dual bender, and a master of both air and water at such a young age.

"I know you'll make the world proud." Aang stood up, and began carrying you into the library, as your stomach growled at you. The Airbender laughed, and gestured to two plates of dumplings. "Thanks, Papa Aang." You mumble, curling next to him, as he set a small fire up. "Of course, monkey. Now I believe I owed you the story of how Zuko found his mom.."

--Vision end--

You slowly opened your eyes, as you heard multiple steps heading towards you. Your cousins, Uncle and friend all looked back at you with varying smiles. "(Y/N), are you finished with your morning meditation?" Tenzin questioned. You stood up, stretching your back and legs, before answering him. "Yes, Uncle. Is it time for Korra's first lesson in airbending?" "Yes, now come along everyone." You all headed towards a airbender's best friend. "What is that contraption?" Korra asked aloud. "A time-honored tool that teaches the most fundamental aspect of airbending." You rolled your eyes before muttering to the kids, "Or the first step to airbending. Unless, you preferred the long winded version of saying it." You smirk at Tenzin's irritated face.

"Jinora, would you like to explain this exercise, while (Y/N) demonstrates?" Tenzin said, sending you a raised eyebrow, as you got ready. "Well, the goal is to weave your way through the gates and make it to the other side without touching them." Jinora explained. "Seems easy enough." Korra stated. "Jinora forgot to mention you gotta make it through while the gates are spinning." Ikki said, cheekily.

Tenzin stepped forward and sent a sharp gust of wind through the gates, as you then stepped forward. You then began dancing in the wind, fast, fluid, and soft in your movements. "The key is to be like the leaf. Flow with the movement of the gates. Airbending is all about spiral movements. When you meet resistance, you must be able to switch direction at a moment's notice." Tenzin finished, as you sent an equally strong wind, letting Korra know that it was her turn. "Let's do this." she stated, confident.

Now being a air nomad monk, you shouldn't feel as smug as you were. But your mother was from the Northern Water Tribe...so you could feel as smug as you wanted. This was a lesson she needed to learn to be a better airbender, Avatar, and a person. She ran in head first, grunting as she ran into different gates. You snickered, as she fell on her butt, in front of the other Airbenders. Growling, Korra ran back inside, not learning from her previous mistakes. "Korra, don't force your way through!" Jinora called, climbing on your back, to get a better look. "Dance! Dance like the wind!" Ikki encouraged. "Be the leaf!" Meelo danced.

Not listening, Korra groaned, as the gates made her dizzy. Tenzin rolled his eyes groaning. You chuckle, landing next to him, as Jinora jumped down and went with her siblings to look down at the Avatar. You raised your hand, before turning to your uncle. "Well, that was fun. Same time, same place tomorrow?" Your grin widen at your Uncle's annoyed glare, before walking down the steps, whistling softly, feeling Nevermore land on your shoulder. "Hey Nevermore. Ready for some practice?" The (fav color) dragon squealed happily as you made your way to the training area.

You turned towards the sound of footsteps following you. "Yes, Jinora?" You smiled as she blushed at being caught, but she spoke up. "Well, I was just wondering if I could help you with Nevermore's training today?" She asked hopefully. You nod, gesturing her to come forward. "All right, now we're going to work on her flight today. She's getting bigger and it's almost time for her to mature. I need you to keep a steady wind flow, okay?" And this was how Pema found you both before lunch. "Thanks for your help, Jinora." You ruffled her hair, before helping your Aunt serve lunch.

--Later that night--

You stretch your limbs before putting on your uniform, and walking out with Bolin and Mako. "All right, guys. We got this!" You grin, making Bolin mirror your grin and Mako smirked. As soon as the game started, you could hear the announcer speaking over the speakers. You tuned into what he was saying, letting your body take over for the fight. "Ladies and gentleman, I'm coming to you live, from Republic City's pro-bending arena, where tonight, the best in the world continue for a spot in the upcoming championship tournament. Grab your snacks and your kids because this next match is going to be a doozy!"

You grin underneath your helmet, focusing on the game. The announcer rambled on in the background, as you were dancing behind Mako's quick movements and Bolin's sturdy form. Catching the other team off guard was your forte. "This Mako's got moxie! He advances, fires two quick shots. Yomo is hammered back into zone three, by the Fire Ferret's sneaky waterbender, oh! I stand correct folks, Yomo was sent into the sink by (Your fake name)! Now it's up to the rest of Yomo's team to earn their spot! Clock is winding down, can they hold it? The Fire Ferret's line up to pull out their famous Guilt Triple! One, two, and three and the opposing team is in the drain! The Fire Ferrets are in the championships! They're in the championship!!"

The crowd went wild! Screaming your names, as you all walked off to the locker room, chatting happily. "You really came through with the move, (Y/N)!" Mako chuckled, unwrapping his knuckles, as you ran a hand through your hair, ruffling your bangs, ignoring Bolin's wide eyed stare. "Take a picture, Bo. It'll last longer." You snicker, as he blushed at being caught."Sorry, it's just so cool having a airbending master," He whispered those words softly, "Right in front of me! I wanna see you do it!" He begged, using the puppy eyes on you. "No, Bolin. We already talked about this. No one can know. Now, are you gonna sit there, whining, or are you gonna come eat with us?"

You and Mako were waiting by the door, dressed in street clothes(First outfit; instead of sleeves you have one fishnet glove going up one elbow). You were wearing Water Tribe clothes, and waiting for the Earthbender. Mako snickered, watching his brother get dressed quickly, before following you to a restaurant to relax and act like teenagers for a change. You walk with your hands behind your head, looking at the stars, sighing contently, but you couldn't help but wonder:

'What are we going to do now, Mom?'

--The next morning--

You tied your hair up in a man bun, before dusting off your airbender clothing from any wrinkles, and heading out the door. You'd overslept from how exhausted you were from last night's match, and now you rushed to join your family for morning meditation. "Hey, (Y/N)! We missed you at breakfast." Ikki clung to you like a monkey, as you swung her back and forth. "Hey, Cheeky Ikki. Sorry, I was really tired last night, but I'll grab a quick bite to eat after this." Your Uncle smiled at the scene before clearing his throat. "Nice to see you joining us for meditation, (Y/N). It's been a while." He admitted, as you sat next to Jinora.

"Yes it *yawn* has." You covered your mouth, before grinning sleepily at your uncle's confused glare. "All right, everyone. Begin." He commanded. You closed your eyes, breathing deeply, finding your self, sagging in relief as you did not have a vision around your family. You twitch, hearing Korra shuffle and move around. Korra kept shuffling and you cracked your eyes open, irritation flooding them. "Korra, relax." You snap. "I think I'm doing it wrong." She huffed. "There's nothing to do! Let your mind and spirit be free, for air is the element of freedom." Tenzin reminded her.

Korra laughed sarcastically and you snort quietly. Tenzin was not amused. "Is something funny?" He asked, raising a bushy eyebrow at the two of you. "Yeah, you're telling me to embrace freedom, but you won't even let me listen to the radio. And forget about leaving this island." The blue eyed avatar pouted. "Please, Korra. Look at Meelo, he's able to meditate peacefully." Tenzin gestured to his only son. You snicker, looking at the smallest airbender. "Actually Uncle, I think he's asleep." Meelo snored loudly, as Tenzin balked. "Wait, what? Ahh, at least he's got the relaxing part down.: He tried weakly.

"Whatever. None of this airbending stuff makes any sense to me." Korra grumbled. "Korra, I know it's seems frustrating, but the way he's teaching you, it's not only going to help you airbend, but this will help you learn to be patient, and as the Avatar, peace keeping and patience go hand in hand." You spoke up, as your cousins finished their meditation and you picked a sleepy Meelo.

"Yeah, like you know anything about being the Avatar, (Y/N)." Korra said sarcastically, yet arrogantly. You paused in your steps down the mini temple, and turned your (e/c) glare into the Southern Water Tribe girl. "I know more than you think, Korra." You hiss, storming off with a sleepy Meelo, and an worried Ikki and Jinora.

Korra scoffed, looking at Tenzin.

"What's his problem?" She asked, as his gray eyes barred into her soul. "Korra, you need to apologize once he's calmed down. That was rude, and he was only trying to help you. Just like I am. There will be a time when you will want his help, and he may not be there or want to help you if you continue to act like this. Grow up, girl." Tenzin said, sternly before walking off to find you.

"Please, like he's one to talk." Korra did feel guilty, but was too proud to admit it. But she wasn't dumb enough to find you right now.

Even she doesn't want to be on your bad side.

[karenpage]

the way you said "i love you": prompt 22. muffled, from the other side of the door

Sorry I that I can’t believe that anybody ever really starts to fall in love with me.

It’s six months after she’d told him to make it mean something. Six months, since he’d fallen a mile short of delivering and Karen’s got her footing in a life built without him. Not that she’d ever seriously entertained the alternative.

That, maybe, just maybe, she’d done her waiting, paid her dues in heartbreak and loneliness. Maybe just this once she gets to win, and Frank would be there by her side. A couple times a week at best, she knows he’d never stay, knows he has to keep moving, like a shark in bloodied water - at rest, they can’t breathe. At rest, they died.

But it has been six fucking months and the only way she sees the passage of time is that her bi-annual hair appointment is coming up next Tuesday, just a trim, keep it healthy. Cut off the dead ends.

She’d laugh at the irony if she wasn’t so entrenched in her unwillingness to let him go.

Karen’s not the girl who waits around and pines. She’s been in love with a dead man for years and that’s not about to change. So she does as she always has in the past; throws herself headlong into work. Freelancing for the Bulletin, doing private investigation for the law offices of Nelson, Murdock & Page, there are no shortage of distractions. Because that’s what her adult life has amounted to. Not being happy, but being focused on something else so wholly she didn’t have time to look at the shape her world has taken for too long.

She’d said it. Said love out loud, to Frank Castle, and she immediately should have known better. Caught up with him facing down death for the thousandth time, seeing his motivations skewed and all the leg work she’d done to prove his innocence, again, amount to nothing -- she was at her wit’s end. Worn to the bone and so sick and tired of pretending that the things people say and do to her don’t have a lasting impact.

No more silence, she’d made herself heard. And he’d thrown it in her face. Karen should have been fuming, spitting angry at the person she had and would stick her neck out for time and time again. Wishing that her love didn’t then feel like a guillotine.

Karen had anger, yeah. She’d had plenty of that but it had slowly ebbed until it became a dull ache, a nagging want that sits cold and lonely behind her heart. Karen moved on, moved forward, a good luck Frank whispered into the nascent glow of hospital lights, a kaleidoscope of primary colors painted by her unshed tears.

This isn’t her first choice, cradling a bottle of merlot in between her thighs while trying to reach her laptop and open it, all without spilling wine on her couch. Again. Alone in her apartment with only the pinging of her radiator to keep the quiet from swallowing her whole.

Karen’s mastered the art of pretending her pain away; if she doesn’t look at it, doesn’t give it any of her energy, it can’t twist itself into a big ugly beast. It can’t hurt her if she stays an arm's length away.

Tonight, she’s just picked a bottle of two buck chuck to be the deterrent, armor by way of dissociation. Matt will give her shit in the morning when she comes in smelling like leftover Thai and a distillery but its water off of a WASP’s back; she can handle midtown passive aggressive and is a black belt in smiling her way through rage.

That’s tomorrow’s problem because tonight? Tonight she’s going to watch the bachelor, she’s going to drink this entire bottle, and nothing on heaven or earth will make her feel guilty for stealing back a bit of normalcy into her life. The line between self-care and self-destruction is getting more and more blurred as her thirties continue to throw curveballs her way, but Karen’s smart enough to see it for what it is, even if tired enough to stand back and watch it passively.

She’s forty-five minutes into crying over artificial romance when she hears a loud thudding outside, muffled, but close - it’s on her floor, whatever it is (or, whoever). With walls as thin as these, she’s used to tuning out the lives of her neighbors. But, again, and a couple more times before there’s a knocking on her door and it just about startles a yelp out of her.

Karen grabs the .380 out of her purse and adjusts the hem of her sleep shirt. A washed out Georgetown logo on the front, grey and drab and on the theme with the overall mood of her evening.

“Who is it?” The peephole hasn’t worked right since she’d slammed it coming home from the hospital. It’s askew in the track so all she can see peering through it is the inside of her door. Which isn’t helpful, at all, hence the gun with the safety ticked back, her thumb on the hammer but her palm sitting on the grip, nowhere near the trigger.

There’s no one she expects, too late to be any neighbors or cold calling salespeople.

“It’s me.” A gruff reply.

Frank.

She’s not proud of the fact that she latches the top chain lock loud enough for him to hear it.

He sighs, even with a door between them and her eyes closed tight, Karen can all but see the way his nose twitches when he does it.

“Kar--- please I..” His voice catches, starts on the backend of another grumbled noise and then stops again. This continues as he works through whatever it is he wants to get out, the frustration thick enough that she struggles to breathe through it. “I got some things I need… need to say.” Muttered, sticking to the roof of his mouth like he’s retelling a memory, something distant, broken, far away.

Karen’s heart clenches in her chest, her palms now braced against the door with her gun left forgotten on the floor.

“Then say it.” Failing to keep the hurt from her voice. It’s as sharp as glass, cutting up her mouth on the way out and Karen can’t really manage to be sorry for it. If it’s pain, at least it’s honest. At least it’s something more than another ‘almost’ suspended like a mobile, mocking, just out of reach.  

Frank adjusts his posture, pressing his weight onto his good leg with the old wood beneath his feet groans sympathetically, “you really gonna just.. Have me stand out here like a jackass?” Trying at levity, she can even hear the start of a laugh.

Karen shuts that shit down with a quickness, “you are a jackass.” A pause, a beat, like he’s waiting for her to take it back, “so whatever you’ve got to say to me, Frank. You can stand out there and say it.” She does not care that she’s being petulant, stubborn to the bone and maybe Frank has come to recognize that fact; she’s always been a storm.

“Right, okay.” The door shifts in its frame and she can tell that he’s leaning against it, so she does the same, her back to faded wood stain, sliding down until the floor is solid beneath her thighs. It’s strange, this foreign, diluted comfort. Frank’s broad and safe and even with something between them, she can feel the way it rushes up her limbs, a slowly spreading warmth, that, by the time it reaches her heart, is entirely flame.

“When I…” his voice tremors, “when I said I couldn’t tell you how much it meant to me… that you’d been there. That you stayed. I-- Karen you called my bluff in a big way and I gotta tell you, I was really fuckin’ scared.” There’s laughter there, but it’s dry, dusting off the parts of himself vulnerable enough to get through this, “ ‘cuz I know you know. You… you have’ta know. I got to thinkin’..right?  That you’re stubborn, but not without reason. Maybe.. Maybe I didn’t have to say it because you already knew…” He trails off, swallowing, and his head sags backward heavily, another ‘thud’, and Karen has to bite her lip to keep from smiling.

Karen hates how quickly he’s come in, her whirlwind of a man, swept up all her sadness like she’s never been anything but glad. All the time he’s been away, gone in an instant and she wants to hold onto it, sharpen that loneliness into a point, anything to remind her why she’s mad. Why he’s saying this from her hallway and not in her arms.

“Talked myself in circles, sittin there in a fuckin’ hospital dress, my ass out, feelin’ every bit the piece of shit that I am and Karen I just--- I guess I was scared of somethin’ else, too. That.. that if I said it, you’d stick around. Put yourself into some maggot scum’s crosshairs again, for me. And I cannot… I can’t…” This isn’t the same machismo shit, not the puffed up chest and sense of guardianship. He’s not her sentinel just then, it’s a part of the confessional she’d never gotten to see. Not before.

“I know you can take care of yourself, Karen. Never doubted that. Not for a single minute. But I can’t -- can’t give you a life like that. Can’t offer you up… whatever the hell’s left of me and say it’s good enough for someone like you. And don’t go givin’ me the bullshit that you can decide that for yourself. I know that. I know you’ll fuckin’ pick me because you have shit taste in men.” It’s meant to be a joke, but Karen knows that Frank thinks about the same of himself.

Karen holds back a whimper; it takes all her mental, physical, and emotional fortitude to slow herself from diving into the deep blue sea of wanting him anyway. Because he’s right. She does. No matter what the fuck happens; gunshots, blacksmiths, bombs and blackbirds, one fact remains true in absolution.

That Karen Page loves Frank Castle, and he loves her the same.

“I should’a made it mean somethin’, Karen. I shoulda and I didn’t and I -- I was a goddamn coward. Couldn’t even look you in the eyes when you left, shit.” He’s crying, too. She can’t see it, but she can feel it, a phantom mirror of the own tracking down her cheeks.

She’s quiet, and he’s quiet, but it isn’t the same silence that’s been eating away at her for weeks. It’s an understanding between what he’d said, and what she hadn’t.

“Karen?” Frank’s voice is hardly recognizable just then, rough and soft, somehow, less a whisper and more a plea.

She answers him with the sound of her three sets of locks clicking, and the groan of the door, and Frank scrambles up to his feet.

No words exchanged, he’s said enough, and when he steps through the threshold and into her home it feels a bit like he’d never left. Like her life had been holding its breath, waiting for him, and now it can let it out in a sound like relief.

“Hey,” she wipes at her face with the heel of her hands as he’s turning around, lowering the hood that had kept his face in shadow.

“Hey.” Frank offers her a weak smile in return.

And just like that, he’s home.

[dumbassbestiary]

This Paranormal Life (Podcast) - Sentence Starters

“I’m big daddy”

“In my FAN FICTION, they’re LOVERS!”

“Put him down”

“Go in.”

“The knife points where the knife points, it’s very much a dowsing rod, of death”

“I’m poisoned, I’m going to die soon”

“All you need is love, bitch”

“The cha-cha slide is the dance of my people, sir”

“Chat shit, get stabbed”

“I’ll be your eyes”

“This is one small dance for man, one giant boogie for mankind”

“One of US! One of US!”

“Live fast, investigate, and die young!”

“We put in a bit of piss, and a bit of off”

“I heard the beast was really cool, and he had a huge dick”

“What if I just go primal?”

“You see, detective, it couldn’t have possibly been me”

“I would rather a vampire suck the blood from my veins than chew the nails from my toes”

“I was being chased by a wasp in the woods!”

“I would die for a single dubloon”

“Pirates are hot”

“It was a revenge eating”

“I have seen the long dick of God FUCK THE EARTH!”

“You better sleep with one eye open, mate”

“Why did I marry you? You’re such a horrible...thing.”

“I’m feeling problematic, darlin’“

“It’s going to be a fine night tonight”

“Kids love fantasy creatures”

“What is magic?”

“I can’t stress this enough, you don’t have to die”

[birdiethebibliophile]

{fic} i carry your heart with me (part 2/2)

Fandom:  The Adventure Zone:  Balance Rating:  T Chapter Warnings:  Very brief suicidal ideation, alcohol Relationship:  Hurley/Sloane Word Count:  2,094

Here on AO3. Read the first part on Tumblr here.

All of you people who were waiting for the comfort part (looking at you, @fantasysamsclub) can now read without fear! Well, mostly.

Title from [i carry your heart with me(i carry it in] by e. e. cummings

Summary:  

Sloane’s heart has never been something she gives away freely. She keeps it safe, plays her hand close to the vest, and refuses to believe anything’s changed. But when she’s faced with a separation she’s not willing to accept, she’s forced to consider that maybe - just maybe - her heart’s been given away without her even realizing it.

__________________

Sloane was a disaster in general, and she was in rare form tonight.

Somehow, here, at the Menagerie, her favorite red-light district tavern and the only one in Goldcliff she hadn’t been banned from, that’s all she could think about: what a disaster she was. She had a burn across her arm and smears of grease on her face from the garage. She had dark circles under her eyes from playing fantasy Fallout until two in the morning. All she’d had to eat that day was fantasy ramen, a shit-ton of coffee, and the beer she was now drinking. It was no wonder she felt like crap.

She was a disaster, and Hurley knew it.

Sloane winced as she gulped down the rest of her beer. It’d been three days since their fight. Three days since she’d seen Hurley at all.

Turns out you don’t know how fuckin’ much someone means to you until they leave.

Sloane gestured for the bartender to bring her another drink, and he rolled his eyes, but slid her another glass. She paid her tab, which was more than could be said for the majority of his patrons. Normally Sloane would limit herself, but tonight, she had a plan. It was a shitty plan, but it was a plan, and she wouldn’t be able to live with herself if she didn’t at least try.

She wasn’t quite sure if she meant that literally or not.

Half an hour later, she stumbled out of the bar, everything just fuzzy enough to maybe pull this off. Usually when she drank, she felt buoyed, floaty, even happy. But then, usually when she drank, she drank with Hurley. She hadn’t drunk alone in months, and it sucked about as much as she remembered. Instead of giving her that pleasant, radiant buzz, the alcohol had settled in her veins like ice, an arcane core of desperation sitting heavy in her stomach, pushing her on.

Sloane half-stumbled to the militia station. She knew where it was, like you know where a wasp’s nest is so you can avoid it. Tonight, though, she walked right in the front door, crossed the lobby, and folded herself in half across the top of the front desk.

“Can I help you?” the tiefling behind the desk said distastefully. He eyed Sloane over, red eyes narrowing as he got a whiff of the alcohol coming off her.

“Yeah.” Just get through it. “Is… is Hurley here?”

“Lieutenant Hurley is not on duty tonight, no,” he said, shuffling papers around on his desk. “What do you need with her?”

“Gotta talk to her,” Sloane said insistently. “I gotta.”

“Well, I’m afraid you’ll have to wait until the morning, because –”

“Lee?” Sloane’s head snapped up. She’d know that voice anywhere. She’d know it drunk, she’d know it in her sleep, she’d know it if she was enchanted or cursed or dead. “What’s going on?”

There she was, standing in the doorway. Hurley. She was wearing that sleeveless gi she always wore when she was being a cop, not just a regular person. The gel must’ve worn out of her hair, because instead of sticking up in crisp curls like it usually did, it had fallen in waves around her face. She was holding a mug, and hen she saw Sloane, she tensed, her expression going blank.

The tiefling, Lee, flushed, turning his dull red cheeks bright. “Lieutenant. Um, this – person – was making a nuisance of herself, so I was sending her on her way –”

“I’ll take care of it,” Hurley said, setting the mug (it must have coffee in it – Hurley drank tea in the mornings and coffee when she needed to stay awake, Sloane knew that about her) down on Lee’s desk. “If you’d follow me, ma’am?”

In half a daze, Sloane followed Hurley into the back rooms of the militia station. Back through corridors of whitewashed wood, scuffed floors. Back into a small office, where Hurley closed the door behind them. The lamp sitting on the messy desk threw her face into sharp relief, emphasizing the dark circles under her eyes and the now-weary expression on her face.

“What do you want, Sloane?” Hurley said, running a hand over her undercut. “You shouldn’t be here.”

“I had to see you,” Sloane said, then stopped. What was she supposed to say? She hadn’t thought this far ahead. “I – I had –”

“You had to what?” Hurley said, sharply. “You had to blame me when we lost that race? Sloane, I really don’t think –”

“I had to apologize,” Sloane blurted out, and her face crumpled. “Hurley. Hurls. I’m sorry, I’m really fucking sorry, it wasn’t your fault, it never was, I get it if you – you hate me, but I had to say it, I can go now.” She fumbled blindly behind her for the doorknob.

“Wait,” Hurley said, in a decidedly different tone of voice, and Sloane froze. “You… really came to apologize?”

Sloane couldn’t look Hurley in the eye as she nodded. “I was a real dick,” she said quietly. “You didn’t deserve that.” You don’t deserve me.

“Sloane?”

Sloane glanced up, scrubbing at her eyes with the back of one hand, smearing the grease stains. “Yeah?”

Hurley started to say something, then seemed to think better of it. “You’re drunk,” she said instead, gently. “C’mon.” She maneuvered Sloane around her desk and into her chair, which tilted dangerously. “Shit, shit, forgot to have that fixed. Here.” Hurley shoved a glass of water into Sloane’s hands. “Drink this.”

“Okay.” Sloane did as she said, sipping at the water. “Thanks for, uh. Letting me in.”

“Well, yeah. I wasn’t just going to give up on us. Not without at least listening, you know? Oh – oh, hey, uh, I didn’t –”

Sloane was crying again, messy. She thought she would’ve cried all her tears out over the last few days, but she kept surprising herself. “I missed you so godsdamn much, Hurls,” she whispered between repressed sobs shaking her hunched shoulders. “I thought I’d fucked everything up for good and – my life isn’t good, Hurls, I’m not good, but you? You’re the good part of my life. I don’t wanna run away from that. I don’t, I don’t, I promise, but it’s hard, and I’m not… I can’t…”

Hurley took the glass from Sloane and set it onto her desk with a click. She gave a soft sigh, but not like she was irritated, or frustrated, or even sad. More like she was letting something go.

Then she climbed into Sloane’s lap.

Sloane stiffened as Hurley’s three feet of solid muscle was suddenly on top of her. “Hurls –?”

“I missed you too,” Hurley said. “A lot. A whole lot.”

Hurley’s eyes were gleaming brown and clear in the lamplight, and it made Sloane’s breath hitch in her chest. “I’m not really the smooth-talker you thought you caught that first night, huh?” she said.

“Nah. But I like who you really are more.” Hurley leaned forwards, resting her forehead against Sloane’s, heedless of engine grease. “There’re some things I… wanna talk about when you’re sober. That sound good?”

“Sounds real good,” Sloane agreed, and her arms wrapped around Hurley’s smaller frame automatically. Hurley leaned in, and Sloane leaned back.

She supposed she must’ve dozed off, but she didn’t know when. All she knew is that now she was half-awake, and it was still dark out with the lamplight flickering, and Hurley was still in her arms.

“Hurley?”

No response. She must still have been asleep.

Sloane lifted a hesitant hand to Hurley’s head and stroked it through her curls, mussed from sleep. “You’re so godsdamn beautiful,” she whispered. Her head was still slightly fuzzy from sleep and the beginnings of a hangover. “Who gave you the right, huh? Which god do I have to fight for putting you in my life? You should be living your boring militia life and then I swan in and fuck everything up. Pull up in a cloud of dust and there you are.”

“Sloane?” Hurley murmured, shifting in her arms, curling closer.

“Didn’t know you were awake,” Sloane said, her face burning.

“’M not. Were you saying something?”

“Nah. Nothing important.” And Hurley yawned and buried her face against Sloane’s collarbone and Sloane knew then, for sure and for certain, she was gone, gone, gone. Gone on Hurley. It felt like it did when she’d first driven a battlewagon, that same soaring, swooping feeling inside her. Something that made her want to laugh and cry all at once, and to never stop. Never run away.

It felt like she’d driven off a cliff, all right, but she wasn’t dropping. Just staying right there in midair.

“Wanted to talk to you,” Hurley said, sounding only marginally more awake.

“You mentioned that last night. What about?”

“I really like you, Sloane,” Hurley said softly.

…That couldn’t be right.

“What?”

“I really like you, you doofus. A lot.” Hurley opened her eyes, and the very first hints of sunrise reflected in them, and it was better than the glint of the midday sun off a chrome hood. “And you fucked up, but you fixed it, and… that was really good.”

“I really like you too,” Sloane said. “I wanted – I wanted to just go. But – I couldn’t leave you.”

Hurley shifted, sitting up on her knees with her legs on either side of Sloane. “You couldn’t?”

“I couldn’t,” Sloane said. “I couldn’t stand the thought of never seeing you again.”

“Hey, Sloane?” Hurley said.

“Yeah?”

“Can I kiss you?”

“Yeah,” Sloane said. “I think I’d like that.”

So Hurley did.

Hurley’s lips were chapped and awkward and perfect in the soft morning light beginning to peek in over the horizon, tinging the room pink as cherry blossoms. Sloane kissed her back, carefully, uncertainly, until Hurley buried a hand in the back of Sloane’s choppy hair and pulled her closer, and then Sloane shifted from neutral to drive. She held Hurley close and kissed her – and kissed her – and kissed her.

“Why haven’t we done this before?” Sloane managed as Hurley kissed the corner of her mouth.

“Because we’re dumbasses?” Hurley suggested. “Just a couple of real idiots, here.”

“Good point.” Sloane’s breath caught as Hurley’s mouth moved to her neck. “If your boss comes in, you’re gonna get fired.”

“Who cares?” Hurley laughed – genuinely laughed – which made Sloane laugh, and sent them both into gales of giggles all over again at how terrible they both sounded, how ridiculous the situation was, how much in love they were and how close they’d come to losing the possibility of that love.

“I’m such a fool,” Sloane said when she could finally breathe again. “I’ve been wanting to do that for ages.”

“Same here.” Hurley kissed Sloane’s nose, like she had to kiss some part of her, like it was a compulsion. “You should go, I guess, before Captain Bane gets in for the day.”

“Yeah. Yeah, okay. Do you want to come by the garage tonight?” Sloane suggested.

“Yeah, I think that’d be alright,” Hurley said, and brushed her thumb over Sloane’s dirty cheek. “Work on the battlewagon. Talk. Do more of… this.”

“Sounds like a good idea.” Sloane kissed Hurley’s cheek one more time, then maneuvered them both so she could stand up. “Do you need to let me out the window?”

Hurley shook her head. “Lee owes me one, and no one else should be here this early,” she said.

“I’ll see you tonight, then.”

Hurley smiled as Sloane left, and Sloane thought, that smile is powerful. That smile could keep her here, keep her aloft when she thought nothing could.

 Months later, Sloane would hold Hurley in her arms again, as she was dying, and remember that day. Remember that smile.

You’re in trouble, Hurley would sing-song, and Sloane would feel like she was falling, her heart dying as Hurley’s veins turned black.

She couldn’t fix this one, couldn’t keep them aloft. Not now. But she could ground them both.

Hurley’d driven off a cliff for her. The least she could do was fall with her.

Don’t let it happen again.

 here is the deepest secret nobody knows

(here is the root of the root and the bud of the bud

and the sky of the sky of a tree called life;which grows

higher than soul can hope or mind can hide)

and this is the wonder that's keeping the stars apart

 ~ “[i carry your heart with me(i carry it in]”, e. e. cummings