#“I was absolutely livid until I realized that he had done it to reveal that my boyfriend was cheating on me with my girl best friend!”

[sarastellasari]

I love Reddit storytimes so much 😭

[indiaalphawhiskey]

More entrapment thoughts.

I’m so fascinated by the entrapment accusation because it was such an interesting choice of dialogue to portray Colin’s turmoil in that moment, specifically because it was such a ridiculous accusation, and the audience knows that. That’s why the shock factor was so high — they wanted us to feel slapped in the face because they wanted us to laugh derisively at it (knowing all that we know about the pains he went through to entrap her, even if unconsciously) and look closer, not just take Colin’s words at face value.

Like one obvious point was that it was a call back to Marina’s scheme, and being lied to was such a huge trauma for him. But beyond that, if you analyze who exactly Colin had become since the carriage, you’ll realize his singular goal since getting engaged was to secure Penelope as his wife, by almost any means necessary.

“All will be well. I am sure of it.”

“I would understand if you do not now share my feelings.”

“I will be patient until you are ready to unfold, whatever it is you are feeling.”

“If you will still have me.”

“I want to be worthy of you.”

He tries — so bravely and valiantly — to brace himself and his heart for what he’s convinced is inevitable: her changing her mind.

So much so that even when he is truly livid with her, he says “I thought I was not worthy but you are the one at fault” NOT “but you are the one who is not worthy” because he may be devastated, but he cannot lie to himself (or her). He knows, maybe even more after the reveal, that she is who he wants.

And so, the entrapment accusation is completely in character because it’s just another desperate move to secure her; it’s him, heading her off at the pass, having (understandably) lost all his valiant attempts at gentlemanly benevolence, and putting his foot down, because he’s scared. He’s scared that she now has a plausible way out (something he is still convinced she was looking for) and he has to remind her that she absolutely fucking does not, thank you very fucking much.

Also, a part of me really wonders just what exactly he would have done if she took the bait and gave the ring back.

[baronessblixen]

Prompt: 9. "I wouldn't do that if I were you."

How the Ghosts Stole Christmas post-ep, hurt/comfort, angst, fluff - all the fixings: Bill Jr. runs into Mulder in the middle of the night and it goes as well as you might expect. (wc: 1,286)

Tagging @today-in-fic @xffictober2023

Fictober Day 22: Cookie Theft and Other Crimes

He hasn't been sleeping, but he thinks that if he had, he would be wide awake now. Whoever is coming down the stairs isn’t quiet. Mulder watches and waits. It’s not Scully, he knows that much. She’d never make so much noise this late at night. It doesn’t take long until he sees the culprit. Of course, it’s Bill Jr.

Mulder gets up – quietly – and follows the other man into the kitchen, watching in amusement. This man, who hates his guts, and has threatened to take him down more than once, has snuck down in the middle of the night, to steal one of Mrs. Scully’s Christmas cookies.

“I wouldn’t do that if I were you.” It’s dark, but Mulder sees Bill Jr. jerk, his hand still in the air.

“What in- what the fuck are you doing here?” Forgotten are the cookies. Bill Jr. stands up tall and approaches him. “Did you break into my mother’s house? I’m going to call the police.”

“Your mother knows I’m here,” Mulder says calmly. At least he thinks she does. He knows that Scully knows he’s here. Right now, she’s the only one who matters to him.

“Right. Why don’t I believe you? You weren’t here earlier. I would have remembered seeing you. Are you still not done harassing my family?”

“What is going on down here?” The lights come on and both Mulder and Bill Jr. blink in surprise. Mrs. Scully stands before them with tired, but furious eyes, wearing a big, fluffy robe. She looks from one man to the other, not caring who gives her an answer.

“This punk here-”

“Your sister’s partner,” Mrs. Scully corrects him and Mulder bites back a smile. Bill, however, snorts.

“Did you know he was here? He is sneaking around down here in the dark.”

“Would you rather I be in your sister’s bedroom?” Mulder realizes his mistake as soon as the words have left his mouth. Mrs. Scully isn’t quick enough and Mulder doesn’t even try to move away when Bill Jr. swings his fist at him. There’s a sound that reminds him of stepping on a branch, and the thought distracts him so much, that for a moment, he doesn’t feel any pain.

“William Scully Jr.! Have you lost your mind?” It’s only when Mrs. Scully touches his jaw that he notices the metallic taste of blood in his mouth and the throbbing pain that comes with it.

“He deserved it.” Mulder doesn’t argue.

“Go wake your sister, Bill,” Mrs. Scully says while she gets an ice pack for Mulder. “Sit down, Fox.” Her voice goes from livid to gentle.

“I’m sorry, Mrs. Scully,” he says.

“It’s not your fault,” she says. “My son overreacted.”

“Did you know I was here?” She nods, holding the ice pack to his jaw.

“Not that Dana told me. I heard you two earlier.” Mulder blushes. There’s no reason to. They didn’t do anything scandalous. “She should have invited you all along.”

“She did. I didn’t want to get in the way of her family time.”

“Fox,” she says, giving him a stern look. “You are family. She missed you. I could see it in her eyes, you know? Not just you. Christmas is hard for all of us. It’s when her father… anyway. With what happened last year, in San Diego, I knew the day would be difficult for her. But she kept saying she was fine.”

“She always says that to me, too,” Mulder mumbles.

“That’s Dana for you. But you’re here anyway. I’m glad, Fox. I’m so glad she has you.” He nods, a lump in his throat. He’s not going to betray a confidence. This is not his story to disclose. He won’t reveal that Scully called him a few hours ago, her voice weak and trembling. She never asks for help. Never. Unless she absolutely has to. All he said to her on the phone was that he'd be there soon.

She opened the door to him and he took her into his arms. No words necessary. He held her as long as she needed it. They talked about Emily, and how she might have grown. How their lives would be if she were with them. Then, she finally fell asleep and he carried her upstairs. He could have left and maybe he should have. But he stayed on the couch, just in case. He’d planned to leave early in the morning before anyone else was awake.

“I’m the lucky one,” he says. “Because she’s in my life.”

Mrs. Scully is about to answer when two quarreling Scully siblings come down the stairs. He wonders how Bill’s wife and his son are sleeping through this.

“This is none of your business,” Scully says, pushing her brother away to get to Mulder. She immediately checks on him, her eyes full of worry. With her face so close, he can still see the redness from when she cried earlier. She’s touching his jaw gently, moving it this way and that.

"He started it," Bill says, but no one is paying attention to him.

“I don’t think anything is broken,” she says, her words brushing his skin. He smiles at her, hoping it’s enough of an apology.

“Well, then he can just leave.”

“It’s the middle of the night,” Scully says.

“So?”

“Fox isn’t going anywhere, Bill. He’s our guest.”

“I didn’t invite him.”

“I did.” When Bill wants to say more, his mother stops him. “He will stay here and have breakfast with us tomorrow.” She’s looking at Mulder now and it sounds like a threat. He nods quickly. “Now,” she says with a sigh. “It’s late and some of us are tired. Bill, go back to bed.”

“What about Dana?” he complains.

“She needs to tend to Fox, thanks to you. What were you even doing down here?”

“Oh, you know,” Bill suddenly changes his tune, walking toward the stairs, “I just wanted a glass of water.”

“There’s water upstairs,” Scully mumbles but either her brother and mother haven’t heard her, or they’re ignoring her.

“Hey,” Mulder says once they’re alone. “How are you feeling?”

“I should ask you that.”

“It’s not often that I almost get shot and beaten up in one night. Merry Christmas, huh? But I’m fine.”

“Why did he hit you?”

“Said something stupid,” Mulder says with a shrug. “I caught him trying to steal your mother’s cookies.”

“Well, thank you for guarding them.”

“You said your mother baked them for her church.”

“She did.”

“She would have noticed one missing.” There’s a gleam in Scully’s eyes all of a sudden and she turns to look at the cookies on the table. “Scully, no.”

“We can blame it on Bill,” she suggests.

“He hates me enough as it is.”

“I’ll let my mother know that you made sure neither of her children stole a single cookie,” Scully says with a low chuckle. “You’re gonna be her hero.” Her voice is soft and sweeter than sugar.

“Do you think you can fall back asleep?” he asks, turning serious again. “I am willing to share the couch.”

“I’d love that,” she admits after a pause. “Thank you for tonight, Mulder. I didn’t get to say it earlier. I appreciate it.”

“Even the haunted house?”

“Even that. I know why you did it.” She kisses his cheek and then takes his hand. She snuggles into him on the couch and is fast asleep in no time at all. Mulder closes his eyes and revels in holding her. He drifts off to sleep with the thought that Bill Jr. is going to flip out tomorrow when he finds them entwined like this. He can't help but smile.

[slasherscream]

All I Wanted

pairing:  Stu Macher x reader x Billy Loomis

summary: you’ve been with stu for awhile now and it’s a dream. your relationship is everything you’ve ever wanted... until you realize his best friend, billy, is in love with him. worse than that stu might be in love with him too. 

You didn’t realize it all at once. However you’d imagined the way someone would act in a relationship while being madly in love with someone else wasn’t the way Stu acted. He’d been the one to ask you out, and it was sudden. He went from being a friend of a friend - someone you nodded to in passing at parties - to a constant presence overnight. That was just the way Stu did things, all at once or not at all. You had been wary of his newfound position as your personal satellite. It was overwhelming, frankly. But there was only so long you could keep up your polite attempts at distance and rejection. Like a determined, yapping dog he chased after you until you had no choice but to hear him out, if only to get some peace and quiet. 

It started as one date, just so you could say you’d given him a fair chance. Then you went on another date, because the first date had actually been fun. Eventually you stopped keeping track of how many dates you let Stu drag you on. His personality didn’t change, he was still a little brash and loud. A party animal that could wear out even other energetic extroverts... but you discovered there was more to him than the way he acted in large group hangouts or wild ragers. He softened when it was just the two of you. Like a talented actor that takes a deep breathe once they’re off stage, done playing a draining character for an eager and judgmental audience. 

That shift, however slight it was, was the thing that won you over. The reason why you kept saying yes to dates, laughed when he tossed you onto his shoulder, let him pull you into his lap with little more than a bashful smile. It was the reason why, after a few months of this gentle drifting around one another, you asked him, “are we... together together?” And it was the reason why you smiled so wide he couldn’t give you a proper kiss when he said yes. 

Being with Stu was a bit of a package deal in that you also got his best friend Billy through sheer proximity. At first you didn’t really talk to each other. After your relationship with Stu became official it felt weird to not talk to one another, considering how much you saw each other. Billy was not like Stu. He became a person in your life gradually. Your relationship growing from half-assed greetings from Billy and awkward waves from you; to asking each other about your respective weekends; to studying together for shared classes; to talking adamantly about movies; to saying hello with hugs and smiles; to hanging out with one another even if Stu wasn’t around- which was rare but made you smile nonetheless as Billy was a man who kept his circle small, to say the least. 

Around the same time that you realize that you’re in love with Stu you also realize you aren’t the only one. You’d like to think of yourself as an observant person but even a blind man could see the way Billy looked at Stu. You were actually embarrassed that you hadn’t seen it in the first place. The way he searched for Stu whenever he entered a room. The way he’d stifle smirks at (terrible) jokes he’d reach out and hit the blond for. The way Billy never shrugged Stu off whenever he'd inevitably drape his body over Billy’s in some -  obnoxious - way. The way he let Stu talk through his favorite scenes in movies without telling him to shut up... usually. You noticed all these little things, your gut twisting a little with each observation. 

You found yourself looking up at Stu during a movie night, watching the TV throw neon color against his face instead of the TV itself, and the understanding that you loved him washed over you warmly and easily. The feeling was a sharp contrast to the screams of the character on the screen being brutally murdered. Your eyes just happened to drift away from your boyfriend’s face to behind him, where Billy was sitting. He too was watching Stu instead of the movie. You’d seen the look on his face plenty, though you hadn’t seen it on his face in particular before. Or maybe you had, you thought to yourself, lead settling in your stomach and throat, you just hadn’t known it. Hadn’t wanted to know. 

If there was anything Billy was good at it was keeping his feelings close to his chest, never revealing his cards. You made eye contact for just a moment before he hastily looked away but it was enough. You knew without a doubt, in that one moment of vulnerability that one of Billy’s secrets was that he was in love with Stu. 

You let the new knowledge settle in your mind for a long while. Kept watching their interactions, but with a new understanding. Which is how you came to an even worst conclusion. That Stu was in love with Billy too. 

If you’d felt blind before you didn’t know what you were now. It was so obvious. Stu couldn’t keep a secret for the life of him. He chased after Billy the way he chased after you. Hungry for the slightest bit of attention or acknowledgement, lighting up like the sun when it was given. It would’ve made you smile if it didn’t break your heart. 

You didn’t realize you’d come to a decision until you’d already begun the actions to support it. Distancing yourself. Cancelling dates. Shying away from a hug, and then a kiss, and then nearly everything. Not picking up calls or returning texts. You believed firmly in communication in a relationship up until this point but you didn’t know how to say I can’t watch you be in love with someone else when I’m so in love with you I don’t know what to do with myself. You didn’t know what bad rom-com to watch that would help you figure out the right words to tell him so you didn’t tell him anything at all. 

You don’t know why you thought someone as stubborn as Stu would just accept the slow detangling of your lives that you were trying to achieve. 

“What’s going on?” He asked without hesitation, ambushing you outside of your last class of the day. You sighed and dragged him to the classroom next door that was open but thankfully empty. 

Leaning against the teacher’s desk you buried your head in your hands, throat already tight and eyes already stinging. “I think we should break-up.”

“What?” You didn’t have to look up to know the crestfallen face he was making, he was always so expressive you could hear it perfectly in his voice alone.

“I want to breakup.” You repeated, willing your voice not to break. 

“Why? What did I do wrong? I’m sorry - whatever I did I swear I’m sorry,” you felt a hand on you then, trying to pry yours away from your face, trying to drag you into his arms and you flung yourself out of his reach. In doing so you caught a glimpse at his face and your chest went tight. He looked seconds away from begging and you knew you couldn’t withstand that. Knew it would break your heart more than it was already broken and you didn’t know how that could be. Didn’t know how the ache in your chest could get worse but you could feel it already. “Baby please let’s just talk about this-”

“I have to go. I have to go, I have to go-” You shoved past him to leave the room and ignored his cries for you to come back, slow down, please come back - 

You sat in your car, head against the steering wheel for a long time before you drove home. You wanted to wait until you stopped crying to drive. 

You didn't have to turn off your phone. It rang so much that eventually the battery died and you didn't even have to get out of bed. You laid there still for hours, not sure you were feeling anything at all until you heard your window sliding open. You scrambled for the light on your nightstand, switching it on in a panic only to deflate when you saw it was only Billy crawling through your window.

He looked absolutely livid. 

“Hi Billy,” you managed, even though you didn’t want to see anyone right now. Especially not either of the boys. 

“What the fuck?” He spat. 

“I’m doing wonderfully thank you for asking. How are you?” 

“Don’t be cute you know why I’m here.” He stalked across your room and loomed over your bedside, clutching the headboard so hard his knuckles were white. You looked at his hands for a long moment and then up at his face, so close to yours you were breathing the same air. 

“Sorry. Sit down with me please.” You patted the space beside you and waited for him to give in despite his anger. Eventually he climbed onto your bed, with his shoes on but you didn’t scold him like you usually would considering the circumstances. 

“I broke up with Stu, as you know,” you started.

“Is that what you’re calling that bullshit you pulled?”

You sat for a long moment, gathering your thoughts. You didn’t want this conversation to last for long. Just seeing Billy and having to think more on your unfortunate love life was like digging your fingers into a festering wound. 

“Do you want to know why?” Before he could answer you continued, “You’re in love with him and he’s in love with you and I can’t get in the way of that.”

Silence settled in the room, oppressive. You weren’t uncomfortable though. You allowed it to be quiet for a moment, letting your words sink in. “You’re in love with each other and I’m not mad at either of you. How could I be? I’m the one who came into your relationship. Before me it was just the two of you.”

“But just because I’m not mad doesn’t mean I can hang around and watch you two want each other so...so much,” your voice breaks and there’s the all-too familiar pressure behind your eyes that you can’t help, “it’s too much for me, Billy, and it’s not fair. Not to any of us.” 

You move so that you’re no longer sitting beside him, but in front of him, and you take his hand and clutch it between your own. You’re surprised you’re not met with resistance. His face is carefully blank but you think you might’ve shocked him. You’re not sure with what. The fact that you know he’s in love with Stu, the fact that Stu is in love with him too, or maybe he hadn’t even known he was in love with Stu. You think it’d be easy to be in love with someone for so long you don’t even know it’s love. It just becomes your default state, that love. 

“I want you two to be happy together. I mean that. Don’t pretend you don’t love him and don’t doubt that he loves you. He does, Billy. I promise he does. You should see the way he looks at you.” You smile sadly at him and squeeze his hand. He looks down at your hand and his grip tightens ever so slightly. 

“I’m stepping aside because it’s the right thing to do. God knows how long you’ve been in love with each other.”

“He loves you.” He finally gets out. The words sound punched out of him.

“Maybe,” you shrug, “But if he does it’s not as much as he loves you. Can’t be. You’re his best friend and his.... well, we’ve only been together a few months. Not even a year yet. That’s nothing compared to the two of you.” 

“But you love him.” A simple statement but it makes you clench your teeth together so hard it hurts. 

“I do and I also love you. It wouldn’t feel right... to stay with him and keep him away from you. Or keep him from having who he really wants.” 

You look at each other for a long while and when you can’t stand it anymore and your tears finally start to fall you throw yourself forward and hug him as tight as you can. You think it’ll be the last time you hug him. Maybe the last time you’ll see him, other than in passing. And you do love him, even though this moment hurts and it might hurt for a long time. Some things and people are more important than hurting. Than getting the things you want, no matter how bad you may want them. 

He slowly wraps his arms around you and then all at once he hugs you back just as tightly. You stay hugging one another for a long time and when you pull away he slides off your bed and leaves out through your window without another word. 

You lay back down in your bed and don’t go to sleep. 

It’s a week until you see them both again. A week of forcing yourself to leave the house as you still have school and work and other life obligations, broken heart not withstanding. 

Despite the fact that you go to the same campus and share a few classes you hope against hope that you might avoid them for awhile. You resign yourself to knowing that you’ll have to see them again at some point, of course, but you tell yourself it doesn’t have to be that bad. It will be between classes. In passing at parties. At favorite shared eateries. Nothing you wouldn’t be able to handle with a polite wave or tense smile. You wouldn’t even have to say hello, they’d understand. And as strange as it may seem you hope that when you do eventually see them around you’ll see them together. Holding hands. Smiling at one another. Maybe sharing a kiss. As much as it would hurt it would also warm you. Let you know that the pain you were feeling did them some good. Two of your most important people. That they were happy together could be enough for you, more than enough. 

(You hoped that the longer you repeated that mantra the more true it would become.)

They drag you into a classroom. The same one you dragged Stu into the day you broke up with him. You have to laugh at the poetry of it even as you instantly feel like drooping in on yourself at having to see them so soon. You were just walking past absentmindedly when a hand wrapped around your bicep and yanked you through the doorway. You knew at the touch alone that it was Billy. 

You forced yourself to not look as empty as you felt and instead, with herculean effort, you settle on trying to look fed up, “Really?”

“You wouldn’t pick up our calls.”

“You haven’t even tried to call me!” You protest.

“There wouldn’t have been a point. Your stubborn ass wouldn’t have picked up.” Billy smirks and you’re very much about to address that statement when arms wrap around your middle and pull you back snugly into a warm chest. 

You shut your eyes tight, feeling pained at the familiar embrace and stifle a wounded noise. Just barely. In the quiet of the room it’s still audible and it makes you feel pathetic. “Please let me go, Stu.” 

You want to sound firm but you just sound like you’re begging, seconds away from crying.  

“No,” He says simply although his voice is heavy with an emotion you can’t place, “You’d make a mad dash for the door and we’d actually like to manage to talk to you.” 

“Will you let me go if I promise not to run?” You bargain, wanting him to stop touching you so it will be easier to forget the feeling. 

You feel the sigh he lets out but he releases you begrudgingly and you step further away from him, not turning around to look at him. This puts you further into Billy’s space, who had apparently moved closer but you mind that proximity far less. 

“What would you like to talk about?” 

With a gentle but firm grip you’re turned around to face Stu and you feel breathless looking up at his face and seeing how softly he’s looking down at you. It’s an expression he’s made before but so much more intense it makes you freeze up. He let’s go of your waist to hold your face with both hands, making sure you can’t look away from him.

“I do love Billy,” you close your eyes, wondering why he’s telling you that when you know, god do you know but he shakes your head gently and chides you, “hey no -  don’t do that. Look at me and let me finish, babe. Okay?” 

He waits for you to nod before he keeps talking, “But I love you too - and I don’t love you less, either. I might love you different but not less, and I’m sorry that I ever let you think that. Sorry that I made you feel like... like you had to-” 

“I didn’t feel like I had to do anything. I wanted to leave. I want you two together. I want you happy.” You interrupt. 

Billy steps further into your space, and it feels like there’s a moment of hesitation, and then he’s wrapping his arms around your waist and pulling you backwards into his hold, “You’re not listening.”

“You make me happy. You make me so happy and I’m so in love with you it’s ridiculous. When you were avoiding me. When you stopped talking to me and started to shut me out I felt like I was going fucking crazy.” The way he looks at you makes you believe him and you feel guilty for the way you’d gone about things. You wish you’d ripped off the band-aid instead of peeling it off. 

“I don’t want you to step aside. I don’t want you playing the martyr and being alone.” Stu says firmly, more serious than you’ve ever seen him. There’s a set to his jaw that’s alien and an intensity behind his eyes you’ve only ever seen small glimpses of. You feel so seen by his gaze you start to squirm. 

“But you love each other. You deserve-” You argue.

“We love you, too.” Billy interrupts before his lips find the space behind your ear and kisses it gently, making your brain short circuit. 

“What?”

“You heard him - we love you too. As much as we love each other.” Stu says, voice for the first time sounding happy, normal, teasing. 

“But- “ You sound weaker now, you don’t want to argue this. There’s a hopeful thing rising up in your chest that you try to ruthlessly shove down. But Stu is looking at you like you hung the moon and Billy is wrapped around you like you might slip away any moment and he’s trying to convince you to stay just by holding you. 

And suddenly for the first time since that last movie night you’re thinking about what you want again and... and you want Stu so much it hurts; and you want Billy too, who, now that you’re thinking about it, you might also be in love with. Just a little.

(You would have fought anyone else for Stu, friendship status or knowing him longer be damned. Because you love him, you love Stu in a way you’d never thought you could love someone. But you love Billy too. Love Billy enough to step aside. Love them both enough to let them have each other. Love them both enough to be alone just so they can be together.)

“We want to be with you,” Billy says, “I want to be with you. I’ve never had... no one has ever done something for me like what you did. No one but Stu has ever given that much of a damn about whether or not I’m happy, and I love you. ” With that he grabs your hair and moves your face out of Stu’s grip, tilts your head back far enough until he can place his lips over yours. 

You melt into the kiss faster than you’d like. Even as you do that- enjoying the way Billy’s kiss doesn’t let you hesitate or give you a second to breathe-  you find yourself reaching forward blindly until you grip onto Stu and tug him closer to the both of you. When the front of his body is plastered to the front of your own, his hands moving to grip your hips tightly you moan into Billy’s mouth and Stu laughs and it sounds relieved and like he might cry. You reach down to cover one of his hands with your own and squeeze. He buries his face in the side of your neck and sighs happily. 

When Billy pulls away your lips are tingling and the kiss was so filled with a simmering heat you don’t even say something snarky enough to wipe the smirk off his face. It’s sweeter than his usual smirk anyway and you chase after his lips just to drag the bottom one with a playful bite. He takes a sharp breath and his hand tightens in your hair.

“Three musketeers, how about it Y/N?” Stu says from where he places open mouthed kisses in all the places he knows make you shiver.

“Yes.” You laugh and maybe start to cry but they’re both there to hold you and wipe away your tears. 

You’re not crying because you’re sad. You’re crying because you’re overwhelmed at the fact that you’re getting all you’ve ever wanted. 

[beskarhearts]

Where You Belong (Din Djarin x reader)

Connection series Pt. 7

Pairing: Din Djarin x reader (no use of Y/N)

Warnings: cursing, nightmares, loss, anxiety, angst (and lots of fluff)

Word count: over 7.5K

Summary: Din takes you on a picnic but also realizes he had forgotten to tell you something very important.

Notes: This chapter... it was an experience to write it. I am really interested to see your reaction to it and I hope you love it! I was also wondering from any other fanfic writers and from you readers: what do you think is the best time to post new chapters?

Previous Part ____ Next Part

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You walked into your grandmother’s room to find her pacing around frantically. You instantly recognized the expression on her face. She was pissed. Absolutely livid. Her face was all scrunched up, her eyebrows bunched together, and she was biting her lip raw. She didn’t even notice you in the doorway, clearly too busy being consumed in her thoughts. “Who put you in this great of a mood, Gram?” you joked, half expecting her to go off on a tangent about your mother. The two of them had been at each others throats lately, especially ever since you accidentally revealed to your mom that your grandma had been training you.

Her train of thought broke and she jumped at the sound of your voice, clearly not expecting any visitors. She turned to look at you, her eyes warming up a little bit at the sight of you but you could still feel the upset radiating off her body. You both were similar in that way: you both felt deeply. “Damn Mandalorians.”

It was now your turn to scrunch up your eyebrows, giving her a quizzical expression at her answer. You had heard of Mandalorians and knew they were armored bounty hunters. But your knowledge didn’t really surpass that.  “Mandalorians?”

She scoffed, as if the question was so stupid, and shook her head. “Yes. I ran into one on my way home from town and,” she bit her lip, trying to find something to say besides just a string of curse words “They are ignorant and awful people.”

The statement shocked you. Gram was a strong, hard-headed woman who wasn’t ever afraid to tell the truth. But she wasn’t biased. She was accepting of all people, creatures, animals, and even droids. It was just part of her, to accept people as they were and not judge them based off what they looked like or their beliefs. “Woah. What is so wrong with Mandalorians?”

You knew it wasn’t because of their job. You lived on Jakku your whole life and had seen everything, from scavengers to bounty hunters to even worse. It was part of everyday life here and never appeared to bother her. “They hate us. Because of who we are.”

“What?”

“Mandalorians and Jedis do not get along. They are enemies.”

She finally sat down on her bed, strumming her fingers against her thighs. She was still frustrated but seeming to calm down. You sat next to her, looking over at her. “Why?”

“There was a Mandalorian-Jedi War that happened on their planet, the planet of Mandalore.”‘

“Mandalorians have their own planet?”

“Not anymore. In the war, the Jedi’s won but they destroyed Mandalore. It’s practically inhospitable.”

Your face softened. That sounded horrible. You couldn’t imagine your home planet just being destroyed into absolute nothingness. Your Gram noticed your expression and shook her head. “You are too kind. You can’t empathize with the Mandalorians.”

“Their whole entire planet got destroyed. That seems... extreme.”

The woman stood up, now facing you with a fierceness in her eyes and her finger pointed at you. “The only reason that war happened is because the Mandalorians hated us. They didn’t understand our powers and instead of leaving us alone, they created weapons and armor to destroy us.”

“Okay. But that was in the past.”

“It doesn’t matter. That hatred is still there.” She bent down so she could be eye level. “Listen to me closely. If you ever meet an Mandalorian, do not trust them or befriend them. Because as soon as they learn what you are, they will hate you and probably want to kill you. Mandalorians are brutish people with no compassion. They might as well be damn droids. Do you understand?”

You had never heard your grandmother speak about anyone like this and it shocked you to the core. You questioned whether or not this was just some old beef she was still holding onto, or whether this was reality. Either way, you nodded your head slowly, not wanting to upset her further. “Okay. I won’t.”

_________________________________

“Din, this is taking forever.”

“Sweet one, you are being very impatient.”

“I just don’t like my vision being restricted.”

“I am leading you to something you will like.”

“Can’t I just close my eyes on my own and you can take your big man hands away from my eyes?”

“No. Because you will look.”

You huff at his response, crossing your arms as Din continued leading you towards this secret destination. It was true - you probably would try to sneak a peak - but you just wanted his hand off your face because it was making you uneasy. One hand was still gloved but the other wasn’t and that was the one covering your eyes. His whole hand was so large, covering a ridiculously large portion of your face, and they were warm. You could feel yourself flush from the skin to skin contact.  “Well, are we close at least?”

“Yes.” 

Din had told you that you guys were landing on a random planet and he had a surprise for you. He had locked you in the ship, telling you not look out the windows of the cockpit, and gone outside for what felt like forever. Then once he finally came back, he insisted you couldn’t look until you were at the surprise. But that had felt like forever ago and you two had just been walking on and on. You tried to pay attention to your surroundings as much as you could, gathering clues as to where you were and what you were doing. You knew their was grass because it was brushing against your ankles with each step you took towards your destination. It was also moist, meaning you were probably on a planet where it rained. Every once and a while, you would heard a loud squawk ring out, meaning there were animals of some type around. But otherwise, all you heard was the rustling of the breeze against the grass and what you believed to be trees. You didn’t hear any other voices or sounds for miles, meaning you were most likely completely alone.You could feel the sun on your skin, spreading warmth throughout your body. It sounded weird but you could smell the nature. You could smell the grass and the wind and something sweet - maybe a fruit or flower of some sort.

You continued walking until your foot tumbled into something hard, causing you to spring forward and Din held you up so you didn’t fall. “See? This is a safety hazard. I could of died just now.”

Din let out a scoff and he was so close that it felt like you could feel the modulator reverberate through you. “I’m holding on to you. You weren’t going to die.”

“That’s what you think. But just wait. A rock is going to take me out and then you will be sorry.” 

Din finally stopped, your body once again lurching against him in the sudden  change. His hand still covered your eyes, fingers pressed tightly together so you couldn’t peak through. “Are you going to keep blabbering or do you want to see what it is?”

You smiled big, finally satisfied that you had stopped walking. “We are finally done walking?”

“You whine a lot for a person being surprised.”

You let out a laugh at the insult. “And you are very bossy for a man being the surpriser.” 

Another exasperated sigh. “Maybe we should head back to the Crest.”

“Oh, shut up and take your hands off me.” Din’s hand finally dropped from your face and it took you a second to adjust to the surroundings. It was bright, the sun shining above you two. You blinked a few times, finally adjusting to the change when you let out a small gasp. 

You were stood in the middle of a field full of hundreds of flowers. They were of all kinds, some short and some tall. Some were large and some were small. They came in every color you could ever imagine and you swore you had never seen something so beautiful. You had never lived in a place that wasn’t mostly barren and almost monochromatic. You knew there were planets with flowers and colors and vibrancy, but you never could of imagined that it could be this gorgeous. You took a deep breath in, smelling the divine sweetness of all the plants surrounding you. A small laugh escaped your lips at the wonder of it. This seemed like a place totally unscathed by the word. It hadn’t been touched by the evil and corruptness of this galaxy and there was an inherent pureness to it. 

You heard a shuffle through the flowers and looked down to find the kid, grabbing at flowers with a big smile. You knew what was coming before it even happened as he grabbed a handful of petals and shoved it into his mouth. You giggled as Din bent over, scolding him about not eating everything he saw.

You turned back to look at everything when your eyes landed on a blanket in the middle of the field, laid out perfectly. It was one of the blankets you had bought at the marketplace, it’s beautiful array of colors nearly blending in with the flowers. Neatly arranged on the blanket was a variety of food and a container of drink. You felt the biggest smile crawl onto your face as you realized what it was. “Din Djarin, did you set up a picnic?”

You turned around, seeing him standing there in the field with the kid held in his arms. The sight of it took your breath away. The sun reflected off Din’s armor, making him stand out and shine. The contrast between the silver of the metal and the flowers around him was stunning. The kid was held in his arm, trying to get away with a big toothy grin on his face, a petal in the corner of his mouth as his ears flopped gently in the breeze. You were taken aback by how beautiful your family was and how much joy a single moment like this could make you feel. You felt in that moment like this is where you belonged. Wherever Din was was where you knew you were meant to be.

“Yeah. I guess I did.” Din said, shrugging his shoulders as if this wasn’t the one of the nicest things anybody had ever done with you. You found yourself wanting to run towards him and hug him, feel him hold you in his arms, with your kid between you guys letting out little giggles. “I thought this would be okay. A nice stop.”

“Okay?” You shook your head at Din. “Din, this is... breathtaking. I have never seen anything like this.”

Din stepped towards you, his helmet leaning down as you made eye contact with his visor. “I’m glad. You deserve something like this.”

You shyly smiled at his words, cursing yourself for feeling your face heat up. “So do you, Din.” 

_________________________________

You had now spent hours out here, sitting in this field with Din while just talking and playing with the kid, who had somehow successfully caught (and eaten) three butterflies. The sun was setting and the temperature was dropping slightly, although it was a pleasant, welcoming coolness after a day in the sun. You had eaten food and it was all delicious. Succulent, juicy fruits and bread that had been warmed by the sun. Now the child was asleep and back in his hover pram, the cover on completely in order to block any light from bothering him. 

You turned to look over at Din, who had sat with you the whole time, and suddenly felt incredibly rude. “Din, you didn’t eat anything.”

Din shrugged his shoulders. You knew he probably hadn’t even noticed. When you first joined him, you noticed that he could go hours without eating. It was very inconvenient for him to eat, especially when there were people around. And you understood that but you swore the man could go literal days without consuming anything and he wouldn’t even think twice about it. You eventually started forcing him to eat, leaving him alone in the hull of the ship while you and the kid sat in the cockpit, that way he could eat alone and properly enjoy a meal. “I’m fine.” 

You shook your head and started pushing the food in front of him. “No, come on. You need to eat.” You looked all around, surveying the area for any people. You hadn’t seen a single soul today and Din told you there were no inhabitants on the planet, which you found shocking. “How about I take the kid back to the Crest and you can eat out here? Enjoy the fresh air.”

You started rising from your place on the ground when Din grabbed at your arm, pulling you down. “No. Don’t go.”

You smiled at the tone of his voice. “It’s fine.”

“Wait,” You paused again, looking back at Din to see his helmet looking right at you. “I trust you.”

You scrunched up your eyebrows, not exactly sure how that pertained to the discussion but you still felt warmth pool in your chest. “I’m very glad you trust me but I don’t know what that has to do with you eating.”

“I have an idea.”

You quirked an eyebrow, tilting your head at him. “What?”

“Just sit right there, okay?” 

You nodded slowly, dropping yourself back down next to him. You watched as Din’s hand left your wrist and he brought them up to his neck, pulling at the bunch of fabric wrapped around it. “Din, what are you doing?”

The fabric pooled away from his neck and you tried your best to tear your eyes away from the skin but found it hard to. His skin was tan, surprising to you since he always wore the armor, but it looked warm and inviting. “Just let me do something.”

Din scooted closer to you, taking the scarf in his hands and folding it over before bringing it up to your face. You leaned back a little until he pulled the fabric over your eyes and you realized what he was doing. You felt him tug at the back of your head, securely tying the fabric in place. “Can you see anything?”

You turned your head in the direction the voice was coming from. It was pitch black and you wouldn’t be able to see a thing unless you tore the fabric away. “No. Completely dark.”

“You okay like that?”

You smiled softly at his question. You appreciated how he always checked in on you, to make sure you were okay. Even if it inconvenienced his comfortability. “Yes. I’m very comfortable with blindfolds.” You meant it as a joke but felt yourself cringe at the words that spilled from your mouth. “That sounded way worse than I meant it.”

You heard Din snort, a sound that wiped away any embarrassment you felt. “Okay. I’m going to take it off. Just don’t take the scarf away from your eyes.”

“I won’t.”

A click rung out, followed by a long hiss, and it suddenly hit you. Din was taking his helmet off. You knew he did that before. He surely didn’t shower or sleep with it on. But when he was doing those things, you weren’t sat right next to him. You didn’t have the power to look, not that you ever would put him in that situation. You found yourself wondering if he had ever done this before with anyone else. 

You heard some shuffling and a plop on the blanket, probably him placing his helmet right next to him. You listened closely for the next sound to signal what was happening when you heard him take what sounded like a bite, that was followed by a hum. You smiled, glad that Din was able to enjoy the meal and not just scarf it down as fast as possible like he always did. “This fruit is good.”

Maker. You felt like your whole entire body just melted. It hadn’t even crossed your mind that since Din’s helmet was off, you would hear his voice. Like his actual voice. Nothing modulated or tainted by a helmet. Just him. And it was the best sound you had ever heard. His voice was still kind of raspy like it was in the helmet, but softer and so much warmer. It reminded you of the sun and the happiness it brought you. And it was a weird thing to think, but you thought that his voice sounded like how brown eyes look. At least how you think his eyes looked. You suddenly cursed his damn helmet for blocking out his sweet voice and couldn’t believe this was your first time hearing it, unfiltered and just so uniquely Din. 

“Y-yeah.” You mumbled out, still being so affected by hearing his voice. 

“Are you okay?” You smiled brightly at his question. You swear you could listen to him talk all day. The man could never shut up and you would be perfectly content. You found yourself plotting ways to get him to take off the helmet so you could hear it more often, not caring that you had to wear a blindfold in order to hear it.

“Yeah. Why?”

“You are just... smiling.”

You probably looked like a raging lunatic, a blindfold over your eyes and the biggest smile on your face as Din just sat there and ate. “I’ve never heard your voice before. At least not without the helmet.”

“Oh.”

“You’ve got a great voice.” 

“I have a great voice?” Genuine confusion could be heard and you let out a little chuckle at it.

“Yes. It’s nice. Comforting.” You spared him anymore details, probably already making a fool of yourself and not wanting to embarrass him further by droning on about his voice, because you knew you could do it.

“I’ve never had anyone tell me that. Though I can’t really think of anyone whose heard my voice before.”

“Well, I feel honored.” You laid back against the blanket, not being able to see it, but facing the sky. You brought your hands to behind your head, leaning back on them. “Talk more.”

A small noise, perhaps a clearing of the throat, could be heard in response to that. “About what?”

You paused a moment, thinking before coming to an answer. “Teach me some Mando’a.” You loved hearing Din speak Mando’a. It was a part of his life he was able to share with others and you imagined hearing him speak it without the helmet on was even better.

“Okay. Let me think.” Din paused and you heard him take another bite. You imagined him, fully clad in his armor with his head poking out. You had a hard time imagining his face but you still had a few ideas. He probably had brown hair that matched eyes. He didn’t seem like a guy with light hair or really, really dark hair. He probably had a nice, strong chin that matched his personality. “Mesh’la.”

You repeated the word, nodding when he hummed to indicate you pronounced it properly. “What does that mean?”

“Beautiful.”

You smiled. That seemed like a perfect word to describe this moment. “Good word for this place.”

“Yeah.”

“What else?”

“Aliit. That means family.”

You smiled again. “Aliit. I like that word. Keep going.”

“Cabur.” 

“And that means?”

“Protector.” 

“Very fitting for you.”

“You think so?” His voice was softer this time and you could sense a feeling of either pride or perhaps gratefulness. It made your heart soften. You knew how seriously he took protecting you guys, and cabur seemed like the perfect title for him. 

You nodded quickly. “Of course, Din. Tell me more.”

“So needy.” You heard him laugh and Maker, it was even better than his voice. Even warmer and brighter. 

“Shut up and keep talking.” You teased, one of the corners of your lips quirking upwards.

“Mir’sheb.”

“Ooh, let me guess. Something sweet and nice.”

“Smart ass.”

You let out a loud laugh at that one, sitting upright again, getting closer to Din and hearing his laugh echo out once again into the field. His laugh was all-consuming and like that first breath of fresh air after going so long without it. “What does shit head mean? That way I can have a new, special nick name for you.”

Din let out another laugh at the joke. “I don’t know about shit head but shit is osik.”

“I like that word.”

“Of course you do.” 

You both chuckle and you hear him eat some more food. “One more word.”

You heard him hum, pausing for a few moments. “Murcyur.”

“What does that one mean?”

“Kiss.” 

You froze completely. Why the hell would Din say something like that? Because now all you can think about is kissing Din and the mere thought of it is giving you heart palpitations and you feel like you might just explode. His lips are just out, exposed. Probably very kissable. They are probably like his hands - rough but also soft. The kind of lips that are masculine but gentle, not over aggressive. 

Shit. This is not okay. You can’t be thinking about kissing Din. Because this is just a rabbit hole and one second you are thinking about kissing Din and the next you are wanting to marry the man. And you don’t live the kind of life where you can just think things like this.

Then you realized you couldn’t see Din and what if he was going to do something. Something like kiss you. You’re pretty sure that if he did that, you’d fucking pass out and you can’t have that happen. You let out an awkward chuckle, not even sure why you were laughing but not able to stop it. “Good to know, buster.”

Where the fuck did buster come from? You are pretty sure you have never, ever said that word your whole entire life. And you are certain that is the dumbest thing you’ve ever said. Out of all the dumb shit to leave your mouth, that took the cake. Change the topic, dumb ass. “Can I ask you a question?”

You didn’t even have a fucking question planned. What were you doing? You heard Din say, “Yeah.” and your mind blanked. 

Any question. A single question. “What happens if someone sees your face?” 

Great, now he probably just thinks that is all you care about. “What do you mean?”

“Like, what if you are in the refresher and I accidentally walk in on you? Do you have to kill me?”

“Do you often think about walking in on me when I’m in the refresher?” Din said the words plainly, like he was asking an innocent question, but you swore you could hear the grin on his face.

You scoffed theatrically, hoping you weren’t showing just how flustered you were. “No. I was just inquiring.”

Din hummed, still teasing you, and you suddenly wanted him to shut up very badly. He was getting too cocky. “Well, one of two things happen if someone sees me. First option is I kill them.”

“Well then I will definitely never walk in on you in the shower.” You paused. “N-not that I wanted to.”

“Well, I wouldn’t kill you anyways. I never could.”

“What then? Drop me off on a planet?”

Din scoffed like you had suggested the most ridiculous thing in the world. “I would never abandon you. Ever.”

“Well then, what is this second option?” Din is suddenly silent and if you didn’t know better, you’d say he simply disappeared. “Hello?”

“Well, you either kill them or... ummm-” You hear him fumble with his words and normally you’d find it adorable (especially without the helmet) but now it is just making you nervous.

“Or..?”

“Marry them.”

Now that caused you to take a sharp intake of air in and then start choking like a damn idiot. You swore that the galaxy had it out for you in that moment because this was all way too much for you to handle. Din and you in a field of the most beautiful place you’ve ever seen, talking about kissing and marrying and hearing his voice... It was like you were overdosing. 

Then you were hit with the realization of what Din truly said. If Din wouldn’t kill you or ditch you if you ever accidentally saw him... shit. “Huh... neat.” You muttered, finally trying to collect yourself.

“You okay?”

“Oh, yeah.” Make a joke or something. “You just better hope I never accidentally see that face of yours because you don’t want to be stuck with me as your riddur.”

“How do you know that word?”

“What word?”

“Riddur.”

Oh shit. You hadn’t even thought of the fact that the woman at the stand had taught you that word and not Din. “You must have said it before.”

“I’ve never said that word before.”

“Oh, yes. It must of been from my secret Mando’a tutor then.” You smirked, hoping Din shrugged it off and luckily he didn’t say anything else.

“Let me put my helmet back on.”

“You don’t have to. I’m fine.”

“No. It’s getting dark and I’ve had it off long enough.” You heard some movement and then a click that you registered as Din’s helmet being put back on. You then heard him shuffle towards you, his fingers untying the knot and the scarf dropping from your eyes. You blinked a few times and realized it was getting pretty dark, the sun just barely skirting the horizon. You turned, seeing Din besides you, putting the scarf back around his neck. 

You gave him a small smile. “This was nice.”

“Yeah. It was.” He gave you a small nod before starting to stand. “We should start heading back to the Crest.”

“Yeah.”

_________________________________

Your nightmares happen way less often but now when they occur, it’s worse than before.

It is always the same thing. Your home, the very place you had been born in all those years ago, was up in flames, illuminating the night sky in a way that caused your stomach to twist up. The wounds on your back and arms were fresh, stinging so much with every movement that it felt like you would bunch over and hurl from it. You keep stumbling and that’s when you find them. Your parents, laid on the ground like rag-dolls. Like they were meaningless. And every time you see them, you let out a wail so loud it seems to consume every part of your being, until you are nothing but the very pain you feel.

That is usually how it would end. But now it wouldn’t just be your parents. Din would be there, in his beskar armor, laid out on the ground. And you couldn’t see his face but every fiber of your being knew he was gone and it was your fault. You would feel your stomach absolutely drop and this terrifying dread fill every part of your body, consuming you until you felt like you’d collapse. And even when you eventually woke up, sweat covering your body and your hands shaking, that feeling would still be there, eating you up raw.

Tonight was no exception. You woke up in the middle of the night, hyperventilating with such an overwhelming sense of guilt washing over you, almost drowning you in it. You brought your shaky hands up to your face, wiping away at the tears streaming down it. Nights like these were tough. You’d lay there on your cot, staring up at the ceiling and fighting sleep. Because you couldn’t fall asleep and see it again. The images were already burned into your mind and that was bad enough. Experiencing it again was a hell you couldn’t endure multiple times, especially not in the same night.

You sit up, planting your hands on your knees and taking deep breaths, trying to calm down. The Crest was completely silent, until you heard a small sound from the cockpit. You looked over to where Din slept, finding the door closed which meant he should of been asleep. You reach for the blaster you’ve kept hidden under your pillow, your fingers reaching around it and pulling it in front of you. Your hands were still shaking slightly but you held the blaster confidently in front of you, rising from the cot and slowly letting yourself step towards the noise coming from the cockpit, tip toeing silently towards the ladder leading to the small space. You keep one hand of the blaster, using the other to slowly make your way up. You pop your head up, blaster coming up with you, and exhale when you see it’s just Din in his seat, polishing some armor. 

“Din, what are you doing?” You quietly hiss, pulling your whole body up and into the cockpit, putting the blaster down and sitting down in the passengers seat.

Din looked up at you, his helmet moving from his armor to your face. He was in his pajamas still, long sleeve shirt and long pants covering most of his skin. “Did I wake you?”

“No. I,” You trail off, not wanting to bother Din with your nightmare. You would rather ignore it and just talk with him. “I just couldn’t sleep.”

“You were just knocked out when I came up here.”

“Oh, so you watch me sleep now?” You raise an eyebrow teasingly, already feeling more at ease. 

“Yeah. The drool really does something for me.”

You gasp at Din’s quip, your mouth slightly widened in shock. “I do not drool.”

“Okay, sweet one.” Din sarcastically said, his helmet rolling back down to the armor in his lap.

You roll your eyes, scoffing slightly to which you hear Din chuckle. “Why are you polishing your armor in the middle of the night?”

“Couldn’t sleep.”

“You okay?”

“Yeah. Just... thinking.”

You lean against one of the chair’s arms, tucking some hair behind your ears. “What were you thinking about?”

Din let out a small sigh and you furrowed your brows. Something was going on. He placed his armor on the floor besides him, looking back up to you. “What do you want from life?”

You tilted your head back, a little shocked by Din’s question. “What do you mean?”

“When you imagine your life in the future, what do you want?”

That was a heavy question. Once, long before the worlds cruel hands had twisted your life, you had hoped for a rather normal future. You could of seen yourself working on Jakku, taking over your father’s business. Maybe even settling down one day and having a kid or two. It was very domestic and probably boring, but it was calm and docile. So wildly different from the life you had been given so far.

But now life was so different. For the longest time, you didn’t think about your future. You just focused on getting through the day. Life was hard enough and plaguing yourself with thoughts of what could of been felt like a cruel joke. Now it was different, though. You found yourself hoping, yearning for some kind of future. And in every version of it, you found yourself incorporating Din somehow. Today you had done that very thing. Laying in that field with Din and the kid, no worries or concerns, made you think. It would be nice to live on a planet like this, where you didn’t have to worry about anybody or anything. Just you, the kid, and Din. 

But that kind of thought was embarrassing to admit out loud. Because while you could confidently say that you and Din were friends, in the end you had been hired to take care of the ship and the kid. And you guys never put a timeline on you job, but you knew it would come to an end one day. Whether that was cause the kid was older or Din didn’t need you anymore or maybe Din found something else, something you didn’t fit into.

“I don’t really know. One day I want to just... settle down, I guess. Not always be so worried.” You shrugged at your answer. It was true, but you let out a lot. “What about you?”

“I never really thought about it before. But now... with the kid and you, it’s hard not to.”

You quirked your head at the answer. You knew the kid had to be part of the reason why Din was thinking about this, but he also mentioned you. Did that mean that in his future he saw you? Or was he just thinking of how one day you’d be gone? “What do you mean?”

“I just want to do right by you guys. You two deserve to be happy and safe.”

“We are happy and safe.”

“This isn’t the life you two deserve. You deserve normalcy and-”

“Din, stop.” You saw the man lean back against his chair, exasperated. “You have changed my life for the better. And the kids. We were both in such dark places before you came along. So don’t belittle what you’ve done for us.”

“Yeah. But I can’t even get the kid to where he belongs.”

You pause at that. To where he belongs? What the kriff did that mean? He belonged with Din, his father, and you. He was safe here. “What?”

Din turned his helmet towards you and let out a loud sigh. “Dank farrik.” 

You looked up at him as he rose from his seat, putting his hands on his helmet like he was cradling his head. “What is it, Din?”

Din let his hands drop, looking over at you. “I haven’t told you something.”

Your heart stopped. This wasn’t good, at all. You could sense it in Din’s demeanor and his tone. “What is going on?”

“The kid... doesn’t belong with me. His powers are too much for me. I can’t help him. He needs someone who knows how to train him.” You knew where this was going before Din even finishes and you feel your stomach drop. “I was quested to find a Jedi who can take him in.”

You felt like you were going to throw up, your head dropping to look down into your lap. You couldn’t look at Din right now. “Why didn’t you tell me?” Your voice was shaking, tears pricking at your eyes. 

“I got lost in this, in you. It’s been so nice, like life is normal.” You knew exactly what he was talking about because you had felt it almost every day. And you should of known it was too good to be true. “I’m sorry, cyar’ika.” 

You felt his hands try to reach out for you and you pushed them away, finally looking up at him and feeling tears rush down. “Don’t.” You stood from your seat. “Don’t cyar’ika me. You should have told me.”

He should of. He knew how much you had lost. He knew your family had been ripped away from you and how hard it was for you to move on. And then he gave you a family. The kid and him were your new family. And you had dumbly let yourself fantasize about the future of your family. Of raising the kid with Din and maybe one day your relationship with Din would move further. You had let yourself do that, all without knowing that this family would be taken away from you too. And you were supposed to let it happen.

What Din was saying made sense. You knew the kid was powerful. You could feel it before you were made witness to his abilities. You knew it was why people wanted him, so they could exploit it. You thought that was the extent of it though. You didn’t think about how the kid would need training. You had let yourself get too caught up in your feelings and in your love for him to see past it, towards the kids future. 

“I know.”

“You kept that from me. You let me join you guys without warning me. You gave me a family... a family that’s got an expiration date on it.”

“What?”

“I have lost all my family, Din. I can’t do that again. You’ll find a Jedi and then the kid will be gone. And then I’ll be gone.”

“What are you talking about?”

You threw your hands up. “Din, the only reason I’m here is because the kid. Hell, the kid is the only reason you brought me on. Without him, you would of left me because you didn’t want me.” You feel your voice crack with the last sentence. You were distraught and angry and these emotions were wrecking havoc on you.

“That’s not true. All I want is-”

“No, it is.” You interrupted. “If the kid hadn’t liked me and wanted me to come, I wouldn’t have. Which means as soon as he is gone, my job here is done and I’m gone.” 

A silence fell over the cockpit, a tension so palpable that you swore you could cut into it. You hated this. You hated what you were feeling and you hated arguing with Din and you hated that you knew you were going to lose him. Part of you wished you were still naive, that you could of been allowed to think your silly little thoughts about family.

“I don’t want you to go. Please.”

You winced at the way Din spoke. It was raw and you swore you could feel the pain. But you just turned away. “I can’t do this again.”

“I lost my family too. I understand this.”

And maybe that was true. But you don’t think he would ever understand the guilt settling into the pit of your stomach. The kid needed a Jedi, someone who understood the Force and could train him. He needed a master, someone so exceptional because the kid’s connection with the Force was strong, making his powers even stronger. 

You were once trained. Your grandmother had shown you how to use the Force, how to be one with it and allow it to flow within you. But that night, when you had lost your family and used your abilities to kill... it wasn’t the same. You no longer felt a healthy respect for the Force and felt wonder at the way you were able to use it. All you felt was fear of what you could become. So you abandoned it, tried your best to forget all of your training and vowed to never use it. A vow you had now kept for years. Now all your training might as well had been reversed. Even if you wanted to use it, you couldn’t train the kid. It took years for your grandmother to train you and in order to even begin to think about training the kid, you would need to retrain yourself, which you didn’t even think was possible. And even it was possible, the child was too powerful for you. You’d never be able to help him like a true Jedi Master would be able to.

And you felt at fault for that. If you were a better Jedi, a better teacher, a better person, you’d be able to do it. And you’d be able to keep the kid with you and Din. You wouldn’t have to hand him off to someone you didn’t know.

“You don’t understand.” You croaked out, wiping away all the tears. 

“Then tell me what I don’t understand.”

You remembered your mother’s words. Her preaching to you over and over again to never tell anyone what you were. You remembered your Grandmother ranting about the distain between Jedis and Mandalorians and how if a Mandalorian learned what you were, they’d hate you. And you could of seen Din looking past that, not being biased. But now if he learned what you were and how you couldn’t train the child and keep his kid with him, he’d hate you. And you wouldn’t blame him. So you couldn’t ever tell Din, could never reveal that part of yourself to him. You’d have to keep it hidden like you’d done your whole life.

“I need to be alone.” You turned to the ladder, slipping down it without giving Din a chance to stop you. You marched over to where the kid slept, opening the door and finding him peacefully asleep, huddled with a blanket in his hammock. He was blissfully unaware of the way you were failing him and of the turmoil going on in your mind. You felt more tears fall down, your hand reaching out to grab his little hand.

You had gotten too close to him and Din. But you knew if you stayed, you’d only get closer. The child needed help. And Din was so intoxicating. You couldn’t distance yourself from either of them.

Unless you left.

_________________________________

Din found her sitting in the same field of flowers from yesterday, hugging her knees to her chest and staring into the sunrise. It was early morning and there was a crispness to the cool morning air. Even with the helmet on, Din could smell the sweetness of the flora. If the situation were different, Din would love to sit out here with her like they had done last night. But things were hard right now.

He hadn’t slept at all. He had just sat in the cockpit, staring out the window and reflecting on just how badly he had messed up. He knew he messed up, really bad. He knew it when he realized he had never told her about his quest. But he didn’t think he truly understood just how much it would have impacted her until she looked at him with those eyes. They were so full of hurt and betrayal, and Din hated that he was the one to cause it. That was when Din realized how much deeper this went for her. And he knew there was something she hadn’t told him. Something that was eating away at her, at his cyar’ika. And he wanted to know what it was so badly, but he also wanted to respect her boundaries like she had done for him time and time again.

Din stepped towards her, lowering himself down to sit besides her. She didn’t turn to look at him, her steady gaze remaining on the array of colors illuminating the sky as the sun rose. 

“I’m sorry.” Din’s heart broke at the apology she whispered, her voice cracking slightly. She had nothing to be sorry about. Everything that had happened was his fault. He should of told her about the kid as soon as he agreed to let her on and especially once they started getting so close. 

“You didn’t do anything wrong.” Din sighed, laying his hands down on each side of his body, clutching onto the ground like it was an anchor. “I should of told you.”

She nodded her head, finally looking over at him. He could see the fatigue on her face but in this light, she still looked so beautiful. It shocked Din how someone could so consistently take his breath away. “I understand it is hard for you too.”

That was definitely true. Din hadn’t had a family in so long. And now that he did, he was so scared of losing it but it also felt like a definitive. The kid had to be trained and it tore away at Din, but he couldn’t do it. The child needed someone who knew how to help him and Din knew it should be sooner rather than later. Perhaps that was why he never referred to the kid as his son and always kept this small barrier up. Because Din knew if he fully let the kid into his heart, he would break once he had to let him go. And perhaps that was the pain every parent had to endure but he couldn’t accept it. He had already lost too much.

And her words still echoed in his mind. Which means as soon as he is gone, my job here is done and I’m gone. Is that what she wanted? Or did she truly not realize how much he cared for her? Because Din heard that and felt like his heart had been ripped out of his chest. Unlike the child, Din allowed himself to get closer to her than any other person in the galaxy. Perhaps it was naive, but he thought once the kid was gone, he would still have her. That she would want to stay with him. That she would be by his side in whatever came next. “Sweet one.”

She closed her eyes for a minute at the nickname and Din brought a gloved hand up to her face, just barely brushing her cheek but he felt her lean into it. He wanted to touch her, to hold her and tell her just how much he cared for her. “Please don’t leave me.” His voice cracked and he felt himself choke up as she opened her eyes, looking straight at him. “I can’t lose you, cyar’ika.”

Her eyes softened and she nodded slowly. “I don’t want to go.”

“Then don’t. Even when the child is gone... you can stay. I want you to stay.” 

“Yeah?”

Din’s heart clench at her need for reassurance. He hadn’t even realized how reliant he was on her until the thought of her leaving scared him to death. He swore he needed her more than he needed air. “Yes.”

She reached her hand up, holding onto the one that touched her face. Din brought it away from her, feeling her twist her fingers within his. “Okay.”

Din let out a deep breathe, feeling whole again as she leaned her forehead against his helmet. She closed her eyes and Din brought his other hand to hers, linking his fingers with hers so both of his hands were full. This is where he belonged: with her. Wherever she was was his home. 

He felt the words on the tip of his tongue. But those three words had the power to change so much and he had already felt like he was so close to losing her. He couldn’t risk it.

Perhaps another time, he could tell her how much he loved her.

Tag List: @ilikethoseodds @dindaddy​ @poguesvixen @starspangledwidow​ @fangirlalexia​

[a-vintage-snake]

Don’t Make Me Be The Bad Guy

Pairing(s): Pre-romantic Moceit

Warnings: Dystopian future, implied torture

Characters: Janus Sanders, Patton Sanders, Roman Sanders, Logan Sanders, Remus Sanders, Virgil Sanders

Summary: After seven years of fighting, Patton and his superhero team finally capture the super villain known as Deceit. But when Patton discovers evidence that sheds a new light on their nemesis he starts to wonder... Did he do the right thing?

Word Count: 9411

Author’s Note: For @dramaticsnakes, who’s a wonderful reader and writer. And special thanks to @rainbowbutterfrosting who helped me finish this when I almost wanted to give up. (Also, as always I upload and edit the mistakes out after, so bear with me)

Read on AO3

In the end, it had been Patton who had struck the final blow.

It had been mostly a matter of luck, really. One moment where Patton managed to break through the henchmen’s defences. One moment where he saw that their nemesis’ back was turned to him. One moment where he made a split decision.

One moment. And that moment had made all the difference.

He didn’t quite realize he had thrown one of his famous lightning bolts until it hit square between his enemy’s shoulder blades. He stood there, paralyzed, as Janus Lyre (alias Doctor Deceit) crumbled to the floor. The battle around them grounded to a halt as well, as the henchmen saw their leader unconscious at the feet of their enemies. His teammates froze as well, looking up at Patton in gaping disbelief.

When time finally seemed to start again, everything went by in a blur. The henchmen managed to escape, unfortunately with the super weapon Patton and his team had come to destroy. But it didn’t even seem to matter.

“By Odin’s beard, Padre!” Roman lifts him up in a hug. “You did it!!”

“I… I did?” Patton confusedly asks, still feeling a little dizzy.

“You got him! You actually got him!” Roman puts him back on his feet with a giant grin on his face. “We can finally put him away!” “But the weapon-!”

“Forget the weapon! We’ve got the bastard, Heart!” Virgil grins. “After seven years we finally got him! It’s over!”

“Well, not exactly,” Logan pipes in, although he can’t seem to stop grinning too. “There’s still the matter of rounding up the rest of his organization-”

“Technical details, my friend!” Roman dramatically waves Logan’s objections away. “We got their leader! Not a henchman, not some lackey, their actual leader! How long do you think until their little League of Losers falls apart?”

“Even so,” Logan says. “Better not celebrate until Doctor Deceit is safely behind bars. You three search the building. Who knows, maybe some of his henchmen are still hiding somewhere,” Logan throws a scornful look down at the unconscious Janus at their feet. “I will stay here and stand guard.”

“Ah yes, I was just about to suggest that!” Roman says as he flips his hair proudly. “Great intuition, Nerdy and the Brain!”

“Yes, sounds like a good plan!” Patton quickly squeaks as Logan gains a look that says he’s about a minute away from using his telekinesis to throw Roman across the room. “How about you call in our superiors, Logan? We need to put this villain behind bars!”

“Excellent idea, Heart Shock.” Logan says gratefully, while ignoring Roman’s protesting noises. Roman loved making the calls on jobs well done (which to be fair hadn’t occurred often lately).

“Great!” Patton grabs the hand of the still protesting Roman and pulls him along. “Come on Prince!”

Roman pouts and grumbles, but allows Patton to pull him further into the dark lair. He catches a glimpse of Virgil’s grin before he turns a corner.

“Bet you I can find something cool before you do!” Patton smiles up at Roman. His teammate’s grumpy face instantly brightens.

“Oh, you’re on Padre!”  

Dissolving into giggles Patton and Roman run down the halls. Roman could easily outfly him, yet he chooses to run alongside Patton for now. Giddily Patton runs towards a promising looking door at the end of the hallway.

Throwing it open he however sags in disappointment as the room they found only holds a couple cardboard boxes.

“Bah, nothing of importance,” Roman says as he kicks over the boxes and nothing but rusty spare mechanical parts fall out. “I suppose even villains need a trash cupboard. Come Heart!” Roman levitates from the ground. “Let us find something more dastardly!”

Before Patton can say anything Roman flies out of the room. Judging from the clanging sounds he’s already searching in a room further ahead. Patton casts one last glance around the room before he shrugs and turns to follow.

He pauses.

Uncertainly he turns around again. Something about the room doesn’t feel… Right. He knows it, yet he can’t put his finger on it why exactly. His powers crackle in his veins, sensing the off-ness in the air.

Cautiously Patton walks around the room, circling the walls slowly with one hand trailing amongst the bricks. The sense of wrongness only increases until…

In front of a seemingly bare wall he stops. There it is. He feels an unusual amount of electricity clustering behind the stone, yet the wall shows no outer signs of being anything else than… Well, a wall. Curiously Patton puts both his hands on the bricks and closes his eyes.

The world behind his eyelids lights up in bursts of electricity. His power hums in tune with the wires inside the walls, stringing all over the building and mapping out the lair in his mind’s eye in perfect detail. Patton only takes short notice of it before he calls his powers back and focuses it all on the wall before him. Yes, there it was. His powers outline a door in the wall, carefully hidden behind a buzzing security system.

Well, no match for him! Patton only needs to concentrate for a few seconds to have the electricity revert and change directions. Flexing his fingers and furrowing his brow he wills the electricity to move into the opposite direction, to change their route, until finally he hears a click. Patton opens his eyes. He pulls his hands back as the wall shifts and a door opens, so seamlessly hidden in the brick it was invisible to the bare eye. Patton allows himself a proud grin. Oh, he was on a roll today! Patton steps into the room, his footsteps echoing in the darkness. He searches for a light switch, but he can’t find one nearby. No matter! With a soft snap small lightning bolts dance on his fingers, revealing rich red walls which somehow complimented the flickering lightning in his hands.

The room is mostly bare, apart from a table in the centre of the room. It’s covered with various maps, some showing population size while others showing outlines of cities, roads and shops. There were some pencils and pens in the middle of the table, most sharp and pointed while a few were so dull that they couldn't be used anymore.

Patton noticed only one chair at the table. He only looked at it, remembering the times were Logan lectured him about not touching the crime scene unless absolutely necessary. Still, the chair seemed comfortable, the black leather clearly in great condition.

His eyes drift slightly downwards towards the cabinets under the table. They all looked the same to him, a spruce colour with a silver handle that could be pulled out. He crouches as he tries to pull open the drawer without ruining the possibility of getting fingerprints. What kind of horrors would he find in there? Knowing Janus it was probably something awful, like torture devices, or puppets of them with their eyes crossed out, or… Or…

Not able to take it any longer, Patton pulls open the drawer. He draws back, covering his face with his arms and waiting for poisonous darts or something to strike out and hit him. After a few seconds of nothing happening, Patton carefully peeks over his arms.

Inside the drawer... is just files. No cyanide, no razor-sharp knives, just... files. Patton lowers his arms and opens the one next to it, with more haste than the last one, only to find more files. Huh… That’s… Not what he was expecting? He honestly didn't know what he expected to find. It's not like the files were bad to find, it just didn't give him the rush of putting in the last piece to a puzzle. Capturing Janus almost felt like that. He knew he should have been more proud of himself, but this wasn't even close to the end of it. There still were all of Janus' accomplices and the propaganda he spread throughout several cities to take care of after all. Maybe the files had the names of his accomplices in them?

Forgetting Logan’s warning about contaminating the crime scene Patton grabs one of the files from the drawer and absentmindedly flips it open.

A scream echoes across the halls. Patton jerks up, forgetting the papers in his hand as the sound of struggle trail toward him. He jumps up, stuffs the files in his jacket before he runs back to where they left their enemy tied up.

It appears that backup had arrived, and in that same time their enemy had woken up. Several soldiers struggle with restraining a livid Janus, who trashes in their grip as they try to drag him into an awaiting prison van. They had managed to gag him before he woke, a muzzle strapped to his face to protect the soldiers from the venom of both his words and his fangs. He fights wildly, but in the end he is still one man against too many. As they finally wrestle him to the ground to clap him in handcuffs, he and Patton make eye contact.

Despite that he just knocked the man unconscious, despite that Janus is currently lying on the ground restrained by ten men, Patton instinctively takes a step back from the pure fury in those mismatched eyes.

Janus looks at him like he singlehandedly doomed the world.

One soldier pushes a taser onto his neck. Janus’ eyes roll back in his head as he convulses on the ground, muffled cries coming from behind the muzzle. When the taser withdraws Janus slumps to the ground, unconscious once more. Finally the soldiers can drag him into the prison van.

“Haha, yes!!” Roman yells. “You shall taste justice now, villain!”

Roman laughs, but it is only when the doors of the van close and they drive off that Patton feels like he can breathe again.

--

The press conferences were always Patton’s least favourite part. To stand next to their CEO, listening to a briefing of yet another failed mission while the people in the crowd shook their head in disapproval had always been torture. The longer the years went on the worse the pressure to actually defeat their villain became. To come back to the cameras every time Janus escaped became worse and worse as the years went on. The disappointment of not only the AEP, but of the people… That alone felt worse than any punch he had ever gotten in battle.

Now however Patton felt like he could just burst from all the excitement. He could barely stand still enough for his stylists to brush his hair into a tamer shape. He peeked behind the curtains to the gilded ballroom beyond. The AEP had chosen this specific ballroom to announce the big news on purpose. Just two years ago Janus and his horrid crew had crashed a fundraiser being held here and had stolen all the people’s so graciously donated funds for a new hotel. They hadn’t been able to capture him. It had been an awful night!

To be here again was to show that villain they were not afraid. That they could claim back the spaces he so rudely invaded. Seeing all the people in their beautiful evening gowns and best jewellery now made Patton want to burst out from behind the curtain to yell at them that they were safe!! He wanted to shout it from the rooftops, wanted to yell at the entire world!

You are safe! We rescued you! I defeated the villain, I did, I did-!!

“Here are our heroes of the day!”

Distracted Patton looks back to see their CEO has come backstage. Bentley Ceund is a man in his late fifties, with a bleach blond hair dye job that does not quite hide away his grey roots, as always dressed in a stylishly expensive suit. He was the one who had founded the AEP, or An Endless Peace organization, all those years ago. Yet outside of press conferences they did not see him often. And even when they did, it were often meetings filled with harsh words and bitter disappointment.  

“Have I wasted all my money on THIS?!” Their CEO had bellowed at them the last time they had seen him, when Janus had destroyed several important construction sites. “On FAILURES who can’t even capture ONE MEASLY MAN?!” Angry spit had hit Patton in the face as he struggled to hold back tears when Bentley had moved in close and screamed in their faces. “You’re a fucking EMBARRESEMENT to ME and the company who RAISED YOU FROM BIRTH!! UNGRATEFUL, WORTHLESS WASTES OF TIME!!”

Their TV and leisure time privileges had been taken away from them for quite some time back then.

That screaming man from last time was a far cry from the smiling one that approaches them now however. No, he in fact gives the others a joyful hug and praise. Roman and Logan beam, and even Virgil smiles hesitantly. When he turns to him Patton nervously fidgets for a moment, but Bentley gives him the possibly the grandest smile out of all of them.

“Heart Shock!” Bentley laughs as he draws Patton into a hug. He never uses their real names, even though he knew them by those well before their superhero names. “Well done, my boy!”

“T-Thank you sir!” Patton says excitedly, almost melting into the hug despite the overwhelming smell of body spray. He can’t help it. It wasn’t often he was the one who got most of the praise. That was usually either Logan or Roman. “I couldn’t have done it without the others though-!”

“No need to be so modest,” Bentley draws back from the hug, put keeps his hands on Patton’s shoulder. “I’ve read the report. You are the one shot down that son of a bitch!

“Oh, well,” Patton flusters. “Anyone could have done it-!”

But in the end it was you.” Their CEO chuckles, almost fondly. “Be proud of yourself, son. Thanks to you…” Bentley pats him on the shoulder. “The company is safe again.” “And the innocent civilians, sir!” Patton helpfully says.

“Hmm? Oh yes, those too I suppose.”

Patton frowns lightly, but before he can say anything Bentley’s PA interrupts.

“Mister Ceund? The program is about to begin.”

“Ah, yes! It’s time boys!” Bentley grins towards his superheroes. “Let’s tell the world what we have achieved today!” He gives Patton a pat on his cheek before he turns and walks to the curtains, waiting for the moment to make his grand entrance. Patton frowns, but he doesn’t have the time to think for long. Their CEO walks onto the stage where thunderous applause greets him. Eventually Patton just shrugs and stands with his teammates, dismissing the uncomfortable thoughts.

As the applause slowly grows to a halt, Bentley takes centre stage. “Today is a momentous occasion,” He says into the microphone. “After seven years of making our streets unsafe, the villain known as Doctor Deceit has finally been put behind bars!”

The crowd erupts into applause, filling the gilded ballroom with cheers and cameras flashing. Beside him Virgil flinches from the sudden noise. Patton discretely slips his hand into Virgil’s and squeezes. Virgil gives a grateful squeeze back.

“Today, history has been made. Today this organization has finally achieved that which we have promised you, all those years ago…” Their CEO pauses for a second, before proudly continuing. “An Endless Peace.”

The crowd applauds again, laughing politely at the reference of the company name.

“But of course, we did not do it alone!”

Patton and the others took a deep breath. Right. Time for the show!

“Please welcome your heroes! Here is Prince Charming!”

On that cue Roman flies up from behind the curtains and the crowd erupts into cheers. Roman flies his usual round over the crowd, occasionally sharing a high-five with an audience member and flashing his fans a million-dollar smile. Several men and women giggle and blush behind their hands as he flips his hair and blows kisses to the crowd.

“Show-off…” Virgil silently scoffs beside him.

“Come now, Virge,” Patton whispers back. “You know Roman loves the cameras! Let him have his fun.”

Virgil rolls his eyes and shakes his head, but still a fond smile curls up his lips.

“Next, give it up for Brain Teaser!”

Logan purses his lips and sighs, but makes his entrance from behind the curtains anyway. Virgil and Patton exchange a knowing look. They’d listened to plenty of Logan’s rants about how ‘utterly illogical’ the serious man thought his superhero name was. Unfortunately the public was by now too familiar with the name to even suggest renaming him.

“Let me hear you for Stormcloud!”

Virgil supresses a shudder yet he still reluctantly dematerializes, only to rematerialize on stage in a cloud of shadows. While the crowd only grows in volume Patton winces in sympathy. The EAP knows how much Virgil can’t stand loud sounds, but for the audience he has to bear it with a smile. It was a weakness their enemies had exploited frequently. Janus would often blast high-pitched noises at such a volume Virgil would crumble where he stood, allowing him to escape over and over.  

Well, Patton thinks with a tinge of pride, he won’t harm his friends ever again now.

“And of course, last but certainly not least… The man of the hour! The hero who struck the deciding blow! Put your hands together for HEART SHOCK!”

The curtains are drawn and Patton is momentarily blinded from the hundreds of cameras flashing and deafened by the crowd cheering. Squinting Patton stands in the spotlight, dizzily smiling at the onslaught of praise that is directed his way. He walks forward- Although it feels like stumbling is a better word- to the front of the stage to where the CEO waits for him with a smile. Journalists crowd the stage as they shout questions.

“Heart Shock!! Heart Shock, over here-!”

“Heart Shock, how do you feel-?”

“What was going through your head?”

“How did you take the villain down? We want all the juicy details-!”

“Everyone, everyone! Please!” Bentley laughs. “One question at a time, please!”

Patton yelps as Bentley puts an arm around his shoulders and pulls him into a side hug like he’s a proud father. The cameras around them go nuts as their CEO smiles and poses with Patton.

“How are you feeling, Heart Shock?” One journalist manages to yell over the cacophony of questions.

“W-Well…” Patton stammers into the microphone. “I-I feel quite proud-!”

“A well deserved pride, my boy!” Bentley says jovially as he squeezes his shoulder.

“Yeah… I suppose it is-!” Patton smiles.

“Heart Shock! How do you think the villain will react to his status as prisoner?” One journalist yells, a question that is met with gaudy giggles.

“I guess…” Patton says with hesitant excitement. “He’ll find it…” He snaps his fingers, lightning dancing over his hands as he finger guns at the audience. “Quite shocking?”

To Patton’s bewildered delight the entire audience erupts into laughs. Even Bentley next to him laughs, while he had always disapprovingly glared before when Patton made a pun. Patton can’t stop the grin that spreads on his face even if he had wanted to.

The rest of the evening goes by in a haze. As the press conference part of the evening ends and the superheroes must mingle with the guests, the praise just keeps on coming. Patton gets patted on the back, hugged and complimented. The sheer amount of attention is dizzying. Patton can’t stop smiling throughout all of it. It might just be the best evening in his life.

It isn’t until he’s in bed, still glowing with pride and from all the praise, that Patton remembers the files in his jacket.

His superhero jacket lays thrown into a corner, cast aside earlier as he quickly got into a clean, more sleek version of his hero outfit for the press conference. Giving it a glance from where he sits on his bed he’s almost tempted to leave it until next morning. His handlers had actually given him hot chocolate and two cookies before bed! Two!! That was a treat he didn’t often get! He just wants to enjoy them in peace.

Still… Perhaps he could hand them over tomorrow, announcing all the wicked plans that are undoubtedly in the files that he had also stopped when he captured Janus. Grinning at that mental image Patton gets up from and retreats back into his comfy bed with the files, munching on a cookie as he lazily starts skimming through the papers.

An hour later his hot chocolate has long run cold and the second cookie lies forgotten on its tray. Patton sits straight up in his bed, the files open on his knees and his gaze firmly locked on the wall in front of him. His first cookie feels like lead in his stomach.

It couldn’t be the truth… It couldn’t be, it couldn’t be!!

Abruptly coming back into motion Patton stuffs the files under his mattress and turns off the light to sleep, determined not to even consider or think about what is in them anymore. Yet it takes him until the first rays of dawn to finally fall asleep, and even when he does sleep his dreams are filled with mismatched eyes that look at him with a gaze that burns, burns, burns…

During the days of the week that follows he’s fine. He can smile and take the praise that he’s still showered with daily, with the files only a distant memory.

During the nights, however… Patton can’t seem to shake the image of those eyes. Furious, loathing mismatched eyes, looking at him like he singlehandedly doomed the world. The files underneath his mattress seem to burn a hole in his soft bedding, demanding his attention.

It is only a week later when he awakens from yet another nightmare plagued by those accusing eyes that Patton realizes this can’t go on. He has to know what it all means, or he might go mad with the questions that swarm his mind.

--

The next night Patton foregoes his bed in favour of slipping out of his room into the quiet halls of the facility, the files tucked away in his jacket. Sweat beads down his forehead, the familiar thrum of electricity inside the walls only a faint comfort. Although he only needs to make the barest effort to make the security cameras divert from him, the action still makes his hands shake. As he sneaks into the elevator at the end of the hall he inspects the buttons. You need a special pass to go to the very lowest level. But Patton only needs to send a pulse of electricity into the elevator to make the security system think he’s been granted access. As the doors close Patton swallows. No going back now.

The elevator ride feels both too long and too short. When finally the doors glide open to reveal a long hall Patton fastens his pace. He passes other closed cells, some of which he hears murmurs from behind their closed doors, but he does not slow down until he reaches the door at the very end of the hall. Door 409… Holding the highest level of security prison cell they have.

He glances backwards for a second, before he takes a deep breath and places his hands on the door. He feels the electricity answering as he redirects the flow. It’s hard. Harder than the vault in the lair, harder than tricking the elevator had been. Sweat starts to bead on his forehead, as he carefully has to divert his powers through layer upon layer of security, careful in case he triggers an alarm somewhere.

He isn’t quite sure how much time passes, but at long last the door finally, finally opens. Patton enters, and quickly slides the door closed again. His heart hammers in his throat as he presses his hands to the door and listens for the sound of the alarm going off.

It doesn’t come. He had done it. Exhaling a shaky breath Patton leans his forehead against the metal door, cooling his flushed skin.

“Well, well, well,” A smooth voice drawls behind him. “Look what the cat dragged in…”

Patton’s shoulders tense. He had hoped to never hear that voice again. A part of him is tempted to leave, but the files pressed against his chest still burn. So he gathers all his courage and slowly turns around.

The cell in the middle of the room is a monstrosity of glass and metal, bare apart from a simple bed. The security system surrounding it buzzes with the sheer amount of electricity it needs, making it dizzying even to Patton. It is only a small distraction however from the person all that electricity is holding prison, standing in the middle of that glass cell with his arms crossed at his back. Like he had been expecting him.

“My sincerest apologies for the mess. I wasn’t expecting such important company,” Janus grins. “Should I feel honoured that the famed Heart Shock is visiting little old me in my cell?”

Patton swallows. He had hoped that the villain would have been less frightening now, pulled away from his usual shadows and dragged into the light for once. He wasn’t. If anything the simple white prison grubs he wore instead of his usual black suits and the bright LED lightning only enhances how alien, how otherworldly he really is. The green scales trailing down his sharp face, the fangs glistening in that all too familiar mocking grin, the tall willowy frame that nonetheless packs a surprising amount of strength… The man in front of him is more monster than human. Patton wonders for a second if he ever was human to begin with.

“Oh, look at you,” Janus chuckles softly as the silence between them stretches on. “Like a frightened little mouse in the snake’s den… Whatever will he do now?”

Patton puffs out his chest indignantly. “I’m not afraid of you!” He says, ignoring how Janus raises an eyebrow with an amused smile. “I’m not! You have no power here! You’re our prisoner!”

“Really?” Janus mockingly drawls. “Well, pardon me for not believing you whilst you look like that.”

Patton belatedly realizes what kind of picture he paints. Pressed up against the door, as far away from the glass as he possibly can. Not exactly the fearless superhero everyone expected him to be.

Closing his eyes for a second, Patton takes a deep breath and steps forward. Cautiously he approaches the cell, his footsteps in sync with Janus’ until they both halt at the glass, right in front of each other. Patton stares up at his nemesis, more confident than he feels. Right into the mismatched eyes who have haunted his nightmares for almost a week now. He swallows, clenching his fist to hide that they’re shaking.

“While I’m definitely thrilled to have you here,” Janus smirks down at him. “I’m afraid I’m a very busy man, and don’t have time to have a staring contest with you. To what do I owe the pleasure?”

Patton opens his mouth to ask what the heck he would be busy with, he’s a prisoner, but stops himself. That’s a discussion that would lead him nowhere, and he came here with a purpose.

“I’m here to talk with you.” He says instead.

“Congratulations, you just did,” Janus yawns, a forked tongue lazily flicking out from between sharp fangs. “If that was all, darling-”

“No! I mean-” Patton zips open his jacket and pulls out the files. “I’m here to talk about these.”

Janus’ eyes narrow when he spots the files, the only outward reaction he shows. Yet the temperature between them seems to drop to freezing level.

“I’ve never seen those before in my life.” Janus says airily.

“I found them in your lair!” Patton counters. “In a hidden compartment in the wall!”

“Did you now? How interesting.” Janus lazily inspects his fingernails. Patton frowns as he spots Janus’ left arm is completely wrapped up in white bandages. He can’t recall that they gave him an arm injury. He opens his mouth to ask, but shakes his head. He had to focus on this.

“These are your plans!”

“No they’re not.”

“Oh yeah?” Patton flips open the files. “Then how do you explain your name on top of these papers?”

“Can I help it that ‘Janus’ is such a popular name?”

“These are all written in your handwriting!”

“Preposterous. My handwriting is much neater.”

“All your old plans are in this, and some future ones!” Patton shouts exasperatedly.

“Pure coincidence.”

“Stop,” Patton grits out through clenched teeth. “Stop denying! I know these are yours!”

“If you’re so sure, why ask me at all?” Janus disinterestedly brushes away some invisible dust from his shoulder. “Why haven’t you immediately shown them to your superiors, like the good obedient lackey that you are?”

“Who says that I haven’t?” Patton responds heatedly.

With a growl Janus suddenly throws a fist against the glass, his eyes flashing dangerously. Patton jumps backwards, his throat squeezing shut before a startled scream can escape him.

“Don’t. Lie. To me.” Janus spits. “If you had shown them, you wouldn’t be here chatting with me in the middle of the night. Admit it.”

“I… No.” Patton finally shakes his head, gripping the files tightly between his hands. “No, I didn’t…”

“There we go…” Janus draws his hand back and crosses his arms again behind his back, his easy smile back. “Tsk, tsk, tsk, Heart Shock. Have your masters never told you it’s bad to lie?”

Patton bites his lip. It was true that he’d be in so much trouble if his superiors ever found out that he lied. But surely they would understand him lying to their enemy, wouldn’t they?

“You’re one to talk!” Patton says instead. “You lie all the time!”

“Says who?” Janus drawls with a mocking smile.

“Says me! You lied every time we fought, you just lied multiple times to my face-!”

“No I didn’t.”

“-And you lie in these files!!” Patton shrieks, waving the files in front of the villain’s nose. Janus’ smile falls and his face darkens.

“Oh? Pray tell, Patton.” Janus sneers, and Patton snaps back in shock at hearing his actual name coming from the villain’s mouth.

“H-How did you-?”

“Why exactly would you think I lied in these files?” Janus tilts his head. “If I wrote them, that is.”

“Because... Because-!” Patton flips angrily through the files. “Because these files say you used the money you stole from the hotel fundraiser two years ago to finance black market medication research!”

The hero looks up triumphantly, expecting Janus to laugh and simper about how gullible he is for believing such an obvious decoy. Janus however doesn’t laugh. He shows not even a hint of his mockery as he silently listens. Patton’s triumph falters, and he flips once more through the files to avoid that calm gaze.

“A-And here!” Patton pulls another paper from the file. “In here you claim that you kidnapped the scientist Emile Picani because the AEP made him design weapons, not new mental health robots!”

Still no response. Patton scowls as he holds up another paper. “This says you destroyed a construction site for a new factory because the output would pollute the town’s only water resource!”

“They were also exploiting the builders,” Janus finally interrupts. “Forced them to work under horridly unsafe conditions for barely a quarter of the salary they needed to support their families.”

“Yes!!” Patton throws the files down with frustrated force, making the papers fly everywhere. “You… You… You keep lying in these files, making us appear like the bad guys! Is this what you tell the people? To brainwash them into joining your stupid little gang?”

“Me? Brainwashing? HA!” Janus shakes his head. “That’s a laugh and a half…”

“I’m onto you, Deceit!” Patton proudly puffs out his chest. “I see right through your tricks!”

“Oh, of course you do,” Janus smiles down at him like he’s a child who just badly solved a puzzle game. “Nothing gets past you. Truly, I’m so impressed.”

Patton’s certainty wanes. Villains who just got their plans exposed should look angry, not like they’re secretly laughing at you.

“Well, if you’re done spouting wild accusations, would you mind closing the door behind you?” Janus stretches his arms above him. “I want to get my eight hours of sleep in before I get thrown into the next torture session tomorrow, thank you very much.”

“Torture-? Oh, haha, very funny!”

“Not joking, unfortunately-”

“Why do you do this??” Patton has to resist to stomp his feet in frustration. “Why do you keep on lying?”

Janus lowers his arms, his smile falling away. “I don’t.” He says. The seriousness of his voice throws Patton off, but even so he scoffs.

“Yes, you do!”

“I really don’t. There’s not a single word in those files that isn’t the honest truth.”

“Yeah, right,” Patton crosses his arms. “Tell that to the people outside! Or to my superiors!”

“Oh, by all means, bring them in,” Janus says seriously. “Bring them all in! Your precious masters, all my supposed victims… I think you’ll find that they’ll all agree with my side of the story.”

Patton opens and closes his mouth a few times, uncertainly. The rigid seriousness of the other makes him more nervous than he hopes he lets on. He was so used to the dangerously charming smooth talking Janus that he had no idea what to do with this calm, somber Janus. Oh, why hadn’t he taken Logan with him? He would have known what to say!

“Oh really?” Patton eventually says, sounding more sure of himself than he actually was. “What exactly is ‘your side of the story’? Go ahead, I could use a laugh!”

“You want to know, little mouse?” Janus says, and just like that the dangerous smile was back. “You really want to know?”

Patton swallows, but tilts his chin up defiantly. “Yes.”

“Well, you asked for it…” Janus hums thoughtfully, gathering his thoughts for a second. “My side of the story is about how years ago a small company gained interest. Funded by the richest of the rich of the world this company created unwilling abominations. Children reared only to use as weapons to hold the world hostage. So that those richest of the rich could create a planet where the lowest of the low were forced to work for them. Leeching of the world’s natural resources like parasites, while the rest of us peasants suffer as a result. Of course, that was the system even before these children became their shiny new atom bombs, but now… Now they had safeguard. A safety net that ensured no one would ever dare to rebel against them. Well…” Janus smiles. “Almost no one…” Janus inspects his fingernails casually again. “Of course, to make sure they wouldn’t be bothered by such things as icky morals, they justify their actions by saying it was for the greater good! By saying this system created…” Janus raises an eyebrow at Patton. “An Endless Peace?”

A silence falls between them. Then Patton lets out a disbelieving laugh.

“Really? You think I’m going to believe that? I’m not dumb, you know!”

“Dumb, maybe not,” Janus shrugs. “Naïve, however…”

“I don’t believe you!” Patton says proudly.

“You were born and raised at AEP, weren’t you?” Janus asks. “Told from a young age you were born to be a superhero? To help people? Tell me Patton, have you ever been away from this building for anything else than superhero business? Or talked to anyone who isn’t approved by EAP first? Anyone at all?”

Patton tries to think of an answer, but comes up empty. “The people in this building protect me,” He answers instead. “Protect me from people like you, who would exploit my powers for evil!”

“Trust me honey, you’re not the one who needs protection out there…” Janus mutters.

“I don’t believe you.” Patton repeats, a bit more uncertain this time.

“Fine. Don’t then.” Janus shrugs. “I don’t need you to believe me for it to still be true.”

The absolute confidence in Janus’ voice infuriates Patton, anger bubbling up in his chest.

“EAP is a good company! We actually help people, unlike you!” Patton yells, now actually stomping his foot. “You stand there trying to tell me you’re so noble, when you have NO PROOF for anything you claim!!”

“Proof?” Janus growly lowly. “You want proof? Fine!” Angrily he grabs the edge of his bandages and starts unwrapping his arm. “I’ll give you proof!

Patton inhales a sharp breath as Janus unwraps the last bandages. His arm is completely raw and swollen, oozing with barely healed wounds. His stomach turns at the sight of angry deep black burns strewn over any flesh that got spared.

“They tore the scales off my arm,” His cool façade finally shows cracks as Janus’ voice shakes. “One by one they ripped them off my skin. Even when I finally talked they didn’t stop. They continued on until my arm was bare, and the iron they placed in the fire was white hot. That’s how I got these…” Hovering his fingers over one of the burns he swallows. “Obviously I told them old hiding places, long since abandoned. It will keep them busy for a while, but when they realize I’ve given them old information…” He rubs his jaw absentmindedly. “They said they would take my teeth next. Too bad... I’ve grown quite fond of my fangs.”

“They…” Patton shook his head, unable to tear his eyes away from Janus’ tortured arm. “They wouldn’t do this…”

Janus’ eyes turn cold, his collected mask back on. “Obviously, they did. Or do you think I would do this to myself to gain sympathy points with delusional so called ‘good guys’?”

“B-But-!! We are the good guys!! The people, they love us-!”

“Oh, please,” Janus rolls his eyes. “The only reason the ‘common’ folk sing your praises is because they’re too afraid that their ‘beloved rulers’ send you to destroy their homes next.”

“T-That-! That’s NOT true-!!”

“Do you know what they call your little ‘hero’ group outside of the little circle of rich assholes you protect?” Janus says with a nasty smile. “They call you ‘The Executioners’. Because the minute someone refuses to obey, to fall in line… They send you. To make sure the people know who’s in charge. To destroy any ounce of happiness they scraped up and make an example out of the corpses you and your friends leave behind in their wake!”

“Shut up, shut up, SHUT UP!!!” Patton shakes his head, covering his ears in a vain attempt to block out that damned smooth voice.

“Face it, kid. You’re no hero. No… You want to know what you are?” Janus continues on mercilessly. “You’re a tool. A sharpened axe the elite of the world hold over the necks of the common people, so they continue working as proper frightened little drones. Nothing like a good threat to keep their servants from revolting against them.”

“YOU’RE LYING!!” Patton screams as he throws his fists against the glass, the lights above them flickering in sync with his outcry. His powers bursts out of him with a force he hasn’t experienced since he was a kid. Electricity climbs over the glass cell in living lightning, framing the villain like a cursed portrait. But Janus barely blinks as the electricity crackles around him.

“If you are so sure that I’m lying… Why are you still here?” He asks thoughtfully. “Why come here at all if you truly think I lied in these files? Unless…” Janus says slowly, understanding dawning on his face. “Unless you’ve already seen the cracks in their pretty façade. Is that it?”

Just as quick as his power had acted up it retreats. “I… I… I don’t know what you’re talking about…” Patton stammers as he pulls his hands away from the glass, the bright glow of the electricity dying in his fingers. He steps back but Janus follows, like a shark that smells blood in the water.

“Oh, that’s it, isn’t it?” Janus breaths out a disbelieving laugh as he shakes his head. “When did you start to notice the holes in their logic? Started to taste the bitterness in their pretty lies? How long have the doubts been eating at you, Patton?”

“That’s not…” Patton starts weakly, but any other rebuttals wither and die before they can leave his mouth.

“You’ve seen glances of their true faces,” Janus continues. “And you hoped that I would what? Comfort you? Deny everything and let you wallow in your own self-denial? Be the so-called ‘villain’ you think I am so you can continue feeling good about yourself?” Janus chuckles, lowly, the sound wrapping around Patton’s throat like a noose. “Come now darling… Did you really think I was that kind of person?”

It distinctly feels like something inside him breaks. The pretty wall of his superhero persona crumbles and crashes down, leaving Patton with only the ugly truth that wall had kept hidden from him. The pride and praise of the past week now suddenly tastes like bitter ash in his mouth.

He hurt people. He hurt the world. He did he did he did he did he DID-!!

He can’t take any more. Patton’s legs give away beneath him as he crumbles in front of the glass, his chest heaving with sobs. Pulling his hands through his hair he buries his face in his knees, tears dripping down his cheeks. Janus says nothing while Patton’s sobs echo in the room. He only stares down at the shattered hero at his feet with a distant kind of satisfaction.

"What do I do...?" Patton eventually whispers when the tears finally slow. "What can I do to make this right…?"

Janus grins, kneeling down to look the hero straight in the eye.

"You could start," He purrs. "By getting me out of here."

--

Patton walks through the halls he’s walked through a thousand times. His heart hammers a mile a minute in his ears, almost deafening him. Yet it can’t keep him distracted from the person currently running after him, sticking out amongst the grey walls like a sore thumb in his bright white prison grubs. They halt at an intersection, pushing their backs against the wall and holding their breath as soldiers run past in the next hallway.

“I’m going to need your phone.” Janus suddenly whispers, making Patton bite back a yelp.

“I-I don’t have one-!” He stammers. Janus gives him a long-suffering look.

“I’m not surprised, yet somehow still disappointed.” Janus sighs as he impatiently moves past him. Just as Patton wants to ask what he’s planning, Janus darts out of the dark corridor, as quick and ruthless as the snake he is and grabs the last soldier in the platoon that passes them. He gives her no time to alert the others in front of her as Janus covers the soldier’s mouth, drags her back into their corridor and sinks his teeth into her neck.

“What are you doing?!” Patton hisses.

“Making sure we can get out of here!” Janus hisses back as he pulls his teeth from the soldier’s neck. The woman’s eyes are already drooping, despite her effort to raise her voice in alarm. By the time Janus lowers to the ground she has fully lost consciousness.

“You can’t do that!! She’s just doing her job!” Patton furiously whispers as Janus searches her pockets.

“Yeah, well, currently her job would be to shoot me on sight, so excuse me if I would rather not die!” Janus finally victoriously pulls a phone from the soldier’s pocket. Grabbing the soldier’s hand for a second to make her unlock the screen, he then furiously starts texting.

“What are you doing??” Patton repeats, just as frantic.

“Arranging our getaway ride, if all goes well,” Janus says as he finishes the text and hits send. “Now we just need to get out of here and keep hidden until they can come for us!”

“Right… Right!” Patton nods. Oh, why did he do this again?? “I know how we can get out of here! We’ll have to follow-!”

“Patton?”

Patton freezes at that familiar voice. Turning he comes face to face with Virgil, wrapped in his favourite hoodie and sleepily rubbing his eyes with the palm of his hand. How could he have forgotten his teammate’s insomnia? Or his habit to wander around until he got sleepy??

“What are you doing here in the middle of the night?” Virgil yawns. “Do you want a lecture from Logan about proper sleep schedules? Because trust me, they’re not very-”

Virgil freezes as Janus rises to his feet behind Patton. His eyes dart between him and Janus, gasping as he finally spots the unconscious soldier on the ground.

“You…” Virgil’s voice turns dark, the shadows behind him moving on his unspoken command. “I don’t know how the FUCK you got out, but you will step away from my teammate RIGHT NOW and get back to your cell, or you’ll regret it!”

“No thank you,” Janus smirks. “While I thoroughly enjoyed your hospitality, the room service here is positivelyabominable. Not to mention the horrid excuse you call cuisine. I don’t think I’ll return here soon.”

“Oh, we’ll see about that!” Virgil growls, gathering his famous shadows in his hands.

“Virgil, NO!!” Patton screams and steps between the two before Virgil can throw his attack.

“Patton, get out of the way!”

Patton shakes his head. “No! You have to let us pass, Virge!”

“What do you mean-?” Virgil stops, furious disbelief etching across his face. “…It was you… You helped him escape-!”

“I…” Patton swallows and nods. “Yes, yes I did… But Virgil-! It’s not what you think! We’ve been lied to, Virge!”

“Yes, by HIM!!” Virgil points at Janus, who wiggles his fingers in a mocking wave. “You know, the enemy that we’ve tried to capture for literal years??”

“No, not him! The AEP! They’re the ones who lied to us! They’ve been using us, Virge! They used us to… To attack innocent people! We’ve hurt the world instead of saving it! We have to set this right!!”

“What the hell are you talking about-??”

“Virgil, please,” Grabbing Virgil’s hands in his Patton gives his teammate- No, his best friend- a pleading look. “Come with us! Help me take down the organization! They’re the bad guys, Virge! It was never him!” Patton gestures to Janus.

“Oh that’s fine, just talk about me like I’m not here.” Janus mutters.

“We can fix this, Virgil. You and I!” Patton says, fragile hope growing in his voice. “Please, trust me on this! Let’s run away together from this place and actually help!”

Virgil stares at him, the tense silence stretching on in the hallway like a wire slowly growing taut. Virgil’s eyes flicker between him and Janus indecisively. Patton hopes for a brief second that maybe, just maybe-

His stomach drops when Virgil’s gaze remains on Janus, and just like that the wire snaps.

“You…” Virgil snarls. “I don’t know what lies you fed him-”

“Virgil, please no-!!” Patton pleads, but Virgil shoves him aside.

“But I will not let you get away with it!” The shadows behind him move again, answering their master’s call as they gather around him. “I will take you down for this!!”

“Must we?” Janus sighs exaggeratedly before he straightens himself and grins his lengthening fangs bare. “I suppose I have time in my busy schedule to teach you some manners, Stormcloud.”

Virgil growls and aims his hands towards Janus, the shadows behind him brewing and moving in dark colours without hesitation. Patton doesn't think. Later on he wishes he had. He doesn’t remember moving, yet he sees his hand grab onto the back of Virgil's neck. He doesn't want to see the sparks fly out of his hand, making the Virgil’s body go rigid before promptly becoming weak in his grasp. But it doesn’t matter what Patton wants, as Virgil's body hits the floor with a thud quieter than it should've been.

Paralyzed Patton makes eye contact with Janus over Virgil’s unmoving form. The other man stares at him dumbfounded, uncertainty and shock fighting for the same place on his eyes. Patton looks down, trembling.

Oh god what had he done.

For the second time that evening Patton felt his knees give way beneath him as he fell next to his friend.

“Virge…” Patton whispers, pained regret shaking in his voice.

“Patton-!” Janus walks up to him, putting his hands on his shoulders but Patton barely feels it.

“I’m s-so sorry-!!” Patton sobs over his friend’s unconscious body.

“Patton.” Janus says, his voice so calm that Patton’s muddled mind readily clings to it. “We have to get out of here. Now.”

“I-I c-can’t j-just leave him h-here-!!”

“You must. The commotion must have alerted someone. This place might be crawling with guards soon. We have to go.”

Patton looks up in Janus’ eyes, their mismatched colours strangely grounding him and he nods. Janus helps him to his feet, and after one last look towards Virgil, Patton turns and they run.

Much later Patton would look back on this night and barely remember their escape. He leads Janus through the facility on automatic pilot, only managing to avoid capture because of Janus’ vigilance and sharp hearing. In the end Janus has to take out only one additional guard, who had been watching the emergency exit that Patton had lead them too. This soldier went down much easier than the first one. Patton supposed he hadn’t expected anyone to come to the quiet, halfway forgotten exit. But how could Patton forget it? He and Virgil had used this door as kids to escape from training once in a while.

Virgil…

Janus hastily runs through the emergency exit with Patton closely following behind. The cold night air finally shakes Patton's mind awake, away from the phantom feeling of Virgil's neck and how his hand tingles slightly. He almost wishes the tingle hurt.

They run loudly on the pavement, aiming for speed over secrecy. Patton’s breath comes in heavy pants and his lungs prickle, yet he dares not to stop or to look back. When they reach the high fence it takes Patton’s every bit of concentration to stop the electricity singing in the fence, guiding it away from Janus as they climb over it.

The sirens start as they safely land on the other side of the fence.

With the alarms blaring behind them Patton follows Janus to where the concrete leads into worn-in dirt, and where that leads to sticks, leaves, and not many traces of society. Patton's breath hurt in his chest, but knows he can't stop for a moment. He doesn't bother looking behind him either.

After what feels like hours but were more likely minutes, Janus skids to a halt, his breath forming clouds in the cold air as he leans heavily against a tree. Patton leans his hands on his knees, catching his breath. In the distance the alarms continue blaring.

“D-Do…” Patton gulps, exhales. “Do you think we’re safe…?”

Janus looks at him. “I don’t know…” He says, and Patton hates the raw honesty he hears in his voice. He suddenly much prefers the smooth lies his former enemy could spin at a drop of a hat. If they’re caught, he'll suffer Janus' previous fate or worse. Patton doesn't want to think about how it could get worse.

Just as he’s about to sit down, resigned to his new fate, a bright spotlight illuminates their spot in the forest. Patton can’t stop the startled scream as spots dance in his vision at the sudden brightness, the rumbling of an aircraft above them finally overpowering the sound of his wildly beating heart. They had found them already??? Or…

“Ahoy down there!” A nasally voice shouts down over the intercom as a rope is lowered from the aircraft. “Did some clown order a clown car??”

Patton puzzlingly frowns, but besides him Janus grins.

“Hold on, Heart Shock!” Janus grabs the rope with one hand and throws his other arm around Patton’s waist to hoist him up close. “Our ride is here!”

Before Patton can form some kind of protest the rope is hoisted up. A high-pitched shriek tears from his throat as the ground falls away beneath them. Patton never liked flying or heights in general. No matter how many times Roman took him for a flight he never got used to it. So he throws his arms and legs around Janus koala style and buries his face into the other man’s scaled neck. He dares not to peek as they dangle above the ground until he feels hands grab him and Janus. Excited voices ring in his ears as the hands drag them both into the aircraft. As they land on the metal floor with a heavy thud a blush creeps in on Patton’s cheeks when he untangles his arms and legs from Janus’ frame.

“Snake Daddy is in the nest!!” The same nasally voice shrieks over the roaring engines. “HIT THE GAS!! GO GO GO!!!”

The door behind them slams closed, and the aircraft flies off with a speed that throws Patton backwards, making an inelegant roll on the hard metal floor. Janus on the other hand sits up his knees, giving the man that runs up to them an exasperated look.

“Didn’t I tell you to stop calling me that?” Janus sighs. The man gives him a grin that makes his moustache curl up mischievously. Either Patton’s eyes are deceiving him, or the man resembles Roman to an uncanny degree.

“And I told you to get used to your new codename, Double-D!” The man joyfully says. “Deal with it!”

Janus rolls his eyes, but nonetheless grabs the hand stretched out to him. As he’s pulled to his feet Janus throws his arms around the other.

“Remus, you absolute insane wonderful man you,” Janus breathes shakily. “How the fuck did you get here so fast?”

“Are you kidding me??” Remus eagerly returns the embrace. “We’ve been hiding around here for five days now!”

“You what-” Janus reels back, grasping Remus by the shoulders “Why??”

“To rescue you, of course!”

“Oh for fuck’s sake- You promised that if I ever got captured you would continue where I left off! Not risk everything by trying to rescue me!”

“Yeah, well,” Remus shrugs. “You promised me that I would get to watch you use the president’s head as a football some day! And god fucking dammit, you are not getting out of that promise, no matter how hard you try!”

Patton flinches at the gruesome fantasy, but Janus only wetly laughs and draws Remus back into a hug. Over the whole aircraft relieved and excited voices ring, welcoming Janus back.

Amidst the excitement Remus halts as he finally spots Patton, who still sits quietly amongst the excited rebels.

“No fucking way…” Remus breathes. “You actually got us a hostage?”

Patton freezes. As all eyes turn to him, he suddenly remembers again that he’s surrounded by people he previously thought as his enemies. And to them, he still was the enemy.

"Double-D, you should've warned me you would bring a hostage! I would've brought the rougher rope with us!" Remus pulls away from the hug and quickly moves towards a container, which once opened Patton could see was full to the brim with rope of various colours, each appearing thick and rough enough as they were.

Janus dramatically sighed. "He’s not a hostage."

Remus stops rummaging through the container and quirks an eyebrow. "But Heart Attack or whatever is one of those stupid guys! Wait.” Remus squints suspiciously at Janus. “Don't tell me you're breaking up with me and joining his side."

“Not quite,” Janus says as he extends a hand to help Patton to his feet. As he stands Janus lightly places his arm over Patton's shoulders. A shield against the suspicious glares from the rebels around him. "You see, my darlings… He's joining ours."

[mantistog]

Uneasy

Yandere! WIll Graham x reader x Yandere! Hannibal Lecter

______________________________________________

You had stated it many times to WIll, him in no way heeding your warnings. It wasn’t that you particularly hated or even disliked Dr. Lecter. But you always felt so discomforted in his presence. Where as you and Will rarely shared eye contact, it seemed Dr. Lecter was too fond of it. Or too fond of looking at you in general- you didn’t like the attention that you felt having someone's eyes linger on you for too long. You had told Jack exactly the same thing, when he first brought the man into the station. Nobody seemed to take you seriously though, Alana even telling you that you should put your personal dislike for Hannibal aside and be happy someone would be there for Will.

You couldn’t blame her, she had a personal and professional relationship with the man that obviously made her harbour serious respect. Maybe that’s why everyone loves him, cause they see his brilliance in his field and instantly bestow him with respect unfounded. In moments such as these in your life, you are happy that you don’t understand half of the professional things that him and Alana engage in. 

You sighed, bringing your fist up to the wooden door, knocking quietly and maybe hoping that no one would hear so you wouldn’t have to do this. But to your dismay the door was opened rather quickly, and if it hadn’t Will would have simply forced you to knock again. “Ah, we’ve been waiting for you. Please, come in.” The psychiatrists gentle tone and gentleman like demeanor never failed to make you annoyed. Yet you simply thanked him, handing your coat over for it to be hanged. The house was extravagant, too much so for your tastes. Too big, too expensive. Everything about Dr. Lecter and his house screamed self importance. Narcissism. You preferred the humbleness of you or Wills small house. He greeted Dr. Lecter as if they were friends, shaking his hand timidly as he instructed you into the dinning room. 

At the table already sat were Jack Crawford and his wife, Bella. You were well acquainted with both, and you were happy they were there so you wouldn’t have to suffer alone with Will and Dr. Lecter. It was the only reason you had decided to accept the invitation that was extended through Will onto you on behalf of Dr. Lecter. As much as you loved Will, his and his therapists relationship was hard to get an angle on and quite frankly you found it unpleasant to be around the two at the same time. It was almost like he brought out the worst in Will. 

Tonight was worse than normal, too. They seemed to share knowing glances and hushed whispers as Dr. Lecter handed out everyone's plates. Their relationship had always fluctuated, but you had never watched them scheme the way they were right now. The dinner was pleasant, as you discussed ongoing and current events with Bella, heavily preferring her and Jacks company over the company of that of Will and Dr. Lecter with their sudden agreement. It almost made you grit your teeth in annoyance. At least a couple of weeks ago Will would have never found Dr. Lecter as agreeable as he suddenly did. It was suspicious, you could just tell something was off, the same way you knew from the beginning that Dr. Lecter was different than he seemed. 

The night ended off swimmingly, surprisingly no reveal of the secret that the two were apparently keeping as Jack and Bella made their leave. “We should get going too, right Will?” You urged, trying not to be rude as you tried to separate yourself and Will from Dr. Lecter. He smiled, putting a hand on your shoulder warmly. It was weird to see him physical with anyone, so it instantly ticked you off that something was indeed wrong. You shrugged his hand off, taking a step back awkwardly. His and your eyes met accidentally for once, and he was looking at you so softly and warmly, a almost unnoticeable smile on his face. But you noticed. 

“We should get home, shouldn’t we? It’s getting late.” He answered you, grabbing your hand and leading you to the door. You thanked Dr. Lecter for the dinner out of courtesy, but he simply replied ominously that he would see you again soon. There was nothing you could really do other than shoot him a look of suspicion before you and Will get into his car and you watched him study you both as you drove away. You felt suddenly very sleepy as you were sitting down again as Will drove, and you didn’t think anything of it as you fell asleep, trusting Will to get you home safely as he always did. 

That’s why when you woke up in an unknown environment you were nothing short of first surprised, scared and then angry. Absolutely livid, to be frank, as you realized with the pounding headache that you had probably been drugged- you knew the feeling well enough to establish the connection in your mind between previous experiences and this one. The room, bed and sheets were all nicer than your own. The walls seemed to be made mostly of planks, wood and logs, aiming to confirm your suspicion you looked out the window and was greeted with woods. You were in a fancy cabin of some kind in the middle of nowhere, or at least a ways from any other house. Bundling the sheets up in your first, you quickly disposed of them from the bed and launching them onto the floor carelessly. Your white shirt was the same as the one you had worn to the dinner party, but you couldn’t help but notice your lack of pants and wonder just who removed them. At least the dress shirt was long, when not accurately shoved down into your pants.

You got up quietly, noting that you could faintly smell something cooking, but it was hard to tell with the window slightly cracked open, letting the petrichor in from the outside. There were two doors leading out from the room, but one was cracked slightly open and showed you a bathroom. You were in the master bedroom then. That must mean it was a sizable cabin. Only one person who could afford this who had any business with you came to mind and your face quickly soured. The other door stood there ominously, and you had to gather some courage to approach. It didn’t creak as you pulled it open slowly, peering through the crack of the door as it became bigger. The layout was as you’d imagined it, the door not leading to a hall but instead straight into a living room. Sitting in the couch situated in the middle of the room is Will, and before you can stop your brain from acting on it’s visual input your hand pushes the door open fully and Will instantly turn his head to look at you. At first there is shock on his face, but then it���s replaced with a small sincere smile.

“Good morning, how did you sleep?” He asks, his eyes remaining on you completely as he puts down a book you didn’t even realize he had been holding. He looks so smart with those glasses half way down his nose and a book next to him. Still, his calmness at the situation blows your lid off. He knows you have a short temper, why is he testing you? You can tell he notices your face turn downwards again, your eyebrows pressing further together in frustration. “Will, where are we?” It was more a demand, than a question. 

“Home.” He said, suddenly as stone cold as you were. He was mimicking your loss of patience. You felt like a child that was being scolded by their parents. Yet your face didn’t waver. “No, Will. Where is my phone and my pants? I have work.” The words were slow and steady, as he got up. Something told you that you were in danger. You’d never felt scared of Will before this. “You’re not going in anymore.” He simply answered, stepping closer and causing the response in you to go backwards too. Don’t let him close the distance, you told yourself despite not being certain what he wanted. If he was gonna kill you he would’ve done it while you were asleep. 

Your back hit the wall, yet he continues to advance on you until he’s right in front of you.  “Will-” He cuts you off by grabbing your face into his hands, pulling you closer and studying your face. You doubt your facade of only anger keeps your fear and uncertainty hidden from him, yet you refuse to drop it. He moves your head around a bit and his breath fans your face, and you don’t know what to do with yourself except blush as he closed his eyes and connected his forehead to yours. His breathing was heavier than it normally was as his nose flirted with yours, his face lowering and your lips coming closer-

“Breakfast is ready.” You blood ran cold, and your heart stopped for a quick second, almost giving you a mini heart attack. Will pulled back fast, giving you an exhausted look quickly before turning around and addressing Dr. Lecter. “Yes, thank you.” He said thankfully, but by the look in Dr. Lecters eyes you knew that he knew what he had just interrupted. For once, maybe, you were thankful genuinely for Dr. Lecter. Will grabbed your hand, heading towards a door opposite where you came from, but Dr. Lecter instructs him to please go get pants. You assume those would be for you, considering the circumstance. 

At this point pants are of no importance as you’re being led into the beautiful dining room, just itching for at least any answers as to where you are and why. You decide that if you want any answers from the psychiatrist you’re gonna have to be a bit more polite than you were with Will. Dr. Lecter pulls in your chair for you as you sit down, but he lingers behind you for a bit, smelling you before he too sits down. Another thing that made you uneasy about him, the way his sense of smell worked. You’re sitting at the end of the table, Dr. Lecter at your right and what you assume to be Wills seat on your left. 

“Dr. Lecter-” you start to ask, but he cuts you off eagerly urging you to call him Hannibal as he has done many times before. You never listened, but right now you would as you assumed your politeness would benefit your cause. “Hannibal-” He nods at your correction. “Where am I?” You ask, trying to maintain eye contact with him. Laying on the table unsuspectingly, your hand is suddenly gently grasped by his hand being played atop yours. He looks at you in a way so soft you want to melt. “Do not worry, love. Me and Will plan to take good care of you.” And then it’s gone. Now he makes you feel uneasy again, treating you like an ignorant little child, as he addresses you. Will, comes in and sits down, eyeing Hannibal as he grabs your other hand. You pull both your hands to yourself quickly, frustrated with their none answers, throwing your hands in your lap. “Why am I here?” 

They both share a weird look and then they smile in unison, freaking you out. Hannibal reaches out to you and grabs your hands in your lap and bringing them to his face, kissing your knuckles while Will simply smiles at you content to watch Hannibal touch you. 

“Isn’t it obvious? We love you.” 

[clanwarrior-tumbly]

Hi! Could I request the V3 boys reactions to their s/o becoming the blackened because they were trying to save them.

Yesssss more angst! These were fun to write!

TWs: Blood, Death, Suicide Mentions, and Major DRV3 Spoilers

..............

Ryoma

No..it couldn’t be true..could it?

Ryoma couldn’t believe you’d actually kill someone, though your reason came as a shock: It was to save his life.

Kirumi was plotting to murder him after the second motive came out. And she obviously panicked when you showed up instead of him, so she tried attacking you.

But you retaliated, leaving her body in the bathroom and altering the crime scene to make it look like she slipped while cleaning it.

You didn’t want to kill anyone, but you were terrified she might target him some other time if you didn’t stop her.

Yet Ryoma vehemently denied you did anything, arguing with Shuichi up until he pointed out incriminating evidence.

He was crushed, knowing he’s going to lose another loved one.

He can’t understand why a criminal like him was worth saving.

But the deed was done. And as your final wish before being executed, you plead for him to survive and see that life’s worth it.

While he’s never been good with promises, he’ll try to keep this last one...for your sake.

Shuichi

He learned the truth earlier than anyone else.

Someone knew he was too smart, always leading the trials and making the swift deductions.

So they believed eliminating him would guarantee them escape from the academy, as everyone would arrive to wrong conclusions without him.

However you put a stop to their plot, accidentally killing them with their own weapon they prepared.

Shuichi didn’t want it to be you--not you, of all people--so he’s far more reluctant to accuse you of murder. 

He’s pretty much mute throughout the trial, but you take notice fast and see him slipping back into that cowardly detective persona.

“Shuichi, don’t you dare go back into hiding. Don’t you dare look away from the truth again.”

“..but...”

He just absolutely refuses to. He can’t....not this time.

So instead, you reveal the truth about your crime. Every last detail--from when the motive came out to how you disposed of the evidence.

By the end of your explanation, he’s in tears--realizing you saved his life..in exchange for your own.

Every night since then, he cries as he hugs the Helping Yacchi plush you gave him the day before the body was discovered.

It hurt so much to condemn you, someone he truly loved.

Kokichi

You learned very quickly that Miu was plotting to kill Kokichi, after noticing her put a bottle of poison in his seat before returning to hers and logging in.

That made you livid. But more scared than anything else.

So you formulated a plan after learning everything (or almost everything) about the virtual world.

You overheard Miu and Kokichi planning to meet on the mansion rooftop, and you didn’t like that idea one bit.

Little did you know, he and Gonta were conspiring to murder her, too, but you beat them to the punch.

Obviously he was pissed someone foiled his plans....but imagine his shock when it turned out to be you.

The two were suspects for a long time as they explained the “Killing Game Busters” scheme.

But since Miu died by your hands--their names were cleared.

Kokichi was in frustrated tears, yelling at you for not telling him sooner.

But he ultimately breaks down when your punishment was announced.

He clings to you, crying and begging you not to leave him--he even pleads with Monokuma to let him die with you.

This time it’s not an act.

He feels genuine sorrow and heartache for a long time after the trial.

Gonta

It’d be impossible to think anyone would try to kill him.

But someone tried taking advantage of his gullibility. And you happened to be there at the exact same time, attacking the assailant while your entomologist boyfriend ran off in fear.

You cleaned as much evidence as you could before finding and consoling him, lying that you just talked to them.

He believes you and is relieved---until the body discovery announcement plays later on.

Even though you lied, he doesn’t blame you. Not even during the trial where you made up an alibi.

But when Gonta himself is questioned...he clams up, knowing exactly what happened and being too scared to say the truth.

He doesn’t want to condemn you! Gentlemen don’t-

You reassure him it’s okay. Shuichi has you in a corner and there’s no point in letting the trial drag on.

So he eventually admits what he saw, and he can only cry as he votes you as the Blackened.

You two share one last hug, and he says he’ll never ever call you a killer, thanking you for protecting him even if he failed to protect you.

Korekiyo

It doesn’t come as a surprise that someone would try murdering him. He could see the hatred in their eyes whenever he looked at them.

His menacing appearance seems to be more than enough of a reason to target him.

However, after finding their body and signs of a struggle surrounding the crime scene, he arrives to the conclusion that the culprit knew he was in danger and killed to protect him.

Ah...how beautiful that realization was.

Or so he thought.

When it’s revealed you carried out that deed, using his golden sword to swiftly kill the victim, his heart is completely shattered.

‘No..no, no, no, no, no!!’

He feels anger, sorrow, confusion, and..so many other unpleasant things at once as you confess to the crime.

Not even Sister calms him down. He becomes belligerent, trying to steer everyone away from the truth and claim he killed the victim in self-defense.

You have to step off your podium to console him, as he was screaming his head off and scaring everyone.

When the trial is over, he just holds you close, begging Monokuma not to take you--his one true love--away from him.

But alas, it’s all for nothing as you’re sentenced to your execution.

Though you remind Korekiyo of what he’s taught you about death, as you didn’t fear it, and you promise you’ll watch over him in the afterlife.

Kaito

He’s incredibly outraged when everyone suspects you as the culprit in spite of the evidence that piles up.

“Shuichi, you're not actually gonna believe their crap, right?! Stop screwing around--!”

“He’s not, Kaito. It's the truth."

Stunned, he looks at you. Since your podium was conveniently next to his, he didn’t have to look far to see the guilt in your eyes.

Learning your motivation, however, is what ultimately crushed him.

You killed...to protect him?

No..

That couldn’t be right! He was suppose to protect you! Didn’t he always tell you how killing was wrong and-?!

But the truth was you did try talking some sense into the victim...but they attacked you instead, and you retaliated in self-defense. So it was purely accidental.

Kaito is pissed when Monokuma jests that “murder is murder” no matter what and he actually tries fighting the Exisals.

You insist he doesn’t interfere, and plead for him to use that strength to help protect everyone else instead.

His spirit is broken for a while, but...he’ll recover and keep fighting on. For your sake.

K1B0

Something in you snapped when you overheard Kokichi taunt your robot boyfriend for the last time, actually hurting him physically as well as emotionally.

K1B0 went to you in tears, not understanding why he hated him so much.

After comforting him, you’ve finally had enough. You were sick of him being harassed nonstop.

So you sent him to see Miu while you met with Kokichi to “talk”. 

While the Ultimate Supreme Leader seemed suspicious, he let his guard down...sealing his fate as you strangled him with his own scarf.

Then you inflicted numerous wounds on his corpse to disguise the true cause of death.

But when the truth was revealed, K1B0 was in total shock at your motive.

He couldn’t believe you’d do something so barbaric.

Even if Kokichi bullied him relentlessly, there’s no reason you had to go as far as murder him!

However he understands anger can be a powerful emotion--one that throws any and all sense of logic out the window.

Still..it hurt to watch you get executed. He went into shutdown for the rest of the day/night.

And here he was, thinking you two had finally torn down the wall of “forbidden love” between human and robot for good.

Rantaro

You managed to kill Tsumugi before she had a chance to murder Rantaro and Kaede’s final part of her plan went into motion.

The shot put ball’s sudden appearance startled him into forgetting about the hidden room and running out of the library..

And up the stairs as the obnoxious music stops and one of the girls yelled for everyone to come into the bathroom--where Tsumugi’s body was.

At that point, the game should’ve ended since you actually killed the mastermind.

But of course, Team Danganronpa had backup plans and thus the game kept going.

You had rearranged the crime scene to make it look like a suicide, leading everyone to assume the time limit’s pressures are what killed the cosplayer.

But eventually your crime was unraveled and Rantaro was utterly devastated.

You’re the first Blackened in yet another killing game he was forced to participate in.

You only killed Tsumugi because you found it suspicious she suddenly ran off on her own near the time limit’s end.

In doing so you unknowingly saved Rantaro’s life in exchange for your own.

He was upset you did something so rash when he clearly told everyone not to, but...at the same time he’s grateful to be alive because of you.

He swears your death won’t be in vain. He’s gonna escape this game with everyone else.

[queenof-literature]

I know that you just posted your Rito story and I loved. I can't wait for more! I noticed it mentioned Wild blushing when asked to sing one of Kass's song. I am pretty sure it's Kass's final song, and thought it would be cute if one of the other Links hears Wild singing under his breath (maybe while cooking) and the story and song get dragged out of him.

Hi! Thank you so much! I wasn't quite sure what you meant by song and story, but I used Kass' final song with the story of Wild's death and the story with Kass' teacher, so it got a little angsty. I hope that all is okay. If not, please let me know and I wil l write a different one! Thank you for the request!

It had been a rough day. The group had landed in Hyrule’s land, and had instantly been attacked by groups of monsters with insane amounts of bloodlust. Luckily, there weren’t any injuries that couldn’t be fixed with a potion or two. Some scrapes here, some sprained ankles there, physically they were fine. But they were absolutely exhausted.

Wild was making a hearty stew for his friends before they turned in early that night. Four was leaning against a tree, book in hand. Warriors and Legend were playing a weird card game that involved slapping each other’s hands as hard as possible while Wind and Hyrule watched and made fun of them both. Time and Twilight were chatting and laughing softly, while Sky was already dozing off on a tree near Four’s. Overall, it was a tired peace that made Wild’s heart swell.

He never really got this peace before he met the other heroes. It was always sleeping in trees away from monsters, or riding through the night to discover new shrines, or pushing forward to save Zelda and other villages infected by the Calamity. This was peaceful, something that Wild wasn’t used to, but didn’t really hate like he thought he would when he first met them.

“For fierce and deadly trials await. To regain his strength. Fulfill his fate.” Wild didn’t really notice when he began to sing softly as he was stirring his stew. He also didn’t notice the rest of camp slowly getting quiet, or Four elbowing Sky in the ribs. His eyes had grown distant as he continued to sing softly. “To become a hero once again. To wrest the princess from her den.” The rest of the Links looked at each other silently. Wild had a pretty voice from what they could hear. Pretty in a way that it was unique, and rough from lack of use, but also soft and comforting. He almost looks like he doesn’t notice what he’s doing. Should they tell him? 

“The hero, the princess-hand in hand-Must bring the light back to this land.” Wild finished just as soft as he began, like he had sung the song millions of times before. But he realized he felt eyes on him. He looked up to see the entire camp staring at him, even Sky, all with confusion and a bit of awe. Oh dear Hylia. Wild yanked his hood up to find his bright red face as he realized what he had done. ‘I am so sorry.’ Wild signed ‘Sometimes I do that without noticing. I didn’t mean to interrupt you all I promise. I’ll stop. Just let me know when I do it in the future, sorry I just didn’t notice-’ Twilight and the rest of the boys had gathered around Wild, but still gave him space. Twilight gently put his hands over Wild’s. He didn’t like doing that if he didn’t have to, Wild sometimes expressed himself only through sign and he never wanted to get in the way of that. But if he let Wild continue too far, he would spiral into a dark place where it was harder to pull him from. All of the Heroes of Courage had that issue. Sometimes it was better to stop the train of loathing and questioning before it got too far off the track. 

“Don’t apologize about what you do while you make us dinner, Cub” Twilight teased gently, taking his hands off of Wild’s. “There’s nothing to be embarrassed about, we all got our habits. Besides, ya got a pretty singin’ voice.” Twilight smiled, while Wild simply flushed further into his hood, at this point his face was the most red thing Twilight had ever seen.

“Yeah Wild! I knew you would have a pretty voice!” Wind exclaimed. The group couldn’t see Wild’s eyes at all, but they could see his lips twitch upwards slightly at the younger’s enthusiasm. 

“Ummm… thank you.” Wild said softly, still not coming out of his hood. 

“Can you sing us the whole song? If you’re comfortable of course.” Wind asked hesitantly. He wanted to hear the rest of Wild’s song, but he didn’t want Wild to feel forced into anything. The group looked at Wind in slight shock. They hadn’t expected anyone to ask the blatant question no one else wanted to ask, but Wind was good at that. The shy boy somehow managed to get even more flustered, his face so red he looked like he was about to explode. 

“W-well.” Wild was slightly stuttering again, not that the group minded. It wasn’t just nerves, Wild couldn’t talk very well when the group first found him, so he mostly signed like he did to others in his Hyrule that needed help. Through sign, they discovered that he was actually very witty and fun, but it turns out not using your voice for more than a hundred years and having rough scars around your neck made it a little hard to talk.

“My voice isn’t very good, maybe Kass could sing it to you? It’s better with the accordion anyway.” Wild said nervously.

“Your voice is very good Wild!” Sky urged. 

“If you’re okay with singing it we don’t need the music Wild.” Time stated. “But no one's forcing ya. We would love to hear it, but only if ya want to sing it.” Wild pondered these words. Ever since he started talking verbally again, he tried to push himself out of his silent shell with help from the other heroes. Maybe singing was the next step? 

Once again, Wild felt weak. He could take down entire camps of monsters, defeat Calamity, and kill Guardians with a single ancient arrow to the eye, but he couldn’t talk to people properly. He had relayed those thoughts to Twilight before, how useless he felt sometimes that he could be strong except in the face of normal, everyday people. Twilight had told him that it was perfectly okay, and that everyone had their struggles and fears, but Wild still felt stupid sometimes. 

“I guess… If you really wanna hear it…” Wild emerged from his hood slightly. Maybe it would prove he wasn't as weak as he thought? Wind cheered and put his head in his hands, waiting. The rest of the group smiled, and Twilight patted his arm for encouragement. 

“An ancient hero. A calamity appears. Now resurrected after 10,000 years”

The other heroes are surprised when Wild starts singing. It’s still soft, and it’s still rough, but Wind is right. Wild’s voice has a nice comfort in it.

“Her appointed knight, gives his life. Shields her figure and pays the price.”

Wait, what? Wild’s death is part of the song? And the words, shielding her figure, did Wild take every Guardian laser for Zelda? How did he make it to the Shrine of Resurrection? Oh Wild…

“The princess’ love for her fallen knight, awakens her power and calamity cowers. But the knight survives in the Shrine of Resurrection. He sleeps. Until from his healing dream he leaps.”

Anger fills the group at this. It was known that Wild was in the Shrine? Why did no one check on him? Why did no one keep guard so he wouldn’t be alone and scared when he woke up? Sure it was 100 years, but did no one get suspicious? Especially with elders who saw the fall of Hyrule!

“For fierce and deadly trials await, to regain his strength, fulfill his fate. To become a hero once again. To wrest the princess from Evil's den.” Wild finishes his song while looking around the camp with nervous eyes. Some of the boys looked troubled. Was he really that bad? At Wild’s nervous look, most of the boys snapped out of their stupur and began applauding, Warriors whistling at an ear piercing volume while the others whooped and hollered. Wild, who had kept his hood on to feel a small amount of security at revealing his voice in such a vulnerable way, hid within it once again, except it was a different embarrassment this time, he was relieved he had done it and gotten through it. But the group could see a smile threatening to break out. It was a sweet sight. 

‘Thank you’ Wild signed with fingers trembling from the adrenaline of singing in front of all eight heroes. 

“No problem, Buddy.” Twilight clapped his back.

“Yeah Wild! Thanks for trusting us enough to sing that song!” Hyrule smiled across the campfire. A smile that Wild returned instantly. Hyrule and Wild related to each other in this way. They spent so much time away from civilization and traveling the woods, it was sometimes scary to go back. All of the boys were smiling at him, except for Time. He looked solemn and serious. 

“You okay, Old Man?” Four questioned. Time turned to Wild, look serious. Wild hadn’t been this intimidated by Time since he had first met the man.

“Wild… how many times did those things’ lasers hit you?” Time said the word ‘things’ with such malice the entire group got chills.

“Time.” Twilight whispered urgently. Wild didn’t like to talk about his death one hundred years ago. 

“It says you shielded the princess. How. Many. Times?” Time asked coolly. On the inside he was livid. He was trying so hard not to take it out on Twilight’s protege, because it wasn’t his fault. None of it was, no matter how much he blamed himself, Wild was sent into the situation to die. He took blast after blast with his own body, and he still didn’t make it to Ganon. His friends all died except Zelda who he shielded with his own body.    

“U-um. I don’t remember. I-I guess. Maybe five? Six? I-I’m sorry Time. I-I don’t remember.” Twilight put a hand on Wild’s shoulder when the boy’s breath hitched slightly, jolting Time out of his external anger. The rest of the camp were looking at him in confusion, or in some cases, (Legend), anger.

“I’m sorry Wild I didn't mean to spring that upon you. I was just mad. Not at you.” Time rished the last part in when he saw Wild open his mouth to apologize again. “I was mad at your situation. Wild… you didn’t deserve that. No one would ever deserve that but Hylia, not you kid.” Wild tilted his head in confusion. It would have been slightly cute if the next words hadn’t come out of his mouth. 

“But I failed.” Wild said like it was the most natural thing on the planet. There was an uncomfortable silence in the group, then a descent into chaos. 

“Failed?”

"Wild, no!”

“How the fuck was Calamity’s shit actions your fault? He’s the fucking monster that fucked up Hyrule!”

“Dear Hylia, Wind. Language. He’s right though Wild, it was Ganon’s fault.”

“Wild it wasn’t your fault, it was Ganon’s.”

Wild appreciated the support, but all their voices began blurring together. Tears pricked at his eyes, Twilight’s hand on his shoulder burned hotter than a Guardians laser. It all became too much too fast. 

“It was my fault!” Wild yelled. That halted the group in their tracks. Wild yelled sure. When he was in his environment he would yell while shield surfing, or talking about a crazy plan he had, but this was in anger and despair. Wild harshly brushed Twilight’s hand off, trying to ignore the slight hurt in his eyes. 

“I doomed Hyrule! By the time Zelda unlocked her power I had collapsed. My body quit on me! I quit on all of Hyrule! The other champions died! Why am I the only one left? Kass told me the story of his teacher! He was Zelda’s age and he fell in love with her, but she loved me! I don’t even know if I loved her back! She doesn’t deserve what she was put through! No one does! I did that to them, that was all me! I failed! I got hit with laser after laser after laser but I had to keep going! But I couldn’t, I didn’t even make it the castle! Kass’ teacher was mad I wasn’t a noble or royalty, and he was right! Zelda deserved better! She and I are the only ones left! All the other champions died because of me! Why am I the only one? Why am I still here? Why am I-” Wild choked on his last words on a sob. His entire rant, tears began to cascade down his face as the group looked on in horror.

Wild couldn’t hold it in anymore. He cried and he grieved and he yelled. Wild didn’t feel the white and burning rage anymore, he just felt the despair and sorrow he had been keeping in for years, only releasing a couple of times in small doses. When Twilight reached out to gently touch his hand, it didn’t feel like lava from Death Mountain anymore, it felt warm and loving and Wild simply leaned into it, silently telling Twilight it was okay.

“Oh, Cub.” Twilight murmured before pulling Wild to his chest. Wild curled up in his mentor's arms and allowed himself to sob over all the losses he had felt. His sobs grew harder and he felt like a child, but he couldn’t help it. He couldn’t breath, his sobs overlapping and clogging his lungs. One of his hands was pulled away from where it was curled into Twilight’s tunic and he whined. 

“Just me kiddo. You gotta breathe with me.” His hand was led to a different chest. Legend, Wild recognized in the back of his mind. Legend exaggerated his breaths for Wild to copy. The first time he tried, he simply choked more and shook his head. “That’s alright, you can do it. Another try.” Legend said gently. Wild would be laughing in a different situation. The word gentle and Legend wouldn’t be put together when he had first met the snarky hero. Wild tried again with a little more success. Legend kept helping him as another hand went through his hair. Four.

“I’m so sorry, Wild.” Wind said from across camp. The younger felt guilty that he had started this when asking if Wild could sing. Wild wanted to reassure that this wasn’t his fault at all, that this had just been building, but he couldn’t talk. Luckily, Warriors and Hyrule were there to cover for him, talking quietly to Wind on the other side of camp. Wind shook it off though, Wild needed them more.

Wild had calmed down slightly. Still crying, and still curled up in Twilight's arms and getting help from Four and Legend. But once he was sure he could hear him, Time spoke up. 

“Wild, I’m sorry I didn’t mean to grill you that hard. That was my mistake.” Wild opened his mouth to tell him that it was okay, he knew Time had no malintent, but Time continued on. “Wild. I need you to understand something. What happened wasn’t your fault.” Wild opened his mouth to correct Time, but Time was having none of it. “No, it wasn’t your fault Wild. I’m not saying that to comfort you or baby you. What you were sent into was an execution Wild.” Twilight's wolf instincts got loud in his head and he almost snapped at Time for being so harsh but stopped himself. He remembered Time told him once after he took Wild under his wing, that mentoring wasn’t just about kind words and support. It was also about knowing when to state hard facts. Sometimes that’s all people understood. 

“No one knew what Ganon had planned, and you had no time to prepare because of the mistakes of those before you. You had nothing to do with their ignorance, Wild.” Time’s face was set in stone, but his eyes showed a fiery passion for every word he was saying. “Wild. Look at me please, bud.” Wild peeked out from Twilight’s shoulder and looked into Time’s eyes, which softened as he met the younger hero’s sky blue eyes. “It wasn’t your fault, because you couldn’t control anything around you. You are not a God. You have the limitations of a Hylian that you already find ways to exceed. Wild, you were so brave. You took hit after hit to protect Zelda. And her powers awakened right before you collapsed. Do you blame her for not unlocking them sooner.” Instantly Wild’s eyes became hard, and he opened his mouth to bite into Time, who could see where this was leading just by the expression on Wild’s face. He held up a hand. “I’m not saying you should. I’m saying that she also had limitations that were out of her control, just like you. If you don’t blame Zelda, why do you blame yourself?” That one stumped Wild a bit. He wanted to say because Zelda was born into a family she never asked to be in, and worked hard everyday to fulfill their expectations… but he was in the same situation. Did Zelda feel the same way he did when he sorrowfully watched her blame herself? Time saw he struck a chord.

“I understand feeling like a failure. I lost battles too. But you did what you could do with what very little of the situation you could control. You said it yourself, you took laser after laser for her, and you only collapsed after you were sure she was safe. The safety of others is the only thing that kept you going, Wild. I’m not saying I approve of you taking lasers for others, but do you realize how much of a hero you are?” Tears flowed from Wild’s eyes once again, but for another reason entirely. Time really cared. He really thought Wild was a hero, even after he heard the song, the stories, the death. He heard it all, and the Hero of Time still thought Wild belonged with them. Wild whispered a quick thank you, and the rest of the group sighed in relief. Wild’s sobs had turned to hiccups as the rest of the group told him similar things to Time. It didn’t feel suffocating this time, it just felt like his eight brothers were trying to comfort him. Wild felt a weight lifted off his shoulders he had felt for so long. Time knew Wild would still struggle with his feelings of failure, one night wouldn’t change that, but he hoped he got through to Wild for the long run, at least a little. 

Wild realized how absolutely exhausted he was before this whole ordeal even started, which only increased tenfold now that he had cried. He was embarrassed that he had lost his shit that much in front of all eight heroes, and realized with a jolt how exhausted they had been too. 

“Um. I’m sorry, I know you all were really tired. I didn’t mean to have this happen-” He was cut off with a flick to his unscarred ear by Legend and a small yank on his ear by Four while Wild yelped.

“What did we just talk about you idiot?” Legend hissed, but it lacked the usual bite he had. 

“Yeah Wild! Don’t be sorry. Everyone needs a good cry once in a while! It’s healthy! I’m a medical professional, you have to listen to me.” Hyrule added with a joking glare. Some snickers rang through the group at Hyrule’s proclamation. Time looked over and smiled in pride at Wild, which Wild returned with red dusting on his cheeks. Hearing all his brothers laughing and fighting, and feeling the comforting arms around him, Wild slowly dozed off into a deep sleep, feeling lighter than he had in years.  

[lovehugsandcandy]

One-on-One (ColtxMC, n*fw)

A/N: So the incomparable @omgjasminesimone has been keeping us FED rn (thank you, you are AMAZING) and then I saw there was a ColtxMC prompt she couldn’t fill (and I completely understand why) and...well....I hate to see my Colt stans go hungry. This is the AU scenario for “I’m a cheerleader, and you play basketball for the rival school. We’ve never spoken, but when you smile and wink at me like that I have a very hard time remembering not to cheer for you.” Anon, this is n*fw but, if that’s not your thing, lmk and I can easily cut that part out.

Length: ~3,500 words (why can’t I write something short, why why why?)

Rating: N*FW (Sex. Swearing. Fighting. Blood. Stupidity.)

Pairing: Colt x MC, RoD

Summary: Ellie cheers for the Langston basketball team, wholly focused on supporting them....right?

“I’ll be right back, I swear.”

“I can’t believe you-” The swinging doors cut Ingrid off as Ellie hustled out of the Langston basketball court. They had thirty minutes until the game started; the least she could do was get some studying done.

The opposing team filed past her as she rushed by, fresh off the bus and heading to their locker room. A few of the guys gave her the eye-God, she hated how short these skirts were- but she ignored them, ducking into the tiny room the Langston cheerleaders had commandeered as their own, quickly nabbing her textbook from her locker. 

When she emerged, chiding herself to return the book clutched to her chest before the game began, the hallway was empty except for one lone player, slowly making his way up the hall, eyes glued to his phone. The basketball jersey revealed very toned arms, but he didn’t even see her until he almost walked into her.

“Excuse you.” He looked up and Ellie froze as intense eyes widened above sculpted cheekbones. Her heart beat faster as he sized her up, smirking. “Quantum Mechanics. Really.”

“What?” Her eyes narrowed. Well, he was cute...before he spoke. “You think cheerleaders are all dumb or something?”

“You said it, sweetheart, not me.”

“Excuse me?” 

“I mean, your sport is clapping for other people while they do sports,” he scoffed. “I’m not sure that intelligence-”

“I will have you know that cheerleading is physically demanding and mentally taxing.”

He raised his arms, palms up, placating her with a nod. “I’m not saying it isn’t. Christ, I’m not blind. I know how hard it is. I just think that, with all the talent and hard work, you all would realize that you’re capable of much more than sitting courtside.”

She opened her mouth and paused. It seemed like there was a backhanded compliment somewhere in there, but she was too taken aback to parse through the sass.

“Ha,” he taunted, “especially sitting courtside while we kick Langston’s ass.”

“Excuse me?” Her eyes narrowed. “That’s not gonna-”

“Oh, it’ll happen.”

“You so sure about it?”

“I am.” His eyes lingered on her face, stopping intently on her lips before pulling back up to meet her glare. “How about this?” He stepped closer and Ellie suddenly realized how alone they were. The hallway was completely deserted; the other players were in their locker rooms, the spectators were waiting for the first jump, and it was just her and this mysterious, challenging rival. “Let’s make a bet on it, then.”

“You’re on.”

“Ok…” He smiled, a slow widening of his lips; her stomach lurched. “If we win, you give me a kiss.”

“What?” she sputtered.“You’re not gonna win.”

“Oh, we will.”

She rolled her eyes. “Ok. Fine. And when Langston wins?”

“Then I give you a kiss.”

“What?!? No way! It sounds like you always win here.”

“Oh, no.” He stepped even closer to positively purr in her ear. “You always win. Cuz I’m gonna kiss you so good you forget your own name.” Her breath caught as his teeth slid down her earlobe and she had to stop her traitorous fingers from curving in the number on his jersey.

He stepped back with a smirk, and Ellie had to consciously force breath through suddenly dry lips. With a wink, he turned down the hallway; she had to wait for her heart to stop racing until her feet followed.

~~~~~

Ellie tried to ignore him, but it was practically impossible. She was supposed to be cheering for her own school, but the mysterious boy was omnipresent, all over the court and her thoughts. Every time their eyes met, he shot her a wink, whether he was sitting on the bench, jogging up-court after a layup, or once even mid-pass, flipping the ball behind a defender while his eyes were solely trained on her.

She couldn’t focus. She could barely pay attention to her own team when it felt like her eyes were searching for his every second.

The worst was during the halftime show, when his haughty gaze found hers mid-split. The quirk of his eyebrows and the way his eyes suggestively traced down her legs made it very clear exactly what he was thinking. 

And if it wasn’t, the lascivious, exaggerated wink left no doubt.

Her face burned through the rest of the routine and she was grateful to slump to her seat, her roommate sliding next to her.

“Did Colt Kaneko just wink at you?”

Ellie took a giant gulp of water, stalling, as Ingrid’s suspicious eyes poured into her. “Who?”

“Who?!? Colt Kaneko, that’s who. He’s only the best point guard in the state.”

Ellie shrugged. She wasn’t blind; he obviously had talent. He was fast, weaving between defenders as if they were standing still. His passes were on target, and he shot a decent three. But his biggest talent, as far as she could tell, was his brain. He read the court well, seemingly able to project where a Langston player would sprint and then pass the ball a split-second before they arrived, leaving them flailing in midair. It was almost surgical, the way he presciently  mapped the progression of the play before it occurred, as if he could read minds.

She was almost impressed.

His talents continued through the entire game until, eight minutes into the fourth period, the Langston center lunged hard, roughly fouling Colt at the arc; Ellie winced as they both went crashing down, shrill shriek of sneakers and thud of bodies on parquet audible even over the ref’s whistle.

“What the fuck?” Colt was up like a shot, on his feet and livid, the Langston center following, jerkily, gargantuan hands tucked into weighty fists. “What the fuck was that foul?”

“You got a problem, man?”

She sucked in a breath as the indistinct jawing turned into shoving. “Colt!” she shouted but it was lost in the jeering of the crowd. Their center had almost a foot on him; what the hell was he even thinking?

The ref raced over, whistle screaming shrilly in his mouth, but he wasn’t fast enough, The shoves turned into a full-on brawl, fists flying in a crowd of muscled bodies as more and more players joined in. She leapt to her feet but, in the rush of jerseys, it was hard to see exactly what was happening, both teams crowding around, obscuring her view of the fight at the center.

Finally, when the refs got the situation under control, her heart dropped. Colt was still furious, the blood streaming down his face not stopping him from a heated conversation with the ref, while the Langston center fared no better, hand covering a cut on his forehead while his split lip looked like it would need stitches.

They were both led away, ejected, Colt gesturing sharply the entire way. But right before they showed him the door, he looked back, eyes searching the crowd until they met hers. His face fell, and he had the sense to look ashamed for a moment before he was herded out the door.

~~~~~

Ellie’s leg bounced, nervously waiting for the final whistle. She kept cheering, pom-poms high in the air, but it was half-hearted. Langston was down by five and, with no fouls to give and no timeouts, the ending was basically locked up. Once the stopwatch clanged, groans roaring from the crowd as the Langston loss was official, she sprang to her feet, relieved that the game was finally over. With a weak goodbye to Ingrid thrown over her shoulder, she pushed through the crowd, heading away from exits, down the deserted halls towards the locker rooms.

A crowd of opposing players bounced by her, jauntily celebrating their victory, but she paid them no mind, turning the corner and stopping short as she spied a familiar figure reclining on a bench, long legs sprawled on the tile floor as he held a towel to his nose.

His eyes widened, and he stood as she approached. “You came...” His voice caught with wonder until a familiar smirk split his face. “I thought I lost my shot.”

“You are an idiot.”

“Hey! An idiot who kicked Langston’s ass.”

“What?!? You got ejected from the game!  It devolved into a fistfight between two absolute  morons!”

“We still won though.” He stood, blood-stained towel dabbing at his nose. “So where’s my kiss?”

Her jaw dropped. “Are you- urgh. Your nose is still bleeding. I’m not- Christ, come here.” She grabbed his bicep and pulled, fingers digging into the cut of solid muscle as she dragged him through the door of the visitor’s locker room.

“I’m not so sure you’re supposed to be in here.”

“Shut it.” She sped by the lockers to the bathroom, walking past the showers to grab some toilet paper. “Let me see.”

He stood dutifully still as she swiped at his nose, hand on his chin turning his face side-to-side as she assessed the bruising. The blood had stopped flowing, thankfully, a tiny stain of red under one nostril all that remained of his stupid brawl.

“You’re lucky it’s not broken,” she huffed

He shrugged. “Would have been worth it.”

He was so close to her, again, a wall of heat and muscle in front of her, looking down with a gleam in his eyes and a smirk on his lips.”You’d break your nose for a win?"

“Or for a kiss.”

She was beginning to hate that smirk...or hate how much she liked it. Rolling her eyes, she stepped forward, meeting his lips in the briefest of pecks. When she stepped back, his jaw dropped. “You really did it…” he wondered aloud.

She quirked a shoulder, turning to go. “Why not?” A hand on her arm stopped her and, in the next instant, his lips were on hers faster than she could process. Her previous quick kiss meant nothing. But this? God. His lips captured hers as if he had been waiting all game just to swallow the needy moans from her mouth. Her hands flew to his hair, silken strands tangling in her fingers as his palms wrapped around her hip bones, pulling her flush against him as his lips never left hers, tongue teasing the seam until her lips parted, making her brain short circuit.

He pulled back and her eyes fluttered open, breath coming fast. “Wait, what’s your name?” he asked.

“Uhh...Ellie?”

“Dammit. You still remember.” And with that, sturdy hands were pushing her against the wall so his lips could meet hers again, pulling the breath from her lungs before sliding up her jaw, down her neck, teasing bites and kisses making her tangle her hands in his jersey, pulling him closer. Grinding her hips, she felt his cock twitch and her head fell back against the wall, heat flaring up her spine.

“Colt?” Oh my God, her voice was weak, barely a whine, and she would have been embarrassed had his hands not been tracing winding paths up the back of her shirt, sliding between uniform and skin in a blazing trail of heat. She pulled again on his jersey, tucking her hands underneath to trace the sculpted muscles hiding beneath. “Colt, please?”

She almost complained at the loss of his mouth on her neck when he ducked away; but when she caught sight of him pulling his shirt over his head, the words caught in her mouth. He was all lean muscle, broad shoulders, cut abs, and her fingers twitched to trace down the v-shape that led into his shorts.

“Goddamn,” she murmured.

The haughty grin was back. “Like what you see?”

She didn’t answer, only pulled him closer to trail desperate fingertips past the elastic of his shorts, teasing at soft skin, and it was like a switch had been flipped. He yanked her shirt over her head, sports bra flying away next as his lips descended to suck a nipple into his mouth. Sneakers were next, kicked off as his teeth dug possessively into her stomach before going even lower, kneeling as his lips stopped at the waist of her cheer skirt.

“Fuck, I like this skirt,” he growled, palms running up her inner thigh. “I’m gonna fuck you in it next time.”

“Next time?” She could barely speak. Fuck, she could barely breathe. “What next time?”

“They’ll be a next time,” he vowed, and the smirk was back as he pulled, shucking every stitch off her and himself before he returned to the ground, tongue tracing a meandering path up her thighs as she shivered, pulling at his hair as his mouth edged closer, until finally, finally, his lips slid over sensitive skin, then through her folds, then zeroing in on her clit, gentle suction making her eyes fly shut.

Body quivering, her vision went dark as her nails dug sharp crescents into his shoulders. She tried to pull him closer, fingers moving with a mind of their own as his tongue found her clit and the room spun. Thank God he was holding her up, strong hands spread over her thighs, pressing her against the wall; she was inches from melting into the floor, his tongue flicking against where she was most sensitive and drawing designs that made her nerves sing in response. She was so focused on her peak, hurtling towards her like a freight train, that she almost didn’t hear the slamming of the locker room door.

“Kaneko? You still in here?”

She opened her eyes, struggling to get air in her lungs. “Shit! I’m not supposed to be-”

“I know, I know,” he whispered and stood, eyes frantically searching the room before he pulled her into a shower stall, quickly shoving the dingy curtain shut behind them.

“What are you-?”

“Shhh,” he hissed and turned the shower on, boxing her against the wall.

“He’s gonna-”

His hands were on her bare waist and she swallowed as he leaned against her. “Shhh, he’s not gonna come in here.” The water was falling behind him, a steady stream turning warmer and sluicing over the back of his head. 

She put her hands through his wet hair and pulled him closer. “Fine,” she murmured into his mouth before finding his lips again.

“Kaneko, you in here?”

Colt pulled back and glared at the flimsy curtain, all that separated her from definite expulsion from the cheer team. “Yeah, Coach,” he called, “I’m in the shower.”

The footsteps got closer. “Uh oh. He’s gonna see my feet,” Ellie hissed, peering through the steam starting to fill the stall. She couldn’t see anyone but there was movement, steadily getting closer, and her fingers tensed into his sides.

He stared at her, question in his eyes, hands traveling to the back of her thighs.

She stared back for a beat before nodding. “Please. God, yes, please.”

His lip quirked and, before she knew it, he lifted, picking her up so her back hit the wall, her legs circled around his waist, and his cock slowly slide through her folds. She had to bite his shoulder to muffle the whimper from her mouth as his cock stretched her walls, back arching, legs tightening, every part of her pulling him even closer as he thrust..

“Fuck…” he growled in her ear, “you feel incredible.”

“What did you say?” the Coach shouted.

“I said,” Colt coughed, and it took him a second to compose his voice. “I said...let me finish my shower.”

The footsteps stopped. Ellie heard a weary sigh just outside the room; she didn’t dare to move, to breathe, though it was hard to stifle the sounds when Colt swiveled his hips in tiny circles. “The bus leaves in five minutes.”

“Five minutes?” Colt smirked at her and another pivot had her mouth falling open. “I mean, I hope I’m not that quick.”

“What? Just….just hurry the fuck up.” Thankfully, the steps receded until the locker room door slammed.

“That was close.” Colt breathed a sigh of relief. “I thought he would never leave.”

“Colt?”

“Yeah?”

“Just fuck me.”

“Demanding…” He rolled his hips again and her back pushed against him, wordlessly begging for more. The tile behind her was cool but she was burning, fire of his hands tight on her thighs, his lips tracing scorching lines down her jaw, flame engulfing every nerve endings. Even the water couldn’t cool her as it continued falling, soaking his hair, tiny rivulets dripping off his face and onto her chest; Colt followed each one with his tongue as his hips moved, demanding, pushing her back against the wall with each targeted thrust.

“Colt...oh my God, Colt, please!”

“I love how you moan my name, fuck.” He moved faster, and she clung to him. The rhythm of his hips was making needy sounds pour out of her mouth and, now, she didn’t have to be quiet. His name echoed off the bathroom tile, in a frenzied tone she had never heard leave her throat, and she dimly hoped that everyone else was far, far from the locker room hallway.

“Fuck, Ellie.” He moved, somehow balancing her against the wall while one hand slid down her stomach, then lower, thumb finding her clit. She keened. She couldn’t think, his cock driving inside her, his thumb keeping a steady frantic beat against her, it was all too much; all she could do was cling to his shoulders as he swiveled his hips just so and the world exploded, stars raining down where water had been, her body shaking so wildly that she almost missed Colt’s groan in her ear, strained and gruff as he pulsed inside her.

The world stopped spinning and was eventually, blessedly still. The only sound was the shower, water pattering against tile, and the soft breath, low in her ear. She felt drained, weak in the best way, and she let her head fall against the wall as Colt peeled off of her. Her legs were spasming when he lowered her to the ground; she had to clutch his shoulder with a tight fist before she regained the ability to move.

When her legs were able to support her weight, he stepped back into the spray of the water, shaking his head so water streamed in wild droplets from his hair before he pulled her under as well, folding muscular arms around her waist as the warm water poured through her hair.

“So…” he mused, running his hands down her back. “Quantum Physics? Really?”

“What is your problem?” She pushed at his shoulder. “Apparently cheerleaders can be smart too, you know.”

“Hey, no problem here. I like smart girls.”

“Then yes, Quantum Physics. I’m a Biomechanical Engineering major.”

“Damn. Sexy.”

Her head shot up, and it took a second to realize that he was being genuine, warmth in his eyes making her flush. She swallowed. “What’s your deal, then? Ingrid said you’re the best point guard in the state.”

He shrugged. “Is that your blond friend?”

“How did you….oh yeah. You watched me all freaking game.”

“I noticed you before that.” The tips of his ears reddened. Ellie blinked.

“What...what do you mean?”

“We played you earlier in the season, back home.” He shrugged, fixing his gaze on the knob as he turned the shower off. “All the other cheerleaders hung outside, flirting with the players. And you were studying on the bus.”

Ellie stared at his back as he pushed through the curtain “Wait a minute…” They had traveled upstate, earlier in the season, but she barely remembered the trip. She had spent the entire time cramming, spending every spare second with her nose in formulas and problem sets. “I had a big orgo test the next day.”

He shrugged, handing her a towel as she stepped out. “I scored 30 points, and you didn’t even look at me.”

“Maybe you need to do more than that to impress me.”

“Noted.” He held her gaze so long that she had to look away, fiddling with her skirt before sliding it over her hips.

“We should…” She tried not to blush but the way he was gawking at her, watching her put her uniform back on? It was a struggle. “We should go.”

“Yeah.” He nodded and tossed his towel in the hamper. As he passed by her, he muttered, “Damn shame though.” She chuckled ruefully as she watched him open a locker and dig out a change of clothes.

Once they were both as decent as possible, they headed back out into the hall, heading towards the entrance. She was cognizant that each step towards the door was a step closer to the end of this fling. 

“You gonna be at nationals?” He shoved his hands in his pockets, biting his lip.

“Yeah, definitely.” Langston only had to win one more game to make it to the playoffs; with five games left in the season, it was a lock. “We’re gonna win it all this year.”

He pushed the door open, and they stepped into the blinding sun. “Really?”

“Even if I have to get on the court myself, we’re beating you.” His bus was waiting, the coach busy scribbling on a clipboard.

“Ha. A little one-on-one?” Gentle fingers circled her wrist, and he pulled her closer, smirk back on his face. “I could take you.”

“You sure about that?”

“Guess we’ll have to see.” He tilted her head up to capture her lips again; Ellie could dimly hear shouting coming from the bus but, with his fingers stroking up the back of her shirt to tease bare skin, it didn’t matter. Nothing did except his lips on hers and the roaring in her ears. “I’m gonna get in trouble for cavorting with the enemy.” He spoke against her mouth and she had to taste the smile on his lips, one last time.

“Especially if we win at Nationals.”

He squeezed her fingers between his own before walking over to the bus. She had just turned away when he called after her, “How ‘bout this?” 

“What?” She stopped to look over her shoulder, taking in the laughing smirk and gleam in his eyes.

“I’ll see you at Nationals. And if we win, you owe me a kiss.”

.

Tags

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Perma @desireepow-1986 @leelee10898 @emichelle @client-327 @choicesgremlin @brightpinkpeppercorn @thequeenofcronuts @lilyofchoices @choicesarehard

ROD @omgjasminesimone @mskaneko @lovemychoices @burnsoslow

Colt

@deimosensblog @alegria1580   @thefarrari @moonlit-girl-wonder @going-down-downtown@soniadotalves@jolietmaraud @flowerpowell@poeticscolt @zaira-oh-zaira @akrenich @sibella-plays-choices​  @maxwellsquidsuit  @liamzigmichael4ever​ @octobereighth @i-only-signed-up-for-fanfiction

[twinklecheeks]

Friends With Benefits (Jeff Wittek Imagine) Part 5

Summary: Jeff and Y/N have been hooking up for a while. The whole vlog squad assumes they’re dating and Y/N does too but Jeff doesn’t like labels. He eventually starts to express interest in Natalie.

Note: Planning on making this a multiple part series, depending on how good it does.  You’re 21 & Latina in this (maybe) series. Also, I’d like to apologize for the typos, if there is any. I’m just illiterate lmao.  

Warnings! pregnancy.

Part 1, Part 2, Part 3, Part 4

Word Count: 1.7k

David’s house:

You walk into the house and everyone is already making bets on what are the genders. Zane,  Heath and Todd bet both boys, Matt & Corinna bet a boy and a girl, Mariah/Carly/Erin bet both girls. Y/n: “Hey Natalie, can I talk to you in the car outside?” Natalie: “Sure. How are you feeling? I feel like we haven’t talked in months.” Y/n: “I’m doing great but I have to talk to you about something important.” Natalie: “Like what?” Y/n: “All the girls know who the father of my twins are and I don’t want you to freak out…” Natalie: “Why would I freak out?” Y/n: “Because Jeff is the father...” Natalie: “Wait, Jeff cheated on me?” Y/n: “NO NO NO. We kind of had this friends with benefits for months before you dated. He ended it with me before he asked you out. He was the only person I’ve been with during those months so I know it’s his.” Natalie: “Does he know?” Y/n: “No…” Natalie: “Why doesn’t he know?” Y/n: “Because he didn’t treat right. He was a player and I was under his charm. I was basically wrapped around his finger until I had enough.” Natalie: “I mean… I’m not surprised… Jeff looks like a player.” Y/n: “I just hope I don’t ruin your relationship. I told him during our last fight that I hope he treats you better than he treated me. If he wants to be in their life, that’s fine but if he doesn’t, I’ll ask him to sign his rights away once they’re born.” Natalie: “Thanks for telling me… Are you going to tell him?” Y/n: “Yeah but I wanted to tell you first incase he blows things out of proportion.” Natalie: “Understandable. I’ll go get Jeff.” She gets out of the car and goes into the house to tell him to go talk to you in the car. You see him walk out and you panic a bit. 

Jeff: “ummmm hey?” Y/n: “Hi.” Jeff: “Nat said you needed to tell me something.” Y/n: “Okay but you can’t blame me for not telling you sooner. You have been such an asshole to me.” Jeff: “Telling me what sooner?” Y/n: “These babies are yours…” Jeff looked like he saw a ghost. He went pale like he was gonna pass out. Jeff: “Excuse me??!? How the fuck you know those babies are mine?” Y/n: “Pretty simple. You were the only guy I slept with since New Years until you dumped me for Natalie.” Jeff: “I don’t believe you. I want a paternity test once they’re born. Until then, I don’t want anything to do with you.” Y/n: “what the fuck do you honestly believe I just slept around? Wanna know something dick head?? You were the only person I wanted to sleep with because I was fucking in love with you but you treated me like shit and I let you do it for too fucking long. I was blind with something that was never going to happen. But I finally realized what I deserved.” Jeff: “Oh boo hoo I don’t want to hear you sob story and you better keep your fucking mouth shut about this.” Y/n: “Oh honey, you are way too late for that. The girls and David know and I just can’t wait to tell the rest of the guys.” Y/n runs out of the car so fast and locks Jeff in her car. Jeff: “WHAT THE FUCK YOU CRAZY BITCH.” You quickly run inside and lock David’s front door but Jeff get’s in through the back door. Y/n: “hey to the guys who don’t know who my deadbeat baby daddy is, it’s Jeff. Jeff runs in right as you finished that sentence. He basically doesn’t want anything to do with me or the kids he helped conceive until he knows for sure.” Jeff: “YOU SHIT THIS IS WHY I DIDNT WANT TO FUCKING BE WITH YOU. YOU ALWAYS FUCKING THINK YOU’RE THE RIGHT. YOU DON’T EBER FUCKING LISTEN WHEN SOMEONE TELLS YOU SHIT. YOU ARE EXACTLY LIKE CIERRA TRYING TO ACT LIKE YOU’RE BETTER THAN EVERYONE ELSE. WELL GUESS WHAT SWEETHEART, YOU’RE A NOBODY.. Y/n: “honey the difference between me and Cierra is that she cheated on you and dumped your ass cause she realized how much of a low life you are. You are such a piece of shit. I wish these babies weren’t yours cause I hope they don’t fucking turn out like drug dealers and go to prison. I don’t need you. Sign your rights away once they’re born because I’m fucking done with you saying lies about me.” Y/n turns around to Natalie. Y/n: “Natalie. Good fucking luck.” Jeff was livid. He hated when someone brought up his past mistakes so when you mentioned that you hope the twins don’t turn out like him, it stung. Jeff: “I’ll gladly sign my rights away cause It’d be hell dealing with you and those things for the next 18 years.” Y/n: “don’t fucking call my children that.”

The whole vlog squad were stunned with how Jeff was treating you. Natalie: “Jeff…. WE’RE DONE.” Jeff: “babe plea-“ Natalie: “Save the apologies. It’s too late. You think I’d pick you over her. Girl code bitch.” Todd: “dude, just leave.” Everybody is just so disappointed in Jeff. They thought he was a nice guy but he never showed that side of him. Natalie: “y/n I’m so sorry. If I knew I would’ve never gone out with him.” Y/n: “it’s fine. He seems like Prince Charming at first and then becomes a snake.” Heath: “baby, just know all of us are here for you. It takes a village to raise a baby.” Zane: “she’s gonna need 2 villages.”

1 day later (the night before the gender reveal)

(Y/n is spending the night at Kylie’s house since the reveal party is gonna be at her place)

Y/n: “I told Jeff he’s the father.” Stass: “NO FUCKING WAY.” Kylie: “HOW DID HE REACT.” Y/n: “It was bad… I explained everything and he completely flipped out. So I said if he doesn’t want anythng to do with me or these babies, sign his rights away so I can have full custody.” Stass: “Did you tell Natalie?” Y/n: “Actually, I did. Natalie and I have known each other for longer than we’ve both known Jeff. I knew she wouldn’t get mad at me. And I made sure to tell her that I wasn’t trying to get in between her and Jeff. That ship sailed months ago but she saw all the horrible stuff he was saying and dumped him.” Kylie: “Damn I would’ve loved to be there for that. I Would’ve ripped him a new one.” Stass: “We should get to bed. We have a big day tomorrow! What do you think it’s gonna be? I hear there’s a bet going around.” Y/n: “It’s a tie between twin boys vs twin girls.” Kylie: “Let’s just wait and see what the colors are tomorrow.”

Gender reveal party

Y/n is officially 4 months pregnant and it’s reveal day!

Kylie: “Wake up sleepy head. I know you’re tired with carrying 2 babies but we gotta get you glammed up. Y/n: “Ughhhhh why can’t I just be lazy and stay in bed.” Stass: “Cause you’re finding out what you’re having.” Y/n: “You can just tell me right now :)” Kylie: “ABSOLUTELY not. Kylie’s team then comes in and spends 2 hours doing your hair, make-up and picking out your outfit. You had to choose between a pink and blue maternity dress. You picked the pink dress and have your nails painted matte baby blue (Pictured below how you look)

Once you’re ready, you head downstairs and a bunch of your friends are there. You were glad to see your family, including your dad. He still wasn’t talking to you but he was there. Everybody was having a good time eating, playing the classic shower games like guessing what chocolate is in the “poopy” diaper and other stuff like that. Kylie: “Okay guys! Gather around so we can find out the genders of the twins. Final voting. How many people think they’re boys?” About half think boys, and the other half is equal between boy & girl twin and just girl twins. Kylie: “So y/n is going to be revealing baby A and you guys are going to be revealing baby B.” Kylie gives you the powder cannon. Kylie: “Are you ready?” Y/n: “AHHHH I NO IM NOT BUT I AM.” Everybody: “3! 2! 1!”

Y/n: “IT’S A GIRL!!!! AHHHHH.” Everybody is screaming. Stass: “To the people who bet, y’all better be praying that you’re right.” Kylie and Stass hand powder cannon to everybody at the party and the countdown begins again. 3.. 2… 1!!!

IT’S ANOTHER GIRL!!!!!! At this point, you’re just sobbing. You’re having 2 girls. The only thing you care about in the moment are your baby girls. Zane: “Man we lost the bet. I thought it was gonna be boys.” Mariah, Carly & Erin: “Ayyyye we won!!! Now give us our money.”

A couple of hours later

David: “So I guess you’re not naming one David Jr.” Y/n: “You thought I would?” David: “HEY! You promised for 250k...” Y/n: “I was never going to accept that. A joke is a joke.” David: “How you feeling knowing you’re having 2 girls?” Y/n: “I think it’s pretty ironic. Jeff treats women like shit and look what happened. I’m having girls. But I don’t mind. Baby girl clothes are way cuter than boy clothes.” David: “I just wanted to let you know that I’m in it for the long run.” Y/n: “Huh?” David: “Y/n, I have had a crush on you since before I met Liza. I was crushed when she dumped me and you were always there. You were the only one who was always there for me through thick and thin. I know this is bad timing telling you this but it’s because I was too much of a scared little bitch to tell you. I will be there every single step of the way. I’ll go to your appointments with you if you want me to and be there helping you through labor if you want me to.” Y/n: “I’d love it if you were there for me all the way.”

--------------------------

Yoooo I AM SO SORRY I SAID I WAS GONNA POST EARLY. I had the chapter mostly done but it felt very boring so I basically rewrote most of the chapter. I might take longer than usual for the next chapter cause I have no Idea what to write next... Also, sorry if this chapter sucked.

Comment if you want to be on the taglist!

Taglist: @elvlogsquad @siemprestan @zavidzobrik @galxydefender @iminlovewithenchilidadas @ilsolee

[marshunter06]

Love Lockdown

XIII- The Big Reveal

Courtney starts her day as normal, until she goes downstairs to make coffee. The house was strangely quiet, Duncan wasn’t there to annoy her. She didn’t give it much thought at first, he could be in the bathroom or maybe in their makeshift gym. She goes about her routine and makes sure to leave his breakfast on the dining table for when he returns.

“He purchased the gun a week before he died, and we have video surveillance to prove that he was the one to make the purchase.”

“When did we get the tape? I didn’t see that in the email?”

“The professor sent it over a few minutes ago, while you were in the bathroom Court, I just finished watching it.”

“Oh, okay good. That works to our favor then.”

“Yeah, but just because it’s his gun doesn’t mean she couldn’t have been involved.”

“That’s true, but her prints weren’t on the gun and toxicology came back negative except for his own high blood pressure medication.”

“Hm…”

“What are you thinking about Trent?”

“Nothing, I just find it odd that Stephanie was still making Fred’s meals. Especially since they have a cook.”

“I mean… I still make things for Duncan.”

“Yeah, but that’s different. You two still live together and you don’t have a cook. She kicked him out already, and they weren’t even on good terms, so why invite him over to eat? I mean we know why, she killed him, but you know the prosecution will be asking that too.”

“Well, she made his favorites so it can indicate a last meal kind of thing, other than that… I don’t know.”

…

“You know what, let’s reconvene after lunch, it’s almost two. I’m surprised my mom hasn’t knocked on my door yet.”

“Sorry, I didn’t realize it was this late. Weird that Duncan didn’t bother me… we’ll talk after. Bye!”

She hangs up then looks through her phone for any missed notifications, but the only one was the email from her professor. She decides to head downstairs and figure out what’s going on. It really isn’t like Duncan to not at least try to speak to her for this long. He still wasn’t in the living room, and he left his breakfast untouched on the table. She was starting to worry. She immediately starts searching the rest of the house, but he is nowhere to be found. She was about to call him when he walked through the front door.

“Hey Princess.”

“Hey? Where the hell were you Duncan? And why were you out for so long!”

“Chill, I wasn’t gone that long.”

“You were gone for at least six hours! We’re supposed to be staying home! What happens if you get caught!”

“I wouldn’t have been caught. I went over to Geoff’s.”

“You’re lying.”

“What? No I’m not.”

“Bridgette would have told me if you did go over. Where were you really?”

“I’m telling the truth!”

“You went to see Gwen didn’t you?”

“What? No! I was…”

“Unbelievable! Really? At a time like this you can’t bother to stay away?”

“I’m the one who can’t stay away? You can’t go one day without talking to your friend!”

“He’s my partner! We’re working on a project!”

“That’s just an excuse and you know it!”

“Stop changing the subject! We’re talking about you and Gwen!”

“No we’re not, we haven’t been in over a month! I don’t even talk to her anymore. You would have noticed if you stopped paying attention to what’s his face for one fucking second!”

“His name is Trent! Why are you being such a child? This is why we’re getting a divorce, we can’t have adult conversations!”

“You would’ve filed for divorce anyways, it has nothing to do with me! It’s you Courtney! It’s always been about you!”

“That isn’t true! There was an us!”

“And what happened? You decided to fall for some guy you’ve never met before.”

“What are you talking about? You’re the one who fucked your coworker!”

“Nothing ever happened between me and Gwen! Nothing, and nothing would have happened. I’m not the one who had a change of heart.”

“You’re not even making any sense! Your cheating is what got us to this point!”

“Courtney, do you even love me anymore?”

“Are we really going over this again, why is it that this is what you bring up every single damn time?”

“You’re not answering the question. You don’t have to, I know the answer.”

“You clearly don’t if you have to keep asking.”

“You haven’t loved me for a long time.”

“That’s ridiculous! I…”

“You know it’s fucking true! I knew it too, I just didn’t want to believe it. I thought maybe if I could get you to see that you still cared then we would be okay, but you didn’t.”

“Of course I cared, why else would I have been so livid.”

“You only cared about your image, you didn’t care that I cheated. This gave you an out.”

“Is that really what you think? You’re trying to turn this to make what you did okay?”

“No! I know I fucked up. I fucked up a lot in our relationship, but I thought I could fix it.”

“By cheating on me!”

“No, afterwards! I gave you space and made sure you were comfortable. I thought with time you would remember what it was like to love me again. I just never expected you to find somebody else.”

“You didn’t fight for us…”

“I did, you’re the one who gave up. You asked for a divorce immediately and wouldn’t let me explain. Then you meet this guy and you shut me out even more.”

“Us getting a divorce has nothing to do with Trent.”

“He’s the reason we’re still getting a divorce.”

“He doesn’t change anything, he was the one trying to convince me to stay with you.”

“Wow, what a great guy then. That’s how he tricked you.”

“Just because he isn’t a complete dick like you doesn’t make him a terrible person. You two would probably get along if you met. He’s a really nice guy.”

“You keep defending him!”

“Because he hasn’t done anything wrong!”

“He did! He took you from me! I would never be friends with the guy who stole my wife!”

“This is a waste of time.”

“Oh can’t wait to go talk to him again even though I’m sure that’s all you’ve been doing while I was gone.”

“I’m done Duncan. Really done.”

She takes a few deep breaths after she gets upstairs inside her room. She was absolutely fuming. He was always the only one who could bring out this side of her. Things really were easier with Trent, she can’t imagine what they would ever fight about.

B: Court, we need to talk.

C: What about?

B: It’s about Duncan, he was just over at our place.

C: For six hours?

B: Yeah, he came knocking at eight in the morning. That’s not the point though.

C: … what happened?

B: Duncan never cheated on you.

[darkpoisonouslove]

“Can a Witch and a Dragon Be Anything but a Curse to Each Other?”

My brain flooded me with ideas for a Marion x Griffin AU and I had to write them out. And I’m dragging @her-majesty-wears-jeans into this because she supported this idea.

A note to preface things: Based on the family tree shown in 2x10, Marion has a little sister in this.

- Marion and Griffin had seen each other when Griffin would meet with Faragonda outside the Alfea campus or in Magix. They hadn’t really talked, though. Faragonda and Marion had barely talked themselves.

- Faragonda went to Marion for help when she knew Griffin was on her way to infiltrate a temple and get ambushed by the guard when she tripped the secret alarm. She was trying to prove that dark magic was just as important as light magic but the Council wouldn’t care about her motives if they caught her trying to steal from a sacred temple. They would execute her on the spot and Faragonda was desperate not to let that happen. So she sought out Marion who was the one person of status she knew that could actually help her. She explained why Griffin would be sneaking into the temple and convinced Marion to help save her since she didn’t deserve to die at the hands of the Council.

- Griffin was absolutely livid when they cut off her way to the temple. Especially at Faragonda since she considered what the fairy had done betrayal. Not to mention that she didn’t trust Marion. She only calmed down a little after they told her about the secret defense system that would’ve sent her straight to death row. She could’ve hardly been called grateful, though, and it wasn’t just her pride that was hurt. She still thought that Faragonda should have told her about the system so that she could’ve found a way around it instead of running off to Marion and revealing her secret. She felt betrayed on account that Faragonda didn’t want to trust her in her mission.

- Griffin was ready to leave when Marion offered her to stay and help her. They were getting news about some suspicious activity with the Ancestral Witches and Griffin could be of great help as a witch herself. Griffin wasn’t really on board with the idea at first because she felt like they would be using her and making her hunt her own kind for them but Faragonda managed to convince her to stay and help to make sure that more dark magic users wouldn’t land on the wrong path and get executed by the Council. And it was helping her mission too because any action the Ancestral Witches undertook would only make dark magic users look even worse in the eyes of society and the Council.

- Griffin wasn’t enchanted by Marion’s “hospitality”. She accused her of being fake and didn’t buy her attempts at friendship because Marion was always so stiff and never showing her real thoughts. Griffin would never trust her while she was like that. It was a very frustrating experience for both of them since they left each other feeling like fish out of water. Griffin’s behavior forced Marion to show more and more of her inner self if she wanted them to get somewhere and she didn’t really have much of a choice because they needed to trust each other if they wanted to work well together. So she was forced to be more real with Griffin and that led to less and less scathing remarks from Griffin as she got more and more convinced that Marion was being real with her and she really cared until they found themselves thinking of each other as friends.

- They were on a mission to save an ancient tome Griffin thought was being targeted and she turned out to be right. They walked into a big battle and were outnumbered, forcing Marion to decide between the tome and Griffin’s life. Griffin was practically expecting Marion to leave her to die because she was just a witch but Marion didn’t even take a moment to choose her. Not that it made the situation any safer for her since the witches decided to trick them and kill them both before getting away with their tome. Marion and Griffin were both blinded by rage and so the convergence they did turned all the witches to ash, setting even the tome on fire but Griffin managed to save it. They were both a bit apprehensive about the reaction the other would have to the emotions put into the convergence. Though, they were shared so that was supposed to ease their worries but it didn’t really. Griffin thanked Marion for valuing her life which really hit the fairy deep because to her there had never been anything to choose in that situation. Of course she would’ve chosen Griffin. No matter what else had been at stake.

- Griffin really didn’t want to bring up the convergence again considering that it ended in murder but she had to know that Marion wasn’t terrified by what they’d done. Marion told her that she was a bit scared but not by Griffin. She was scared by her own outburst since she’d lost all control of her power in her worry for Griffin. She admitted that she thought Griffin would be scared of her and her destructive power to which Griffin responded that what she’d felt in the magic definitely hadn’t been an impulse to destroy. It had been an impulse to protect, and her eyes filled with tears at the thought that Marion would gear up all of her magic to protect her. She’d never really expected that anyone, not to mention the crown princess of Domino and keeper of the Dragon Fire, would waste their time trying to save her. Marion wass still stuck on the fact that Griffin had managed to read her emotions through her magic but Griffin’s words got her out of her stupor and she leaned in to kiss her. She knew how she felt about her and she knew that Griffin really knew her in order to be able to read her emotions like that. And she accepted what she’d seen. It was all she’d ever wanted.

- They were ecstatic the next few months, sneaking around and having fun, going on secret dates and making out. Exactly like smitten teenagers. Marion had to stop Griffin, though, before they could take things any further. She’d managed to break off her arranged engagement but she still had all those things about etiquette and waiting till marriage drilled into her head. Griffin’s reaction was concerning as she withdrew and when Marion asked her what was wrong, Griffin told her that no one would allow them to get married. No one would let a witch marry into the royal family of Domino. Marion told her she’d find a way to make it happen but Griffin didn’t believe her. Not because she didn’t trust Marion’s word but because if there was anything impossible, then that was it. Marion promised her that she would never get married to anyone else and Griffin allowed her to draw her into a kiss and soothe her anxiousness for now.

- Marion’s parents were absolutely against, of course. Not only did Griffin not come from a noble family, but she was also a witch. Not to mention that a marriage between the two of them couldn’t produce an heir to the throne. Marion disputed the last part saying that there were options, and defended Griffin and her feelings for her. Her parents threatened to disown her before letting her marry Griffin. Marion was extremely upset but when Griffin told her that that had been expected, Marion said that she would rather run away with her than let her parents marry her off to anyone else. She was done being their property. Griffin cried at the declaration and didn’t try to convince Marion in the opposite. She probably should have but she decided to be selfish and trust that Marion had made up her mind. There was no need to try to talk her out of it.

- They were ready to leave and had called Faragonda because they needed to stay somewhere when the palace of Domino got attacked. Marion’s outburst during the convergence had alerted the Ancestral Witches that she had the Dragon Fire and they wanted to get it.

- Griffin and Marion ended up facing off against Valtor. He quickly sensed what was going on between them and tried to pit them against each other. He told Griffin that she was just a toy to Marion and she would never get her love because her magic was dark just like his. She was a witch and no one would ever love her for it. She was a fool to think anything else. Griffin was livid and ready to blast him with her full power when Marion told her to combine their powers and do it together. They converged and defeated Valtor, Marion summoning a portal that would take him to Omega.

- They went to find Marion’s parents or the Ancestral Witches - whichever happened first - when they were startled by an opening portal. It was Faragonda who’d realized something must have happened when they hadnn’t showed up and had come to look for them. The three found Marion’s parents who were captured by the Ancestral Witches. They demanded that Marion give them the Dragon Fire or they would kill her parents. Marion refused and with Griffin and Faragonda’s help and a convergence between the three of them, they defeated the Ancestral Witches.

- After the celebration, Griffin received a letter from Cloud Tower with an invitation to become a teacher and deputy headmistress. However, Marion’s parents said that they would allow Marion to be with Griffin but they couldn’t let them get married since a witch couldn’t be queen of Domino. Griffin was ready to turn down the invitation from Cloud Tower and stay with Marion but Marion said that she was done being the crown princess of Domino. They’d treated her like an object her whole life and she just wanted to be happy with the woman she loved. And that wouldn’t happen on Domino. She said her little sister could take the throne but she wouldn’t surrender the Dragon Fire too. It was her birthright and it was a part of her. They couldn’t demand that of her. It would be like asking her to give up her arm or leg.

- She and Griffin left despite her parents’ protests that she couldn’t just pack her bags and desert the kingdom since her sister wasn’t ready to be queen. Marion told them that if they had cared about either one of them, they would’ve made sure they both had the same education and care taken for them but that wasn’t the case because all they cared about was the throne. So she did pack her bags and leave.

- Griffin and her moved to Magix where Griffin took the Cloud Tower job and Marion started working at a nursery (after getting the necessary qualifications, of course). They were happy and Griffin knew that they would soon be looking into options to become parents themselves but that didn’t scare her. Marion was there with her and believed there was good in her and that was enough to make her believe too. And she loved her new job that allowed her to teach the young witches and take care of them. It was all perfect and much more than she’d ever hoped for.

[eleanor-writes-stuff]

keep calm and let HR handle it [II/VI]

Rey managed to go a full year without ever directly interacting with her new CEO, but now it seems like he’s dropping by her office every single week.

(Because what else is a love-struck fool to do when he falls for his head of HR other than find reasons to visit her department?)

OR: five times Ben gets summoned down to HR, and one time Rey gets called into the CEO’s office, based on this prompt from @optimisticsprinkles​: “Rey as the director of HR at [office] and Kylo/Ben starts finding reasons to be sent down to HR”.

Welcome back to this 5+1 modern AU in which Rey and Ben go from colleagues to friends to lovers (how predictable of me, I know). Today’s update: there's a ruckus on the 37th floor, but for once it isn't Ben's fault. He heads down to HR anyway because... well, three guesses why.

Chapter 1 | Chapter 3 Also available on AO3. And hey, maybe check out my Twitter and Ko-fi?

To: rey_niima@organafoundation.com From: dopheld mitaka@organafoundation.com Subject: CODE RED!!!

Rey,

We’ve got a code red on our hands. Grumpy Poe went into Mr. Solo’s office ten minutes ago and they started fighting pretty much immediately, something about Leia. Finn and I managed to separate them before things got physical, and Finn’s dealing with Poe right now. But when I tried to calm Mr. Solo down, he said he was going to go take a walk to clear his mind and that if anyone needs him, he’ll be down in HR.

So heads-up, I guess. Good luck!

Sent from my iPhone.

 To: dopheld_mitaka@organafoundation.com From: rey_niima@organafoundation.com Subject: Re: CODE RED!!!

Hey Mitaka,

Thanks for the warning. I’ll handle things from here. And tell Finn and Poe to get their shit together before HR gets involved, please.

Warm regards, Rey Niima, Head of Human Resources, The Organa Foundation.

 There’s a knock on her open door less than a minute after Rey hits send on her reply to Mitaka, and she looks up from her screen to find an unexpectedly nervous-looking Ben Solo hovering in her doorway.

“Hi,” he says, more to the ground than her, and takes a deep breath before finally dragging his eyes up to hers. “Do you, uh, have a minute?”

It’s odd, how she doesn’t even have to fake or call upon the smile that immediately tugs at her lips. What’s odder still is the fluttery feeling in her stomach that accompanies the realization that she’s the one he came to, but Rey sets that aside for later.

“Sure, come in.” She waves Ben in and watches him carefully shut the door behind himself before crossing the short distance between them to collapse into the chair opposite hers.

Ben closes his eyes and pinches the bridge of his nose with a sigh before he sits up straight and turns to her. “Judging by your reaction, I’m guessing you already know about the clusterfu– the situation upstairs.”

Rey rolls her chair a little closer to her desk and leans in. “Given the state Poe’s been in these past few days, it was really only a matter of time before he finally got that fight he’s been itching for. I’m just surprised he went after you instead of literally anyone other than his boss.”

“Perks of being childhood friends with the CEO and the former CEO’s golden boy, I guess,” Ben shrugs, a hint of bitterness creeping into his voice. He notices it too, Rey thinks, because the next thing she knows he’s forcing a tight smile and cracking a joke he obviously does not find entertaining in the slightest. “Imagine being so confident in your job security that you get to target your boss’ biggest weakness just for sport. Must be nice.”

He drops the act when his forced smile starts looking painful, and Rey scrambles to match what little he’s just revealed about this morning’s fight with the bits and pieces she’s heard about his past with Poe and his relationship with Leia.

It’s an alarmingly incomplete picture, one that leaves her feeling almost helpless. But Ben is here, chose to be here with her out of all the places and people he could have gone to, so she must’ve done something right the first time around… right?

She thinks of the little smile he’d given her last Friday when she’d tried to be supportive of him, thinks of how sincere and surprised his eyes had looked, and wonders if maybe…

“It’s shitty of him, is what it is,” Rey asserts, and then holds her breath as she waits for Ben to react.

Maybe, just maybe… all he needs is someone to listen to him, to let him know he’s not alone. It’s a feeling she knows well, and one she’s spent years figuring out how to deal with – successfully, if the little twitch of Ben’s lips is anything to go by.

“Yeah, I guess it is,” he says, slowly sinking into his chair as the fight seeps out of his tense shoulders, as he senses an ally. “Good luck telling him that, though. Poe Dameron can do no wrong in the eyes of everyone, especially his own. It’s always been that way.”

Rey can’t help the little burst of laughter that escapes her at the thought, not with the memory of Poe being sent to the doghouse by his absolutely livid boyfriend still so fresh in her mind. “Maybe in your experience, but I’d bet good money that Poe is definitely getting an earful about his many, many failures at this very moment. Some of us have seen too much to be fooled by that act of his,” she tells Ben with a smirk, only to remember–

“You probably know what I’m talking about. Childhood friends, huh?”

“Friends, neighbors, two kids who just happened to be around the same age and were forced to spend time together because of it – same difference, right?” Ben shrugs without looking at her, unnaturally preoccupied with fixing a rolled-up sleeve.

Poe tells the story pretty differently, painting a picture of two boys finding brotherhood in their friendship and supporting each other through their toughest childhood years until one of them inexplicably abandoned the other. But then again, Rey supposes there are always two sides to every story.

She lets Ben stew in his residual frustration for a little longer before she asks, as gently as she can, “Do you want to talk about it?”

That catches his attention, but maybe not in the best way. Silence stretches out between them as Ben just keeps looking at her, and eventually Rey feels the need to add, “We don’t have to if you don’t want to, it’s totally–”

“That’s the thing, though,” Ben interrupts, his voice softer than she’s ever heard it, almost hushed with… confusion? Wonder? A secret he means to keep just between the two of them? Whatever it is, she has to strain her ears to catch what he says next. “I do want to – talk about it, that is… with you. Which makes no fucking sense, we’ve literally only met once and we’re practically strangers, so what is it about you that–”

He cuts himself off, and for a moment Rey is overcome by the sudden and visceral fear that history is about to repeat itself, that Ben is going to shut down and get up and leave her life just as suddenly as he’d crashed into it all over again.

It makes absolutely no sense, but that seems par for the course considering their… acquaintanceship started with her intending to dress down her CEO. So Rey doesn’t let herself think too much before she quietly says, “I’ve been told I’m a good listener.”

Ben forces out a sharp puff of breath, something she’d almost be tempted to brand a laugh if not for the clear frustration on his face. “All part of the job, right?”

His words, his tone – they jog something in her memory, and Rey recalls that he’d said pretty much the same thing on Friday too, right before he walked out. It’s not much, but at least it’s another piece to add to the puzzle she’s been trying to solve ever since that evening.

For now, though, she’s got a far more pressing issue to address.

“I suppose, but I’ve also been told it’s what makes me a pretty decent friend… if you’re looking for one of those.”

Because very little about her experience with Ben Solo so far makes any sense, but that instant spark of recognition she’d felt upon seeing his lost eyes? The way she instinctively understands what he’s silently asking for, what he desperately needs? How every single part of him seems to light up whenever she chooses to stand by his side?

That… that makes all the sense in the world to Rey.

So she offers him a small smile as he weighs her words and her offer, one that grows brighter when Ben’s lips curve to match hers.

“I could use a friend, I think,” he says, “especially since the only one I have is being kind of a dick right now.”

Rey makes a show of closing her laptop and pushing it aside. “Tell me everything.”

So Ben does, starting with the familiar story of a lonely, scared child that makes her heart ache in recognition and solidarity. She’d learned long ago that family isn’t always all it’s cracked up to be, but that doesn’t make the ugly truth behind the Organa-Solos’ picture-perfect family any less surprising or easier to swallow: two parents who loved and cared for their son but also loved and cared for many other things, two people who didn’t know what to do with the child who reminded them more of the ghosts of their pasts than themselves, two individuals who tried their best to give him everything only to end up giving him everything but the things a child needs most.

And then: the golden boy who was everything his parents wanted and everything he was not.

And then: the uncle who could see the good in even the worst of people but not him.

And then: the man who promised him the belonging and acceptance he’d longed for his whole life.

By the time Ben’s done speaking, he still hasn’t actually gone into detail about his fight with Poe. But Rey thinks she’s heard enough about their past to figure it out, seen enough of Ben’s barely-healed wounds to know how easy they would be to reopen. So she doesn’t pry or poke or prod – not today, not when Ben has already offered her so much. Instead, she wordlessly reaches across her desk and offers him her hand, giving Ben a smile and a squeeze while he slowly eases himself back into the present.

“Thank you,” he finally says, voice tellingly thick, “for listening. I’ve never… no one’s ever… I just, I needed to tell my side of the story, just once, you know?”

It’s funny – and a little sad too, Rey realizes – how she’d gone all these years working at the foundation thinking she knew Ben Solo’s story when really, she’d heard it from everyone but him. And she knows she’s not the only one – far from it, and Ben knows, Ben must know, Ben knew when he decided to come back and shoulder his mother’s legacy and work alongside people who’d formed an opinion of him long before they even knew him.

Rey gives him a smile in lieu of all the things she wants to tell him – how brave he is, how far he’s come, how she’ll be there every remaining step of the way if he wants her to…

“Thank you for sharing it with me,” she says instead, lacing their fingers together even tighter in the hopes of conveying all the things she can’t quite put into words without saying too much. “And anytime, Ben. I mean it.”

He stares at her for the longest moment, and then finally gives her a nod. “I’ll probably take you up on that quite a bit,” he says with a smile as he slowly pulls his hand away and stands up to leave. “You know, now that we’re friends and all.”

And he sounds so happy at the thought, it nearly breaks her heart.

Rey stands as well, though she manages to keep herself on her side of the desk and squash down the impulse to walk him the ten feet to her door, at least. “Friends and all,” she echoes in agreement, knowing even as she says so that it doesn’t make any sense or mean anything.

But Ben, Ben just smiles at her as if it makes all the sense in the world, and so maybe… maybe it does, just for the two of them.

Rey is no less puzzled by their interaction when Ben Solo leaves her office for the second time, but at least this time there’s a smile on her face as she gets back to work.

. . .

Hi, I still have no idea what I'm doing but hopefully this lived up to expectations and its predecessor, especially since y’all were so kind and supportive and encouraging the last time around. YOU GUYS!!! ❤️❤️❤️

Anyway, if you weren't pleased by all that convenient 'glossing over the backstory' I did to keep this chapter a manageable and uniform length: worry not. We'll get more of Ben's Sad Tragic Backstory soon, I promise. Until then, as always: thanks for reading, I hope you liked it, and please don't hesitate to like/reblog/comment!

[hbosscreations]

Here is my @redvsbluesecretsanta gift for @ bi-vampire this year! They asked for a Freelancer fic with vampires and some Carolina/York or North/York, I hope that they enjoy it!

Carolina bit back a snarl as she rattled the door of the cage she’d been unceremoniously shoved into by a blonde haired vampire with purple leather pants and a dark green tank top. Sure, Carolina was glad to not have been out and out murdered instead of being captured, but that didn’t mean she wasn’t absolutely livid about the situation.

The cage was small, leaving Carolina slightly hunched and unable to sit or even properly stretch her legs.The sound of jingling chains pulled Carolina’s attention back to her partner, the reason she was trapped in a cage in the first place.

“York.”

“Yes, Carolina?”

York’s chains clanked as he shifted toward her. Why she’d ended up in a go-go cage and he’d ended up chained to a chair was beyond her, but it was more than a little annoying.

It was a temporary situation at best, she knew, they that didn’t mean she was happy about the two of them being captured. They’d gotten out of tight situations before, but this was a bit much.

“Do you remember what you told me before we left?”

“Maaaybe?”

Carolina flicked the padlock on the cage, letting the heavy lock bounce off of the metal bars over and over again.

“About how you’d done your research? About how this was just a little nest that needed to be taken care of, and we totally didn’t need backup? About how we were going to be doing a stake and run and be back home for dinner?”

He at least looked embarrassed about his screwup, which was appropriate, but not entirely helpful given that they’d been captured and bound by the very vampires they’d come to clear out.

“Yeeeaaah?”

York twisted his hand and ran a nail over his wrist, scrapping it against the skin until a small flap lifted, slowly peeling it away to reveal a tiny lockpick set hidden against his skin. He flipped the tools into his hands and got to work on the padlock chaining his wrists together and attaching him firmly to the metal chair bolted to the floor.

“When we get out of here,” York looked up to Carolina with a grin, “I’m thinking Chinese food. Something with crispy tofu. You?”

“If we get out of here, I am going to retrain you. You are going to pray for death by the time I’m done with you.”

“Don’t tempt me with a good time, Carolina!”

He struggled with the padlock, twisting the tiny tools around, his smile going from cheerful and carefree to something sharp and distressed. Just as York thought he might be close to getting it right, one of the picks fell from his fingers and bounced out of reach.

York groaned as Carolina leveled a frustrated glare.

“If I die here my father is going to kill you. If I get turned, he will stake you himself.”

“We’re not going to die here, Carolina. I have a plan.”

The door creaked open and the two snapped their attention to it. The blonde vampire that captured them slipped through the door and crossed her arms as she leaned against the wall, watching the two trapped humans. York felt a shiver building in his spine and Carolina bared her teeth.

“Relax, hunter, no one is dying today. Tomorrow, maybe, but not today.”

She’d caught them scoping out the place just after sunset, and before Carolina could pull her stake, she’d been tossed into a cage and York was strapped into chains.

Neither hunter had expected a vampire that old, that capable. Carolina’s father had trained her to hunt vampires since she was a child and her mother was killed in a vampire attack. She didn’t get surprised. She just didn’t.

Until she did.

York blinked innocently at the vampire, hoping his charming smile would distract her from the pick on the floor and from Carolina trying to murder her with the heat of her glare alone.

“Um, miss vampire? Maybe this is a stupid question, but…well, is there a reason I’m chained up? Aside from the obvious?”

The vampire swaggered over, smirking, and ruffled York’s hair before patting his cheek with just enough strength to make his cheek sting.

“You mean aside from keeping you restrained so you can’t murder us? Consider yourself a present for my brother. He likes idiots, and he needs to know how easily his ‘impeccably maintained perimeter’ was broken.”

Carolina felt her hackles raise as the vampire circled York’s chair before she slowly sauntered to Carolina’s cage and leaned against the bars with a wide smile.

“It’s cute that you think you’re getting out of there by pulling on that lock.”

“It’s cute that you think that purple hair and leather look is still relevant.”

“Really? You’re going to be that kind of chick? You’re going to rag on my hair when I’m literally wearing Barney the Dinosaur shades of purple and green? I mean, that’s your choice, but there are plenty of other things to criticize. At least my dye job looks good, Red. You might want to touch up your roots, btdubs, they’re looking pretty sad.”

The door creaked open again, and York blinked hard.

Another vampire moved into the room, moving directly to the vamp nearly pressed against the cage, and tugged her back by her wrists.

“South, is there a reason you’ve got humans in chains?”

She spun around and pulled Carolina’s cell phone out of her pocket, waggling it in front of his face.

“We’ve got hunters, North. That ‘little problem’ you’ve been trying to handle has caught the attention of people looking to murder us. If you’d let me handle it-“

“Thank you, South. I’ll take care of it. Is there a reason you bolted a chair to the floor?”

“He seems like your type. Now, can we please figure out who’s encroaching on our territory and drawing attention to us before someone competent shows up and tries to stab us with pointy sticks.”

York had clearly missed something during his research, such as the fact that the vampires he’d seen in the area were probably not the vampires destroying the nearby town. After all, no intelligent vampire did the kind of destruction that York had been tracking.

It drew too much attention.

And now, thanks to York’s shoddy research, he and his girlfriend were about to die.

North stepped up close to York, tipping his chin up with a chilly hand, and smiled down on him.

“Did you really think you were going to come here and kill us? That I would allow you to kill my sister? Destroy my family? No. Not today, not ever. I don’t enjoy killing, but I will not hesitate to rip the two of you to shreds to keep my people safe.”

York’s Adams apple bobbed nervously as he swallowed.

“I’ve been tracking a group of vampires eating their way along the coast. The trail led here, so we decided to take a look. And by the way, we are competent, we’re fully registered vampire hunters, and we’re very professional.”

“York,” Carolina hissed through gritted teeth, “Shut up.”

What was he thinking? Carolina was sure that her half blind idiot was about to get their throats torn out by a pair of angry vampires.

“Hey, I’m just being honest, and if honestly has the potential of keeping us alive, I’m a fan.”

“You think being licensed vampire hunters makes this better?”

Carolina’s lips curled unpleasantly. She understood what he was trying now, and while she was sure it was an incredibly stupid plan, he’d started it. They were committed.

“It means we don’t kill indiscriminately, but we can and will kill should the need arise. It means we are very careful, and it means that if we do not check in soon, there are people who will come looking, and they won’t be armed with just a few measly stakes. They also aren’t going to wait for you to tell your side of the story.”

Both vampires looked unimpressed at Carolina’s declaration, but she didn’t need them impressed, she just needed them spooked enough to let her or York free long enough for one of them to deal with the situation.

She knew she could take both of the vamps, Carolina excelled at multi-enemy fighting. York was capable in his own right, but it might be more of a struggle for him alone. He just needed to get the keys from the vampires and free Carolina. The rest would be cake.

“Papa North?”

The room stilled as the door slid open again, revealing two children as they entered. The little one, another blond with bright red eyes and a purple top clung to the elder boy’s hand.

“Delta,” North’s voice had the gentlest hint of scolding to it, “Theta, this isn’t where you two are supposed to be, and you know that. What’s going on?”

“We’re hungry,” Theta whined.

“Aww! Carolina, look! Babies!”

York grinned and wiggled in his seat, looking excited to anyone who didn’t know him, and terrified to Carolina. Carolina’s gut twisted in horror as she realized exactly what they’d stumbled into, and despite his pleased tone she knew that York was doing everything he could to hold himself together.

Babies wasn’t the right phrase, one looked to be a teenager and the other looked about eight years old, but that wasn’t the worst part.

They weren’t turned. The bright glow to both sets of eyes gave them away as natural born vampire children. Purebloods. And where there were two, there would be a nest.

It was no longer a mystery why these two were so nervous, it was now more of a question as to why they hadn’t just killed their human captives outright.

The little one detached himself from Delta and climbed North’s leg all the way to his arms and curled up their.

“I’m hungry, North. Can we eat now?”

York shot a look at Carolina before gently rattling his chains, catching the attention of the green-eyed teenage vampire. He glanced between York and the tiny lockpick that rested between his feet.

“Not now, Theta, but in just a few minutes. Come on, you two, go back to the nursery. South, can you take care of this, please?”

“I am not a fucking babysitter, North.”

But she plucked the boy from her brother’s arms and as she led the two out of the room, Delta gently kicked the lockpick over to York’s chair nonchalantly before the door shut behind them.

North leaned over and picked up the piece, tucking it into his pocket.

“He thinks he’s so sneaky. I won’t tell him otherwise, or he might actually get creative enough to fool me. Now, let’s deal with this situation so I can feed a flock of very hungry fledlings.”

North smiled a little tighter and fished a key from his pocket.

“We are aware of what’s going on, and we’re working on it. No need for hunters, licensed or unlicensed to come in and threaten us.”

He moved over to York and started unlocking the padlocks on York’s chains, letting them fall to the floor in a heap.

York blinked.

“You’re unchaining me? Why are you unchaining me when you can rip out my throat so easily while I’m chained up?”

North smiled and pulled York to his feet, dusting off his shoulders and nudging him toward Carolina’s cage before he opened the padlock and swung the door open wide.

“You came here to find out what is killing people, and only an idiot would think we would draw that kind of attention on ourselves with little ones around. Do some more research before stumbling into nests, or you may end up eaten by those of our kind who are more interested in making a point than either I or my sister are.”

He shooed Carolina and York to the door, letting a hand stroke gently along York’s spine before going to the second door and shutting it behind himself.

Carolina and York shared a look.

“That was interesting.”

“What just happened?”

Carolina put her hand on York’s shoulder and turned him toward the door, hoping to god that this was real and they weren’t about to be surprised and devoured.

“Why?”

“They don’t want trouble any more than we do. Come on, if we hurry, we can pretend we were just on a date any my father never has to know that we were almost murdered.”

“I like that plan.”

-

South glared at her brother as he watched the two humans race out of the mansion on the security cameras. They were going to have to move again to make sure they didn’t get return with backup and kill the nest.

He turned and smiled gently at South, leaving her rolling her eyes and sighing in frustration.

“You let them go.”

“I did.”

“Are you high? Did you eat a human with drugs in their veins? Are you full of cocaine and marijuana right now? Do you need an intervention?”

He cradled Theta carefully as he stood, the little vampire playfully biting North’s shoulder to remind his caretaker that he was still hungry.

“No, South. I just don’t feel like keeping prisoners, especially when we have plenty of willing donors so close by.”

“And you thought the cyclops was too cute to eat.”

“And I thought York was cute.”

[whumpbby]

1/4 In a no cape 'verse where Jason wasn't adopted by Bruce but Jason is still familiar with the Waynes because he paid for college by working as a live-in pool boy for the Drakes. The Drakes and Waynes are neighbors and he got to see all the rich kids hanging out together. Of all the rich kids he came in contact with, only Dick, Gotham's crown prince and favorite darling, was nice to him. Ten years after college and the last time he saw Dick,

2/4 Jason is one of the richest people in Gotham and he’s returned to give back to his community. He’s making waves in the media, not just for buying out Drake Industries, but also because every member of Gotham’s elite club knows he was the Drake’s former pool boy. They love to hate him because “no amount of money will ever make him one of them”. It didn’t help that a few of the stepford wives tried to get down and dirty with him back then and he turned them down. Not that

¾ Jason wants to be one of them, anyway. He is doing just fine focusing on his business and helping make the narrows great again. Then he sees in the news that Dick has just been jilted. His fiancé broke up with him by marrying someone else very publicly, without Dick’s knowledge. Now Gotham’s golden boy is the butt of every joke and Jason can’t let it stand.

4/4 He ‘reveals’ to the news networks that Dick and him have been seeing each other secretly for a while and they didn’t come out with it because Dick felt it was too soon. Dick who hasn’t seen Jason in person since he graduated college suddenly has to publicly date him to save his reputation. Jason, who has always had a crush on Dick suddenly realized that he didn’t think his plan through, because he did not consider what spending time with the star of his fantasies would do to him

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Aww, I am not sure how Jason releasing that rumour would make anything better for Dick, tho? That’s a bit too disingenuous and I bet dick would be livid - not only is he the talk of the society because of the wedding, now he’s being talked about because the man he barely knows released a rumour about him? He’d be so.angry. And his family would be on the warpath against Jason. 

Now, I would make is so that Jason doesn’t become rich overnight - say, he was poolboying to get a start on medical school and now he’s working with Leslie in her clinic to expand the services for the poor - he writes applications for grants and sets up charities and events to support the Free clinic and open new ones, and because he knew some of the rich of Gotham and is a charming fucker, he has some success with getting donations - especially that the rich bastards can write them off on a tax and get some good publicity. 

And the whole kerfuffle comes by accident. Dick is being a laughing stock of the society and tries to keep a low profile, and one day he visits Leslie (who is a family friend) and heppend to cross paths with Jason. They start to chat. Jason sees that Dick is miserable and so he invites him out for sandwiches in the near by diner - he takes his files with him, becuase Jason is a workaholic and never stops working for the clinic. In the diner they chat about Jason’s studies and his recent work, and Dick is so relieved to have a normal conversation with a normal person who doesn’t ask intrusive questions. He always wanted to do some public work too, but Bruce almost got an aneurysm when Dick proposed police academy and so the idea died. But now he’s interested in the charity work. 

They meet a few days later - because Dick has nothing to do apart from avoiding higher society and Jason spends almost all of his lunches in the diner, working. Dick gets more and more into the idea of the Free clinic and his ideas may be grandiose, sure, but Jason soaks up his enthusiasm to revive his own flagging patience. And Dick needs someone to ground him in the reality of the less fortunate people. 

Alas, a month in, the thing happens - a society ragazine posts an article WAYNE HEIR SLUMMING IT WITH THE FORMER POOL BOY. FORBIDDEN ROMANCE??

And Dick is LIVID. Absolutely LIVID. But not as much as Jason, who is raging because it’s DOCTOR TODD for you! But there’s nothing to be done, because the more they want to deny it, the more the rumours spread and in the end the only way to survive is to just keep their heads down and wait it out. 

Until Dick comes up with a plan. Jason’s cause needs publicity and the rumour mill will run they want it or not, and he doesn't want to lose a friend to it… so he proposes that they play along and pretend a relationship. This way they can actually direct the interviews in the way they want them to go. 

“Oh, yes, we met when he was working for our neighbours. Jason was always so hard-working, you know, going through the med school while he worked at the same time, and now he’s working so hard for the Free Clinic Charity. Have I told you abut the charity yet?”

“Oh yes, Dick is such a perfect man, really. You can’t just not fall for him, hehe. His enthusiasm keeps me going, to be honest, and I can put all my effort into the Free Clinic. Have I told you about the charity?”

And they do public dates, meet with Dick’s rich friends, winning them to the cause, becuase they’re both very charismatic and with something to pour himself into, Dick gets out of the slump of the last failed relationship. And starts to look at Jason with considering eye, because this is a whole ass of a mancandy his little neighbour grew up into;] 

Jason, meanwhile, does everything he can to keep his old ass crush on the handsome richboy next door from getting in the way of their friendship now… >>