#“it gets even worse! raine just spoke to me the other day and complained about eda not letting them help her with the curse again!"

[kraviolis]

no one has explored the idea of darius and camila co-parenting hunter enough. like where the hell are the fics about darius calling camila asking if hunter left his derby uniform at her house or camila personally going to drop off hunter at his dad's house and sharing a cup of tea with him while she asks about hunter's grades at hexside and darius asks about hunter's sleeping habits and if she had any human alternatives to sleeping nettles that might help him sleep without the dream-enhancing side effect.

what about camila inviting darius to stay for dinner when he comes to drop off hunter at his mom's house and darius asking for the recipe and then asking the kids what ingredients he could substitute and which ones have to stay the same. or camila specifically adding three more lines to her phone plan-- one for vee, one for hunter, and one for darius so that they can keep in contact more easily. or hunter getting in trouble at school for picking a fight with boscha but when principal bump calls, darius is extremely busy with work so he calls camila and asks her to handle it.

maybe darius gets in an argument with hunter and he cant tell where he went wrong and calls camila and she listens and gives him her advice as someone whose been a parent for fourteen years vs. his own eight months. or camila opens up to darius about her own struggles with losing her husband and he opens up with his own grief over losing his mentor. or they talk on the phone for hours and gossip with each other. maybe darius comes over to hang out with camila and binge watch a new show with her while the kids are at school

[tyoungtea]

7:58 p.m. - Vernon

pairing: vernon  x fem! reader

genre: soft and a little smut maybe (?)

words: 1,5k

"I told you not to come Hansol, look at this rain... You're soaked, wait a bit." The girl left without the other saying anything, however she came right back with some towels, holding them under her arm. "What the hell if you get sick it gets worse."

Hansol stood still for a few seconds as he kept his breathing steady, holding the coat in his hands and wetting the floor below him. The girl threw one of the towels around her shoulders to keep the other warm as she picked up the coat and hung it on the hanger.

"I know you just arrived and want to see your cat, but this rain was not a good time to come." She spoke in desperation and anger, both expressions were portrayed in her actions, especially the way she tried to dry the boy's hair. "You need an urgent bath, now, right now and..."

"I didn't come here just for the cat." Hansol spoke calmly as he removed the towel from the girl's hands and dried the brown strands of her hair.

"I know you didn't come just for Leo."

"So."

"Hansol Vernon Chwe, we will talk about this later, go take a bath you are colder than a dead man if you can depend on it."

He knew there was no contradicting the girl and accepted the offer, which was really a good choice since he could feel that it was getting very cold. Many minutes passed until he went outside and found a change of clothes on top of the sink, which he didn't even remember was in the house, as soon as he got dressed, he left the bathroom and went towards the room where he had arrived, observing everything around him as he usually did.

"I made tea..." A voice made itself present of which he already knew, finding the girl sitting on one of the benches with two mugs of tea.

Hansol sat down next to her and drank the tea that had been offered, it warmed him up inside, he needed it. The two did not say a word for a long time, and all that could be heard was the rain outside and each other's breathing.

"You are very quiet." Hansol spoke looking at the girl next to him.

"Have I always been like this?"

"You are more talkative."

"Yes, I know, I'll get Leo." The girl finished her tea and stood up, but didn't move and stared at the other in front of her. "I missed you."

"Me too."

The girl sighed and kissed the older man on the head before leaving, a few minutes later she returned with a little ball of fur in her arms playing with the thread of the girl's sweater.

"He was sleeping now." She spoke, handing the cat to the other who held him with tremendous delicacy.

"That's normal, he sleeps all the time."

"Just like your father."

The boy laughed and sat on the floor to play with the cat, the two seemed happy to see each other, since they hadn't seen each other for two months, so there was nothing better than feeling the kitten's fur in his hands. The other stood there watching the two calmly, it was nice to see the two interacting after a long time, but it didn't take long for them to come together as the fur ball started rubbing against his legs. They stood there for a long time as they talked about what had occurred on the boy's trip.

"At least you had fun, and now you have to rest please." The girl said stroking the cat that was lying on Hansol's lap sleeping soundly.

"I'll try."

"Don't try, you have to do it" As soon as the girl finished giving an order, the whole house came out. "Beautiful day".

It wasn't long before the house was covered with candles everywhere, and the two found themselves in the bedroom looking out the window to see if some time the rain would stop and the light would come back on, but it would probably be impossible, since every few minutes thunder or lightning was heard.

"I hate lightning. I hate thunder. I hate everything." The girl complained all the time.

"Boredom?"

"Yes, I need something to distract me instead of staring at the window hoping it will miraculously stop."

"I know a better distraction than that." Hansol spoke and the girl next to him raised an eyebrow, giving him a look of confusion.

The boy left the table turning the other to himself, automatically the girl spreads her legs and Hansol laughs at the sudden movement, as he runs his hands over her thighs, following her to her waist, pulling her closer to him, making their breaths mingle, ignoring the rain outside and any other noise around. Without waiting too long, the girl puts her hands around his neck, lightly caressing the back of the boy's neck, he closes his eyes appreciating the affection he was receiving, then the girl brought her face closer and sealed her lips with the boy's, who kissed him with desire and longing, despite the longing and any other feeling their kiss was slow and full of tenderness.

"I really missed you." The girl said separating herself from the boy, catching the breath she had lost.

"I think I miss you more than you do. I thought you really didn't want to see me when I arrived."

"The rain hasn't stopped for your opinion yet. Obviously I wanted to see you, but, not with you coming here in the rain."

"You knew I would come anyway."

"I know... I'm sorry."

"No need to apologize, you have no reason to." Before the other could say anything else to her, he kissed her by running his hands under her thighs, forcing her to wrap her legs around his waist.

Minutes later, the two were in bed exchanging caresses and many kisses until they heard a purr from the side of the bed.

"Ah Leo." Vernon snorted laying his head on the girl's breasts who laughed at the reaction.

"He must be hungry."

"Hasn't he eaten already?"

"No..." The girl replied and then Hansol let go of her and lay down beside her.

The girl got up and started looking around the room for the cat's food while talking to the cat that was following her, making the boy curious, then she sat down on the bed and saw them walking back and forth looking for the cat's pot, which didn't take long as she had done the same actions several times during two months and two or three times a day.

"It was" she spoke finishing stroking the cat that was devouring the grains of feed.

"Now, come here." Hansol spoke patting her lap a few times, and the other obeyed sitting on the other's lap with one leg on each side. "Always so obedient."

"I'm sorry if the reason I sit on your lap is because you asked and not because I want to be with you!" The girl answered him and made the older man laugh.

"Are those the right two things?" Hansol began to give chaste kisses on the neck of the girl on his lap, who felt her breath begin to heavy.

"Sol..." The girl called out to him, receiving an "hm" coming from the boy below her. "Leo is still in his room."

"And ?"

"And that I won't have sex in front of your cat. And that I can feel him watching us." The two looked back to see the kitten sleeping peacefully, which made Hansol laugh.

"Yeah, I see, now relax, he won't bother us."

Hansol kissed the other's neck again while sliding his hands inside her blouse, making her shiver completely because of the boy's cold hands. Requests, moans and words of comfort were heard very low coming from both of them, it was as if they were doing something forbidden in public, but, no, it was all because of the boy's cat, but they were both very quiet about sex, nothing too scandalous, they were very calm and peaceful, Hansol was sweet and didn't like anything over the top, which was incredibly good, his moans were hoarse, quiet and low enough to make the whole night worthwhile. As if that wasn't enough, the boy knew very well how to use his tongue, if he had ever tidied his hair, it would certainly be a mess now with the number of times the girl had held and pulled his strands. They both gasped after the act and looked at each other laughing when they heard a meow from afar.

"Holy shit." She spoke, bringing her hands to her face.

"He was asleep until half an hour ago."

"He was, you can confirm that, and I told you I could feel him watching me."

"And he would still be asleep if you didn't moan my name so loudly."

"Shut up, Hansol."

The boy laughed at the act and gave the girl a stamp on the cheek before getting out of bed, and even after half an hour the rain continued to fall outside.

[thotsforvillainrights]

your skeptic content is the only thing currently keeping me going. i keep re-reading everything because there is so little content with him. thank you for the good food ;;

speaking of skeptic, could i possibly get something with him (and re-destro if you feel up to it) and a soulmate au?

(Anon as much as I love Redestro I think I'll take a rain check on it since I'm still taking baby steps back into writing again and don't want to bite off more than I can chew. HOWEVER, when the box finally opens back up then please feel free to send another soulmates AU request with him and I'll try to hop on it!!!)

~Soulmate AU: Skeptic~

headcanon|scenario|imagine|match-up

-As opposed to popular belief, having a soulmate was actually not the best...at least in his opinion. Ironically enough, for someone who spent an immense time spying on others, he missed having his privacy and above all his peace and quiet. Ever since you showed up, he's felt the complete opposite.

-The incessant nagging was becoming worse by the day. He hated everything about it. He wakes up and thinks each day about how lucky he would be if he was one of those people destined to not have a soulmate. He thought he could make it his entire life avoiding the whole thing. Just when he thought he was in the clear, he hit the age of 28 and your voice reared its ugly head.

-Tonight was no different than any of the others ever since your voice found it's way to him.

-You should really get more sleep please? I'm not able to focus on the things I need when I'm bogged down by your exhaustion." You spoke out for the 10th time today. He sighed in annoyance and closed his laptop. "Sounds like to me you need to strengthen yourself. No one human should need that much sleep." Although he knew his rebuttal would be not help at all, he still felt the need to reply. If he didn't then you likely would get on his ass about it again.

-The two of you would go back and forward most days with him being on the butt-end of everything. You nagged him with good reason! All of your emotions would stay linked with each other as well as your voice until you'd met someday...which he was hellbent on preventing from happening. You made sure to stay on him about properly eating, drinking, and sleeping. He was the reason why you always felt beyond exhausted. On the other hand, he had his own complaints about you as well.

-"I hope we never cross paths. I'm sure you're even more annoying in person." He complains one day. His heart betrays him. Somewhere along the line, feelings got mixed and he began thinking the exact opposite. On some small off chance he's started to familiarize himself with your voice. On the day it finally became silent, and he locked eyes with a certain someone in the crowd, his world has never been the same since.

[angsty-twihardxx]

Heartbreak Led Me Back to You | E.M

Chapter 5 | When It Rains It Pours

Prologue | Chapter 1 | Chapter 2 | Chapter 3 | Chapter 4 | Chapter 6 |

Pairing: Eddie Munson x fem!reader

Summary | You and Eddie were childhood friends, best friends even. When your life changes drastically you run away from Hawkins, leaving Eddie and Wayne without a goodbye. But when things go wrong she has no choice but to go back, a second chance for the two to finally admit their feelings.

Warnings | (18+) Adult Themes that some may find upsetting, mentions of abuse, alcohol/drug abuse, slurs directed at reader(f), swearing, angst, sexual references and eventual smut. Pls let me know if I missed anything x

A/N | Sorry it’s definitely been a while, I’m busy taking care of tiny humans,  and also working on an Eddie x Hopper! Reader fic ;) sorry if it’s rushed in advanced

Likes and reblogs are highly welcomed:) x

Taglist | @haylaansmi​, @aedicn​, @kimmi-kat​, @lil-quinnie​  (if you would like to be added to the series taglist lemme know x)

You should’ve suspected that today was going to be a bad one. From the moment your alarm clock stopped working, letting you sleep in for over thirty minutes. “Shit!” You exclaimed, jumping out of bed, getting Chris up and ready and out the door to the Munson’s trailer. 

“Y’alright?” Wayne questioned as he raised a confused eyebrow at his nephew, the both of them watching you fret over Christopher. Evaluating the current whirlwind that was you, merely a blur as you moved in a blur.

Sure, you had run late numerous times, this isn’t the first time you’ve bursted into their dwelling. You looked exhausted, most likely from the industrious work day you endured just yesterday. Not even giving yourself a day's break, needing to keep busy in order to be distracted from your ‘husband’.

“No time to talk– late.” Hastily you said your goodbyes, but not before stealing a piece of Wayne’s toast and running out the door before he could chide you into taking a break, to relax.

“That girl doesn’t know how to slow down does she?”

It was even better when you managed to get stuck at every. red. light. And to top it off, you couldn’t find a single park that wasn’t at least two blocks away. It really felt like the world was out to get you. Treading on the cement walk path you felt erratic, at the edge of a nervous breakdown. Maybe an intervention was what you needed. Just one more thing going wrong till you snapped.

The first half of your shift went slowly, any other day it would be a blessing. But no–you swore at yourself for complaining that it wasn’t fast enough, like an idiot. You seriously couldn’t enjoy the peace and quiet.

You realised you made a mistake when you got paged over to the ER. Then like a total shift in mood, it was so busy you didn’t even have enough time to gather your thoughts. Maybe this was just what you needed.

And of course it got worse. A part of you seriously wanted to be done with it all, to go home and snuggle on the sofa with your son and pretend that your life totally wasn’t falling apart. “Y/N? There's a phone call for you.” Amanda, today's receptionist called out to you as you were taking down patient notes. Worry flashed over your face, your brain began coming up with every worst scenario. The only person that would call you at work was Wayne, if there was something wrong with Chris. “Hello?” Your worried voice almost passed off as harsh, not that you really felt bad, with the day you’ve been having you couldn’t really care less. “Y/N? It’s Howard, we spoke on the phone yesterday?” 

Oh that's right, your lawyer, a Hawkins local who was very close friends with your parents. Someone that would help you just from the sheer fact that he considered you family. “Oh Howard! Yes sorry, I completely forgot. Is everything alright?”

“Well, that’s actually what I’m calling you about. I think it’ll be good for us to meet up as soon as possible. I was wondering if this afternoon would work for you?” 

“I mean, I finish in a couple of hours. Can it wait till tomorrow?” You tried to hide your agitation but you really didn’t have the time for this. “I know it’s inconvenient.” You scoffed lightly– yeah no sight. “But Michael is really trying to push this through. I thought you might also want to get this over and done with.” You realised he was right, if Michael wanted this so bad you might as well give in. The less arguing was better for your son. “Yeah okay, I can swing by after work.”

“Thank you Y/N, look how about we meet at the diner, it's more of a relaxing setting.” 

. . . 

You couldn’t actually believe this was happening, you were walking to go and sign your divorce papers. Michael didn’t even have the guts to come to you himself. He was the one that kicked you out and yet he’s the one that’s hiding away from you– pathetic. 

The door chimed as you walked into the diner, Howard was already sitting and waiting for you. He smiled an awful lot for someone who is handing you a piece of paper to end your marriage. “Did you want to order anything before we get started?” He asked over a plate of fries that were placed in front of him. “No, I’d rather get this over and done with honestly.” You replied uninterested, the man before you swallowing the fries in his mouth, dusting his hands awkwardly.

Noticing the heavy tension, Howard sighed as he retrieved the paperwork he had stacked neatly away in his briefcase. “If you want to keep this over the weekend to go over everything feel free, but please try and bring it to my office by the end of the week. He’s really been up our asses trying to get this all approved.” Howard adjusted his neck tie as he spoke, it didn’t surprise you– he was always impatient.

“It won’t kill him to wait for once.” You muttered, mindlessly going over the many pages, one in particular. It was hidden right near the end, a highlighted list, conditions. “Do you understand what this means?” Howard asked as he watched you gaze at the words in front of you. It seemed like all the words were in another language, you didn’t speak lawyer. “It means that you will have complete custody of Christopher.” He chose his words carefully, slowly. “I’m pretty sure I already do.”

“But you will be his sole guardian.”

‘Sole guardian,’ as in his only one, as in not Michael. 

“So what you’re telling me, he wants nothing to do with his own son.” Your voice was slow, precise. Feeling your stress being overtaken with anger. No– you weren’t going to let him hurt Chris like this. “These are his terms he had agreed too” 

“And if I say no?” 

“Look Y/N, I understand your upset but I recommend that you agree–” 

“No– Look Howard, you can tell Michaels lawyer or whoever that if he wants me to sign these, to grow some balls and see his son. Those are my conditions.”

. . .

Eddie sat comfortably on the sofa inside your trailer, a ritual for him when he watched Christopher for you. He never minded doing these things for you, he always did extra things like this– just so he could see that smile on your face. A part of him wanted the rest of his life to be like this, you, him, Chris and Wayne– their perfectly imperfect family. 

Yet tonight he found himself watching over the clock, and worrying about you– you weren’t here yet. You would always call him and tell him if minded staying and watching Chris for a little longer, and he always accepted. If it weren’t for Christopher telling him how he tired he was, Eddie would probably be alright, he totally felt out of his league. 

“What’d’ya need buddy?” Eddie croaked, kneeling down towards the small child before him who tiredly rubbed his eyes. “M’tired Eddie.”

“Yeah, okay–uh how does your mum usually put you to bed? Brush your teeth then bed?” Eddie let out a breath he was holding when Chris nodded, his small lips pushed together in a pout. Eddie thanked whatever gods for the few times you would briefly get Chris ready for bed when he was there for dinner.

“C’mon bud, let’s  get you to bed, yeah?” 

“Is mummy going to do it?”

“Uh, not tonight buddy, but she’ll be home soon. I’ll tell her to tuck you in when she does, alright?” Chris nodded sleepily, happy with his answer. He let out a tired yawn as he finished in the bathroom, holding his arms out for Eddie to pick him up off the counter– simply too tired to walk. 

. . .

Bright headlights shone into the glass window of your trailer, where Eddie laid awake on your sofa, the tv dribbling a bright white light over his slumped figure. He lifted his head off the pillow, waiting to see your figure walk through the door. When he heard the car turn off but no footsteps he sat up properly, maybe you were waiting for him to barge out and scream at you for being late, from what you had told him anyway it sounded like a recurring theme. 

He waited a few more minutes for you patiently, maybe you just needed a minute, work has been busier than usual. And you did seem really rushed this morning. Okay, maybe more than a minute, had you fallen asleep in your car?

With a groan he reached up to his feet, giving himself a moment to adjust to being vertical. As his feet hit the wooden planks that was your patio, his eyes squinted as he looked for your silhouette. When he didn’t he frowned with concern, making his way to your car. 

When he got closer he still couldn’t see you, but he could hear you. The muffled sound of sob coming from the back seat, “Y/N? Oh sweetheart.” He sighed deplorably, taking in the sight of you. Your small frame crawled into your chest as you hugged your knees, sobbing into your lap. Your face leaned into the crease of the seat, your back to Eddie who leaned into the car.  His saucer eyes took in how defeated you looked, he wished he could make everything better. “Come on, let's get you inside sweetheart.” He patter your thigh, using his other hand to beckon you out with him.

With a sniff and a quick wipe of your tears you joined him, not yet ready to say anything about the horrible day you’ve had. You wanted to just enjoy being next to him. Eddie, being the perfect gentleman that he is, opened the door for you. Bowing and extending his arm for you, a small huff of air fell from you, Eddie could swear that he just made you laugh– but you weren’t going to let his ego get to his head. 

“You go lay down, y’want some water?” Eddie asked softly, taking another step towards you lifting his larger hand to gently tuck a strand of your hair behind your ear. You took a deep breath, taking in the familiar smell that was Eddie. The faint smell of cigarettes lingered behind what was unrecognisably your son's strawberry scented toothpaste. You chuckled at the thought of Eddie helping your son brush his teeth. “Sorry I was late, that you had to put Chris to bed on your own.”

“Stop apologising! We had a wonderful time, even when Chris managed to get his toothpaste in my hair.” Eddie chortled as he placed his hands on your shoulder, guiding you slowly through the hallway towards your room. Knowing you, you’d probably stay up all night being upset, a habit of yours since you were a kid. “But I’m his mum, it should be me doing it.” You sighed as you fell onto the edge of the bed, watching Eddie as he did a quick take of your room. He hadn’t been in before, no reason until now to go in. It was– plain, it wasn’t loud with colour like your sons, devoid of any personality. “Hey, that doesn’t mean you have to do everything on your own, you’ve got me and Wayne.” Eddie quickly moved to sit beside you, his words came from a warm place, you knew that.

Though you couldn’t help the sad feeling coming back again, because you were going to be on your own. Even if you didn’t always get along you at least had Michael, he was at least there for Chris, but now he was leaving the both of you for good. Eddie and Wayne meant well but it was different, you couldn’t expect them to do everything. It just wasn’t the same. And here comes the tears again.

“You don’t get it, I am on my own, I always have been. My own parent’s left me and now my husband is leaving me!” You sobbed into your own, not caring how silly you looked. 

But Eddie never thought you looked silly, ever. Instead he held onto you tightly, bringing you into his chest. “C’mon, why don’t you tell me what’s going on love?” His voice was soft, contrasting his usual brass voice, his hand rubbing comforting circles on your back. “Michael filed for the divorce, which is fine- he’s an asshole. But he wants nothing to do with Chris, like absolutely nothing.” You cried into Eddie’s shirt, a damp patch developing on his shoulder. For a moment, Eddie didn’t know what to say to you that would make you feel better. “Shit, Y/N I’m so sorry.” 

There was a beat of silence for a moment, the two of you just holding yourself close to one another. “But uh- you know that I’m always going to be here, no matter what.” 

“Eddie, could you stay here with me tonight? I don’t want to be on my own.” 

In that moment, all Eddie saw was you when you would tap on his window late at night in the pouring rain. When it seemed that the world was against you, you could always come to Eddie without judgement. He would without a doubt always capture you in his warmth, the safety that was always Eddie. 

“Of course.”

. . .

You didn’t have the strength to endure a warm shower, you knew that tomorrow morning it would be all the more rewarding to feel the scalding water on your skin. You did at least change into your pajamas though, retreating to the privacy of your bathroom to change. 

Eddie then slid into the bed beside you as you returned, your bodies were inches from one another, but not touching. You could still feel the heat radiating from his body, you wanted nothing more than to touch him, have him touch you all over. 

Instead you rolled over to face him, the moonlight casts a white glow over his cheekbones that bunched together into a smile. The two of you looked into one another, waiting to see what would happen next, no one daring to make a move. “It’s been a while since we’ve done this, hey.” You joked making Eddie chuckle, his movement made your arms graze on another. Your arm burning at his touch, you craved his contact.

 Eddie must’ve known this, reaching his arm out over your shoulder and pulling you into his chest. His lips finding its way to the top of your hair. “Eddie,” you reprimanded, “I probably smell like a hospital.” You whined into his chest, hearing him take a deep inhale pressing his nose into your hair, making you laugh. “No you don’t, you smell like Y/N.” 

“Oh and what do I smell like?” You dared him to answer, raising your head out of his chest to look at him. “Well, you uh smell like–” He dragged out, taking another whiff. “Hmm, I’m getting a hint of watermelon?” 

“That would be my shampoo Eddie.” You giggled into him again, just enjoying this. The two of you are tangled in Eddie's arms, totally just enjoying being next to one another. Eddie let out an astonished ‘ah’, like you had just given him an important piece of information. 

The two of you laid together silent, for the short moment you saw his lips under the small light and wandered what it would be like to have them on yours.

“Hey Eds, what do you think you would do if I kissed you right now?” Your question took him by surprise, freezing him in his spot. Hell, you even surprised yourself. He hoped that you wouldn’t hear how fast his heart rate accelerated. “I uh- we ah– why do you ask?” He stuttered, you had completely taken him aback. Suddenly feeling embarrassed you tried to take it back, “You can say no Eddie, y’know if you don’t want t–” 

“No, I–I want too, trust me. It’s just your feeling alot of emotions right now, I don’t want you to regret it later is all.” 

“I’ve wanted to for years, I think I’ll regret more if I have you here with me and don’t kiss you.” You spoke truthfully, your face still pushed against Eddie's chest, your eyes watching for his reaction carefully. Just waiting to see how he would react, the smile that grew on his cheeks settled your panicking heart. “So this was all a huge scheme to get me in your bed? Wow Y/N, I can’t say I would expect this from you.” He feigned offence as he gently pushed you away from his embrace, making you let out a shriek. “Okay, you know what?”

You grasped his cheeks in your hands and pulled his lips onto yours. Kissing him was everything you had always thought it would be, messy, hungrily. He leaned forward, deepening the kiss.

He answered your question by wrapping a strong arm around your waist, lifting up against him. You snake your arms around his neck, about to pull yourself on his lap when you feel his hands gripping yours. Eddie gently pulled away from you, a quiet sigh escaping from your agape mouth. “Hey, as much as I enjoyed that,” He threw a playful smile your way, minimising the embarrassment. “Let’s just take it easy tonight, yeah? I just want to enjoy having you close to me. Also you're still technically married.” He threw a gentle chuckle your way, letting you know– this is okay. 

You nodded, contempt with yourself as you scooted back facing him, allowing Eddie to wrap his arms around your middle. His head now tucked into the crook of your neck, god you’ve waited so long for this. 

“Night Eddie.”

“Goodnight Y/N.”

[mountswhore]

hey! see u were taking requests so i wanted one with mason related to "london boy" by taylor swift? maybe reader is a singer or something like that?

one of the best taylor swift songs imo, so of course!

𝐥𝐨𝐧𝐝𝐨𝐧 𝐛𝐨𝐲 — mason mount

summary: mason shows you around london during your break, and now you don't think you can ever go back

notes: requests are open again! my asks are open.

Leaving your hometown in New York to visit the world was one of the hardest things you had to do. But you had your dream job, now it was time to follow it. Your recent album was a success, pouring your heart into it as you recovered from your breakup. Your fans had watched your relationship build, and then break apart. Hearing your side of things through 14 songs. Awards, interviews, and traction had come from it, earning you a world tour. It was a scary thing to do, considering it was your first international tour.

“I just want to come back to New York already, I’ve not been on this tour long.” You complained to your sister, curled up in a hotel bed in London. Your first destination was the UK, and there was nothing worse than being homesick.

“Quit being a baby, the UK is so nice.” Your sister replied, chuckling shortly afterwards. “Me and dad visited Manchester, I think? Very nice looking, at least where we stayed.” You sighed, knowing that didn’t make it any easier. You loved your cosy apartment in New York, you were even starting to miss the constant traffic sounds and arguing in the early hours of the morning.

“I guess, and I know London is nice, at least. I think I’m gonna interact with some fans,” you decided, pulling the duvet further up your body, “speak tomorrow at sound check.” You ended the call, liking some tweets and replying to a few things, eventually tweeting something of your own.

“Happy to see a lot of my UK fans tomorrow, can’t wait to scream my feelings out with you,” Declan read out, giving Mason a cheeky look. The pair of them were in Mason’s living room, enjoying their evening of FIFA. The boys had spoken about you plenty of times, in interviews too, Mason declaring you as his celebrity crush.

“Shut up already, she probably doesn’t even know who I am.” Mason stated, resting his arm over his eyes to conceal the blush on his face. Him, Declan and a few other boys were going to your concert tomorrow night, some of the WAGs suggested it as they loved your music.

“You think she’s not going to notice a blue tick in her dm’s? It’s worth a shot.” Declan encouraged his friend to shoot his shot, close to grabbing his phone and doing it himself, but instead he was watching Mason bashfully scroll through your twitter replies. “Do it, or I will.”

Mason sighed, clicking the reply button and typing out a reply, handing the phone to Declan to review. ‘Can’t wait, wanna see you.’

“Perfect,” Declan mumbled, pressing the reply button for him. He knew Mason never would, he just saved him 20 minutes of back and forth debate. Handing Mason his phone back, Declan smirked as he watched his friend's face change from fairly embarrassed, to shocked.

“There’s no fucking way you sent that.” Mason remarked, refreshing his phone to see his tweet attract likes. “You dick.”

Declan just laughed as Mason had turned completely red, watching the likes and replies collect under his tweet. Moments later, you’d appeared in his dm’s.

‘I recognise you.’

It was an ominous message from you, one that had you pacing and replaying the creepy message over and over again. But Mason smiled at the message, all ounces of worry leaving his body as he replied to you.

‘Oh yeah? From where?’

‘Actually, I think I recognise your teammate, Pulisic. He’s all my brother talks about sometimes. But all I know is that he plays for a soccer team.’

He laughed at your reply, Declan watching over in pure disbelief.

‘You have a lot to learn about the UK, and luckily I know all about it.’

‘I’ll hold you to that, come backstage after the show, bring whoever you’re with. I’m in London for the next few days before my next show, maybe you can show me around.’

“There’s no way you’re flirting with Y/N Y/L/N within two minutes of replying to her tweet.” Declan stated, Mason smirking at his best friend before sending another reply.

‘Bet.'

Your show was now over and you were anxiously waiting for the boys to be escorted back stage. You didn't know much about football, especially over here, but you knew the boys that were coming back stage were professionals. You'd learnt their names, Declan, Jack, and Mason. Jack and Declan brought their girlfriends along, but Mason was 'painfully single', as he put it.

Finally, as you sat down in your chair to relax, you heard a knock at the door. It was them. They had all filed in, the two girls in shock that they were meeting you. You'd given them all a hug, and gotten to Mason. He looked down at you as you pulled him in, squeezing you tightly before letting you go again.

"Did you guys enjoy it?" You asked, ushering them to the couch for them to sit down. You wanted them to feel as comfortable as possible, rushing over to your dressing room fridge and pulling out some drinks.

"It was amazing," Sasha gawked, still in awe over seeing you for the first time, "we saw you have one in Birmingham in a few weeks, so we're going to that one too." You blushed, returning to your seat opposite the couch.

"That's so sweet! I'm sure I can get you some good tickets, I'll dm you on Instagram or something." You suggested to her, Sasha eagerly nodding her head. You conversed with the group of five, Mason giving you a particular look that you had mirrored back to him. You planned on getting his number, and making sure he showed you around London.

Soon enough, the group was heading back to wherever they were staying, as it was beginning to get quite late. "Thank you guys for coming, and I'm so glad I met you."

Mason stayed behind, folding his arms and sharing a smirk with you as his friends voices trailed down the hallway. "So, about this bet."

"Yeah," you replied casually, grabbing your water bottle from the table and taking a sip, being in the presence of an attractive man again was giving you quite the nerves, "I'll take your number, because I'd love to get to know London." He nodded, grabbing his phone from his jacket pocket and handing it to you.

"Perfect. See you."

You and Mason had planned your first meeting in a pub. It wasn't the classiest of places, but your plan was to get to know the UK. Mason had ordered you both a drink, guessing what you like and nailing it when you went in for a second sip and shoved a thumb up.

"So," he began, fiddling with the coaster his beer sat on, "how long are you in London for?"

"Just until Thursday, Friday morning I'm heading to Manchester." You stated, realising you only had four days with Mason, including today.

"Well, we better make the days count then." Mason declared. The pair of you spoke about his career as well as yours, talking about how different school was for the pair of you. Mason had stood up, holding his hand out for you to take, and you'd accepted it without complaint. He led you out of the pub and through the town center, gazing at the stalls set up around you. The weather wasn't so different to New York, both constantly dreary, but you were liking London so far.

On your second day together, you'd taken a cab to another town, this time to just experience the busy streets. To Mason, this was normal. For you, it was only familiar. New York was one of the busiest cities in the world, but London was different, better in every other way. You'd finished your day together, stomachs full of pub food, and in the back of a cab, rain pattering on the windows. You'd shuffled closer to Mason, placing your hand on his and squeezing. He looked at you briefly, smiling his usual smile, before quickly looking out at the street in an effort to hide his tinged cheeks.

Day three, the weather was too bad to do anything. But Mason kept you company in your hotel room. He'd taught you a bunch of British slang, laughing as your accent completely butchered them all. You'd shown him a snippet of your new song before room service had arrived. And the night ended with the pair of you collapsed in your bed, tv playing in the back ground, but your eyes on each other. It was like pure magic, the long-awaited feeling of his lips on yours. You'd been thinking about it all day, missing every opportunity until now.

Your final day was the worst. You both knew it was coming, you wouldn't see him until you had a break, and he had one too. You both had stupidly busy schedules, as well as living in different countries. Maybe one day you could bring him to New York, show him your side of life. And maybe one day you'll branch out and move here.

Mason had helped you carry your things out of your hotel room, which was taking you to Manchester. Your manager had texted you to be in the car before 3, which meant you had just 10 minutes until you had to say goodbye to Mason for a while.

You were stood in the foyer of the hotel, waiting for the car to arrive. You'd secretly hoped it didn't, you wanted to stay with Mason for a while longer, but you couldn't. Duty called.

"Thank you for showing me around London," you spoke, looking up at Mason, who was hiding his deflated feelings, "I really enjoyed it, I might even prefer it to New York."

"That's a given. I'm here." He joked, in an obvious attempt to lighten the mood. These four days had been immense fun for him, different to how he usually spent his days. Different than night at home alone, different than a night on the town. Was it too soon to say he missed you?

Mason looked down at you as you clung to his side, hoping he felt the same way you did. And he did, you just didn’t know that. His fingers slid across your jaw slowly, pulling your chin up to look at him. It was an intense moment, so many different emotions. He’d leaned in and kissed you, it was his parting gift. To say that he’d see you soon enough.

“Enjoy Manchester, I’m sure I can fit another show in somehow.” Mason spoke, his voice barely above a whisper. “I’ll miss you.”

“I’ll miss you too.” You spoke, the car pulling up outside. He’d dragged your suitcases out to the car, popping them in the boot for you. Finally, he stared at you through the window, which you quickly rolled down. “I fancy you, is that the right term?”

Mason laughed, head tipping back slightly. “Yeah, it is. And I fancy you too.”

[nctzenkane]

Avatar The Last Airbender: The Trials of Hyunjin. Book One, Chapter One

Summary: Air. Water. Earth. Fire… 

Long ago, the prosperous Fire Nation was nothing more than a cluster of islands at war with one another.  Each island was dominated by a different clan, until they were united under the sole leadership of the Fire Lord.  Of these clans, the Miroh were the most influential and respected…

 But everything changed when they rebelled against the Fire Lord. 

Their rebellion was short lived, and anyone over the age of nineteen was sentenced to death for treason.  Meanwhile, the children of the Miroh Clan were stripped of their honor and status and forced to work as servants in the Royal Palace, forbidden to learn Firebending. Among those children, was Hyunjin; the retainer of Prince Yongbok.  Hyunjin may believe he’s nothing more than a dishonored servant, but in truth, it is his destiny to maintain balance, and protect the world…

Word Count: 3453

Warnings: Mentions of violence, explicit sexual content

AO3 Link

Author’s Note: I’m a super mega fan of both SKZ and A:TLA, so this was a crossover that was always gonna happen. I’ve been struggling a lot with my writing and my mental health, and how those things inevitably cross over. However, I managed to actually write this whole thing, and hopefully I’ll be able to continue it and make something that’s really worthwhile. So, without further ado...

…

  Despite being a country named for the element of fire, no place on the planet experienced thunderstorms that rivaled those in the Fire Nation.

 Brilliant bursts of white lit up the windows in one of the many kitchens of the palace, accompanied shortly thereafter by violent cracks of distant thunder. However, no matter how hard the torrents of rain pelted the windows, Hyunjin knew that he couldn’t lose focus on slicing the fish in front of him.  In just a few hours, dinner would be served to the Royal Family, and none of the servants wanted to be the one responsible for ruining the preparations.

 “Spirits,” one of the other servants muttered under his breath as he struggled to carve through the tough hide of moose-lion to prepare it to be smoked, “why did I have to be the one to do this job? I always get the shittiest tasks,”

 “Stop complaining Jooyeon,” Hyunjin said, his voice low, “you don’t want Auntie Lin or Auntie Fan to hear you. They’ll report you straight to Princess Ryujin,”

 “What’s she gonna do?” Jooyeon rolled his eyes, continuing to try to force his jagged carving knife through the dead animal’s skin, “there’s nothing they can do to us that hasn’t already been done,”

 “You don’t actually believe that, do you?” another servant, Jungsu, spoke up, though his eyes never left the giant pot of noodles he was stirring, “it could always be worse,”

 “How so?” Jooyeon scoffed, “living in this society without honor is just about the worst thing I can think of.  I mean, look at us, we’re not even allowed to grow out our hair, it’s humiliating,”

 Hyunjin wanted to say something, but Jooyeon was right.  Since the ancient days in the Fire Nation, someone’s hair was a direct sign of their personal honor and status.  No one was allowed to have hair longer than members of the Royal Family, nor were they allowed to decorate it with the same styles of topknot pins, but still, people treated it very, very seriously.  Hyunjin’s hair was at shoulder length, but he absolutely couldn’t grow it any longer, and he wasn’t allowed to tie it all up either; he and the others had been stripped of that right when they were only children.

 “Jooyeon, please,” Hyunjin pleaded, “just focus on your job and don’t complain too loudly. Remember what happened when Gunil spoke out like this?”

 Hyunjin winced at the memory of his cousin being burned alive on an elevated stage for a crowd of spectators to see.  The way he pleaded for mercy, and let out blood curdling screams when that mercy wasn’t granted…

 He did his best not to think about it.

 “Difference between me and Gunil,” Jooyeon held out his hand and snapped his finger, showing off a small flame that hovered just above his thumb, “I actually know how to Firebend,”

 On reflex alone, Hyunjin whipped a spring roll across the room faster than Jooyeon could react.  It hit him directly between the eyes and fell fruitlessly to the floor.  It obviously didn’t hurt, but Jooyeon was taken aback nonetheless.

 “Never do that again,” Hyunjin said, a sternness to his voice that he didn’t think possible, “you know Firebending is forbidden for us,”

 “Fine,” Jooyeon rolled his eyes, “by the spirits, why do you have such a stick up your ass,”

 Hyunjin didn’t respond, he only remembered the last words that the royal enforcers uttered before burning Gunil to ashes…

 “The nail that sticks up, must be hammered down,”

 Hyunjin quickly finished chopping up the fish and slid the cube shaped pieces into a bowl, sliding it across the counter to Jungsu who was still stirring the large pot.

 “There’s the jellyfish-tuna. You two can handle the rest, I have to accompany Prince Yongbok to his Firebending lessons,”

 With that, he left the kitchen, moving with purpose through the winding halls of the Royal Palace.  The blood red lacquered paint on the walls gave the building a sense of internal heat that was hard to describe.  That combined with the golden trim that lined the ceilings made it feel as though Hyunjin was walking through the sun itself, which was surely intentional on the part of the designers.

 To access Prince Yongbok’s chamber required cutting through the Royal Portrait Gallery; an incredibly long hallway, decorated with giant portraits of every Fire Lord in history, dating back centuries.  The artwork of the current Fire Lord, Jinyoung, was still being worked on, but Hyunjin could make out some of the details in the linework. It seemed that the image would depict Jinyoung holding a fireball in one hand, as with most of the other portraits to symbolize a mastery of Firebending, while his other hand would have a sword, dripping with blood.  Hyunjin cringed at the image, knowing all too well what that was meant to symbolize…

 The eradication of the Miroh Clan.

 He turned away from the image to face the opposite wall, finding a completely different set of portraits there.  While one wall depicted the Fire Lords, the other showed the past Avatars, or at least the ones born into the Fire Nation.  Hyunjin had been hearing stories about The Avatar for as long as he could remember; the only person born with the potential to master water, earth, fire and air.  They were a great many things to the world; a diplomat, a warrior, a spiritual leader. But no matter what role they filled, they were always seen as the most important person in the world.

 The last Avatar, a man named Rain, was born into the Earth Kingdom. Fire was the next element in the endless Avatar Cycle, so logically the spiritual leaders of the Fire Nation should’ve discovered and announced who the next Avatar was by now.  But alas, twenty years had passed since Rain’s death, and there seemed to be no sign that his successor would be named any time soon.

 A violent crack of thunder from outside shook Hyunjin from his thoughts; he didn’t have time to ponder whether or not The Avatar would return.  He needed to tend to the prince, or risk being demoted to a much less desirable job.

 He finally arrived at the elaborate golden doors of Prince Yongbok’s personal chamber and knocked three times.  When the doors swung open, it took everything in Hyunjin’s power not to turn as red as a tomato-berry.

 Prince Yongbok was perhaps the most beautiful young man in the entire world. His hair was as black as a starless night sky, like most Fire Nation citizens, and his skin was smooth and milky white.  It was incredibly long, hanging all the way down his back and stopping just over his butt when he let it down. But at the moment, it was pulled into a topknot and secured with a fancy golden pin. More impressively than that, were the freckles that dotted the bridge of his nose and cheekbones.  His eyes were large and expressive, and always appeared with a murky brown color; a stark difference to the golden irises of most Firebenders.  He may have been a head shorter than Hyunjin, but his presence was large enough to fill an entire room effortlessly.

 “Ah, Hyunjinnie, right on time,” Yongbok said, his warm, deep voice vibrating in his chest as he spoke, “It’s always great to see you, but I can’t say I’m excited about today’s lesson,”

 “Why not? I thought you enjoyed training with Sifu Junho,” Hyunjin sarcastically replied.  He knew full well that Yongbok despised his Firebending lessons.  Despite coming from a long line of powerful benders, the prince himself had never been any good at it.

 “Ha ha, you’re truly hilarious Hyunjinnie,” Yongbok said, trying to feign annoyance but unable to contain the smile blooming on his face, “let’s go. Sifu will complain endlessly if I’m late,”

 Hyunjin nodded and fell in step with Yongbok as they made their way to the training area.  Hyunjin wasn’t sure how he got lucky enough to be assigned to serve Prince Yongbok directly; in his twenty years of life, he’d faced almost nothing but pain, but every time he saw Yongbok’s silken hair or breathtaking smile, it was like the clouds parted and allowed the sun to shine, if only for a brief time.

 “So, what do you think Sifu Junho will have you learning today?” Hyunjin asked as they stepped out into the courtyard.  Rain was still pouring, but the sheltered walkway was left untouched.

 “Probably just more hot squats and basic forms.  No matter what else I try I can never seem to produce any actual flames,”

 “You never know, today might just be your lucky day,” Hyunjin replied with a wink as they rounded the corner, heading back inside the palace to the training area. The room itself was shaped like a large, empty dome made of smooth marble and devoid of anything flammable. In the center of the room, stood a shirtless man with greying hair hanging to the center of his back. His skin was tanned and scarred with scattered burns; a tale of his long military career written all over his body.

 He was Lee Junho, a member of the famed Dusi Clan.  In his youth he’d been one of Fire Lord Jinyoung’s personal guards, but now he was enjoying his retirement, and teaching the Fire Lord’s children how to Firebend.

 “Prince Yongbok, you just barely made it on time,” Junho said, finally turning to face the two young men.  He turned up his nose at the sight of Hyunjin, “prince, I know you’re rather… fond, of this particular Miroh Clan servant. But you know he’s not permitted to observe your training,”

 “I wasn’t planning on staying,” Hyunjin said sheepishly, “the prince just enjoys having a companion while walking,”

 “I don’t believe I asked for your input, Miroh,”

 Hyunjin winced at the way he spat the clan name, almost as though it was a slur.

 “Sifu, there’s no need for you to be so rude…” Yongbok began, but Hyunjin cut him off.

 “My apologies, I meant no disrespect,” Hyunjin bowed, “Prince Yongbok, I’ll wait for you outside,”

 Yongbok opened his mouth to protest, but he knew it was pointless.  Hyunjin stepped back outside and let the door close behind him. Rather than sitting there and sulking, he peered through the small window, careful not to let Junho see him. What the stuffy old teacher didn’t know, was that Hyunjin had spent the last year like this; watching and listening as Junho demonstrated complex Firebending forms to Yongbok.  Hyunjin had been keeping a detailed mental record of everything he saw and heard.

 His cousin Jooyeon might’ve fancied himself a Firebender because he was capable of making a small flame, but at this point, Hyunjin would’ve nearly been considered a master, even though he knew that he’d never be able to show it off.

 He watched intently as Yongbok removed his long red robes, leaving him in nothing but a pair of baggy black pants.  Hyunjin gulped at the expanse of smooth, pale skin, but his goal wasn’t to ogle the prince, not this time.  He committed the steps of Junho’s teachings to memory, even though Yongbok didn’t produce the same massive streams of flame that his teacher did.  

 After about an hour, Junho clearly gave up on the idea of Yongbok actually learning anything, and he was dismissed.  Hyunjin quickly moved away from the window as Yongbok dressed himself and came outside.  

 “Thank you for waiting Hyunjinnie.  I’m so sorry that he’s such an asshole. You didn’t deserve to be treated that way,” Yongbok said, his deep voice teeming with righteous fury.  Hyunjin sighed.

 “Yongbok, you’re aware of my clan’s past.  My father was the one who led the Miroh Clan’s rebellion against the Fire Lord, and Sifu Junho fought to stop it. It’s not exactly surprising that he wouldn’t like me very much,”

 “I don’t care about the sins of your father,” Yongbok said, stepping closer to Hyunjin and cupping his cheek in the palm of his hand.  Unlike most Firebenders, Yongbok’s hands were always cold. Hyunjin shivered at the touch, but he embraced it, “from the day you became my servant, you’ve been nothing but sweet and thoughtful and just… perfect,”

 Hyunjin blushed, his skin heating up as his face turned red.  

 “T-thank you Yongbok,”

 “You’re welcome, my Hyunjinnie,” Yongbok said with that signature smile of his, “now, I’m supposed to go to the Royal Spa to get washed up before dinner.  But I think I’d rather go to my private bath… if you’d be willing to join me, of course,”

 Hyunjin could feel his inner fire swell at the thought of bathing with Yongbok. How could he possibly resist such a request?

 “Lead the way,”

 …

 Yongbok’s private bath was actually more like a small pool, located just down the hall from his bedroom.  The water was steaming hot, and it felt so good against Hyunjin’s naked body as he settled in next to Yongbok, who was lounging in the corner of the bath.

 “Wanna wash my hair for me?” Yongbok asked, wiggling his eyebrows suggestively at Hyunjin.

 Hyunjin had known Yongbok long enough to know what that meant.  No one of the Miroh Clan was allowed to touch the prince’s hair.  That was just a fancy euphemism for something else…

 Yongbok straddled Hyunjin, allowing his favorite servant to kiss his neck while he moaned at the contact.  Hyunjin grasped Yongbok’s thin waist, his long slender finger resting just over the swell of the prince’s plump ass.

 Truly, what had Hyunjin done to be so blessed?

 As Yongbok grinded on his lap, he felt his dick swelling to full size beneath the smaller man, earning him yet another deep, beautiful moan.

 “Spirits… you’re so big. I can never quite get used to it,” Yongbok said with a truly sinful smirk.

 “It’s never seemed to be too challenging for you to take,” Hyunjin replied, capturing Yongbok’s lips in a kiss.  Hyunjin’s lips were like flowing lava, while Yongbok’s were a frozen lake; competing sensations that blended together into a feeling of complete and total bliss.

 Hyunjin removed his right hand from Yongbok’s waist, prodding a finger against his clenching hole.  The water helped him ease it inside, eliciting a sharp gasp from the prince.  

 However, before they could truly get started, a loud bell chimed, echoing throughout the entire palace.

 “Fuck, that’s the dinner bell,” Hyunjin groaned, “I’ve gotta get back to the kitchen so I can prepare to serve you guys,”

 Yongbok whined, clearly not wanting their moment to end.

 “But baby I…”

 “We’ll finish this tonight? I’ll find a way to sneak into your room, I promise,”

 Yongbok sighed, but he didn’t argue the point any further.

 “Alright. I should probably go ahead and get dressed anyway. Tonight’s dinner is kind of special,”

 “Oh yeah? What’s so special about it?” Hyunjin asked. As a mere servant, no one ever told him or the others anything important.

 “The Fire Sages are finally going to reveal the identity of the next Avatar,” Yongbok explained, “it’s been so long since Avatar Rain died that the other nations are calling this ‘The Era without an Avatar’.  I’m not sure what’s taken them so long, but I’m excited to find out who this person is,”

 “Whoever they turn out to be, it’ll be extremely important for the Fire Nation,” Hyunjin thought out loud, “I can see why the Fire Lord wanted us to prepare such a fancy meal. For fuck’s sake, they had Jooyeon trying to smoke a sabretooth moose-lion,”

 Yongbok chuckled, deep and contagious.

 “Well, my beautiful servant, I suppose I’ll see you in a bit?”

 “Yes, my gorgeous prince,”

 …

 Hyunjin did his best to keep an emotionless face as he, Jooyeon and Jungsu wheeled an impossibly large cart of food into the dining hall.  The long dining table had been draped with a golden tablecloth, and there were multiple candelabras decorating it.  The room was abuzz with casual conversation, and a cursory glance of the space made it clear that important guests from the other three nations were present at this special dinner.  At the far end of the table, there was another table, creating an elongated ‘T' shape.  At the second table, sat the entire Royal Family.

 In the center was Fire Lord Jinyoung; a truly ancient man with leathery tan skin and a head full of long, white hair, thinning around his hairline.  Atop his head was his royal topknot pin, making it look like golden flames were sticking out of his hair.

 On either side of him were the twin prince and princess; Jeongin and Ryujin. They had similar looks; the same pale skin, foxlike eyes and raven-black hair.  However, their vibes couldn’t differ more.  Jeongin’s features were sharp and intimidating, while Ryujin’s were soft and welcoming, however their true natures were quite the opposite. Prince Jeongin was known for feeding turtle-ducks in the Royal Garden and engaging in haiku battles with the kitchen staff, while Princess Ryujin personally oversaw the executions of anyone who dared cross the Fire Lord in any way.

 To the right side of Ryujin was the eldest of the Fire Lord’s children, Crown Prince Chan.  He had a short but muscular build, with a sharp jawline and broad shoulders.  He was something of an enigma; being next in line for the throne meant that he had a lot of unique duties that occupied a lot of his time.  Hyunjin never had any negative interactions with him, and Yongbok always spoke highly of him, so there was no reason to think he was anything but a nice guy.

 And of course, on the other end of the table, on the left side of Jeongin, was Yongbok himself.  He looked absolutely beautiful, though Hyunjin wasn’t a big fan of how the royal makeup artists always obscured his beautiful freckles in an effort to make him look more like a traditional Fire Nation citizen.  Despite that though, his smoky eyeshadow really highlighted his intense features, and the way his long hair had been pulled into a half-ponytail, with the rest hanging down his back, made him look like a spirit in mortal form.

 “Hey, stop staring,” Jungsu whispered as they approached the table, “stay focused,”

 “Sorry,” Hyunjin quickly replied, finally averting his gaze from the royals.  They finally reached the table and began serving the food in the traditional Fire Nation order; red tea first, followed by steamed buns, seafood salads, and then the main course of smoked moose-lion, finished off with a round of Jasmine tea, to aid with digestion.

 Hyunjin and the others stood back from the table as the dignitaries ate, drank and talked about political affairs that didn’t interest him.  All he wanted was a chance to approach Yongbok and take in his scent; he was probably wearing some expensive perfume imported from the Earth Kingdom.

 “This is so fucking boring,” Jooyeon said under his breath, only loud enough for his cousins to hear, “I don’t see why they make us wait around when we could just serve the food and leave,”

 “A specialized form of torture, I’m sure,” Hyunjin said through clenched teeth. Before any of them could say anything else, the doors at the far end of the dining hall opened, revealing ten men and women dressed in fancy red robes and tall, pointy hats that matched.  The eleventh man wore white and gold robes, and his hat was even taller and pointer than the others.

 They were the Fire Sages, ancient spiritual leaders of the Fire Nation and servants to The Avatar in each of their lives.  It was only fitting that they would be the ones to announce the identity of the next Avatar.

 “Ah, our esteemed guests have arrived,” Fire Lord Jinyoung’s voice rang out, shaking and nasally, “the Fire Sages have a very important announcement to make,”

 The Grand Sage, the one in the white robes, stepped forward as everyone in the room stopped their conversations and turned to face him.  The elderly man cleared his throat and began to speak.

 “Over ten thousand years ago, the endless Avatar Cycle began here, in our glorious Fire Nation. With each life, the Avatar is reborn into the Air Nomads, Water Tribe, and Earth Kingdom, and now the time has come for the Avatar to call the Fire Nation home once more!” the Grand Sage and all the others turned in unison. Hyunjin was confused for a moment, but a second later, he realized what they were all staring at…

 Or rather, who.

 “We live to serve you, Avatar Hyunjin,”

[urimaginespimp]

How You Get The Girl (This Love Final Part)

Bucky x Reader (elemental witch)

Set on TFATWS last episode

Note: Thank you to everyone that's tuned in, gave feedbacks, and liked/reblogged. I had to so much fun writing these! After this I’ll be working on oneshots completely unrelated to this story of several prompts.

We got a new Cap!

Previous Part: Untouchable

Marvel Masterlist

--------

“I’m serious, Shuri. I am over him.” you groaned as Shuri won’t wipe off the smug, disbelieving look on her face.

“Sure, Jan.” She replied getting up to continue on what’s she’s working on.

“Hey, I know that reference!”

“I’m just saying... Seven years of pinning over the guy – which five of it was when he was practically dead, by the way – and you’re telling me it took one confrontation for you to get over him.” She shrugged.

Some of the Dora Milaje were also in the lab, and you haven’t been vocal about it, but you didn’t miss the knowing looks they’ve been exchanging every time Bucky was brought in the conversation.

“Well, it would really be nice if you’re being supportive right now.” you sulked in your seat. Yeah, who were you kidding. Maybe you’re not completely, completely over him, but now you’re sorting to the fake it ‘til you make it method and so far, you’re doing well.

“Okay, fine. Want me to set you up with someone? My brother has some contacts around the world and I think with some buttering up he’d consider setting you up to bachelor royalties.” She wiggled her brows at you.

“May I suggest the Prince of Brunei? The internet says he’s looking for a wife.” One of the ladies snickered, making the others hum in approval.

“T’Challa knows him?” this piqued your interest. “He’s pretty hot.”

“Well make up your mind. It’ll take me a few business days of persuading my brother.” She raised her brows at you.

“It wouldn’t hurt to start dating. I’ll think about it first.” you muttered, missing how Shuri winked at the other ladies in the room. Ayo had told her in private about Bucky’s little confession to Zemo, and the princess has a few tricks up her sleeve to speed up the matchmaking process.

“I’m only staying for a few days more. It’s been a few weeks and Val’s been complaining from lack of sleep.” She’s been taking over your nightly escapades, and it’s starting to irritate her to be surrounded with so much booze but not being able to indulge.

Just then, Okoye enters the lab. “Check the news. There’s a live coverage of a hostage in New York. Sam and White Wolf are on it.”

--------

Bucky was looking over proudly as Sam was talking to the Senator.

Seeing Sam now walking over to him, he straightened up and cleared his throat. “Sorry, I uh was texting and all I heard was um a black guy in stars and stripes.”

They both chuckled, now walking side by side. “Nice job, Cap.”

“Thanks.”

--------

He’s done it. He told Yori the truth. Though now that might have been the end of their friendship, he knew the old man deserves the closure for his son.

Now back in his apartment, he took the notebook Steve once owned from his pocket, and opened it to the page where his list is. Looking over it, he saw that the only name left uncrossed is yours.

Just then, his phone pinged twice. One message was from Sam, and the other one from Shuri.

Sam’s read:

I wasn’t kidding when I told you

back on the boat that I’d get the

younger ones here to give you a

crash course on romance.

Check your email.

He rolled his eyes and opened the one from Shuri.

Y/N’s explained everything to us.

We saw you save those people,

White Wolf. Wakand is proud of you.

Brother says you’re welcome to

visit anytime. Take care!

p.s.

It’s good to know Y/N and you are

are on good terms. It finally allowed me

to set her up with one of the princes

mother’s been pestering me about. One less

off of mother’s list for me.

“Damn it, Shuri.” he groaned, reading the last part over and over again. He had to move fast. Heading over to his email, he opened the one from Sam.

The subject says:

21st century romance for reformed dummies.

There was an attached 60-second video. Clicking on it, he chuckled when Sam’s voice started booming behind the camera, where it showed two young girls and one boy, all around below 10 years of age.

“Okay, I gathered you here today because a cyborg friend of mine is need of help. I already filled you in the details necessary earlier, and all you have to do now is give him quick tips. Remember, talk slow.”

The boy on the middle spoke up. “Is she an avenger?”

“Not important, but yes. It’s the one with similar powers to an avatar.” Sam answered, followed by the two girls saying they know which one, and the boy to mutter ‘damn it I always had a crush on her...’

“Okay the first step would obviously be to say sorry.” the girl on the right said directly to the camera.

“Oh! Extra points if you do it standing like a ghost outside her door and it’s about to rain.” the other girl from the left perked up.

“I said he’s a cyborg, not a weatherman.” Sam commented, still behind the camera.

“Say you were afraid to tell her what you want.” the first girl spoke again.

“Six months is a long time to be afraid, man.” the boy in the middle spoke up this time.

“Try years.” Sam muttered.

“Then you say you want her for worse or for better!” The cheery girl exclaimed once again.

“You’ve been playing too many fake weddings, but yes, that could work.” Sam told her, making her beam, showing a missing tooth.

“Tell her you could wait forever and ever.” the boy added.

“I mean he’s already old enough to be your great grandpa but go on I guess.” Sam was snickering, causing the camera to slightly shake.

“Remind her of how it used to be. That is if he was good to her.” the more mature girl was pointing out. “Saying you’ll put her heart back together could also work.” she smiled, and the other one fake swooned on where she was standing.

“She’s right!” she exclaimed, while boy nods and says “that’s how it works.” at the same time.

Now turning the camera, Sam was now in frame.

“And that’s how you get the girl, Barnes. Straight from the local’s experts. Don’t fuck it up.”

And three voices scolded him for saying a bad word as the clip ends.

--------

It didn’t take long for him to take a flight straight to Norway where New Asgard was. This time without the aid of Zemo’s jet, he had to find the means to travel from the airport, while trying to calm his nerves.

As if the universe was on his side, a couple claiming to be heading back to Asgard allowed him to hitch a ride with them.

Now on the backseat, he tried to make small talk.

“So, uh, how are you guys settling in the planet?” he asked.

The lady on the passenger seat turned to face him with a smile. “It wasn’t easy, really. But the princess went out of her way to educate us about life here on Midgard. She’s so good at it, you’d forget she hasn’t even been living here a decade.”

He smiled. They claim you as their princess despite only being adopted by Thor. He recalls how you once rambled about being scared that they’d be indifferent towards you once Thor brings you to Asgard, one of the reasons you’ve been making up excuses to go with him.

“Why, would you look at that. We’re just in time before it starts raining.” The man driving commented.

Peeking through the window, sure enough, the sky was getting darker.

“You’ve got to be kidding me.” he muttered. He might just take the little girl’s advice after all.

After getting out of the couple’s car, he ran straight to where he remembers your home was, just in time when Val just got out of your house.

“Hi. I don’t think we’ve formally met. I’m Bucky.” He greeted extending his ahand to her which she took. A skeptical look on her face.

“Call me Val. I’m sorry what are you doing here?”

“I need to speak to Y/N, please.” He answered truthfully.

“Well it’s about night time so she’s getting dolled up.” She answered

“I know, I know, it’s for her date. But that’s why I’m here.”

Val raised a brow, confused about what date he was getting all bummed about when you were only getting ready to go back to looking out for people out and about at night. But then it dawned to her that maybe this was some of your friend’s doing.

“Y-yes... the date.” She decided to play along, holding back a smirk. Just then, rain started slowly pouring, along with thunder. “Well shit, I have to help some folks get their kids back inside their homes now. You’re free to knock on her door.” She excused herself.

His own clothes were starting to get drenched when he finally knocked on your door.

No answer. He knocked again, louder this time. Now footsteps were heard coming to the door, and the knob turned as you opened it.

“Damn it, Val, the door’s not even lo-” You stopped talking, surprised at the figure that greeted you.

“Bucky... are you insane? Don’t just stand there, come in it’s raining hard.” he urged him to get in and closed the door behind you.

Facing each other, he was taking you in. Val wasn’t lying when she said you were getting ready for your date. He can’t believe he was already getting jealous of a faceless punk.

“So uh... what brings you here?” You decided to break the ice, fidgeting where you stood, still barefoot as it looked like you were gonna have to stay at home if it was going to rain this hard all night.

“Don’t go on the date.” he pleaded, confusing you.

“What?”

“Please don’t go on the date.” He repeated, now walking towards you.

There is no date, but now you were wondering why he’s telling you not to.

“Why?”

“I love you.” he answered without missing a beat, now stepping closer to you. Instead of the reaction he was hoping for, you scoffed and took a step back.

“Don’t pull a Laurie on me.” you replied, a frown etched on your face. He was confused.

“A Laurie?”

“Yeah, I’ve seen enough adaptations of Little Women to know that you’re pulling a Laurie on me.” You spat as a matter of fact. “You’re being really mean, stop it.” you crossed your arms in front of your chest.

“What? I- I haven’t even thought of that reference!” he defends himself, cheeks reddening from embarrassment. “Amy was gonna get married, Y/N.”

“Oh then by all means, feel free to come back just after he proposes.”

“W- We’re getting sidetracked here, doll. I came here hoping there still an ounce of you that loves me. Please don’t tell me you’ve completely moved on from me.”

“What, like it’s hard?” you replied. It surprised you when his brows shot up from recognition of that line.

“Now you’re pulling an Elle Woods on me!” he pointed at you in an accusatory manner.

“Don’t point that finger at me, Barnes. How was I even supposed to know you’ve seen that movie?” you rolled your eyes, walking past him.

“I watched all the movies you told me about back in Wakanda.” he spoke up, making you stop in your tracks to face him again.

“Yeah, that’s right. I watched every movie, I listened to every song, read every book you recommended, and visited every internet site you once said I might like. I was always listening even when I made it seem like I wasn’t.”

You stared at him for a second looking for any indication that he was lying. Recovering from the mild shock, you pursed your lips. “I hope you know the Porn site was a joke. Sam did it to Steve once and I just thought it was hilarious.”

His mouth twitched. Walking over to you once more he stopped when he was only a step away, not breaking eye contact.

“I’m really sorry, Doll. I know it’s bold of me to even ask you, but please give me the chance to make it up to you. And I don’t care if it’s me that has to wait for you this time. Take all the time you need, just please don’t go on that date.”

“Bucky, there was never a date. I have no idea what date you were referring this entire time.” you confessed, making him bring his hands to his face and groan, muttering Damn it, Shuri.

Hearing Shuri’s name, you put two and two together. “Is this about Shuri trying to set me up with a prince?” he nodded as answer. “Well, I did tell her I was gonna think about it.”

He removed his hands away from his face. “Please say no.” He whispered. “I’d tell you what the kids told me what to say if I have to.”

“What kids?”

“Sam got a bunch of kids on video to teach me how to win you back. I’ve already stood under the rain outside your door just like what one of the girls suggested.” Judging from the grin on your face, he was now regretting even mentioning them.

“Well go on, then.” you urged. “Let me see how much you’ve learned.”

“The first time I saw you at the airport, I got so distracted looking at you just casually sitting on top if the ramps while we were preparing to fight. That wink you sent me that day is still engraved in my mind by the way. Then I was so taken back when you bluntly told me you’re attracted to me. I-”

“I don’t think the kids taught you to remind me of my attempts to flirt with you.” You cut him off, embarrassed at the memory. He chuckled at your expression.

“Okay, okay.” he took a deep breath.

“I think I started catching feelings for you the moment they woke me up from my cryosleep and you were there to be the first one to welcome me back. I didn’t think you were still gonna be there like you told me. But you were there, beaming at me like a ray of sunshine. All my years under HYDRA, every time I was woken up, I was only ever treated as an asset. But you welcomed me like I was a friend.” his eyes were starting to get glassy with tears, as he tried not to choke up.

“And then every time you were near, or even when I’d get a whiff of your perfume, I’d start feeling all warm inside and my entire body would be at ease, knowing you were an arm's reach from me. You were the last one I saw as I disintegrated from the blip, and you were the first one I sought out the moment we came back.” he was surprised when you reached forward to wipe away a tear he didn’t even realize had run down his cheek.

“I lied when I said I made a mistake kissing you. It was the first thing I wanted to do the moment I saw you again. But something inside me was always telling me that all I could ever be is someone grateful for your kindness. That it was impossible for the universe to even grant me someone like you after everything I’ve done." He let out a breath before continuing.

"But it was also you, Steve, Sam, and heck – even Zemo– that made me realize that I am worthy of a chance. And I’m sorry it had to take you telling me you were moving on, to have the courage to accept and take the chance that has been long offered to me by the world." He took your hand and gave the back of it a small kiss.

"I love you, Y/N.” Now it was him that had to wipe away your tears away. “Please don’t cry, doll. That wasn’t-”

“Just fucking kiss me already, James.” you laughed, in between sniffles.

He grinned down before you. “You’re my angel with a potty mouth, and I love you.” he whispered, leaning down.

“I love you too."

---------

You and Bucky were out with the Wilsons on their community's afternoon barbeque.

Sarah and you got along with ease, and she was telling you all about their old family business when Bucky hugged you from behind.

"Sorry to interrup, ladies, but I have to show you something Y/N." he said, kissing your cheek.

"Ew, man. I still can't believe your old ass has a girlfriend." Sam commented beside Sarah who was laughing

"You do know I'm older than him, right?" you chuckled.

"I know, but you don't look it." he replied, causing Bucky to flip him off.

Excusing yourself, both of you walked by the docs.

"What's up, old man?" you grinned at him.

"You know what, doll. Most couples would have endearing nicknames for each other."

"I'll call you something sweet once you tell me what that thing you call me when we're alone means."

"What, мое солнце?"

"Yeah, that one! Tell me or else I'll keep calling you ridiculous ones." you threatened, trying not to smile.

"Anyway, мое солнце, I just wanted to show you a text I got from Shuri."

I am yet to have any news that you

manned up and told Y/N you love her,

White Wolf. I was joking before, but now

I really might set her up on a date.

You both chuckled at Shuri's threat.

"I got this." you pulled your phone out of your pocket and dialled her number. You placed it on loud speaker once she picked up.

"Y/N! So nice of you to call."

"Hey, Shuri! Listen..." you feigned seriousness in your voice before releasing a deep breath. "I'm finally over Mr. Smokey eye. I think I'm ready to go on that date now." Bucky was playfully glaring at you for the nickname.

There was dead silence from the other side of the line for a second. "Oh! About that... uh turns out he already has a girlfriend. Planning to propose soon, I heard. Oops!"

"Well that's a bummer. How about the other bachelor royalties your family's friends with? I recently found an article with a list. I can send you one right now. Preferably ones that don't look much like blue-eyed grandpa." you grinned at him as he rolled his eyes. He knows what you were trying to get him to do.

"Uh... turns out my brother isn't that friendly after all." She let out an awkward laugh. "Hasn't Barnes contact you at all?" you could hear the frustration in her voice.

"Oh, that discount prophet, I haven-"

"It means my sun." He finally caved, rolling his eyes.

"What?" you asked him, immidiately forgetting that Shuri was still on.

"WHAT?" she screamed through the phone after a second.

"мое солнце means my sun." he grinned at you.

"Is that Barnes with you?! Hellooo?!!!"

"Talk to you later, princess." you turned off the call when she was about to protest. Facing him again, you stepped closer and put your arms around his shoulders, both of you sharing a grin.

"I love you, мое солнце."

"I love you too, minn stjarna."

"You gonna tell me what that means?"

"You wish."

fin.

--------

@eternalharry @iheartsebandchris @lizzarooni @the-ayo-lit @tanyaherondale @knowyourworth-sellyoursoul @eliwinchester-barnes @ebxny27 @just-a-littlebit-of-everything @fadingdreamersportsmaker @drama-queen-aa

[i-lionheart]

Memories | Kylo Ren x Reader

You are Kylo Ren's apprentice and second in command, ruling the galaxy and the First Order at his side. When Kylo notices you acting strange, he calls you to the throne room to investigate.

Before you read: 1.4K words, sfw, fluff, feelsy fluff, hurt/comfort but like... emotional hurt rather than physical, i guess it's technically fem!reader but its only mentioned once (when Kylo calls her "good girl") so make of that what you will

You were surprised to see a message from Kylo Ren when you checked your wristpad. He usually only messaged you when he needed something and couldn't leave the Finalizer's bridge to speak with you face-to-face. Though you had been busy finishing up some work on your ship, he had retired to his quarters almost an hour ago for the evening meal. You opened the message.

Are you still working?

You typed a response.

No. Just finished. Why?

His answer was almost immediate.

Throne room. Now.

On my way.

You typed your final message and swiped the screen of your wristpad, which obediently went black. As you made your way from the docking bay to the throne room, you wondered what he needed so urgently right now. The fleet had spent the day at a supply outpost, gearing up in preparation for your next battle. You had just finished a successful mission and debriefed with Kylo when you had returned around midday, hours ago now. As far as you knew, the First Order was running smoothly, like the well-oiled machine you knew it to be. If something had happened, you would have heard about it.

What could he possibly want that was so urgent?

You arrived at the throne room and scanned your wristpad at the door terminal, as you had a thousand times. The door slid open with a whoosh. You stepped inside, continuing through the corridor that greeted you until it widened into the vast throne room.

The room had once belonged to Snoke, but much had changed since then. Now, walls marked the perimeter of what had once been a half - suspended platform, their previous blood red color replaced with a sleek jet black. Though unseen lights created a dim glow throughout most of the space, a spotlight cast the raised dais in the center of the room - and the figure on the dais's throne- into sharp relief.

Kylo Ren lounged lazily in the throne, legs spread, elbow resting on a thigh, head resting on his hand. He wore only the comfortable boots and simple, breathable long-sleeved shirt and pants that he preferred to his usual robes once he had retired for the day.

As you stepped forward into the room, his eyes settled upon you, taking in your appearance. He regarded you for a moment, and then spoke.

"What's bothering you?"

The question caught you off guard. You looked at him quizzically. "Can't you just read my mind and find out?"

"You're blocking me."

"Again?" you said, surprised. He nodded in confirmation.

"It's worse, today. Usually I can at least read your emotions, tell what you're feeling, how strong it is, maybe even catch a glimpse of what triggered it. Today?" He raised his eyebrows. "Nothing. I've had to surmise what I can from your body language alone."

That was unusual. Kylo was particularly gifted in using the Force to sense the thoughts of others. You were just as Force sensitive as he was, but had spend most of your life forced to hide it, and it had been causing you problems lately. At times, you unconsciously used your powers to throw up walls between your mind and the world. You and Ren had guessed that it was your unconscious way of trying to protect yourself. These mental walls helped stop your emotions from being projected outward and communicated to those around you who might wish you harm, but they also stopped Kylo from getting in, which was a problem. He needed to be able to keep tabs on you. If he couldn't, you were in danger, and you knew it. However, despite the serious nature of the situation, you couldn't pass up the chance to take a jab at him.

You let out a gasp of mock surprise. "You mean you have to read nonverbal cues? Like a normal person? How horrible!" you lamented, sarcastically feigning pity.

Kylo Ren was not a man with a great penchant for jokes, especially when they were at his expense. In fact, most officers in the First Order would probably tell you that he didn't have a comedic bone in his body. But you knew him better. Though he steepled his fingers and lowered his head to his hands, closing his eyes with a sigh of exasperation, you saw the corners of his mouth briefly twitch up into a small smile. You smirked in satisfaction. "I'm right and you know it. Behavior cues are something you have no right to complain about."

He raised his head and looked back at you with a shrewd expression. "And they are why I know that, as much as you attempt to deflect with humor, you are having difficulty. Tell me."

You blushed at the call-out. "It's nothing, really, I-"

He held out a hand, stopping you mid-sentence. "Don't lie to me, little one. Tell me what's bothering you." Though the rebuke was gentle, and his tone was tender, you avoided his gaze, choosing to observe the durasteel floor rather than let him see the shame rising in you.

"It's the memories," you admitted, voice barely above a whisper.

"It's your mother again, isn't it." It wasn't a question.

"Yeah, I just-" you broke off, feeling a lump rise in your throat. "I just- what if she was right? What if I am broken, what if it is my own fault that I failed for so long? What if I can't keep this up, what if I fail again? I don't know, I just spent all day remembering everything she told me, and I thought..." You finally wrenched your gaze away from the floor, looking up at your Supreme Leader through eyes full of tears, praying that he would see the cry for help in your expression that you were too afraid to put into words. "What if I don't deserve this, either?"

With that final admission of insecurity, you lost what little composure you had left. Silent tears began flowing freely down your face as you sunk back into the ocean of memories that had been threatening to drown you for most of the day.

A voice with all the tenderness and softness of a spring rain cut through your thoughts, pulling you out of your daze.

"Come here, darling."

Obediently, you crossed the throne room. As you approached the dais, you looked up at him, wiping your eyes with your sleeve. He had shifted in his seat, his new position an implicit invitation for you to join him on his throne. You kicked off your boots and ascended the dais, gratefully climbing into his lap and bringing your knees to your chest, melting into the body that was so familiar to you. He pulled you close to him, one arm supporting the small of your back, the other hand pressing your head to his chest despite the tears creating ever-growing dark spots on his thin shirt.

"Shhhh," he murmured. "Listen."

Obediently, you quieted your breathing, paying attention to your senses. Slowly but surely, you found the steady sound of his heart beating in his chest.

"Good girl." A pause, then he continued, impossibly gentle. "Now, match my breath." Obediently, you observed the rise and fall of his chest, then adjusted your own to match.

Inhale.

"Good." His hand stroked your hair.

Exhale.

"Just like that, darling. In..."

Inhale.

"...and out."

Exhale.

"You're doing wonderfully."

A moment of comfortable silence. No strife. No memories. No galaxy to rule. Just the two of you, breathing together.

The way you were meant to be.

He spoke again, continuing to caress you. "Remember where you are."

Inhale. Exhale.

"You are here, with me, and you are safe."

Inhale. Exhale.

"You deserve every star in the galaxy, every atom in the universe."

Inhale. Exhale.

"You deserve your place at my side."

Inhale. Exhale.

"Your mother was wrong. You deserve everything you have. And every time you are with me, I thank the Force for allowing me to rule with you by my side."

"Thank you," you murmured, words muffled from being spoken directly into his chest. God, you loved him, but managing to find the words to express that out loud was impossible.

His voice spoke inside your mind.

"Don't bother. I already know."

You felt, rather than saw, the smile that backed his words.

"If the memories ever bother you again, come find me. I'll help you."

A beat.

"You never have to face this alone again."

You sat there, pressed against him, too overwhelmed with emotion to speak. Grateful to simply be with someone who had vowed to always be by your side.

"I love you," you thought.

"I know."

-

if you enjoyed this fic, please consider reblogging so it can find other people who might enjoy it!

[shyficwriter]

Temporary Home: Chapter 15

Guardians of the Galaxy fanfic | Reader x Guardians (With Yondu and Kraglin!)

Summary: Peter and you have started another prank war. Who will come out on top?

Previous Chapter here | Next Chapter Here Or click here to: Start From Beginning

Author’s Note: Thanks to anon for submitting this idea for a cute fluffy scene to include in the story! Also, for my records this chapter ends on day 29 of the Guardians living with reader. Enjoy!

Word Count: 6,812

It soon became clear that the prank war was back on.

Just as you had resolved to the previous night, you squirted lemon juice in Peter's coffee when he wasn't looking.

He made a face upon tasting his ruined coffee, but just gave you a look of sleepy contempt as he dumped it in the sink rather than complaining. He knew what he had done to deserve it. However, that didn't mean he wasn't going to get you back.

He had his revenge later in the sitting room. He called you over, stating he had a question about a book. When you got closer to him, he then asked, "Hey, do you smell popcorn?"

You raised an eyebrow, and of course took in a big whiff. Big mistake.

You immediately gagged, your nostrils having been assaulted by the rankest smelling fart you think could have ever been expelled from a human body. It even rivaled Yondu's incident with dairy.

Peter lost it, doubling over with laughter as you backed away with your mouth and nose covered.

"Ugh! You nasty fecker! Oh my god!" you cried out, still backing away. "What's wrong with you!"

Kraglin, Drax, and Rocket were now also laughing from their places near the television. Drax laughed the loudest, saying, "Quill! That was brilliant! I'm not even mad that I lost the bet! HAHAHA! I'm going to try that!"

The bet he was referencing had happened moments prior, when Peter saw you in the hall and hurried into the sitting room whispering to his friends that he bet 20 units he could make you willingly smell his farts. Ah, what an immature lot they are.

You would have smacked Peter, but that would mean getting closer to him and the smell and you thought better of it, instead turning with the intent to leave the room completely, leaving them still laughing in your wake with only revenge on your mind.

You tried to think about what you had at your disposal, and remembered that you still had the whoopee cushion after you had snatched it back from Kraglin during the last prank war. You kind of wish you knew where your spider went though. It proved marvelously effective last time. After Peter threw it at you and it resulted in your arm getting injured, you hadn't really thought about what happened to it afterwards until now. You obviously hadn't taken it, so you just assumed that it must still be with Peter. You momentarily considered looking in his room for it, but the thought of searching through his stuff felt strange to you, even if you would be looking for your own toy.

You remembered the sticky notes in your desk up stairs and thought if worse came to worse, you could always pull a classic "Kick me" sign.

You decided a walk might help you consider your options better and so you collected your earbuds from the hall table and made your way towards the back door. You noticed Gamora in the kitchen on your way, and realized she might actually have the answer to one of your questions.

"Um, hey, Gamora?"

She turned to give you her attention. "Yes?"

"I was wondering..." You suddenly felt ridiculous for asking, but pushed it down, "if maybe you had seen if Peter still had that toy spider of mine? I was wondering if I might have it ba-"

"Nuh-uh. That ain't happening."

You raised an eyebrow in surprise, but not at her, for she hadn't been the one to answer, and she was just as surprised by this sudden third-party interjection.

It had been Yondu who had spoken, and he spoke again. "I'm the one that's got it, and I ain't givin' it back." He sat at the table looking at you with his arms crossed and wearing a smirk, as if daring you to complain about it. He had snatched it the night you dislocated your elbow, around the time he was scolding Peter and Kraglin and calling an end to that prank war himself after it had resulted in an injury.

You raised both eyebrows in surprise now. "Excuse you?" you say, surprised at his boldness and a bit irritated at how he now seemed like a scolding teacher who had confiscated contraband from a naughty child.

"Yondu, you can't just steal her property." Gamora chided.

"Ya heard me. Last time she and Quill had it that happened," he gestured to your arm. "So I'm keeping it since clearly neither of the two of 'em seem to have any sense. She wouldn't be askin' for it back if they weren't gettin' into it again."

You exchanged a look with Gamora. Her expression told you that she seemed to agree with his argument, but didn't want to risk saying so, and that she now seemingly regretted being involved in this situation.

Deciding you were on your own you opened your mouth to tell him off, but before you could he spoke again.

"Don't try denyin' it either. I saw ya putting that sour juice stuff in his coffee. I know the two of ya are back at it again with that prank war stuff," he said almost smugly. "Ya ain't getting it back." He didn't want another prank war to result in more injuries, and if he was honest, he was still slightly salty about having been caught in the crossfire of one of your pranks that had been meant for Peter. He thought outright admitting to confiscating your spider toy would hopefully send the message to you to knock it off before you got started.

You bit your lips and narrowed your eyes at him, half embarrassed at being called out like that. You then shook your head. You were not about to demand or beg for the return of a rubber spider like a child. You straightened your back slightly and said, "Whatever. Keep it then. Don't care." in your best flippant tone. You turned away, putting in your earbuds and added, "Going for a walk. Try not to burn the house down," as you exited out the back door and left the two of them in the kitchen.

You didn't need that spider anyways.

***

It was a cooler day out, overcast in a way that made you think it might rain that night, and you were glad you thought to grab a jacket before you left for your walk. You thought you might visit your old tree, and assess that old door while you were out there. There wasn't a whole lot you could do with your arm still in a brace, but you knew you could still at least open it and give it a general look to see what you might need to build a new door for it.

However, when you got there you quickly realized that the door was simply too awkwardly big and slightly too flimsy due to decay from the elements to risk trying to open it with just one arm. You didn't want to risk falling in it and either causing further injury and/or not be able to climb back out if it turned out the ladder rungs descending into the tunnel were bad too. You were now kicking yourself for not having fixed it months ago when you first noticed how bad it had gotten. At least at that period of time your arm wasn't in a brace and you didn't have eight houseguests to worry about.

You sighed. For now you settled on making a list in your phone of the different materials you'd need to make a sturdier door in the future when you were less... indisposed. No big deal. The world wasn't going to end if you couldn't fix it immediately, and honestly it was probably dumb of you to come out there right now in the first place. Sure, maybe you could get the door built in your current state. Maybe. If no one was around to see you breaking the doctor's orders on the weight restriction and then tell on you to Fury. But that didn't change the fact that you'd then need to carry it out there somehow. Something you definitely couldn't do in your current state. There was perhaps the option to bring the materials out there and assemble them on-sight, but you knew you couldn't carry them out there in a timely fashion either. Could you if you asked for help? Absolutely. Were you going to? Not a chance.

You hung out around the tree for a bit, just listening to music before deciding to head back, and that's when you noticed some pine cones littering the ground.

This gave you an idea. You remembered once when you were little and your dad took you and your brother camping. Your brother had hidden pinecones in the bottom of your sleeping bag. Your feet came in contact with the foreign objects, and being met with weird almost scaly feeling forms instead of the softness of your sleeping bag made you jump right out of said bag with a shriek.

You grinned. You had found your revenge prank. You only hoped that it would have the same effect on a grown man finding these at the foot of his bed as it did on seven-year-old you finding them in your sleeping bag.

Now you had another reason to be glad you wore a jacket. You could hide the pinecones in the pockets as well as hiding them inside the jacket itself and zip them inside.

You loaded up several pinecones. Enough to be sure he'd notice when crawling into bed, but not so many that they'd be noticed as you snuck them into the house.

You arrive back at the house to find the house mostly quiet, and it made you worry that Peter might be in his room and you wouldn't be able to place the pinecones.

However, just to your luck, you managed to catch a glimpse of him and a few others out front through the kitchen window. Perfect.

You quickly make your way upstairs and headed towards Peter's room. The upstairs seemed to be empty and you were just about to congratulate yourself on your good fortune as you already started pulling pinecones out of your pockets, until you noticed Rocket standing in Peter and Gamora's room.

Seeing him caused you to start and you dropped a couple of your pinecones on the ground due to your arm brace hampering your ability to reflexively catch them before they fell. The sound of the pinecones hitting the floor caused Rocket to startle in turn.

"Uh..." you said awkwardly, stepping into the room and picking up your pinecones, "What you doing?"

Rocket, who had been digging through a dresser drawer, responded with, "...Nuttin. What are you doing?" He eyed the pinecones in your hands.

"Nothing." You responded.

An awkward silence fell for a moment. You both knew the other wasn't really supposed to be there, that the only reason for being there right then was mischief of some sort, and you both knew that the other knew that you knew. There was only one thing for it.

Rocket spoke again. "Right..."

You nod. "Yes... good. So... carry on then?"

Rocket nodded slowly. "Yeah..." He turned back to looking for whatever it was he was snooping for.

Taking the hint, the unspoken 'I won't tell if you won't," you carried out your plan, removing the pinecones from your jacket and placing them at the foot of Peter's bed under the blankets.

You finished quickly, catching Rocket's gaze again before you left. A silent nod was all that was exchanged and you were on your way.

***

The rest of the day was mostly uneventful. You read, you listened to music, you got roped into a game of Monopoly that went on far too long because Mantis kept needing reminded of the rules. You didn't entire blame her. It was pretty obvious that it was everyone but Peter's first time playing.

Speaking of Peter, you were surprised he hadn't tried to mess with you the entire game, and you wondered if Gamora might have got on him after hearing Yondu say he could tell that the two of you were starting in on another prank war, or if Yondu had scolded him himself.

Sometime after the game had finished- Gamora won, and Peter pouted- you went to get a drink from the kitchen. When you returned to the sitting room to grab another book to bring upstairs to read you saw Drax approach Yondu and ask, "Yondu, do you smell popcorn?"

Not wanting to sit through another round of what Peter had done to you that morning, you quickly grab a random Sci-Fi/Fantasy book from the shelf and turn to get out of there just in time to hear Yondu reply with, "What the hell is popcorn?"

This was immediately followed by the sound of a very loud fart along with Drax's booming laughter.

In startled surprise you sharply turned in their direction to see Drax laughing and Yondu's face scrunched in both confusion and what was likely disgust.

Peter was laughing too, but at Drax rather than Yondu's misfortunate proximity to his offender. "Drax! Buddy, the fart's supposed to be silent."

Drax didn't seem to mind his mistake, just simply responded with "Ohhh!" and continued to laugh while Yondu shook his head and pinched the bridge of his nose in annoyance.

Taking in the sight you couldn't help but giggle too at just how ridiculous the situation was. You brought a hand up to your mouth to suppress it, but the sound caught the attention of Yondu and Peter anyway. Yondu's eyes narrowed and Peter was pleasantly surprised that you found the situation funny as well.

You broke their gaze and retreated to your room. Better to escape before you risked smelling anything awful.

***

It wasn't hard to tell when Peter found what was waiting in his bed that night. However, instead of girlish screams like the night he found the spider, he let out a cry of, "Gah! What the hell!?"

You grinned as you sat on your bed reading your book. Mantis was already fast asleep in her bed, and she stirred at the sound of Peter's cries just on the other side of the wall. After looking toward you and seeing you sitting calmly she determined there must not be any danger and soon fell back to sleep.

A few minutes later, though, you were surprised to see Peter walking into your room.

Startled at the sudden intrusion you jolted and as he approached you, rather quickly at that, you said, "Hey- what are you doing?"

He stopped in front of you with a smirk and raised his arms. It was then you realized he had been carrying a shirt bunched up as if it were being used as a sack.

Unceremoniously he emptied the shirt/sack over your head, showering you with all the pinecones you had hid in his bed.

"Hey!" you complain, raising your good arm to shield your head from the coniferous onslaught.

Mantis stirred again, lifting her head to see what was going on.

"This is for leaving those in my bed." he laughed, turning to leave. "And don't think that counts as me getting you back!" he added as he stepped out the door.

Mantis yet again laid back down to rest upon seeing the disturbance was just Peter's shenanigans. You got the feeling that she must be used to it.

***

The next couple days were mostly spent with you and Peter battling back and forth via small pranks.

Yondu obviously noticed, and despite him acting like he didn't want the two of you to get started again, he didn't say or do anything to stop it. It was clear it was keeping your mind off what what had been bothering you, so he just let the two of you be. Especially as it seemed to be harmless.

Kraglin mostly stayed out of it this time. Sure, he helped Peter some, but he was still more likely to bend to Yondu's orders of "This prank war is over!" from last time. That, and he still felt bad about what happened with the incident with the spider, even if it had been mostly Peter's idea.

Peter got you with the old 'shoulder tap misdirection' a couple times, where he'd tap one shoulder and either be on the other side when you turned to look, or have walked away completely.

You hit back by turning the batteries backwards in the remote, knowing he'd likely be the first to use it that morning.

After he finally figured that one out, he decided he'd retaliate by turning all your books backwards on the shelf. When you walked in that evening to see him mid-prank, you simply sighed and rolled your eyes. Seemingly embarrassed to have been caught mid-prank he laughed nervously and straightened up, rubbing the back of his head.

You rolled your eyes and left the room, hoping that since he'd been caught he'd then turn them back right way round. Knowing it was unlikely, you decided to shove some newspaper in his shoes. You could hear Drax in the background laughing at Peter for getting caught as you walked away to retrieve an old newspaper from the table in the hall.

He clearly must have found it at some point the next morning because he got you back around lunchtime by pouring just a little bit of water in your seat right before you sat down to eat.

You jumped from your seat the moment you felt the cold water soak the left side of your ass and after a few seconds of reaching back to feel the wet spot and checking the chair you looked over to where he was sitting and narrowed your eyes.

He simply grinned at you like he had pulled the best prank ever.

Taking a breath, you straightened and just shook your head, warning him that he shouldn't escalate unless he wanted you to do the same.

He didn't seem to take your warning seriously.

***

The next morning when getting ready you saw that Peter had struck again. You didn't know when, or how he had managed to find the time to both sew a pair of your socks shut halfway down with sloppy grey stitches and place them back in your dresser (on top so they'd be first picked, of course) without you noticing, but you did know that this meant double war.

He had pranked you twice in a row, without waiting for you to have retaliated against his last prank first. Or, more likely, he had set this prank and then pulled another without waiting for you to find the first one. Tsk, Tsk, Peter. Bad form.

You found another pair of socks, luckily he had only bothered to adulterate one pair, and then went to confront him.

"You're really asking for it." you say, thrusting the socks towards him in the hall.

"What?" he asked. Trying to act innocent, no doubt.

"You sewed my socks shut. I warned you, don't escalate unless you want me to do the same."

There wasn't really any anger in your voice despite your warning tone, which Peter took as a good sign. "I didn't escalate-"

"Oh-ho! Don't try that with me! You double pranked!" As the words left your mouth you internally cringed. This reminded you of how the two of you had bickered like children in the grocery store. You pushed the feeling that you sounded like a teenager in a Disney sitcom aside for now.

Peter eyed you for a moment before crossing his arms and smugly replying, "Technically no. You interrupted my book prank and then stuffed paper in my shoes. So, because I technically didn't finish my prank, you double pranked."

"No-" you started.

"Yes." He laughed. "So if anyone escalated, it was you." He said in a teasing voice, aiming a couple pokes to your abdomen and making you flinch back at the touch.

"I did not!" you argued, smacking his hand away.

"Eh... ya kinda did..." he drawled out with a grin. "So, I think that means you gave permission for all unwritten rules of pranking to just be thrown out the window." He chuckled, a mischievous glint to his eyes.

"No-" you said warningly. "I did not." You could tell he was just trying to piss you off, but you weren't going to let him win.

"Yeah, I think you did..." He lightly laughed. "So anything else that happens... you'll only have yourself to blame." He said the last bit in a sing-songy voice and went to walk into the kitchen. He stopped momentarily and turned back to you with a grin. "However, you can always avoid any further annoyance by just declaring me the prank master..."

You blinked at him. "Excuse me?"

"You heard me. Declare I'm the prank master and you won't have to worry about what I'll do next."

You scoffed at him. "You're dreaming."

Peter grinned wider. "Nope. I'm just 'The Prank Master.'"

You narrowed your eyes and walked past him into the kitchen. "You're gonna regret that," you warned, earning only a chuckle from him. There was no way you were going to declare him master of anything.

You made your way to the pantry to find something quick for breakfast and Peter went to pour himself some coffee.

That's when you found it. Your next prank idea. And boy, was it going to be good.

While grabbing a pop-tart from the pantry, you happened to notice a certain box of gel food dye sitting next to your spices. Your eyes lit up, knowing exactly what you would do with it. You quickly pocketed the blue vile and hid the rest of the box behind the spices where it couldn't be seen for security purposes, just in case Peter would happen to have the same idea. You weren't going to do it right away, but knew it couldn't hurt to have the little bottle on hand just in case...

***

After breakfast you decided to head out to the shed to survey the pile of spare wood you had.

In the shed you found Rocket. This wasn't surprising as he spent a decent amount of time tinkering in the shed since you showed him the workshop. You still hadn't gotten around to finding the spare key for him, just letting him continue to use yours since there wasn't a lot you could do out there anyway until you got the brace off anyway.

You greeted him with a simple, "Hey," that Rocket returned as you made your way back to the spare wood to look over what you had on hand as far as repairing the old tunnel door to get an idea of what might you need to pick up from town.

Was it useful to look now seeing as you likely wouldn't get the brace off for at least a couple more weeks? No, but you were restless and you were really just looking for an excuse for something to do until that night when you could enact your prank.

"Whatcha doing?" Rocket asked, barely looking up from whatever plans he was drafting up on the old pad of paper you left out in the workshop.

"Nuttin," you reply, finishing up your shifting around of the wood and determining that you might have just enough of the right cuts already out there to make a full door, but you might need to pick up some more wood for it, as well as some brackets, later.

Rocket grunted in response and you start to walk back out when something caught your eye over by the long workbench.

You looked down to examine it, and a slight smile played on your lips.

"Did you fix my stool?" you asked, turning to him.

He didn't look up. "Nope."

You raise an eyebrow, mouth twitching upwards in humor. "Oh really? Then who did, if not you? Other than me, you're the only one who comes out here."

Rocket's gaze remained on the notebook. "Dunno. Must have been a 'stool fairy.'" Those last two words were laced with sarcasm.

You smirked. "Ah. I see. Well if you happen to see this 'stool faery,' be sure to tell him I said thank you." You turn and begin to walk out of the shed.

Rocket's ears twitched back for just a second and he grunted out in response, "Uh huh. Sure thing."

***

Unfortunately the stars didn't align that night for you to use the gel coloring on Peter. You had to time it just right to both make sure no one got caught in the crossfire and to not make it obvious you were up to something.

This, however, was probably for the best because Fury's visit the next day caught you off guard. You had been so busy pranking and being pranked and researching door construction and tunnel maintenance that you had managed to lose track of the days and didn't realize it was time for another weekly check-in until you heard him knock at the door that late afternoon. The sound actually startled you at first, and you mentally cursed him for insisting on keeping the times he'd show up a surprise.

Again, probably for the best you weren't able to pull that prank. You weren't sure how pleased Fury would be with you if he saw what you had planned to do to Peter if you had succeeded in going through with it.

The visit was brief. Same old news about the Guardian's situation; nothing changed, little to no progress made. It was time to re-stock the rations again and the guys helped Maria with that like last time. The doctor also accompanied them, and of course he ignored your case for removing the brace and instead just set the hinge to a slightly increased range of movement. He did say that as long as you continued your 'good behavior' it might be ready to come off the next week. You weren't going to hold your breath. Oh, and he also increased your weight restriction to ten pounds. Yay...

At one point Agent Hill pulled you aside like last time, wanting to check in to see if matters regarding your mental health had improved since the last visit.

You answered honestly that they had, but didn't bother to mention that the reason why was likely because Peter had managed to keep you annoyed enough that you didn't have time to dedicate enough thought to what had previously been bothering you.

She tried to pry more, but you weren't really giving her anything, so she just resigned that what she had been able to garner was good enough and the two of you rejoined the group just before Fury announced they would be leaving.

***

It didn't take long after they left for Peter to resume being his annoying self.

You were in the sitting room trying to read, but Peter kept singing along to a song on his Zune that he had come to realize you absolutely hated. To make matters worse, it seemed that he was intentionally singing as poorly as he could just to annoy you. He even got Kraglin to join in with him.

How could you tell it was just to annoy you? Well it didn't start with the singing. It started with tapping. Constant tapping. With his foot on the floor. With his knuckles on the coffee table. He even came up behind you at one point after you refused to react and started tapping you on the head as you sat curled on the sofa attempting to read. That one finally got you to react and scold him to knock it off, and that's when he switched to singing.

Of course, you told him to take it somewhere else. Did he listen? No. He instead moved to sit right next to you and sang louder.

You threatened to chop him in the throat if he didn't take his annoying self somewhere else, and while that got him to stand up, he didn't leave. Instead that's when he recruited Kraglin, who had walked in just a few moments prior to see what all the racket was, and who also didn't hesitate to accept an earbud from Peter and follow his lead.

You tossed your head back on the sofa in frustration and let out a growl as you gritted your teeth.

Peter broke his singing to laugh and tell you that he warned you, all you had to do to make it stop was admit his was the master.

And that's when you threw the pillow at him.

Well, you had been aiming for him, at least. You would have hit him too, had he not dodged at the last second, allowing for the pillow to instead smack Yondu, who no one had noticed had walked into the room, right in the face.

Your eyes widen, as do Peter's and Kraglin's. Only they're trying not to laugh as Yondu's stony face stares at you.

In your startled shock you stammer as you attempt to make an apology, but as he picks the pillow up from the floor all you are actually able to get out is, "I- Uh- I didn't mean-" and a nervous giggle.

Yondu stands back up, pillow now in his hands, and cocks his head at you. "Oh so ya think that's funny, huh?" He starts to walk towards you.

You of course deny it, trying to set the record straight that it had been meant for Peter, but the glint of a playful grin mixed with his grouchy façade made you unable to suppress a nervous grin as he approached. He then tossed the pillow back at you and you deflected it back onto the sofa.

"Nah, I think ya thought that was funny, even if it was meant for my boy." He was standing over you now and Peter and Kraglin were snickering as Peter encouraged him, saying that he thought you definitely thought it was funny to have hit Yondu with the pillow.

"Looks like someone needs to teach ya a lesson in manners, missy." Yondu said as he reached out and squeezed rapidly right above your knee.

Caught off guard you instantly throw back your head and cackle, your hands instinctively reaching for his as you kicked out. "No! Stop it!" you cry out between giggles before managing to free yourself and stand up from the sofa.

Abandoning your book you attempt to escape, but Yondu just grabs you by your good arm and pulls you back, effortlessly succeeding in securing you in a headlock and purposely arranging it so that your good arm was between the two of you and your braced arm was out to the open. He knew with the limited range of motion the braced arm had available you wouldn't really be able to use it to help free yourself in any meaningful way. He then proceeded to give you a noogie.

"Hey! Cut it out!" you complain, uselessly pushing against his shoulder from behind with your good arm. You cursed your arm brace. Without it you could have gotten out of this hold in 3 seconds tops. You still technically could, but didn't want to use that method unless you had to. You didn't want to risk hurting the older man, after all.

Yondu paused a moment and pretended to think. "...Nah. I didn't get an apology yet."

"Ugh! Fine! I'm sorry about the pillow! Happy? I already told you I meant it for Pe-TER!" You squeaked when Kraglin cheekily couldn't resist coming up to pinch your ribs in your current vulnerable state. "Knock that off!" you ordered. It of course only earned you another tickly squeeze from the first mate and the three men to laugh as you commanded Yondu to let you go before you made him.

"Ya ain't gonna make me do nuttin, missy." Yondu laughed, clearly believing he could take you in a fight any day even if your arm wasn't injured. "Where's my apology for when ya pranked the sink and it sprayed all over me?" Yondu asked with a mischievous chuckle. He then pinched your nose shut just to mess with you further. This prompted you to smack his shoulder with your good hand, but he did let go, laughing about how you were a 'feisty one.'

"Yeah," Peter egged on for the sink comment, laughing. "He yelled at me for that!"

You huff out a sigh. "Fine. Sorry for that too. Now this is your last warning to let me go!"

This only made Yondu and the other two laugh and Yondu went to noogie you again. Clearly they were underestimating you. Well, you did try to give him a warning...

In one quick motion you positioned your foot between his so that your leg was locked behind his thigh, reached your good arm up to rest your hand on his forehead, and threw your weight backwards, sending you both to the floor.

Yondu went easily, clearly having been caught off guard and landed on his back with an "oof!" and subsequently released you. Surprisingly though, he didn't seem angry about landing on the floor.

As you both sit up he was actually chuckling, to your surprise.

"Damn, didn't think ya had that in ya." Yondu laughed as he stood up.

Peter and Kraglin, who had went momentarily silent when the two of you fell, were now laughing again. Kraglin made a joke about how he didn't know you could actually fight.

You just grumbled and grabbed your book, deciding you would retreat to your room to finish reading for the night where you were less likely to be annoyed.

Ironically, the whole ordeal actually caused you to forget about the prank you had intended to pull on Peter until you again missed your chance to do it. Oh well, there was always tomorrow, right?

***

The next day you announced to those in the kitchen that you were making a run into town and told them if there was anything they needed to let you know now while you were making a list.

They didn't list-off much. Again, SHIELD provided them with pretty much everything they needed. Some razors, hair conditioner, lotion, and a couple requests for some Earth snacks they had come to enjoy were among the items requested. Simple stuff.

Then Yondu decided to be cheeky and claim his request was for you to take Peter with you again.

"No way," you say flatly, remembering the last run into town. "Not happening."

Yondu just grinned and leaned against his chair. "Fury said ya got to. Ya can't leave without a buddy 'til yer arm is healed up." He elbowed Kraglin and added, "Didn't he, Krags?"

Kraglin, clearly not expecting to be suddenly roped into the conversation said, "Uh, yeah. When you was in the other room talking to that Miss Agent Hill lady when they was here yesterday. He-uh- he told us then." He wasn't exactly the best liar.

You narrowed your eyes. "He did not." You looked to Gamora, who seemingly then immediately realized she had anywhere else to be before you could ask her to confirm.

"Ya can always ask him yerself." Yondu smirked, sure that like last time you wouldn't dare call Fury to confirm.

"Or I can not do that because I know he didn't," you countered.

"I wouldn't be too hasty girl," Yondu drawled. "'Cause what if I'm right? Ya leave without a buddy, and we can just call him and tell him ya broke his rules... and well, we all know what he said he'd do with ya if ya did that."

"You know, I didn't really take you to be such a snitch." You say, irritation clear in your voice. You knew it was at best childish, and at worst fighting words, but you were too frustrated to care.

Instead of being offended, Yondu just laughed and leaned back with his hands folded behind his head. "Gotta do something to pass the time. 'Sides, I think 'blackmail' has a nicer ring to it than 'snitchin'."

You glare at him, not giving him the satisfaction of telling him that he was technically right. This wasn't him being a snitch. This was blackmail. You just didn't understand why this was the hill he decided to die on.

He continued. "Yer better off to just save yerself the trouble and take Peter."

You eye him for a bit before deciding this time you would call his bluff. Partially because you knew he was lying, but also because a tiny part of you was afraid he wasn't, and you knew what would happen if he wasn't.

You dialed up Fury, knowing that the consequences for possibly annoying him with a dumb phone call were vastly less than what they'd be if you disobeyed an order, especially since you were already skating on thin ice. He also seemed to be less upset with you lately due to your 'good behavior,' so at least you had that going fo you. You almost thought you saw Yondu's smirk falter when you started dialing. Almost.

To your surprise, Fury answered after only a couple rings. You put the phone on speaker, and inform him your reason for calling was to confirm something that had been said.

"They're trying to tell me that when Agent Hill pulled me aside yesterday you instructed them to tell me that, under your orders, I am not allowed to drive into town without taking someone with me until my arm heals. Is that correct?"

Fury was quiet a moment before he answered, his voice seeming neutral. "I did not say that."

Yondu and Kraglin's faces fell slightly, and like a child you made a quiet, "Ha!" noise and stuck your tongue out at them, but before you could thank him, Fury spoke again.

"But I am now."

Your eyes widened and shot back to the phone, as if you'd be able to see your director in there. "I'm sorry, what?"

Yondu burst out laughing at your expression, and Kraglin joined in with a grin.

"Effective immediately I'm requiring you to bring a companion on any trips you make into town. Mr. Quill would be the safest choice, but as long as they pass for human, I don't care who it is."

You tried not to sputter. "Sir-... that-... Why-??"

"It's not a bad idea," he said cooly, adding, "and if you're gonna call me to settle a petty squabble then you better be prepared to get an outcome you aren't going to like." He didn't sound angry, more just matter-of-fact.

You blinked. Did he really just imply he was doing this just to annoy you? "Sir, I ask you to reconsid-"

"If you want to keep going, Agent, I can easily make this decision permanent."

This set off another round of laughter from the guys, including Peter from behind you who had walked into the kitchen with Gamora at some point. You didn't know how long they were standing there, but it seemed he had also heard Fury's decision.

With slight heat in your cheeks, you respond to your director. "No, sir."

"Good. Have a good day, Agent." Fury replied, and then hung up. If you didn't know better, you'd say his tone sounded almost amused.

You put the phone back in your pocket and rubbed your hand over your eyes while the others teased you.

"That's what ya get for not just listenin' to me in the first place, girl. Now ya really do have to do it!" Yondu laughed.

"I hate you," you say bluntly.

He only grinned in response and called over to Peter. "Ya heard the man, boy! Looks like yer takin' a trip!"

Peter grinned cheekily at you and you roll your eyes. "Fine. Get ready," you order as you walk past him and out of the kitchen. Then, seeing an opportunity to let out some frustration (probably misplaced in this instance, honestly) you turned back with a smirk and added, "This time don't forget to go potty before we leave!"

You turned away again, but not before being able to see the cheeky grin fall from his face and hear him yell back, "Not cool, dude!" along with some snickering from the others in the background.

Little did you know, though you probably should have, that decision to embarrass him would seal the fate of your nerves, and possibly your sanity as well, on the trip to come.

[silverdragon-imagines-blog]

Run Leg Run

[Another fic from a write-off, this one was from a tournament back in March. This is a one-shot that was written on March 17th 2021. Once again, this isn’t edited and most likely won’t be posted anywhere else. I hope you enjoy this ^u^]

Prompt: Legend is still a wanted criminal in some areas of Hyrule due to the brainwashed knights from his first journey. Of course, that's exactly where Hylia dropped them

It was raining, the leaves of the trees surrounding them waving erratically in the downpour. The woods were familiar to Legend, unfortunately. To make matters worse, he could only see two of their group of nine, Wind and Four looking slightly concerned by the tense look on his face. He sighed, then turned to look ahead towards their destination.

“Stay on your guard and do what I say,” he hissed.

Confused nods were the only answer he received from them as he led the way through the forest, stopping them every so often to watch the woods surrounding them all. He could hear heavy footsteps, and they were decidedly not from the Old Man. A flash of metallic blue had him forcing both the Sailor and Smithy behind him as a royal guard passed by, thankfully missing the trio completely. Legend sighed in relief.

“Okay, explain why we’re avoiding the guards?” Four asked.

“Let’s just say, I’m not as well-liked by the royal guard as I wish I was after my first quest.”

“Are you going to explain any more than that?”

“What do you think?” Legend smirked, grabbing ahold of both their arms as he sprinted ahead.

The rain made everything more difficult it seemed, each time they stopped to avoid a guard patrol had at least one of them skidding forward a few steps. They hadn’t been seen yet, but Legend knew it was only a matter of time before they were caught, or rather until he was caught. Their luck had to run out eventually.

“Legend,” he glanced back at Wind to see him pointing behind them, panicked, “We’re being followed.”

He looked up to see just what he didn’t want to see, a knight dressed in red armor stalking through the trees, trident aimed to throw straight at them. 

“Fuck this.”

He grabbed both of the small heroes, lifting them up as he started running, gaining speed with the aid of his pegasus boots. The guard was close, and with the noise each step made in the wet underbrush, the rest of the patrolling guards decided to join in chasing them down, too. Just his luck.

“We can’t avoid them forever, what if we just fight them?!”

“Are you crazy?! Do you think I haven’t tried that?! They’re relentless! More just show up when you defeat one of them!”

“Why do they keep coming after you then?!” Four shouted, managing to reach into his bag for his bow and arrow.

“Brainwashed royal guards! My first quest made them believe I had kidnapped Zelda, and now they want to capture me or kill me, haven’t really stopped to figure out which!”

Wind huffed in amusement, tossing a boomerang behind them at the approaching mob and landing a good few hits. Four managed to knock a few off their feet as well, starting a domino effect. They couldn’t run forever, already Legend could feel his arms beginning to tire from carrying the two heroes and his legs beginning to burn from the strain of running. He was exhausted.

“I hope you two are ready, I don’t think I can keep this up for much longer!”

The two nodded and that was all the okay that Legend needed, skidding to a halt and dropping the two heroes next to him as he gasped for breath. He could see them ready for a fight as so many knights surrounded them, boxing them in. There was no way they would be able to win by themselves and with the rest of the group separated from them, there was no way they’d even get help. At least, that’s what Legend assumed.

“Hey, Wild! Any day now would be nice!”

“Just wait a second! Holy shit!”

Wild’s voice cut through the air, followed by several hollow thunks of arrows on metal. Legend turned just in time to see a mass of green and white fur attack the red armored knight, the pitiful shrieks music to his ears. He fell back, sitting heavily on the damp ground as the fight ended around him.

“You okay over there?”

“Just let me catch my breath,” he waved the Champion off, breathing deeply now that the threat had passed.

“What was that about, by the way. There was a ridiculous amount of royal guards after you,” Wild spoke, Wolfie already nearing him with a questioning look on his face, “How the hell did you piss them off so bad?”

“Don’t worry about it. Just means that I need to talk with Zelda about fixing her damn army.”

“Do you know where the others are by any chance?” Four asked.

“Uh, yeah, they managed to find the entrance to the forest and then headed for the nearest village. I was with them up until I heard Legend talking through Wind’s charm.”

“You know, that explains a few things.” Legend chuckled, standing up with a groan.

“We heading that way now?”

“Yes, I want out of this damn forest as soon as possible.”

With a laugh, the three heroes and the wolf followed the Veteran hero as he led the way to Kakariko, silently fuming at the still brainwashed guards that patrolled the woods. One of these days he was going to complain to Zelda about still not fixing this mess after so many years. 

[jiangwanyinscatmom]

i'm so TIRED of people with vivid imaginations trying to convince every1 the things their brains came up with happened in MDZS, just saw some1 say about lan mom "SOMETHING went down between a creepy teacher and their mother. She gets forced into marriage with a man she doesn’t love and IMPRISONED before eventually committing suicide/ falling sick and dying" like WHERE? the only piece of information was LXC saying "i have no idea WTF happened" so he doesn't know, MXTX doesn't know but you do???

Some of this is a shock for my system so early in the morning... alright... I guess we're gonna go step by step with this just cause people are awful at reading, along with my stance on this particular bit of prevalent discourse.

Since this is greatly misinterpreted for whatever reasons, here is the relevant passage and only one in the text we get concerning the Lan parents. I'm going to add that this is alllll relaid by Lan Xichen and to keep that in mind with what is highlighted.

He spoke slowly, “The reason that my father often practiced secluded meditation was my mother. This place, compared to a place of living… was more like a place of detention.”

Wei WuXian was surprised.

The father of ZeWu-Jun and HanGuang-Jun, QingHeng-Jun, used to be a famous cultivator. He made his name at a young age and had many things waiting for him in the future. However, at the age of twenty, he suddenly backed away and announced his marriage. He had also ceased to care for much of the world. Although it was called secluded meditation, it was much more like retirement. People had come up with many possible reasons, but none of them had been verified.

Lan XiChen bent down amid the clusters of gentians. He gently stroked those thin, tender petals, “When my father was young, when he returned from a night-hunt once, he saw my mother outside of Gusu city.” He smiled, “I heard that it was love at first sight.”

Wei WuXian grinned as well, “The young are often sentimental.”

Lan XiChen continued, “But, the woman did not care for him the same way. In addition, she killed one of my father’s teachers.”

This was beyond imagination. Although Wei WuXian knew that asking too many questions would be very rude, however when he remembered that they had been Lan WangJi’s parents, he felt that he just had to ask. “Why?!”

Lan XiChen, “I do not know. But, I assume that it was something along the lines of ‘grievances’.”

Wei WuXian didn’t ask anymore into this and forced down his curiosity, “And… what happened later?”

“And then,” Lan XiChen explained, “When my father heard of this, of course he was in much pain. But, no matter how he struggled, he still took the woman to his sect in secrecy. Ignoring the objections from his clan, he knelt with her for the Heavens and the Earth without making a sound and told everyone in the clan that she would be his wife for the rest of his life, that whoever wanted to harm her would have to pass through him first.”

Wei WuXian widened his eyes.

Lan XiChen continued, “After the ceremony was completed, my father found a house and locked my mother inside. He found another house and locked himself inside. It was called secluded meditation, but it was in truth to repent.”

He paused before speaking again, “Young Master Wei, can you understand why he did such a thing?”

Wei WuXian answered after a moment of silence, “He could neither forgive the one who killed his teacher nor watch the death of the woman who he loved. He could only marry her to protect her life and force himself not to see her.”

Lan XiChen, “Do you think that this was right?”

Wei WuXian, “I don’t know.”

Lan XiChen looked somewhat lost, “Then, what do you think would be right?”

Wei WuXian, “I don’t know.”

A while later, Lan XiChen whispered, “It could be said that my father did this without a care for anything else. All of the seniors of the clan were enraged, but they had all watched him grow up. They could not do anything except guard this secret, hint to the outside world that the wife of the GusuLan Sect’s sect leader had an unspeakable disease and could not see others. After WangJi and I were born, we were immediately taken away to be cared for by other people. When we grew older, we were brought to Uncle to be taught."

“My shufu… has always had a frank personality to begin with. Because of how my mother caused my father to destroy his own life, he began to hate those who behaved improperly even more. Thus, he poured his heart into teaching WangJi and me. He was especially harsh as well. Every month, we could only see Mother once, inside of this cottage.”

They were two young children, who faced everyday only their harsh uncle, strict teachings, and mountains of books. No matter how tired, they had to straighten their soft backs to be the most outstanding disciples of the clan, the model students in others’ eyes. They could rarely see their closest relatives. They couldn’t fool around in their father’s arms, they couldn’t act spoiled in front of their mother.

But they had clearly done nothing wrong.

Lan XiChen, “Everytime WangJi and I went to see her, she would never complain about how tedious it was being locked inside of here, unable to step out once. She had never asked about our studies, either. She especially liked to tease WangJi, but WangJi, the more you tease him the less willing he is to talk, and the worse of an expression he puts on. He has been like this ever since he was young. However,” he chuckled, “even though WangJi never said it, I knew that every month he was looking forward to the day he could see Mother. He was like this, and I was the same.”

Wei WuXian imagined a young Lan WangJi hugged inside of his mother’s arms, his snowy little cheeks flushed pink. He laughed as well. But before his smile had even melted, Lan XiChen continued, “But one day, Uncle suddenly told us that we would have no need to go any longer."

“Mother was gone.”

Wei WuXian’s voice was soft, “How old was Lan Zhan back then?”

Lan XiChen, “Six.”

He continued, “He was still too young to understand what ‘gone’ means. No matter how much others comforted him, or how much Uncle scolded him, he would continue to come back here every single month, sit down in the hallway, and wait for someone to open the door for him. When he grew older, he understood that Mother would not be coming back, that no one would open the door for him, but he kept on coming here.”

Lan XiChen stood up. His dark eyes looked into Wei WuXian’s, “WangJi has been so stubborn ever since he was young.”

The leaves rustled and the gentian flowers swished alongside the wind, their scent lingering. Wei WuXian’s eyes landed on the wooden hallway of the cottage. He could almost see a small child wearing a forehead ribbon sitting with proper posture in front of the house, waiting quietly for the door to open.

He spoke, “Madam Lan must’ve been a very gentle woman.”

Lan XiChen, “In my memories, Mother had indeed been so. I do not know why she did such a thing back then. And, in truth, I…”

He took a deep breath before confessing, “I do not want to know either.”

After a few moments of silence, Lan XiChen closed his eyes. He took out Liebing. A gust of night wind suddenly sent forth a sobbing note of the xiao. The sound was deep, like a sigh.

Wei WuXian had heard Lan XiChen play Liebing before. Its timbre was just like Lan XiChen himself, as warm and graceful as a breeze and the rain of spring. Yet, now, although his technique was as excellent as ever, the tone evoked a strange mixture of feelings.

The night wind swept by. Lan XiChen’s hair and forehead ribbon were already somewhat disheveled. However, the GusuLan Sect’s sect leader, who had always regarded appearance highly, didn’t pay any attention to them. He only put down Liebing after the song had finished, “Music is forbidden at night in the Cloud Recesses. Today I have overstepped far too many times. Excuse me, Wei gongzi.”

Wei WuXian, “How so? ZeWu-Jun, have you forgotten that the person standing in front of you is the person who has broken the most rules…”

Lan XiChen smiled, “The GusuLan Sect has never revealed these facts about Lan Wangji and myself outside of itself. I should not have told you. Tonight was my sudden urge to unburden myself, a spur of the moment.”

Wei WuXian, “I’m not the kind of person who talks too much. Don’t worry, ZeWu-Jun.”

Lan XiChen, “Regardless, I would assume that WangJi would not hide anything from you anyways.”

Wei WuXian, “If he doesn’t wish to talk about something then I won’t ask.”

Lan XiChen, “But, with WangJi’s personality, how could he say anything if you do not ask? There are some things that even if you ask him he would not say.”

Now that we have the context of the Lan parents laid out the only definitive answer for anything concerning their personal motivations for anything is "I DON'T KNOW". Their secrets and thoughts literally died with them.

And this entire story Lan Xichen told in the end, had nothing to do with his parents. He did not tell Wei Wuxian about them, he was speaking everything unsaid about Lan Wangji's motivations and his love of Wei Wuxian. He does not care why his parents did what they did, but he does for the one that is alive. His brother who he had just had a bit of a veiled conversation about Lan Wangji's pure trust in Wei Wuxian. Who, in Lan Xichen's eyes, had already rejected his brother's love and did not feel the same, mirroring the past of their father's apparent unrequited love. He is saying Lan Wangji is sacrificing his all, unvoiced.

His pressing of if his parent "are right" is him asking Wei Wuxian what he feels about those sacrifices, if he can see the sacrifices Lan Wangji had gone through. At this point he along with Lan Wangji have assumed Wei Wuxian knows and remembers what he had said within the cave. He is telling Wei Wuxian his brother has alway been this way for those he loves regardless of what they may be perceived as by outsiders.

"Today I have overstepped far too many times. Excuse me, Wei gongzi.”"

"I should not have told you. Tonight was my sudden urge to unburden myself, a spur of the moment.”

Meaning, it was not his place to tell this about his brother, but there is no one else that would, and Lan Wangji would never say anything about his feelings again. Lan Xichen is first and foremost worried about where his brother has placed his love, as he knows, regardless of what rumors surround those he loves, his brother will still be forever loyal to them without question if he believes them to be in the right.

Lan Xichen is warning Wei Wuxian he needs to take care in his actions as he approaches Lan Wangji as Xichen is well aware already of how Lan Wangji will go through hell for others he adores. From the start it was never about his parents, as Lan Xichen says, "I do not want to know either,". But what he does want to know is where Wei Wuxian stands with his own feelings towards Lan Wangji or if he is still using his brother as he has thought for years. Leaving Lan Xichen to protect him as best as he can while Lan Wangji stays hurt for others with no happiness for himself.

[harrysweasleys]

the silence of the night // f.w

summary: for @wand3ringr0s3’s writing event!

prompts: “i knew it was too good to be true” x “i trusted you.”

warnings: angst, language, heartbreak, brief mentions of sex

word count: 3k

a/n: i am sorry for this. that is all. :) enjoy! xx

—

There’s a saying, an expression, that states that all things feel a thousand times worse in the silence of the night. 

That once the sun goes down, your problems feel amplified, as well as your emotions. That you could spend the night crying yourself to sleep, feeling like you’re at your lower possible point, but the next morning you could be feeling fine. Puffy eyed and exhausted, but your worries and stresses would feel like they had less of a grasp on your life.

The point is, things were worse at night.

And you felt it completely.

Your home was eerily silent, not a single noise being echoed or carried throughout the rooms. The only sign that there was a person in here was that the telly was on. Muted, but on. The bright, smiling face of the newscaster lit up the room that you were sitting in, huddled on the couch with a blanket secured around your shivering body. 

If this were seven months ago, you’d have Fred’s body next to yours, his arms wrapped tightly around you as the two of you laughed at a stupid film — which would usually result in the two of you falling asleep on the couch with your limbs tangled, if you were being honest. 

If this were five months ago, Fred would have told you he didn’t mind what film the two of you watched, as long as the two of you got to spend the evening together. You’d finish the film and head off to bed, no cuddling and zoning out on the couch, but wrapped comfortably in your shared bed with comfortable silence.

If this were two months ago, you’d be sitting on the couch flipping through channels aimlessly, Fred working on paperwork next to you, eyebrows furrowed and muttering a quick ‘hm’ each time you’d point out something comedic to him on the screen. You two would go to sleep at different times, each bidding the other good night with a quick peck and facing opposite ways, an invisible barrier between you two, dividing the space that used to be shared. 

If this were a month ago, you would be fast asleep on the couch, waiting up for Fred to come in through the front door. You’d wake up a few hours later, noticing his shoes and coat by the front door, and you’d walk into your room to sleep on the bed, Fred already rolled over and cocooned in his own blankets. You’d sigh, slightly defeated, and take your usual spot, the coldness of the sheets being a forceful reminder that things were different now.

But tonight, things were even worse. Like most days, Fred didn’t even come home. He’d stay at the flat above the shop so that when the morning came around and he needed to get back to work, he was already there. He used to send you a message, let you know that he wouldn’t be coming home that night and that you shouldn’t stay up and exhaust yourself over his arrival. But now, those messages had stopped.

There was a list of small things that had changed at first — how Fred would stop kissing your forehead during the night, how he stopped bringing home products for the two of you to goof around with — but those small things turned to major things. 

For example, the last time he told you he loved you was a week ago. And even then, it was a half-assed ‘love you’ that he muttered before scurrying off to bed without his usual good night kiss. 

Things like this swirled through your mind in the silence of the night. In the dark, empty rooms of a house once so filled with love, you swore it would burst. 

But now, it was just that. Silent.

And it hurt more than you’d care to admit.

So, for the ninth night in a row, you trudged off to bed by yourself; no warmth, no company, no light. Just silence.

——

Mentally, there is no proper way to prepare for saying the six words that no one ever wants to say in a relationship.

‘I think we should break up.’

How does one come across at saying it without it being mean? Without it being accusatory, as if you know the other person is in the wrong and you want to cut them off? That wasn’t the case at all — you loved Fred more than you thought you could handle. You often wondered if it was even possible to love someone this much?

He was your soulmate. If you believed in that sort of thing, of course. You always thought he’d be the person you’d spend your life with, the person you’d end up growing old with as the two of you laughed about fond memories from when you were kids.

—

“You ever think about what life’ll be like when we’re old?” you asked, a strand of hair twirled between your fingers as you sat comfortably under the shade of a large tree, the soothing water from the Black Lake lapping gently at your bare ankles as you sat comfortably in the grass.

“I do,” Fred grinned, pressing a kiss to your temple, “I reckon we’ll grow to be very old. Together, of course, and we’ll have a big house in the country where we can experiment with fireworks.”

You giggled, leaning back to peer up at him, “As long as you don’t blow up the house, then I don’t see a problem.”

He let out a laugh, “Course not. I am very well educated on how to handle fireworks, darling. Besides, we’ll have the kids helping out too so I really don’t see a problem.”

“Kids?” you spluttered, sitting up so fast your vision went dark for a good moment, “You think we’ll have kids?”

His smile faltered for just a second before he regained his composure, “Unless you don’t want any, I’d like one. Or three.”

“Three?” you raised your eyebrows, “You really have high expectations for everything, don’t you?”

He beamed, leaning back against the chipping bark of the tree with his hands behind his head, “Always have and always will, love. It’s why we work out so well. Because you really do exceed all expectations.”

—

The rain was heavy, so there were less people bustling about in Diagon Alley than usual. You were partially thankful for it since it meant you could just barge right into Weasleys Wizard Wheezes and do what you had to do, no delays and no detours. But it also meant that there was no chance you’d run into an old friend and spark up a conversation, delaying the one that you dreaded doing more so than anything in the world.

The bright purple and orange shop came into view, cutting the breath directly out of your lungs and causing the tips of your fingers to shake. The lights inside were bright, contrasted to the dark evening skies that were clouded above you. You knew they were shutting down for the day, the large ‘closed’ sign on the door being the dead giveaway.

You approached it as quickly as you could, your coat dripping heavily on the front steps as you knocked loudly on the glass door. You hoped it would be loud enough for them to hear over the downpour, but your worries went away quickly as George’s grinning face appeared at the door.

“Y/N? Blimey, it’s horrid out there, come on in,” George unlocked the door and ushered you inside, not even beginning to complain about how you were dripping all over the wooden floors. You knew he’d be able to clean it up with magic, but you expected a bit of protest anyway.

“Hi, George,” you sighed, removing the hood off of your head and taking your jacket off, hanging it up on the tiny hook by the door. It wasn’t a coat hook, but at the moment, you’d use it as one. George didn’t oppose.

“Where’s Fred?” you asked, voice laced with a hint of urgency. You felt it shake as you spoke, worry and unease spreading through your body at lightning speed. Now that you were here, you couldn’t back out. Nor did you want to.

“Uh,” George scratched the back of his neck awkwardly, “He went out for drinks with a few of the other employees. He left about an hour ago so he shouldn’t be long now.”

You grit your teeth, heart hammering wildly in your chest, “Mind if I sit here and wait for him?”

“Be my guest,” George muttered, his body standing there as he was if unsure of what to do. You couldn’t blame him. You knew you were coming off quite odd and uncertain, but you wished that George would just leave you be as you sad there pondering about how to bring up the conversation. 

He gave you a crooked smile, “I sense you want space so I’ll leave you be. G'night.”

“Thank you,” you gave him the best smile you could muster, “Good night, Georgie.”

He took off up the stairs, turning off a few lights on the way. You sat on the chair behind the counter, placing your hands in your lap and letting your eyes dart around the store, trying to find anything that could possibly distract you from the raging wave of emotions you were currently feeling. The store was dead silent, only a few lights that were left on and giving you the ability to see.

Here you were, once again. In the silent of the night — alone, waiting, and heartbroken. 

Though that solemn silence didn’t last long as the familiar ginger head appeared at the door, unlocking it as quietly as possible before he rushed inside, running a hand through his wet hair to keep it out of his face.

You didn’t alert him of your presence, choosing to sit back quietly and let him notice your presence by himself. It didn’t take long for him to do so, turning around and stopping in his step completely as his eyes locked on yours.

The eyes that you had fallen so desperately in love with, the eyes that you had gotten lost in more times than you care to admit.

—

“You have gold in your eyes, y’know?” you grinned, running your hand along his face down to his neck, “They’re really beautiful.”

He grinned at you, placing his hand over yours and kissing the back of your knuckles lightly, moving his body closer to yours under the comfortably warm blankets, his bare skin pressed against yours as he continued scooting as close to you as he could, “As are you.”

“You flatter me, Fred Weasley,” you put your head against his chest to hide your blush, “But there’s no way you can deny that you have the best eyes.”

He chuckled, lifting one of his hands to run through your slightly messy hair, “Well, if I have the best eyes, you have the best everything else.”

“Oh, come on, it doesn’t work that way,” you pulled away from him, your voice shaky due to laughter, “You have the best lips, for sure.”

“Nuh uh,” Fred protested, shifting his body so he was now hovering slightly above you, both of his hands on either side of your face as he held himself up, “You’re definitely the winner in that category, darling. And I know just how to prove it.”

He leaned down, connecting his impossibly soft lips to yours, rendering your mind blank as you reached up to run your hands down his bare back, muscles tight under your touch as he deepened the kiss. Shivers spread throughout your body and you began to lose yourself in him completely.

—

You shook your head, clearing your mind of the memory, and stood up, “Hi, Fred.”

“Y/N,” he said lowly, walking quickly across the shop to the point where he reached you in under three seconds, “What are you doing here?”

You could see the confusion laced in his face and it stung more than you’d ever admit. The fact that he didn’t know why his girlfriend was here to see him after nearly two days burned a hole right through your heart. It stung more than the fact that after forty eight hours apart, all he could do was ask why you were here. 

“We need to talk," you sighed, looking down at the ground and collecting your thoughts as best as you could before you faced him once more, “I think this—” you motioned between the two of you, “—I think that — wait, sorry, I knew that this was too good to be true.”

He furrowed his eyebrows, “What do you mean?”

Fighting back a scoff, you waved your arms, “You can’t possibly tell me that you think this is going well, Fred. This is a train wreck. What happened?”

He took a deep breath, “I’m busy, Y/N. I’ve got work, I’ve got friends. I’ve got people other than you that require my attention too, you know?”

You ignored the burning feeling in your chest, “And I understand that. I know you have other things going on, I really do. But I am so sick of the distance. Of the fact that I wait up for hours, not even knowing if you’re coming home. That you don’t even bother letting me know if you’ll be in or not. That there’s this invisible wall between us that’s preventing us from going back to normal.”

The stinging sensation in the back of your throat and your eyes told you that tears had started to flow. You knew they would, but you hated the fact that they made you look so vulnerable.

“You’re seriously doing this?” Fred’s voice was small. Faint. More lost than you had ever heard it. In nearly six years of being together, you had barely ever fought or disagreed — the two of you were practically perfect. You couldn’t remember the last time you had ever heard his voice sound like that.

“Fred, we can’t keep doing this to ourselves,” you breathed out, stepping closer to him, “You know, when we were young, we said we’d be together forever. And I really wanted that, believe me. You told me you’d love me forever and I trusted you because I felt the same. I thought you were it for me. But this isn’t what being in love is supposed to be like.”

His eyes met yours and you swore your lungs caved in on themselves. His eyes were watery and every inch of his face looked lost. His expression broke your heart all over again and you had to look away to prevent yourself from turning around and comforting him instead.

“I loved you more than anything, you know,” he said softly, coughing slightly to clear his throat, “Didn’t know why you picked a moronic git like me to go out with but I never complained. Always felt like the luckiest bloke at school.”

You stopped sniffling to listen to him as he continued.

“I genuinely thought you were my one. And I am so sorry that I haven’t been there. You’re right, this isn’t what love is supposed to be like. I didn’t want this to happen to us. I wanted us to stay, y’know, us.”

“I know,” you let out a small laugh, pulling a tissue out of your pocket to wipe at your eyes as you continued sniffing, “I wanted us to stay us too.”

You were nearly knocked off of your feet as Fred’s arms wrapped around you. His hug wasn’t like it usually was; bone crushing and tight. This time, it was soft and delicate — he knew it was the last time he’d be able to do this and the last thing he wanted was to break you more than you already were. Your heart connected to his, you could feel it pounding heavily under his sweater and you were nearly certain he could feel yours too. There’s no way he wouldn’t, considering how it was pounding so hard it was ripping itself to shreds. 

You pulled away after a good moment, trying your best to remember how it felt to be embraced by him, how he smelled, and what being in love with him felt like. Because you were still very much in love with Fred Weasley, and no matter what happens, you know that’ll never change.

“I guess I’ll be by tomorrow to get my stuff,” he muttered, his voice coarse but he didn’t bother clearing it this time, “You know I’ll always love you.”

You gave him a weak smile, your cheeks glistening under the dim lights due to the tears still freely coming, “And I’ll always love you too. I’m sorry.”

He was silent, not able to bring himself to say much else. You took one last look at him, his freckled cheeks, his messy hair, and the baggy sweater on his body that you remembered wearing countless times. Not able to continue reminiscing, you walked towards the door of the shop, grabbing your coat and putting it on as slowly as possible, wishing that you could run back to him, into his arms, and take off together.

But that wasn’t happening. Not today. 

“Goodbye, Freddie,” you said as you opened the door, not being able to look back at him. Your throat felt like it was closing in on itself as you took a deep gulp of fresh air, letting the door close loudly behind you. For fresh air, it was awfully suffocating. The air in the store was calling out to you, making you debate whether you should head back in.

But you shook your head and walked off of the front step.

The rain had stopped and the alley was dark. No bodies were running around and no lights were on. Though dark and quiet, nothing could match the hollow feeling that was etched into your chest. For your own sake, you wished that feeling was temporary, but at the moment it felt as if it would be permanent.

Because, after all, all things felt a thousand times worse in the silence of the night.

—

taglist

@grierpilots

@hxfflxpxffs

@mikumana

@msmimimerton

@pit-and-the-pen

@diary-of-an-onliner

@theweirdsideofstuff 

@thoseofgreatambition

@theweasleysredhair

@haphazardhufflepuff

@starlightweasley

@mytreec

@thisismysketchbook

@obsessedwithrandomthings

@almostweepingbanana

@ickle-ronniekins

@iprobablyshipit91

@wand3ringr0s3

@susceptible-but-siriusexual

[xfeliciahardyx]

Summary: What happened in the bakery changed you. The next few years would force you to harden and build so many walls that you vowed to never let anyone in. You can probably guess what happens when a certain soldier starts to scale those walls so that he can get to you.

Pairing: Bucky Barnes x reader

Warnings: mention of blood, intense details about ww2, side character deaths, traumatic backgrounds, mention of Nazis, mentions of broken bones and bullet wounds, children suffering due to the war, imprisonment in a concentration camp, someone does get stabbed, and angst (Warnings will be added as the story continues if need be. This is just for the first chapter!)

Taglist: ~Here~ (Feel free to add yourself to any other categories!)

Word Count: 9k

Author's Note: Okay everyone reading I first want to say thank you for reading my imagine. There are some things that I need to clarify before you start reading this. The entire series will be me going through the Captain America movies. It first starts at The First Avenger and continues through the places in time where Bucky is and where he is not OoOoOoO plot twists. But yes this can be overwhelming to read because some details are VERY graphic. i did use techniques from my medical skills class so all the medical procedures are researched and correct. Please enjoy The Winter Soldier and The White Feather or as I like to call it WSWF

The war was changing you and everyone around you. It was making kind people turn green and bad people even worse. You learned that the hard way of course. When you’d had been taken to the facility you didn’t know what to expect. Now you had been in it for God knows how long and you didn’t know what would happen. You had no way of contacting your family. Of contacting anyone you knew really. You were lost, scared, hoping for a savior that didn’t seem to be appearing. Lost traveling in a fog ridden meadow without any sense of direction. It killed you to see how many people died and suffered at the hands of the Germans, but your screams were of no use. The way they treated everyone was as horrible as a cat chasing a mouse. Like you were the filth on their boots, the scum of the earth. Any time someone said something to them they’d react as if a fire touched their skin and recoil away. They acted as if they didn’t have enough money to feed anyone properly. The food was sure to break several health codes back in the city but that didn’t seem to stop you all from eating it. If it wasn’t stale bread that you could knock someone out with, it was week old soup that had hints of green to it. The water was as piss pore and was a dull gray. Not your best moments or the biggest feast for the holidays but it was for survival. It was meant for you to get on through the day and do as you’re told. The inmates had started to call it the end of the world. You didn’t blame them because it was. That didn’t stop them from constantly complaining about every little thing. You on the other hand couldn’t give a fuck. It was like every single one up and flew away with the happiness that had been your life in France. You couldn’t even speak after the horrors the world and slammed into your life. You avoided everyone and everything that lived, scared and desperate to stay hidden. It was the way to go and others followed your lead. You weren’t one to speak or do anything with another person and the others around you knew it. So, they cleared their distance and you appreciated it. You had never been one to stay quiet for long around people. Eventually you’d try to get to know them. But you had changed just as times had. Even now you knew to keep your cool and to keep up with your manners. At any minute they could kill you. Or they could do something to shatter your already scarred mind. You knew you weren’t like the people who decided to suck up to them. Kissing the floor, they walked on for a little bit of clean water, or a bowl of soup that was freshly made. They were horrible to the suck ups and laughed at them as they did their best to seem appealing. You would never stoop as low to be a person who supported the people who had made this sad reality your life. Despite everything your parents had done to you, you always managed kindness. The girl who was secretly the crush of every guy because of her brains. The kind of girl that went to the library in her free time. The girl who never dated because she claimed she wanted to focus on school but could never know how to talk to guys. Went to the movies with her one friend who she cared about more than anything. The girl who made life positive because her family had always made it negative. Yes, you were over all kind but when you needed to be you could be as sharp as a spear. So, why did they kidnap you? It was simply a case of being at the wrong place in the wrong time. But that didn’t excuse their actions following the moments they walked in that bakery with their rifles held high and their voices screaming in curses. Why did they have to kill one of the most important people in your life right in front of you? Shot her straight through the heart at the bakery around the block from the school. All because she was Jewish. Their logic didn’t explain why they had the right to take her life. Her younger siblings had been complaining about food and you had an extra food stamp to use. You’d despised the stars they had to wear on their chest that prohibited them from having the normal things every person

needs. You all had practically skipped to the bakery in hopes that they’d have chocolate. It was a nice moment thinking that everything was back to normal. She had only been 21 and you 20. That was 3 years ago. Even so long after you could still imagine the events that had occurred. Her blood had splattered all over your polka dotted yellow dress. All she had asked for was food for her siblings. Sure, sweets would have been kind but you were all hungry in general. When the soldiers had come in, they’d been attracted to her star. You should have been on guard more, but you’d been naive to think they wouldn’t harm them. One had grabbed Ciera and pushed himself against her. In her reaction she’d kicked the German away and his comrade shot her. Her siblings that had been clinging to your side as they shot her cried out for their sister as she dropped to the ground. Siblings that had their throats slit as they clung to your arms. You had begged for their lives. They were just two children. You thought they would have a little mercy. You knew you would take care of them for their sister. You tried to explain that Tommy and Cassandra had been hungry, and their sister had been killed right in front of them. The trauma they had suffered was enough for their minds to endure. All of what was happening was enough to make anyone mad. It was necessary that they cry and mourn. But as heartless as they were, they showed no remorse. That two children crying for their dead sister would never and hadn’t stopped the Germans. They’d ripped the children from your hands and pressed their silver knives to their throats killed them. You wanted to fight for them. You loved them like your own siblings. They didn’t deserve the fate that had been handed to them. The third soldier had held your arms behind your back to stop you from tearing them away. You had tried to fight him, but you knew he wouldn’t let go. You watched the blood slip from their throats, and you sagged against the soldier. He had been the kinder of the three. A recruit perhaps. You didn’t realize until later that he’d held you in his embrace throughout the car ride to the place where you’d be transported. The screams that left their mouths still haunted you and you saw their terrified faces in your dreams. Sometimes they would come together as a group. Other times Tommy would visit you with blood seeping from his throat asking you for his sisters. You blamed yourself for not fighting hard enough. You watched as the life left your eyes when you knew it should have been you. You should have been dead on the ground with them as they lay dead next to their sister on the ground. Yes, life was unfair. But if life was unfair than war was no comparison.

“Gurl!” A German soldier yells pointing his finger to a spot in front of him. Most of them could barely speak English and when they did it was so slurred. Half the times you had to watch their hand motions to understand what they wanted. His eyes are locked on you from your spot by the back of the courtyard. It was a quiet place that everyone avoided because of the sun that would beam on you. They preferred the shade, but you just needed the quiet heat to cleanse your mind. You cursed and grabbed onto the chain fence behind you to lift yourself up. It bent with your weight but you knew it wouldn’t break. It was a trashy fence that if you tried to climb, you’d either be shot down or just get so scratched that you’d just end up doing more harm than good. The fence traveled around the vast courtyard that was rundown and brown. The fence had rust in certain spots from when it rained but it never did anything for the concrete. Blood stains covered the floor from where prisoners had been shot and dragged away. There were splatters and puddles all over the already dirty floor. Even on the ground leading into your cells you’d find the lengthened blood beneath your feet. The courtyard was the only time you got to see the outside world. They also had a calendar on the wall that told you what day it was. You weren’t sure why but maybe it was to bring down the spirits of everyone. You on the other hand had been there for 3 years 2 months and 25 days. Since the beginning of the German’s invasion of France. It was made up of mock punching bags filled with paper plates and hard pillows that no dared to sleep on. People sat in cliques all around speaking in different languages. Most of them spoke French and in your time there you’d picked up bits of other languages. Nothing too major but just enough to understand.

“Ve dount ave foreevare vittle gurl.” He yelled again and you picked up your pace. You didn’t want to do anything to cause any more attention to yourself. His accent sent prickles of fear up your spine and the hairs on your arms stood on end. As you walked by a few whispers drafted into your ears and people glanced away. Being called over by a soldier wasn’t a good thing and people avoided it as much as they could. There was always the possibility of someone getting shot or having to do something you weren’t mentally or physically prepared to do. So, the terror that was filling up your mind with endless possibilities wasn’t a fun thing. Anxiety tightened the space in your chest and your throat was constricted with worry. You stopped a few steps in front of the soldier who towered over you and said nothing as his eyes trailed over your body. Once upon a time you would have blushed and shifted awkwardly where you stood but now you stand still and stare straight at the wall behind the soldier to avoid eye contact. The mic on his shoulder beeps and he holds out a finger to you. You don’t respond and continue to stare straight ahead. He responds to the German voice in his native language rapidly and you fiddle with your hands behind your back. You could feel the tension rising around the two of you and it wasn’t good. His eyes had begun to harden more, and his posture grew rigid. His eyes darted around the dirt filled courtyard until he turned around and stared at a man. He had been beat up. On his eye was a purplish hue with hints of green. You saw a small limp in his walk as you turned your head in his direction. He stopped and leaned against the fence with his arms crossed a pair of tags dangling around his neck. The green Henley he wore was matted and had spatters of dried blood. His pants hung off his body, still fitting but with tears. Looking from the outside in he looked just as bad as every other prisoner of war. He had an unreadable expression as he surveyed his surroundings. You caught a small calculating look in his eyes as he scanned people that walked by. His eyes caught yours and your breath caught in your throat. He didn’t just stare at you from afar. He seemed to bare your soul out in front of everyone to see. His gaze was intense, and a hint of curiosity was in his dark eyes. The soldier beside you muttered something into his radio and your gaze snapped away from the handsome stranger and you turned back at attention. You couldn’t get the image of him out of your mind even as the soldier gave you your new group to follow to your cells. Everyone was given a number when they were placed in the camp. Each cell was alphabetized and most of the time people didn’t even pay attention to them. They did it to give themselves a feel of control. The only one you didn’t follow. You didn’t say anything back to him and when he dismissed you, you promptly walked back to your spot. You didn’t want to turn your head in the direction of the stranger you knew was walking over to you. You wanted to disappear, and you knew the moment he talked to you your tough exterior would break. There was something different about the way his head was held high and his shoulders never slumped. You could practically feel his confidence from across the courtyard and out of your peripheral vision. You slid down the fence with a sigh as you put your head in your knees. You took a few breaths to keep yourself calm as a pair of shoes came into view. They were brown and matted and looked like they’d seen better days.

“You okay?” a voice followed. It was low and soft, but it sent shivers down your spine. You slowly raised your eyes up the body that was wearing them, and your eyes widened in surprise where the man from before stood in front of you. He’s much taller than you initially realized and his eyes a deeper brown. He stares down at you with worry and you just stared at him not knowing what to do. He was around your age and it was rare you found anyone your age and that spoke a language you could speak. Sure, there were people who spoke your language and had tried to talk to you. Soon enough they stopped coming around because staying in a group too long would strike fearing the people because they wouldn’t want the Germans thinking new company meant rebellion. He moved to your side and carefully slid down the steel fence. You stared ahead at the people who stood in the middle of the courtyard.

“So, you people watch.” The stranger says motioning to the people in front of you both. You nod without looking at him keeping a close eye on the people in front of you. Something felt wrong about the gathering. It wasn’t anything good. Someone was shoved across into another person and you heard the stranger suck in a breath. He felt the sudden shift too and he pointed a finger towards a short man in broken glasses. His eyes flipped from each side of the courtyard where the two soldiers stood. His hands were clasped together, and his feet were headed in the direction of the crowd. You nudged your elbow into your newfound companions’ arm tilting your chin up in the direction of the people. The air felt stiff in the courtyard more than normal as the crowd began to step into a circle the short man now joining them. The soldiers seemed to notice it too because their gazes were hardened, and their guns were pointed. Your heart began to pound as you knew what was coming next. It haunted you every night ever since you had seen it the day you’d been kidnapped and taken to this camp. The images of Ciera’s body falling to the ground flashes through your vision and you shake your head, feeling your heart squeeze. The screams of her siblings were in the wind you closed your eyes tight and took in a deep breath. They were screaming out orders in German, but the group paid them no mind. You couldn’t breathe. Your hands rubbed against your rugged jeans completely lost to your nightmares that were coming to life. You opened your eyes slowly and looked around to see if anyone else was witnessing what was going down. A few other small groups of people watched from afar with dead eyes, but none made a move to assist. Your eyes were locked on the German soldier directly across from you that was walking towards the group. With each footstep your breathing became faster and your mind screamed for them to heed the warnings the Germans were giving. The group was large and growing by the minute which in the eyes of your captors was a bigger threat. The German nudged one of the people in the group with his gun and what happened next you had never expected. The stringy thin man with blood hair who had been poked spun around and stabbed the soldier in the neck with a foreign object and someone screamed. His hands went to his throat and he dropped his gun. The man dove for it as the soldier fell slowly bleeding out on the concrete. Everything was chaos as the gun dropped and a single bullet escaped from its chamber. The bullet flew across the courtyard and your eyes flew with it watching it impale a single child.

“No!” you screamed bolting up from your place by the fence. The soldiers burst into action firing down anyone who had been in the huge crowd. Everyone went running towards the inside of the prison, trying to avoid the bullets. It was pure chaos as people from everywhere were getting shot as they tried to escape the rage of the soldiers. There were screams of all different languages and you heard the cry of the mother above all. Her cries for her baby filled your ears as you raced across the courtyard toward the downed child. The man followed you close behind, and you paid him no mind as you shoved through the on rush of people. People were getting into meaningless fights as they tried to get away. A man stops in front of you making a grab for your waist. A hand presses against your chest shoving you back as the stranger jumps in front of you. He throws a hard punch at the man who’d made an attempt touch and he gets knocked to the ground. You grabbed his hand and started running again. The mother’s screams in French guided you through the crowd. You felt your foot hit something before you went flying. Your hands moved out in front of you to stop the fall by instinct and on impact you hissed in pain. You had landed hard on your free hand but was yanked back up just as quickly.

“We have to go.” The man from before whispered in your ear.

“The child needs help.” You whispered back and he didn’t say a word back as he supported you on the remaining distance. The child lay on the ground holding his mother’s hand as she screamed for help. The brown-haired man set you on the floor beside the child and you immediately began ripping your jacket off your arms. You ripped the sleeves off the jacket and used the back to apply pressure to the wound. The single bullet hole was small but on the size of the boy was enough to cause a lot of damage. You quickly felt it become wet with blood and pressed down a little harder as the boy cried out in pain.

“Mon garçon, s'il vous plaît, sauvez mon garçon.”(My boy, Please save my boy) She sobbed as her eyes covered her face. Her hands were covered in his blood and your mind flashed with the memory of your own hands covered in Tommy and Cassandra’s blood. You ignored her cries but that didn’t stop you from helping her. You kept a steady push on his leg to slow the bleeding. After a few checks you eyed the wound and you couldn’t help the feel of triumph that flowed through your heart. The slow of bleeding meant you could check the wound for any other injuries it could have caused. You ripped open his pant leg and wiped the blood away to get a good look at the wound. This wasn’t the first time you’d be a medic and it wouldn’t be the last. Your father had gotten plenty of hunting wounds and you had been the one to take care of them. His leg only held one bullet hole, but his leg was so skinny it could fit in the palm of your hand. Your heart ached that this would be the childhood he remembered and not one filled with days of running in a field with his mother or being in school with his friends. He was one of the lucky ones you had to remind yourself. He was alive and you were determined to keep him that way. Your hands moved with remarkable speed as you lifted the child’s leg and looked for the exit wound of the bullet. A small hole was in the back of his leg and you wiped it clear of blood. You lifted the sleeve from earlier to your teeth and made a big enough tear that you could rip it with your bare hands. The long piece of clothing dangled between your fingertips as you examined the length. From the way the threading looked it wouldn’t hold for long, so you’d have to find a more permanent solution. But that was later and the thin cloth would do good for now.

“How can I help?” The man whispered in your ear again as your mind whirled with adrenaline. Your instincts in healing were helping you move through the steps you’d done so many times before with ease, but you couldn’t help the storm brewing in your feelings. You were enraged, scared, and so many other feelings all at once. You had gotten lost in the moment as you rushed to save the boy that lay before you. People were still running inside, and the screams had begun to slow. The courtyard was filled with sobs of families returning to their loved one’s bodies that lay dead on the floor. The blood on the ground would haunt them for the rest of their lives as the bodies were carried away by the ‘healthy’ prisoners.

“Lift his leg carefully. I need to make a tourniquet to stop the bleeding.” You said softly showing him the places to place his hands. He placed his above and below the wound just as you’d asked and lifted slowly. The boy screamed in pain and the mother began to reach her hands out to stop you. You glared at her, but she ignored your attempts to stop her from distracting you. She was screaming at you in French, begging you to stop hurting her boy. You ignored her cries and curses and continued to work. Her hands were gripping yours now as she tightened them around your wrists, and you struggled to tie the knot.

“Si vous ne retirez pas vos mains, votre fils mourra!” (if you don’t pull your hands away your son will die) you snap back at her in French and her nails stop digging into your skin. She pulls away quickly but doesn’t move her eyes away from your face. You sigh in frustration as you tighten the knot around the boy’s leg. You can hear the boy crying for his maman and she’s trying to calm him but it’s no use. You grab the jacket and place it over the boys wound again and apply pressure. The mother is sobbing as she holds her sons face and you watch knowing that you can only help minimally. You motion for the man to lower his leg softly and he does. He watches you carefully as you wrap the torn jacket around his leg and tie it again in the back. The bleeding has slowed to minimal trickle, but you’ll have to find something to clean the wound to keep away infection. You sigh in relief collapsing on the back of your heels as the woman steps away from her boy and walks over to you. She offers a hand over to you and you stare at it not sure what to do. She smiles weakly and shakes her hand again. You realize she’s trying to get you to stand up and you take it willingly. She helps you stand up and as soon as you’ve got on your feet, she pulls you into a hug.

“You…help…. me Henry.” She whispers in your ear as she pulls away. There’s a new look in her eyes as she apologizes for hurting you in French. She pulls your wrists to her mouth and places small kisses over the crescent moon shaped marks. Her fingers run over them in a silent guilt and you pull away and give her a small smile. Her hand brushes your cheek leaving a trail of blood, but her eyes are locked on yours. She leans in placing a kiss on your cheek before releasing you from her embrace. She quiets quickly once you tell her that it’s alright and that you have something to tell her. You start to give her basic instructions that will keep her son alive. How to clean the wound and tell her the signs of infection. Her hands grip onto her fingers, and her eyes are eager to make sure she doesn’t miss a word. You tell her your cell keep so that if she may ever need your assistance, she can send someone. The man who helped you stands beside you as you give her these instructions nodding as you list off everything. Once you trust that she knows everything you bid her goodbye and tell her to stay safe. She doesn’t respond as she looks away from you down to her son whose hand is out reached for her. She rushes to her knees and grabs his hand and doesn’t give you another glance. You know she won’t leave him alone for a minute. The fear of losing her family wasn’t a good one and it had scarred her heart forever just as it did to you months ago. She would hold on tight to his hands and watch for any signs of sickness. She would not sleep through the night but would tell her boy that she did. She’d do anything to protect her last light in the dark world. Your eyes travel from their joined hands to the boys’ face. It’s pale, most likely from the blood loss but he smiles at you. He opens his mouth to say something, and just as quick as it opens it closes as a grimace of pain flashes over his face. You shake your head giving him a weak smile. You kneel beside his head and place a soft kiss on his sweaty forehead and murmur a good-bye. You give the mother and son a small wave before standing once more and turning on your heel to walk away. Your tail follows you as you make your rounds around the courtyard. People cry out to the two of you as you try your best to help anyone and everyone. Most people have died by the time you reach them, and you close their eyes for the dead to mourn. Some don’t accept that their loved one is dead and continue to scream their fury at your insistence. One man almost attacks you because he refuses to believe his wife was killed and the stranger has to stop him. Tears stream down your cheeks at the sight of each body that lies on the floor. There was so much blood on the court now that it was rare you saw an old patch that was dried. It runs underneath your shoes and covers each piece of cement with ease. It soaks the clothes of the people lying beside their families and friends crying their hearts out to someone who is no longer there. Their pain has become apart of you and you can feel the shock of it numb you by the time you reach the last patient. Your tears have dried up and your hands are covered in so much blood that pieces flake off when the wind blows through the courtyard. You stand beside the teenage girl that holds her arm limp as her companion stands nearby attempting to talk to you in German. You attempt to converse with him in French the only language you’d been able to learn in your months of imprisonment but it’s no use as he doesn’t understand you. The girl cries softly as you touch her arm trying to figure out what was wrong.

“Was ist mit ihr passiert?” (What happened to her?) your partner says in German earning a glance from the boy. He speaks faster now the urgency in his hand motions clear. You can’t help but watch in awe as the man who has been helping this whole time stays remarkably calm. He nods and continues to ask him questions and gives him responses without hesitation. He doesn’t interrupt when it becomes clear that the boy is in full out panic mode. You place your hand on the girls’ shoulder and she flinches away before you give her a small smile. She stared at you with a suspicious glare in her eyes, but you tapped your eyes and then pointed to her shoulder in hopes that she would understand. Her eyes are wide with understanding and she leans in closer to you. You press your fingertip towards the top of her shoulder, and you feel her flinch. Doing this a few more times as you examine her shoulder you realize it doesn’t look like the other. It’s bent at an odd angle and you curse yourself for not realizing sooner.

“Her shoulder is dislocated presumably from being trampled in the panic. I know how to put it back in place, but it’ll be a two person job so I’ll need your help...” you trail off not knowing your assistants name. He glances over his shoulder giving you a smile makes you look down at your hands tat have begun to fidget.

“Call me Bucky.” He winks but you can tell he immediately regrets it because he turns away and starts muttering something under his breath. You catch a small huff of frustration that he cuts off quickly with ‘idiot’ following in English. You chuckle a little and his eyes brighten at your show of emotion towards him. Besides the subtle nudges of worry from before the attack, it was the only one you’d shown. His whole demeanor changed then, and you couldn’t help but feel drawn to the sudden beam of light. He was trying to hide his ear to ear smile as he shifted in place. You shake your head slightly and notice the two people that had been forgotten for a short moment. The man from before is quiet now as the girl talks to him in a soft voice. You motion Bucky over, and he leans down to your level.

“She needs to lie on her back. I’m going to pull it back into place.” Bucky gives you a single nod and begins talking to her in German. She stares at him in confusion but then as he explains it even more, she begins to nod her head in understanding reaching out to her boyfriend for assistance. He grabs her lifted hand and Bucky grabs her waist. Her boyfriend kneels beside her and the two exchange soft words that you don’t attempt to hear. Yes, there were things worse than what she was going through but what you were about to do wasn’t about to be as painless as she’d think. Besides the love that you could see when they looked at each other felt like you were intruding every time they looked at each other. When both men have settled, they both slowly lay her down onto her back, but your eyes don’t miss the flinch she gives once Bucky goes near her and her partner has stepped away. You slightly nudge Bucky out of the way and lightly grab her arm. You can see the gratitude in her eyes, and she tries to grab your hand most likely to thank you in the only way she knew how. You gave her a small nod and remained silent because somethings were better left unsaid. As you go through the steps you tell Bucky what you’re doing and in turn he translates. She doesn’t take her eyes off her partner the entire way as you begin to move her. Her arm is causing her a lot of pain, so your touches are featherlight. She is squeezing his hand and you take a lot of breaks to offer her some relief. Once her arm is outstretched towards you, you place your foot underneath where her shoulder is. You take a deep breath and without warning pull her arm at the same time as you push into her side. A loud pop sounds from her arm and you immediately stop pulling on her arm and let it sit on your lap. A blood curdling scream leaves her mouth and she begins to sob in pain. You can see her body shake as her free hand covers the tears that stream down her face. The three of you aren’t the only ones that heard her of course and a German soldier runs over to you all and starts yelling commands that you don’t understand. The girls companion starts responding to him much quieter than before most likely being careful with what he says. Even with the man explaining the soldier still has his eyes locked on you with a hatred you’d never seen before. It’s as if the soldier doesn’t care that you helped her and that she’d be better off in pain. You glare right back at him without a second thought before he turns his gaze away. He doesn’t respond to the boy before walking back to his post near the corner a few feet away from you. You let a breath you didn’t know you were holding in as he leaves the four of you alone on the courtyard again. You look down at the blonde girl who lies with her hair matted in blood from the concrete. She looks at you with a blank expression on her face that soon turns into gratitude. It’s not the first you’ve gotten but something about the way she put her trust in you makes your heart jump for joy. She lifts her arm into the air slowly but gives you a thumbs up, which in turn makes you laugh a little. She grins at you as you return her thumbs up right back and she looks away reaching out to her lover. He grabs her hands quickly and helps her to her feet. It’s a slow process as she slowly tries to get a handle on her pain tolerance, but eventually she stands up. She holds onto his hands to balance herself and gave her shoulder a roll. She let out a soft laugh in triumph and glanced over to where you and Bucky stood. Her eyes warm with happiness that would only last in the moment but were well deserved. She directed her eyes to Bucky and gave him a small smile as she spoke to him in German. You took the chance to finally look at the man who’d introduced himself to you. Here he was in the middle of a war willing to trust you and take care of all these people and be your assistant and he didn’t even know your name. You could tell by the hard built of his shoulders and the way his jaw tensed was because he was strong. Not in a physical way but in

a mental was as well. He could be one to give support and be just as willing to take it away. He was strong but not with many walls. He was determined but not without conscious. He was a good man. A handsome one at that you think before turning away and blushing. Here this man was helping you as a translator and you were thinking about how strong and physically built he was. You shake your head biting on your bottom lip to avoid the smile that wants to appear on your face.

“What have I got something on my face?” he jokes placing his bloody hands to his mouth. You shake your head but can’t help the small laugh that leaves your mouth. Even as a good guy who’d helped you save 20 people who were either bleeding or needed something fixing, he was a dork. The couple gives you a wave before walking off the courtyard towards the yelling Germans. It was time to go to your designated area. The cell of which you’d have to stay in until mealtime which would be in about an hour. As if on cue your stomach growls extremely loud and you place a hand over it. Usually you could hold your hunger over with some water, but it didn’t seem like there would be anything clean for a little while. The usual stream that came out of a hose was used to clean the victims’ blood away. You turned towards the hose where it had only on clean spot on the concrete. Today had been horrible and you knew there would be more days just like this to come. You still felt the ache for the people you couldn’t save and how their blood was still on your hands. You looked down at the floor and your eyes connected with the blood that covered your shoes. You felt the sudden urge to rinse it off and clean them with bleach, but you knew they would never truly leave. The stains would wash off physically, but it would stay with you forever and trap you in its horrors.

“Don’t let it scar you more than it already will.” He whispered into your ear. You didn’t have the strength for words as the day’s exhaustion hit you. You felt your knees buckle and Bucky’s arm wrapped around your waist quickly, keeping you up. All the adrenaline was dying out and you could barely keep your eyes open as he attempted to have you walk. You couldn’t though and it made your feet hurt 10 times more. You groaned and forced him to stop for a minute. You were blinking rapidly as your vision faded in and out.

��I got you.” He murmured placing an arm under your knees and swooping you into the air. His arms pulled you closer to his chest and you placed a hand on your stomach. You wanted to say thank you, but the words wouldn’t come. You were burnt out of all your energy and your eyes lazily rolled over the man who was walking you across the courtyard. He looked straight ahead, and his gaze sharpened at the people who passed by. It was clear he didn’t trust the people around you. It wasn’t something anyone should ever give out willingly but the thought that he had given you such a fragile thing made your mind whirl with possibilities. You kept staring at him in wonder and you weren’t sure if it was from the lack of food and water, but you felt a sort of friendship growing with Bucky. He made you feel safe and he hadn’t abandoned you as you fell but instead, he’d picked you up. He’d let you work and hadn’t tried to take over either. Your hand gravitated towards his cheek and you held it there. Something about the action felt right and it comforted you. From what you saw it had the same effect on him. He looked down at you with a sincerity in his eyes and a small smile formed on his lips. It warmed your heart that you were able to get that reaction from him after such a long day and you couldn’t stop the smile you returned. He looked up and his gaze sharpened once more but there was something else displayed across his face. It was more lie… astonishment. You turned your head in confusion to see what had made him look such a way and you let out a small gasp. The area around the only source of water wasn’t crowded like it had been when you’d glanced at it. The people had made two lines directly to the water hose. You recognized these people as the ones you’d helped. Men and women who’d lost their loved ones and had found some broken but ready to be helped had stepped aside so that you could get some water.

“No.” you croaked nudging Bucky. You needed them to know you weren’t any special. You weren’t some savior. You’d been able to save them, but you couldn’t save your best friend and her siblings. That their ghosts still haunted you in the depths of the night. You began to squirm in his arms your energy suddenly making its way back into your body. He glanced down at you as you struggled to get down. He lowered your legs and planted them on the floor without a word, but his arm didn’t leave your waist. You were glad because if it weren’t for the support you were sure to fall. You pointed to the hose and Bucky nodded and began walking the two of you towards it. The area was clear as the people watched you from the sides. You could feel your terror rising as you looked to the guards that watched from afar. Your heart was beginning to pound with anxiety. You didn’t want another shoot out. Too many people had died already, and you wouldn’t let any more die. You urged Bucky forward and soon you reached the front to where the boy, Henry stands as his mother washes his wound. He looks up at you and gives you a small wave and begins tapping his mother. She looks up from her action with a look of annoyance, but it vanishes the minute she notices you. Her gaze softens and she smiles urging you forward. You kneeled beside them and murmured a silent hello as Henry proudly held back the torn-up pant leg. He was telling his maman in French about how he would be a strong boy and protect them both from harm. She said nothing but only let a smile and a few laughs through her tough exterior as she let you inspect the wound. There never was a lot of talking in the prison except for the quiet whispers between the terrified families. People weren’t the chatty types when they’d be kidnapped out of their homes and forced away from their families. You shook your head as images of Jews being thrown out into the street and onto a bus in your hometown flashes across your mind. Just like you couldn’t save Ciera and her siblings you couldn’t even save them. But you could save these people. Some part of you hoped that you could help push the everlasting guilt away, but you knew you would always feel that pain. So, you internalized it and turned to the wound on the boys’ leg again. The flesh surrounding the wound looked clean which was already a very good sign. You checked along his leg for any red lines that would travel up. It was a common sign of blood poisoning but seeing as he had none you knew he would be alright for the time being. If there were any of the blood red veins trailing along his pale skin, it would be a sign of infection and with no antibiotics would be the death of him. She pulls the pant leg away from the boy at your request because he dances away from your touch. He giggles because your touch is warm against his cold skin and you smile at her and her boy. Giving her the good news is probably a moment you’ll never forget as she wraps her arm around her son tightly. You can tell from the way she’s beaming at being able to stay with her son for more time means that in some way they’ll get through this together. It makes your heart jump for joy and you can’t help but let the happiness consume you. The mother hands her son to Bucky and he kneels on a rock nearby holding the child. At one point while the mother washes a wound you catch Bucky letting the boy squeeze his cheeks and pull at them every which way. He doesn’t let this stop him from tickling the boy and the sight is so pure that you’re smiling for the rest of the time. More and more patients leave to go towards their cells after you give them direct instructions. They all come to the water and you and the mother wash out their wounds and they walk away. It’s a process that soon you start to do without realizing how many people you’ve helped. Some were far worse than her son with multiple wounds that fill with blood at the touch. It takes a lot to break a person and seeing multiple scrapes and bullet wounds would make anyone sick. After about the 15th person she ran away to throw

up because of the smell of cooking flesh from the sun above. Bucky immediately took her place in helping you clean the wounds. You looked over at the woman in concern but found her son rubbing her back as they sat on the concrete holding each other. You felt for her because this scenario was nothing good or that pleasing to see. Knowing all these people were hurting and that the men who guarded you all watched from afar and refused to help was making you feel 20 shades of green. You wanted to just react at them. To hurt the people who were hurting all these innocents. You despised them and with each wound that began receiving care by your hands the hatred began growing bigger and bigger.

“Neutralize your expression. Showing you’re angry will upset the Nazis even more.” Bucky’s hushed voice interrupted your thoughts. You lift your eyes to meet his as you turn the faucet off and dab at the patient’s jacket to dry his wound. The confusion you felt must have been visible on your face because his eyebrows raise as his head jerks to his right. Your eyes slowly follow the trail to where a German soldier stands with his gun in his hands. His eyes stare directly at your actions as if you were a criminal about to attack.

“They’ve been watching the entire time. Through the cameras in the corners. They have orders to let us be but to shoot if they see anything wrong.” You immediately drop your expression and place a blank look on your face. Bucky’s nod confirms that your expression is fine and you both help the man who’d been stabbed on the right side of his chest. The panic of knowing you were being watched never quite faded so you dived deeper into doing whatever you could for the people’s wounds. He’d been lucky for the knife to not puncture his lung because if that had happened his lungs would have filled with blood and he would end up choking on his own blood. If that had been the case, there would have been nothing for you to do at least long term. You were slowly coming to realize that all those trips spent in the library studying the multiple medical books were coming to work out in your favor. Bucky calls out the information in which you’ve told him to tell the girl who accompanies the man. She nods vigorously before grabbing his hand and helping him walk over to the opening that leads to the cells where you all would be holed up. The prison inside of the prison. How ironic. You call out for the next person to step forward but are met with silence. You look to the previous line to be met with open space.

“Come here.” He urges. He’s kneeling in front of you from where you sit on the high-rise rock. You ignore the outreach of his bloody hand and you walk around him. He sighs as you reach down to the faucet. The cold water greets your fingertips and you don’t move away from it. Bucky taps your shoulder and you turn around to see what he needs. He’s staring at you like you’re the smallest child in the playground and that if you don’t listen, he’ll throw you in time out. He points to his raised knee and you scoff shaking your head.

“Either you do it willingly or I force you.” You shake your head again and he groans throwing his head back in mock pain. You giggle and lean forward to reach the faucet again but you’re swiped off your feet as hands grip your waist tightly. He sits you on his lap and you have to wrap your arms around his neck to keep from falling. You whip your head around to glare at him because you’re certain he’s a mad man and he grins leaning towards the faucet. You let out a squeal and you grip his knees as he shifts back on the rock sitting you square between his legs. You know you look beyond pissed because he avoids your eyes. He’s still grinning though at your reaction as his hands release your waist and reach towards the faucet. You move your hands away quickly and lean forward with him, eager to get the remaining blood off your skin. Bucky turns the faucet to the left and water starts spilling from it. He tuts when your hands almost touch the water and he grabs your wrists. The interaction makes your skin tingle and interlocks your fingers with his. In that moment you feel the firs spread throughout your body. Everywhere he touches you sends a different burn straight to your heart. His chest presses against your back as he washes the blood off both of your hands. When he breathes you can feel it hit your ear and it makes the hair on your skin rise. His hands caress yours as they wash 30 or more people’s blood off. His fingers slide into between yours with ease that you watch in awe as your hands become yours again. Except with his hands on yours you aren’t exactly sure where he begins and where you stop. Funny thing is, you don’t ever want to figure it out. His fingers brush over yours and they move away too soon. Before you can grasp what you’re doing you grab his hands and start the same movements. You slide your fingers against his long ones and watch as they become his just as yours were yours. You hear Bucky’s breathing grow uneven and you look over your shoulder to see what’s wrong. His eyes immediately lock on yours and you can see something that you’d never seen on his face before. You can’t read it, but you know it’s something he tries to hide because his face becomes black once more and his hands move away from yours. You gasp softly at the loss of contact and swallow the complaint that tries to force its way out. The moment has disappeared, and you can feel the slight tinge of embarrassment floating its way through your senses. You wipe your hands on your pants and the sight of you and Bucky’s hands together burns itself into your mind. You know it shouldn’t be there, but your heart holds it close and locks it away for safe keeping.

“You ready?” he whispers. His hand lays on your stomach which does a flop at the sight of it and you nod not sure if you could even get through a full sentence without stuttering. You stand up and take a step away from him. You were trying to get a grasp on your emotions but the only thing you could focus on was how his scent no longer surrounded you. Your legs wobble as you try to walk but your knees give out. Bucky grabs your hand and pulls it around his neck.

“I don’t think I can walk.” You whisper. He doesn’t respond at first but you can tell he’s debating what to do.

“Hop on my back. I’ll carry you.” You nod slowly as you walk behind him and grab onto his shoulders. His hands wrap around your thighs and he pushes you up in the air. You jump and let your legs fall around his waist and let your arms hang loose over his shoulders. His figure shakes a little as he tries to steady you and start his long walk towards the open steel doors. You place your chin on his shoulder and let out a small sigh.

“My knight in shining armor.” You tease half heartedly and he laughs. The sound warms your bones more than anything else could and you don’t catch the small smile that spreads across his face as he starts walking towards the yelling Germans. It’s time for everyone to go back to their cells and if told once more there would be consequences. Your arms become heavy and feel like blobs of jello as they swing. You can feel yourself absentmindly snuggling into the warmth of the man carrying you, but it doesn’t register as your senses begin shutting down. You blink a few times as you stared down at the dog tags that swung on top of the green Henley that adorned Bucky’s chest. The faint sunlight disappears as he enters the prisoner compound and the room becomes dark. You lift your head up as shouts erupt around you. You catch people clapping and you have the urge to tell them to stop. Drawing attention of the soldiers wasn’t a good idea because they had just witnessed what happens when you cause a ruckus. You bury your head back into Bucky’s neck as you silently wish for the cries of joy to stop. Despite all the good you’d done you still couldn’t get over all the good you could have done so many years ago. Bucky senses your discomfort and starts to walk a little faster than before.

“Get some rest. You look like you could use it.” He says softly as a metal door creaks and it gets held open for the two of you. You nod slowly feeling your eyes shut again. You listen to him this time and let the exhaustion finally take over your body.

Tagging some peeps~@randomfangirl82 @stucky-my-ship @jules-1999 @starkssnarks @dallaswinstonswife1109@notsosecretspy @kyn-lyn-blog @alltoowell-taylorsversion@creecree-4-life

[saffron-nova21]

VII. Iwaizumi Hajime (27) Athletic Trainer Pt. 2

The Next Chapter Masterlist

< Previous Chapter • You Are Here • Next Chapter >

Warnings: Iwaizumi is smooth, like one minor suggestive joke

As the three of you walked away from your apartment, you moved your hand into Kenma's, contently swinging your interlaced hands back and forth while Kuroo spoke to Kenma. You didn't tune in to all of it, instead just looking around. It looked dangerously close to raining and after glancing at your friends, you quickly realized that none of you were dressed for the rain.

Kuroo was surprisingly casual today, a white shirt with some dark print against it, a cross-body shoulder bag, and a pair of black skinny jeans that most certainly did him justice. Kenma, for once, had pulled something that wasn't his signature black hoodie out of his closet. Wearing a long sleeve black shirt that hung off of his form, along with some black joggers. You had gone with a crewneck for your own comfort. Kenma's merch, as usual for you.

You couldn't explain what it was about wearing Kenma's merch, but for whatever reason, it brought you a great deal of comfort, which was the main reason that Kenma made sure you got at least one of everything he sold, no matter how 'exclusive' it was supposed to be, you had one. Not to mention, he liked to have his name, even if it was the one he used online, displayed on you.

But you didn't have to know that part.

"Like I said, Lev is already on top of it. If you two want to take a serious break and not even have to deal with Twitter or streaming, just say the word." Kuroo reassures, patting his smaller friend on the back, "You know, I really don't understand why you two, who hate social interaction, chose a career that depends solely on it."

Looking over, you're quick to respond, "What can we say? We like staying at home. Plus, it's not exactly a lot of work. It's just hard work and it's draining, y'know?"

Both boys give you a peculiar look, Kenma being the first of them to speak. "You know, I think you need a nap when we get home." He squeezes your hand with his own before looking forward again. "Hard work and a lot of work are... Rather close to being the same thing. Don't undermine your profession, just because other people do."

Kuroo raises an eyebrow, though he doesn't say anything as he faces forwards as well. "There he is, in the flesh," he notes as he gestures in the direction of a man leaning against a car.

Your eyes widened a bit as you took a good look at the man. He looked... Where there even words for it? Muscular arms and what you could only guess was a muscular chest was barely contained by a black shirt. Unluckily for you, blocking your view was what you assumed to be a compression sleeve, covering one of his arms from his wrist, up past his sleeve. He also wore the same black joggers that Kenma did, though through them, you could see muscular thighs and calves.

"Tetsuro, I thought you said we were going to meet a colleague, not someone who I would let do horrible, vile things to my -." Your words are cut off by an abrupt cough from Kuroo. "Come on, you both know I'm kidding!.. More or less..."

Kuroo and Kenma couldn't help but exchange pained looks - you really were going for a reverse harem, at this point, weren't you? You'd think they'd both be used to your fawning over 'pretty' and 'respectful-looking' men. Though, Hajime wasn't the worst person you could pick, at the very least.

After shaking his head in amusement, Kuroo raises an arm over his head to wave towards the other man. "Hajime!" Kuroo's deep voice cuts through the air, catching the Athletic Trainer's attention.

Looking up from his phone, the black-haired male gives a light wave, adjusting his posture to stand up straight. Sliding his hands into his pockets, he shifts his weight, his biceps flexing more than they should be allowed to, in your opinion. He might be an athletic trainer, but no one should be allowed to look that good, in just a t-shirt. Looking at the way the material stretched over his muscular arms, you wondered if it was about to tear... It certainly looked like it was close to it.

Iwaizumi allows the three of you to catch up to him as he reaches the entrance of the restaurant. He gives you and Kenma a nod, because he turns to Kuroo and begins to speak to him, though you tuned out pretty quickly when you heard him speaking to Kuroo about the previous Captain's job. What could you say? It was boring.

Crossing your arms, you spare Kenma a glance, "He could have at least said 'hi.'" You complain, not quite expecting the two in front of you to hear you.

You can hear Iwaizumi let out a quiet laugh, before he turns to face you, voice dripping in dry amusement. "I'm so very sorry, your highness." He shifts so his face is directly in front of yours. "Hi, I'm Iwaizumi Hajime, Athletic Trainer of the volleyball team. I can't wait to start our work together."

You narrow your eyes a bit, brows furrowing at how close he was to you. Heat rises to your face and you attempt to take a step back, only to find that Kenma was conveniently preventing that. You find a reason to finally look away from him as he takes your hand from Kenma's to shake it, amusement pooling in his features. Underneath the surface, though, Iwaizumi was silently thanking Oikawa for the years he'd spent with the other male, learning how to shock him enough to shut him up.

Kenma bites back his smirk, raising a hand to cover his mouth before he let out the laugh of amusement that threatened to escape him. He raises an eyebrow, nudging you, "You could at least respond, now that he has said hi."

Your two friends found far too much amusement in the interaction, in your opinion.

"Well, it's a pleasure, Iwaizumi Hajime, Olympic Trainer." You recover from your previously stunned state, a slight huff of air escaping you. "So kind of you to finally acknowledge our presence."

Kuroo sighs deeply, "Kuroo Tetsuro, table for four," he nods to the hostess, who looked amused by the interaction.

"Right this way."

Iwaizumi withdraws his hand so that he can begin following the other two, towards your normal booth in the corner. Kenma liked to have his back against the wall, always saying how it helped him stay calm. Neither you nor Kuroo had any qualms, especially if it made him feel more comfortable with you all going out in public. Though rather than moving to sit across from you both so that you could sit next to Kenma, as per usual, Kuroo slips into the seat beside Kenma, ensuring that you'd be seated next to Iwaizumi.

Puffing out your cheeks, you open your mouth to protest, only to stop and glance at Iwaizumi when you hear him speak. "Any day now, your highness."

You slide into your seat with palpable reluctance, you hostess giving you a sympathetic smile, before nodding. "Your waiter will be with you shortly."

Sinking further down into your seat, you cross your arms, "You know, I - Woah, buddy!" Jumping back up straight in your seat, you point an accusing finger at Iwaizumi, "You better watch where you're putting that leg of yours, buddy! There shouldn't be any premarital under-the-table knee touching."

Kenma lets out a breath, "You think they'll give us the check, yet?"

You and Kenma hold hands a lot in public. More than anything else, you both use it as a way to silently let one another know when you're uncomfortable. One squeeze for reassurance, two for an 'are you okay,' three for 'get me away from this conversation/person,' and four for 'home. now.'

Kuroo isn't sure how well Kenma is going to take it, when you truly start spending time with good-looking athletes, every day.

Kenma doesn't know that Suna and Atsumu are on the Olympic team and will probably kick Kuroo's ass, when he finds out. You were hurt badly, after everything. Worse than anyone but Kenma saw.

I hope you all are having a wonderful day. It is spring break and I, for one, have lost all concept of time. But still, I hope you guys are enjoying the story and having a good break. As usual, don't forget to eat and sleep, okay? And drink some water, I know you probably haven't, today.

General Taglist:

@kookie-doughs @halesandy @ermahgerd-larry-and-ziam @its-the-aerieljeane @onlyonew @kac-chowsballs @saltylettuce @thathoneybee3 @daninaninani @akkeyomi @vintagexparker

The Next Chapter Taglist:

@bnha-meme-sanctuary @nachotrash @haijkk @maadaaaa @prettyinblack231 @sakusasimpbot @kellesvt @bebetiny @ash-levi @calumsfringe @z3ld4 @erinoikawa @bandaged-despair @chaseyui @atria-avior @just-that-bi-girl @magical-fandoms @one-simp-more

[whump-a-la-mode]

For BTHB: villainsicle & not used to freedom if you’re interested!

Thanks so much for the ask! (Sorry about the weird posting time, I usually schedule my posts, but I don’t think you can schedule asks (?))

This probably takes place sometime between Part 7 and Part 8, whenever I write that. I hope you like it!

CW//Superhero whump, villain whumpee, trauma, conditioned whumpee, forced not to speak, implied starvation, paranoia, security cameras

Leader bit down on the pliers they held precariously between their teeth. Below them, the stepstool shifted and shuddered, complaining about the uneven weight placed atop it. With a series of muffled grunts and swears, they wrestled with the metal post affixing the security camera to the wall. It budged this way and that, but refused to give way.

The knock on the door shocked them nearly enough to send them collapsing to the ground.

Abandoning their work, Leader instead grabbed the top step of the stepstool, struggling to keep their balance. Once they were certain that they were no longer in danger of toppling over, they spoke, as well as they could with clenched teeth:

“Who is it?”

“Uh, it’s Counselor. Is this a bad time?”

“No. No, you’re fine, come in.”

The door opened as Leader climbed down from the stepstool, placing the pliers on their desk.

In all truth, they didn’t really need an office. They weren’t some kind of manager, they had no paperwork to sign and no interviews to host. Still, it just felt... right. As if something as simple as a room with a desk was what made them a leader.

Counselor stepped into the room, with as soft of steps as ever. They had an odd manner about them, always walking like a kid on their way to the principal’s office. Slow, careful, as if they were being judged on their gait alone. Their voice was just as nervous.

“How’s it going, um, taking down the cameras?” They asked, closing the door behind themself.

“Fine, I guess.” Leader moved to wipe a droplet of sweat from their forehead. They had been at the work all day. Not alone, certainly, but they hadn’t had nearly as much help as they would’ve liked to. They couldn’t spare the manpower. “This is just about the last one. But it’s not budging.”

“Oh. Um, do you want some help?”

“Sure, if you want.”

Counselor nodded, ascending the stepstool and reaching for the camera. They were somewhat shorter than Leader, and they struggled somewhat to get a grip on the metal.

Once they did, however, they made no hesitation. The steel bar snapped, warped with the sheer force with which it was pulled. Shards of plaster rained down-- some of the wall had come off with the camera.

“Oops. Uh, sorry about that, I can-”

“Don’t worry about it.” Leader shook their head, mentally adding the damage onto their ever-growing list of problems. “Is there something I can help you with?”

“Kind of.” Counselor nodded, placing down the mangled camera. “Not so much as help. More like, uh, permission, I guess.”

“Oh?” They raised a brow.

“I know Medic told us not to mess with Villain. And you told us not to mess with Villain. And... you get the idea. But I’m worried.”

“Worried?”

“I mean, just, imagine what it’s like in their shoes. They almost died, and now they’re locked up in enemy territory. I think they’re scared.”

“Ya think?”

“I know they’re scared. And, I mean, I don’t mean to be rude, but I don’t think Medic’s visits are helping much.”

“You want to visit them?”

“Mhm.” Counselor looked flushed. “I thought I could maybe bring them something to eat? Something other than that crud Medic has been giving them. A peace offering, I guess.”

“I guess.”

“Yeah. Um, would that be okay?”

“I...” Leader sighed, slumping their shoulders. “I know Villain is scared. I know that. But they’re dangerous, too. We can’t forget that. They haven't used their powers against us yet, not since the hospital, but that doesn’t mean they won’t. Do you think you can defend yourself? If anything happens?”

“I mean... I can lift a car.” Counselor smiled sheepishly. “I think I’ll be okay.”

“Okay. Then, yes. Just be careful. We can’t trust them.”

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The cell was too big.

Villain hadn’t dared to rise from their bed, but they could tell as such just by looking. If they had to guess, the prison was about 20 by 15 feet. A thin carpet covered the floor, with papered walls and a solid ceiling.

The bed was pressed against the back wall, right in the middle of it. A door was embedded in the right wall, leading to god knows where.

The setup was terrifying. There was little other way to put it.

The bed was impossible to defend. It had no footboard, leaving it exposed from three sides. The room itself posed a similar predicament-- there was nothing to hide behind. Too big to defend, not big enough to flee from an attacker.

It had been designed as such, certainly. A prison of vulnerability.

There was no place for them to hide, and no place for them to hide anything. A bottle of water and some crackers had been left in the room, before they’d been imprisoned within. Either a mistake or a trap. Regardless, it was food and drink. Valuable beyond description.

At home, they had become used to storing such things in the ceiling. The tiles could be easily loosed. Not here. No, there were no tiles here. Another intentional measure, certainly, but could they truly not have been given even such a small amount of leeway?

Apparently not.

Seemingly, though, their captors hadn’t realized that on their bed, with enough shifting, room could be created between the mattress and the bedframe. Not much, but just enough to store away the food. They could only hope that it was hidden well enough-- if it was noticed, their hoard would surely be taken.

Villain had been in the process of checking on their stored food when a knock sounded at the door. Their heart leapt to their throat in a single beat. Scrambling, they flattened themself against the bed. They had been sleeping. Just sleeping. They tried to force their breathing to slow, but couldn’t manage it.

They shook.

“It’s Counselor. Is it okay if I come in?”

It was a question-- bait. Baiting a reply. Baiting them to speak.

They wouldn’t fall for it. They knew how to be good, how to obey. They’d be trained for this.

It was several seconds of silence before Counselor spoke again.

“Um, I don’t know if you’re asleep or, uh, I’m just gonna come in.”

Metal scraped on metal as a key was forced into a lock, turned, and removed. The door creaked open.

Villain stayed still. They didn’t know the rules of this place, but they knew their training. Stick to their training. They could do that.

Counselor wasn’t an intimidating person, not in stature, but they meant little. They entered the room on gentle feet, closing the door behind them.

There was something in their hands, but Villain couldn’t quite make it out. They bit their tongue.

“Are you awake? Sorry if I’m waking you up. I know you need your rest.”

Another question. More bait.

Counselor sighed. Villain’s heart lurched.

“I know you’re scared, but you don’t have to pretend to be asleep. I’m not here to hurt you. You don’t have to talk if you don't want to but... please. You don’t have to be afraid. Can you sit up? If you have the energy?”

Sit up. An order. They could do that. At least, they could try.

Ever since they had woken up here, they could hardly keep their eyes open. Their limbs responded as though underwater, all the way at the bottom of the Mariana Trench. Sitting straight up didn’t work. They rolled onto the side, using their arms to brace themself.

Slowly, slowly, they sat up.

“Yeah! That’s it.” Counselor smiled. Villain wasn’t sure why. “See? You’re getting better already.”

Their captor neared, moving to the side of the bed. With each advancing pace, Villain could feel their heartbeat increase. Maybe Counselor was carrying torture implements with them? Knives and acid and...

“I brought something for you.”

Villain felt about to puke.

Counselor held up the item they had in their hands. The plate was laden with food-- pancakes and eggs and a slice of bacon on the edge. All complete with fork and knife. Plastic utensils, of course, but, still.

They fought back drool.

“You don’t have to eat all of it. I know you may not have too much of an appetite right now, so just eat what you can.”

Villain glanced to the food, then to Counselor, then back to the plate. It didn’t make sense. They wanted to ask, to talk, but, no. Of course they couldn’t talk. Assets didn’t talk.

Counselor frowned.

“Can you speak? Do you want, uh, pencil and paper? To write down? You can speak-”

Villain gasped. They hadn’t even realized they had been holding their breath for so long.

“I- m-” Now that they couldn't speak, they didn’t know what to say. “Why?”

“Why?”

“What do you... what do you want from me?”

Counselor raised a brow, as if Villain had spontaneously begun speaking Greek.

“Well, um, I do have a bit of a deal.” Of course. There was always a catch. “You can have this, as much of it as you want. But, if I let you have it, will you let me brush your hair? I know that’s kinda weird.” Counselor flushed. “You don’t have to let me, I mean, it’s your food, either way, but- Can I?”

That was all? No training? No commands?

“O- Of course?” Villain’s gaze moved back to the food once more. “Please. Please.”

“Thank you.” Counselor smiled. They held out the food, which Villain took, placing it on their lap.

It didn’t feel real. What was the catch? Poison? Drugs? Something worse?

They didn’t care. It didn’t matter. They would eat cyanide if it looked that good.

With trembling hands, they picked up the fork, taking a piece of egg and putting it in their mouth.

The tears were immediate. They weren’t ashamed to admit that fact.

A gentle hand was placed on their shoulder as the bristles of a brush began working their way through their matted hair. Villain took another bite.

In that moment, they were convinced, more than anything, that they had died and ascended to heaven.

[wayward-dreamer]

Life’s Lessons - Part 6

Title: Life’s Lessons - A Lesson in Starting Fresh

Pairing: Mechanic!Dean x Female!Teacher!Reader (eventual)

Other Pairings: Dean x Lisa, Female!Reader x OMC – Ethan (past, mentioned), Female!Reader x OMC – Mark

Word Count: 7,712 (messages, thoughts, lyrics in italics).

Part Summary: Y/N and Dean try to distract themselves from what happened the night before, despite the fact that they can’t stop thinking about each other. However, after an incident at school between Ben and another student, Y/N makes a difficult decision. Later, as she meets someone who could help her forget about Dean, he finds out what Lisa’s been hiding from him.

Warnings: Angst, Guilt, Alcohol consumption, Some fluff, Mentions of cheating.

Music: Good as Hell by Lizzo (playing in the background as Y/N gets dressed for girls’ night out), Starting Over by Chris Stapleton (Y/N and Mark scene).

Life’s Lessons Spotify Playlist

A/N: I loved reading all of your responses to Part 5, I’m so happy you guys loved it and were surprised and shocked! That’s what I live for hahaha! I hope you guys continue to enjoy this series as we move forward. It’s a bit of ride, but I promise the result is going to be worth it! Thank you so much for all of your support, it really means a lot. Happy reading and enjoy! :)

Life’s Lessons Masterlist 

The next morning brought cloudy skies, a gloom that matched the way Y/N was feeling as her eyes fluttered open. She turned her head and looked out the window, frowning as she saw the clouds in the sky. She loved the summer but now with fall settling in, the hopes for even one more day of warmth were over.

The thoughts of Dean hadn’t left her mind since the night before, as much as she tried to not think about him. The way he felt against her, his hard torso against hers, his calloused hands against her skin, the feeling of his muscles against her hands even through his shirt, his lips against hers… it had all stirred feelings within her that she wished she didn’t have for someone who was taken. She couldn’t do anything about the way she was feeling.

As she stood up from the bed and rubbed the sleep out of her eyes, she couldn’t help but think about how much more complicated things had gotten. All because she couldn’t keep away from Dean.

She really was in trouble.

The shower turned on, wetting Dean’s hair as he tilted his head into the spray. The water flowed down his back, seeping into his skin. He closed his eyes and stroked the water through his hair a few times to get it soaked down to the scalp. He opened his eyes and stared at the tiled wall in front of him. He couldn’t stop thinking about what happened last night. The way Y/N felt against him, her smooth skin against his calloused fingers, her soft lips kissing his. He couldn’t get her out of his mind; being that close to her turning him on in ways he hadn’t been in a long time.

As Dean finished up in the shower and got dressed for the day, his mind was still on Y/N. However, guilt washed over him. He felt like he needed another shower. Maybe ten. It had been quite a few months since he and Lisa had been intimate in any way. The last time they even tried to start something up, she stopped him before anything could happen, saying she had lost the urge. He knew there were other ways to be close to someone but having been in a relationship for 3 years, and suddenly lacking a sex life in the last few months meant that he was incredibly frustrated. It had been a lot of time with his hand, in the shower or the bedroom when no one was around. He had never strayed however, and he wouldn’t, even if he had a moment of weakness with Y/N. He had stopped himself and he was going to make an effort with Lisa. Then maybe, just maybe, they could go back to the way things were.

Dean walked into the kitchen, seeing her and Ben laughing about some video on her phone, as they ate breakfast. He smiled as he saw her face light up. She was a beautiful woman, and anyone could see that. He cared very deeply for her, always had. It just never became more than that. He loved her but he wasn’t in love with her, but if they tried again, he knew that he could be.

He walked over and watched her lift her head to see him walking towards her. He leaned in and kissed her slowly on the lips, trying to see what her reaction would be. When she pulled away with a small smile, he tried not to feel too optimistic.

“Looks good” he said, as he sat down and piled several pieces of bacon onto his plate.

“It’s probably going to rain, so we can’t go to the park and swing a few bats” Ben informed him, sadly.

“Damn” Dean muttered as he looked out the windows and saw the grey skies. “That’s a shame.”

“I have to run a few errands, so you’re both welcome to join me” Lisa chimed in.

Ben groaned as he pushed the eggs around in his plate.

Dean snickered as he watched him. “Maybe I can call Sam. He’s not working on a case right now; we can drive into the city and all hang out at the big arcade. How ‘bout that?”

Ben’s eyes lit up. “Really?”

“Yeah, if it’s cool with your mom” Dean said, looking between him and Lisa.

“Sure” she smiled at her son.

“Yes!” Ben pumped his fist, eating his food properly now.

“Thanks” Lisa said as she looked at Dean, with half a smile.

Dean nodded as he tucked in.

It wasn’t much of a reaction, but he would take what little happiness he could get from her.

“Alright, go nuts” Dean told Ben, and watched the kid dash off into the arcade.

Dean turned to Sam and shook his head with a laugh, taking a sip from his beer. They both sat in the adjoining diner, watching Ben through the windows. While he was going crazy on all the games, Dean got the chance to talk his brother.

“How’s Eileen?” Dean asked, his fingers drumming against the bottle to the beat of the AC/DC song playing overhead.

“She’s good, a little tired, but good” Sam replied, taking a bite of his salad. “The new firm’s kicking her ass but she’s kicking theirs right back, so I’m proud of her.”

Dean smiled, albeit a little sadly as he saw how much his brother loved his wife. “That’s great, man.”

There was a moment of quiet as Dean kept picking at the label on the beer bottle, when Sam spoke up.

“I don’t know if I should ask this, but… how are things with Lisa?” Sam asked, tentatively.

Dean huffed, shaking his head. “Pretty much the same as always. If we’re not ignoring each other, we’re fighting about something. I’m trying to be a little more… I’m trying to get us back to some place closer to how we were but… I don’t know.”

Sam frowned, lines forming on his forehead as he worried over what Dean just said. “You’re sure you don’t want to just… end it before things get worse?”

“No” Dean said, too quickly. He looked out the window to see Ben playing Galaga. “I can’t do that to him.”

“Dean, what you and Lisa are doing is worse for him. This way, at least it’s a clean enough break and everyone can move on without too much damage” Sam explained, pushing his plate to the end of the table, finished with his meal.

“I know” Dean said, quietly.

“So, what’s the problem?” Sam shrugged. “Yeah okay, you had some good years, and that’s great but… you can try all you want to get those years back, it might not do anything. Lisa has been emotionally checked out from this for a long time now, and let’s face it, you are too. You’re both just in this for Ben.”

Dean took a swig of his beer but didn’t say anything.

“Dean, you deserve to be happy with the right woman, not miserable with the one who you thought was the right one” Sam said, leaning his arms on the table as he looked his brother.

“Sam” Dean groaned. “Just stop, okay?”

“But, Dean-” Sam started but Dean cut him off.

“You said what you had to say, alright? You made your point. Let’s move on” Dean said, his tone almost pleading.

“Okay” Sam whispered.

“Good” Dean muttered, picking up a few fries from his plate and shoving them into his mouth.

With his brother’s mind preoccupied with the food in front of him, Sam stared at Dean, seeing the turmoil written on his face. His brother was loyal to a fault, but he had seen for a while now how much this relationship was hurting him. He never listened to anyone, not him, their parents, his friends, about breaking up with Lisa. He always cited that Ben was the reason he needed to stay, but there was also another reason that Dean hated to admit to anyone, even himself. Sam could see it, though. His big brother was afraid of being alone.

Sam knew he couldn’t tell Dean to break up with Lisa any more than he already had. He had to realize that’s what he needed for himself, and maybe, he could find peace after it.

Later in the evening, Y/N laughed as she opened her door and walked into the house, Charlie following in behind her. They had just come back from a slasher movie, which hadn’t turned out to be very good, but you couldn’t expect a lot from a B grade film. That didn’t matter though, as they still got to enjoy lunch before that, and were just going to hang out now that they were at Y/N’s.

“God, that guy couldn’t act!” Charlie complained as she sank into Y/N’s couch. She kicked her converse off and brought her legs up. She had instantly made herself comfortable at her house, and Y/N couldn’t be happier with that.

Y/N continued to laugh, nodding as she agreed. “I know! And what about the scene where the axe went through his head? It totally didn’t connect!”

“Right?” Charlie shook her head, giggling.

“Alright, what are we drinking?” Y/N asked as her laughter died down and she walked into the kitchen.

“Whiskey” Charlie replied, quickly without thinking too much about it.

“Ooh, yes. Perfect for this weather” Y/N said, as she looked out the window at the light drizzle.

Y/N brought the bottle and two tumblers over, sitting next to her redheaded friend. She poured a couple of fingers in each and handed her one, clinking their glasses together. They both took a sip and Y/N sat back, smiling contently. It had been a good day, a nice distraction from her neighbor who she had feelings for. Her face must’ve changed when she thought about him for split second, because Charlie picked up on it.

“You okay?” she asked, curiously.

“Yeah” Y/N huffed with a small laugh. “Why wouldn’t I be?”

“You just seem like something’s on your mind” Charlie shrugged.

Y/N looked away from her and sighed. She was going to flip when she told her.

“I… went over to Dean’s for dinner last night” she started, waiting to get to the point.

“Nice. I hope Lisa was a bit more open than last time” Charlie commented.

Y/N bit her lip nervously, before letting it go. “She… she wasn’t there.”

One of Charlie’s eyebrows lifted up. “Okay…”

“We, uh… we had a great time. We talked a lot about his family, about mine. I… I told him about Ethan” Y/N told her, staring into her glass at the amber liquid.

“Wow” Charlie breathed out. “How did that go?”

Y/N smiled as she thought back to how he told her she was the strongest person he knew. She didn’t feel like she was, but just knowing that he thought that about her made her feel like she could be.

“It went well. In the moment I thought about against telling him, but he just… he made me feel so safe that I told him a little of it” Y/N said, the soft smile still on her face. “Not everything just yet, but I trust him and maybe I can tell him more, eventually.”

Charlie stared at her, knowing her new friend was falling for one of her old friends was incredible to see, but she didn’t want her heart to get broken by the situation at hand.

“Y/N… I’m glad you felt the confidence to tell him. I’m even more happy that he made you feel safe to open up, but… but you have to tread lightly here” Charlie said, carefully.

“I know” Y/N agreed.

“It’s my fault, really. I told you about Dean and Lisa’s relationship, but that was only because of what you said happened at dinner here-” Charlie said, but cut her off.

“It’s okay, Charlie, really” she reassured her, taking her hand in hers. “I know why you told me that. Believe me, I know. It’s just…”

“What?” Charlie knew there was something she wasn’t telling her.

Y/N sighed in defeat. “We kissed.”

“What?!” Charlie yelled, sitting forward as she stared wide eyed at Y/N.

“We had a great time, we were laughing, and he made dessert, and… fuck, it just happened” Y/N shook her head, saying it out loud made it more real, and made the guilt flood in again.

“Y/N!” Charlie yelled.

“I know!” Y/N yelled, burying her face into the couch cushions. “I’m a shitty person.”

“No, you’re not” Charlie told her, helping her off the couch cushions. “We just can’t let that happen again.”

“And I won’t” Y/N vowed. “I think it’s out of my system in the crappiest way possible, and it’s done now. Even if it was the best kiss of my life… I’m done.”

“Really?” Charlie asked, in awe of the statement she just made. “The best of your life?”

Y/N nodded, sheepishly. “It was like… like I was always meant to be there, with him.”

A silence fell as the two friends looked at each other, before Charlie spoke.

“I hate to say it, but… I think that’s where it has to end” Charlie said, as gently as she could.

“I know” Y/N nodded, firmly.

On those final words, the friends moved away from talking about it. Y/N knew that what happened last night couldn’t happen again. It would be hard to let him go, but she had to. She wasn’t going to break up a family. That’s not the kind of person she was. She had a moment of giving in, but it was done and dusted. Swept under a rug, never to see the light of day again. From that point forward, it would be strictly professional. She was Ben’s teacher and that was it. She may be their friendly neighbor, but she couldn’t be Dean’s friend.

She couldn’t have another moment to give into.

Dean smiled as he sipped his beer while sitting on the couch, watching Ben recall the day’s events to his mom. They had a great time with Sam at the arcade, playing all the games and eating junk food. After a while, Ben retreated to his room and Dean knew he’d been listening to his music before going to bed.

Dean walked into the bedroom after finishing his beer, watching Lisa get changed into her pyjamas. He moved up behind her after she took her top off, wrapping his arms around her waist. He leaned down, placing kisses along her shoulder.

“Dean” she said, a slight laugh bubbling up from her. “Stop.”

“Oh, come on, Lis. Ben’s in his room, probably has his headphones on” he said, between planting kisses on her shoulder. “We haven’t in a while…”

“Dean, please” she said, as she pulled away from him. However, when she turned around, she looked a little annoyed. “Maybe… maybe another time.”

Dean was surprised by that, considering she laughed a little when he came up behind her. “Yeah. Okay.”

She moved away from him, walked into the bathroom and shut the door, locking it.

Dean sighed as he changed into a pair of sweatpants and a black t-shirt. He left the room and into the living room, turning the lights off. He dropped his phone on the coffee table and laid down on the couch. It was a familiar feeling as he had done this a few times over the last year. Considering things didn’t go the way he thought they would tonight, he knew it was better to stay away for now. He pulled the throw blanket over himself and closed his eyes.

After some time, he opened them. He wasn’t going to sleep. He lifted his head and looked at the clock on the wall, the time reading 10.30pm. It wasn’t late for him, as he usually fell asleep in the AM on a weekend. He picked up his phone and started scrolling through different things, before an idea came to him. Hopefully she wasn’t asleep yet.

Y/N sat up in bed, reading, the bedside lamp provided the light she needed as it bathed the room in a warm glow. She pushed her red glasses up the bridge of her nose when she felt them falling, flipping the page. Charlie had left an hour ago, which gave her some time to herself and the ability to lose herself in her latest read. As she read, her phone chimed. She frowned, wondering who could be texting her at this hour. She thought it must be Charlie, wanting to tell her some funny anecdote, but her eyebrows furrowed as she picked up her phone from the bedside table and looked at the screen.

Dean: Any chance you’re free tomorrow? We need to talk.

She sighed as she placed her book down next to her and typed out her response.

Dean frowned as he saw what she had written.

Y/N: I don’t think that’s such a good idea, Dean.

Dean: We can’t just ignore what happened, Y/N.

She shook her head. She couldn’t be pulled into this again. She had no desire to talk about it, choosing instead to forget about it and make sure it never happened again.

Y/N: I think that’s exactly what we need to do. Forget it happened. Goodnight, Dean.

Dean looked down at the message and shook his head. How could he forget when she was constantly on his mind? He was trying, had been trying all day, but the fact was he couldn’t stop thinking about her. He couldn’t deny he had developed feelings for her. He told himself he would try with Lisa, but would it do any good? He just needed to talk to Y/N and see whether they were on the same page or capable of getting there, and then go from there.

He decided to put his phone and sleep on it. Maybe things would be clearer in the morning.

Monday quickly rolled around, and Y/N was thankful. School was a good distraction from the drama in her life, even if Ben was there. She was going to have her 8th graders after lunch, so as she ate, she had enough time to look over what she needed to do for class. She was in the middle of reviewing her lesson plans when she heard someone call out her name. She looked up and saw Chuck walking towards her.

“Hey, Y/N, can we talk for a minute?” he asked, politely.

“Sure” she replied, but slightly nervous as she didn’t know what this is about.

As she followed him into his office, she sat down across him as he sat at his desk.

“Don’t worry, it’s not anything to worry about” he assured her, when he saw her looking like a deer in headlights. “I just wanted to ask you how things have been going.”

She sighed in relief, a smile appearing on her face. “Things have been great. Challenging, but I think I’ve handled it.”

“That’s great to hear” he returned her smile. “I’ve had some calls from parents telling me how much their kids have liked you, so all I can say is keep doing what you’re doing.”

“Thanks, Mr. Shurley” she said.

“Ah” he waved a finger at her.

“Sorry” she laughed, slightly. “Chuck.”

“You’re welcome” he said with a small nod.

She quickly left his office with a smile on her face. Hearing that from Chuck was exactly what she needed today. It was the reassurance she needed that coming to Lawrence was a good decision. It was a reminder of why she came here, for this job and to inspire these kids, not for any unnecessary situations outside of school. She really just had to put her head down and do what she needed to and forget about Dean. Even if he did live across street from her, right now, he couldn’t exist.

As she walked from the staff room to the classroom after lunch, she watched kids file into the rooms, ready for the next period. She smiled as she turned the corner, ready to see her students but it dropped the minute she entered the room.

Ben and another student, Tommy, were roughly pushing each other back and forth, some of the other kids in class yelling for them to stop, while others yelled for them to keep going. She quickly dropped her things on the desk and rushed over, attempting to pull them apart.

“Stop it, stop it right now” she said, her teacher voice louder than usual. “Ben, Tommy – STOP!”

She got in the middle, either hand on the boys’ shoulders, watching them breathe heavily as they glared at each other. She thought about sending them over to Chuck’s office, but they’d probably kill each other on the way over.

“You two, sit down right now. We’re going to Mr. Shurley’s office straight after class” she said, sternly.

The rest of the kids were timid for the rest of the class. She had rearranged some of them so that Ben and Tommy were sitting as far away from each other as possible. Things were tense through the whole period, but she was glad that once it was over, Ben and Tommy stayed in their seats as the other kids filed out.

“So, who wants to tell me what happened before we head over to Mr. Shurley’s office?” she asked, looking between both of the boys.

Tommy stared down at the desk, refusing to speak. Y/N knew he wasn’t going to say anything and looked over at Ben. He looked at her with a mournful yet angry look. Clearly it was something bad.

“Tommy was making fun of me, that Dean’s not my real dad, that I don’t know who my dad is” he told her, side eying Tommy.

Y/N’s heart sank into her stomach. This was worse than she thought.

She nodded, calmly standing up from her desk and walking over to Ben. “Tommy, make your way to the Principal’s office, please. You can explain to him why I sent you, and that Ben and I are on our way.”

Tommy rolled his eyes as he got up from the desk, slinging his backpack over his shoulder as he walked out. She was going to be there soon, so he knew he didn’t have a chance to escape.

Y/N took a chair and placed in front of Ben’s desk, sitting down across from him. After a few seconds of figuring what to say, she clasped her hands as she looked at him.

“I can’t imagine what it’s like to hear what Tommy said to you, Ben, but what I do know is that what you and Dean have is special. He cares a lot about you, and he treats you like you’re his, doesn’t he?” she said, pausing after she asked him a question.

Ben responded with only a nod.

��Then that’s all that matters. You know your relationship with Dean better than anyone, and what others have to say about it, doesn’t change the fact that you’re a family. That Dean’s your family” she explained, with a small smile at the end.

There was a brief pause before Ben finally spoke.

“I’m sorry that I’ve been quiet in class. It’s just weird seeing you around the neighborhood and our street, and then here, too” he said, looking up at her.

She was shocked. That wasn’t what she expected him to say.

She smiled, softly. “It’s okay, Ben. I’m sure it’s strange for me to be friends with Dean and your mom.”

She added Lisa in only for Ben, because she knew they were far from friends.

Ben shook his head. “No, not really.”

Y/N nodded. She was almost hoping he said it was strange, so that not being around Dean would be a bit easier.

“Alright” she said, standing up. “We better get over there.”

“Am I gonna get into trouble for pushing Tommy?” he asked, as he stood up and followed her.

She frowned, not sure what would happen. “Maybe an after-school detention at most, considering neither of you are seriously hurt.”

“Great” he said, rolling his eyes.

Sure enough, as they discussed everything in Chuck’s office, both Tommy and Ben were going to have to do after-school detention, which Y/N was meant to be supervising that day, coincidentally. Tommy apologized to Ben and then both of the boys were off to their next class, albeit slightly late, but Chuck had already informed the next teachers’ of why they would be late. Chuck told her that he’d call the parents as she left his office. She had literally been there a couple of hours ago, for some good feedback and now this happened. Talk about two ends of the spectrum. Though she had to be thankful nothing worse happened to either of the boys.

The length of time seemed to stretch on forever as Y/N waited for after-school detention to be over. There were couple of other kids in there with Ben and Tommy, who looked like he was ready to run as soon as the time was up.

All of them bolted as soon as she opened her mouth to tell them they could go. Ben gave her a small smile as he walked out of the room, which she returned. He was a good kid and didn’t deserve to be talked about the way he was, no kid did. She hoped it wouldn’t weigh heavily on him after this experience. She quickly packed her own things, putting on her dark grey coat over her dark grey A-line dress, with a deep red belt and collar. She was more than ready to go home herself.

Dean leaned against the Impala, waiting for Ben to come out of the school. He clocked off early to come and get him after he was done with detention, as Lisa was working late. She had called him and told him what happened, and now here was. He smiled as he watched Ben walk out and over to him.

“Hey” he said, putting an arm around him. “You okay?”

“Yeah” Ben nodded.

“Alright, well, you can fill me in on why you had to go to detention on the way home” Dean said, as he opened the car door.

As he was about to get in, he saw Y/N leaving the school, pulling her coat tight around her, protecting herself from the wind. His eyes followed the lines of her legs in her stockings and black heels, shaking his head of the thoughts that flashed through his mind.

“Hey, just wait here, okay?” he said to Ben.

“Sure” Ben replied, not really looking up at where Dean was heading off to, as he got into the passenger side.

Dean jogged up to Y/N, quickly catching up to her. “Y/N!” he called out and watched her turn around.

Y/N was shocked to hear his familiar voice call out to her. She didn’t expect to see him there and swallowed nervously. “Dean, hi.”

“Listen, I know you said that we shouldn’t talk about what happened, but I just… I have to know-” he started but she cut him off, shaking her head.

“You don’t have to say anything, Dean” she said, quietly, her emotions getting the better of her. She didn’t want to do what she was about to, but she had to. “It was a lapse in judgement for both of us. A moment of weakness that won’t ever happen again.”

Dean knew there was truth to her words but hearing them made his heart feel heavy. As much as he was trying in the last couple of days with Lisa, it hadn’t done much for his hopes that they would be fine again. He wanted to talk to Y/N and see if they could work something out.

“I just think-” he started but she cut him off again.

“No, Dean. Just don’t. You have a family. They’re the ones you should be thinking about, not me. That kid over there” she said and pointed to the car where Ben was. “He considers you his family, and I know you feel the same. I won’t break up a family, Dean. I just won’t.”

He looked between the car and her. She was right. He cared about Ben, and he was only in this relationship for him now. To be in his life. Did that mean he had to be miserable with Lisa forever, though? He didn’t know what to do.

“Do you regret it?” he needed to know if she felt the same way as him. He wished he hadn’t done it while he was with Lisa, but it happened. However, remembering how she felt against him… it felt right.

She shook her head, feeling tears prick her eyes. “No. And that’s the problem.”

She should’ve felt regret. She should’ve hated what she did. She felt guilty for it happening but at the same time, she couldn’t regret kissing him. She had never felt a connection like that with anyone she had been with.

“But that doesn’t mean I don’t feel guilty” she said, before pressing her lips together to keep them from quivering. “Ben’s a great kid. At the end of the day… I have to look out for him as much as you do. I’m not his parent but I am his teacher. I have a sense of responsibility to him.”

He felt a pang in his heart as she looked at him, tears threatening to fall.

“I know you have your issues with Lisa, and I want… more than anything, to say forget it all and take me in your arms, but I can’t. I shouldn’t be thinking about you in the ways that I do. I shouldn’t be thinking about what life would be like with you” she shook her head, everything just spilling out in a ramble of emotions.

“Y/N…” he whispered, slowly putting his hand on her shoulder. He wanted to tell her that he thought the same things.

She gasped, feeling the warmth of his hand radiate through her. She gulped and breathed in deep. She looked at him with a stony expression. She had to put her walls up and walk away. It was the only way to save herself from heartbreak and for him to not feel like crap for what happened.

“I’m… going to step back for a while. You’ll see me around, I know, but we have to pretend like nothing happened. You have to think of me as your neighbor, as Ben’s teacher, and that’s it. We can’t be friends anymore, Dean” she said, as a tear finally escaped and rolled down her cheek.

Dean’s eyes widened as he shook his head. “What? No. Screw that-”

She shook her head when he tried take her hand in his. “It’s too hard to be around you and not be with you, Dean.”

“Y/N” he said, finally getting close enough to her that he could take her hand in his and she couldn’t stop him. “Don’t do this.”

“I’m sorry, Dean. I have to. They’re your family and you care about them; I can see that. And I can also see that you care about Ben. So much so, that you’re willing to stay in this relationship for him” she said, smiling sadly. “You’re a good man, Dean. You’re loyal and you’re trustworthy, kind and loving… but at some point, you have to decide whether what you’re staying in this for is a good enough reason.”

Dean stared at her but didn’t say anything.

“It’s a big decision to make… but I can’t make it for you by continuing the way we have been. It isn’t fair to anyone.” Her voice cracked, slightly shaky but she managed to keep the rest of her tears at bay.

Dean shook his head as he looked at her. Everything she said made sense. Despite it, he couldn’t help but feel his heart sink at her words. Not being friends would feel weird, especially if he saw her around and couldn’t say anything to her. Maybe… maybe they needed this, though. He needed to give Lisa a chance without Y/N being a constant in his life. He told himself he would try, and now he had a proper chance to do so.

“It’s gonna be weird… not talking to you” he said, honestly.

She nodded, looking into his eyes. His beautiful eyes that she always lost herself in. “I know.”

“Take care of yourself, Y/N” he muttered, his jaw clenched, eyebrows furrowed.

“You too, Dean” she whispered. “Whatever you decide… just make sure you’re doing the right thing. For everyone.”

She looked at him one last time, and even though she probably shouldn’t have, she leaned in and softly kissed his stubbled cheek. It would probably be a mixed signal, but she couldn’t leave him there looking so sad.

As she walked away, Dean could feel a tingle on his cheek where she had imprinted her kiss, much like she had on his lips, previously. Watching her walk away made his stomach uneasy, feeling it churn as she got into her car. She would be right there across the street, and he wouldn’t be able to talk to her. He didn’t know how to process that as he walked back to the car where Ben was waiting for him.

When Y/N got into her car, she watched as Dean got into the Impala and drove off, the rumbling of the engine reaching her ears, even from this distance.

As she drove home, she knew she had to make peace with her decision. As much as she wanted to take it back, she had to let him go.

Once and for all.

2 weeks later…

Y/N sipped the last of her vodka martini, bopping her head in time to the music. Next to her, Charlie was doing the same. She was glad when Meg suggested they come out to the city for a night on the town, on Saturday night. She needed a night of good drinks, good music, and maybe even a little flirting.

It had been two weeks since she had talked to Dean in the school parking lot. In that time, she had barely seen him. Just once or twice as she left for work in the morning and so did he, and once when she was coming back from the grocery store. She had seen him with Lisa one night, coming back from what looked like date night. She was glad that things were going a bit better for them, but it didn’t mean it didn’t hurt seeing them together.

Which is why when Meg had suggested they drive up to Kansas City to go to a bar she liked; Y/N jumped at the chance. As Lizzo serenaded her from her “Badass Women” playlist, she put on a black lace bodysuit and mini leather skirt that came to her mid-thigh, her black lace up heeled ankle boots, gave herself a smokey eye with lots of mascara look and a plum colored lip. She put a bit of wave in her hair, smiling at the way she looked. Charlie had whistled when she opened the door as shrugged on her long black coat, and she had laughed a little nervously when Meg told her she was “totally gonna get laid tonight.” It was her first time meeting the dark-haired woman in person, and she liked her instantly. She had like her even as they chatted over the phone, but it was different now. She seemed like a take-no-shit type of person, and Y/N liked that.

While she wasn’t expecting anything tonight, Y/N felt confident in the way she looked, having caught a few eyes on her already. Being here had given her a confidence she had been lacking back home, because of all the emotional and mental abuse Ethan had put her through. When Dean told her he admired her strength, that she was beautiful and an incredible person, it awoke something in her. She felt different. She didn’t need validation from anyone, but at the same time knowing that she was appreciated and loved by these amazing people she had met, gave her a new sense of belonging. She finally felt like she was exactly where she needed to be.

Meg pushed her way through the crowd of people, a tray of drinks in her hand. She handed her and Charlie their respective drinks, taking the Shirley Temple for herself, as she had made herself the designated driver.

“Y/N, there’s a group of guys over there, and I swore the blonde one is totally looking at you” she said, pointing discreetly over her left shoulder.

Y/N frowned and looked around, sure enough seeing 4 guys around a table like the girls were, the blonde one looking in their direction.

“He could be looking at you, you know. Or Charlie. I mean he doesn’t know you’re both taken” Y/N shot down the idea.

Charlie scoffed. “Yeah, right. All eyes have been on you tonight.”

“Go over there” Meg told her, her eyes lighting up.

“No” Y/N said, shaking her head.

“Do it or I will” Meg threatened, smiling wickedly.

“You wouldn’t, Masters” Y/N glared at her.

“Watch me, Y/L/N” she laughed as she quickly dashed off.

“Meg!” Y/N called out but she wouldn’t be heard over the music.

Charlie laughed as she took a sip of her drink.

Y/N shook her head at her and took a sip of her martini.

Y/N watched as Meg talked to the blonde guy and then pointed over at her. Y/N gulped nervously when she saw him nod. He was looking at her. Shit. Meg quickly walked back over.

“Girl, he’s so interested! Come on, please go over there” Meg was practically shaking with excitement.

Y/N sighed nervously. Was she ready for this?

It had been a year since she and Ethan had broken up. In that time, she had hooked up twice on two different occasions, back home. It had felt good to just have sex for the release she had needed, but it had been a while since she let herself feel something more for a man. Dean was the first one she had felt a strong connection to since Ethan, back when things were still okay with him. Even then, the pull she felt towards Dean was unlike anything she had ever felt. Not with Ethan, or any other boyfriends from the past.

What she felt for Dean… it still hadn’t fizzled out, as much as she tried to ignore it. Maybe this is what she needed though. To get over him.

She rolled her shoulders back and fixed her hair. “How do I look?”

“Sinful” Meg replied, simply.

She laughed, shaking her head at her new friend. “Okay. I’m going.”

Charlie grinned. “Go get him.”

Y/N hopped off the high-top stool and moved through the crowd. As she did, her Y/E/C eyes connected with his, and he flashed her a smile. She smiled back as she reached the table, his friends quickly excusing themselves. As she got closer and could see him properly in the dim lighting of the room, she saw that he had blue eyes. He was only a few inches taller than her because of her heels, unlike Dean who would tower over her no matter her footwear.

“Hey, I’m Mark” he said, offering his hand.

“Y/N” she took his hand and shook it. She didn’t feel a spark just yet from his touch like she had with Dean so instantly, but that was okay.

“I’ll be honest, I couldn’t stop looking at you all night” he laughed, sounding a little nervous.

She felt the heat rise in her cheeks, and it wasn’t from the alcohol. “Well, you’re not so bad yourself.”

“Let me get you a drink” he said, flagging down a waiter. “What’ll you have?”

“Vodka martini” she said, and watched the waiter walk away to get her a drink. She could’ve just gotten hers from her table, but he had offered to buy her one. She couldn’t say no.

“Thanks” she said, smiling at him.

“You’re welcome” he smirked.

“Do you live here in the city?” she asked, as the song overhead changed to something slower, making it easier to talk.

“Yeah. You?” he asked in return.

“Lawrence” she replied.

“So, what do you do, in Lawrence?” he wondered, smiling at her.

“I’m a teacher, 8th grade English” she smiled back.

“Wow, that’s great” he nodded, approvingly.

“What do you do?” she asked.

“I’m a copywriter, for an ad agency” he replied, handing her the glass as the waiter came back to them. He passed the waiter a few bills before he walked away.

She nodded, approvingly, too. “That’s amazing.”

“Not as glamorous as you would think, though” he laughed, slightly.

“Ah, so nothing like a modern version of Mad Men?” she joked.

He laughed loudly, shaking his head. “Definitely not.”

With a break in conversation, Y/N drifted off as the song that started while they were talking, continued. The words hit her as she thought about her life back home, and the life she was making for herself now, starting over in Lawrence. The song spoke of a person to start over with, and while she longed for that someone to be Dean, she knew it couldn’t be.

It don’t matter to me

Wherever we are is where I wanna be

And, honey, for once in our life

Let’s take our chances and roll the dice

I can be your lucky penny

You can be my four-leaf clover

Starting over

“Hey” Mark’s voice bringing her back to reality. “You alright?”

She smiled, nodding quickly. “Yeah, I’m fine.”

“Just feeling the song, huh?” he asked, laughing.

“I guess” she shrugged.

They talked for a few more minutes before his friends came over and told him they were going to head out.

“I should probably go, too” he said, regretfully. He took out his phone and handed it to her. “Here, put your number in and we can talk some time. Maybe… maybe I can take you out some time?”

She smiled as she typed her number in. A flashback of doing the same thing with Dean’s phone passed through her mind, but she pushed it away. “Yeah.”

“It was nice to meet you, Y/N” he said, smiling.

“You too, Mark” she smiled back, biting her lip.

As he left, she sighed. He was nothing at all like Dean, as she had discovered through their initial conversation. They were completely different in their features, the way they dressed, and the way they talked. Maybe that was a good thing, though. Giving Mark a shot would be the best way to detach herself from Dean. He was adorably cute, and she liked their banter already.

Maybe Mark was what she needed to truly forget about her feelings for Dean.

Dean popped the last bite of his burger into his mouth, humming as the flavors exploded on his tastebuds. He leaned back and took a sip of his beer from the bottle, glancing around the diner. It was a favorite spot for him, Ben and Lisa and they used to come here quite often before things started going sour. Funnily enough, it was Lisa who had suggested they go out for dinner and go there.

Things had been slightly better with her these last couple of weeks. They had managed to have proper conversations without things getting out of hand, and he had even made her laugh a few times. There was still no dice in terms of sex, but he was hoping that would change tonight when they got back home.

Dean looked over at Lisa and Ben sitting across from him, currently having a slight disagreement over him playing games on his phone while they were out and eating dinner.

“Hey” Dean said, interrupting them. “Listen to your mom.”

“Fine” Ben said, rolling his eyes as he put his phone away. “Can I at least get a refill?” He shook his empty glass.

“Yes” Lisa said, smiling slightly.

Ben got up from the table and went and stood in line at the self-serve refill station.

“Thanks” Lisa said as she turned to look at Dean.

“No problem” he said, winking at her.

He smirked when he got a small smile out of her. He couldn’t believe how things were suddenly looking up for them, but he was relieved to not be fighting with her for a change.

Her phone chiming once, then twice got his attention as well as hers. She looked at her phone, but quickly pushed it aside.

“Something wrong?” he asked, frowning.

“No, just my sister. I’ll talk to her later” she replied, shaking her head.

“Lis, it’s your sister. Talk to her, I don’t care” he shrugged, not minding if she took a call.

“No, it’s really okay” she said, her voice shaking a little.

“Lisa, what’s going on?” he asked, starting to suspicious that something was up.

“Nothing” she bit out through gritted teeth.

Dean sighed, annoyed when the phone chimed again. Having spoken to her sister a few times, he figured he’d talk to her and see if everything was okay. He reached across the table and picked up Lisa’s phone.

“Dean!” she protested.

“If you won’t talk to her then let me” he said, looking down at the screen. He glared at the screen as he read the messages. They weren’t from her sister.

Call me when you’re done with dinner.

I can’t stop thinking about you.

I wish you were here with me.

Dean saw that there was no name, just a heart emoji instead. He read the ones on the lock screen, and that was enough for him to get the picture. That was enough for him to know that she was still lying to him. That she had been for more than a year now.

Dean looked at her and saw her face change into fear.

“Something you wanna tell me?” he asked, glaring at her.

-x-

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