#( This only took me five billion years to get to ;; I AM SO SORRY )

[jasmines-library]

I just discovered your blog yesterday and I am INHALING your work! I love your writing, it feels like a movie being played in my head. Oh and the ANGST - JUST ajfhahaskh *Screaming in my pillow rn*.Would you be willing to write a second part of the self harm batfam x reader fic?

~ 🦑

Save Me When I Drown

I'm so glad you like my work hearing that means so much to me. as requested, here is a part 2; sorry it took me a billion years to get to it.

Part 1: Catch Me if I Fall

Warnings: Very nearly self harm, depressive thoughts, relapse. Please read with caution.

Word count: 1.3K

⛤ BATFAM MASTERLIST ⛤

Things had been getting better. Slowly but surely they had. It was a slow process, that of course had not been easy. There were days where you felt like you could run a hundred miles, but there were also days where you couldn’t bring yourself to move. When the urge became too much. And although your brothers were there to help you… today was one of those days. 

The five of you were gathered around the table. Eating together at least once a week had become a tradition, and each of your brothers made a big effort to attend them, though it was rare to make it this far into the meal without being interrupted by Gotham’s infamous residents. And you were trying so hard to keep focused; to enjoy Alfred’s cooking as it melted on your tongue but you just couldn’t. And you hated yourself for it. 

You had to keep your eyes on your plate as you pushed your food aimlessly around the china. Your appetite had gone nearly as soon as you sat down, but you couldn’t look up because you knew as soon as you did you would feel guilty again. Dick sat across from you. A dark bruise had blossomed over his skin, turning it dark shades of maroon and indigo. He had a small laceration on his cheek below the bruise over his eye. It hadn’t needed stitches, but the sight still made you grimace. Beside him, Damian was also bloodied. They were all injured in some way. A stitch here, a sprain there. 

You should have been bothered by them. Injuries were a given in your line of work. But the thing that was tipping you over the edge was the fact that you were completely unscathed. There wasn’t a single hair on your head that was out of place. And it made your skin crawl. The five of them had run into a bit of a predicament with Bane; a particularly grisly fight that had ended with the majority of them spending a day or two on bedrest or in the infirmary. 

You should have been there. You should have been helping them but instead you were sitting in the safety of the manor, watching them on the monitors. Guilt washed over you like an ocean drowning you in your own thoughts. If only you had been quicker to direct them. If only you had pushed Bruce more to let you help out. Surely with an extra pair of hands the risk of injury would have been lowered. You would have had to ask Tim for the exact statistics, but you were sure enough that it would have made a difference. 

Bouncing your thigh leg up and down, you felt as though your skin was burning. Itching. As those thoughts weaselled their way back into your conscience. You picked at the skin around your thumb. Sometimes that helped the urge. But not this time. You had been too slow. Again. Everything was your fault and-

“Y/N?” It was Dick’s voice that broke you out of your trance. It was gentle and he reached out to place a hand on your restless leg under the table. He was ever the observer. The way he looked at you made you want to cry like a fragile child. Soft blue eyes downturned as he raised his eyebrow a fraction with the tilt of his head. “Are you alright?”

You wanted to scream. You wanted to tell him everything. But you kept it bottled up. You didn’t want them to pity you. Besides, you were getting better. That was what you had told yourself. That is what had been happening and it made you so frustrated that you were beginning to feel this way again. 

“Y/N?” Someone else called your name again with the same solemn tone when you refused to reply. You didn’t register who it was because your head was too foggy. Frankly, you didn’t care. You needed to leave.

“ ‘scuse me.” Scraping your chair against the floor, you abandoned your food and made a beeline for the exit. 

You think someone called after you, but you couldn’t focus on anything but the thumping of your heart as you hounded up the stairs and into your room. Shutting the door rather too harshly and locking it behind you, you sank to your knees. Fat tears rolled down your cheeks as your mask fell and you slumped against the ground. You felt so stupid. You were supposed to be getting better. This wasn’t supposed to be happening. You were supposed to be fine and you were supposed to be downstairs eating with the others. God, that made you feel even worse. You sank a little deeper into that ocean of thoughts. They had all made such an effort to be there and you had just fled like a child to their mother. 

Do it. Your mind was barking orders at you again. Old ones that you had fought so hard to forget.

Restlessly you pushed yourself up and made your way over to your closet. Shakily you dug through the draws until your fingers wrapped around the frayed leather. Silent, you turned it over in your palms. Your whole body seemed to tremble as you moved to perch on the edge of the bed. 

Someone was knocking on the door. You could hear them on the other side begging to be let in. begging for you to just answer them. 

You placed the blade against your skin and screwed your eyes up tight. The silver was cool against your skin. 

“Little Bat…please open the door.” Bruce had never sounded more vulnerable as he stood helplessly outside the door. You could almost picture his face: eyebrows downturned and eyes wide as he waited anxiously for you to either open the door or from Tim to return with the spare key to your room. Just in case. 

Trembling, your whole body was wracked by waves of tears each one gripped you tight and was accompanied by a thousand thoughts trying to burn away at the surface of your skin. Your eyes flickered to the knife. One swipe and it would all be gone. One swipe and you would get what you felt like you deserved. But then Bruce’s voice broke through the door. 

“I know you’re scared, Kiddo.”

Your head snapped toward the door. You paused with a shuddering breath.

“And that’s okay. That’s normal.” He continued. “I get scared too. We all do.”

At that moment you knew that your brothers were standing behind the door too, waiting with anxious anticipation that made their fingertips itch. You heard a shuffling, and then Jason’s voice came, muffled by the door. You weren’t entirely sure if he was planning to break it down or not, but his voice was calm. 

“Please open the door Little Wing…” Jason pleaded. “...We love you…and we’re scared.”

And you broke. The dagger clattered to the floor with another bout of tears and you unlocked the door. 

Bruce wrapped you up in his arms the second the door was wide enough to reveal you. He let out a heavy sigh of relief. 

“S-sorry…” You spluttered. “I’m sorry…”

“Shh.” He cupped the back of your head with his hand and you felt one of your brothers place a hand on your shoulder. “You have nothing to be sorry for, Little Wing. You’ve done nothing wrong.”

“But I-”

“Shh.” Tim hushed. “It’s okay.”

“I thought I was getting better.” You sniffled.

Damian frowned. “You are. And we are so proud of how for you have come, sister. This is part of the process, Little Wing.”

“You’ve come so far, Kid.” Dick told you. “And we’re sorry that we didn’t notice how you were feeling until now. But it’s okay, because healing isn’t a linear process. And we’re going to be there with you every step of the way. Through the good and the bad just like we promised.”

You nodded. 

“This is just one of the bad days, Wing.” Tim hummed. “Things will get better, I promise.” 

“And we will love you the entire way.”

Taglist:

@aestheticdaisies

@hell-o-kittys

@xxrougefangxx

@mamapucket

@hearts4robs

[iamthecomet]

I always feel bad for coming in here and just ranting about my problems, cause I know yet aren’t that bad but I can’t really talk to anyone in person here about them and I just feel a little bit better talking here because I feel it’s actually genuine.

But have you ever had someone pray on your down fall, or unknowingly do it? If that makes sense… but I’ve had ppl say they truly didn’t think I’d make it this far, to my face, and weirdly enough I could handle it. I took that and pushed my way to get athletic and academic scholarships. But just now for a project we had in physics only one person in our group had to turn it in, which the professor didn’t say that so we were all working on it. But when we figured it out they called and told me cause I was still working on it but I had don’t all the graphs and formulas and sent it so I could help them out. I asked if they got them and they go “uhhh yeah imma be honest, they weren’t right…” UM HELLO. Thanks for telling me before I turned it in?!?

Like it won’t hurt my feelings if you tell me I’m wrong, give me some advice on how to do it right, but it DOES hurt knowing that your weren’t going to tell me and let me get a bad grade. Thanks. That right there made me lose all trust in those two girls. Girls that I’m taking multiple classes with and am also on the same team with.

I know you get a lot of ppl who like to talk and tell you what’s going on in life, and I think it’s because YOU are a TRUSTWORTHY person, a GENUINE person who wants what’s best for people. So thank you, and all the other online friends for being some of the few people who are like that, holy shit. I know I’m being dramatic but right now I can’t tell if I’m more pissed or sad that it all happened.

But PLEASE distract me tell me all the things in your life right now, good or bad, if you’d like. Tell me fun things that have happened or things you’re excited about!! I’d love to know if you’re doing amazing:)🖤🖤

Holy shit, Mo. In all genuine honesty, fuck those people. Like, seriously. I'm sorry that you have to do so much with them. I think people are so afraid of conflict that they unintentionally create it by being like this. Or maybe they just genuinely don't care--either way it's not a great way to live your life or communicate with other people. And it isn't a reflection on you it's a reflection on them. Ok, enough of that. My life? Christ, Mo. My life is BORING haha. Let's see, my library is planning a solar eclipse party for whatever day in October the partial Solar Eclipse is. We're BARELY getting any actual eclipse but we got sent five billion eclipse glasses and we love an excuse for programming. (And we're getting a full eclipse in April so this is our practice run). So that's going to be my fun work thing for the next couple of weeks! I saw one of my best friends over the weekend. I don't see her much anymore since she left her husband and moved in with her new boyfriend 2 1/2 hours away. But that's alright, she is SO MUCH happier. I made her a little dumpster fire crochet (she immediately named him Daniel). We judged the clueless out of staters for a few hours at a weird craft fair thing we went to, and then we went to the book store and got boba tea and it was just a really wonderful day. I'm in a writing group that's supposed to last from August-May and the end goal is to have a finished draft/self-published book by the end of it. So that is super exciting. I'm working on a story I've been trying to tell for YEARS. I'm just hoping to get it out of my head. It has nothing to do with fantasy, or smut, or ghouls. But I'm hoping it will help me process some shit. It's exciting, I am unmotivated, but I'll make it work haha. Everyone else in the writing group is like 10-40 years older than me so it is a WILD experience. I sort of feel out of place with all these "adults" who read their fancy literary books and I'm over here like "well...I...read books for fun so they have to be fun!" I feel like the dumb little kid in the room. Which I'm pretty used to at this point in my life. But I have faith in my own skill, and I've worked with the guy running it before in short story programs he's done and he has faith in my skill, so I am unbothered by being the weird young person in the room. I am worried that I'm going to get to May had have nothing to show for it--but eh, we'll see when we get there. Please never feel bad about coming to me to vent/talk. I'm glad you know that you can just come into my ask box and decompress from the bullshit. Everyone deserves a place like that. Sending you love and hugs if you want them. And, seriously, fuck those people.

[mikasimaginairyworld]

The Umbrella Academy: Firecracker - The Day that Was (7/30)

Umbrella Academy Masterlist

warnings: blood

word count: 2655

"So who the hell is Harold Jenkins?", Nailah asked.

Five emptied his second cup of coffee and promptly threw it behind him:"I don't know. Yet. But I do know he's responsible for the apocalypse. So we have to find him. And we have to do it now."

"How is he connected to what's gonna happen?", Luther asked still a bit in disbelief.

Five sighed: "I don't know."

"So what, you just know his name? That's it?", Nailah asked.

"That's enough.", Five shrugged.

"There's probably dozens of Harold Jenkinses in the city.", Diego commented.

"Well, we just better start looking then.", Five shot back.

"I'm sorry, am I the only one sceptical here? I mean, how do you know all of this about, what's his name?", Allison an asked while Five's face scrunched. Nailah tiled her head observing Five carefully but didn't say anything.

"Harold Jenkins. You know those lunatics that attacked the house?", Five asked clearly annoyed.

"Oh, yeah. I think I remember those guys.", Klaus confirmed scratching the back of his neck.

"Yeah, the ones that attacked us while you were getting drunk.", Diego added in an accusing tone.

"Yeah. Them. They were sent by the Temps Commission to stop me from coming back and preventing the end of life on Earth.", Five explained.

"The Temps what?", Allison asked confused.

"My former employer. They monitor all of time and space to make sure whatever is supposed to happen... happens. The believe the apocalypse is coming in three days. So I went to the Commission headquarters and intercepted a message that was meant for said lunatics. 'Protect Harold Jenkins'. So he must be responsible for the apocalypse.", Five finished and for a moment there was complete silence.

Then everyone started to talk all over each other. 

"Do you have any idea how insane you sound?", Allison asked. Five discreetly put a hand on his side and again scrunched his face. Nailah narrowed her eyes.

Five scoffed: "You want to know what else is insane? I look like a 13-year old boy. Which I hope won't last long. Klaus talks to the dead, Luther thinks he's fooling everybody with that overcoat and Nailah can theoretically conjure fire from nothing. Everything about us is insane. It always has been."

"He's got a point there.", Klaus agreed from the sofa.

"We didn't chose this life. We're just living it. For the next three days at least.", Five continued.

"But the last time we tried to stop it we all died. Why is this time any different? Why shouldn't I go home to my daughter?", Allison intercepted.

"Because this time I'm here. And we've got the name of the man responsible. Guys, we actually have the chance to save the lives of billions of people. Including Claire.", Five continued.

Allison's head jerked towards him: "You know her name?"

"I do. And I'd like to live long enough to meet her.", Five said softly. 

Allison took a deep breath: "All right. Let's get this bastard."

"You had me at Gerald Jenkins.", Diego admitted.

"Harold.", Five corrected.

"Whatever. I've already lost two people this week, I'm not losing anyone else."

"Luther?", Five asked.

"Yeah, you go. I'm gonna stay and look through dad's files. I think this has something to do with why he sent me to the moon.", Luther declined.

​​​​​​​"Seriously? You wanna make the end of the world about you and dad?", Diego asked sceptically.

"No. 'Watch for threats'. That's what he told me. You think this is a coincidence?  This all has to be connected somehow.", Luther defended himself.

"We don't have time for this. Nailah?", Five interrupted.

​​​​​​​"All on board, as usual."

"Let's roll. I know where we can find this asshole. Klaus, you're with me.", Diego ordered.

"Yeah, I'm good. I think I'll pass. I'm feeling a little under the weather to be honest.", Klaus said stumbling forward and disappearing upstairs. 

Diego, Allison, Five and Nailah all sighed heavily and left the Academy.

"I know this Jenkins dude has to have a file. We gotta get out hands on this file.", Diego said as soon as he and the rest of his siblings arrived in front of the police station.

"And your plan is to what? Walk in there and just ask for the file?", Allison asked from the backseat.

"I know the station like the back of my hand, Nai. I got this. I've spend a lot of time inside.", Diego countered.

"Yeah, In handcuffs. Doesn't count, amigo.", Nailah said from next to Allison.

"Whatever. Here's the plan.", Diego began.

"Plan? I'm just gonna blitz in and get the file.", Five looked at him amused.

"No, that's not.. You don't know the ins and outs of this place, okay?", Diego protested.

"I literally just did this yesterday. My yesterday, not yours. It'll take two seconds. Why don't just go?", Five said.

"Listen to me. You are not going in there. I made a call. That's what a leader does. He leads.", Diego said in a low voice.

"For gods sake just go and get us that file before I do it.", Allison said.

"Yeah and be quiet about it, I'm trying to concentrate.", Nailah added scribbling even more in her notebook.

Diego took his sweet time getting that file. Nailah, Five and Allison had decided to leave Diego's stuffed car and wait on the curb. Allison tried repeatedly to call Vanya but to not avail. The call always went to voicemail. Nailah was still adjusting the equations.

"How's it going with it?", Five asked peeking over her shoulder. 

​​​​​​​"Fine. Do you happen to know your exact cholesterol level?"

"No? Why would you need that?"

​​​​​​​"Well, I'm pretty sure I've managed to complete the parameters to age up a human, I just need to adjust them to you."

"And why do you need my cholesterol level?"

Nailah sighed: ​​​​​​​"In my earliest research I've managed to make out the main biological components that allow you to time travel. Most are so small deviations from the normal humans that they can be ignored but your cholesterol level is surprisingly high. I guess it helps you materialise safer and faster or something. I'll just put 600 for now."

​​​​​​​"So you think you can actually age me up?", Five asked.

"Maybe. But I still need to run some tests.", Nailah confirmed.

"You're welcome.", Diego approached his siblings with a blue file in his hand. Allison took it and opened it. Her eyes immediately were. caught between surprise and shock.

"Holy shit. Nailah, you need to look at that. That's Leonard. The guy Vanya's been going out with.", she said. and Nailah confirmed. 

"And we know where he lives.", Nailah said with a small smile.

"What are we waiting for, then?", Five asked getting back in the car.

"Let's be careful, okay? We don't know what Peabody's capable of.", Allison asked as the four arrived at Leonard's house.

"Yeah, he didn't seem dangerous the first time I saw him.", Diego commented.

​​​​​​​"Yes, well looks can deceive. You for example look very dangerous but are harmless like a little bunny.", Nailah said opening the zipper of her blue sweater revealing a black bralette top. 

"Love you too.", Diego snapped back.

"Besides, most serial killers look harmless at first. Just look at Five.", Allison added.

"Fair point. What does this Leonard want with Vanya anyways?", Diego asked while Allison disappeared at the side off the house.

"I don't know. How about we ask him after we kill him?", Five proposed following Diego and Nailah up the porch stairs.

"Okay, so. I'm gonna burst through...", Diego began but stopped mid-sentence when realised Allison was gone.

Diego sighed: "You know, it would be nice for people to stick...", he as cut off by Five who just blitzed inside. "...the plan." he finished.

Diego took a few steps back and jumped through the glass part of the backdoor landing brutally on his side. Groaning his slowly stood up.

"Subtle.", Allison commented walking past him. 

Nailah peeked through the hole in the door and calmly turned the knob letting the door spring open without as much as a sound: "You do. realise the door is open, right?" Nailah chuckled walking inside. 

"Yeah, well my way works just fine. Spread out. Yell if you're in trouble.", he said walking towards the kitchen.

"Ah, inspiring leadership.", Five commented.

"One of the greats.", Allison added to which Nailah only chuckled.

The group spread out looking for any lead they could find.

"Guys, you need to see this!", Allison called from the attic.

Everyone rushed towards the attic. The sight was disturbing to say the least. Figures, posters, comics and ads of the Umbrella Academy. were mutilated and crossed out all over the room.

"All out faces are burnt off.", Allison sighed.

"A bit ironic, don't you think?", Nailah said holding up a figure of her with clear burn marks where her head had been. Since snickered through the disgust.

"Not creepy at all. This guy's got some serious issues.", Five commented but paled.

"This was never about Vanya. This was about us.", Allison said. Right then Five collapsed.

"Five?", Allison asked kneeling next to him.

"Blood from his side.", Nailah said seeing her hand stained red after touching Five's lower torso.

​​​​​​​"Jesus, Five. Why didn't you say anything?", Diego asked softly.

Five coughed: ​​​​​​​"You have to keep going. So... close." Then he lost consciousness. 

"Yeah, I'm not buying that hero shit. Let's go. My apartment's closest.", Nailah said and with her siblings' help they transported Five to her apartment.

Diego and Allison dragged Five up into Nailah's apartment.

 

"Put him on the couch. You can throw the papers on the floor, we'll pick them up later. Allison, bandages are in the bathroom, Diego take his shirt off.", Nailah ordered making her way to the sink to wash and disinfect her hands.

Allison brought her the first aid kit and bandages just as Diego finished taking off the clothes from Five's torso. Nailah began inspecting the wound. Her siblings knew that even though she wasn't a doctor she was still the most qualified to tend to any wound. A painfully slow hour passed but Nailah managed to clean the wound and sew it shut. 

Nailah sighed heavily and approached her siblings who were sitting the the table watching her every move. "And?", Allison asked.

"He's lost a lot of blood. I really don't know what to do. A blood transfusion won't work because neither one of us has his blood type and. besides, his blood composition is so much different than ours it would more damage than good.", Nailah explained.

"So what we just do nothing?", Diego asked and when Nailah neither answered nor looked at him he knew she had an idea. "You know something. What is it?", he asked.

Nailah sighed: ​​​​​​​"It's the pod. Our only option is wait for Five to wake up. And we don't even know when he wakes up and if. I could adapt the pod and age him up. We would know if he survives and he would have an older body. If it works."

"So why are we not doing it right now?", Allison asked.

"It's complicated. I don't even know for certain if it'll work. Of course I'm gonna do tests but even with them I have no idea how it will affect his wound. It could infect it or it could speed up the healing. I really have no idea.", Nailah explained.

"Do it.", Diego said and Allison nodded.

Nailah inhaled and made her way to the lab after taking a small sample of blood from Five's unconscious body. Allison tried to call Vanya again to warn her from Leonard. 

"Anything?", Diego asked in the living room watching Five lay on the couch unconscious.

"There's still no answer at Vanya's place. And the receptionist at the music school said she was a no-show for her lessons today.", Allison said. Diego nodded and began making his way towards Nailah's lab.

"Hey, you okay?", Allison asked.

"Yeah. I don't know. It's just surreal, this whole situation. We don't have much time. We gotta go.", he said.

"I don't know, Diego. Five is laying here, unconscious. We need him.", Allison intervened.

"We can do this ourselves.", Diego assured.

"We already did, remember? We all ended up dead.", Allison said in a dark tone.

"Yeah, well we can't give up now.", Nailah appeared in the doorway to her lab.

"Look, if you guys help me get him out of his clothes and into the pod, I'll stay with him. You can go and help Vanya.", Nailah assured.

​​​​​​​"You think it'll work?", Allison asked hopefully.

"Well, all the sampled look good. No damage, all healthy. I think he has a pretty good chance.", Nailah said.

Diego, Allison and Nailah stripped Five from his clothes and gently placed him in the pod.

"How much are you going to age him up?", Allison asked.

"Five years. That's the absolute maximum I can do in one sitting. Not just because the pod needs refreshing but because I have no idea what could happen after that. The equations stopped making sense, especially with his genetic code.", Nailah said strapping Five in tightly,

Nailah inhaled deeply before checking the parameters again. She then pressed the button initiating the process. The machine whirred quietly for a moment then silence spread through the lab. Slowly a grey coat of particles occupied the glass lid of the pod making it impossible to see the change inside.

"What's that? What does that mean? Did it work? What do we do now?", Diego asked with slight panic in his voice.

"Now we wait. Calm down. That's totally normal.", Nailah assured.

"Go find Vanya. I'll be here the whole time watching the pod. Don't worry.", Nailah said with an encouraging smile calming Allison's and Diego's worries.

Diego and Allison left the apartment swiftly after deciding on checking out Jenkins' grandmother's old house. As soon as the door closed Nailah exhaled shakily. She looked at her hands. They were violently trembling and uncontrollable small sparks were spraying out of her fingers. 

Nailah took deep breaths trying to calm herself down. She cursed. She leaned other desk glancing at the pod. "This better work.", she whispered to herself shakily.

​​​​​​​"Nope, come on, this way.", Diego redirected Allison as soon as they exited Nailah's apartment building.

"But the car's that way.", Allison protested but Diego gently pushed her in the other direction.

"Just trust me, okay? Come on"

"But what's going on?"

"They're here for me. They think did something."

"What do they think you did?"

Diego sighed: "Murder."

"Did you?"

"No! Of course not!  Why would you even ask me that?"

"You do carry knives everywhere."

"We're gonna have to split up, okay. I'm in charge. Remember? Vanya needs you."

"Don't do anything stupid, okay?", Allison left Diego.

Diego put his hands up and let himself get arrested.

Vanya's heart was beating faster than ever before. 

She had used her powers.

She had  fought back.

She had lost control.

She had hurt Leonard.

She had hurt people.

She had ... killed.

And now she had to live with the consequences of it.

-> Umbrella Academy Masterlist

[devilslcg]

With Sanji cooking, he's somewhat distracted. And Lacie isn't observant enough at the moment to notice the towel on the floor that she slips, falls forward and crashes into Sanji's back. Her voice is muffled when she apologizes, but it's the first time they come into physical contact, and she gently places a hand against his back as if it's a barrier to protect their hearts. Her voice, softer this time around, she whispers, "Sorry, Sanji-san..."

❤ — @magiclace

The force of the bump was sudden and unexpected, but it wasn’t so extreme a collision that he tossed what he was cooking. A little flick of his wrist, and he managed to keep most of what lay in the pan from spilling over the edge. Accidents were bound to happen, and he could never bring himself to harshly scold a lady— especially one as charming and adorable as Lacie.

He made to turn and tell her that it was alright, that there was no harm done. That, in fact, he was glad she had bumped into him. This was the closest they had ever been, and he would be lying if he said it wasn’t thrilling. His heart raced and his cheeks bloomed with color, but the feelings withered away in a quick, cold instant. And the worst part was that he didn’t know why.

“It’s fine.  .  .”

He stood there, steam and savory aromas curling up from the pan. He turned the heat low and set his wooden spoon aside. Her hand was pressed firmly to his back, but it didn’t feel right having it there. Turning and embracing her was an idea that crossed his mind, but he refrained despite his heart screaming at him to do it.

Rather than frighten her, he reached back. He eased her arms around, took her hands into his. They were pulled into a loop around his waist, an odd hug from behind. He knew her collapsing into his back was merely an accident, but he couldn’t quite help the strange sensation that he wanted ( needed ) to be held by her.

Sanji would, of course, deflect the down-trodden mood with slight humor and a boyish smile over his shoulder. The unanticipated pain deep in his heart was still felt, but he would do everything in his power to ignore it. “If you wanted a hug, all you had to do was ask~”

[rinstars]

「 CRY FOR ME 」 ♡ ACT XI : AFTERGLOW

PAIRING : Suna Rintarō x Reader.

GENRE : Angst.

TAGS/WARNINGS : NSFW. Fake Dating. Unrequited Love. Profanity. Enemies (not really) to Lovers. Friends with Benefits. Not very canon compliant.

SYNOPSIS : You have been in love with your best friend Sakusa Kiyoomi for as long as you can remember. The problem? He is in love with somebody else. And for you to snag even the tiniest bit of his affections, it seems like you would willingly go through drastic measures.. Even if it means teaming up with his lifelong rival, Suna Rintarō

PLEASE LOOK AT THIS NOTE PLEASEEE PLEASE PLEASE IM NOT EVEN KIDDING PLEASE : This is NOT the last act yet!!!! There's still ACT XII then the epilogue. Calm down u guys. Sorry this took me like 10 billion years to finish but in return I gave this act my all. Dont give me the "___ is OOC" BS please. I believe hes someone who wouldn't say some of the things I put in this act but definitely would want to if hes given another medium. Overall, I think hes a very emotional person with ppl he loves. I am really proud of this act u guys. Hope u enjoy it hehhe

SONGS TO LISTEN TO : Cry by Cigarettes After Sex, All I Ask by Adele, Off My Face by Justin Bieber, Afterglow by Taylor Swift

TAGLIST : CLOSED

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There wasn't much to say as you sit in the passenger seat of your best friend's car as he drives you home from the trip that cost both of your hearts.

You fell in love with your best friend, went on a fake date to make him jealous, fell in love with that fake boyfriend, and got your heart broken.

Spectacular.

Just simply the best trip anyone could ever ask for.

Sakusa glances at you every five seconds and you feel bad that he even does. If anything, what he and Yura had was far more genuine than what yours and Rin's could ever be and yet, he's still the one looking after you like he wasn't six feet below the ground from the crushing revelations his girlfriend had for him when she said she has always liked Rintarō.

If someone so beautiful, amazing, and perfect like Sakusa could get their hearts broken—betrayed and left in the air by the person they treasured, you imagine that leaves someone like you with a heart in the gutter. And it's unfair. While no one ever said the lane to falling in love was easy and you were once a determined witness when you fell the first time, it didn't prepare you for the second time around. It didn't even serve to ease the pain—that maybe this heartache was just like the last one and the next one would be better. Rather, this was a painful reminder you couldn't be allowed to be happy. Not then, not now. It was an unfair realization.

More so, you weren’t a Sakusa Kiyoomi. You didn’t have men lined up in the doors to the locker room because everybody wanted a glimpse of the top Olympic athlete, even if it was in your sweaty, sticky form. You didn’t have that money. You were always a step too far from the kind of life Sakusa lived. No bachelor would ask for you because the only ones lining up your doorstep were those who smell of nicotine and party drugs. The ones who are too drunk to remember your face as much as you're drunk to even remember what you'd allowed to happen the night before.

You think this must be the one and only time Sakusa would ever get his heart broken. He's far too perfect. Too many options he could choose from. You? You were lucky to snag his attention as a best friend and get a little of Rintarō even if it was just for the shortest time meant to get the attention of another.

"Are you alright?" He rubs the pads of his thumb against your knuckles, soft and gentle voice you barely hear from Omi whispering against the confinement of his car.

He knows this question is futile. Nothing but words to fill the silence neither of you knows how to fix. He says it over and over for the sake of making both of you believe it was alright—that your heads didn't repeat it to you over and over about the fact that both of your lovers are left in the cabin doing God knows what.

"Yes, Omi. All great," you tell him monotonously and almost feel bad. He didn't deserve to be on the bitter end of your heartbreak but you also knew if anyone would understand your shift in mood, it would be him.

Are you okay?

Yeah.

Everything fine?

Sure, YN.

It's nothing but a cycle. A repeated throw of words that mean and weigh nothing to either of you. It's nothing but a bandaid to the wounds that wouldn't stop seeping through the thin gauze yet both of you are foolish enough to believe that it takes your mind off the pain—even if just for a minute, a second.

It was almost pathetic—your state, at least. Everything Omi is going through, you can understand clearly. There wasn't anything comical or even pitiful about his state. What he feels isn't pathetic. That was the love of his life. The only one he ever imagined, probably. You don't remember anyone who came before Yura and when they got together, the click and chemistry were instantaneous. It wasn’t easy to swerve away from conversations, of both friends and family, about how they'd probably end up together—married and with a small family. Two children of Japan's biggest tycoons, the heirs they'd make just as beautiful as them. It was difficult to even force yourself to believe they weren't made for each other then no matter how much it gnawed at your heart.

The turn of things right now for him is anything but similar to your comically pathetic and pitiful state.

Yours is a different story. You could laugh at yourself if you were nothing but a mere bystander watching everything unfold. You hurt and you blame yourself for it because that's the reality, isn't it? A girl who couldn't get a snag of her best friend's affections gets in a fake relationship with his nemesis to steal off his girl and get her best friend to herself gets what she wants but only when she already couldn't give a damn about having her best friend because she's already fallen for her fake boyfriend.

What did they say about getting a taste of your own medicine again?

Yura turned the tables on you. She played her cards so effortlessly and easily until you didn’t realize she was the one breaking all of you up. You didn’t think it was possible, not for a second, that she would do something so out of character—at least from how you knew her. But then, the whole plan about breaking Omi and Yura up wasn't your character either. Not to mention, you never really knew who Yura really was. She was just.. that girl to you. Beautiful, smart, rich, everybody's dream girl, prom queen, homecoming sweetheart—everything you could think of. The fact that Omi liked her was another testament that she might be a good person.

The scene just a few hours before you strapped yourself inside Sakusa's car is still very clear. Very vibrant. Very telling of the truths you wanted to tune out so bad. It was all the things you feared.

What more, she isn't the person you thought she was at all. And still, you didn't feel like you could blame her for it. She's very harsh with her truths. Incredible straightforwardness and confident jabs at your already breaking heart as she wraps a finger around your wrist to turn you around on the way to the front. Being with Yura had always put an undeniable stain on your pride. She always felt like someone out of reach—and maybe she really was. She had everyone you've ever wanted after all.

Sitting in the backyard for a moment to calm down seemed like a good idea when you stormed outside the room you shared with your fake ex-boyfriend. However, it was easy to realize that it wasn't. Not when a thin frame is walking gracefully towards you so noticeably. You knew she was there for you the moment you caught sight of her hair—to apologize or say something else, you weren’t sure. But you did know then that you didn’t want to have the conversation she'd asked you to have. You're too out of it, too shaky and too miserable for anything that has to do with her and Suna.

However, it was something inevitable.

You couldn’t escape her. Not with the way she said the first few words to attempt a conversation—no, a confrontation.

"I'm not sorry," her soft voice reached you, firm but gentle the way you've always remembered it to be.

The way she said it immediately pulls the break on your feet, swallowing thickly as you feel her grip on your wrist loosen. She knows you wouldn't run away. Not with what she just said. Not when you both know this is the only time this conversation is gonna happen and that if you don't push through it now, you'll never settle the tension that hangs in the air around you.

"It's what Suna would have wanted. We both know that," there was a tone in her voice you couldn't pinpoint. Pity?

"Excuse me?" you spin around, eyes meeting her hazel ones as she stares back at you hardly. There's a gleam in her eyes. You weren't sure when it stopped looking innocent for you but now all you can see is the hostility behind them.

"I'm sorry I hurt Kiyoomi, YN. I promise. I loved him, we had a great relationship," her eyes flash with remembrance. "But I'm not sorry I chose Rin or that I kissed him. I loved him more, I've always known that but I thought I was over him until you two were together."

You look back at her with indifference, inwardly wincing at what she's saying. Where she found the courage to talk about this with you, you're not sure. Why would someone run after someone's ex-girlfriend to tell her something like this? Sure, you and him were a fraud. But everyone believed it was real. Hell, you believed it was real for a good while. It was a genuine relationship to everyone who looked, everyone who watched. You liked to believe you put on an amazing act as someone with real beating feelings and if there was one thing you didn't need right now, it's to hear her say these things—or even talk about Rintarō.

"Why are you telling me this?"

"Because you’re his ex and other than Kiyoomi you’re the only one stuck in between this whole mess we made. YN, I hope you know—"

"No, Yura. Why are you talking like that?" The infuriating itch catches up to you, running your fingers on your hair to push it back. This whole mess they made? She's speaking like this was always meant to happen and you and Omi were nothing but chess pieces mistakenly pushed to the side once everything is set for her win. However, you knew there's no way Suna was involved in how it all turned out because the whole purpose of both of you getting together was to snatch her back. So why was Yura acting like she expected this?

"Like what?" she asks almost innocently. The look on her face makes your fingers twitch. This was the woman who hurt your best friend, kissed, and took your boyfriend from you. You could only spend another second in her presence without snapping.

"Like I needed to hear this from you," you frowned back at her, brows drawing together. "What happens with his and my relationship are ours. Don't get in between it. You don't have to explain anything to me, Yura." you tell her slowly, internally wishing the conversation ends right there.

You notice the way she slightly steps back in mild shock as a response before regaining her composure and releasing a breathy laugh—almost as if in disbelief.

In return, you couldn't help but stand perplexed. When has Yura started being like this? She was always the last person you would've expected this from—at least from what you knew of her. It's a revelation seeing her even speak in this tone—albeit it's still a lot softer and kinder than you'd probably hear from anyone else in a confrontation.

Still, was it really that far-fetched? Or were you just blinded by whatever image Yura had painted in your head? It shouldn't be a shock at this point. She kissed Suna behind both your and Sakusa's backs. If you thought about it months ago, you never would've even guessed it was a possibility but now you're in the very face of the aftermath of that very kiss. Really, you could only know so much about a person. To begin with, you didn’t really know Yura very well at all.

You wanted to understand where this is coming from. Why her breaths get shallow by the second, why her lips were red and trembling as she takes you in. However, none of it makes sense to you. Trying to believe she was just another victim in this vicious turn of events is hard to swallow as you keep remembering the fact that it all began with her. Besides, what else could she ask for? Is there anything else you had that she didn't?

You recognized flaws. You recognized how easy it is to be swayed by emotions. Perhaps, if you weren’t on the painful end of this ordeal, you would've understood Yura wholeheartedly. But now, all you feel is disdain at her audacity to act like this in front of you. You couldn't find the humanity in you to feel bad about any possible thing that must have caused her to act this way—if there was any to begin with.

"I'm saying this because I don't need you getting in the way of us again, YN. I really can't take another time," she throws her head back lightly, snapping you back to the reality that this is really happening and not just an evil figment of your imagination finding someone else to blame and direct the hurt on. Fingers clenching on her sides like she's holding back from something—the restraint in her doing its very best at work, you take in the slight weight that's added on her voice.

"I don't believe I got in the way of anything at all, Yura," you shake your head intently. Determined to stop holding yourself back as you had nothing and no one else left to protect.

"You always get in the way of the things I want!" she cries in frustration, eyes blazing as it shines over. "Kiyoomi, Rin, everything. Everyone wants you. And I've had to always be the second choice."

A sensation bubbles in your chest. Heavy and thick as it slowly develops into a laugh that soon starts stealing your air and turning into a choke. The sting in your eyes as the wind blows into your face registers before you realize the fact that you're starting to cry. Biting your lip as hard as you can, you swallow the lump that painfully throbs in your throat.

"The things you want?" you manage to cough out, an exhale escaping your lips slowly as you feel the tingles spread on your arms. And it wasn't that you needed the answer, but it seems like Yura was determined to enlighten you anyways—every word out her lips making your head light.

"Do you know how hard I had to fight to even get Kiyoomi's attention? That party we were in, God, that stupid party," she laughs humorlessly. "It would've been damn near impossible if I didn't get you out of the way!" Her arms flail around her, frustration clear as she recalls the events in her head. When her head snaps back forward to look at you, she's all red-rimmed eyes—whether that's of anger or sadness, you couldn’t tell. Probably a mix of both.

And you knew exactly what she was talking about. That party. The first one you attended in Sakusa's world because he never bothered to before but needed the sponsorship for his Olympics then, leaving him no choice—and that's why he'd brought you with him. As if to ease the discomfort of being among obnoxious rich people with more sense than money. It was at that party he first met Yura. And it was a little after that that they'd begun dating. You didn’t even know how they'd met.

After all, how could you? How would it be possible when you were locked alone in a fancy granite balcony in the presence of cold winter air without your coat because someone thought it'd be funny to keep you out?

It wasn’t a traumatic event, far from it. Even if Sakusa found you an hour later breaking into sneezes every five seconds, you tried not to take the whole thing to heart. Although it was true that it steered you away from parties with people like them ever again, it wasn't like it left a deep scar in your heart. It was just what it is. An unfortunate thing but you didn’t allow yourself to keep dwelling on it. If anything, you believed it wasn't even intentional. Maybe they didn't see you were out and thought the air blowing in the room was too cold and they needed to close the doors to keep it warm. Maybe it was just an accident.

But now it all feels like it's clicked into place. Like everything suddenly made sense and you're seeing the full picture. By then, you couldn't help the helpless pang of pity that hits you. How she could think and act like this after taking everyone you've ever wanted was something you didn’t understand. And you only felt pity for yourself—even more than you did before. You didn’t want to wallow in self-despair but it seems to be the only thing following you.

Shaking your head, you meet Yura's eyes—blinking faster and faster as the wetness threatens to spill over your stinging eyes. "You got both of the men I've ever loved, Yura. I didn't get either of them."

Almost as if your words did something to her, Yura's eyes cleared up—the fog in them dissipating as she looked at you in understanding. "If you know that, then stop getting in between. Let us be, YN. Let's end whatever cycle we've put ourselves in."

There's an eerie sense of calm in the way she said that. You don't like it. "I don't know what you're talking about but if it helps, Rin didn't talk about you for a second when we were together. So do yourself a favor, Yura. Stop telling me these things because they don't matter to me."

The lie is bitter in your mouth because it does matter to you. What she thought of you then, what she thinks of you now. But at the same time, the truth is also sweet. The fact that Yura was never a part of your conversations with Rin save for the first few days you both began seeing each other makes you feel slightly better.

It wasn’t what Yura wanted to hear. Obviously so as she bites back, "And he hesitated to pull away when we kissed but you knew that, right? Because you saw us. You saw me kiss him and how he couldn't pull me away if not for your presence and his guilt nagging at him. So if it helps, YN, even if just for a little, remember that the next time you start thinking your place in his life ever compared to my place in his."

Now that puts you to a stop. Like your whole world crashes and the remnants of your already breaking heart start turning to ashes. The last of all hope is lost on you as reality rubs itself on your very face.

She's right. You saw it all clearly. But to hear her confirm it, the truth of Rin's hesitations and how he probably longed for her as much as she longed for him—you felt like you couldn't breathe. And it's probably a weak move, the one you did next, but you couldn't care less as you storm out of the backyard, going around the house to the front as you catch your breath—tears spilling all over your cheeks the moment Yura is out of your line of vision.

It was when you're rounding the house you start feeling like everything is suddenly moving in slow motion. It had been too late for you to hide your tear-stricken face on the figure you caught in the corner of your eyes and by the time you could react, the sound of the front door throwing open has already reached your ears and Rintarō is running through it.

You couldn't even stand to see his face right now. His angled jaw and straight nose are nothing but a reminder of what you and him weren't anymore. Of course. Of course, he didn't feel that way towards you. There was no way he would long for you when he'd been longing for someone else for the longer part of his life. There was no way his heart would hurt at the mere thought of what you had coming to an end. How could he when he didn't love you? When whatever he probably felt for you then was all gone the moment he's in front of Yura again?

But still, he's calling your name. Shouting it like he didn't let you go just an hour ago from the bedroom you're both supposed to share. His shoes make a loud sound as he puts his weight into running—the pavement beating as he tries to catch up with you. Near the cabin, just a little around the corner to the right, you see Omi opening his car door—catching your eye before signaling a nod that says he'll be waiting for you inside.

Far out of the house, you give up on trying to hide your emotions any further. Taking a deep breath, you stop from your running just as a familiar set of slender and calloused fingers wraps itself around your wrist. As soon as it registers, however, you're pulling his arm away from him—turning around immediately to try and put the best version of a glare you can put out right now.

"Where are you going?" he breathes out just as the warmth of your fingers slips from his cold ones.

He sounded frantic. Like this is the first time he's absorbing the real meaning of things now that it's ended this way. His voice is pitched slightly higher while the fingers that were once around your skin rake across his deep brown hair—all messy, much messy, than the last time you've seen him. Your eyes look over his shoulder, his reflexes acting faster than his mind as he takes a step to block your vision—lightly shaking his head pleadingly.

"I thought we talked about this," there wasn't any energy in your voice. You're exasperated, shoulders slumping as you settle to look at his foot rather than his face.

"We haven't talked about anything!" the sudden volume in his voice makes you wince. You didn’t want to think about the desperation pouring from his pores. Didn't want to spend even another minute thinking he cared about you like you wanted him to.

He's probably riddled with guilt that he's getting her and you don't have anyone. That's possibly the only reason why he's acting like this.

"I want to end this, Suna, please," you exhale and speak with as much firmness as you can, refusing to let the shivers break you even as goosebumps rise on the surface of your skin. "You don't understand. I just—please, I want to go home with Omi right now. Let's stop doing this."

With that, Rin takes a step back. Like you just smacked him and he's in the middle of recovering from a blow he didn't see coming. It was then you decide to meet his eyes, the frown in his features evident with the tight clench of his jaw. You couldn't tell if he was even still breathing, but you used that as an opportunity to escape—brushing your shoulders with his and hearing him exhale shakily in return.

The decision killed you. It felt like a knife was being twisted inside your chest and the blood was uncomfortably seeping through your clothes. There was nothing to smile about. Nothing for you to feel good at. Every step away from him felt like goodbye. Every air you breathe without the swift scent of his cologne felt like oxygen was being cut from you.

Despite all that, what you'll probably never know is the fact that it kills Suna ten times over. To see you walk away from his life for what feels like the tenth time. That the blood he feels as if it's staining his shirt is creating a puddle that threatens to drown him from his feet.

What's worse? He lets you.

◇

It was a normal day at best. Seeing as it has only been a week since you and Omi drove away from the cabin, it's a miracle you're even out of your house. You don't have it in you yet to be sociable and mingle with others—especially not when your only friends are the ones you share with him and you're almost 100% certain they definitely knew at least the gist of what happened, you have close to no one left. If it wasn't for Omi, you'd practically be alone and wallowing in your despair.

That's when you realize you don't really have anyone else that's close to you. Not even something like a hobby to take your mind off of things. Not a single sport you're good at. You're smart, you make a great amount of money from working in an Engineering company as one of the group leaders but it's hardly something you could call yourself passionate about.

Sakusa is different. He seems to be taking everything way easier than you. You don't understand if he's just putting on a front or he's just accepted it within himself that whatever he had with Yura was over. He has his cousin Komori, at least. And he has volleyball to keep himself occupied. If there was only one thing he loved more than he loved her, it was volleyball. You didn’t have anything like that.

You could've complained but you really couldn't find it in you to ask for anything else. At the very least, you weren’t groveling as much as you used to and you had Omi with you.

The only thing not normal about this day is your lunch appointment with one of Suna's closest friends—who, as time went by, happened to also become one of yours in the few moments you've been in each other's company. He'd insisted on meeting. Said he hasn't seen you since that day you left earlier than everyone else with Omi. He hadn't mentioned if Yura and Suna stayed and went home with them. If she rode in his car because she didn't bring her own seeing as she came with Omi. He didn't tell you how Suna acted since that time you told him you wanted to end it and looked like you'd struck a painful cord inside him.

That was for the best, you figure.

You weren’t trying to find out they'd slept together the last night in that cabin and spread each other's scent on either yours or Omi's sheets. But maybe seeing Osamu would bring you the closure you needed. That trip ended so abruptly for you and you regretted not having the chance to say goodbye to your friends. It's been a week now. You're ready to face the memories of that day. It helps a lot that Osamu wouldn't put you in a tough situation or press you about the topic.

"Hey," you mumble quietly with a smile which he returned, standing up from his seat to hug you sideways. He's already in his seat by the time you've arrived.

Shaking the snow from your hair, you look at the seat he's chosen and suddenly feel a rush of gratefulness that you had the glass walls to distract you from the awkwardness of how everything felt. It wasn’t Osamu making it awkward. It was you, if anything. You felt ashamed at everything that happened and dragged them into.

"Should we order?" There's a softness and edge to Osamu's voice at the same time. He's kind but confident. If being friends with Suna was anything to go by, you're pretty confident he's a lot more of a smug playboy than he plays it out to be with his close acquaintances. Not that you minded. The Osamu in the streets didn't concern you like the Osamu with his friends. At the very least, he's a lot less loud than his blond twin.

Shrugging, you meet his eyes with a quick, "Yes."

He insisted on ordering for both of you, standing up to the counter and returning with a plate of pasta and garlic bread. You didn’t fight him on doing it. He'd been the one to invite you anyways. The appetite and energy couldn't be found in you despite your wishes. It was probably dramatic but Suna played a bigger part in you than you'd care to admit. A week is hardly enough to put an end to the pain that kept you up at night.

You stab your pasta mindlessly, chewing on the garlic bread occasionally to appear like you're enjoying the meal. You didn’t know why you're even here to begin with. There's a question hanging in the air you wished he would just get over with.

Osamu eyes you toying with a ring on your finger. It wasn’t anything significant. Just an accessory that seemed to click something in Samu's mind—seeing as he suddenly decided to speak.

"His ring was a present from Yura," he began slowly, and just like that, the breath was slowly getting knocked from you. "She got it in an arcade when they were together and made him promise not to take it off. One time, years ago, Suna was drunk out of his mind and snapped when a girl tried to slip it off his fingers and play with it while sitting on his lap."

The shake of his head tells you he didn't exactly agree with the ring—or perhaps the sentiments behind it but you don't say anything. You didn’t know why you had to hear this. Everything you learned about Suna and Yura was just another nail to your coffin. At the same time, you don't stop Osamu. You didn’t want to. Their history has always been a mystery you wanted to solve but you didn’t have the courage to ask it from the man, Suna, himself and hear the love story that would send you crumbling. Now, you had nothing left to break. He'd taken that heart with him when you arrived at the cabin.

"Yura said it was a promise," he swallowed like he didn't really want to talk about Suna's business to me but felt like he had to. He probably felt bad. "A promise she'd understand him even when no one did. She was a force in his life. Only she matched his energy and Suna was afraid he wouldn't find that rush again."

"He could've found a woman crazy about him just about anywhere," you wanted to scoff but settled for an awkward laugh.

"He was young when they met. Not to mention they met when—" he hesitated but one look at your eyes and the dullness behind it had him confessing with a heavy breath. "When Sakusa cut his chances off with you. They were both young and he felt like he found a match. He said something about her being the only woman he'd ever probably crave next to you once when we were much younger. But you were off-limits since he found out whose best friend you were. So, eventually, all that drifted onto Yura."

"I don't understand why you're telling me all this, Samu," you frown at him, beating of your chest so loud, you could practically hear it. "Their love story is not my business."

"Maybe," he agrees before his gaze hardens on the drink in front of him. "After all, I knew it was a bad idea the moment I found out you were dating."

"Then why—"

"But she'd dragged him along for five years. Made him think only she could possibly match that attitude and understand the way he glared at almost every fucking thing he sees because he's never in the right mood. He doesn’t know another love than what Yura showed him, if you could even call it that, YN," he grimaces as he says that. "Then she'd gotten in a relationship with Sakusa and he felt like she betrayed him and got another woman taken from him the second time."

"I thought they hadn't been talking anymore when she and Omi got together?"

"They've always been talking, YN. She came home that week and brought the hope it was just any other week in their lives. A week that meant Suna would stop seeing his regular fucks in town because she'd left hers back overseas. That was how it's always been for them. Many guys, many girls but only each other when they were in the same town."

You couldn't say anything back at that. It sounded like he was telling you they always found a way back to each other and making a point that was the reason they're back together again—dismissive about the facts they'd just broken two innocent hearts... Okay, not that you were any innocent in this outcome but still. Watching you carefully for any reaction that would tell him to stop, Osamu felt like he was drawing his own conclusions by looking at your face alone. He could tell exactly what you were thinking because he continued immediately. Probably to make clear of what he's trying to say.

He keeps breathing heavily before continuing. Like this conversation is hard enough for him to bring up. Like he isn't the one who had this idea in the first place. "He'd sworn he didn't like you that way anymore and he's forgotten about you all those five years. Then suddenly, you're there and you aren't off-limits anymore—the one other woman he's wanted as badly as he wanted Yura."

Looking away, you find the strength in you to mumble, "He very obviously doesn't want me that much if we're having this conversation."

Osamu just looks at you for a long time. You weren't sure if seconds or minutes passed but he just stares at you—gauging if he's making the right decision and you'd get what he was trying to say.

"YN just—" he leans back in his chair like you and Suna both exasperated him but he's too good in the heart to let it slide when he could've done something about it. "I'm saying, he definitely feels for you. He's goddamn stupid but he's also confused because that.. woman, has engraved herself so deep in him and whether he wants to admit it or not, he's clinging on to that younger years they both shared even when he didn't feel that way for her anymore."

Your heart hurts listening to him say all this. The truths you'd probably never pull out of Suna yourself. What was Osamu thinking? Of course, you understand what he's trying to say. Better than anyone, you're probably Suna's greatest witness to the desperation he had for Yura. It made your chest ache to think about what he'd gone through—the image of a boy who'd wanted someone to be his match so bad he'd settled for someone who was so good at making him think he wouldn't be able to find another. Maybe that's why her ring was so significant to him even during the time you were together. He's been made to think if the plan failed then he wouldn't have anyone left and he wanted the love he thought she gave him.

You resented him. Resented how you had to hurt because you didn't realize the gravity of what he felt for her. You disliked the way you hurt, the way it felt like no matter the signs he showed that he wanted you he still felt so weak when faced with her. And you hated him. Hated him for letting himself get played as much as he'd let Yura play him. Hated him that he's been wanting her for five years when you probably would've loved him far greater than he's ever experienced if he'd only still felt for you then.

"Samu," you begin, eyes stinging as you suddenly feel sad again all over. "I don't know what to do."

He nods at you in understanding, fingers drifting to rest on top of yours in the table before smiling gently. "I'm not asking you to do anything. Suna just pisses me off with how he works things out and I know he'd never tell you about it. If it helps at all, figured I'd be the one to tell ya."

Just as you are about to thank him, he follows up with more words. Each one of them knocking you over, "I've never seen him want to be over her so badly, YN. Until you. He cares a lot about you, more than he'll ever care for Yura. So do what you have to do. It doesn't have to include forgiving him for whatever he did."

◇

 The snow was still as thick and heavy as it had been the day you left him. The coldness of the air still stings your cheeks and your fingers are cold like they've been made from ice. With that, your heart still felt as heavy as it was two weeks ago. You still feel like you could go crazy just thinking about him. There's an overwhelming surge of pain and love when one of his favorite songs would play in the playlist you didn’t even realize has been filled with all of the songs he always used to hum.

These days, it feels like all you ever do is hate. Hate the way Yura got to him first, hate the way you love him even though you're hurting, hate the fact that sometimes love is not enough and you feel like your heart will never be back to what it once was. You loathe how it's so hard to make yourself believe he would never long for her again. Hell, it's even hard to believe he truly liked you that way.

Maybe it was stubborn. Especially when someone's been telling you he cares. But you didn’t think you could handle someone just caring. There's an expectation you wanted him to meet. And it was selfish. So selfish but you couldn't bring yourself to even think you deserve any less after everything. Besides, even if you didn't find out what you did about Yura and she was just another girl in his life, the heavy feeling of once again not being enough and going through what you did with both Omi and Suna scares you.

Deep inside, there's an annoying itch that tells you nothing will be different regardless of what you know. Nothing will miraculously change just because a friend of his told him to get over Yura like she didn't once mean the whole world to him. You felt like you should understand. But it was hard when you're blinded by all the wrong things there is to find and say about Yura. Moreover, nothing's changed at all for the past week because you're too hurt to talk to him. You've all but given him the idea that you even want to talk to him anymore. Still, there's hope bubbling inside you. Maybe he'll break in first. Just this time, you wish he could just brush off your wishes and talk to you first.

Whatever that talk would lead to doesn't even matter. You just wanted to talk to him. Hear his voice. Pretend like everything is fine with the first hello on the other side of the line.

Staring at your phone felt like an eternity. His name blinks at you. With a black heart on the side because he insisted it looks way better than the other colors. The thought almost made you smile. He was so childish with little things sometimes and he never failed to make you laugh.

The contact name taunts you. Your finger has hovered over the green call button more times than you have probably blinked in your life. He's just directly across your house. What's making this so hard? You probably should have just walked straight up his walkway and act like everything is fine and you just wanted to talk. His birthday was tomorrow. Maybe that excuse would be good enough.

Another sigh and a failed attempt at finally pressing a button, a notification makes you jump from your seat—eyes stinging as you look at the same black heart you've been begging the heavens to talk to you, finally being the first one to give in.

Rin 🖤

I miss you so fucking much I can't spend another second not sending this and letting you know. You know I do.

Your eyes immediately water at his words. He's never texted you like this. More times than you can count, he's only ever made you laugh with his messages. Now, he sounds and feels so vulnerable that you allow your heart to hurt for him even just a little. He didn't deserve your antagonism.

To: Rin 🖤

Happy birthday, Rin.

Rin 🖤

Not for another day, baby. Wait a bit more and tell me in person tomorrow.

You don't attempt making a comment or correcting him on that. Not when you don't even realize the way your tears have started falling until there was a small drop of wetness on your thighs. Falling on your couch, you clutch the phone to your chest. Glancing outside of your window to his, you can't help the clench in your heart when you don't notice his car in the driveway—lights turned off and not a sound playing from his playlist. Maybe meeting him tonight is wishful thinking after all. Maybe he's with her. He probably missed you but it wasn't enough.

Perhaps it was these lack of expectations. The building anxiety and doubt that threatens to suffocate you. Perhaps you've felt that way because, with the smile that graced your face when you saw his obnoxiously expensive black car light up his driveway, all the negatives would have been worth it.

Like he senses you watching him from your window, his eyes meet your just a second before he's turning off the ignition. It was then the both of you felt an almost painful invisible pull. He looks at you like he's asking for permission. Like there are so many things he wants to say but only if you let him. The choking is heard in the air before you even register you're sobbing—eyes turning heavy and it falls down your cheeks with a slight nod of your head.

And just like that, like he saw the nod before you even gave it, he's opening your front door—wrapping his arms around your waist and pressing his nose on your neck. He lets out a sigh of relief the moment your warmth envelops him and he swears he could feel his heart break a thousand times over. He breathes you in like he'll never breathe again. The wet kiss he pressed on your bare shoulders lingered until his fingers were drumming on your skin.

"Hit every fucking red light the moment you replied to me," he mumbles almost incoherently, palms sliding to your backside before he's pressing you on the wall. There's no way he could get enough of you, he thinks. You fit so perfectly in him. Every gap he didn't know he had, you somehow magically fill in. He could touch you for the rest of his life and not once complain about it.

"I was waiting for you," you groan breathlessly, stomach tightening as he trails open-mouthed kisses from your neck to your mouth. You could feel his cock pressing on your thigh and suddenly the need could overflow in the room.

You were waiting for him. Literally and figuratively. Like this is the one and only time you have in the world to be with him, you've waited because you knew he'd come. You waited to feel his lips again every night. Waited to feel him around you, touching you like he wouldn't have anyone else in the world but you. You're still waiting for him.

You hope he'd wait for you too.

After this kiss. After the sex. After tonight.

That hardly matters in your head now, however. He's here. Two weeks after everything, he's right in front of you. Kissing you so hard like it makes up of everything he could only wish he could put into words. He squeezes his eyes like he's in pain every time you make a sound of pleasure. There's such a grand pain in his heart he's not sure he'll be able to overcome right now. He pushes all the thoughts out of his head, because at least, for now, he has you. Tomorrow can wait.

"I'm sorry, baby," his words grow muffled as he whispers on your lips, brushing his own with yours in a silent ask for permission. Connecting your lips with his, you both let yourself go for the night. "So fucking sorry for everything."

You crave him. Very much so that your heart wants to tear itself apart inside. You're both way past pretending you could last another second without being wrapped in each other. You could hardly breathe if his scent wasn't filling your senses.

Grabbing your thighs from the back, he lifts you up—legs wrapping around his waist as he wraps his hands on the side of your neck, angling it slightly to him and brushing his thumbs on your skin. Like a magnet connecting both of you together, he gently presses his lips—the saltiness of your tears staining his tongue until he starts feeling bitter again.

Disconnecting from the kiss, you look into his eyes. The lump in your throat so strong, you couldn't just swallow it no matter how hard you try. "You're my everything, Rin. It hurts so bad,"

"I know baby," he shakes his head, forehead pressing to yours. The quick rise and fall of his chest move in rhythm to your own. His heart beating as it is breaking with yours. He knows where this is leading. Can hear it in your voice. See it in your eyes. But tonight there's just one thing he wants, "Please. Just for tonight, baby. Pretend one more time for me. Like you'd still take me and that whole fucking trip never happened. Baby, please."

Desperation drips from his voice—raw and frantic. Like if he didn't say it then, he'd lose you forever. Suna thinks it was funny how much he could want you this second but be willing to let you slip from him so easily—if your happiness would depend on it. You're shaking beneath him. Eyes never leaving his because you're just as afraid he'll disappear.

Nodding against him, you feel the sobs wrack your whole body. Squeezing the words out of you, you tell him in response. "Please."

Please if just for another night.

Please touch.

Please love.

Please make you cry for him because it makes you feel the way your heart beats for him. Makes you feel alive. Makes you feel like you're experiencing the love you'll probably never experience again.

Suna pushes you away from the wall, lips never leaving yours as he carries you to your bedroom. You deserve better than a wall fuck. You deserve better than being pressed against a cold, hard, drywall. Smoothing the hair from your face, he takes you up the stairs with one arm wrapped around your waist. The tears won't stop falling for you. The more you look at him, the more you break.

"You're so beautiful," he breaks your trance with a whisper, gentle and slow on your lips. He wants to call you his. Wants to tell you he's yours but he didn't.

He's lost the privilege to call you that a long time ago.

Laying you down the bed, he's gentle as he grabs the sides of your underwear—slipping it down your legs but not breaking the contact with your eyes. His chest is caving in. You're the most beautiful, most amazing woman he'd probably ever be with. He didn't have to look down and away from your eyes to be able to tell you're perfect. His own throat tightens up.

"Are you sure you want this?" He dips a head on your neck, kissing your ears softly as he asks you.

"More than anything in the world, Rin," a sad smile grazes your lips, fingers threading through his already longer hair.

Pulling the rest of your clothes off with his, he slowly lowers himself down, lips on your jaw as he slowly pushes himself in. His hips stutter, the feeling of your warmth against him making him lose his mind. The way you wrap around him. The taste of your skin.

Then, suddenly, it feels like he's forced into the realization that tonight would be the last. He didn't know why. You didn’t need to tell him but everything about tonight feels that way. He tries to savor every single inch of yourself you're willing to give him.

You can't stop the tears falling from your cheeks. It was both pathetic and embarrassing you're crying at such a moment. But you leave tomorrow. Five thousand miles away from him seems and feels like you'll ever get a taste of this again any time soon.

This isn't the goodbye you shared that day two weeks ago. This isn't anything like the screams or the begging. Nothing like the doubt and the hurt that he didn't love you like you loved him. There isn't a trace of selfishness.

This is what goodbye really is.

This is saying goodbye to your one true love—for how long, you didn’t know. This is accepting that sometimes love is not enough to keep two broken souls together. This is a goodbye that would stick. A goodbye that wouldn't allow texting until the other shows up in front of the other's door because it was physically impossible.

Sometimes it was hard to remember who you were before someone special walked into your life.

With Rin, it was the complete opposite.

It's hard to forget what life was before him because all it ever was then is a monochrome of all the things you wanted and couldn't have. All the things you wished for in hopes it might finally make you happy. You remember every moment of your bleak life eight months ago. The routine you fell into, the expectations that broke you. It wasn’t at all hard to forget.

Because you remember exactly when all of that changed. When you looked forward to text messages that would come in at two in the morning because you knew you'd get to see him skate. He'd laugh at you when you ran and almost felt like fainting trying to catch up but that hardly mattered because he'd take you out to drinks and ice cream after. Pulling you in his lap when he played his games suddenly become your most comfortable position and location.

He wasn't there then he was suddenly everywhere.

And God, did you love him. You loved him so much and the feeling of him stretching you out. Your heart beats so loud for him that every inch of you welcomes him. The pain you feel for him—for the kind of life he lived with Yura and the things he put you through, could only be so strong because you adored him.

With his last thrust, orgasm spilling inside you as your thighs shake and you come apart with him, you reach for his neck—wrapping two arms around him as you cry out in pleasure. He rocks against you a few more times, riding his high with your name falling from his lips with a groan.

When you both regain your breath, he doesn't collapse on top of you immediately. Holding your eyes, he props himself up with his elbows—gaze scanning your whole face like he's trying to memorize what he would miss. Then, with a soft voice, a shaky smile, and so much emotion to break him apart, you tell him,

"I love you, Rin," you don't hesitate. And it wasn't a declaration like the last time. You simply wanted him to know. And you'd let him know as much as you could tonight.

This was the love he was supposed to have gotten then. You wanted him to know someone loves him as much as you do that the love he believed in then would pale and fade from him. You wanted him to understand that despite everything, you love him and it was the kind of love he should believe in.

Not even this goodbye would erase it.

"I love you so much," you repeat because he'll probably not hear it from you for a while and you didn't want him to forget.

You wished you could have stayed. That you were strong enough to believe in both of you. That you could forget everything that happened along with the pain that came with it. But you weren’t. You didn’t want to lose sight of what you had. What you could possibly have. But tonight is where you say goodbye. This is where you draw the line.

You'd be losing each other, for now, but he wouldn't be losing you.

And if a month from now, a week from now, the love is still not lost on you, then maybe you'd find yourself again. In the afterglow, when everything after the storm has calmed. When you could love as much as you want to because the harsh burn of the sun has settled.

He smiles at you sadly in return, reaching out to brush your cheeks and kissing you until you fall asleep. He held you and you could feel the beat of the heart you know longs and beats for you. You could feel the warmth in him. There's the light way his hair tickles your shoulders. The steady rhythm of his breath lulls you to sleep. He rubbed your spine as you lay on his chest, the calloused touch of his fingers as a result of years of volleyball another addition to the million things you'll miss from him.

Morning came faster than you could have prepared yourself for. The light coming from the blinds makes you squint. Your inner thighs hurt, your breasts sore. A reminder of the events that transpired the night before. You feel sticky and hot all over but there's a noticeable kind of coldness on the other side of your bed.

You didn’t set any expectations. You knew he'd be gone by the time you opened your eyes. You probably even felt it when he slipped away from you because you could clearly remember stirring from your sleep. Still, looking at the side he was supposed to occupy, your heart drops to your stomach. He hadn't even stayed to say goodbye. He asked you to wait another day for his birthday greeting. Now, you couldn’t do it with a final kiss on the lips you'll be missing for months to come anymore.

It's like there was hardly any evidence he was even there last night.

If not for the pieces of paper folded neatly on his side—blending so nicely to your white sheets, you almost missed it.

With shaking hands, you grab the papers. You didn’t know if you wanted to read the things he was going to be telling you. Maybe he'll tell you finally that you were wrong about him. That he still loved her and would love her for much longer. You don't believe you're ready for it. You don't think anyone is ever ready for something like this. But you suck it up, lean back on the headrest of your bed, and start to read.

YN,

     I don't know how to start this. There's a lot of things I need to tell you. I'm writing this as you walk away from me, in the cabin I'm supposed to stay in for another day without you. Without your warmth, without your voice. I only had your scent left but now all of that's gone too because I made the mistake of getting too close with a woman who wasn't you. A woman I'd never feel for as much as I would ever feel for you.

     I'm stupid. Osamu has told me over and over again that I would never make the right decisions while I'm hung up on someone so badly. He'd said I'd never be with someone who wouldn't leave me hanging if I kept hanging on to someone that wouldn't even commit. It's ridiculous because I never lived by that advice. I never listened to Samu until you were in front of me and I wanted nothing more than to shake her hold on me. I didn't realize it was at that point, YN. And I was so mad at myself I let it become a part of me for so long that I couldn't remove myself from it fast enough to make you stay.

    I failed you. What this is is probably both karma and self-sabotage. I've done things I'm not proud of. I see it now. I should've done a million things better. But all I did was choose the wrong things.

    It was always a bunch of couldn'ts for me. Couldn't commit, couldn't move on, couldn't choose the right things. And in return, all I've wanted from you was your coulds. That you could somehow accept that I'm messed up and couldn't get my shit sorted out, that you could love me despite that, that you could understand.

    And I feel so bad, baby. Because you could. Over and over again. That's all you've given me. All I've asked from you, even in secret, I got in return.

    You don't need to ask from me. I know I've put myself in a situation I need to fix whether someone asks me for it or not. I wished it was that easy so many times, YN. I felt like I was so close. I was almost there and I'd run out of time.

    That was all my fault. You don't have to tell yourself maybe you could have waited longer, another could, because you don't have to. You've waited long enough. None of the reasons why we didn't work out your fault. It was all mine.

    I wouldn't want you to keep waiting. Don't wait for me, YN. I'm not worth waiting that long over. I don't want any more of your memories of me to be with so much hurt. Not when the ones I have of you are possibly the best moments of my life.

    2nd-year high school was the best memory I had of going to school. You were in the crowd, in the seats close to the court because you were watching Sakusa Kiyoomi play and I looked at you. I thought then you were the most beautiful woman I have ever seen. That you could have the worst personality and I wouldn't even mind.

    It was the first memory I have of feeling like I was in love. I was so young and it's ridiculous to even think a sixteen-year-old could ever feel like that.

    I don't know why I let your asshole of a best friend get between me then but that was the worst mistake of my life, clearly. Then it's all what-ifs. What if we had met then? What if I didn't let anything stop me? I saw you everywhere after that. For years after. And while the beat of my heart dulled for a little, it never got quiet, YN.

    Then I see you again, so fucking close eight years later with that look in your eyes. Like you loved Sakusa so much and he didn't love you back. I didn't know why there was an urge for me to make sure you never felt that way again. My heart beat so loud I'd never believed more that it really exists inside me.

     From that moment, the only memories I've ever had were those that I'll never forget.

    How did I let all of that go to waste? How did I mess up something I've wanted so bad?

    I'm so fucked up.

   Now you're sleeping beside me. On the last night I'll see you, at least for quite some time. I don't know why this letter has gotten so long. But maybe there were just so many things I wanted you to hear but couldn't say. There were also things you probably didn't want to hear but I wanted to say anyway. I'm a selfish bastard.

    Even as you kissed me on the lips and told me you loved me over and over, I couldn't say it. I didn't want to because you never would have gotten to the airport if I did. Because I'd be too selfish to let you go. Because hearing me finally say it would make you confused. I know it would. And I didn't want that.

    Love is not supposed to hurt, YN. And I've hurt you far too much. I don't want the three most important words I've ever said to be associated with the pain I would cause you if you happened to stay.

    But I wanted you to know anyway. It would probably be easier for you if I just never tell you to begin with but the thought of you not knowing kills me. I'll be selfish and tell you, YN.

   I love you so much. I love you so fucking much I don't know how I'd go through tomorrow without you. Without knowing how long I'll have to wait for you. But still, I love you so much that I would. Because you've waited for me when I had nothing in return to give you.

   But you don't have to do that, YN. You don't have to wait for me. Fall in love and be happy. Sure I'd kill the guy ten times over in my head but I'd still want you to find the happiness you deserve. One that would come without any baggage.

   Don't reply to this letter. Don't text me a happy birthday or call me because you feel bad like I know you would. This letter isn't to keep you stuck in the past. It's what I hope would send you in the future.

    I love you so so fucking much.

    You're my everything.

-        Rin with a black heart emoji because it's cooler. I love you.

You cried for so long after reading the letter that you had to force yourself to get through the day of getting ready. You cried in your shower, didn't bother to put makeup on because you cried all the way to the drive in the airport. You'd cry handing on your ticket too—your fingers shaking as you hand in your passport. The flight attendants have given you weird stares but your focus is stuck on the letter you sneaked in the back of your phone case. After that, you cried for days and weeks more to come.

You missed him. You wanted to call him, text him. He's in everything you do. Every new place you go to, you wished you could have experienced with him. It had been his birthday then. The day you let him go. And every 25th of the month you count the days that passed since he told you he loved you, wishing it stood true in the test of time.

It stayed that way for a long time. Like a never-ending cycle you've grown used to. It was a day to day of loving him,  missing him, and regretting he wasn't by your side when you could have done something about it.

But like what everyone said, time heals everything and it passes by in the blink of an eye. A lot happened in such a period of time and you've both gained and lost a lot.  Though, it shouldn't be too surprising.

Not when it has been two years since that day you left.

Still, faster than you could have imagined, everything has changed from the way it was before you boarded the plane.

And if the wedding invitation on your mail with his name written in bold isn't enough testament to the fact, then you aren't sure what is.

🏷 : @nozomiasl @lilith412426  @coconois  @effmigentlywithachainsaw  @savantsoulfinder  @my-reality-is-in-my-head  @shawkneecaps  @satorinnie @fail-big  @cuddlesslut  @stffychn  @sugusshi  @rntrsuna  @jiminslajibolala03 @rinsangel  @atzuums  @sunarinsbubs  @iwaprotector @exologys  @g0thbunnyy  @oikawa-bubs  @starylust  @call-me-lulu  @ouraniaastraea  @milkteeboba  @criesinpisces  @tendo-sxtori  @plusultra2dwhore  @witcherydotcom  @yoitsseulgi @trshex  @heizenka  @maitenight  @victoriasee  @whoisalexa  @asaitashi  @evilox  @daaisukii

[ragingbookdragon]

And I Will Still Be Here Stargazing

Batsis x Batfamily Story

Word Count: 1.6K Warnings: Explicit Language

Author's Note: I shouldn't be allowed to make new stories when I've already got WIP's to do. Oh well, HERE'S ANOTHER STORY! -Thorne

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

She glanced through the telescope once more, scanning the expanse of the night sky before her. Giddiness ran through her at the thought of seeing the supposed comet coming back around. Apparently, it was one that hadn’t been seen in two hundred years. It’d taken almost two whole days to convince her dad to let her go out on her own in the field three miles out of town.

Of course, that convincing came with a massive surprise—not—of taking a tracker with her just in case—being the only non-vigilante in her family did make her vulnerable to trouble, but most of their enemies wanted nothing to do with her, so she figured she was alright.

Pulling away from the scope, she felt her phone buzz in her pocket, and she sighed as she answered it, putting it to her ear. “Dad, I already told you, I’m fine.”

You weren’t answering your brothers’ texts. They were worried.

“Oh, for the love of—dad, I’m twenty-one. I shouldn’t have to check in every five freakin’ minutes.”

We worry about you, (Y/N).

“I know,” she griped. “C’mon, one night where I can actually be treated like I have a functioning brain inside my skull. Let me have it.” She glanced up again, seeing something streak across the sky. “Oh, there it is!” (Y/N) grinned. “I gotta go dad! I love you!”

Wait, (Y/N)—

Hanging up, she stowed the phone in her pocket before looking into the glass. “Oh wow,” she breathed. “It’s so beautiful…and big.” (Y/N) hummed and pulled back slightly. “Really, really big. Almost like it’s…coming to earth.”

She took a step back when she realized that was exactly what was happening. The comet, or whatever it was, was barreling towards the field near her and she gasped, taking another step back. Her foot slipped in the mud, and she fell, but the thought of being obliterated made her scramble to her feet and run as fast as she could away from it and while she wasn’t sure she’d outrun the devastation, she was going to try.

That being said, whatever it was, hit the ground with a thundering explosion, sending dirt and gravel flying, along with her and she screamed as she was thrown to the ground. (Y/N) covered her head, crying in pain as debris scraped her arms and legs, but she stayed still until the world calmed around her.

When it did, she peeked through her arms and gaped at the destruction around her. Trees had been blown from their roots and in the middle of where her telescope had once been, was something smoking inside a hollowed dip in the ground, dirt and rocks thrown away.

(Y/N) shakily got to her feet and crept closer, terrified that she was going to find some horror movie come alive. Alien and Predator stuck in the back of her mind and part of her wanted to flee. The other part—and curse her Wayne curiosity—wanted to know what it was.

“Hello?” she whispered as she neared the rim of the crater, peering in. A groan sounded and she gasped, pulling away before she took another glance and she saw a woman. At least it looked like a woman.

Her body was unlike anything familiar to (Y/N), in the form of an average woman, but she had no skin. Instead, her body looked like the night sky, swirling pools of stars and dark matter, and her hair was long and white, shimmering like glitter. Her hips and wrists were plated with some type of metal, gold and inlaid with what looked like diamonds.

(Y/N) slid down the side of the crater against her better judgement, nearing the woman carefully. “Hello?” she called again. “Are you alright?” The woman groaned and rolled onto her back, eyes opening at her. She gasped at the white eyes, like stars.

“Help,” she weakly moaned.

Hurrying over, she knelt beside the woman. “Hey, it’s okay. You’re okay.” She reached out to touch the woman but stilled when she felt the warmth radiating off her body.

“Please…help me,” she begged. “They’re…coming.”

(Y/N) shook her head and took the woman’s hand; it made her skin tingle. “Who’s coming?”

“The Insentients,” the woman said. “They’re coming in a years’ time.”

“I…I don’t understand,” she replied. “What are Insentients?”

“Terrible creatures that destroy life.” The woman grasped her hand. “I am Astra, Queen of the Stars. And you must help me.” (Y/N) couldn’t believe a thing she was hearing, simply gaping at her. “I have battled the Insentients for billions of years, but I am at my end.” She squeezed tightly, reaching up to cup (Y/N)’s cheek, white eyes widening. “You must take my place as queen and protect the life of this galaxy.”

She couldn’t even form words, mouth opening and closing like a fish and all she could muster was, “I’m sorry? What?”

Astra coughed and something splattered on (Y/N)’s clothes before fading from sight. “Please, you must do this or life as you know it will cease in one year. Take my place.”

“But I’m—I’m not some alien queen! I’m a human!” She spluttered. “What do I even do?!”

The queen sighed tiredly. “Child, nothing will stop the Insentients unless you help. They will destroy all in their path.”

(Y/N) shook her head and happened to glance towards the sky. “The stars,” she breathed. “They’re so…dull.”

“My life is fading…so they are too.” Astra whispered. “They will die.”

“What?!” she shouted. “But the sun?! It’ll go out!”

“Yes.” The queen murmured.

Bewildered, she asked, “What can I do?”

Astra gazed at her. “Take my power. Be reborn as the Queen of the Stars.”

“How do I?” She questioned and Astra took (Y/N)’s hands, placing them on her chest.

“Grasp my heart.”

“Grasp your what?” she repeated.

“My heart.” The woman’s chest opened, and she stared in surprise as a small, but brilliant light came into view. “Bring it to your own.”

“I better not die,” (Y/N) deadpanned as she cupped the light carefully. Her fingers tingled like she was being shocked, and she swallowed thickly as she brought it up to her chest, just above her heart. “What now?” she asked, and Astra’s form began to fade, starting at her feet.

“Your body will absorb all that I am…all that I…have been.” She smiled. “Place it within your chest.”

“That’s not possible.” (Y/N) retorted, though she moved her hands against her chest. “My body can’t just absorb—holy shit it’s working,” she blurted, and she went still as her something jolted her spine, all the way up her spinal cord to her brain.

Her jaw went slack as he eyes widened, head tipping back to stare at the sky above her. Memories flashed across her vision, faster than she could keep track of and then her mind felt like it was imploding. She let out a strangled gasp and tipped backwards, fatigue overcoming her. The last thing she remembered was Astra’s eyes and her smile before she disappeared from sight and (Y/N) descended into darkness.

***

When she came to, all she could think about was the pounding headache in her skull and the lack of memory the night before. (Y/N) sat up and looked around. The sun was high in the sky and her telescope was sitting neatly where it had been. She blinked, feeling as though she’d forgotten something important. When she couldn’t remember, she shrugged and got to her feet, beginning to take the scope apart and put it away.

(Y/N) rolled the sleeping bag up and put it in the tote, carrying both back towards the side of the road. Her butler should’ve been around to pick her up but when she didn’t see him, she frowned. Huh…I thought Alfie was coming to pick me up? Blinking in confusion, she patted her pocket for her phone and pulled it out, though her eyes went wide when she saw the shattered screen and burnt phone.

“What the hell?” she questioned. “What happened to my phone?” It looked like it’d been blown up. Now she was really confused. What the hell happened last night? (Y/N) sighed heavily and shoved the phone in her pocket. “I guess I’m walking then.” She grunted and heaved the telescope and sleeping bag over her shoulders, starting back towards the city in the distance.

***

GCPD was the first important building she came upon and as tired as she was, she knew they’d let her use one of their phones to call home. (Y/N) lethargically wandered into the department, stopping near the counter.

“Excuse me, can I use your phone?”

The man at the counter looked up and suddenly shot to his feet. “(Y/N) Wayne!” he shouted, and she blinked.

“Uh…yeah, that’s me?”

He rubbed his eyes. “Holy shit, you’re here.” Gesturing to her, he added “Wait right there! Don’t move!”

“Wait, but I—” the man sprinted off and she sighed. “Great. Probably going to get everyone so we can do pictures.”

Next thing she knew, Commissioner Gordon was running into the entry way. “Miss Wayne!”

(Y/N) looked at him. “Yes sir. That’s me.” She pointed to the phone at the desk. “I was wondering if I could use the phone to call home? Mine’s…busted.”

He reached out, grasping her arms. “Are you hurt? We should get you checked out immediately.”

“I’m fine?” she answered confusedly. “What’s going on? Why is everyone panicking?”

Gordon gaped at her. “You don’t know what’s going on?” she shook her head. “(Y/N), you’ve been missing for an entire week.”

[seconds-not-decades]

Step {Back} In Time

Pairing: Five Hargreeves x Fem! OC

Author's Note: Hello and welcome. This is my season two fic (and sequel to Time and Chase). I will be posting daily. *Please note that I am well aware that Elliot Page portrays Viktor, but due to season two being before his transition, that is why his character is still Vanya. I am not deadnaming him and I sincerely hope I don't come across as such. I will transition when I write season three.*

Warnings: cursing.

Previous | Next

The Frankel Footage

~ * ~

On April the 1st, 2019, the Earth was destroyed in a cataclysmic event.

Billions of people were wiped out in a matter of minutes.

Ironically, the seven survivors of the apocalypse were the very family members who brought it on.

~ * ~

Five leapt up from his seat and ran after Luther. Karina slowly got up, following after him.

"The hell is wrong with you, Luther? I just told you the world's gonna end in ten days," Five stopped him.

"Yeah, well, you're always saying that," he tried to leave again, but Five stopped him.

"And so far, I've been right!"

"Look, you two want to go save the world? Knock yourselves out, all right? I already got a job," Luther remarked.

"Wait, you work in this shit hole?" Five wrinkled his nose.

"Yeah. Well, my boss owns the place. I'm his body man," Luther briefly explained.

"What's that? Like a masseuse or something?" Five frowned as Karina scoffed out,"You're into politics now?"

"Okay, you two can make fun all you want, but I take good care of Mr. Ruby," Luther defended himself.

Five paused and Karina asked, "Wait, Ruby?"

"The Jack Ruby, the gangster who shot Oswald?" Five stared at Luther.

"Yeah, the one and only," Luther lifted a shoulder casually.

"Well, it finally happened. That gorilla DNA has taken over your mind," Five commented.

"Hey, watch it, all right? Jack's a good friend," Luther whispered.

"And you're Number One. Número Uno. Remember?" Five pointed out.

"There is no Number One," Luther shook his head. "Not anymore. Not in 1963. Look, I've been stranded here alone for a year. What did you expect?"

"I get it, all right?" Five sighed. "You watched Pogo die, the world exploded, and I marooned your big dumb ass in time. I'm sorry, okay?" he sighed. "But I'm asking for your help, Luther. The Umbrella Academy needs you."

He scoffed softly. "It doesn't need me. It never did."

A woman came over and said something to Luther.

"Ah, shit," Luther tried to walk past.

"Luther, wait. Listen," Five took his arm.

Luther looked at him. "You're the genius who said we should jump. Right? You're the one who got us stuck here. And Karina was the one who brought Vanya. So if there is a doomsday coming, she's probably the cause. And if I was gonna do something about it, it sure as hell is not gonna be with you two."

With that oh so reassuring remark, he left the two. Five and Karina sat at the bar, probably gaining some looks. Five definitely gained some when he slid a glass of whiskey off a passing tray.

"You do realize people are looking at us, right?" Karina eyed him.

"Does it look like I care?" he shot back.

She merely rolled her eyes as they watched Luther peel a drunk man away from Jack Ruby.

Five took a drink and set the glass down. "Dad should have left him on the moon."

Karina gave him a look, but didn't say a word.

"What? No nudge or comment in their defense to make me be nicer?" Five airily joked.

"Split second decision to stop wasting my breath on it," she sighed.

He shook his head as the two slid out of the chairs. Though Five's blazer got caught and ripped.

"Nice going. I don't think I can fix that," Karina inspected his pocket, but she frowned when she pulled out a small box with a roll of film in it. "Five? What's this?"

Five plucked it from her hand and studied it carefully. Then he remembered. Hazel slipped it into his pocket yesterday.

"Hazel. We need to get this developed as soon as possible. Come on," Five blinked them out and back to Elliot's place.

~ * ~

Karina was inspecting the photos Elliott had pinned up. "Elliot, did you develop these photos yourself?"

"Of course. Can't exactly drop that stuff off at the neighborhood Fotomat. Government has eyes everywhere," Elliot answered.

"I didn't see a darkroom," she glanced at him.

"Yeah, I converted the hallway closet."

Elliot tended to a squealing machine as Five marked out the date on the box.

He strolled over to him with the box of film. "Can you develop this?"

"Hmm?" Elliot turned and took the box, reading the back. "Huh. "Frankel Footage." Friends of yours?"

"Cousins on my robot mother's side. Can you do it or not?"

"Sure I can."

"How long?" Karina questioned.

"Well, I mean, I'm running low on acetic acid," Elliot began. "Beeker's Cameras is open today, but it's two miles away. I mean, I'd have to take the bus. On the other hand, Gibson's is only ten blocks away, but I gotta cut through the park, and there's pigeons-"

"Elliott," Five interrupted him.

"It's like five, maybe six hours."

"Attention all units, we have a code 3-15 at the Holbrook Sanitarium," a man's voice from the radio announced.

Five glanced back and then at Elliot. "The hell is a code 3-15?"

"Mmm, fugitives on the run."

"Twenty-five patients still at large. Many are considered armed and dangerous," the voice continued as Five and Karina made their way over.

"Oh, Diego," Five whispered.

"Oh, who's Diego?" Elliot joined them.

Five pursed his lips. "Imagine Batman, then aim lower," he shot.

The radio chatter continued indistinctly.

"I swear, that man will never learn. He's an idiot. Soon he's going to have all the feds after him!" Karina commented in disbelief.

Five let out a laugh, looking up in amusement.

"What are you laughing at?" she eyed him sideways.

"Oh, how I adore you, darling," he planted a kiss on her cheek. Then he looked at Elliot. "You get started on that film. We'll be back as soon as we can."

With that, Five and Karina blinked out.

~ * ~

Five and Karina reappeared in the backseat of the car Diego and Lila Pitts were hiding in.

"Then why are you doing this?" Lila asked Diego.

"Because he is an idiot," Five replied, causing Lila to jump and whip around.

"Who the hell are you two?" she questioned.

"Hi. I'm his loving brother," Five smiled and waved sarcastically.

"I'm his affectionate sister-in-law," Karina added.

"Who left me to rot in the nuthouse. Both of you," Diego was still mad about that.

"To protect you from yourself," Five retorted.

"That's quite sweet," Lila commented.

"Okay, the three of you, out!" Diego shouted.

"Lose the crazy lady and come with us. We have important business," Five turned to Diego.

"I am not going anywhere with you two," Diego fired back.

Five eyed a policeman walking past. "Okay, fine." He slid over to the window. "Officer!" he called out smugly.

"Hey!" Diego launched himself at Five, grabbing his blazer and pulling him back. "What are you doing?"

"I hear there's a reward out for you two and I'm long overdue for a honeymoon," Five retorted, causing Karina to eye him with an arched eyebrow.

Lila blinked. "He's bluffing."

Diego stared down at Five, who had a sly expression.

"He's not," Karina casually stated.

"Fine. I'll go with you two," Diego relented.

"What about me?" Lila spoke up.

Five, Diego, and Karina looked at her.

"And I'm bringing the crazy lady. Because if you can take your wife around, I can take Lila around," Diego told Five before he could object.

Five and Karina glanced at Lila warily, but decided to stay silent as to not lose Diego's compliance.

~ * ~

The four made their way up the stairs from the salesroom to Elliot's place.

However, they were met with a very panicked Elliott, aiming a shotgun at them as he came out of a room. "Where did you get the film? "The Frankel Footage." The truth this time."

"You know this lunatic?" Diego asked.

Five sighed. "New acquaintance."

"He's harmless," Karina added.

"Are you sure about that?" Lila pointed out.

"Are you or are you not an enemy of the people?" Elliot shouted.

The four paused for a second from that.

"Such an open-ended question," Diego commented.

"Really depends on the people," Five nodded in agreement.

Lila and Karina exchanged a rather confused look.

"You move one more muscle, I will blow your brains out," Elliot threatened.

"You want to take this or should I?" Diego questioned lowly.

"No, I got him," Five clenched his jaw.

"Hey, Lila…" Diego turned her to him as Five blinked out.

Five reappeared in front of Elliott, shoving his rifle up as Elliot shot at the ceiling and made glass rain down. Diego grabbed the rifle from Elliot and emptied it.

"What the hell just happened?" Lila sputtered out.

Karina sighed. "I'll go get the footage. Elliot, dear, where did you put it?" She glanced at him as he speechlessly flailed his hand. "The table? Excellent."

After securing aka tying up Elliot, Karina got a projector and Diego hung up a sheet so everyone could watch. Lila was busily painting Elliot's toenails green.

"Is it on?" the woman in the footage asked. "I don't know. What do you mean? There's an "on" button. Just-there's something over-that jigga-ma-thing, whatever."

"I hit the jigga-ma-thing," the man in the footage told her.

"Okay, well, just-give it to me. I know how to do this."

"All right, here. Here. Hurry up."

"Okay, all right, let's see…" their chatter continued on film.

"They're so cute. I love old couples. I'm always so proud of them for not murdering each other," Lila spoke casually.

Karina held back a snort from that, finding irony in her statement. She was pressed against Five's side with his arm around her waist.

"Why are we watching this?" Diego was sitting on the counter.

"Shush," Five told him.

"Yeah, I…I'm Dan Frankel. And…" the man introduced himself.

"I'm Edna Frankel," the woman's voice cut in.

"Edna Frankel," Dan echoed. "We are in Dallas, Texas, to see the president. Today's date is November 22, 1963."

That made Diego's head turn.

"Well, that's six days from now," Lila observed rather skeptically.

"Holy shit. This is it," Diego leaned forward and Elliot fidgeted some. "The grassy knoll. Kennedy's about to get shot. How do you have this?" Diego wanted to know.

"Hazel died to get us this footage. It must be the key to stopping doomsday," Five replied.

"Hazel?" Diego repeated.

"Long story," Karina responded.

"What's doomsday?" Lila piped up.

"Longer story," Five kept his eyes on the screen.

"What exactly did he say to you two?" Diego questioned.

"Well, he was killed before he could explain," Karina sighed.

"But whatever he wanted us to see, it's on this film," Five finished.

"This is very exciting," Dan continued as gunshots suddenly sounded in the film.

People began screaming.

"Oh, my God!" Dan exclaimed.

"Oswald," Diego muttered.

"The president!" Dan commented as screams continued on film.

Five exhaled when he saw an all too familiar figure. "Oh, no." He went over to the machine and rewound the film, pausing it.

He and Diego were staring at the screen in disbelief as Five moved the machine farther away.

"This can't be," he went towards the screen.

"Okay, you gonna fill me in now, boys? What the hell is this shit we're watching?" Lila watched them approach the screen closely.

"No, that's impossible," Diego said.

"Clearly, it's not," Five remarked.

"What…What is it?" Elliot asked, though his voice was muffled.

"Dad," Five and Diego breathed out in shock.

After a few moments of collective shock, the world seemed to resume orbit. Five was pacing relentlessly and Diego was perched on the table.

"Of course Dad would be involved in the assassination. I should've known," Diego muttered.

"No, you're jumping to conclusions," Five retorted.

"What else is he doing standing on the grassy knoll, holding an open black umbrella on a sunny day in Dallas the exact same moment the president gets shot?" Diego leapt to his feet and shouted.

"It doesn't look good, I admit!"

"No, he's the signalman for the whole goddamn thing."

"Easy, Diego," Five warned him.

"Seriously," Karina added, watching them closely with her arms crossed.

"No, it makes sense. This is what Hazel was obviously trying to tell you two," Diego argued. "We have to stop Dad from killing the president."

"Diego, calm down, all right?" Five sighed. "Dad was no Boy Scout, but presidential assassination? It's never been his thing."

"How would you know? You skipped out on his golden years and decided it was a grand idea to get yourself married on top of that," Diego snapped.

Five felt hurt from that. "Skipped out? You think Rina and I had it easy, Diego? We were the only two people left in that forsaken world for 45 years!" He glanced at Karina and then took a breath. "You know what? We don't have the time for this right now." He tried to compose himself again. "Dad's clearly in Dallas, right? Let's just go talk to him. Maybe he can help us fix the timeline." He paced over to Karina's side.

"Dallas is a big place. We need to find him first," Diego pointed out.

"Gee, if only we had some magical, old-timey way of finding people and their addresses," Karina sarcastically shot.

Five dug around and found an address book, dropping it on a coffee table.

"Let's start simple. His name," Five suggested.

Diego began flipping through the pages, hovering over the book. "Hargreeves…Hargreeves…Hargreeves…shit, nothing here."

"Try his company, D.S. Umbrella Manufacturing Co.," Five put out there.

Diego slowly turned to shoot him a glare. "Yeah, I know the name. Thanks." He flipped through the pages and then skimmed down the names. "Uh…holy shit. "D.S. Umbrella. Eighty-two Olive." Let's go." He began to walk away.

Five followed him. Elliott was grunting, muffled as the two strolled past him casually.

"He okay to leave here like that?" Diego questioned.

"Yeah, he's fine."

"What about the girl?"

Five and Diego looked back. Elliott was grunting loudly.

"Shit," Diego went to go find Lila.

Five sighed as he went over to Karina, who was fixing a pot of tea.

"So you and Diego are off to find Sir Reginald?" she asked, adjusting the kettle.

"Yeah," he replied.

"Am I staying or going?"

Five bit his lip. "As much as I'd love to have you with me, I don't fancy the idea of Dad meeting you right now. Or…ever."

"I figured. Besides, no offense, this sounds like something between you all and you all only," Karina returned. "Plus I can keep an eye on Elliot."

"That'll be interesting on your behalf. Besides, you deal with enough drama from the in-laws as it is. Don't want to throw the father-in-law into the mix."

"Thanks for the consideration."

"Only for you," Five then sighed. "I'll be back, I promise."

"I know you will," Karina smiled, blushing when he kissed her cheek.

"Hey, Romeo! Come on, we have a father to hunt down!" Diego shouted to him.

"I'm going to kill him someday," Five growled.

"No you won't. You better go," Karina laughed.

He shook his head and left her to go accompany his annoying brother to go find their screwed up adoptive father.

~ * ~

[bri3ll3]

sparks

pairing: steve rogers x black!reader, steve rogers x natasha romanoff (mentioned briefly)

summary: you and steve were soulmates you just never knew you weren’t the only soulmate he had.

warnings: soulmate au, kind of lovers to strangers trope

a/n: once again i am using my past heartbreak as motivation to write.

not proofread

if you would like to be on my taglist please contact me!

i had once heard that people could have more than one soulmate and i believed that, there was no way that out of seven billion people in this world only one was meant for you.

steve rogers was someone who i never expected to be my soulmate, i expected someone who worked a normal 9-5 not a superhero.

many people said that you knew when you found your soulmate because it was like a magnet drawing you two, that was exactly what if felt like.

steve and i hit it off instantly and before i knew it four years had passed us by, it was great and i would never have wished for anything else.

sadly something in our relationship had shifted, steve was distant but so was i and honestly i had no idea how it happened.

when steve was working out i noticed that he had the mark of an hourglass on him, i instantly knew that he had more than one soulmate. from then on i started to distance myself even more, whenever steve would get into bed i would turn away from him or whenever we would hug or kiss i would make it short.

steve had definitely taken a notice to it, there wasn’t any way he hadn’t. steve distance himself as well, doing all of the same things i did.

part of me hoped he would bring it up and part of me hoped he didn’t, i didn’t want to loose him but i also didn’t want to hold him back from his other soulmates love.

everyday i looked at that mark and wondered if he knew but there was no way he didn’t.

months passed by and he still never brought it up, at this point we were just walking on eggshells.

we sat at the dinner table eating in silence like we had been for the last couple of months, i looked up at him and saw him reading the paper and eating.

once we finished eating we both took time to wash the dishes together like we always did, i sadly realized that this might be the last time we ever do the things we normally do.

i felt myself start to tear up but i quickly blinked them away, i wasn’t going to cry it was only going to make this harder. we finished washing and drying the dishes before walking into the living room to catch up on the recent show we’ve been watching.

halfway through the episode i looked over at steve who was already looking at me, he had a sad expression on his face as he looked at me and i knew it was time.

“i know” a tear falls down his face as the i look at him “i’m sorry” he apologizes and i shake my head as he starts crying. i shed a tear seeing him in such a broken state “it’s ok, i knew along time ago i was just waiting for you to come to terms” the tears fall from my eyes and he wiped them away.

“i don’t want to leave you” he continues to cry and i cry with him “you have someone who’s waiting to meet you and had been all of their life, i had my turn and i wouldn’t trade it for anything” i grab his hand and hold it tightly “i’ve had an amazing five years with you, go out at meet whoever it is you need to meet i’ll be ok” i do my best to assure not just him but myself that everything will be fine.

“i love you” i cry even more as the words leave his mouth for the last time “i love you too steve so much” i place my hand on his cheek and rub it with my thumb.

he leans in and kisses me one last time, we put all of our passion and love for each other into that kiss. i pull away and smile at him sadly “go steve i’ll be alright” i rub his arm gently before he gets up and walks away.

i look down at my arm and see the mark start to fade away, i watch as the mark leaves my skin.

sparks eventually burn out and sadly so did ours

[multi-shenanigans]

𝔒𝔥 𝔅𝔶 𝔗𝔥𝔢 𝔖𝔱𝔞𝔯𝔰!

Hisirdoux Casperan “Douxie” x Fem Reader

Ch1. Earth

How many years has it been since I left Earth? Hala, all this time travelling has my perception of time messed up. Am I a billion years old or am I two million years old? If only Galvin didn’t recruit me when I was on my way to Balubia, I heard that it was like a party everyday there.

“Hey (Y/n)!” Galvin catches my attention as he walks towards me.

“Well speaking of the Devil, what’s up?” I fixed my posture as he made his way towards me.

“Oh my, is the deity herself trying to hide her horrible posture?” He jests as he stands beside me and leans on the railing and looks out the window, chuckling to himself.

“Ha ha, very funny Galvin. And please I’m far from a deity, at least I don’t go parading myself everywhere telling people to bow before me.” I chuckled at my own joke.

“The only person who bowed to me was Zea because she knows who I am.” I sighed, I looked out of the window and leaned into the railing.

“If only people still didn’t associate me with the Arcane Order, all they’ve ever done so far last time I saw them was burn down a village because one guy catched a gnome and tortured the poor thing to death. Why burn down the whole village when you can just burn the man who committed the crime.” I looked down at my hands as I tightened my grip on the railing.

“We - well they, since I left the group. They promised to protect the balance between the mortal and magic but here they are, causing harm to innocent mortals because there’s a few bad apples out there.” I vent my frustration. Galvin took my hand in his, I looked up to see him smiling at me sadly. I loosened my grip on the railing and dropped my arms to my side.

“I’m sorry, I just-” I apologise but he cuts me off .

“There’s no need to apologize for venting out your problems.” Galvin says as he rubs the back of my hand with his thumb.

“Thanks.” I smiled at him, and brought my attention back to the window.

“Go on, I know you got a lot more going through your mind.”

“To be honest, I really want to look into the future just to see how to stop all this madness that they’ve been causing. But I know looking into the future - especially if I’m in it, is dangerous and the possibilities of outcomes are endless! Ugh stupid space time rules!” I groaned out. He lets go of my hand and

“Well technically if you did look into the future it wouldn’t go against any space time rules. But I still wouldn’t suggest looking into the future since trying to change the outcome of what you see will drive you insane to the point of no return. This is why we exist.” He boasts with a stupid grin on his face.

“Mhm.” I hummed out, bringing my focus back to the window. Earth slowly inching closer and closer.

“Is the reason why you’re going back home is to stop your siblings or is it something else?” He asks as he too looks out of the window to look at Earth.

“Well other than my siblings being major buttholes. I just want to go back home and live among the humans...you know a simple life.” I sigh out.

“Blegh, you want to live with those barbarians?” Galvin gags.

“They’re not that bad, but yes I want to live with the barbarians as you put it.” I jest. There was a pause between us.

“You know you could’ve just teleported your way back to Earth right?” Galvin brings up to cut the silence.

“I know, but I wanted to spend time with my best friend one last time.” I spoke softly and grabbed his hand.

“For me it’ll probably be years till I get to see you again, but for you it might just take months since keeping track of time is useless in the agency.” I told him.

“Aww, does my best friend care for me?” He patronizes me, and starts laughing.

“Shut up.” I chuckled then punched his shoulder lightly.

“Hey guys.” Our laughter was cut off by Zea.

“Oh hey Zea” we say at the same time.

“(Y/n), you should get ready since we’re forty-five minutes away from landing.” Zea says as she looks at her watch.

“Cool, so where are we landing? And when? You guys never told me.” I ask them.

“Huh, we mentioned this in the meeting last week… Oh you were sleeping during that meeting” Zea groans out.

“We my friend.” Galvin wrapped his arm around my shoulder and brought me closer to him and raised his arm up.

“Are dropping you off at Camelot!” He says while gliding his arm to the other side.

“Early 6th century Camelot.” Zea says cooly and grabs Galvin away from me.

“Hey, you shouldn’t treat your boss so harshly.” Galvin jests.

“Mhm and you shouldn't be trying to take me out on a date during work hours.” Zea retorts back, then flicks his forehead and let’s go of him.

“Especially when I’m on a mission.” Zea then walks towards me and grabs my arm to drag me to our dorm.

“We need to get going, she needs to get her stuff together before we arrive on Earth.” Zea says out loud for Galvin to hear as we get further away from where we were just talking.

“So you and Galvin huh?” I asked her with a smirk.

“Wipe that grin off your face, you look like a mad man.” Zea spits out jokingly as she continues to drag me back to our dorm.

Aug 19, 2021

[fanfictsbehereyall]

One Large Ristretto With Milk and Extra Whip Cream, Please

Ahhhhhh, I am so sorry this took so long! Life is just too busy, tears. But hey, we’re here now! And I am exited to have participated in another Valentine’s day Exchange :) @ninjago-valentine-exchange it took five billion years, but here’s my Jay/Zane A fanfic, yay :D

A03 Link

Summary:  Jay swears that he only hangs out at the cafe daily for the free wifi and strong espresso. It definitely wasn’t a way for him to try and gain the courage to ask the cute barista with the pink apron out on a date and then deflating into a mess of jumbled words and running out of there before he can embarrass himself in front of said barista. Pfff, what? Who said that?

The sweet aroma of baked goods and strong coffee filled the air, as the early morning rays of the rising sun brought a soft orange glow to the Cafe’s interior. But, Jay didn’t bear witness to any of it as he stared dopey-eyed at the barista on the other side of the counter.

Jay sighed with an air of longing as he saw the other work. His white hair paired with those crystal clear eyes could steal the breath out of any person. And his voice! It was so calm and collected as if the rush of running this whole show was a breeze. The intricately decorated pastries lined on the shelves could never compare to the natural beauty that he had. 

“Hey, Jay!”

Jay let out a yelp as he unintentionally kicked the table; the fear of being caught off guard caused a crimson red blush to spread across his freckled cheeks. Luckily his large ristretto with milk and extra whip cream didn’t fall over and ruin all of his work.

“Geeze, don’t just sneak up on a guy like that,” Jay complained as he watched Kai slide into the seat across from him, “I don’t need ‘coffee spill’ added to the list of things broken with this guy’s laptop.”

“Pretty sure it’s not ‘sneaking up’ if you heard him call you the first time,”

“Oh my god,” Jay squeaked as he looked to his right to see Cole sitting next to him, “How long have you been here?!”

“I’ve been eating breakfast right next to you for like ten minutes, dude,” Cole answered back, and sure enough alongside Jay’s work was a half-empty plate of breakfast danishes with fruit and syrup drizzled on top of it all.

“Anyone else going to pop out of nowhere? Is Nya right behind you Kai? Is Lloyd going to jump out from behind that planter? Or-” Jay rambled on in hopes that the others wouldn’t bring up the reason behind the distracted gaze from before.

“Jay, it's okay. We know you have the biggest crush on Zane," Cole reassured, as he swatted Kai's hand away from his plate," And that's how we always know where to find you: at the cafe.”

"Pffff, what? I don't know what you're talking about. I'm always here because of the… free wifi! And lively atmosphere; I get a lot of work done here honestly," Jay tried to deflect, going back to the half put together laptop lying helplessly across the table.

Said work skewed across the wood surface, was a little side business he had going on between classes. “Give me a hundred bucks, and I'll fix anything that's wrong with your computer.” Most people found it impressive that Jay could turn almost any piece of unusable technology back to its former glory. Friends knew that his parents owned a junkyard outside of town where he found replaceable parts for free.

"So you weren't just staring at Zane for the last ten minutes?"

If he wasn't blushing before, Jay could definitely feel it start to burn across his cheeks and ears. He wasn’t trying to hide his crush on the barista; everyone knew Jay could talk a mile a minute about anything and everything, not excluding his feelings for others… He just didn’t want to be so obvious about it right in front of Zane.

“You should totally go for it, Jay,” Kai said with a cheeky grin.

“Ha, you don’t think I’ve tried? It’s just so difficult to find the right time to tell him,” Jay said.

“How hard is it to ask someone you see every day out on a date?” Cole asked as he tried to figure out how a motor mouth like Jay hasn’t just confessed all of his feelings while also ordering his coffee at the counter.

“Wouldn’t you two like to know?” Jay said as he thought back to a few moments in the past few months.

------------------------------

There was the first time Jay tried to ask Zane out on a date…

Jay couldn’t wait to try this new coffee shop everyone on campus has been raving about! Apparently the whole place was runned by one guy, and has “the best cake on earth” according to Cole; that wasn’t really a surprise for Jay to hear from his long time friend, but when he heard Kai talk nonstop about the caffe’s spicy chocolate mocha… If this place was getting so much hype, then it must be worth its salt, right?

As Jay drew closer to his destined location, he could already smell the baked goods and coffee wafting in the air. The place itself was a small, almost picture perfect, little shop crushed in between two other businesses. The whole building was painted in crisp gray with a light blue trim, the window display showed off pastries of all shapes and sizes, and a small line could be seen forming outside the door.

’Wow! This place is packed,’ was all Jay could think as he stood in the back of the line.

Once Jay entered the caffe, all he could see was green; the whole place was filled to the brim with potted plants of various kinds. A few wooden tables were placed off to the left as the marble topped counter took up most of the space on the right side. The counter also had a display case within it showing off even more baked goods.

Before he knew it, Jay was at the font of the line with a drink in mind. But, before he could think of anything else, the barista had greeted him with a, “Welcome in. Can I get a name for your order?”

The barista was a tall glass of water with chilling blue eyes that contrasted nicely with his warm smile. He stood straight with perfect poster, and holding a pen in his left hand with a small notepad in his right. Speaking of his hands, they looked delicate like glass and had baby blue nail polish adorned on the nails. What was most eye-catching was the pink floral apron tied around his waist and his pure white hair.

They had literally met each other for the first time right now, and yet this man was checking off more boxes than Jay even knew he had.

“Uh, the name is Jay. Jay Walker,” He said with a dry throat.

‘It’s now, or never. I’ve got to say something romantic!’

“And, let me guess, your name is ‘Gorgeous’, right?” Jay said with a bold wink to follow suit.

“Oh, it’s actually Zane,” he replied back, pointing to his nametag pinned on his apron; his tone was leaning more to seriously answering the question, rather than seeing it as a pickup line. 

“So, what can I get for you today Mr.Walker?”

“Oh, um, Jay is fine,” He said with a deflated tone, “I’ll take-”

------------------------------

Then there was that time about a month ago…

Jay had been stopping by the caffe almost every other day now; whether it was to get a quick bite or to work on his side hustle on the second to last table from the back, Jay seemed to always have a presence there.

But, today was the day that Jay found the courage to try asking Zane out again.

The cafe was rather empty that day, save for a few people too invested on their laptops than on their surroundings. I guess it was to be expected, it was kinda late in the day and the afternoon rush had come and gone. Lucky for Jay, he had free time to enjoy a cup of joe and work on his side business.

Jay looked over to the counter, it was empty of customers and their orders. Zane was moving idly back and forth cleaning a few things here and there, or making sure everything was stocked. He took a deep breath, collecting his thoughts, and walked over to the counter.

Okay, I’ve got this! Just ask him out on a date, and if he says yes make some quick plans… and if he says no then we need to meet up with the gange anyways for movie night. Yeah, a perfect plan, with a perfect exit strategy.

Zane took notice as he looked at Jay with those beautiful, sapphire, blue eyes.

‘Oh no! What was I going to say again? Come on Jay, say just something to him!’

“Soooo, what great weather we’re having, am I right?” Jay tried and failed to carry on the conversation.

“Actually, it’s going to rain real soon,” Zane said with a slight somber tone.

“Really?” Jay looked out the window to a sunny day, “I thought the news said it was going to rain tomorrow?”

Zane hummed at that, looking to the window as well, “Maybe I’m wrong, sorry.”

“Hey, I get stuff wrong all the time! Don’t beat yourself up ove-”

Jay caust the sight of a blinding white light in the corner of his eye, as a thunderous roar followed suit. Jay was dumbfounded into silence as he watched sprinkles turn into a full blown storm outside in a matter of seconds.

“Wha- How did you know that was going to happen?” Jay asked as he did a double take.

“It’s just a feeling I get sometimes,” Zane said as plain and simple as an answer like that could get.

“That’s awesome,” Jay said before he gasped and looked over to all the electronic devices laying atop the table, “How am I going to get home? I can’t risk all of that water flooding out my stuff!”

“Why don't you take one of these?” Zane asked as he reached over to grab a large container he usually uses to store extra sugar, “This should be big enough for all your stuff, and easy enough to put on your bike.”

“I can’t take that Zane. Don’t you need it? I don’t want to just keep it forever by accident, or-” Jay rambled.

“It’s okay, Jay. This is what friends do right?” Zane said as he continued to hand over the box.

“Well if you insist,” Jay said as he took the container; his hand slightly brushing over Zane’s; his hand was cold to the touch but also soft and covered with a light layer of flour. A blush as hot as the sun burned across Jay’s face as he quickly retreated away, “T-Thank you again Zane! Uh, got to go before it rains any harder!”

Jay scrambled as he shoved all of his stuff in the plastic container, running out of the shop and into the downpour. Thick, heavy raindrops hit his body as he secured the box to the back of his bike and sped off to his shared apartment. What he didn’t notice as he left was the shocked expression Zane had along with a light blush as he watched the other.

------------------------------

Jay didn’t even want to think of the time he tried to confess his feelings last week…

Today was the day! Jay knew it for sure this time. He had gotten a box of chocolates and some flowers for Zane this time. And he was going to confess his love. He just needed to take a breather before entering the cafe. Locking his bike up to a nearby lamppost, Jay looked over everything he had in hand.

A loud ping, along with a harsh buzz emitted from his pocket, startling the man. He brought his yellow cased phone up into view and saw multiple text messages were being sent to him. The newest one read: 

Bro where the fuck are you!?!?!

Wha?? Jay texted back.

Dude are EXAM STARTS in 15 min and I DON'T SEE YOU

“Oh shit!” was all Jay could yell, as he shoved the box and flowers into his bag and booked it on his bike back to campus.

‘Ugh, how could I forget the test was moved to today!’

Did Jay make it to his test with seconds to spare, all out of breath and ready to pass out from exhaustion? Yes, yes he did.

Were the chocolates and flowers completely crushed and ruined by that time? Sadly, also yes.

------------------------------

“Oh come one, Jay. It couldn’t have been that bad,” Cole said, bringing Jay back into the present.

“Well…”

“How ‘bout we help you!” Kai stated more than asked, “We can set up this big, grand gesture that will totally have Zane falling for you!”

The sparkle in Kai’s eyes was bright as he thought of the different ways everyone could help Zane and Jay fall in love. Yes, all Jay needed was an extravagant, romantic act to swoop Zane off his feet!

“I know that work for us Kai,” Cole butted in, “But please don’t make out-of-this-world kind of plans, Jay.”

“Aww, why not?” Kai pouted.

“We all know how Zane is… He’s a really shy and awkward kinda guy,” Cole said as he looked over to the ever hustling barista, “What you need to do is be straight-forward, tell Zane how you feel, and don’t be discouraged into backing out at the last minute.”

“Pffff, what? Me backing out?” Jay tried to deny, “I would never do that.”

Cole and Kai gave him that look.

“Ugh, what if he says no to the date?” Jay asked with concern.

“Well, at least you’ll have an answer,” Cole started.

“Yeah, if he says ‘No’ then you know that you can move on,” Kai added, “But, if he says ‘Yes’ then you can stop this whole thing you’ve got going on with this tiptoeing around Zane over almost every little thing.” 

The barista had become a member of their little friend group quite easily over the past few months, and had even ventured with them to eat out or just simply hang out. Jay all the while trying to avoid outing himself in front of Zane with his feelings by keeping an arm’s length between them. Or coming up with an excuse last second to not hang out with everyone. It was starting to get to Jay; seeing the person you love right in front of you, and yet so far away, and it was all your fault no less.

“You know what? You're right!” Jay said as he got up from his chair with new found confidence; he looked over to Zane bagging up a large cake order, but no new customers lining up just yet.

“You got this Jay,” Kai cheered on, as Cole gently nudged Jay forward.

He walked with a jump to his step and an optimistic smile, “Hey Zane, are you busy?” Jay asked politely.

“Oh, just one second, Jay,” He replied with a heavenly smile, as he finished his work, “What can I get for you?”

All of that cheeky confidence was washed away by a dizzy fog that seemed to always follow him in these situations, as he  stammered, “I, um, was wondering if… um, if you would like to, you know? If-”

“Do you want to go out on a date?” Zane cuts him off with a bright red blush blossoming across his cheeks.

Jay is stunned for a second.

“Yes!” He blurted out a little too fast, and a little too loud.

”I mean, yeah that sounds great,” Jay recovered with the feeling of warmth burning deep in his chest and a tickle on the back of his neck.

’Is this what love feels like?’

[bumblesimagines]

Green Thumb

Part 9

Request: Yes or No

Almost at double digits y'all. Can someone be an angel and send me the ages of every one between civil war and endgame? Ik Wanda was 18-19 in Age of Ultron and Civil war and Sam was probs in his mid to late twenties in Civil War.

~

You frowned, touching the collar around your neck. It made you feel like an animal. It was to prevent you from using your powers. Rhodes had mentioned it would shock you if you attempted to use your powers. You weren't sure if it was instantaneous or if someone controlled it but you didn't feel like finding out.

"You like cats?" Sam asked T'Challa, prince of Wakanda.

"Sam." Steve called, glancing over his shoulder like a disapproving parent. You snorted softly, biting your bottom lip.

"What? Dude shows up dressed like a cat and you don't want to know more?" Sam asked, looking at Steve.

"I like cats." You mumbled, looking at Sam with a small smile. Sam turned towards you with a small grin.

"Of course you do, Animal Planet." You rolled your eyes at the new nickname, shifting slightly. You really didn't want to trigger the collar.

"I'm a dog person."

"You look like a dog person."

"And what do dog people look like?"

"Morons." You answered, giving a slight shrug as Steve cracked a smile, trying to bite back a chuckle. Sam huffed lightly, looking away from you. A moment of silence passed before Steve spoke.

"Your suit.. Vibranium?" Steve asked T'Challa. The prince turned his head slightly.

"The Black Panther has been the protector of Wakanda for generations. It's meant to pass from warrior to warrior. Now, because your friend murdered my father, I also wear the mantle of king. So I ask you.. How long do you think you can keep your friend safe from me?" T'Challa asked, finally looking at Steve. Steve stayed silent, looking forward. You sighed through your nose, feeling the tension return. You wondered if Clint had been notified of your arrest yet. The van pulled into a parking garage, officers opening the door once it came to a stop. You got out, following Steve to the man and blonde.

"What's gonna happen to him?" Steve asked. You turned your head, looking over at him. You made eye contact with him again, holding it for a minute before looking away.

"What was that?" Sam asked quietly. You frowned, brows furrowing.

"That- That little staring contest."

"Oh, shut up." You huffed, looking away from him.

"Same thing that's gonna happen to you. Psychological evaluation." The man replied.

"This is Everett Ross, CIA operative and Task Force Commander." The woman, Sharon Carter, introduced him. Her gaze flickered to you.

"The shock collar will be taken off after the evaluation." She said, voice stotic but gaze pitiful.

"What about a lawyer?"

"Lawyer, that's funny. See their weapons are placed in lock up." Ross instructed the officers. Sam scoffed, following the officers. Steve spared one last glance to Bucky before following Ross and the officers. You walked besides Sam, being escorted through the building.

"You'll be placed in offices instead of cells. Do me a favor and stay in them." Ross stared straight forward as he spoke. T'Challa moved to walk beside him.

"I don't intend on going anywhere." T'Challa said. You spotted Natasha, feeling some sense of relief.

"Clint was informed and I assured him I'd keep an eye on you." Natasha told you, giving a small reassuring smile. She looked at Steve, addressing him. The relief went away upon hearing Tonys' voice. He finished his phone call, approaching you and the guys.

"Consequences?" Steve questioned, staring at him. You looked around the large room, noticing the screens and everything going on.

"Secretary Ross wants you three prosecuted." Tony said, motioning to them and you. Your brows furrowed slightly. There were two guys with the last name Ross who looked vaguely alike. That definitely wouldn't be hard to remember.

"I'm not getting that shield back, am I?" Steve asked as Tony and Natasha walked away.

"Technically, it belongs to the government. Wings too." Natasha said, shrugging.

"That's cold." Sam muttered.

"Warmer than jail." Tony called back. You looked at the security cameras, noticing the room Bucky had been moved to.

"You got the hots for him or something?" Sam asked. Steve turned to look at you, blinking a few times. You shot Sam a look, raising your brows.

"No, Samuel. I do not and if I did, why would you ask infront of his longtime bestie?" You asked, almost gritting your teeth. Sam raised his hands in surrender as Tony pulled Steve into a meeting room to talk.

"Why have a meeting in a glass box?" You asked quietly. Sam shrugged, looking it over.

"To prevent fighting." Sam answered. You watched at Steve and Tony seemed to argue. You looked at Sam with an amused smile.

"Physical fights." Sam clarified as Tony stepped out and Sharon had you and Sam enter. You took a seat across from Sam, looking at the security camera footage. Sharon entered, placing a paper infront of Sam.

"I'm sorry about the collar." Sharon apologized softly. You leaned back in the seat, shrugging lightly. She pressed a button, allowing Steve to listen to the footage. Sharon slid over some photos over to Steve.

"Why would the Task Force release this?" Steve asked. Sharon gave a shrug.

"To alert the public, I guess."

"Right.. A good way to force a guy into hiding. Got seven billion people looking for The Winter Solider."

"You're saying someone framed the guy to find him." Sharon mused quietly. Sam seemed confused, looking at Steve. You looked back at the footage on screen.

"Steve, you looked for the guy for two years and found nothing." Sam reminded him.

"We didn't bomb the UN."

"That doesn't guarantee that the person who framed him knew that we'd get him." Sharon looked at Steve. She suddenly frowned, brows furrowing as Steve turned towards the footage. You looked up as the power went out, seeing the staff begin to freak out and try to locate the source. You looked at Sam, slowly standing up. Sharon took out a key, sliding it over to you.

"Level 5 east wing." She said as you unlocked the collar, tossing it to the side as running out of the room with Sam and Steve. Whoever had framed Bucky had found him. You followed the two down the hall and down some stairs. You reached the area, finding guards on the ground. The interviewer lied on the ground, calling for help. Steve approached him with you hesitantly following. You noticed movement out of the corner of your eye, dodging Sam when he was thrown towards you.

"Hey, dude." You breathed out, swallowing. Bucky had a deep frown on his face, blue eyes holding nothing but bloodlust. He looked downright terrifying. You thrusted both hands forward, shooting a fireball that sent him flying back against the wall. Steve quickly stepped between you and him as you turned and rushed to Sam.

"Sam? Sam!" You shook his shoulders, shakey fingers pressing against his neck. You felt his pulse, relieved to feel his heartbeat. You slapped his cheek, waking him up.

"I've always wanted to do that." You muttered, watching him wince. He groaned, turning his head. You followed his gaze, seeing the guy from before looking down where Steve had been thrown. You stood, helping Sam up and following him up a set of stairs. With Steve out of commission temporarily and Bucky in a frenzy, the guy was the only hope of stopping everything.

"Can you try to stop him or trip him up?" Sam asked, rushing up the stairs.

"I can't see him and I'd rather not make this whole building collapse on accident." You replied, almost tripping over your own feet. Sam found an exit, following the crowd of people running.

"He looked like any other guy." You said, taking in deep breaths. Sam shot you a weird look.

"We just ran up like five flights of stairs." You breathed out, hands resting on your knees. At least the chilly weather provided some help. Sam noticed a jacket, jogging over and picking it up. You stumbled after him, looking it over.

"I really need some water." You whispered, lightly fanning yourself. Sam rolled his eyes, following the crowd of people. You sluggishly followed, giving him a small smile when he stopped by a shop to get you a bottle. He took out his phone as you drank half of it.

"Come on." Sam pulled you along, following direction and entering warehouse. Steve had Bucky laying against some machinery, unconscious and metal arm trapped in a wedge.

"You two okay?" Steve asked, looking you and Sam over with a concerned frown.

"Yeah.. Someone over here needs some more training." Sam glanced at you with a teasing smile. You rolled your eyes, licking your lips as you heard the sound of a helicopter.

"Could you ice over his arm?" Steve asked.

"He broke a stone wall. Ice won't hold him but sure, I'll do it." You shrugged, approaching the unconscious man. You licked your lips, splashing the rest of the water on the machinery and touching it after. The ice creeped down, covering over the metal arm. You looked at him, finally getting a proper look. He was handsome. Brown hair that barely reached his shoulders, facial hair just growing in, those icy blue eyes that either swirled with sadness or anger.

"You're giving him bedroom eyes again." Sam called, his voice echoing slightly. You clenched your jaw, looking at him.

"What? I can't admire something that looks nice?" You asked, watching his demeanor change. He looked alert yet amused. You frowned, looking back at Bucky and finding him staring right at you. You rolled your lips into your mouth, clearing your throat.

"God, that's so embarrassing." You whispered, speedwalking towards Sam as he cracked up. You ignored your burning face, arms crossing. Sam calmed down, wiping away a tear. Steve walked over, watching Bucky grunt and sit up. He looked at Steve, calling out his name in a hoarse voice.

"Which Bucky am I talking to?" Steve asked, staring at him intently. Bucky stayed silent for a moment before speaking.

"Your moms' name was Sarah... And you used to wear newspapers in your shoes." Bucky said, smiling softly. Steve relaxed, gaze softening.

"You don't read that in a magazine."

"Just like that we're supposed to be cool?" Sam asked, giving Steve a slightly wide eyed look.

"What did I do?" Bucky asked, looking between you, Steve, and Sam.

"Enough." Steve answered. Bucky shut his eyes tightly, shaking his head as he hung his head.

"I knew this would happen.." He whispered. "Everything HYDRA put inside of me is still there. All he had to do was say the god damn words."

"Who was he?"

"I don't know." Bucky answered, though you weren't sure if it was truthful or not. He didn't seem like the type to lie, at least not to Steve.

"People are dead. The guy did all that just to get ten minutes with you." Steve pointed out, watching his old best friend. Bucky looked defeated and confused. "I need you to do better than 'I don't know'."

"He wanted to know about Siberia. Where I was captain." Bucky said quietly, gaze flickering around as he tried to remember.

"He wanted to know exactly where."

"Why would he need to know that?" Bucky stayed silent, licking his lips as he stared at the ground. He looked at Steve.

"Cause I'm not the only Winter Solider." He revealed. You looked at Sam in confusion and surprise. Bucky was strong and deadly on his own but a whole army could overthrow governments all over the world.

"That's terrifying." You whispered, leaning against the wall and sliding down so you were sitting down. Steve chose to lean against the wall after letting Bucky's arm free.

"Who are they?" Steve asked as Bucky brushed some hair out of his face.

"Their most elite death squad. More kills than anyone in HYDRA history and that was before the serum." Bucky responded.

"They all turn out like you?" Sam asked. Bucky looked at him, swallowing.

"Worse."

"The doctor... Did he control them?" Steve tilted his head. Bucky looked down at his lap.

"Enough."

"Said he wanted to see an empire fall." Steve told you and Sam. Bucky looked up at his words.

"These guys could do it. They speak thirty languages, can hide in plain sight, infiltrate, assassinate. They could take a whole country down over night and you'd never see them coming."

"Color me impressed." You whispered, playing with the strings of the jacket you were given after getting to Berlin. Sam slowly walked towards Steve.

"This would've been a lot easier a week ago." Sam said quietly, arms crossing. You stood up, dusting off your pants and approaching them.

"If we told Tony-"

"He'd have him locked up." You cut off Steve, glancing back at him.

"Plus, he'd never believe us." Sam added.

"But if he did-"

"It wouldn't matter and who knows if the Accords would let us help him." Sam stared at him. Steve let out a defeated sigh, looking away from you and Sam.

"We're on our own."

"Not completely. Dad would help." You pointed out. Sam nodded, glancing at you.

"And, I know a guy." Sam said with a light shrug. You looked at him with a raised brow.

"You have friends?"

"I said I know him, not that we're friends but to answer your question, yes. I have friends that aren't you. Jealous?"

"Imaginary friends don't count."

~~~~~~~~~~

The drive was silent, Steve and Bucky occasionally reminiscing about the old days.

"On a scale of one to ten, how impressed is Clint gonna be when he sees you?" Sam asked. You smiled, letting out a chuckle as you watched the snowflake float inches above your hand.

"Probably an eleven, but he'll give me the typical dad speech infront of mom." You answered, lightly blowing on the snowflake and watching it disappear. Bucky turned his head to look at you. His muscular figure was semi cramped in the backseat. Steve picked the worst possible car to hijack.

"Hawkeye's your father?"

"Adoptive. He has a tendency of taking care of strays who once tried to take down the team." You told him, giving a small smile. Bucky hummed, nodding.

"Speaking of strays, how are you and Wanda?" Sam asked, glancing in the rearview mirror.

"Uhm, good? We're still good friends, even after the kiss." You shrugged lightly.

"Woah, kiss?" Steve repeated, brows raising.

"Yeah, we kissed but it felt.. Weird. There was no spark or overwhelming emotions. The love I have for her is the same love I have for Lila and the boys. She'll always be like a sister to me." You told them, glancing at Bucky. Bucky was still a bit on edge but you could tell he was trying to get adjusted.

"What are your powers?" Bucky asked, attempting to get comfortable in the car.

"I'm like the avatar, I guess."

"Who?" Bucky furrowed his brows. You blinked, lips parting as you stared at him. He was from the 1900s and worked for a criminal organization, obviously he wouldn't know a kids show from the 2000s.

"It's- It's from a show. An avatar is someone who controls all four elements and they basically save the world, I guess." You explained, growing a bit embarrassed at how silly it sounded. Bucky didn't seem to judge, giving a small smile.

"We could watch it together, if you want. It's a nice show." You offered, smiling. Sam raised his brows.

"Wonder what Clint will think about that." He muttered as Steve glanced at you and Bucky through the rearview mirror. You shot Sam a small glare, reaching out and touching the back of his neck with cold fingers. He hissed and leaned forward, pouting as he rubbed his neck.

"Yeah, I'd like that." Bucky said softly, nodding. You looked back at him, a smile appearing on your face. Bucky was incredibly attractive and you couldn't deny having a small growing crush on him but you didn't want to cross a boundary. He was from the 1900s afterall.

"How'd you end up fighting the Avengers?" Bucky asked, focusing all his attention onto you.

"The orphanage I grew up in threatened to kick me out since I had turned 18. I freaked and caused an accidental forest in the orphanage so the team was called." You told him, chuckling softly. Buckys' gaze softened, a hum leaving him.

"You've got some pretty cool powers, doll."

"Doll?" Steve and Sam repeated. A flustered smile appeared on your face, giggling softly. Bucky glanced at the two, wondering if he had crossed a line or said something wrong.

"Thanks." You looked forward, biting back an even bigger smile. You weren't completely sure if he was flirting or not but it was nice to get a compliment from an attractive guy, even if he had almost broken your friends' back an hour before. Steve slowly parked the car, getting out to greet Sharon.

"Could you move the seat up?" Bucky asked Sam, arm moving so it resting ontop of the carseats. His metal fingers lightly brushed against your hair but you weren't bothered by it.

"No." Sam replied. Bucky let out a deep sigh. You bit your bottom lip, looking at him.

"We can switch." You shrugged lightly.

"It's fine-"

"No, you shouldn't be squished back here." You faced him, feeling him gently grab your waist. He was incredibly gentle and cautious, moving you onto his lap briefly before he scooted to the side. You sat behind Sam, lightly kicking the seat. Sam moved it forward ever so slightly. You looked over at Steve and Sharon, blinking when they kissed.

"Oh? When did that happen?" You asked, brows furrowed. You knew there was some attraction between them but you didn't expect them to already be at the kissing stage.

"A while back, I think."

"Huh.." You whispered. Steve returned to the car with Sam's wings and his shield, putting them in the trunk. He drove to an airport parking lot, pulling up beside a van. You smiled widely, quickly getting out when Sam pulled the seat forward.

"Thanks for keeping my kid safe, Cap." Clint said, opening his arms as soon as he spotted you. You happily hugged him, feeling a sense of relief and safety wash over you.

"About time you started causing me trouble." Clint grinned as he pulled back. You noticed Wanda, pulling her into a hug as well.

"Saw it on the news. You okay?" She asked softly. You nodded, pulling back and brushing some of her red hair out of her face.

"Vision let you go easy?" You asked. Wanda shook her head, chuckling softly. Sam approached you, glancing back at Bucky.

"Might want to keep an eye on these two." Sam said, motioning to you and Bucky. Clint stared at him before looking turning to look at you. Wanda tilted her head, looking at you as well.

"You're such a dick." You muttered. You knew Sam was just being protective. He had always seen and treated you like a brother.

"Bad boy and older, huh? God, I hoping you had skipped those phases." Clint sighed heavily. You were partially suprised he hadn't mentioned or pointed out that Bucky was a guy. You hadn't really spoken about sexuality and attraction with him but knowing Clint, he'd be supportive about it.

"Not bad." Wanda said quietly, giggling softly as she smiled. You gave her a playful smile.

"I've got good taste."

[aliwritesfic]

The Night Shift part 8 (F!Reader x Frankie Morales)

Summary: It's time to do what's best for you . . . also fuck Kurt

Warnings: physical violence, emotional abuse, brief mention of trauma

W/C: 2.2k

AN: So.... I'll be honest, I was quite sick when I wrote this (and I'm still not 100% but I'm at like 75% which is good enough) but I have a mentality of not editing or revising my work otherwise I embarrass myself and convince myself I'm The Worst(tm), but I hope this makes sense and the pacing is good <3

Spotify

Part 1 Part 9

Frankie was glad to see you finally opening up. Even if that meant tears he couldn’t wipe away, or a hand he couldn’t hold. The last thing he wanted was to put you in a position where you thought the only reason he was helping was to swoop in while you were vulnerable.

You sat next to him in his truck, your eyes were puffy and red from tears that once they started seemed to come in waves of intensity, from a few sniffles to shoulders heaving, gasping for air sobs. Manny sat beside you, holding your hand, which Frankie was grateful for. He was glad to see that you had people that cared about you. When he had messaged Manny that morning, it was more to find out if his suspicions were correct about the ‘friend’ you had talked about while drunk was you.

“You don’t have-“

“We want to,” Manny interjected for the fifth time. It occurred to Frankie that you weren’t used to people wanting to help you. “I’ve been praying that you’ll let me help you.” That made you sob again. You gave another apology, chest heaving as you tried to breathe.

Truthfully, Frankie was also glad that this was an excuse for him to skip talking about his own feelings. His own mind was a muddy mess of flashbacks and night terrors and bouts of anxiety that became so crippling he forgot how to breathe. How well would that have gone down in the little group he now found himself apart of? If he had to guess, about as well as it went down with Portia – pitying looks and urges to see a proper therapist, and a new distance that neither was willing bridge.

Manny answered a call as Frankie drove back. He wasn’t driving anywhere in particular, but when it had become clear you wanted to be anywhere but that bistro, he had suggested the three of you pile into his truck and see where the road took you.

“Mateo, honey, I need to ask you a few things,” Manny said into his phone. Out of the corner of his eye, Frankie saw you lean your head back and squeeze your eyes shut. Frankie wanted to reach out and squeeze your knee, take your hand, do anything to show that he was there, that he wasn’t going anywhere so long as you wanted him around.

Manny’s voice faded into the background as you turned to look at Frankie. He pulled up at a small nature reserve, which was just an algae slicked pond and a few oak trees surrounded by recently mowed grass. Frankie noticed how bloodshot your eyes were.

“You okay?” he asked, realising it was a stupid question.

“I will be,” you said, your voice hoarse. You cleared your throat with a wince. “I’m not upset . . . I’m just overwhelmed. Like, I’ve been holding this all in for so long that once the lid was opened it was impossible to put back on, and now I’ve just gotta let it all out. Does that sound stupid?”

Frankie shook his head. “Not at all.” You smiled weakly at him.

“Bet this is the worst lunch you’ve ever had,” you said.

“Nah, I think it ranks pretty highly,” Frankie said. “Mainly because of the company, though.” You rolled your eyes and Frankie could see the corners of your mouth twitch in an effort to keep a smile away.

“It’s not your fault, you know,” he said softly.

“What isn’t?” You asked, but before he could answer, Manny interjected.

“I’ve found you a new place,” he said. You shot up, confusion written on your face plainly. Manny smiled the type of smile when someone knows they’ve basically saved the day. “That was my dear friend Mateo on the phone. He is taking his first steps towards being a real estate mogul and recently brought a one bedroom apartment to rent out. And because he is such a dear friend and owes me like, a billion favours, I told him the minimum of what your situation was, and he has told me that he’s willing to rent the place to you for lower than market value. A hundred and twenty a week, including water.”

You’re silent for a few moments, and Frankie watched you carefully.

“When can I move in?” you said finally, and Frankie felt an invisible weight lift off your shoulders. He could only imagine how difficult this would be for you; making decisions that would change how you lived in a matter of hours, basically upending your life.

“He can get the keys to us on Wednesday, he’s just got to replace some fixtures and finish painting some walls,” Manny said. You nodded slowly.

“So, I just need to last till Wednesday,” you said.

“You can stay at my place, if you want.” Frankie said quickly, not exactly comfortable with the idea of you staying with Kurt. You had said he was never physically violent, but Frankie also knew how quickly a man could change when they didn’t get their way.

“Are you sure? I don’t want to impose,” you said carefully. Frankie nodded.

“Of course, you’re my friend, and friends help each other.” Just friends. Only friends. He wasn’t going to take advantage of you in this state just because he had a stupid crush. He had once had a conversation with a pissed off Eve Miller, who was ranting about the guys she thought were her friends instantly making moves the moment she became single. That had solidified Frankie’s resolve to not make moves on women he was friends with – it wasn’t fair to them or to him.

Before you could answer, your phone was ringing loudly. Your face crumpled as you looked at the contact, and Frankie frowned.

Kurt.

You took a deep breath and hit answer. “Hey! What’s up?” Your light and airy tone was at odds with your sombre expression. “No, I have lunch with Manny on Sunday, remember? You’re home already? But –“

Frankie listened to the angry buzzing coming from your phone, his revulsion growing.

“My phone died – no I just went out with Sara last night, she wanted to go to fight night . . . it’s not that short . . . No I didn’t fuck anyone else, Jesus Christ, Kurt! No! Look, I’ll be home soon, we can talk about this then.” You hung up with a shaking hand, your mouth twisting with effort to contain the tears.

Manny met Frankie’s eye over the top of your bowed head and gave a small nod.

“We’ll come with you to get some of your clothes,” Frankie said. “And anything else you need.”

“You’re really too sweet for this,” you muttered with a hiccup. “I’m sorry for dragging the both of you into my shit.”

“I crawled willingly into it,” Manny said breezily, “which I would only do for about five people in this world.”

The trio remained silent for several minutes, interrupted only but the sound of your occasional hiccups. Frankie reached out and patted your shoulder awkwardly, cringing internally while he did. Inexplicably, you leant into his touch, your damp cheek brushing against the back of his hand.

“Can you drive me home so I can get my stuff?” you asked softly. Frankie nodded and turned on the truck.

~*~

You were a ball of anxiety as Frankie pulled into the complex’s parking lot. Kurt’s car was already in the spot reserved for your apartment, sending you to the verge of a full-blown panic attack. You squeezed your eyes shut and counted to ten, then backwards from ten. Distantly, you felt Manny take hold of one of your hands.

“You’ve got this.” Manny’s voice sounded far away. “Francisco and I are behind you one hundred percent.”

“You’re calling the shots,” Frankie said, touching your arm. His hand was warm and calloused, and you didn’t know why that observation seemed to be at the forefront of your mind, but it was. You opened your eyes and met Frankie’s warm brown ones, suddenly feeling infinitely stronger.

You told them what you wanted to do – for you to go in by yourself and for them to wait outside the door, plug their ears if necessary, only come in if they felt like you were in any actual danger. Frankie’s face darkened at this, but to your relief he didn’t protest your plan.

You felt stronger with the two of them behind you. Every single step towards your apartment door solidified your resolve that this was the right thing, that this relationship hadn’t made you happy, fulfilled, in years. The click of your key in the door felt like one of finality.

Kurt sat on the couch, glaring at you. You left the door open a crack as you walked in, hovering by the dining table. You took him in fully and came to the conclusion that you were no longer attracted to this man at all. His skin was reddened by the sun, pale patches around his light blue eyes. His thin mouth was curled into a sneer.

“Care to explain what the fuck you’ve been doing while I was gone?” he said.

“Not really, no.” You replied. “Here’s the thing, Kurtis, you don’t get to go out with your friends for the whole weekend doing who-knows-what then turn around and get angry at me for spending time with the only friend from school that I still have! That’s not fair.”

“And who’s fault is that? You’re the one who pushed them all away!” Kurt stood up and advanced towards you. Normally, you would have taken a step backwards, given him space, but this time you stood your ground, clenching your fists tightly to stop them shaking.

“I’m still allowed to have a social life,” you said, struggling to keep your tone even. Kurt rolled his eyes.

“If you wanna go out and act like a fucking whore-“

“Think what you want, Kurt,” you said, “it doesn’t matter anymore. I’m leaving. You can’t stop me.”

Kurt spluttered for a moment, turning a shade of deep red. “Like fucking HELL you’re leaving me, you bitch!”

“I am!” you shot back. He was only a few inches from you now, so close his breath was hot on your face. “I’m miserable, I don’t love you anymore, and I’m done. I’ve been done for so long I can’t remember a time I was fully invested in this relationship! I deserve better! I deserve love that doesn’t make me so sad it hurts, and I can’t have that with you.”

Kurt’s face twisted into an ugly contortion of the features you once found perfect. “No. Nobody can love you the way I do! Nobody can understand you like I do! If you leave, I won’t want to live anymore. Don’t you remember? I can’t live without you!”

“Then go to a fucking hospital!” you snapped, moving to get past him. Kurt grabbed your wrist tightly. His grip was like a vice, cutting off blood supply to your fingers.

“Let go!” you begged. Kurt tugged you closer, spittle forming at the corners of his mouth, your noses almost touching. He’s going to kill me. Oh my god, he’s actually going to kill me. You saw movement by the door out of the corner of your eye, and your heart swelled.

“You heard her,” Frankie said, “let her go.”

Kurt didn’t let go, but instead gripped harder. He’s completely lost it, you thought dimly, the expression Kurt wore sending true fear into your heart.

“And just who the fuck are you?” Kurt demanded.

“Let her go,” Frankie repeated. He didn’t raise his voice, but you could still hear the power it held. Kurt scoffed and spat at Frankie’s feet.

“This is an issue between me and my girlfriend, now get out of my apartment before I make you.”

Frankie didn’t reply, instead, he strode forward, pushed the sleeves of his flannel over shirt up as he did. Kurt didn’t wait. He pushed you hard against the kitchen bench, knocking the breath out of you and sending a shot of pain through your back, and moved to meet Frankie in the middle of the room.

It happened in an instant, blink and you miss it. Frankie swung, his fist connecting with Kurt’s jaw with a sickening crunch. Kurt went down like a lead balloon, howling as he collapsed on the floor. Frankie stood over him, breathing hard through his nose.

Manny ran forward to help you, holding you to him like the protective brother you had always wished for. It took you a few moments to realise you were shaking, out of fear or adrenaline you didn’t know.

“Come on,” he whispered soothingly, “we gotta get your stuff.” You nodded and let him help you up. You didn’t feel like you were connected with your body like you were watching the whole thing through a separate set of eyes. You saw Frankie standing over Kurt, arms crossed and boot pressing into Kurt’s chest.

Manny held your hand as you walked to your bedroom. You were distantly aware of the aching in your body, your back, and wrist especially. It was Manny who packed your bag for you, grabbing anything he thought you might need. The whole thing was done in less than ten minutes. Before you left you turned to face Kurt.

“I’ll be back sometime this week to get the rest of my stuff. Do not contact me.”

You felt your strength returning to you as you left with Frankie and Manny with you. For the first time in a long time, you felt like you could breathe.

Taglist: @hnt-escape @sharkbait77 @1800-fight-me @annathewitch @darnitdraco @frankiecatfish @punkerthanpascal @nakhudanyx @gracie7209 @quica-quica-quica @pintsizemama @phoenix-of-loki

[ladyeliot]

I’ll fix it

Pairing: Tony Stark x Avenger Female Reader.

Summary: Everything changed the day Tony Stark felt your body fall apart in his hands, from then on a struggle to try to bring you back to him began.

Warnings: Angst, Mentions of death. Time travel.

Word count: 6283

A/N: Avengers Endgame. Some of the dialogue is taken from the film. Sorry for my spelling and grammatical mistakes, English is not my native language, I am learning.

Reader’s abilities: Master Martial Artist,  experienced in espionage, talented Hacker.

There was a turning point in Tony Stark’s life, that moment when everything changed, when like ashes you scattered through space, when your body disappeared leaving motes of your essence in his hands.

The battle to save humanity was lost the moment the time stone, protected by Doctor Strange, found its way into Thanos’ Gauntlet, leaving only a single chance to deal with a successful end to the final battle. All of you present had led the fight with acuity, but there was little you could do, you knew that as you fell one by one. Your bodies lay in the ruins of the once superpowered planet, waiting for someone with the will to continue fighting death, Tony was the last one standing until Thanos managed to strip him of his own Iron Man suit, stabbing him in the side with the sword Tony had created with his nanonites. Something snapped inside you, causing the relentless pain in your joints to fade and you managed to get up, before the wizard offered him the last stone and Quill unsuccessfully tried to stop him before Thanos vanished.

“Tony,” you whispered awkwardly reaching out to him, wrapping your arms around his body.

The exhaustion was such that you both let yourselves fall and ended up sitting in the ashes of that place. You brought your faces close together, facing each other, letting them rest, feeling your connection again. The bruises showed what you had suffered, open wounds that allowed blood to spread freely over every part of your face. You had just lost too much, it was a break between before and after, but the one thing you couldn’t bear to lose was him. Tony covered his cut with the last of his remaining nanonites, expressing an inward groan of relief, allowing himself to think again about what had happened.

“Why would you do that?” he muttered pleadingly, looking at Strange, who stood a few feet away from you.

“We are in the endgame now.”

That had a meaning, only Vision’s name came to mind, he was the only one who could stop that, the one who possessed the last stone, the mind stone.

Little by little, the reunion of those present was the only thing that eased the pain, you were all there, none of you had suffered worse consequences. The silence of the planet made your skin crawl, warning that this could happen to the earth if the snapping were to happen. You and Tony stumbled to your feet, watching as Peter came to you.

“Something’s happening,” your gaze connected with Mantis who had just said those words.

You had never felt so much fear inside you, until you saw how his body seemed to extrapolate and turn into ashes that disappeared moments later. The mental and bodily blockade came over everyone present, the terror professing itself through their features. Tony’s fingers clung to your right arm, barely moving from where Mantis was before he vanished.

You all looked around anxiously, hoping to find some answer to the event that had just occurred, but you only saw Drax turning to ashes, joint by joint disappearing.

“Quill?” Drax looked at him as little by little his friend’s body parts dissolved.

“Steady, Quill,” with those words Tony increased the pressure of his fingers on your arm, showing his own insecurity.

“Aw, man,” Quill whispered before melting into the wind.

It had happened, no one could have stopped him, Thanos had gotten the five infinity stones and had done the snap. No one present had any idea how it had happened, but it was clear, your worst fears had been realised.

“Tony,” Strange muttered, causing the few of you present to focus your gaze on him. “There was no other way.”

And so it was that another one turned to ashes. But it wasn’t over yet.

“Mr. Stark?” Tony and you noticed that Peter was starting to wobble, your gazes were horrified at him. “I don’t feel so good…”

“You are all right,” Tony’s words sounded confident, but hid the fear he felt inside.

“I don’t know what’s – I don’t know what’s happening. I don’t–” Peter managed to reach you, falling into Tony’s arms, who wrapped his arms around him and pinned him to the ground. “I don’t wanna go, I don’t wanna go, Mr. Stark, please. Please, I don’t wanna go. I don’t wanna go…” his voice was broken with sobs. “I’m sorry.”

You walked away from the scene, holding your hands to your face as you watched your partner’s body disappear, leaving a void in its place. So, in that moment you realised that your terror was based on the loss of your loved ones, of your family that they had become, you were not afraid of disappearing, you were afraid of them disappearing. You staggered a few steps away, unable to come to terms with what you were witnessing at that very moment, although you didn’t have time either, as a faint tingling sensation appeared in your lower extremities.

“Tony…” a faint tone came from within you, but his reaction was immediate.

“No,” he said, standing up.

You’d never seen him look at you like that before, it broke you to contemplate his watery eyes and fully dilated pupils, expressing desperation, being unable to do anything about it to stop it.

“I…” your voice trailed off.

“I got you, I got you,” his voice was broken, but rigid. “I- I promise I’ll fix this, I’ll fix this.”

You could feel his arms around your body with intensity, the warmth of his body reaching yours, but it was only an instant before you stopped feeling everything and disintegrated into ashes in his hands.

The secular emptiness came a few seconds later to Tony, it was the moment when he understood what had happened and what it meant. He belonged to that 50% of the population that had a second chance, but you were that 50% that had turned to dust from one instant to the next. A feeling indescribable to his mind invaded every inch of his body, he was lost, looking around him, hoping that it was all a nightmare from which he could wake up, but it was clear that he was living in real life, because you were not the only one who disappeared. Completely shattered, he walked through the ruins looking for an answer, some sign to hold on to, to tell him what to do, but it never came.

Time became his enemy, what happened made him realise that every step without you is a moment of his life lost. First it was days, then weeks, then months, then years, he spent a long period of time working against the clock, looking for a way to solve what happened, to come back to you. Thousands of ideas were discarded without coming to a definitive conclusion that could counteract the effects of the snap. Tony knew that if he gave up it would mean losing you forever, the life you had imagined so many times, which you never got to because of the countless missions and obstacles along the way. You were almost on the verge of touching it with your fingers once, after all that happened in Sokovia and the signing of agreements you opted to embrace the simple life, but Thanos and the stones came along and shattered your lives.

Tony had converted the cabin he built for you and didn’t have time to show you, into his own lair. He spent the hours locked away, barely sleeping, at least for the first four years, then he declined, until one day, the light seemed to brighten and his old companions appeared, offering him one last chance to get what he was looking for.

“Now, we know what it sounds like…” Scott was leaning against the wooden porch.

“Tony, after everything you’ve seen, is anything really impossible?” Steve looked at him with concern, Tony’s appearance had deteriorated over the years. He looked exhausted and full of unresolved doubts.

“I must say I sometimes miss this foolish optimism,” he grimaced, a grimace resembling a smile. “Quantum fluctuation messes with the Planck Scale, which then triggers the Deutsch Proposition. Can we agree on that?” his tone rose. “In Layman’s terms, it means you’re not coming home.” he paused. “What do you think I’ve been doing for these five years? Do you think I haven’t thought about it already?”

“I came back,” Scott interjected.

“No, you accidentally survived,” Tony cut him off. “It’s a billion to one cosmic fluke. And now you wanna pull off a…. What do you call it?”

“A time heist?” said Scott smiling nonchalantly.

“Yeah, a time heist. Of course,” Tony frowned putting his index finger to his lips. “Why didn’t we think of this before? Oh, because it’s laughable? Because it’s a pipedream?”

“When did you give up?” cut Steve off with rudeness in his tone of voice. “When did you give up? When did you give her up?”

Those were the words that made Tony rise from his seat, tilt his face to one side and force his facial expression.

“You have no idea,” she approached him, pointing her index finger at him. “Where have you been for these five years? Creating an armada of joint therapy groups? Has that helped?”

“Tony…” Natasha interjected, but he barely paid attention.

“While you were out here with your army of crybabies I was out here, day after night trying to find a solution to undo this mess we’ve created,” Tony paused, clenched his jaw and sighed deeply. “So don’t come to me now and say I’ve given it all up for lost.”

It was clear that Steve knew how to set Tony’s mind in motion, he knew where it hurt and how he could reignite their old friendship, it only took him naming you for him when the group left to pick up on every loose end he had created over those last few years.

It was hours of thought processes, of proposing to himself the quantum possibilities that could work, but more importantly the consequences, what could happen and what number of percentages existed to bring you all back. It didn’t take him long to come up with a way out, completely illogical to anyone except those who were as crazy as he was. So it was that after all this time he arrived at the New Avengers facility.

“Why the long face?” the car stopped in front of Steve. “Let me guess, it turned him into a baby.”

“Among other things,” Steve shoved his hands into his trousers pockets and looked straight ahead. “What are you doing here?”

“Not giving her up,” Tony shrugged and got out of the car, introducing himself to Steve, who smiled. “Mind you, I don’t plan to participate in any of your open tears.”

That opened a process of slow reconstruction of the events of the past years. It opened wounds, showed the aftermath, but also reunited all the Avengers who had managed to survive Thanos’ snap. The important thing is that there were enough Pym particles for a round trip for everyone present. But the important thing was to find out where the stones were located depending on the time.

They were fortunate, or rather lucky, that three of the stones met at one point in their own history in New York City, precisely during the Chitauri invasion. That was bound to cause a bitter memory for Tony, but it suddenly changed when he found out what it meant, he would go back there, he would do that mission, and you would be there. You were there when in 2012 the Avengers faced the invasion in New York, it was your first mission, when you were all recruited, when you met for the first time.

“Okay, we have a plan,” Steve reported after he had organised the teams. All eyes were focused on a screen showing the stones and their location. “Six stones, three teams, one shot.”

It was clear that what they were about to face was something completely new, none of them had had time to perhaps acquire the necessary skills to tackle this new job, new mission. It was back to the past, at least they had the advantage of knowing what the future held, of knowing what would be in store for them if they failed to succeed in their tasks.

“Five years ago, we lost.” Steve began a speech to his colleagues positioned in circles on the starting platform. “All of us. We lost friends… We lost family… We lost a part of ourselves,” Steve and Tony’s eyes met. “Today, we have a chance to take it all back.” he paused slightly. “You know your teams, you know your missions. Get the stones, get them back. One round trip each. No mistakes. No do-overs. Most of us are going somewhere we know. But it doesn’t mean we should know what to expect. Be careful. Look out for each other. This is the fight of our lives. And we’re gonna win,” silence filled the room.“Whatever it takes. Good luck.”

After those words, which were encouraging for all the events that were to follow, a space loop embraced each of them, transporting them through time and space, rendering their matter insignificant. Their bodies separated between space cavities transporting them to the right time.

Tony, along with Bruce, Steve and Scott, appeared in an alleyway in New York City in 2012. The smell of dust and molten iron wafted into their nasal cavities. Everything around him was in ruins, the great skyscrapers looked like they were part of a film of the earth’s extinction, it reminded him of some of his worst fears, but it didn’t distract him because he knew how it was going to end.

“We all have our tasks,” Steve informed them, looking around at an overturned car. “Two stones on the outskirts, one in the centre. Keep a low profile,” he shifted his gaze to Tony, who nodded, raising his hands. “Keep an eye on the time.”

Given the orders the group made a point of dispersing, but Steve held Tony’s arm for a second, focusing his gaze on him.

“Are you going to be all right?” His blue eyes showed concern, including his voice as well.

“Of course,” he shrugged nonchalantly. “I’ve been through this once, I can do it again.”

With that said, Tony attached the Iron Man suit to his body and disappeared from the scene. Although his statement exuded self-assurance, he seemed to crumble a little when he reached the top of the Chrysler Building, finding himself in front of Stark Tower. His android vision allowed him to take in the scene taking place on the top floor of his old Tower. There stood the group of Avengers, surrounding Loki, holding him back, he knew that moment as if he had lived it only yesterday, but what almost made his heart stop was to find your figure there. The thrusters of his suit brought him closer to the Tower, accessing the interior through one of the open windows and keeping himself hidden behind some sculptures.

The suit disappeared from his body, becoming Tony Stark again, it was almost unheard of for him, there you were, as if time had never passed. His steps were slow, but he seemed to be completely lost, watching your every move, as if he had no job to do, and his only mission was to watch you. He could not escape the hundreds of memories that came back to him, he even felt guilty about numerous things he had said, done, or not said and done.

“Alright, who gets the wand?” you said holding up Loki’s sceptre.

Your words at that moment came to 2023 Tony with a wide smile, to hear your voice so close to him again and not through any electronic device made a lump form in his throat.

“Are you all right, dude?” Scott cut the moment short.

Tony realised at that very moment that Scott had been on his right shoulder the entire time, a fact that brought all his senses back into focus on the scene he was reliving. The lift opened, ushering in the S.H.I.E.L.D. agents, who were actually Hydra, but none of you knew it at the time.

“All right, you’re up, little buddy. There’s our stone,” Tony whispered to Scott.

“All right,” Scott took up position on his partner’s shoulder. “Flick me.”

There Scott’s mission began, and he made his way to the Tony of the past to join him. The scene on the top floor of Stark Tower continued as if nothing strange was going on.

“You got it?” you asked the past Tony, watching as he put the tesseract into the briefcase.

“Yep,” he replied, closing the case and looking at you with a half smile.

“By the way, how about that drink afterwards Miss Y/L/N?”

“Interesting that you can think of a drink Mr. Stark,” you said crossing your arms over your chest.

“Oh, when I buy someone a drink I’m not just thinking about drinking,” he winked at you to which you narrowed your eyes and headed towards the lift with the other companions. “Is that a yes?”

“Well I try,” muttered the Tony of the present to himself, who inevitably couldn’t hold back a smile as he saw with his own eyes that moment and your way of rejecting it, for it was the beginning of too many things. So, as you all disappeared down the lift he too made his way to his new assigned position.

“ Okay, Cap, I got our scepter in the elevator just passing the 80th floor,” he informed Steve over the intercom. “I’ll head down the hall.”

Steve had his mission, to get the sceptre by pretending to be a Hydra agent in front of those who really were and were now guarding the briefcase. Meanwhile, Tony took over one of the security uniforms of the Shield agents, to impersonate one of them and get the briefcase that had the tesseract inside that was now in the possession of the former Tony.

The avengers arrived at the lobby, Scott in thumb size’, that’s what Tony liked to call him, had to get inside the reactor of his victim to produce a small shock, and so everyone would focus their gaze on the old Tony, while the one from 2023 got hold of the briefcase, but things didn’t go as planned.

“I’m looking forward to going to Shawarma Palace,” Tony was standing next to you, “We could take it as our first date, what do you think?”

“Interesting,” you said, barely looking at him but with a slight smile on your face, “It’ll be great to say that genius billionaire Tony Stark asked me out for shawarma on our first date.”

“You forgot about philanthropist and Playboy,” he added, raising an eyebrow.“So that’s… Oh, Mr. Secretary!”

The conversation with Shield’s superior began, it was the ideal time where Scott had the opportunity to carry out his mission, for the tesseract was disappearing at that moment, and it would be tricky to access it again.

“All right, move it, Stuart Little. Things are getting dicey up here. Let’s go,” Tony informed Scott over the intercom.

It looked like everything was going down the drain, as Scott was in trouble for giving him a cardiac arrhythmia, however, everyone was stunned when at that moment Tony’s body stopped, and then began to convulse and fall to the ground. Your expression suddenly changed, as did the others.

“Tony?” you asked, dropping down beside Tony, worried about what was happening to him.

“Medics!” exclaimed the Tony Stark of 2023, taking in the scene. “You guys, some help!”

“Talk to me,” you said grabbing his face, which was completely flushed since he couldn’t breathe.

“Aw, she’s worried,” the present Tony muttered to himself.

“Is that the machine in your chest?” Thor, who was standing next to him, asked.

Meanwhile Scott, who had emerged from the reactor in the chest of the Tony of the past, pushed hard on the briefcase so that the Tony of the future could take it in his hands and go in search of a way out, but in that instant the Hulk suddenly appeared knocking Tony down, opening the briefcase, making the tesseract fly out and land at the feet of Loki who took it in his hands and disappeared.

“Come on Tony breathe,” you said looking at Thor hoping he would do something about it.

“I’ll try something, but I don’t know if it will work,” Thor brought his hammer to Tony’s chest, specifically the reactor and offered him a small shock, bringing the air back into his lungs. “Yes!”

“Whew, that worked a treat,” he said between gasps, looking at both of us. “Dude, that was crazy,” he thought. “The case.”

“Uhh, the case is…” Thor looked around.

“Where is the case?” you asked getting up trying to intercept him with your gaze.

“Where is Loki?” exclaimed Thor. “Loki!”

Meanwhile, ten meters away from the scene, the Tony from the future was completely knocked to the ground, after the Hulk knocked him down.

“Oh, we blew it,” Tony said without barely getting up, listening to all the conversation you had a few feet away.

The Tony of the future got up and opted to walk through the door leading to the stairs before anyone noticed him, for due to the Hulk’s untimely and shocking appearance, there were hardly any people left in the hall, apart from the Avengers and the Shield agents, of which he was undercover. However, as he was walking down a long corridor on the third floor, something stopped him.

“Excuse me agent,” your voice appeared as if it were an apparition behind him, causing him to stop his steps. “I must ask you to stay in the hall, we need to question everyone present in case we find evidence of what just happened.”

This was completely new, Tony hadn’t experienced it, he didn’t know what was going to happen or how he would best act on this occasion, but he knew that if he turned around you would most likely recognise him, as the black helmet and goggles barely covered his face, leaving the lower part of his face uncovered. At the same time, you kept a SIG Sauer P226 in your hand just at hip level, waiting at all times to watch the reactions of the man in front of you.

“Of course,” said Tony, changing his tone of voice slightly, making it deeper than usual, but still he just kept his position, his back to you.

“Could you turn around and come with me?” you asked with a frown, brushing your fingers over the gun and feeling a bad feeling inside you, for there was something that didn’t sit right with you.

Tony took a deep breath and lowered his face, there were a thousand ideas running through his mind right now, he didn’t know which one was worse than the last, so he connected several pieces and took one that would produce some personal gain, for worse than they were already, perhaps, things couldn’t get any worse.

“Are you sure?”

Slowly Tony’s body turned 180 degrees to face you. His features were obvious, his brown eyes accompanied by honey-coloured flecks, his beard so neatly trimmed, and those full lips, all 100% Tony Stark. But it was obvious to you that this was a trap, Loki had disappeared and you were aware of his every ability to deceive, after all he was the master of mischief. You didn’t stop for a moment to take the gun in your hands and point it firmly in his face, you had a clean shot.

“Loki…” you whispered frowning and squinting one eye to improve your aim.

“Not exactly,” Tony held up his hands retreating back a step, but showing no nervousness at all at the situation. “God, how I resent you mistaking me for him.”

It was at that precise moment, when he had you two metres away pointing a gun to his head, that he realised how long those five years had been, five years without being able to look at your face, without hearing your voice, without your caresses, without your kisses… for which he would die in those moments of your gunshot. He found himself with his hands raised, his body totally paralysed and his lips half-open, in love with you. You were not really the woman he had left behind, it was 2012 and many of your features were changed, but it was you.

“Where is the tesseract?” you asked, bringing him back to his senses. “What have you done with it?”

“That’s what I want to know,” he replied casually and slowly lowered his hands, knowing that bullet wasn’t going to be fired at him.

Tony’s mind worked fast, he was quick in his thoughts and in his actions, although sometimes that could get him into serious trouble because of the consequences of his actions, so he had no idea what he was doing at that moment, because his whole body was begging him to have a meeting with you and so he did. Now it was time to figure out where to go with the situation, but Tony was not a great planner, he flowed with time.

“By the way, did you get rid of that damn FBI agent yet? What was his name?” Tony knew how to test you to make you realise he wasn’t Loki. “Ah yes, Agent Chatter, god, how I hated him. I would have loved to see you spill champagne all over his scalp.”

“How do you… How do you know that?” your voice sounded gruff, but quizzical at the same time, even though you had no intention of conversing with him you were curious as to how the hell he had found out that information, as Tony was the only one who called Matthew ‘Agent Chatter’.

“You told me,” he said taking a step towards you, closing the distance, causing you to back away. “I told you, I’m not Loki.”

“I’ve never told anyone what happened with Matthew,” your breath hitched as you realised you didn’t understand what was going on.

“Well, you haven’t really told me yet,” he narrowed his eyes and cocked his head to one side.

You remained thoughtful for a couple of seconds. “I know exactly what you’re doing,” you tightened your grip on the gun, your hands beginning to sweat. “Your mind games aren’t going to work on me.

The moment was complex to explain, Tony had hundreds of possibilities to offer you in that moment and for you to discover that it wasn’t Loki in front of you, he knew how he could deal with the situation, but he wanted you to be the one to figure it out for yourself. He was playing with fire, he knew better than anyone how space-time worked, but he had an ace up his sleeve, an ace that Steve was carrying at that moment and he would use it later.

Tony slowly brought his hands to his face, causing you to fix your aim again with his moments, you feared what he might do next, for anything was to be expected with Loki, but Tony merely removed his helmet and goggles, dropping them to the ground exposing his full face to you.

A strange feeling came over your body, it was obviously a familiar face, you had spent numerous hours with Tony Stark in the previous weeks, but it wasn’t really your Tony standing before you. The features looked aged, more wrinkles were in the key parts of his face, grey hair was showing through his hair and also in his beard. Concentrating on analysing each of his features made you soften your grip on the gun.

"It’s me,” he murmured, making another attempt to move towards you, and succeeded, bringing the barrel of the gun down on his chest, clattering against his reactor. He gingerly reached out his arm, reaching up to your face and brushing aside a lock of your hair. “I can’t explain too much, but…”

“Tony?” a new voice joined your encounter, snapping you out of your abstraction. “What are you doing?”

Again you put distance between you and Tony, wary of what had just happened and rather guilty for letting yourself be bamboozled by Loki. You looked at the Captain who was coming from the far end of that long hallway and was just now standing metres away from you.

“It’s not Tony, Captain, it’s one of Loki’s tricks,” you explained without looking away from Tony who was looking at Steve a little guilty about the situation that had been created. “Captain, warn the others, inform them that we have Loki on the third floor of the west wing.”

“I. Am. Not. Loki,” Tony qualified each of his words somewhat irritated that you still believed it was Loki. “Can you tell her Cap?”

“Tony, what the hell are you doing?” Steve used a gruff tone, now the one who sounded irritated was him, as he was unaware of where Tony’s plans were headed.

“Shit,” Tony whispered turning his gaze towards him.“When they put that serum in your veins they offered you the gift of inopportunity, didn’t they?”

For you everything was much more confusing, your quick analysis of the situation and the two figures that stood before you had many gaps of information. You knew those guys, you had spent more hours of your life with them than with your family, you had studied them, you had analysed them and really that Steve and Tony that were before you were not the same guys, and there was only one Loki, both could not be Loki, at least within your logic, although with Loki anything goes. But what you realised was that the captain was holding the sceptre, why was the captain holding the sceptre right now?

“I’m sorry Tony, but we have to go,” he repeated firmly, which brought you back to reality.

“I don’t think either of you are going anywhere,” you quickly pulled a new pistol from the back of your suit, two guns for two people standing in front of you.

That elicited a sigh of disgust from Steve, who raised his hands, raising the sceptre in one hand and the shield in the other, halting his stride in his tracks.

“What was your bright idea Tony?” he asked seriously.

“I don’t know Cap, you know I like to improvise,” he shrugged his shoulders without taking his eyes off you, raising his hands and giving you a wide and warm smile, which didn’t affect you at all.

“Great, so improvise if you don’t want me to,” Steve sentenced him without moving from his position.

“She’s mine,” Tony slowly brought his hand to his chest, where he offered himself a couple of taps and the armour ran over every millimetre of him, covering his limbs.

Was Loki really capable of that? Confusion engulfed you, it had all your senses alert, your mind asking a hundred questions you couldn’t answer. But if it’s not any of them Loki who are they?

Tony looked at Steve’s sceptre, that was the only key way out he could think of, but since he had laid all his cards on the table, he wasn’t going to leave without doing one thing first, so he started to close the gap with you.

“If you take one more step…” you began to say, backing down the long corridor of Stark Tower.

“Honey, surely my 2012 self would punch me if he knew his 2023 self was going to do what I’m about to do,” he started to approach you which made you stand on guard, “since I’d take all the credit away from him, because he won’t do it for another two years or so, but…” between the words and his approach you blocked and pulled the trigger of the gun pointed at him, causing the bullet to hit and fall to the ground. “Hey! That hurt, well, not physically, but you just hurt my feelings.”

“Don’t come any closer…” you muttered, aiming both pistols at Iron Man’s armour.

Your gesture was profoundly in vain, as your footsteps stopped and Tony was close enough to grab the pistols tightly and wrestle them out of your hands, throwing them into the distance, unable for you to avoid. At that exact moment, Iron Man’s suit disappeared, allowing you to look at him again, much closer than the first time. You didn’t know if it was a mind game, but you could almost feel a strange connection between your gazes, the way he looked at you as if he wanted to tell you something, as if he was hiding a long way in them.

“God, I’d almost forgotten what your face…” Tony’s words were inconclusive, but he voiced a smile at the end of them.

What? you wanted to ask out loud, it was so strange, so incomprehensible to you that you were almost terrified at that moment. His eyes looked at you as if they had known you all your life, as if you had lived too many moments together to remember them all, and you just wanted to ask him about it, but you did not. Tony’s arm was around your waist before you could even react and he pulled you close to him, his lips firmly against yours. For Tony it was one of the best sensations of his life, every limb seemed to fill with energy, his skin bristled, he placed his other hand on your back preventing you from fleeing if you had any intention of doing so. He felt your body scent envelop him again after so many years away from you and it brought a lump to his throat. He didn’t want to separate from you, he couldn’t separate from you, he was terrified inside, he could hardly move his lips, for he feared you would run away if he did.

On your part it was something completely unexpected that you didn’t know how to carry out, it seemed that your common sense was lost somewhere, as if it had extrapolated from your body and didn’t act. Your eyes remained open for the first few seconds, observing the nothingness, but when you felt his second hand on your back to bring you closer to him, they closed very slowly, as if you expected to receive an answer from this act to your numerous doubts. You held still, with no intention of separating yourself from him. You wouldn’t deny that you hadn’t thought about what it would be like to kiss Tony Stark, but that wasn’t the Tony Stark you knew.

It was time that decided when to end it, Tony’s face was the one that put distance, but his minus was still glued to your back. He leaned his forehead against yours, exposing his ragged breath against your face.

“Who are you?” you whispered against his lips without opening your eyes yet.

Tony pulled back a few inches, opened his eyes and brought his hands to your face analysing every facial feature before him, running his thumb over your cheeks and lips.

“I promise I’ll fix it,” he whispered feeling himself. “It’ll be all right.”

“What…  What will be alright?” your hesitation felt present in your words, it was incomprehensible what he was saying.

“I…” began Tony.

As if the breath stopped in your lungs, you took one last exhale before everything went dark and you hips surrendered in Tony’s arms. The tip of the sceptre had grazed your body causing you to enter a deep sleep from which when you awoke you would possibly think that everything you had experienced was a dream, or that it was really Loki who was playing with you.

“It would have been rather more gentlemanly of you to let me do it,” Tony looked at Steve spitefully as he held your body in his hands.

A fearful sigh escaped Tony’s lips as he carefully laid your body on the floor and ran his palm over his face, facing a voice that told him he couldn’t leave.

“Tony, we can’t leave any loose ends,” Steve whispered as he watched Tony continue to hold you in his arms. “I know how much you want to get back to her. So the sooner we get this over with, the sooner you’ll be reunited,” Steve rested his hand on Tony’s shoulder. “By the way, where do you have the tesseract?”

“Interesting question…”

Taglist Open (DM)

MAIN MASTERLIST

[onlyfreds]

TRP Prologue - Welcome to the Story of Y/N L/N

Summary: To others, being princess is living the dream. To Y/N, it’s a living nightmare. But, that was until the day that she received the letter that changed her life and met the people who love her for her true self.

Warning/s: use of the word “damn”

Series Masterlist

Anybody else would think that being the first-born Princess is literally living the dream.

Let me tell you, it’s not.

“Y/N, put down the book and head downstairs for the Family portrait.” My mother, Queen Ahnica, snapped as she entered my room.

I sighed, placing a bookmark on the page I was currently reading, “Do we honestly have to do this mother? We already did this last year.”

She glared at me, “Do you always have to ask? Now stop this nonsense and give them a smile when we get down. We don’t want the press giving a bad image, don’t we?”

I mentally rolled my eyes as I followed her out of the room, “Yes mother.”

We headed down to the lounge where the royal photographer, my father (King Michael), and my younger sister (Princess Christel) were waiting for us.

I sat down beside my sister, who gave me a sympathetic smile as she placed her hand on top of mine.

“Don’t worry.” She reassured, “This’ll all be over in a minute.”

And boy did that minute feel like an hour.

When we had finished, Clark, our chief of staff approached us.

“Your highnesses,” he greeted, giving a small bow, “There is someone wanting to see you.”

My mother and father exchanged a confused look, before we followed Clark into the guest lounge.

Standing there was a middle-aged woman, her hair in a tight bun and a stern but gentle look on her face.

“Good day Mr. and Mrs. L/N, or should I say your highnesses.” She said, giving a curtsy,

My father smiled, “Good day Ma’am. What assistance could we offer you?”

The woman chuckled, “My name is McGonagall and I’m just here to give your daughter, Princess Y/N, a once in a lifetime opportunity.”

I looked up at her, meeting her eyes for the first time, “Me?”

My sister looked at me excitedly.

The woman nodded, handing me an envelope with the words, Princess Y/N L/N, Montenaro Palace.

Christel nudged my shoulder, “Go on, open it.” She encouraged.

I opened it and pulled out the letter inside.

Dear Mr/Ms. L/N,

We are pleased to inform you that you have been accepted at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Please find enclosed a list of all necessary books and equipment.

Term begins on 1 September. We await your owl by no later than 31 July.

Yours sincerely,

Minerva McGonagall

Deputy Headmistress

I looked up again at the woman, my parents were both stunned into silence, “Am I really going to learn magic?”

McGongall nodded, “Indeed dear, and at the best wizarding school Britain has to offer.”

“But magic isn’t real.” My mother interjected.

McGonagall brought out a thin, stick and with a small wave of her hand, bubbles erupted from it. She then pointed to a teacup on a nearby table, turning it into a teapot.

“So magic is real?” Christel asked in awe.

McGonagall nodded, “It is.”

I turned to my parents as I gave them a pleading look, “Please mum, dad. Can I go.”

My parents exchanged a silent argument before my father said, “You may go. But if this is some sort of scam. You will regret dragging my daughter into this.”

The woman nodded, “You will regret nothing your highness.”

She then turned to me, “I’ll be meeting up with you next week to get your school supplies.”

As soon as she left, my mother turned to my father, “How could you let her? She’s ten! She should be attending finishing school, not some sort of magic school with a bunch of idiots!”

My father sighed, “We’ve taught her everything that she could be taught in finishing school ever since she was five. She’ll be fine.”

--

When September first rolled around, McGonagall brought me to King’s Cross Station and she had instructed me how to board on to Platform 9 and 3/4. Thankfully, I was able to leave before my parents realized that I was wearing “normal” clothes. Because if they did, I would’ve received a full lecture about maintaining an image for the press.

To be honest, jeans and a shirt were a lot more comfortable than a corset and a gown.

At first, I thought it was absurd. But after seeing the serious look on her face, I decided to give it the benefit of the doubt and run into the barrier in between Platforms 9 and 10.

I closed my eyes, braced myself for impact. But a cold chill came over me before I heard the chatter of a lively crowd, I opened my eyes, seeing a red and black train with a sign that said, Hogwarts Express.

A hopped onto the train, looking for a spare compartment. I didn’t expect anyone to recognize me as the princess, and I wish they wouldn’t.

I found a compartment that was occupied by two identical looking gingers.

I gently knocked on the compartment door, sliding it open a bit before asking, “Excuse me, but is it okay if I sat here? Everywhere else was full.”

One of them nodded, “Of course you may. I’m George by the way.” He said, offering his hand with I shook, giving him a small smile.

He then nodded to the boy sitting opposite of him, “That’s my twin brother, Fred.”

Fred stared at me, his mouth slightly agape, “Bloody hell, you’re gorgeous.”

I bit my lip, feeling my cheeks heat up as Fred was snapped out of his trance by George laughing.

“Oh, sorry.” He apologized, grinning sheepishly.

I giggled, “It’s fine.”

The three of us bonded over the train ride and became fast friends.

Despite the fact that Fred and George were identical twins, I had absolutely no trouble telling them apart, though something about Fred made my heart race a bit faster and the butterflies to rise up to my stomach.

--

It’s been three years since I first met the twins. I was now in my fourth year at Hogwarts.

Before I headed down to the Great Hall for Lunch, I adjusted the necklace I was wearing.

Once I arrived, I immediately slipped into the seat between the twins.

Hermione took a sip of her pumpkin juice, looking up from her book, “Where did you get that?”

I looked at her, slightly confused, “Where did I get what?”

“That necklace.”

I looked down and realized that I wasn’t able to hide my necklace in my blouse properly.

“My mum gave it to me.” I managed to stutter out.

“Why? What’s wrong with her necklace?” Ginny asked, “It seems alright to me.”

Everyone in our group was watching me and Hermione, obviously interested in the exchange.

“Well, it’s not just any necklace.” Hermione stated, “There’s only one necklace like that.”

Fred chuckled, “Hermione, I’m sure that necklace is one of billions.”

“No.” She insisted, “There is only one necklace like that and it belongs to the first-born princess of Montenaro.”

She stared at me intently, I could almost see the gears turning in her brain. Besides, she was called the “brightest witch of her age” for a reason.

“Oh Godric!” She gasped and I knew she had come to her conclusion, “What was your last name again?” She asked.

I sighed, “L/N.”

“How did I not notice it before?” She said, most likely to herself, “It makes so much sense now.”

“Hermione, not all of us are geniuses here. So, mind catching us up on what exactly makes sense?” Harry joked.

“The reason why Y/N has that necklace, even though it’s super rare, is because she is the first-born princess of Montenaro. She’s part of the L/N family, she’s basically royalty.” Hermione explained excitedly.

The group looked at me for confirmation.

“Is it true love?” Fred asked softly, “You’re a princess?”

I nodded, letting out a quiet, “yes.”

Everyone was dead silent; you would have thought that someone had just dropped dead in front of us.

Angelina was the first one to break the silence, “Why didn’t you tell us?”

I sighed, “I didn’t want you guys to treat me differently. Because when your royalty and others see you, all people can think about is: she’s the princess, she’s next in line for the throne. And being princess, I’m never free. Every decision is made for me, every word, every moved has to be supervised because there’s always some sort of protocol that’s against it. You guys love me and care about me not because I’m the princess. But because you see the real me. You don’t see me as ‘Princess Y/N’, you guys see me as just Y/N.”

I felt Fred hold my hand under the table as I continued, “Here, I am able to be myself, without having to worry about the damn rules or the press. That’s why I spend every holiday I could at the Burrow. Because I like being free. Because I’ve felt more at home there that when I’ve spent a portion of my life at the palace. That’s why I kept my identity a secret. I feared that when you guys learned the truth, you would treat me differently.”

Fred and George encased me in a “Weasley twin hug” as the former kissed the top of my head.

“We’ll always love you darling.” He whispered, “Whether you’re royalty or not.”

I smiled, “Really? You’re not mad that I kept all of this a secret?”

George chuckled, “Of course we’re not.”

“Fred’s right. To us, your being a princess is just a title, but what matters is the side of Y/N that you want to show us.” Ginny added.

I laughed as all of them wrapped me in a group hug, “What did I do to deserve friends like you guys.”

Fred laughed, running a hand through my hair, “What did we do to deserve being friends with an actual princess?”

“Way to ruin the moment, Freddie!”

“Did you have to bring it up now?”

The rest of the group chimed as they playfully scolded Fred.

𝙶𝚎𝚗𝚎𝚛𝚊𝚕 𝚃𝚊𝚐𝚕𝚒𝚜𝚝:

@lumosandnoxwriting @gostupid-godumb @famdomhideout @nova-darling @gaycatlord-stuff  @pandaxnienke @escapingrealitybyreading @catching-the-train-to-hogwarts @lunylovelovegood @thefallengodesse (Send a Message/Ask or fill out my taglist form if you want to be added!)

𝚂𝚎𝚛𝚒𝚎𝚜 𝚃𝚊𝚐𝚕𝚒𝚜𝚝:

@dobbys-leftsock @freddiemylovelg @georgeweasleyswhre @gostupid-godumb @robinisfreddieshoe​ @potters-heart @evieevergreen @fandomscombine @messagesinthesky @the-romanian-is-bae @thefallengodesse

[hilarioushilarity]

Quynh and Booker’s Roadtrip AU

They hit a roadbump one day into the trip that would hopefully save Sebastien’s soul. Or at least his liver.

“No,” Sebastien said.

Quynh was unmoved. “You must.”

“Listen,” Sebastien said desperately. “I can’t pretend to be your husband.”

Quynh looked at him sceptically. “I know you’re no actor,” she said, only the slightest bit pointed. “But I do know you can lie.”

Sebastien winced. “Alright, let me rephrase. I won’t pretend to be your husband.”

Quynh snorted. “Am I not beautiful enough to be your beloved?”

“No, you’re Andy’s beloved, and Andy also happens to have a very sharp axe which she likes to stab people with.”

“So you’re scared,” Quynh surmised.

“Yes, I’m scared,” Sebastien said. “I like to keep my guts where they are, thank you very much.”

“Do you have a better idea?”

“Siblings?” Sebastien tried. “Cousins?”

Quynh rolled her eyes. “If you say we’re related, we’ll be that ‘sweet interracial family’ that stays in people’s memories.”

“Friends on a road trip?”

“That sweet couple who claimed to be ‘just friends’.”

“Hey, a man and a woman can be friends,” Sebastien said.

Quynh sighed. “That is true, but still no. We want to be as unremarkable as possible.”

“But-”

“Now hurry up, I want to sleep,” Quynh said, and promptly shoved him into the hotel foyer.

***

“If Andy hunts us down and kills me,” Sebastien said, when they finally got into their room, “I want you to know that it’s one hundred per cent your fault.”

“Am I meant to feel guilty?” Quynh asked, from where she was already starfished on the one bed she had already called dibs on. “You’ll just come back and continue drinking like a fish.”

“Shut up, no I won’t,” Sebastien grumbled. He fished around the linen cabinet and took out two blankets. “Also, how come you get the bed?”

“Because I’m older and wiser.”

"Does that usually work for you?” Sebastien mused. “Did Joe and Nicky always go ‘Quynh’s like a billion years old, better respect my elders’?”

“Yusuf and Nicolo have manners,” Quynh sniffed. “The same for which can’t be said for you.”

“Hey, I’m French!”

Quynh just looked at him. “Are you attempting to prove my case?”

“Forget I said anything,” Sebastien sighed. He was surrounded by a bunch of smartasses.

“I try to,” Quynh informed him smartly, turning on her side and apparently falling asleep immediately.

“‘Go on a trip’, they said, ‘It’ll be fun’. Yeah, right.” Sebastien gathered up a change of clothes, and he was self-aware enough to admit that the way he thumped down the suitcase was a touch sulky. “Sorry,” he said quietly, a little bit contritely, in Quynh’s direction; it was only half because he didn’t want another knife in his gut.

He went into the bathroom, and when he came out, the shadows had lengthened and the last vestiges of late-evening daylight had fled before the night. Quynh was a dark lump atop the bed covers. Sebastien considered waking her up for her turn in the bathroom, then dismissed it.

He wasn’t a heavy sleeper; quicker to rouse than Joe (but that wasn’t hard), but slower than Andy and Nicky, both of whom went from sleeping to fully alert in the space of a breath, maybe two at most. Even so, when he startled awake barely two hours after falling asleep, it took him a moment to register what had caused it.

“Quynh,” he whispered. The quiet, choked-off cries didn’t stop. “Quynh?”

He rolled off the couch. “Quynh,” Sebastien repeated, a little louder. Nightmares didn’t tend to afflict the others - usually, it was him who had to be roused from dreams of Quynh drowning. He gently reached out and laid a hand on her forearm. “Hey, wake up - it’s -” okay, he wanted to say, but suddenly couldn’t because of the knife in his throat. 

Oh man, we’re gonna lose the deposit on this room, he thought, and then died.

***

When his eyes opened, the lights had been turned to full brightness. He was stretched out on the bed. Quynh, nearby, sat with her head in her hands.

“Um -” Sebastien started, then had to clear his throat because throat wounds always left him with phlegm. “Sorry - I think I startled you.”

Quynh sighed. “I - apologise as well.”

“Well, you know, it’s not like it stuck.”

“It was unnecessary.”

Sebastien reached out a hand, then dropped it. “It’s okay. I’m okay now.” He hesitated. “Did - do you know, what caused it?”

The line of Quynh’s shoulders were a bow string, drawn taught. “The room was too dark,” she said finally.

“Too -” Oh. Oh no. “I - do you - would talking about -” he swallowed, taking in the way her shoulder drew impossibly tighter. “Will it help if we keep the lights at least slightly on?” he said instead. Quynh nodded. “Okay. Then we’ll just make sure we always sleep somewhere with light.”

“Very well.”

“And maybe a shower-” he stopped dead, suddenly impossibly frustrated with his own foolishness. “No.”

Quynh half-smiled; it was a brittle, exhausted thing. “No,” she agreed.

His eyes prickled, and he promptly felt like a heel for crying when he hadn’t even been the one to spend five hundred years at the bottom of the ocean. “I’m sorry,” he said, foolishly, helplessly; he was a coward who had never found the courage to face his own feelings, let alone others’. “I’m sorry. I don’t think there’s anything I can do to be helpful.”

Quynh’s sigh was unfathomably exhausted. She flopped backwards, onto the other pillow. “Sometimes things can’t be solved by trying hard enough. Sometimes, they just are.”

They lay there in silence, until a thought occurred to him.

“Hey,” Sebastien said. “You been to a supermarket yet?”

Part 1, Part 2

[dumdumsun]

Of Starlight

A/N: Enjoy ❤️

Warnings: mentions of blood

Word Count: 2541

—————————————

Chapter 13: The Day That Was

Allison placed a hand on her sister’s shoulder as she stared down at the paper. “Harold Jenkins?”

“Who the hell is Harold Jenkins?” Diego asked as Five took one last gulp of the coffee, throwing the cup to the side afterwards.

“I don’t know… yet. But I do know that he’s responsible for the apocalypse. So we have to find him. And we have to do it now.”

“But how is he connected to what’s gonna happen?” Luther asked.

“I don’t know.”

“Wait, so you just know his name? That’s it?” Diego walked past his siblings to get closer to Five.

“That’s enough.”

“There’s probably dozens of Harold Jenkinses in the city.”

“We have no other choice than to start looking, then.” (Y/N) sighed. Both Diego and Five turned to her, the former annoyed and the latter grateful. Allison sighed.

“I’m sorry, am I the only one that’s… skeptical here?” As she spoke, (Y/N) heard Five grunt. Bringing her attention back to him, she saw him checking his right side. “I mean, how exactly do you know all of this about what’s-his-name?”

Five looked up at her, ticked that she’d already forgotten the name. “Harold Jenkins. You know those lunatics in the masks who attacked the house?”

“Oh, yeah, I think I remember those guys.” Klaus’s sarcastic remark made (Y/N) mentally wince. Diego turned to him, also sarcastic.

“Yeah, the ones that attacked us,” He turned back to Five. “While you were getting drunk.”

“Well, he actually got drunk after-”

“(Y/N).”

“Right. Sorry…” She looked down as Five rolled his eyes at his brothers.

“Yeah. Them. They were sent by the Temps Commission to stop me from coming back and preventing the end of all life on earth.”

“The Temps what?” Allison crossed her arms.

“My former employer. They monitor all of time and space to make sure that whatever is supposed to happen… happens. They believe the apocalypse is coming in three days. So I went to Commission headquarters and intercepted a message that was meant for said lunatics. “Protect Harold Jenkins”. So he must be responsible for the apocalypse…”

Five let the information sink in for his siblings, which lasted for a few seconds, before they all erupted into overlapping exclamations, voicing their confusion and such. (Y/N) really couldn’t be bothered to listen to them as she focused on Five, the boy checking his side yet again. She slowly approached him as Allison spoke, “And do you have any idea how insane this sounds?”

“You know what else is insane?!” His head shot up to her, the corner of his lip twitching. (Y/N) halted her tracks beside him. “I look like a thirteen-year-old boy! Klaus talks to the dead, (Y/N) also looks like a kid with several versions of herself walking around, and Luther thinks he’s fooling everybody with that overcoat! Everything about us is insane. It always has been.”

“He’s got a point.” Klaus spoke up.

“We didn’t choose this life, we’re just living it. For the next three days, anyway.”

“But the last time we tried to stop it, we all died,” Allison raised her brows. “Why is this time any different? Why shouldn’t (Y/N) and I go home to our kids?” Her last question made the girl flinch. Five’s eyes were set on the two mothers.

“Because this time, I’m here. We have the name of the man responsible. Guys, we actually have the chance of saving the lives of billions of people,” His gaze and voice softened. “Including Claire.”

Allison hesitated. “You know her name?”

“I do. And I’d like to live long enough to meet her. Michael and Jada, too.” At this, (Y/N)’s heart bursted and she was sure she would’ve cried right then, had they been in different circumstances. Allison nodded and moved forward.

“Alright. Let’s get this bastard.”

“You had me at Gerald Jenkins.” Diego spoke.

“Harold Jenkins.” Five narrowed his eyes.

“Whatever. I’ve already lost two people this week, I’m not losing anyone else.” His words made (Y/N) smile, proud of her siblings for actually committing to this. She followed her brother as he began out of the room.

“And Luther?”

“Yeah, you guys go,” Luther’s words made everyone stop and stare at him. “I’m gonna stay and go through Dad’s files. I still think this has something to do with why he sent me to the moon.”

“Seriously?” Diego deadpanned. “Now you wanna make the end of the world about you and Dad?”

“No. ‘Watch for threats’. That’s what he told me. You think that’s a coincidence? This all has to be connected somehow.”

“Luther, we can’t really do this if we don’t have everyone. And we don’t really have the time to talk about it, either. We need to go now.” (Y/N) sighed.

“Exactly, let’s roll,” Diego nodded. “I know where we can find this asshole. Klaus, you’re with me.”

Klaus raised his head from where he was laying down. “Yeah. I-I’m good. I think I’ll, uh,” He stood up and began to leave. “I think I’ll pass, I’m… feeling a little under the weather, so, uh…” He was stopped momentarily when (Y/N) gently grabbed his arm, her eyes asking him what was wrong. He used his other arm to pat her head as he freed himself from her grasp, continuing out. She sighed in defeat as she followed Diego and Five out of the parlor. At the entrance, she stopped and turned to her sister.

“Ally, you coming?”

“Yeah… Yeah, I’m coming.” Her eyes slowly left Luther before she walked beside (Y/N) out of the house. After climbing into the backseats of the car, the two got comfortable right beside each other. As Diego drove off, the sisters leaned against each other’s bodies. (Y/N)’s head was tucked between Allison’s shoulder and neck, the woman’s head resting atop her sisters. It had been such a long time in which they comforted each other for something that didn’t involve losing someone they loved, one way or another. (Y/N) felt a sense of normalcy for simply cuddling with her sister in peace. Well, as much peace as they’ll get for a while.

The two removed themselves from each other once Diego pulled up to the police department and turned off the car. “I know this Jenkins dude has to have a record. We just gotta get our hands on the file.”

“So, what’s the plan? Bat your eyelashes and say please?” (Y/N) raised a brow, leaning forward. Diego looked at her through the rearview mirror with a sarcastic smile.

“You know you get funnier everyday? No, I know the station like the back of my hand, little sis,” His snarky comment earned him a light slap to the arm. “I’ve spent a lot of time inside.”

“Arrested…”

“Whatever. Here’s the plan.”

“Plan?” Five furrowed his brows at his brother. “I’m just gonna blink in and get the file.”

“No, that’s not… You don’t know the ins and outs of this place, okay-”

“I literally just did this yesterday.”

“What?”

“Well… My yesterday, not your yesterday… It’ll take me two seconds. Why don’t I just go?”

As the boys continued to decide who did what, (Y/N) leaned back and let Allison wrap an arm around her. “Boys…” They both shook their heads, slightly smiling at each other. After the decision was made to let Diego be a hero or leader or whatever he was this time, the four got out of the car. Allison had mentioned that she needed to make a call, so she, Five and (Y/N) headed to the nearest payphone. As she spoke on the phone, Five leaned with his back against the building behind them. (Y/N) was attached to his side, her arms looped with one of his and resting her head on his shoulder. He hadn’t minded the contact, but he did notice how clingy she had gotten since he returned. She constantly watched him with careful eyes, asked him multiple times if he was okay, and always wanted to assist him.

His head turned to her before he whispered close to her ear. “Are you okay?”

“I’m okay. Are you okay?”

“Yeah, you just… you seem different.”

“How?” She looked up with her brows knit together. Five wiggled the arm a bit that she held onto. “Oh… Yeah. I just missed you.”

He tilted his head at her. “I missed you, too…” And he meant it. These past couple of days have been filled with thoughts of (Y/N) for the boy. In the middle of dodging bullets shot by The Handler, going through multiple plans during his very small stay at the Commission, and playing the part of the obedient worker, his mind raced with thoughts of her. He never stopped wondering how she was doing, what she was doing, if she was thinking of him as well. It often distracted him and he’d get frustrated at himself. He’s already come to terms with the fact that he’s in love with her years ago. Why is this time any different? Maybe it was the way her thumbs gently rubbed the bicep of his sleeve or the way everything she did was so much more gentle. He wanted to think it was simply because she really did miss him, but he knew there was something more going on in that pretty head of hers.

As Allison hung up the phone, Diego rounded the corner to them. The teens lifted their heads and straightened their posture. “So?” Five watched as Diego raised a file in the air.

“You’re welcome.” He smugly smiled at (Y/N), who flipped him off as Allison snatched the file from him. They watched as she opened it and scanned the information inside, her eyes widening.

“Holy shit!”

“What?” Diego frowned. Allison held the information to them, a mugshot of the brunet Vanya had shown up with paperclipped to the file.

“Harold Jenkins is Leonard Peabody.” And with that revelation, only one thought crossed (Y/N)’s mind.

Ew.

-------------------------------------------------

Pulling up to Leonard Peabody’s house, the four got out of the car, walking through his lawn to get to the front door. Allison used her hand to block the sun from her eyes. “Be careful, okay? We don’t know what Peabody’s capable of.”

“Yeah, he didn’t seem dangerous when I first met him,” Diego replied. “Looked kinda scrawny.”

“Yeah, well, so are most serial killers and mass murderers. I mean, look at him.” She gestured to Five, who simply gave her a ‘thanks’.

“Good point. So what’s this guy want with Vanya?” He asked.

“I don’t know, why don’t we ask him after we kill him?” Five answered as (Y/N)’s eyes followed Allison, who ran to the back of the house. She looked between the boys and the direction her sister went before following the latter. Seeing her getting in through the backdoor, she smirked and cleared her throat. Allison quickly turned to her with wide eyes.

“You been here before, Ally?”

“Maybe once.” She cheekily smiled and opened the door. Stepping inside, they jumped a bit upon seeing Five already inside. He looked over when he heard the door open and close.

“Ah. So, we’re just waiting on our leader.” He gave a tight, close-lipped smile. Not too long after, the sound of glass shattering and someone groaning in pain could be heard. With a collective sigh, the three made their way to the front of the house, where Diego lay in shards of glass that were once a part of the door.

“Subtle.” Allison quipped as (Y/N) easily twisted the unlocked knob and opened the door.

“You know, the door was unlocked.” Five added as Diego painfully got up from the floor.

“Yeah, well, my way works just fine,” He strained through gritted teeth. “Spread out. Yell if you, uh… you know, you’re in trouble.” When he was out of the room, Five scoffed.

“Aspiring leadership.”

“One of the greats.”

“Love his work.” (Y/N) finished as she walked into the living room, Five right behind her. The boy glanced over his shoulder to see Diego was now in the kitchen. Figuring they were as alone as they could be, he joined (Y/N) at the coffee table, the girl looking through the papers stacked on top.

“Hey… You sure you’re okay?” He whispered, the girl not answering for a few beats.

“I’m fine, Five. Just trying to prevent an apocalypse like anyone else around here.” She joked. His concerned orbs didn’t leave her until Allison called for them to come upstairs. Quickly, the three bounded up the stairs and then the ladder that lead to the attic. The sight before her caused (Y/N) to fall dead silent. It was like an Umbrella Academy shrine. Old merchandise, posters, and figurines littered the room, only that wasn’t the unsettling part. All of their faces, even Reginald’s, were crossed out from the posters and burnt off from the figurines.

“This guy’s got some serious issues…” Diego quietly muttered. He and Five both muttered a ‘shit’, but the boy’s sounded more wavering. (Y/N) turned to see him breathing heavily and checking his side yet again.

“Five?” She whispered, gently holding his shoulder. His eyes were half lidded when they met hers and she began to panic. Just as Allison came to the conclusion that Vanya’s boyfriend was out for their family, Five fainted. (Y/N) yelped and caught him before he could hit the ground. Allison and Diego turned to them as the girl sat on her knees, letting the back of Five’s head rest on her thighs. Allison lifted his shirt to reveal the bullet wound in his side, blood seeping from it.

“Jesus, Five, why didn’t you say anything?” Diego widened his eyes. Five groaned as (Y/N) gripped one of his hands in hers.

“You have to keep going…,” He faintly whispered. “So… close…” His words trailed off when he fell unconscious. (Y/N) shakily inhaled as she gently patted his cheek with her free hand.

“Five? Five?! Five!” She screamed, tears filling her (e/c) eyes. “No, come on, Five! Stay awake!” She hit his cheek a bit harder, the boy’s eyes cracking open the slightest bit right before Diego and Allison both picked him up. She was close behind them and assisted in opening and closing doors. Once they were all piled into the car, with her and Five in the back, they began to drive off.

“The Academy…” Five muttered in his haze.

“W-What?” (Y/N) sniffled.

“We need to go to the house…”

“Five, we need to get you to a hospital! We don’t have Grace anymore.”

“The house, Diego…” Five demanded despite himself. Diego shook his head, but listened to his brother and changed the route to their house. (Y/N) sighed in frustration and glanced down at Five. He was drifting in and out of consciousness and she was right there to wake him up if he fell asleep. Her other hand gently ran through his dark strands as she tried to hold in her sobs.

Not this again.

—————————————

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