#( hey remember the treasure hunters au- )

[rose-of-pollux]

AU Roulette, Entry 3/3

My chosen fandom for the AU Roulette challenge was Scooby-Doo.

My third and final prompt was: Indiana Jones/Archaeology AU.

I'm going for a Last Crusade vibe, so Vincent is, once again, Daphne's (and Flim-Flam's) official adopted father in this AU.

As before, posting this just to tumblr for now; if I ever expand on this, I’ll crosspost it to AO3 (...and I'm very tempted to expand on this one).

Title: Daphne Blake and the Three Gems of Olympus (1/1-?) Fandom: Scooby-Doo Rating: K+ Summary: [AU] Archaeologist Daphne Blake, adopted daughter of Vincent Van Ghoul, confronts her father's former partner, Mortifer Quinch, after Vincent goes missing in the headquarters of notorious treasure-hunter Harriet Mullins.

“I’m going to ask you one more time,” Daphne said, glaring daggers at the man in front of her.  “How could you let this happen!?”

Mortifer couldn’t even bring himself to look her in the eyes.

“I… I tried to get the Ruby of Apollo back from those robbers—we both did, Vincent and I—”

“I don’t care about the ruby—at least not at the moment!” Daphne shot back.  “I’m talking about how you abandoned my father—how you betrayed him!  And this isn’t even the first time—you betrayed him once before, nearly causing the Chest of Demons to be opened!  Dad forgave you and gave you another chance because of how close you used to be—and this is how you repay him!?”

“Vincent told me to save myself!” Mortifer pointed out.  “Harriet Mullins’s men were closing in—there were so many—”

“And you took advantage of his selflessness and left him to his fate!” Daphne interrupted.  “Well, here’s something you didn’t know—my father had his suspicions that you would betray him!”  She turned to her younger brother, Flim-Flam, who was cradling his wide-eyed Great Dane puppy Scrappy in one arm; with the other arm, he reached in his pocket and pulled out the emerald pendant that Vincent Van Ghoul had entrusted to them—the Emerald of Athena.  He proceeded to hand the pendant to his sister.  “He left this with me before he went with you—good thing, too, or else you probably would’ve handed this right over to Harriet Mullins, wouldn’t you?”

“Daphne, I don’t think you should’ve—” Mortifer began, but she cut him off.

“No!” she fumed.  “You betrayed my father; you don’t get to talk!”

“Hey, Daphne… maybe you should hear him out, huh?” Shaggy asked.  “It sounds like he knows what Mullins has going on in there.”

“Rheah!” Scooby barked.

Daphne looked back at her team—Shaggy, her long-time archaeology partner; Velma, her fellow professor at the university; and Fred, who helped her obtain transportation to anywhere she needed to go.

“Look, I know what you’re thinking,” she said.  “But you don’t understand—I was very young when Mullins took me away from my birth family—I can’t even remember them.  It was only in the middle of one of her confrontations with Vincent Van Ghoul that he was able to rescue me from her and raise me as his own.”  She glared at Mortifer again.  “I suppose the only thing I can thank you for is allowing me to return the favor to my father.  But if anything has happened to him, I’ll make you wish you were still in her clutches.”

“Daphne, listen to me!  Mullins has the Ruby of Apollo—she needs the Emerald of Athena and the Sapphire of Poseidon to complete her plan to unlock a great power!” Mortifer exclaimed.  “You’ll be walking right into her trap!”

“And why should I believe you after you abandoned Dad?” Daphne asked.  “As I’ve said before, your record is against you!”

“Because, more than anything, your father wanted to make sure you and your brother were safe!” Mortifer insisted.

“That does sound like your dad, Daphne,” Fred pointed out.

“I think the evidence is pointing to Mr. Quinch telling the truth now,” Velma added.  “Even if he did betray your dad in the past.”

Daphne shut her eyes for a moment, thinking.

“Whether he is or not, I can’t abandon Dad,” she said.

“You shouldn’t go alone,” Flim-Flam said, quietly.  “Scrappy and I can watch him to make sure nothing happens.”

“Yeah!” the puppy agreed.  “Take the others with you.”

“No,” she declared.  “It’s too dangerous.  And Mullins’s crew will be less likely to notice one person sneaking around.  All of you, keep an eye on Mortifer.”

“Daph!” Fred called, as she turned away, aiming her motorcycle towards Mullins’s headquarters.  She paused, but didn’t turn around.  “…You’ve got three hours before we come in after you!”

“Guess I’ll go along with that,” she sighed.

“Just be careful out there, Daphne!” Shaggy begged.

“I will,” she promised.  She threw a leg over the motorcycle and zoomed off.

“Just hold on, Dad—I’m on my way,” she promised.

[m-bardbattled]

12)  receiver walks into kitchen while sender is cooking,  sender picks them up and sets them on the counter.        ♡        @fynan​.

❝ hang on a minute. are you... making breakfast? ❞   elsie had wondered why she hadn’t woken up wrapped in the standard bear hug. her nose had led her from their bunk into the kitchen, which wasn’t much of a journey in the cramped quarters of their trailer, but she’d assumed someone else was cooking and finan had simply decided to fill his stomach. now she stands in the doorway and admires him at work, at least until he turns to lift her and deposit her on the counter, leaving her with a mug of coffee in her hands. she sips long and slow, leaning in slightly to get a look at the pan he’s got on the stove.   ❝ it smells delicious. is this because i found those pillars? because we don’t actually know they’re the entrance to the temple. ❞

[friendlyfacesandstrangeplaces]

Apocalyptica

Hunter x Hunter AU

Chapter 1

The icy winds whipped Y/N’s hair back and forth. The ice pellets smacked their face like little needles. To top it all off they had lost all feeling in their extremities hours ago.

It was time to get out of this shit.

Y/N quickly scouted for some type of a shelter. A tree would’ve even worked- they just needed respite from the elements. As they trudged on, a wasteland appeared before them, covered by the haze of the snow. A bent and gnarled sign appeared, smothered in graffiti and stickers from before, warnings and messages from after, Meteor City.

Y/N picked up the pace,

A low growling could be heard to the left of them. Y/N made an executive decision to go right. The direction led them into the outskirts of the city. It appeared to be more beaten down than other cities they had come across on their journey. It must’ve been a derelict area even before. That meant most of the inhabitants hadn’t stood a chance,

“Fucking bummer,” they sighed.

When the shit had first hit the fan many of the rich and elite had been able to escape to safe houses and private islands. The have-nots were left to rot. It was a loss that went unnoticed and uncared for, but Y/N remembered it and contained rage in their heart for those lost. It was always this way- plenty of resources, help, and food for everyone, but it was hoarded away by those with status. The unfortunate were left to stare up at the planes, as they took those deemed worthy to safety. Left behind to live out the rest of their short lives in misery.

Y/N had lost all of their family within weeks. It happened fast- siblings became ill and passed within hours. Quickly turning into mindless drones with a taste for flesh. Inconsolable parents came to grieve and succumbed to the same fate. This left Y/N to carry on alone. This same road was travelled for years. At times companions would appear, but for the most part the journey was made alone. They preferred to be alone. You couldn’t lose someone if they never came into your life in the first place.

As they stumbled upon the decrepit buildings the wind began to blow more harshly than it had earlier. The door was stuck, but with a few determined shoves it slammed open. Y/N quickly scanned for bodies, dead or alive. The building was long uninhabited and it gave them peace. Quickly, the cabinets were scoured and yielded few treasures.

A pair of scissors, pack of gum and a drawer of old receipts,

“What the fuck am I supposed to do with this,” they questioned disappointedly.

A chill ran up their spine. The telltale sign that they were no longer alone.

“You could share the gum because Phinks’ breath smells like absolute shit,” a voice said from below.

“HEY! No it does not,” came a second disgruntled voice.

Y/N gasped and readied for a fight, but they couldn’t pinpoint where the voice was coming from. Nervous eyes flickered the entirety of the space in front of them,

“Ahem, down here,” a voice informed.

Peaking from a trick floorboard was a pair of emerald eyes. The softness behind those eyes almost relaxed Y/N, but this world was no place for blind faith or trust. If anything the best actors had been unearthed at the end of the world. Liars, thieves and worse, those who meant bodily harm. Shit, men couldn’t be trusted before, forget about now. Y/N’s grip on their knife handle tightened. This wasn’t their time to die.

Another voice sounded from behind. This one feminine and fiery,

“What the hell is taking you two so long. Is anyone up there are not?”

“Oh shut up, what are you my mommy?” the apparently foul breathed Phinks sassed.

“No, but your dada, Chrollo, was looking for you. Incompetent.” She retorted quickly.

“Goddamn,” Y/N sighed out.

The emerald eyed boy was jerked out of view and replaced in a flash with a pink haired person. She was stunning.

“Oh my god a real live person. Tell me this isn’t a joke.” She was the first person excited to see Y/N in years. It felt unsettling, but nice. Their guard was lowered- a mistake.

A growl came from behind the rickety wooden door. Before Y/N could even turn to brace themself a tall blonde figure jumped into view. Within seconds the creatures head had been bashed to a pulp under steel-toed boots. He scoffed and looked over in their direction gesturing to a few completely obliterated planks of wood,

“Are you coming or what,” Phinks questioned.

Y/N shrugged and stuck their hand out. In it was the pack of gum.

[sekceesimps]

A Rose Made of Chains Ch 1

a/n Thanks for the 50 followers everyone! Keep sending us feedback and requests. 

As promised here is chapter 1. Monday (tomorrow) night I’ll be publishing chapter 2 and then chapter 3 on Tuesday night. More info shortly but when we hit another milestone I’ll be publishing chapters 4-6. 

Once again, thank you so much for the support! We never thought that we’d get this much appreciation from everyone. Hope you enjoy!

sincerely,

Coffee 

Teaser   Ch 2    Ch 3

teaser for part 2,    Ch 4,    Ch 5,   Ch 6,   Ch 7

Kurapika (aged up) x Reader x Chrollo 

Soulmate AU where you can find your soulmate through matching soulmarks. 

Chapter 1

The rocking of the dingy boat made it hard for you to stand, but you did so nonetheless. Bitter water and a nervous type of air had taken over your senses. Your determination to get to the exam had forced you to ignore the wobbling of your legs ad you pushed yourself even further to get to the wheelhouse. When you had finally reached it, you noticed a small kid and two others also struggling to stay on their feet as the storm raged on. You had smiled queasily at the tall man with glasses. You don’t remember much during that moment, at least, not until the blonde passenger began a passionate speech. You tuned most of it out until you saw those glowing scarlet eyes, filled with fiery rage and fervor. Those eyes that haunt your dreams and still stick with you even now. You remember looking deep into that vermillion and knowing exactly who the blonde was in that moment. After his dramatic reveal, you yourself had quietly taken out your contacts and looked at him with a matching passion. In that moment, the two of you knew you were destined to be together, two survivors on the hunt for vengeance. 

»»————-　　————-««

The exam itself wasn’t too rough for you. You and the blonde Kurta, who had later told you that his name was Kurapika, had shared stories as you ran together through the first phase with ease. You had learned that he had been the lone survivor of the massacre. He listened intently when you informed him that you weren’t fully part of the clan, but rather that your father had been and you were raised to be a hunter with your mother far away from the Lukso Province. At that time, you were still hesitant to tell him about your home life, wanting to only listen to him and memorize how he looked in case he was also taken from you. You had always believed yourself to be unlucky for inheriting the scarlet eyes. You had viewed it as a mark of death and a hideous trait from your father, as it had been drilled into your head for the past five years. You had confided in Kurapika about this self hatred, sobbing softly at the thought of you and your family being hunted down for them. You hoped these words wouldn't be intense enough for him to leave you too. When the both of you had reached the end of the tunnel, he had pulled you in close and told you that nothing was more important to him than protecting you, the last member of his clan. You remember how passionate he was with this promise, nuzzling his face into your hair. The rose surrounded by chains inked onto his wrist, the one that was also on your body, had gone unnoticed by you. 

»»————-　　————-««

The second phase of the exam was when you truly began bonding with Kurapika’s companions. Your initial wariness, that his friends had initially interpreted as aloofness, began fading away as you took on a more helpful role for them, a role which would later turn into a sisterly one. After the examiner had let you all loose in the forest, you had quickly joined up again with the blonde Kurta, while also going with the people who were on the boat with you. The green haired boy named Gon and the tall man named Leorio stuck close as you led them through the foggy swamp. Through your trek, you had learned more about who they were and in that time you vowed to yourself that you would protect the young boy and try to help him on his quest to becoming a hunter. His demeanor and passion was something you admired and wished to see more of. You remember how in that trek, your small party had come across the magician named Hisoka that Kurapika had initially told you to be wary of before the exam had even started. You were all crouching and watching as the red haired man ruthlessly slaughtered a capable group of examinees. The rest of what happened was a little blurry to you, but you remember your anger when the magician had smirked at you and told you how ravishing you looked and in that moment you had chosen to fight. It had ended rather quickly, his combat skills were much better than you could have ever imagined. Somehow he had still managed to flirt with you while you and Gon tried to attack. You attributed your flushed red face to the fight rather than some of the steamy words he had whispered before tossing you to the ground. Hisoka had easily taken out Leorio but happily said that your group had passed, whatever that meant. The atmosphere was uncomfortable to say the least as you and your companion continued on your way. You and Gon successfully met up again with Kurapika and Gon’s white haired friend from the first phase. Kurapika had quietly asked if you were okay as he tended to a minor wound on your arm. You fondly remember the concentration on his face as you reassured him of your safety, no one you had ever met showed you this type of warmth before. That moment was when you had realized that you cared deeply for him. 

»»————-　　————-««

The rest of the exam had been fairly unmemorable. There was a whole struggle with the gourmet hunters, but you had powered through with Kurapika at your side, as usual. The third phase was unfortunately when you and your new friends had gotten separated. The five of you had lined up on the tiles at the top of trick tower and jumped in. You didn’t know what happened to your companions, but you recognized the urgency of passing the phase and went down the dark hallway alone. You recall the surprise of meeting up with Hisoka during the test, teaming up to brave the last part of the tower together. The two of you ended up successfully being the first and second people to pass, with days left to spare. As the hours passed with you and the magician  wordlessly sitting together in silence, you couldn’t help but think of what Kurapika and the rest of the boys were doing right now. Your anxiety only increased when other examinees continued coming through and the blonde was still nowhere in sight. 

“Darling, what’s got you looking so stressed. Your eyebrows are too crinkled,” Hisoka had interrupted your endlessly running fearful thoughts about 50 hours into the exam. You only sighed and ignored him. “You know, we make an incredible team. I’d love to truly fight you one day. You have this certain aura that I would just love to break” he continued and licked his lips, looking down on you with eyes of pure malice. 

“I’ve got a delicious idea that could tire you out easily,” the man grinned with mischief and scooted closer to you. You glared at him in response, frantically trying to push him away. He chuckles at your pitiful attempt, but leaves you be for now. 

“Thanks for the concern, I guess. I’m just tired and I can’t seem to fall asleep.” you mumbled and fiddled with your hands. You wished that Kurapika were with you, his presence somehow always filled you with ease. 

It was down to the wire, when your hope ran out and you had accepted that your companions would not pass this phase. Sighing you went to Hisoka for a conversation, at this point he was the only person you knew since everybody else around you filled you with uncertainty. It was at that moment that your four companions and some other guy burst into the clearing at the last possible second. You grinned and waved at Kurapika, but he wasn’t looking at you. Instead, he was glaring daggers at Hisoka, who had put his hand on your waist when you hadn’t noticed. You shrugged him off and gave the blonde teen the warmest of smiles. You hoped that it made his heart melt, he had seemed cold after you two had been seperated. 

»»————-　　————-««

Zevil Island was unbearably hot. The whole area was much too warm for your liking. It was almost off putting how hot it was, a sharp contrast to the freezing cold demeanors of your fellow examinees. As you got off the boat, Gon had smiled and congratulated you on coming in second.  This meant that you were one of the first to get off the boat and begin the trial. Kurapika looked far away as you had told him how you planned to stick by his side this time. He nodded solemnly as you told him that you would be off first so you would find him when he started. You had hidden in a tree and waited hours for him to finally get there. You remember grinning and how that instantly put him in a less tense position after you had jumped down and surprised him. You hoped that his ease with you was a sign that he cared about you too. Fortunately, neither of you had a target you knew, so you had both got your buttons fairly quickly, the two of you truly being excellent partners. The rest of the test was spent helping Leorio again, as the two of you powered through together, back to your friendly dynamic. You treasured how he said he wouldn’t let you out of his sight again. With that phase over, and all of you at rest before the final phase, you saw it fit to bring up soulmates with Kurapika. 

“Kurapika! How are you.” You caught him as he was pacing the area in front of his room. 

“Huh? Oh, hey Y/N,” he had grinned with surprise at seeing you, “do you want to go on a walk with me?” His invitation made your cheeks flush red, but you gave an enthusiastic yes and followed him. You talked about meaningless things like music taste at first, then your ambitions, your thoughts on the future, and then finally you brought up the one subject you were anxious about covering. You were beginning to have a suspicion that the blonde was your soulmate. The two of you had just gotten along so perfectly. It seemed like fate intervening when you two had met on that boat and he had revealed his identity. You hoped that it would be him who you’d spend your life with. He was so intelligent and calm. Not to mention, also incredibly attractive. You weren’t too sure how to ask him if he had a soulmate. Your own soulmark was inked onto your thigh, a place that made it hard for others to be able to identify you as their own soulmate. The placement made it much easier to pass off as someone without a soulmate. It was common for people not to have a soulmate now. In fact, it was also a common occurrence for people to lose their soulmate and then their mark would disappear. There were also terrible people in this world who would leave their soulmates, not everyone had a happily ever after and you were especially aware of this, your own parents being a soulmate couple that split up. The concept of a soulmate was once incredibly appealing to you as you grew up, but the more pain you saw in the world the more you gave up on the dream of a perfect partner determined by fate.  Yet you silently prayed to whatever God that was listening for his mark to be a blooming rose being wrapped up by heavy chains. 

“So, what are your thoughts about soulmates?” you inquired casually. He looked at you with a slightly surprised smile before answering, 

“I think it’s definitely an interesting concept. I want to find someone one day. The idea of a person matching and completing my soul is so fulfilling. But it would be too much of a danger for me to have a soulmate right now. I want to meet them later, after I’ve done what I need to do. I just can’t have them be with me, it wouldn’t be fair to them,” he stated seriously, “what about you?” Those few words promptly break your heart. If you were his soulmate, you promised yourself in that instance to hold strong and wait for him. His heart is too heavy right now to take on the burden of you. 

You sit next to him in silence for a bit, unsure of how to answer him, so instead you ask “What’s your soulmark,” breaking the awkwardness. He smiles and shows his wrist  to you. In sharp contrast to his pale skin you see black and red marking his left wrist. A crimson rose encased in black chains, it matches yours perfectly. Your stomach drops. You don’t want to seem suspicious so you run your fingers lightly over his delicate skin and smile, you compliment the design and tell him how lucky he is.  

“Y/N, can I see your soulmark” he had asked so sweetly and looked at you with the soft smoky eyes you had begun to love. 

“I actually don’t have one,” you grin, trying to hide your pained words. It hurt you more than anything to lie to him, to have to see his small amount of joy dissipate. It’s all for the best you think to yourself. Someone as perfect as him shouldn’t have to weigh himself down with someone like me. You smile softly again and change the topic before wishing him a goodnight.  

»»————-　　————-««

Passing the hunter exam and gaining your license didn’t fill you with as much excitement as you expected it to. You felt bad for Gon, seeing as his friend didn’t pass. You liked the green haired boy quite a bit and wanted to help him the best you could. So when your soulmate said that he was going to go off on his own and earn money for the auction, you decided in that moment that it was time for you two to part. You wanted to help Gon find Killua and you needed some time without Kurapika so that you could think of your own future. You told him this but not without a vow to see him again. 

“I promise that I’ll see you again” you declared with angry resolve. Kurapika smiles softly and places a light kiss on your forehead. You sigh and interlocked your fingers with his for one last time. 

“As do I,” he replied, backing away and waving to you and your travel companions. You were going to fight tooth and nail to see him again in York New City.

»»————-　　————-«« 

Icy water splashed across your frail sleeping form. You sharply gasp as the frigid splash wakes you from your dreams about the past. You don’t know how long you’ve been here or even where you are. You let out another sharp yelp in pain when a blade as quick as light rips the skin on your barely healed cheek apart. It always starts like this. A man comes in and jolts you awake, then he reopens the wounds from when they took you, before implementing some new form of injury. The last form of torture is always expected in your day and you weren’t sure in the first few sessions, but in all of them the same dark figure stood behind in the shadows. Watching but never saying anything. You were in agony at the end of every day, but your decisiveness remained the same each time. At the end of these sessions your torturer would ask if you wanted to join his group, you would let out a snarky reply saying no, then he would leave you in darkness for several days before coming back and starting it all over again. However, your resolve was becoming shorter and shorter with each passing day. You didn’t know if your friends even knew you were here. You were starting to believe that no one was coming to save you, no happy ending in sight. All you want is to see your blonde soulmate one last time. The dark quickly closes in again as the door closes shut, leaving you to your dream like state again. 

a/n Chrollo in the next chapter, I promise. Please leave some feedback, as this is my first chapter fic. Anyways hope you enjoyed, Ch 2 out tomorrow!

~Happy Holidays!~

[midnightseonghwa]

𝐓𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐬𝐮𝐫𝐞 | 𝐣.𝐲𝐡

𝐖𝐨𝐧𝐝𝐞𝐫𝐥𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐇𝐚𝐥𝐥𝐨𝐰𝐞𝐞𝐧 𝐀𝐮 - 𝟑

✕𝐏𝐚𝐢𝐫𝐢𝐧𝐠: Dragon Shifter!Yunho x Human!Reader 

✕𝐆𝐞𝐧𝐫𝐞: Dragon shifter, Halloween, Soulmate Au, Angst, fluff 

✕𝐖𝐨𝐫𝐝 𝐂𝐨𝐮𝐧𝐭: 3.9k+

✕𝐏𝐥𝐨𝐭: The only thing you had wanted from that day was closure but sometimes, fate’s strings can untangle and pull you towards something much more treasureable. Alternatively: “To treasure your soul more than the gold and diamonds he collects.”  

✕𝐖𝐚𝐫𝐧𝐢𝐧𝐠𝐬: There is violence, blood and death. Things are a bit fast paced. The setting of the story is very ambiguous. Like very...somethimes it’s the modern world but sometimes it’s not (bear with me here). The reader (you) are a bit of an outcast and have a bad past. Mentions of soulmates and hunters. But overall, Yunho is such a cutie...I just couldn’t not write soft fluff...hehe 

✕𝐄𝐝𝐢𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐒𝐭𝐚𝐭𝐮𝐬: Unedited

✕𝐀/𝐍: Remember that this is fiction. Enjoy! Let me know if you want to be added to the taglist. Leave a comment under this post or message me! This is pretty cliched but who doesn’t like a cliche plot every now and then. I will revisit this though...I feel like there are a lot of plot holes but that is a story for another day...Thank you to the anon who decided to give me that extra encouragement and support, this being posted much earlier than what I had in mind...I have some special love for that anon <3

✕𝐓𝐚𝐠𝐥𝐢𝐬𝐭: @pancakes-for-teddy​ 

✕𝐀𝐞𝐬𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐭𝐢𝐜: Here 

You felt a disgraceful feeling creep up the back of your throat as you walked into the small shop that looked horribly suspicious. Your friend had informed you that they dealt with all things. Anything sparkly and they would take it off your hands at a reasonable price.

At first, you had been a little off-put by her description of their service but you were desperately trying to get rid of an item and even the slightest bit of off-put feelings were not going to stray you.

The little bell above the door tinkled as you pushed it open, the dust on the door flying about, causing you to cough and wheeze a little.

"Good afternoon! Welcome to Wonderland, how may I help you today?" A cheery voice greeted you from behind the counter and you came face to face with a boy, maybe the same age as you or a year older. His hair resembled the colour of charred orange and you could even smell a faint fruity but toasty smell coming from him.

"Hi, I heard you guys could...take something off my hands?" You said shyly and clutched your bag tighter around your shoulder.

The boy smiled and came out from behind the counter.

"My elder brothers are actually not here at the moment..." he trailed off and sheepishly scratched the back of his neck.

"And?" You asked, the small hope in your body blackening to ash as you realised that what they did for your friend might've been a one-time thing.

"Well...ugh. Okay, just come around here and I can try to help you out," he said and led you to the backroom.

He wasn't planning on killing you or anything...right?

You followed the auburn-haired boy meekly as he led you down a narrow corridor and then opened up one of the rooms.

"Come in," he said and watched with a smile as you gaped and gawked shamelessly at the amount of precious and semi-precious stones that were sparkling on the wall.

"You'll be surprised how desperate people can be for money...or even closure sometimes," he said and turned to look at you with a cheeky smile.

You touched the various pieces of jewellery swearing at the light that reflected off of every cut and chisel in the stone. You could've sworn that you had seen some of these pieces hanging off the necks of the royals you had seen in your high school history textbook.

"How old are these?" You asked and the boy laughed with his teeth on display.

"Pretty old, ancient if I can say but my brothers take care of them really well. They're a sort of treasure, you know?"

You snorted at his last remark and peeked at the article you had come to handoff. Compared to all the extravaganza lining the walls, yours looked like a rock you had picked up from the beach.

"I can only imagine what sort of treasure..." you trailed off and let your eyes roam the room one last time.

"Now, show me. I've been dying to see what you're so eager to get rid off."

The boy was practically bouncing off the walls. His smile was reaching the tips of his eyes and you felt a small pang in your heart at the betrayal he was going to feel once you showed him.

"Well...it's nothing much..." you said and wrung your fingers together. You fished through your bag and produced a small velvet blue pouch that was tied by drawstrings.

The boy pushed a tray towards you and watched in odd fascination as you tipped the pouch onto the tray to produce a monstrous diamond ring. It was almost the size of one of your eyes and the way the boy looked at it, you could tell that even he was quite astonished at the size of it.

Raising an eyebrow, he held the diamond closer to his face, giving it a quick sniff and then holding it to his eye.

"I have no idea where you got this from but I'm sure Yunho hyung will be glad I decided to help you," the boy mumbled under his breath and you exhaled sharply at his comment.

That meant he was willing to take it off you right?

Placing the ring back on the tray, the boy gave you a smile, "I think you-" he started but was quickly interrupted when another voice sounded in the room.

"Jongho, how many time have I told you- oh," the voice said and you turned to face probably one of the tallest humans you had ever seen in your life.

With stark white-ish silver hair and pale skin, he was at least two heads taller than you. His eyes were the colour of soil on a warm spring day and you find yourself staring a little when the boy, apparently named Jongho coughed to gain your attention.

"Yunho hyung! I was just thinking about you! This person here has something I think you're going to like," Jongho said and ushered Yunho into the room.

The male, Yunho's eyes never left yours and you found yours following his figure as well. You felt the strings of fate finally untangle and pull you towards the male who was standing in front of you.

"Yes, uhm..." Yunho muttered and looked at you with a puppy-like smile.

"What can I help you with," he said and you suddenly found it very difficult to get any words out.

"They want you to get rid of that ring," Jongho said and handed the ring to Yunho who looked pleased with the big size of it.

"May I ask where you got this from?" He said and you sighed a little before biting your lip.

"It's my engagement ring," you said and shook your head when you noticed the smile drop from the two boys' face.

"No no, it's alright. It was an arranged marriage anyway and thankfully he was able to kick the bucket before he could walk down the aisle," you laughed sorrowfully and heard Jongho snigger before Yunho slapped his arm.

"Well, for what it's worth, we'll gladly take this off your hands. I hope you can get the closure you deserve," Yunho said and put the ring back into the pouch before turning to one of the displays on the wall.

"Thank you," you said and exhaled as a weight lifted itself off your chest. You were finally able to leave that part of your life behind.

"Before you go," Yunho said and placed in front of you a small translucent white and silver satin pouch with drawstrings.

"I think this will be a nice little replacement for the piece you are giving up," he said and you picked up the pouch to inspect the content on the inside.

Although the fabric was slightly blocking your view, you concluded that whatever parts you could see where a guarantee that the piece would be a lovely one.

While you inspected the piece, Jongho looked at Yunho with wide-eyes and a smile as the older boy nodded back in silent confirmation.

"I don't know how I'll ever be able to thank you," you said and smiled, warming Yunho's heart.

"Just come back and visit us sometime," Yunho said and you nodded, agreeing to the male's request.

"Before you leave, can I at least get your name?" He said and blushed a little before tucking a strand of hair behind your ear.

"It's (Y/n)."

"(Y/n)," Yunho sighed dreamily and flopped onto one of the chairs at the back of the shop.

"Who's (Y/n)," one of his brothers, Mingi asked as he entered the room with the rest.

"His soulmate," Jongho piped up from the other end as the boys erupted into awe-struck comments and questions.

"Is this...(Y/n), a dragon as well?" Mingi's question, although in sheer excitement, sank Yunho's heart.

His soulmate was not a dragon...you were a human...

"No...(Y/n)'s a human," Yunho mumbled and Mingi quieted down with a shocked face.

"Hey, hey it's alright, hyung. They accepted your courting gift, that has to mean something right?"

Yunho smiled at his youngest brother. Jongho was right, you had accepted his courting gift and that had to mean something right?

"Yeah, I'm sure it means something," he said but this time, his big and dreamy smile didn't quite reach his eyes.

Meanwhile, you couldn't help but let curiosity get the better of you when you reached back home. Quite literally pushing your shoes off, you scattered up to the kitchen island and turned on one of the spotlights.

Reaching into your bag, you pulled out the satin pouch and laid it against the granite countertop. You undid the drawstrings and tipped it onto the counter when a gold chain attached to some sort of stone slinked out of it.

You held it up to the yellow light and watched as the teardrop-shaped stone sparkled under it. It was an opaque white with small gold flecks. Its colour resembled Yunho's hair and you find yourself giggling lightly at the thought.

The stone was smooth under your touch and had a gold hook that was connecting it to the chain.

Undoing the clasps and stringing the necklace around your neck, you smiled as the stone sat perfectly right beneath where your collarbones met and for some reason, you felt as if the necklace was made for you.

"(Y/n), you will not believe-" your friend poured into the living room, her hair wild as she stopped in front of you who was still sitting at the kitchen counter.

"Where did you get that from?" She asked and pointed to the necklace on your neck. Your hand instinctively flew up and guarded it against your friend's prying eyes.

"Someone gave it to me," you said dismissively but she raised her eyebrows, giving you a suspicious look.

"Is that person a special someone?" She asked and you sighed, toying with the white stone, the light reflecting off the stone causing reflections on the wall.

"I wish," you sighed and thought back to Yunho's handsome face. Everything about him seemed too good to be real. What kind of man with that face and height walked around single?

But he did seem interested in you...

You dismissed that thought what a shake of your head. Of course, he seemed interested in you. You practically gave off your ring worth millions for nothing but closure and a white stone necklace.

"Okay, regardless. (Y/n), apparently, there have been dragon spottings around here," your friend said and nudged herself closer to you. She had a serious look on her face but you couldn't help but let out a small mocking laugh slip out.

"Didn't dragons all get hunted down?" You asked with a slight tilt in your head and your friend just shook her head.

"Apparently there are still some left. The town's hunters are going to look for them now."

You gulped at your friend's statement. Dragons were beautiful creatures, royals of the skies and here your kind was, sick puny humans, biting off more than they could chew.

"Why can't the town's people leave them alone?" You reasoned and your friend sighed before leaning her head against the counter.

"Human are always scared of the things they can't control," she said and you found yourself nodding at her statement.

A wave of silence took over before your friend got up and walked to the fridge.

"What do you want for dinner?" She asked and you shook your head, politely declining her question.

"I'm good, thanks. Just probably going to go and get some fresh air."

Your friend looked at you sceptically, pulling some vegetables from the fridge and then nodding.

"Alright, but be careful, don't go to the outskirts of town."

Gathering your things, you thanked your friend and walked down the road, the town eerily quiet with most of the people hiding.

Your footsteps echoed in the air around you as they trudged through the dirt, your shoes kicking small pebbles and stones as you walked on, ignoring your friend's warning and going towards the outskirts, the forest.

"Hey!" A voice caught your attention as you turned around and saw a man run up to you.

"What're you doing here? Don't you know about the dragons?" He sneered and stumbled back a bit as he came closer and closer to you.

"I-" you started but were interrupted when he let out another disgusted sneer.

"Or are you one of them? One of those pesky human shifters? Maybe I should skin you and take your scales home for my family," he said and you bit back the whimpers that were threatening to fall out of your mouth.

The man grabbed your arm as he pushed you into a secluded corner of the street, weapon raised he was just about to strike when a loud roar sounded in the air, causing the man to lose his focus and falter a bit.

You took this opportunity and ran. Ran as if your life depended on it; which it did. You could hear his heavy footsteps behind you as you quickly tried to lose him by rounding a corner but that only slowed you down and before you knew, he had caught you by the hair, making you fall onto your back, hitting the asphalt with a sickening skid.

"Show yourself to me you disgusting creature," he said and raised his hand when a voice sounded behind him.

"Don't you dare touch (Y/n)."

You recognised the voice as Jongho's, the same burnt orange hair peeking over at you with concern as your attacker turned around with a furious glare.

"Who are you?" He demanded as Jongho helped you up and ushered you to the side.

"None of your business," Jongho responded and you watched in shock as the boy's eyes flared a rich golden colour.

Your attacker's eyes widened when he saw Jongho's eyes change colour, the blood draining from his face as he sank to his knees, begging for his life.

Not giving the man a glance, Jongho pulled you along and started running towards the forests on the outskirts of town.

"Jongho..." you panted as the male pulled you along, "Where are we going? And...and your eyes...are you a dragon?"

Jongho let out a frustrated groan before turning around to face you.

"(Y/n), there's no time to explain, okay? Right now, I need your help."

"Jongho, what do you mean? Why do you need my help? Jongho, I-" you stuttered and stumbled in your steps before Jongho held you by the shoulders.

"(Y/n)! Listen to me! Yunho hyung, he's hurt. Please, you have to help him. You're the only one who can help him."

Your world stopped spinning as you registered Jongho's words. At the thought of Yunho hurt, a deadly amount of pain unfurled in your body as you hunched over, trying to soothe the pain.

"Jongho, what's happening? Wh...why does it pain so much?" You cried, tears spilling from the side of your eyes.

Jongho cursed under his breath and picked you up, running faster towards the forest.

The pain sizzled through your body like an unbearable heat. It was almost as if your heart was getting ripped out of your chest, each nerve and muscle being ripped out and torn to shreds.

"Jongho, it hurts," you cried and pressed your hands over your chest to ease the pain.

"Yes, I know but just hang on, okay? The mate bond is severing due to Yunho hyung's condition right now and I need to get you to him as fast as possible so just hang on."

"Jongho, you took long enough," Mingi muttered and looked at the very pained human in his arms before groaning.

"Where did you go?"

Jongho nodded, out of breath and placed you next to Yunho's massive dragon form where the grass had now taken on a bright firework red. You were barely conscious but enough to raise yourself to your hands and knees, forcing some air to go into your lungs. You turned to view the dragon behind you, the pain shallowing out in waves like the tides of the ocean you despised.

"Is this..." you trailed off and Jongho gave you small nod. A cry of sorrow broke out from your lips as you felt the last few remaining threads of the mate bond severe.

You hadn't even gotten to know the boy, claimed to be your mate. With hair like snow and eyes like the moon that would keep all your secrets. You weren't sure why you were crying but in a world where you had been pawned off from at a young age, you were crying for the love you had never gotten to know, to experience, to have and hold until death do you apart.

You collapsed onto Yunho's form, his scales bristling slightly under you at the touch of their mate, the one who's touch they had been made for and craving ever since they had been brushed into existence.

"Jongho," you cried again and held Yunho's form as much as could.

"Please, I haven't even gotten a chance to know him yet. Just...please...please help him," you begged until your throat was raw and scratchy.

"Just wait (Y/n), help is on the way," Jongho whispered, but his words fell on deaf ears as fate broke the last bond that attached your soul to Yunho's and your eyes fell shut.

At least you would be with Yunho now.

"My sweet treasure," you heard a voice call out accompanied with soft touches that swept your hair out of your face. The warmth radiating into your skin made you nuzzle your cheek into the voice's hand.

"Fate must look kindly upon me for giving me such a beautiful soulmate," the voice whispered again and your eyes fluttered open. Squinting slightly to adjust to the yellow sunlight, you caught a glimpse of silky white strands and a puppy-like smile that was looking down at you.

It almost felt as if you were in a dream...his face and voice resembled Yunho's so much and you sniggered at fate's cruel tricks before turning on your side and closing your eyes again.

For a dead person, fate sure made your afterlife comfortable...

"(Y/n), my treasure," the Yunho look-alike whispered again and slowly coaxed you awake. Kissing lightly on your forehead, then your fingers one by one and then finally leaving hot, open-mouthed kisses on your cheek.

This time, your eyes opened for the second time and you slowly sat up. Smiling, you touched Yunho's cheek but instead of him disappearing, you were met with warmth and a smile.

"Are we...not dead?" You asked ridiculously and Yunho laughed, certain mirth filling his eyes as he looked at you endearingly.

"We are...not," he said and you shot up from where you were sitting, launching yourself at Yunho.

You wrapped your arms around his neck and pulled him close, your soul feeling whole as if Yunho's arms was where you were always meant to be.

"Yunho, I-" you stuttered but no amount of words could ever convey the relief you felt.

"Shh, it's alright, my treasure. You're here with me now and that's all that matters." Yunho said and stroked your hair as soft tears of happiness covered your cheeks.

Picking you up off the bed, Yunho nuzzled his head into your neck, inhaling the soft smell of nutmeg with fresh dew drops.  He pulled you closer into his chest, rubbing his cheek against yours as he pulled out of the room and into the narrow corridor.

The boys cheered as you and Yunho made an entry into the small living room that you had first seen when Jongho had led you down the narrow hallway a few days ago.

"You're awake!" Jongho beamed and moved forward to give you a hug before Yunho let out a growl and pulled you into his chest.

"Not your mate, Jongho," he said and gave the younger a warning glare.

Jongho sheepishly rubbed the back of his neck and cowered away causing you to laugh and smack Yunho on the arm lovingly.

"Yunho! That's mean," you said and pressed yourself further into his chest, the silver-haired boy protectively putting his arm around you.

"Nothing is mean if it involves my treasure," he said and kissed the top of your head, all his brother making gagging noises at the display of affection.

To Yunho, the everglades had never felt more alive. Spring had finally arrived and the lush green grass felt like cotton under his feet.

The Cherry blossom trees had reached full bloom and Yunho smiled as he watched you twirl and dance around the falling petals. His heart had never felt so full but it always seemed to make more space for you.

"Yuyu! Come and see this!" He heard your voice and walked to you before playfully lifting you off your feet and spinning you around, causing you to let out happy squeals.

The white teardrop-shaped stone glinted in the sunlight as the gold flecks seemed to move across the stone. Yunho smiled as he watched the necklace sway from side to side as you ran through the grass and yelled for him to chase you.

Leaning down, he pressed his forehead to yours and whispered a soft 'i love you' before capturing your lips with his. It was a short loving kiss but each little nuzzle, peck or Eskimo kiss always left you wanting for more.

You wrapped your arms around Yunho's midsection and cuddled into his chest, the dragon in him rolling over with happiness like a puppy as he covered his body with yours and held you suffocatingly close. Resting his head on top of yours, his dragon swelled with pride at the newly created and stronger mate bond. You had finally let Yunho's dragon mark you after a few months of lovely coaxing and Yunho couldn't be prouder that a person like you was willing to bear his mark.

It made you his treasure, his to protect and his to guard.

A treasure more valuable than all the diamonds and gold he kept collected.

"I love you, my sweet treasure. More than all the gold and diamonds I could ever collect.”

[rosy-night-sky]

Of Treasure and Adventure

Genre: Treasure Hunter/Indiana Jones AU

Pairing: Ot7 x reader

Summary: Your grandmother gave you a gift that she won in a game, so naturally you are curious as to the origins of it. A decision was then made that you should seek the answers to your questions. However, you never expected your decision to lead you on a treasure hunting quest.

Warning: Suggestive themes, violence, trauma

Disclaimer: Any references to historical events, real people, or real places are used fictitiously. Other names, characters, places and events are products of the author’s imagination, and any resemblance to actual events, places or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental.

Tag List:  @sevenincubistolemyheart @xxqueenwxtchxx @technicolor-blues @taevkimchi @youcantbesiriusremus @vannilacake @baby-hobii @catsandstrawberries @izzyisavengersupernaturaltrash @http-lostforever @jhopetypes @seesawsmin-flower @taekookandyoongi @star-gods @asifetch7​ @the-jackals​ @comicnerd557​

(A/N: Ahhhh! It’s finally here! Oh my god, it’s been months! I’m so sorry this took so long. I hope this makes up for it. I tried to make this a little more angsty, but I’m sorry if it falls short. Enjoy!)

Chapter 9

Darkness. That was all you could recall in that moment. All memories and knowledge of yourself were long gone. All you could do was sink back into the comforting, warm pool of murkiness, letting all your senses and thoughts fade away like the sun at twilight. In that moment, you couldn’t remember anything, your identity, your family, your friends. Everything that made you you was washed away in the never-ending waves of blackness and calmness. For a brief moment, you didn’t want to be pulled from the soothing current of peacefulness. Was this death? Were you dead?

Then suddenly, a memory popped into your head. Your name. Then after that came another memory. Your family, specifically your grandmother setting you on her lap when you were a child. With that came a few memories like snowflakes sprinkling down before a snowstorm. The expedition. The boys, your friends. What happened to them? Where were they? You couldn’t seem to recall what occurred just minutes ago. Your mind was still a mess of muddled thoughts and recollections. 

You remembered seeing red. There was a lot of red before you fell into this black abyss. Red… red dress, red tie, red shoes, red… blood… There were also faint feelings of panic and stress hidden in your subconscious. Desperation. You saw desperation somewhere. Where was that…? Were you desperate? Did something happen? Yes, but also no… you saw it in something-- someone, more like. Eyes… you saw it in someone’s eyes. Whose? …. Jin…?

…

…….

Jin!

You threw yourself out of the drowning darkness and awoke with a gasp, as if you were actually in a sea of blackness and had finally resurfaced. Your memories came back in an overwhelming flood. Your eyes stung for a moment as light suddenly pierced them. You blinked a few moments, trying to adjust to the sudden brightness, as your chest rose and fell from rapid breathing. After the bright light died down and your eyes stung no longer, you quickly took in your surroundings. At first, panic rose in your throat because you found yourself in an unfamiliar environment; but after a few seconds, you soon realized that you were back in the safe hotel suite that Jin had booked for the night. 

“Whoa! Whoa there! Calm down, y/n! You’re alright, you’re safe.”

You jerked your head almost violently toward the owner of the voice and found yourself staring into warm, familiar, eyes. Hoseok. Your shoulders relaxed as did your breathing. 

A long, drawn out breath slipped through your lips as you relaxed back into the couch you were laid upon. “What happened? Did I fall asleep?” you asked, although you knew that not to be the case. You had completely forgotten who you were, what happened at the gala, where you were. That wasn’t as normal as falling asleep.

Hoseok took out the stethoscope that was still embedded into his ears and placed it back into his black bag. “Vasovagal syncope.” He smiled when seeing your confused expression. You weren’t a doctor! You didn’t know these medical terms like they were common knowledge. “Basically, you were under stress for a long duration of time, and the adrenaline pumping within you was making your heart beat at a rapid pace. Then, once you were in the van, your body suddenly dropped your blood pressure, causing you to faint.”

You paused for a few moments, taking in all of this knowledge. “So I fainted from too much stress and the rush of adrenaline?” you clarified, leaning back into the couch slightly.

“To put into simpler terms, yes.”

You lifted a hand to your face and began to rub your temples, trying to rub awake the grogginess and exhaustion that still wracked at your body. “Makes sense. I was very stressed out for the entirety of the night, and the whole fiasco really set off my anxiety. I’m surprised I didn’t faint right when the blackout happened,” you remarked, your voice airy from lack of use. “How long was I out?”

“Not long,” Hoseok answered, rummaging through his belongings before pulling out a flask of clean water and handing it to you. “I’d say maybe twenty minutes. You kept coming out of unconsciousness for a little bit only for you to fall back into it. You must have really been stressed out.”

You brought the flask to your dry and chapped lips, letting the cool liquid wet your lips before taking a few gracious gulps to satisfy your parched throat and tongue. “I was. I pretty much took the reigns of that whole disaster of a situation.”

Hoseok chuckled before taking the flask out of your hands after you were finished drinking. He placed it down on the table next to you before sitting on the arm of the couch opposite to you. “I agree. Without you there, the whole operation would’ve been a failure. You really pulled us through.” He smiled graciously to you with such warmth and kindness.

“Thank you,” you murmured with a smile of your own. “The whole problem was that everything wrong happened at the same time. Taehyung went on his own without telling anyone. We ran into Mr. Akimoto. Jin passed out. The blackout happened. I needed Namjoon to get the kobae while Jungkook needed to get Jin to safety.” You sighed again while using your hand to pull down the skin of your face in exasperation. “I shouldn’t be talking about this. It’s just going to stress me out again.”

“Good idea,” the doctor chuckled. “We don’t want you to have a cardiac arrest from the amount of stress you’re going through.”

You groaned almost dramatically. “Don’t say that…” After you finished rubbing at your face, you dropped your hand to your lap and looked at the doctor. You had a bunch of concerns and questions that needed answers for. “How is Jin? Is he going to be alright? Because Mr. Akimoto told me that he had Jin incapacitated, and I didn’t know what he meant by…” Your voice trailed off as realization dawned upon you. You sighed again and dropped your head slightly forward. You could be such a twit sometimes. “The champagne… it was drugged, wasn’t it?”

Hoseok slowly nodded, his face suddenly grim. You prodded further and asked, “It wasn't poisoned or anything, right? No cyanide or anything of that sort.”

“No, there wasn’t any poison,” he answered, much to your relief. “He wasn’t foaming at the mouth, his pupils weren’t dilated, and his heart rate was normal. I did a quick checkover and found that he just ingested a sedative. He’ll be fine after he wakes up.” 

You sighed in relief, feeling a weight on your shoulders suddenly vanish. “Thank God,” you mumbled, burying your face into your hand. “I would have never forgiven myself if he died.” You lifted your head up, needing your questions to be answered. “And the others? I haven’t seen Namjoon all night. I was scared something happened.”

“Do you really want to hear the answer to that?”

That sent your heart racing. The familiar feeling of panic slowly bubbled within your stomach, causing a sense of uneasiness to settle upon you. Your eyes widened ever-so-slightly. “What happened?”

Hoseok suddenly burst into laughter at the sight of your panic. He covered his wide smile with his hand and bent over slightly as his laughter echoed in the room. “Oh, I’m sorry! I shouldn’t have worded it that way!” He laughed for a few more seconds before adding, “I only meant that the answer was going to make you really mad.”

Okay, now your panic morphed into confusion and bewilderment. What on earth was he talking about? Should you be more concerned since he said the answer would make you angry? 

As you stared at him with a look of puzzlement on your face, he finally explained, “The reason why you couldn’t find Namjoon was because…” He paused to giggle. “... was because a little fan club swarmed him asking him a million questions about his latest book. He barely even got inside the museum by the time the blackout happened! You were really lucky he walked into the room you were in when you said the codeword.”

He… he must be joking. You went through all of that turmoil and panic of possibly dying while he was signing autographs?! Hoseok was right, you were mad. No, you were more than mad. You were furious. You couldn’t believe that you suffered all of that anxiety and strife only for the historian to be off having a jolly good time with his fans! Why, you could just march over to him right now and start strangling him!

“I’m going to kill him.”

Hoseok went into a full guffaw at your comment. He slapped his leg when seeing your now enraged expression. Your nostrils flared slightly as you released a hard exhale. You looked like a bull ready to charge at the matador. 

He wiped away a tear from his eye almost dramatically and slowly wound down. “Hey, he was sort of in your shoes. He also hates socializing at big parties like the gala, and he was swarmed by a whole flock of people the moment he stepped inside.”

Fine, you supposed you could give Namjoon that. He suffered as much as you did in that regard, perhaps even more since all of the attention was focused solely on him. However, you weren’t going to let him off the hook so easily. Once you found him, you were going to box his ears. “I guess… but I’m still going to wring his neck,” you grumbled.

“Fair enough,” Hoseok conceded with a smile, “you did have to deal with a tyrant, I suppose.”

With a roll of your eyes, you moved onto your next question, “What about Taehyung? I couldn’t find him after the blackout.”

Hoseok’s smile quickly faded at the mention of the artist. He flickered his eyes away from your gaze and suddenly took an interest in the intricate wallpaper that adorned the walls. A few moments passed as he carefully chose his words. 

At his sudden silence, you began to fear the worst. An image of Taehyung’s dead body suddenly appeared in your thoughts. You clamped your suddenly sweaty palms and awaited for his response, praying to God that what he was about to say wasn’t what you were thinking. 

Awkwardly, he cleared his throat and turned his attention back to you. “Taehyung is alive, and in good condition considering what happened to him.”

You were relieved to hear he was alive, but what followed that sentence only heightened your worries. “He’s hurt?” you asked, your voice drenched with worry.

Hoseok slowly nodded. “How else were you, Jin, and Jungkook able to make your escape without any more of Mr. Akimoto’s men finding you?” 

To be honest, you figured that the three of you were able to slip away without anyone knowing where you were. But now that Hoseok mentioned it, it did seem a little odd that the only person you confronted in the hallways of the museum was that one man you knocked out in one swift punch. Mr. Akimoto seemed like a very crafty and slippery man. Surely he would’ve had men scouring every inch of the place for the three of you, especially after you gave him a speedy kick to his privates. 

“So…” you began slowly. “Taehyung distracted them while we ran out of the museum…”

There was a small pause of silence. “Yes, in a way... luckily for him, it was too dark in the room for anyone to use any firearms or knives, but taking on five men by himself was too much for him,” Hoseok explained, now standing up and wandering over to his bag. “Like I said, he’s very lucky considering the position he was in.”

“Taehyung…” you couldn’t help but let the name slip from his mouth. Perhaps you shouldn’t have been so harsh to him that night. If it weren’t for him, who knows what would have happened to you and the others?

Hoseok lightly chuckled, despite the gloomy atmosphere. “You should’ve seen some of the others. He put two of them in the hospital in critical condition.” You arched an eyebrow curiously at this. “What did he do?” you asked bemusedly.

The doctor merely gave you a small smile before taking out an ice pack wrapped in cloth. “Well, he is the demolition expert.”

After that, you knew you didn’t need to prod any further. You expected those men were in the hospital with fourth degree burns. You wanted to feel some pity for them, considering that they were permanently, physically mutilated now, but a part of you believed that they received their comeuppance.

“What about the kobae? Did Namjoon get it?” you asked him, your fingers playing with the material of your scarlet red dress. 

Huh, it seemed that no one changed your clothes while you were unconscious. You didn’t know whether to be relieved that no one saw you in your underwear or annoyed by the fact that you were still in this godforsaken dress.

“Yes, but it was more like Taehyung first got the kobae after knocking a guard out, saw that you and Jungkook were leaving with Jin, passed the kobae to Namjoon, was seen by Mr. Akimoto’s men, one of his men attacked Namjoon, Taehyung helped defend him, Namjoon got away with only a sore jaw, and the rest… Well, you know the rest.”

You slouched your shoulders very slightly as Hoseok retold the story to you. “At least Namjoon is fine,” you pointed out, trying to find some bright side to all of this. “This whole expedition is taking its toll on everyone.”

The doctor chuckled humorously. “I’d say, we’re only a few weeks in and you guys have almost run my medical supplies through.”

Hoseok then returned to your side and placed the ice pack on your injured arm. It took a few moments before the coolness began to soothe your skin, and you released a small sigh at the comforting chill. You adjusted the pack a little before letting it sit on your arm. Your arm still throbbed ever-so-slightly from exerting it when catching Jin. Of course, that probably meant you injured it even further than before. Great, just peachy.

“I think I may have hurt my arm even more,” you confessed somewhat embarrassed. You expected to receive a scolding for doing the complete opposite of what he told you to do.

Hoseok hummed in thought as his eyes dwelt on the wrappings on your arm. “Yes, I figured you would after all you’ve been through tonight, which is why I prepared a bath with epsom salts to help soothe irritation and soreness in your muscles,” he disclosed. He then wrapped his fingers around the fabric and began to unravel it. 

Your skin was tender and soft after being enclosed for so long. You noticed with a sting of disappointment that your arm was still slightly swollen, despite the care and attention you’ve been giving it lately. Ugh, you wished desperately that you could find some magical cure and just douse your arm in it. However, you knew deep down that such a thing didn’t exist and that you were going to be stuck with this injury for awhile yet. Man, you just had the worst luck.

You quirked an eyebrow at Hoseok’s attitude toward you. It wasn’t unwelcomed, in fact, you loved that he was being so caring and attentive toward your well-being. However, this was a sudden change from the last time he gave you a checkup. You could still remember his skillful fingers dancing on your sensitive skin. Such a memory almost made you shiver. Almost. 

“Someone’s very thoughtful today,” you commented jokingly.

“Oh?” he wondered out loud, draping the discarded arm wrap on a nearby desk. “Aren’t all doctors supposed to be accommodating toward their patients? Or did something change and I didn’t hear about it?”

You shook your head, a soft snicker leaving your mouth. “No, it’s just… last time you gave me a checkup, you were a lot more…” Your voice trailed off as you tried to think of the perfect word to describe exactly what happened that night. Voluptuous? No, no no no, there must be a better word.

“Lascivious?” he offered, his tone still casual and innocent. You never would’ve guessed he was referring to such vulgar acts based off of his tone. 

He then took a few steps over to you, heels clicking against the floor, and bent down so that his face was very close to yours. “If you want, I could give you those painkillers I’ve been meaning to give you now.” The corners of his lips curled into a mischievous smirk.

You cleared your throat awkwardly as your head instinctively drew away from his. Your eyes wavered wildly to anything that happened to be not his face. However, this was rather hard to do given how close he had gotten. “M-maybe later,” you blurted, then internally died once your words finally processed in your brain. Later?! No! Later was the opposite of what you wanted currently.

Even Hoseok seemed surprised by your words. His eyebrows rose just a centimeter in astonishment before chuckling to himself and quickly pulling himself away from you, taking all the warmth with him. “Alright then, I’ll hold you to it,” he replied playfully.

Suddenly you stood up from the couch and took a few steps. To where? Well, you weren’t sure. You wanted to go to the bathroom to take your bath, but you had no idea where the bathroom was to be honest. “I’m… I think I’ll go take that bath now,” you announced sheepishly and started wandering toward a door you hoped led to the bathroom.

The doctor chuckled once more and followed your disoriented footsteps until he placed both of his hands on your shoulders and redirected you toward a different door. You immediately froze under his touch but nonetheless went in the direction he urged you to go. Honestly, you looked like a frightened sheep being herded by the shepherd. 

“This isn’t like the last hotel we stayed at,” he revealed with a wide, impish smile. “Instead, we have one bathroom that we all share.”

And whose bright idea to stay at a hotel with only one bathroom was that? Probably the one who paid for all of this. Ugh, you wanted to be mad at this whole situation, but you then figured that it was better to at least have a bathroom than have none like that motel you stayed at in Darjeeling. Still, you would appreciate it immensely if you had some form of privacy.

“Oh, really?” you responded dazedly, your cheeks still tingling with heat. Hoseok hummed in reply and added, “I’ll even be nice and tell the others not to bother you while you’re taking a bath. After all, your comfort and well-being are my number one priority.”

That was… awfully considerate of him. You were oddly touched by his kind and sympathetic words. Why was he acting so sweet? Well, you supposed he had to be, since he was a doctor. Or perhaps it was because he knew how much you’ve gone through recently. 

You shook your head. You shouldn’t be so suspicious of him. Hoseok has been nothing but kind to you, even if his kisses overwhelmed you.

Hoseok led you down the hallway, its walls were made from sherwood oak wood with a wooden flooring to match. The walls were carved into intricate designs that reminded you of some of the manors you visited for newspaper articles. The velvet blue curtains were drawn back to let the light brighten the atmosphere, the slight reflecting off of brass candlesticks and freshly cleaned, polished tabletops. Dear Lord, this all must’ve cost a fortune to build!

Hoseok suddenly jerked you into another room after opening the door. You released a small yelp before you found your feet padding against tiled flooring. Your eyes took in your surroundings and realized that you were now in the very fancy bathroom. True to his word, Hoseok had drawn a steamy bath for you with bubbles floating gracefully on top of the water. The bath looked very inviting, and you could feel your muscles already relaxing at the sight of it.

The hands on your shoulders abruptly left as Hoseok pulled away from you and stepped outside into the hallway. His hand latched onto the doorknob and began to close the door, but he stopped just enough to let his head poke through, giving you a warm and cheerful smile. “Have a nice bath! I recommend staying in there for at most thirty minutes. Any longer and you risk drying your skin, and we wouldn’t want that.” He then perked up with a bright, wide smile, and said, “Alright, I’ll leave you to it!” With that, he slipped through the doorway and closed the door.

You stared dumbly at where the doctor stood for a few seconds before redirecting your attention back to the appealing bathtub. Steam rose from the water in small, smooth wafts as bubbles slowly popped. Seeing how warm and inviting it was, you then wasted no time and immediately began to strip yourself of your dress, gloves, and jewelry, like a snake shedding its old skin. Once you were stark naked, you slowly slipped into the warm, satisfying water, and for a brief moment thought you entered heaven right then and there.

A small, happy sigh escaped your mouth as you settled into the water. You really did need this. The moment you stepped in you felt all your worries and tensions slip away like dust in the wind. If you did this more often, it would almost make all your frustrations during the expedition worth it. Your head tilted back and rested against the edge of the tub, your eyelids slowly closing from the waves of relaxation that enveloped you.

As you rested there, your mind began to wander toward the recent events of the museum gala. Sure, the objective was made and you managed to get the kobae, but it didn’t seem like a complete success to you. Complete success meant that no one was injured or extremely endangered, and, of course, both of those things happened all simultaneously. Jin was unconscious and could’ve been killed had you and Jungkook not got him out of there, Taehyung was injured in order to provide you an escape and defend Namjoon, and Mr. Akimoto was now searching for everyone’s blood now that he knew that you all were plotting against the Japanese government’s interest. Everything was a mess tonight, and you were extremely glad it was over.

Or was it over?

Your eyes suddenly snapped open when you heard the door open and shot up in the tub. For some reason, you instantly went to the worst scenario and briefly thought that Mr. Akimoto and his men found you, but you instantly shoved that thought away, reminding yourself that you were far away from him and his goons. 

Instead, however, you saw Taehyung slip through the doorway in nothing but a silk, blue bathrobe that stopped above his knees. He didn’t seem to notice your presence until he already stepped inside and closed the door behind him. Once your gazes connected, his eyes widened for a mere second before they relaxed while you squeaked and sunk yourself deeper into the tub, hiding yourself under the deep waters.

Your lips dipped under the water for a few seconds before you slowly pulled them above the surface, your eyes never leaving his. “The bathroom is taken,” you murmured, your arms covering your private areas despite the layer of bubbles already hiding your naked form. What the bloody hell? You thought Hoseok told the others not to come in here!

Taehyung didn’t say anything at first, his eyes trained on you for a few seconds, as if you were a rare sight he would never get another opportunity to see again, which was practically the case. He then gave you an innocent look and clamped his hands together as if to beg. “Can I share the tub with you?”

Was he serious? Was he actually serious? Did he really want to share the bathtub with you? 

You cleared your throat and finally tore your gaze away from him. “I’ll be out in the next thirty minutes. You can wait until then,” you quietly mumbled. 

Taehyung pursed his lips into a tiny pout. “But then all of the warm water will be gone! Please, y/n, it’s just one bath. I promise I won’t do anything!” he practically begged, eyes round with puppy eyes.

Normally you would be stubborn and refuse to let him in for the sake of your poor hear, but tonight you were exhausted from previous events and didn’t have the resolve to. And by God, you couldn’t resist those adorable eyes no matter how much you wanted to. “You promise you won’t try anything?”

He nodded fervently. “I promise.”

You sighed and reluctantly gave in, gesturing for him to get in while the water was still warm. He grinned boyishly and whipped off his bathrobe in a flash for you to see him in all of his naked glory.

You let out an abrupt, panicked shout at the sight of his naked form. You took in his body for only a second before you threw a hand over your eyes. “Oh my God!!!” You couldn’t believe what just happened. You just saw Taehyung naked. You just saw… Taehyung… naked. The image of his tight and rippling muscles appeared in your mind, and, no matter how hard you tried, you couldn’t seem to get it how of your head. Dear Lord, he must be an Adonis with a figure like that!

A low chuckle snapped your from your alarmed thoughts. You sensed movement from him, but you didn’t dare move your hand. This better not be a prank, or, so help you God, you were going to kill him. 

You ripped your hand from your face once you sensed him dipping his foot into the tub, risking the fact that you were going to see him in naked glory again, and threw yourself back against the walls with another yelp. Taehyung only laughed at you reaction and slid down into the still warm waters with a relaxed sigh. His face tightened into a contortion of pain, probably from moving his abdomen too much, until his jaw went slack and his head was thrown back with a soothed groan. 

Don’t look down! Don’t look down! Don’t look down!

Your face burst into a wave of heat as you stared at the man sitting in the tub across from you. This was a horrible idea. Why on earth did you agree to this?

Taehyung tilted his head up and gave you a lopsided grin with half-lidded eyes that sent your heart racing. “Glad to see you’re alright,” he stated honestly.

You swallowed a large lump in your throat and felt your mouth had suddenly gone dry. “You, too… Hobi said that you got hurt during the blackout.” Your eyes wandered over his exposed chest and saw his smooth skin riddled with black, blue, and purple bruises. Your skin crawled and your stomach churned uncomfortably at the sight. Some of the bruises seemed slightly swollen from the impact and that the slightest movement would send him reeling in pain.

He hummed thoughtfully while arching an eyebrow in a joking manner. “Hm, what gave that away?” he asked rhetorically, readjusting himself into a more comfortable position.

His skin that had been underwater suddenly peaked above the surface, the light glistening off of his shiny muscles and abdomen. You quickly looked away to stare at the wall so that you wouldn’t give him the wrong idea, your cheeks becoming hotter than the water itself. Taehyung instead found your attitude and actions to be rather adorable.

You cleared your throat once more to get rid of the lump still lodged in your throat. “Why did I agree to this?” you mumbled to yourself, ignoring his question.

His lips formed a small pout, although the pursed lips seemed rather mocking to you. A tiny whine rumbled in his throat as he tilted his head to the side. “Aw, you don’t want to spend time with me?”

“We can spend time together later. Not in a tub. Naked.” The embarrassed heat that tingled your cheeks began to travel to the rest of your body. 

You never in your life showed such vulnerability to any other man. Hell, you never showed such vulnerability to any woman before, not even your friends back in London! The most they probably ever saw was you in your knickers! “What if the others came in?!” You knew Hoseok supposedly told the others, but you weren’t sure if he actually came through on that now that Taehyung was in the tub with you.

“Oh, you would love that, wouldn’t you? Which one would turn you on more if they walked in right now? Jimin? Hoseok?” His tone turned mischievous as his eyes began to darken with desire.

You gaped at him with round eyes as your heart sunk to your stomach. Oh God… he knew…

Taehyung’s smirk widened at your flabbergasted expression, seeing how you were at a complete loss for words. “Oh, yes, I saw-- well, more like heard-- your little escapees with those two. You moan really loudly, you know that, right?” he commented with a chuckle.

With that, you sunk even further into the tub, your lips submerged in the warm water. Humiliation and embarrassment filled your very core the more the artist went on. Ugh, you were fine with the fact that some of the others, like Namjoon, knew about what went on between the three of you. But Taehyung? Taehyung was the last person on earth you wanted to know about this! 

“You promised you wouldn’t try anything,” you murmured quietly, your lips peeking above the surface of the water.

Although still smirking, he listened to you and dropped the subject. “Alright, if it makes you uncomfortable, then I won’t say anything, okay?” His smirk ebbed away to give you a normal, gentle smile, which almost gave you whiplash from how quickly this was all moving.

You gave him a tiny nod before shifting uncomfortably in your spot as your eyes flickered down to the side, your arms still wrapped tightly around your chest to cover yourself up. Your feet bounced nervously in the water at a rapid pace that matched your own heartbeat, causing a small ripple effect to spread across the water. Taehyung’s gaze lowered into the water to watch your feet tap against the bottom of the tub before he brought his eyes back to take in your appearance, his mind apparently elsewhere.

“You’d be the perfect muse,” he commented absentmindedly, more to himself rather than to you.

You let out a small noise of confusion, your eyebrows knitting together ever-so-slightly. “Pardon?” you blurted. That was certainly a new one. You remembered your grandmother fondly drawing pencil pictures of you as you played in the English countryside, but never before has ever anyone wanted you to be their muse.

He perked up a little, realizing that you picked up on his mumblings. “You’d be the perfect muse.” His lips curled up amusedly at the new nickname, his fingers now lightly grazing his chin as his eyes stared into your round ones. “My little muse, my little myujeu sin…” 

“Myujeu sin?” you attempted to repeat, finding yourself only able to echo his words. 

He nodded, his smile widening at your effort. “Yes, myujeu sin, it means ‘muse’ in Korean.” He still watched your form, taking in how divine and almost romantic you looked. Your naked body submerged in water with such an innocent expression. He imagined what kind of setting you would be in. Maybe something pastoral like a field surrounded by blooming flowers. “God, the number of paintings I could make of you…  I could make a whole art exhibit with your image…”

Your breath hitched in your throat upon hearing these words. Heat blossomed to your cheeks as your stomach fluttered around with butterflies. Your heart skipped a beat as you mentally repeated these words over and over again. You stared at him as a foreign feeling suddenly flourished in your chest. It was touching how he, an artist who appreciated beauty in its finest forms, admitted that he would paint your appearance endlessly, and you found yourself wanting to engulf in his embrace. However, a wave of self-consciousness washed over you, which caused you to slip even further into the tub.

“Aw, how cute. My little muse is acting so adorable,” he cooed, grinning as your lips pressed together in a thin line.

You shot up in the tub, the water splashing around and threatening to spill out and onto the floor. “Stop saying that! I’m not cute! I’m… I’m not, okay?” you protested, your cheeks now heated from irritation as well as flusteredness. 

Taehyung cocked his head to the side in light confusion. “But you are. Why are you trying to deny it?”

It was then you realized that he was speaking the truth in his mind. Right now in this very moment, he wasn’t trying to tease you. He wasn’t trying to embarrass you. He was being honest about this, which only baffled you more.

You cast your gaze away from him, too embarrassed to remain eye contact with him. “I just don’t think I’m cute is all,” you answered back just as truthfully. 

The smile returned to his lips. “But you are. You’re cute when you get flustered. You’re cute when you look so awkward and lost. You’re so adorable when you make that squeaky noise whenever you’re surprised by something. Your laugh is the cutest thing I ever heard.” He unconsciously moved closer and craned his head down to your level to make eye contact with you. “You’re cute whenever you get that expression on your face when an idea pops into your head. You look so cute whenever you get excited…”

His face was suddenly close to yours. “And you’re so adorable when you give me that look.”

Your round eyes bore into his, your mind a complete mess at his words. Your whole body short-circuited for a moment and as you tried to process what just happened. A comforting warmth bloomed in your chest. What he just said was… sweet. Something was on your mind. A desire. You couldn’t place a finger on what it was until realization dawned upon you.

You wanted to kiss him, by God, you wanted to just kiss his beautiful face until every inch of his skin was claimed by your lips, but you just couldn’t bring yourself to say it. You weren’t poetic like the heroines in the books you read. You were an awkward newspaper reporter who never faced affection like this until a month ago. How could you say what you wanted without sounding so pitiful or awkward?

However, Taehyung didn’t need any words to see what you desired. Your eyes bore into his gleaming with need and passion as if he was the only thing that was on your mind. His heart pounded in his chest with emotion, and, before either of you knew it, he pressed his lips against yours full of want and desire You released another squeak of surprise that he oh so loved, muffled by his own lips. 

The kiss was gentle and soft at first until his need for you grew more and more until he could barely contain it. He pushed more force into the kiss, and you nearly slipped and dunked yourself underwater from the sheer force he exerted. You barely had any time to compose yourself as his lips greedily ate you up.

Water splashed around you as he roughly pushed you up against the wall of the bathtub before capturing your lips again, giving you little time to prepare yourself. All of this was a completely new experience for you. It was an experience similar to Hoseok’s, however, in the sense that they were both rough and rather dominating. But while Hoseok was teasing and mischievous with his kisses, Taehyung was very animalistic. He kissed you like his life depended on it, like you were the last person on earth he could lay his lips on.

As your mind swam with a million of hazy thoughts, Taehyung nibbled gently the bottom of your lip, causing your legs to tremble slightly at how nice it felt. A small whimper left your mouth as he tugged on the soft flesh before releasing it. He instantly brought his lips down to your neck and attacked your beautiful skin. You yelped as his teeth bit down on your neck mercilessly leaving behind patches of red and purple in their wake. 

His tongue peaked through his lips and began to lap up the colorful bruises, the pool of desire in the pit of your stomach growing. Feeling his hot breath of your neck made you squirm slightly underneath him as your own breathing suddenly shortened, and your heart rate began racing. 

He pulled back for a few moments to appreciate his artwork, sitting at full height instead of hovering over your naked and suddenly sensitive body. His fingers that had been gripping the side of the tub tightly left their place and began to graze along your neck. A small whine left your throat feeling the paint-like strokes of his fingers on your skin. 

“Such lovely and beautiful colors on your skin, myujeu sin. Perhaps when the night is done, you’ll be my perfect masterpiece, wouldn’t you like that?” A soft, shuddered breath slipped through your now swollen lips. His fingers trailed down your neck and to your chest that was still covered by your arm. His long fingers then wrapped themselves around your wrist, causing your heart to pound in your chest. “In order to make a masterpiece, I’m going to need to use the entire canvas.” He then pried your arm from your chest, revealing your dewy breasts to his eyes. 

Your cheeks exploded with embarrassed and self-conscious heat while his eyes raked up and down your entire, exposed body. His tongue wet his bottom lip as he hungrily ate up your appearance. Your flustered state certainly didn’t fail to decrease his desire for you. “Fuck…” he sighed. “You’re so beautiful...”

You froze suddenly at those words, eyes widening in shock. However, before you could open your mouth and respond to him, his lips attached themselves to the valley in between your breasts while his hands reached for your hips and gripped tightly on the soft flesh, causing a gasp to slip from your lips. 

He bit on the skin relentlessly, making you go into a moaning mess, while his fingers began to knead and massage your tender skin. The water surrounding you sloshed and splashed around from his rough actions. His eyes fluttered shut as he nearly lost himself in the moment of marking your beautiful skin. You were honestly too beautiful for words. Nothing could compare to your loveliness, not even Venus de Milo. 

A low moan rumbled from his lips and vibrated against your chest, sending shocking pleasure tingling down your spine and into your core. He continued to send languid open-mouthed kisses along the plush skin until his lips began to dwell lower and lower. He paused to give your stomach some special care, nibbling on the sensitive flesh until your skin began to sprout blotches of red and purple. Your eyes fluttered down from the ceiling, which you had been staring at during all of this, until you brought your head down to watch Taehyung continue his ministrations, his lips occasionally dipping into the water.

The moment your hazy eyes landed on him, his eyes fluttered open and made contact with yours, his irises dark with desire. Your breath hitched in your throat as your hands gripped the side of the tub tightly. His lips curled up into a smug smirk before burying them back into your stomach. You almost lost yourself in the pleasure that curled your toes.

It was then when his lips suddenly dwelt too low that your eyes flew open with a flurry of panic. “Wait! Wait!” you cried out, suddenly sitting up causing Taehyung to jerkily move back to give you some space. Water splashed between the two of you because of your sudden movement.

He wondered for a few seconds if he pushed you too far. He was certain by the look in your eyes that you wanted him as much as he wanted you. Maybe he read into it a little too hastily. Perhaps you needed a little more time before he could pursue you. “What? What’s wrong? Did I go too far?” he asked, concern flashing in his eyes. 

You were again deeply moved that he still held deep concern for you and tried your best to reassure him with a nervous smile. “No… it’s not that. I just…” Your voice trailed off as you bit your bottom lip anxiously. “I’m a virgin…”

Taehyung blinked a few times before huffing out a laugh. “Yeah, that’s no secret. You look like a deer caught in headlights every time any of us make a move on you,” he replied, a boyish smile stretched across his lips.

You rolled your eyes and whacked his arm as all sense of anxiety momentarily left you. “No, you prat. What I’m trying to say is…” You cut yourself with a sigh. “I’ve never done this before. So I’m nervous…” Your mouth hesitantly closed, as you couldn’t sort through your muddled thoughts to get out what was on your mind.

Taehyung stared at you for a few seconds. The longer he did, the more anxiety began to bubble within you like soup on the stove. You gulped nervously, maybe this was a mistake, telling him your feelings.

“Do you want to?” he asked, eyes searching yours.

The question caught you off guard, to be honest. You sat in the tub, your sight taking in the water that still rippled from your actions from earlier. Did you want to? Did you actually wanted to have sex with Taehyung? In your mind, sex is what you did when you passionately loved someone. So, the question should really be… did you love Taehyung? 

Well, yes and no. You did love him, but you loved him in the sense you loved your best friend, perhaps even a little more considering everything you two have been through. You felt close to him, but there were so many things about him that you didn’t know about him. He was a mystery to you, and perhaps that mystery is what’s preventing you from actually loving him. You could just have sex with him casually, but you couldn’t bring yourself to use him like that. He was a person you’ve come to care about deeply, not someone you could use for pleasure and then act like there was nothing between the two of you.

You knew that he wouldn’t like your answer, but you slowly shook your head nonetheless. “No… I’m sorry. I think it was a spur of the moment. I think… before we just go head first into this, we should get to know each other a little better,” you managed to get out.

A small flicker of sadness appeared in his eyes before it quickly disappeared and he reluctantly nodded in agreement. “Yeah, no, I understand. We should go slow into this. I’m sorry that I rushed you there,” he apologized, giving you a small, sad smile in an attempt to console you. 

You fiddled with your fingers because of the anxiety still churning within you. “No, it’s me who should be sorry. I should’ve told you to stop before you got the wrong message. I just think that we should learn more about each other first before we even think about… you know…”

Taehyung’s smile formed into a more genuine one as he leaned back into the tub while propping his jaw on his hand, eyes staring at you. “God, you’re so innocent, you sweet summer child.” He readjusted himself in the tub into a more relaxed position. “Alright, what do you want to know about the demolition expert of the expedition team?”

Honestly, the first thing that popped into your head was what he revealed to you back at the museum gala. The story of what happened to his sister itched at you, but you figured that was a bit heavy for first really getting to know each other. You glanced to the side as you searched for a good question to ask him. “Um… what’s… your favorite color?” You trailed off into laughter at the ridiculousness of the question that tumbled from your mouth.

He quirked an eyebrow at you. “Really? That’s what you ask?” He chuckled for a few seconds while shaking his head. “That’s the question you ask when you have nothing else to say. But… if you must know, it’s green.”

Your eyebrows shot up slightly at his answer. “Green? Really? That… wasn’t the answer I was expecting. You seem more like a red fellow.”

“Red?” He shrugged his shoulders. “Red isn’t bad, but I still like green best. It’s lively and full of so many beautiful shades and can be found almost everywhere in nature. The color of creation. I also like black, white, and grey. What about you, since we’re on the topic?”

You pondered the question for a few moments, trying to ignore the sense of awkwardness settling upon the two of you. “I think I’d have to say y/f/c.” You cleared your throat as you tried to think of better questions to ask. You suddenly blurted out, “Two truths, one lie. Go.”

“Huh?” Taehyung furrowed his eyebrows in confusion, head tilting to the side slightly.

“Tell me two truths and one lie, and I’ll try to figure out the lie,” you explained, realizing that it was too late to take it back.

Taehyung continued to stare at you before he let out a small laugh. “I’ll have you know that I am an exceptional liar.” He sat back and thought over his options. A few long moments went by until he decided on what to tell you. “My hometown is Daegu. I can play the saxophone. And when I was a kid, I had a black and white cat named In-na.”

You smiled broadly with a hidden smugness. “Easy, you never had a cat.” He grinned to match your smile. “Wrong! It’s the-” He suddenly stopped himself and widened his eyes in astonishment. “How the hell did you figure that out?”

You couldn’t help but laugh at his dumbfounded expression. He was so certain that he was going to win! “I’m a reporter, remember? I can sniff bullshit a mile away,” you giggled, hugging your stomach as laughter erupted from it. “The left corner of your lips quirked up when you told the lie.”

“Damn…” He sunk back into the tub in amazement and shock. “You’re good...”

Once you finished laughing, you gave him a wide, proud grin. “Thank you, I’ve had years of experience.”

He nodded, slowly grinning back to match yours. “Alright, I’ll keep that in mind for future reference.”

Your curiosity grew and soon you found you couldn’t resist asking him, “What’s Daegu like? Is it lovely there?”

His flashed to yours with an emotion you couldn’t quite decipher. Nostalgia? Sorrow? Regret? It seemed like it was clouded by a multitude of feelings. “Daegu? Well, it was home to me. I was born there, but I eventually moved to Gochang, where my grandma raised me. I have more fond memories there.”

You smiled upon realizing that you two had something in common, your love for your grandmothers. “What is she like, your grandmother?” you asked in a soft tone.

Taehyung shared your smile fondly. “She was very sweet and kind. Always patient with me even when I just wanted to play and ignored my chores on the farm.” He paused to reminisce simpler and happier times and then laughed with his lips spread into a boxy smile. “She always nagged me about eating more. Never liked it when I looked too thin for her eyes. She was happy when she saw how chubby I got from eating her food, not that I could blame her. Her food was always delicious.”

You giggled at the thought of a chubby, little Taehyung and cooed inwardly. He must have been so adorable then. “Aw, how cute…”

“I have to admit, I was an adorable child then, still am.” His smile morphed into a wide grin.

You laughed, feeling the anxiety from earlier ebb away as you relaxed into the tub. An overwhelming urge to splash his face with water overcame, and you couldn’t resist the temptation. You dipped your hand down and flung a wave of water at his face. The water drenched his face and hair, droplets falling from it slowly. He flinched at the sudden contact and froze, eyes slammed shut as he let out a sigh of verging impatience. As his eyes slowly opened, small streams of water running down his face, he slowly grinned mischievously.

“Oh, it’s so on…”

With that, you both started your water fight in which most of the water managed to end up on the ground rather than the tub.

—————————————

Morning crept up to you in a soothing manner. You didn’t wake up at the crack of dawn as you usually did. In fact, you actually got a good night’s rest away from all the drama and stress that had been preventing you from sleeping. It was rather comforting and relaxing, knowing that you actually felt rejuvenated for once in your entire life. You probably weren’t going to feel this good in another few decades, might as well enjoy it now.

As you sat up and stretched your arms, save for your injured one for you didn’t want to make the pain worse, your mind immediately reminded you of the events that occurred last night. Taehyung. You lazily smiled as your memories slowly came back to you. After your water fight, you both quickly dried off and ran back to your rooms before the cold air could really chill your skin, screaming at the cool contact and in laughter. Jin yelled at you both to get to bed, as it was well past midnight. However, you both ignored him and laughed on into the night before finally going to sleep.

As you crawled out of bed, you went to prepare yourself for the day. No doubt some of the others wanted to get together to figure out what the next step was in the plan. You should probably get ready for a spontaneous meeting. You powdered your face with makeup until you were satisfied with your facial appearance and slipped on some underwear before putting on a blouse, making sure the collar covered up the hickies that littered your neck, which caused your cheeks to flare up upon sight, and some trousers. You were extremely thankful that it was somewhat socially acceptable for women to wear trousers in this day and age. You were tired of wearing skirts, especially after last night. 

Once you slipped on your shoes over your heels, you sauntered over to the door and opened it before passing through into the hallway. You closed the door behind you as you made your way to the living room where you noticed some of the others were also awake. 

Namjoon sat on one of the couches reading the newspaper that sat on his lap while his only available hand held a spoon full of vanilla yogurt. He caught sight of you entering the room and gave you a cheerful smile. “Morning, y/n! Look what made the front page.” He momentarily set the spoon down in his bowl and lifted the newspaper up to you so you could read it. 

You couldn’t help but laugh seeing how the whole page was full of an extensive article about the supposed fire at the gala. The picture was a black and white image of people running out of the museum while police instead were running in with batons in the air and whistles in their mouths. This all must’ve happened a little after you got into the van with the others and drove off. You scoffed at how blurry the picture was. The photographer must’ve been moving when he took the image.

“They could’ve used a better picture,” you commented almost mockingly, leaning against one of the armrests of a chair with your arms crossed in front of your chest. 

Namjoon’s smile widened at your remark and pulled the papers away so he could continue reading the article. “I thought so, too. The quality is far too blurry.” He folded the newspaper in half and continued, “Apparently the police believe that the ‘fire’ that placed a few men in hospital was caused by some of the rebels of the Indian Independence Movement and are further investigating suspects.” He then tossed the newspaper onto the cushion next to him and popped his yogurt spoon into his mouth all while waiting for you to reply.

You pressed your lips into a thin line upon hearing this. Of course their minds would go straight to the protesters. “I don’t like how we have to use the protests as a cover-up,” you admitted with a frown, your voice grim. 

Namjoon pulled out his spoon and swallowed the yogurt before releasing a disappointed sigh. “Yeah, it doesn’t sit well with me either, but we really can’t do much about it unless we want to confess that Taehyung lit some people on fire and that we stole a priceless artifact from the museum.”

You shrugged your shoulders indifferently. “To be honest, Taehyung only did it out of self-defense for himself and us, and technically we were only taking back what belonged to your people,” you replied all too casually.

Namjoon quirked an eyebrow at your response and smiled rather bemusedly. “If I remember correctly, weren’t you the one who was so against stealing from the museum in the first place?”

“I was against the high possibility of going to jail,” you clarified, “but now that it’s all over, I’m glad we did it. It would’ve just sat in that building like a trophy won by the British.”

Namjoon’s eyebrow raised even higher, perplexed by your sudden attitude. “A British woman who is anti-British? Never thought I’d see the day,” he lightly joked, followed by scooping up another spoonful of yogurt and popping it into his mouth. 

Your frown deepened at what he said, although it was mostly playful. “Excuse you, I’m very proud to be British. I’m just very against the obsession my country has with colonizing every piece of land that they set their foot on.”

Namjoon paused for a few moments, as if thinking over what you said, and then chuckled. He crossed over his legs before looking back up at your face. “It’s almost ironic, isn’t it?” He then gestured to himself with his silver spoon. “The others and I are from a country that’s being oppressed by another nation.” He lifted the spoon and pointed it at your chest. “And you’re from a country that oppresses other nations.”

“You don’t have to make it sound like I’m some sort of a supremacist,” you quipped, then jabbed a finger of your own back in an accusatory way. “Before I forget, I have a bone to pick with you. Hobi told me that you were stopped by your fan club outside the museum which was the reason you couldn’t get in contact with us.” Anger flared within you like a small flame waiting for enough kindling to explode into a bonfire. “Couldn’t you send some sort of signal that you were preoccupied with things while I was busy trying to make sure Jin didn't die?”

You knew that he had somewhat of a valid excuse. He couldn’t just ignore his fans and come to your rescue. That would’ve posed him in a negative light and possibly make him a suspect of the whole disaster. However, you wished he could’ve wrapped things up with them a little sooner so that you had more than enough time to inform him of the sudden change in plans. That would’ve helped you de-stress immensely. 

Namjoon shifted in his seat uncomfortably and laughed awkwardly, sensing your smoldering anger. “Yes, about that… I wanted to apologize for that slight bump in our plans. I sometimes forget that people actually read my books and didn’t think of the possibility that there’d be admirers,” he confessed, scratching the back of his head sheepishly. “I heard that you basically pulled everything together, and I wanted to thank you for that. You really did some quick-thinking back there.”

You sighed softly, feeling the anger ebb away at his honest reply. Picking at the arm wrap that still encased your wounded arm absent-mindedly, you responded, “I don’t know if I would call that quick-thinking. It was more like a panic-induced, adrenaline-high judgment call.” If anyone asked you to explain how you felt, you would tell that person it was like trying to manage several children who were all high on sugar who all decided to run off on their own while trying to avoid your ex-husband who was out looking for you. 

“Still, if you weren’t there, we’d either be dead in the sewers or sitting in a jail cell,” he pointed out, scooping up more yogurt before plopping it into his mouth. You visibly grimaced at such a thought. “Thanks for painting such a pretty picture,” you said sarcastically. “It makes me feel so much better about what happened…”

Namjoon’s face split into a bright smile. “Glad I could help. Anything to help you to relax a little bit. I know that you deserve some relief especially because of last night.”

Your heart slightly clenched at that. He was too nice to you sometimes. Sure, he could tease you to the moon and back; but when he was being sincere with you, man, he really knew how to make your heart throb and your stomach flutter for him. Man, in all honesty, he was the perfect man in your opinion. “You’d be the perfect husband, you know that?” It took you a few seconds for you to realize what your mouth just blurted; but when you did, your trembling heart suddenly stopped beating. 

You actually didn’t say that, did you?

Before Namjoon could reply, his eyes slightly round from your random remark, Hoseok suddenly walked into the room humming to himself loudly while attempting to peel open an orange. You sighed in relief that your conversation-gone-wrong was interrupted as you noticed how his sleeves were rolled up to his elbows, which made you wonder if he just performed some sort of procedure. Maybe he did a check-up on Taehyung?

Hoseok’s eyes suddenly perked up to you and smiled brightly. “Morning, y/n!” He tossed an orange slice into his mouth before continuing, “Jin is awake if you want to talk to him.”

Jin? He was finally awake? A pang of guilt suddenly shot through you as you realized you almost forgot about what happened to him. Man, you really were a horrible partner-in-crime if you completely forgot about your partner’s sudden collapse. You mentally slapped yourself for being so inconsiderate and replied, “Does he want to talk?”

Hoseok munched on his orange slice for a few seconds before answering, “Yep! In fact, he explicitly wanted you and Jungkook to go talk to him. I already told Kook, and he’s in there right now.” He swallowed and then tossed another slice into his awaiting mouth before wandering off toward the other rooms, probably Yoongi’s if you had to guess. 

Yoongi. You hadn’t spoken to him in awhile, especially with him being nose deep in his wiring maps and entirely focused on the plan. In fact, the last time you attempted to talk to him, he mumbled something about working before pushing you out of his room and closing the door. You quickly made a mental note to visit the mechanic soon and then chew him out for cutting the power at the absolute worst time before saying a quick farewell to Namjoon and walking over to Jin’s room. 

You stopped in front of the sherwood oak door with patterns carved into the wood as if it were some door from a fairytale story. An image of Jin begging for your help moments before collapsing flashed through your mind, causing you to scrunch your eyes shut as if you were in pain. You could still see him so clearly. The hazy eyes. The sweat building on his forehead. His breath on your face. Lips accidentally brushing against yours. 

Your fingers unknowingly touched your own lips, thinking of the way it felt to have his lips on yours. You didn’t know why you remained on that memory so much. It wasn’t like it was an actual kiss or anything. The way he fell just happened to make his lips brush against yours. 

You knocked on the door as a way to snap yourself from such thoughts and waited for a reply. When you heard a soft voice speaking on the other side, you turned the doorknob and slowly pushed it open, poking your head through first. You smiled faintly seeing the millionaire lying in his bed in silken pajamas with a bowl of soup in his hands. His head perked up with slightly round eyes at the sound of your entrance, soup dripping from his lips in small droplets.

A small snigger slipped through your lips at the sight as you slid through the doorway and closed it behind you. “Good morning, Jin,” you greeted pleasantly, “glad to see you’re well.” You made your way to the end of his bed and sat at the foot of it. Out of the corner of your eye, you noticed Jungkook sitting on a small stool placed right next to the bed, as if he were a family member comforting the dying.

Jin wiped his mouth with his hand and placed his bowl on the nightstand sitting next to him, a small smile creeping up onto his lips. “I’m glad I’m well, too. I imagine I gave you quite the scare back at the gala,” he commented, redirecting his attention to you.

You laughed almost bitterly, your laughter on the verge of coming across as a scoff. “That’s the understatement of the year,” you remarked, a few memories momentarily flashing in your head. “I thought you died back there for a good while.”

“It’s going to take a little more than that to kill me,” he chuckled, pulling himself up so that he was no longer slouching. “You were right about one thing though.” When you curiously raised an eyebrow, he continued, “The champagne had gone bad.” You rolled your eyes playfully, wondering how he could be thinking about that at a time like this. “I’m glad that’s the first thing you conclude from this whole disaster.”

“I’ve concluded a few things from what happened.” His expression had turned suddenly serious, as if he wanted to go straight to business. Folding his hands in front of him, he sighed before saying, “I shouldn’t keep you in the dark any longer about my past, now that you’ve done more than enough for all of us and are now on Akimoto’s bad list. You deserve to know by now.” He lightly gestured to the young man sitting next to him, acting as if no one was even there. “I brought Jungkook here to explain a few things about his past you should also be aware of, if he wishes to tell you.” He cleared his throat, suddenly becoming conscious of himself. “Now then, do you have any questions?”

To be honest, you had enough questions to fill an entire book. Last night only reminded you of how little you knew exactly about these boys. Just last night you found out that Taehyung was an artist coveted by the Japanese government to make propaganda for them. Hell, you’ve made out with several of them, and you didn’t even know when their birthday was! Talk about being a strumpet…

Although you had millions of questions boggling in your mind, you didn’t exactly know which one to start with. For Christ’s sake, you were a reporter, and you couldn’t even think of a single question! You then decided to go with the first question that just happened to pop into your head, even if it was completely randomly chosen. “Just who is this Mr. Akimoto? Why is he so bent on finding you two?”

Both of the boys shifted uncomfortably at the mention of that name. They glanced at each other reluctantly before Jin finally began, “Grand Marshal Akimoto Hatsuo of the Imperial Army. His unit focuses particularly on internal security and espionage threats against Japan. Normally I wouldn’t place so much emphasis on how much we need to stay away from him, but with the rise of militarism in Japan…” His voice trailed off ominously, leaving you hanging. “He’s quickly gaining power, and power in the hands of that madman is the worst thing that could happen right now.”

“And he hates Koreans with a passion,” Jungkook added bitterly. “Rumor has it that a Korean servant killed his wife, and now he harbours a great hatred toward them because of it.”

Jin snorted softly with a gentle roll of his eyes. “Lucky woman, if you ask me,” he mumbled with a hint of venom in his voice. “I would want to die, too, if I was his wife.”

You decided to ignore that comment and not dwell on it. Something told you that you would know more about this Akimoto after they explained everything to you. “You said something about being forced to change your name because otherwise you would’ve been executed, Jin. What is that all about?”

“It’s exactly what it sounds like,” Jin answered, his brow furrowing deeply in agitation, as if he were reminiscing a bad memory. “The government gave me two choices, if you would even call them that. Either I gave up my family name and adopted a Japanese name or I faced execution.”

“Yes, but why?” you further prodded, getting slightly annoyed that he wasn’t exactly giving you details. “Why go to such extreme lengths just for a name change?”

Jin’s jaw clenched slightly as a long buried anger began to bubble and boil within him. “It may seem like it would be such a fool’s choice to even consider execution, but agreeing to change my name to a Japanese surname is like being branded a slave. I was no longer Korean but rather Japanese by doing so, and, thus, I was now considered theirs. It was a show of dominance on their part, as if I were nothing more than a dog whose very name could be changed at the snap of their fingers.”

You could imagine now how horrendous it would be to be forced to change your name. It would be like a part of your identity, your humanity, was taken away from you. Jin didn’t even have the right to keep his own name. By changing his name, he was basically enslaving himself to the very government that continued to oppress his people.

“I remember when it wasn’t always like that,” Jungkook suddenly butted in, resting his chin on the palm of his hand. “The government awhile back set a law saying it was illegal for us to adopt Japanese names, but now… now I wouldn’t be surprised if they suddenly enacted a law forcing us to change our names.” Jin lifted a hand to his face and pinched the bridge of his nose. “Please don’t jinx it,” he practically begged with a sigh. “I don’t want our people to have to go through what I went through.”

“But why did they even make you change your name? Why you?” you interrogated, your focus entirely on the topic at hand. “You said that’s what happened when you asked too many questions.”

The hand on his handsome face abruptly fell back onto the sheets, a small thud enacting upon impact. He suddenly looked tired, both physically and mentally. His features looked more worn and drained, as if he just spent all of his energy in these last few seconds. “When I was only seven years old, my father mysteriously disappeared on a business venture and never came back. My mother told me that he found someone else that he fell in love with and eloped with her, but I knew that wasn’t true. My parents were a happy couple. Of course, they disagreed on some matters, but they never continuously fought over it. When I became old enough to take over the family business, I began to make inquiries about what could have possibly happened to my father. It took some digging for awhile, but I managed to find a retired soldier who said he knew what had happened to my father. When I met up with him, he… he told me…” His voice trailed off with an audible crack.

He tried to swallow back a sob, his throat bobbing almost violently as he tried to hold back his tears. His lips parted as a shaky sigh escaped his chest, eyes shining with unshed tears. Your heart clenched at the sight, already knowing where this was going. You scooted yourself forward on the bed and wrapped your arms around his broad, squeezing him lightly in order to provide him some comfort. Jungkook looked down at the somberly before placing a hand on the older’s back and rubbing it soothingly, offering quiet words of condolence. “I’m sorry,” you murmured softly into his shoulder. “No one should have to go through that.” 

“It should be me apologizing,” Jin protested, voice slightly strained from holding back his sobs. He pulled away and wiped the tears that threatened to spill from his eyes with a soft chuckle. “You’d think after years of knowing I’d have grown used to the fact.”

“You shouldn’t even be growing used to it,” you responded, arms tightening around him. “No son should grow used to their father’s death.”

“...Thank you.”

You didn’t say anything in reply, allowing him to finally calm down at his own pace. He released another long sigh and paused for a few moments. Once he had somewhat relaxed, he continued with his story, his voice still cracked. “He... told me that my father was shot and killed for conspiring against the government by audibly protesting the annexation of Korea by Japan and rallying people to the cause and threw his body in a ditch to rot. A few days after I discovered this, the man I went to was found dead in his home... and all the evidence pointed to me. I was arrested and brought to Akimoto, who said that I was to be executed for killing a veteran soldier, unless I changed my name…”

Dear Lord! Things like these actually happened to people? You didn’t know how Jin managed to get through all of it. If you were in his position, you would’ve lie down in some corner and waited for your miserable life to end. You had to admit, Jin was very brave and strong for him to go through all of this and still continue to want to protect his country. You weren’t sure if you’d want to proceed after experiencing all of that.

“That’s… horrible…” You were honestly at a loss for words. To think people were capable of such things. It almost made you give up on humanity right then and there. You wanted to go back in time and just pound your fists over and over again into Mr. Akimoto’s wrinkled, ugly face. 

Jin nodded slowly and solemnly in agreement. “Yeah, it was. I wouldn’t wish it on anyone. I tried to be strong and not give into their wants, but… they kept me in that cell for so long I lost track of the days. My will grew weak as did my stomach and throat. So… I gave in.”

Jungkook’s lips pressed together in a thin line of subdued anger. “Bastards…”

Jin’s voice remained solemn as he gestured to Jungkook. “What I went through pales in comparison to what happened to Jungkook.”

“Hyung…” Jungkook mumbled quietly.

He continued, completely ignoring the younger’s quiet pleas, “How long has it been? It has to be at least-”

“Two years, one month, and twelve days.”

Jin studied Jungkook’s face, completely stunned by his sudden, and rather precise, answer. His eyes rounded into perfect circles as an awkward silence settled upon the three of you. Then his shoulders sagged in exasperation as did the roll of his eyes. “You’ve been keeping track? You’re gonna end up obsessing over what happened if you don’t let go of your past.”

“That’s rich coming from you,” Jungkook retorted, earning himself a slap on the shoulder from the older man. “You know, it’s kinda hard to forget what happened when that day ruined my life forever.”

“Okay, okay,” you suddenly butted in, gaining the two men’s attention. “Can someone please tell me what happened instead of acting all cryptic?”

The playful atmosphere abruptly dropped into a more grim ambiance. The smiles instantly disappeared into more somber frowns as Jin glanced over to the younger man. Jungkook leaned back into his chair, arms crossed over his chest and eyes cast to the carpeted floor. “Y/n…” he softly began, “please don’t hate me after I tell you this.”

You scoffed humorlessly. “Unless you tell me that you secretly worked with the people that oppress the Koreans, I don’t think I’ll hate you, Jungkook,” you lightly joked.

Jungkook shrugged his shoulders and then softly cursed under his breath before finally giving you an answer. “So Jin said that at the gala he told you that if Akimoto ever found me there would be a public execution, right?” You gave him a subtle nod, remembering the comment from last night. “Well, that’s because… The reason why I’m so good at fighting is…” He sighed, as if he couldn’t actually bring himself to admit to what happened, and rubbed the back of his neck. “... On April 11, 1928… I made an attempt to assassinate Emperor Hirohito…”

To say you were shocked was definitely an understatement. It took you a few seconds to process this information, a deadly silence falling upon you. You blinked a few times in a daze until your brain finally clicked, and in that instant your jaw dropped wide open as a weight had suddenly been attached to it. Your eyebrows shot up to your hairline as your eyes became the size of saucers. Your heart suddenly skipped a beat as your throat dropped to the very pits of your stomach.

You were friends… with a would-be assassin…

You let out a long, drawn-out exhale that was seemingly trapped in your chest for God knows how long. You just couldn’t seem to wrap your head around what was revealed to you. Jungkook… attempted to assassinate… the Emperor of Japan…. This young boy… tried to murder… a world leader…

“H-how…?”

Jin was surprised by your reaction. “Huh… she’s taking this better than I thought she would.”

Normally, you would’ve retorted or smacked the millionaire, but currently you were so thrown off your rhythm that all you could do was stare at Jungkook with big, round eyes. You just couldn’t get in your head the thought that this sweet-looking boy, who saved you on multiple occasions, tried to assassinate the Emperor of Japan. This definitely topped the shock and astoundment that rocked you when Taehyung revealed you that he was an artist by tenfold. 

Jungkook shifted himself uncomfortably in his stool, his eyes flickering off to the side as if he weren’t unsure where to begin explaining himself. “Well… I traveled to Tokyo the week before to prepare myself and make sure everything was in place for the assassination. Hirohito was planning to travel back to the Akasaka Palace in a carriage, and I had it set up so that I was in a corner building on one of the upper floors. I was planning on sniping Hirohito in his carriage on his way back to the palace and then slip away during the chaos, but…” 

He ran a hand through his dark locks while a frustrated sigh hissed through his lips. His jaw clenched slightly. “I shot the wrong fucking guy. I shot his attendant who happened to look a lot like him instead. It was too late for me to make another shot as his guards were already scrambling around to protect him and find me.” 

Dear Lord… he actually went through with it. He actually made an attempt to take the life of the Emperor. You slowly closed your mouth, though your eyes still remained wide. You could feel the palms of your hands suddenly become sweaty as you took in this information. God, you just couldn’t actually believe it. A shaky sigh escaped your lungs as you commented, “Obviously… you managed to escape.”

Jungkook nodded slowly, watching your reaction closely, praying silently to anyone who was listening that you wouldn’t hate him, or, even worse, be scared of him. “Yes, the police were still on the ground when I decided to ditch my plan. So I stuck to the rooftops and managed to maneuver myself around the city. When the police got to the rooftops to search for me, I then decided to stick to alleyways and fire escapes. Sometimes I had to slide through random windows and hide in there for a while before I went on the run again. I finally managed to make it to the docks and stole a man’s ticket to Vietnam and took the ship out of the country. Then as soon as I made it to Vietnam, I traveled to a small village on foot and stayed there for a few weeks and then made it back home after the coast was clear.”

“However, the police are still on the lookout for him. They haven’t released this information to the public yet, seeing as how they haven’t arrested JK. After all, they don’t want people thinking that the law enforcement is incompetent, since they can’t even catch one man on the run,” Jin mentioned, mockery and contempt dripping from his voice.

“I’m just extremely lucky that they know it was me by name and not any photographic evidence.” When you gave him a confused expression, he clarified, although reluctantly, “They found documentation of my stay at a hostel in a village nearby Tokyo and managed to eventually piece everything together.”

“Ah ah! Don’t forget that you were lucky that I decided to help you by throwing the police off your trail!” Jin exclaimed, then clicked his tongue agitatedly before mumbling, “I suppose there are some useful things about being Akimoto’s dog.”

Your shoulders sagged slightly as your brain continued to process this new knowledge, a slight headache threatening to appear. “So you did all of this, because why? Did you think that by killing this man that all of your problems would be miraculously solved?” you demanded. Although you could understand his anger, in your opinion, it was an incredibly dumb move on his part. Jungkook was right. He ruined his entire life just by a simple pull of the trigger. 

Jungkook stared at you for a few moments, his eyes focused on you with a dull sorrow. For a solid moment, you thought you were staring into the eyes of someone who spent many years of their life fighting in the war. “I was just… tired and angry and frustrated and devastated and scared. I was so sick of seeing people forced into labor, people begging for food on the streets, daughters and wives being forced in prostitution in order to survive. I was sick of it! I thought that perhaps maybe, just maybe, if they lost someone dear to their nation, they could feel just a fraction of what we were going through. Their eyes would finally open up to the horror of what they were doing to us. But…” 

He paused for a few seconds as his fingers awkwardly folded themselves together. “Now, I know that even if I did kill him, I would only be giving the government the evidence they needed to prove that we were barbarians that needed to be controlled.”

You sat on the plush bed for a few moments, taking in everything you just heard and repeating it over and over again in your head. On one hand, you wanted to smack Jungkook on the backside of the head for how stupid and daft he was for thinking he could pull off something so dangerous on his own, but, on the other hand, you just wanted to wrap your arms around him and comfort him by whispering sweet, consoling words into his ears. You just wanted to tell him that, despite of everything he went through and witnessed, which seemed like a trip to hell and back, that it was going to be okay, that he was going to be alright in the end. 

However, instead of doing either of those things, you just sat there dumbly, your fingers playing anxiously with the quilt of the bed. These boys… what they hid from you… was absolutely horrendous. You just didn’t know how cruel humans could be to each other until that very moment. They were dragged through the mud and then spit on some more by those who deemed them lesser than the dirt that clung to their skin.

“I’m sorry we didn’t tell you these things before you joined, y/n,” Jin apologized, his mouth suddenly gone dry as sand. “I… don’t really know why I hid my past from you. I don’t know if I was ashamed for rolling over so easily instead of fighting back, or if I was scared you’d run away, or…” His voice trailed off as he couldn’t find the words to continue his apology. He slumped back into the fluffy pillows as his eyes now bore into the ceiling solemnly.

“Well, I could tell you for sure it was both of those reasons why I didn’t tell you,” Jungkook admitted, also leaning back into his chair with a soft sigh of regret. “I was ashamed for being such a failure but yet for doing so stupid, and I was scared you’d run away as soon as you heard that I was almost a murderer.” 

You didn’t notice how deeply you inhaled until your lungs screamed at you to release the oxygen trapped inside. Then you slowly let air out through your mouth as a drawn-out sigh. “Jungkook…” you began, closing your eyes for a few seconds. “I know I’ve only been in the group for a little over a month at this point, but after all we’ve been through, nothing could ever make me scared of you guys. Am I shocked? Oh boy, am I. Am I a bit overwhelmed? You can bet a pound or two, I am.” 

You paused briefly as you tried to organize your messy thoughts into an orderly fashion. “And I’m not mad that you kept these secrets from me. What happened to you both was definitely traumatizing, and I’m just glad to know that you two can trust to tell me these horrible things that you both experienced. I’m… I’m so sorry you two had to go through all of that.” A shaky breath escaped your lips as your throat began to suddenly tighten. These boys didn’t deserve any of this.

“We’re not the only ones that were victims of all of this,” Jungkook informed you, his thumbs twirling around each other to keep them occupied. “The others also went through things that no one should have gone through.”

Instantly, your mind went to what Taehyung revealed to you at the gala. How could you forget? You remembered so vividly the anger that flared in his eyes like a forest fire, blazing without mercy. The fury in his voice as he growled how he would rather die than give into the wishes of the Japanese government. In fact, behind those furious eyes of him, you remembered seeing a hint of hidden agony, as if you ripped off a bandaid to reveal a bleeding wound.

As you wandered through your memories, you murmured in reply, “Yes, I remember Taehyung saying something about his sister.” He came home to find her on the ground crying if you recalled correctly. You lifted up your head to look at both Jin and Jungkook with curiosity in your eyes. “What happened to her?”

The two men gave each other uneased,uncertain looks, as if they wanted to explain everything to you but were unsure if they were allowed to disclose such information. Finally, Jin answered reluctantly, “I believe that is something that Taehyung should tell you himself. It would be wrong of us if we just spilled his secrets without him knowing.”

He cast his gaze to the floor as if merely talking about it was bad enough. “Out of all of us, Tae probably got it the worst. He was continuously bombarded with misfortune-- still is to this day what with the government hounding him to make propaganda for them.”

You had to admit, you really wished they would just tell you instead of making you awkwardly ask the person in question. However, you understood why they believed it was for the best to let Taehyung explain his story. It was personal, and they shouldn’t tell others something so personal without his say in it. You would’ve wanted the same if you were in his shoes. 

“Alright…” you murmured, pausing for a few moments. “What else should I know about? Is Jimin secretly a rebel leader?”

Jungkook scoffed almost humorously. “Jimin? No way, he probably got it the best out of us. The worst he went through was facing school identity fraud.”

“Jungkook,” Jin scolded, his lips pressed together in a thin line. “What did I just say about respecting other people’s pasts? And don’t say he got it easy. He had his own hardships he had to deal with.”

The youngest rolled his dark eyes at the older’s motherly antics. He folded his muscular arms across his chest to match his annoyance. “Yes, mother,” he replied almost mockingly.

Great, now you wanted to know Jimin’s history. Your reporter instincts screamed at you to get the scoop, to learn more about the boys. Although guilt wracked your body because of it, you were awfully curious as to what the others’ pasts were. You wanted to know what made them into the people they were today. However, it seemed that you were going to have to be patient and wait for them to reveal such things to you once they were ready. 

“Thank you for trusting me with this, again.” As you gently clasped your hands together with a faint smile, you changed the subject by asking, “So, what’s next on our agenda? Now that we have the kobae, which is where again?” Now that you mentioned it, you had no idea where the kobae was. You hadn’t seen it at all ever since last night.

“Namjoon is keeping it safe and preserved, or so I’m told,” Jin answered, now making a move to slip out from the bed. The faint light that shimmered through the navy blue, velvet curtains enveloped him in a halo of light. “I’m glad he’s using his skills to keep the kobae intact. I would hate to go through all of this and for someone to accidentally break it.”

“Then why is Namjoon keeping it safe? He’s the one who breaks everything,” Jungkook commented, his eyebrows knitting together in slight concern. 

The image of the kobae shattered on the ground while Namjoon stood next to its remains with a sheepish smile appeared in everyone’s mind in that moment, but the millionaire merely brushed away the thought. “He wouldn’t be an archeologist if he broke every artifact he found,” he pointed out, then began to unbutton his top. “You two go to the living room with the others. I’ll meet you all there to discuss what the next part of the riddle means.”

After murmuring farewells to the leader, you and Jungkook got up from where you were sitting and made your way out of the bedroom. For some odd reason, you felt lighter coming out than you did going in, as if the weights that had been dragging you down were miraculously lifted. Perhaps by talking to the two and knowing that they trusted you with such dangerous secrets, the burdens of working with people you didn’t know disappeared. It made it a whole lot easier working with them knowing this.

And it makes it easier to make-out with them, a kittenish voice whispered in the back of your mind.

Your cheeks faintly flared at the sensuous thought and shoved the voice to the farthest corner of your mind. No, don’t think about that! Focus on the expedition!

You entered the living room where Namjoon was still occupied with his newspaper and now empty bowl of yogurt. You remembered your last words to him before going to Jin and immediately wanted to throw yourself out of the nearest window from the pure embarrassment that coursed through like a rapidly moving river. You really should stuff your mouth with your foot sometimes.

You sat on the couch farthest from Namjoon while Jungkook took a seat next to him. He rolled up his sleeves to reveal veiny, muscular arms, not that you were staring, and kicked up his legs so one was crossed on top of the other. You also crossed your legs and rested your hands in your lap. Well, it wasn’t like things could get any worse, right?

Wrong.

In that moment, Taehyung entered the living room from behind you, and, once seeing that you were also present in the room, broke out into a wide, boxy grin and snuck up behind you. Once he was standing directly behind you, he leaned down and wrapped his arms around your shoulders to pull you into a back hug, his chin resting on your shoulder. “Morning, yeodongsaeng,” he murmured so only you could hear it.

You smiled gently at the nickname, although you had no idea what it meant. You found it to be rather endearing and sweet to call you something in his native tongue. You supposed that bonding time with him last night must’ve really worked, considering he was acting all affectionate to you in a platonic manner. Taehyung pulled away only to swing around and plop in the spot right next to you before wrapping an arm around your shoulders and pulling you closer to him. You allowed this and even scooted closer to him because of the comforting heat that exuded off of him. The cool air chilled you a bit, so you were thankful for some body heat to cling to.

Jungkook rounded his eyes seeing all of this while Namjoon arched an eyebrow in bemusement. “Oh, did something happen last night that I wasn’t aware of?” Namjoon asked, now setting his newspaper to the side.

You gulped deeply after a large lump suddenly lodged itself in your throat, remembering the presence of the other two men in the room. Before you could answer him, Taehyung spoke out with his grin now turned mischievous, “We just enjoyed a nice bath together last night.”

Taehyung! You could’ve strangled him on the spot! Why on earth would he word it like that?! That made it sound like you-- you two--! Ugh!

You honestly wanted to either just crawl up into a small ball and just disappear from the universe or  to beat Taehyung with a crowbar for making your life a whole lot more complicated. Either option sounded wonderful at that current moment. Maybe you could even beat up Taehyung first and then disappear from the universe.

“A bath, huh?” Jungkook echoed, lips curling up into a small smirk, although it was partly hidden behind his hand. “I was wondering who was being so noisy last night.”

Now you wanted to beat Jungkook with the same crowbar. “Hobi said that I needed to take a bath to help ease my sore muscles after exerting them so much at the gala,” you explained, hoping that it would be enough to get rid of those vulgar assumptions that just so happened to be true. “Oh, I bet they were sore, all right,” Jungkook commented, his voice dripping with travesty.

Taehyung chuckled at the younger’s remark and glanced over to see what your reaction was, which happened to be you huffing irritatedly and shooting him a glare before you snapped your head away from him, your face still hot from embarrassment. He softly cooed upon seeing how cutely your face scrunched up in chagrin. 

“Nothing happened!” you cried out in irritation, wanting to wipe away these assumptions from everyone’s minds.

“Besides a small make out session,” Taehyung added slyly.

You whipped your head to face him. “Tae!” you gritted out. “I’m going to beat your arse!”

Suddenly the door leading to the elevator opened to reveal Jimin dressed lightly as if he went for a morning walk, which you guessed must have been true. He smiled pleasantly to everyone before dragging his fingers through his hair as he wandered over to the group. “Morning, everyone,” he greeted cheerfully. He moseyed on over to where you sat and plopped next to you, his thighs snug against yours. Dear Lord, did these boys not know what personal space was? “What’s the news?”

“We’re waiting for the others to come so we can figure out the next part of the riddle,” Jungkook filled him in. 

“Ugh, not this again,” Taehyung groaned with a roll of his eyes. His fingers drummed against your forearm, which did not go unnoticed by Jimin. 

The survivalist shot you a wicked smirk before quickly switching back to a mirthful smile. “Well, now that we have the kobae, hopefully that’ll make the next part easier to figure out,” he pointed out optimistically. 

“Well, aren’t you being such an idealist,” a voice suddenly spoke up. 

You turned your attention to see Yoongi and Hobi entering the room. Yoongi strode over casually before sitting down in a chair and kicking his feet onto the table that stood in the center of everyone. He wiped his oil dirtied hands onto a rag, as if he were just finished working on a car. 

Hobi took the chair next to him and sat down with his signature smile on his face. “Ah, Yoongi, maybe you’re being the pessimist,” he shot back with a short laugh.

“Or maybe I’m just being realistic,” he argued, stuffing his dirty rag into his coat pocket. There were still dark smears on his hands from hours of working, but nothing short of a lot of soap and water was going to get those stains off of his skin. “What even was the next part of the riddle? Something about a lake? There’s got to be at least a hundred lakes in India.”

“Actually, there are only sixty-two lakes here,” Jimin corrected, leaning forward on his knees.

Yoongi rolled his eyes annoyedly. “Sorry I wasn’t being precise, Mr. Tree Hugger. I was being what’s called exasperated.”

“Hey! I was trying to help you out!”

“No, you just wanted to show off.”

“... Okay, touché.”

The little argument was cut short by the sound of a door closing. Everyone looked up to see Jin exiting his room, fixing the collar of his grey suit and then readjusting his blue tie to match. You almost snickered at the sight of him. He never was seen not wearing a suit, even hours after being drugged.  

Jin joined the rest of the team, his leather shoes clicking against the floor as he smoothed out his jacket. He gave everyone a small smile, while everyone else made small comments about how glad to see him awake and walking around. He replied with words of gratitude and nods before finally getting down to business, as was expected. “I’m sure you are all aware that we must figure out the next part of the riddle if we ever hope to find the Dragon of the Stars,” he began, stating the obvious. “Does anyone have any possible ideas of what the next part could possibly mean?”

Namjoon reminded everybody, saying, “Remember, the riddle is ‘give drink with a bowl of stone waters from the lake of the moon’s flower to the Dragon in order to bring it to its homeland’.”

“Lake of the moon’s flower?” Yoongi echoed, arching an eyebrow subtly before turning to Jimin. “Got any ideas, since you apparently are an expert on lakes.”

Jimin’s eyebrows shot up as his eyes widened before sputtering for a few moments. He managed to get out, “I don’t even know what they mean by moon’s flower! I mean, there is a flower called the moonflower, but that’s only native to the western part of the world.”

An idea suddenly popped into your head. “Oh! Oh! Maybe they’re talking about those flowers that only bloom at night time. What are those called?” you suggested eagerly, wanting to help.

“There’s lots of flowers that bloom at night, y/n. Evening primrose. Datura. Brugmansia. None of those flowers are native to India though,” Jimin shot down, folding his arms in front of his chest as he grew more frustrated by the riddle. “Well, except for the Brahma Kamal, but those grow in mountainous areas, not by lakes.”

“Besides, this lake needs to be in Punjab, since that’s where our ancestors ran to,” Namjoon remarked.

“Instead of focusing on the meaning behind moon’s flower, perhaps we could figure out a lake that has a lot of flowers. Any ideas?” Hobi proposed, looking around for anyone who could think of an idea.

Jimin sighed with a soft groan. “This is India, Hobi. There’s lots of lakes with flowers.”

Taehyung raised his hand to gather everyone’s attention before adding his own opinion. “What if they’re not so much talking about flowers so much as the moon. I mean, if you think about it, a moon in the lake would look like a flower, wouldn’t it?” 

“Then wouldn’t the wording be changed?” Jungkook argued, his eyebrows furrowed in deep thought. “If that were the case, then it would be worded ‘flower of the night sky’ or something like that.”

“I think Jungkook is right,” you added, your hand cupping your chin as you racked your brain over the riddle. “There must be a specific reason as to why they would choose to place emphasis on moon’s flower.”

“Okay, okay,” Jin interrupted the discussion. “Maybe it would be best if we placed ourselves in the shoes of those who wrote the riddle. If you were writing these clues, what would you include that would throw people off the trail?”

Yoongi scoffed softly at the idea of imagining he were a Korean man in India about two millennia ago; but regardless of how silly he thought it was, he kept his mouth shut and decided to humor Jin by following his suggestion. “Well, I’m trying to make sure the Chinese soldiers wouldn’t be able to figure it out, right? Then I’d refer to something that wasn’t common knowledge to the average Chinese person at the time.”

Jin nodded his head in agreement, eyes drawn to the floor as the wheels in his head were slowly turning. “Right, something the Chinese wouldn’t know, but our ancestors would know, specifically… something that these particular Koreans would know,” he murmured out loud.

“Wait a second…” Namjoon began, his eyes widening just a centimeter as the pieces began to piece themselves together. “These Koreans at the time, they’ve spent months-- maybe even years-- in India. They’ve probably spent a lot of time with the Indians around, so logically they would pick up a few things about their culture, right?” When everyone nodded with his reasoning, he continued, “So maybe moon’s flower refers to something about Indian culture--” He cut himself off and he suddenly sprung up from his seat on the couch in excitement. “Lilies! Lilies! Lilies are the symbol of the Indian moon deity, Chandra!”

“Oh my God!” Jimin yelled as he too lept from the couch and hopped around eagerly, the excitement pulsing through him in large waves. “There’s a lake known for its lilies! Dal Lake!” He bounced up and down like a toddler in a candy store. “Oh my God! We need to go to Dal Lake!”

Everyone broke out in a small celebration with loud cheers and shouting when the next part of the riddle was figured out. You contemplated briefly bringing out some wine to commemorate the occasion. After all, you were just about ready to throw in the towel until Namjoon and Jimin managed to figure out the next part of the riddle. However, there was one person who wasn’t quite ready to start celebrating yet.

“Not to rain on everyone’s parade,” Yoongi suddenly butted in a cool tone, “but what do we do once we arrive at this Dal Lake? The riddle says we need to ‘give drink to the Dragon’, but last time I checked, dragons don’t exist.”

“Well, it has something to do with the kobae, obviously,” Jungkook replied with a small shrug of his shoulders. “Maybe there will be instructions for us once we get there.”

Yoongi snorted almost bitterly at that. “Oh, yes, there will be a little post with a sign saying, ‘If you have the kobae with you, come right this way to the Dragon of the Stars!’.”

“Ah! Don’t be such a Debby Downer, Yoongi!” Hobi cried out, moving behind the mechanic before slipping his arms around his shoulders into a hug. “Did someone not get a good night’s rest last night?”

Yoongi shrugged the doctor’s arms off of him, rolling his eyes although a small smile graced his lips. “No, in fact, I actually slept really well knowing that everyone was alive and that we got away with infiltration and robbery.”

Jin redirected the conversation back to the previous topic, saying, “We’ve got a whole plane ride to figure out what we should do once we get to Dal Lake. I suggest we start packing up right now and get on the plane as soon as possible before Akimoto and his men get the chance to track us down.”

No one argued with him when he mentioned Akimoto and went straight to work packing up and leaving the city.

—————————————

No matter how many times you’ve been in a plane, you will never stop marvelling at how a simple machine could have you flying among the birds. You could spend hours just staring at the blue sky, looking down at the earth that you walked upon just hours before. 

Everything looked so tiny down below, like little tiny ants going about their day. When you weren’t looking down at the small world, you were busy ogling at the beautiful sky full of white clouds that reminded you of the dandelion seeds that littered your grandmother’s lawn. You remembered how you spent your childhood years playing with the fuzzy weeds.

As you were lost in your mind, reminiscing more innocent times, you didn’t notice anyone approaching you until they plopped down on the seat across from yours. You snapped your attention from the pale blue sky to see who suddenly joined you. You recognized it to be Yoongi, his forehead sweaty from working. He released huffs and puffs of air as his hand wiped away the sweat that began to collect itself on his brow.

Now that you thought about it, you recalled that Yoongi had to fix a certain part of the plane, which you happened to forget its name because you weren’t exactly listening, that required lots of heavy-lifting.

“Need a drink?” you offered, already moving toward your bag to grab a glass water bottle. The poor,  young man looked as if he needed about several bottles to quench his thirst.

“Yes, please,” he sighed in reply, his body slouching against the cushioned seat. You reached for the glass bottle and handed it to the mechanic. He weakly took it from your hand and uncapped it before taking large gulps of the cool liquid. 

You smiled faintly before briefly looking back at the view of the sky until he managed to polish off about half of the bottle. Wiping his hand across his mouth to get rid of the excess water, he asked with a raspy voice, “So, how is our heroine doing lately?”

You arched an eyebrow amusedly at what he said, your smile widening as a soft chuckle escaped your lips. “Heroine? Why do you call me that?” you questioned, resting your head in the palm of your hand.

Yoongi merely shrugged his shoulders indifferently in reply. “Lately everyone has been showering you with praise for managing to pull the museum operation through. I thought that I’d join them in that regard,” he answered nonchalantly, as if he were stating an obvious fact. 

Another chuckle left your mouth at how casually Yoongi said this. “Well, aren’t you such a sweet chap?” you remarked.

“You know, I act pretty friendly often, and yet everyone’s always surprised by it,” Yoongi observed, his shoulders sagging a little bit in exasperation.

“Only because people don’t know if you’re serious or not,” you replied.

“... Fair enough.”

Your smile widened as your eyes slowly began to return themselves back to the endless blue sky. You could never get over how beautiful it was. The color that painted the sky was something that could never be made by human hands. Nature was truly a marvel to behold sometimes.

“I’m still a little low-key peeved that you just happened to pull the plug right when Jin passed out. The whole blackout made finding Namjoon, Jungkook, and Tae so much more difficult than it needed to be,” you mentioned, although your jovial expression didn’t match the words that tumbled from your mouth.

Yoongi scoffed almost offendedly by what you said, his eyebrows knitting together and his jaw dropping. “Hey, I was just doing what we all agreed what time would be best for the blackout. It’s not like anyone gave me a signal that Jin just happened to get drugged right before I decided to flip the switch,” he defended himself, then sighed as he sunk further into his chair. “Man… I can’t wait for someone to invent instant communication. That would make my job so much easier.”

You laughed cheerfully at how passionate the mechanic got when defending himself. You couldn’t really blame him for the whole incident. He was right; everything that could’ve possibly gone wrong happened all at the same time. He really had no control over any of that. However, you just wanted to see what his reaction would be if you said such words, and, you had to admit, you weren’t disappointed with the results.

“You know, Hobi and I were hanging out before we got together and decided to head for this lake,” he changed the subject, setting the bottle on the floor next to him. “He told me that Jin was awake and was talking to you and Jungkook. He made a few comments about how long you two were in there. Mind sharing what you three talked about? Was it just those two praising you for your actions at the gala?”

You wondered to yourself what brought on this question for a few seconds. Did he think you all were gossiping about him? You contemplated whether you should mention that you were, in fact, discussing Jin and Jungkook’s pasts. “Jin and Jungkook both told me their pasts. Jin said his father was killed for conspiracy, and then he was basically made into a puppet for the government. Jungkook told me how he attempted to assassinate Emperor Hirohito but failed and is now on the run,” you disclosed, your tone calm as if you were merely discussing the weather. 

Yoongi slowly nodded as you explained everything to him, his eyes trained on you for any form of a reaction. Finally, he brought his gaze to the ground and was silent for a few moments, gathering his thoughts together before speaking his mind. “I guess you now know what our world is like. We were considered inferior to them, weak, powerless. Everything that gave us nationalistic idenity meant nothing to them. We were even told that it was illegal to speak our own language. So, yeah, you can imagine that all our lives were pretty shitty,” he described, his fingers tapping against the armrest of the seat. 

You tilted your head slightly to the side as you listened to him go off. Suddenly, you remembered that you knew nearly nothing about the mechanic, except for that he thought this entire expedition to be a fool’s journey and he was only doing this for the money. “What about you, Yoongi? What made your life so shitty?” you asked.

Yoongi stared at you with astonishment written across his face. “What? You want to know more about me?” He pointed to himself, as if he couldn’t believe his ears. When you nodded, he shook his head at lightning’s speed. “No, no. Sorry, doll, but that isn’t something I like to touch on. Believe me, it isn’t as thrilling as trying to kill the Emperor of Japan. Just know that it wasn’t sunshine and rainbows.”

You slightly pouted at that, your reporter mindset upset that you couldn’t get the facts. You wanted to know more about the others, and hearing how horrible their lives were didn’t exactly quell your curiosity. You tried to organize what you knew about everyone into different categories. 

Jin was basically property of the Japanese government after his father was killed, Jungkook tried to kill the Emperor but didn’t succeed, Taehyung currently was being harassed to make propaganda for the government and something happened to his sister, and Jimin apparently faced school identity fraud at some point in his life. That left Namjoon, Hoseok, and Yoongi, who you barely knew about apart from their occupations and some minor details.

“You aren’t going to tell me even one thing about your past?” you sulked, hoping that your pouting would get something out of him.

Yoongi rolled his eyes at your persistence. “Fine, I’ll tell you one thing about my past.” You leaned forward eagerly, excited to hear at least one thing about him. “I learned all of my mechanic skills from my dad.”

Hey, it wasn’t much, but it was better than nothing. Besides, the image of a young Yoongi being taught how to fix a car by his father had you cooing and murmuring fondly. The mechanic, instead, flushed furiously at how you were making cute noises, although his rosy cheeks were masked with a deep frown.

“Hey, what’s with the baby noises?” he demanded, his arms still folded across his chest.

“Nothing, nothing,” you giggled, then confessed, “I was just thinking about how adorable you probably were as a kid.”

Yoongi shook his head but still smiled a bit as you were sent into another bout of giggles. Oh, his cheeks must have been so chubby!

“You have to show me some baby photos of you, when this is all over!” you insisted, eager to see exactly what he looked like in his younger years.

Yoongi stared at you with such earnestness and flatly replied, “I don’t have any.”

Your bright smile quickly dissipated upon hearing this. What? How could he have no baby photos? Your family wasn’t rich either, but even your mother had a book full of black and white photos of you as a toddler. “My family couldn’t afford a camera. Hell, my mother could barely put food on the table. Sometimes I had a small cup of soup and that was my meal for the day.”

Ah… right, now you understood why this was a touchy subject. You cleared your throat awkwardly as a solemn atmosphere settled upon the two of you. Yoongi must have grown up in a poor family, which made sense why the pay of this expedition must seem so appealing to him. You recalled how he talked about giving the money to his parents who needed it desperately. You imagined what kind of financial situation they were in at the moment. No wonder Yoongi was so determined to get the Dragon. He just wanted to get the funds to his family.

Yoongi let out an irritated sigh as he slumped back into his seat. “Shit… I already let it slip,” he grumbled to himself in slight disgust, then redirected his attention to you. “Why are you so curious about us anyway?”

You brought your gaze back to him after sheepishly looking around from the tense atmosphere. “I just want to know more about you boys, is all. I’ve been with you all for more than a month at this point. I guess we’re at the point where we get to know each other on a more personal level now,” you answered reluctantly.

The mechanic studied your face for a few moments, searching for something that you couldn’t quite figure out. His strong stare caused you to awkwardly shuffle in your seat, an uncomfortable feeling settling in your core. “Then I guess it’s only fair that you tell me something about yourself first, since you want to know so much about me. So, tell me, y/n, what is something about your past that was shitty?”

To be honest, in comparison to the other boys, your life up to this point was a walk on a sunny beach while theirs was a walk on sharp, broken glass in the middle of a hurricane. You didn’t know anything that could even be compared to what they went through. Should you talk about how you fell out of a tree and broke your ankle? Perhaps you should mention the time a dog bit you in the arse as a little girl? 

Who were you fooling? You never experienced anything remotely close to what they went through!

“I haven’t really had anything happen to me that was as bad as what you all went through,” you admitted, your cheeks hot with embarrassment. However, this time it wasn’t from any teasing or flirtatious comments. 

Yoongi arched an eyebrow at your confession. “Is that so? Nothing? No dead parents?”

You shook your head. 

“No abusive childhood?”

Again, you shook your head.

“No government officials hunting you down?”

“Well… not in the past-”

“You know what I mean,” he interrupted, cutting you off abruptly. “How about living in hiding for as long as you can remember?”

…

At your silent reply, Yoongi nodded curtly and made a move to get up from his seat. “Then I don’t see why I should tell you my past if you can’t even begin to relate.” He stood up and fixed his clothing before taking a few steps away to leave you all by your lonesome, hands dug deep in his jacket pockets.

You sat there, your eyes glued to the floor somberly. He was right, you had nothing to relate to the boys. Unless…

“I was there when my grandmother died.”

Yoongi abruptly stopped in his tracks at your sudden reply. His head turned slightly to the side as his attention was grabbed by you. He stood there silently, waiting for you to continue on with your story.

Feelings that were long ago buried and forgotten suddenly resurfaced as you recalled the memories that were full of sorrow and grief. You really didn’t want to bring back these painful memories. But if you had any hope of connecting with these boys, then you had to give them something that they could connect with.  

You released a shaky sigh as you began, “My grandmother one day just suddenly collapsed in her home and was found by my mother a few hours later while I was busy playing in her lawn. She managed to get her in bed, but she was already in a coma by then. My mother and I stayed at her side for the next few days, tending to her needs and the needs of the house. Although I was a kid, I remember how she was just… lying there… motionless… just breathing. It was almost sickening to watch her waste away like that. With each day I saw how she had gotten thinner and thinner and paler and paler. She already looked like a ghost.”

You had to pause your explanation to give yourself a moment to cope with your long buried feelings. It’s been years, but the wounds of that event still stung when you looked back on it. It was like ripping off a bandaid that had been stuck on a scab for a while. It might be old, but the pain still hurt like bugger.

You continued after you managed to contain yourself, “There were some days where I just wished she would just die, not for her sake but for mine and my mother’s. I couldn’t handle seeing her deteriorate more each and every day. Every time my mother had to go in there to feed her or clean the room, she always came out in tears. I knew my grandmother was in a peaceful state, even if her body was failing, but watching her in such a state. I couldn’t bear it; I couldn’t bear to watch the grandmother I loved so much as she was dying.”

At this point, Yoongi had returned from where he was standing and sat back down in his seat, his eyes focused entirely on you as you began to blubber. You noticed the sympathy gleaming in his eyes as your throat tightened and stung. Your voice cracked on several different occasions as you told the story. It’s been years, why were you still so choked up over this? Why did it still hurt so much?

“And then, as I was just watching her body failing her one day, she just…” You couldn’t handle it anymore. The tears were too much to hold back anymore. Tears began streaming down your face in small streams as your body slowly wracked from your sobs. 

You briefly wondered if the reason why you were still broken over this decades later was because you never really told anyone your feelings about the whole issue. Sure, you showed your sorrow at your grandmother’s funeral, but no one ever asked you if you were alright. They all were too concerned over your mourning mother to really focus on you. No one ever told you that it was going to be alright like they told your mother.

Suddenly two arms wrapped themselves around your body, pulling you into comfortingly. You realized that Yoongi had pulled you in for a consoling hug, and you buried your face into his chest, letting your tears wet his shirt. One of his hands rubbed your head soothingly in soft, slow strokes, his fingers running themselves through your smooth hair. He whispered kind words into your ears in a hushed tone. “It’s going to be fine. You’re alright now…”

There it was. The words you’ve been dying to hear since you were a child.

You’re alright now… It’s going to be fine....

You cried and cried into his shirt until your eyes couldn’t produce anymore tears. All the emotions that you had bundled up for years flowed out like a cracked dam. Your head lulled heavily from how spent your body was as you slowly pulled yourself away. Man, you hated how tiring it was to cry.

You rubbed your eyes to wipe away any excess tears that still clung to your face, sniffling every now and then to stop your nose from running with snot. Ugh, you must look horrendous from how hard you sobbed. You hadn’t cried like that in years. Your emotions must have been pent up for so long they suddenly exploded from just telling that story.

“I’m sorry,” you apologized with a weak laugh. “I don’t know what came over me…”

“It’s me who should be saying that,” Yoongi replied in a quiet tone. “I pushed you too hard. I shouldn’t have been so cold to you. You definitely went through some hard times, too.”

You gave him a sad smile as you wiped away the last of your tears. “I don’t think anyone has ever lived an easy life.”

Yoongi smiled back to you faintly and lifted his shoulders in a tiny shrug. “Maybe you’re right.”

You stared at each other for a few moments, just appreciating each other’s company. You felt awfully closer to Yoongi after telling him about the death of your grandmother, even if he hadn’t said anything about his own past. It was nice to know that someone was there for you, ready to wipe away your tears and hold you close. You hadn’t really had anyone like that before you joined this expedition. You had to admit, it was nice to have someone you could depend on in that regard.

However, your serene moment didn’t last long, as suddenly the plane shook with such violence that it nearly threw you out of your seat. Your ears rang like a bell was tolling in them as a loud explosion erupted just outside your window. A scream escaped your lungs as you were then tossed to the floor as the plane lurched up and down a few times, boxes and supplies now thrown everywhere from the plane’s jerky movements. Just what on earth was going on?!

Yoongi, who landed on the floor next to you, suddenly shot up and gripped the nearby armrest for support. He groaned quietly in pain from being thrown to the ground and looked outside the window that you have been staring out of just minutes prior from all of this. He squinted his eyes to focus on the problem before they suddenly widened to the size of saucer plates. His jaw dropped rather unceremoniously as a sharp gasp slipped past his lips.

“Oh… no…”

You crawled back up to your feet and stumbled after Yoongi, nearly falling down a few times from how unstable the plane’s flying had gotten at this point. Once you grabbed onto his shoulders to keep your balance, you looked out the window to see what nearly gave you a heart-attack. And, just like Yoongi, your eyes rounded and your jaw went slack at the sight.

The plane’s turbine was currently up in flames, and it didn’t look like it was going to keep you all in the air for much longer…

“Everyone!” Jimin suddenly screamed from the cockpit, his voice full of terror as he struggled to keep the plane somewhat stable.You heard the sirens and saw the red flashing lights from the cockpit going sending terror through your entire being.  “Grab onto something secure! We’re about to crash!!!”

Oh… fuck… you could never catch a break...

[not-majestic-bluenicorn]

Crescent || Chapter 6

Fandom(s): ATEEZ

AU: Treasure Hunters

Genre: Action, Fantasy, Sci-Fi

Relationship: Everyone x Everyone, Established Hongjoong x Yunho

Language: English

Status: Ongoing

Chapter WC: 3,455 words

Warnings: Character Death, Stabbing, Fighting, Blood, Aliens, War, Funerals, Kidnapping, Attempted Kidnapping, Mentions of Child Abuse / Child Work, Explosions, Murder Attempt, Robbery, Homeless/Runaway Character, more will be added.

Chapter Warnings: Robbery, Homeless/Runaway Character, Mentions of Abuse

Summary:

"Hey can I ask you a favor?" Yunho raised an eyebrow at Yeosang's question.

"I don't think you're in any position to be asking favors." Yunho scoffed, but paid attention anyway.

"Would you consider not handing me in?" Yeosang knew that was to ask a lot, but he might as well try.

"You have no shame, do you?" Yunho had to laugh, slightly taken aback by the bold question.

"Shame can only draw you back, and I try to only go forward." Yeosang shrugged, it was worth the attempt.

AO3

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Tagged: @angel0taiyo

San had left Jongho with Yeosang at the main deck while he left to explain the situation to Hwanwoong, who was in charge at the moment. The crew was just sort of staring at him while they focused on their own stuff, and Yeosang felt like a circus attraction. Of course, none of the normal crew members had expected something like that to happen. The soldiers, on the other hand, were all on high alert thinking maybe someone had figured out their true identities.

Jongho noticed none of this as he kept a close eye on Yeosang, observing him with curiosity as Yeosang sighed repeatedly, letting him know he was not very happy with this situation. He was sitting on the floor of the deck, hands tied behind his back being crushed by his back as he leaned on the rail of the deck. It was uncomfortable. Plus, he really just didn't want to be tied up like that.

"So... Why our ship?" Jongho asked finally, tired of only observing Yeosang as if he could get the information through some sort of telepathy.

"It's a very expensive model, only someone with fortune and power would be able to acquire it," Yeosang explained, not even looking at Jongho. His voice held a hint of annoyance. "Plus it looks brand new, either it is new or they pay a lot for maintenance."

Jongho hummed in agreement. He had also thought something similar when he had first seen the ship he would be working on. He had spent his whole life near ships, repairing them and building them, so he could recognize an expensive ship when he saw one. The difference was that he was not looking to steal anything when he first boarded it, and hadn't even thought much about who Captain Hongjoong was.

"And why are you stealing?" Jongho asked again.

"There are only two reasons why someone steals, they are either in need or they covet something, which one do you think I fall on?" Yeosang scoffed, getting a little on edge by the questions. Jongho didn't seem to be fazed.

"I'd say the first one," Jongho replied after thinking it over for a few seconds. Yeosang's eyes widened slightly and Jongho noticed. "Well, you felt a little weak when I was restraining you before, have you been eating properly? Plus... You don't look like a bad person." Jongho shrugged.

Yeosang stared at him for a few seconds before sighing and looking away. It was embarrassing, how a complete stranger could look straight through him and still be kind despite what he had tried to do. Truth be told, Yeosang didn't like stealing that much, he was just desperate. Sure, there was a certain thrill to it that he appreciated, but there were surely other better ways to feel like that, right? He just needed to get out of that planet.

"Will you tell me your name?" Jongho asked again. His voice was soft, like he had realized the change in Yeosang's demeanor.

"Kang Yeosang," Yeosang replied, voice small.

At that moment, Hongjoon, Yunho and Siyeon returned to the ship. Hwanwoong reported to them immediately, summarizing what San had told him about the situation. Hongjoong cursed under his breath and locked eyes on the prisoner, approaching him without hesitation. Jongho looked away as he did, he had never seen the Captain so serious and threatening.

As soon as he was close enough, Hongjoong grabbed Yeosang by the collar and hoisted him up, causing him to yelp. Jongho gasped next to him, this being the first time he saw his captain do anything remotely aggressive. Yeosang coughed slightly and looked at Hongjoong with a defying glare, not willing to back down even with his hands tied behind his back.

"Who else was with you?" Hongjoong asked, not wasting time.

"Other homeless people, I don't really know their names." Yeosang replied, voice hard and steady. The glint of something in Hongjoong's eyes when he said the word homeless didn't escape his eyes.

"How many came into this ship?" Hongjoong asked next.

"Only me." Yeosang didn't dare look away. Hongjoong did, however, as he confirmed this answer with the rest of the crew, who had already checked the ship for other potential stowaways.

"Did you take anything?" Hongjoong looked back at Yeosang, who still didn't seem to want to back down.

"He didn't." Jongho spoke this time, surprising both Yeosang and Hongjoong. "We found him shortly after he got in through the propellers' maintenance door, he couldn't have gone anywhere before we found him."

Hongjoong looked Yeosang in the eye, looking for something that would give him away as something more than a petty attempt of a burglar. When he didn't find it, he let go of his collar and turned to walk away. Yunho stopped him, if only to ask him for permission to conduct his own little interrogation.

"Just don't be too hard on him," Hongjoong warned, walking back to his quarters to discuss with Siyeon and San what to do about the fuel.

Despite the warning, Yunho took Yeosang to the hold, the most isolated area of the ship. They didn't really have any shipment of importance, and instead stored their non-perishable supplies there. He sat Yeosang down on a simple wooden share and then sat in front of him, face void of expression. Yeosang observed his surroundings and took a mental note on how no one would hear him scream if he did.

"What is your full name?" Yunho began with a simple question.

"Kang Yeosang." He answered easily. It didn't matter if he tried to keep his identity secret since he had already told Jongho anyway.

"Were you born here?" Yunho was testing him, seeing how much he was willing to share.

"Yes, I've lived here my whole life." Yeosang wasn't going to back down easily, though. He had walked into the wolves' den and he was going to own it up. If he got intimidated at that point, then what did that make him?

"Family?"

"Only my mother," Yeosang tensed up, this was crossing a territory he didn't like. "I don't see how that matters, though."

"Does she know you've become a wanted burglar?" Yunho raised an eyebrow. "Kang Yeosang, I heard your name whispered around the streets earlier."

"I don't think she would care if she knew." Yeosang scoffed. It was true, his mother probably wouldn't care. She had never cared about anyone else but his father, even though Yeosang had tried to be there for her even when his father had left. It hurt, but it was the truth. "Don't try to pull the 'your mother would be so disappointed if she knew' card, it won't work on me."

"Oh, I wasn't going to," Yunho chuckled. "Let's be real, that rarely ever works."

"Then why are you asking?" Yeosang was growing exasperated. The questioning seemed to be going nowhere and it was so slow he felt like losing his mind.

"I have my reasons," Yunho shrugged. "I want to know who I'm going to turn with the guards before I do so."

Yeosang seemed to freeze at this, his mask of bravery falling apart for a few seconds before his surprised expression turned into one of rage. He wasn't stupid, of course he had suspected they would turn him in with the police, but they had kept him around for so long he had started hoping that wouldn't happen. Yunho seemed slightly surprised at the change in his demeanor.

"Why are you so angry?" Yunho asked. "You're the one who tried to steal from us, it is only fair."

Yeosang closed his eyes and took a deep breath. The man in front of him was right. It was only reasonable that they turned him in, the guards had been looking for him anyway, but he couldn't help but feel angry. The other homeless people had been right, he had been crazy for trying to get into a ship that wasn't even a part of their original plans. He had been ambitious, but beyond that, he had been a fool for following his instincts.

"Not gonna answer that? Fair enough." Yunho clicked his tongue. "Why The Crescent, why this ship?"

"'Cuz I felt like stealing from this ship, okay?" Yeosang bit back, too pissed to even care about being proper. "I already told the Jongho guy that only someone rich and with power could afford a ship like this, especially one so new or so well maintained."

"So you have no idea who is on board his ship?" Yunho pressed further. Yeosang would have thought it was weird if he wasn't too mad at himself for his stupidity.

"If I knew I wouldn't be here would I? Everyone here is too well trained to be a good target of a simple burglar like me." Yeosang groaned, remembering how San had stood in front of him, posture perfect and calculated. "Pretty sure that San guy would have killed me if Jongho hadn't stopped him." 

Yeosang raised his head, showing Yunho the faint trace of blood on it that had formed after the encounter with San. He could feel the dry blood uncomfortably clinging to his skin, but tried to not think too much about it. Yunho observed it with sharp eyes before nodding. He was a little bit surprised about San; he was cold, sure, but he had never exhibited knowledge on sword fighting. He would have to ask him about it later.

"Then you're nothing but a petty burglar caught in the act, got it." Yunho seemed satisfied with his answers and stood up to leave.

"Ouch," Yeosang chuckled, the insult getting to him a bit. "Hey can I ask you a favor?" Yunho raised an eyebrow.

"I don't think you're in any position to be asking favors." Yunho scoffed, but paid attention anyway.

"Would you consider not handing me in?" Yeosang knew that was to ask a lot, but he might as well try.

"You have no shame, do you?" Yunho had to laugh, slightly taken aback by the bold question.

"Shame can only draw you back, and I try to only go forward." Yeosang shrugged, immediately wincing slightly. His arms were starting to get numb from having them tied behind his back for so long.

"I'll send someone to look over you," Yunho replied instead, leaving the room.

Only after Yunho left, did the name of the ship sink into Yeosang's mind, making him gasp. What was going on?

--

Yunho went to join Hongjoong and the rest at the quarters after asking Mingi to look over Yeosang while he informed their Captain about it. When he arrived, it seemed like the issue regarding the fuel had been solved already, as Siyeon was taking Hwanwoong with her to go negotiate for it. Hongjoong briefed him about it, explaining to him that they had opted to buy enough to go to another planet and then refilling the tank completely over there.

"How did the questioning go? You didn't do anything to him, did you?" Hongjoong asked. His tone was a bit playful but Yunho could tell he was tense.

"I didn't do anything more to him than San or Jongho did." Yunho raised his hands defensively, excusing himself.

"San and Jongho?" Hongjoong raised an eyebrow, slightly worried. Only he would worry about the health of a burglar trying to steal from his very own ship.

"Yes, apparently San prickled him with the tip of his sword, there was a little bit of blood, but nothing much." Yunho explained simply, hoping the lighthearted tone would help calm him.

"San? That's unexpected..." Hongjoong mumbled.

"I agree, he does look scary sometimes but he still doesn't seem the type to do something like that." Yunho shrugged. "Anyway, we should go hand him over to the guards."

"Not yet," Hongjoong shook his head.

"What? Why not?" Yunho was surprised, he had thought they would be done with this quickly.

"I'm just not sure about it yet..." Hongjoong's voice grew quiet, like he was trying to hide something, but Yunho knew him too well.

"You're worried about his homeless status, right?" Yunho sighed. "Hongjoong, he tried to steal from you, that's a crime-"

"He tried to steal from me because he has the need to, which is very different!" Hongjoong protested, not willing to back down. "And who created that need? My family, Yunho." 

"I understand where you are going, but I don't think this is where your sympathy should be going to..." Yunho's voice was soft, placating, he didn't want to anger Hongjoong.

"To whom should it go then? He's my people, and I don't feel comfortable turning him in when it is partially my fault that this happened in the first place." Hongjoong crossed his arms over his chest and Yunho groaned.

He knew Hongjoong was right and it exasperated him, because it would be far easier to just turn Yeosang in and keep Hongjoong safe like that. What if Yeosang wasn't who he said he was? What if he was trying to bring them harm? But Hongjoong didn't like to go the easy way, he liked to do what was right, like his brother had taught him, and even though it was obnoxious at times, Yunho loved him for it.

"Fine," Yunho conceded, sighing. "What will you do then?"

"I don't know yet, but I'll figure it out." Hongjoong smiled, walking over to hug Yunho. "Thank you, I love you."

"I love you too."

--

Wooyoung had spent most of that day going in and out of consciousness, trying to figure out what time it was wherever the crew was at the moment to see if he could catch them in their dreams. He hadn't managed to meet with anyone so far, but sleeping with the necklace provided an interesting experience. He had his first prophetic dream again, but this time with way more clarity and details.

He prepared to fall asleep again. He wasn't even tired, but eating dinner had helped make him feel sleepy. Plus, trusting himself to the necklace actually helped, almost like it lured him to sleep by itself. Wooyoung settled under the covers and closed his eyes. His breathing slowed down little by little, until eventually he couldn't hold any clear thoughts in his mind. The last thing he thought of before waking up in the dream realm was Yeosang.

When he opened his eyes, Wooyoung found himself in an old house. It was made of wood, and the floor creaked slightly when he began walking. At first, there was only the sound of his steps and of water flowing outside the home. He peaked through a window and found himself in a little town built around canals and with buildings so tall they covered most of the sky from where he was.

As he went further into the house, he noticed the sound of crying. The voice was high-pitched, but the crying itself was subdued and constant. When he tried to find where the crying was coming from, he heard Yeosang's voice speak to the crying person, trying to calm them down. Soon Wooyoung realized that the crying was coming from Yeosang's mother. He followed the voices until he was right outside of the room, observing.

"Mom, it's alright," Yeosang repeated, trying to get his mother to stand up from the floor. "Stop drinking, and stop crying about dad, it's not worth i-"

He was silenced by a slap. Wooyoung gasped, covering his mouth with both hands. Yeosang looked at him briefly but didn't say anything. The sound of the slap had been so deafening that for a second he hadn't been able to hear anything else but the echo of it. Yeosang's right cheek turned red almost immediately, resenting the hit, and in his eyes Wooyoung could see a mix of anger and sadness.

"Mom-" He began again, but the woman just wailed harder, hitting him on the chest repeatedly. "Mom, stop it."

But the woman just wouldn't stop. Sighing, Yeosang grabbed her arms and pulled her up delicately, hugging her tightly until she stopped trying to resist and just cried herself to exhaustion. When she was done, Yeosang guided her to her room and then returned to where Wooyoung was, still frozen on the frame of the door.

"So this is a dream?" Yeosang asked. His right cheek had begun to swell, and Wooyoung couldn't stop looking at it.

"Yes..." Wooyoung nodded. Seeing Yeosang like this, when in his previous dream he had been so confident, hurt him.

"That's good, it would be a shame to discover I didn't have the courage to leave..." Yeosang sighed, approaching Wooyoung, who looked shaken. "I'm okay, it's just a dream, silly." He smiled, but Wooyoung shook his head.

"Can I...?" He extended his hand towards Yeosang's cheek, who looked at him with curiosity, but nodded anyway.

Wooyoung placed his hand softly on Yeosang's cheek. The latter winced slightly upon the contact and closed his eyes, but Wooyoung shushed him softly as he focused on altering Yeosang's dream self, reducing the swelling until it was no more. He was so focused on tending to Yeosang that he didn't realize when the other opened his eyes and openly stared at him until their eyes locked.

"Ah, sorry." Wooyoung went to pull his hand away, but Yeosang grabbed his wrist and stopped him.

"It's okay, your hand feels really cool," Yeosang nuzzled his cheek against Wooyoung's hand, closing his eyes and sighing in relief. "Thank you."

"It's nothing..." Wooyoung mumbled, eyes trained on Yeosang.

A few minutes later, Yeosang had guided him outside of the house and had invited Wooyoung to sit next to him on the little deck they had outside the house, feet dangling over the water. They stayed in silence for a moment. Wooyoung focused on taking in the image of Yeosang's hometown, curiosity filling him as he wondered where Yeosang was from and how the place he had grown up in was like. As he wondered all of this in silence, Yeosang spoke.

"I found the ship you showed me," his voice was small, like he was unsure. "At least I think I did..."

"Really?" Wooyoung's voice came out louder than he had intended, a product of his excitement.

"Yes, The Crescent, they're anchored at my town right now..." Yeosang explained, but Wooyoung sensed something was wrong.

"But...?"

"But I am not on good terms with them...?" Yeosang chuckled, he was uncomfortable.

"How so? Have you met the crew before?" Wooyoung asked, turning to face him. Yeosang mumbled something but he couldn't catch it. "What was that?" Yeosang sighed.

"I tried to steal from their ship." Yeosang repeated, loud and clear this time.

"Oh..." Wooyoung said. "That is not what I was expecting."

"I can see that..." Yeosang groaned.

"Why?"

"Just because?" He didn't want to explain his reasoning all over again, especially not to Wooyoung, who probably had already a bad impression of him. "I didn't know it was the ship you told me to look for at first, I probably wouldn't have done that if I had known."

"Probably?" Wooyoung raised his eyebrows, and Yeosang winced. "Where are you right now?"

"In their hold, sleeping with my hands tied to my back..." Yeosang explained, and Wooyoung looked horrified. This was not how he expected his future boyfriends to treat each other. "It's not too bad, really, they've been really kind. The guy they left me with, Mingi, is quite sweet." Yeosang smiled, shrugging it off.

"And what will they do with you?" Wooyoung asked, hurried.

"Probably hand me over to the guards, I'll be prosecuted under charges of serial robbery and get out in a few years, maybe." Yeosang listed.

"Serial robbery?!" Wooyoung yelled this time, surprising Yeosang.

"I'm... sorry?" Yeosang looked sheepish, like he was genuinely sorry but didn't know how to properly apologize or react.

"You better be," Wooyoung stood up, grabbing his necklace.

"What are you doing?" Yeosang stood up right after him, slightly panicked.

"Well, the omen or whatever won't work if you're in jail, so I'm going to get your freedom back." Wooyoung huffed, focusing all of his attention on the necklace.

"H-How? You're just a dream? A figment of my imagination?" Yeosang asked, genuinely confused. Wooyoung glared at him and he immediately shut up, only then realizing Wooyoung was probably more than 'just a dream'.

"I'm gonna go see the captain of the ship." Wooyoung stated. His mind focused on Hongjoong, on his name and his face, on what Wooyoung had felt the first time he had dreamed about him.

"What?" Yeosang tried to ask, but Wooyoung was already gone.

[sonicringbond]

Sonic Ring Bond: The Journey - Scene 52

Hopefully as everyone is reading this things have improved for me. My mental state has been a bit of mess at the time of writing this. I’ve had fears for the future of the AU and my ability to write it at all. While I have big plans and changes in store, it’s surprisingly difficult to stay enthusiastic. Strangely, only my primary villain seems to keep me motivated. But they won’t appear here, too an extent I suppose, but there is another villain who returns in this scene. I’ll let you see who now in...

    “Oh~! I see more flowers,” Blister began as she stepped through the Ring Gate and watched Zooey embrace Tails. She grew distracted a moment however as she took in the sight of the Ring Gate Beacon room. The ceiling of shifting blocks covered in glowing geometric patterns was almost mesmerizing. “Wow~. I have to get one of these on my ship.”

    “Maybe later,” Tails stated as he put his hands on Zooey’s shoulders and pushed her back, although as gently as he could. “Right now, we have to support Sonic. Zooey, can we map out the catacombs from the bridge.”

    “The Engineers and I already have a map in place,” Zooey confided in Tails, though still peeked around him curiously at Draw and Blister. Tails’ urgency pulled her back however as she felt his grip tighten on her shoulders. “We can use the same sonar method we used to map the city to keep track of Sonic and give him a heads up if anything goes sideways.”

    “That’s great,” Tails sighed relieved and started to hurry for the bridge, stopping only long enough to look back and ask Zooey another question. “Is it sensitive enough to pick out people?”

    “I don’t believe it is, but the catacombs should be large enough for the Tornado to fly through.”

~|~

    “Ho! An aeroplane of all things to best Claymore the Purple,” Claymore scoffed as he strode through brick halls that were open on one side to a cavernous hall beyond. “How the mage caused so much trouble with so small a force. No less he bought the time to take to the skies again. Ho! It is like that I would do well to remember the name Sonic the Hedgehog, unless I should stop him and my other guest all at once.”

    Weighing the thought of confronting two Ring Mage’s, Claymore chuckled nervously to himself. “Ho! My first real battle since waking and I must face two Ring Mages. Would that I could be joined in battle by my fellow knights.”

~|~

    “I don’t like it,” Rosy puffed up her cheeks, her problems multifold.

    “Well, you’ll just have to bear with it,” Sonic encouraged Rosy to not let the situation get to her. As he was sitting on top of her pressing her deeper into the cockpit of the Tornado, his words seemed uncaring. Though they were no meant to bet, he had his own problems controlling the biplane as he had one hand occupied holding onto Rosy’s tarot card case. “Just consider it for your own protection.”

    “I don’t need protected,” Rosy puffed her cheeks up even more. “Besides, if what Tails said is true, we won’t have time for me to be kept safe. We have to go stop Ix.”

    “You know who you’re talking to, right kid?” Sonic feigned being hurt. But Rosy was not feeling playful.

    Beyond the cockpit, even squished uncomfortably behind Sonic as she was, Rosy could see Yoluku in the sky, the upside-down sunset becoming a tighter and more sinister smile with each passing moment. A chill ran through Rosy looking at it, and she could swear even without her cards that she heard those same whispers.

    It’s fine. This is fun isn’t it? Enjoying a desperate adventure to save the world with your true love. How entertaining!

    “Hrm~!” Rosy emitted a low growl and puffed up her cheeks more. Not liking the voice in her head, she contorted herself as best she could behind Sonic and managed to get access to her wrist device.

    “Tai~ls!” Rosy whined into it. “Please tell me you have somewhere for us to go!”

    -I do!- Tails’ voice came back across the radio.

    ~I want to feel relieved while Tails guides Sonic through how he needs to fly the Tornado into the catacombs. It’s actually a lot of fun too, the way Sonic pilots his plane around the towers of the city and down into a chasm I didn’t know was in the city. Ooh~! It’s so exciting, but the situation isn’t good. Yolk is… I don’t know what Yolk is any more, but I have a really bad feeling.

     ~It’s not like me to have bad feelings, especially when Sonic is here. I know he’ll save the day, but something isn’t right. I just have a hard time believing Ix was seen so easily. He had me and everyone else fooled when I first met him, so to think he would be seen going into these oversized catacombs. It just doesn’t feel right. I wonder if this is supposed to be a trap. But for who? Did he even know I was going to be here? Ooh~! I don’t like this!~

    “We’re going on foot from here,” Sonic stated as he landed the Tornado on a small ledge, bringing the short flight to an end. As he left the plane, he worked he wrist device under his ow glove cuff. “I’ll relay back to you what I see Tails, but you’re going to have to be on your game to get us to where you think our uninvited party crasher is going.”

    -No problem, Sonic!- Tails’ voice chirped confidently across the wrist device’s radio. -Just watch out for traps.-

    “No worries there,” Sonic laughed. “In case you haven’t forgotten, I have a world class rascal here to take care of them for me.”

    “Soni~c!”

    ~Sonic’s ability to stay cheerful, even in the face of danger is always so inspiring and always helps me forget that people call me strange for doing the same. I can’t help but smile running with him through these ancient stone tunnels. Though it would be nice if there were less traps. But, well, a lot of traps that needed to be tripped were already tripped as Sonic and I ran past them. It’s hard to say running so fast, but they look more like they were disarmed rather than tripped. I shouldn’t be surprised, but… I kind of feel like it looks too familiar how they’ve been disarmed.~

~|~

    “Alright, how much further do you want to drag me into this place! It’s been nothing but trap after trap and no rewards worth the risk!"

    “Silence, treasure hunter! I must endure this humility and so will you.”

    “Yikes! Don’t lose your feathers old man!”

    “An old man who will outlive you, treasure hunter!”

    “Alright, alright! Just put my gun down. I’ll stop asking questions.”

    “Perhaps it would be best if you both focused.”

    “Yeah, well if I could I’d leave you both under a pile of rubble if I thought it’d do anything you talkative pile of rocks.”

    “Keep talking, treasure hunter. It fascinates me how your mouth is able to dig a grave.”

    “Yikes!”

    Watching the antics of Doctor Fukurokov, former leader of the now all but defunct Battle Kukku Armada, and Fang the Sniper, the troublesome treasure hunter who introduced Rosy to the world of adventure for his own gains, Ix would have sighed if his stone form possessed lungs. The two were anything but dignified. Though at least Fang put on no airs of false dignity like Doctor Fukurokov.

    Still, Ix’s plans required both, lest he had been rid of them ages ago having learned all he needed from them via a forced Ring Bond.

    “There will be time for you to torment the Child of Chaos yet, Child of the Heavens,” Ix at last interceded by walking between the owl and jerboa-wolf hybrid. His actions were meant to do more than break line of sight between them however, as he continued forward causing Fang to panic.

    “Watch where you’re walking you blasted statue! You’re going to get us all killed!”

    Fang’s excited shouting carried through the catacombs, straight into the twitching ear of a certain pink hedgehog girl. “Fang!”

    “Him again, huh?” Sonic sighed in response to Rosy’s exclamation.

    “Ooh~! Don’t be like that Sonic!” Rosy chided Sonic before suddenly picking her own route deeper into the catacombs.

    “Hey! Amy! That’s not the way Tails is–”

    “It sounds like Fang is with Ix!” Rosy interrupted Sonic and dashed off, following the sounds of the voices and her intuition.

    “This isn’t a great time Amy! AMY!”

    Left with little choice, Sonic took off after Rosy. It was going to be far from a difficult task to catch her either. For as much as she did her best to run at Sonic’s speed, her stumbling and general clumsiness was not the practiced and instinctual scrambling that Sonic performed that allowed him to run freely nigh anywhere. As large as the catacombs were, however, Fang did not possess Sonic’s speed. As he was the one searching for traps, he was the one controlling the pace at which Ix’s party progressed.

    “Yeesh, the weasel, the surprisingly resilient birdbrain, and the statue who really would have been better served staying in bed,” Sonic remarked as he skidded to a halt and saw the odd group. Or at least odd to Rosy who did not see the panic on Fang’s face as anything but a desperate plea for help. Naturally, Sonic saw it differently. “So how are you going to lie your way out of this one, weasel?”

    “Ho! Funny, Ring Mage,” the voice of Claymore boomed from beyond Ix. “I was aiming to ask you and the medium the same.”

    “And now, all of the players are present,” Ix remarked, his blue glowing eyes taking in the autogolem knight, the treasure hunter and pirate, and the two hedgehog’s who he silently deemed the most troublesome of all his obstacles.

Scene 52 · CLEARED Party Crashing, to be continued

-----

And there we go. Two scenes left to finish up Season 1. There’s a lot of ground to cover, and hopefully I’ll be able to have Sonic meet my main villain. It’s just there is so much to cover, and it’ll likely inflate the scenes. The smart thing to do would be to stretch it out, but I really want to end the season inline with the anime season. So, if everything went well after I wrote this, in one week Season 1 will be finished and Season 2 will be quite different in it’s handling. Please look forward to it!

-----

Special Thanks to Cutegirlmayra Story by @JoshTarwater/SonicFanJ Inspiring Song – Insatiable (From “Final Fantasy XIV”) - Vocaloid Version – Azina, Masayoshi Soken – Insatiable (From “Final Fantasy XIV”)

[when-they-write-stuff]

those eyes

pairing: sterek

word count: 5706

rating: teen

warnings: swearing, canon-typical violence

notes: commission for @fanficmakesmehappy based on the prompt: crime au + soulmate au where you see color for the first time when you make eye contact w your soulmate. Stiles is kidnapped by the pack. He's drugged and the first person he sees when he wakes up is derek, and the first thing he notices is that his eyes are green. This complicates things.

The last time Stiles had been this drunk, he’d just graduated high school and Scott had insisted he come out to a ‘real party’. 

Of course, that ended up being Lydia Martin’s lake house filled with people he didn’t know and bad tasting alcohol, but Stiles would forever treasure it as a ‘what a bad idea’ memory felt like. 

He hadn’t had one of those in a while. Not since he’d gone off to college, leaving Scott and his dad behind, and Scott had all but cut ties with him. Stiles didn’t come back for a few years, his dad moved up in the police ranks, and Stiles eventually graduated with a degree in criminology. 

All things considered, he felt like his career path was off to a pretty good start. If he ever did anything with it, that was.

Stiles had a tendency to get sidetracked. But if he was going to do anything with his life, it was follow in his dad’s footsteps and do something involving crime. Because who didn’t love a bit of action in their lives?

That’s where he went wrong.

When he came home that summer, the plan was to surprise his dad and, if he could find him, Scott. Because Stiles hadn’t given up on his childhood best friend. Even if he’d suddenly vanished off the face of the earth and refused to answer Stiles’s calls or texts.

Except, Stiles didn’t get home. He got as far as the crossroad near their house when something hit his car. The thump was so loud, Stiles was sure Roscoe had taken a dent and it had to be a wild animal. Because what the hell else attacked an innocent car in the middle of the night?

Stiles remembered clambering out with a curse on his tongue. But he didn’t get three feet before an unrelenting arm wrapped around his neck, something soft was pressed against his nose, and all Stiles knew was black.

-

The point was, he thought he was drunk. There was the sound of music in the air, he could hear voices chattering above his head, and Stiles could’ve sworn the floor was moving. He was drunk. He just didn’t remember how it happened. 

“I’m telling you,” a female voice hissed. “It’s him. They share similar scents and that was his car. Do you really think anyone else drives around a piece of junk that color and model?”

Stiles blinked a few times. Were they talking about his car? Because Roscoe wasn’t a piece of junk and Stiles would fight anyone who said otherwise. And… color? Stiles didn’t even know what color his jeep was. He always thought it was a sort of murky-grey but then again, everything was. Oh god, what if it was bright pink? He’d always heard bad things about bright pink.

“We’ll let McCall confirm it,” another voice said. Male, this time. “But he’s not going to like this.”

“He can not like whatever he wants to. Derek wanted the spastic idiot and do you really want to be the one telling him we chickened out at the last minute?”

Stiles groaned. He didn’t actually mean to, but the sound burst from his lips as his head pounded like someone had taken a jackhammer to it. He heard the sound of a yelp and then a curse, and something soft was pressed against his face again. 

Stiles inhaled sharply before realizing that was a bad idea. His last thought was ‘not drunk’ before he passed out again.

- 

So, Stiles hadn’t had a ‘what a bad idea’ memory in a while, but this was certainly up for the grand prize. Stiles woke up feeling like he’d been ripped apart and put back together again, or maybe run over once or twice by a truck. He smacked his lips together, mouth tasting like cotton, and cracked one eye open.

And squawked, trying to yank backward.

Except he couldn’t, the sound of metal clanged as he realized he was handcuffed to a metal chair. Stiles looked sharply up and his breaths caught as he noticed a figure standing in the shadows across the room. The room— a room— one that was much too small for his liking and empty of anything but a bed and chair.

Stiles tried not to whimper, he really did. But the sound still broke free of his lips and he shied away as the figure stepped forward, fixing his gaze on the floor. Two pairs of boots came into his line of sight. Two pairs of black leather, mud-stained boots, that were almost comically big.

Stiles didn’t think it was a good time to be having such thoughts. But he couldn’t help it.

“Stiles Stilinski,” a male voice said. “I assume?”

Stiles clenched his jaw, glaring at the floor. The boots moved closer.

“Look at me.”

“Fuck off.”

His captor moved uncomfortably close. Stiles took a deep breath and mustered up his best glare, lifting his eyes to meet those of his captor. Except, the second he did, he saw a flash of green and felt like his head was exploding, a startled ‘oh’ leaving his lips.

Because suddenly, he could see everything. 

The grey walls of his room, the dark blue of his jeans, the horrible clash of blue and orange on his t-shirt. His captor stumbled back and Stiles could’ve sworn he heard a snarl, but that wouldn’t be right. Regular people didn’t snarl. Not even soulmates— soulmates.

“Oh, shit,” Stiles said. The guy across from him glared like Stiles had just run over his puppy or something.

And oh shit, his captor looked like a Greek God. Of course, he did, Stiles really shouldn’t have expected anything else. His jawline could probably cut diamonds, his shoulders were literally god-like, and his eyes— his eyes were the prettiest color of green Stiles had ever seen. 

Something strange left Stiles’s mouth and he was pretty sure it was along the lines of, “Sweet mother Jesus.” 

His captor looked murderous, turning on his heel and stamping out of the room. The door slammed behind him and Stiles jolted in his chair, staring at it for a second longer. Then the reality of the situation sunk in and he yanked against the cuffs, a shout rising in his throat.

“Hey, asshole, you can’t just leave me in here! I’m innocent! My t-shirt looks ugly! I haven’t eaten since breakfast and I’m a growing boy!”

The door suddenly opened again. But instead of his green-eyed captor, a blond-haired woman came in. Stiles stared for a moment, before his mouth fell open.

“Erica Reyes?”

“You remember me?” She said, smirking. Stiles blinked. 

“Oh my god, did you… did you help kidnap me? Dude, that’s so messed up!”

“Oh, relax,” Erica said, rolling her eyes. Which were a beautiful color of brown. Stiles wondered what the hell his eyes looked like. “Clearly, it was a bad idea. I don’t think Derek knows how to react to kidnapping his literal soulmate.”

“Derek,” Stiles said. “Wait, his name is Derek? Snarly-growly-green-eyes is named Derek?”

“Hale. Derek Hale.”

“Derek Hale,” Stiles repeated. For a moment, he didn’t know why he recognized that name, but then it hit him like a punch to the gut. “Derek Hale mass-murderer Derek Hale? As in, the one that burned his entire family alive and killed a handful of Beacon Hill’s residents?”

Erica’s smirk faded. Stiles felt sick.

“He’s going to kill me, isn’t he?”

“If you keep talking like that, he will,” Erica said. “Cause he’s innocent.”

“Innocent. Innocent? He just kidnapped me!” Stiles said, yanking against the cuffs again. “Probably for murder!”

Erica’s expression turned pinched. Stiles could’ve sworn her eyes turned gold for a second, except he was definitely just getting used to seeing colors for the first time. Because, he reminded himself, he’d been kidnapped. By his soulmate. Resident murdering psychopath Derek Hale.

Erica studied him for a moment longer before sighing. Sticking out her lower lip, she turned toward the closed door. 

“I’m not getting anywhere with him. Would someone send in McCall?”

Stiles’s stomach dropped. McCall? But there was no way. There was no way Scott McCall, his Scott McCall, could be working with a murderer. Scott was a puppy. A literal ball of fluff. He couldn’t hurt a fly even if he wanted to.

Except, when the door opened, it was the boy Stiles had grown up with stepping into the room. Or, it was sort of. Scott’s jaw was sharper, his hair was shorter, and he’d gotten strong. Like, scary-looking strong.

Stiles stared for a moment. Then, Scott moved forward and Stiles tried to pull back. The boy stopped abruptly.

“S-Scott?”

“Hey, man.”

“No way,” Stiles said. “There’s no way you’re here. There’s no way you’re with a murderer. Scott, what the hell happened when I left?”

Scott flinched at that. Erica rolled her eyes and started toward the door, waving a dismissive hand over her head.

“Let me know when you tell him about everything. You know, the Argents, the murders, and the werewolves.”

“The what?”

But she was already gone, the door slamming closed at her back. Stiles looked back at Scott with wide eyes and his previous-best friend was looking at him nervously. Stiles was pretty sure he really was drunk now, or maybe on drugs. Because this couldn’t be right. This wasn’t happening.

“I’d tell you to sit down,” Scott said weakly. “But, uh…”

“Dude. Not fucking funny.”

- 

Between going from graduating college to learning about werewolves, hunters, and finding his soulmate, Stiles thought he would’ve been more prepared to learn that Lydia Martin’s hair was red. But no, that still shocked him. You know, the fact that everyone in Derek Hale’s pack was literally drop-dead gorgeous.

Stiles sat with his knees pulled into his chest on a ratty old sofa. He was surrounded by people he remembered from high school and couldn’t believe this was actually his life. Erica Reyes was a werewolf. Lydia Martin was a banshee. Jackson Whittemore was a snake.

Okay, that one really wasn’t so surprising.

“Let me get this straight,” Stiles said, pointing at Lydia and Jackson. “You two are supernatural soulmates.”

Lydia rolled her eyes and Jackson sneered. So maybe Stiles had a crush on her once; a long time ago. He was totally over it now. 

“And you two,” Stiles said, pointing at Erica and Boyd. Then he leveled Scott with his best glare, who shifted nervously next to Allison. “And you, my best friend who betrayed my trust and never told me he was a freaking werewolf.”

Scott winced. Stiles fixed Isaac with a flat look.

“And you’re…?”

“Currently single and colorblind.”

“Great. Four werewolves, a hunter, a banshee, a snake, and this is why I never should’ve come back to town.”

“I’m not a snake,” Jackson said, growling. “Anymore.”

“Oh, you’ll always be a snake in my eyes, Jacky-boy.”

“Actually,” Scott said. “There are five werewolves counting Derek. Six if you count his sociopathic uncle but we don’t usually do that.”

Stiles shuddered, glancing around the room. He couldn’t help but notice it was barrenly empty of anyone other than them. “And said Alpha werewolf is…?”

“Oh, he left,” Erica said. “He doesn’t take surprises well.”

“Great, that’s just great. And he kidnapped me because what, my dad’s a little upset that Derek’s been pinned with a couple dozen murders? Because I really don't think I would’ve been very helpful against that.”

“We had orders,” Isaac said, shrugging. “And grabbing you wasn’t that hard.”

“Hey!”

“Derek kidnapped you because he needed leverage if things went wrong,” Allison said. “There’ve been… a few killings in Beacon Hills. Hunters, we think. Going after all those they suspect are supernatural. And every time Derek tries to get out there and stop them, the cops are called in and he gets chased back into hiding. He’s the Alpha of Beacon Hills, but he can’t protect the town if its own police are working against him.”

“They’re just doing their jobs,” Stiles grumbled. Jackson rolled his eyes.

“Yeah, well, people are dying because of them ‘doing their job’, Stilinski. Because of your dad.”

“Keep my dad out of this, slithers.”

Jackson bared his teeth in a snarl. Stiles winced back.

“And stop doing that.”

“The point is,” Boyd said, speaking for the first time. He seemed to have some sort of authority with how everyone went quiet and looked at him. “Derek had his reasons. He wasn’t ever going to do any harm. And it’s true— your dad is getting in the way of all this.”

“He thinks you’re a bunch of criminals, it’s not his fault,” Stiles muttered. Then he looked sharply over at Scott. “Oh my god, does he think you’re a criminal too?”

“Uh, I hope not?”

Lydia rolled her eyes. If he let himself get distracted, Stiles still couldn’t believe that was her actual hair color. He blinked a few times, shaking his head.

How was this his life?

- 

Stiles found himself standing on the sidewalk outside of the loft. It was some ratty place nestled in the middle of nowhere and he thought he could hear the sound of distant sirens. If he ran, Stiles figured he could get away from all this before someone caught him. But he didn’t really see himself running.

All he wanted to do right now, was take in the sights of everything. The moon was yellow, the stars were bright silver, and the night sky was a mix of black and blue. Stiles didn’t think he’d ever seen something so beautiful.

The loft door opened and closed behind him. Stiles glanced back and froze when he saw a familiar Greek God standing a few feet away. Derek didn’t do anything, though, except stand with his hands in his pockets. Relaxing slightly, Stiles turned back forward again.

“It’s uh… really pretty, isn’t it? All the colors.”

Derek moved to his side. Stiles really wanted to look into his eyes— see that stunning shade of green again— but he kept his gaze straight forward instead. 

There were so many colors. Stiles had never realized what he was missing out on until now.

“I don’t know what things I might’ve said that you heard,” Stiles said after a moment. “But I’m sorry. If you uh… you know. Heard me call you a mass murderer and all that.”

“Werewolf hearing is pretty good,” Derek said in soft amusement. It was the third time Stiles had heard his voice and for some reason, that made his stomach flip. Despite himself, he chuckled.

“Yeah, well. Werewolves. That’s a bit more of a shock.”

Derek tensed. Sensing a change of attitude, Stiles backtracked quickly.

“Not like it’s worse, or anything. Just a shock, dude, you know? I mean, imagine learning vampires are real or something.”

Derek didn’t answer that. Stiles spun to face him.

“Oh my god, are vampires real too?”

“No,” Derek said with a huff, meeting his gaze. It was stupid, but Stiles’s breaths left him when he did. And of course, he had no control over his mouth.

“Dude, your eyes are really pretty.”

Derek’s face turned red, the color going all the way to his ears. Stiles clapped his hands over his mouth and blushed too, feeling his face turn hot. 

“Sorry.”

“No, uh,” Derek said, eyes dropping to the ground. “It’s fine.”

“I mean, they are, but—”

Stiles could’ve sworn he heard Derek growl. Just like the first time, except it was a little louder. He thought he saw something red flash in the man’s eyes too. Slowly, Stiles stepped closer. Derek tensed.

“Hey, dude,” Stiles said. “You have other eyes too, right? I mean, Scott’s were gold and Jackson’s were blue…”

Derek looked up, face unreadable. “I don’t think you really want to see.”

“I mean, they’re not scary, right?”

The man didn’t answer. Stiles clenched his jaw, cursing himself, and nearly tried to say something else, when the loft door suddenly slammed open again. Boyd came out, eyes snapping between the two of them, and he fixed his gaze on Derek.

“We’ve got an issue across town. Call for help about hunters.”

Derek cursed and broke away from Stiles’s side. Stiles started after him but Derek turned around at the door, looking conflicted for a moment. He opened his mouth like he was going to say something else, but then ducked out of sight. Stiles deflated and Boyd gave him a sympathetic look.

“Stay at the loft,” Boyd said. “Until we get back.”

“But I could—”

“You’d be better out of the way.”

Stiles clenched his jaw, sitting back on his heels as the door closed again. He glared at it for a second, feeling utterly useless, before turning around again. The nighttime air was quiet this time; no sound of distant sirens.

Then suddenly, Stiles heard a footstep. He spun around right as a fist entered his vision and pain exploded through his head. Stiles stumbled back and tripped over his own feet, falling to the ground hard. 

He didn’t even have a chance to curse before a fist was entering his vision again. Stiles’s head bounced off the cement and for the second time that day, all he saw was black.

It was becoming a habit, it seemed.

- 

Stiles was starting to think people liked restraining him to chairs. 

He woke up with his hands tied behind his back and a whole new wave of pain pounding through his head. He kept his eyes closed this time, trying to feel out his surroundings, but then a hand connected with his cheek, and Stiles’s eyes snapped open as he bit back a cry.

“There you go,” a sneering man said. “Easiest way to wake him up.”

“Easiest way to give him a concussion,” a woman said from the side. Stiles blinked a few times and shook his head, the sting gradually fading as he looked around. His breaths stalled in his throat when he did.

They were in a warehouse of some kind. The ceiling was high and wide, the air was cold and stale. Stiles tugged on the ropes around his wrists before fixing his gaze on the people standing around him. They were all armed, he realized, with guns or knives strapped to their sides and down their legs. It looked like they’d set up camp here, with more piles of weapons tossed to the side.

“You’re hunters,” Stiles said as the realization hit. The woman laughed.

“And you’re a quick one.”

“What the hell do you want with me? I’m not supernatural.”

“No,” the man who’d hit him said, stepping forward and catching his chin. Stiles growled and tried to yank away, and the man chuckled. “But apparently, you’re like catnip to them. Want to explain what the Alpha of Beacon Hills wanted with a twig like you, boy?”

“Go to hell,” Stiles said. “Like I’d know.”

“But he didn’t kill or turn you. That has to mean something. Do you know the Alpha, boy?”

“It’s Stiles,” Stiles spat. The woman raised an eyebrow.

“Odd name.”

“Yeah, I get that a lot. Now, this is the second time today I’ve been kidnapped, and I really just want a nap and a burger. Can we negotiate on that?”

“He’s annoying,” the man said. The woman grinned.

“I think he’s cute.”

Stiles wrinkled his nose at that. He did another sweep of the warehouse and took in their numbers; a handful of hunters, no more than ten. But that might not be all of them, he realized.

“The distraction,” he said. “You really out killing more people?”

“We’re out killing bounties,” the woman said, crossing the room and crouching down in front of him. She had dark brown eyes and Stiles thought they would’ve been more threatening without the color. He didn’t like her smile, though. It was sickly sweet. “You aren’t on that list, but we do have some questions, sweetie. Do you realize what kind of beast Hale is?”

Stiles clenched his jaw. The woman smirked.

“You do. What are you then, the boy who runs with wolves? Or are you newer to this than we’d expect?”

He didn’t answer. She pursed her lips and nodded, pushing herself up again.

“They’re monsters, Stiles, you’ve got to realize that. Genetic mutations. It’s a mercy we’re providing, taking them out.”

“They’re not monsters,” Stiles said coldly. He dropped his eyes. “My best friend’s not a monster.”

Interest sparked in her eyes. The woman tilted her head and then pulled back, whispering something in the other man’s ear. His eyes narrowed and his lips twisted up in disgust, but he nodded after a moment. Stiles shifted uncomfortably and the woman turned back to him with a smile on her lips again.

“You know one of them?”

Stiles knew all of them. His stomach flipped and the color green flashed before his eyes for a second. They weren’t monsters. Scott… Derek couldn’t be. Stiles could’ve laughed at that, how quickly his mindset had gone from murderer to something else. Something else, as if he even knew what something else was.

Except Derek hadn’t wanted Stiles to see his real face, had he? As if it was something to be ashamed of. Like it was something monstrous. 

I mean, they’re not scary, right?

Stiles swallowed hard. 

Another man suddenly came forward, saying something Stiles couldn’t catch to the woman. Her eyes sparked with interest again and she grinned, looking at Stiles with a new expression. His gut twisted uncomfortably.

“You’re the Sheriff’s kid?”

Shit. “What of it?”

“You know that’s why Hale wanted you,” she said. “Imagine if he had the Sheriff’s kid to use as leverage. Oh, imagine if he turned the Sheriff’s kid. What could the law do against him then?”

Stiles drew back. Derek wouldn’t have— that wasn’t the plan. It couldn’t have been. The woman sighed and leaned forward, patting his cheek. Stiles drew away with a snarl.

“It’s alright, kid,” she said. “We’ve got you now.”

Stiles really didn’t think that was a good thing. He watched her turn away and the other man gave him a feral sneer before following. Stiles twisted his wrists in the ropes again and cursed.

But things could be worse, right? Stiles felt like things could be worse.

Suddenly, there was a distant shout and a series of gunshots. The entire room went silent and the shots cut off. Every eye turned to look at him and Stiles swallowed hard, hating himself and everything this day had turned into.

Because yeah, that could be worse.

A howl pierced the air and the room erupted into chaos. 

Stiles cursed and yanked on the ropes binding his wrists together. The warehouse doors suddenly burst open and the air filled with the sound of cocking guns. Stiles yanked sideways with all his might and ended up tipping— he had a split second of realization before he was crashing onto his side with a grunt.

“Sweet freaking Jesus,” he said. The movies always made escape look easier.

Suddenly, there was a yank on his wrist. Stiles yelped and felt something sharp press against his skin. It took him a moment to realize they were claws.

“Hold still,” a voice growled. Derek. Stiles twisted and tried to get a good look, but the man ducked his face away before Stiles could. 

The claw sliced through the ropes and Stiles scrambled forward, pulling himself up. By the time he was on his feet again, Derek’s claws were gone and he was tensed, scanning the room. Stiles glanced over at the chaos to see the others in their beta forms; a flash of golden eyes here, a sharp howl there. Stiles startled as Derek caught his shoulder and tugged him back, away from the fighting.

“Dude,” Stiles said, trying to shake him off. Derek didn’t let go, pulling him toward the other side of the warehouse. Toward another exit, Stiles realized. He yanked harder and stumbled away, rubbing at his raw wrists. “Dude, shouldn’t you be back there helping your pack?”

“Don’t call me dude,” Derek groused. “They’ll be fine. You need to get out of here.”

“I’m not some token human, you know,” Stiles said, following after him. He thought he heard the sound of sirens now, which was just great. “I can fend for myself.”

Derek shot him a raised eyebrow. Stiles rolled his eyes. 

“I was taken by surprise.”

“I’m sorry,” Derek said, and Stiles blinked in surprise. “That shouldn’t have happened.”

“Du- Derek, why are you apologizing?”

Derek didn’t answer, starting toward the door. They were less than five feet away when a gunshot cracked through the air.

Stiles spun around, expecting pain. But it wasn’t aimed for him.

Derek roared in pain, dropping to one knee. Stiles’s heart stopped when he saw the hole in his stomach; the blood already welling. Out of the shadows came the woman, a pistol in hand and a smirk on her lips.

“Aw, Derek,” she said. “Does that sting a little?”

“Kate,” Derek growled, blood splattering his lips. The woman— Kate— stopped a few feet away and smiled, raising an eyebrow.

“You miss me, sweetie?”

Stiles snapped back to reality, shoving himself between them. Kate’s eyebrows shot up and her lips pursed in amusement. 

“Oh,” she said, sounding mockingly disappointed. “Honey, don’t choose sides now. I’ll put the mutt out of his misery and you can go free to daddy. You hear those sirens, don’t you? They’ll be here in a few minutes, I expect. Maybe even less.”

“No,” Stiles said, surprised his voice wasn’t shaking. He’d never actually stared down the barrel of a gun before, but he was pretty sure this wasn’t going to end well for one of them. “You won’t kill him. I won’t let you.”

“Let me?” Kate asked, laughing. Derek made a soft noise behind him and Stiles resisted the urge to turn around. “Oh, come on, kid. This isn’t a fight you’ll win. Tell you what, move aside and I’ll let you take the credit for taking out murderer Hale here. You’ll be the town hero. Think about it.”

“I’m not a killer.”

“Oh, but sweetie,” Kate said. “He is.”

Stiles clenched his fists. Kate chuckled. 

“Have you seen his red eyes? Do you know what they look like? People say they’re the color of blood. Alpha eyes resemble the innocent lives they’ve taken, kid. Do you realize what that has to look like?”

Stiles’s heart thudded against his chest. But slowly, he unclenched his fists, staring at her. Because it clicked, then. 

“No,” he said. “I don’t. But you don’t either, do you?”

Kate’s smile faltered. Stiles bared his teeth in a sneer, straightening his shoulders.

“You have no idea what they look like. And you know what,” he said, “I wouldn’t either. Until about twelve hours ago. And you know why that is?”

Kate’s eyes turned hard. Stiles glanced over his shoulder and met Derek’s gaze. He was hunched over, a hand wrapped around his chest as his shirt turned red with blood. His face was half-shifted and Stiles met green eyes. Green eyes— and he thought that was all that mattered.

“You,” Kate said incredulously, drawing his attention back. “You?”

“Guess so,” Stiles said, turning back to her. “Guess I’m the boy that runs with wolves.”

Kate’s lips curled up in a snarl and she raised the gun again. Stiles leaped forward, catching her wrist, and twisted. Kate cried out and the gun clattered to the floor. A wild fist connected with his cheek but Stiles refused to let go, hooking his foot underneath hers and pulling hard. They both went tumbling to the floor. 

Stiles thought he heard Derek shout his name.

He reached over Kate’s head, scrabbling for the gun. She kicked up and caught him in the stomach and Stiles cursed, seeing stars. But his fingers still wrapped around cool metal and he shoved himself away, stumbling to his feet. Kate pushed herself up too and Stiles lifted the gun, a trembling finger wrapping around the trigger.

She went still, looking at him. Then her eyes flashed and she sneered.

“Can you pull the trigger, kid?”

Stiles’s hand trembled. Kate scoffed and stepped forward.

“You’re not a killer.”

“No,” Stiles said, heart in his throat. “Guess I’m not.”

Kate’s eyes flashed in triumph. But then Stiles aimed the gun downward and pulled the trigger twice, and her scoff turned into a cry of pain as she fell to the floor. Stiles stumbled backward and the gun slipped from his fingers, clattering to the floor. He kicked it away and turned to Derek, falling to his knees at his side.

“Hey, hey,” Stiles said. “Oh my god, you’re bleeding. It’s bad. Can you heal through this? Derek, why aren’t you healing through this?” 

“Wolfsbane,” Derek said raspily, eyes half-closed. “Like poison.”

“I don’t— I can’t— is there anything I can do? God, Derek, you’re not allowed to die on me.”

“Not here,” Derek said. Stiles tipped his chin up but Derek looked sharply away, teeth bared slightly. Stiles caught a flash of red and stilled. Derek’s chest rose and fell in heaves.

“Hey,” Stiles said softly. “Derek?”

“You don’t want to see.”

“I do,” Stiles said. “I… I do, Derek. Can you show me your eyes?”

Derek didn’t move for a second. Stiles swallowed and slowly, the man turned his face back. His eyes opened to reveal the color of crimson red that glowed slightly in the darkness. Stiles’s breaths caught in his throat and Derek started to turn away, but Stiles reached forward and touched his cheek. 

Carefully, he moved his fingers up, touch ghosting over Derek’s forehead and following the shifted ridges above his eyes. Stiles cupped his palms against Derek’s face and leaned forward, touching his forehead against Derek’s own.

“They’re beautiful. Both kinds.”

Derek sighed. 

“But, uh,” Stiles said. “Maybe we should get out of here?”

Quietly, the man nodded. Pulling back, Stiles linked an arm underneath his shoulders and grunted as he hefted the werewolf up. He took a few stumbling steps sideways and nearly lost his balance, but found it at the last minute, starting toward the doorway. One step after another, Derek’s feet shuffling on the floor.

“You’re a fool, kid,” a voice called behind them. Stiles paused and turned around. Kate sneered up from the floor. “You’re saving a monster.”

“No,” Stiles said. “But I am sparing one. Hope you have a good explanation for the police.”

“You’re making a mistake.”

“Don’t convince me to pull the trigger again.”

Her sneer slipped. Stiles turned and half-carried, half-lugged Derek toward the door. He thought she said something else, but he wasn’t listening this time.

Stiles came outside to the wail of sirens and the sound of echoing voices on the other side of the warehouse. Clenching his jaw, he turned away and started toward the empty street in the other direction.

Derek was unconscious by the time Scott found them. But he was still alive.

And that’s all that mattered.

- 

Stiles flipped through the folder for a third time, scanning the pictures and reports and everything they’d managed to scrounge together. He tried not to shift again in the chair beside the bed; Lydia had already informed him he was stressing everyone out by squirming. And then they’d still ended up leaving because he still couldn’t stop.

His eyes rested on a picture in the corner; one of a younger Derek and flashing eyes against the camera. Stiles studied it, shaking his head.

“Nice.”

“S… Stiles?”

Stiles jumped, nearly spilling the entire contents of the folder onto the floor. Over on the bed beside him, Derek blinked over, and Stiles straightened, grinning widely.

“Dude, you’re awake!”

Derek winced slightly. Stiles blushed and lowered his voice.

“Sorry. How are you feeling?”

“Are we at the loft?”

“Straight from the vet’s office,” Stiles said. “I can’t believe you guys actually go to the vet for an injury. I mean… that’s kind of funny, right?”

Derek blinked at him, raising a brow. Stiles chuckled nervously.

“Don’t look at me like that. It is.”

“What happened?”

“Well,” Stiles said, waving the folder through the air. “The police arrested one Kate Argent for possession of unregistered weapons and murder on three accounts. And once this baby is delivered, we think it’ll be enough to up that charge to…” Stiles’s smile slipped. “Well, a lot more.”

Derek looked confused. Stiles lowered his eyes, shrugging slightly. 

“It might be enough to clear you.”

“What?”

“I mean, I still need to talk to my dad. And he might have to know about some things. Like, werewolfy things, if that’s okay with you. But I think we could figure this out, dude. I think we could clear you.”

Derek stared at him. Stiles licked his lips nervously, glancing back up.

“Is that okay?”

“You did that,” Derek said. “For me.”

“Of course,” Stiles said. I mean, I do have a degree in criminology. And it’d be nice to go to the grocery store without getting arrested, right?”

Derek didn’t say a word. A knot formed in Stiles’s stomach.

“Unless that’s not what you wanted.”

“No,” Derek said, sitting up with a small wince. “It is, of course, it is. I just— why?”

“Because,” Stiles said. “You’re innocent.”

Derek’s face tightened. Before he could say a word, Stiles leaned forward and caught his hand. Derek blinked in surprise and his eyes snapped up to meet Stiles’s.

“I know I don’t know everything about your past,” Stiles said softly. “I mean… you know. But Derek, you’re not what Kate says. Or what any of them say. And I swear to god, if I have to find all the evidence in the world to prove that, I will.”

Derek looked at him quietly. Stiles started to pull his hand away, but Derek held on tighter, fingers intertwining with his own. “Thank you.”

“Yeah, well,” Stiles said, ducking his head. “Maybe I’d do anything for those eyes.”

The tips of Derek’s ears turned red. Stiles chuckled.

“They're pretty,” he said. “Both of them.”

“Even the red?”

“Even the red.”

“And,” Derek said slowly. “If they were blue?”

Stiles blinked in confusion. But, seeing Derek’s face and nervous expression, he found himself nodding. “Blue’s just pretty.”

Derek’s face softened. He tugged on Stiles’s hand and Stiles set the folder aside, moving over to sink down on the edge of the bed beside him. Stiles raised a brow and Derek rolled his eyes, touching his forehead against Stiles’s own.

“Thank you.”

“Oh my god, you are a sap.”

Derek laughed. Stiles hesitated for a moment, before leaning closer and touching his lips against Derek’s own. The first brush was soft; careful. Stiles closed his eyes and hummed quietly, which made Derek growl. Chuckling, he pressed forward a little more, fingers brushing along Derek’s jaw and moving up into his hair. The man growled lower.

It sent shivers down his spine.

Before Stiles had known colors, he’d categorized them as feelings. Green, he thought, was two seconds ago. Red was if things went on for another five minutes or so. But this? This was vibrant. A color he didn’t quite know yet— or he hadn’t yet seen.

He thought it’d be hilarious if it was bright pink.

[maximit3]

Hello Hi Magic Max, I have a request. Ok ok ok so first Pirates aiight.... now hear me out, hear me out Pirates with Baku as captain of the ship and Bakusquad as the crew... idk what they’re doing, maybe they’re trying to race to find treasure before Dekusquad. Idk it’s all up to you. I just know I would love to see Baku and pirates. Ok thank you love you byeeee 💖😘

Oh, my sweet sweet soulmate whom i love with all of my heart, you know not what you ask for! I spiraled into pirate oblivion just to make sure I had the correct terminology and I’m pretty sure I still messed some of that up! Anyways enjoy your gift!!!  

Side Note my Request are OPEN~~~~~~

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Avast!

“Deku!” Bakugo’s voice carried loud over the roar of the ocean, blending with the wind. 

The ship cut through the waves and rocked as sails unfurled and snapped into place. With a lurch, the ship began to gain speed.

“Captain, we’re catching up!” Kirishima called. His sharp teeth glinted in the sunlight.

“Of course we are, you idiot. Racoon Eyes and Dunce Face, get those sails at full canvas! Tape arms!” Bakugo called to the crows nest.

Sero peered over the edge to look down. “Aye, captain?” 

“If those ropes break, it’ll be your head!” The Captains glare burned hotter than the sun.

Sero nodded. When the captain turned his back, he smiled at the rest of the crew energized by Bakugos competitive nature.

“Deku!” Bakugo hollered again, “I’m coming for you. That treasure is mine!” 

The ship lurched, gaining more speed, and, on the horizon, land came into view.

The second ship in the water seemed to be paying no mind to their pursuers as they prepared to make land. 

“Captain Deku. We’re reaching the sand bar.” Uraka called, smiling cheerfully as she steered the ship closer and closer to the approaching island.

At the bow of the ship stood a wild haired captain with a determined grimace on his face. He wasn’t ready to celebrate just yet.

“Everyone stay focused, and ready the dingys so we can disembark fast. Kaachan isn’t going to give us much of a head start.” Carried by the wind, Deku’s voice rang clear across his ship.

“I don’t know if we stand a chance at beating them.” 

“Hey now, you must not disrespect our captain. As his first mate, it is my duty to be sure that the crew stays in line with his orders. We must hurry!” Iida called back sternly. 

“Ribbit, sure, but their ship is faster than ours.” Tsu said crawling across some of the rigging.

“We’ll make it. You’ll see. I believe in Captain Deku.” Shouto droned as he watched the other ship creep up next to them.

“Here we go!” Deku suddenly cried. 

“Get ready, you losers.” Bakugo screamed and jumped from the bridge and into the longboat. It started to descend the second his weight settled.

“Iida, stay on ship while I’m away. Todoroki, Tsu, Uraka, grab those oars and let's go. We have to win!” Deku’s voice was commanding and firm.

Both dinghys hit the water at the same time. Just for a second everything was still and all was quiet.

Then…

“Lets go!” Both captains screamed at the same time.

With that, both boats began to move, and soon were zipping through the ocean at breakneck speeds.

“If they get there before we do, I'll kill each and everyone of you, and then I’ll kill them!” Bakugo’s veins began to show on his neck. 

His crew rolled their eyes at his dramatics, but began rowing harder nonetheless. They began to pull forward and take the lead.

“No, we have to keep pace!” Deku grabbed an oar and began rowing with his crew, but it was useless. Bakugo’s crew was just too far ahead.

“Captain, listen to me, I don’t think we’ll beat them there. But, I have a plan if you’ll allow me to speak.” Shouto’s voice called over the roar of the waves.

Deku didn’t say anything and only nodded his head; his muscles were tense as he rowed along with his crew toward the shore determined to win.

“Asui is our fastest runner next to Ida. I vote once on land, we intersect the Bakugo’s crew and hold them off. We can give her time to get the treasure first, and hopefully remove it from play before they even know what hit them.”

“Can you do it, Tsu?” Deku called as he watched the shoreline grow.

“Ribbit, Todoroki’s plan makes sense. I can do it.” Tsu responded as waves misted across the boat's surface.

“Then get ready, because we’re about to hit. The second we get to shore, you jump and run. We’ll take care of the rest.” Deku’s voice was steeled and his brows furrowed with concentration.

He saw Bakugo’s boat hit the shore, and a second later the boat jerked toa  stop in the sand. Tsu reacted fast. She jumped out and began to dart for the path that led to the treasure.

“Not so fast, frog girl!” Bakugo had drawn his pistol and had it pointed at the ground in front of Tsu Threateningly.

Tsu turned just in time to see her Captain Deku sprint full on at Captain Bakugo with his sword drawn. He hit the gun toting captain with the hilt of his sword. Bakugo growled in pain as he dropped the pistol from his hand. Tsu, seeing her opportunity began to sprint once more her feet pushing against the rough sand. 

“I can’t let you get that treasure!” Deku yelled. He held his sword between them and challenged the other captain to make a move.

“Get out of my way, you pathetic wimp!” Bakugo growled and drew his own sword.

There was a tense moment. Only the sound of waves crashing against the shore filled the air, and everything felt as if it was frozen in time.

A sudden break of cannon fire startled everyone on the beach as a large ship loomed from the right side of the island. Standing at its bow was a man with hair like sand smirking ruthlessly. In front of him was a chest opened to reveal mounds of gold and jewels.

“Well, look at all of you little ants scrambling for something that's already been stolen from you. Just remember the next time you cross my seas, I’ll always be one step ahead of you.”

The man winked and the sails of his ship unfurled behind him. They were scarlet red with gold wings stitched into the center. 

“I am the great Pirate Lord Hawks, hunter of the ocean. Next time you’ll do well to stay out of my way.” 

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I hope you liked it! I might one day write you a better Hawks Pirate AU! 

[emy-loves-you]

Sanders Sides AU-gust Day 16: Treasure Hunters

Patton and Logan are husbands and partners, traveling across the globe in search of hidden treasures. The one expedition that Patton can’t attend, Logan bites off more than he can chew. Patton/Logan POV, Logicality and Prinxiety

Day 15 | Masterlist | Day 17

Patton sighed as his husband ran around the kitchen. “Lo, I can clean up on my own.”

Logan huffed as he finished cleaning up breakfast. “Your metatarsal is fractured, Patton. I do not want you performing any strenuous activities and potentially hurting yourself.” He gestured to Patton’s foot, which was wrapped up in a light blue cast. “Besides, what kind of husband would I be if I couldn’t help my love when he’s injured?”

Patton smiled. “You’d still be my perfect hubby.” He slowly got out of his chair in the dining room, using his crutches to maneuver himself. “If you won’t let me clean up, then I’ll be crocheting in the living room.” He made his way to the living room, his eyes briefly moving towards the different photos and artifacts that lined the walls. Every inch of this room painted a picture of their lives. Patton and Logan Sanders. Archaeologists/Treasure Hunters of 12 years, husbands of 10. Patton sighed dreamily, remembering when they’d met on the outskirts of Turkey. It had been love at first sight (in Patton’s opinion at least). Patton continued to reminisce as he sat on the couch, pulling out a scarf he was making. It was currently early November, and Patton wanted to make scarves and hats for the two of them to wear when it started to snow here in New York.

Eventually, Logan finished cleaning the kitchen and joined Patton in the living room. Patton made his scarf while Logan leaned on his side, reading a book. Patton glanced at the book a bit back a snort. Judging by the images, it seemed to be an instructional book for reading hieroglyphics (in Egyptian of course. Logan was so extra when it came to learning). They spent the next few hours in relative silence, the occasional clink of crochet hooks or the turn of a page lulling them deeper into the peaceful scenario they’ve created.

Eventually, Logan sat his book down and spoke. “I can still cancel my trip.”

Patton shook his head. “You’ve always wanted to go to Egypt, Lo. And who knows when you’ll get another opportunity like this. You’re gonna be the first person to see inside that tomb!”

Logan sighed. “But it won’t be the same without you there beside me.”

Patton chuckled, running his fingers through Logan’s hair. “I’m sure you’ll have fun. And as soon as you get back, we’ll have the rest of the years to ourselves. I’ll even bake you a pie for when you get back!”

Logan winced. “Please don’t. I’ll just be worrying about you getting burnt the entire expedition.”

Patton smiled softly. “Then I’ll make you something that doesn’t require an oven.” He leaned down to kiss Logan’s forehead. “I’ll be fine on my own, I promise.”

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

Patton sighed as he took in the now empty house. The expedition was set to last for three weeks. Three weeks of crocheting and cleaning and not having a worrywart husband breathing down his neck (Patton loved Logan’s protectiveness, but sometimes it was just too much). Patton hummed to himself as he sat down to finish his scarf. He wanted to get all of the scarves and hats done before Logan got back.

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

Logan sighed as he listened to the local’s ramblings. Usually Patton was the one to gather public information while Logan gathered written information, but sadly his love wasn’t here with him. Logan ignored the thoughts and focused on what the man was saying.

Apparently, one of the men had stumbled upon the undiscovered tomb of King Roman, one of the less commonly known Pharaohs. That was because he never took a lover. Well, he never took a female lover. While his twin brother Remus provided heirs and directed the kingdom financially, King Roman was the general of his armies. He was present in nearly every battle alongside Virgilius, his second-in-command. They were suspected to be in a romantic relationship, and it was rumored that after Roman and Virgilius died on the battlefield, Remus preserved both of their bodies in the pyramid. While the textbooks say it’s because Virgilius was Roman’s loyal protector, most people believed it was because of their relationship. It was said that after King Roman was killed on the battlefield, Virgilius slaughtered the opposing army single-handedly before dying. Whether he died from battle wounds or if he took his own life was up to interpretation.

None of the locals wished to enter the pyramid, lest they be cursed. Logan knew the real reason, however. Homosexuality was still illegal in Egypt. They most likely either didn’t wish to sully themselves by entering the resting place of a homosexual ruler, or they were afraid that they would get ‘cursed with homosexuality’ if they trespassed. The amount of aggression towards homosexuality upset Logan greatly, and for the first time on this expedition, he was thankful that Patton was not present. It was upsetting enough to still be using his original surname (he had taken Patton’s last name when they married, but he used ‘Croft’ in all work-related scenarios in case the country they were in was homophobic), but it was always soul-crushing to treat Patton as nothing more than a coworker on these expeditions.

Logan fiddled with the thin chain of his necklace, where his wedding ring sat under his clothes. He was only a few days in, and he was already wishing to see Patton again.

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

Patton took off his wedding ring and pulled on a pair of rubber gloves. Today was cleaning day!

Patton hummed several tunes under his breath as he cleaned the house from top to bottom. Even with a broken foot, he completed each task efficiently and enthusiastically. He cleaned the bathrooms, the kitchen, the bedroom, the guest bedroom, and now he was cleaning the living room. He whistled as he dusted off different artifacts and photo frames. He smiled fondly as he dusted a photo from their wedding day. He let his mind be pulled back to memory land as he cleaned. Everything from that day brought happy tears to his eyes. From the preparations, to Logan’s face as he saw Patton walking down the aisle, even the brief scare when they couldn’t find the rings. Patton felt his eyes water as he blew some dust off of the frame, their wedding vows playing in his head.

‘I will love you, forever and always’

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

Logan felt his eyes water as he blew the dust off of the sarcophagus. There were multiple hieroglyphics and what appeared to be old Latin written on the casing. Logan struggled to read it.

‘...find...afterlife...live again...forever and always’

Logan snapped a few pictures with his camera. Latin was Patton’s area of expertise. Maybe he could decipher it when he got home. Logan examined the sarcophagus. It appeared to be the tomb of Virgilius. Logan opened up the sarcophagus and was unsurprised to find a mummified corpse. What did surprise him was the necklace around the mummy’s neck. Logan readjusted his gloves before carefully removing the necklace. It was a beautiful onyx color with what appeared to be amethyst gemstones. Logan carefully sealed it in a plastic bag before setting it inside of his satchel. Once he discovered nothing else of value in the room, he closed the sarcophagus before making his way to the next room. He left the mummy alone for now; it would most likely be donated to a museum, and he had multiple days to analyze the body before then.

After a few more hours of searching, Logan finally found what he assumed to the sarcophagus of King Roman. The inscription on this tomb was less corroded, and Logan was able to read another part of it.

‘...find...afterlife...blood...awaken...live again...forever and always’

Logan took another photo before opening the sarcophagus. Like Virgilius. Roman’s mummified corpse had a piece of jewelry on it. It was a gold bracelet with ruby gemstones. Logan went to remove the bracelet when it suddenly moved. Logan watched as the bracelet shot up and latched itself onto the sliver of bare skin between Logan’s glove and arm. He went to remove the bracelet and quickly found that he couldn’t. It looked as if it had melded to his skin. Logan turned back to the mummy and screamed.

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

Patton screamed as he smacked the wall with his broom. Spider spider HATE SPIDERS! Patton continued to scream and smack until he was sure that the spider was dead. Even then, Patton couldn’t stop his racing heart. Not for the first time since Logan left, Patton had wished he didn’t tell Logan to go. Patton depended on Logan, just as Logan depended on Patton. They needed each other for physical, mental, and emotional support. And for killing creepy-crawly death dealers.

Patton jumped as he heard his phone ring. He smiled as he read the caller ID: Lolo <3. Patton quickly answered the phone. “Hey Lo, you will not believe what just happened-”

“I’m coming home.”

Patton was shocked at being cut off, then frowned at what Logan said. “Why?” Logan was only 3 days into his expedition. This was probably the first day he’d entered the pyramid. So why was he already leaving?

Logan’s voice was shaky as he answered. “I-I’ll show you when I get home, Pat. You wouldn’t believe me if I told you over the phone.”

Patton snorted. “Lo, I took you to a fairy circle on our anniversary. Try me.”

Logan sighed. “King Roman, the dead Pharoh? He’s not dead anymore.”

[vaindumbass]

[[here’s a drabble for @hazplupin mainly based on this post! It’s meant to take place in their amazing au (masterpost). See it as my way to celebrate/mourn the end of the series (and to thank the incredible creator of course)]]

He couldn’t help but smile as he petted their cat. Harry was really looking forward to the party, and to seeing all his friends again.  

Unfortunately, he couldn’t sit and pet cats all day. He tried to get up (he really tried), but Laura looked at him with those big eyes, and it was a lost cause.  

Even his dads weren’t there to tell him to get up, seeing as they were having a date.

The only reason that he still got up (one hour later) was Ron’s reaction if he would hear that Harry hadn’t drunk water for a whole midday again. The last time Ron had called Molly, his mother, and it hadn’t been pretty.

When he walked into the kitchen, however, there was someone already standing there.

“Hi Harry!”, Luna said brightly, handing him a mug filled with some muddy brown liquid, “Are you excited for the party?”

Harry took the mug (he didn’t want to be rude), and said: “How in the world did you get in? And not that I’m not happy to see you, but why are you here? Did something happen?”

“I was bored, and I saw your snap, so I thought I should bring over Mouse for a play-date.”

Only then did Harry see the cat that was sunbathing on their windowsill. The very small amount of irritation he’d harboured for Luna because she’d barged in unannounced dissipated instantly.

“You were bored?”, He asked with a smile. He’d already heard from Ginny that she wanted Luna to help with the preparations for the party, “Isn’t Ginny keeping you busy?”

Luna suddenly got a little bit too close for comfort, her big eyes entirely focused on him.

“Harry James Potter-Lupin", she started, scrutinising him closely, “Was that an euphemism?”  

“Wha-”, Harry felt a blush creep up his cheeks, and stepped back to create some space between them, “No! Although... Maybe it was? I just meant that I’m surprised you’re here! In a good way!”

Luna laughed at him. Seeing his betrayed expression, she said: “I’m sorry Harry, It’s just nice to not be the one who says ridiculous things for a change.”

He really wanted to switch to a different topic. “So, why did you name your cat Mouse?”

“As a reminder that our perceptions of hunter and prey can be easily shifted, and that a name can be deceptive. It shows the intricate-”

Luna hadn’t stopped talking, but Harry had stopped listening. He knew Luna didn’t mind, and she had a pretty calming voice.

He studied the mug. It seemed to be some princess merchandise, and it looked old. It didn’t belong to him, and he was pretty sure Draco had never owned any cheap merchandise in his whole life.

He interrupted Luna: “Is this your mug?”

“Yes! Do you like it? You can keep it, I’ve got more at home!”

“Oh...”, Harry studied the mug again, and said tentatively: “Thanks?”

Luna reached out to him, “I can take it back if you don’t want it.”

He immediately clutched the mug close to his chest. “What? No! It will come in handy for the party later.”

“Oh, yes, the party.” Luna replied dreamily, but also like she knew that he’d treasure the mug forever. (Harry still wasn’t used to receiving gifts)

“Anyway”, he coughed, turning around in the direction of the bedroom, “You said something about a play-date?”

“I did!”

~~~

Harry was in heaven. The two cats got along with each other, and also with him! He was just lying there, in a puddle of fluffy cats, sweet feelings, and good company, when he heard someone enter.

“Oh”, Luna said from where she was sitting on the edge of the bed, “that must be Draco.” She got up. “I’ll make him some tea too!”

Harry, remembering the weird drabby drink he had thrown down the drain, thought: that was supposed to be tea?

~~~

Draco walked in on the cutest sight ever. There was his boyfriend, with truly atrocious bed hair, and the most adorable smile, cuddling two (since when were there two?) incredibly soft-looking cats.

He absolutely had to snap a picture. (It would make an amazing wallpaper), but after he had stopped to take it, he gave in to temptation and lay down beside his boyfriend. (Was he calling Harry his boyfriend too often? Was that even possible?)

“Hey”, Harry said, his voice slightly hoarse.

“Hey”, Draco said, with a soft smile, one hand coming up to play with a lock of Harry’s hair. “Where did you get the second cat?”

“Luna.” Harry replied, as if that answered the whole question; And to be honest, it did.

Harry opened his arms, then, allowing the cats to leave, and of course Draco couldn’t pass out on the opportunity to snuggle even closer to him.

“We should really leave for the party.” Draco said, without even moving an inch.

Harry’s face was really close now, and wow, Draco had forgotten how long his boyfriend's eyelashes were. “In a bit”, Harry said.  

Draco nodded, and then finally did what he’d been wanting to do since he’d seen Harry lying there (who was he kidding, he’d wanted since this the moment he’d left), and kissed him.

Harry kissed him back (remember when Harry had said he was in heaven before? He took that back, this was heaven)

Harry had missed this- had missed him. It was absurd, they hadn’t even been apart that long.

Draco chose that moment to move back a little bit, and to say against Harry’s lips (he didn’t want to move any further than necessary): “I missed you.”

Harry, who’d been thinking the exact same thing, said: “That’s ridiculous. You weren’t even gone for more than three hours.”

Draco grinned. “Three hours longer than I’d wanted to.”

Suddenly the door opened, and Luna walked in with a steaming mug, nothing indicating that she was surprised at their position.

“Draco, I made your tea, but we really have to get going now!”

Reluctantly, they got up. Harry quickly picked up his princess mug, and Luna took Mouse with her, and off they went.

Harry couldn’t help but smile. After all this shit with Cedric, he felt like he deserved a party.

[altumvidetur]

Pacific Rim: Newmann Fic Recs

So, I was thinking about the coronavirus pandemic and what I could do to help people out. I’m isolated because I’m at higher risk, so I can’t really offer to go out for my elderly neighbors or my family… but I thought I could try to help keep people entertained.

Because I don’t have an AO3 account right now, I’ve been compiling fic recs for my own amusement for a year or so. And I thought – maybe that’s the time to share these with everyone? So everyone will have plenty of things to read while they have to stay at home, or even to escape anxiety a little bit if you’re forced to go out.

Of course, these cater to my own tastes, so you may find stuff you don’t like around here. I never include works in progress. The Mature and Explicit works will be in italic. I ask you to READ THE WORK’S TAGS before continuing, so you won’t find anything that makes you uncomfortable.

I haven’t managed to read the whole Newmann tag yet (started on page 183, am now on page 77). From what I’ve gathered, most of these recs are from before Pacific Rim Uprising. I watched that movie (although I wish I hadn’t), so feel free to discuss it. I hope you like them!

“The Things That Stay” ‘verse, by singagainsoon

a collection of non-linear moments, snapshots, tiny dots on an endless timeline

i would kill to make you feel, by singagainsoon

Hermann gets really red when he’s mad - his ears, his cheeks, his stupid fucking cute nose. Even his neck gets these big red spots on it. It’s funny. It’s really, seriously funny.

i’ll be a rockin’, rollin’ bitch for you, by singagainsoon

“Don’t be foolish, Newton. I can think of a hundred better things for you to do with that mouth-“

Entomologist AU, by singagainsoon

Two weeks ago, he’d been in the midst of furiously tapping out an absolutely incensed email to the man who somehow managed to consistently infuriate him from another department, even, and what Hermann would have given then to strangle him, truly - and then Dr. Geiszler himself had appeared in Hermann’s doorway, toeing the carpet with his scuffed up Doc Martens and asking if they might try to talk things out over dinner.

Hermann hadn’t known it was a date.

they did the mash!, by singagainsoon

obligatory newt-wears-a-sexy-halloween-costume-and-hermann-has-to-rail-him-because-he-can’t-help-himself ficlet!! tis the season!!

(video) call me at any time, by singagainsoon

When Newt finds himself away from Hermann for a business trip of sorts, they figure out fairly quickly that they won’t last until Newton comes home.

Good Vibrations, by singagainsoon

“Newton, are you quite certain about this?”

Newt smiles, gives the odd-shaped dildo in his hand a teasing wave and sets it aside in favor of the vibrator. His face seems to hint at something along the lines of Funny Thing To Say When You’ve Just Had A Dildo In Your Ass, but he doesn’t say it.

-

my lovely, talented friend and fellow writer gaby commissioned me to write this piece and let me tell you i had the time of my life (as did hermann, i’m sure)

A Certain Step Towards Falling In Love, by singagainsoon

“You’re terribly lucky, darling, that my father is away,” he says, voice low, smoothing his palm over Newton’s wind-tousled hair.

Eating In, by singagainsoon

It really was supposed to be just a massage.

you make me feel so young, by zach_stone

In the wake of saving the world, Hermann decided to appreciate the little things.

Or, Hermann and Newt go grocery shopping. And, because it’s Newt, shenanigans ensue.

seven minutes in heaven, by zach_stone

Hermann was enjoying a quiet, peaceful morning when Newton burst into the lab and shoved both of them into a closet.

in other words, i love you, by zach_stone

Newt is having a difficult day. Hermann has an idea to make it better.

hold me in this wild, wild world, by zach_stone

Hermann didn’t often allow himself to cry. Humanity was barreling towards the end of days, and he simply didn’t have time to fall to pieces, not when people needed him — needed his work. But four rangers had died. He decided he could allow himself one small moment of grief.

–

Or, some Hermann-centric hurt/comfort because I just want to give him a hug. Set pre-canon.

it might be over soon, by zach_stone

To celebrate a victory, Newt steals a bottle of booze and he and Hermann drink, argue, and maybe finally act on their feelings.

hey i just met you (and this is crazy), by zach_stone

Newt Geiszler accidentally texts the wrong number when trying to message his roommate Raleigh, and instead winds up texting Hermann Gottlieb, who he’s never met.

(AKA a college texting AU that I promise was absolutely necessary)

worthy of celebration, by zach_stone

It’s a well-known fact around the Shatterdome that Hermann does not like his birthday. This year, Newt’s determined to change that.

lab-appropriate decor, by zach_stone

“For god’s sake, Newton, that is wildly inappropriate,” Hermann snapped. “Those things are not cute, they are abominations. I don’t know why I’m surprised, once again you prove that you have no tact —” “Oh, give it a rest, Hermann,” Newton retorted, rolling his eyes. “It’s not an abomination, it’s two feet tall and made of plastic.”

Or, some backstory to the one of the kaiju figures in Hermann’s lab in Uprising.

The Geiszler & Gottlieb Post-Saving-the-World Lecture Tour, by zach_stone

Following Newt and Hermann as they tour universities, argue across podiums, and fall in love.

feel your heartlines, by zach_stone

Newt and Hermann cuddling on the couch at the end of a lazy summer day.

We Don’t Skip A Beat, by decadent_mousse

Summary by me: Newt, Hermann, and their heartbeat over the years. 

the lure of adventure, by zach_stone

Newt is a reckless treasure hunter. Hermann is an intrepid journalist. On their search for some long-lost treasure, they run into a little more trouble than they bargained for.

AU based loosely on the Uncharted video game series - no knowledge of the games needed to understand the fic!

wouldn’t it be nice, by zach_stone

Newt and Hermann spend a day at the beach.

take your time, make it slow, by zach_stone

Hermann was far from shy in bed, but was quick to brush off Newt’s insistent (and one hundred percent correct, Newt might add) claims that he was the sexiest person to walk the earth. Well, if Hermann wouldn’t believe his words, then maybe he’d believe his actions. And Newt was nothing if not a man of action.

–

Prompt fill for Newmann Porn Fest 2018: “Body Worship” !!

when you are close to me, i shiver, by zach_stone

When the heating goes out in the lab, Newt comes up with a great idea on how to stay warm.

–

Another fic for the Newmann Porn Fest 2018! Prompt was “huddling together for warmth” ;)

it suits you, by zach_stone

“Newton, for goodness’ sake, can we just — no.” Hermann frowned at the selections Newt held up in front of him. A pair of overalls and a red-and-black flannel shirt, both Newt’s. “I am not wearing dungarees.” “Okay, first of all, cute that you call them dungarees,” Newt said, grinning. “Second of all, you would look very cute in these, they’re seasonal, and I am not kidding when I say you’ll ruin your slacks if you wear them to a farm.” He wiggled the overalls in Hermann’s direction, the buckles on the braces jingling as he did so. Hermann let out a long-suffering sigh, mostly for show. He really did need to invest in a pair of jeans.

–

Fic for the Newmann SFW Fest! Prompts were “sharing clothes/personal items” and “pumpkin/apple picking”

ease my slumber, by zach_stone

Newt can’t sleep; luckily, Hermann’s got a really soothing voice.

–

Or, a conversation about how Hermann would have a good voice for ASMR turned into this.

pick up and start again, by zach_stone

“This,” Hermann says imperiously, glaring at Newt from the other side of the elevator, “is your fault.”

Newt whips around to face him so fast he almost loses his balance. “My fault?! How the hell is this my fault?!” He gestures wildly at the elevator door. “Oh, I’m so sorry, I forgot it was my personal responsibility to make sure this piece of shit elevator is maintained so I don’t get trapped in it with the most annoying person in the Shatterdome —”

“You’re always trapped with yourself though, aren’t you?” Hermann sneers, and Newt lets out a hysterical bark of laughter. This cannot be happening. Of all the times for the elevator to break down between floors, it has to happen now, when he and Hermann are in the midst of a fight that’s quickly blown itself out of proportion.

–

Newt and Hermann get stuck in an elevator, and are forced to work out some of their shit.

just your touch could cure my lonesome blood, by zach_stone

Four times all Newt needed was a hug from Hermann, and one time it was the other way around.

(Or, sentimental cuddling: the fic.)

Heart and Soul, by zach_stone

A quiet day in the lab is interrupted when Newt coerces Hermann into playing piano with him.

My contribution to The Last Line of Defense Zine (spring 2019)!

Lullaby & Rain, by j_gabrielle

It still blows his mind, still makes him stop in his frenetic need to move, speak and think whenever he remembers that Hermann…

Whatever Hermann is to him these days.

Carry Me To You, by j_gabrielle

For the prompt on the kink meme that asked for; Hermann/Newton. Lab sex

the world ablaze, that’s the best for me, by postcardmystery

Summary by me: Newt and Hermann are two unstoppable forces of nature.

Please, Sir, May I Have Another, by eigengrau

It isn’t until Newt is bent over the desk, papers and glass specimen jars strewn about like the debris of a hurricane, white-knuckling the hard stainless steel with his pants around his ankles, that he realizes the gravity of the situation.

Hide and Seek, by DoubleStashed

Summary by me: Hermann Gottlieb - life and love for Newt Geiszler.

pull the trigger without thinking, by liginamite

It’s manageable for the first few days. Shared emotions, shared thoughts, words spoken in unison. But it’s only when they share a nightmare born of memories that it finally occurs to them that maybe this isn’t going to go away.

Rechtsbrecher, by Ezlebe

“If you’ve lost your key again, you’re not getting another,” Hermann says, sidestepping past Newton’s hunched form on the steps.

Darling, by BeeLove

In which Newton rides Hermann for all he’s worth. Or at least tries to.

unravelling, by kiyala

It’s been a while since Newton’s taken his meds. Hermann begins to notice.

All of Your Flaws and All of My Flaws, by CinnamonCake

Hermann is still there tomorrow and the day after and Newton tries to not break his face with the door again.

and i fell fine, by ohgod

The other night I dreamt of knives, continental drift divide –

what history has given me, by kiyala

In which Newton is a girl and she really doesn’t have the time for your shit.

Solving For X, by griesly

No matter what opinion Doctor Gottlieb had proclaimed concerning his tattoos on numerous occasions, Newt knew the score. He’d glimpsed a heady rush of somewhat mortified appreciation, just an old memory surfacing in the Drift from the first time Newt rolled up his sleeves in the lab. He could still feel it like a taut string in Hermann’s mind, in the same way he knew his lab partner was too surly to ever admit it. It was all tangled up with his impression of the way Newt approached the world, a precisely calibrated instrument in one hand and a nail-bat in the other. Newt had to smile at the way Hermann saw him, a churlish adolescent and a half-mad genius all wrapped up in a hurricane.

…or, sometimes even the sharpest minds in the PPDC can be excused for a being a bit dense.

Towards, by orphan_account

Based vaguely off the Lemony Snicket quote: “When someone is crying, of course, the noble thing to do is to comfort them. But if someone is trying to hide their tears, it may also be noble to pretend you do not notice them.”

Hermann finds Newt in the lab after the clock stops, and realizes that sometimes all you can do is wait.

Dear Diary,, by ohgod

That is way, way, WAY too close to my whole InuYasha phase. Do-over!

the night will go on, by ohgod

Mako is sheltered, Herc is old, Raleigh doesn’t want to know about any of this, and Tendo is a perpetual asshole.

I Get My Kicks Above the Waistline, Sunshine, by ambitiousbutrubbish

Summary by me: Newton’s exploration of his asexuality.

corpus callosum, by hieronyma

1 + 1 = 1.

when it’s broken, it’s perfect, by liginamite

Love is not divided up into neat little graphs and numbers and theorems, able to be charted if one only took the time and effort to do so. No, love is… it is unpredictable and volatile. Hermann doesn’t really do unpredictable and volatile, but with Newt he doesn’t have much of a say in the matter.

After the Rockets Calm, by callmejude

written for the kink meme prompt: “The morning after Newt and Hermann sleep together for the first time, Hermann comes over all ridiculously British and can’t cope with the intimacy and loss of inhibition. Newt is having none of that nonsense and tells him to quit fussing and come back to bed for snuggles.”

behind us, by kiyala

After the Breach is closed, Newt asks Hermann to go to Boston with him. Hermann doesn’t leave.

They Say It’s Your Birthday, by callmejude

for the kink meme prompt: These two have worked together for many years, and obviously have had to continue working through special occasions, including their birthdays. I know they strongly disliked each other, but deep down they are good friends and I’d love to see anything (slashy or friendshippy) showing how they acknowledge or celebrate birthdays. I’m betting Newt is secretly into baking and Hermann comes in one day on his birthday not expecting anyone to even know, only to find a Kaiju shaped cake on his desk with a sparkler or a candle stuck messily in the centre. Or or or Newt comes in on his 30th birthday and he’s like depressed and absurdly quiet for the day cause he’s not ready to be that old and Hermann realizes why he’s being all docile so he takes off at lunch only to return with pizza and stuff to cheer Newt up and celebrate his birthday. OR YOU KNOW ANYTHING YOU WANT.

within reason, by kiyala

Newt goes to the Skull Temple after the Breach is closed. Hermann goes with him.

pull you through the mirror (before you come undone), by griesly

The War is over. The war is over, and everyone else has something important to do and somewhere else to be except Newt.

shaken, by kiyala

Newton has nightmares. Sometimes, Hermann has them too. 

Imagine Sisyphus Happy, by Jenni_Snake

They’re colonists… we’ve practically terraformed it for them. -Dr. Newton Geiszler

“The thing we saw with the Europeans was that they wanted their new world enough: they didn’t care who stood in their way.” -Dr. Melanie Mountain Horse

“Do not rely not on the likelihood of the enemy’s not coming, but on our own readiness to receive them.” -Sun Tsu

“The gods had condemned Sisyphus to ceaselessly rolling a rock to the top of a mountain, whence the stone would fall back of its own weight. They had thought with some reason that there is no more dreadful punishment than futile and hopeless labor. … I leave Sisyphus at the foot of the mountain. One always finds one’s burden again. … One must imagine Sisyphus happy.” -Albert Camus

How The Light Gets In, by griesly

He’d told Hermann time and time again that he didn’t love the kaiju, he studied them with a curiosity born from a life-long fascination with the giants of the earth. Newt had always been the dinosaur kid – still was, if he was being honest with himself, and the kaiju were the biggest, most awe inspiring terrors he’d ever seen.

the body is not an apology, by BeeLove

In which Hermann triggers some of Newton’s insecurities and strives to make up for it.

When Two Substances Collide, by Emileesaurus and ripkord

Doctors Geiszler and Gottlieb — the first ones in and the last ones out. Thirteen scenes from the countdown to the end of the world.

Scar, by mlle

A tiny thing written for Jaegercon Bingo.

Not every tattoo makes a scar.

I’ve got nothing to say but it’s ok, by madness_and_smiles

Newt’s burned into Hermann’s brain now, like an itch he can’t scratch. Whenever they’re in the same room together – which Newt likes to make sure is almost always – there’s the low hum at the back of his mind telling him Newt is there and Newt is feeling and breathing and sometimes they feel and breathe in unison and it makes Hermann drop his chalk.

in which kaiju guts were not part of the wedding vows, by orphan_account

“You’ve got your glower face on,” Newt remarked above him, and Hermann opened his eyes just to scowl at Newt’s concerned face.

“I am a thread away from murdering my own science team, so, yes, I suppose a glower here and there would not go amiss.”

Seeing in Color, by what_alchemy

The Dr. Geiszler Hermann had found in the publications — printed pages worn with constant handling and tucked into his briefcase for easy access — was an eloquent scientist whose work functioned at a level far above almost anyone else Hermann had ever encountered in the field, and yet he neither patronized his readers nor expressed himself in the inexplicable jargon which so infected much academic work. He was singular in his intelligence. Hermann thought this was a man he could understand — and who could understand him in turn.

More fool he.

Kämpfen, by Huntsmonsters

“The point is that Hermann loves numbers like they were his children, except that Hermann hates children. He loves them and the way they go together the way Newt loves every sample that enters his collection, the way he loves tattoo needles and his books of scribbled anatomical drawings and the harried, barely legible, 4 in the morning notes scrawled around them when the first pieces of a freshly dead Kaiju come in. These are the tools with which they carve themselves, the knives and chisels and guides, the planes on which their shapes are made. Hermann is held up by his cane, but it isn’t the reason he’s standing. They’ve both gone through the rabbit hole and come out again with something clenched in their fists. ”

In which arguments are had over equations and entrails, vivisections are banned, and Newt uses ink to prepare for the possibility of death.

I Was the Match And You Were The Rock, by griesly

Written for the Jaegercon Bingo Square: ‘The Drift’

'Hermann is strong and solid and stable even if no one else at the PPDC would ever think so, Newt knows so, and come to think of it, he always has. He just never knew the man’s mind would be so goddamn beautiful, so bright and full of purpose and satisfaction at a job well done that somehow, impossibly, included him.’

Lucky Number Seven, by griesly

'Newton?’ Hermann called out, only to hear an answering 'Shhh!’ issue from behind a moving curtain. He appeared to have cordoned off an area in the back corner of the lab with heavy screens, labeled 'Light-Sensitive Specimens – DO NOT TOUCH.’ Newton poked his head around the corner with a slightly manic grin.

'Lock the door,’ he advised before motioning Hermann enthusiastically over to a break in a thick curtain. Hermann frowned and paced across the room, wondering what could possibly be so important and so secretive that Newton would have to obfuscate its very existence.

Whatever it was, Hermann was certain he wasn’t going to like it.

autoclave, by cynicalRaconteur

Or: How the fuck is she so attractive, she dresses like my grandfather, I want to punch myself in the face: the Newt Geiszler story.

nyctophobia (into the light of the dark black night), by orphan_account

“See, the thing about birthdays is they’re totally an annual thing,” Newt explained, handing Hermann his latte. “And I’ve known you for, what, twelve years? Thirteen?”

“Fifteen,” Hermann interjected tersely. “And a half.”

Do you have Prince Albert in a can?, by mwestbelle

Newt has a Prince Albert piercing. That’s about it.

This Most Beautiful System, by rosepetalfall

Like Watson and Crick, Newton Geiszler and Hedda Gottlieb are two scientific names almost invariably thought of together.

-

Hedda Gottlieb and Newton Geiszler grow up, save the world, conquer academia, defy the odds, do some ill-advised things, do some brilliant things, and learn about love. Not necessarily in that order.

In the Midst of the Blackest Storm, by TrufflesTheMushroom

Tomorrow. Tomorrow, at the precipice of our hope, at the new beginning of our time, we can choose not only to believe in ourselves, but in each other. Tomorrow, there will not be a single person on our shores who shall stand alone. Not tomorrow. Tomorrow we will face the monsters that are at our door and take the fight to them. Tomorrow, we are facing the apocalypse. As one.

Or: Tendo Choi used to coerce every Jaeger Strike Team in the Hong Kong Shatterdome into boosting its dwindling funds with shady black market deals, and this is how he gets everyone to slowly become a family once more as the world faces the re-opening of the Breach and humanity’s darkest hour.

Or: How To Trust When All Seems Hopeless

i forget the difference between seduction and arson, by gyzym

Ignition and cognition.

animals trapped (the cage is full), by liginamite

Because that’s the problem, isn’t it? The world doesn’t have time for affection, for intimacy, for anything more than quickly coming and cleaning off and heading back to work like nothing ever happened.

The Mathematician’s Answer, by ConstanceComment

“Prosper our handiwork; O prosper the work of our hands.” — Psalm 90

People Might Laugh at Your Tattoos, by callmejude

It’s armor.

Conversations You Don’t Know We’re Having, by adventuring

The spleen was doing something very uncooperative now, turning colors no alien spleen was meant to turn, and oh god, was something bubbling? That could not be good. “No, baby, no, I can fix this, I can do better, just give me one more chance,” he begged it, ignoring Hermann’s baffled, “Pardon?” in his ear. He grabbed frantically at the tongs, fumbling them, realized he probably couldn’t fix this situation one-handed, and said to Hermann, “Gotta go, important work to be done.”

“Newton, I swear to you, do not hang up this phone, follow my instructions—”

“No time, man, science is happening,” he said, and then without thought tacked on, “Bye, love you,” and threw the phone in what was likely the direction of his desk, not bothering to end the call. Hermann probably kept talking, but hello, science.

California King, by notastranger

Hermann is not a sleep cuddler. Bummer.

that every man might have need of other, by lymricks

In the few hours it took to reconcile Newton’s gone with Newton left, Hermann had created an elaborate fantasy: Newton kidnapped, Newton taken, Newton needing to be saved. He had not considered that leaving had been Newton’s idea. He had not thought it would be voluntary.

You Lost, Doctor?, by hailtherandom

“The next morning, Hermine goes to work with a clear head. It sticks for all of about thirteen minutes, until Newt walks into the offices in a pair of jeans and an old, threadbare undershirt instead of her usual button-down, and numbers flicker out of Hermine’s mind like lights in a Jaeger. Newt glances up and shoots her a filthy grin, then drops her coat on her desk and pulls out a pair of gloves. Hermine loses whole equations to the kaiju rippling over the muscles in Newt’s forearms.”

Private in Public, by spirogyra

Dr. Newton Geiszler and Dr. Hermann Gottlieb get introduced to life in a shatterdome, and somehow survive showering together for ten years even when they’re on separate continents.

Nightmares, by beckettemory

“Hermann frowned, remembering the bags under Newton’s eyes and the constant bubbling of the coffee maker in the corner brewing pot after pot of strong coffee all day.” ——————- Hermann, sore after a long day, passes the laboratory and realises that, though well into the night, Newton is still working, and has been acting strangely for a few days.

Lights On, by berlynn_wohl

Hermann’s solitude and shame was an immovable object inside him. He had yet to find out that it would soon encounter an unstoppable force.

Not While I’m Around, by callmejude

written for the kinkmeme prompt: In all the years they’ve worked with each other, Hermann can’t remember ever seeing Newt angry - upset and frustrated, maybe, but never angry. Sure, they argue and raise their voices at each other all the time, but that’s just lively intellectual discourse - they’re never really mad at each other. Hermann has always just kind of assumed that Newton is so easy going that nothing can set him off.

And then someone messes with Hermann, and Newton absolutely explodes with rage.

Come Away To The Water, by funnylookingfella

The Kaiju War is over, there are no Jaegers left, the mourning period has passed… but the hive mind lingers.

A Little Friendly Challenge, by moonblossom

Newt knows how to get Hermann to cooperate.

I wear your granddad’s clothes, I look incredible., by notastranger

Newton comes up with what he thinks is a hilarious Halloween costume. Things do not go as planned.

venus in fleurs, by indications

6.7k of boring-ass white boys touchin dicks

so it goes, by liginamite

The world needs Newton Geiszler, and with that thought in mind, it’s Hermann that drifts with the Kaiju instead.

sugar, spice, and graduate programs, by classyfanperson

Newt works at a coffee shop. Hermann is studying abroad at MIT. Pumpkin lattes are good for the soul.

Good Day for Ghosts, by cryogenia

Hermann wakes into the new world, and carries the remains of the old with him.

Equality, by pickleplum

“‘Immediate family only’ is our policy and no amount of yelling at me will change it, Doctor Geiszler. Unless you are Doctor Gottlieb are long-lost brothers, you need to calm down and wait in the reception area or we’ll have to ask you to leave.”

Newt makes a very loud exasperated noise and throws his hands in the air, but turns and marches into the waiting room. He drops himself onto a couch and pulls at his hair in frustration. I’m going to behave, he tells himself firmly. I’m not going to freak out over this total bullshit and get myself tossed out of here. No way. I can do this.

no man is an island, by narcomanic

Running away from the hive mind is easier said than done, especially when you’ve been so clever all your life that you never had to learn how to ask for help.

Time Will Crawl and Our Mouths Run Dry, by hailtherandom

It was Hermann’s idea, oddly enough. Sometimes Newt never quite believes that, thinks he made it up in a dream or a drunken haze, because Hermann, Dr. Hermann Gottlieb, does not suggest things like that. But he did, and Newt laughed in his face, and then blinked a few times and said, “what, really?” “Yes, really,” Hermann said. “It’s logical, Newton, if you take a moment to think about it.” — Hermann and Newt. Mutual handjobs at twenty-one hundred hours every Wednesday and Friday. Slight complications develop.

After Zero, by what_alchemy

The war is over. Hermann and Newt get on with their [sex] lives.

More Than I Can Return, by callmejude

written for the kinkmeme prompt: “Newt likes to flirt with Hermann, the fact that he never flirts back does not discourage him at all. An outsider might think that Newt is foolishly in love with someone who doesn’t care about him back at all. But one day in the lab out of nowhere, Hermann says, "Alright, what if I just bring you off with my hand? Will that make you more bearable?”

Newt’s thrilled and doesn’t miss a beat. “God, Hermann, a handy would be awesome right now! Thanks, man!”, all while he’s unzipping his fly and grabbing the surgical lube for improper use.

From then on they start hooking up whenever it pleases both of them. Sometimes handjobs, sometimes frottage, occasionally one will penetrate the other. But most importantly, Newt never stops calling Hermann “man” or “dude” during the act, and keeps talking as if Hermann was just doing him a mundane favour, or he was doing a favour for Hermann.

It isn’t until they sit on the sofa in Hermann’s room one night, cuddling up and making out after a taxing workday, with no signs of anyone unclothing or unzipping, that Newt thinks maybe affection has something to do with it.“

Jackpot, by notastranger

People say some strange things when coming out of anesthesia.

Cleaning Days, by jotc

All Hermann Gottlieb wanted was a clean lab space of his own.

Feels Like Reckless Driving, by lakehymn

“Did you just say I’m right about something?” Newton asks, feigning shock. Then he lightheartedly elbows Hermann in the ribs and adds, “I always knew you loved me.”

everyone needs a place (it shouldn’t be inside someone else), by orphan_account

His brain goes a gazillion miles an hour in loopy misdirectional circles, and when he dreams he dreams of kaiju biology, of being back in their lab, of sharp elbows in a small bed.

Chatter, by berlynn_wohl

“What do you think? Is today going to be a good day?”

Unhappy Campers (or Why You Can’t Perform CPR on Someone Who’s Still Breathing), by Jenni_Snake

A summer science camp field trip to the mountains. What could be more fun? Probably anything, especially for a group of nerdy science kids.

Hermann Gottlieb’s Stacker Pentecost Obsession Trapper Keeper, by what_alchemy

Hermann has a giant man crush on Stacker.

Newt finds it delightful. Herc, not so much.

what’s your rush, by Byacolate

Summary by me: An elaboration of Hermann and Newt’s relationship before and after the closing of the Breach.

Baby, You’re Hotter than my Bunsen Burner, by SkysongMA

They argue like they breathe—but that’s not all there is to it. Newt flirts, and it’s disgusting.

It’s not that Hermann minds flirting. The Kaidonovskies have propositioned everyone in the PPDC, or so it seems, and Tendo has intimated more than once that he wouldn’t mind spending some time in the lab, “talking numbers.” The Shatterdome is a small place. One has to practice somewhere.

It’s just that Newt is so bad at it.

Becoming History, by Scientia_Fantasia

Sure, the phrase “crotchety old man who obviously pays no attention to the current scientific community” may have snuck its way into one of the letters, but hey, that’s what you get for calling Up-And-Coming Scientific Rockstar Newton Geiszler “some kid.” Like, the guy had it coming. Really.

It Is not Heaven, It Is Home, by bravinto

Finding the love of your life is awfully anticlimactic.

Fleece, by berlynn_wohl

Newt and Hermann enjoy a day of terminally fluffy domesticity, with maybe a few minutes set aside for shenanigans on the sofa. Also, monsters (duh).

For What It’s Worth, I’d Do It Again, by callmejude

Between finding Newton seizing on the floor and running to get Pentecost, Hermann needs to make sure Newton is okay.

The Stretch and Pull of Disused Hearts, by billiethepoet

Newt notices that the move to the Anchorage Shatterdome is affecting Hermann’s leg. So Newt builds him a hot yoga studio out of spare parts and an abandoned storage closet. Obviously.

Best Cock On The Block, by hobbitdragon

They’ve been so close and yet so far for fourteen years now, but the drift is the pebble that starts the avalanche of change. (By which we mean sex)

This started out as a short ficlet and quickly grew beyond ficlet status into a full-blown fic. I guess I really wanted to write more trans smut.

The Seconds In Between, by orphan_account

Sort of a day in the life of Hermann (and Newt, always with Newt). Mostly, I had a lot of tiny little headcanons and then tried to spin them all together in a fic.

hallo mutti, hallo vati, by classyfanperson

Newt and Hermann visit the Gottlieb family after the Breach is closed. Some are happier to see them than others.

The Cost of Craving Dark Instead of Light, by sonnie

Summary by me: Monica Schwartz and her son, Newton. 

The Two Weirdos Who Work In The Lab, by berlynn_wohl

Two vignettes about the worst kept secret in the Shatterdome.

he’s thunderstorms, by mundaneanarchy

Wherein Newt maybe possibly has a teeny tiny itsy bitsy almost microscopic crush on a certain grumpy old mathematician and Hermann falls and can’t get up. Angsty pining ensues. (explicit for chapter 2)

Never Done with Killing Time, by orphan_account

In between one day and the next, there’s always some time for some loving.

Quantum Degeneracy, by trell

Newt makes a sound from where he’s hidden behind his kaiju, behind his arms, and then he croaks, "I can’t play anymore.”

Hermann’s eyes flick to the electric keyboard sitting near Newt’s desk—a paper-covered, disorganized disaster of a thing—and he says, quietly, “Ah.”

the best laid plans, by liginamite

The plan, you see, was to totally sex Hermann up immediately after the world was saved. But you know that old saying about well-laid plans.

Generated Affects, by trell

Twelve is you washing your hands ten times up to the elbow in the space of the half an hour you spend prepping kaiju entrails for long-term cryo. It’s him that stops you, him that struggles over to the sink on his cane and grabs you by the wrists, hands fitting perfectly over the open maws of Hundun and Yamarashi, and he says “Stop,” and “Newton, think, this isn’t like you, it is like—” and the me hangs unspoken but you get it, let him guide you over to a bench in the lab and force you to sit still long enough to tone down the compulsion.

five times newt proposed to hermann and the one time he said yes, by mundaneanarchy

title is self explanatory.

alternate title: the fear of falling apart

warning: cheesy and kinda dumb

macho dudes in lace undies, by mundaneanarchy

Summary by me: Newt, Hermann and a lingerie kink.

one last kiss while we’re far too young to die, by mundaneanarchy

Newt and Hermann meet, fall in love, hate each other, lose each other, find each other, kiss drunkenly, save/destroy the world, and get married. All in that order.

it is one way to live, by fuckener

Newt would stay stuck in the wartime if nobody tried pulling him out of it.

Black Velvet Rabbits rockstar AU, by spirogyra

Summary by me: In which Hermann is the number one fan of Newt’s rock band, The Black Velvet Rabbits.

Sea Swept, by cypress_tree

A high seas fantasy AU in which Hermann is a ship’s navigator and Newton is found washed up among flotsam.

there are no atheists in foxholes, by liginamite

Newt and Hermann have been feeling off since they helped to cancel the apocalypse. They’re losing time, long black-outs, periods of aggression. The feeling that there’s something else, something they can’t pin down.

The thing is, the Kaiju drift left something behind in the both of them, and it’s determined to get out.

Can’t Wait for You to Shut Me Up, by callmejude

written for the kink meme prompt: “Hermann tells Newt to shut up, Newt tells Hermann to make him. They make out. That’s the prompt.”

(That may have been the prompt but I admit to it going much further than that.)

Dead Letter Chorus, by QuokkaFoxtrot

It’s if you’ve never heard anything true. But we will try 'til the next time or the last time. Dead Letter Chorus - You Am I

Newt owns a coffee shop. Hermann is a tenured professor at the local university. Their relationship has its ups and downs.

Also: Chuck is a champion barista, Mako is a world travelling Direct Trade negotiator, Stacker and Herc play a lot of chess, and Tendo owns Shatterdome Records.

Much coffee is consumed. (Except by Hermann who is a priss about how his tea should be prepared.)

bones, sinking like stones, by mundaneanarchy

You don’t love him. You don’t love him even though you do, you know you do, you know you do so much it hurts, but you don’t.

have yourself a merry little christmas, by classyfanperson

Hermann isn’t going home for Hanukkah, so Newt insists they both visit his family back home. They continue to not talk about their feelings.

Or: A Very Geiszler Christmas.

Newton Geiszler’s 11 Ways to Save the World, by kaijukonjou

Keep to yourself, keep your chin up, and maybe you’ll make it out in one piece.

Five Times Newt And Hermann Kiss While They Are Drunk, by luceluceluceluce

A brief timeline of the apocalypse from the perspective of a pair of nerds: a story of science, alcohol, and love.

Become What We’ve Always Been, by irisbleufic

Hermann doesn’t have enough time to experience a crisis over Newton’s response to his unvoiced request; he’s drifting into that self-same lethargy, eyelids heavy, his arm across the cane gone slack.

it wouldn’t be make believe, by infinituity

“By the way, dude,” he says, and he reaches down both to grab his notepad as well as to avoid looking at Hermann, “my parents think we’re dating.”

Instead of the expected angry yelling, he gets only silence in response, so he looks up to see Hermann opening his mouth to speak, reconsidering, closing it, and repeating. After several more repeats than strictly necessary, he sighs and slumps down in his seat.

“Of course they do,” he says.

sweet as anything, by classyfanperson

Newt is embarrassed about certain aspects of her body. Hermine is considerably more enthusiastic.

The Statistics of Touch, by WheresPeebs

Alternate Title: If You Would Just Stop Interrupting Each Other, Everything Would Be Worked Out in the First Friggin’ Paragraph.

Hermann is uncomfortable with public displays of… well, anything. It causes problems.

First, by cypress_tree

Newt and Hermann’s first time is Newt’s first first time.

Roses are red, and if that’s kaiju blue so help me Newton, by unnecessary

Summary by me: Newton and Hermann have some communication problems. 

point me in the direction of the last setting sun, by orphan_account

They were two women standing against the end of the world.

Urine Trouble, by kinkitsecretkinkitsafe

Hermann has a thing for watersports. Newt finds out.

breathing free and even, by classyfanperson

He’s working on it. They’re working on it.

High-Five for Hatesex, by kinkitsecretkinkitsafe

Summary by me: Newton has a thing for Hermann and justifies it as hate!sex. He might be wrong.

Counterpoint, by kinkitsecretkinkitsafe

Summary by me: Sequel to High-Five for Hatesex.

a thousand spiders down the drain, by Byacolate

Children can be so cruel to boys who pick flowers.

Secret Agent Scientist, by Malteaser

Written for the prompt: Hermann, secret badass; He has something cool like a fencing saber installed in his cane and when someone fucks with them he kicks their ass and keeps talking like nothing happened.

A Little Kindness Goes a Long Way, by patster223

Newt liked to purposefully annoy Hermann in order to get rough sex. Which worked out great, until Hermann found out about it and decided to punish Newt by giving him excruciatingly nice sex.

cross my heart and take me with you, by drashian

The first time Hermann meets Newton Geiszler, they are pleasant with each other for about 10 minutes until suddenly they’re duking it out about Hermann’s theories of transdimensional transport.

The second time Hermann meets Newton Geiszler, they just start yelling.

The third time Hermann meets Newton Geiszler, it is in the toxic blue haze of the Drift.

Anthology ‘Verse (& Related Errata), by irisbleufic

Summary by me: a study of the relationship between Hermann and Newt, from the beginning to the future.

Parallax / Perihelion, by irisbleufic 

Parallax—the apparent displacement of an observed object due to a change in the position of the observer; from the Greek, παράλλαξις (“alteration”). / Perihelion—the point in the orbit of an asteroid, comet, planet, or other celestial body where it is nearest to the sun (again from the Greek, περιήλιο).

One-Week Rule, by irisbleufic

Somebody’s got a stick up his theoretical vortex. Starting this off with a bang?

We’re Revolutionaries Now, by AxolotlQueen

One really shouldn’t attempt to cut one’s own hair.

(Or, Hermione Gottlieb gives herself a bad haircut and Newton Geiszler helps out.)

Newton Geiszler and His Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Interns, by cambion and casdere

“I know, it’s all a bit silly,” he admits.

“You always get a bit silly about your crushes, yeah?” She teases easily, and Hermann nearly spits out his mouthful of soup. Jasmine gives him another concerned look, but he waves her away.

“Vanessa, can you please not,” he hisses under his breath, and she laughs with the phone pulled away from her face, sounding like distant bells, and he feels taken back to high school, and remembers the fumbling idiocy of his crush on her, and knows immediately she is right, and he ought to give up the fight. He has a crush, an honest to God crush, and at his age! He knows, surely, it started with his fascination of the man’s intellect, but he also knows how quickly and easily he was drawn into his off-kilter charisma, as well.

or: hermann and newt are college professors, newt is working on his sixth doctorate, hermann is nursing a nasty crush, and i fit way too much into one chapter

scene after scene, by drashian

Everything had been banking on the world ending.

It doesn’t end, though, and that leaves everyone with this big hole where the future they didn’t plan for suddenly stretches ahead of them.

Newt struggles and reaches to fill that hole, and comes up with two things: Hermann Gottlieb and a cross-country road trip.

Chalk It Up To Love, by patster223

Newt replaced all of Hermann’s white pieces of chalk with pink ones. Or: the one in which chalk is a form of courtship, Hermann is head-over-heels, and somehow the entire Shatterdome gets involved.

The Apple In Our Hands, by irisbleufic

Summary: 1950!AU in which Newt is a cryptozoologist trying to find the Loch Ness monster, Hermann is more or less the same, and they have to share a cabin in Scotland.

Ice to Meet You, by patster223

Hermann is eating a rather phallic-looking popsicle and Newt is pretty sure he might actually die from sexual frustration.

In Sweden, and Elsewhere, by rillrill

Newt had just thrown down his end of the half-assembled bookshelf and shouted, “Whatever! It still makes no sense that two acclaimed and accomplished scientists with the combined brainpower of four average adults can’t put together a goddamn shelf!” Because, seriously, he can build an improvised neural bridge out of old lab machinery and an ancient Mr. Coffee, but he’s undone by three missing pegs? Fuck this.

Newt and Hermann rebuild, relocate, accept the Nobel Prize for Physics, fight over furniture, and strive to carve out a space for themselves in a world where they’re inextricably linked - in the the press, in their personal lives, and in their own heads.

Magic and Progress, by patster223

The Hogwarts AU in which Newt is a wizard, Hermann is a Muggle, and somehow they manage to save the world and love each other anyway.

Self-Destruct, by pinkmoon

“He learns how to never be wrong. He learns how to be indispensable. He realizes it makes him unstoppable.

Newton Geiszler is one tick away from self-destructing for the rest of his life.”

A character study of Newt’s lifetime of risky behavior and predilection for taking risks of the “rock star” sort. (Spanning many years, continents, arguments, and accidents, but landing, unexpectedly, in a happy ending.)

Today Your Barista Is: Hella Fucking Gay, by unnecessary

Hermann is a professor. The barista at the coffee shop across the street is cute and very, very single.

It is inevitable, really.

Predictable, by cypress_tree

It’s a movie date, but they’re not really watching the movie.

Adventures In Knitting, by decadent_mousse

Newt decides to knit Hermann a sweater, with… mixed results.

You’ve Taken A Pizza My Heart, by decadent_mousse

Hermann and Newt are so busy with work, they don’t get much time to go out to dinner, so Newt decides to improvise.

Fear of a Name, by uhnonniemiss

Newt and Hermann never could decide on how to define what they are to each other. It takes several years, thousands of kisses, a vat of acid, a big fight, and a sunny Boston evening to help them choose.

every day I fight a war against the mirror, by thekaidonovskys

“It came at a price,” he says. “To understand them, I had to learn how to fear them.”

Cut to the Chase, by patster223

Hermann needs a haircut. He does not need the cute hairdresser to flirt with him, he does not need a scalp massage, and he does not need anything trendy or stylish done to his hair.

Thankfully, these are things that happen anyway. Barbershop AU, featuring hairdresser!Newt and smitten!Hermann.

The Sublime, by Lucretius

The waves are coming closer to them now, and yes, the tide is coming to them with crescendo crashes.

The white fringe of sea is mere fathoms away.

“Can we?” Hermann asks.

And it is the question that one asks because, the choice having been made in what feels like another lifetime, now, for the first time, there is someone here, here, right here—who can see a way of being and seeing long dormant under so many layers of performing and seeming.

Recover, by irisbleufic

You’re my new favorite blanket. Come inside?

Untoward, by LemonScience33

Newton licks his bottom lip. “Maybe, um…” he says.

Newton doesn’t continue. Hermann wills his breathing to remain steady. “Yes?”

Newton shrugs casually. “Maybe we could give each other a hand,” he says. “Just two friends… you know, helping each other out.”

Knocking Socks, by decadent_mousse

Hermann and Newt go sock-shopping.

Listening, by cypress_tree

Newt has a dirty talk kink, and Hermann has a really nice voice.

Act Together, by irisbleufic

“You know I’m only a liar when it matters, right?”

You + Me = Happiness ², by steviekat

The thing is, Newt had never really put much thought into the future. The future of K-Science? Sure! Her own? To be fair, this probably better than anything she could have imagined.

Got Your Back, by Doooooooom

The workload is taking its toll on Hermann’s shoulders. Luckily, Newt is a dab hand at shoulder massages.

That’s one way to shut you up, by offensiveagentpie

Based on this fanart by pixiepunch.

Hermann tries a new tactic to get Newt to be quiet for once.

wash us away, by thekaidonovskys

Thank god Hermann undresses after he’s entered the bathroom, or else walking in to find Newt sitting on the bench top would have been much much worse.

visions are seldom what they seem, by mundaneanarchy

Hermann likes Tchaikovsky. Newt likes Hermann.

The Sun On Your Face (I’m Freezing That Frame), by irisbleufic

“Hate to break it to you,” Newton whispers, kissing Hermann’s neck with a happy sigh before letting his head drop to rest against Hermann’s shoulder, “but we’re busted in five, four, three—”

“Your ass is mine, Geiszler!” shouts Officer Hak, barging into the lab. “You too, Doctor Gottlieb. If you think you can get off so easy—”

The Good Old Days, by decadent_mousse

Hermann and Newt go scavenging for supplies during a blackout and get more than they bargained for.

A Proper Family Christmas, by uhnonniemiss

When Hermann ends up in the medical wing, he looks all set to spend Christmas by himself. Not if Newt gets a say in it, though.

Or, in which adopted and blood family save the Holidays

The Friendmas Ficlet Collection, by cypress_tree

A collection of five unrelated ficlets written as Christmas gifts for friends:

geniusbee: Hermann hurt/comfort patster223: Hermann wearing nail polish thehorrorinsymmetry: Hermann in lingerie bravinto: belly rubs decadentmousse: Harvest Moon AU

Aftershocks, by tastewithouttalent

“Hermann has to stumble away because the Drift is still too fresh and he can’t tell the heat of Newton’s body apart from his own anymore.” The impact of the Drift hits Hermann, and he and Newt don’t make it back to the laboratory.

Au Naturel, by decadent_mousse

Newt gives Hermann a wake up call during a very boring meeting.

Fortune’s Favor, by tamerofdarkstars

In which there is kissing, the end of the world, the subsequent salvation of the world, and more kissing.

Fills Trope_Bingo: Round 4 - Celebratory Kiss

Bump in the Night, by unicornsandbutane

Newt’s made a mistake, and it’s really a subjective matter whether it was a poor decision altogether or just a mere miscalculation. Regardless, he is forced to phone Hermann in the middle of the night, to deal with the consequences.

But the Gesture is Ruined, by cypress_tree

Five times Hermann tried to be romantic, one time he succeeded without even meaning to. A K-Sci romcom, basically.

Strange Bedfellows, by decadent_mousse

When Hermann and Newt first arrive at the Hong Kong Shatterdome, a paperwork mix-up forces them to share a room for awhile.

followed your ashes into outer space, by parpar

The numbers of the War Clock ticked down to zero, and the resulting euphoria was thick as smoke in the air. The assortment of PPDC members and civilian contractors were in an uproar, and Hermann and Newton made their way down the LOCCENT steps to stand in the midst of it.

When Tendo had finally managed to get Mako and Raleigh to stop hugging and cooperate with the rescue team, Newton had leaned his forehead into the curve of Hermann’s shoulder.

“We actually pulled it off,” he had whispered. “We did it, holy shit, it’s over.” Hermann had gracefully ignored the tears soaking into his collar and patted his colleague on the back while he pulled himself together.

Occupational Hazard, by decadent_mousse

Hermann overworks himself and gets a migraine.

In Space No One Can Hear You Mop, by decadent_mousse

Hermann and Newt are janitors sent to a derelict ship to clean things up after a group of aliens massacred the entire crew… but are they the only ones on board?

Liminality, by what_alchemy

What we know, after.

Fortuna Favet, by Mipeltaja

Newton seemed to think one could invoke good fortune simply by being bold enough or loud enough, a notion Hermann found utterly ridiculous.

It wasn’t that Hermann didn’t believe chance could on occasion work in his favour, it was just that life had taught him not to rely on it.

Brainspace and Kinkspace, by Emmalyn

Summary by me: Newt and Hermann exploring some of the delights of kinky sex.

Desperate Times, by decadent_mousse

Newt finds Hermann in a terrible state.

Matchsnaking, by patster223

There is a snake in Hermann’s apartment. This is not how he wanted to start his day.

Apartment neighbors AU where Newt’s snake keeps sneaking into Hermann’s apartment.

Put a Pin in That, by unicornsandbutane

Newt tries to convince Hermann to participate in a charity event. What ensues might be classed as ‘hijinks’, ‘shenanigans’, or ‘hilarity’, depending upon your perspective.

Remains, by berlynn_wohl

Newt and Hermann wrap Christmas presents and talk about death.

You Love Me Not, by mundaneanarchy

A story of love and coping with love told from the second-person perspective of Newt.

Newt loves Hermann and Hermann loves Newt but sometimes it’s not that easy.

Statiscally Significant Other, by unicornsandbutane

Flattery will get you everywhere.

Or, the fic computerbaby on tumblr requested, in which Newt compliments Hermann and Hermann is really really into it.

Pasta Aisle, by cypress_tree

Hermann and Newt meet for the first time in a grocery store. Hermann helps Newt grab something off a high shelf. Newt takes offense.

Disconnect, Connect Again, by cypress_tree

Raising Newt Geiszler has never been easy. Seeing him fall in love can be harder.

The development of Newt and Hermann’s relationship, from Jacob Geiszler’s point-of-view.

Spaces Between, by adropofred

Newt had not realised, somehow, that the world not ending would mean it would stubbornly keep on turning without waiting for him to catch up.

So what? He’s a scientist. He’ll do some catching up of his own and lose himself in the labyrinth of his and Hermann’s brains and their bodies.

This is absolutely not to be considered hiding, not that they can hide much anymore.

The Six Million Pillows Man, by adropofred

As it turns out, Hermann’s room is nothing special. His bed, on the other end, is very, very special.

Of course, Newt wouldn’t be himself if he didn’t find a way to turn this revelation into a situation where he could put his foot in his mouth.

Time For You and Time For Me, by patster223

A collection of Newmann prompts that I’ve filled on my tumblr. Contains: AUs, pining, flirting, bickering, several chapters of Hermann’s filthy exhibitionist kink, and two nerds learning to love each other in as many ways as possible.

The Beholder, by ItsClydeBitches

Written for the Newmann-uendo Hurt/Comfort challenge.

Hermann is feeling pretty insecure about his body. He’s unattractive. That’s a fact. Luckily Newton Geiszler’s number one law is still in place:

Hermann Gottlieb is ALWAYS wrong.

we’ll leave our tracks untraceable, by confused_android

When she steps off the plane in Logan International, something tight in her shoulders cracks, loosens, and she shakes free the last barb the PPDC had through her spine, through her brain, keeping her tense and wary for most of a decade. She yanks her heavy suitcase off of the carousel, identifiable by the years of layered duct tape repairing a seam that could once have been stitched, and flags the first taxi that will stop for her.

Permanent Ink, by mundaneanarchy

Inspired by this piece of fanart (http://rockstar-ologist.tumblr.com/post/126950663313) by rockstar-ologist

Newt gets Hermann’s initials tattooed on his hand. A month into their relationship. Hermann isn’t too happy about it.

Castaways’ Window, by Chancy_Lurking

“There are no words for the thoughts he has in that moment, because they are not his thoughts.”

Rings, by perniciousLizard

Three scenes, post movie. They’re happy.

Right Hand: Heart, by QuokkaFoxtrot

Two beers. That was all it took these days.

Dance In The Graveyards, by LemonScience33

As they round the next corner and lights come on, Newt’s first thought is, This had better be worth it, because we’re definitely gonna get caught.

His second thought is, That is the skull of Otachi’s baby, with lights strung over it.

His third thought is, This is definitely worth it.

Sweater Wars, by paenteom

Hermann takes his fashion illiteracy to new, festive levels. Newt is forced to retaliate.

Die Musik Kommt, by romangold

Maybe everyone’s drowning in the day, the night, memories and regrets and guilts, in relief, in pure, unadulterated happiness. Maybe they’re all dying.

Hermann finds Newt after the apocalypse is cancelled, and the two realize that perhaps they aren’t so toxic together after all.

Nigel, by uhnonniemiss

A particularly harsh snowstorm has brought the boiler- and Hermann- to a standstill.

(My piece for the 2015 Pacrim Holiday Swap!)

Etude, Op. 25 No. 12, by romangold

The climax always resolves to major, no matter how many times you play the piece. And the heroes always win, despite the amount of times you rewind to the beginning or fast-forward to the end.

sharing half our genes, and nothing in between, by getmean

“Christ, Hermann, is this a letterman jacket?” Newt cried, spinning and holding it up with a level of glee he hadn’t reached since he got that salivary gland from Mutavore. “How cliché can you get?”

Plausible Possibility, by cissues

Newt and Hermann experience some odd post-drift effects.

mountains sunk below the sea, by getmean

Newton has been, and always will be, what his father calls a ‘tough nut to crack’, but has an element of horrifying vulnerability that makes Hermann’s skin crawl. He selfishly likes Newton best when all his walls are intact.

netflix and chill, by w0rm

Hermann does the Netflix, Newt does the chill.

How to Deal with Accidental Neural Oversharing and Other Scientific Conundrums, by yourguardianangel

The world has not ended. Operation Pitfall is successful. Celebrations are had. But how are two snarky scientists meant to cope with having way too much of each others internal monologues retroactively overlaid with their own memories?

(with smut, that’s how.)

It’s All Good, by spirogyra

Thoughtless words, hurt feelings, cryptic statements, the drift makes things easier and more difficult, but in the end… it’s all good.

追伸, by lamphouse

“If I recall correctly, this is the man who confessed to wanting a pet Godzilla for his twentieth birthday, is it not? Glass houses, Dr. Geiszler.”

It takes two months for Newton Geiszler to fall in love. It takes thirty months, around two hundred letters, several time zones, and two missed-ish connections for him to actually admit it.

it’s alright, don’t you let it inside, by areunasty

They’re taking Gipsy Danger out for a trial run, and Newt watches with mild interest as the mech slices cleanly through the ocean. He thinks that if he was that big anything would be easy. Loving someone difficult, being loved, the quiet and painful twist of Hermann’s mouth whenever he looks at Newt recently.

The Price of Ghost Drifting, by confettiinmyhair

Newt is home early. Hermann has a surprise.

concentric circles, by lamphouse

It’s times like these that Hermann finds himself checking and double-checking his list of reasons why he works at the library. It’s also times like these that prove why nowhere on said list does it mention the people he works with.

The Boyfriend Experience, by berylnn_wohl

In the Shatterdome, Hermann confesses his disappointment that his and Newt’s relationship lacks romance. After the war is over, Newt vows to spend one year righting this wrong as they travel the world together on a lecture tour.

Everything We Never Said, by JennaCupcakes

Newt has a few regrets about his drift with Hermann. Namely, that he’s had a crush on the guy for a while and really doesn’t want him to find out.

Echoes in the Well of Silence, by unicornsandbutane

Hermann can hear Newton through the ducts.

Wishbone, by cypress_tree

Hermann doesn’t have anywhere to go for Thanksgiving, so Newt invites him over for food, family, and a little bit of flirting. Just a warm, fuzzy college AU to get you through the holidays.

Do Scientists Dream of Cloned Sheep?, by paenteom

Newt fumbles with the key card before he finally manages to swipe it, throws the door open and freezes.

There’s only one bed.

It’s massive, and covered in the fluffiest blanket he has ever seen, but it’s undeniably singular.

“Uh,” he says. “Awkward.”

Laughter, Confession, by cypress_tree

He’s nervous and awkward and he’s afraid he’ll mess up, but god, he wants this so bad.

Proving a Point, by steampunkepsilon

Newt thinks Hermann is a shy, reserved, vanilla kind of guy. Newt is wrong, and Hermann has sources.

Slumber Sequence, by strigine

Summary by me: Newton and Hermann’s sleeping habits.

Clean Clock, by cissues

'“So, you’re that guy, huh?” The man says, finally. He has his back to the newly emptied and even more newly dirtied sink and Hermann’s gaze is fixated on the encrusted plates and wine-stained glassware.’

Or, where Hermann is a hermit and also a clean freak with messy roommates.

Linguistics, by cypress_tree

Literally just a thousand words of Newt masturbating while listening to Hermann give an interview on a podcast.

i ain’t holy, i ain’t close, by queenofthestarrrs

The end of the world feels like home.

tell me you’ll love me for a million years, by buckgaybarnes

Hermann is working late, so Newt decides to be a great husband and tackle their chores. He mostly succeeds.

lost connection, by orphan_account

When the Shatterdome stays open for continuing research, the K-Science team realizes they’ll actually have to deal with the after-effects of their Drift.

Trial and Error, by cypress_tree

A romantic comedy of errors in which Newt and Hermann try to spice things up….and fail spectacularly.

Mixed Signals, by SkysongMA

After the Drift, Hermann starts having sex dreams.

Newt’s sex dreams.

That are all about Hermann.

Oh Mein Me, by junkiechurch

You wonder how a heart like his could ever love a man like you.

clothes (or a lack thereof), by orphan_account

Once the war is over, Hermann and Newt move in together. Newt realizes how little clothing they actually own.

[kristyavson]

Ducktales Crossover Fanfic: The Lost McDuck Part 4

This is a more au story based off of @kristyavson and @eclipsewarrior101 gene and Green Eggs & Ham. This Au is a mix between Ducktales Gene au and Anastasia with a cartoon crossover.

This is part 4 where sam and guy see gene has a same guitar, humming the "once upon a december" tune a bit and singing quietly as he waits for his lunch. sam and guy found him. (i add two songs on it) sam and guy are from the town of Glurfsburg.

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

meanwhile, sam and guy were at outside of the dinnr, they been looking for him for 5 hours, but no luck, even most of the town doesn't know him and they needed something to eat.

"sam, we been looking for him at least 5 hours from now and still haven't found him yet." guy said to sam as sam was a little sad about gene. "but guy," sam said. "we've to keep looking, what if... what if he ended up the same way like me? just like for i did in the past."

guy looks at sam as he looks to worry about what happened to him, still holding on to the missing poster of gene. "i can't believe that poor kid who ends up being lost and i thought he was safe with the family of McDuck’s. if i haven't met you and change my mind about Mr. Jenkins returns home to the chickeraffe island to see his mom again while I've changed for the better, i would be keeping the job as a con artist and not looking for that poor boy."

guy gives sam a hug and said. 'well, i'm glad that you haven't keep that job." sam hugs guy back. "come on, sam. let's get some green eggs and ham. that made you feel better." sam smiled as he and guy went inside.

while sam and guy are at in the dinnr, asking the waiter man, ordering green eggs and ham for lunch, gene also came in the dinnr, he puts his guitar to his side and sits at the table.

as the waiter men get sam & guy's lunch, he noted sam who looks feeling down. "what's wrong with him?" he asked. guy looks at him and answers. "sorry, he just... we are looking for the missing kid."

"Yeah, we been looking for him for 5 hours." sam said. sam looked at the poster and ask as he shows the missing poster of gene. "so, what're fine gentlemen like you ever seen him by any chance?" the waiter man looks at and said. "no, i haven't. but that poster looks... the kid has been missing for 5 years. sorry. anyway, what can i get you?" guy said, "two orders of green eggs and ham, please."

on the other side of the table, the waiter lady looks at gene, she feels sorry for that poor kid. then she came over to him and asks. "what's wrong, hon?" Gene would explain to her and said. "I lost my chance to go find my family. but i know has someone is out there looking for me and i'm not giving up yet." then she looks at sam and guy who has got their green eggs and ham, she knew that they are not from around here.

gene looks at sam and guy too and ask. "uh, who are those guys?" she said to gene. "don't know. they must be new here." then she saw sam holding the missing poster of him while sam eats the green eggs. "i'll be right back, hon." as she walks away to talk to waiter men (the one gives them their food), gene was confused, but he started to singing quietly.

sam tries to think, he heard gene humming. them something hits sam, he heard this tune before. guy asked. "sam?" sam snaps out as he hears guy's voice. "oh, sorry, just thinking, guy." guy looks at gene, somethings off about the boy, his clothes weren’t dirty clothes as others would be but he did wear worn clothes that he washed all by himself or used what money he had to clean them. gene's different than the other street performers. "some street performer, but a very clean one." guy said. "oh." sam said with a sighed.

then sam hears gene again and this time, he heard a voice. "someone holds me safe and warm. far away long ago, glowing dim as an ember, and a song someone sings once upon a December."

sam realizes the song as he drops the fork. "sam? what's wrong?" guy asked as he looked very confused. sam said to guy in shock. "the song. that means...." sam give guy a poster and guy looks at the poster and gene. they both realized that means... gene's alive!

the waiter lady came back to him and said. "i think the new guys can help you out, but they already know. the one who ordered green eggs and ham. come on, hon." gene takes his guitar and goes over to met sam and guy at there table.

"boys. i think that you been looking for." she said as she show gene. sam sits next to guy so gene can sit with them. sam looks at the poster's name and his name is 'gene'. "so, you're gene, right?" guy asked.

"well... yes, you know my name?" gene asked. "gene is my name, huh?" sam nod. "i' am sam, sam i am and this is bb aka briefcase buddy, guy am i. we're from a town of Glurfsburg. so what's you're handle dude?"

gene said. "well, I've lived on the streets ever since he could remember. all i could remembered was i'm being found unconscious in the woods and having no idea who i was or why i was there. i was of course sent to an orphanage at first but i ran away when i wasn’t adopted. so i ended up on the streets working odd jobs and even i playing my guitar for money."

guy asked. "but what about your worn clothes, they are clean." gene reply. "oh that? i just washed them myself or used what money i had to clean them. but my guitar, it was my only real clue to who i was and it was my prized possession."

sam asked. "wait, can we see the guitar of yours?" gene got confused at first, then he show them. sam and guy was amazement. guy realized that sam was right. gene's guitar was purple with gold rim and a dollar sign on it.

sam asked gene as he takes guy. "gene? i needed talk to guy outside alone? we'll be right back."

as they are outside, sam said. "this bad, guy. gene can't remembered who he is. that means he having amnesia and has been living in his own on the streets for a few years." guy asked. "then how we going to get his memories back?" sam looks the poster and it said "duckburg" on it sam said with a smile. "that must be where he lives, i know where it is. so let’s convince this kid he is a Mcduck to get the money. he’s the real deal, he ain’t no fake."

Guy said. “NO! nono. We are not misleading this poor kid. Yes and even though the similarities are...somewhat accurately, this seems like another scam!”

"why not?" sam asked and reply as he pointed at gene. "but we need it to find my mother at east flubria. i think my mother can wait. in face, i'll made up stories about my mom again, McDuck style."

guy shook his head and said. "no, you need the money to find your mother at east flubria." sam asked with his cute pouty face. "plaese guy?" guy just realizes he can’t talk Sam out of it. so he agrees. "ugh fine. but i have to warn you, Sam. it's gonna be consequences, ok?" sam replied with a smile. "don't worry, i'll be careful this time."

sam and guy went back in and asked. "how you like me and guy helping to get to your folks?" gene smiled with excited and said "really, you'll help me? thank you."

unaware, poe the raven was spying on the three and fly away. ------------------------ later that day after gene said goodbyes to them, sam said. "you know kiddo? i bet the McDucks will you to find your family." gene was happy to hear that! gene asked. ”um where to exactly?” sam replied. "to duckburg of course! to the home of the mcducks. they'll happliy to help you out, right guy?" guys said. “ummm yah...yah of course.”

sam said to gene. "you know, when i was a kid, mom was adventurer, but not only that, she's a treasure hunter too. once or twist, my mom let's me go with her, one of my mother's adventures. she gets upset by calling me my full name. 'samuel-i-amuel, put that down, that's an artifact!' something like that." gene said with amazement. "wow, you're mom is amazing!"

Guy: You know, sam, this may turn into the longest day of my entire life.

Sam: Oh, I got the perfect remedy for that Guy!

Guy: No Sam! not in front gene who turned out to be a lost boy!

Sam sings: Sing a song! Yes, a travel song When you gotta go somewhere 'Cause the fun is getting there Yeah.

Sam talks: Oh, what the heck, I must confess I love a road trip!

Sam sings more: Sing a song Hit the trail! forget the maps. Forget the guides. Before ya know it, you've made strides with me.

Gene Laughs at them, thinking sam and guy were funny: you guys are sure funny!

sam talks: aw, thanks gene!

Sam sings even more: And I know all I need - all along Is a path and a pals - and a song, So I'm singin' And I'm pallin' with you

Sam talks: See guys? It makes the time go by faster

Guy sings: Why me? Why me?

Sam talks: This is nice.

Guy sings: Tell me what was my crime?

Sam talks: We are strolling

(sam, guy, and gene Sees cat in the hat walking by)

Guy sings: He's as chatty as a parrot. More annoying than a mime.

Sam talks: Hey, look, a cat who's wearing a hat! That's crazy!

Guy sings: Why me? Why me? A simple answer would be fine

Gene talks: This is a good cardio

Guy sings: Won't someone please send me a sign?

(Sees train station sign)

Sam talks: Oh look, a sign! train station to duckburg straight ahead! we're almost there you guys!

Guy sings: What did I do to deserve this? Honestly, This who 'o mine is asinine WHY ME?

Sam talks: Oh man, what could be better than this, huh kid?!

Gene talks while Laughing: yup! I like you guys!  you and 'briefcase buddy' are so funny! now i understand why you boys always have your briefcases all the time, you two are briefcase buddies after all!

Sam talks: Aww, guy! he gets that from me now! that's so cute!

guy talks while angry at sam: see you just did sam? you give gene a bad example!

Sam talks: uh-oh! looks like somebody has a bad case of the ‘Not’s’!

guy talks while angry: NO! I do not! I'm still not so good with kids, remember!? (guy thinking: it's like having Mr. Jenkins *the chickeraffe* all over again!)

(Sam and guy sings together differently)

Guy sings: Why me? Why me? A simple answer would be fine Won't somebody please send me a sign? What did I do to deserve this? Honestly, This who 'o mine Is asinine

Sam sings: Sing a song! Hit the road! It's the way To get around! Before ya know it, you've Gained ground with me! And I know All I need All along is a path And a pal And a song

sam, guy, and gene sings: So, I'm singin' And I'm pallin' With you.

(at the train station, guy and gene see sam buying three train tickets by using guy's wallet.)

Guy talks: That'll do sam, That'll do. and give me back my wallet! ------------------------ please check out part 1, 2 & 3 first. and please check out @kristyavson and @eclipsewarrior101 Tumblr.

also link here: https://kristyavson.tumblr.com/post/614936608636010496/anastasia-au-travel-song

[b-kitsune]

Many ways to say I love you: Day Thirty.

Kidge-a-palooza 2019 Prompt: Mist. Pairing: Kidge (VLD) Universe: Fantasy!AU. Status: Part 3/3

''Keith?'' He felt that someone was pulling his sleeve drawing his attention, meeting a worried look from Pidge. ''Are you okay?''

''Yeah... Why wouldn't it be?'' Asked uncomfortably while directing his attention to another place, some nymphs began to make a food competition in which Hunk seemed to be winning. She hummed incredulously to get his attention again.

''You've been looking at that plate for twenty minutes. Lance is betting that you could be like this all night.''

''Ohh.''

He placed the empty plate on a nearby table, returning to the same place he had been throughout the evening. Not that Keith didn't want to talk to others, the air from the balcony window felt good enough to move into the living room, where being surrounded by a sea of ​​people wasn't exactly something that Keith felt precisely comfortable, his dark nature made the crowds seem overwhelming, so he didn't want to mix with each other despite the protests of his friends during the first hours in which he preferred to isolate himself for the moment.

From his place he could see Shiro and Matt laugh along with some close friends who were invited to celebrate their marriage, making a slight smile draw on his face. He liked to see Shiro happy after so long delaying his union with the person he loved, his work as an explorer made finding a suitable date a complete ordeal, until that night, where their souls would be united even after death.

That thought made Keith's interior stir uncomfortably, vaguely remembering what he visualized thanks to Allura's abilities.

Pidge was still by his side drinking from a transparent cup, silently keeping company, looking towards an unknown address in the room.

''If you feel uncomfortable, you can always go back to our home and rest, it's not like Shiro is bothered by it.'' She said after a few minutes in silence, Keith raised an eyebrow, curious.

''Is not that.''

''So?'' Pidge inquired, staring at him.

''What I saw in that cave... It's something worrisome.''

''I think you should stop thinking about that, Keith. It will end up obsessing you and it's not like you can avoid it.''

''So I hope it happens without doing anything?'' Keith responded frustrated, drawing the attention of more than one person around who moved away suspiciously when he saw a notoriously annoying dark elf. Pidge sighed heavily.

''It wasn't what I said.''

''So?''

''Keith looks around you, we're celebrating, we don't must to fight.'' The guilt ate his heart as fast as he heard her, causing the frustration inside to vanish completely. One of her hands landed on his chest, with some guilt in her expression. ''I know Allura is capable of showing you is scary; in part I feel guilty for taking you to her. But if you keep thinking about it, it won't prevent it from happening.''

''I know.''

He responded by taking her hand to bring it to his lips, kissing her knuckles with tenderness, Pidge smiled in response knowing that his concern was valid, she had also lost her mind when she met her prophecy years ago, before beginning her journey as a treasure hunter.

Traditional music began to emerge around the room while the lights dimmed to create an atmosphere as intimate as magical, small lights rose to enchant the atmosphere. In the center of the hall, Keith could see how Shiro and Matt began their first dance as a couple blessed by the union of the ancestors. They were simple and somewhat awkward steps the first few seconds since Shiro was not exactly a good dancer, but he tried his best until they both managed to reach a perfect pace.

Everyone was fascinated by the new union where both were the only ones dancing around as if they were the only people on earth, until Colleen and Samuel, Matt and Pidge's parents that Keith met during the week, joined in a welcome celebration by those present, and began to fill up with more couples who joined the couple's dance.

Even Hunk joined after a few minutes with Romelle, a girl as charismatic and energetic as Lance who joined their group as explorers a few months ago at the request of Allura.

The atmosphere was so joyful and lived with energy that Keith forgot for a moment about his worries until Pidge's hand felt over his. When he looked at her, Pidge bit her lip with longing for a quick look at the room where everyone enjoyed a good time.

Keith released a laugh between his teeth at the implicit question.

''I have two left feet.'' He declared as he let himself be pushed towards the center of the room, Pidge shrugged a little livelier while letting Keith take her waist with one of his hands, she rested hers on his shoulder.

''Look what a coincidence, I have two right feet.''

 Both smiled as they took the position and began to imitate the simple dance that everyone in the room followed. To Keith's surprise, Pidge guided quite well on his steps, that even his lack of ability to keep up was not completely visible. It wasn't long until both were as synchronized as the rest of the couples, and despite being surrounded by so many people, Keith didn't feel uncomfortable at any time, his attention was directed to Pidge, who lowered the dim light looked wonderfully beautiful. Her eyes shone like the hottest fire through the mist of darkness, as did those freckles that subtly peeked over her skin. And that, at that moment, the reflection of the lights next to the makeup that her mother forced her to wear for the traditions, gave the illusion that it shone like the stars, and he would be delighted to count one by one throughout the night.

''Wow, it seems you don't do anything wrong.'' Pidge walked away to allow him to turn her around for a moment. Keith shrugged as if it wasn't the big deal.

''That's because I have a very skilled partner.''

''Yes, I think so too.''

Hearing her laughter was enough for Keith to feel that his heart was compressed with joy by having her in his arms that night.

Until again, the image of her being taken by the prince of the dark elves, returned to his mind painfully that he almost worried others as soon as they saw him take his head.

He growled loudly as the annoyance ceased, those images faded from his thoughts leaving his mind blank. When he looked up, Keith was being watched by his friends who asked if he needed anything or had hit his head by accident.

Allura, who previously saw her enjoy a dance with Lance a few minutes ago, was watching him worried. Something on her face made him think briefly that she also felt guilty for delivering a prophecy he didn't ask at any time.

He rose strongly, avoiding everyone's questions as he headed towards the exit asking for some space. Shiro immediately turned away from the others, saying that perhaps he just felt too tired, and if Keith needed something, he would go to them.

Pidge just watched him disappear a few steps without even calling him, she knew that when he needed to be alone, Keith was completely inflexible.

She just hoped he was fine.

 ...

 He walked aimlessly for several minutes through the valley where a mist loomed in the dark until he decided to lie on the grass meditating on what happened. Not even the moon was visible over the sky, he was only with his thoughts and guilt for worrying his friends during such a special night. But Keith didn't want to deal with anyone at that time, he just wanted to be alone, with his thoughts, with regret at the idea that the person he loved most had the possibility of being handcuffed with the greatest jerk in the universe.

Keith didn't hate Lotor, but thanks to what Acxa spoke to him when they were during their explorations and the way he ended up taking advantage of others, he knew that he wasn't a completely honest person. The reason why Emperor Zarcon had stripped him of the village in the first place. Lotor was a manipulator, a man who loved the use of dialectics to others to take advantage of what he most craved, absolute power.

Just thinking that Pidge could suffer the misfortune of ending up with Lotor, perhaps it was because he could take her to that destination, and it was something that completely stirred his stomach. Because of his indecision about what he felt for her and the idea of ​​thinking that perhaps he had more time to think about what many warned him since his relationship with her began.

Keith had to accept that an open and uncompromising relationship would eventually bore Pidge. She was a nymph, a supernatural being who united in body and soul to what she truly loved, and that project in all her forms in her life.

But he personally was scared.

That he ended up negatively, that she got bored of him, or that his love wouldn't last until the end of their days as it was supposed to be. Life had instilled in Keith that not everything turned out the way one planned, he lost his father from a very young age even when he had promised that they would be both for a long time. And when he met his mother, he learned that half of his inheritance belonged to a cursed race. What could guarantee that your relationship wouldn't end in misery just because he wasn't completely sure of his feelings?

He loved Pidge, but he didn't think she was able to love him forever, no one, really.

By surprise he felt a tongue lick the left side of his head, drooling him completely. There, he saw Kosmo extremely happy to find him, as if he had been separated for a long time, or perhaps he felt that his partner wasn't truly happy.

He stroked the contour of his ear as he saw that Pidge also approached him with a slight smile.

His heart was compressed with pain.

''Hey...'' He greeted her trying to look neutral. She sat beside him while Kosmo snuggled around them both.

''He always knows how to find you, even when we can't see you.''

''Yeah, he is a great buddy.'' Keith replied with a smile. Pidge laid her head on his shoulder with more force than necessary, showing her discomfort in a unique way. Keith didn't complain.

''Shiro wants to think you need to be alone for a moment, but I'm sure you're still thinking about that stupid prophecy.''

''Yeah...''

''If you want to talk, I can always listen to you. I got mine not fulfilled; you know?''

''You were about to be raped by an orc.'' Answered irritated, she just shrugged as if the fact didn't affect her.

''And you were there so that wouldn't happen. That was a tiny possibility.'' Pidge affirmed with a strong determination in her eyes. ''But I held on to it, I believed that someone would help me escape from that destiny. Do you know how difficult it was?''

''I know.''

Keith could give faith in it, so he didn't hesitate. It wasn't easy for either of them to trust others with such intensity, usually, even during missions, they tended to perform their tasks individually. So, he assumed that it was a true ordeal for her to imagine relying on someone else to not die as painfully as at the hands of the elves.

''Trust that you will know what to do so that this prophecy doesn't happen, even if that means depending on others.''

He looked at her for long seconds before nodding, still uncertain. He could see that the freckles that decorated her face didn't shine because of the lights in the room, but because of the natural magic around Pidge's veins, they were like stars, which guided him from the darkness that at that time tormented his thoughts. So he hugged her tightly before he realized, Pidge corresponded after leaving the initial shock.

''It would be much simpler if you weren't involved in that.'' Keith felt her hands cling more tightly around his back as if she could give him some relief.

''Okay Keith, Allura doesn't give the prophecies on a whim. She gives them to people who need to change their destiny. Change it, I'm sure you'll make it.''

''How are you so sure?'' Pidge took his face with both hands; the determination was engraved on her face.

''Because you are by far the most stubborn and proud boy I've ever met, you won't let something like that beat you, will you?''

Keith remained unchanging for a moment until he released a loud laugh that infected Pidge when she spread. He hugged her again, this time both of them lying on the lap of the cosmic wolf.

They stayed that way, for a long time, the dense fog that covered the sky began to slowly fade away to give way to hundreds of stars that shone brightly as if their future was promising. Keith felt it that way, with that sweet nymph by his side, he really felt he could do anything.

Even prevent Lotor from wafting her before him. But for that, there would still be in a very distant future.

[ygobigbang-archive]

Fic Summaries

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Yu-Gi-Oh! Duel Monsters

DM1 Pairings: Yugi Mutou/Yami Bakura, Atem/Ryou Bakura, Atem/Thief King Bakura, Yugi Mutou/Ryou Bakura, Thief King Bakura/Ryou Bakura, Yugi Mutou/Thief King Bakura/Atem/Ryou Bakura, implied Yami Malik/Malik Ishtar (very minor) Characters: Yugi Mutou, Yami Bakura, Atem, Ryou Bakura, Thief King Bakura, Malik Ishtar, Isis Ishtar, Yami Malik, Seto Kaiba, Rishid Ishtar, Anzu Mazaki Content Warnings: Violence, Sex, Possession/Dubious Consent (not precisely sexual, but in the sense of using other people's bodies), Dark Comedy Summary: After receiving the Millennium Necklace during the events of Battle City, Yugi attempts to use it to see the events of the past, and inadvertently sets off a chain reaction of ancient magic. Now, separated from his partner and trapped in a dangerous pocket dimension spawned from Ryou's mind, Yugi must ally with Yami Bakura to survive horror movie monsters, treacherous terrain, and inclement weather, as in another dimensional rift, Ryou Bakura and Yami Yugi, likewise separated, begin to uncover the dark secret of Kul Elna. Meanwhile, back at the Battle City finals, Malik Ishtar finds himself the last man standing, stuck with the job of saving the world. In Anzu's body. Rating: Mature Art needed:  + 1 (one) completed art work OR 3 (three) panel greyscale sketched comic + 1 (one) coloured sketch OR 1 (one) greyscale line art OR 1 (one) graphic banner OR 3-5 (three to five) panel inked comic OR 5 (five) panel coloured sketch comic

DM2 Pairings: puzzleshipping, implied/light gemshipping Characters: Yuugi Muto, Atem, Thief King Bakura, Ryou Bakura, Mahad, Mana, Anzu Mazaki, Jounouchi Katsuya, Honda Hirota Content Warnings:  Foul Language, Fantasy Violence, Trauma Summary: After the memory world rpg, the Thief King, free of Zorc's influence, finds himself still attached to the Millennium Ring, still in the possession of one Ryou Bakura, with nowhere to go, no meaning to his existence, and a lot of lingering guilt. Meanwhile, Yuugi and Atem prepare for the duel between them meant to decide Atem's fate, and both discover they're unhappy with their options. Ryou, still trying to find meaning in his involvement with the Items, makes it his mission to get everyone the ending they deserve. As with most things in the post s0-verse, things get settled with a duel! Canon divergent, Fix-it, everyone lives (mostly) Rating: Teen Art needed:  + 1 (one) completed art work OR 3 (three) panel greyscale sketched comic + 10 (ten) 100x100 icons OR 1 (one) moodboard OR 1 (one) greyscale sketch OR 3-5 (three to five) panel coloured sketch comic

DM3 Pairings: Ishizu Ishtar x Mai Valentine Characters: Ishizu Ishtar, Mai Valentine, Noa Kaiba, Ishtar Family Content Warnings: Family struggles, coping with orientation Summary: Things are going so well with Mai, Ishizu forgets that she can't keep hiding her from her family. The choice ends up being taken away from her, and she has to find a way to cope. Rating: Teen Art needed:  + 1 (one) completed art work OR 3 (three) panel greyscale sketched comic

DM4 Pairings: Thief King Bakura/Ryou Bakura; Atem/Yugi Mutou  Characters: Thief King Bakura, Ryou Bakura, Pharaoh Atem, Yugi Mutou, Mahad  Content Warnings: PTSD, mentions of past character-death, mentions of past starvation, hey Atem your privilege is showing, brief Kemetic themes  Summary: When Ryou decides to use an ancient Egyptian artifact in the group's Monster World campaign, the last thing he expects is to find himself transported to the ruins of Kul Elna, the once-Village of Thieves, having taken the form of his white mage character. He also doesn't expect to encounter the self-proclaimed King of Thieves, sealed there three thousand years ago. Upon investigation, there seems to be a gap in history--a nameless Pharaoh, wiped from the records. Yugi, as he tries to help Ryou navigate these strange happenings, finds himself drawn into the spell, too--as his beast tamer character, he stumbles upon the nameless Pharaoh, Atem. For the past three thousand years, Atem and Bakura have been sealed there. Bakura skulks through the familiar streets, surrounded by lingering ghosts, while Atem pines for the palace he struggles to remember. In the desert, unable to enter Kul Elna, the demon watches from within his vessel, the High Priest of Darkness. He vows to get free from his prison, even as the mage Ryou promises to break the seal on behalf of the King of Thieves and the Pharaoh. Rating: Teen Art needed:  + 1 (one) completed art work OR 3 (three) panel greyscale sketched comic + 10 (ten) 100x100 icons OR 1 (one) moodboard OR 1 (one) greyscale sketch OR 3-5 (three to five) panel coloured sketch comic

DM5 Pairings: Yugi/Atem Characters: Yugi, Atem, Kaiba, Mahad, Ryou, Anzu, Jun, Judai Content Warnings: There is ONE (1) nsfw scene in it but very easy to skip/avoid. Summary: Atem, prince of a seaside kingdom. Yugi, prince to the merpeople of the sea. Worlds collide with one faithful encounter, and they find themselves enraptured with each other. But sooner or later, Yugi and Atem have to grow up, and their kingdoms are worlds apart. Follows the lives of Yugi and Atem throughout important moments in their lives. (Alternative title: No One Said Mutual Pinning With The Prince Next Door Was Easy) Rating: Explicit Art needed: +  2 (two) completed art work OR 3-5 (three to five) panel complete art comic

DM6 Pairings: N/A Characters: Yugi Mutou, Atem, Jounouchi Katsuya, Yami Marik, Bakura, Bakura Ryou, Seto Kaiba, Mokuba, Isis Content Warnings: Character death, very arguably. (Like, barely, but it's worth mentioning.) Summary: If you could do it all again, through a mirror... If you had that wish... It's a Yugioh DM Pokemon Mystery Dungeon AU! When Yugi wakes up as a Mareep with no memories, he's lucky to meet the Shinx Atem to help him out. Together they'll join Seto's branch of the explorer's guild and become an exploration team. However, Hunters, runaway princes, criminals who know Yugi's name, natural disasters, a wish deity looking for a good time, petty rival exploration teams, and a creeping darkness won't make this an easy job. And at night, when Yugi dreams, he sees steel and stars and wishes, and can't help but feel that he's done this all before... Rating: Teen Art needed: + 2 (two) completed art work OR 3-5 (three to five) panel complete art comic

DM7 Pairings: Puppyshipping, slight puzzleshipping, hints of Duke/Tristan Characters: Joey Wheeler, Seto Kaiba, Yugi Muto, Tristan Taylor, Ryou Bakura, Tea Gardner, Jaden Yuki, Atem Content Warnings: violence, a few gruesome deaths, a few gruesome descriptions, fights and battles, those flesh Eating scarabs from Hamunaptra even if they only appear for one short moment, undead murder Monkeys, hints of deadly rituals, character death, and Hirutani, who is his own warning, because he´s quite obsessed and his thoughts and Actions are quite disturbing Summary: The mummy returns AU. Egypt, 1929. Two years ago, Yugi and his friends fought chaos incarnated (after accidentally releasing it themselves), and lived to tell the tale. They thought that it was over, that they got away with only memories still haunting them. They were wrong. Someone is disturbing Hamunaptra again, Yugi’s dreams turn to visions and when one of them leads him and his friends to a treasure bettter off buried, the battle for the fate of the world is on again. The year of the scorpion has begun. Rating: Teen/Mature Art needed:  + 2 (two) completed art work OR 3-5 (three to five) panel complete art comic

DM8 Pairings: Puzzleshipping  Characters: Akandin, Atem, Yugi Motu, Siegfried, oc Content Warnings: Murder by plant, abuse, smut, blood, man eating plant Summary: Little shop...Little shop of terror, Little shop of horror! Oh, oh, oh, no. Rating: Mature Art needed:  + 1 (one) completed art work OR 3 (three) panel greyscale sketched comic 

DM9 Pairings: Puzzleshipping, past Peachshipping, hints of Puppyshipping Characters: Yugi Mutou, Atem, Mahad, Mana, Seto Kaiba, Jounouchi Katsuya, Yami Bakura, Malik Ishtar, Pegasus J Crawford, Ishizu Ishtar Content Warnings: Character Death, science fiction, Fifth Element adaptation, violent scenes, futuristic technology Summary: The Pharaoh was created to be the supreme being; the one destine to save and protect the universe. Yugi Mutou was a retired military major turned cab driver mixed up in this destiny. He was tasked with a mission to help the Pharaoh and save the Earth from the impending doom brought on by a dark entity. Rating: Mature Art needed:  + 1 (one) completed art work OR 3 (three) panel greyscale sketched comic + 1 (one) coloured sketch OR 1 (one) greyscale line art OR 1 (one) graphic banner OR 3-5 (three to five) panel inked comic OR 5 (five) panel coloured sketch comic

DM10 Pairings: N/A Characters: Bakura, Ryou, Malik, Ishizu, Rishid, Atem, Pegasus, Mai Content Warnings: suicide mention/implied suicide; some gore/body horror (not described in detail) Summary: Bakura and Ryou-centric role reversal AU: Bakura’s life takes a turn for the strange when he steals a weird piece of jewelry. Not that spending his days shoplifting purses for Malik’s knock-off handbag crime empire and his evenings making bets on card games was necessarily normal. It’s just that now he also has a weirdly polite ghost to worry about. [No romance; focuses on Bakura’s relationship with Ryou as a vaguely villainous ghost and the Ishtars as found family; cameos by Atem, Pegasus, Mai] Rating: Teen Art needed:  + 1 (one) completed art work OR 3 (three) panel greyscale sketched comic + 10 (ten) 100x100 icons OR 1 (one) moodboard OR 1 (one) greyscale sketch OR 3-5 (three to five) panel coloured sketch comic

DM11 Pairings: Atem/Seto Kaiba Characters: Seto Kaiba, Kisara, Atem, Yugi Muto, Ryou Bakura Content Warnings: pirate/seafaring au. contains lovecraftian horror, mention of battles and injury, a smut scene, and memory loss/angst with a happy ending. Summary: Kaiba wakes in the middle of the ocean, with few resources and even fewer memories. Rescued by a familiar voice from the dark he sails towards safety through treacherous waters, but as Kaiba's memories begin to return he wonders what that familiar voice is hiding. A more complete spoilery summary: Kaiba and Kisara are on the trail of an eldritch being that destroyed their village when they were younger. Kaiba meets Atem, who is also chasing the creature, hoping to rescue his brother Yugi. They fight the creature, but Kaiba is killed. Atem decides he's to blame, and with the help of Ryou the sea witch goes on a journey through the underworld with Kaiba to bring him back to the land of the living. The only price Ryou asks for is a golden charm that Kaiba wears on his neck. Much of the fic is Kaiba and Atem journeying through the seas of the dead. The fic ends with Kaiba back safe and sound, and a small epilogue that tells more about Ryou's ulterior motives. Rating: Explicit Art needed:  + 1 (one) completed art work OR 3 (three) panel greyscale sketched comic 

Yu-Gi-Oh! Bonds Beyond Time

BBT1 Pairings: N/A Characters: Judai, Yubel, Johan, Yusei, Yugi, Yami Yugi, Shou, Ryou, Edo, Paradox, Sara, Kaiba, Daitokuji, most of the GX main cast gets at least mentioned, the Light of Destruction, Crimson Dragon, the rest of the Signers appear only in the epilogue Content Warnings: Character Death, it's not a chat fic but it has a couple of chat logs for flavor, it's also got some funky shadow magic and duels that Don't Follow The Rules Summary: When Blue-Eyes vanishes without a trace, Judai shoulders the responsibility to go looking for answers. He doesn't expect a whole string of spirit-nappings followed by a chance to slip through time, but hey, life's all about the little surprises. [ BBT AU ] Rating: Teen Art needed: + 1 (one) completed art work OR 3 (three) panel greyscale sketched comic + 1 (one) coloured sketch OR 1 (one) greyscale line art OR 1 (one) graphic banner OR 3-5 (three to five) panel inked comic OR 5 (five) panel coloured sketch comic 

Yu-Gi-Oh! GX

GX1 Pairings: N/A Characters: Yuuki Juudai, varied OCs (mostly Duel Monsters/Spirits) Content Warnings: off-screen/not graphically described murders, some violence, set in my reversal world where Juudai's the incarnation of Destructive Darkness Summary: He wasn't always a warlord.  He wasn't always feared wherever his shadow fell. Once he was a child.  Once he was a teenager.  Everyone has a beginning, even the Haou of the Destructive Darkness. Rating: Teen Art needed:  + 1 (one) completed art work OR 3 (three) panel greyscale sketched comic + 1 (one) coloured sketch OR 1 (one) greyscale line art OR 1 (one) graphic banner OR 3-5 (three to five) panel inked comic OR 5 (five) panel coloured sketch comic GX2 Pairings: N/A Characters: Alice, Tyranno Hassleberry, Jaden Yuki, Syrus Truesdale, Bastion Misawa, Atticus Rhodes, Alexis Rhodes, Chazz Princeton, Aster Phoenix, Pharaoh the Cat, Lyman Banner, Dr Vellian Crowler, Ms Fontaine Content Warnings: Kidnapping, torture, blood, injury, bits of angst, hurt/comfort, literal demons, attempted sacrifice, temporary death, slight swearing, slight suggestive themes Summary: Upon their return from Domino, Jaden and friends are met by a mysterious new student named Alice, who Hassleberry falls head over heels for. But it's not all smiles and sunshine when not longer after Hassleberry is found missing without a trace! Running around in a desperate search Jaden, Syrus, Bastion, and Atticus are the only ones left who can save him. But little do they know Alice has more than a few secrets to hide, and only one thing as her motivation to harm the young dino duelist; the pure light of his untainted soul. Rating: Teen Art needed:  + 1 (one) completed art work OR 3 (three) panel greyscale sketched comic + 1 (one) coloured sketch OR 1 (one) greyscale line art OR 1 (one) graphic banner OR 3-5 (three to five) panel inked comic OR 5 (five) panel coloured sketch comic GX3 Pairings: Yubel/Judai Characters: Yubel, Judai Yuki, Jim Cook, Fubuki Tenjoin, Asuka Tenjoin, Light of Ruin Content Warnings: Major Character Death, Minor Character Death, Temporary Character Death, Suicide, Timeskips, Timetravel, Anal Sex Summary: Every seer needed a guardian. To stand watch over him as Judai shaped the future to the best it could possibly be. Now if only the Light of Ruin could mind its on business and stop ruining everything for everyone else. (FFXIII AU) Rating: Explicit Art needed:  + 1 (one) completed art work OR 3 (three) panel greyscale sketched comic + 10 (ten) 100x100 icons OR 1 (one) moodboard OR 1 (one) greyscale sketch OR 3-5 (three to five) panel coloured sketch comic GX4 Pairings: Ryo Marufuji/Judai Yuki, Ryo Marufuji/Supreme King Characters: Ryo Marufuji, Judai Yuki, Supreme King, Yubel, Edo Phoenix, Saio, Jun Manjoume Content Warnings: Blood, Sex, Violence, A/B/O Dynamics, Miscarriage Summary: During his last year at the Duel Academy Ryo, the most desired alpha of the island, fell in love with Judai, a very strange and unique omega. When they meet again during Judai's second year, both of them have changed. Ryo became the Hellkaiser and Judai... became the Supreme King, an alpha. Rating: Mature Art needed:  + 1 (one) completed art work OR 3 (three) panel greyscale sketched comic GX5 Pairings: Haou/Jaden. Jaden/Haou. Characters: Haou (the supreme king). Jaden Yuki. Mentions of Yubel. Content Warnings: Medieval AU, Angst, Slow burn, Porn, Blood, Mentions of death, Mentions of magic, No duels, Fluff, Action/Adventure, Violence,  Drama Summary: In old times where magic is long gone and mentions of it are forbidden and unspoken of, a trace of it still lingers, last of it's existence beig in the ancient, cursed king. Jaden, a miserable, but energetic villager, tired of unmerciful circumstances of life, finds himself venturing through not only the emperor's castle walls, but also his internal barriers, slowly breaking them. Rating: Explicit Art needed: + 2 (two) completed art work OR 3-5 (three to five) panel complete art comic     

Yu-Gi-Oh! ZEXAL

ZEXAL1 Pairings: Vector/Zexal II, Zexal II/ Hope Zexal Characters: Zexal II, Hope Zexal, Vector, Michio Mokota, Zexal Side characters: Dark Zexal, Astral Content Warnings: Dub-con, Pregnancy, Demon Characters/Demon Transformation, Character Death, There's a decent amount of sex, Zexal II, Hope, and Astral are girls. There's M/F and F/F Summary: An Incubus named Vector makes a bet with Death [Hope Zexal] that he can get Zexal II's soul, but Death seems interested in her too. Rating: Explicit Art needed:  + 2 (two) completed art work OR 3-5 (three to five) panel complete art comic ZEXAL2 Pairings: N/A Characters: Tron, III, IV, V, Dr. Faker, Kaito, Vector, Durbe, Mizael Content Warnings: Body Horror Summary: A man is haunted by the faces of his past as he traverses the wastes of a distant planet. Rating: Gen Art needed:  + 1 (one) completed art work OR 3 (three) panel greyscale sketched comic ZEXAL3 Pairings: IV/V, IV/III, IV/Kaito, IV/Ryoga, IV/Rio Characters: Arclight brothers, Kamishiro siblings and Tenjo Kaito Content Warnings: Incest, rape, mutilation, violence, dehumanization, trauma, creepy dolls and just in general disturbing imagery  Summary: The dolls in Thomas’s room each have their own unique personality. Each one is elegantly crafted, their beautiful faces unchanging. Sometimes, he wishes that his family were more like that. When his fantasies spin out of control, he leaves behind a path of misery, pain and ultimately, regret. His dolls constantly whisper for their release, yet he turns away from their silent voices and continues to delve into his fantasy. Such is the fate of this poor soul. ----- Thomas is heavily shaken after Tron decides to leave forever, without a single apology towards him. Michael tries to comfort him and breaks their mother's favorite doll on accident and Thomas gets even more upset. He gets so upset that he knocks Michael out, saws off his limbs, removes his vocal cords and attaches life-sized doll limbs onto him. He then treats Michael like one of his beloved playthings. Christopher discovers these atrocities and ends up with the same fate as Michael's. This snowballs into a gigantic horror fest as the Kamishiros joins the mess and is topped off with Kaito also being dragged in. Now with his new family, Thomas thinks that he is finally able to have a happy ending. Rating: Explicit Art needed:  + 1 (one) completed art work OR 3 (three) panel greyscale sketched comic + 1 (one) coloured sketch OR 1 (one) greyscale line art OR 1 (one) graphic banner OR 3-5 (three to five) panel inked comic OR 5 (five) panel coloured sketch comic

Yu-Gi-Oh! ARC-V

ARCV1 Pairings: Akaba Ray/Zarc Characters: Akaba Ray, Zarc, Akaba Reiji, Akaba Reira, Sawatari Shingo, Gongenzaka Noboru Content Warnings: Kidnapping, Manipulation, slight dubcon, fantasy Summary: A spoiled Akaba Ray wishes for Zarc, the Supreme King of all spirits to take away her baby brother, Reiji. To her amazement, he’s real and fulfills her wish and she regrets it. Now Ray only has 24 hours to fight her way through the realm of spirits and resist Zarc’s temptation in order to to save her brother or lose both him and herself to the Supreme King’s clutches. Rating: Teen/Mature Art needed:  + 1 (one) completed art work OR 3 (three) panel greyscale sketched comic + 1 (one) coloured sketch OR 1 (one) greyscale line art OR 1 (one) graphic banner OR 3-5 (three to five) panel inked comic OR 5 (five) panel coloured sketch comic

Yu-Gi-Oh! VRAINS

VRAINS1 Pairings: Yusaku Fujiki/Ryoken Kogami Characters: Yusaku Fujiki, Ryoken Kogami, Takeru Homura, Shoichi Kusanagi, Ai, others (very short roles). Content Warnings: Blood, stabbing, death, major character death, sex scenes, minor talk about prescription medicine use and withdrawal (short scene), suicide, murder. Summary: Yusaku grows up with vivid nightmares of his life coming to an end.  In his dreams, he always sees the same icy blue eyes right before he dies.  One day, he meets Ryoken, a man with the same piercing blue eyes from his dreams.  As he learns more about Ryoken, Yusaku begins to unravel memories from their past life together where they were once lovers. Rating: Explicit  Art needed:  + 1 (one) completed art work OR 3 (three) panel greyscale sketched comic + 1 (one) coloured sketch OR 1 (one) greyscale line art OR 1 (one) graphic banner OR 3-5 (three to five) panel inked comic OR 5 (five) panel coloured sketch comic VRAINS2 Pairings: N/A Characters: Yusaku, Takeru, Kiku, Jin, Shoichi, Ema, Aoi, Miyu, Go, Spectre, Ryoken Content Warnings: N/A Summary: A high school/college AU loosely based on the common route of the visual novel Little Busters! It follows Yusaku as he gets dragged into a makeshift baseball team made to celebrate everyone’s last year in school together and the shenanigans that ensue trying to get enough members for a full team- including ghost hunting, fireworks shows, and a single game at the end of everything they're definitely not prepared for. (But they're having fun, and that's what matters.) Rating: Gen Art needed:  + 1 (one) completed art work OR 3 (three) panel greyscale sketched comic VRAINS3 Pairings: Yusaku Fujiki/Ryoken Kogami Characters: Yusaku Fujiki, Ryoken Kogami, Takeru Homura, Miyu Sugisaki, Aoi Zaizen Content Warnings: mild angst that turns into fluff eventually, depictions of trauma, season 2 spoilers, canon divergence Summary: After Lightning and Bohman's defeat and the fall of SOL Tech, the Lost Incident is made partially public. Yusaku and Ryoken must learn how to move on from the past now that it's available for everyone to gossip about -- and move on with their lives, since their Link VRAINS aliases are no longer needed. Rating: Teen Art needed:  + 1 (one) completed art work OR 3 (three) panel greyscale sketched comic VRAINS4 Pairings: Fujiki Yuusaku/Kougami Ryouken (Datastorm) Characters: Major: Fujiki Yuusaku, Kougami Ryouken, Spectre, Homura Takeru Minor: All the ignises, Kamishirakawa Kiku, Miyu, Bohman, Haru Content Warnings: Kidnapping Summary:  Exhausted and overworked, Yuusaku and Ryouken take a holiday away from Den City to the quaint town far away from civilisation. The worst they had suspected was simply being disconnected from technology; however, children have been disappearing and reappearing in the town, and electronic devices have been washing up on the innocent shores. With the villagers themselves technophobic, Yuusaku and Ryouken take it upon themselves to get to the bottom of the mystery and hopefully end their vacation on a peaceful note. If only they could solve the case while stranded in the middle of an isolated town with no connection to Den City, and surrounded by adults and children alike who think technology will melt their brains and steal their souls. Rating: Teen Art needed:  + 2 (two) completed art work OR 3-5 (three to five) panel complete art comic

Crossover

XOVER1 Pairings: N/A Characters: Atem, Yugi Mouto, Ryou Bakura, Thief King Bakura, Mana, Mahad, High Priestess Isis, Seth, Yuko Ichihara, Anthy Himemiya, Mai Valentine, Akunadin Content Warnings: Major and minor character death, rape (mentioned and vaguely alluded to), female Yugi, female Ryou, Fantasy AU Summary: The Witch King: The coordination for the future king of Esmia was going quite smoothly… until it didn’t. Now Yugi and Ryou have to learn why the Crown has chosen to be on an unknown boy, a magic-user who only has his mother for his family. But what they learn, and what they do with that knowledge, could change the kingdom forever. Rating: Teen Art needed:  + 1 (one) completed art work OR 3 (three) panel greyscale sketched comic

XOVER2 Pairings: Kindredshipping, Puzzleshipping Characters: Yusei Fudo, Jaden Yuki, Johan Anderson, Yugi Muto, Atem, Mahad, Mana, Jack Atlas, Crow, Aki, Lua and Luka, Carly, Sho, Ryo, Fubuki, O'Brien, Jim, (I think I got everyone) Content Warnings: Mild violence- nothing gory is described but there are battle scenes Summary: A torn kingdom. A rising threat. A missing prince. Three heroes, Yusei Fudo, Judai Yuki, and Johan Anderson, all destined to meet, each with a future set before them by the strings of fate. The world is falling into chaos and only their bonds can stand a chance of saving everything they love. Including each other. Rating: Gen Art needed: + 1 (one) completed art work OR 3 (three) panel greyscale sketched comic + 1 (one) coloured sketch OR 1 (one) greyscale line art OR 1 (one) graphic banner OR 3-5 (three to five) panel inked comic OR 5 (five) panel coloured sketch comic XOVER3 Pairings: Puzzle, Blue, Star, Thief, Moral, Mai x Rafael Characters: Yuugi, Atem, Gandora, Ryou, Anzu, Honda, Jounouchi, Mai, Rafael, Seto, Kisara, Aigami, Shadi, Judai, Yuusei, Akhenamkhanen, Mahado, smaller oc’s Content Warnings: slight mention of animal death (hunting), torture, ptsd, non-explicit gore, non-graphical sexual themes Summary: Soulmates are both the blessing and the curse of the elvish race, and Yuugi the dragon rider knows it all too well, as he's been longing for the day when he'll meet his. But when others receive a golden message on their skin with a vague hint of their mate, Yuugi receives something different, something terrifying. And now, he must save his mate before it's too late. Rating: Mature Art needed: + 2 (two) completed art work OR 3-5 (three to five) panel complete art comic