#(watch me go into full panic mode in a couple of weeks)

[itsjaywalkers]

not being able to talk about my jegbb fic or share anything is slowly killing me

[daisyblog]

Birthday Twin

Our Story Masterlist Summary: YN and Harry welcome their baby girl into the world.

Warning: labour, delivery, child birth, gas and air

11th of April 2024

35 weeks and 5 days pregnant

The Tomlinson family had all travelled to Doncaster for a few days of celebrating YN turning thirty. 

“Your last couple of days of being twenty nine Kiddo!”. Louis gently ruffled YN’s hair as he walked by her in their grandparents kitchen. Both filling their plates with some more food from the buffet spread their Nan had made. 

“Don’t remind me!” YN groaned as she reached over and put some extra sandwiches on her plate. 

“Fookin’ ‘ell, is baby girl hungry tonight?”. Louis joked as he watched his sister continue to fill her plate that was already slightly full of food. 

YN laughed as she looked at her plate compared to Louis. “Your niece is a foodie, what can I say?”. She naturally ran her hand over her large bump. 

“Can I?” Louis gestured towards her tummy, his way of asking if he could touch. When YN nodded, Louis placed his hand over bump. “‘ello little one, are you gonna come and meet us soon?”. 

“You’re going to spoil her rotten aren’t you?”. YN couldn’t help but smile at the small interaction. She had witnessed her brother as a brother, dad and uncle already and she could tell how much love he already had for her little girl. 

“Uh obviously, I just hope she comes before tour starts again.” 

---

12th of April 2024

35 weeks 6 days pregnant 

8:30am

YN suddenly woke from small niggles in her lower stomach, something she had been experiencing for a few weeks. She tried to ignore the dull ache and go back to sleep, but after tossing and turning, she gave in and got up. 

As she entered the kitchen she noticed her grandmother sitting at the table with a cup of tea in her hand. “Morning my love, you’re awake early!”. 

YN began to make herself a cup of tea, as she sat beside Jen. “Morning Nan, yeah braxton hicks again!”. 

“You’ve been having them a lot haven’t you darling?”. Jen had a concerned look on her face as she watched her eldest granddaughter stir her tea. 

YN only shrugged her shoulders. “Apparently it’s normal at this stage, I just didn’t realise how painful they could be”. 

11:00am

As the morning went on YN noticed how the niggles only continued and become a tad more painful. But not wanting to draw attention or to cause everyone to worry, especially Harry, she suggested her and Harry take Teddy for a walk.

They were walking through the quiet field, Teddy running just a bit in front of them, when YN stopped suddenly and held her tummy as a sharp pain caught her off guard.

“What’s wrong babe? Are you alright?” Harry immediately went into panic mode, worry evident all over his face. His hand protectively wrapped around her smaller frame. 

“Yeah, just cramp that’s all”. YN noticed Harry’s worried look, his eyebrows in a tight frown and tried her best to hide how much pain she was really in. “I’m fine, it’s braxton hicks again.”. 

Although Harry wasn’t fully convinced, they continued their walk before heading back to the house. 

2:00pm 

Within a few hours, the pain had gotten worse with YN baring her weight on anyone or anything to try and ease the pain. It was when YN cried out in pain, as she grabbed onto Louis’ hand, that Harry decided to take matters into his own hands. 

“I’m phoning the hospital, this can’t just be braxton hicks!” Harry announced as he began to dial the number on his phone. 

“Harry’s right Tiny, you’re in far too much pain for this not to be real labour”. Louis agreed with Harry, taking note at how much his sister was squeezing his hand. 

After phoning the hospital and explaining everything to the midwife, Harry was told that it sounded like YN was in early labour and they needed to monitor and time how quick she was having contractions. 

At this news Daisy, Phoebe and the other men decided to take Lucky and Olive to Phoebe and Jack’s house to give YN some space before she had to go to hospital. 

“Ahhhh!” YN cried out in pain as she held onto Harry for support. “This hurts so fookin’ much!”.

Harry rubbed circles on YN’s back, trying to comfort her as much as he could. “I know baby…but you’re doing so well.”.

“You’re doing so well YN”. Lottie praised her sister from where she sat next to Louis. “All the pain is worth it in the end, trust me”.

“Lottie’s right Tiny…just think you’ll be holding your baby sooner than you thought”. Louis gave Harry a small smile, knowing how special that moment will be for them both. 

5:30pm

With her contractions lasting around a minute and only being five minutes apart, YN found herself in the hospital with gas and air being her new best friend. 

YN was lying down on the bed, the gas and air attachment in her mouth as she breathed through another contraction. Harry sat on one side of the bed telling her how proud of her he was and saying how it wouldn’t be long until their little one would be here. 

“Harry…baby…I can’t do this!”. YN’s head hit the white plump pillow behind her, as the contraction ended. “I’m so tired already.”.

“You can do it and you are doing it”. Harry brushed some of her away from her face. “You’re making me so proud!”. 

“YN, you’re doing amazing and just remember nothing worth having is easy”. Lottie encouraged her sister, having been through labour and birth herself, she what to say. 

“Listen to your birthing partners YN, you’re doing amazing”. The midwife smiled proudly at how supportive and calm they both were. “How about trying to the birthing pool?”. 

Harry helped YN into the pool and instantly YN’s once tense body was now relaxed. In between contractions she began to make jokes about how she’s glad she had shaved her legs before that day. 

When the next contraction hit, Harry was quick to kneel down beside the pool and hold onto YN’s hand as she took in the gas and air to numb the pain. “That’s it, keep breathing through the pain, you’re doing so well love”. 

8:00pm

“So how did you two meet?”. The midwife began to make conversation with the couple as another contraction ended.

YN was back sitting on the bed, the attachment still in her hand whilst her other one held Harry’s. “He was my brother’s best friend”.

“Oh how interesting!” The midwife leaned forward in her chair, eager to hear more. “How did that go? You know breaking the news to him?”.

“Not well but he came around pretty quickly”. Harry explained as YN worked her way through another sharp pain. 

“I wouldn’t have listened even if he didn’t come around”. YN allowed the gas and air to do a little bit of talking. “Couldn’t resist the charm”. 

Before anyone could respond, a gush of water surrounded YN and turned the blue sheet below a darker shade. “And that’s your water breaking!” The midwife announced before she helps YN to clean herself up. 

11:45pm

The contractions were coming thick and fast, YN was attached to the gas and air more than ever and Harry tried to hide how hard she was squeezing his hand. 

“YN I’m going to exam you, is that alright darling?”. The midwife stood at the bottom on the bed, gloves covering her fingers ready for the examination. With YN’s permission, the midwife began to see how far YN was dilated. “Oh darling, I can feel baby’s head, do you feel like you-“.

Before the midwife finished; YN let out a small groan as she bore down and began to push. Harry was overwhelmed with joy, excitement but also nervousness that any minute now their whole world was about to change. 

“Keep listening to your body YN, you’re doing amazing my darling” the midwife encouraged as she continued to watch the baby’s head begin to crown. 

“Aww I can see her head!”. Lottie’s excited voice could be heard as she took in every moment of watching her niece being born. 

YN took a rest in between contractions before she needed to push again. “I love you  “. Harry placed a peck to YN’s forehead. 

“I love you too!”. 

0:01am

After several more pushes, Harry and Lottie were in awe as the tiny little baby appeared and was placed on YN’s bear chest. The tears streamed down YN and Harry’s cheeks. 

“Hello baby girl!”. YN held her daughter tight, and kissed her head gently. Despite all the pain YN was still in, a large smile covered her face as she looked down at the small version of herself and Harry.

“Baby girl born one minute past midnight on the thirteen of April, weighting six pound exactly”. The midwife announced to the three of them. 

Harry smiled down at his wife and newborn daughter. “Happy birthday baby!”. It was in that moment that YN had realised that their little girl was born on her thirtieth birthday. 

---

13th of April 2024

6 hours old

“Thank you.” Harry spoke into the quiet and calm room as he held their newborn in his bare arms. “You’re a real life superwoman for doing all that and bringing our girl into the world!”.

“I’d do it a thousand times again because she was totally worth it”. YN watched as Harry’s hand held onto the tiny newborn fingers. “I couldn’t have done it without you or Lotts though.”.

“She’s your double”. Harry smiled as he observed the little’s one features, all resembling her mother’s. “She looks like your Mum too!”. He gave YN a sad smile. 

YN didn’t want to get too emotional at the thought that her Mum wasn’t there to meet her daughter, so she tried to remain positive. “I think me Mum sent her as a birthday gift and it’s the best gift I’ve ever had”. 

---

Instagram Reel:

Made by Lottie

The black and white video begins, the sound of Heartbeat by James Arthur playing over it. 

YN is sat on the birthing ball, her hips moving slowly, in her grandparents living room. Harry kneeling down in front of her, holding her gently and whispering how well she’s doing. Louis is sat to her side, holding onto her hand and being a support whilst he can. 

In the hospital corridor, YN has her neck tucked into Harry’s chest as they stop to allow her to breathe through a contraction. Harry places small pecks to the top of her head. 

Sitting crossed leg on the bed, YN takes in the gas and air that she’s holding up to her mouth. Her eyes are closed as she’s breathing through each contraction. 

YN is in the birthing pool, the gas and air still attached to her hand has she takes in another breath, Harry is kneeling down by her side. She holds onto his hand, he looks on with a slight frown on his face as he watches his wife work through another contraction. 

Now lying on the bed, YN cradles her new born daughter to her chest, tears running down her and Harry’s face as they meet their little baby for the first time. Grace Johannah Robyn Styles had stolen their hearts and YN couldn’t have asked for a better birthday gift. 

---

ynstyles

liked by annetwist, lottietomlinson, and 5,634,543 others

ynstyles Grace Johannah Robyn Styles🤍 View all 15,788 comments

niallhoran Aww my little bestie❤️Can’t wait to meet her xx ⌞ ynstyles Little Grace is excited to meet her Uncle Niall!!

gemmastyles I’M AN AUNTIE🥰❤️Thank you both for blessing me with the most beautiful niece xx ⌞ynstyles AUNTIE GEM🩷

annetwist My family grows and my heart is so full❤️Congratulations my darlings! Grace is a beautiful little girl and I love you all very much xxx ⌞ynstyles We love you😘🥰Thank you for being the best Grandma already❤️

lottietomlinson Our beautiful Grace!! What a magical moment watching her come into the world. Love you all ❤️ ⌞ynstyles Thank you for being there every step of the way Lotts!! I’m so glad I got to share that special moment with you. Love you lots🩷

louist91 Can’t wait for more cuddles!! Proud of you both!! Grace is amazing!!xx ⌞ynstyles Grace loved her snuggles with Uncle Lou xxx ⌞harryfan3 Uncle Louis🥹 ⌞louisfan7 I bet Louis is the best uncle!!!!

zayn congrats guys! So happy for you. Big love x ⌞ynstyles Thanks Z! Hope to see you soon xx ⌞1dfan6 OMG!!! WE’RE GETTING A REUNION!

louteasdale 🥹🥹🥹Congratulations babes, can’t wait for a cuddle xx

liampayne Congratulations both. Can’t wait to meet her!

the.daisytomlinson Another precious niece to love🩷 So proud of you sis xx

thephoebetomlinson Olive’s little bestie🩷🩷

marktommo1111 Beyond proud❤️Another chapter begins!xx

mrlewisburton Congratulations to both of you. Welcome to parenthood❤️

sallietommo A precious baby girl! So proud of you beautiful girl❤️❤️❤️

perrieedwards Congratulations babes🩷Welcome to motherhood xx

pillowpersonpp Wow! What a cutie🥹

daniellepeazer Beautiful name🤍Can’t wait to meet her☺️

ryan.viggars ❤️

jefezoff Congrats guys! Very happy for you both!

j_corden A huge congratulations. Can’t wait to meet the little one

jack.varley7 Congrats guys!!

brianasrealaccount Congratulations Auntie YN and Uncle Harry. I can’t wait to meet baby Grace. I love you so much, love from Freddie❤️ ⌞ynstyles We can’t wait to see you Fred! Grace can’t wait for cuddles from her big cousin. Love and miss you soooooo much😘

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[caffeina-felina]

The Bear week | Day one: dialogue

[an exchange that made you laugh, cry, or anything in between; phrases or words from the show that’ve leaked into your real life conversations; a conversation that lives in your head rent free]

"And then you put the fire out."

(Essay under the cut, lol)

Has to be favorite line out of the whole show so far. And the quiet scene it's said in has become one of my favorites for a couple reasons.

Dramatic or comedic scenes tend to define a show and are naturally clip-worthy, but to me it's the calmer scenes that really help to give the individual characters depth. Marcus and Carmy's conversation in the alley is a window into certain things Carmy learned while on his rise to becoming a CDC. Firstly, that talent isn't some indestructible shield against making mistakes. The greatest professional anything can win every award in their field, and they're still gonna be a fallible human being. And secondly, he learned that the shittiest thing to hear after you've screwed up is intense scolding. Whether it's panicked disbelief or outright abuse, someone going "HOW THE FUCK DID YOU LET THIS HAPPEN?!" isn't likely to help someone learn and grow from their mistake. "Mistakes happen, making new ones is inevitable, and it's all a normal part of the learning process and simply being human" is worlds better.

It's also a great window into Marcus' background, what he now wants to work towards, and how he's going about getting there. His time at McDonald's (and even his time at The Beef while Mike was alive, since he pretty much just did bread) didn't prepare him for the delicate balance of essential work vs. recreational creativity. Being given the opportunity to be pursue a passion is much the same as being given power or control. Get reckless with it and pursue it without forethought, and you're gonna cause a lot of damage and resentment. Being ADHD, I'm painfully familiar with the consequences of hyperfocus and how hard it can come back to bite you in the ass. Whatever the exact cause for Marcus' mental lockjaw, he definitely experienced a familiar fallout when he snapped out of Fun Task mode too late to finish his primary tasks without the inherent destruction of panic. And if Carmy hadn't learned his own lessons by that point, the conversation would have certainly been the damaging kind.

And lastly, I love this scene for the compassion it has towards feeling overwhelmed and like improving isn't worth it if it's going to be so stressful and full of uncertainty. It dovetails really nicely with a song lyric that's stuck with me for years: "This place is always such a mess, sometimes I think I'd like to watch it burn." Whether your circumstances are entirely of your own making, are ones that you were dragged into, or a mix of both, sometimes it seems like the quickest and least painful path would be to torch the whole damn thing. Let it get as bad as it wants to, you're gonna walk away from it and find relief in shrugging off the burden. But then...

you put the fire out.

[demona-andariel]

Object of Obsession - 37 / 46

Fandom: Halloween

Pairing: Michael Myers x OFC

Summary: In Haddonfield everyone knows the legend that was Michael Myers. Content and at ease, they’d forgotten what it was to feel fear in the month of October. But now, he finds himself back and ready for blood but then a bond forms between him and one of his victims. A bond he can’t seem to break. And it starts to make him do things he never thought of doing before.

Warnings: (Encompassing the whole story in no particular order) kidnapping, noncon, explicit sexual content, smut, loss of virginity, rough sex, blood and violence, knifeplay, canon-typical violence

Author Note: Minors DNI!

Word Count: 3,639

Chapter 37 - "Did I..."

"Daddy! I'm late for school!" Gretchen screamed as she ran down the stairs in full panic mode. She'd dreamt about him again, causing her to oversleep. He'd become a consistent recurring character in her dreams as of late, ever since she started to get healthier, stronger. Her future lover. The man she was certain she'd spend her life with. However long that was.

Her heartbeat picked up at the thought of a short life. She didn't want to die, but maybe it was for the best. He was a dangerous man. A killer. She'd seen him on the TV a couple days ago, a brief news report about a serial killer with a picture of him in his mask. The anniversary of his murder spree was coming up. And they issued a warning that he was still at large. The horror and terrified reaction from her father a week prior of her having drawn the killer then became clear. He should have told her. Should have explained who she was drawing. Instead, he'd banned her from drawing and took all of her sketchbooks.

Gretchen had tried to forget the killer. Tried to use the rational part of her mind to make her hate him. He spilled blood for no other reason than just because. And she was destined to be with him? Could she really just stand by his side and watch the world bleed?

Let the world bleed. We were meant to be.

She shook her head at her own selfish thoughts.

The smell of pancakes caught her attention and she ran into the kitchen.

"Daddy?!"

Her father stood by the sink, looking out the window at the backyard. He blinked a couple of times before turning to face her.

"Eat breakfast," he commanded.

"We don't have time! We need to go. I slept in. Why didn't you wake me up?" she asked as she pointed at the microwave clock.

"Oh," he replied. "Sorry, princess. I was distracted."

"Okay, but we gotta go! I'm late," she said as she grabbed his arm and started to pull him out of the kitchen. He didn't budge. "Daddy!" she exclaimed in frustration. "Please?"

"Breakfast first," he said.

She stamped her foot on the kitchen tile, but his face told her she wasn't going to win this time. Going into the dining room, she plopped down on the chair and quickly filled her plate up with food.

He stopped by her chair and handed her a glass of orange juice as well as a couple pills. Without a second thought, she took them. She ate at quickly as possible, hardly chewing on her food if she could get away with it. Probably a mistake, but she didn't care.

Her health had allowed her to not miss a day in school just yet, giving her time to actually make some friends. She didn't want to skip a single day if she could help it.

"Okay. Happy?" she questioned again as she got up. Her world spun as the blood rushed to her head from getting up too quickly.

Her father grabbed her, steadying her. He looked down at her with concern and sadness then kissed her forehead.

"I love you, Gretchen," he said.

She rolled her eyes at him. "Okay, dad. Can we go now?" She stifled a yawn as her limbs grew heavy. Clearly her over excitement wore her out. Her body was still getting used to having more energy.

"I'm sorry," her father's voice whispered softly.

Michael let out a frustrated sigh as Gretchen got up for the umpteenth time from the couch, but she ignored him. It would have amused her. His little protests and sounds of annoyance with her walking on her injured foot. But, he wouldn't… he couldn't understand her feelings. Although, exactly what she was feeling she wasn't entirely sure anymore.

Numb.

She walked to the phone that sat on the kitchen counter. All she had to do was pick it up and dial her uncle's phone number. Her fingers itched as she reached out and her heart thumped wildly in her chest.

You should have locked me up and thrown away the key.

She shook her head and turned her back to the phone again. Maybe it was better that she didn't know. The truth, the knowledge that her uncle promised to pass on to her suddenly didn't feel worth knowing. Because- Gretchen pushed her thoughts away to focus on the unimportant matter before her. Making sure she had all of her belongings.

They were in her apartment. He didn't have to say anything, didn't have to explain his plan. Gretchen had put on the clothes that he got for her and followed him to the SUV that was parked outside. There was a part of her that was grateful they were getting rid of the bodies. She didn't want them in her house, stinking up the place.

She ran on autopilot, following behind him. Next thing she knew, she was opening her apartment door with Michael behind her. The apartment felt as if someone had been in there already. She wasn't wrong. She knew Michael had entered at least once. He wasn't a magician. He didn't conjure her belongings. And the men her uncle sent to get her also would entered to look for clues. Neither made a mess of her place, thankfully.

Instead of doing the one thing she had so strongly wanted to do, she found herself packing. She searched her apartment for whatever else she owned that she wanted to keep. Not that she owned a lot. Most of what was left was clothing.

The phone on the kitchen counter taunted her each time she was even remotely near it. Her eyes found themselves staring at it for an extended period of time before she forced herself to walk away.

She wasn't ready.

Gretchen swallowed back some saliva. She'd lost count of how many times she'd entered her empty bedroom to look around for something she may have missed. With a sigh of her own, she returned to the living room and sat on the couch. Her eyes landed on the phone again.

She felt him instead of seeing him, not that he was hiding. Michael was probably standing against a wall. She could feel his eyes on her. She wasn't sure if she was happy he hadn't joined her on the couch or not. He was never going to be the kind of boyfriend who would be able to console her.

But, he could have left her. Could have left her home alone while he got rid of the bodies. He didn't have to bring her with him. But he took her with him, risking the possibility of her escaping. Or maybe he hoped she'd try so he could chase after her. He didn't know. He really did fuck her up. She was never going to leave him.

Gretchen opened her mouth and took in a loud breath, contemplating on saying just a single word. She hadn't said anything to him since they left their home. But, what could she say? She didn't want to confront the truth. Didn't even want to voice the possibility.

She picked up his mask that was on the coffee table and played with it for a moment. He killed because he wanted to. Because he enjoyed it. She had killed in self-defense. He didn't regret the lives he'd taken, and neither did she, with those men. That should have been fucking with her. The fact that it didn't bother her that she killed those men.

They came to take me away. I warned them.

Gretchen clapped her hands on her knees again and stood up with a heavy sigh. Turning she almost shrieked, nearly running into Michael's body.

"Michael, sorry," she said as she looked up at him.

His face was unreadable, but his eyes moved as he examined her expression. His fingers gently stroked her neck as if he were examining her bruises again. She half closed her eyes, enjoying his touch. She caught a glimpse of them in the bathroom mirror when she entered. It would be some time before they disappeared.

All too soon, Michael's fingers left and he moved a little bit back. He had a question in his eyes.

"I…" she paused then sighed. "I don't know yet." She moved past him and went to the extra bedroom that she had turned into her little art studio. She'd left a stack of her unfinished paintings. She wasn't sure if she wanted to bring them back with her or not. The unfinished projects didn't appeal to her. They felt as if they were a part of a life that she had put behind her at some point in the last two or so weeks.

Walking back into the living room, Gretchen froze. Michael stood by the counter and held the phone receiver in his hand. His blue eyes locked onto her as he extended his hand out.

It's time. This is what you have been waiting for.

Her heartbeat picked up its pace. Is it? She opened her mouth, clicking her tongue in the process. "Michael. I don't-" Coward.

He cocked his head to one side. He wasn't judging her. He seemed to be trying to understand her hesitance. His eyes narrowed slightly as his mouth set into a firm expression. He had decided it was time. He wasn't going to let her walk out again.

She nodded her head. She was only delaying the inevitable. Her eyes stung and her throat hurt from the sudden dryness. Yet, her body moved automatically. Her fingers wrapped around the receiver and she brought it to her chest.

"I don't know if I want to know," she said softly, looking up at him. The firm expression on his face didn't change, although his eyes seemed to soften slightly. He leaned down and planted a light kiss on her lips. It was as if he understood why she was worried. He didn't.

She stared at the phone for a moment then back at him. "I-" I'm a monster, I think. I don't know if I want to confirm that. She bit back the words. Ironic. Keeping herself from saying that she was a monster. He, of all people, wouldn't care.

Her fingers moved automatically, pressing in the right numbers to dial her uncle. Bringing it up to her ear, she gulped, tightening her grip on the phone.

It rang once.

"Hello?" Her uncle's familiar voice brought both relief and fear in her. He sounded anxious, slightly out of breath as if he'd been waiting for a call.

"Hi." Her voice came out soft and firm. It didn't sound as if someone had choked her.

"Gretchen? Oh, gods. Where are you? Are you safe?" the relief in his voice was clear. She couldn't blame him. How long had he known she was missing? A week? "Put-"

"Your men are dead."

Michael tensed next to her. She hadn't told him that her uncle sent the men. She hadn't said much because she was still processing the whole event. Processing and denying. She was good at that part.

Always in denial. Because the truth means-

"Shit. Are you alright? Where are you? I'll send-"

"I killed them." There it was. Her voice sounded flat, finally in line with how she felt. Numb. She ran her fingers along the edge of the kitchen counter.

There was an expected silent pause from his end. "It's okay, Gretchen," he said, surprising her. Okay? "It'll be okay. Where are you? I will personally pick you up."

She gulped and her vision blurred as tears threatened to spill down her cheeks. He should have been terrified, or questioning or some other negative emotion. But then again, he knew didn't he? He knew what she could do because she did it before.

"Did I-" she gulped, cursing her throat for being so dry as her voice cracked. "Did I kill my parents?"

Michael's hand brushed against her neck. She grabbed his hand with her free on. For once, she was grateful he wasn't a talker. That he wasn't suddenly asking her a bunch of questions. His silent presence was what she needed.

She let him go to rub her eyes, but the tears didn't stop spilling. How could they?

There was a brief pause. It wasn't very long, but just long enough to confirm what she'd been dreading. "Gretchen."

"Oh fuck," she whispered. Her voice pitched just a little bit higher for a short moment. She leaned against the kitchen counter for support and rested her elbows on the cool surface.

"Where are you? I promise to explain everything."

"Why?" she croaked. Her childhood memories had always been a scattered mess. Some events that really happened seemed like a dream, while dreams seemed real.

"You lied to me. You said it was an car accident," she said, wiping her nose with the back of her hand. He gave her an easy lie to lean into, to embrace and turn it into a vague memory. A lie that made sense because the reality was a horrible nightmare.

There was another pause. "I… Gretchen." He let out a frustrated sigh. "Let me tell you in person. I promise you, I'll explain everything. This is not a conversation we should be having on the phone. Where are you?"

"Why?" she asked. "Why wait to tell me that I can… that I…"

"You were a kid, Gretchen," he interrupted. "You-" He let out a deep breath. "You were drugged and scared. Your father was a fool. He was terrified and that made him stupid. I wanted to tell you, but I didn't know how or when. I'm not going to tell a fourteen-year-old girl she accidentally killed her parents."

"Is that what you were going to tell me on my birthday? That I killed my parents? Happy birthday, Gretchen. Oh, by the way, you killed your parents," she spat out bitterly.

"That was part of it," he admitted.

"What else?" she asked.

He didn't answer. The silence from his end turned her bitterness into anger.

"Are you seriously going to wait until I'm twenty-three? It's what, tomorrow? I know it's soon."

"The day after tomorrow," he answered.

"Might as well be today," she said. "So, why wait?"

There was some more silence, as if he was thinking on how to respond.

"I don't want to tell you over the phone," he finally said. "Gretchen-"

"Well, I don't know if I even want to see you anymore," she interrupted. "How can I trust you? Trust myself around you?"

"You've only killed defending yourself, Gretchen," he said. "I'm not going to try to hurt or kill you."

She believed him. That he wouldn't try to hurt or kill her. But, that didn't mean he wouldn't try and take her away. The thought alone caused a little bit of panic to flow through her.

"No, just, just tell me now. I need to have all the information to make up my mind. I need time to think, to understand. I-"

"You can't stay with him."

She frowned. "Who?"

"Michael, Gretchen," he said. "You know better. You're not a person who can sit back and watch the world bleed. You can't redeem him. You can't change him. He'll always be a killer. He was born that way. He'll never change. You can't make him change."

Gretchen watched Michael as her uncle's words entered her mind. The thing was, she never sought to change him. Never entertained the thought because she knew she couldn't.

"This path will only lead to your heartbreak," Jethro continued.

She didn't take her eyes off Michael, although her free hand automatically went down her left cheek. The scar that wasn't there yet.

"Why?" she asked. "Did I see it? Did I tell you that?" Was that it? Her vision warning her of Michael's eventual turn? Of the moment he finally grew tired of his sexual exploration with her? Or something else? Darker maybe? He liked cutting her. Maybe he would eventually decide to take things further with the pain. But…

Michael's right hand rubbed her left cheek as he watched her. No. He was going through an awful lot of unnecessary trouble on his end if that were true. Doing things he didn't need to do. He could have ignored her request to speak to her uncle. Could have done a lot of things his way.

"You're not thinking straight. Look, Gretchen. I promise, I'll explain everything when I see you."

When. Gretchen shook her head, cringing as her neck reminded her of her bruises.

"No. He's the only one who hasn't lied to me. Hasn't led me to believe something false."

"Gretchen-"

"No. You'll try to take me away and he won't allow it," she said. "I won't go. Maybe it's for the best that I don't know whatever else you want to tell me. Best for all of us this way."

"Gretchen-"

"I love you, uncle. Tell Nathan I love him too. Don't come looking for me. It won't end well for you." She didn't wait for a response and hung up the phone.

Gretchen set the receiver down and stared straight ahead for a moment. She'd killed them.

She closed her eyes taking in a couple of deep breaths. The memory had hit her, down in that basement, as the final man tried to choke her to death. His face had shifted and was replaced with her father's.

Her fingers went under her shirt to automatically brush against her stomach scars.

"Shut up, Gretchen. Shut up!"

Turning, she wrapped her arms around Michael and placed her head on his chest for a moment. She took in deep, steady breaths as his fingers brushed through her hair. Her tears were all gone. She felt tired and sad. Leaning back, she looked up at Michael.

"Let's go home," she said.

Jethro stared at the phone.

"Fuck," he said softly and shook his head.

He told his men to be careful around her. Not to scare her because all she needed to do was say some words. Without the pills keeping her mind fuzzy he was sure she'd be able to recall the words she needed. And, he wasn't wrong.

Don't let her see you're going to gag her. Knock her out after she's gagged.

Jethro mentally kicked himself. He would have personally gone to see her if she hadn't warned him years ago that Michael would kill him.

He paced in his study then paused and looked at the little calendar on his desk. Three more days till he could see her. Two days until her birthday. He'd done his best, suppressing the ancient knowledge that came naturally to her. It came naturally to all the women born into the family. They were descendants from druids, after all. And yet, it was only the women who seemed to be able to access that long forgotten power. Not that it helped them in the end. None of them lived very long. Nearly all of them were driven mad by their abilities, with only a couple who were murdered.

But then again, the entire family adopted a stance long ago of not interfering. It was just easier. Letting their abilities kill them so that the family wouldn't have to deal with the current events Jethro had allowed to happen. There was only one in the last couple hundred years who managed to live just a little bit longer. That was until the family tried to rescue her from her predicament. With their actions, she was revealed to have powers. Considering the era, the mob, that had been formed, quickly accepted the lie that she was a witch. Witch, druid, didn't matter. She had powers and that scared people. She was burned for it.

"What if we're dooming the world by letting her live? You know who will come for her." Sam's words of fear came to his mind the day Jethro told him they were going to do what they could to let her live. Jasmina refused to sit around and watch her daughter slowly die. And Jethro would do anything for her.

He didn't blame Gretchen for her parents' deaths.

Sam had panicked when he saw the drawing of Michael Myers. And in his panic, he came up with a ridiculous irrational plan. A plan he didn't tell Jethro about until it was too late. He was just trying to make sure she couldn't get pregnant. What a fool. They had money and connections. They could have lied to her and sterilized her without her knowledge.

It cost him his life as well as Jasmina's.

Jethro clenched his fists. He didn't blame Gretchen for Jasmina's death. He blamed Sam.

He'd found the three of them in the dining room. Jasmina desperately trying to keep her daughter from bleeding out, while she herself was slowly dying. Gretchen was unconscious by then.

Don't let her die, Jethro.

What was he supposed to do? Tell a fourteen-year-old girl that her father attacked her and she caused his insides to bleed with just the right set of words. And then in her pain-filled delirious state turned against her mother who was trying to help her? When she woke up in the hospital he had told her it was an accident. And she had latched onto the word "accident" and automatically assumed he meant car accident. He never bothered correcting her.

Jethro stared at the calendar again. He knew about Michael before Sam did. She had shown him her drawing a couple days before. Told him that Michael was her soulmate. It scared him. How could it not? His niece, a girl able to use druid abilities long forgotten, in love with a seemingly unkillable serial killer. He had started to understand why the family didn't interfere and let the girls die. That kind of power, willing to protect the wrong person. It was dangerous. But then she had a vision that made him feel better. Gave him a date, a time frame. Hope.

No. He hadn't doomed the world. In fact, he'd saved it. At the cost of some lives and his niece's heart. But, the world would soon be at peace. Because she saw, on her twenty-third birthday, Michael Myers die.

Chapter 38 - Intimate

[thatgirlkalani]

bye?

I'm at a point in my life where I'm in full blown self destruct mode my life is a series of unfortunate events and it Dosent seem to be getting any better I have no will to live but I'm scared to die..not really scared to do but scared to do it myself...every couple of weeks its something new and fuccin terrible its been like that since the car crash I literally can't catch a break I can't win and I'm so mf tired of it after all the shit I been thru I still care too much I still love too hard I still give too many fuccs and I don't know how to turn it off I Juss wanna be numb or not exist or some shit I'm always seeing the good in people when the human race is literally shit. I feel like everybody in my life currently doesn't fwm as much as I fw them and I'm over exerting and ppl don't actually like me and I know they don't care how I do I can tell by little things...not answering a text..a call. bluffing on a link...and I just sense energies ... I don't have friends that are like me and I haven't in years and the one I did have. I lost at no fault of my own all of my friendships and relationships go to shit anytime somebody makes me happy they leave or get taken or change but something always goes wrong I find somebody I actually care or want to care about and get traumatized by it I have horrible taste in men bc. I seem to only want the ones that are gonna ruin my life stress me out or could give two fuccs how I feel and its crazy because they seem to be the only ones I relate or feel close to then its alll down tf hill from there. Idk if my poor choices in men comes from wanting to get as far from people like my family or from my long ass list of SA history but either way its gone to shit all these niggas do is hurt the feelings that I barley have , disappoint me, not give a Fucc inconvenience me or all of the above....the hyper sexuality has calmed down for the time being but the hyper fixation has kicked in there's no in-between I'm either completely cool on everybody, hyper sexual because I need to be in control of my body or I'm hyper fixated... normally on somebody who could give two shits.. and can't find interest in anybody else which is where I'm currently at...and I have every reason to be obsessed with this man even tho I know I shouldn't but its too late bc I genuinely fwh again I know better but currently I'm stuck and at a point where I hate myself because I watch him want/give everybody a chance but me then I'm forced to hear about it but have to play it cool bc I Juss want to keep him in my life atp bc. I don't have much... I don't really know how to pinpoint where all my abandonment issues came from but at the same time I can point out specific situations that have added to them because everyone that I attach myself to leaves.. and or hurts tf out of me and its been happening since I was 14 friendships and relationships alike.....why I really Juss wanna disconnect from everybody and I do ever so often but I get lonely and I hate that I wish I didn't need anybody.. I wish a lot I wish I didn't hate myself..I wish I didn't give so many chances.. wish I didn't love people who don't love me bacc...wish I could go numb, wish I didn't have mommy and daddy issues mannn fml. the. mommy and daddy issues is a whole other story because they weren't abusive in anyway except emotionally and I don't think they meant it but I just can't get past it... its hard to show affection to them and shit of that nature I wish we were closer I wish we shared similar views I wish I was comfortable going to them but I don't..im the. blacc sheep of the family and even if they wont admit it they know and I feel it.. I'm honestly tired of existing tired of the panic attacks tired of the manic episodes tired of the abandonment issues tired or the attachment issues tired of it all I really don't wanna be here doing this atp I'm only living for my grandmas...and. I guess my parents idk bc I don't wanna be here but I don't wanna hurt them..but I feel like I have nothing and no one anyone I had anyone I related to anyone that was my..

[apexart-journal]

Mvelo Mahlangu in NYC, Day 17

I woke up early this morning at about 4:30am for the Megabus to leave NYC for DC at 7am. I had timed myself in such a way that I would arrive at least 25 min before departure time (the Megabus suggests 15 minutes), which was ample time. However, as I got to the subway, I realised my card needed to be filled up again for the week so that I could enter the subway. In that short 1-2 minutes, I ended up missing my N train out, which lead me going into full panic mode. The Mega Bus was only 16 minutes away via car, but 25 minutes via the next train with a couple minutes. This meant that the next train would see that I end up arriving at the Megabus 5 minutes before departure. I couldn’t let that happen, but I had no choice as Uber had a waiting time which I couldn’t risk, another train was on its way and the Lyft app was also not an option because it couldn’t work on both my phone and fellowship phone. I even consulted with an NYPD officer, who must’ve thought I was a little crazy in my panic state. I tried breathing to calm myself down and made the split second decision to just hop onto the next train and sprint as soon as I got to my last stop. Thankfully the train was slightly faster than usual, and as soon as I got to my last stop, I ran so fast. I ran up the escalators at 34 Herald square station and let me say, it was a nightmare because the escalators at that specific station seem endless. As I exited the station a kind stranger, who I think could’ve been homeless, saw that I was running and asked me where I needed to be and then quickly pointed me in the right direction to the bus which I could see in the distance. What a moment I will be so grateful for. I ran down the road, and made it to the bus, and when I got there another delayed passenger and bus manager laughed at how out of breath I was. He asked me  if I had ever missed a flight before, hence the frantic running. Which I laughed and replied that I never have, and plan not to. I sat down into my seat, looked at the time. I made it 8 minutes before departure time. A word of advice, just plan to arrive 30-45 minutes before departure because you never know what could happen, even if it is suggested to arrive 15 minutes before departure. We ended up waiting 10 minutes after the initial departure time. 

The bus ride was slightly long but comfortable as no one was sitting next to me, meaning I could sit with both legs up. It was lovely being able to leave the skyscrapers and watch them melt away into trees. Usually on the highway back home, when you drive away from the city, all you end ups seeing are flat planes of grass and bush which we call “veldt” (pronounced ‘felt’). So seeing forests or rows of trees was interesting. I worked a bit on updating my journal, and then ended up taking a nap for about 2 hours. Casey was already waiting for me once we arrived, and gave a warm and welcoming hug. He told me that I was most probably the 100th fellow he’s met over the years, and that I could’ve been the youngest so far. This surprised me, as it was not something I noticed when looking through the past fellows (mental note to ask on this). Union station was so beautifully built, with a large dome overhead, decorated with gold square panelling. Casey shared a nostalgic memory of randomly meeting and having been greeted by the president George W. Bush at the station. Exiting the station and seeing Washington DC was such a huge contrast to New York. No tall skyscrapers and definitely a whole lot more quiet. And I welcomed it. Casey and I walked around for a bit, him showing some of his old haunts, while looking for a good place to sit and eat. It gave me time to soak up the environment which I must say was quiet, quaint and very suburban energy. We found a place to sit at and chatted away while eating. Amongst other things, we shared backgrounds, spoke on the fellowship, his personal experience of it, and his relationship to apexart & Steven which spans almost 20 years! 

We then headed over to Library of Congress. This was my first time being in the passenger seat of a left hand side driving car and it was such a weird experience, haha! The first mistake I made was instinctively going to the drivers side door, thinking it was the passenger side. The next was internally questioning why Casey would drive into the lane he’s was turning into, only to remember that where I was. Walking into the Library of congress was insane! The architecture immediately transported me out of America and into Europe. It was absolutely ostentatious with sculptures everywhere and beautiful wall murals & mosaics of mythology. Casey explained that this level of ostentation was a compensation for the superiority complex that America against Europe at the time. We made it to the actual library area, and it was quite a sight. Ive never seen something like this in my life and felt like out of a movie. The architectural detailing when looking at the dome in the middle but also the interaction of all the art & carvings was unreal. A lot of the mural writings and references seemed extremely progressive for a structure built in the 1800’s considering the documentation of cultures & religions from across the world. Casey gave me a tour of the whole place and even took me to other parts of the building that tourists did not go to, as he spent almost 20 years of his life frequenting these buildings while working on his PHD, so knew his way around. The wealth of knowledge that I was surrounded by, all in one place, from various era’s & timelines & places, was quite overwhelming. It was a lovely experience nonetheless, however at this point I had quite a headache. We finished our tour of The Library of Congress and headed to the Hotel. Casey waited before leaving to make sure that everything was alright with my check in. I can’t thank him enough for sharing his experiences with me and our conversations, which like Vanessa, made me a little sad knowing it would be the first and last time meeting up, until the future allows another meeting. 

I checked into the hotel, rested, then prepped myself for the last activity of the day: Classical music concert. Unlike NYC, and more like Johannesburg, DC has a simple subway system. The Concert was happening all the way in Mary Land, and I was initially a bit worried about how i’d get to and from. But using the train and bus, I made it. Awkwardly for me, in this instance, I made it 30 minutes before the start of the event. Even more awkward and confusing was that I realised it was happening in someone's private home, in a residential neighbourhood. Awkward then turned into worried because I didn’t know if I should ring the door bell, or just wait outside at a nearby park. But then I got scared because I got worried that someone might call the police on me, seeing me randomly roam the streets at night. I think in that moment for the first time being in the States, I became acutely aware of what I look like, how I could be perceived, and just the stories I’ve seen online. After 5 Minutes of waiting around, I worked up the courage to ring the door bell. The owner looked slightly confused even after I explained why I was there, which didn’t ease my feelings of awkwardness. Once he let me in, I was greeted by the performers, a young lady and young man, and proceeded to sit and wait in the performance room. Placing my feelings aside, I must say, to have a performance room that can accommodate 30 people, with soundproofing and a whole grand piano was unreal. Thats a dream! I still felt quite uneasy and still hyperaware, but people started arriving and filling up the seats. As they greeted each other, I realised that even though this event was posted onto eventbrite, almost everyone in the audience were just neighbours and friends of the homeowner. So in that moment I understood the slight confusion or surprise he must’ve had when seeing me.

Once the performance began, and the music filled my ears, a lot off what I felt melted away. In that moment I remember thinking to myself how music works so well at being a universal language that people from different backgrounds, who don’t even know each other, can just feel so connected through it. The young female performer was the lead, and played the violin. I couldn’t believe that she was just 13 years old. The question of nature vs. nurture comes up. Once the performance was over, I made my way back to the hotel. I was exhausted, hungry and cold. 

[whiteqnn]

Pairing: Corpse Husband x Fem! Reader

Summary: Sean invites one of his good friends - Y/N - to play with him and the group. She has a lot of fun with them, but at the same time is too oblivious, too nice, and too pure to notice that one particular Among Us player has taken a liking to her the moment he heard her voice...

Notes: Hello everyone! This is the very first time I’m publishing something bigger in here, I’m honestly still figuring out how Tumblr works, even though I’ve had this account for quite some time now 😅. That being said, please don’t expect anything super impressive. I tried my best though just so you know. 🥺

A/N- It didn’t turn out as I expected, but I really hope at least some of you find it enjoyable :(

Y/C/N - your channel name

part 2

part 3 

part 4 

part 5 

PURE [1]

“Did you guys find anybody?” Felix asked, as the number of players still showed just 7 of them. They could just start now, but the game would be way more fun with a full lobby. 

“Yeah, Lily’s joining. I just texted her the code, so she should be here at any moment.” Sykkuno replied after receiving a text message from the said girl. “Oh, and Corpse also said he’d be joining soon.” 

“Great. Anyone else?”

 “I think Jack was also bringing someone, right?” Dave asked.

“Huh? Oh yeah, I have one coming, she’ll join us in a few” the asked man replied at the same moment Lily’s character appeared in the lobby. 

“Who you’re bringing Jack?” 

“Y/N” he said, causing Felix to gasp in shock and yell into his mic:

“How the fuck did you manage to convince her? I’ve been bugging her about this game for the past week and she always had some excuse!” 

“What can I say, my charm is irresistible” Jack replied nonchalantly, causing everyone in the lobby to laugh at his fake deep voice.

The number of participants changed to 9, as a little black astronaut with horns on his helmet appeared in the lobby. 

“Corpse, you’re here!” Rae’s character ran up to the man, circling him excitedly. 

“Hey man!”

“What’s up, Corpse?”

“Hello everyone” his deep voice sounded out “Sorry to keep you waiting.”

“All good man, we’re still waiting for one person.” Felix reassured him “Sean, why is she not here yet? Are you sure you’ve sent her the right code?”

“Of course I am!” he all but shouted at Felix “And about that, she just texted me to give her a few more minutes and that we should start without her.”

“We can just wait, right?” Lily offered, earning a few hums of approval from the others.

“I think it might take a little longer than a few minutes, she has some problems with her microphone.”

“Who are you guys talking about?” Corpse asked, completely unaware of who Jack was referring to.

“Wait, Jack, you mean Y/N from Y/C/N?” Sykkuno asked suddenly, only then realizing why this name sounded familiar

“Yeah, the one and only” Jack replied, a smile evident in his voice.

“Oh my god, I love her videos!” Rae exclaimed at that “She’s so funny and sweet!”

“Yeah! Her new video is so freaking cute, I wish she’d upload more often.” Poki agreed. 

“Right?” Jack said, clearly very proud of his friend. “But don’t let that sweet demeanor fool you guys cause she’s one of the best players I’ve encountered in this game.”

“That’s true, she’s a secret big brain genius” Toast confirmed, making Pewdiepie gasp once again. 

“wHAT??YOU TWO PLAYED WITH HER?!” Felix’s offended voice boomed through everyone’s headphones “HOW DARE YOU. HOW COULD YOU NOT INVITE ME?!” 

“That’s for not inviting me to your latest Cringe episode!” Jack was quick to respond, making others in the lobby laugh at their mini fight. 

“Oh, so that’s where I recognized her from!” Sykkuno nearly shouted when he finally put two and two together. “I can’t wait to meet her, she seems like a really nice person.”

“She is! When she got impostor for the first time she refused to kill me” Toast explained, earning himself a couple of Aww’s from his friends. “So we just ran around the emergency button until I called the meeting and voted her off.”

“Yeah, only to be her first victim in the next game.” Jack all but giggled, clearly very amused at the memory of Y/N going into a full berserk mode. No one except for him and Toast knew how good she really was at this game... 

“She’s basically the wolf in sheep’s skin” Felix concluded with a chuckle “Very soft wolf, however.”

“She’s like the complete opposite of Corpse, both in voice and personality” Jack suddenly said, making Felix laugh wholeheartedly at something only two of them understood at the moment. 

“I don’t know how should I take that” Corpse admitted with a chuckle. He remained silent for most of the conversation since he didn’t really know who the guys were talking about. But he would lie if he said he wasn’t intrigued by this girl at least in the slightest. Although he heard about her channel, he hasn’t seen any of her videos, so he didn’t really know what to expect. But hearing what gamers like Sean and Felix said about her, he knew he’s not gonna be disappointed once the girl joins them in the game. 

“Imagine Corpse and Y/N talking.” Felix said suddenly with a seemingly very amused voice.

“Imagine Corpse and Y/N both being Impostors” Toast said, which resulted in many of them shouting over each other at how crazy that would be. 

“Alright, now that you mention this I start fearing the moment two of them meet” Jack confessed with loud laughter following the sentence. Corpse chuckled deeply under his breath, at the same time glancing at the questions his audience was asking him in his stream. He could hardly read any, as there were quite a lot of people asking, so all he saw was just a bunch of comments moving at the speed of light in his chat. He wouldn't say it out loud, but he was slightly nervous, seeing the growing number of people watching his stream. It was still a rather new thing to him, and he feared he'd say something inappropriate, or just make a complete idiot out of himself. 

"At least no one can see me..." he mumbled under his breath after muting his microphone. 

"Oh! Y/N just texted me! She's joining the call right now!" 

"Fuck yeah!" Felix shouted excitedly "Just so you know Jack, I won't forget that you two played without me."

"Uh-oh. Is that a threat? Are you threatening me now?" 

"It's a warning" Felix replied, receiving a series of gasps from other players. "If I get impostor, you're the first one on my list."

"Okay, everyone heard that! You know who to vote off when I'm dead!" 

"It's so cool to play with someone new, I wonder if she's as good as you guys depict her" Sykkuno spoke up, but before anyone could answer his question, a new character popped up in the lobby.

*** 

"Hi everyone! I’m sorry I left you just like that, but this stream would be completely useless without me being able to answer your questions. Fortunately it wasn’t anything serious, I just had to readjust my mic and go through the settings to find what was wrong. Took some time, but here I am now!” Y/N chirped into her microphone, smiling apologetically at her webcam. At the moments like this, she really appreciated how supportive her audience was. No one was hating on her when she had to get off the stream for a couple of minutes, and everyone was just so understanding that it made her heart melt. Perhaps her audience wasn’t very big, but it felt almost like a second family to her. 

“Anyway, as you already know from my twitter, today I’ll be playing Among Us with my friends and their friends! I can’t wait if I’m being honest, last time I played this game was so much fun, and there was only a few of us.” she admitted with a genuine smile on her face. “Let’s just text Sean now so we can get into the lobby...”

Y/N: Ready to play with you guys ^^

Jackaboy: Great! You got that mic fixed already? 

Y/N: Yes, everything is fine. I’m sorry you had to wait so long.

Jackaboy: It’s all good kiddo, no worries. I’ll call you and send you the code in a sec. 

Y/N: Perfect, thank you Sean :)

Jackaboy: Btw, everyone can’t wait to meet you ;-)Y/N stared at the screen for a moment, only now, seconds before joining the group, realizing how nervous she felt. From Sean’s tweets she saw earlier, she figured that the lobby was right now full of many famous streamers, those she wouldn’t even compare herself to. It’s not that she thought of herself very low, but... being among such youtube celebrities like them made her panic a little bit. She didn’t want to look like a complete fool amongst them. 

Playing or recording with Sean and Felix was something else because she knew those guys for years (and yet still sometimes found herself thinking how lucky she got to be able to call them her friends). She felt good in their company, not worrying about choosing the right words. But amongst the rest of the players, she knew only Toast and talked with Rae maybe once in her life... 

What if the rest won’t like her? 

Y/N cleared her throat, realizing that she was still staring at her phone like hypnotized and her audience was already asking her what’s going on. She quickly typed in the code Sean had texted her and readjusted her headphones, before joining the discord chat.

“THERE SHE IS” screamed Sean, making her grin from ear to ear, hearing how excited he was “Little wonderchild!”

“I think you meant little TRAITOR” Felix corrected him with a scoff. A silence settled in the lobby as everyone was waiting for Y/N to speak up.

“Um... hello everyone..” she said softly, almost inaudibly, a sudden wave of shyness taking over her. “I’m Y/N” 

“Oh, you were right about that Corpse thing!” replied another, also very soft and very sweet voice, and Y/N saw the image of someone named Lily pop up. “It’s like the exact opposite!” 

“See? Told ya. Everyone, meet Y/N/N, the little angel from Y/C/N.” 

“Hey Y/N!”

“Hi there!”

“Hey, what’s up?”

“H-Hi, so great to meet you, Y/N!” a very friendly sounding voice said, and a little lime astronaut with the name Sykkuno above it started running around her. “Can’t wait to play with you!”

“That’s so nice, thank you” she replied with a wide smile on her face, moving around his character as well. “I can’t wait to play with you too, actually with all you guys. It’s so great to be here with you.”

“Jack I swear she’s the cutest little thing I’ve ever heard. Where the hell did you find her?!” Poki all but yelled at the man, making Y/N giggle to herself and in-process loosen up a little bit. They all seemed like someone she’d happily be friends with. 

“Or rather, where do you get one?” someone else commented, making them all burst into laughter, Y/N included. 

“Guys, what did I say about that sweet demeanor...” Jack said after calming down from his fit “Don’t put your guard down just because she sounds like that!”

“Wait- what did you tell them about me?” Y/N asked confused, the tone of her voice making him laugh even more “Jack!”

“Don’t worry, only the good stuff” a very deep, low voice spoke up, leaving her taken aback for a moment. Her eyes widened slightly and she glanced at the name of that person, reading out CORPSE. Now that’s something she didn’t expect... 

“Corpse, mind your manners! You didn’t even introduce yourself!” 

“Oh, shit- yeah, sorry. Um, I’m Corpse, it’s very nice to meet you Y/N” he replied right after, making her lip corners curl up into a smile. 

“Nice to meet you too Corpse, you have a really pleasant voice.” she spoke sweetly, completely unaware of the chaos that was taking place in her stream chat. She didn’t even think of it the way her audience did, she just simply spoke up her mind, and being an incredibly nice person - turned it into a compliment.

“Oh- wow. I mean, thank you so much. I love your voice too, it’s really sweet” he replied, nervously chuckling at the end, before muting his mic. It was, however, enough for Felix and Sean to start teasing him, as the two immediately screamed:

“SIIIMP!!!”

“It’s the voice Felix, I told you he’d fall into her trap!” 

“Wait- he was just being nice, guys! Stop making fun of him” Y/N immediately defended the man, trying to speak up over the hysterical laughter of the other players. 

“Oh my god, but what if they both get impostors and they both pull the voice cards on us?!” Rae managed to yell through all the noise, making Y/N even more confused.

“Wait, what? What do you mean? I don’t understand.” 

“Don’t worry Y/N, that’s how I feel all the time around them.” Sykkuno seemed to be the only one who heard her question, as the rest continued their gabbing without giving her as much as a glance. 

“Alright, let’s start the game maybe. I might have a few old scores to settle” Toast cleared his throat theatrically, his astronaut coming face to face with Y/N’s. 

“Oh, you mean me? I thought I already apologized!” she replied frantically. “You gave me no choice Toast, I didn’t even want to kill you in the first place...”

“BUT YOU DID. IN THE VERY FIRST ROUND” 

“I’m sorry!” 

“Alright, enough! Toast, just don’t kill her right away, okay? Let her run around the map, fearing for her life for a moment.” Y/N gasped upon hearing Jack’s words, clearly sensing the smirk behind his voice. 

“Wha- Jack?! Since when are you against me?!” 

“Don’t worry Y/N, I won’t let them hurt you. You haven’t played with us yet, I’ll protect you.” 

“Oh, thank you so much Sykkuno! I’ll protect you too!” 

“Great. Another one simping...” was Felix’s last words, before the game began. 

Y/N sighed in relief upon seeing the word crewmate forming on her screen, but at the same time feared Toast’s inevitable revenge. She thought they'd already buried the hatchet, but it seemed that he was desperate to make her pay for the last time they played together. 

“Aw, Sykkuno was serious” she mumbled with a smile, when his lime astronaut started circling her white one, so she would follow him. “Okay, let’s do some tasks.”

They both made their way towards the medbay, Sykkuno patiently waiting nearby as she did the scan, then Y/N waiting for him to do the same. The moment his little character stepped towards her, a meeting was called by none other than Felix.

“What happened?” Rae asked.

“I called the meeting because I’m afraid of Jack” he responded, causing everyone to laugh. “Seriously though! Dude’s been following me around the whole time.”

“I was just making sure nobody kills you.”

“Yeah don’t go all Sykkuno on me!” Felix screamed, making the call erupt into even more laughter. 

“Alright, are we skipping?” 

“Yeah.”

“Guys, my life is in danger!” Felix wouldn’t give up. “Come on, show some support! Y/N? You played with him, you know his techniques!” 

“Sorry Felix” Y/N giggled, clicking the skip button. 

When the next round began, Sykkuno was quick to join Y/N on her way towards admin, where they both found Poki doing the upload. They did the card swipe and left her there, when the lights suddenly went off.

“Uh-oh. Let’s head the opposite direction, Sykkuno” the girl murmured, dancing around his character and heading towards Comms instead of going to Electrical. It was the easiest way to die, after all. 

Once they entered the room and waited for someone to fix the lights, Y/N could see another figure appear in the same location. She couldn’t recognize whose character it was, but upon seeing the horns on the helmet she smiled to herself.

“Hey there, Corpse” she said, walking up to the black astronaut, who was standing still in the same place as if he was just watching her and Sykkuno run around Comms instead of doing their tasks. 

They stood like that for a couple of seconds until Corpse turned around and ran away, and that’s when the first body was reported. 

“Oh no, Jack!” 

“Poor guy. He’s gonna haunt us now.”

“Where’s the body?” 

“Navigation” replied Rae, who was the one to find Sean’s green astronauts’ body “Didn’t see anyone around, but I’m pretty sure someone just vented right in front of my eyes...”

“Any suspicions?” Toast asked.

“Um, not really sure, it was the exact same moment the lights went off. I was doing tasks with Jack and then he just died. I only saw the vent close, nothing or no one else.”

“Okay, where are you guys right now?” 

“I’m in admin with Dave, we only passed Poki when we got there.” Lily’s voice sounded out, quickly being joined by Poki’s explanation.

“Yeah, I was finishing the upload when you guys came in, Y/N and Sykkuno saw it”

“Did you see her?” Toast asked, addressing his question towards the white and lime astronauts. 

“Yes, we were doing the card swipe before going to Comms. Corpse joined us for a moment and then left.”

“Yeah, I was on my way to fix the lights when I stumbled upon them in Comms, the body was reported the exact moment I left.”

“Can someone confirm this? I mean, did someone see you besides the two of them?” Toast continued his questioning. 

“I think I only saw Felix in Medbay.”

“Hmm, so no one really knows where you were this whole time. You could easily lure Jack into Navigation and kill him there. Is that what you did, Corpse?”

“Woah, that’s some serious accusation” Corpse replied in his usual, low and calm voice. “Where were you Toast? You seem the only one who still doesn’t have an alibi”

“Neither does Felix.” Y/N spoke innocently, and the mentioned man quickly started his explanation.

“Okay, I was with Jack at the beginning but he clearly can’t confirm this since someone snapped his fucking neck. We’ve split up in O2 after doing our tasks and then he must’ve gone with Rae. I just wandered around the map, escaping from the death.”

“Hmm, so not only were you one of the last people to see him alive, but you also admit to not doing your tasks” Y/N said, trying her best to keep her voice steady and stop herself from laughing. She was sure Sykkuno was doing the same thing, they both refused to do any tasks after the lights went off, after all.

“Yeah, but does that already makes me an Imposter? I’m just scared for my life, that’s all.”

“Y/N has some good logic, but I’m not really sure it’s Pewds. I mean, I saw him in Medbay and he really seemed to be just jogging around.” Corpse said, his voice almost immediately doing its magic, as people more or less willingly agreed to skip this round as well. 

“I think it’s Felix. I mean, I haven’t played with him yet, but I have this feeling that he’s just acting.” Y/N said to her chat after muting herself. She went towards Weapons to do another task, seeing Sykkuno’s little character follow her once again, but the doors were suddenly locked and his lime astronaut remained in Cafeteria. “Oh no, Sykkuno” she sighed with a pout on her face, deciding against waiting for him and risking getting her neck snapped. She finished her task in Weapons and moved towards another location, when suddenly Corpse appeared in front of her, coming right out of nowhere. 

“Oh- Corpse, you scared me to death” Y/N breathed a laugh, watching as his character stood still for a couple of seconds, before circling around her white astronaut. Y/N nodded her head with a smile, even though he couldn’t see her, and followed him in Shields, where they found Poki’s dead body. 

“The body is in Shields” Y/N replied right after reporting the body, only to gasp in shock when she realized more than one person was killed. Red crosses decorated not only Poki’s name but were also visible next to Dave and Lily. 

“What the hell?!” Felix all but yelled into his mic, obviously shocked just like everyone else who was still alive. 

“Now that’s... a lot of bodies” Sykkuno mumbled under his breath. 

“Alright, who’s in Shields? Y/N, you said you found the body there, which one?”

“Poki’s, Corpse was there with me” her reply was followed by his short and low hum. 

“Sykkuno, where are you? I didn’t see you anywhere since the last round.” Felix asked, clearly accusing the lime astronaut of being a murderer. 

“I was... doing the wires in electrical, Toast was there for a moment as well.”

“Yeah but I was only searching for the body, so I saw you maybe for a second” Toast replied, building even more suspicions around Sykkuno.

“But- guys, you know I wouldn’t kill two people in one round, let alone four of them.”

“No one says you did that, I only mentioned that you were nowhere to be seen. You could’ve been sabotaging the map for the other Impostor” Felix said nonchalantly.

“Guys, I-”

“It’s him! It must be him!” Rae shouted through her mic. 

“Sykkuno is 100% innocent, I can vouch for him” Y/N’s voice sounded out in everyone’s headphones “We were together since the start of the game and he didn’t kill me, even though he had quite a number of chances to do so.”

“Weren’t you with Corpse this time?” Felix asked suspiciously.

“I was! But at the beginning, I was with Sykkuno, until someone locked him in Cafeteria. That’s when we split up.”

“And you haven’t seen him ever since?”

“Well, no, but-”

“Then I can assure you it was only a matter of time before he’d stab you in the back” Toast concluded, making Sykkuno gasp in confusion.

“Wha- No, I would never do that! Y/N is our guest, I was just making sure she was okay!”

“Sykkuno, simping won’t save your life right now” 

“Wha- I- Guys!” he tried to stutter out some logical explanation “Y/N, don’t believe them!”

“I don’t, I know you’re innocent! C’mon guys, he wouldn’t do it!” 

“Yeah yeah, let’s kick him out. Corpse, who are you voting?” Toast asked, and Y/N could see the I voted sign next to his character. 

“I kinda feel like Felix tries to shift the blame onto Sykkuno. He didn’t even tell his location, and was already throwing accusations on someone else.” Corpse replied after a moment, making the smile widen on Y/N’s face. Someone was finally on her side! 

“That’s because he can’t even explain himself!” Felix exclaimed, voting as well. 

“Besides, I’m pretty sure if it wasn’t for whoever locked that door, Y/N would be dead as well!” 

“No, I told you I-!”

“Guys, we have ten seconds to vote. Rae?” 

“I think it’s him as well. He was acting suspiciously since we started this round. I vote Sykkuno”

“But..!” 

“No, Sykkuno...” Y/N whispered with a pout on her lips, when she saw the number of people who voted for her lime friend. 

Sykkuno was ejected. 

“Alright, I’m pretty sure it’s Felix. I saw Rae multiple times and she didn’t kill me, Toast also doesn’t act very Impostor like, but maybe that’s just one of his strategies... Corpse is with me again, I don’t think that’s him, I mean, he followed me around last round, but still didn’t do anything, and even vouched for me and Sykkuno when we were both clearly chilling in comms. It can’t be him... right?” 

 Dead body reported.

 “I just saw Corpse kill Toast, then vent!” Rae’s voice blared through Y/N’s headphones, as she looked in shock at the red cross next to Toast’s name. If not him, then..?

“What?” the accused man asked calmly “That’s a self-report, she’s trying to frame me. You guys can’t possibly believe her.”

“I believe her. I saw you enter the Electrical with Toast, then he’s suddenly dead” Felix said. 

“That’s because she vented in there and killed him.”

“No! I swear, Y/N/N you have to believe me!” she directed her words towards the girl who remained silent during their discussion, processing her accusations over and over in her head. “I was fixing the wires, Toast was doing another task, and then boom! I see Corpse snapping his neck!”

“How could you see that if the lights were off?” Y/N suddenly asked, making Rae cut her own sentence off “No one went to fix them, they were off the entire round.”

Silence. 

“It’s Rae, it must be her” Corpse couldn’t help but laugh wholeheartedly at how small was the mistake which completely blew Rae’s cover. “We’re voting Rae, right Y/N?”

“No! Guys, I mean, let me explain, I-!”

Rae was ejected. 

“Now that was something I didn’t expect. I would’ve never thought it was her, I even suspected that Sykkuno might really have been the other Impostor, but now... It’s just me, Corpse, and Felix. I’m clear, clearly, so it must be one of them. And since Corpse protected me for the past few rounds, there’s no other option than...”

Her eyes suddenly widened when the realization hit her, and she quickly turned around to speed towards the emergency button. Fortunately, no one was around to stop her from calling the meeting.

“Felix.” Y/N started, trying to contain her excitement and sound seriously “Where were you when Sean was killed?”

Neither Corpse of Felix said a word, as it was probably the last question they expected her to ask. Felix cleared his throat, however, and finally replied:

“Y/N, that was literally the beginning of a game. How am I supposed to remember what I did then?”

“Well” she said nonchalantly “I, for example, clearly remember the things you said even when we were in the lobby.”

“What are you implying?” 

“Wasn’t it you, who told everyone that Sean was your number one if you get Impostor?” she asked with a wicked smile on her face. Felix was dumbfounded, he obviously didn’t expect her to pull that card on him, hell, he didn’t even know how she knew about it since she wasn’t even in the call at the time. 

“FELIX” Corpse suddenly broke the silence, simultaneously breaking the said man from his train of thoughts. 

“Okay, first of all- YOU WEREN’T EVEN IN THE CALL WHEN I SAID THAT” he yelled through his mic, making both Y/N and Corpse laugh, as it only confirmed their suspicions. 

“See? You only proved my point.” 

“Oh, fuck’s sake- I was just joking okay?!” he tried to defend himself, but hearing how he couldn’t even contain his own laughter anymore, it was clear he already accepted the defeat. “It wasn’t serious, god damn it!” 

“You know what to do, Y/N” Corpse’s voice asked through her headphones, and surely, she knew exactly what to do.

“C’mon Y/N, that’s not fair! At least let me explain myself!” 

“Bye Felix” she said in an overly dramatic tone before Corpse voted as well. 

Soon enough, the sign VICTORY could be seen on her screen, which made her squeak and joy. This game was really fun, even though she was so scared of being killed first. 

“I knew it! I knew you would figure out it’s him! That son of a bitch who murdered me!” Jack basically yelled out, clearly very happy about the result. 

“Y/N, seriously now, how did you know I’ve said that?” Felix asked without even hiding his surprised tone.

“Let’s just say I might’ve stolen some of your viewers, Felix” she admitted, winking at her webcam, a new wave of comments landing on her chat. “Thanks guys!” 

“Okay, that is rude and not fair!” 

“It helped me win, so I’ve got nothing else to say” Y/N grinned from ear to ear, before muting herself for a moment to finally answer some of the questions from her chat, while the rest took a quick break to eat something or go to the bathroom.

She was halfway through telling the story of how she met Sean when she noticed she got a message from a private discord chat. 

CORPSE: That was really impressive :)

Y/N smiled to herself upon seeing his text and quickly typed out the answer. 

Y/N: Thanks!! I wouldn’t have done that without you though, you stood up for me and Sykkuno and all

Y/N: Also, thanks for protecting me from being murdered ^^

CORPSE: No problem, I knew you were innocent right away. 

CORPSE: Anyway, good game, Sean was right saying that you’re one of the best players

She couldn’t help the blush that arose on her cheeks, it was very sweet of him to say that, even though she didn’t actually do much except for exposing Felix. 

Y/N: I wasn’t an Impostor though, so you didn’t really see much :)

She watched the three dots beside his name, that signaled he was still texting. The chat was completely forgotten, but people seemed to quickly notice that small, shy smile on her lips, and the pink tint decoring her cheeks.

CORPSE: Okay, now I’m intrigued... 

Y/N: Maybe we’ll both be Impostors one day ^^

CORPSE: Can’t wait for that to happen.

Soon enough, they returned to the lobby to begin another game. Y/N glanced at her chat for a second, and the moment she returned her eyes to the game, her jaw basically dropped. 

IMPOSTOR was written in bold letters in the middle of the red screen, right above her name.

Corpse’s little character was standing beside her. 

[wormstacheangel]

When Dean finally rescued Cas from the empty, he expected a happy reunion. He envisioned a strong hug like the first time he had escaped. He expected a long-awaited kiss and repeated confessions that weren’t said with sorrow or heartache. He expected to find the same Cas that was taken, but that would have been too easy.

Cas was left awake, alone, and in complete darkness for months on end.

So when Dean went into the empty, ready to wake up the love of his life, he found Cas curled in on himself—staring blankly out into the void of nothingness. He whispered something so softly and quickly that Dean couldn’t pick up on the actual words, but it sounded familiar. Almost like he was humming a song.

Dean tried to get him to stand up on his own, but he quickly realized that Cas wasn’t even looking at him. His gaze was distant, seeing something Dean can’t even imagine. He then noticed the white film over his eyes dimmed the once bright blue.

His fingertips gently traced over the skin he had only dreamt of touching for months before he took a deep, shaky breath to steady himself. With that slight pause, Dean used whatever desperate strength he had and dragged Cas back to the portal.

Back home.

As they got closer, the light of the portal seemed to startle Cas, and he started to shove Dean away. Dean had to put Cas down so he could take his green jacket off and place it over Cas’s head to calm him before he slowly continued to walk through the portal and into the bunker’s library where Jack, Rowena, Eileen, and Sam were waiting for them.

When they walked through, Dean quickly shushed them as he fell to his knees with Cas still in his arms, hidden under the jacket, and covering his ears at the sudden loud voices surrounding them.

Dean looked around at his family, all sharing the same worried glances knowing they were on the same page. Cas’s welcome home party would be pushed back until further notice.

Cas didn’t cry. His expression didn’t change much at all. All Cas did was sit or lay on Dean’s bed with the lights off. All but the desk light. It was an old lightbulb, so the light wasn’t a bright white like the rest of the place. Instead, it illuminated a soft golden glow against the wall.

Cas squinted at it at first, blinking so inhumanly at it, until all Cas did was stare at it. Whenever Dean made any move to turn it off or even just get near the lamp, Cas made a little whine at the back of his throat.

Little noises were the most Dean can get out of Cas. At least it brought him a little relief. It meant Cas could see him at that moment.

Cas still did that rapid talking or singing whenever it was a little bit too quiet. It made Dean wonder if Cas knew he was out of the Empty. Especially during those times when he would stare right past him, unblinking with cold eyes.

It was only the end of the second week when Dean broke down.

[continue under the cut or on AO3]

He didn’t mean to. He was trying so damn hard to keep it together, especially in front of Cas, but one night he just lost it. He can blame the lack of booze in his system, or as he wants, he can blame Sam, who came up to him about a stupid case. It pissed him off more than it should have. The fact that Sam even believed for a second that he would leave the bunker while Cas was like-well the way he was, just gave him enough of an excuse to raise his voice at someone.

Eileen had to step in and tell him to cool off.

Dean stormed off without a glance back and went to his room. He changed into his pajamas and climbed into bed beside Cas. He laid on his stomach as he wrapped one arm over the top of Cas’s waist, scooting close enough so that he could rest his head on Cas’s shoulder. He then opened his mouth to wish him goodnight just like every night, but something in Dean just broke.

He felt the pressure rise up his throat as he tried to hide his face into the familiar body beside him, but the sob still came.

"I'm sorry. I'm so sorry it took me so long to go get you. Fuck, Cas, please.” Dean took a shaky breath, sniffling as he reached to hold Cas’s hand closer to him. “We missed- I...I missed you. I missed you so much, Cas.” Dean brought Cas’s hand up to his lips and kissed the knuckles before letting the hand rest by his head. His eyes closed as he sighs, “I love you. So come back to me, okay?"

The only response Dean got was a squeeze of the hand, which was enough hope for the future, and more than Dean could have ever asked for at that moment.

As the days went on, Cas didn’t change. Literally and figuratively. He was still an angel, so there was no need for him to shower or brush his teeth, but Dean swore that Cas’s facial hair was growing, so he liked shaving him at least once a week. Cas seemed to like it by the humming noise he made.

They did learn a couple of things as the days went on.

One, peace and quiet are not what they strive for.

It only brought Cas anxiety, and his humming or singing became much louder and more desperate. They fixed that problem with a Bluetooth speaker constantly playing music in the background, a playlist Jack made mixed in with a playlist Jack helped Dean make. It made the humming stop, and Cas started to roll over in bed. He even sat back against the headboard with his eyes closed a few times.

A month after Cas got back, Dean's phone died in the middle of the night, and the silence must have gotten to him. He covered his ears while he started muttering to himself again. Dean woke up and pulled Cas to his chest while softly sing to him in his still half-asleep phase. He didn’t know why that was his first instinct, but he went along with it cause it started to calm Cas down. Then, Cas held him back for the first time—tucking his head right under Dean's jaw and relaxing.

Dean tried not to stiffen at the touch; if he were honest with himself, he would admit he was trying not to cry because he was busy singing. Busy, not wanting to disrupt this moment.

That night Dean sang all night long until Jack checked on them in the early hours and connected his phone.

Two, always have a light source on.

The lamp was the first one they had. Cas constantly wanted it on, but it bothered Dean all the time when he wanted to sleep. So they bought a cool starlight projector, Sam’s idea, that kept the light on the cement ceiling and not on Dean’s face. Cas seemed to enjoy it as he laid on his back, watching it all night, letting Dean curl up on his side as he slept through the night.

Three, never leave Cas alone.

Nobody wanted to leave Cas alone for more than a minute if they could help it. So they made plans to keep him company at all hours of the day. Of course, they weren’t crowding him. They all came in one by one, except for Dean, who would say, “This is my room. I get to come and go as I damn well please.”

Sam liked to sit by Cas's side and talk nerd like they usually would while cleaning his guns or doing research to help another hunter. He would even pause during the one-way conversation to give Cas some time to answer or try to imagine what Cas would say in that situation. Sam was always calm, wanting to keep it as normal as possible while Cas just stared at him, sometimes his eyebrows knitted together, and Dean had to excuse himself as he felt his chest tighten up.

Eileen sat by his side and watched shows she liked while she talked to Cas out loud and signed so he could hear her voice. Even then, she didn’t talk much. Instead, she let the laptop do the talking as she pets Cas’s hair while sitting on the chair by the bed.

Jack came in the most next to Dean. He liked reading to him or talking about how his skills as the new God have improved thanks to Amara.

"Dad, I hope you'll be proud of me." Jack once whispered to Cas, who was having a bad day, checking out more than usual as he stared off into the distance. Eyes wide and almost screaming.

It was almost the end of the second month when another big mile-stone happened.

Jack was lying in bed with Cas while Dean was at his desk, cleaning his guns obsessively again. Jack was reading him a book he bought during his recent trip to the bookstore with Eileen, it was a Star Wars story.

Jack was getting into the book as he read slower but louder during a big fight scene. He got so excited that he even jumped up and looked back at Cas, "Did you hear that, Dad? He won!"

Cas smiled back at him- a genuine smile- and Dean almost dropped the piece of metal in his hand while Jack froze, his shoulders tightening up while he scrunched up his lips as if trying to hold back his cry.

Instead, he quietly composed himself as he asked in a shaky voice, "You want me to read the rest?"

Cas only blinked at him, keeping the slight smile, and Jack took it as a yes. Jack sat beside him again with a big smile plastered on his face, wiping his eyes every other word, as he rested his head on Cas's shoulder to continue reading. Dean didn’t miss when Cas tilted his head down to rest his cheek on Jack’s hair.

He had to excuse himself again.

After that day, Cas slowly started to open up a little more.

Once Dean woke up with Cas out of bed. Dean was already in full panic mode, his shoes on the wrong feet and jacket inside out as he called out for Sam.

Then just as quick as the panic came, relief flooded him when he found Cas in the kitchen trying to make coffee. He turned towards Dean and gave him the smallest of smiles, but it filled Dean with such solace that he just dragged himself to Cas’s space. Dean held his arms open to press Cas into him, and without a second thought, Cas fell right into him as if it was an everyday normal occurrence.

That was the start of Cas now being up and around the bunker. It was like when a baby starts crawling, everyone keeping tabs on the baby’s first steps, except this baby was an eon old celestial being.

The library, Dean’s room, the Dean-cave, and the kitchen were Cas’s favorite places just to sit. He always had Dean’s headphones on, softly playing music, just in case it went quiet, and it took a while for him to be able to walk around without those.

It was the sixth month when Cas wished Dean a goodnight first and then added, “I love you, Dean.”

Dean fought the lump in his throat, but Cas instantly pulled him in, his arms wrapped securely around him. He had so much he wanted to say to Cas just to hear his voice again, anything to listen to his voice again, but instead, he kisses Cas’s chest before saying, “I love you, too.”

Days came and went. Sometimes it seemed like Cas was getting better as he talked a little more, but then those days would come when he would just stare off into the stars on their ceiling. Not moving an inch or bothering to fake breath like he liked. Those days the music was a little louder, and Cas held on to Dean a little tighter.

“I don’t want to go back. Please,” Cas pleaded as he stared wide-eyed at the darkness in the corner of their room. As if he was having a nightmare with his eyes wide open. “Please don’t make me…I-I don’t want to be in the dark again!”

Dean took Cas’s face in between his hands to hold his gaze. Only talking when he knew Cas was seeing him. “It’s okay, Cas. I got you. Nobody’s taking you away from me ever again.”

“Promise?” Dean felt Cas’s grip at his shoulder, holding him with desperation.

“Promise.”

That’s how Cas became human.

The nightmares have him waking up screaming some days, but at least Cas knew he was safe from the Empty’s clutches.

He was going to live his human life being loved and taken care of, and Dean was happy to say he felt Cas was doing the same for him.

[alcinadimitrescuwu]

Homecoming (An Alcina x Reader Fanfic)

You can’t help but smile to yourself as you cross the drawbridge to Castle Dimitrescu, your heels clicking on the centuries old wood. You have just come back from a 5 day long business trip on behalf of the Sanguis Virginis wine company. This had been the first time in two years that you had left Romania to go abroad for any reason. As you raise the brass knocker on the door, you almost sigh in relief. The business trip was successful, but now all you wanted was to curl up next to your wife, kick off your Louboutin heels and rest.

Suddenly the door opens and you only see a flash of red before someone grabs your arm and pulls you inside. Your daughter Daniela has seen to it that she’s the first to greet you.

“Maman! I’m so glad you’re back!” Daniela chirps giving you a big hug. “Of course, I was the one who missed you the most!”

“I’m sure you were, dearest,” you manage to choke out. Daniela may not be as strong as her mother but she was still hugging you so tightly it was cutting off your circulation.

“No, she wasn’t!” You look and see that Cassandra and Bela, your other daughters have materialized from their bug shrouds. Cassandra crosses her arms. “And quit hogging Maman! I want to hug her too!”

Daniela lets go begrudgingly and you finally feel air come back into your lungs as Cassandra gives you a much lighter hug.

“Girls, let’s not bother Maman,” Bela says, ever the older sister. “She’s had a long flight and is probably tired.” She smiles and gives you a quick peck on the cheek. “Welcome back, Maman.”

“Draga mea?” you hear an elegant mature voice call. “Is that you?”

Your breath catches in your throat as you see your wife Alcina descending the stairs. The hardest part about this trip was being away from her. You make sure to drink in her full figure, her aureate eyes, her carmine lips freshly painted, her laugh lines that grow more indented as she smiles at you. She gently tilts your head up and gives you a chaste kiss. “Welcome home, iubirea mea.”

“Good to be back, darling,” you say as you take her hand and kiss the back of it. You quietly excuse yourself so you can go to the bathroom and touch up your face.

As you reapply your lipstick you smile as you think back to a couple nights ago when Alcina called your hotel room. You were just pulling down the sheets to get into bed when the phone rang. You picked it up on the second ring. “Hello?”

“Dearest?” Alcina’s voice hitches on the other line.

“Alcina?” You immediately shifted over into panic mode. It was four o’clock in the morning in Romania. Alcina normally wouldn’t call so late. “Darling, is everything all right? Are you and the girls ok?”

Alcina chuckles. “No, my love, everyone here is fine. It’s just…” There was a long pause before Alcina admitted, “I miss you.”

You found your heart welling up with love for Alcina. She was a proud woman by nature and hated admitting any sort of weakness. “Don’t worry, darling. It’ll just be two more days and I’ll be home soon.”

“Not soon enough,” she growled. “It seems like an eternity.” She suddenly lowered her voice to a husky whisper. “This bed has been so empty without you in it.”

Your cheeks were suddenly burning. “Well, I suppose we’ll have to make up for lost time when I get back, then, won’t we?”

“Indubitably,” Alcina purred. “Tell me, iubito, what are you wearing right now?”

“OH MY GOD!! Mother, are you seriously trying to have phone sex with Maman??” You heard Cassandra yell followed by peals of laughter and Alcina letting loose a string of curses in Romanian. After she successfully shooed the girls out of her bedroom, Alcina pleaded, “Just come home to me soon, darling. Please.”

You laughed. “I will. Te iubesc, Alcina.”

“Te iubesc, draga mea.”

As soon as you step out of the bathroom while you are closing the door behind you, strong arms grab you from behind and push you up against the wall. You look up and see Alcina and you feel your cheeks getting hot at her expression. There is naked longing in her eyes. “Five days,” she rasps. “Never in all my years of living has a week seemed so long.” She moves the collar of your blouse back so she can kiss your neck. You sigh and wrap your legs around her waist.

“If our daughters had not been in the foyer when you arrived,” she says, her lips grazing your collarbone. “I would have made love to you right there and then.”

“Do it,” you whisper. “Take me here. Take me now. There’s no one watching.”

Alcina stops nuzzling your neck and kisses you hard. She weaves her hands through your hair, knocking it out of its carefully crafted bun. You hear pins falling to the floor and Alcina kicks them aside. You lean your head back against the wall as Alcina deepens the kiss, opening your mouth with her tongue. You bite down gently on her lower lip and she moans with desire.

Her hand follows the line of the seam on your stockinged leg to your garter clasp. You remove the glove from her hand with your teeth. “Good girl,” she purrs, giving you a seductive smirk as she sets to work on removing the clasp.

“MY EYES!” you hear Bela scream. It is then followed by sarcastic clapping and wolf whistles. You look over Alcina’s shoulder and see to your horror that your daughters are bearing witness to your debauchery.

Cassandra turns to Daniela and smirks. “Well, would you look at that. Looks like I win. 500 Lei, please.”

Danela pouts. “I was so sure Mother would ravish Maman 10 minutes into her arrival, not 5 minutes.”

Cassandra puts her hand out pointedly towards Daniela. “That doesn’t change the fact that I won the bet. Pay up.”

Daniela gives a devilish grin. “It’s a good thing we didn’t shake on it, then!” She manifests into her fly form and flies away, laughing maniacally.

“Daniela Dimitrescu, you get back here, you little shit!” Cassandra manifests into her fly form as well, chasing after her duplicitous sister.

Bela turns and gives the both of you a dry look. “If you’ll excuse me, I’m going to put hydrogen peroxide in my eyes to burn the image of this out of my head,” Bela says, shaking her head. “Honestly Mother, sometimes you remind me of a rakish earl.” She turns on her heel and walks down the hallway.

Alcina can only lean her forehead against yours and sigh. You laugh and drop a kiss on her brow. “It’s good to be home,” you murmur against her hair.

[highwaytothedangerzone502]

India Lima Yankee - Chapter 40

Pairing: Rooster x Female OC

Word Count: 2084

Warnings: Mention of death, swearing

Summary: Juliette Kazansky discovers Maverick is back in town for a special training detachment, but she's more than a little blindsided when Rooster arrives too. Having not spoken to him for almost ten years after their less than amicable break-up, Juliette can only imagine how the next few weeks are going to play out when she remains head over heels in love with him while he wants nothing to do with Juliette other than to forget her.

Or so she thinks.

Notes: None.

Chapter Songs: Wanted Dead or Alive I Bet My Life

Chapters: Chp 1 Chp 2 Chp 3 Chp 4 Chp 5 Chp 6 Chp 7 Chp 8 Chp 9 Chp 10 Chp 11 Chp 12 Chp 13 Chp 14 Chp 15 Chp 16 Chp 17 Chp 18 Chp 19 Chp 20 Chp 21 Chp 22 Chp 23 Chp 24 Chp 25Chp 26 Chp 27 Chp 28 Chp 29 Chp 30 Chp 31 Chp 32Chp 33 Chp 34 Chp 35 Chp 36 Chp 37 Chp 38 Chp 39 Chp 40

Rooster

A bitterly cold wind blew against the aviator's face as he floated down towards the snowy ground in a daze. In the far distance, near the fiery wreck of the helicopter he'd shot down seconds ago, Rooster could see a tiny person running towards his location. Hopefully, it was Maverick. Otherwise, that would be another obstacle added to the rapidly lengthening list of them in Rooster's head. 

He landed in a small clearing in the forest, sitting for a couple of minutes to gather his wits. Having been nailed by a SAM caused more than a little mayhem on your body and your brain, whether one was expecting to be shot down or not. 

If that's not Mav on his way over here, I better scram. The thought sent Rooster into motion, and he began the process of stuffing his parachute away, not wanting the bright colors to capture any attention from potential enemies in the air. As he hastily rolled the fabric up and tried shoving it into his bag, Rooster noticed the small figure from earlier sprinting at a breakneck pace towards him. They wore a red and blue helmet along with a flight suit, so their presence didn't send the aviator into panic mode. In fact, it provided him an insane amount of relief.

It was Maverick.

"You all right?!" Maverick shouted, still running towards Rooster at full speed.

Bradley stood up to greet him, expecting a monster hug with the way his surrogate dad wasn't slowing down in any way, shape, or form. "Yeah, I'm good. You all right?"

BAM! 

In the blink of an eye, Rooster found himself staring up at the blue sky, having been brutally shoved to the ground, simultaneously stunned and enormously pissed off. Both he and Maverick ripped off their helmets, tossing them angrily into the snow. Rooster stood in a huff, asking furiously, "What the hell?!"

Maverick ignored him, demanding, "What are you doing here?"

"What am I doing here?" Rooster repeated, staring at the captain with an 'are you absolutely stupid' look. Wasn't it obvious? 

"You think I took that missile, so you could be down here with me?!" Maverick snapped, matching Rooster's outrage. "You should be back on the carrier by now!"

"I saved your life!" Rooster exclaimed slowly, annoyance dripping through his tone with his careful pronunciation of each word to try and get it through Maverick's thick skull that he would be dead without him. The sheer dumbassery of the man before him was astounding. This was how Mav thanked him for saving his life? This was what Rooster got for going against direct orders? This was some bullshit!

"I saved your life," Maverick countered, exasperated. "That's the whole point. What the hell were you even thinking?"

The God damn fucking audacity of this man... "You told me not to think!"

Rooster watched the revelation dawn on Maverick's face, the words he spoke to Rooster just last week evidently flashing through his mind. Bradley threw his hands up in frustration because he gave up trying to please this man. If he didn't follow Maverick's teachings, he got yelled at. If he did follow Maverick's advice, he got yelled at. He couldn't win.

Mav bent over, bracing himself on his knees as he caught his breath. Rooster let him, allowing the course of emotions running through his own blood to settle down. As annoyed with Mav as he wanted to be, Bradley reminded himself that had this not turned out the way it did, had he not reached Maverick in time, his dad would be dead, and it would do no good to have their last words to each other be angry ones, even if they were slightly warranted.

Maverick stood up, and the two men glanced around at their surroundings. Finally, the captain said, "Well... it's good to see you."

Rooster sniffed, the cold causing his nose to run. "It's good to see you too," he replied, the gravity of their situation suddenly crashing down on him. He hated that his voice quivered slightly when he asked, "So, what's the plan?"

Maverick met Rooster's gaze, the gears visibly turning in his head. "We can't stay here. If we do, the enemy will capture us."

Needing some humor to deal with the stressful situation, Rooster replied, "Yeah, but if we go back to the carrier, we'll be turned over to Juliette."

"Enemies it is," Maverick agreed. "It'll be a quicker death."

"She's going to kill us for getting shot down."

Maverick waved a dismissive hand. "Just propose to her like you were planning to before she can say anything, and we'll be fine."

"You knew about that?!" Rooster's eyes nearly bulged out of his head. "How did- is there anyone else that knows?"

"I saw your mom's ring on her finger, and Juliette told me everything. Sounds like her brothers and mom know, having inadvertently found out after Jack made a joke about you being her fiancé."

"Shit..."

"Sounds like they're okay with it, so I don't think you have to worry." Maverick motioned for Rooster to follow him. He did. "Joking aside, she's probably worried sick about us."

"If she doesn't think we're dead."

"Well, despite my apparent best efforts, I refuse to die," Maverick said, falling into a fast jog. Rooster, with his longer legs, had a hard time not outrunning his captain. "At least according to Admiral Cain."

"When did the dick say that?" Rooster demanded, flashing back to the hard-eyed admiral. He didn't like him, mainly because the admiral was trying to find ways to get rid of pilots overall, meaning Rooster would be out of a job. If he couldn't be a pilot, Bradley didn't know what he would do.

"After I ejected from a test plane at Mach 10.3."

Bradley slid to a stop. "You did what?"

"Yeah, landed in some tiny town a couple hundred miles away. Probably looked like some alien from another planet after I saw what I looked like. When I asked where I was, this kid replied with 'Earth.' Had I not been so out of it, I would've laughed." 

Rooster didn't respond, the knowledge that he could've lost Maverick forever in the past fifteen or so years without having made amends, striking him harder and faster than the SAM that knocked him out of the sky. He could've lost his dad again, and for what? Because Mav wanted to protect him? Because Mav set him back four years? Yeah, it warranted an angry reaction and maybe some tense interactions for a while, but now that Bradley thought about it, Maverick hadn't deserved all that Rooster did to him, all that he said to him.

No wife. No kids. No one to mourn you when you burn in.

Bradley shuddered at his own words because they weren't true. Maverick did have kids who would mourn him: Rooster and Juliette. They both would've been devastated, even the former with his built-up anger. That was their dad, maybe not by blood, but by bond. Maverick would go to the ends of the earth for either of him, and he'd more than proved that a mere twenty minutes ago.

Maverick had the Dagger Squadron as his unofficial kids too. Rooster had seen it in this fifty-plus-year-old man's eyes- when he first met the group of early- to mid-thirty-year-olds- essentially decide, "Yeah, they're all mine now." In return, all the Daggers had looked at this fifty-year-old man who took them under his chaotic wing and decided, "We will fight God for this man." They would mourn Maverick if something were to happen to him.

"Bradley, what is it?" Maverick asked, tilting his head in concern.

"I'm sorry," Rooster said hesitantly, unsure if now was the time to be apologizing. They were in the middle of hostile territory with enemies surely searching for them. But if not now, when? If they died, Rooster didn't want Maverick thinking he still hated him. "I'm sorry for how I've treated you all these years, for what I've said to you recently, like how no one would mourn you when you're gone... it's not true. It's- I know why you did what you did."

Maverick nodded appreciatively. "I hurt you, Bradley. In trying to protect you, I hurt you, and I'm sorry. I don't blame you for what you said. To bottle up that anger for as long as you did, I'm honestly surprised you didn't blow up at me sooner. I never held what you said against me, and I never will. It's water under the bridge."

"You weren't just trying to protect me. You were doing it because mom asked you to." The slight doubt Rooster held about the truth of his second statement disappeared at the sight of the color draining from Maverick's face, causing him to turn a deathly shade of white.

"H-how did- I never told anyone that," Mav stammered, shaking his head. "Not even Jules. How-"

"She overheard part of your conversation with Ice about someone asking you to do it. We put the pieces together because if Juliette didn't ask you to pull my papers, that only left one other person. Why didn't you tell me Mom asked you to do that? Why take the full brunt of my anger?"

"You were struggling, and you had a hatred towards the world at the time. Juliette and I both knew you wouldn't forgive whoever pulled your papers, not for a long time, and I didn't want you resenting your mom, not even after she passed. I'd rather you hate me than have any resentment towards her. She was terrified to lose you the way she did your dad. I never told Jules about your mom asking me because she was already agonizing over keeping the secret from you. I didn't want to add one more to her plate."

"Did Mom realize the position she put you in?"

Maverick sniffed, wiping his nose. "Yeah, and she apologized profusely for it. She promised me you'd understand if I told you the truth, and maybe she was right, but I couldn't risk you resenting her in any way. She was your mom. I was just the man who tried to fill in your dad's shoes."

"Just the-? Mav, you were there for everything you could be. You took care of me and mom; you used your paychecks to support us; you were the one I brought whenever it was 'Bring Your Dad to Dinner' at my elementary school; you helped me buy my first suit, my first tux; you helped me with my homework even when you had no clue how to do it yourself; you came to all my baseball and football games when you weren't on deployment, and you always made sure to call me on my birthday, no matter where you were. You were more than 'just the man' that filled in Dad's shoes."

You were my dad. The words lodged in Rooster's throat, afraid he'd go too far if he spoke them. Maybe Maverick didn't view Bradley as his kid anymore after all this time. Yeah, he'd take a missile for him, but that didn't mean he saw Rooster as his son anymore.

"Look-" Bradley continued, trying to regain control of his racing thoughts- "all I'm saying is if you had told me the truth, despite my volatile behavior back then, I would've forgiven you a lot sooner had you told me the truth, and I wouldn't have resented mom. I knew she didn't want me to go into the Navy. She never said it outright, but I could tell by the way she always asked me to consider other lines of work in case the Navy didn't work out. I would've been mad and upset, but I would've understood."

"I'm sorry, Bradley," Maverick said, his voice cracking ever so slightly. "Look, I want to continue this conversation, I do, but right now, we need to hurry. Enemies are probably on the lookout for us, and I promised Juliette I would get you home. When we return to the carrier, let's finish this talk, okay?"

Rooster nodded, following his dad as they began their jog through the snow to an unknown destination, but he trusted Maverick. The seasoned captain would do nothing to risk Rooster's life, not again, and would do nothing to get the young aviator killed. Mav wanted Bradley to survive, and so Bradley entrusted him with his life.

***

Tags: @lgg5989 @shanimallina87 @polikszena @summ3rlotus @souslesyeuxde @gleasonmalfoy @icemansgirl1999 @supernaturaldawning @thedarkinmansfield @lyannaforpresident @lapilark @getmyprettynameoutofyourmouth @simpofthecentury @shadeops21 @pansexualwitchwhoneedstherapy @double-j @picklejuicesposts @bradshawsandbridgetons @majdoline @jakexfmc @catsandgeekyandnerd @peachiicherries @multifandomcnova @fandomsstolemylife00 @bookloverhorses

[salty-rey]

Saving Lives

Bad Batch Fic | Sequel to Come Back

Pairing: Crosshair x reader (hinting)

Words: 2.8k

Warnings: Bodily injuries, blood, story time!

A/N: Hello! I wanted to write something that elaborated on the relationship between the sniper and combat medic. It’s rather rough, proof-read once (thank you Grammarly), and I may not captured Crosshair’s personality perfect. I hope you enjoy, and I will be back with another story!

Roughly two weeks have passed since the last mission, and during those long days, you were recovering from being shot. Being bedridden was not ideal, almost driving you stir crazy. Especially whenever you tried sneaking out of the barracks, there was always one member of the Bad Batch there to stop you. 

Wrecker freaked out when he caught you slowly shuffling towards the bathroom, asking why you were out of bed in panic. He only helped you after explaining your destination, waited outside before actually carrying you back to your cot. 

Echo spotted you slowly making your way to the kitchen area before redirecting you back to bed like a concerned older brother, staying by your side and offering his arm for support in case you felt weak. Quite the gentleman.. At least he went back to get whatever food you were craving. 

Tech found you attempting to do some stretches since you were stuck in bed for Maker knows how long. He lectured you on the facts that your wound may open again if you attempt any movement during a specific time frame. Even when you decided to lay back down he was still lecturing!

As for Hunter, he entered the barracks, catching you standing on your feet. You were in the middle of putting your chest piece armor back on when you winced at the slight sting of your wound. The Sergeant went full dad mode on you, scolding you for moving when you’re still recovering. Now you knew how it felt like to be Omega, which caused you to accidentally say, “Okay, dad.”

You watched Hunter’s back stiffen, an unreadable expression crossing his face before he turned around, leaving you alone in the barracks. What was that? You thought before sighing, slowly removing your chest piece. 

Speaking of Omega. Maker, bless that little girl. 

When you were initially knocked out after returning to the Havoc Marauder, Omega refused to leave your side. The boys tried to reassure her that you would be alright, but she wouldn’t budge. After a couple of hours, you woke up, disoriented at first, before spotting the little girl fast asleep on a chair at your bedside. Hunter was awake at the time, and he explained everything while you rested. The boys learned that it was indeed a trooper who shot you and not Crosshair because Omega was persistent in backing you up in your story. You watched the Sergeant carefully picking the youngest member up and carrying her to her makeshift bedroom.

You were awake when Omega rushed into the small barracks, eyes wide before spotting you. She first cried tears of joy, happy to you see that you were okay. Hearing her crying caused Hunter and the other boys to rush in, worried that something was wrong before relaxing after you explained why Omega was crying. 

Since that moment, Omega stayed and kept you company. Whenever she wasn’t informing you of the group’s next objective, she would ask if you needed anything like food or water. You felt bad having her grab something to eat for you, and you mentioned it to one of the boys whenever they pass the barracks. 

“I’ll let her know. She is looking after her teammate though.” Hunter commented before leaving. 

One day during the weeks of recovery, Omega came to your bed per usual and sat down. You were reading on your datapad before glancing up. “I’ve been meaning to ask you something,” she first started off, looking a bit nervous. 

“Sure, what’s up?” You asked after putting your datapad down. 

“I heard stories of the Bad Batch back on Kamino, but I was hoping to hear how you became part of the team. Since you’re not a clone like us. I-if you don’t mind!” The child asked bashfully, causing you to smile. 

“Of course! Heh, no need to be shy,” you grinned before relaxing against your pillow. “I was formally part of the 501st under General Skywalker, still as a combat medic. I helped aid their soldiers and taught any clones who wanted to become a medic. But I was taken out of that battalion and introduced to these guys after Wrecker’s accident.” You said, pointing to the left side of your face. 

Omega frowned at the mention of the deep scar on the more giant clone’s face. 

“Do you...know how he got it?”

“Not the specific details. Just that his fondness for exploding things up got the best of him at that moment,” you answered. “But that is a story for Wrecker to tell you himself. After his incident and intense care, the Kaminoans and High Command thought that it would be best for the Bad Batch to have a medic at all times. And that’s where I came in.”

“What was it like first joining them?” Omega asked, scooting her chair closer, eager to know more.

You laugh nervously before answering awkwardly, “A nat-born joining a bunch of mutated clones who have a distaste for regs? It wasn’t sunshine and rainbows, Omega. At least, for some time.”

“Wait. Hunter and the others were mean to you?” Omega looked shocked, unable to imagine any of her older brothers being cruel. She began to turn towards the door, ready to get up and give the boys an earful.

“Whoa, whoa. Easy there, targon.” You quickly said, grasping her hand to stop her. “They weren’t mean to me. Just...indifferent.” Omega looked confused still, but she was no longer about to charge out of the room. Seeing that the girl was relaxed, you let go of her hand. 

“The boys are thick as thieves. Having a complete stranger joining them for Maker knows how long it was off-putting. But, one by one, they slowly welcomed me into their merry band. Well, all except Crosshair.” The mentioning of his name caused you to frown, your hand gripping the sheets. 

Omega noticed your shift of emotions, her eyebrows knitting together in worry. “You two were close.”

You couldn’t help but softly laugh a bit. “Not at first. He was the hardest one to be accepted by. It took us potentially dying just to get close.”

At that, Omega’s eyes widened, her jaw-dropping, and you knew that you had to tell her the story now, or she will never leave you alone. 

“Keep up, medic. Or I’m going to leave you behind.”

“Where have I heard that before?” 

It has been several months since you have joined Clone Force 99. And each mission has been quite eventful. All dangerous, non-stop action and heart-pounding moments. You had seen your share of action before joining this group, especially when you were with General Skywalker and his boys in blue. But the 501st pale compared to the Bad Batch. Then again, the Bad Batch is sent to suicide missions, unlike the 501st, so the comparisons aren’t fair. 

Such missions that you were on right now. 

Infiltrate a Separatist’s stronghold, eliminate the enemy commander and destroy their entire base. Nothing new but this time, you found yourself on a thick rainforest-like planet. It was the dead of night, using the shadows to your advantage. While the boys handled the assigned target, you and Crosshair were tasked to eliminate any remaining outside forces and retrieve a getaway vehicle. 

You have been paired with Crosshair in the past, but they have never been pleasant. The sniper all but ignored you or let out harsh remarks, insulting even, but you did your best not to let it get to you. All attempts to befriend him or have him loosen up a bit around you. It was all in vain, though, and even the rest of the batch members have told you to simply give up.

“It’s not you,” Hunter said one day as they were currently jumping through hyperspace. “He’ll come around. Just you wait.”

But it has been so long now. When will it happen? You were getting tired of the glares and sneers, but you refused to give in. 

Focusing back on the mission, the two of you reached the edge of the forest, locating the hanger currently guarded by battle droids. 

“Those dwarf spider droids may be a problem,” you stated, spotting the said droid following the standard clankers. 

“You should have stayed on the ship if you’re going to get cold feet. You’re useless on the battlefield,” Crosshair sneered under his helmet. You remained quiet, refusing to glance at him. To give him any satisfaction of his words stinging you intensely. 

“Just give me some cover fire. And don’t hit me,” you stated before donning your eyeshield then rushing in with your dual pistols. 

Having done this countless times, taking down the droids has become second nature to you. So, one by one, the droids fall, caught off guard from a sniper shot from the thick forest. They were also surprised to see a single soldier rushing them with nothing but two pistols. 

Once the separate hangar was secured, Crosshair silently joined you, neither one speaking. No “thanks” or “great job.” Then again, the Bad Batch weren’t the ones to compliment each other. Do the job, and get out alive. 

“Crosshair, (Y/N). What’s your status?” Hunter’s voice came through the comlink. 

“Just cleared out the hangar. We’re getting the getaway vehicle right now,” you responded as Crosshair began to hotwire one of the landspeeders. 

The landspeeder came to life, and you quickly hopped on, not wanting to test to see if Crosshair would actually leave you behind. The speeder raced down towards the rest of the crew’s location, staying on time with the plan. As the wind whipped through your light armor clothing, you began to hear a faint beeping sound. Leaning down to the ground, the beeping was getting louder and faster. 

“There’s a bomb!” You shouted with realization before rushing towards Crosshair. 

The sniper didn’t have enough time to respond because you tackled him off the ledge of the speeder. You had thought that you reacted quick enough, but the planted bomb exploded, launching the two of you further into the air. You felt your hands slip from Crosshair’s armor, separating the two of you. 

Then, you landed hard onto the ground, and you felt something snap within you. You couldn’t scream, the air being knocked out of you as your body tumbled and rolled to a stop. Summoning whatever strength you had, you slowly pushed yourself up with your arms before sharply sucking in some air, pain flaring on your right side. Carefully feeling your side, you came to a quick conclusion before gasping.  

Crosshair?! Looking around, you spotted the nonmoving clone a few feet away from you, and your stomach dropped at the sight of him. The silver-haired man was lying on his back, his helmet knocked off his head, and you spotted blood oozing from a cut above his eyebrow. Not only that but his right arm and left leg were awkwardly twisted. 

Fighting off your own pain, you crawled towards him before pushing yourself on your feet. The world spun, almost causing you to fall backward, but you quickly regained your balance. We can’t stay out in the open. That explosion will attract more droids to our location. 

Placing his helmet back on his head, you hook your arms under his shoulders. 

Dragging his body deeper into the forest was no easy feat. You were panting and sweating, your head was pulsing, and the pain on your side was overbearing. With every shift, you felt your bones poking at your lungs, causing you to slow down before resuming.

There! 

You spotted a large tree, and underneath the roots, the ground sunk and became hollow. It was a perfect hiding spot, and droids are dumb; they never look up or down. 

Not wasting any more time, you slid both you and Crosshair into the hole, and once settled, you immediately went to work. 

.

.

.

.

Crosshair slowly opened his eyes, blinking several times as his vision cleared. He tried sitting up, but that caused his head to ache more than it already was. Raising a hand, he felt bandages wrapping around most of his head.

“Leave it alone unless you want to bleed again.” 

Crosshair looked over, spotting you sitting nearby, weapons at hand. “What happened?” The sniper groaned, lowering his arm down.

“The landspeeder had a bomb planted and exploded. You broke your arm and leg and had a concussion.” You answered, receiving another groan from the clone after he noticed those said injuries wrapped up in wooden splints. “I’m guessing if the vehicle was activated improperly, it would self-destruct. No wonder the GAR had issues with this Separatist; they thought of everything. Hey! What are you doing?”

Crosshair had begun to sit up, using his good arm to push himself from the floor. “What does it look like?”

“You’re not fit to move around, Crosshair! And neither am I.” You shouted, shuffling towards him, putting your hand on his shoulder, forcing him to stop. “I broke 3 ribs, and I can feel them poking my lungs. Hunter knows of our situation, and they’re working right now to find a way to pick us up.”

Crosshair pushed your hand off of him with his good arm, his glare piercing you. “I don’t need you telling me what to do.”

“Apparently, someone does. As your medic, my word is final when it comes to your wellbeing.” You snapped back, putting your hand back on his shoulder and pushing him down. “I’m not letting you toss your life away, all because you want to be stubborn!”

“Don’t act as you care about us clones!” The sniper growled, struggling underneath your hold. “We’re exposable for you perfect nat-borns!”

Your grip on his shoulder loosen, and your glare slowly softened. “Is that why you hate me? Because I’m a perfect nat-born?” You questioned almost a bit too calmly, which startled Crosshair a bit. He wasn’t expecting this reaction from you. No glares or quick remarks. Just silence. 

“I am not perfect, Crosshair. No one is perfect. Nat-borns, regs, defects, we’re all the same. Living and breathing, filled with emotions and flaws. What we do with ourselves is what makes us unique.” You said before moving away from him. “I chose to be a medic because I was tired of seeing everyone dying around me.”

Crosshair slowly raised an eyebrow, his face slowly relaxing. “What...do you mean by that?”

You spare him a brief glance before leaning against a stomp, steadying your breathing. And so, you began your tale. 

You were born into slavery and having no memories of your parents, too young to really. Among the slaves were children such as yourself, and you called them brothers and sisters. However, one by one, they either died in accidents, killed by their masters, or sold off to buyers. Finally, after years of servitude, you managed to escape, sneaking onto a shuttle and never looking back. 

“The moment I left the shuttle, I was given another chance. A chance my brothers and sisters would never have. That’s when I decided to become a medic. Then I volunteered to be a combat medic because I wanted to save lives.” You finished your story, your breathing steady.

“Even if you were created to fight for someone else’s war, that doesn’t mean your life is meaningless. Believe it or not, but I do care about your life. And that of your brothers’. Losing a loved one is never easy, and I don’t want to see any of you go through that.” You fell silent before taking a small breath. “I didn’t tell you my life story so that you can pity me or for me to win you over. Just to tell you my reasoning in life. What you do with my story is up to you.”

Silence fell between the two of you. Neither one dared a glance at the other. You didn’t like opening up old wounds, telling others your story. The only one who knows is Anakin because the two of you share a kinship of being former slaves. 

An hour has passed, and your comlink came to life. Hunter and the rest of the Bad Batch contacted you, informing you that they have returned to the ship and are en route to pick both of you up. Their arrival was quick, and so was being carried into the Havoc Marauder. 

They had succeeded in their part of the mission, even if they were now chased by any remaining droids. It wasn’t an issue, though, once they left the planet and jumped into hyperspace.   

“After that, we were flown to the closest medical station, and we were both healed up.”

Omega was speechless. She had heard stories of the Bad Batch’s missions back on Kamino through word of mouth from the troops, but nothing detailed. This was quite the tale, and she felt a lot of emotions. The first thing that the girl managed to say was, “I’m so sorry.”

“It’s okay. The important part is that we both survived, and after that, Crosshair wasn’t so harsh on me. In fact, he always had my back. It was his idea to outfit my old armor to that of Clone Force 99, officially making me one of them.” You replied with a soft smile. 

“Thank you for telling me your story. I hope we get Crosshair back soon because I would like to know what he was thinking throughout that moment.” Omega said, causing you to smile sadly. 

“Yeah, me too...”

Omega noticed your sadden expression at the thought of the sniper, awkwardly shifting in her chair. Hoping to lighten up the mode a bit, Omega asked you, “So, why is your nickname “Freckles”?” 

Your cheeks warmed up and you softly laughed, looking embarrassed. “When the rest of the boys checked up on us, I was being removed from a bacta tank. All I had on was my top and tight shorts. They saw that my mostly covered areas like my thighs were littered with freckles, and that’s where I got my nickname. It was embarrassing.”

“Yeah! But Crosshair was the one who pointed it out!” The booming voice of Wrecker came as the boys now stood at the doorway.

“From what I remembered, you were the one who whistled at her in the first place.” Tech pointed out. “Quite improper if you ask me, since she is part of our team.”

“Need I remind you that you were the one who recorded the whole thing,” Hunter added in. “Don’t you think that’s improper?”

The boys began to bicker among each other, except for Echo who simply listened to the retelling of that moment with intrigue. All of this just made you blush harder, covering your face with the sheets. Because you also remember Crosshair looking you up and down, before smirking and saying “Nice freckles.”

[adminbryantsaki]

Alpha! Mafia! Yandere! Hizashi Yamada x Omega! Female! Reader.

( i am here again for a third time with the bnharem’s server collab. This time it is a villain or Villain swap AU. I picked Hizashi Yamada for this AU. I hope you enjoy this story. Make sure to check out everyone else’s stories here. You can read my other works here. Thanks to @koniginwrites for all her help. The banner was made by @dollfacedwithadirtymind. I would recommend listening to Purple Lamborghini by Skrillex and Sucker for Pain by Imagine Dragons while you listen to this to help understand the story below)

(Disclaimer: I do not condone the actions of a Yandere and having a real -life relationship with one is toxic and not safe. Killing someone is not cool people)

TW: Breeding kink, blood, omegaverse shenanigans, yandere, knives, pregnancy, do not read if Endeavor is your comfort character.

If this isn’t your cup of tea, blend of spices, or brew of coffee, move on.

WC: 13,259

You were walking around in the decent-sized apartment that you and your boyfriend, Hizashi Yamada lived in. You had known your boyfriend for a few years now. The two of you had met at a strip club that he had been working a gig at. When the two of you met, he was curious as to why such a cute little thing like you was doing in a place like this. After his gig, the two of you talked and he gave you his number and you called him later that night. When you got home that evening, you called him and the two of you set up a date later that week at a cafe that Hizashi recommended. When you arrived at the cafe, you looked around the cafe to look for your date. You spotted Hizashi and waved. He looked up and saw you and waved back. You would walk over to the table after you ordered your drink. Hizashi stood up from the table that he was sitting at and walked over to you. He looked handsome his white button-down jacket and leather trousers as he approached you. You noticed his hair was tied back in a half bun and the glasses that he wore had transition lenses so it looked like he was wearing sunglasses while he was indoors.

“Hello there, Y/N.” He spoke. You looked up at him and smiled.

“Hello, Hizashi. How are you?” You asked.

“I’m good. I’m glad you could find the place. It’s not easy to find. What did you want to order? I’ll pay for it.” He offered.

“I can pay for my own drink. Thank you though.” You responded.

“I insist. This is our first date, I’ll pay.” He responded and pulled out his wallet as the two of you walked up to the register. You told him your order and he repeated it to the cashier and paid for the drink. When your drink was ready, you carried the warm mug and thanked the barista before walking back to the table with Hizashi. He waited until you were seated before retaking his seat across from you.

“So, tell me about yourself, Y/N.” He spoke to start the conversation.

“There’s not much to know about me, I’m pretty basic.” You spoke. Hizashi didn’t believe it. He looked you in the eyes and kept eye contact with you.

“I don’t believe that for a second. You’re cute, and I like the color of your eyes.” He told you. This comment made you blush and look away from the man in front of you.

“Thank you.” You spoke at last. You didn’t remember the last time a man complimented you without the intention of getting in your pants. Hizashi smiled and held your hand.

“You’re welcome.” He said before taking a sip of his drink. You smiled and took a sip of your drink as well. You told him more about yourself and he told you about himself in return. You learned that he had gone to the famous UA when he attended school. You also learned that he also was a radio show host after he decided to step back from hero work. This caught your interest.

“What made you step away from the hero work?” You asked him. You wanted to make sure the man in front of you wasn’t a villain. His eyes flicked up to you when you asked him about his hero work.

“I wanted to focus more on my radio show.” He responded while rubbing the back of his head.

‘Smooth recovery, Yamada.’ He thought to himself. You were smarter than that though. You could read past his cover up.

“Tell me the truth or I’m walking out of here.” You told him in a serious tone. Hizashi froze up and panic began to set in. He was afraid that you would still leave even after what he was about to tell you.

“Now don’t judge me for what I am about to tell you. There has been signs in the past few months that the society that we live in is crumbling. There was a point where it wasn’t safe for Pro Heroes to work as Heroes anymore. After we discussed our options, we left the Hero Commission and joined the Yakuza. Our boss is the former Hero Gang Orca. Don’t worry, we still do things for good but we’re no longer associated with the Hero Commission. That society is corrupt.” Hizashi spoke. You looked back at him for a moment and looked around the café. You noticed one of the baristas as another former pro hero. You noticed some other people that were probably former Pro Heroes as well sitting in the café.

“This place is one of the businesses that your boss owns?” You asked. Hizashi nodded. You smiled.

“That’s cool. As long as you don’t do anything illegal, I’m ok with it.” you told him. He relaxed and kissed the back of your hand. A couple of people from the back had caught your eye. You looked over at them and your eyes widened. You saw a dark-haired man sitting next to another person that had yellow eyes and purple smoke concealing his face and hands.

“Who are they?” You asked him as you gestured over to the table the two men were sitting at. Hizashi looked back and noticed that they had been watching the whole time.

“They are my friends from back in high school. The tired looking guy with black hair is Shouta. The guy with the yellow eyes and purple smoke all over the place is Kurogiri. They’re also in the same group as I am. We actually pulled Kurogiri from the League of Villains and got him to join us. He’s our mode of escape since he can warp to anywhere as long as he knows the coordinates to that place.” He explained to you. You nodded and glanced over at the two men who acknowledged you. You turned back to Hizashi who had a nervous look on his face.

“What is it, Hizashi?” You asked him as you took another sip of your drink.

“I want to ask you one more thing before I take you home.” He asked.

“Go ahead and ask.” You spoke. The man in front of you took a deep breath and looked you in the eyes.

“I’m an Alpha and I don’t have a mate yet. I’d like it if you’d be interested in being my mate.” He spoke. You were stunned. The two of you were only on the first date and he was asking you to be his mate? You looked at Hizashi again, this time noticing the tattoos on his neck and wrists that were now peeking out of his shirt. You smiled and held his hand back.

“You’re lucky there’s no other Alphas after me right now. I’m an Omega and I’d love to be your mate.” You responded. Hizashi let out a sigh of relief and kissed the back of your hand. He stood up and held your hand as the two of you walked out of the café with Aizawa and Kurogiri following behind the both of you at a distance. Hizashi took you to his car and drove you back to your apartment. You gave him directions even though he had secretly found out your address before the date. Hizashi parked the car and walked you to the door of your apartment, kissed your cheek goodnight, waited until you were safely inside your house before he got back into his car, and drove home. He was determined to make you his.

A few months later, after some careful planning and preparation, Hizashi got time off to help you through your upcoming heat. The two of you planned to meet up at the apartment that the two of you moved into about a month ago with the help of Hizashi’s boss in the Yakuza. He was finishing up his shift at the radio station. As he left the station, he shot you a text saying that he was on the way home. that you ignored in your feverish state as you pumped your scent into your apartment. You whimpered and wanted him to come and give you relief from the ache that throbbed down in your pants. You had already made a nest and hid under the fluffy blanket that he had bought you for nesting purposes. You clung to one of his shirts that you stole from his dresser and took in the citrusy scent that calmed you a bit. You heard the door unlock and open. You winced away from the noise as you were unaware of who had just entered your home. You heard the bedroom door creak open and you hid even more. You were scared to look up but the scent of oranges, lemons, and leather wafted down to you which made you look up to see your boyfriend staring down at you. You whimpered and made grabby hands at him. He picked you up and slid into your nest. You whined and he kissed you deeply.

“I’m here baby girl. You’re safe now. I’m going to take care of you and make you mine.” He told you. You moaned out and nodded. He started off by moving down to your neck and marking you. You cried out and panted. He pulled back and unbuttoned his shirt to reveal his bare chest that was covered with tattoos. You blushed while staring at the intricate patterns of his tattoos. He pulled your hands up to his chest and let you touch. He kissed one of your hands and activated his quirk to hum against them. You gasped and he smirked. He put his arms above your head and kissed you deeply and moving down to your neck and biting again but this time his quirk was put into use. You let out a string of mewls and moans that sent him reeling into his need to stuff you full of his litter. He groaned and tossed his shirt out of the nest and swiftly removed your clothes from your body while covering your neck with kisses and small bites. He held your hips still while he sucked another mark into your collarbone. You let out a pleasurable noise when he licked the sensitive bite.

“You’re mine now, princess. No one is gonna change that.” He told you with a deep rumble in his chest that made you melt in his arms. You nodded and made eye contact with him which was hard as you felt like you were higher than a kite with your heat taking over your body. Hizashi pulled back and stared down at you. You whined and reached up for him and he pulled you up to sit in his lap. You pressed your face into his neck to take in his scent as he was emitting to try and cover yours so the two of you wouldn’t get unwanted visitors busting the door down. He then kissed you gently and slid his hand under the hem of your shorts. You straddled his lap and leaned against him. You took deep breaths and nuzzled the crook of his neck to find some comfort. Hizashi rubbed your back soothingly and gripped your butt as well. You whimpered and shifted a bit in his lap to give yourself some friction on his thigh. He noticed this and pushed you back down on your back. He kissed you again and left a trail of kisses down your body until he stopped right above your private area. You looked at him in annoyance as he had stopped. He looked back at you and spoke.

“Do you really want this? You want to have my litter?” He asked you and you nodded in agreement. He proceeded to move his head in between your thighs and suck the slick from your entrance. This made you feel good. He then activated his quirk on your entrance and it made you see stars. You let out a moan, arched your back and released on his face. He licked up the mess that you had made and looked up at you as you came down from your orgasm. You looked at him while you regained your breath. He sat up between your legs and kissed the inside of one of your thighs. He undid the belt on his pants and unzipped his leather trousers and pulled them off and tossed them in the same direction of his shirt. You blushed harder and looked back at him at the various tattoos that covered his torso and other parts of his body. You followed the snake that roped around his torso and thigh before it disappeared to the other side of his body. You also saw the various birds and feathers on his body, along with a dragon that roped around his right arm. You also noticed a small orca tattoo on his hand which signified the gang he belonged to. You watched him support himself above you by propping his hands on the pillows above you. His hair fell around his face when he looked down at you. He kissed you deeply to keep you distracted as he slid his pierced cock into you. He stopped right before his knot would go in. He didn’t want to tear your hole so he proceeded to press slightly with his knot against your entrance which made you cry out with pleasure. You panted with the feeling that the piercings made inside of you. His knot pressed against your entrance and threatened to rip you in half. You mewled in need and he pressed the knot into you. You moaned out again as you felt the knot pop into your wet hole. He stayed still for a bit until you whined for him to move inside of you and fill you with his seed. He began to thrust slowly and work up to a steady rhythm. He attached his mouth to your neck and hummed as he left another hickey on the sensitive flesh. You moved your hips with him and felt the tightness in your stomach build up and soon pop as you both reach your climax. He released and tried to pull out but he was stuck as his knot was still swollen inside of you. You blushed and looked down at him.

“Don’t stop.” You panted out. He nodded and took a drink of water before going back to thrusting inside of you until the both of you were spent. He then pulled out of you and cleaned the both of you up. He kissed your cheek and laid down next to you, tired. He brushed his thumb on your cheek and made you look at him. He pulled you close to him and kissed your forehead.

“You did amazing baby girl. I love you so much. Rest now. I’ll keep you safe.” He spoke into your hair before kissing your head and held you close as you both drifted off into sleep.

The next morning you woke up to find him gone but there was a sweet little note next to you. It read:

Morning Baby girl,

I’m sorry to not be there when you wake up but I have an early shift at the radio station. I’ll bring home your favorite dinner and we can cuddle tonight.

Love you,

Hizashi.

You finished reading the note and set it back on the pillow. You stood up gingerly as you were still sore from yesterday. You smiled and gently stood up to walk to the bathroom when you came out, you decided to change into something cute yet comfortable. You flopped onto the couch and turned on the tv as the news came up. Hizashi always kept the news on as he needed to keep up with the going ons of the fragile hero society. The world was in a near state of chaos with all the different gangs of the Yakuza going to war with each other almost on a daily basis. You were watching the tv until a new report broke in. One of the tv reporters spoke:

Breaking news: We have yet another report to add to the slew of attacks this month, this comes just days after we broadcast rumors of villains running rampant over the city. This spate of attacks has put the entire country of Japan at a standstill, road closures and damaged property making it difficult for commuters to get to work in the morning. Road maintenance endeavor to do its best to keep the city running, but it seems futile when these attacks continue to increase. The entire city was brought to a standstill by the mysterious villains who have still not been named, but reports show they are nothing like we have ever experienced before.

Where are the heroes now? Who will save us from the terror overwhelming our city?

Every day the crime toll continues to rise and we have no one here to protect us. The Hero Public Safety Commission assured us earlier in the week that the crime rate would go down, that the top Heroes are out there protecting our city, but if so, where are they? Is it really safe to go out anymore, who can we trust? Would you put your life in the hands of a Hero today? When they have proved our streets are no longer safe. We still have no information on what is going on, or who is involved but we must remain observant. We will continue to report the latest news as we receive it, but for now, we must implore you to heed the warnings of the city-wide curfew that is soon to be implemented. If anyone has any information on these occurrences in the cities, please send them to us or contact the police, you can remain anonymous. The safety of our citizens is what is most important, stay vigilant and don’t go out unless it is absolutely necessary.

One thing we know for sure: we can no longer rely on Heroes to protect us. The streets of our once-great city are no longer safe, we are no longer safe.

You stared at the screen with wide eyes as you saw the images of a giant duel that had broken out between the Yakuza, the League of Villains, and the vigilantes that were once heroes. You scanned the crowd of people for the blonde hair of your boyfriend and you got nervous as you didn’t see him. Your phone rang and you looked at the caller i.d. and your heart raced as it was Hizashi. You quickly answered.

“What’s going on!? I saw what happened on the news. Where are you? Are you ok?” You frantically spoke into the phone.

“I’m fine. I need you to pack a bag. It’s not safe for you there anymore. We’re moving into the HQ tonight. The boss said that we can have a couple people from the outside move in when things got bad. I’ll be there in a bit to pick you up.” He told you. You nodded and ran into your room and pulled out your suitcase. You hurriedly packed your essentials and some of your comfort items that you would need for a nest when you got to the headquarters. You heard your front door unlock and open. You reminded yourself that you gave Hizashi a key to the apartment when he moved in with you. He called out for you and you peeked out from your bedroom. You relaxed when you saw your mate and you ran out to hug him as you were scared. You looked up and saw that he was hurt.

“Hizashi! You’re bleeding.” You pointed out. He shrugged it aside.

“It’s just a scratch.” He told you. You frowned and wiped some of the blood that had come from his forehead. You showed him and he shrugged it off.

“You can clean me up when we get to the safehouse.” He told you. He knelt down and looked you in the eyes.

“I’m here, baby girl. It’s gonna be ok. Did you pack a bag?” He asked you. You nodded your head and he rubbed your back. He held your hand and led out of the apartment and into the street where there was a group of panicked people rushing to leave the city. You whimpered in fear as you clung to the arm of your mate. Hizashi noticed this and pulled you into the alleyway

“Hey, what’s wrong? You’re emitting your stressed scent.” He spoke.

“I’m scared.” You managed to say. He nodded and pulled you close so he could hold you.

“We can wait here for transportation. It’s ok. There’s a lot of people trying to get home or leave the city. I just need to tell the others the change in plans.” He told you and pulled you deeper into the dark alleyway. He had you sit on your suitcase as the two of you might have to wait a bit. You kicked your feet and looked at the ground as you held your stuffed animal as Hizashi pulled his phone out and called his friend.

“Where are you? You were supposed to be here a few minutes ago.” You heard a tired and annoyed voice sound from the other side of the line. You thought it was Aizawa from the café.

“I had to pick up Y/N, remember?” Hizashi responded.

“Right. Your little omega mate. Where are the two of you?”

“We’re in an alleyway a few blocks south of the original meet up place. Y/N got stressed with the crowd of people panicking. She was emitting her stressed scent and I didn’t want some random alpha to snatch her up and cause a scene.” Hizashi explained as he petted your head. You let out a happy noise and nuzzled into his hand.

“Any other landmarks that can help with your location?”

“There’s a motel and a sketchy Italian restaurant.” Hizashi spoke as someone came down the alleyway.

“What’s that sweet scent I’m smelling!?” A stranger called out from the entrance of the alleyway. Hizashi hung up and stepped in front of you. He emitted his citrusy scent to cover up yours.

“It’s nothing. Probably coming from the motel next to us.” Hizashi told the stranger calmly. You whimpered and squeezed your stuffed animal closer to your body. The stranger grinned evilly and stepped closer. Hizashi blocked his path and sight of you. The stranger frowned.

“You’re her mate? Aren’t you one of those members of the Yakuza that have caused this world to go into chaos? She deserves better than some mafia scum like you.” The stranger told him and he frowned. You knew what was gonna happen so you covered your ears and shut your eyes tightly. Hizashi stood ready to fight this person to keep you safe. He stared down the stranger and spoke again.

“You’re right. I am a member of the Yakuza. But I’m not a lowlife scumbag hunting down some innocent just because their scent is emitting. Not every scent of a person that goes through a heat is their heat scent either. Y/N is stressed. She emits a scent when that happens. That is normal. Now, I suggest you leave before things get worse.” He explained to the stranger as he rolled up his sleeves and pulled out a small knife that he always kept on him whenever he was out.

He would do anything to keep you safe. Even if it meant he had to kill this person.

The stranger saw the knife and immediately left the alleyway. Hizashi put the knife away and walked over to you. He put a hand on your trembling frame.

“Baby girl, you’re safe now. That bad guy is gone now. You can open your pretty eyes for me.” He coaxed you. You opened your eyes and he smiled.

“There you are, princess.” He told you and kissed your forehead as a smoky purple portal opened behind the two of you. Two familiar faces came through the portal. You recognized them as Aizawa and Kurogiri from the café that you met Hizashi at for the first time. You got off your suitcase but didn’t wander far and held onto Hizashi’s arm. You watched the men in front of you closely as they talked with Hizashi about the events that led up to them meeting in the alleyway. The man that was talking to Hizashi over the phone was Aizawa. Your eyes wandered to the man with purple smoke that hid his natural features and you recognized him as well. You gripped your boyfriend’s shirt and pressed your face into his back and nuzzled a bit. Hizashi noticed and turned to face you. He had a look of concern on his face as he knew that you had been through a lot today. He knelt down to your level and pressed his forehead to yours.

“Shhh. Its ok, baby girl. Just a few more minutes and we will be safe. You can nest all you’d like when we’re in my room at headquarters, ok?” he told you. You made eye contact with him and saw the intense look of concern in his eyes. Your gaze wandered to the two men who were looking around and shifting nervously.

“Hizashi, we need to leave.” Aizawa told his friend.

“Just a moment, Shouta.” Hizashi told him in a firm tone.

“Now, Hizashi.” Aizawa responded with the same firm tone as the sound of a panicked mob came from the main street. You clung to your mate tighter before Hizashi scooped you up and pulled your suitcase into the open portal. You hid your face and closed your eyes. He held you tighter to his chest and walked through the portal with a determined look on his face. Once the two of you were on the other side, you looked up to take in your new surroundings. Hizashi and the others stopped in front of a large iron gate you pulled away from Hizashi and looked at the design work in the metal. There was a long iron fence that towered over the four of you. At the top in the center was a crest of the clan. You looked to either side of the fence and saw that it was attached to a very tall brick wall. Aizawa walked up to a speaker and spoke into it. The gate was unlocked and the four of you walked through the gate. You pressed into Hizashi and he rubbed your back.

“Almost there, princess. Just a little longer.” He whispered into your hair as the three of you walked up the long path and into the mansion that seemed to be in the middle of nowhere. When your small group arrived at the very large doors, you looked up at them in amazement. The doors opened and you all stepped through. A couple of larger guards made sure that the four of you weren’t imposters. One of them asked about you and Hizashi quickly told them who you were before walking to his room. The man he had called Shouta stopped him by placing a hand on his shoulder.

“You still need to meet with the Boss, Hizashi. I’m sure he will be fine with meeting Y/N. At least go get cleaned up.” He told him

“Fine. But I want Y/N safe. She’s been through enough today.” He said as he shoved his friend’s hand off his shoulder and kept walking to the barracks of the place.

You clung to him and tightened your grip around his neck. He arrived at his door and opened it. He went inside with you still attached to him. He closed the door behind him. He took his backpack off and set it next to your suitcase. He then knelt down while supporting you and unzipped your suitcase. He pulled your soft comfort blanket that he would find you swaddled in while you took naps back in the apartment. He moved to the bed and sat on the bed with his back to the wall and wrapped the blanket around you and rubbed your back. You hummed and pulled away to look up at him.

“There you are, baby girl.” He said in a soothing tone that usually grounded you when you were stressed. You cooed and looked around the room.

“Is this your room?” You asked him as he walked into his personal bathroom to take care of the cuts and scrapes that he had taken during the fight that occurred earlier in the day. He looked back out of the bathroom to see you looking at the different things in his room. You always looked cute to him when you were exploring something new. You slid off the bed with the blanket wrapped around you. You walked around the room, looked at the record player, and his assortment of records. You were reading the titles as he came out of the bathroom to put on a fresh shirt from his closet before looking over to you and smiling softly.

“We can play some later. We need to go meet the boss.” He told you and you huffed as you wanted to make a nest. He looked at you with an ‘I’m sorry.’ look in his eyes, you set your blanket down on the bed, walked over to him, and pressed your head into his chest. You tensed up when there was a knock on the door. Hizashi pulled away and went to answer the door.

“Who is it?” He asked.

“Yamada, you’ve been summoned by the Boss. He wants you to come to the dining hall with your mate. He’s a bit upset that you didn’t come when you first arrived.” Someone said from the other side of the door. Hizashi groaned.

“Tell him we will be there in a few minutes.” He responded and the person left. Hizashi turned to you and walked back over.

“Are you gonna be able to come with me to meet the Boss?” He asked you. You nodded and he held your hand as the both of you went to the door. You paused to whimper and reach up for him to pick you up. He picked you up and held you for a moment.

“I’ll cuddle with you for as long as you want after we talk to the Boss. But I need to keep an image up around the others. Don’t want them to think I’ve gone soft just because I have a mate.” He told you and you huffed and pressed your face into his neck. He chuckled and set you back down hesitantly. Hizashi then opened the door and led you downstairs and to the dinner hall. The two of you walked past many doors that belonged to different people. You read the names as the two of you walked past and noticed a couple familiar names before the two of you stopped at a larger door. You were nervous and clung to his arm. He looked down to you and knelt down to your level again.

“Princess. You’ll be fine. They might seem intimidating but they’re actually pretty nice.” He reassured you. You nodded and rubbed your arms to self soothe as you were still nervous. You had read about how some people of the Yakuza were big and scary. You held onto his hand and stared at the big scary door. Hizashi allowed you to hold onto his hand and he opened the door.

Inside the room was a table surrounded by various Pro Heroes. You looked around the room and recognized each one of them. Going in a circle, you recognized Aizawa and Kurogiri from before, Best Jeanist, All Might, Endeavor, Hawks, Snipe, Cementoss, Fatgum, Ectoplasm, and at the head was Gang Orca. You looked over at to another part of the room and saw a few of the ladies at the bar and behind the bar. You saw a few kids that looked like students as well sitting in a lounge corner playing a game of cards. Some of the ladies that you saw you recognized as Mirko, Midnight, Mt. Lady, Thirteen, Ryuko, Recovery Girl, and Lunch Rush. The students you remember from a long time ago during one of the UA Sport’s festival. You saw Deku, Dynamite, Shoto, and the rest of the class there. You gasped and slipped behind Hizashi as you were scared from all the new people. Endeavor chuckled and looked at you.

“You have quite the shy omega there, Mic. Wanna share?” He suggested. Hizashi glared at him and growled. Gang Orca silenced Endeavor and had him leave the room. He then returned his focus to Hizashi.

“Why did you not come when you first arrived with Eraserhead and Kurogiri?” He asked. Hizashi tensed up a bit and spoke.

“I wanted to get my mate settled. I am sorry I didn’t come when first summoned.” He responded. Gang Orca tilted his head in agreement and let the matter pass.

“Can we meet your mate?” Gang Orca spoke. You peeked out from behind Hizashi and looked at the boss.

“If she’s ok with meeting all of you.” Hizashi told him and coaxed you out from behind him. You clung to him like a scared child hiding behind their mother. Gang Orca and the other members that were sitting around the table were patient as you eventually approached the table with Hizashi right behind you. You looked up at the Orca hybrid and stared at him with amazement.

“I’m Y/N. What’s yours?” You asked him.

“Sakamata Kugo.” He spoke and looked down at your tiny frame. You smiled and pressed into Hizashi. He looked down at you and smiled. Gang Orca then dismissed the both of you and Hizashi picked you up and carried you swiftly out of the dining hall and back to his room to let you relax and get used to your surroundings. He set you on the bed which you spread out on your fluffy blanket that you managed to bring from your apartment. You let out a squeak of happiness and purred into the blanket as you sunk into it. You relaxed as your boyfriend laid out next to you and wrapped his arms around you. He kissed you on the head and you pressed into his chest to take in his scent to calm you down from all that had happened today.

“Hizashi? What are going to do now? Will we ever be able to go back to the apartment?” You asked worriedly.

“I don’t know, princess. Not with the city getting divided up and all the chaos ensuing in the streets.” He told you. You remembered about his cuts and scrapes he had and you looked to him you sat up and checked his head to see his bandages that he had already applied. You huffed and nudged him. He looked at you and asked what was wrong.

“You said that I could help you with your cuts and scrapes.” You told him.

“I only did the one on my head. I have a few others on my chest and arms you can take care of.” He told you with a smile.

You beamed with happiness that you could help your alpha. You ran into the bathroom, retrived the first aid kit that was left on the counter, and proceeded to carry it back to the bed. Hizashi was already sitting on the bed with his shirt off for you to examine him better. You climbed onto the bed next to him and wrapped up the minor cuts on his arms and the slice he had on his chest. Your face flushed a bright red as you wrapped the gauze around his chest. After you were finished putting the first aid materials away, Hizashi pulled you into his lap and let you lean into his chest.

“Do I get a reward for being a good patient?” He teased.

“Well… You did make me wait to take care of you.” You told him.

“I know I did. I still let you patch me up.” He responded.

“Thank you for letting me do that.” You told him and he kissed you deeply as he pressed you against the blankets.

“I know you’re still in heat, princess. Let me help you.” He told you. You blushed hard and looked to the door.

“You want me to lock the door?” He asked. You nodded, he got up and secured the door. He wanted you safe from anyone that would dare come in and try to take you from him. You waited for him to come back to the bed.

“Want nest.” You told him. He looked at you and nodded. He picked you up and placed you on a carpet on the floor. You looked up to watch him strip the bed. You then stared at the blankets on the floor and you crawled over to them. You burrowed into them and relaxed as you were now surrounded by comforting things. Hizashi then looked around for you and got a little worried.

“Y/N? Where did you go, princess?” He called out. You giggled and peeked out of your hiding spot in the blankets. He found you and picked you up and set you on the bed.

“There you are.” He said and peeked into the blankets.

“I would let you nest in my closet but there’s not a lot of room. You’re going to have to nest on my bed, baby girl.” He told you. You huffed and nodded.

“What about in the corner next to the sliding doors?” You asked and nodded to the corner that had a chair in it.

“That can work too. You can use one of my spare sheets for a tent.” He suggested. You nodded and dragged his blankets to the corner. You looked back at him with a silent request for him to move the chair out of the corner. He walked over and pulled the chair out of the corner and let you nest. He sat down in the chair and watched you make your nest. You laid out the huge fluffy blanket on the floor to line the nest before you walked over to the bed and pulled the large pillows off the bed and made a circle nest that was wedged into the corner. You put pillows against the wall to pad yourself before building a wall out of the couch cushions. Hizashi had a small table with four chairs around it and you pulled two of them to the corner to hold the pillows up so they wouldn’t fall over. You made a kind of pathway so the both of you could get in and out of the nest easily. You built up the walls of your nest so you felt safer. Hizashi went to his linen closet and pulled out the spare pillows and blankets. There was a knock at the door and Hizashi set the spare sheets on the bed before walking to the door and answering it. Someone had left the key to the giant linen closet for them to use.

“Princess, someone left us the key to the giant closet downstairs. What do you need for the nest?” He asked. You perked up and looked at him from the back of the room.

“Um… More pillows and blankets. We can use the sheet from your closet for the tent. Unless you can find a blackout sheet then that would be better.” You requested. He nodded and left the room while closing the door behind him. You proceeded to nest more and add the blankets and sheets to the wall of your nest before Hizashi came back with several pillows. You looked up at him and reached out for the bedding materials to add them to your nest. He gave you the blankets and you let out a happy noise. He held back a large black sheet to hang up when you were done. He watched you rearrange the blankets and pillows until you sat in the middle and looked up at him and smiled.

“Ready for the tent now.” You told him.

“You need to get out for a moment, princess.” He told you and you huffed. You grabbed your fluffy blanket, wrapped it around yourself, and left the nest. You stood outside the nest and watched your mate attach the sheet to the ceiling and secure it with some thumbtacks that he had found. Once the sheet was set up, he stepped out of the nest to let you back in and to situate the sheet how you wanted. Once you got the sheet set up so you felt safe but still had access to peek out when you wanted to. You finished getting settled and poked your head out to look at Hizashi. He chuckled and watched you from the chair he was sitting in.

“You may come in now.” You told him and disappeared into your nest. Hizashi slid down from his seat and crawled into the nest with you. He looked around and checked out your tent.

“This is nice.” He told you and saw your cubby holes that you had built into the nest and were still working on. You had found a wall plug in and had set up your phone on the charger. You also managed to grab your set of fairy lights and add them into the nest for a soothing effect. Hizashi looked up at the lights and chuckled.

“What all did you manage to pack in your suitcase?” He asked you as he looked over at you.

“Enough.” You told him. He sat up in your nest and leaned against the wall. You looked at him and tilted your head cutely.

“Cuddles?” You asked. He nodded which made you squeal in delight and crawl over to him and climb into his lap. You laid on his chest and let out a sigh of relief as he pulled a blanket over the two of you. You let out a happy hum and nuzzled his chest. You traced the scales of his snake tattoo and counted as you traced them. He held you close and stroked your hair to help you relax and eventually fall asleep. He let you sleep on him and he eventually fell asleep as well. A few hours later you woke up and looked up at him.

“Hi, baby girl. Did you sleep ok?” He asked. You cooed and nodded. You nuzzled his hand. He cupped your cheek and kissed your forehead. You laid back on his chest with your head tucked into the crook of his neck. You looked up when his phone buzzed. Hizashi checked his phone and rubbed your back.

“We’re being summoned to dinner.” He told you.

“Do we have to?” You asked as you were cozy where you were.

“Yes, we do, princess. It’s required when we’re at the safehouse.” He told you.

“Do I have to come?” You asked.

“Only if you want to. They understand that you’re pretty tired. You’re also still in heat. I would feel better if you stayed here instead of taking the risk of having your scent leak out to the others. Most of them are Alphas. As you saw earlier, Endeavor is someone who is more likely bang as many omegas as he can rather than have one mate all to himself.” Hizashi explained. He wanted to keep you safe from the other Alpha.

“I understand. What’s for dinner?” You asked.

“Whatever you want. Lunch Rush can make anything you want.” He told you.

“Mac and cheese with chicken nuggets.” You requested. He smiled and kissed your head.

“Ok. I’ll be right back.” He told you, shifted you off of him and he crawled out of the nest. You laid on your side and wrapped up in your blanket and waited for him to return. Hizashi walked down to the dinner hall and entered. The others looked up when he came in. “Y/N resting?” Aizawa asked him. Hizashi nodded. The blonde looked over to Endeavor before going over to Lunch Rush and putting in the order for your mac and cheese and chicken nuggets. He also ordered some fried chicken for himself. While he waited, Endeavor got up and walked to the door. Hizashi got anxious and wanted to get back to you before Endeavor did. Aizawa got up and followed Endeavor out of the room. Lunch Rush gave Hizashi his order.

“I’m sorry that I can’t stay. Y/N needs me tonight. I’ll be here in the morning for breakfast, Kugo.” He told the boss. Gang Orca nodded in understanding and Hizashi left the room quickly so he could get back to you. He saw Endeavor go up the stairs. This pissed him off. He knew for a fact that Endeavor’s room was on the bottom floor. Hizashi quickened his pace and ran upstairs after the other former hero. Hizashi set the food down and stopped him.

“Don’t you even think about going after her. She’s mine, you scumbag. I know that times are rough right now but you don’t need to go around stealing other people’s mates.” Hizashi spoke in a firm tone and didn’t raise his voice much. Endeavor turned to face him with a smug grin plastered on his face that Hizashi wanted to wipe off with a right hook to his face.

“Yes, but you left your Omega alone. That’s a bad thing to do.” He said with a sneer as he turned to his door. Hizashi set the food down and approached the man as he was ready to fight the tall and muscular man so he could keep you as his own. “Back off.” The blonde spoke in a tone that was almost growling. Endeavor had a smug look on his face as he wasn’t going to back off. Aizawa, Kurogiri, All Might, and Gang Orca all came up the stairs. Gang Orca stepped forward.

“Enji, back off. Y/N is Hizashi’s mate. She is not yours for the taking just because Present Mic left the room to get food for himself and his mate. That is perfectly normal.” The Orca hybrid spoke. The fiery redhead pouted and walked back to his room. Aizawa walked up to his friend and asked if he was ok. Hizashi nodded and took a couple deep breaths and made a mental note to talk with Endeavor later before walking back to pick the food back up and re-enter the room. He closed and locked the door behind him before he walked to the far end of the room to the nest. He bent over to peek into the nest to see if you were still there and you were. You were sitting up while playing a game on your phone. You looked up from your screen and saw Hizashi. You squealed and set your device aside and laid down.

“I got your food, baby girl.” He told you as he got down on his stomach to look at you. You reached out for the food and he slid it to you.

“May I come in?” He asked. You nodded and moved out of the way so he could slide into the nest. He pulled his food in the nest, closed the door behind him, and leaned against the wall. He let out a stressed sigh and emitted a sour lemon scent which made your nose wrinkle.

“Hizashi, what’s wrong?” You asked.

“Endeavor tried to take you from me and I hate that he does that even though I just left to get us food.” He told you while he rubbed his temples. You climbed into his lap cuddled him and emitted your calming scent that would usually be meant for your pups. He hummed and pressed his face into your neck so he could take your scent in. You nuzzled his neck and felt him relax as he held you to his chest and gripped your waist. You squeaked and wiggled your hips.

“Baby girl, I want to claim you as my own. Make you mine forever. I don’t want the threat of someone wanting to take you from me. It took so long for me to find someone like you that was accepting of me being in the Yakuza. I love you, Y/N. I want to make you mine. I don’t want Endeavor or any other Alpha to even get the idea of taking you from me. Please, let me claim you.” Hizashi requested of you. You pulled back and looked at him. Hizashi never had a more serious look on his face as he was desperate to make you his own. Endeavor had really threatened him earlier and he was scared to lose you. He pressed his face into your neck as he was awaiting your answer. “You know that I’m your mate. I thought you claimed me yesterday in the apartment?” You asked.

“I did, but not as intensely as I want to right now.” He told you as he softly bit on your neck. You let out a little moan and he sucked a little harder. You were grinding hips against his thighs and moaned a little louder. You pushed away from him a bit to look at him. He looked up at you with a hungry and lustful look in his eyes.

“I would be happy to be your mate forever.” You told him. He responded by kissing you deeply, moving the food up to the seat of one of the chairs, and laying you down on the floor of the nest. He pulled away for air before going down on your neck to suck in a bonding mark into the flesh of your neck. You cried out in pleasure as he used his quirk to enhance the feeling of his mark being embedded into your skin. He pulled back and looked at the mark.

“You’re mine now. Mine forever and always.” He told you while keeping eye contact with you. You let out a moan as he pulled your clothes off and left more quirk-enhanced bites on your body. He was determined to make it known that you were his and that no other Alphas would take you from him. He moved your pants off and kissed your soft tummy before kissing your thighs.

“Are you ready, princess?” He asked as he hovered over the lower part of your torso, ready to eat you out before stuffing your womb full of his litter. You looked down to see his lust filled look gazing back at you. You felt your body heat up and your slick leak out from your entrance. You bucked your hips up against him as you were eager to mate with him. He smiled and went down on your slick hole and began to eat you out. He used his skilled tongue and mouth skills to suck the slick off of your wet hole as your heat raged through your body. You released a string of mewls and moans that drove your Alpha crazy as he sucked more and used his quirk on your oversensitive folds. The usage of his quirk caused you to go over the edge and release on his face. He cleaned you up using his tongue before sitting up, pulling your legs wide open, bending them so your knees almost touched your chest, and positioning himself between your legs as he was ready to fuck you into next week. He pulled his pants down and lined up his hard and swollen member to your wet entrance. He pressed the head into your opening and you let out a small moan. He smirked and pushed more into you until his full length was inside of you including his knot. You panted as he filled and stretched you perfectly. He waited a couple of moments before thrusting into you at a steady pace. He looked up at you as you had your head thrown back as he pounded into you. He soon reached his first climax and released into you. The both of you took a moment to regain your breath before Hizashi began to thrust again and again into you as he was full of determination to breed you until you were pregnant. He pulled out and laid next to you as he was spent. He kissed your temple and had you go to the bathroom as he waited for you. You crawled out slowly and waddled a bit as you walked to the bathroom to get cleaned up. You came back and slid back into the nest. He gave you your food before he sat up and ate his own food. You crawled into his lap and ate your chicken nuggets happily. He stroked your hair and relaxed.

“I love you, Hizashi.” You cooed.

“I love you too, Princess.” He responded. You finished your food and dozed off in his lap. Hizashi had one more thing to do before he could be sure that you would be safe. He picked up his phone and messaged Endeavor.

‘Hi! I was wondering if you’d like to do the nightly patrol with me tonight.’

‘Sure. This is a bit odd as you prefer to do patrol with Eraserhead or Kurogiri. Why do you want to patrol with me?’

‘Oh, just changing things up in case we were being watched. Shaking up the patterns.’

‘Fine. Our shift starts at midnight. Meet at the gate.’ Endeavor responded. Hizashi had a plan set out in his mind to make sure his mate would be safe no matter what. Soon midnight came and Hizashi had left the nest and your sleeping form to get changed into his modified hero suit. He sheathed his knives that he used when he went on patrol and went to the door to put his shoes on. He then left the building to walk to the front gate and meet Endeavor. He greeted Hizashi and they began to patrol along the wall that surrounded the perimeter of the estate. The place was huge so the time to patrol the place took a long time. Most of the estate was covered by woods and forest so there would be a higher chance of people breaking in even though there were security cameras all around the wall of the estate. Hizashi would have to wait until the two of them reached a blind spot in the cameras before he would make a move. In the security room, Kurogiri was observing the cameras and making sure the footage would be ‘Mysteriously compromised’ of Endeavor’s disappearance. Endeavor was the one thing keeping you from being safe. He was a threat to Hizashi and he had to be removed so that you could be safe. Soon the both of the heroes came to a stopping point to rest which was conveniently in a camera’s blind spot. Hizashi stepped away for a moment with the excuse that ‘he was checking deeper into the woods for any intruders’ which brought Endeavor’s guard down and he began to scroll through his phone. Hizashi pulled out a knife and slowly stepped out of the shadows. A twig snapped under Hizashi’s heavy boot which made the other man look up from his phone and stare at the blonde with wide eyes that were full of fear.

“Yamada, what are you doing?” The scared man asked as his eyes darted to the open blade in Hizashi’s hand. The blonde remained silent and walked forward to the man. He moved the blade of the knife under his chin and made the other man look up at him.

“I’m sure you know why I brought you out here unless you really are that dumb.” He spoke. Endeavor began to panic as he stared down his attacker.

“I thought we were going to do patrol around the wall then go back to the mansion.” He said in a confused tone. Hizashi stepped back and laughed. Endeavor looked at the crazed man before him.

“You really aren’t that smart are you, Enji?” He said as he turned his gaze back to the other Alpha. He walked back over and pressed the blade to Endeavor’s neck.

“Since you can’t seem to clue in on a situation, I’ll tell you what’s going to happen, ya dig, listener?” He spoke using his old phrase from his pro hero days before he fully committed to the Yakuza. The scent of fear was emitting strongly from Endeavor as he watched Hizashi show his true colors.

“Your confrontation to threaten me by taking my mate just because I left them for a few moments to get us food was a wrong move on your part, Enji. Now you’re going to pay for what you did and I’ll make sure you never threaten to steal another Alpha’s mate again.” Hizashi told him and knocked the man out with some chloroform in a small cloth that Hizashi had pressed to his mouth and nose while Hizashi told him what was going to happen. He dragged Endeavor’s body into the middle of the woods to a small wooden cabin that he had built out there when he first was recruited into Gang Orca’s family. He would go out there to spend his ruts when he was younger. He hadn’t been to his cabin in a few years since he started the radio talk show. He didn’t like the bugs that were around the place but the seclusion was convenient for him this time as he was going to remove Endeavor from the scene to ensure your safety. Hizashi unlocked the door and dragged Endeavor’s unconscious body into the cabin before locking the door behind him. He set Endeavor’s body up in a chair and made sure to tie him up before he sat down to wait for him to wake up. He sat down on the old bed that he would sleep on and texted Kurogiri about the update and that he could sabotage the footage of him and Endeavor walking along the wall.

About an hour passed before Endeavor woke up. Hizashi noticed him stirring and waited for him to come to full consciousness.

“Glad you’re finally awake, Enji. Took you long enough.” Hizashi told him.

“Where are we? Why did you bring me here? What did you mean by making me pay for threatening you?” The enraged man asked.

“All you need to know now is that you messed up big time. I’m going to make you pay for threatening to take my love from me.” Hizashi spoke as he stood up and walked over to Endeavor. He held the same knife he had earlier spinning around in his fingers. The blonde held the knife still and ran the handle up Endeavor’s chest.

“No wonder the ladies go crazy over you. You’re built like a tank.” He noted and then used the blade to slice open his modified suit. The blade nicked his skin a bit and the blonde smirked. He teased other parts of Endeavor’s bare chest with the blade of his knife and pressed the cold metal into his skin a bit until he bled.

“You’re gonna die, Enji. You have stolen enough Omegas from everyone It’s time you were removed. Threatening me was the last straw. Kugo gave me permission to take the means necessary to make sure you’re disposed of.” Hizashi told the clearly frightened man.

“I’m sorry for what I’ve done. I will change.” Endeavor tried to plead. Hizashi chuckled and looked back at him.

“Sorry isn’t gonna cut it. Your life ends tonight.” He said and made another small cut on his chest. Endeavor hissed and tried to move away.

“Now I can make this look like an accident or make it look like you were murdered. It’s how you behave is how it’s gonna look. So, I suggest that you better behave.” Hizashi warned. Endeavor didn’t believe him and tried to activate his flames. For some reason he couldn’t. Hizashi looked across the room to his friend and accomplice, Shouta Aizawa. He was using his quirk to cancel out Endeavor’s flames. Hizashi came closer to Endeavor and ran the blade across his cheek which made more blood leak out. The blonde hummed and made another cut but this time ran the blade across his collarbone. Endeavor hissed again in pain and the former hero pressed the blade to his neck.

“Do you want your throat to be slit? It does seem fitting for someone like you to die by your throat being cut so no one can hear you scream out in pain. What do you think Shou?” He asked his friend who was still hiding in the shadows of the cabin. Endeavor had a terrified look imprinted on his face as Shouta gave his opinion that the man before them needed a few more stab wounds and cuts before he was killed.

“You’re right. Gotta make it look real. Like he actually struggled before he died.” Hizashi noted before proceeding to gag Endeavor’s mouth so his screams of pain wouldn’t be heard. He then drove the blade of his knife deep into Endeavor’s body. Blood splattered onto the blonde as Endeavor was stabbed.

“Making quite the mess there, Enji. I’m going to have to clean this up before I return to Y/N.” Hizashi said as the former hero lay in front of him bleeding out.

“And now for the finishing touch.” Hizashi said as he ran the blade deep into the hero’s neck and watched as the blood spilled from his neck and the life left his body. Hizashi stepped back and took a picture with his phone before He motioned to Shouta to help him untie the corpse and carry it outside where Kurogiri was standing waiting for them to come out. Kurogiri had already dug the grave for Endeavor. Hizashi and Shouta carried the body and placed it into the hole and began to bury Endeavor’s corpse. When all the dirt was replaced and his body was finally buried, Hizashi panted then smiled wide.

“Y/N is finally safe.” He said under his breath. Shouta looked up at his friend and asked what he had said.

“Y/N is finally safe and she won’t ever be threatened to be taken from me again.” He spoke. Shouta smiled.

“You should go get cleaned up and go back to her. Kurogiri and I got this covered.” He suggested. Hizashi nodded and Kurogiri opened a warp gate for him to go back to his room.

Hizashi snuck into his room to make sure not to disturb you. He slipped into his bathroom and stripped down to shower off the blood, sweat and dirt that had covered his body. He turned on the shower and stepped in to clean himself off. He finished and got changed into a pair of sweatpants and slid back into the nest with you. You woke up a little and looked at him.

“Hizashi? Where did you go? It’s the middle of the night.” You said quietly.

“I had a late-night task that the boss wanted me to do.” He told you. You took the information even though you were grumpy and tired and you desperately wanted cuddles.

“Next time tell me when you’re gonna leave in the middle of the night instead of just leaving, ok? Also, you smell good. Did you shower?” You asked.

“Yes. I got dirty and smelly on the job. So, I got cleaned up just for you princess.” He told you and kissed you.

“Go back to sleep, I’m here and I’m going to keep you safe.” He told you and pulled you close to him. You hummed and nuzzled into his bare chest as he pulled a blanket back over you and kissed your head. You were safe now. Safe and his. His and his alone.

The next morning you woke up and nuzzled your Alpha awake. He woke up and gazed down at you.

“Morning, baby girl.” He told you and pressed a kiss into your forehead.

“Hungry. Want pancakes please.” You requested.

“As you wish, princess.” He told you and left the nest to again go down to the dining hall and bring you the breakfast that you requested. Even though there were few people awake at this hour, the man seemed in a more relaxed state and approached Lunch Rush and gave him your order. All Might noticed his relaxed appearance and approached him.

“You seem more relaxed today. That’s a good thing, isn’t it?” He asked the other man.

“Yes. Y/N is helping a bit with my rut.” Hizashi responded sheepishly. He had to keep his cover about Endeavor and what had taken place last night. His view glanced over to Gang Orca who had nodded at him in approval of what he had done the night before as Kurogiri had told him after he and Aizawa finished up burying the body. Hizashi relaxed for a second before All Might spoke again.

“Where is Endeavor? He usually doesn’t sleep in this late.” He noted. Hizashi’s eyes snapped open and looked at him. He looked over to his boss for some help as he hadn’t come up with a cover story.

“Toshinori, Enji decided to leave our ranks. He was kicked out and is to never be heard of again. For all we know he skipped town and is living on his private island that he still has from the days when we were all Pro Heroes. I suggest that you don’t go looking for him.” Gang Orca explained.

“I guess it’s better that way. He was a cause of tension for everyone.” All Might said. Hizashi relaxed and silently thanked Gang Orca before he left the dining hall to go back to you. He slid back into the nest and gave you your pancakes and eggs. You sat up and poked at your eggs before you ate them along with your pancakes. Hizashi smiled and drank his smoothie.

“What are we going to do today?” You asked him.

“I think we’re going to stay here at the house. We can watch movies though.” He said and set his empty cup on the seat of the chair. He pulled you into his lap and you cuddled into him. He kissed your hair and rubbed your back.

“How do you feel, princess? I wonder if you’re pregnant.” He wondered out loud. You looked at him and pulled away a bit.

“I don’t think I am… I’m still in heat too. I know you banged me pretty good last night but I want to ensure that I will be carrying your litter.” You told him. He nodded and kissed you deeply. He laid you down on the blanket and kissed your neck.

“If you’re not pregnant now you will be when we’re done.” He told you. You nodded and reached up to bite on his neck. It was a weak attempt but Hizashi found it cute.

“Did you want to mark me, princess?” He asked. You huffed and nodded. He looked at you as you were frowning. You looked adorable when you were frustrated.

“You’re adorable when you frown like that. Don’t worry, princess. I’ll let you mark me. I find it cute.” He told you as he rolled his neck to the side and sat up with you in his lap. You stared at the spot on his neck and reached up to bite the spot and growl cutely as you sunk your teeth in. He smiled and let you mark him. You pulled away and nuzzled the spot on his neck to leave your scent there.

“Good job, Princess. Now I’m yours.” He told you. You smiled and laid back down on the blanket. He kissed you deeply and pushed your shirt up and your short shorts down. He noticed your slick already pooling underneath you.

“You’re definitely still in heat, baby girl. Let’s get you nice and full of my litter~.” He said and slid his length into you and groaned as he felt your walls clench around him.

“Someone’s already needy, huh? Beg for it, princess.” He told you. You whined and shut your eyes closed as you just wanted the need for friction and release. You huffed and bucked your hips in need as you released more of your slick on his cock. He held your hips still so you couldn’t move.

“I’m not moving and neither are you. Not until you beg for me to knock you up.” He told you. You whimpered and opened your eyes.

“There’s those pretty eyes of yours. You know what you have to do to get me to thrust.” He encouraged you as he ran his fingers up and down your thighs. You gulped down a moan and looked up at him.

“Please, I want you to give me you litter. I need it please!” You cried out and he kissed you again before pulling you into a mating press. He began to thrust slowly in and out as he began to hit that one spot that would make you see stars each time that he thrusted against you with his piercings. You proceeded to let out the noises you had held in during the unbearable time that he had held still and teased you by pressing his knot into you and getting stuck in your tight hole. He kept thrusting at a slow pace to draw out your orgasm. You whimpered and bucked your hips again as you craved release. The sucking and popping sound of his knot sliding in and out of your wet hole. He groaned as he could feel your silken walls tightening around his length. He kissed your thighs as he thrusted deeper until he was penetrating your womb. He leaned forward to capture you in a kiss when he thrusted knot-deep into you and released. He cried out with his quirk activated and you covered your ears. He panted and looked down at you.

“Princess? What’s wrong?” He asked as a look of concern spread across his face as he registered your scared form and your hands over your ears.

“Y- you were a bit l-loud.” You told him quietly. He pulled your hands away from your ears and saw that there was some blood coming from your ears. Your ears were ringing from the loud noise. His eyes widened and he held you close.

“I’m so sorry. I never want to hurt you like that.” He told you as tears fell from his eyes and fell onto your shirt.

“Hizashi, I’ll be ok. I just need a couple days to heal up and I’ll be fine.” You told him with a smile. He shook his head.

“You’re going to need more than that. I have pain meds in the bathroom, some washcloths and some noise cancelling headphones you can wear.” He told you.

“Ok. I’ll wait here.” You responded. He kissed your head and went to the bathroom to retrieve the medical supplies needed to help you heal. He came back with a bottle of painkillers, the warm compress, and a pair of soft earmuffs to keep your ears covered until they were healed. Hizashi wiped the blood off of your skin with a wet washcloth. He then gave you some pain meds with plenty of fluids. He then put warm compresses on your ears and held them in place with the earmuffs. He pulled you into his lap and held you close. He rubbed circles on your back until you fell asleep on his chest. He laid down on the blanket and pulled a blanket over you. He watched you sleep for a bit before he let himself fall asleep as well... He could relax now as you were safe even though he caused your ears to bleed.

About two weeks into staying at the estate, the living situation had gotten better and Endeavor had been just about forgotten. But you were currently doubled over and puking into the toilet. Your ears had healed a few days ago, thanks to your boyfriend’s constant love and care. But you have developed morning sickness, seemed more tired than usual, and you had put on some weight. Hizashi had noticed these things too. The idea that you might be pregnant was on both of your minds. But you wanted to be checked out. Hizashi only trusted Recovery Girl to check you out so he carried you down to her office and set you on the table for you to be checked out. Recovery Girl came over and gave Hizashi the option of stepping out of the room and he refused. He wanted to support you in every situation that you encountered. Recovery Girl had you use the bathroom and pee into the little cup that she gave you. You came back a few minutes later with the cup and gave it to her. She shooed the two of you off so she could run the tests needed on the urine. Hizashi picked you back up and carried you out of the infirmary wing. You still felt yucky so he took you back to the room and let you rest in the nest. He held you in his lap while you slept and waited for a response from Recovery Girl. Soon a text appeared on his phone from Recovery Girl. It read:

‘I finished the tests and they all came out positive. Y/N is pregnant, congratulations. You might want to talk with Gang Orca about getting supplies for your little ones.’

Hizashi smiled and you woke up to look at him.

“What is it, Hizashi?” You asked him sleepily. You laid your head on his chest and he showed you the text from Recovery Girl. You read it and sat up.

“I guess it really did work, huh?” You told him.

“Yes. It did. I’ll talk to the Boss later about getting a pass to go into the city and buy you the things necessary for our babies. Recovery Girl can give you the checkups you need and will help you with the delivery. I’ll be here too throughout the whole thing. I love you, baby girl.” He told you and kissed your head.

“This reminds me of something. I have a small cabin out in the woods that I used to go spend my ruts at back in the day, how would you like to go see it?” He asked. You nodded excitedly and got up to get changed. He chuckled and watched you leave the nest and go to your dresser to pick out some clothes. Everything was falling into place for his plan for the two of you and your future babies. Once you were dressed, he got out of the nest and put his shoes on to take you down to the woods on the grounds in the estate. He carried you to the woods with the excuse of ‘that you were dizzy earlier’ and he didn’t want you to fall and hurt yourself. You agreed and nuzzled into his neck as he carried you into the woods. He stopped when he arrived at the cabin and you wiggled to be set down so you could explore.

“Don’t go too far, ok?” He warned you and you nodded. You proceeded to walk around the cabin and peek into the windows. Hizashi was calm knowing that Aizawa and Kurogiri helped him clean up Endeavor’s blood and change out some of the old blankets and pillows for some new ones. You saw them and wanted to make a nest with them immediately. Hizashi looked at you and you whined.

“What’s wrong, baby girl?” He asked you.

“I need to nest. There’s soft things in there and I wanna make a safe place with them please!?” You asked him with an urgent tone in your voice. He caved in and let you inside the cabin to which you ran into the blankets and pillows and began to construct your new bed. He came into the cabin and let the door open along with a couple windows to air out the place as it seemed a little musty. You squealed and purred as you made a nest around the bed in the corner and you pulled a blanket onto the bed and curled up in it.

“I know you just got comfortable, princess, but I have a surprise for you and it’s outside.” He told you. You peeked your head out of your blanket and scrambled out of the blanket and went outside. Hizashi followed you and you were darting around trying to find the surprise. You came back to him and huffed.

“Where is it?” You whined.

“Over here, princess.” He told you and led you to the side of the cabin where a small flower patch was. In one part was a patch of your favorite flower growing. There were three other patches of flowers that were growing as well and you smiled. You walked over to the patch of flowers that caught your eye. You turned back and grinned back at your Alpha.

“How did you know that these were my favorite?” You asked him.

“You told me on one of our dates. I just happened to remember.” He told you. You walked back over to him and hugged him. You looked to the other patches of flowers and hummed.

“What are the other ones for?” You asked him.

“They’re ones that my friends like. Three of them anyways. The Sunflowers are mine. The daisies are for Shouta, the grape hyacinths are for Kurogiri and the roses are for Midnight.” He explained to you. You nodded and cuddled him.

“Thank you for the flowers, Hizashi.” You told him. He smiled and picked you up to carry you inside of the cabin. He set you in your nest to get settled. He went into the kitchen to boil some water to make tea for the both of you. You got settled in your nest and looked out the window to watch some birds in a tree. Hizashi watched the water boil and glanced over to you. You were happy. He was happy. You were safe here in the cabin. You were his and his alone. No one and nothing could change that. He was sure of it.

The end

[hangovercurse]

Full House

Rook gets home from the hospital and life in the Baker-Cappelletty house is more hectic than ever.

Requests: “Can I get a JP Cappelletty imagine where you have help take care of him after his accident (at home) please”

“Idk if I’ve sent this one or not but can I have a Rook imagine where you take care of him after his accident and you have a daughter and live with Colson and how your life is then and maybe Colson helps out please (sorry if that’s a lot)”

Rook x Reader

Warnings: Cursing, implied smut, mentions of Rook’s accident

Word Count: 1459

“Look who’s home, Cameryn!” You cheered to your 2-year-old daughter, “Is that grandpa and daddy?” You picked her up so she could see through the window you were looking out of and then carried her to the front door.

Colson rushed over to the door and opened it for you, following you out, and then walked over to meet Rook and Johnny, who were still working on getting all of Rook’s things out of the car. You watched Colson’s interactions with your boyfriend as you moved over to them, Cameryn still in your arms.

Rook lit up when he saw her, “Hey princess.” He reached his arms up as you moved to set her on his lap, “other princess.” You pressed a quick peck on his mouth, a small smile spreading across your features. Your daughter squealed in excitement, having only been to see Rook once while he was in the hospital.

“Are you sure you don’t need me to stay with you guys for a couple days?” Johnny asked, Rook’s bag slung over his shoulder and a folder full of paperwork in one hand. You moved to grab the back of Rook’s wheelchair, only to be waved away by Colson, who was also attempting to take the position.

You smiled at the man, “We’ll be fine. You should go home; you’ve spent the past week in a hospital. We can take care of him now.”

Colson piped in, “besides, I’m here. I’ll take great care of Rookie!” There was obvious mischief in his voice, but you knew from years of living with Colson that he’d be there when it came down to it.

You grabbed the backpack and folder from Rook’s dad as Rook spoke, “Dad, I’m good. Go home, please.” Johnny reluctantly agreed, giving into the fatigue that was coursing through his body telling him to go to sleep in a real bed.

“Alright, text me if you need anything.” He moved to Rook’s side, picking up your daughter, who was poking at her dad’s new hand braces. “Bye bye, Cameryn,” he said, tickling her sides and making her scream with laughter.

“Bye, bye grandpa.” She said once she had calmed down, waving to him as she was placed into Rook’s lap again.

Johnny laughed, “she’s getting a lot better.”

Rook smiled down at her, “yeah she is. We were worried for a while because she wouldn’t talk, but now that’s all she wants to do.” He poked her sides gently, making her laugh.

“Alright, by kiddos. Goodluck with those three, Y/N.” Johnny waved as he got into his car.

You laughed, “thanks, I’ll need it.”

 Later that night you were trying to figure out how to manage life with one less pair of legs in the house. Luckily, Cameryn was having one of her calmer days and didn’t require the attention of three adults. She had sat on the couch with Rook most of the day, playing with various toys and being entertained by her father. You and Colson took turns in the room, making sure that Cameryn was returned to the couch if she ever ran off.

“Hide and seek?” Cameryn asked Rook while you prepared dinner in the kitchen. She had been on a kick with the game lately since Slim and Colson had taught her last week.

Rook sighed, “I can’t play hide and seek, kiddo. Maybe uncle Colson will play with you.”

Cameryn whined, “no! Play with you.”

“I can’t play, princess, my leg hurts. See?” He pointed to the boot on his foot with a frown.

Cameryn insisted, “hide and seek!”

You sighed, stepping away from the kitchen and peering into the room, “Cam, daddy can’t play hide and seek right now. Why don’t you ask Uncle Colson? Or play something else.”

Her lip started quivering and both you and Rook went into panic mode, trying to prevent the tantrum that was coming. “Wanna play!” She cried, starting to bounce up and down on the couch angrily. Rook tried his best to calm her down, but there wasn’t much he could do to stop her movements.

You moved towards her, only to be stopped by Kells. “I got this,” he whispered, “finish dinner and take a break, you’ve earned it.”

You smiled as you watched him scoop up Cameryn, bouncing her lightly in his arms to make her calm down. “Hey, Cameryn, let’s go play with some of your toys, yeah?”

Once the girl had left the room, you turned your attention to Rook, who was sporting a frown. “This fucking sucks,” he murmured, “I can’t do anything, can’t even take care of my own fucking daughter.”

You moved over to him quickly after checking that nothing would burn in your absence, “I don’t know if you were aware, but you got hit by a car, which is pretty badass.” You took a seat next to him, running a hand up his arm, “I know it sucks right now, but you’re not gonna be like this forever. And Cameryn will learn, she’s smart.”

Rook pressed a soft kiss to your lips, “she gets that from you.” You rolled your eyes at his lame words, standing up to move back to the kitchen.

“I don’t know what you think flattery is going to get you, but I promise it’s not going to work.” You called.

He chuckled, “damn, was hoping it’d get me another kid.” You rolled your eyes, picking a pillow off the couch as you walked by and chucking it at him.

 After the first week, you’d settled into an easy routine with Rook being out of commission. Luckily, you and Colson both worked from home, so you were only ever a shout away from your needy toddler and needy boyfriend.

The two of them ended up making quite the team against you and Colson, constantly whining for things because they were unable to get whatever it was for themselves. Most days, Rook kept Cameryn on the couch, reading to her and trying to teach her new words. Then Colson would take her outside to run around, something that Rook would normally do. You’d bring them all food whenever you could get a break, and as soon as you were finished with work, you’d plop yourself next to Rook on whatever piece of furniture he’d chosen to lounge on that day.

Today, he hadn’t had the energy to get out of your bed and move to the couch, so that’s where you joined him. Cameryn was on his lap, crawling over the bed to you once you’d settled in. “Hey you,” you said softly, “you’ve been good for daddy?”

Cameryn nodded firmly while Rook spoke, “we learned all about penguins and seals today. She loved them so much that she made me read the same book about them 5 times.” You giggled at his expression, “and then we watched lots of TV and took a nap.”

You hummed, “yeah? Did you work on any of those leg exercises the doctors gave you?”

Rook smiled, eager to show off his work, “Cameryn did them too. We did some leg lifts and we bent our knees, didn’t we?” The girl giggled when his attention shifted to her, “We’re still good to go back to the hospital tomorrow for that checkup, right?”

You pressed a kiss against his cheek, “yep. Colson’s gonna watch Cam for the day so we’re good.” Your hand reached out to stroke Cameryn’s hair lightly, “I don’t know what we’d do without him.”

Colson stuck his head in the room, “you’d die.” He laughed as he moved further into the room, plopping onto the bed next to Rook’s feet. “I was not listening to your conversation, I just happened to hear my name and you know I have a big ego.”

Rook rolled his eyes, “if I had a good foot, I would kick you right now.”

Colson laughed, grabbing Cameryn from you, and flipping her so she was hanging upside down over his shoulder. “I’m taking her for the night so you two can finally have some alone time.” He wiggled his eyebrows at you both suggestively, walking out of the room. “How does ice cream for dinner sound, Cam?”

The girl cheered as you sighed, leaning further into Rook, and letting the tension out of your shoulders. He used two fingers to move your jaw so you were facing him, leaning down, and kissing you deeply. Once you pulled away you let your forehead rest against his own, noses brushing against each other. It was quiet for a minute, you and Rook basking in each other’s presence. “You know you’re gonna have to top, right?”

You chuckled, pulling away from him. “Way to ruin the moment, loser.”

Taglist

@bakerkells @elviablo​ @iambashfulperson @sunflowerbebe107 @crystalbaby12 @stormrider505 @bowwowzer @mvrylee @daddyavesxx​ @pettyvxbes​

[be-ready-when-i-say-go]

Whatever Words Exist

StudentTeacher!Cal x Reader (Gender Neutral). Like mostly fluff. 

Reader and Calum have only met briefly. But when the connection is this magnetic, you don’t press fate. 

Masterlist (semi-hiatus) 

_____________________

Calum readjusts the strap on his backpack, getting the bag hitched back right on his shoulder. Just up the hill he can see a gathering of people, a general human mass but still too far away for him to make out any one person in particular. He knows he’s in the right place for sure. So he continues on and a few folks wave as he approaches. Derrick, former officemate, spots Calum first and waves him closer. 

“Meet Calum--old officemate of mine,” Derrick tells the group surrounding him. First years, Calum assumes and gives them a tiny smile and wave to the group. 

“Yeah, because this jerk decided to apply for a full time instructor position. And then got upgraded,” Calum laughs. 

“Look, gotta pay the bills how I can,” Derrick returns and then goes around the semi circle introducing everyone. 

Calum looks at each one in return and then his gaze lands on yours. As a first year to the program and student teaching, you ran into Calum during the intense two week training. Well, you two didn’t really run into each other. Calum ran a few sessions during the training and you might have purposefully lingered behind on the free range Q&A that he was a part of with a few other experienced student teachers. He seemed to be calm and level headed about all the teaching and you were quite the opposite, so listening to him answer questions gave you a small amount of peace. 

The second reason you lingered until everyone else was gone and asked their questions is because you thought he was attractive. The baggy t-shirt but nice fitting jeans and the way he titled in when he was listening to someone. He seemed to really care and take his time to answer any questions--even when he had other things he needed to attend to as well. “Hey,” he says as his smile brightens around your name. 

“Hi Calum,” you return. “Slumming it with us first years.”

“I would never call it slumming, not in the slightest,” he laughs in return. The conversation steers away from that, talking about the summer and general shared interests. But every so often you and Calum lock eyes, gazes lingering for way longer than you’d like to admit. Mostly because you don’t want to be this into someone so early into the semester. And truth be told, the semester hadn’t even truly started. 

About ten minutes pass before professors start to approach, a couple of them holding boxes of pizza. And while you definitely weren’t sure how to juggle all the responsibilities of teaching, classes, paying rent on time, you were grateful for the lunch of pizza. It also meant that you’d be taking some home if enough people didn’t go in for seconds. And getting a free meal plus an easy dinner was always worth it. 

As the pizzas are lined up, you linger back, not wanting to be the first person to get food, but close enough to the first brave souls. “So, have you done any exploring around town?” Calum asks from behind you. 

You spin to half face him to talk to him. “Not a lot. By the time we get done with training I’m too tired to do anything else. But I need to get my bike looked at, so I probably should get downtown at the very least.”

“What’s up with your bike? You said it was your main mode of transportation.”

“Just double checking tire pressure--nothing major. One of them feels like it’s not as high as the other. But rather be safe than sorry since the semester starts.”

Calum nods and shuffles up as the line moves. “If you need a ride to the shop, I have my car.”

You’re not sure if Calum’s offering just to be nice or if it means more. So you default to telling him he doesn’t have to, but he insists. And even as you’re grabbing a slice of pizza and Calum’s right behind you, you try to tell him that he shouldn’t completely disturb his whole day just for you. 

“I cannot have you blowing a tire on the side of the road. Do you have your bike with you today? We could go after this.”

If there were any way to die right in this moment, you’re wishing for it. “I do,” you answer cautiously, walking towards the metal picnic tables. “But really, I can do by myself. It’s not that big of a deal.”

“Oh, c’mon, this town’s not necessarily the nicest to cyclists and if you got stranded I’d feel like an ass.” Calum settles across from you on the bench, slipping his backpack off his shoulder. You do the same, setting your backpack next you and pulling your water bottle from the side pocket. 

“I don’t know what your plans are. I don’t want to intrude,” you counter, unscrewing the top to your water bottle to take a sip. 

“My plans were to sit in my office and pretend like I was lesson planning.”

“Where’s your office again?”

Calum rattles off the name of the building, before taking his first bite of pizza. And you swear for a moment the universe is fucking with you. It has it out for you. “I’m in the same building,” you state. 

“I’m in room 138.”

Oh, how cruel is the universe. How fucking cruel could it be. “Same,” you state after finishing your bite of pizza. “Haven’t been inside to see it yet though.”

“Oh, it sounds like I’m your personal tour guide today.” And it’s not that he’s being adamant about it. Because you know if you were in the reverse positions, you’d do something similar. But a glint crosses his eyes, his smile is a slight curl of his lips and he’s looking up at you from underneath his lashes. 

Your stomach flutters, and suddenly pizza looks and feels like lead, but you take another bite to do something other than let panic settle. A quiet settles between the two of you as you eat. Though more people are turning up and settling in around you to make up for the silence. A few more minutes pass, even with you tossing away your plate and saying hi to some other people who are also teaching for the first time this year before you hear the professors calling for the group’s attention.

As the group quiets down, you return back to the spot where your bag is and Calum’s still there, laughing at something Derrick is saying. You catch his gaze and you really only think that you should look away. But you do. He’s too fucking handsome not to keep your gaze lingering for a moment longer. The humorous smile changes, becomes more subtle as the two of you continue to gaze at each other. 

You can feel your cheeks getting hot but slowly feel your own smile over taking your face before you cast your gaze down and then flick it back up to who’s speaking. It’s good information to get, as you listen to each professor in turn talk about the program more. You get a good sense of who each person is, and it’s not too much longer before each of the new and old cohort introduces themself. 

It’s a natural break as everyone starts to talk again with the business now out of the way. You mingle with some of the instructors but gravitate towards the snacks that are available. Just as you get a good grasp on one of the oreos, your name is called out. You spin, making sure to keep the Oreos in a tight hold. Calum waves you over to the group he’s in and you walk over. You know you shouldn’t. You know you’re playing with fire. But you do so anyway and he introduces you to some other people in the same year as him. They weren’t at the student teacher training. 

You’re thankful for the introduction but slowly the conversation drifts to the group joking about something that you seem to be missing and you know almost without thinking that Calum’s going to seize this opportunity. You turn to him first. “I like the vibe of this program,” you start. 

He smiles. “I’m glad. It’s all pretty tight knit.” You nod, agreeing with this point, but also not sure if you’re reading the air between you and him correctly either. “Do you wanna duck out now?” he asks quietly. “Get that bike fixed up for the first day of classes.”

“Ye-yeah, that’s cool.”

He nods over to where your belongings are with a smile. And the two of you gather your things. As you lead Calum over to where you locked up your bike you pause. “Wait,” you start, “do you even have a place to strap a bike down?”

“My friends and I bike the trails a lot during the year. My SUV can handle it, I promise,” he returns with a laugh. The two of you walk side by side down the parking lot. “Where do you call home?” he asks. 

You rattle off the answer and in return ask him the same. “Well home home is Australia. But I came to the states with some mates and we’ve sort of always called California a second home.”

“You beat me the longest distance from home,” you laugh. 

“Well, only on a technicality.”

“So like your mom, dad, and siblings--if you have any--are like clear across the world?”

“Mum and Dad are. Sister’s in London.”

“Is she studying too?”

“Singer--she’s over there doing that.”

You hum. “Is singing a family trait?”

Calum laughs and you watch some lights blink from a car and you spy the keys in his hand. “I wouldn’t call it a family trait. But yeah, we all sing. In our own ways. Originally made some moves for music. Career paths changed just a tiny bit.”

“So you and the friends you moved with were in a band?”

“Of sorts. Went well for a while. Then we just needed rest.”

“So your idea of rest is going to school and teaching?” You laugh. Calum opens the trunk first for your bags. And when he closes it, you finally spot the rack to set your bike on. 

“Like I said, career paths took a turn. Rest or new experience--I’ve yet to decide on the name yet.”

With the bike settled and secure, you walk around to the passenger side door. Calum’s quick to turn the air on in the car once he’s inside. His radio starts up immediately and he scrambles to turn it down. “Sorry, don’t wanna blast you out of the car,” he states. 

“No, no worries.”

“Any requests? You can plug your phone in too, if you want.”

“Oh God, I take over the aux and you’re going to get some anime theme song and I’d rather save myself the embarrassment.”

Calum’s chuckle is quick and clear of the click of the seatbelts. He switches over the radio and hands you the white cord. “Now you have to embarrass yourself.”

“That’s what I get for opening my big mouth.” Plugging the cord in, you shuffle for a decent opening song as the truck starts backwards out of the parking spot. 

“So what about you? How did the universe drop you here?”

“Pure determination and spite,” you laugh as the song starts over the speakers. “I finished my undergrad, worked for a couple years and then promptly said this is not what I want to do forever and started looking to go back to school.”

“Pure determination and spite,” Calum repeats. He keeps his attention heavily on the road as he’s driving out of the park and through the neighborhoods. But once he hits a stretch of main road he can glance over to you. And you’re staring out of the front windshield, head slightly tilted. “You look lost in thought?”

“Just admiring the view.”

And Calum hums, a sound of agreement, but the view he’s enjoying isn’t the sight of campus and the surrounding area. The two of you continue on, weaving around some traffic and soon you’re turning down a side street. One that reminds you almost of home. And maybe that’s just the universality of it all. Almost anything could be home if you wanted it to be, because there was always going to be a piece of a place that you could connect too. 

“The guys here are nice and really quick about anything that’s a simple fix,” Calum offers. “Also, your music isn’t that bad.”

Your jaw drops just a little and a small squawk of indignation falls from your lips. “What’s that supposed to mean?” you ask, jumping out of the car. Calum’s already at the back, pulling your bike from the secure rack. 

“It means that having an anime theme song play would’ve made it ten times better.”

You huff, but follow behind him into the shop. The two of you greeted almost immediately and when the guy working on the floor spies the bike, he’s quick to walk over and see what the issue is. You explain that you’ve noticed a difference in tire pressure. In your move your gauge got misplaced and you hadn’t quite yet had time to get someone to look at it until now. 

“Yeah, we can check that for you. No problem. So any other plans for today?” he asks, making small talk. You talk briefly about the weather, though there’s not quite a lot to talk about it. Not too long later, the guy’s able to confirm that one of tires did have something puncturing it and letting out some air. But he’s quick to let you know that they can fix it in just a few minutes if the two of you have it. 

“I’d greatly appreciate it,” you start and then look at Calum, who just shrugs. “Yeah, can you fix it?”

“Sure can. Just give me a few minutes.”

“Thank you.”

You watch Calum browse, trying not to linger on the way his back moves underneath the t-shirt as he reaches up for something along the walls. And it’s like asking to get into trouble. Though there’s nothing wrong with instructors dating. You just had a plan, that's all.The first semester you’d get settled, figure out what this whole student teaching life was all about. And the more you watched Calum, the more you were sure that plan was going to fall apart. 

“Here she is, all fixed up.” You look up from your spot, in the store, having migrated to the opposite end of the door and walk over to the man with your bike. “Just a little puncture. Nothing too bad.” He rattles off the costs and it’s more than you anticipated, but not so much more that you have complaints.

Calum’s quick to take over the bike and walk it back outside, smiling as you hold the door open for him. “Thanks.”

“No, thanks to you. For chauffeuring me around.”

“Oh, it’s nothing,” he returns, getting the bike back onto the rack. “Did you want to explore some nearby shops?”

“Oh, hmm. Maybe later. I haven’t an ounce of lesson plans just yet. So I think I should maybe get my week 2 planned.”

“Well it sounds like you have something of week one planned,” Calum counters. 

“We were forced. Thanks to orientation.”

He laughs. “Yeah, they wanted you to have that down at least.”

In the brief glance around, as you try to tell yourself, you shouldn’t explore, you spy a little coffee shop. It looks intriguing. And you point out the sign. “Have you ever tried them?”

“Yeah--it’s a really good shop.”

You take a small step towards the building, careful though because you’re still in the parking lot and about to head into the street. “Can I tack on just a tiny bit of exploring and grab a cup?”

“Of course.”

“Recommend anything?”

Calum holds the door open as he speaks. “Chai Latte, but you can’t tell anyone that it was me that recommended it.”

“Your secret it safe with me.”

In line, you try not to think about how close Calum is, as he stands behind you. But you can feel him, or maybe you want to feel it, you’re aware of him that it’s like all you’d have to do is fake a clumsy step back to be resting into his chest. You imagine it to be firm, but somehow cozy. And maybe that’s just the worn t-shirt he’s adorned in and the beanie on his head. But his presence feels soft to you. 

Your daydream doesn’t last long as the line shuffles forward and you take the step forward rather than the step backward. The coffee shop is quaint, the wide windows letting in plenty of sunlight. But the tables are dark brown and look worn from your place in line. It feels lived in and you enjoy that even though the outside was painted a hunter green, the inside is a pretty beige accented by the chocolate wood of the tables. 

“It’s like a dream,” you state in a whisper, taking in the lights in the ceiling and the scattered bodies of students with backpacks at their feet and others whom you assume live in town and are most likely trying to enjoy the last bits of quiet before the rest of the students descend onto the campus and town. 

In all your sight exploration, your order is called up and Calum has to get it for you. He smiles though, watching the wonder that fills your eyes. “The offer’s still on the table,” he states, handing over the correct cup t you. “We can explore.”

“Can we raincheck? What does next weekend look like for you?”

He still hadn’t responded to Ashton about the hike. So he doesn’t really have plans. “Free as a bird.”

“Would it be okay? To wait till then?”

“Of course,” he exhales. “I’m not the one still learning with training wheels of teaching. I can do this in my sleep.”

“Oh, so big and tough,” you joke, but head back to the front door. The two of you break back out into the bright sun and it’s warm on your skin. “Just give me a semester. I’ll be able to knock you down a peg.”

And Calum doesn’t doubt that for a second. Not with the way you talked about getting into the program. Inside the truck, you’re handed the aux yet again and this time don’t think twice about plugging it in. “To our office?” he asks. 

“You’re not even going to be doing anything for real.”

“I like the sense of productivity.”

“Ain’t that the truth,” you laugh. The drive back to the campus isn’t as long as you thought it would be. But somehow it comes all too quickly. You’re still not sure what’s happening between you and Calum. It’s easy, natural between the two of you. But your plan--you know it’s all going down the drain. All his jokes make you laugh, and you know one or two shouldn’t. And when you do laugh, Calum turns sheepish. He goes quiet, a tiny smile quivering at his lips. 

Calum parks in the employee parking lot in front of the building with your office. Both of you climb out at the same time. And with backpacks, coffee, keys and phones all in place you two trek up to the door. “I think it’s only three of us in the office this year,” Calum talks, fishing out the right key on the hook. 

“Only three?”

“This used to be an old dorm building. So they can usually stick four of us into the room. But the email we got about office assignments only had three names. There was a fourth, but I don’t know what happened to them. They were in a different English program than us. And I don’t know if they graduated or not.”

“Ah,” you return, stepping through the door behind him. And it doesn’t remind you too much of a dorm, not in the always at least. But when Calum unlocks the door, you can see where it definitely once was an older dorm building thanks to the sink in the corner. “You weren’t kidding, huh?’

“About it being an old dorm? Not in the slightest.” He drops his backpack into the desk on the left side of the room but closest to the window. A couple pictures decorate the desktop. The desk next to him as a blanket and the whiteboard above it, has something written on it. So you assume it’s the third person. The desk on the right, closest to the door has nothing on it. The one closest to the window, across from Calum is also empty. 

You walk into the room some more and Calum pulls out his laptop from his bag and then steps around you. “As a heads up, the door stays locked. So you’ll need your key if you go out and close the door. I got locked out once or maybe twice. And it’s definitely not fun.”

You nod. “Thanks for the heads up.”

He smiles and then slips out of the door and you study the empty desk. It’s stupid, trivial to take the one across from Calum, but you drop your backpack into the office chair. The next time you come, you’ll bring desk decorations. To claim which one is yours. Because right now in the depths of your backpack you don’t have much. Well you do have a book that you don’t really need to keep up with too much. Maybe you can leave that. 

Exhaling, you get mostly settled and just before you can get your laptop out of the sleeve the door opens to Calum walking through again. The beanie’s now in his hands as he strides across the room and you can’t help but stare at the curls falling from his head. You want to curse him for looking so good. But you force yourself to go back to your screen. 

Calum settles back into his chair and watches you, sitting up straighter than he’s ever seen a person sit. And he wishes he wasn’t so chicken shit about it. You fucking asked him to hang out next weekend. But still, it’s like toying the line. Trying to make sure he’s reading the cues right. Maybe not right now, maybe next weekend he can get a better read, make a move. He turns back to his own laptop and finds the syllabus he made from the last semester. He can still use most of it. Though in the spring they had a break and in the fall, now they don’t. So he can delete that week as no class and actually have time for the group project in class that the department requires for them to teach. 

A couple hours go by, silence between the two of you, but the clacking of keys makes a chorus around the room. Calum pauses every so often to look over his shoulder. Sometimes you’re deep into work, pushed up into the seat. And once or twice, he found you slouched, staring out at the window next to both of you. 

Another hour passes and shuffling ensues behind Calum. He looks over and finds you packing up. “Headed home?”

You nod. “Managed to get the first unit mostly planned. We’ll see how it goes.”

He smiles. “I’m sure it’ll go well.” He goes to turn around and then remembers your bike is still attached to the back of his car. “Oh, let me go with you to get your bike,” he says ,shooting up from his chair. It rolls backwards for a split second but then makes a sudden stop. 

“Oof,” you let out, rubbing at your stomach. 

“Oh my god,” he rushes out, stepping in closer. “I’m so sorry. Had no clue you were that close. You okay?”

“Yeah,” you laugh and then look up. And Calum’s eyes are a deeper brown that you initially thought. Now that he's closer to you. “Yeah, I’m okay,” you exhale in a breath. 

“You sure? I think the Campus Health Services is open. Or you know, urgent care?”

“I don’t think you caused internal bleeding. Just caught me off guard.”

He finally brings his gaze up from where you’ve stopped holding your stomach to your eyes. And he shouldn’t. He shouldn’t let his gaze drop below your eyes, because truth be told he already stared too much at your lips during the entirety of orientation. And he already knows just how plump they are. 

It’s silent--almost uncomfortably so. “Can I--I should get your bike,” Calum says, saving himself from sure embarrassment. 

He steps around you and you stretch out, capturing his wrist in your hand. “No, what were you going to ask?” you ask. The question leaves you without much thought and you know you shouldn’t ask. But you just can’t help it. Because you almost stretched up to kiss him. 

“It’s nothing,” he returns. But he doesn’t pull his wrist away. 

“Is it really nothing?”

Calum feels you step in closer. He inhales and lets it slowly. He shouldn’t. He absolutely should not let the question cross his lips. But he turn, and sees you illuminated by the sun from the windows and god, how can he deny an angel standing in front of him. “I was going to ask if I could ask you a question.” And it’s not really what he was going to ask. But it buys him some time. 

“You can ask me.”

“Do you--is this--,” he exhales, for a moment hating that the words are getting caught in his throat. “I don’t know if you’re feeling the same thing I am. But I-I’ve been interested in you, like from the second I saw you at the orientation. And I really, really don’t want to make a fool of myself. But I was hoping, are you interested? In me?”

There it goes--the plan--down the drain in just a few sentences. “If you’re asking if I thought you were attractive, yes. And if you’re asking if I care to see where this goes, the answer is also yes. But it really wasn’t supposed to go down like this.”

The elation covers his face and makes his cheeks push up as he smiles--so much so that the skin around his eyes crinkles. “I’ll gladly interrupt all your plans.”

You scoff at the sentiment, but feel your body heating up. Calum steps in even closer to you. His fingers find yours and thread them together. “So the real question I had was if I could kiss you? But I wasn’t sure if that was too forward.”

“Too forward a minute ago. But not too forward for right now,” you state, already moving in to kiss him. It’s short, longer than a peck, but not quite long enough. Because as you pull away, Calum’s other hand is cupping the back of your head and keeping you closer. His hold is firm but his lips are soft and you melt, knees buckling just for a moment. Thankfully, you manage to recover quickly. It doesn’t stop Calum from chuckling. 

“Are you telling me that I have that kind of effect on you?”

“Shut the fuck up, and kiss me again,” you state breathlessly. He doesn’t need to be asked twice. His lips capture yours again, happy to finally get a small taste of you. And you’re acutely aware that it must look ridiculous--you with your backpack full to the nines pressed up against Calum’s chest, chasing down his lips because his touch is mixing in with the scent of his cologne and all you know for sure is that it’s an intoxicating mixture that you want to be trapped in forever. 

You pull away, needing just a moment to catch your breath and Calum rests his forehead against yours. “Are you sure you want to leave me now?” he teases. 

“I--I’ll be honest. The reason why I was leaving was because I knew this was going to happen.”

“Oh? You knew?”

You laugh, cupping his jaw. “Calum, I know one thing for sure. You’re a dangerous man to be around.”

“Oh you’ve just met me. I should be offended.”

“Should be?” you question. 

“You’re--I don’t know what. But I knew that I wanted to know you. So whatever words that exist for that--that’s what you are.”

“I’m flattered,” you state softly. 

“If you give me 5, I can pack up my stuff and drop you off back at home. Now I’d be an asshole not to drop you off.”

You watch him, pulling back from the closeness. “I can make it home now that my bike’s fixed. Thanks to your insistence.”

“Well, let me insist one more time that I make sure you get home safely.” 

“Fine,” you resign. And he’s quick to pack up. Out in the hallway, he takes your hand, threading your fingers again. And it’s natural, easy between the two of you. You bump shoulders, laughing as you step out in the daylight. 

Inside his car, you slip back into the passenger seat. But when Calum settles into the driver seat and gets buckled in, he rests one hand on your thigh. Not too high up, nothing too suggestive, but not directly on your knee. You try not to let it fluster you, the ease at which he establishes touch, but your heart races just a little. 

You curl your fingers around his palm--it’s something to do with your hands, but also allows you a bit of control. You direct him easily back to your apartment. It’s nearly a straight shot, minus the one left turn needed and when he pulls up into a parking space in front of your building, he squeezes at your fingers just a little. 

You face him with a smile. “Thanks, for everything.”

“Yeah of course,” he returns. “So, next weekend? More exploring?”

“I’d like that.”

“I’ll text you about the date and time for sure. Unless we meet again in the office.”

Unbuckling your seatbelt, you laugh gently stretching across the console. “I have a suspicion we shall meet again in the office.”

“Lovely,” he breathes and you meet his lips, capturing them gently before pulling away and grabbing all your things. Your bike is easy to get down and then you lock it back up on the rack outside, even though Calum does help. He leans up against the door and you spy him watching. 

“Enjoying the show?” you tease shaking your butt at him at the outside door of the building.  

His laughter rings out. “Making sure you get inside safely, actually. But a show is always welcomed.”

[dragonseattofu]

NekuShiki question time! #2 :)

Who said "I love you" first? When?

Do they ever go dancing? How does it go?

Who is more affectionate with the other?

First I love you

The person who I envision to say the first “I love you” in the post-NEO world would be Neku. Pre-NEO I would hands down have thought it would be Shiki, because out of the two I feel like Neku’s more of an awkward sort and wouldn’t know how to put romantic feelings into words. But after NEO I feel like Neku became a little better at conveying his feelings and here’s why:

He watched her exit the elevator. She was talking to someone holding a camera bag, possibly the photographer she had just hired a couple of days ago. He remembered their evening meal yesterday, one he had to pry her away from her work to partake in, relating to her upcoming photoshoot. He learned their usual photographer had double booked and she had to scramble to find a replacement. The replacement looked young, around their age, and seemed to be bowing a goodbye to her before walking towards the exit behind him.

Neku continued to watch her, as she pulled out her phone from her Mr. Mew purse. Shiki tapped furiously at the screen, with speed rivaling Nagi, and seconds later he felt a buzz in his pocket.

After tucking her phone back away, Shiki moved toward the turnstiles situated near the door and finally saw him. It took her a second to overcome the surprise, he didn’t tell her that he was coming to pick her up, but she immediately brightened as she walked toward him at a steadfast pace.

How many days, months, years had he waited and hoped for to see a sight like this? To feel like this? Like his chest tightening in anticipation of her being in his arms, his cheeks warming at her smiling at him for simply … existing? How long had he spent thinking about the life he could have had with his friends, with her?

When Neku was dropped into the Shinjuku UG, he went into shock. Why? Why was he back when he was banned from ever playing the game again? He had just gotten his life back. He finally didn’t feel so alone in the vast seas of Shibuya.

But then he got shot … again.

His cynical side thought, maybe this was his retribution. He didn’t deserve friends, not after what he did to him…

But then he remembered them, and what they had all said to him.

“Let me in! Tell me what you're thinking!”

“Give up on yourself, and you give up on the world.”

“You're not my partner anymore man, you're... my friend. So trus' that yo!”

Come on, work with us. A problem shared is a problem halved!

And then he could have sworn he heard her…

“You finally came back to us … I knew you would.”

“I’m so happy you're back, Neku.”

He didn’t remember her saying that to him, but it wasn’t the first time he felt like he saw things that haven’t happened yet, things that could happen if he played his cards right. Visions of a future that gave him some … hope.

Every battle he fought, every new area he stumbled into, every floating thought he passed, all led to this hope that he would get back to his friends.

When he wasn’t fighting to survive, or when Coco was standing watch so he could rest, he thought about them. Was Beat skipping classes still? Was Rhyme learning how to do those ollies Beat was trying to teach her. Was Shiki … was Shiki hanging out with Eri right now? Was she fixing a stitch on Mr. Mew? Did she miss him, the same way he missed her?

His time in the RG after playing three weeks in the reapers game was short, but nothing less than wonderful. Shiki and Neku went on a couple outings together, just the two of them when the Bito siblings had family errands. It started out a little awkward, especially when familiar restaurant and store keepers thought they were an item already. A specific ramen owner was the worst of them all even though his teasing came from a place of fondness for the pair.

Without him realizing, being with Shiki was almost as natural as breathing, and every moment he spent with her was fun, interesting, precious to him.

Neku didn’t get the time he needed to work out how important Shiki was to him before being plunged into the Shinjuku UG, but three years of company to only the disembodied thoughts of lost souls and an occasional “fairy” reaper gave him the opportunity to delve into it. The conclusion he reached gave him the motivation to keep fighting, to keep surviving. For once, he had someone worth living for.

“Earth to Neku?” Shiki waved her hands in front of his face.

He blinked, bringing himself back to the present. Shiki stood on her toes, trying to look at his face underneath his overgrown bangs. He felt her touch his cheek, concern marring her adorable face.

He hates that he brought so much strain to her life. Maybe she could have been happier with someone else, someone who wouldn’t break their promise to go shopping the next day and abruptly disappear.

But then she smiled at him, having noticed that he simply zoned out. And all of a sudden his negativity stopped spiralling and he felt grounded again. He may not feel like he deserved her, but she chose him nonetheless.

She chose to never give up on him, that he would survive the ordeal he was thrust into. She chose to be the best version of herself that she could be while she waited for him.

And then even after all that time had passed, she still chose to be with him.

Neku didn’t know if there was a word that encompassed the overwhelming emotion he felt whenever he thought of Shiki. One certainly felt close enough though.

“Hey Shiki?” He asked, putting his larger hand over her smaller one that lingered on his cheek.

“Hmm?”

“I love you.”

He couldn’t remember the last time he said that to anyone, if he did at all. Even though Neku had told Shiki almost immediately after his arrival in the RG that he wanted to be more than friends, he hadn’t used that word before. Love was still such a foreign concept that he wasn’t sure he understood it completely, but if there was anyone in the whole world he could associate love with, it would be Shiki.

Shiki’s hand on his face stiffened at the sudden confession. For a hot second, maybe it wasn’t the time or place she expected him to say it. He felt a slight panic from the doubt of her not reciprocating his feelings.

But those thoughts were quickly thrown out when she leaned in and kissed him.

It was a kiss longer than they had ever shared before. She was physically telling him something, but he was a little preoccupied to fully process anything. Shiki pulled away, far quicker than Neku would have liked, carrying the sweetest grin he ever saw on her.

“I love you too, Neku.”

Dancing

Shiki would have this fancy company dinner that she’d have to go to for networking. As friendly as Shiki is, she’s still introverted and the whole event just sounds utterly exhausting. Neku would be her plus one, because even if that’s the last place he would rather be, he’s her partner, and that’s that. She gets well enough along with everyone, but she has to make the rounds and greet everybody, leaving Neku alone at times. Thankfully Eri’s also there, and the girls take turns between networking and keeping Neku company. He surprises both of them when the head designer for Jupes notices Neku’s deep purple button down shirt from Jupes under a Gatto Nero’s half grey plaid - half black solid blazer (it’s visually better in my head than what I just described), and wants to talk to the designer of the jacket. Neku goes full endorsing mode for his girlfriend, and smiles smug when the girls realize they didn’t need to worry about him, much less securing a major deal with a major brand for a collaboration. He’s pretty happy with himself when he hears a version of Someday play on the surround sound. The dance floor opens up, and a couple of people start a waltz.

Neku thinks to himself, it’s an odd thing to have a dance in the middle of a company dinner, but dinners in the fashion industry are often hosted by the most eccentric of people, and he supposes it’s not so peculiar after all.

The melody plays soft and slow, and if he’s honest with himself, it’s a pretty good rendition of one of his favorite songs. He sees Shiki from the corner of his eye, silently asking her to dance as he extends his hand out. She’s surprised at the gesture. Neku’s many things, but dancer’s not one of them. The exaggerated kicks he’s so fond of are sort of hard to move elegantly in. A simple slow dance, he thinks, is enough for him to handle. Her thin finger slipped effortlessly into his hand.

More affectionate

Post-NEO, I feel that both are pretty affectionate toward one another, but in different ways. Shiki’s more physically affectionate, she’s more of a hugger and is always holding his hand, or his clothes, just so she can feel that he’s there. He doesn’t initiate physical touch as often as she does, but he never let’s go, or moves away from it. This happens more naturally as they start dating, snuggles and such.

Neku’s more affectionate verbally. He’s gotten comfortable saying what’s on his mind more often. He’s not shy about complimenting her, she doesn’t need his reassurances but his opinion is important to her nonetheless. He’s a natural flirt; says things that would be considered suave without intention. He would say pick up lines without realizing that they were pick up lines.

Okay, so I’m like not really sure how best to put my thoughts together but here goes:

The Shibuya and Twister kiddos would all be at some fashion function, and the Fret and Beat would comment on how attractive some of the models are. Neku would just be like, “yeah, they are attractive, but they aren’t as beautiful as Shiki.” Him referring to how much he loves her appearance as well as her personality, whereas he knows nothing about these girls so all he is going on is their looks.

And of course Shiki, who has pins in her mouth and is trying to get her models ready, hears this. Her jaw loosens and the pins fall on the floor. She’s essentially flushed and flabbergasted, by what he said and how nonchalant he said it. He looks at her like he said nothing wrong. Then he just smiles at her, and she just stutters out curse words. She doesn’t have time for this.

Notes: I’m so sorry for the late reply. I’m such a slow thinker and writer! But thanks again for the ask! The first prompt sort of snowballed. Hope you like it! @doesitringabell, I added a collection on Ao3 dedicated to you for any/all other prompts that end up longer than I had anticipated. Check out the source content.

Also sorry for any typos and such, let me know if you spot any. If anyone is still interested in my rambling mess of Neshiki fanfics/ficlets, don’t hesitate to send me more asks! It might take a while, but just know that my moments of silence are just me tinkering with ideas (writing something, hating it, revising it, writing again, rinse, repeat, then screw this, just take it.)

[exosmutfactory]

Six Phases 006 Pt 6

Who knew it nearly took 6 months to win your heart, and 6 phases for Baekhyun to lose his mind.

A/N: I couldn't find a picture to match Baekhyun's appearance—so I chose one that fits his mood instead  2.0 😅 ♡

[ contains: angst ] Two’s a couple, Three’s a crowd 💔

Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3  P(1) P(2) | Part 4 P(1) P(2) | Part 5 P(1)  P(2) | Part 6 P(1)  P(2) —– P(3)  P(4) —– P(5)  P(6) ✓ ||| ♬♩♪♩ FINALE P(1)  P(2)

•⇔♦ •⇔♦ •⇔♦ •⇔♦ •⇔♦ •⇔♦ •

My heels click rhythmically on the sidewalk, in perfect sync with the song I’m humming. I’ve taken a liking to listening to new music lately instead of sticking to the same old artists that I’ve heard a thousand times. Trying to expand my horizons and replace sob-inducing ballads with uplifting trap beats.

It’s going okay so far: moving on. Learning how to navigate the world while riding solo. It’s not like I haven’t done it before—sleepless nights aren’t new. Lack of appetite isn’t either. A breakup will never be the end of the world, no matter how excruciating it is. So why should I let it hold me back and define me?

Birds chirp merrily in the trees, bringing a smile to my face, especially when I catch sight of a little hummingbird enjoying nectar from a patch of flowers. If there’s one thing I can say that has helped me during this time, it’s nature. Simply looking out at the world from my apartment window and taking long walks around the more remote parts of this city have calmed my soul more than I can express with words.

I’m watching the squirrels scurry around on the other side of the street while waiting for the crosswalk light to turn green when my phone buzzes in my pocket. I sigh, so much for a moment of tranquility.

I pull my phone out of my tiny jean pocket, furrowing my brows at the caller ID. Jongin…? That’s strange, has he ever called me before? I rack my brain for answers. Nope, this is the first time he is calling me. Flashbacks of our distant friendship since that one summer fight I had with a certain someone flashes through my mind... I press my phone to my ear before I can overthink it any longer. "Hello?"

"Riley." Jongin’s smooth voice filters over the line.

"Hi," I mumble, continuing down the street, noticing a beautiful blue and green butterfly flying by with a smile. The pitter patter of a water fountain in the distance has me falling back into my 'Zen’ mode. "What’s up? How are you?"

"I need a favor." He drops; straight to the point. Sending me right into a panic.

My phone nearly falls to the ground. "...You didn’t break a leg or something-"

"No, no," He immediately responds, recognizing the high pitch of hysteria in my voice. "It’s nothing bad."

Thank fuck, the last thing I need right now is bad news. It may be the end of March, but I’m not really feeling this 'Spring’ season. My mood shifts faster than the strong wind. The only stress I try to have nowadays are always work related because if I stop and think about my personal life for a moment I am fucked.

I take a deep breath, leaning my back against a light pole before replying to him. "Okay."

"There’s a dance competition in June," He slowly explains, "and I need a partner."

"Oh..." I blink a few times, straightening back up. "Huh… I’m sorry, I’m not really good at choosing candidates. I’m not a professional-"

"I mean you." He interjects, background music drifting over the line. "I want you to be my partner."

I pull the phone away from my ear for a moment, looking at it in disbelief, "I'm sorry—What?"

"I have a routine already," His voice takes on a warmer tone, pure persuasion dripping from his honeyed words. "With your name all over it."

"...Eh??" I look off to the side, trying in vain to find something—anything to distract me from the tingles zapping down my spine at the sound of his voice. God… what the fuck? "Don’t you have like a million other people who specialize in-"

"I made the choreography for you."

My heart hammers in my chest. "And why the heck would you do that?" I demand, tightening my grip on the phone. Something out of the corner of my eye suddenly captures my attention, dragging my eyes over to it instantly. The sight that greets me has my throat going dry, gulping as my hands shake.

It’s Baekhyun—and he isn’t alone.

He’s accompanied by a tall, beautiful woman, the same height as him in her flat sandals. Her black hair reaches the middle of her back, contrasting against her light blue overalls and swaying softly in the cool wind. They lean against a brick wall next to a cute coffee shop with matching coffee cups in their hands.

Jongin’s words fade into background noise while I watch them. My vision blurs when she laughs, resting her hand on his arm. The way she easily initiates physical contact with him speaks volumes; this isn’t their first meeting. It’s been 2 months since January, and yet...

My heart constricts painfully in my chest, I suck in a deep breath. Lightheadedness hits me full force, I quickly cling onto the pole when my body sways off balance. Shit… I must have been holding my breath. 

"Riley?" Jongin’s muffled voice drifts from my distant phone. Thankfully it fell onto the parking meteor next to me and not on the ground. "Riley!"

Burning a hole into the back of Baekhyun’s silver-haired head, I bring the phone back to my ear. "I’ll do it," I mumble lowly.

"I’m sorry?"

Staring at Baekhyun and his new friend, I make my decision. "I’ll be your partner."

•••

Okay… Maybe I was too hasty in agreeing to this whole dance competition thing. I should have waited to make a decision when I was in a better state of mind.

It’s been a good four weeks since I agreed to be Jongin’s partner—four weeks of pure hell.

If I had known what kind of dance moves were incorporated in this routine I never ever would have agreed. The choreography appears simple and subtle enough on the surface, especially thanks to Jongin’s gifted skills, but that’s the problem. It’s not simple; it’s a fucking ankle breaker. It’s pure well-organized insanity and I don’t know how much more of it that I can take.

"From the top," Jongin’s voice echoes in the dance studio. He presses a remote to start the song over again. I try to stay focused, ignoring the looming figures of the other hostile dancers in the room. Why they all gathered here to watch us practice today, I have no idea, but it isn’t helping me at all.

The bass booming from the stereo speakers vibrates the wood under my feet. Sweat permeates the air. Their predator-like stares break me down from the inside out. The memory of Baekhyun with that woman pops into my mind...

"5, 6, 7-"

Shit!

Gasps echo around the room when it happens: I collapse onto the floor, clutching onto my throbbing ankle.

"Riley?!" Something about the alarm in Jongin’s voice makes me wince, curling in on myself as everyone’s whispers float into the air.

"Oh my god, is she serious...?"

"See what I mean! She has two left feet. Why is he wasting his time on her?"

"Dumbass can’t even do a single number, let alone a simple choreography. The way he chose that over me…"

I try my best to reel in my emotions, to keep the hurt from being seen on my face, but there’s only so much I can bear—there’s only so much I can take.

Tears pelt down my face while their loud gasps and delighted giggles fill the air. I make a move to climb to my feet, ready to bolt out of here and never step foot in this place again when a gentle hand on my shoulder stops me.

"Riley." It’s Jongin, crouching down to meet my eye. "Are you okay?"

I can only shake my head, losing my breath as their taunting voices swirl around my head like a whirlpool, consuming me whole.

"Riley, stay with me." Jongin rests both his hands on my shoulders, directing my eyes to his whenever I look away. "Talk to me. What’s wrong?"

"I-I," I choke, covering my face in my hands before I sob pathetically on the hardwood floor. The throbbing of my backside and ankle only makes it worse.

"Ri-"

"Look at her! Pathetic at it’s finest."

Jongin stiffens, I don’t even need to see him to know that he’s gone rigid. His hand slips off my shoulder as I watch his silhouette rise from the spaces between my fingers, standing to his full height.

"Mind sharing with the class what you just said, Kim Nora?" He looks at the woman in the middle of the 5 dancers leaning against the far wall, his jaw clenching.

"I-"

"If you have something to say, say it."

"I’ve been waiting for this opportunity for years. Years, Jongin!" She snaps, her shrill voice bouncing off of the walls. "I’m on time for every rehearsal. I practice until I bleed. Why does this no-name slut get to come in here and take it from me when she can’t even stand on her own two feet?!"

"Kim Nora." The way he says her name has everyone on edge. My back prickles in fear and secondhand embarrassment. He’s not even directing that stone cold tone at me and I’m hella uncomfortable sitting here.

"Who’s dance studio is this, Nora?"

"Yours-" She looks away, not brave enough to meet his eyes anymore. "-M-Mr. Kim..."

Jongin hums, holding his hands behind his back while pacing up and down the floor. "Who’s name is on the sign out front, everyone?"

"Yours, Mr. Kim." They chime in sync with meek voices. A look of regret painted on every single one of their faces.

"Mine." He concludes, satisfied before turning his dark eyes back onto Nora. "Let me explain something to you, Nora."

Her eyes stay focused on the floor.

"This is my practice, my building." He stops pacing, stretching his arms out to showcase the room. "You are under my roof." He looks dead at her, eyes colder than ice. "You are here because I let you. Do you understand that?"

"Y-yes, sir, but I-"

"Next time," He cuts her off, "You decide to be immature. Next time, you decide that your knowledge is anything close to my expertise." He steps closer, and I’ve never seen a person standing 3 feet away have such an impact on an individual. "Next time, you decide to mock one of my friends." He lowers his voice, and I can feel the heavy promise coming off him in waves. "You are gone. Do you understand me?"

Nora babbles something unintelligible, tears brimming her eyeliner caked eyes.

"Do you understand me?"

"Y-yes!" She sucks in a breath, snot clogging her nose as she directs her eyes back to the floor. "Yes, sir."

"Good." He steps away, turning on his heel before rushing back over to me. "Riley," His voice is softer now, much like the Jongin who helped rescue me from my birthday party 2 years ago.

"Hey..." I hush, lowering my hands to my lap.

"Are you okay?" He hands me a clean towel, his brows furrowed in worry. "How’s your ankle?"

"I-It’s fine."

He raises a brow, reaching out a hand to me. "May I?"

"Yeah." I sigh, noticing the familiar look of concern on his face.

Jongin takes my ankle into his hands, handling it carefully and pressing a few places. "Does it hurt?" His frown deepens when I wince. "And here?"

"Yeah," I nod, my face pinched up in pain.

"From 1 to 10," He continues, looking me dead in the eyes, "How much pain are you in?"

My lips part to answer, but I pause, biting the bullet and wiggling my ankle around to see how bad it actually is. "F-four out of ten." I grit out, still so sensitive that tears sting my eyes again.

"It’s sprained." He concludes, gently lowering it back to the floor.

"W-what does that mean?" I ask fearfully. Whatever it means, it doesn’t sound good with the contest 6 weeks away. Shit, why am I such a fuck up? What if I can’t perform let alone learn the choreography in time? I’m such a failure, I-

"It’s not bad," He reassures, resting a comforting hand on my arm. "A few days off of it and you should be good as new."

"R-really?" 

Jongin nods, smiling softly. "Nothing a few days off can’t fix."

"Oh, thank you," I whisper in relief, wrapping my arms around his neck to mask the tears that escape my eyes. "Thank you, thank you."

"No," Jongin shakes his head, hugging me warmly, whispering just as quietly in my ear. "Thank you."

•••

After that day, none of the dancers have bothered me, let alone showed up to any more dance practices. Jongin made sure of that. No one fucked around with him either after the way he resolved the issue. An angry Jongin is a scary Jongin; that much I know now.

Sighing softly, I look up at the fluffy clouds overhead, trying to salvage the calm that washes over me in wake of April’s flourishing weather. The flowers are more alive than ever. Small animals and other critters run around for food on the ground. The world around me is the picture-perfect example of nature at its finest—so why is there an uneasy feeling weighing on my chest?

Work is going well and the book we had spent months and months preparing was released last week. I’m on my way to the nearest bookstore to grab a copy for myself. To check that no grammar related errors got past my keen eyes or because I genuinely enjoy the novel, who knows. I want to see the final product for myself and check out other releases. It’s about time I pick up another book besides the one I stayed up countless nights making sure everything was finalized.

A cute bell chimes when I step through the door, hit with the aroma of fresh coffee. Every time I go to a bookstore or library, it’s like I am stepping into another world. The shelves filled to the brim with hundreds, maybe thousands of literature, all at the touch of your fingertips.

From ebooks to the dusty classics, I love them all. I may not read everything; I might be one of the pickiest readers out there, but I appreciate the blood, sweat, and tears that go into every completed book. Good or bad, the author has big balls for trying and putting their name out there. I have mad respect for that.

Venturing further into the shop, my eyes catch the Fantasy section with ease. I make my way over, already seeing a colorful display set out for the newest releases. The sight of the book I’m looking for brings a smile to my face. It feels different to see it in a store instead of reading the rough drafts in the comfort of my bed. Damn the graphic designers put their foot in the cover; it captures the personalities of the main characters perfectly. I couldn’t be more proud.

My smile widens the closer I get to the display, realizing that there is only one copy left of the book. Deserved; everyone from the author to the marketing team have done their best to make this book a big seller. Thankfully the universe left one just for me.

Just as my fingertips touch the edge of the paperback cover, someone else’s hand brushes against mine.

"Oh! Sorry-"

"Ah, I’m so sor-"

My heart plummets and my head snaps up to look at them at once. Puppy brown eyes that I could identify out of countless others and a million stars stare wide-eyed right back into mine.

Fuck.

"Riley?" He breathes, his handsome face painted in disbelief.

I can only wheeze, my chest throbbing as if my heart will explode.

Fuck fuck fuck shit fuck—

Before he can say another word, before I can crumble in front of his questioning orbs, I turn on my heel and sprint out of there like a bat out of hell.

I’ve been doing better, I’m slowly healing from it all, but the moment I see his face—his sweet, tired, kicked-puppy face, I fold quicker than an umbrella in an incoming hurricane. It hurts worse than the force of an 18-wheeler. My whole world full of its fragile edges and duct tape unravels under the weight.

Normally, I wouldn’t do this.

…

Okay scratch that—I used to do this. All the damn time, but with the way our lives have changed and that one conversation we had back in March 2 years ago I… I haven’t been able to bring myself to talk to him. I’ve made it my mission to avoid Sehun.

I know what he will say the minute I tell him what’s up: I told you so—the bane of my existence. That one phrase alone is enough to keep me from confessing so many things. I rather suffer in silence than hear that sentence, but… This is different.

No matter how much it pains me and paints me in shame, I need to tell my best friend what's been going on. After everything he has done for me since our childhood... I owe him that much. So here I am now.

I chew on my bottom lip and knock firmly on his apartment door, waiting for someone to answer with bated breath.

It opens a few minutes later, revealing his unmistakable tall form as he dries his hair. Sehun does a double take. "Shorty?" He breathes in disbelief, pausing in ruffling his messy black locks.

I laugh a little, warmth sparking in my aching heart from the nickname. "Yeah," I breathe, managing a wobbly smile, already feeling tears prickle my eyes. "That's me."

We stare at each other for a long moment, nothing but the distant swish of driving cars and the muffled conversations happening beyond the open balcony on his floor fills the silence. Ah… My heart squeezes painfully in my chest. I shouldn’t have come here. He’s probably busy enough as it is-

As if reading my mind, Sehun’s gaze softens. He throws the towel around his neck before opening his arms. "Come here."

I bury myself in his chest without hesitation, soaking the fabric of his black t-shirt with my tears. "I’m sorry," I croak, holding back sobs.

"Hey, hey," a low, soothing voice chimes in, resting a hand on my arm. "What happened?" 

"I don’t know," Sehun mumbles, rubbing my back as I shake in his arms. "But whoever did it will be missing an arm."

"N-No need, Hun," I sniffle with a shaky sigh, pulling away from his embrace. A chill covers my skin with goosebumps the moment I step away. It’s been like this all week; feeling hot to the touch, yet shaking like a leaf at the same time. I have no idea what is going on, and at this point… I don’t want to know. I can say that for a lot of things.

Wiping my face with the back of my hand, I turn around, smiling apologetically at the brown-haired man standing in the doorway. "I’m sorry for popping up out of the blue, Lu."

"Nonsense," Luhan shakes his head, his curly hair partially covering his worry-filled eyes. He takes my hand between his, "Come in, I’ll make us some tea."

"Okay," I whisper, shuffling into their apartment. I take the tissue box he offers me, following him into the spacious living room. He goes into the kitchen while I sit down on their couch, my breath hitching from the emotions budding in my chest.

Sehun closes the door, noisily walking on the wooden floor in his flip flops. He sits down next to me, questioning me with his unwavering stare, but I can’t bring myself to meet his eye. I… I don’t know where to begin; I can’t even find the words. The squeal of the teapot in the other room fills the tense silence between us.

"Alright," He sighs, propping his foot up on the coffee table and resting his arm on his knee before giving me a hard look. "What did Byun do?"

I choke, snapping my eyes to his, "How do you know?"

"You never visit," He points out in the driest of tones. "And when you do, you always call first."

I can only lower my head, pulling my knees to my chest.

"You don’t usually cry after seeing my face either. I mean," He continues, nudging me with his elbow. "Am I ugly or something?"

I snort. "Shut up." Shaking my head, I sigh deeply. "I just… A lot has happened." Risking a peek at him, my shoulders relax at the worried furrow of his brows and the care in his sharp brown eyes.

He nods, smiling the softest that I’ve seen in a long time. "I got time." 

I smile a little, my chest bursting in gratefulness for having a friend like him in my life. No matter what happens or what I get into, I can always count on Sehun to be there.

…

If only I didn’t have so much baggage to bring to his door.

"I…" Come on; I ball my hands into the fabric of my shirt. Say it.

Sehun keeps his eyes on me and I struggle more to get the words out, my chest starting to heave. Should I be here? Should I be doing this? What will he say? What if this just makes everything worse—

No.

Sehun is my best friend. We have shared so many memories together, the good and the bad. I was the first person he came out to. He was there when my father walked out of my life. I cheered him on as he climbed the ranks of his weight training team. He helped me catch fireflies in my backyard when all I could rely on was my poor eyesight.

It’s always been him and I against this cruel world. One man—one boy, won’t change that overnight.

"I broke up with Baekhyun." 

"What?!" Sehun leaps off of the couch. "Are you serious?"

"Yeah..." I drag out, looking him up and down in confusion. Panic hits me in the gut. "W-Why? What’s wrong-"

"Dude!" He exclaims, tangling his hands in his hair, the most comically distressed expression on his normally 'bitch’ face. "I thought he broke up with you."

The thought of what would have happened if Baekhyun had been the one to dump me makes my heart hurt so much I feel the color drain from my face.

"H-Hey," Sehun immediately takes notice, waving his hands around. "Not on the couch, anywhere but the couch-"

Luhan suddenly appears behind him with a tray of drinks, lovingly smacking the back of his head. "Here," He soothes, ignoring Sehun’s pelulant whines while setting down the tray on the coffee table and offering a mug to me.

"Thank you, Lu." I breathe, smiling when the scent of lemon and ginger hits my nose.

Luhan takes the seat on the other side of me, resting a comforting hand on my knee. "We’re here." He nods, sharing a look with Sehun before focusing back on me with the gentlest of eyes. "Whenever you are ready."

Gulping, I curl my fingers around my mug, the warmth of the tea and their soft eyes giving me the strength to open up.

I am finally able to put everything into words… I just hope we all make it out unscathed. 

Closing my eyes, I start from the very beginning, updating them on what has happened since the year we started dating. The summer fight I never told Sehun about, Baekhyun’s ex Haneul following me around. The French lady at the photoshoot, the model behind the scenes. Our fight that reached the public. What went down at the Byun’s house… And finally… how I ran, and never looked back.

Sehun’s facial expressions shift from one extreme to the next throughout my confession. At one point I have to look away from him, stuttering the more I see the disappointment in his eyes. By the end of it, I’m mumbling to the lukewarm mug between my palms rather than them.

My words trail off into silence, nothing but the ticking of Luhan’s treasured grandfather clock making a sound. I’ve grown to hate this the most: the empty space that leaves room for my thoughts to sneak up on me again.

"You were hiding all of this..." Sehun speaks up, betrayal joining the disappointment in his eyes. "All this time."

A lump forms in my throat, "I-"

"You kept this to yourself for years." He grits out, his voice growing sadder by the minute. "Years, Riley."

"I’m sorry," I sob, curling up into a ball, choking on my tears. "I’m s-so sorry."

"Why?" He runs a hand through his hair, squeezing his eyes shut. 

"I-I didn’t wanna bother you," I babble, gasping so much for air I choke even more. "You’re busy with work and your own love life, who am I to bother you with my problems?" Tears blur my vision and stain my glasses, rolling uncomfortably down the bridge of my nose. "Isn’t that what growing up is about?" I whisper, staring lifelessly down at my untouched tea. "Learning how to depend on yourself?"

"Riley, I don’t care if you’re fucking 80." Sehun barks, scaring me until he opens his arms, forgiveness swirling in his softened brown eyes. "You can come to me for anything."

"O-Okay," I mumble, hiding in his chest.

"Do you hear me?"

"Yes."

"I don’t care if you shave your relaxed hair, adopt a cat, or the world is on fire." He proclaims sternly. "No matter what, you can always come to me."

The comforting smell of fresh laundry on his clothes has my shoulders relaxing, my sobs quieting down to small hiccups. "Okay." 

"Good. Now take these sweaters back."

His words take a few moments to register in my sluggish mind. "Huh?" I blink, lifting my head off of him, sitting up fully and immediately recognizing the bundle of clothes in Luhan’s hands. "No," I shake my head, ignoring how dizzy I suddenly feel. "Sehun, those are yours-"

"And I want you to have them."

"I-" My heart constricts in conflict, "But-"

"But nothing. You act like I don’t know that your ass gets cold." He mutters grumpily, crossing his arms. "Keep them, alright?" Being the observant guy that he is, he picks up on my weary glance at Luhan. "Lu chipped in some of his too."

"Mine are comfier," His boyfriend jokes, smiling cheekily.

"Yah."

"You know it’s the truth."

"Only because you—yah! Why are you crying now?!"

"I just…" I sniffle, laughing softly. "I love you guys."

Luhan’s smile brightens while I whine over Sehun messing up my hair. "We love you more."

•••

May passes by in the blink of an eye, mature plants welcoming the upcoming summer heat. I love and hate this for two reasons. One, it’s a certain someone-who-shall-not-be-named birth month. Two, the dance competition is two weeks away. Two weeks. It is literally May 20th and I am sweating my hair out over it.

Why did I agree to this forsaken competition again? Oh right—I decided that a two-step routine is the equivalent of a love triangle. Nice going, Riley.

I sigh, wiping my forehead with the back of my arm. Two weeks until the competition means that my schedule is more packed. Yeah Park’s Publishing may be on an "easy going" break from publishing books right now, but I’m not getting a breather. 

Nope, the moment I jokingly told Jongin how I didn’t know what to do with all my free time, he brought up daily dance practice—no, he down right demanded it. And when I started to complain:

"What? It’s not like you have anything else better to do."

I’ve been seething over that for a week.

Huffing at the memory, I plop my bag not-so-subtly on a chair before looking at Jongin on the other side of the room.

"Glaring at me won’t help you perfect the choreo faster-"

"Suck my dick."

"Oh, baby," He grins, raising a brow. "I would if I could." He saunters his way over to me, his beautiful bronze skin already glowing in a thin sheen of sweat when he leans down to face me, "but I don’t mind either way."

I push him away with a hard roll of my eyes, "Let’s get this over with."

"Feisty," He humors. "Someone is feeling better today."

"Better enough to kick your ass," I mutter, tying up my hair in a messy bun.

"Let’s rehearse the second verse," He takes a swing of his water bottle, a serious expression on his features. "Then we’ll talk." 

"Bring it on," I lift my chin, playing tough despite the nervousness washing over me.

He nods, grabbing the stereo remote and getting into position. "Show me what you got."

We go over the steps one last time before we begin. The first half of the choreo goes smoothly… and then I stumble the moment the second chorus hits.

"Let’s take a break."

"No," I shake my head, resting my hands on my knees.

"Riley."

"One more time." I pant, trying to catch my breath. "I swear I got it, just-"

"We’ve been at it for 30 minutes."

"But-"

"Break. Now."

I flop to the floor in a tired heap, groaning loudly to annoy him. I’m grateful he called for a break though, my flat feet are crying for mercy like no one’s business. Maybe I should—"Ah," I sigh in relief.

"What are you doing?"

"Taking off my shoes," I mumble, throwing him a look over my shoulder, not liking his attitude. "My feet are dying over here."

Jongin raises a brow, leaning against the mirror on the other side of the room. "Your parents didn’t see a pediatrician about that?"

"Nope."

"Why?"

"Born and raised in America," I chirp. "The land of the free, Mother fucka."

Both his brows shoot up. "Are you feverous?"

"No," I mumble, fiddling with a loose string on my shirt. "It’s really hot out."

"Have you been sleeping?" His eyes narrow at my lack of response. "Riley?"

"Oh would you look at that, the ceiling tiles have a noticeable gap between them-"

"Sit down."

"I’m fine." I sigh, reluctantly dragging myself over to the only chair in the room.

"You won’t be if you keep this up." He points out, more than a little peeved. "Have you been drinking enough?"

"I-"

He thrusts his water bottle in front of me. "Drink this."

"But you drank from it!"

"I’ll give you mouth to mouth too if you don’t sit your ass down."

I blink, giving him a long, wide-eyed stare. "Why so serious?" The fed up expression on his face is enough of an answer. "Okay—okay! Fine." Inspecting the bottle for anything floating around on the bottom, I tilt my head back to pour some water in my mouth, mumbling with stuffed cheeks, "There, happy?"

Jongin just sighs, turning on a rotating fan. "Stay here. I don’t want you moving until you finish that bottle."

"Sir yes sir," I mutter, giving a little salute. Grinning when he glares sternly at me. He sighs before going back to the other side of the room.

Watching him practice his solo parts in the mirror, I leisurely sip from the bottle, noticing how his shirt sticks to his fit body. Jongin is tall, a bit broad, and lean. He has a dancer’s body and muscle in all the right places—I can’t imagine his diet. I shiver at the thought of it, checking my forehead. I’m not picky about fitness; I’m a bit on the curvy side myself. I rather have something to sink my fingers into. Speaking of which...

"Hey, Jongin?" I call him tentatively, continuing when he hums. "Why… Why did you make a choreo with me in mind?"

He doesn’t respond for a minute, and I wonder if he will until he goes over to retrieve something from his bag. "I always wanted to dance with you," He admits, throwing a towel around his neck. "To know what it was like to view your beauty up close." He bends his knee, bracing his foot against the wall as my eyes widen. "The way you move, twirl around, and glide across the floor. The blissed out expression on your face… You are at home on the dancefloor, and it shows." He looks up at me then. "You shine brighter than a million stars."

I forget how to breathe for a moment, staring at him with wide eyes and a racing heart.

"I’ve never been envious of Baekhyun but..." His sultry eyes meet mine again. "When it comes to you, it’s hard to fight my jealousy."

My lips part a few times, endless questions dying on the tip of my tongue. Realizing I’m gaping like a fish out of water, I settle for looking down with a hot blush.

Jongin chuckles, tossing his towel onto his bag. "Come on," He pushes off of the wall, walking over to me and taking me by the hand. "Let’s finish up for today."

"I can stand up on my own, you know?" I grumble. "...Thank you."

He just smiles before we take our positions in the middle of the room.

We take it from the top again, soaring through the routine without a hiccup. I put all my energy into not missing a step, dancing beside and around him with ease—

"Stop."

"What?" I blink, turning around to him. "What’s wrong now?"

"That."

"What?" I repeat, my eyes narrowing.

"That." He emphasises, gesturing to me. "You’re too tense. You need to relax."

"How do you expect me to relax, Jongin?" I mumble heatedly, hurt swelling inside of my chest. "I broke up with the love of my life. I had a shitty week. I can barely do the second verse of the choreo without breaking my ankles-"

"You can’t relax," He speaks up, suddenly standing in front of me. Staring into my eyes with his determined ones. "Because you don’t want to."

"I-"

"You fear what will happen if you do." He continues, holding me captive with his piercing gaze. "You fear the unknown."

"D-Don’t I have the right to...?" I hush, feeling my heart race the longer I look into his observant brown eyes. A part of me hates it; being read like an open book. My vulnerabilities and weak points on display without me wanting them to be. But this is Jongin.

He stares deep into my eyes, his minty breath washing over my cheeks. "Not on my watch."

There’s nothing to fear.

He selects a song for the stereo to play, and the moment a certain afrobeat instrumental plays through its speakers, I feel the urge to move my body deep in my soul.

"Let go," He encourages, turning around to meet my eyes in the reflection of the mirror.

Woman

Let me be your woman

Woman, woman, woman

I can be your woman

Woman, woman, woman

I’m intimidated by my reflection in the mirror. The sight of me with messy hair, dewy skin, baggy clothes, and my bare feet makes me feel like the wildest looking woman in the world… until I see the sadness and fear visible in my own eyes.

Let me be your woman

Woman, woman, woman

I can be your woman

Woman, woman, woman

Slowly, I move my hips to the beat, getting a feel for it while watching myself in the mirror. My awkward posture makes me tsk, shifting into a more flattering and stable position. 

What you need?

She give tenfold, come here, papa, plant your seed

She can grow it from her womb, a family

Provide lovin' overlooked and unappreciated, you see (Yeah)

The lyrics… A sense of empowerment washes over me in waves, motivating the swirl of my hips and the smile forming on my lips. The melody of the song begins to seep into my very bones, warming me up from the inside out.

You can reciprocate

I got delicious taste, you need a woman's touch in your place

Just protect her and keep her safe

Baby, worship my hips and waist

So feminine with grace

I touch your soul when you hear me say, "Boy"

Let me be your woman

Winding my waist feels like the most natural thing in the world, circling my wrists while bringing my hands back down to my sides. I can see Jongin’s proud smile from the corner of my eye.

My movements get more energetic as the chorus plays again, the repetitive lyrics flowing like the blood in my veins, felt deep in my very being. Hitting me on a level that very few things ever could.

I glide across the floor when the second verse begins, letting my hair loose and throwing my weight around. The soreness of my waist only makes me shimmer harder, fighting against the aches trying to hold me back—against the chains locked in my mind.

Princess or queen, tomboy or king (Yeah)

You've heard a lot, you've never seen (Nah)

Mother Earth, Mother Mary rise to the top

Divine feminine, I'm feminine (Why?)

Throwing my hands up, I smile as Jongin starts complimenting my movements, playing a smooth rhythmic cat and mouse game with him all over the dance studio. My bare feet on the wooden floor propels me forward, making me feel more connected with the Earth around me, with the woman I want to be.

I’ve caught up to him by the time the song ends, breathing heavily with giddiness pumping in my veins. For the first time in months, maybe even years, I feel like me again—I’ve found myself again.

A hand tucking hair behind my ear has my eyes snapping up to Jongin’s, the adoring expression in his chestnut brown eyes making me feel small and appreciated at the same time. He cradles my face in the palm of his hand, rubbing his thumb over the apple of my cheek. Tingles erupt on my skin; my heart swells with something I haven’t felt in a long time when he starts to lean in.

"You were out fucking Jongin."

I flinch away, pressing my back to the wall, my heart in my throat. "I-I," I look away, hot embarrassment painting my face red. "I don’t want to make you a rebound." A thought occurs to me at that moment: how much taller and stronger Jongin is than me. The consequence of my actions. The vacant practice room. Fearing the worst, I hold my breath, squeezing my eyes shut.

Nothing happens for a while, the silence dragging on for so long that I start to grow lightheaded, cursing myself for agreeing to all of this in the first place.

Are you happy?

I pause, thinking hard for a moment. Despite the rain cloud constantly hanging over my head, I am doing something that I love. Regardless of me looking like pure shit, Jongin sees a light in me. And against all the fucking odds, I… I feel liberated. I feel free.

With that, I open my eyes, staring fearlessly at the man in front of me.

To my surprise, Jongin smiles. "I don’t want to overstep my boundaries," He mumbles, resting his forehead on mine.

A smile breaks out on my face, putting my secret dimples on full display.

It’s finally D Day—the dance competition is just about to begin, and I can’t for the life of me find my bracelet.

"Do you really need that?" Jongin carefully ruffles his styled hair, squinting with one eye over at me.

"It’s for luck," I justify, searching both our bags.

"You depend on a silly little bracelet to give you luck?"

"My grandma made it for me," I snap, my blood pressure skyrocketing.

"Okay, okay—you," He gently takes me by the shoulders, directing me to his chair. "Sit. I’ll find it."

Finding that all-too-familiar 'no nonsense’ expression on his face, I sigh, carefully covering my eyes with my hand. Both of us got our makeup done for today. He’s got on a golden glimmer of eyeshadow to bring out the sultry brown of his eyes, and I’m rocking a burgundy shade that makes my eyes have their own sensual glare in the mirror.

Tucking my hair-sprayed hair behind my ear, I wince at the thought of washing it out later, but the end result is worth it. My brown hair is bone-straight, complementing Jongin’s lavender-gray, middle-parted hair. Not gonna lie, he’s a total eye-candy right now in that red jacket and mesh shirt, and his stage presence is to die for. His oozing confidence just pumps me up even more.

Watching him pull out my bracelet from some hidden department that I have never seen before in my life and come over to strap it onto my wrist with the gentlest touch has newfound hope blossoming in my heart. We came to perform and we came to perform well.

As if hearing my thoughts, Jongin looks up at me at that moment, nodding firmly.

I nod right back, smiling softly. Win or lose, we are going to give it our all.

We make our way out of the dressing room, listening for our cue from the staff member next to the gap leading out onto the stage. They give directions to someone in their headset before giving us the signal.

I can hear the crowd as we step onto the stage, vibrating the floor under us and my whole being with their excited cheers. Nerves aren't pumping furiously through my veins. No, pure adrenaline guides me forward, and the reassuring smile Jongin sends my way makes me at ease all the more.

When the lights dim and the music starts, my hands are already in my hair, my hips popping to the beat.

Just let it flow as it is for me.

As it moves, show me.

I slide down into a crouch, spreading my knees before rolling my neck to the beat. Quickly standing back up, I slowly run my hands through my hair, swaying my hips side to side. I stop moving to let the crowd focus on Jongin, watching him with a smile.

The party has been getting boring.

Jongin starts doing his own thing while I beckon him closer with a body roll, strutting to him on the other side of the stage. I strike a different pose along to the beat, rubbing my hands over my body and rolling my hips. 

Don’t hide it anymore for me

Sliding my hand down my chest, we lock eyes before the chorus hits.

The reason that hides your heart

Do you feel it triggering me a bit?

Here comes the fun part; we sync up our dance moves. Shooting each other little smiles while staying on beat. My long hair sways in the wind; the feeling of being free—free to be me striking me with a sense of comfort in this moment. Jongin catches my eye as if he feels it as well, his killer smirk morphing into a heartwarming smile.

Baby don’t play with me

I slow down to sway my hips to the beat while Jongin slides behind me, pressing his firm chest to my back. The ripples of his abs brush against me through the fabric of his mesh-shirt, warming my sun-kissed skin under the light heat of the partially cloudy sky. His hand tucks under my chin when I face him for the next lyric, "You’re my VIP."

(She talkin’ about)

We sync up again for the next part of the choreography, making me giggle in delight, beaming over the fact that I might have cried a hundred times practicing this choreo but I can finally say that I can dance it without breaking my ankles. And the proud smile on Jongin’s face adds onto that fact.

He points out to the crowd and we change positions as the pre chorus starts again. Jongin acts like the cool, smooth man that he is while I roll my way back to him, matching his moves before blowing a kiss to the crowd when the chorus kicks back in again.

Top down ya

It could be you and me, it could be you and me

I place my hand on Jongin’s shoulder, strutting around him while he shrugs off his jacket. Preparing for the bridge that we changed last minute. Now it’s his time to shine.

Now let me give you what you want tonight

You told me

I take a step back, focusing on complimenting his movements while he has his moment to woo the crowd. Those charming smirks and attractive smiles can steal the heart of anyone, especially the cheering people standing in the front row. There’s a lot of things I’ve learned recently about Jongin, and his unmistakable stage presence is one of them.

The chorus comes back one final time and we go all out. Dancing until our feet ache and the wind picks up around us. The sweet smell of tteokbokki and summer breeze in the air brings another smile to my face. Jongin gets down on the floor while I kneel on one knee to straddle his lap, looking into his eyes with his finger tucked under my chin as the last lyrics of the song fades away.

There’s a long moment of silence, and then the crowd erupts into cheers. Applauding so loud it overwhelms my sensitive ears. Jongin and I step forward to take one last bow, smiling at each other before making our way off stage… but a certain, persistent stare has my eyes flickering back to the crowd. The glimmer of silver hair in the front row is all I allow myself to see before hurrying to leave.

"That was," I start, gasping for breath by the time we reach the dressing room. "Fucking amazing!"

Jongin smiles, glancing over at me, "You liked it, huh?"

"Dude—I fucking lived for it!"

He laughs and it’s super cute, especially with his wide smile.

"That was so cool," I sigh, flopping down onto the couch.

Jongin raises a brow, a smile still on his plump lips. "Would you do it again?-"

"Hell no!" I squeak. "Well… Not unless it’s with you." His eyes dance under the painfully bright lights. "Stop smirking, I take it back."

"Don’t worry." He chuckles, crossing his arms as he leans back against the vanity table. "You’ll be the first one I call next time too."

We’re called back up onto the stage before I can reply, but the smile I beam his way speaks volumes. However, nerves are plaguing my mind this time around. There’s no mistaking the silver hair that I saw in the crowd.

Just as I thought, when we are standing next to the other contestants, there he is. Front and center. I close my eyes with a deep sigh. What the fuck, man? Why are you everywhere?! Can I catch a break from him please? Please?!

Tension builds in my body, but then something cracks.

You know what—

I clench my fists. Fuck him. It doesn’t matter if he’s here or not; he’s no longer a part of my life. Why should I care?

My eyes don’t stray far from the judge and Jongin, even with the constant itch of Baekhyun’s stare. Take a picture, it’ll last longer, asshole. 

The minutes seem to drag on as the judge gives his big speech, listing the criterias and rubric for calculating the winner. A whole lot of gibberish that I have no interest in listening to; I hope Jongin is paying attention. The knowing look he gives me when we briefly make eye contact confirms it. Yep, I smile sheepishly. Sorry.

That damn ticklish sensation on my skin still hasn’t moved while the couple in 3rd place steps forward to receive their reward. I swear to the heavens, Byun Baekhyun—

Snapping my neck around, I glare right at him despite my heart dropping at the sight.

He stands in the front row, sticking out like a sore thumb from the rest of the crowd in his black hoodie and dark jeans. The only thing that makes him pop is his ever-silver hair… and the bouquet of flowers in his hand.

My heart races. Are those—

"And the winner is: Jongin and Riley!"

The crowd roars in excitement, everyone standing up to applaud us as the judge hands Jongin the trophy and a helper places a ribbon around my shoulders. I can’t help but beam at Jongin, both of us smiling wide enough for our mouths to hurt later, but I don’t worry about that now. This is our moment. I throw my arms around him, laughing loudly when he sets down the trophy to spin me around in the air. 

"We did it!" I wrap my arm carefully around his neck, pumping my fist in the air.

Jongin sets me back down, keeping his arms loosely around my waist. "You," He plants a kiss on the top of my head, "did it."

I can’t erase the smile on my face or the glee in my heart even if I tried. My eyes glance back out at the crowd while he goes around congratulating the other contestants, immediately locking onto those soul-sucking, puppy brown eyes. Half a year later and his eyes never fail to make me feel nothing and everything all at once. But I won’t let that define me: I’m not Baekhyun’s woman anymore.

Spectators in the crowd around him are buzzing with energy, dancing to the outro music they are playing overhead while he continues to stand stock-still, his brown eyes focused on me. 

My mind drifts for a second, imagining what it would have been like to be standing up on this stage with him, winning the competition with him by my side. I acknowledge it, let my mind have its little reminiscing moment—and then nip it right in the bud.

I don’t want to live a life of 'What ifs?’ anymore—I want to experience those 'Why nots?’ instead.

I sense Jongin before he steps closer, his chest brushing against the back of my arm. "Are you ready to go?" He asks, his lips grazing my ear.

I continue to lock eyes with Baekhyun, laughing inwardly at the unreadable expression on his face and the lack of a sparkle in his eyes. And when that tall raven from months ago runs to pull him into a hug, my gaze doesn’t waver from his in the slightest. "Yes." I turn my back on him and rest my hand on Jongin’s bicep with a swirl of my hips, peeking at him from under my eyelashes.

He smiles down at me, understanding dawning in his eyes. We link our arms together while walking backstage and out of the stadium.

•⇔♦ •⇔♦ •⇔♦ •⇔♦ •⇔♦ •⇔♦ •

Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3  P(1) P(2) | Part 4 P(1) P(2) | Part 5 P(1)  P(2) | Part 6 P(1)  P(2) —– P(3)  P(4) —– P(5)  P(6) ✓ ||| ♬♩♪♩ FINALE P(1)  P(2)

A/N: Team Jongin or Team Baekhyun? After that dance practice scene, my heart is stuck somewhere in between 💔

Hiya! Long time no see (^-^)

I don't have much to say ahh (>.<) my brain is fried. The emotions in this chapter came from a week of sleepless nights and a marathon of Doja Cat's Planet Her <3 I still got 10 scenes to finish up before Six Phases will be completed. This isn't the end! Just the best cliffhanger I could do with a 100+ page doc (thanks to my nearsightedness. font-size 16 is a lifesaver)

I might suddenly drop the Finale out of nowhere :'D everything depends on Riley~

Thank you so much for reading and supporting this story!! 🥺🥰🌸💗 Writing this baby (haha) is my favorite thing to do and to share it with all of you means the world to me <333 Alright, I'll stop being mushy. Have a great weekend, lovelies! See you as soon as the Finale is done~

Happy two years of Un Village & city lights!!

Thank you endless Baekhyunee for inspiring me. I wouldn't be here without you ❤️