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wednesdaymunson · 1 year ago

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Marked for Death

This is a request from @winchestergirl87-blog. I'm so sorry that I'm just now finishing this. Life happened, brain stopped working lol. I hope you like this. I tried to make it a one shot, but for some reason it's hard for me to do those lol.

Kas!Eddie x Fem!Slayer!Reader

Summary: Something strange is afoot in the town of Eerie, IN. Missing towns people, murders, and creepy creatures. Reader and BFF Oliver can't figure out what's going on. Things calm down and a hot rocker dude pulls into town, stopping by the family store.

Warnings: murder, alcohol, some fluff, death, abuse. I think that's about it. This is pretty tame so far.

A/n: This is set 37 years after what happened in Hawkins. One of Kas' powers is being able to read minds through touching hands, and he's able to walk in the sunlight because his guitar pick is enchanted. Traditional vampire rules, must be invited in, heightened senses. I also created a playlist to help me write this.

Everything around is so desolate. You ran to your grandma's house…you think. It looks like your grandma's house but everything is drab. There's a bunch of vine-like things sprawling everywhere and particles floating in the air. You cautiously walk around the house. The chime of a grandfather clock sounds and you quickly turn around to face a grotesque monster. You couldn't place him, he appeared to be a humanoid, but not something you've ever seen before. The clock chimes again so loud waking you up.

Your eyes snapped open, your chest visibly rising and falling. You quickly sat up, you could still hear the echo of the chime faintly in your ears. You frantically looked around your room making sure nothing was out of place. You fell back into your bed and pulled the covers over your head and let out a deep sigh.

"Y/N, it was just a dream..a weird one, but you're fine." You say out loud.

You peeked your head out from under the covers. There was a beam of sunlight breaking through the side of the curtain. By the looks of it and the sounds outside it had to be at least 11:30 am. You had been out late chasing leads on a possible demon. There had been a slew of murders in your town and from the information you got from the coroner, these weren't committed by a person. Part of you feels like they may be linked to the random disappearances of some of the locals.

You had come across something in a tree trunk that looked like a festering wound. You snapped a shot of it to send to your roommate. As you kept investigating you heard some twigs snap. You quickly turned around and saw some humanoid beast — it didn't resemble the one from your dream, but scary nonetheless.

"🎶 I am human and I need to be loved. Just like everyone else does🎶"

"Fuuuuck!" You breathed.

You forgot to turn your ringer off before you left the house. You quickly found yourself in the line of sight of the monster…. 'Can this thing even see me??' You thought. It made a few clicking sounds before unfurling its head to reveal a horrifying mouth, letting out a loud screech. You were already about faced running back towards your car. Once you reached it, you took a second to look back. It didn't seem like it followed you, but you quickly got in and left.

You finally dragged yourself out of bed and grabbed your robe. You slouched down the long hallway where pictures and paintings of family and ancestors donned the walls. You were from a long line of slayers. Your family, along with others, have been fighting monsters for centuries all across the world, making sure to keep balance. It wasn't a whole family affair, some retired, some died while on a case, and others simply wanted no part and distanced themselves. Slayer life could be lonely at times, but you were lucky enough to have your best friend along for the ride.

You and Oliver met freshman year of high school and bonded over all things horror. He was one of the smartest kids in school, but he never liked being there and didn't see the point in it. He eventually dropped out junior year. He was a jack of all trades, but to say he was a master of none would be a bold face lie. Anything he put his mind to, he could conquer. When he found out that you joined the family business and knew you needed help, he was in, no questions asked.

"Good morning, sunshine. I made coffee and got us bagels. I've been doing research on what could possibly be behind all this shit that's going on here in Eerie and I can't fucking figure it out. I may have to reach out to some of the surrounding covens and The Dead Rouges." Oliver explained without looking up from his laptop.

"Ollie.. How long have you been up?" Your brows furrowed.

"Y/N, bold of you to assume I actually slept. I tried, but I couldn't. I've been researching all night and doing some coding. I also finished a few theses, so the bills are paid for the month, and we have enough money for groceries and necessities." Oliver peered over his screen.

"Oh! Look at my hard-working man! Bringing home the bacon while he lets his beautiful girl pursue her dreams." You joked

"Y/N, you know I don't have an issue with paying for things. You're my best friend, and we're in this til the end, but you have to have a backup plan after you're done with this. You should really think about hiring one or two people to run the store while you're out there saving the world." Oliver sighed.

"Ollie, you and I both know I'm not making it to retirement. I'm pretty sure I'll join the 27 club." You let out a sad chuckle.

"You're not leaving me here by myself! You're going to be old and gray when you die!" He exclaimed.

"How can I be of service to you, Lord Vecna?" Kas asked grimly.

Years had passed since Eddie was left in the upside-down with one foot in the grave. There is where Vecna found him and made him a vampire, creating him a new identity, Kas the Bloody Handed. He grew into the name, but there was still a bit of Eddie left tucked away.He is now the lieutenant in Vecna's army.

"Hmm? Ah, yes. There is this girl…a slayer. She's been meddling into my plans. I've decided to pull back and recalculate, until she's out of the way. Kas, I need you to get rid of our little pest." Explained Vecna.

"Yeah? What are we talking about?"

"Be creative if you want. I just want her life force to cease."

"Understood."

Since the disappearances and killings stopped, there wasn't much to investigate locally, and it was pretty quiet in other regions. You took up what Oliver suggested and hired two people to help run the store, Lydia and Harvey. They were knowledgeable in several music genres, alternative fashion, and even some of the other types of products in the shop. Because you had a lot of down time, you started to let your guard down and had a routine going. Kas was tracking your every move.

It was a slow Saturday night like always, and you had 30 minutes to kill. You decided to take a smoke break out front. You stepped outside and felt the warm summer breeze blow against your face. You closed your eyes and took a deep breath in.

"Nice night, isn't it?" You heard a voice.

You quickly opened your eyes to see a guy who seemed to be stuck in the 80s, possibly early 90s. He had chocolate brown, wavy, shoulder-length hair.. He sported a gorgeous smile that revealed dimples. He was carrying a guitar case on his back. You also noticed his obsidian guitar pick pendant around his neck. If you had to guess, he was definitely a musician —one of your top three types that made your brain turn to mush with all logical thinking gone out the window.

"Oh, yeah! I love nights like this. I used to take this weather for granted until I worked a few summers down south." You smiled nervously.

He returned the smile. Even though he kept close tabs on you, he hadn't been close enough to really get a good look at you. He could tell you were conventionally attractive from afar, but now that he was up close, he was awestruck. He was almost at a loss for words, but he knew what he was here to do.

"I saw this place on my way into town. I figured I'd stop in to take a look after I got settled in. I'm Kas, by the way." He gave a toothy grin as he extended his hand.

"Y/N, nice to meet you." You took his ring clad hand to shake.

Kas was able to read your thoughts as soon as he took your hand in his. 'Ugh, this guy is so hot! Like, is he even real?! Girl, calm down!'

If Kas could blush, he would have. He didn't have great luck with girls when he was Eddie. Once he became a vampire, finding love was no longer important. He came to terms that he would roam the upside-down and all conquered worlds alone until the end of time. He didn't let your thoughts cloud his mind. He was here to kill you and nothing more.

You noticed his touch was like ice as you quickly pulled back.

"Sorry, sometimes my hands tend to get cold due to being anemic." He explained with a nervous smile.

"Oh, no worries. Would you like to come in and take a look around? I have plenty of music, band merch, and tons of miscellaneous items."

Kas smiled to himself, thinking this was going to be easy. He didn't have to ask to be invited in, and you believed the anemic excuse. You were practically serving yourself on a silver platter for him.

"Sooo you’re giving off a 80’s metal head vibe." Your eyebrow raised.

"Well, you got that right."He chuckled.

"Awesome! Not sure if you're a collector or not, but I have something you may like. I only bring this out for the right people, but no one has cared to take it off my hands. Stay right here!" You run to the back to rummage through a closet.

You came back and laid out a shirt on the counter for Kas.

"Vintage 1985 Metallica 'Ride The Lightning' tour shirt. Tour dates on the back."

Kas turned the shirt over and found the date for Indiana. A smile came to his face as the memories came flooding back.

"This.. this was a great show." He whispered.

"Oh? Kas, you don't look a day over 23. There's no way you're in your 50s. If so, I need your skin care routine." You joked.

Kas didn't realize he said that out loud. He had to think quickly.

"Oh! Haha, no. I meant it in a second-hand experience way. My uncle Wayne went to this show, and he would tell me every chance he got about how amazing it was." He explained, rubbing the back of his neck.

"How much do you want for it?" He asked.

"Hmm…just take it. The price I'm asking for, no one wants to pay, and it'll just keep on collecting dust. Maybe you can give it to your uncle." You smiled.

"Thanks! I..I would, but unfortunately, he passed a few years ago. I'm actually on my way to Hawkins to visit his grave and see a few friends. I thought I'd stop here for a few days to veg out beforehand."

"Oh…I just assumed.. I'm sorry for your loss. Hawkins? I've never heard of that town."

" S' okay, he went peacefully. Oh.. it's a real small town west of here. You blink and you'll miss it type of place." He explained.

"Ah, okay. Well, Kas, it's getting late and I need to close up. You're more than welcome to stop by tomorrow if you want to look around some more."

"Oh! I'm sorry for keeping you! I didn't realize it was getting late. Yeah, I'll definitely come back to look around." He winked.

"See ya, Y/N." Kas walked out the door, got in his van, and headed back to the motel."

He got distracted by the shirt and the kind gesture from you. He completely forgot what he came to do. He was really wanting to make this quick, but another day in Eerie wouldn't hurt.

When he got settled into bed, the memories of Hawkins came rushing back. He hated the town, but he missed Wayne, his friends, and Corroded Coffin. Unfortunately, Wayne did actually pass away, heart attack on the job. Everyone he knew moved away and went into hiding, and every so often, Kas would visit them unbeknownst to them. He wanted to make sure they were okay. They were all doing fine, living lowkey lives. Hawkins didn't exist anymore, just a shell of its former self.

Then you ran across his mind. When he closed his eyes, a vivid picture of your face popped up. He could still hear your voice. Out of all your features, he was fixated on your lips. The thought of kissing them quickly ran across his mind. He let out a hiss as his fangs protruded.

'Kas! You're here on business! Pull yourself together! She's nothing to you, just another body to add.'

'Body.. her body. I wonder…'

Kas grabbed a book from his bag to help get his mind off you. It helped, several pages in, his lids got heavy, and he fell asleep. Of course, you were the first thing on his mind when he woke up.

When you got home Oliver was in the living room finishing up a movie. He had asked you how your day was and you went into full detail about your run in with Kas.

"Ollie, he's soooo gorgeous! There's just something about him that I can't quite put my finger on, but I don't get a bad vibe at all!" You squealed with excitement.

"So he's originally from a town called Hawkins that neither of us have ever heard of? Where does he live now?" Oliver asked.

"Umm, I didn't ask?" You grimaced.

"Well, be careful, Y/N." he sighed.

"I'm always careful, Ollie." You smirked.

It was noon the next day. The store was a madhouse. You forgot that the store was holding its annual sale. Really good deals and discounts and some customers would even barter with rare items you were looking for. You had to call Oliver to help out where he could.

You found yourself leaning over the glass counter as your anxiety started to kick in. The door chimed for the millionth time that day. You heard his voice. It was calm and centering. You looked up to meet his gaze.

"Hey, Y/N, it's really crazy in here. You alright?" Kas asked.

"Oh, hey! Umm yes…no. I forgot today was our big sale, but this has been the busiest it's ever been…a bit overwhelming for me right now." You explained with worry in your voice.

"Hmm, have you had lunch? Do you need a break? I can kidnap you if you want? Just say the word." Kas lowered his voice as he leaned in close to you.

"Who's your new friend?" Oliver asked, emerging from the sea of customers.

"Ollie, this is Kas. Kas, this is my roommate and best friend Oliver."

"Nice to meet you, Kas." Oliver gave a slight smile.

"Hey Ollie, I'm going to take lunch. You got this, yeah? "

"Yeah, sure thing, Y/N. Oliver sighed.

You grabbed Kas’ arm and practically dragged him out the door.

“Where to now? What are you hungry for, sweetheart?” Kas inquired.

“Sweetheart,huh?” You giggled.

“Sorry, just a slip of the tongue. I hope I didn’t offend you.”

“Not at all.” You gave a toothy smile with warm cheeks.

“There’s a Burger Barn down the road. They have the best chili cheese fries and cherry limeade."

"Then Burger Barn it is! Hop in sweetheart. You can be the navigator." Kas winked.

"Dude, I get you aren't hungry, but I can't believe you ate at the motel's café and lived!"

"Haha, it was edible. I'll be okay." Kas chuckled.

Truth was, he was starting to get hungry. He hadn't fed since the night before last. He was starting to regret not killing you last night. He would be back in the upside-down and full as a tick. He started to wonder what you would taste like.

"Earth to Kas! Hey, buddy, snap outta it!" You clapped your hands in front of his face.

"Sorry.” He shook his head.

“You good, Kas?”

“Yeah, I’m fine. You ready to get back to work?”

“Nope, but alas I have to go back. The store needs me." You pouted.

"Thank you, Kas. I really appreciate your kind gesture in the store."

"Anytime, sweetheart."

"Hey, Kas… I know you're not here for long, and we barely know each other, but…would you like to come over later and…maybe.. watch a movie or listen to some music?" You looked down, pulling at the loose hem on your shirt.

Kas tilted your chin up with his forefinger and thumb to meet your eyes.

"I would actually like that. I'll tell you my whole life story and you can tell me yours. I'm sure you have some interesting things to tell me. " He grinned.

'She's so fucking gorgeous…. If only this was a different time..' Kas thought to himself.

"C'mon doll, let's get you back."

You gave Kas your address and number when he dropped you off. The crowd of customers had dwindled to a few people. You helped recover the store while Oliver was headed out to meet some friends. At 7, you left Harvey and Lydia to close. You thanked them and told them you'd see them tomorrow.

It was 8:30 when you heard a knock at the door. You practically ran to open it to greet Kas. You welcomed him in, gave him a small house tour.

"Would you like a beer or something else to drink?" You offered.

"A beer is fine." Kas nodded.

You grabbed a few beers and headed to the living room, both choosing a seat at opposite ends of the couch. Kas had asked you to introduce him to some new music so you put on a Spotify playlist for him. You shared a few random facts with every song. He listened to and watched you intently, noticing how your face came to life and your eyes lit up.

"You're really into music, like into it, into it. You should pursue whatever you just did professionally." Kas smiled.

"Well, I wanted to create and write my own music magazine when I was in high school. I wrote about some of the local high school bands I knew and even did interviews with some. Unfortunately, the family business called, so here we are." You sighed.

"So the store is a family thing, yeah?"

"Hhmm? Oh! Yes, the store has been in my family for generations. It started as a general store, but my parents turned it into a music store in the 80s and then added the rest throughout the years." You explained nervously.

Kas could hear your heartbeat palpitating. He would have known that you were lying regardless if he already knew or not that you were a slayer.

"Well, I'm sure you could still do that. You still have time. You have a whole life ahead of you."

The words escaped his mouth before his brain had time to process what he said. He felt a bit of guilt after he realized. This was a new feeling for him as Kas as he didn't know what to think of it.

As the night went on, you found yourself sharing one of the saddest times in your life where you lost your grandma and your mother close together. Your grandmother was in her mid-90s, but she was just as vibrant as ever when she passed. Your mom was diagnosed with lung cancer. The doctors didn't give her much time to live. She stuck around for 7 years after the diagnosis, she said she didn't want to come back for unfinished business. They passed within 3 months of each other, and it was just a dark time for you. Luckily, you had Oliver to help you.

Kas shared Eddie's story of how he ended up living with Wayne. His father was a career criminal. He could never understand what his mom saw in his dad. He remembers the day that his father beat his mom into a coma in a drunken rage. His mother was trying to protect him from his father's abusive words that would sometimes become physical. He recalled times his father handed out corporal punishments for the most miniscule issues. His mother never woke from her coma, and by that point, Wayne was already in the process of becoming Eddie's guardian.

"Sorry, didn't mean to trauma dump on you and bring this night down." He apologized.

"You didn't bring anything down. Everyone needs someone to talk to. I just happen to be a great listener." You smiled.

"Thank you, Y/N. That means a lot to me."

There was silence. You both somehow migrated to the middle of the couch throughout the night. Your fingers found each other, yours gliding over his. Your thoughts were coming in like someone was changing stations on a radio. Kas' eyes met yours, and in that moment, he felt a calmness wash over him, and all he wanted to do was kiss you.

He brushed your heated cheek with his finger — his cold touch sent a shiver down your spine, making your body shudder. As Kas went to pull back his hand, you grabbed him by the wrist and placed his hand on your cheek.

"I like when you touch me. Please don't stop." You begged.

Kas swallowed hard.

"O..okay.."

For the first time in years, he was unsure of himself. He needed to kill you, but his need to taste you was greater. He leaned closer to your face — he was also solving math problems in his head in order for him to stay under control. Your lips crashed into each other, parted, inviting the other in. Kas pressed his body into yours while caressing the back of your neck, the other running up and down your thigh. Your whole body was buzzing with excitement.

Kas moved from your mouth to your neck. He gently kissed down the side, and you let out a breathy moan. Kas' eyes shot open, pupils dilated as soon as his fangs protruded. He quickly picked up where he left off in his head. When his fangs retracted right after, he sat back up and dared not to look you in the eyes.

"Kas, are you okay?"

"Y/N, thank you for inviting me over. I had a great time, but I need to leave."

He quickly got up from the couch and practically ran out the door to his van, not giving you a chance to call for him. You got up as soon as you could and ran to the door just to see the image of his tail lights getting smaller as he drove down the road.

When Kas got back to his room, he took a look in the mirror. Where deep chocolate brown eyes once were, pools of black and shimmering crimson took their place. He cursed at his reflection and then sent his fist into the mirror, sending a few shards onto the floor. He didn't want to feel this way. He should have ended you the first night at the shop. You didn't even notice he was there until he spoke, it would have been quick and easy. Kas quickly grabbed his belongings and left to Hawkins to put some miles in between you and him. Once he got there, he entered a gate to the upside-down and gathered himself. The next time he saw you, it would be your last day alive.

"Y/N! Wake up!" Oliver yelled, shaking you out of your sleep.

"What the fuck, Ollie? The house better be on fire." You mumbled.

You got up and met Oliver in the study. He paced back and forth. There was a folder on the desk.

"Open it."

"You woke me up for a folder?? This couldn't have waited until the morning, Oliver?"

"Y/N, I really need you to open this. I wouldn't wake you up for nothing."

"Alright, Ollie. You owe me breakfast if this is something that could have waited."

You opened the folder to find a missing person flyer from 1986. The person looked exactly like Kas, but the name read Edward Munson.

"Ollie,...wha.. what is this?"

"Y/N. I'm not sure. After you told me about Kas and Hawkins, I asked The Dead Rouges to see what they could find when I couldn't find much in the Black Hellfire archives. This is what they gave me. Something weird happened in March of 1986 in that town. There's names of friends listed there. Hawkins is a ghost town. It's not even listed on current maps anymore." He explained.

"This has to be like a family member, like his uncle Wayne."

"Look at the bottom, Y/N."

'Please contact Wayne Munson,' you read.

"This is definitely him, Y/N. I'm not sure how, but it is. Dead Rouges are still trying to get information on what happened in Hawkins and trying to locate his friends. Unfortunately, Wayne Munson passed away in 1995, so we can't ask him anything."

"This doesn't make sense."

"In our line of work, does anything really ever make sense?" Oliver chuckled nervously.

Your phone rang. You were hoping it was Kas, but when you picked up, it was a lieutenant that was at your store. A puzzled look came across your face, then panic set in. You hung up quickly and grabbed your keys.

"Ollie, I need you to drive to the store. Something bad happened." You tossed him the keys.

Oliver nodded and quickly did as he was told.

When you arrived at the store, there were flashing lights and cops everywhere. They had marked off the entrance of the store along with the sidewalk and a few parking spaces. You were greeted by Lieutenant Riley as you made your way to the crime tape.

"Ms. Y/L/N, I'm sorry to meet you under these conditions. There's no other way to put this, but there are two deceased people in the store. There's a lot of blood throughout it. This may have been a robbery that took a turn for the worst."

"Umm, are.. are they my employees? They should have closed up hours ago." You were fighting the lump in your throat and choking back tears.

"They're actually bringing them out now. Please come with me to identify the bodies, and we'll notify the next of kin." Lt. Riley motioned to the sidewalk.

The medical examiner was waiting for you while you were escorted to the sidewalk.

"Are you ready?" Asked Lt. Riley.

You sighed and nodded. They unzipped the body bags to reveal Lydia and Harvey. You weren't unfamiliar with death, but seeing their faces left you gasping for air. When you finally caught it, you let out a soul crushing wail. You hadn't known them for long, but you knew they were good people who had loved ones, they had a life outside this store. You mindlessly walked and pushed past the crime scene tape into the middle of the parking lot where you sat down and sobbed. This left Oliver to identify the bodies.

Oliver noticed that their throats were ripped to shreds. He didn't buy the robbery that went awry. The police will probably keep this under wraps like they always do. Luckily, you had a connection on the inside.

Oliver helped you up and got you to the car. It wasn't a long ride home, but it felt like years to get there. You and Oliver had a glass of bourbon to take the edge off.

"Y/N, I'm sorry. Are you going to be okay?"

"Honestly…no. They didn't deserve that. Did you notice? "

Oliver nodded.

"That was definitely a vampire attack, like one that hasn't fed for a while. I need to reach out to some other slayers and see if they're experiencing any activity."

"Already ahead of you. I also sent out the info we know to Dead Rouges, all the covens in a 100-mile radius. I even reached out to your dad."

"Ollie, we have a better chance catching bigfoot than hearing from that man."

"Yeah, well, we need to use all of our resources. Let's get to bed and start on this with a fresh mind tomorrow."

You give Oliver a nod in agreement.

"Hey, Ollie…can I sleep with you?"

"Of course." He gave a sad smile.

"C'mon, I'll let you have the right side."

That night sleep came to you quickly, but it wasn't restful. You tossed and turned while you dreamt of saving Lydia and Harvey. You couldn't see who attacked them, but you failed every way imaginable trying to save them. Once you accepted failure, you woke up in a cold sweat.

"What did you see?" A groggy Oliver asked.

You could tell you didn't let him get any sleep.

"I'm sorry, Ollie."

You paused for a moment.

"I couldn't save them, I tried every which way. I couldn't see who attacked them. I failed them." Your voice trembled.

Oliver pulled you closer to him.

"Shhh..let's not do that. You're a slayer…The Slayer. You fight now and mourn after. We have help, and I have someone reviewing all the recordings from the store surveillance."

"What would I do without you?" You sniffled.

"Oh, make very poor decisions, love. Now let's get some sort of rest. We have to be at our best for Lydia and Harvey. I feel like there's a whole can of worms we're about to open."

As soon as you closed your eyes, you drifted back to sleep. It was the most peaceful sleep you had in ages.

When you awoke, all the events of yesterday replayed in your head. You wanted to kick, scream, and cry. You forced yourself out of bed and did your morning routine before meeting Oliver in the kitchen.

Once you got to the kitchen, a strange, large man rose from the kitchen table. Oliver turned around and gave you a smile to assure you everything was okay.

"Y/N, this is Kane. I had him review the surveillance. He has some news for us."

"Good morn.." You glanced at the clock '1:30 pm'.

"Erm good afternoon, Kane. So tell us what you found please."

"I think it's best to show you." Kane suggested.

He opened his laptop and played the recording for you and Oliver.

"At first, I couldn't figure it out. The video just shows them acknowledging the door being opened, and then you see them both being attacked." Kane explained.

They looked like they were fighting the invisible man, being pulled around the store, blood splattering everywhere.

"I eventually saw a blur at the halfway mark. I ended up slowing this down. So let me click here right before with the slowed version."

As the frames played one by one, you finally saw who was behind this. You were shocked when Kas showed up on screen. You didn't want to believe it, but then everything else made sense. How could you have been so blind to not know?

"I'm sorry, Y/N." Oliver whispered as he hugged you.

"Friend?" Kane asked.

"Not anymore." You stormed off to your room.

Oliver took over operations while you stewed in your room.

You went from crying to raging and screaming to sitting in silence. This went on until you finally passed out, but before you did, you heard three loud chimes.

You found yourself in complete darkness.

'Hmm, looks like The Bloody Handed didn't complete his mission.' Vecna's disembodied voice rang in the darkness.

'Who are you?! What the fuck is going on?! Who the fuck is The Bloody Handed?!' You demanded.

Suddenly, Vecna appeared.

You recognized him immediately.

'You! You were in my dream!'

As soon as you take your fighting stance, you see the vine-like things from your dream emerge from Vecna. They quickly grab you around your wrist and ankle, suspending you in the air.

'What the fuck?! Put me down you fucking monstrous tumor!' You yelled, struggling to get loose.

Another one of those things covered your mouth.

'My, such a filthy mouth for such a beautiful girl. I didn't think your beauty would have been a distraction for my lieutenant…Kas The Bloody Handed. Obviously, he spent some time with you as well, or we wouldn't be here right now. Your town would have been taken over by the upside-down.'

Your eyes widen. You tried to fight harder to break free. Another one of Vecna's tentacles wrapped around your neck, slowly squeezing.

'As much as I want to kill you myself and have Kas witness what he couldn't finish, I cannot relieve him of his duty. Though I sense he no longer wants to be tasked with this, I'll have to remind him of who he is. And when that time comes, he will spill your blood, and I will experience great pleasure at that sight. '

'Sweet dreams, Slayer.'

Vecna released you, and your body dropped. As soon as you hit the floor, you woke up gasping for air in Oliver's arms.

"Y/N, what the hell happened? After Kane left, I heard you talking to someone, so I came in and saw you floating in the air like you were in a trance. What are these marks in your body? You okay??" Asked Oliver with brows knitted.

You quickly get up and examine yourself in the mirror. There are marks where Vecna held you and around your neck.

"This isn't just a can of worms, Ollie. I think we may have gotten ourselves into some serious shit." You turned towards Oliver.

"I'm with you to the end, Y/N."

Divider- @silkholland

#Spotify #eddie munson #kas the bloody handed #kas x slayer #eddie munson fanfic #eddie stranger things #kas!eddie #eddie munson x reader

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sentakushimasu · 3 years ago

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diving off the deep end, breathe slow

pairing: sero hanta/iida tenya summary: Sero drowns during a training exercise. Today doesn't make Iida's list of top ten favourite days. genre: hurt/comfort, whump word count: 11.4k warnings: drowning, cpr, hospitals, slight vomit warning (no actual vomiting), hypothermia title from: dayseeker - drunk AO3

Sero tried to ignore the pang of disappointment in his chest as he saw Aizawa’s allocated teams. They were supposed to be randomly generated but Sero couldn’t help but feel like the world was out to get him.

Iida wasn’t on his team yet again.

It wasn’t a big deal, but every time they had a big scale training session, Sero wanted to try working on a team up with his boyfriend. They both had quirks that made them incredibly mobile, but they needed to work better in combat as a team.

Aizawa, however, seemed dead set on preventing that from happening.

Sero had to suppress a yelp as an arm wrapped around his neck and dragged him staggering along. He regained his balance as Kirishima let go of him, grinning widely.

Kirishima, Mina, Shinsou and himself in a team. They could make this work.

They’d all been arranged into five teams of four, tasked with placing quirk suppressing handcuffs on members of the other teams. Kirishima took the role of their self-proclaimed leader and happily accepted the five pairs of cuffs to share between the team. They’d been given the red ones, making it easier to keep track of who was cuffed by which team.

The other teams had other colours, and other interesting combinations of quirks. The blue team, consisting of Iida (their appointed leader), Yaoyorozu, Tsuyu and Uraraka, were likely going to be scarily efficient despite their lack of flashy quirks.

The green team was led by Deku, which, if that wasn’t scary enough, was followed by Shouji, Satou and Todoroki. Sero had to suppress a shudder just looking at that team. The only member who couldn’t easily snap him in half like a twig, could make mountains of ice and pyres of fire without batting an eye. He really hoped another team dealt with them before his team had the misfortune of running into them.

Less intimidating was the yellow team, fronted by Sero’s partner in crime, accompanied by Ojirou, Hagakure and Aoyama. Any team that let Kaminari take charge was not one that Sero felt the need to be scared of.

Bakugou was already barking out orders to the black team. Sero cringed in sympathy for Kouda, Jirou and Tokoyami. Their self-appointed leader was bound to run off on his own, leaving them without much opportunity to intimidate anyone they ran into. Tokoyami could be pretty terrifying in his own right, but going up against a team with Deku and Todoroki? He didn’t stand a chance.

Aizawa interrupted them, speaking in a bored tone, “the first team to use all of their quirk cuffs wins. No, you cannot cuff your teammates, doing so results in immediate disqualification for the entire team.”

Iida’s hand shot up. “Can we use the other teams’ handcuffs if we become separated from our team?”

“The team the cuffs belong to gets the point.”

Uraraka was the next one to raise her hand. “If we handcuff someone with their team’s handcuffs will their team still get disqualified?”

Aizawa paused for a second, regarding Uraraka with a lethargic look. “Yes.”

Okay, Sero had officially decided that the blue team was kind of terrifying. He wasn’t going to let himself be fooled by Uraraka’s round cheeks or the pink-heavy colour scheme of her hero outfit; she was out for blood.

As it turns out, Iida’s team was the only one asking any questions as Yaomomo joined the discussion. “Do we have to cuff both of their hands?”

“No, it’s the same as your previous exams. If you cuff one hand or ankle, you get the point.”

Mina leaned over and gave Sero a well-placed elbow to his ribs. “Don’t let glasses distract you, he’ll steal your handcuffs and disqualify our whole team while you’re busy making heart eyes.”

Sero just rolled his eyes. “I wouldn’t let that happen.”

As if to exemplify the fact that Sero was a filthy liar, he made eye contact with Iida who promptly gave him a wave that he returned with what was undoubtedly an utterly lovesick grin if Mina’s exaggerated fake gagging was anything to go by.

“We’re screwed,” she whined.

Sero gave her a half-hearted glare. “You have such little faith in me.”

Aizawa directed their attention to a map of the training grounds they were located in today. Between the cityscape of ground beta and the added area of the river and its surrounding banks, clearly he was prepared for a lot of big scale altercations. There were five markings on the map, all with a colour corresponding to the different teams.

“Every team has a starting location and the next fifteen minutes to get there

Most of the teams’ locations were within ground beta, aside from the red dot next to the bridge and the blue dot a little ways down the path from the bridge, away from ground beta. Great, an area that Sero couldn’t even swing the majority of, and they were completely exposed to the wind.

He was beginning to think that it was much too cold for outdoor training. As he trailed behind Kirishima and Mina. Shinsou hung back but Sero didn’t hold it against him, they were certainly a much louder group than the purple haired boy would be comfortable with.

Although that didn’t explain why he still let Kaminari follow him around like a hyperactive clingy puppy.

After all, Sero, one of the most chaotic and academically-underwhelming members of class 1-A had somehow managed to be dating Mr Perfect, the class president, for the past four months. Now that had been a shock to the rest of the class, most of all, Sero Hanta whose heart still skipped a beat when Iida reached out to take his hand.

Shinsou at least looked like his hero suit wasn’t going to let him freeze, his capture weapon even seeming to act like a scarf. The same could not be said for anyone else on their team as they began the trek down the pathway up to the bridge.

“Kiri, how are you not a popsicle? You have sleeves but no shirt!” Mina claimed as she shivered.

“I’m invincible,” Kirishima shrugged as he tapped a hardened fist on his now hardened chest. For dramatic effect.

“It’s too cold to be outside,” Sero piped up, rubbing his arms in an attempt to keep the blood circulating. He was kind of hoping that they ran into Todoroki during training, at least being gently roasted alive was better than the cold he was currently experiencing.

Maybe when the exercise started, they would be able to warm up, but the distance between them and the closest group was quite significant and he wasn’t sure they’d be too into an all-out battle.

Maybe if Yaoyorozu made a net and Sero accidentally let himself get caught, Iida would carry him back to base. That was always an option.

The bridge was a good location. From their position in the middle of it, they would be able to see anyone trying to sneak up on them. It was a better vantage point than what the blue team had, that’s for sure.

The group was just standing on the path along the riverbank, Yaoyorozu already sparkling as she used her quirk. As Sero squinted his eyes he could tell that she was handing a jacket to Tsu, he couldn’t help but to feel sympathy for his classmate who was much more sensitive to the cold than everyone else.

There was a ringing noise coming from the wristband Kirishima had been given as their team’s acting leader, to signal the start of the exercise.

“Theoretically, we could just wait for them to come to us,” Shinsou offered. “Let Bakugou deal with Midoriya and Todoroki before he tries to blow our heads off.”

“Good plan,” Sero supplies, trying to show Shinsou some support. “I’ll swing up the bridge supports and keep an eye out if you guys want to sit by the railing and stay out of the wind.”

Mina eyed him warily. “What about you? The wind is gonna be worse up there.”

Sero shrugged. “Pro-hero Cellophane isn’t bothered by the cold.”

“You’re not a pro yet,” Mina corrected him, folding her arms across her chest.

“If you get too cold you’ll come back down, right?” Shinsou asked, his voice laced with an emotion Sero couldn’t pinpoint. “If you faint up there, it would be bad news.”

“I’ll be extra careful,” Sero said with a wink.

Kirishima gave Sero a thumbs up and at that, Sero turned to look up at the structure of the bridge, quickly dispensing his tape.

As the tape curled around the support beam and held its position as Sero gave it a firm tug, he used it to propel himself upwards.

It had probably only been five minutes of Sero leaning against the cold metal of the bridge’s support beams before their first challengers arrived. Sero could see two figures headed towards them. Smaller in stature and both dressed dark, it only took Sero a few seconds to identify Jirou and Tokoyami.

Jirou, they could handle pretty easily. Tokoyami would be trouble.

Mina and Kirishima wouldn’t be at all effective against Dark Shadow, so that match would come down to Sero and Shinsou.

Scratch that, it came down to Sero.

He’d only just managed to swing down onto the bridge and alert his team to their visitors before Jirou’s quirk ripped through the air.

The volume disoriented Sero for a moment, knocking him off balance before he could swing himself back up into the air. He needed to incapacitate Jirou if they had any hope of using Shinsou’s quirk. If Tokoyami couldn’t hear him speak, he couldn’t be brainwashed.

Sparing a glance behind him, Sero noticed that Mina and Shinsou were both struggling to stay oriented as the sound assaulted their senses. It was no Present Mic, but it was powerful enough to pose a threat to their group when their most powerful quirk needed to be heard to work.

They were lucky that Sero at least had a quirk that worked long distance because while Kirishima and Mina had to get close to their opponent to use their quirks, Sero was able to maneuver through the air.

He had gotten much better at using his quirk midair during his time at UA, able to turn and shoot another reel of tape at the railing across the bridge and pull himself back down to the ground.

His landing was smooth as he folded himself to roll across the asphalt and up onto his feet.

He would never complain about the gymnastics classes his mum had forced him into during middle school ever again.

With another spin, he was wrapping his tape around Jirou and yanking her towards him, her arms pinned to her sides. She was too startled to maintain her quirk, whipping her earphone jacks towards Sero, likely in hopes of deterring him.

It didn’t work. Of course. As Sero slapped the quirk suppressant cuffs on her wrist.

He offered Jirou an apologetic smile as she glared at him.

The moment was cut short by an impact sending Sero flying to the side.

He quickly adjusted his form so that he rolled on impact with the ground and could easily pull himself back up on his knees. Only to find himself faced with Dark Shadow moving towards him, swooping side to side menacingly.

Sero was a big fan of the sentient quirk, it was like having a dog in the dorms, if dogs were made of shadows and could speak. What he didn’t like about Dark Shadow, was its ability to absolutely throttle him right now.

Forcing himself to his feet, Sero started to back away from the quirk, hoping that his team would figure something out while he had the threat distracted. If Dark Shadow focused its attention on someone else then Sero could possibly manage to restrain Tokoyami and cuff him if he was fast enough.

“Tokoyami, help!” Jirou called out, sounding so panicked that even Sero’s head snapped up at the sound.

Just in time to see Tokoyami’s expression go blank and his stance lose its tension. The consequence of calling out to his teammate in concern.

Shinsou was kneeling on the ground a few metres away, his hand still on his mask, his unruly purple hair moving in the wind. Clever.

Dark Shadow was quick to snap its attention to Tokoyami, fussing over the boy who wasn’t responding to him.

Sero saw his opportunity and took it.

He shot out the tape, wrapping it around Tokoyami to restrain him in case something interrupted Shinsou’s mind control.

Dark Shadow quickly retreated back into Tokoyami and Sero couldn’t help the proud smile spreading across his face as he nodded at Shinsou and gave him a thumbs up.

Shinsou’s quirk was officially his favourite. That was badass.

Their relief was soon interrupted by a loud clatter.

Sero’s eyes fell on the black handcuffs now sitting in the middle of the bridge. Which could only mean that someone else was here, and Sero sincerely doubted that Kouda would be dropping things from a height like that. Which left the last person Sero wanted to fight right now. Bakugou Katsuki.

The sound of an explosion confirmed his suspicions.

The dropped handcuffs weren’t a mistake, they were a threat.

Sero barely had a second to shoot out more tape and grab Shinsou, pulling his teammate towards him as Bakugou descended on the place where he stood, his hands popping with explosions.

With his hands on Shinsou’s shoulders, Sero steadied the purple haired boy, loosening the hold of the tape.

“Are you hurt?” Sero asked quickly, his eyes worriedly scanning Shinsou for any signs that the tape hadn’t been fast enough.

Shinsou looked thoroughly spooked but shook his head after a few seconds, snapping back into focus. “No.”

“Good. Did you cuff Tokoyami?”

Shinsou nodded. Great, that kept their threats to a minimum.

“Good job,” Sero said, giving Shinsou’s shoulder a supportive pat. “Stay where he can’t get you.”

Sero didn’t wait for a reply as he dispensed his tape and swung himself up into the fray.

Bakugou was fixated on Kirishima, hitting the boy’s hardened exterior with explosion after explosion. Sero cringed in sympathy, Kirishima said that it didn’t hurt but it still had to be hot.

Choosing that moment to look away from the fight, Sero turned to pull himself even higher up, reading another set of handcuffs in his non-dominant hand.

That was the easy part.

He turned back to the fight only to see that Bakugou had successfully cuffed Kirishima who was just staring at his wrist in shock. And Bakugou was notorious for not knowing when to quit as he reared up to set off another explosion at Kirishima.

Shooting out his tape in a panic, Sero grabbed Bakugou by his waist and tugged him away from the redhead. Only for the explosion to be rounded on him.

Bakugou missed his mark and Sero foolishly let Bakugou explode the tape that tethered them together.

His enemy was now airborne, setting off explosions as he hovered, staring at Sero with murderous intent. Sero hoped he looked good because this was going to be his last day alive with Bakugou looking at him like that.

Sero was a lot of things, a smart guy who thought things through before he did them was not one of them.

He shot out tape at a support beam directly across the bridge, and prayed that Bakugou didn’t sever it as he yanked himself to the other side. His other hand readied with the handcuffs.

In a stroke of dumb luck, Sero managed to clip the black handcuffs above Bakugou’s gauntlet. The older boy had made a mistake dropping those as a threat.

Sero had a split second to be proud of himself as the incessant sound of popping ceased before he realised that he was swinging over the edge of the bridge and Bakugou was plummeting.

He was getting too far away, forgetting to halt the unwinding of his tape until he was a ridiculous distance out from the bridge. There was no way he could reach the explosive teen now.

He shot a new piece of tap at the railing and tried to pull himself back down, turning to shoot a second strand towards Bakugou to hopefully help his descent.

The tape missed and Sero was swinging too low, on course to swing under the bridge before he could pull himself back up the other side.

Shinsou’s capture weapon caught Bakugou and Sero had to hope his fall wasn’t too dramatic as the top of the bridge left his eyesight.

He just had to swing under the bridge and come up on the other side, and then he’d be able to check on everyone. It would only take him a few seconds to be back topside.

Sero felt the release of tension in his tape and before he even realised what was happening, he was in freefall and on a collision course with the river. That was the thing about his quirk, the constant looming threat of falling. In his panic, he tried to fling out some more tape, hoping it would find a purchase on some part of the underside of the bridge.

Or the railing that entered his line of sight as he fell along the trajectory of his previous swing. He could almost swear he saw a head of fluffy pink hair peeking over the railing.

His tape failed to connect with anything as his body hit water.

Which was freezing.

The shock of the impact and the temperature drop had Sero taking an involuntary breath of nothing but water, the coldness eagerly filling his lungs and pushing out whatever air he had left. He wasn’t sure if his helmet was still on his head or if it was just whatever the opposite of watertight was.

Even opening his eyes to the assault of the cold water didn’t help his case. He couldn’t see any light to tell him which way the surface was. All he knew was that his lungs burned and he could do nothing more than try to swim and hope he wasn’t sinking.

He tried to stay calm, but there was really no option for him other than to panic and hope that someone fished him out of the water.

Kirishima would sink like a stone if he even dared to jump in after Sero, he would immediately harden in contact with the water. Mina and Shinsou could swim but the jump off the bridge was far too dangerous.

Maybe Bakugou could get to the water with his explosions, but Sero couldn’t remember if he’d be able to propel them out of the river even if he did go after Sero. He didn’t see the end of Bakugou’s fall, his friend could very well be dangerously injured, far too poorly off to help the one who was responsible for his fall.

His head was so foggy.

There was a different quality to the darkness that crept in around the corner of his vision in comparison to the darkness of the water. Sero had always thought he could hold his breath for a long time, but he guessed that the gut instinct of inhaling the water would be his undoing.

Sero vaguely recalled that there was another group, closer to the riverbank. He couldn’t remember who had been there, but he could only hope that Tsu was nearby, she was perhaps the only one who would be able to get him. She was very qualified with water rescues.

The fog was growing thicker, heavier, and Sero wasn’t sure he had the energy to keep up his fight towards the surface.

It was always fun when a training exercise became a rescue mission. He just hoped that someone fished him out before it was too late.

Everything was heavy and Sero let the water take him.

Iida’s entire team snapped to attention when they heard a scream.

“SERO!”

It was raw and filled with genuine terror. Iida felt like someone had dumped a bucket of ice water over his head as he turned in the direction the scream came from. Just in time to see a dark form hit the water at a high speed, white strips of tape hanging uselessly in the air as they floated down onto the river’s surface.

With bated breath, everyone watched the surface of the water, waiting for Sero to surface.

Iida’s mind was a whirlwind. Had he hit his head? Had he been blown from the bridge by one of their classmates’ stronger quirks? Why had Iida yet to see his boyfriend’s hair pop out the top of the water?

No one needed to say anything before Asui was racing down the riverbank and throwing out her tongue.

Asui pulled Sero from the water with ease, how she had even known where he was, was beyond Iida. He would have to thank her later, after he checked on his boyfriend.

That water had to be freezing, and Iida was not unfamiliar with the knowledge that Sero would lose his body heat a lot faster in cold water. He was in his winter version of his suit but it wasn’t waterproof.

Sero’s helmet had fallen off at some point, maybe even prior to him hitting the water, Iida noticed as he raced over to meet him and Asui.

Iida didn’t know what he was expecting when he crashed to his knees next to his boyfriend’s wet form. Coughing and complaining? Sure. Sero being completely limp, soaked to the bone and not giving Iida’s presence any acknowledgement? Not what Iida expected.

Sero’s dark hair was plastered to his skin by the water, his eyes were closed, his lips and the tip of his nose going a jarring shade of purple and grey.

“Sero?”

Iida wrapped his hand around the top of Sero's shoulder, where it met the base of his neck. He tried to ignore how cold Sero felt to the touch, blaming it on the water, but the temperature of his skin had anxiety curling in Iida’s gut. "Sero? Hanta, can you hear me?"

Sero offered him no response, not even a twitch or grumble like he usually did when Iida bothered him while the older boy was trying to take a cat nap on the common room couch.

Okay. Bad news.

"Call an ambulance, and Aizawa-sensei!" Iida called out. It came out a lot shakier than he was expecting.

He leant down so that his cheek hovered above Sero's mouth and nose, his hand resting atop his boyfriend's chest. He was hoping, begging, for the sensation of air brushing against his face or movement under his hand, even the sound of Sero's breathing or the sight of his chest rising and falling.

Worse news.

Sero wasn't breathing.

Iida wasn't wearing his watch so he couldn't be certain that it had been ten seconds but he knew that it had been too long without any indication that Sero could breathe.

Aizawa regularly made them revise first aid so it wasn't like Iida didn't know what to do.

But there was a world of difference between a CPR dummy and turning his giggling boyfriend onto his side, and Sero being completely unresponsive and being entirely dependent on Iida to help him.

Taking a deep breath and trying to shove his anxiety deeper inside himself, Iida positioned himself. With his knees pressed up against Sero’s side, his right hand over his left and his elbows locked straight.

His mind was a whirlwind as he started the compressions. Was he pressing hard enough? Was it fast enough? Was he even helping?

He was quick to shove the thoughts out of his mind, he couldn’t afford to think about anything other than the compressions. If he hesitated or freaked out, it could cost Sero his life.

“Twenty-seven, twenty-eight, twenty-nine, thirty,” Iida counted under his breath. He leant down to Sero’s face, his hands tilting his boyfriend’s head back and pinching his nose as Iida’s mouth covered Sero’s cold one.

Two breaths and he was back to pumping Sero’s heart for him. Iida’s head swam at the thought.

Iida was counting his way through his second ground of compressions when someone fell into place on Sero’s other side. Iida didn’t even bother to look up at who they were, he only cared about one thing right now, seeing Sero awake and breathing.

“Iida.” So it was Yaoyorozu next to him. “I have a defibrillator. Attach it while I do the breaths, okay?”

Iida nodded firmly. “Okay.”

Fuck, he’d forgotten all about the defibrillator in his panic. Had she made it? He tried to pull up the mental map of where AEDs were located around campus but it was all a blur in his head. He couldn’t think clearly about anything other than Hanta.

He says his “thirty” loud enough for Yaoyorozu to hear him and she snapped into action, passing the opened defibrillator to Iida as she placed a bag-valve-mask over Sero’s nose and mouth.

Either she was truly the best at locating things under pressure or she was incredible at using her complex quirk in a panic. Iida couldn’t rule out either.

He would be grateful for her for the rest of his life, he suspected.

Iida grabbed the shears from the defibrillator box and started to cut away Sero’s hero costume. It was a simple motion, starting at the base of Sero’s throat and stopping just above his pelvis.

Vaguely, Iida was aware that Sero’s chest was falling for the second time and Yaoyorozu was setting the bag valve mask down next to his head.

“I’ll get it, you do compressions.”

Iida couldn’t find it in him to say anything, getting back into the rhythm of pushing on Sero’s chest. It was more physically draining than he had expected, his arms ached and his chest was begging to feel tight with the exhaustion. But he couldn’t stop. He would keep going until Sero’s heart was beating on its own.

Out of the corner of his eye, Iida can see Yaoyorozu peeling back the film on the AED pads so he took over the breaths for her. He didn’t even bother fumbling with the mask that was on the other side of Sero.

In the span of two rescue breaths, Yaoyorozu had dried off Sero’s torso with a towel that would have seemingly appeared out of midair if Iida didn’t know any better and attached the pads to his chest.

Iida hesitated for a moment, unsure of what to do.

Yaoyorozu’s voice was firm yet comforting as she spoke. “Keep going.”

Thankfully, at least one of them could keep their head on straight right now.

As Iida continued the compressions, his heart breaking ten times over with every one, Yaoyorozu called out to someone outside of his field of vision.

“Uraraka, can you use the bag mask? Just squeeze it twice when Iida does thirty compressions.”

There was a silent exchange and another body kneeling on the ground with them.

The AED made a noise when Iida stopped his compressions. How long had it been? It felt like a lifetime. The amicable chatter he had been exchanging with Asui and Uraraka as they walked down the riverbank seemed like it had happened forever ago. Where was Aizawa? They needed help.

“Analysing rhythm, don’t touch the patient.”

Iida snatched his hands away from where they hovered close to Sero, shuffling back until his knees were no longer touching his boyfriend.

They waited with baited breath for the machine’s verdict.

“No shock advised. Continue compressions.”

Iida was back in position in less than a second, pushing down on his boyfriend’s chest again. Sero’s sternum was firm below the heel of Iida’s palm.

How many times had he languidly traced his fingers across Sero’s skin, trailing ghosts of fingertips over his boyfriend’s sternum, a flat palm pressed over where Iida could feel the strong thumping of Sero’s heart? He’d become so accustomed to just reaching out and touching Sero, it was normal, but this wasn’t like that.

There was no sight of black eyes watching him carefully as Sero’s lips curled into a smile, a soft “I love you” on his tongue.

The stupid monotonous “press, press, press” from the AED was not helping to ease Iida’s panic. He couldn’t do more than try to tune it out.

“Come on, Hanta,” Iida pleaded, his voice breaking with the pent up emotion he had accumulated in the past few minutes. “Breathe.” Iida was still pressing on Sero’s chest, hoping that with every thrust downwards that it would spur Sero into motion. “Please, Hanta. You have to breathe!”

Yaoyorozu and Uraraka both refrained from saying anything as the tears started to fall, Iida couldn’t keep them at bay anymore. He was tired, he was desperate, and Sero was still cold and unresponsive.

His tears hit the back of Iida’s hand, others pooling on Sero’s skin.

Aizawa couldn’t have picked a better or worse time to show up.

There was some shuffling and Aizawa was kneeling on the other side of Sero, Yaoyorozu having moved to take over the position by Sero’s head. Where did Uraraka go?

“Iida,” Aizawa said. He was clearly out of breath. Had he run to them? Iida didn’t doubt that his teacher would. After all, he’d proven himself willing to give his life for them. “Next round you’re swapping out with me,” he commanded in a low voice.

Iida shook his head. “I can’t”.

“You can. You’re tired and you need to let me take over. You’ve done well, let me help, Iida.”

Iida couldn’t keep up his argument. Aizawa was right, he was tired.

As he finished his round of compressions, he leant back heavily, turning his legs so that he didn’t sit on his engines.

Aizawa offered him a sympathetic look, but there was an edge to it - worry.

Iida couldn’t do anything more than watch as Aizawa took over. He kept his eyes trained on Sero’s face, mostly obscured by the mask. Yaoyorozu also had tears in her eyes but with her lips pressed into a firm line, they didn’t spill.

That’s when it really sank in.

This was supposed to be a routine training exercise, and now Sero might not walk away from it. How did everything go so wrong so quickly?

Aizawa was still going when he spoke, “Sero, if you open your eyes, I’ll give you an A on every test left in the semester.”

There was a weird quality to his voice. Iida wasn’t used to hearing this much identifiable emotion from his teacher, a plea with the unconscious kid he was supposed to take care of, masked in useless humour.

Sero would laugh if he made Aizawa cry. It had always been such a bizarre thing to think about, but Iida wasn’t so sure anymore.

His timing was almost comical.

As Aizawa started on his second round of compressions, the student beneath him jolted, spitting up water as he desperately tried to suck air into his lungs.

“Sero!” Yaoyorozu exclaimed, Iida had no doubt that she was crying those tears now.

“Turn him on his side,” Aizawa instructed as he slid his hands under Sero’s shoulder and hip, turning him towards Iida who quickly moved to help guide Sero into a stable side position.

He was breathing, and it finally felt like Iida could breathe too.

Sero was coughing as his chest spasmed, emptying his lungs of filthy river water.

Yaoyorozu was cooing and brushing Sero’s hair out of his face. If the tape user was more aware right now he probably would have been blushing at the ministrations, but currently they just helped to settle his panicked writhing.

“Just breathe, Sero,” Iida says, his voice uncharacteristically shaky but no one dares question it. He’s completely focused on holding Sero steady as he breathes. The sound is laboured and wheezy but it’s the most beautiful thing Iida has ever heard.

Iida doesn’t even look when Aizawa unwraps his capture weapon from around his neck and slides the bundle of fabric under Sero’s head. His scarred and much bigger than Yaoyorozu’s hand rested against the back of his student’s wet head for a few moments before he retracted it, instead opting to hold onto Sero’s wrist, feeling his pulse and looking at his watch on his other wrist.

“You did good, kid. Focus on breathing.”

Sero let out a weak and breathless laugh. He seemed to be done with coughing up the water, much to Iida’s relief. “Praise from Aizawa-sensei, I really must be dead.”

Aizawa didn’t look up from his watch. “Do you know where you are?”

“Somewhere wet,” Sero grumbled before shuddering. “I’m cold.”

“Yaoyorozu, do you think you could make him a blanket?”

Iida looked up at Yaoyorozu, only really looking at her at this moment. Her eyes were red and her face tear-streaked, she looked exhausted. He felt bad that Aizawa was asking her to do even more after she just exhausted herself and her quirk to save Sero’s life.

But Sero was shivering pretty aggressively under Iida’s hold. His lips and nose were still discoloured, and from this angle he could see that the purple tint extended to Sero’s eyelids.

She nodded. “Of course.”

Aizawa wrote something on the back of his hand as he set Sero’s hand down. Iida had no idea where his teacher had produced the pen but he was fairly impressed with Aizawa’s efficiency and professionalism. Especially considering that Iida and Yaoyorozu were both still crying. The wetness on Aizawa’s cheeks did not evade the class representative’s notice though.

As the sparkles in the corner of Iida’s vision died down, he was handed the corner of a very fluffy blanket, Aizawa taking the other as they tucked it around Sero.

“The ambulance is almost here,” Uraraka’s voice chirped helpfully from behind Iida. He hadn’t realised that she was still there.

“Thank you, Uraraka. Do you think you and Asui can meet them when they enter the training grounds and guide them here?” Aizawa asked, his voice so soft it was frankly unnerving.

“Of course, sensei!”

And with that, the two girls were gone.

“Tenya?” Sero croaked, snapping Iida back to focus.

“Yeah?”

If Aizawa noticed the use of Iida’s given name, he didn’t give any indication. Maybe he was just too relieved that Sero was alive to care much about anything else. The teacher just continued to kneel there with a hand on Sero’s back and his eyes on his watch.

“Are you okay?” Sero asked softly, reaching for Iida with a clumsy hand. Cold fingers wrapping around Iida’s own.

Iida takes a few seconds to be surprised. “What?”

“You’re crying.”

“I’m just glad you’re okay, that’s all.”

“Hmm,” Sero hums thoughtfully. “I like it better when you smile.”

They kept up the random chatter until the ambulance arrived. Aizawa took the role of talking to the paramedics and Iida was incredibly grateful for that, he wasn’t sure he could get through a sentence without crying at the moment. He was feeling very emotionally raw.

The paramedics were nice enough to work around Iida, whom Sero was still holding onto.

Sero grumbled when one of the paramedics secured an oxygen mask to his face, letting go of Iida’s hand to try and remove it. He was sitting up now but his eyes were still glossy and he didn’t seem entirely present. Iida snatched Sero’s hand back with a firm look.

“Don’t do that.”

“It feels weird,” Sero whined, his voice muffled by the oxygen mask.

“Too bad. Don’t drown next time.” Iida felt kind of guilty when he was being so strict with Sero, but he wasn’t about to let his boyfriend interfere with his medical care.

“You’re so mean to me.”

Iida was about to respond but he was interrupted by one of the paramedics, he was unsure if it was the same one that gave Sero the oxygen mask or not. “Do you think you can stand?”

Sero paused for a second, mulling over the question before he gave the paramedic a shake of his head.

“That’s okay, we can go at your pace. You can sit here for a little longer and try again or we could figure out some other option that suits you,” the paramedic said in such a comforting tone that even Iida felt reassured.

Sero seemed to perk up at that. “Can Tenya pick me up?”

Iida internally groaned. Their relationship was not going to be a secret from Aizawa after today.

“If that’s what you’re both comfortable with, then sure, I’ll just hold onto the oxygen tank and we’ll get you on the gurney and loaded into the ambulance, okay? It’s much warmer than out here, too.”

Iida had no qualms about lifting Sero. His boyfriend weighed basically nothing and loved being carried around regularly. Sometimes he would be too tired to be bothered walking up to his dorm and made Iida scoop him up and take him there to prevent him from sleeping on the couch and waking up with a crick in his neck.

With an arm under Sero’s shoulders and another behind his knees, Iida easily lifted his partner. It was only a matter of steps to the elevated surface of the gurney which he nestled Sero on easily.

The other paramedic was quick to cover Sero in blankets, especially considering that the one Yaoyorozu kindly provided was pretty much soaked through at this point. Iida hoped she would get some rest when she got back to the dorms, but figured most of the class would wait up for news on their classmate’s condition.

As the paramedics loaded the gurney into the ambulance, one of them turned to speak. “Who’s riding with?”

Iida turned to Aizawa, expecting to be given instructions to handle the class while Aizawa went with Sero to the hospital but Aizawa just nodded his head in the direction of the ambulance. “Go ahead.”

“But sensei-”

“No buts. I’ll wrap things up here and meet you at the hospital. I trust you can handle things for an hour.”

“I- thank you sensei!” Iida said, following his boyfriend into the back of the ambulance.

Turning back to look at Aizawa who was bending over to pick up his sodden capture scarf off the ground, Iida saw the group of their classmates that had gathered. Only a few of them were there, but they all looked off.

Iida’s entire group was there, of course. Yaoyorozu was folding up the soaked blanket she had made for Sero, her face still covered in tears. Uraraka had her arms around Tsuyu, both of them looking worse for wear.

At some point that Iida would not have been able to pinpoint if he tried, Sero’s team had joined them. Ashido was holding onto Kirishima, looking like she’d barely just stopped crying, Kirishima didn’t look much better, his own face streaked with tears. Shinsou hung back from the two, his mask in his hand as he watched everything with wide eyes.

Bakugou wasn’t a member of either group but he was there, looking uncharacteristically solemn. Iida idly wondered how much they’d seen. Bakugou was not known for being quiet, and he was just standing there with a vacant look as his arms hung limply by his side.

Iida turned back to Sero just in time to see him giving his friends a wave.

Out of everyone, he seemed to be taking it the best. He was soaked to the bone, visibly exhausted and had an oxygen mask strapped to his face but he still smiled when he met Iida’s eye.

“Tenya don’t let them take my suit,” Sero called out. Iida was growing more accustomed to Sero speaking through the oxygen mask, making communication much easier. It also helped that Sero was now a lot more aware than he had been in the ambulance.

“It’s beyond salvation, you’re going to need a new one,” Iida stated.

Sero just whined at him. “I don’t want them to cut my suit.”

Iida looked over at the nurse who was already most of the way done cutting the fabric away from Sero’s skin. “I already cut it.”

“But it’s okay when you do it.”

“If you’re brave and listen to the hospital staff, you’ll be able to go home earlier.”

Sero perked up at that. “Really? Can we watch a movie back at the dorms?”

“If you’re feeling up to it when you get discharged, then sure,” Iida said with a soft smile. He rubbed his palms against his thighs, cursing how uncomfortable it was to wear his suit for non-hero purposes. He did not design it with sitting in a chair in mind.

The other issue was that his hands would not stop shaking. It had been a solid half an hour of sitting in the ER with Sero but Iida couldn’t quell the constant trembling. It wasn’t even subtle, he had planned on texting the class group chat with an update but he couldn’t hold his phone steady for long enough to even unlock it.

Sero had noticed, pretty early on actually, he mumbled something about Iida’s shaky hands and offered to hold them. That had lasted for a short while until Sero had gotten tired of trying to comfort Iida. He was very exhausted, losing the energy to do much more than pipe up occasionally when he thought of something funny that he wanted to share.

Iida sincerely doubted that Sero would be able to hold out for an entire movie by the time they got back to the dorms. That was unless the doctor decided to keep Sero overnight, which was still possible.

However, Iida really hoped that wasn’t the case. He wasn’t sure he could handle going back to the dorms for the night and not being able to confirm his boyfriend’s safety with his own eyes.

If the anxiety seized him right now, he could just reach out and take Sero’s hand or look across the bed at the monitor that beeps to reaffirm that Sero’s heart was beating fine.

Iida wasn’t sure he could ever shake the fear of the realisation that it wasn’t. It hadn’t been. He’d come within a hair’s breadth of not sitting next to Sero’s hospital bed as the older boy complained about getting his suit cut off.

He could be sitting in the dorms right now, grieving with everyone else. But he wasn’t.

Sero looked extra unimpressed as he sat up, Iida leapt from his seat, his arm coming up behind Sero’s shoulders to stabilize him.

The nurse quickly tied the hospital gown in place and Sero was eased back onto the now elevated mattress so he could sit up and pout at Iida with minimal effort.

Sero spoke when the nurse left the room, pulling the curtain shut behind her. “It’s ugly.”

Iida rolled his eyes. “It’s practical.”

“Still ugly,” Sero grumbled. “I’m tired.

“Take a nap, I’ll be here the entire time. Just don’t mess with the wires.”

Sero rolled over onto his side and pulled his knees up to his chest. “Goodnight, Tenya.”

“It’s like 3pm.”

“Goodnight, Tenya,” Sero said again, his voice firmer.

Iida couldn’t help but sigh as he stood up again to press a kiss to the top of Sero’s head in his semi-dry hair. “Goodnight, Hanta.”

He lingered for a moment, drinking in the sight of his boyfriend. The whiteness of the hospital gown, the bed sheets and blankets all served to amplify how pale Sero looked. He still had that purple tint to his extremities. There were at least a billion wires poking out from the top of the hospital gown, all of them connected to some monitor or another. The oxygen mask was still firmly fixed to his face, a little grey rectangular clip on the index finger of his right hand to document the necessity for the mask.

He knew Sero had to be feeling pretty awful right now, but his boyfriend continued to joke and try to make Iida smile, it made his heart squeeze in his chest as Iida reached for the bundle of blankets that had slipped to Sero’s feet. He tucked them up to his boyfriend’s shoulders and pressed another kiss to his hair before returning to his seat.

After a trip to radiology for a chest x-ray that Iida had to sit in the waiting area for the duration of, Iida followed Sero up to a room in the pediatric ward.

It was weird, following the orderlies and his boyfriend’s hospital bed through the corridors and a bunch of kids. Some of them were crying and screaming, others running around with friends and giggling. He felt very out of place as an almost-adult still dressed head-to-toe in his hero gear.

As Sero was settled into the room, his oxygen mask was switched to a nasal cannula that showed off the fact that the colour had come back to his face. He still had his pile of blankets as well as an additional IV that the nurse said was warm saline to bring up his body temperature a little faster.

The wires were still there, as was the pulse oximeter clipped to his finger, and a little paper cup of tea in Sero’s hands that he slowly sipped.

Aizawa joined them after a little while, as Sero’s eyelids were beginning to droop again. “What’s the verdict?”

“They killed my suit,” Sero grumbled, pouting like a child.

Aizawa quirked a questioning eyebrow.

“They had to cut it off of him when he arrived,” Iida supplied helpfully.

“I’ll contact the support class when we get back to UA,” Aizawa said simply, ignoring Sero’s pout. He lifted up a hand with two cloth shopping bags dangling from his grip. “I got your classmates to get you both a change of clothes. I figured you didn’t want to be Ingenium right now, and Sero is going to need something to wear when he gets discharged.”

“When is that going to be?” Sero asked, bringing his paper cup to his lips again.

Aizawa levelled him with a stern gaze. “You almost died, Sero.” His expression and voice softened considerably. “I’m glad to see you’re doing better.”

“So when do I get to go home?”

“The doctor said that once his temperature and Oxygen levels are back within a normal range, they’ll keep him for a few extra hours for observation. Said it’s unlikely that they’ll keep him overnight unless a complication arises,” Iida explained.

Aizawa pointed an accusing finger in Sero’s direction. “Don’t even think about wracking up pneumonia or, god forbid, a cardiac arrest. You’ve already traumatised poor Iida enough for one day.”

Sero tapped the finger with his pulse oximeter clipped to it on his chin. “I could do another cardiac arrest, for the drama of it all.”

Iida made a choked noise. “Please don’t.”

Sero and Aizawa both turned to him, Sero’s eyes wide and Aizawa’s eyebrows pulled together - in concern.

“Do you need a hug, Iida?” Aizawa asked in his usual monotone, regarding his student with an unreadable expression.

“What?”

Aizawa spread his arms in an invitation. “Free dad hug, one-time offer.”

“No-” Iida started, not even able to finish his sentence through his surprise. Aizawa was offering to hug him. “No thank you, sensei.”

“Your loss,” Aizawa said with a shrug, dropping his arms back to his sides.

Sero perked up. “I want a dad hug. Can I have a dad hug?”

“No. You give me heart palpitations, you don’t get a dad hug.”

“Aww, just one?” Sero asked, reaching a hand out towards Aizawa. It was clear that Sero was milking this opportunity for all it was worth, he knew he’d never be able to be so casual with Aizawa under any other circumstance without getting scolded.

“Maybe if you still want one when you’re discharged. Focus on recovering for now.”

“On it. You’ve neer seen someone more recovered from drowning than me.”

Aizawa set one of the bags of clothes at the foot of the bed, holding out the other one for Iida to take.

“The Ingenium suit can’t be all that comfortable right now.”

Aizawa’s gaze softened when Iida held the bag of clothes to his chest but didn’t move, his eyes still glued to Sero. “I’ll keep an eye on him. Get changed.”

Iida wanted to object but Aizawa wasn’t wrong. His suit was big and clunky and awkward. It was making his back hurt from the simple task of trying to sit in a chair.

He nodded and quickly shuffled out of the room and to the bathroom at the end of the corridor.

He changed in record speed, not wanting to be away from Sero for too long. The trembling he had finally managed to suppress came back with a vengeance when he left Sero’s company.

Hurrying back, Iida slipped back into the room, dressed in a much more comfortable hoodie and sweatpants.

Aizawa looked up at Iida from his place in the lone seat next to Sero’s bed as the door fell shut behind Iida. “Iida, can I speak with you outside for a moment? It won’t take long.”

“Sure.” Iida said, meeting eyes with Sero who looked equally as confused.

Aizawa continued walking up the corridor until they approached a vending machine. He punched in a few numbers and inserted his money, in a matter of seconds there was a chocolate bar being pressed into Iida’s hand.

“Eat it. You look like you’re about to collapse.” Aizawa’s voice was missing its usual commanding edge but Iida obeyed nonetheless.

“Present Mic is staying with 1-A in the dorms. Last I heard they’re watching movies and ordering food.”

Iida hummed thoughtfully as he continued to eat the chocolate bar under Aizawa’s watchful gaze. “That’s good.”

“They’re all worried, but glad that you’re here with him.”

Iida didn’t have much more to offer than another hum.

He was folding up the empty wrapper with trembling fingers when Aizawa spoke again. “If they do end up deciding to keep him here for the night, I’ll see what I can do about you staying with him.”

Iida looked up at that. “What? Why?”

“Your hands have gotten considerably more shaky the longer we’ve been out here. Staying with your boyfriend will help you keep calm, and I don’t think either of you would benefit from being alone right now.”

Curse how observant Aizawa was. They always forgot, but he noticed the smallest things. “He’s not my boyfriend-”

“Iida,” Aizawa cut him off, “I have known you since you were a baby. You’re going to have to be a better liar than that to convince me.”

“How long have you known?”

“I’ve had my suspicions for a few months, you’re not exactly subtle. But Hizashi and I have been in and out of hospitals enough, I know that look. And Sero calling you by your given name when he was half-conscious while insisting that he hold your hand and be carried by you did not help your case,” Aizawa supplied.

“Ah, that makes sense.”

They stood there in silence for a little longer, before Aizawa of all people broke it.

“Iida.” The softness in his voice was back. This had been a very out of character night for the both of them.

“Yes, sensei?”

“How are you holding up?”

“I’m fine-” Iida started, looking up to meet Aizawa’s gaze. Which was full of concern as he regarded his student. Iida cut himself off with the strangled sob that clawed its way out of his throat.

And he fell apart. One crack in his resolve and it all came pouring out. He didn’t have the energy to try and stop the sobs and the tears in favour of saving face in front of his teacher.

Aizawa didn’t speak, he just pulled Iida into a hug. There was barely two inches of height between them but Iida had never felt so small.

He continued to cry, loud broken sobs into Aizawa’s shirt, his tears undoubtedly leaving a large wet patch in the fabric. He was just so overwhelmed, more than he had thought, and it all came spilling out of him at once.

Aizawa, to his credit, gave pretty good hugs. He held Iida steady, rubbing circles into his back and mumbling words of comfort. “It’s okay, let it out. You’re gonna be okay.”

It took a while for Iida to finally get his sobbing under control. He had no idea how long he'd been crying in Aizawa's arms but it was definitely too long.

Sero was probably wondering where they were.

Iida cleared his throat. "Sorry sensei, I-"

"Don't mention it," Aizawa cut in quickly. "You've had one hell of a day and you needed comfort. It's nothing to be ashamed about. Personally, I've probably spent more hours crying into Kayama's shoulder than I've spent sleeping in the past month."

"Midnight-sensei?"

Aizawa nodded. "She gives the best hugs."

“That makes sense,” Iida mumbled, wiping at his eyes with the edge of his sleeve.

“Are you feeling better?” Aizawa asked, punching a few more numbers into the vending machine. Iida was hit with the shocking realisation that he’d just had a breakdown in the middle of this corridor, in front of a vending machine. If anyone had wanted a snack all they would have seen was Iida sobbing in his teacher’s arms for god knows how long.

Iida laughed a little breathlessly, there was no humour in the gesture. “Aside from crying out half the fluid in my body, yeah. Thank you, sensei.”

Aizawa bent down to retrieve something from the vending machine, only to hand a water bottle to Iida.

“Let’s go check on trouble, what do you think?”

Iida nodded, smiling softly as Aizawa began walking back to Sero’s room.

Sero had been discharged at midnight. A full nine hours after his admission. It’d been a long night.

By 5pm, Sero had been taken off of his supplemental oxygen, and his levels stayed consistent in its absence.

The remaining seven hours passed without incident.

Most of them were spent with Sero insisting that Iida sit in the bed with him as he messed around on the younger boy’s phone. Iida had supervised Sero’s texting the class group chat and the older boy went as far as to send a selfie of himself and Iida to comfort their concerned classmates.

“Mina says you look worse than I do,” Sero chirped.

Iida just nodded, leaning his head on his boyfriend’s shoulder. “Tell her I said thank you.”

Sero showed him a few pictures that had been sent in the group chat. One of Present Mic drinking a mug of something in the dorm kitchen with his hair out of it’s gelled spike and in a complicated arrangement of braids and Ashido standing next to him, looking incredibly proud of herself.

A picture of Bakugou sitting on the couch, his head on Kirishima’s chest, he appeared to be asleep, bundled up in a hoodie that was definitely not his if the print on the back was anything to go buy. Iida was fairly confident that Kirishima was the only student in their class who owned limited edition Crimson Riot merchandise.

Another picture, this time of the floor where Uraraka appeared to be demolishing Jirou and Todoroki in uno.

The final picture Sero showed him was a selfie sent by Kaminari, the electric boy looking very happy as he threw up a peace sign, Shinsou was sitting next to him and held up a less enthusiastic peace sign but still gave them a smile.

Soaking in the physical affirmation that Sero was okay as the older boy pressed into his side was enough to soothe Iida’s anxiety. He sat back as Sero messed around on his phone, chatting with their classmates until he got a little too overwhelmed for his tired mind to keep up with.

Sero had begged to watch a movie not long after he’d bid farewell to the class chat, only to fall asleep on Iida’s shoulder before they were even halfway through it. Iida, however, was not far behind him.

The nurses had been very stealthy with their regular vital checks, successfully not rousing either of the boys as Aizawa continued to do all the necessary paperwork and phone calls in silence.

The two of them were woken a little past midnight by Sero’s doctor carrying out a final check of the boy’s condition before happily handing Aizawa the discharge papers.

Aizawa and Iida waited in the corridor for a nurse to help Sero get changed. When the eldest boy joined them, he was wearing an outfit not dissimilar to Iida’s. In fact, he was wearing one of Iida’s hoodies that hung loose on his lanky frame.

Iida had half a mind to just carry Sero up to his room when he fell asleep in the passenger seat of Aizawa’s car, a blanket tucked under his chin.

Gently shaking his shoulder, Sero stirred with an unintelligent string of mumbling. “Tenya?”

“I know you wanna sleep, but we’re at the dorms now, so you gotta wake up enough to get to bed.”

“Carry me,” Sero grumbled, his hands fisting in the fabric of Iida’s hoodie.

Iida couldn’t help but to laugh a little at his partner’s antics. Sero was so clingy when he was tired. “I would, sweetheart, but everyone’s been waiting for us to get home and I’m afraid they might collapse if they see me carrying you inside.”

“That’s so rude of them.”

“Okay, you tell them that.”

“I will,” Sero said firmly as he stumbled, half-asleep, out of Aizawa’s car, his hands still latched onto his boyfriend, using Iida to steady himself.

Aizawa silently watched the scene unfold, never saying anything as he followed behind the pair. Eighteen sets of eyes landed on them the second they stepped over the threshold.

“Sero!” a cacophony of voices called out.

“Don’t crowd him, he’s exhausted,” Aizawa commanded over the buzzing activity around him. “Where’s Mic?”

Iida watched Bakugou shrug and point towards the common room couches with the jerk of his thumb. “He fell asleep.”

Aizawa quickly departed from Iida and Sero’s side, headed over to rouse his husband. Iida couldn’t fathom how they’d actually managed to keep their relationship a secret from the students for this long. They were nothing close to subtle.

Iida stepped back a little, his hand still in Sero’s as the class descended upon them. Kirshima, Kaminari and Ashido all took turns giving their friend a hug. There were lots of questions thrown around, and a lot more hugs for Sero to receive, even one for Iida from Yaoyorozu who looked as worn out as he felt.

Tears were shed, everyone basking in the relief that their classmate was back, safe and sound.

“You look wiped,” Kirishima said as he turned to Iida who just offered him a half-hearted smile.

“It’s been a long day. I think we’re just gonna head up to bed before Sero falls asleep standing up.”

Kirishima gave him a firm pat on the back. “Good luck with that, Bakubro is intent on feeding you both. It’s the closest he’ll ever get to admitting that he cares, do not take it lightly.”

Iida nodded before turning back to Sero who was almost swaying on his feet. “Let’s go sit down, Bakugou made food.”

Sero hummed, not even bothering to open his eyes as Iida wrapped an arm around his shoulders. “He’s a good cook.”

Sitting on one of the common room couches, under the watchful eyes of everyone who wasn’t convinced that Sero was okay just yet, Sero and Iida shared a bowl of tofu stir fry.

Sero didn’t have the stomach for much, and insisted that Iida feed him, too tired to operate chopsticks on his own. He’d fallen asleep curled up into Iida’s side before the bowl was even emptied.

Iida stayed on the couch with Sero for a little while, talking with his remaining company in a low voice until he started to feel himself drifting off. It was time they made their way up to bed.

There was truly no other option but to carry Sero upstairs at this point, it was nearing 2am and there was no hope to rouse his partner for long enough to get all the way up to either of their dorms.

Bakugou, Ashido, Kirshima and Kaminari had been the only ones to stay up with them until that point. Shinsou was also there but he had spent the better part of the last hour asleep with his head in Kaminari’s lap while the latter ran his hand through the unruly purple hair, so he didn’t really count.

Actually, Bakugou seemed to be the only one still fully awake, despite his tendency to go to bed much earlier than everyone else. He’d never admit to it, but he had been worried, Iida didn’t have to know Bakugou well to know that much.

“Thank you,” Iida said, careful not to wake Sero up as he spoke.

Bakugou just looked at him and huffed. “I didn’t do it for you, nerd.”

“I’m grateful nonetheless, do you want a hand getting everyone up to their rooms?”

“They can take themselves, just take him upstairs.”

Iida pretended not to notice the lack of his usual nicknames as he turned back to Sero, shaking his shoulder lightly.

“No,” Sero mumbled, turning to bury his face further into Iida’s shoulder. “Don’t wanna.”

“You don’t even know what I was going to say.”

Sero turned his head upwards to give Iida a pointed look through his messy and now dry hair. “You’re gonna make me get up.”

“Correct.”

“No.”

Iida leaned down until his mouth was level with Sero’s ear. “If we go upstairs we can cuddle,” he whispered in a low voice.

Sero hummed. “Really? Lead the way, Class Prez.”

It was not a complicated process to scoop Sero up and into his arms, one arm under his back, the other curled behind his knees. Sero’s weight was a comfort to have resting against Iida’s chest as he walked them to the elevator.

It was times like this that he was glad his boyfriend weighed the same as a bunch of grapes. On a good day, Iida could easily lift the heavier members of their class, but at that moment he was beyond exhausted and he wasn’t sure if he could even carry Sero much further than up to his dorm.

The elevator ride up to the fifth floor passed by quickly, and Iida easily made his way to Sero’s dorm.

If Iida had to wager a guess who had put the extra blankets on the bed and arranged what looked like a care basket on the little table in the middle of the room, he would put all of his money on Ashido. She notoriously would pick on and tease the other members of the Bakusquad but she had proven herself to be incredibly thoughtful and considerate on multiple occasions.

He would have to remember to thank her in the morning.

For now, his only goal was getting his boyfriend into bed. After everything, Iida felt like he could sleep for a week, figuring that Sero was not going to object to that plan.

Setting Sero down on the bed, Iida moved to pull the blankets on top of his partner. As he tucked the edge of the blankets under his boyfriend’s chin, he moved to smooth the furrow in Sero’s brows with his thumb.

Sero blinked up at Iida then. His black eyes found blue ones in the low lighting. “Are you staying?”

“Sure,” Iida said. He had been planning to sleep in the hammock, giving Sero space but also being close enough to verify that he was safe.

“Not in the hammock,” Sero said sternly, narrowing his eyes at Iida. “You said we could cuddle.”

Iida sighed, there was no use trying to argue, he was putty in Sero’s hands. “Little spoon or big spoon?”

“Little spoon.”

Sero pulled the blankets back as he shuffled closer to the edge of the bed, making room for Iida to slot himself into place behind him. It wasn’t the smoothest job of sharing the bed that they’ve ever done but Iida eventually settled in, sliding his arms around Sero and holding him close to his chest.

Iida buried his face in the crook of Sero’s neck, breathing in the scent of his boyfriend. “I’m really glad you’re okay,” he mumbled into his shoulder.

He felt Sero’s soft laugh against his chest. “Me too. I can’t have some dude hitting you up with a ‘he would want you to move on’, you’re mine forever.”

“Forever,” Iida said, tightening his hold around Sero ever so slightly.

Sero hummed, the sound was low in his throat and Iida could feel the vibration of it against his skin. “Forever.”

Iida was lounging on Sero’s bed, not quite bothering to get up just yet. His eyes trailed Sero’s movements as the older boy circled his room. He had a check in with Recovery Girl in an hour so he was intent on getting changed himself. After the past few days, the soreness and exhaustion were starting to ease and he was a lot more mobile.

And that’s how Iida ended up face-to-face with a shirtless Sero who was still trying to figure out what shirt he wanted to wear as Iida’s eyes zeroed in on the dark purple bruising covering the front of his boyfriend’s chest.

It looked painful but Sero paid it no mind.

“Hanta?” Iida called out, sitting up with a much more tense posture than he had had moments ago.

“Hmm?”

“Are those bruises?”

Sero looked at Iida for a moment, confused, before looking down at his chest and giving his boyfriend a chuckle and a shrug. “Oh, those, yeah. I assume they’re from you, y��know, restarting my heart.” He paused, running a hand through his messy black hair. “Thanks for that by the way.”

“No problem…” Iida trailed off, starting at the mottled discolouration on Sero’s chest. He wondered if it had really hit Sero yet, truly how close the older boy had come to losing his life only two days ago.

The two of them had been excused from classes for at least a few days unless Sero was feeling up to going to class before then. Sero’s absence for the purpose of rest and recuperation, Iida’s to keep an eye on his boyfriend and look out for any symptoms of secondary drowning or pneumonia. He helped Sero to remember to take his antibiotics as well as just helping him do tasks that were a little too strenuous.

Aizawa had given them a stern look and told them to call him if they needed to or if they were worried about something. He’d also told the two of them that they had appointments with Hound Dog scheduled for them on the following Monday.

The rest of the class had informed the two of them that all training exercises had been suspended for the rest of the week until any changes to improve student safety could be made. Iida did not envy the meetings that Aizawa was undoubtedly going to be sitting through in the week to come.

“You know, you could always blame those on Aizawa-sensei,” Iida said, hoping to lighten the dark look that had crossed Sero’s face.

Sero blanched. “Aizawa-sensei saw me without a shirt on.”

Iida couldn’t help but to raise his eyebrows at the shift in mood. “I think that was the least of his concerns.”

“I can’t show my face ever again,” Sero groaned, flopping face first onto the bed. Only to let out another groan and roll onto his back, rubbing a free hand on his chest that had undoubtedly protested the motion.

“You are being dramatic.”

Sero rounded on Iida, giving him a serious look. “Do you think he noticed that my nipples are uneven?”

Iida just sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose, pushing his glasses up. “Your nipples are not uneven, Hanta.”

Sero nodded sagely. “Yaomomo definitely noticed.”

Iida threw a pillow at his boyfriend.

#bnha #mha #bnha fanfiction #bnha fic #mha fanfiction #mha fic #seroiida #seriida #iidasero #iisero #nyoomtape #boku no hero academia #my hero academia #sero hanta #iida tenya

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nuesae · 3 years ago

Text

Vines and Mushrooms part 1

I know I should work on my other AUs (mainly the one for No Face) but take this

Tw: mention of vore (barely mentioned), panic attack's, dehumanization

word count: 2099

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It had been a normal day; George woke up ate breakfast and headed to the village market to get some more food and supplies. Everything was going fine he chatted with some of the merchants having a few laughs but other than that everything seemed fine.

There was suddenly a huge boom and the sound of trees snapping like twigs. George dropped the basket that had his goods in it. He knew only one thing that could make a noise like that, a giant. he snapped his head up to see the giant, it had smashed a few buildings clearly having the intention to destroy the village. the giant had a green hoodie on, and black fingerless gloves, with a white smiling mask covering its face.

“Run!” George heard multiple people yell, however, he was frozen he stared at the Giant as it destroyed buildings and used vines to keep the guards away from itself. George froze as the giant white mask turned to him. He couldn’t breathe the Giant took a step in his direction he was screaming inside to run but his legs betrayed him. He collapsed to the ground in a ball hoping the giant wouldn’t hurt him. A shadow overtook him, he peeked through his hands seeing a giant gloved hand coming to grab him, he quickly closed his eyes again covering his face with his arms. This was it; this was how he would die, at the hands of a giant that didn’t care about his little life. He felt fingers wrap around his body he was cupped in the giant’s hand. He let out a small whimper as the warm flesh and fabric wrapped around him. He slowly opened his eyes looking at the Giant mask in front of him, wondering why he wasn’t dead yet. He opened his mouth wanting to speak but no words came out. An arrow then whizzed through the air clinking against the giant’s mask. The giant looked down at the person who had shot the arrow before George could blink an arm made of vines came out of the giant’s back slammed down on the ground. His blood went cold as the vines were covered in blood; he knew he was next. Just a stain on the giant’s fist. The giant looked back at him, it’s going to kill me or eat me, or- before George could think any more on what the giant would do, he was cupped to the giant’s chest. He could hear the whoosh of lungs and the beating heart and, fuck, the growling of its stomach. He could feel the giant run, he hoped away from the village. He hoped that the giant would at least not hurt anyone else.

Dream had initially come to the village to destroy it and maybe get a snack or two. He was in the process of smashing a few buildings when he saw a person who wasn’t running, he assumed out of fear. He started walking toward them as soon as he got close, they collapsed curling into a ball. This made him smile knowing how scared this one was. They’re just making my job easy. He picked them up with a slightly rough grip having them in the palm of his hand, pulling them up, so they were eye level. That’s when he noticed the red and white cap on the little mushroom person, he frowned knowing he wouldn’t be able to eat this one. He then felt a small tick on his mask, quickly looking down to see a person with a bow he used one of his vine arms to smash them to a pulp. He looked back to the little person in his hand who was cowering and shaking. Dream rolled his eyes through a small part of him felt bad. he looked to the edge of the village; he saw an army of mushroom people in the distance. Even with his size and magic advantage, he knew he wouldn’t win. He cupped the small person to his chest and started running back to his cave. He put a wall of vines between him and the army, Taking the long route so they wouldn’t be able to find his home.

George panicked the longer the giant ran, he knew the giant was taking him back to its layer. The giant then slowed to a walking pace making George’s heart raced, he didn’t know what it would do to him.

Dream walked quickly into the cave seeing Sapnap on the couch playing with his fire magic, seemingly bored. As Dream walked in a smile spread across Sapnap’s face.

“Oh good, your back. Was starting to think that they got you.” Sapnap said as he walked over to Dream. Dream didn’t respond he looked down at the little person in his hand before looking back at Sapnap. The fire user raised a brow at Dream’s lack of a witty response, he then noticed Dream had his hand cupped to his chest.

“Whatcha got there?” Dream sighed as he cupped his hand holding the person out to Sapnap. Sapnap let out a laugh making the little person whimper.

“y-you brought one home. A poisonous on at that!” Sapnap continued to laugh. Dream glared at him through his mask, as he noticed the little person who was now crying.

George shivered in fear as he stared at the other giant, who was laughing now, making his body shake. he began to feel tears stream down his face. They’re going to kill me or keep me as a pet, he couldn’t think straight only feel terror fill his chest. He peaked out. From between his fingers seeing the masked giant staring at him, he was then pulled close to its face as it lifted the mask off its face. He had green eyes with freckles coving its face, it looked like the giant had sympathy toward him. George felt like the giant was tricking him like he was appearing kind just to hurt him. George then spoke up.

“p-please don’t kill me” was all he could say, he knew anything else could get him killed faster, he was lucky he was even still alive. The giant smiled at him and the other stopped laughing.

“If I wanted to kill you, you’d be dead already” the giant had a malevolent look in its eyes despite the smile. George felt his blood go cold as he saw the giant’s teeth, it had fangs, longer than his arm. Those teeth could crush him an instant. He couldn’t stop staring at the giant’s teeth, it seemed to notice as it frowned. Making George look up at its eyes.

Dream frowned at the little person, as they stared at his teeth, they quickly looked back to his face. Sapnap walked back over recovering from his laughing fit.

“So, Dream why’d you bring this one back? You know we can’t eat it right?” Dream felt the little person go rigid in his hand.

“y-you were going to eat me?” the little person said in the shakiest voice.

“well yeah, we usually d-“ Dream glared at Sapnap, he quickly closed his mouth now noticing how scared the little person was. Sapnap then smiled.

“Oh, does Dream want to keep this one? Is he going soft?” Sapnap said in a mocking tone. If looks could kill Sapnap would be dead. Sapnap took a step back at the look Dream gave him but also because of the vines that were ready to lash at him.

“Okay man, god, you don’t have to get so aggressive about it if you want to keep them then do, I’m not stopping you.” Sapnap walked further into the cave out of sight. Dream lets the vines fall to the floor relaxing.

George calmed down a bit as the fiery Giant disappeared. He looked to the other giant- Dream, he still had a bit of fear at the thought of being kept as a pet.

“y-you’re not going to put me in a cage, are you?” Dream chuckled making George shiver.

“No, as long as you don’t try and escape, if you do, I might change my mind” Dream smiled at him with malicious intent behind it. George had to swallow the lump in his throat, feeling terror as Dream cupped him to his chest again and walked further into the cave to what George assumed was Dreams room.

Dream walked into his room closing the door behind him. He looked down at the person in his hand, he knew if they were going to stay here, they would need a bed. He walked over to his desk, setting them down. They stood still seemingly too scared to try and run. He took his mask off, setting it on the desk. He then sat down before getting out a small old box, and some sheep wool, he then got some old fabric. he used one of his vine arms to cut the fabric to size, he started doing a rather bad sewing job. He grumbled curses under his breath, as he poked himself with the needle multiple times.

“d-do you need help?” he looked to the little person, who was visibly shaking. He sighed knowing that they probably knew more about sewing than he did.

“yeah,” he set it on the desk letting the person, walk over to it. They kept a close eye on Dream flinching every time Dream so much as twitched. They grabbed the fabric and undid the sewing Dream had done before threading the needle that was bigger than his arm. The little guy somehow was doing a great job at sewing despite the huge needle. After a while of silence, Dream spoke up.

“so, uh, what’s your name?” the little person looked up from his work and hesitantly answered.

“George.” He then went back to sewing. Dream smiled feeling a bit better now that he knew the person’s name.

“Well, it’s nice to meet you George” George huffed.

“Well, if I’m honest. It’s not so nice to meet you.” Dream Frowned making George shiver he seemed to immediately regret his word, as he seemed to backpedal from his statement.

“I-I mean it was just scary is all! Your just, you know, a giant. It’s scary…” George trailed off. Dream looked away he knew he had scared them, but he didn’t know he scared them that much. Dream used his thumb to rub George’s back he felt him go stiff at his touch, He quickly pulled his hand away.

“Sorry that I scared you so much, I didn’t mean to” Dream rubbed the back of his neck.

“it’s okay.” That was all George said, as he continued to sew. Dream then got up from his desk making George shiver.

“I’m gonna go check on Sapnap you’re free to keep making the bed.” George just nodded in response. Dream then walked out of the room.

George knew he could use this to try and get out, but there was no way to get off the desk, and he knew he would get caught. So, he just continued to make the bed trying to ignore the sinking feeling of dread that settled in his stomach.

After a few minutes, Dream came back, looking a little pissed. George knew he shouldn’t ask but his curiosity got the better of him.

“w-what happened?”

“nothing” Dream said pissed off. George chose to drop the topic and finished sewing the bed.

“Oh, you’re done” George nodded holding up the mattress as best he could. Dream took it out of his hands and set it in the mattress in the small box it fit perfectly. Dream then cut another piece of fabric George assumed to be a blanket. Dream set it over the mattress, smiling at George.

Dream gestured for George to get in the bed, George hesitantly obeyed. Dream carefully picked up the bed and setting it on his nightstand. George hid under the blanket and peeked out looking at Dream. Dream smiled at him, seeming to be calming down.

“So, do you wanna go to bed?” Dream said, George nodded. Dream got in his bed turning the lantern off. George stayed up until he heard light snoring coming from Dream. Before trying to go to sleep himself. It took a long time because he didn’t fully trust Dream, maybe he’s just pretending to be kind so it will hurt more when he kills me. he tried his best to distract himself, after a while falling asleep just from stress and fear.

#dream smp #dream smp g/t #mcyt g/t #mcyt #dreamwastaken #georgenotfound #sapnap #mushrooms #vines #giant tiny #g/t #panic attack #dehumanisation tw #panic attack tw #fanfic #dream smp fanfiction

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wylanvnneck · 4 years ago

Note

Hi hi! Congratulations! Can I ask for a Jurdan shot with the prompt in miscellaneous, *kiss post break up*? Thank you 💖

Miscellaneous Prompt #4: *A kiss post break-up that neither was expecting but both needed* (action prompt)

Fandom: TFOTA

Ship: Jurdan

Masterlist | Prompt List

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Jude relished the burning sensation in her thighs as she completed her third round of the massive fountain at the center of the park. The early morning air was cool and the sunshine was just starting to heat up the place, creating the perfect setting for her usual morning jog. This particular spot was practically deserted, the only sound to be heard was the chirping of the birds and the light rustle of the trees and this type of peace was precisely what she needed before yet another tough day at work where she’d have to deal with her asshole colleagues. Well, just the one colleague. Cardan Effin’ Greenbriar.

The thought of his smug face and ludicrous cheekbones was enough to make her quicken her pace, a bead of sweat making its way down the side of her flushed face. Thoughts of his betrayal flood her mind and she wonders how she could ever have thought of him as roguishly charming. The man was a scoundrel, a blackguard. He was also not worth thinking about. She pushes the image of his floppy black locks and dark eyes away from her mind and runs even faster, leaving all her problems behind. This moment is cathartic, it was escaping all her turmoil, it was freedom and she relishes it.

Suddenly, she picks up on the sound of a twig snapping nearby. Out of the corner of her eye she spots a figure moving behind her, walking slowly and close to the trees lining the pathway, as if they didn’t wish to be seen. Her eyebrows furrow in confusion and her mind whirs, defensive martial art positions running through her head. From a young age her father had instilled in her the dangers of being out alone in deserted spots and the importance of always watching her back and she’s now on high alert as the figure behind her seems to be trying to move even further into the trees, still only a few feet behind her.

Thinking fast, she turns at the next corner and ducks behind a thick tree to the side, crouching her body behind it. The wood is scratchy under her sweaty palms and her heartbeat is racing at a mile a minute, the tension cutting through her body like a sword. Her surroundings seem sharper, more vibrant in her anxiety and soon enough she hears the light footfalls of someone approaching the turn. Seconds later, the figure is almost right in front of her, stopping when he realises that she’s no longer on the path. Finally she manages to get a good look at him and when she does she can’t help but let out a shocked gasp.

“Jude?” Standing right there in front of her with a bemused expression is Cardan Greenbriar, her colleague and ex-fling. She refused to think of him as anything else. “What on Earth are you doing?”

“What am I doing? You’re the one who’s been following me like some perverted creep.” Stretching herself back to her full height she steps away from the tree and onto the path to face him, her eyes narrowing and her blood pounding. How dare he act as if she were the one acting bizarrely.

“I-” The tips of his ears turn red and his hands wring together, “That’s fair I suppose. I was just umm…”

“Yes?” His blundering manner is uncharacteristic and confusing. Usually, he was the most overly confident bastard out there. Cardan Greenbriar was the suave type of guy who always knew exactly what to say and when, a talent that made him extremely useful as Head of Sales for Elfhame Enterprises, the company owned by his father Eldred Greenbriar, where they both worked.

“I simply wanted to talk to you alone for a bit but I figured that you’d avoid me at work and avoid any calls and texts from me too so I thought I’d come meet you at the park on your daily jog instead.” The words come out in a fast-paced stream, nearly unintelligible, his cheeks now red as well.

“Let me get this straight, you wanted to talk to me alone so you decided to stalk me at the park on my morning run and nearly give me a panic attack in the process?” She almost can’t believe her ears.

“When you put it like that it sounds wrong!” He huffs.

“How exactly am I supposed to put it, Cardan, that’s exactly what you did!”

“Alright so I may have lost my nerve and decided to trail you for a bit before approaching you. I realise now that that was a dumb idea.”

She resists the age to facepalm. “You think?”

“Look can’t we just put this all behind us?”

She lets out a long-suffering sigh whilst bringing her hands up to lightly massage at her now throbbing temples. “Okay, you said you wanted to talk? About what?”

The entire time that they'd been talking his stare had been trained somewhere near her chin, but now he raises his gaze to directly meet hers. “About us.”

“There is no us.” He’d made certain of that.

He takes a step forward, eyes blazing and she takes a larger step backwards, determined to keep her distance.

“Jude, you have to give me a chance to explain, you owe me that at least.”

“I don’t owe you anything.”

There was no possible explanation that he could give for what he’d done. They hadn't always been at loggerheads, her and Cardan. At least, they hadn’t been for some time until the last week. When Jude had first joined the company last year, she’d despised the overly arrogant son of Eldred Greenbriar, thinking of him as the rich, self-entitled jerk that she was forced to work with.

Then a couple months in, he managed to persuade her to go on a date with him, one date and then if she didn’t want to agree to another he’d get the message and move on. So she’d gone, expecting to hate every minute of it, except that she hadn’t. They’d actually gotten along surprisingly well, he’d taken her to a chill little Diner, not the over-the-top fancy restaurant that she thought he’d pick and he’d opened the car door for her like a gentleman. They had chatted for hours about their multitude of shared interests and drank Carlton beer and drunkenly waltzed together along the floor and it was perfect and wonderful and crazy.

After that they became an item, they would share heated interludes by the otherwise deserted office printing machine in true cliché Office Romance fashion and they’d even kissed under the mistletoe at the office Christmas party and things were going great, until one day, Jude overheard a conversation between him and his brother, Balekin Greenbriar, Eldred’s right hand man and future heir of the company.

She hadn’t meant to eavesdrop, she was only coming into Balekin’s office to hand over a file when she’d recognised Cardan’s voice saying her name. She would never forget the words that she had heard him say. ‘She’s a distraction...only a pointless fling....thought it would be fun to get under her skin....you know I like a challenge’.

The memory of those words alone are enough to bring back the hurt that had ripped through her when she had stood motionless on the other side of Balekin’s door, desperate to get away but trapped by her own denial and desire for self destruction.

Now she watches as he agitatedly ruffles his unruly black locks in front of her. “I swear to you, what you heard me say to Balekin, I didn’t mean a word of it.”

“Then why would you say it?” She’s torn between turning tail and leaving him there, turning her back on him for good or staying and waiting for his explanation, waiting to hear his reasons, why he’d done this to her, to them.

“You don’t know my brother, Jude.” His voice, his expression, his everything is bleak and open and vulnerable, begging for understanding. “He takes pleasure in destroying the things I love. It’s a game to him, one he’s been playing all my life, taking away what stops me from being miserable, and I couldn’t let him do that with you.

“Not with you,” he repeats, stronger. “You’re too important. So I knew I had to convince him that you meant nothing to me.”

Everything about his demeanour suggests sincerity and it definitely seems like he’s telling the truth and she wants to believe him, to trust him, she really does.

But she’s been hurt before and she doesn’t think she could chance being so again.

“I can’t trust you.”

“Yes, you can. You can choose to.” He steps forward now, close, so close, unrelenting.

She rises to the occasion and raises her face to meet his, a scant inch between them. “No, I can’t. I won’t.”

It’s a standoff now, neither willing to back down. The sun has made it’s way much higher in the sky and the yellow sunlight is beating down on them, the heat adding to the fire that has ignited between them.

“Stop being so stubborn, dammit,” he bites out, frustrated.

“Make me,” she sneers.

She doesn’t know how it happened, nor how she didn’t see it coming, but in the very next second Cardan’s lips are on hers, moving furiously and his arms are on her waist, holding her against him in an almost punishing grip.

It appears that he hadn’t quite seen it coming either because he pulls away from her before she has time to process more than a tingle running up her arms, his dark eyes wide and pupils dilated. They’re both breathing fast now, so close that they share breaths. They stare for a moment.

Then, with lightning speed she throws caution to the winds and wraps her arm around his neck, crashing her lips to his once more and this time she registers that his lips are soft under hers and he tastes like hot chocolate and breath mint and it feels glorious. It’s only been a little more than a week since they’d last kissed, but it felt like an eternity.

Minutes, hours, or days later they break apart, gasping for air and clutching at each other, neither one willing to relinquish their grip. Cardan rests his forehead on hers and looks at her with a startling amount of adoration and she knows right then and there that, scary as the thought is, she would forgive him anything, including this.

“Give me another chance?” He asks, pleading.

“Yes,” she breathes before reaching up to lose herself in kisses once more.

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I’m not entirely happy with this one tbh, but anyways here you go @franktastic-fangirl, thank you for sending in the prompt and for the congrats!🌻

Tagging my taglist (although I’m not entirely sure that I want y’all to read this, lol)- @cupcakesandkittens , @aelinfeyreeleven945tbln , @thewickedkings and @kittkatandbooboo 💕

Please let me know if you’d like to be added to or taken off of my TFOTA taglist :)

#hopefully a bit of fun at the beginning there hehe #drabble fic #one shots #fanfiction #tfota fanfiction #tfota fanfic #the folk of the air #dd writes #send me a prompt #jurdan #jurdan fic #jude duarte #cardan greenbriar

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mirkysconcubinefiction · 3 years ago

Text

Inspired BY.

Monster

Warning: Dark, monster/cryptid, blood, illusions to abuse, running away, attempt at suicide by monster. Questionable ending.

Summary: when the monster in the woods isn't as scary as the monster chasing you. Better to be eaten than go back, right?

🕳🕳🕳☠🕳🕳🕳

There's something to be said about the monster's that chase you when you run into the arms of a monster that's far scarier... taller, broader, angular, glowing hovering eyes... it's not the appearance that makes a monster a monster but trauma.

Tasting the worn leather of a belt, feeling the calluses of hands, the stench of their breadth, your monster wasn't some creature hiding in the shadows with glowing eyes that swayed against the wind but someone chasing you.

Boots leaving impressions, not as permanent as the ones that scarred you, but those were bad thoughts.

Bad, bad thoughts.

You needed to concentrate on your feet, make sure you didn't trip, to breath through that stitch at your side, ignore the sting of blood in your eyes, it was so dark, you shouldn't be out in the dark, the stories of bad things waiting to eat you, rip you limb from limb, it had kept you locked in your personal hell but you had to, you had to escape.

Was it worse in the dark?

Further you ran and you can see in the distance balls of light... they were eyes... a pair of eyes that hovered and swayed like the branches of a tree and you want to be afraid... you want to be as afraid of it as you were of the person chasing you...

This was it.

Relief of it all being over was like nothing you ever felt before. Knowing that it would all be over soon.

The shadows shifted and you can see it, it's frame was hunched like it was as tall as a tree, willowy like it could snap in half like a twig, it's claws dug into the earth, it looked like it would eat you.

You wouldn't taste good.

You're sure of it.

It's jaw unhinges and a row of teeth greet you, this was it, it was going to swallow you hole, closer and closer you ran, it's bulbous gaze entices you closer and it's textured skin crinkles as it opens it's mouth wider and wider, closing your eyes you let out a broken terrified sob ready for it to end.

A root catches your foot and you tumble forward. Hitting the ground hard, hands trying to catch yourself, rock and dirt breaking skin. It scratches your face, knees, and there's fire in your foot, it knocks the breadth from you and you manage to brace yourself and turn, in the distance you see the petrified form of your monster, face like you've never seen before.

Had it all been a dream?

Did you hallucinate the creature with long limbs and glowing eyes?

The answer is no.

It was all too real as the weirdly shaped head dips to meet your gaze, you had fallen beneath the creature and it was peering down at you with the same hungry expression with its sharp teeth, it's naked skin bark like and breadth spoiled milk.

It doesn't blink.

It hovers and stares.

Your flesh breaks out into goosebumps, the hairs on your arms and nape stand on end.

It must hear the thump of your heart.

It must scent the blood like a shark.

It must know you were ready to jump into it's jaws, death would be better by it's hand than the hands of your monster or worse your own.

If you killed yourself then how would you get to heaven?

It makes a noise, you can't describe it, it's deep and like a rumble, you felt it vibrate in you and your brain shifts, it feels as if you're floating... the pain had vanished, the fear forgotten, you were just sitting on the ground existing with no care or worries, it was nice.

Through droopy eyes it took effort to keep yourself propped up on your elbows, something in you compelling you to watch, to pay attention, you were so tired.

The creature stood then.

So tall.

In a haze you watched it take one step, then another, and another... it walked funny... it's long neck twisted to look back at you, eyes round and unwavering, jaw agape with drool, before it swung like a snake to stare at the monster with a piss stain marring their jeans.

It should have petrified you, the screams, the crunch of bones, the squelch of fat and muscle being mauled, all you could do was lay there and watch as the creature toyed and consumed your monster.

When it was done, face dripping red, not a scrap left, your body dropped onto the ground, as if the strings propping you up had been cut.

The branches above you swayed and you felt it, a giant hand grabbing both your ankles into one hold and you could do nothing but admire the night sky as you were dragged away deeper into the darkness.

#mirkysconcubinefiction #original story #inpired by a tiktok #dark #TW #tw abuse #blood #Monster #questionable ending #reader insert #drabble #death #monsters in the dark #attempt at suicide in an unconventional way and it doesnt work maybe

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jaxsteamblog · 4 years ago

Note

Sorry about the job :/ it’s tough. Zutara prompt: um meet cute at a hiking trail? Maybe their pets are involved?

When they agreed to stay friends, Katara didn’t expect to have to do friend favors.

So as she crawled out of the rough underbrush, spitting out leaves and twigs, Katara debated staying on good terms with her ex-boyfriend.

Appa was a Tibetan Mastiff and a Very Good Boy. Katara had enjoyed watching TV with him, her arms wrapped around his massive head as he acted like a blanket.

But Aang had always been in charge of walking him. He never seemed to have any problems, so when he asked Katara to walk him while he was away at a work retreat, she figured it’d be a piece of cake.

It was not at all comparable to cake.

Katara’s first mistake was taking Appa to a hiking trail instead of a dog park. There was too much to smell and Appa was a Very Good Boy that had many interests.

Whatever had made its home in the brush that Katara extracted herself from was one of those interests.

The other mistake she made was not bringing an extra lead.

Staring at the snapped leash in her hand, Katara sighed. Appa huffed gently in reply as he sat in the middle of the trail, his tail sweeping across the dirt and stones.

“That wasn’t very nice.” She said and looked at the dog.

Panting slightly, Appa’s droopy face still looked apathetic.

“Are you okay?” A voice asked. Turning, Katara saw a man approaching with his own dog trotting neatly at his side.

“Wait! The leash is-” Katara said, trying to run up the drainage ditch back onto the path. Her foot slipped on the pine needles and she fell just as Appa bounded off.

She was able to see Appa pounce on the stranger, while his dog side stepped the whole affair and just watched.

Scrambling faster, Katara pushed herself up and darted over to the pair, throwing herself on top of Appa.

“I’m so sorry!” She said, trying to find his collar or the other half of the leash in his dense fur. “He just loves people.”

“BLAGHL!” The man sputtered as Appa licked his face generously.

“Appa no!” Katara shouted and grabbed a lump she assumed was his collar and pulled.

Appa stepped back from the man, but Katara had to straddle him with her hands wrapped around his collar as he whined.

The man rolled onto his side, propping himself up on an arm, and looked over at his dog.

“What are you looking at, you little traitor?” He asked. His dog barked and sat down, staring back at him.

“I’m really sorry about that.” Katara said anxiously.

The man stood up and pulled an honest to God handkerchief from his pocket, wiping his face.

“Well now I see how you ended up in the bushes.” The man said, stuffing the cloth back into his pocket.

“He’s not mine.” Katara said, as a way to further distance herself from Appa’s terrible manners.

“Dognapper or walker?” The man asked.

“Walker. Sort of.” Katara said. Before the man could question her, she freed one hand and stuck it out. “I’m Katara.”

“Zuko.” The man said, taking her hand and shaking it.

“This is Appa.” Katara said, “He really wants to be your friend.”

Appa barked; a normally scary sound, Zuko only raised an eyebrow before laughing.

“Nice to meet you Appa.” He said, patting Appa’s massive head.

Zuko’s dog whined and Zuko turned with a sigh.

“That is Druk, who is not great at keeping me from being knocked over by a small bear.” He said.

“He is very cute though.” Katara replied. Druk gave a huffing sort of bark and his tail twitched.

“Don’t encourage him.” Zuko said. Then, bending down to pick up Druk’s lead, he examined Katara.

“Leash broke?” He asked.

Sighing heavily, Katara nodded.

“Here.” Zuko said and unclipped Druk’s lead. Katara looked at it, confused, as he held it out to her.

“What about your dog?” She questioned.

“If I’ve failed in training him properly, I promise you his dependence on me for his current lifestyle will keep him from wandering off.” Zuko replied.

Shrugging, Katara took the leash.

“Whatever you say.” She clipped the leash to Appa’s collar and then waddled backward till he was free.

“But uhm,” She paused, looking curiously at Zuko. “How am I supposed to return it?”

“Are you heading back to the trail head?” He asked.

“No, we just started.”

“So did we. How about we walk together and you can return it at the end?”

Feeling her face warm, Katara straightened and tucked her hair behind her ear.

“Oh. Well...” She fumbled for words and she heard Zuko’s shoes twist on the gravel. Glancing up, Katara saw him press the bent knuckle of his finger to his mouth while he looked off to the side.

“If I overstepped-” He said and Katara leaned forward.

“No! Not at all.” She said quickly and then stood back as he faced her. “You didn’t overstep.”

“Of course, it’s just that Druk could use another walking companion.” Zuko said.

Druk gave a louder bark and then sneezed, turning his face away when they looked at him.

“Then we’d be more than happy to keep him company.” Katara said and rubbed Appa’s head.

“Wonderful. So,” Zuko paused to take a few steps down the path. “Do you come here often?”

The trail took two hours to walk and Katara didn’t go careening off the path again.

Zuko, on the other hand, definitely miscalculated both Druk’s intelligence on keeping to the side and Appa’s intense desire to be Druk’s friend.

By the time they made it back to the parking lot, Katara was apologizing profusely. Trying to make amends through her embarrassment, she offered to buy him dinner.

After making plans and exchanging numbers, Katara got into her car. Zuko waved as she pulled out and she smiled.

It didn’t hit her until she was halfway home.

“Shit. Did I just ask him out?”

#jax writes #zutara #prompt request #one shot #Anonymous

79 notes · View notes

shreddedparchment · 5 years ago

Text

Pseudo Princess Pt.07

Slip of the Tongue

Pairing: King!Steve x Reader Word Count: 4,796

Warnings: smut, angst, feels, Bucky Sam and Steve in poofy white shirts

A/N: This one is a little shorter than my usuals because I needed to set up the next two chapters and what comes next but a lot does happen! I hope you like it and if you happen to reblog, thanks so much for helping me spread my work! xoxo Let me know what you think!

Pain fades.

The darkness of your wedding night fades with it. The fear doesn’t.

You wake up a few times in the middle of the night, sweating cold and heart in fluttering palpitations.

No one is there for you. You make it that way.

The first night, after you’d woken up whimpering loud enough to have Peter send for Nat, you wake yourself up before the worse of it starts.

You don’t want to be like this. It terrifies you. You’re so tired all the time.

You know that Ste-his Majesty is sorry. You know that he regrets it because whatever face Nat makes when you tell her that his remorse and tears were genuine and for you alone, the look in his eyes…she didn’t see that.

There was torment there. Not grief. It was like watching someone relive the worst mistake of their lives over and over.

It’s why he stared at you with nothing to say, that same torment clear in his storm blues as he watched you when he rode away.

Fleeing is his way of getting control once more. He needs the distance to reclaim himself. In the deepest parts of your soul, you know it.

So when you sit up trembling, clutching your blanket close as your heart settles, you hope that wherever Ste-his Majesty is that he can come to terms with what happened that night and that when he comes back, the two of you can start fresh.

~~~~~~~~~~

“What are you thinking, Steve?” Samuel probes, his voice gentle but knowing as he stares at his king from across the crackling fire.

Soft golden shadows dance across Steve’s already golden face, hair gilded into tarnished gold with the lack of moonglow.

Steve sighs, staring at the heart of the fire and the way the flames lick at the wood at its center. It devours it, tearing it to ashen splinters.

He can relate.

Bucky and Samuel exchange a look of concern.

“Steve?” Bucky checks, reaching over to push against his knee.

Bucky’s laying on his side, relaxed with his leather vest thrown open, loose billowy white top with the drawstring at the base of his neck left undone to expose a solid chest with soft tendrils of dark hair. He’s got one leg propped up while he tosses smaller pieces of stick into the fire and listens to it speak.

Steve and Samuel look almost the same. Both have removed their tunics to leave them in simple white shirts only Steve’s is nicer, softer, more breathable. The soft tuft of his sand colored chest hair peeking through the split of the neck’s open V.

With Bucky’s push, Steve snaps out of his reverie and looks to his friend.

“What?” He asks, startled. He meets Samuel’s eyes too who stares at him with a small frown. “I’m sorry, I-I didn’t hear you.”

“Yes, we can see you’re preoccupied. What are you thinking about so hard that you’ve got that sorrowful look on your face?” Samuel asks, reaching for a small twig by his foot to follow Bucky’s example.

“I think I can guess.” Bucky says, knowing.

Steve looks at them in turn then shakes his head once.

“I hurt her.” He frowns.

“This again?” Samuel asks.

Bucky looks at Samuel and then turns back to Steve.

Steve can understand Samuel’s frustration. But he’s never been the one to do it. He’s never taken like that from anyone. Forcefully. He can never understand.

“You said you apologized.” Bucky sighs, knowing that an apology cannot have been enough. For you to forgive Steve for what he did to you, you’d have to be a saint. “Did she reject it?”

Samuel listens this time, more open to having this conversation. Maybe he and Bucky can finally get some answers?

Steve has been moping all week but kept it all to himself. Is he ready to open up about what happened?

He is. “No.”

Looking to Bucky, Steve can see the slight surprise.

“She should have.” He shakes his head, looking down at his hands where he begins to fidget with his nails.

“She…forgave you?” Bucky asks, shocked.

Steve nods.

“Are you really sorry?” Bucky checks, eyes narrowed on his king and best friend.

Steve meets his gaze with slight anger, fire in the center of his blues. “Of course, I am.”

His voice is a deep growl, irritated.

“I’m not a monster.” Steve points out, but after what he did to you…what must you really think of him? How can he explain to you that marrying you…fucking you…hell, just touching your hand during the wedding had felt like a betrayal? “I think.”

He feels wrong in his emotions. He shouldn’t care that you’re hurt. He shouldn’t care that you kept staring at him with all that hope in your pretty eyes.

Fuck. He growls internally, running a hand through his hair in frustration as he realizes that he just thought your eyes were pretty.

The clench in his chest hurts, another set of pretty eyes fill his mind, and these look sad for his slip. How could he have thought another woman’s eyes pretty? Only hers were pretty. Only Margaret’s.

“You’re doing that thing again.” Samuel interrupts his self-hatred. “That thing you do when you think about her.”

Bucky’s frowning.

“I can’t help it.” Steve admits, tired.

“Margaret’s dead, Steve.” Bucky chastises him ruthlessly. “She has been for two years. You’re allowed to move on.”

“I know that.” Steve grumbles, looking back down at his hands.

“She would have wanted you to move on.” Bucky insists.

Steve isn’t as sure about that…but Maggie would have wanted what was best for him. “I know that.”

“So, then what’s the problem? Your new wife doesn’t inspire you?” Samuel asks, though he doubts that’s a problem. He’s seen you up close and you’re a cutie.

Hell, if he could have chosen anyone to take home and make love to…well, okay, maybe he’d start with a few other girls but you’re no slouch. He likes the way your body curves and your smile had been sweet and real.

There’s a lack of snobbery to you, too. As if you weren’t raised like those other girls that come to court.

You’re a catch. And as Samuel watches his king, he can see that for him as well, you are perfection. Well…for Steve…you’d have to be Margaret to be perfection.

“No, it’s not that.” He sighs. “She’s…she’s not Maggie.”

“And she never will be.” Bucky’s seriously angry now. “But she’s your wife now. Accept it, Steve. The sooner you let go of Margaret the easier this will be on you and her Majesty.”

Steve opens his mouth to speak, to protest, but Bucky cuts him off. He pushes himself up to sit, tense now.

“You’re going to have to sleep with her again, Steve. Every night until you get her pregnant. Part of the deal was to marry within a year. After that you have another year to produce an heir. Rather than take your time you chose Y/N. You had your chance to-”

“You’ve said all of this already, Buck.” Steve nearly growls.

“Well, I’m saying it again, because you haven’t been listening. You could have taken your time, gotten used to the idea first and then married someone but you chose to marry Y/N within a week of the council setting its ultimatum.”

“I wanted it over with.” Steve sighs defeated and saddened again.

“Well, it’s over with…now you have a new wife, a sweet one at that, and you have only a year to do what you could have given yourself two years to do. She needs to give you an heir and you don’t have time to waste unless you want the Kingdom to go to Pierce.” Bucky reminds him. “He’ll tear it apart, Steve.”

“What if I can’t do it?” Steve worries, swallowing hard.

“You have to.” Bucky insists.

Steve’s face contorts into a grimace, disappointment in himself. “Have you seen the way she looks at me? She’s…”

“She’s already in love with you.” Bucky nods.

“Big surprise there. Everyone falls in love with him.” Samuel chimes in. “I mean, look at him.”

“It’s more than that.” Bucky argues.

“She sees through me.” Steve says so quietly that both Bucky and Samuel go completely silent so that all they can hear is the quiet rustle of breeze through leaves and the soft crackle of the fire. “She can see the broken man I am inside.”

“You’re not going to write her a poem, are you?” Samuel teases.

“Sam…” Bucky sighs.

“Do you think that would work?” Steve suddenly asks.

The two guys watch him.

“Should I write her a poem? Will that make her forgive me?” He checks, looking up at them in turn.

“I thought you didn’t want her to love you.” Sam checks.

“I don’t…I…I don’t know.” Steve admits. “It feels wrong to have her in the castle, sleeping in what should have been Margaret’s room if she hadn’t insisted on sleeping with me in mine.”

“She’s Queen now, Steve. Would you have her live out of the castle?” Bucky wonders and for a scary moment, the world is silent.

Bucky couldn’t stand it if he had to take Steve back home and then have to tell Nat what happened if he decided to send you away.

Not only would that mean Nat would be away from him which he really doesn’t think he can go through again, but she'd be so upset for you. And Bucky can’t blame her. He’s feeling more and more angry with Steve for you two.

Steve thinks hard, his chest aching painfully as he pictures you beneath him, squirming as you try and get away.

He shuts his eyes tight, hating the memory.

You’d begged him to be easy on you and he’d ignored it. He hurt you and it surprises him how terribly he feels about it. More so than just a decent man hating making a grave mistake.

He hates that he hurt you. Why? Why does he have to care about you? He doesn’t want to.

“I will have her keep her distance during the day.” Steve nods as the plan begins to work itself out. “And then I will come to her at night.”

Bucky relaxes a little. This is progress. Torture for you of a different kind probably, but it’s progress for Steve.

“I can’t love her, Buck.” Steve admits.

“You don’t have to.” Bucky assures his best friend. “But you do need to care about her at least as a friend. She’s your queen, Steve. Until the day she dies.”

Yeah…and it’s not like Steve has lost any other queens lately. Oh, wait…

“We should go back.” He finally says, “If I’m going to make any progress with an heir I’ll need to get started.”

“Steve…” Samuel begins, and when Steve meets his eyes he sees fear in those dark browns. Fear for you.

Steve looks at Bucky and he sees the same fear in his eyes too.

“What, Sam?” He urges him.

“…you’ll do it gently? She may not let you right away after what happened.” Sam points out.

Bucky nods. “You can’t force it again.”

“I know that. And I won’t. But I’m only going in there to get the job done. Once I have my heir, I’ll never have to touch her again.”

Steve can hardly wait.

The locket rests heavy against your breast. You lay on your back then shift onto your left side, moving slowly towards the center of your bed.

Luxurious aqua tinted silk slides along your freshly washed, peony and lavender scented skin. You’re struggling to sleep, as you have been since your marriage night.

You toss and turn, feeling the ache of your husband despite the pain having receded.

Fisting your sheets, you groan and then gasp as a large hand closes around your ankle.

Startled, you push yourself up slightly, just enough to look down at your feet and you watch as his Majesty’s large body moves closer towards you.

His hand, rough with a bit of callous, traces the length of your leg before it stops on your hip. His other hand traces your side but you’re shaking, scared.

He stops as he hovers over you, still not completely on top of you, and he looks deep into your eyes as you lay yourself back on your pillow, hands hovering between your bodies in tight painful fists.

His face darkens, saddens, there’s an upset there and you aren’t sure if he’s upset with you or himself, but he can see the terror in your eyes and in the way your body responds to him.

With a frustrated sigh, he shifts off of you towards your right to sit at the edge of your bed.

He smells like pine and chestnuts and the slightest hints of campfire smoke.

In the dim light of your room where the only source is your dwindling fire, you see the tense set of his shoulders.

You sit up slowly, but as you do, he slides further along the edge and makes to get up.

To leave you?

“No.” You say, louder than you normally would having just woken up. Your voice is clear and strong if only slightly confused. “Don’t go.”

You reach out for him and wrap your hand around his right wrist.

“Please…” You beg, wanting to see him. You release his hand and place it gently on the bed near him. “When did you get back?”

He’s quiet for so long—or it feels like a long time—that you’re not sure he’s going to answer you.

“Bucky sent word that we’d be back today.” He speaks, voice deep and soft. Disappointment saturating his tone. “Maggie would have met me at the gate.”

Those words are softer, almost like a lamentation and you realize that he was expecting you to wait for him. To be there when he got back.

You swallow hard, hating yourself for missing the opportunity and feeling a pang of painful disappointment in yourself for not exceeding the expectations that Margaret had set.

“His letter said that you would be back tomorrow morning.” You explain, hoping for his forgiveness. “I asked Nat to wake me up at first light. I’m sorry.”

He says nothing, just stares down at his hands in his lap. Thinking.

“How was your journey?” You wonder, hoping to maybe connect with him.

“I need an heir, Y/N. I need one quickly. You must be pregnant within the year or I must forfeit my crown to a man who will split the kingdom. Tear it apart for his own gain.” His Majesty explains. “I can’t let that happen.”

He sits taller and you process this information as quickly as you can.

So…he did really just marry you because he needed to. You’re not sure why that hurts when you already knew, but to hear him say it…you reach up to trace your necklace, lingering on the star before you reach out to touch his back.

You slide your hand up along the center, stroking the taut muscle and relishing in the soft white fabric of his shirt.

He reaches back and catches your wrist, pulling your hand away from its caress.

“Then I’ll give you an heir.”

He scoffs. “I can’t even touch you without you trembling.”

He’s angry at you for that?

“Not that I blame you.” He sighs. “I-…I won’t touch you if you don’t want me to. What happened before, I made a mistake. I need you to understand that Margaret was the love of my life and she wasn’t supposed to die. We were supposed to have a lifetime together…but she did die and I-”

“You love her.” You nod, your own shoulders slouching at the agony that this truth rips through you.

“I don’t mean to hurt you.” His Majesty says and you look up to see him watching you, brow furrowed as he takes in your pain.

You force a smile and shake your head. “No-I…I already knew that you loved her still. Everyone told me before I married you that you did.”

An idea suddenly strikes you and you lean towards him, sliding closer as he continues to hold your wrist.

“If you…I know that it might be a little…” There’s no easy way to say this so, maybe just saying it will be better? “If you need to pretend that I’m her, then you can. If it’ll help-?”

“Don’t be ridiculous.” He suddenly spits, looking uncomfortable and shocked.

There’s a frantic shift in his eyes however as he considers your words.

“If you know that I couldn’t love you, then why did you marry me?” He suddenly demands, still sounding upset.

“Father asked me to. For the good of our Kingdom…my old Kingdom. For the good of the family. Morgana is too young.” Does he understand? “It’s my duty.”

He turns to stare at you, watching your face for the crack that he expects to come you guess. Does he think you don’t mean it?

“And I…I’ve heard good things about you, your Majesty. That you are a good man. A kind man.” You sound unsure with that last bit and it doesn’t miss his notice.

He looks away again, frowning at the memory of your wedding night.

“I will give you an heir.” You promise him, shifting closer again. “I will help you save this Kingdom, your Majesty.”

He turns to look at you, considering your promise and you suppose that he believes you because he gets up, watching you the whole time as he turns to face you, unbuckles his pants, and pushes them down to expose himself.

Peach-pink cock fully erect again, scaring you a little but only because of what happened.

You shift away from him as he moves to crawl onto the bed, and he freezes.

He’s waiting for you, giving you time to reject him. To tell him to go away.

You won’t.

Willingly, you lay back, hand on your locket as you relax against your pillows as best you can. He watches your hand cling to the metal then pulls your blanket away to leave you in your nightdress. Plain white with puffed sleeves tied at the elbow and wrist with pink ribbon, and a square neckline.

He spares it only a glance as his eyes roam down along your body, looking for the hem which he finds.

Moving between your legs which he spreads with gentle hands, he pushes the gown up until it’s bunched around your waist.

He moves closer, his own knees and thighs working to spread your own legs wider as he lines himself up and this time, he waits for you to stop breathing so heavily before he pushes in just a little.

Eyes shut; you struggle to adjust to the sensation. The pressure.

“Keep going.” You tell him, breathless.

He pushes in further, sliding in more smoothly than the first time the he stops. He frowns.

“What is it?” You ask him, your voice hitching at the end as your core burns just a little.

“Nothing.” He says, sighing. He reaches up with one hand and licks his fingers, coating them in a slippery layer of spit.

He takes that hand and reaches between your legs where the two of you are joined and you gasp as he coats you with it. For a fleeting moment as he touches you, your body feels lighter. You feel an embarrassing rush of moisture where he’s already buried halfway inside you and he stops his touching when he’s able to push in further.

Leaning over you, he braces himself on the bed, hands on either side of your shoulders as he buries himself to the hilt with a groan.

He lays himself on top of you, squashing your covered breasts against his own as his hips begin to move. He slides out and back in, stretching you uncomfortably.

It’s not as painful. The steady rhythm he find is gentle and you’re able to adjust to it. Still, it doesn’t feel good and you find yourself shifting beneath him, trying to make room for him.

You spread your legs wider and he takes the opportunity to move a bit faster. No pain, but that pressure of being stretched makes you groan.

The noise seems to spur him on, and he leans back to look at you.

What must he see?

Your lips are parted, eyes unfocused, breathing heavy. For a quick moment it almost feels like he’s leaning towards you.

Your heart stutters as his lips inch over yours but then he swerves his head to the right and he buries his face into the side of your neck as he grips you tighter and pounds into you faster.

“Mmmm.” You whine, wanting this to be over.

It doesn’t feel bad but it’s not like what the girls described. There is no passion in this. It’s almost routine. As if this is how it should happen, so it does. There is no frenzy. There is no love.

“Mmph.” His Majesty responds, sounding much more pleased than you feel. A hot and wet something slides along the side of your neck and you realize that he’s licking you, his beard scratching at the skin.

His hips stutter, his teeth graze the side of your neck before he pulls back. As he rams himself into you one final time, he calls out a name…

“Maggie…” He grunts, breathing labored as his hot sticky release coats your insides.

You know that it was your idea. You offered it to him. You told him that if it helped then he could pretend you were her and you hadn’t been expecting it to hurt this much.

Your chest caves in, heart aching with jealousy because he clearly wishes you were his Margaret. Why had you given him the stupid idea?

You whimper, this time a sob, and he realizes this as he pulls back fast, staring down at your body beneath his.

“Did I hurt you?” He asks, looking you over repeatedly.

You shake your head and then turn away from him because if you look at him, it’ll be there. The jealousy. The pain. The love you feel for him even though you know you shouldn’t.

He doesn’t let you get away with it. “Look at me.”

It’s an order from your King, so you obey. You look at him. And he sees it. He sees the betrayal that you shouldn’t be feeling because you’re the one he isn’t in love with.

You told him he could pretend…but you hadn’t been expecting him to call her name.

Tears trickle down onto your pillow, leaving salty trails between your eyes and temples.

“Did I hurt you?” He repeats, reaching up to wipe a tear.

You shake your head again, but he’s not going to let this go, not after what happened before, so you’ll have to be honest.

“Y-You called me, M-Maggie.” You stutter, voice shaking with sorrow

His Majesty’s face pales, and he pushes off you a bit more before he slips out of you and moves to pull his clothes back on.

“I’m sorry.” He tells you, fastening his pants. “It slipped out.”

You turn away from him, curling yourself into as small a ball as you can while you pull your nightdress down to cover yourself again.

“Of c-course, your M-Majesty. It’s alr-right.” You lie, struggling to contain your sobs.

He sighs heavily, reaching over to pull your blanket back over you.

“I’ll be back tomorrow night.” He says, and with that, he leaves you.

~~~~~~~~~~

“Can I have a bath this morning?” You as Nat, as you watch her place your breakfast onto your table.

Surprised by the request, Nat turns to you with a furrowed brow.

She’s a goddess today in deep plum. Her red hair is a shock of fire around her shoulders. No, red like blood.

“Another one? You had one last night. I thought we would wait until midday for another bath.” She explains.

“I need a bath.” You insist.

That’s when she notices the tunic on the chair by the fire. The mussed sheets. The slightly heady scent that your food had masked when it had been right under her nose but now, she can smell the sex in the air.

“Are you okay?” She hurries to your side, placing her hand on your elbow as he begins to look you over.

“I’m fine.” You tell her, a small chuckle breaking through. “Not even sore this time.”

“When did he-?”

“Last night. Haven’t you seen Bucky? It was late but I thought he would have come to find you.” Getting up you move towards your food and stare down at the eggs and sausage. The potatoes and herbs smell good, but your stomach churns and you know you can’t eat.

Still too upset.

Nat moves to pull on the cord to call for a maid.

“The coward is probably hiding from me to avoid a scolding for not telling me he was leaving.” She’s smirking playfully despite her words.

The maid comes in.

“Her Majesty would like a bath.” Nat tells her and she curtsies then disappears as Nat makes her way back to you. “What’s the matter?”

“I’m not hungry.” You tell her, looking at her with sorrowful eyes. A broken heart hidden carefully behind a determined gaze.

“Eat something. Just a little. Did he hurt you again?” She checks, watching as the large tub is carried in and then slowly the maids begin to fill it with water.

They must have a ready supply of hot water for when baths are needed.

You scoff, a small smile stretching your chapped lips. You need water.

“Not the way he did last time.” You assure her. When she doesn’t stop staring, you chuckle and reach out to caress her arm. “I’m fine, Nat. Just tired. I wasn’t able to go to sleep after he left.”

She doesn’t believe you. “If he did anything, you’d tell me right?”

“Yes.” You nod, release her hand and move to the tub as the maids finish with the last pail.

Removing your nightgown, you let it fall to the ground and step into your bath. Nat hurries to apply your soaps and oils. No petals this morning. Too short notice probably.

The heat of the water helps you relax. You lay back, head resting against the taller back as your hands trace the surface of the water.

“Was his Majesty’s marriage with Queen Margaret passionate, Nat?” You ask her, staring at the crackling fire to your left.

“Yes.” She nods, moving to lather up a rag to scrub you.

You don’t protest when she starts to clean you up.

“Did he kiss her every day?” You wonder.

“In the morning and every chance he got.” She nods again.

“And hugs? Did he hug her?” You ask.

“All the time. Y/N, what’s this about?” She asks, frowning at you as you continue to stare at the fire.

“I wish I was Margaret.” You sigh, turning to Nat with a small worn out smile. “I’m so tired today. Can I sleep some more?”

Nat thinks about it then looks at your food before she look back down at you.

“You don’t have any obligations until next week. You can do what you like with your time until then. But will you do me a favor?” She checks, reaching to lather up your hair.

“What?”

“Eat your breakfast, and then you can sleep as much as you want.” She pleads, and because you know she only wants you to be healthy and happy, you nod with a genuine smile.

“Okay.” You turn back to the fire and watch as it dances. “Will he look for me today, do you think?”

“I’m sure he will, Y/N.” Nat tries to assuage your fears, but you can see right through her.

You look at her, a knowing smile on your peeling and dry lips. “He won’t even ask about me.”

You’re certain.

“I wish I’d listened to all of you and guarded my heart a little better. I guess I just wanted this to all work out as it should. Like some fairytale instead of a business arrangement.” You admit. “But at least I have a nice home and I am well taken care of. We can’t have everything, right? No matter. All I need to do is give his Majesty an heir and then I can love my son and my son only. He will be my world, Nat. And the King can cherish the memory of his precious Margaret all on his own.”

1K notes · View notes

sadienita · 4 years ago

Text

Maison des cartes - Queen of Wands

Witch!Siyeon x Gender Neutral Reader (feat. Yoohyeon and Arem of Rolling Quartz)

Word Count: 5.8k

Contents: magic, some scary moments, a wolf

Previous | Next

jealousy insecurities

“How many of these do I have to collect,” you grumbled, grabbing the papers. A quick gaze outside at the moon told you that time was passing. Had you been here for days, or was it still the same night.

You reached into your pocket and grabbed your phone, lighting it up showed it was still the same day, just hours later than you’d first arrived and nearing midnight. So at least you wouldn’t be gone for days. Did you have to get through all of them in a night then? What would happen if the sun came up and you hadn’t found all the cards? Would you just get to leave?

You weren’t sure you wanted to find out.

Your tired feet dragged into the kitchen where another card lay on the ground and you sighed. Maybe it would be better not to be standing this time? You groaned as you laid down on the floor and placed the music next to the card. A grimace tugged at your lips as you took a deep breath and closed your eyes before touching the card.

Why it always felt like an eternity you didn’t know. You hated it though. You hated the feeling and the darkness and the nothingness until your back hit the ground hard and you let out your breath before a groan followed. Light hit your eyelids and you winced before sitting up in the leaves and blinking in the sunlight.

Immediately it looked familiar. Weren’t these the woods you had just left? Wasn’t this near Siyeon and Yoohyeon’s cottage? Did you do something wrong? This wasn’t how you had landed here before but maybe you screwed up and needed to help again? Was that even possible? You scrambled to your feet before taking off through the trees.

Your feet knew the way well and they carried you swiftly as you made for the cottage, seeing it through the clearing and then hearing the door before Yoohyeon burst out of it, hair tied up and excitement on her face. She laughed as she spotted you and ran towards you, wrapping you up in a tight hug when she reached you.

“It’s been so long!” she cried.

“Y-Yeah!” you had no clue how long it had been but you were a little shocked that you got to see them again.

“Singie!!!” Yoohyeon cried. “Come here!!”

You heard footsteps and a gasp as Siyeon stepped outside before she raced over to you and joined the hug, giggling and smiling.

“I missed you,” she cried.

“I missed you guys too,” you hummed.

“And you would not believe the look on its face! It-”

A knock at the door interrupted Yoohyeon’s story. She jumped up from the couch and made her way happily to the door while you looked between her and Siyeon in confusion.

Siyeon sighed. “Another visitor.”

“Visitor?”

“Yeah,” she said. “Ever since you left, ever since Hyunjung went back to town they’ve been showing up. There weren't many at first, I guess only the brave… or the desperate, came to see us. But they show up every other day now. The ones who are sick, who’ve broken something.” Siyeon paused, listening to Yoohyeon chattering away in the other room. “She helps them.”

“Only Yoohyeon does?” You asked.

Siyeon put down her mug of tea. “I’m not good at it. I mean I can do simple things, healing cuts and things but…”

You nodded thoughtfully. “You want to help too, don’t you.”

“I work around the house,” she said, getting up. “I keep the path cleared, I make sure we have food. So I do something.” She gave you a smile that didn’t reach her eyes. “It’s all important, you know.”

“Hey Siyeon!” You called out to her as you crouched down on the forest floor. Grass and moss littered the space underfoot as the leaves above shaded you from the sun, though not the heat, of the summer day. You stared down at a peculiar toadstool, nestled next to the trunk of a tree amid the tall grass. In all the time you spent wandering with Siyeon you had never seen one like this before.

“Yeah?”

“Come see this.” You gazed up at Siyeon as she came closer, maneuvering through the trees. “It looks different.”

You held back the tall grass as Siyeon knelt down next to you and her eyes widened.

“Oh no way!” She reached out quickly but her touch was gentle. “I’ve only seen these in my book.”

“Are you going to take it?”

She bit her lip. “Yes, but…” She hesitated before she cupped her hands around the small mushrooms and spoke a quiet incantation. The soil around the roots moved and very slowly she levitated them out of the ground.

You grabbed her basket as she kept them cupped in her hands. “If I can grow them, and I should be able to, I’ll have them to use… if I ever get a proper potions book.”

“What do they do?”

Siyeon moved carefully through the forest. “Invisibility, illusions, and things I don’t think I even know about yet.”

“Then you need to get a potions book.” You said.

Siyeon sighed. “Yeah, I wish.”

“Thank you so much,” the old lady hummed, hugging Yoohyeon.

“It’s my pleasure, it was really no trouble,” Yoohyeon smiled, chattering away.

Beside you in the kitchen, Siyeon grumbled.

“You know she had no interest in being helpful for so long,” she muttered. “And then people come and give her attention for it and now-” You started as a lone knife on the counter stood up on its point. “She was perfectly fine to just lay traps and keep people away.” The knife started to spin on its tip.

“S-Siyeon?” you asked quietly as she cut up the meat.

“They come all the way out here just for her, you know? It’s like she’s a star now.”

“Siyeon.” She clearly wasn’t listening to you.

“Mother didn’t do that. She didn’t just get attention from it. She worked hard to save people and I would too if I could. That’s what it’s about right? Being useful, being helpful, be-”

“Siyeon!”

Siyeon jumped and looked at you in surprise. The chattering in the other room stopped just as the knife crashed to the counter, revealing the hole that was left under it, almost through the wood. Your gaze flickered from the hole back to Siyeon, her face flushed, a mix of emotions in her expression.

“Si-” You tried to say her name softly but she pushed past you and took off down the hallway as you and Yoohyeon exchanged worried looks.

Siyeon had long since gone to bed but you were still up, sipping at a mug of tea and thinking. She wasn’t happy right now, that much was clear. She didn’t feel helpful and you knew it was growing resentment but as you sipped your tea down, nothing was coming to you. Just staying here and talking to her might not do much, not if you weren’t sure what to say, and knowing that a “try your best” wouldn’t cut it.

You barely acknowledged Yoohyeon as she walked into the room. She dropped down into the chair next to you and let out a sigh, running her fingers through her hair and holding a folded paper tight in her hands.

“I know, you know,” she said, and you looked over at her. “I know she’s… not happy with me.”

“She doesn’t hate you,” you said. Yoohyeon shook her head.

“She’s upset. I want to help her but…”

“But…”

She played with the paper in her hands. “I don’t think spells are her passion, or her strong suit. I don’t think…” she looked at you. “She wants more, but I know she won’t leave on her own.”

“I don’t think she could ever bring herself to leave you here alone,” you said.

“Yeah… She just… I need to do something or I know we’ll start fighting and her magic is getting out of control. I know she doesn’t want that and neither do I.”

“So what are you going to do?”

Yoohyeon met your eye. “I don’t know.” Something in her expression said otherwise. “But, she needs to find her path, find what makes her happy, for her sake and mine.”

A yawn passed her lips and she stood as she stretched, paper falling out of her hand. “I’m going to bed. Maybe I’ll think about it more in the morning.”

“Goodnight,” you hummed and she gave you a quiet reply as she headed down the hall, the paper still sitting on the chair next to you.

Could you die?

That was a good question right? Was this like a video game or if you died here did you die in the house? Would the police come and find your lifeless corpse in the morning? You didn’t know and you didn’t really want to test it.

Which is why this idea was stupid.

The middle of the night was not a time to be traveling the woods alone, certainly not with what little you brought. Maybe it was just the way the say had gone but you felt that if you waited too long you would lose your nerve. And at present this was the only plan you had so it was the one you were going with.

You knew these woods well, the ones around the house. They were familiar. You knew them for a short distance but you would quickly hit territory you didn’t know and you were praying that it would start to get light out by then. You didn’t know that you could navigate by moonlight and it was hard enough to see the map already.

You had given this very little thought admittedly. Yoohyeon had left you a map to a magical town and left you to the rest of it. You knew you needed a potions book. You had no idea how to obtain one. But you knew Siyeon liked herbs, and you knew she was afraid that if she left Yoohyeon something bad would happen. She wasn’t sure the town wouldn’t turn on them again and the magical town was a few days away on foot. You just hoped you could figure it out.

The travelling at night had to stop though. Every sound around you made you nearly jump. You thought Siyeon and Yoohyeon might be the only magical thing but even if that were true there were still wild animals out here that might see you as a tasty snack and you were certainly not looking to get eaten.

You listened to the sound of every twig, all the shadows around you getting to your head. You felt like you were being watched, stalked. But you were likely imagining, hearing the twigs snap under your own feet, your own self rustling the leaves and your own breath.

You stopped for a moment in a clearing, pulling out the map and trying to make out where you were. It seemed nearly impossible. This might be a mistake but you couldn’t just turn around. You were getting through this one way or another.

A sound behind you made you freeze. A twig snapping and a low rumble, a rumble that sounded far too much like a growl. Your head turned slowly and ice shot through your veins as your gaze met the outline of a large, black and gray wolf, growling at you and watching you from the edge of the clearing.

Your body reacted for you, feet pounding the grass and moss below as you started running. The wolf growled louder behind you before you heard it chasing you. Your heart pounded as you flew through the woods, no idea where you were going and weaving through the trees as much as you could to throw off the large animal.

Could you die?

The thought came to mind again as the wolf gained on you quickly. It was large and fast and your movements wouldn’t be enough. Even as your lungs burned you weaved past more tightly knit trees hoping for some kind of miracle.

A heavy force pushed you from behind, knocking you to the ground and you stumbled into the grass. It’s large paws pinned you and your head felt dizzy from the impact. You listened to it’s growl in silent terror as blackness encroached on your vision, just hearing a whine before your world faded away.

A groan left your lips and your hands lazily searched for the cool, wet thing on your forehead. A cloth of some kind. Your head and body were filled with a dull ache and the sunlight hitting your eyelids was not the most welcome as you covered them, eyes still closed.

“You’re awake,” the unfamiliar voice made you freeze, memories flooding back to you. The woods, the wolf, your certain death.

You sat bolt upright and immediately let out a groan and sunk back down as your head pounded and your stomach turned.

“D-Don’t get up fast,” a small dark haired woman moved closer into your hazy vision. Her arms were uncovered and you could see tattoos winding up them and under the shoulders of her shirt. You could just make out the animal shapes on her skin in your foggy state.

“Where ‘m I? Who’re you?” you grumbled, a hand coming up to your pounding head which she pushed away gently as she pressed another cool, wet cloth to your forehead.

“I’m Arem, and we’re pretty deep in the forest,” she said quietly. “You don’t have to talk- n-not right now. I know your head hurts.” She pressed a small, glass bottle to your lips. “This will help.”

As much as you ought not accept so many strange liquids from mysterious women it seemed to turn out fine so you gladly drank the potion, despite the bitter taste. A few coughs followed off your lips but the warm feeling was already spreading through your body and slowly the pain receded to a dull, uncomfortable but much more manageable sensation. You were much slower as you sat up and the woman smiled at you, much more clear in your vision now.

“Better?” She asked hopefully.

“Much,” you mumbled. She helped to shift and rest your back against a tree and you looked around. Wherever you were looked like a temporary camp or lean to. You were sitting on a bed of leaves and a blanket. Fabric was hung above you but the warm breeze blew through the little camp. You spotted your bag and pulled it closer to you, looking around at the other bag, no doubt hers, and a few more blankets as well as some food.

“We’ll have to move from here,” she said. “I just- I-I needed to take care of you close by.”

You looked around instinctivly, though the beast must be long gone by now. “How- Did you see- I mean do you know what happened?”

Arem tugged on her skirt. “There’s a… wolf around here. A big one.”

“I thought it was gonna kill me,” you mumbled. “It seemed like it was gonna.”

“It- uh- I guess it left you alone… Just a little banged up,” she said anxiously.

“Have you had a run in with it?” You asked.

“Y-Yeah,” her voice was shaky. “Y-Yeah I’ve seen it a f-few times.”

“Well thanks for helping me,” you reached into your bag. “I need to get going though. Can you show me where I am?”

You opened up the map to show her and your heart dropped when she pointed out the spot. It was way off course from where you were headed.

“God, it’s gonna take me an extra day just to get there now.”

“Where are you headed?” You pointed to the town with your finger, already looking for landmarks to help you make your way there.

Arem chewed on her lip silently, seeming to think. As you put the map away and started to pack your bag, looking to make sure everything was there, she spoke up, the words tumbling off her lips quickly.

“There’s another way.”

“There is?” You questioned.

“I-I… I can get you there faster.”

You stopped and stared at her.

“You can?”

She nodded nervously. “I-It’ll only take a day.”

“Well let’s do that then!” You smiled. “How do we do it.”

“I-I’ll- um- Help me pack this up. We’ll sleep well tonight and go tomorrow, okay?”

“Okay,” you grinned.

You felt much better that evening and you slept well but you had a feeling Arem didn’t. She seemed jumpy and anxious and you weren’t sure why. Maybe she was always like this, fairly enough you had really just met her. But maybe something was going on.

Not that you were in the place to ask her about it. She might just be a nervous person but as you woke up that morning in the cave she lived in she seemed even more on edge and nervous. You did what you could to help her prepare for the journey but she said it would take most of the day and you should make it to the town by nightfall. The sun was coming up and you knew she wanted to get going but as you finished packing things in a bag that she’d told you to she stood at the mouth of the cave, anxious and watching the forest outside.

“We’re all packed.” Arem jumped at the sound of your voice, a hand landing over her heart as she turned back to you.

“G-Good, I guess w-we-”

“What’s going on?”

“Wh-What?”

“Arem,” you said gently. “What do we have to do to get there? You seem jumpy this morning, should I be worried? Is there something you need to warn me about?”

“No I- You-” she dropped her head. “I have to do something. I-It’s faster than walking it’s- I don’t- I’m still… getting used to it.”

“What is it?”

Arem reached up and undid her necklace before handing it to you. “Keep this, if I- if I start to act aggressive or- i-if you put this in front of me I won’t hurt you. I-If I forget who I am.”

“What the hell are you talking about?” None of her words were making sense to you and now she was just freaking you out.

“You’ll ah-” Arem curled her arms over her stomach as she curled over. You rushed forwards to help her but stumbled back when your hands met fur instead of skin. You watched as her form grew larger, thick black and gray fur sprouting from her body and a growl rumbling inside her. You tripped and fell back as the large, black wolf in front of you lifted her head and shook out her fur.

You wanted to scream but it was stuck in your throat as she walked nearer to you. Your heart raced and all you could manage was a whimper as you hid your face behind your hands, sure now that you would die.

You heard a sniff and felt the wet end of her nose poke against your hand. A whimper left her as she nudged you and slowly you lowered your hands to peer at her.

Her eyes were still the same. You could see Arem in them and they were laced with concern as they watched you. Shakily, you brought your hand to her head and she nuzzled into your touch happily. Slowly, you started to calm with her friendly behaviour. She nudged you until you got to her feet before throwing her head back a few times and then watching you expectantly. You stared at her blankly for a moment before her idea clicked.

“Oh you want me to climb on your back.” Arem let out a bark and a nod, tail wagging and you chuckled.

“You could have said that when you were still human, you know.” You said, climbing onto her. Arem let out a whine and looked back at you and you scratched her ear. “No it’s alright, I figured out what you meant. I assume I need to hold on?”

Arem nodded as she trotted to the edge of the cave. She let out another sound, looking at the cave before looking at you.

“We have everything if that’s what you’re asking.” She nodded again and let out a bark before trotting through the thick trees. You dug your fingers into her fur, pressing your legs into her sides and getting comfy as she moved away from the cave. As the forest around you started to clear Arem let out another bark.

Her feet hit the ground hard and she bounded forwards. You let out a yelp and lowered yourself against her back, pressing into her soft fur and holding on tightly as she raced through the forest and you watched the trees whip past.

You were careful as you climbed off of Arem’s back, but still you were focused on the town in front of you. Just down the hill a small town was nestled between the mountains. The sun had just slipped below the horizon and the last few fiery colours were leaving the sky as you looked down on the quiet space. It didn’t look magical from the outside, but maybe that was on purpose.

Panting behind you caught your attention. You flipped around and grabbed Arem who was leaning against a tree, supporting her as she caught her breath. Even though you had taken a break mid day she had still spent much of the day running and was worn down. She took her bag slowly before straightening up, though still leaning against you slightly.

“Oh! The necklace. I need it.” You fished in your pocket to pull it out before drawing it around her neck as she gave you a tired smile.

“It keeps me from changing. I’m learning to control it but at times it’s difficult.”

“Are you… a werewolf then?”

Arem shook her head. “Shape shifter. I just happen to turn into a wolf.” She started down the hill and you stayed close by her side in case she stumbled. “It’s more of a curse really. For a long time I didn’t know, I would just black out. But I got the necklace a few months ago and now I can control it better, I know when I change, I’m aware of myself, I remember… I know I scared you knocking you down the other night. I’m sorry for that.”

“I was wondering,” you mumbled. “It’s fine. You didn’t kill me and that’s what matters.”

“Still, I need to be in complete control. I don’t want to hurt people.”

“How did you- start to control it, I mean?”

Arem sighed. “I realized I could change on purpose and my sense of self was hazy, but still there. It took practice but it’s gotten better. I think in a few months I’ll be more normal, I might be able to have a life again.”

You nodded thoughtfully as you reached the ends of the roads and she led you into town. You followed Arem, she must have known where she was going. You moved closer into town and heard chatter inside houses and then saw people walking along the street, dressed in all sorts of cloaks and robes. They chattered with each other and didn’t seem to pay much attention to the two of you as Arem led you through the streets and into a dusty little shop that was piled high with books.

“Hello,” a wizened old man stood shakily from behind the counter. “Can you help you two?”

“Yes,” Arem said. “We need potions books.”

“Potions are in the back,” he hummed, pointing in the direction. Arem gave him a quick thank you, pulling you through the stacks before he could lead you back there himself.

“Do you know what books you want?”

“Uhhh,” you pulled out the map and flipped to the back. Yoohyeon had written some titles and you could still read them, even if a little smudged. “They’re uh, basic books I think.” You handed Arem the list and she started searching. You joined her and the two of you mumbled to each other quietly until you heard the sounds of footsteps and a cane.

“You’re not from around here,” the old man’s voice was thin and airy but something about it unsettled you. Arem nudged you and you realized he was talking to you as you searched the shelves.

“Y-Yeah, I don’t live around here.”

He watched you carefully, his light eyes intense. “Curious... that you would come so far, when you can’t use the books.”

“It’s to help a friend,” you mumbled quickly. Did he know you had no magic? Was he just trying to freak the two of you out?

“Jealousy,” he said.

“What?”

“Jealousy, and joy. The inner voice is important, and so is direction.” You felt glued to the spot as he spoke to you, staring, unblinking. “Sometimes a cycle needs to end to complete the circle.”

“Found them,” Arem’s voice was strained as she shoved the books into your hands. “We’re done.”

The old man blinked and grumbled before walking off somewhere and Arem pulled you after him. He pulled out a shallow cauldron and a wand and Arem stepped closer to him but he shook his head.

“They have to pay,” he said, pointing at you.

Arem pushed you forward.

“I don’t have any money,” you hissed.

“He doesn’t want money. Just think about something boring.”

“I- what?” You were still confused as the old man touched his wand to your temple and a cool feeling came over you, making you shiver. He pulled away a smoky grey substance that sunk through the air and into the cauldron.

“That will be all.”

“Thank you,” Arem hummed, tugging you from the shop.

“What the hell was that?!” you questioned as she pulled you towards what looked like a tavern.

“You pay in knowledge, memory, secrets, whatever. That’s what he took. Don’t look at me like that,” she hissed at your horrified expression. “You’ll be fine. It’s just creepy but it’s also the best bookstore. I swear they have everything and he has to be nearly 150.”

“I feel weird,” you muttered.

“It’ll pass,” she shrugged. “Do you know what all that other stuff was about?”

“No,” you said, as you followed her into the tavern. “It all seemed very weird.”

Arem hummed. “Weird, anyways I should get us a room for the night. We can travel back tomorrow.”

You nodded as she headed for the counter.

Sun was streaming brightly through the window by the time you got up but Arem slept for a few more hours. It made sense, she was tired and you didn’t think she could run that far again without being well rested but as the late morning ticked by you wondered if you would have to postpone another day.

It was nearly noon by the time Arem woke up and she grumbled at you for letting her sleep so long. Still, she ordered food up from the kitchens and you chatted as you pondered what to do about it until she decided, pulling you out of the room in quiet excitement.

The town was much more lively in the day. People walking every which way and music playing on the corners. There were displays outside shops that moved on their own or were enchanted to call out slogans and yell about sales. Toads, cats, owls, and other birds sat in the pet store that looked much larger on the inside. Arem led you through the streets, pointing things out and letting you stop in the snack store, buying you some of the strange sweets before pulling you into what looked like a train station.

“We can take something from here.” She searched the board ahead that listed departures and arrivals of… something. You didn’t recognize the names but after looking at your map she picked one and ran off to grab tickets.

“It’s in 15 minutes come on,” you stumbled through the busy station after Arem.

“What exactly is this?”

“An apparition station. It’ll let you travel easily from here. There's one that goes just outside of town and then it’s only about a 40 minute walk through the woods to where you came from. I’m from near there anyway so I’ll come with you.”

“Is there anything I should know before we start?” you asked warily.

“Hold you breath,” she chuckled.

The old boot that was sat in front of you reminded you of when you left Yoobin. You had a feeling this would feel the same and as the seconds ticked down and you grabbed the boot with Arem and a few others you took deep breaths. Arem squeezed your other hand and you all listened as they counted down the last few seconds when you finally took in a large breath.

Space sucked out like a vacuum around you. You closed your eyes against the nothingness and squeezed Arem’s hand. She squeezed back as the seconds ticked past. You could never tell how much time passed but it never felt quick or instant. Your lungs started to burn with a need for fresh air and just as they did You felt Arem’s hand pull you and you let go of the boot.

You stumbled to the ground, not taking the landing too hard and you were thankful for that. Arem shook out her head before pulling you away from the others and into the woods. As you got out of reach of their voices she spoke with you quietly.

“This won’t take too long.”

“That’s good,” you said. “They’re probably wondering where I am.”

“Don’t they know where you went?”

“Sort of?” you replied. “Yoohyeon gave me the map but still, I couldn’t contact them. And I didn’t tell Siyeon at all. So hopefully they’re not worried that I got hurt. I know people have gotten hurt out in the woods before.”

Arem rubbed her arm. “Yeah, yeah there’s dangerous stuff out here.”

“Have you?”

“Have I what?”

“Hurt anyone?”

Arem didn’t answer.

“I see,” you said quietly.

“I didn't- I wish I could go back. I wish I had always had some control. There’s so much time I’ve lost. There’s so much I don’t know.”

You softened. “I guess it’s pretty scary to not remember what happened.”

“Yeah, it is.” she mumbled.

You were quiet for a time before chattering with her again. It must be hard, not even knowing what it was or that she could control it for such a long time. That would scare you too.

The woods got thicker around you but you felt comforted that it was more familiar. Arem walked with you until the cottage was in sight.

“I should go,” she said.

“You can come in for a rest if-”

“No,” she said simply. “I- I’ll be alright. I’m sorry again for- well… you know. I’m just glad you’re okay. And glad I could help.”

“Take care of yourself,” you said.

“I will,” she smiled before walking off. You watched until she disappeared into the trees before turning back to the cottage. You made it nearly to the door before Yoohyeon and Siyeon nearly bowled you over.

“You’re alive!” Siyeon cried. “God! Do not scare me like that!”

“I-I’m sorry,” you stumbled. You glanced at Yoohyeon just before she hugged you.

“I couldn’t see you,” she whispered. “I didn’t know if…”

“I’m okay,” you assured her. “And I brought something.”

You opened you bag and pulled out the books, handing them to Siyeon and watching the awe on her face.

“You- But- Did Yoohyeon send-”

You chuckled. “I took a little trip to get them for you.”

Siyeon was tearing up before she reached out and whacked Yoohyeon.

“Hey! What did I do?!”

“You sent them on a dangerous quest!” Her expression softened. “But… Thank you.”

You caught up with Siyeon over the next week, her spirits much better as she read the books and mixed her potions. You were happy to test them out for her and she was delighted to find that they all worked. She certainly had a knack for potions and the glee it brought to her was infectious.

Though the true test came as a knock came to the door and a few minutes later someone stood in the doorway of her study, Yoohyeon standing next to her.

An older woman was gazing at Siyeon, teary eyed. “My son has an awful flu. He c-couldn’t come but she,” the woman motioned to Yoohyeon. “Said you could help?”

“Yeah,” smiled Siyeon. “Yeah, I can.”

She worked quickly, finding a potion on her shelves and moving a portion of it into a small vial as she asked how big he was and told her how much of the potion to give and how often. The woman listened intently, taking the potion and thanking Siyeon profusely for it, offering herbs from her garden in return.

Yoohyeon showed her to the door before returning.

“I think that we are going to make a wonderful healing team,” she grinned.

“Yeah, we just might.” Siyeon beamed.

In the next week a flood of people came calling for potions. You sat in the living room with Yoohyeon, drinking tea and listening as Siyeon walked someone out of the house one evening.

“This was what she needed,” Yoohyeon hummed. “She’s always been better at potions.”

“She would never go on her own, huh?”

“And I could never have gone,” Yoohyeon said. “And with people coming I didn’t want to just leave without notice. I knew she needed something more for a while, I know she’s always wanted to help people.” Yoohyeon looked you in the eye. “I have a feeling you’ll be leaving soon?”

“I think I might,” you said as Siyeon came into the room.

“Well then,” Yoohyeon said as she stood. “Thank you, and good luck.”

You smiled. “Thanks.”

Yoohyeon left the room as Siyeon sat next to you with a big smile on her face. A yelp left your lips as she hugged you suddenly.

“Thank you,” she hummed.

“Of course,” you chuckled.

“No I-” She pulled back to look at you. “I know I couldn’t have gone on like that. It was making me bitter, jealous. But I’m so much happier now.”

“You’ve always liked potions,” you said.

“I know I just- I didn’t have the means to help people until now. I don’t feel so… useless.”

“Hey,” you squeezed her hand. “You were never useless.”

Siyeon smiled at you. “You’re really something.”

“I try,” you giggled.

Siyeon hugged you tight again. “Well thank you,” her voice sounded far away as darkness encroached around you.

“You’re welcome,” your own voice seemed far. “Take care of yourself.”

The last words were lost as you slipped into the darkness.

joy

Your eyes fluttered open and you took in the darkened house around you before letting your head fall to the side where the card spun and disappeared in a puff of smoke and somewhere else in the house you heard a door creak open.

Masterlist

#maison des cartes #queen of wands #dreamcatcher imagines #siyeon imagines #lee siyeon imagines #witch!siyeon #dreamcatcher x reader #siyeon x reader

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ethospathoslogan · 5 years ago

Text

there will come a poet: chapter one (a vampire sanders sides fanfiction)

A/N: thank you all for the feedback on the prologue!! it all made me even more excited than i already was to post this first chapter :’) if you liked this, please considering liking/commenting/reblogging!!

summary: The vines, chains so tightly braided together that the knights of the Hartt Kingdom could neither slash them open nor burn them down, began to twist, and shift, and press inwards, and press outwards, and weave and unweave and tangle and shiver and, ultimately, open.

The Wall of Vine and Thorn, impenetrable for a century, had opened up a hole six feet tall, and just wide enough for a person to step through.

Patton, without hesitation, stepped through.

ships: eventual moxiety and logince

WC: 5,271

content: light injuries, light blood

read on ao3

read the prologue / next chapter

taglist: @iwillsithereandtrytocontribute , @glitchybina

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A twig crunched underneath Patton’s foot, and he tried not to startle too much.

It was silly of him to be so scared. He knew that there were worse things to be found in the Twisted Wood than a few misplaced branches.

Or maybe it wasn’t silly of him to be so scared, because he knew what lurked further in.

At least, he had been taught what lied ahead, but…

He shook his head, his curls bouncing with the movement, and pressed forward. It was barely dawn, the sunlight just beginning to look down through the darkened canopy. To stay and dilly-dally would only give those back at the palace more time to realize he was missing.

And it would only give him more time to think about turning back.

But… turn back to what?

(It also gave him more time to feel guilty about leaving Logan behind, but Patton would rather spend hours thinking about the route he could take back to the palace before he spent a minute thinking about his magical advisor, his best friend, sleeping within the palace walls, unknowing to Patton’s empty bed in the next room over.)

Patton swallowed thickly and forced his feet forward, one step after another, one breaking twig after another.

Besides, at least if he kept walking, he didn’t have to think about how tired he was. He just… he just had to keep thinking about the journey he was on! Just like in the stories he had read before! All those stories about dashing princes, riding in on noble steeds, sword at their hip! They… they had to mean something!

Right?

Well, Patton had no armor, no sword, and no horse, but he liked to believe that he could make do with his blue cloak, unused dagger, and the most comfortable shoes he owned.

Another branch snapped underneath his foot. A bird cawed overhead, and Patton looked up to find a crow perched on a branch not too far ahead. He tried to ignore the chill running down his spine as the crow cawed again, shooting its song up into the canopy, before turning its dark gaze onto him.

“H-Hello, birdie,” Patton stammered quietly, forcing a smile on his face. If he tried hard enough, he could convince himself that he was just being polite, and that the nerves in his chest weren’t bubbling into rambling. “What’cha- what’cha doing out here so early?”

The crow tilted his head left, right, and when Patton crunched another branch under his foot, flew away.

“Okay,” Patton said, mostly to himself, and ducked his head, watching his feet as he walked.

He wondered if the Twisted Wood was so unsettling because of the history stooped in it, or if it was just because it was called the “Twisted Wood.” A simple title change could do the forest a lot of good.

Patton would know.

He was, after all, Prince Patton, son of Titus Hartt, the Iron King. Titus the Great, or Titus the Valiant, or even Titus, Patton’s dad, would have had a different ring.

So the Twisted Wood could have instead been the Winding Woodlands, or the Vast Meadows, or the Guiding Grove, or just… The Forest. A forest. Doesn’t even have to have a title!

Patton sighed and, looking up, readjusted his glasses.

He just hoped he was going the right way, though he had a feeling that a wall of thorns standing a mile high would be pretty hard to miss.

Maybe that meant that they could see him from miles away, too. Whatever “they” were.

Okay, Patton knew what they were, but- but what if there was nothing there? What if it was all just a scary story told to princes to stop them from going and looking for themselves? No undead, no beasts, no monsters, just- just a vacant clearing! And then Patton could laugh and turn around and skip right back through the forest that was no longer scary! And maybe he could even sneak back into the palace without being seen, and then he could tell Logan this story that they would laugh at for the rest of the day!

Except-

Patton slowed his step and looked up through the leaves, the dull sunlight glinting off his glasses.

Except he didn’t know if he would be laughing.

He didn’t know what he was looking for. Not really. He just…

Something had to be better than nothing, right?

He was given enough time— just enough time —to debate that when, in the distance, the tall, thick trees began to blend in with the background, forming a wall of twigs and green- and Patton’s stomach dropped out of him when he realized that, after over two hours of walking, he had reached the heart of the forest.

Just like the legends always said, the Wall of Vine and Thorn stretched farther out than Patton could see. The Anguine Kingdom was rumored to remain inside, and the only reason it was rumor instead of fact was because no one actually knew what was left inside. Not since the barricade went up one hundred years ago.

(Patton had checked the date before he left, and today was actually the first day of the hundredth and first year.)

As Patton pushed himself forward, he could see more and more of the true… greatness of the Wall. It stretched upwards as if, one day, the vines could eventually reach out and touch the sky, but what he found himself even more amazed by were the trees that surrounded it. Almost like they had adjusted themselves to fit their new scenery, the trees closer and closer to the wall had grown, too: their trunks wider than Patton could reach around, their leaves blocking out the sun and, most curious of all, the trees bent towards the Wall. The branches and leaves all leaned over, and Patton could only imagine that they met in the middle.

He had heard legend that the Anguine Kingdom was thrown into eternal darkness the moment the barrier went up, but to see it in person…

He was close enough now that, if he just reached out, he could touch the vines thicker than his torso, or the thorns as long as his forearm.

Keeping his hands close to his chest, he took a step forward.

“H-Hello?” he called out, hoping his voice reached whatever was past the vines. “I- I don’t know if you can hear me? Or… or if there’s anyone there to hear me? But… I’m from the Hartt Kingdom. And I know what everyone… says about this place. About the princes. But I… I just want to know…”

He trailed off.

What did he want to know?

He had left the palace with an abstract desire and, if he was being honest, he had hoped that his subconscious would think of a question for him.

“It can’t be that bad, right?” Patton finally asked. “Whoever you are can’t be that bad, right?”

The moment the words left his mouth, it felt like a stupid thing to ask, like a child’s question.

But he… he needed to know.

For a moment, everything was silent.

On the second moment, Patton shifted and winced when he snapped another twig beneath his foot.

And, just when he was ready to shake his head and turn around, chastising himself for really thinking that he could get an answer, the vines shifted.

The vines, chains so tightly braided together that the knights of the Hartt Kingdom could neither slash them open nor burn them down, began to twist, and shift, and press inwards, and press outwards, and weave and unweave and tangle and shiver and, ultimately, open.

The Wall of Vine and Thorn, impenetrable for a century, had opened up a hole six feet tall, and just wide enough for a person to step through.

Patton, without hesitation, stepped through.

He had been right: the trees met in the middle to block out the sun, and the slivers that burst through never made it to the ground.

If he squinted, though, he could still manage to see enough.

And what he saw was… the Anguine Kingdom. In the early morning air, it was still. Ivy crawled up the buildings, choking them out through the windows and the chimneys. The forest floor had long overcome whatever stone or wood once laid, dulled by footsteps from a time long ago. Craning his head up at a bird’s song, Patton watched as a dark shadow swooped among the leaves, startling them only for a moment before they resumed their hold above the remains. And, as Patton’s gaze shifted downward, he could make out the dark spire of a castle— the castle—looming in the distance. Patton watched it for a moment, and a moment longer, and made out no flashes, no shadows, no figures moving past the peaked windows.

It was hard to imagine the kingdom harboring monsters for over a century when it was this… peaceful.

He let his feet carry him forward, trudging carefully through the overgrown weeds and bramble. It was only when he heard a shifting, a slithering, behind him that he looked back and, to his sudden horror, found that the opening in the vines was beginning to close.

“Wait!” he shouted out without thinking and, his feet nearly catching on the brush below, sprinted. It was, at most, with his short legs, twenty paces, but when he reached the Wall, the vines had already sewn themselves back together and, skidding to a poor halt and tripping, Patton hissed as his left palm sliced open on one of the thorns and his knees crashed to the ground.

Instinctively, he whimpered in pain before squeezing his eyes shut, willing back any sudden tears at the sharp pain that sprung throughout his hand. Pulling his hand away from where it pressed into the ground, he grimaced at the gash running from the base of his middle finger to the heel of his palm, and did his best to ignore the streak of blood dripping down his wrist.

“Well...” His voice, quiet, only petered out more as he looked back up at the barrier. “Oh no.”

Patton, for a moment, tried to decide which would be worse: the monsters were real and he was stuck with them, or the legends were fake and Patton was stuck alone in the graveyard kingdom.

At the sound of running footsteps behind him, his anxiety decided for him that being trapped with something was much worse than being trapped with nothing.

And, as Patton whipped around and scurried backwards, daring the thorns to piece his back, for the first time that morning, he regretted leaving the castle.

“Remus, what is all this-”

And Patton watched as, around the corner of the nearest building, a figure cloaked in black came bounding towards him.

It took a moment for Patton to place him. In legends, in paintings, in story books, he was always signified by his eyes: one untouched, one ruined. Some depicted it as gashed, others depicted it as glassy. Some chose not to depict it at all, instead leaving him with a gaping, black hole. That one was the one that scared Patton the most as a child.

Instead, though, the eldest brother, staring down at Patton on the ground before him with his one brown eye, had a black patch over the other.

And Patton, with his blue eyes, stared back up.

The eldest brother held his gaze for a moment in pure astonishment. Perhaps he, too, was not able to process exactly what he was seeing in front of him.

And then, all Patton had time to process was the anger twisting on his face before he was being yanked up by his collar by gloved yellow hands, his face now mere inches from the eldest brother’s.

“What-” His voice, gripping with malice, ripped through Patton and sent his body into a tremble “-are you doing here?”

“I- I-”

All he could focus on were the fangs where canines should have been.

That, and how close they were to Patton.

“How did you get in here?” The brother hissed, his grip tightening. “Answer me!”

“I- I don’t know!” Patton cried out. He couldn’t tell if it was tears or sweat streaking down his face (or both).

“What do you mean-” And the brother yanked him closer “-You. Don’t. Know?”

“They let me in! They let me in!” Patton rushed out, gripping the brother’s wrists with his hands as if he even had a fraction of the power he needed to deter him. “The vines! They- they opened!”

“They-?” The brother’s face was only twisted in confusion for a moment before he stilled. His one eye, which up until then had never left Patton’s, darted to his right hand, which Patton was clutching desperately with his left.

Together, they watched as blood seeped through the brother’s yellow glove.

A scream barely caught in Patton’s throat as the pupil of the brother’s eye became a slit, his fangs bared, and-

And he threw Patton back to the ground.

“You shouldn’t be here!” The brother growled, ripping off his stained glove.

��I can’t- I just-”

“You just what?” The brother shouted. It could’ve just been Patton’s nerves, but he swore the canopy above them shook.

To say that he just wanted to know felt… wrong.

“I can’t get back out,” he whispered.

The brother turned his steely gaze from Patton to the vines.

“You can’t,” he repeated, “get back out.”

Patton shook his head but, for the first time, the eldest brother’s attention was elsewhere; as if he was in a trance, he stepped forward, past Patton, and put a hand to the barrier of foliage.

“Who are you?” the brother asked quietly. It was the calmest Patton had seen him yet.

“P-Patton.”

“Patton what?”

The answer caught in his throat as the legend flickered through his mind, and it was only when the brother’s eye flicked to him again that Patton was able to force out:

“Hartt. Patton Hartt. Of the- of the Hartt Kingdom.”

The eldest brother, for just a moment, froze.

And then he began to laugh, and he kept laughing, and it chilled Patton to his core. It was bitter and pained and, ultimately, seething.

“Wonderful!” He managed between his manic laughter. “Another one of you! After a hundred years! Fantastic!”

“I’m not here to-”

“Well, might as well make yourself at home!” The brother reached down and, grabbing Patton’s uninjured hand with his still-gloved one, yanked him up. “Since it seems like a Hartt is here to- to-” He cut himself off with another bark of laughter.

“I don’t know what you’re-!”

“And of course this is how it happens!” The brother’s grip tightened on his hand as he dragged him along and Patton, wincing, struggled against him. “Why should I have expected anything different? How foolish of me when-”

“You’re hurting me!” Patton cried out, yanking back against his grip, and the brother froze.

His grip on Patton’s hand loosened and then, eventually, dropped.

“I- I’m-” The brother sighed and shook his head, pinching the bridge of his nose. “Apologies.” He then continued walking, this time without Patton tugged along. “My brothers… will want to know about this. You.”

Patton nodded, the fear and the curiosity making an uneasy coil in his gut, and, keeping his hands pressed close to his chest, followed slowly behind.

The stone steps to the castle swirled lazily up, drawing large circles around the overgrown courtyard. It made Patton nauseous to look down, but it made his knees tremble to look at the large, wooden door at the top, a tattered orange tapestry hanging above.

Overall, if Patton had to be honest, he wasn’t having a great time.

When they reached the double doors, the eldest brother took one last look at Patton, his eye narrowed, before he huffed and pushed the door open.

“Welcome,” he said, “to the Anguine Castle.”

Patton, when he stepped through the threshold, could not help but marvel at the site before him. The Hartt Castle, steeped in white marble and silver, seemed dull in comparison, even if the room in front of him was still drenched in darkness. Rich, red curtains hung closed before the windows. Dark wooden flooring stretched out, only stopping when met with the black, bricked walls. Accents of gold bespeckled themselves throughout the parlor, found in the decorations seated on the end-tables, in the frames holding aged portraits, in the bases of the unlit oil lamps on the wall. The room had a chill and Patton wished he brought something heavier than his cloak but, even for just this moment, he could not be bothered.

“Wow,” he breathed, looking around. Now choosing to marvel at the grand staircase leading up (and up and up and up) to the second floor, he watched as the eldest brother walked briskly to the foot of it.

“Roman! Virgil!” He called, his voice carrying through the chamber. “Get down here! Now!”

With a quick turn, he began flipping the switches of the oil lamps, each one turning on with a burst of flame before settling into a flickering calm. As they did, however, Patton noticed the light catching something on the brother’s hand and, as his eyes finally focused, he couldn’t help but stare at the scales encroaching upon the top of his hand and fingers, curling inwards to his palm.

Patton averted his gaze when the brother turned back to him, but from the way his brown eye was fixed on him, he blushed at the realization that he had been caught.

Before he could stammer out something that would either embarrass him further or send him to an early grave, a figure began to descend down the shadowed staircase.

“Janus, what the fuck is-”

Having stopped, frozen at the foot of the staircase, Patton was able to get a good look at their new guest (well, technically, he was the guest). He wore a simple black outfit similar to the eldest brother’s— Janus’s —except without the yellow accents. He stared at Patton—who couldn’t help but take note of his gaunt features and dark circles pressed under his eyes—and flicked his dark brown hair out of his eyes, as if that would make the scene in front of him any different.

“Is Remus home?” Janus asked.

“Janus, what the fuck-” His voice then broke off as his eyes flicked to Patton’s hand and widened, and that was when Patton became aware of the drying blood down his left hand and forearm “-What the fuck did you do to him?”

“I didn’t do anything!” Janus snapped. “So Virgil, answer my question, is Remus home?”

Virgil, lost for words, shook his head.

“Good,” Janus said. “I need you to take care of him, then.”

“How did- Who- What the fuck-?”

“Yes, I know,” Janus bit. “Apparently the wall opened up for him!” He then looked back at Patton, who sheepishly smiled, before back to Virgil. “His name is Patton Hartt.”

Patton tried to ignore how harshly he said that last part.

Virgil’s jaw, dropping just enough to reveal his own fangs, stared at his brother before shooting to Patton. He faltered a couple times before finally managing out, “Hartt?”

“Yes, Hartt,” Janus repeated. “Now, take care of him, while I-”

“I- wait, why do I-”

“Because I have things to do!” Janus shouted, throwing his hands up. “I need to- where is Roman?”

“You think I’m gonna be the one to get him up?”

Janus growled low in his throat and pushed his way past Virgil. “The fucking-” He whipped his head back over his shoulder to stare down Virgil “-Virgil, take care of him. Be smart.”

Patton watched as Janus ascended the stairs before turning his gaze to Virgil, who still stared at him, dumbstruck.

He was suddenly aware that “take care of him” could have a wildly different meaning here.

“I- I-” Virgil stammered “I have so many questions.”

“Me too,” Patton whispered.

“I-” Virgil eyed his injured hand again and swallowed thickly, turning his head sharply away. After a moment, he sucked in a breath and released it before turning back and, finally, stepping off the landing.

As he approached, Patton couldn’t help but stumble backwards, and Virgil held up his hands, slowing his step.

“I- I’m not going to hurt you,” he assured. It was the softest voice Patton had heard that day. “Just…” He looked over his shoulder before back at Patton. “Did he hurt you?”

Patton shook his head. “Not- no.”

Virgil arched an eyebrow.

“He was really scary,” Patton admitted. “But I- I tripped.” He showed Virgil his hand again, but when Virgil quickly shifted his gaze, he pulled it back against his chest.

Virgil sighed, rolling his eyes. “Yeah, Janus isn’t really one for good first impressions.” Then, after a hesitation, he eyed Patton’s hand again. “But he wasn’t being… threatening when he said to take care of you. You have to get that wrapped up or- or something.”

“And you’re going to help me?” Patton asked.

Virgil shrugged. “Apparently.”

“That’s very kind of you.” Patton offered him a faint smile. Virgil averted his gaze again. “Are you bothered by…?”

“Not as much as some will be,” Virgil said with a chuckle, though there was little humor in it.

Patton, gut twisting, chewed his bottom lip.

Virgil caught his worried look and sighed. “Look- sorry, we just-” He broke off again and shook his head. “Just… follow me.”

He waved Patton down the hall to his right and, a few paces behind, he followed as Virgil switched on oil lamps as they passed by. They illuminated more portraits, those of men and women and families throughout the years, though all dressed in fashion that Patton hadn’t seen before. At least, not outside of the old portraits in his own palace.

The question on the tip of his tongue was soon answered for, as they entered into a dining hall, his eyes immediately fell upon the large portrait on the opposite wall.

Having only seen the King and his four sons drawn in storybooks, to see them human… it was unsettling. The King, his name lost with his perishing, sat upon his throne, orange cushions supported by what could have only been gold. Wearing a hard look on his face, Patton couldn’t help but let a chill run down his spine. Janus, his dark brown hair styled neatly and both eyes staring out at Patton, shadowed him. His hands, folded and unscaled, rested on the back of the throne, and, starkly different from the man he just met, his lips curled up in a smirk, paired with an arched eyebrow. To his right was Virgil, the same dark brown hair styled messily but, even from where Patton stood, he could see that his brown eyes had life in them. He looked more alive, his cheeks fuller and his skin blushed with pink, all put together with a small smile.

Then, on the opposite side, stood two red-heads. The second son and his duplicate, Patton could assume, though it felt insensitive to say it now. The one standing closest to Janus wore a beaming grin, his head tilted every so slightly. His hair was styled so closely to perfection, Patton wondered if it was artistic intent or reality. The twin to his left, identical to the twin to his right in all but the mustache, stared out and grinned, though something about it seemed much more… frantic. His red hair would have been perfect as well if not for a stray curl here or a fly-away there (again, Patton found himself wondering if it was reality or intent).

“So you’re the youngest brother,” Patton commented without even thinking.

Only after a long hesitation did Virgil say, “Yes?”

Patton blushed as Virgil motioned for him to take a seat at the dining table.

(Patton noted that it looked like it hadn’t been used in quite some time.)

“Sorry, sorry,” Patton said quickly. “It’s just-” He huffed and looked away as Virgil began rummaging through the drawers and cabinets. “We’re… taught… legends.”

Virgil let out another humorless laugh. “Can’t even bother to learn our names, huh?”

Patton decided to shift in his seat instead of saying anything more.

After a couple silent, tense minutes passed, Virgil finally pulled a roll of cloth out of the back of a drawer and dropped it in front of Patton on the table. “Sorry it took so long. We don’t get many… injuries.”

“It’s fine,” Patton whispered.

He watched as Virgil took a pot from another cabinet and filled it with water from the faucet. He must have shown some type of confusion on his face for Virgil explained, “We, uh- there’s a spring we managed to trap in here with us. The castle’s been connected to it for, well… centuries.”

Patton nodded. “Oh.”

Virgil sat a couple chairs away from him as Patton, carefully, started to clean the cut on his hand.

After a couple more minutes of silence, Virgil sighed and said, “Look, I’m sorry about the name comment.”

Patton, looking up, furrowed his eyebrows. “You’re sorry?” he asked. “I’m sorry! It was- it was rude of me to say that, and-” He faltered as Virgil raised an eyebrow. He sighed and shook his head. “I know what the legends say. We could’ve… we could’ve at least kept your names.”

Virgil stared at him for a moment, and Patton realized that there was no way of telling the difference between his pupils and the color of his eyes.

Finally, Virgil broke his stare and turned to look at the portrait. “Who are we?” he asked. “In your legend.”

Patton swallowed thickly and, with his uninjured hand, pointed first at the King. “The King.” Then to Janus, “His eldest son.” He hesitated when pointing to the twins, but finally stopped on the beaming one, “His second son.” He hesitated even longer when pointing to the other twin, “The… the duplicate.” Then, finally, he moved to Virgil. “His youngest son.”

Virgil nodded, staring at the portrait. Finally, he pointed as well. “Livius. Dead. Janus. You met him. Roman. Here, but I’m not gonna be the one that wakes him. Remus. Don’t let him hear you call him that. Me. In the flesh.”

“How old were you all?” Patton asked quietly.

“Does it matter?” Even as Patton focused on cleaning off his cut, he could feel Virgil staring.

“Perhaps not,” he murmured.

Another moment of silence.

“Shit, I’m not good at this,” Virgil huffed, and Patton lifted his eyes just in time to see Virgil drag his hand through his hair. “We were, uh- Janus was twenty-seven. Roman and Remus were… twenty-three. And I was twenty-two.” He shifted in his seat. “The kingdom fell a year later.”

Patton nodded. He didn’t know what to say to that. Anything he could think of felt… useless.

It was history. He couldn’t change that.

“And the vines really… let you in?” Virgil asked when Patton finally tied off his cut with one of the remaining bandages. Patton couldn’t even tell if he was scared anymore, but he still figured it wouldn’t be… wise to leave it just out in the open.

Patton looked up when Virgil said that, and Virgil, quickly, averted his gaze once more.

“They did,” he answered with a soft laugh and a sheepish smile. “I just… I spoke to them? And a little… doorway opened up.”

Virgil turned back to him, his eyebrows furrowed. “You spoke to them?”

Patton blushed. “Y-Yes, it was silly, I guess, but-”

“What did you say?” Virgil pressed, leaning forward on his elbows. Even from a couple seats away, Patton could feel his intensity.

With those dark eyes on him, it was as if Virgil was seeing through him.

“That it can’t be that bad,” he finally answered, his voice barely a whisper. “That… you all can’t be that bad.”

Virgil held his stare for a moment longer, and Patton felt like he was drowning in it.

And then, Virgil, with a dry laugh and a shake of his head, leaned back. “Well… shit. You really must be a good person, huh?”

Before Patton could even begin to question him, from down the hall and back in the parlor room, both their heads turned to the sound of footsteps coming down the stairs.

“I had just gotten into a much needed rest,” a voice was narrating—announcing?—as they came down the steps. “Something that a man of my caliber so greatly needs-” And he was coming down the hall “-Only to be so rudely interrupted by our cruel older brother because-”

And then, in the doorway, stood Roman, the second son. Donning the same grin in the portrait before him, completing his look with the same neatly styled hair and white button down (not buttoned all the way, the collar rumpled) tucked into black pants, he eyed Patton before finally meeting his eyes.

“Apparently-” And Roman cocked his head “-there is another prince in our home!”

“Uh, yes- yes!” Patton stammered as Roman sauntered over, taking the seat in between him and Virgil. “Patton- Patton Hartt!”

He stuck out his hand and Roman, adding a raised eyebrow to his look, took it with a hand chilled to the touch.

“Prince Roman Anguine,” he said, his brown eyes passing over Patton’s face once more. “Charmed.”

From behind him, Virgil rolled his eyes. Leaning forward, he fixed where Roman’s collar curled up.

Roman, in a movement faster than Patton could comprehend, smacked Virgil’s hand away. “It’s stylistic intent, Virgil,” he bit, the grin having slipped off his face. “I would be the one to know it.”

Still, though, he adjusted his collar.

Virgil’s glare hardened as he leaned back in his seat. “Is that what you’re calling it, Ro?”

Roman, ignoring him, turned back to Patton and put back on his grin. “Apologies for that,” he said, laughing. “Just some gentle ribbing among brothers.”

“Uh-huh,” Patton said quickly, nodding. He was partially unconvinced and partially intimidated.

“If you two are done-” Patton had to grip the arms of his chair to stop himself from jumping out of his skin as Janus appeared in the doorway “-Roman, where’s Remus?”

Roman, pulling a face, waved a hand flippantly. “How would I know?” he asked. “I’m not his keeper.”

Janus, shutting his eye for a moment, huffed before looking at Roman again. “And you have no clue where he might go?”

Roman scoffed. “You think he tells me anything?” he asked. “I’m lucky to know when he’s going! Besides, why does it matter?”

Both Janus and Virgil pointed to Patton, who blushed as Roman’s eyes shot to him, his lips forming a small o.

“Oh right,” he breathed out, nodding. “Right. Human.”

“Exactly,” Janus said, looking at Patton.

Patton then realized that all of them were looking at him.

“We don’t want…” Janus said slowly, as if he was choosing his words carefully, “To be caught off guard… when Remus returns.”

Next to him, Roman shifted in his seat.

“So,” Janus continued, “It would be best to make sure that Patton is not… left to his own devices when Remus-”

And, with that, all four startled at the sound of two heavy doors crashing into walls.

“Dear brothers!” A voice boomed through the castle. “Hope I’m not waking anyone! We all know how the dead can be!”

“Well,” Roman said, his eyes flicking to Patton and then Janus. “Found Remus.”

#thomas sanders #sanders sides #moxiety #patton sanders #virgil sanders #stuff i write #it feels weird only tagging patton and virgil when janus and roman are there too #but i gotta play into tumblr's tagging system #vampire au 2.0 #i should really get a better tag for this askjdsjksd

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ask-atwr · 4 years ago

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*They giggle* Don’t worry Stretch, not trying to one up your tale. I just think it’d be fun to share a story too. * They clear their throat before starting* “Once there was a little girl, she woke up in an unknown place. “Where am I?”, She thought. As she looked around she took in her surroundings, she realized she was in a dark forest. The trees endless and a serene silence reined with not a sign of city lights blocking the beautiful starry sky above her, were she not terrified of the dark the little girl might have found this area peaceful. As she realized her situation she could only shiver, as it dawned on her that she was alone in a dark unfamiliar area, far from home...at least that’s what she thought. The snap of a twig broke the silence and she quickly turned her head towards the sound, there a little bit away from her she barely made out a large ominous shadow. Her tiny heart leaped in her chest, frightened by it. It bore no face for its features were masked by the surrounding shadows, but what she could make out was the silver glint of a blade it held. She was frozen as it slowly approached her, shaking more and more the closer it got, and finally when it was close enough it said in a voice that was a growl with whispers layered underneath, “...Run.” Suddenly, she was no longer frozen and she quickly scrambled to her feet and ran as fast as her tiny body would allow her, behind her the shadow laughed wildly. Her heart was beating so loudly she was sure the shadow could hear it as well, because no matter how fast she ran she could hear it not far behind. Laughing in sadistic glee as it chased its prey, the blade it held glinting as if to jeer at the childs attempt to escape such a terrifying creature. After running for what seemed like hours to her, the little girl grew tired but knew if she stopped for even a moment then she would be caught. Unfortunately she tripped over the root of one of the trees, the branch of nearby bushes scratched her right arm as she fell onto it. She struggled to quickly get back up, ignoring the blood that bubbled up from the scratch, wanting to keep what distance she had on the shadow but her clothes were stuck. Tangled in the branches that surrounded her. Finally it stood over her and she knew whatever game this creature had made had ended. Tears streamed down her cheeks as she heard it’s voice once more, “...Caught You.” The last thing she saw was the blade raised above her before it was brought down on her. She opened her eyes and took in a gasp of air as she quickly sat up, this time in her bed, surrounded by the comforting lavender of her walls, holding tightly to her beloved teddy bear as she tried to calm her breathing and control her tears. Her tiny body shivered from the residual terror from her nightmare and finally with relief as she realized that she was safe. Once she calmed down enough she laid back down the fear having drained her and exhaustion catching up to her. She nearly drifted back to sleep only to jolt as she felt her right arm throb with pain. At first she thought it was a phantom reminder of her dream but it persisted. Finally she glanced at her arm after she became curious about what could be causing the discomfort, only for her face to pale. There in the same place as in her dream, the scratch she received from the branches of the bush she was trapped on.” This story is based off a true story, how do I know this? Because... *They lift up the sleeve of their right arm to reveal a faded scar* I was that little girl. (Ooc: this really did happen to me and is one of the best spooky story I know.)

Mod Crossant: ...holy...

Ink: ...Wow.

Nightmare: ...Holy shit that’s creepy.

Mod Crossant: the best scary story i have is about the time i broke my elbows and that isn’t even all that scary, but it was while i was awake

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nyxxon · 5 years ago

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Good Wolf (Werewolf Kirishima Eijirou)

The only thing that could be heard throughout the large forest was the sound of running and heavy erratic breathing.

Not caring what'd happen to your attire or if you'd get small scratches and such from running into thorned branches or bushes, you continued speedily running not knowing where exactly you were running to but also not caring of that either as long as you lost what had been chasing you... A vampire... Or it was what you presumed to be a vampire anyway... If it had not been for all the unnormal and vampirey attributes this creature possed, you'd thought it to be human. That was how it had tricked you into almost getting caught by it, of course.

You were uncertain but it was the best option given what you had seen. However, you weren't really one to believe in the supernatural... Though at this moment, most of the beliefs you had were being questioned as you continued as fast as you could through the green tree ridden forest.

If what you had guessed was correct, you were surprised the vampire hadn't caught you yet given they were known for their speed. Of course, it could be toying with you and enjoyed the hunt for its prey... While thinking this, you tripped from your foot getting caught on a fallen branch and let out a gasp⁠—⁠your knees no doubt scraped from the new throbbing sensation you were feeling as well as a sticky like substance becoming present—but quickly scrambled up as you went back to running for your life.

It wasn't a good time to have scraped knees and ones that felt as if they were bleeding more than normal at that. The blood... And blood attracted vampires if that was what had been chasing you. What luck... You mentally said a string of curses in your mind as you continued on, hoping you'd eventually find a safe haven to rest and get away from the creature.

However, with how your luck had been going it was to no surprise when you hit a dead-end of a large rocky mountain or hill (you weren't going to waste time figuring out which it exactly was, you had better things to do).

Beginning to panic, you looked from side-to-side trying to figure out if it was even worth choosing the right or left to run... But, of course, before you could even bother to choose⁠ (if you were) you heard the rustling of the large row bushes you had just exited from yourself before the thing that had been chasing you popped out as an alarming speed though it stopped once it took notice of you blocked off by the rocky mountain or hill.

Shaking, you backed up⁠—your back hitting the rocky mountain or hill causing you to stop⁠—and looked at the thing before you while taking notice of its large ghastly smirk plastered on its face, "... I was hoping you'd be a bit more fun... But it seems I was wrong..." He sighed with a frown before the smirk quickly reappeared.

"... Such a shame... I suppose it's time for your useless life to end and for you to become my meal."

With those words, your eyes widened as your shaking became much worse. So this was how it all would end for you? As he had stated: 'such a shame...' A shame, indeed. Who'd have thought, huh? Dying by the hands of a presumed vampire. What a way to go...

"Any last words?" He waited a few seconds before the smirk widened at your lack of speaking, "... I guess not."

With that, he instantly lept toward you, his fangs protruding from his mouth at this point, you squeezed your eyes shut awaiting the feeling of being sucked dry of your blood; however, instead, you are greeted by the sound of... A growl? Soon followed by the sound of shock as well as a cry of pain which seemed to have come from the presumed vampire but they didn't last long as silence once again took over the entire area...

Deciding to risk seeing something you guess you'd probably much rather not, you slowly opened your eyes taking notice of the vampire-like creature no longer in front of you. This, in turn, causing you to look around before soon stopping at the sight of what appeared to be a larger than average reddish furred wolf-like creature hovering over what you could guess to be the now-dead creature.

That was one problem taken care of... However, it seemed a new one had arisen... One that was just as troublesome and scary as the first. You swallowed as you continued to silently stare at the larger than average red wolf who seemed to not have taken noticed to you or had forgotten, one of those.

Seeing that the wolf appeared to be more interested in the vampire creature, you figure this to be a good time to start trying to slowly edge away... But, of course, when you take one step forward, your foot landed on a twig causing it to snap which, in turn, created a noise that was louder than you would have wanted at the moment.

Hearing this, the wolf instantly faced in your direction making you freeze in your spot while his red eyes pierced into your form. Slowly, the creature began walking toward you while you tried to back up though you couldn't really go any further form practically already being flush against the rocky terrain.

Once it had gotten around three feet of walking distance maybe even less given its long strides, you instantly squeezed your eyes shut while you slid down on your bottom waiting for your impending doom to take you away. However, the only thing that you feel is the air that exits the wolf's nose as it breathed out on your face.

Feeling this, you opened one eye cautiously (for a reason unknown as that was most likely a bad idea) though they quickly snap open upon realizing how close the creature is to your face. You instantly make eye contact with, dare you say, beautiful unworldly crimson orbs that shined in the moonlight.

Suddenly, the wolf took one last step forward and slightly nudged you a bit causing you to jolt slightly but with further inspection, it was obvious the wolf had no means to hurt you... And oddly... There was a sense you could trust the creature. You couldn't pinpoint exactly why you were feeling like you could, but it was there...

Subconsciously, you lifted your arms up and slowly grasped the wolf's face with slightly wide eyes. It seemed a bit startled itself by the contact but it quickly dispersed as it welcomed the touch. Your mouth began to shake as you opened it, "... Th... Thank... Y-You..." You were unsure if the beast could understand you but there appeared to be no harm in trying.

However, it seemed it could as it lightly bowed its head in acknowledgment before slowly pulling away, the warmth of the creature's red fur leaving your fingertips⁠—a want to grab it again but you managed to control such an urge⁠—as it instantly turned around to leave and go on its way to wherever it was going... Though when it made it in front of the bushes, it gave you one last glance before quickly leaping off into the darkness disappearing from your sight.

You sat in the same spot for quite a bit from the initial shock of everything that had just happened while trying to comprehend it all before getting yourself up and dusting over your clothes the best you could from all of the dirt that was all over them. Taking your own last glance at where the wolf-like creature had disappeared into the darkness, a small smile made way to your lips.

You had a feeling this wouldn't be the last time you saw it around...

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scoophilia · 5 years ago

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Nightfury- Apology

Last night was a nightmare.

My brother's rage haunted me, his hot breath ghosting across my skin. I thrashed in my sleep running away in my dreams. I woke before he caught me, breathing heavily. Turning my head, I looked to my right; I had dug myself a nest beneath a hollow tree. Nothing caught my eye through the raised roots. A twig snapped in the distance. Jumping to my feet, I lowered my head with fangs bared. A rabbit hopped passed the roots.

Sucking in a breath, I plopped back down.

Every little noise made me jump. All thanks to being chased through the forest. My nerves were shot. That dragon from earlier was not part of my pack. This I knew for sure. I would have remembered those eyes of his. Plus he had a human with him. My pack hated humans.

“Why a human? Mother said they were dangerous to us. Has he been brainwashed?” I asked myself, tail thrashing behind me. Fear began to swell in my belly. A lump formed in throat at the thought of brainwashing. My thoughts jumped to my pack and family.

I slipped out from the tree and flew back home.

My pack had come into view now on a different part of the island. A cloud of dust kicked up after I landed. I started running though. No one picked their heads up as a I ran by. Too preoccupied with each other. Mother came into view. She was talking to two members; her body straight and rigid. I ran over and skidded to a halt. They all looked at me confused.

Catching my breath, I stuttered out, “M-Mother...I..ah...I need t-to talk to you!”

Mother tilted her head at me. She waved the other two off who bowed before leaving us alone. Her brows furrowed together at me. A claw tapped impatiently in the dirt.

“Mother, I—“

“Where were you last night?” She snapped with a wing, she pointed towards the pack nest, “and don't lie to me. No one saw you. I didn't see you. I stayed awake as long as I could to make sure you came home. Now answer me!”

I slunk back, her words weighing my shoulders down. I said back, “I'm sorry. I didn't mean to worry you. I was scared to come back.”

Mother gave me a strange look. It seemed to dawn on her as her eyes grew wide. Nuzzling me, Mother said soothingly, “oh my poor baby. How insensitive of me... I was so worried when you didn't come home that I was being stupid. What happened should never have in the first place!”

“It's OK Mother, you were worried. Can we talk about this later though? I have something you need to know.” I asked, checking between the trees for the dragon and his human.

A harsh gasp escaped my Mother. She shook her head at me before she pushed me forward. Loudly she said, “Of course not! You could have been killed! Myself and others could have been killed! I will settle this myself.”

My feet dug hard into the ground trying to stop my Mother. She continued to push like I weighed nothing. We stood dead center in the pack. Mother stomped her foot once calling attention. Everyone turned and encircled us.

Jaw dropped I looked to Mother who just beamed at me. Clearing her throat, Mother proclaimed, “Yesterday a fight broke out. One that should never have happened. Thankfully tragedy was avoided thanks to quick acting. My poor daughter,” she jammed me into her side with a wing, “she disappeared last night but is here now. She is still with us, and that's all I could hope for.”

The pack nodded in approval and stomped their feet in rhythm. Satisfied, Mother looked at me and added, “someone has something to say to you.”

Right after she said this my brother stepped forward. My throat squeezed shut. He walked over to us standing right in front of me. He said, “I'm sorry. I lost my temper and nearly hurt you. That was wrong of me. It won't ever happen again.” He never looked at me.

Before I had a chance to react, Mother nuzzled him. She swept her gaze then across the pack.

“Let this be a lesson,” Mother said, “we all have our roles to play. My children have forgiven each other and are safe. They will continue their duties and take on newer ones. But we mustn't let anything deter us from it. Or fail at it.”

My brother jumped away from us, pouncing on a member. He slammed down on the member's chest. I tore myself away from Mother rushing over. I was yanked back my tail. Mother held it in her mouth. Dropping it, she walked past me. She stood behind my brother; the member shaking.

“This is what happens one fails a task. We all suffer,” Mother said.

Horror and panic washed over me. I cried out, “what are you doing?! She's done nothing wrong!”

Mother threw a nonchalant look over to me.

“There was too few a fish to feed us all. The hatchlings had to eat scraps. You and your brother fought over one, remember?” She said to me. I open and closed my mouth several times. It was only yesterday and I was hungry. There was a huge mound I thought, but was it enough?

I looked away and said, “we did fight. I thought there was enough so I didn't want to give up my piece.”

“Tsk, tsk, see what you've done!” Mother cooed at the female, “your laziness caused my daughter to misbehave! She knows better to share than steal.”

I perked up.

“I didn't steal it! I had it first!” I yelled.

Mother shakes her head at me and said, “oh no, my dear, you're remembering it wrong. Your brother had the fish first. That scare is messing with your mind. It happens.”

“But I...” I began to say before looking to the others. They all simply nodded. I looked back to Mother. Her gaze was soft yet firm. I finished saying, “I guess you're right. It was pretty scary.”

“Right! Now then,” Mother shot daggers at the dragon beneath my brother.

She spoke, her tone cold and tense, “you were our last hunter to return. The others brought all that they could, they were tired from a hard day. You had done nothing. Laying about all day. You had enough energy to gather more fish than you brought. My children could have died. Your pack could have suffered. This act will not happen again!”

I shivered as my brother said, “may I, Mother?”

“Do it.”

None heard the dragon scream as my brother ripped out her throat. He spat it out like it's trash. Mother motioned her head at the body. Within moments, the body was dragged off into the forest. My brother stalked off, his two members in tow. The pack dispersed returning back to their daily rituals. Only Mother and I remained.

Humming to herself, she walked past me. She pressed her snout atop my head. Softly she said, “that my dear is how you handle a problem. All better now, right? I'll make sure there's more fish to avoid any silly tussles.”

“Why...?” I asked.

“For our survival. I need you and your brother to close. Fighting will not help make your pack strong. She was an obstacle in that. Nothing more,” Mother said, she sighed when my eyes misted over with tears, “it was the only way. If I let her live, she may have done it again. She was always a lazy thing. I should have known. It is best to nip the problem in the bud. Do you understand?”

Blinking away the tears, I thought over what she said. I gazed up and beyond the treetops. I asked her, “if you take action early, there will be no tragedy?”

“Yes, that's correct.”

A rush of determination fueled within me.

“I understand,” I said.

Mother beamed at me. With the tip of her tail she patted my head. She had begun to walk away when she stopped. Not looking at me, she asked, “you said something earlier. That I needed to know something?”

My ears stood up. I lied through my teeth and said, “I just wanted to tell you that I hadn't slept well last night. Bad nightmares and all. So I was wondering if I could be relieved of my duties. Just for today!”

Mother's tail swished back and forth next to me. She sucked in a breath. I held my own. It felt like an eternity until she spoke, “you may. Just be back before the moon is high in the sky, alright?”

“Thank you!” I gave her a quick nuzzle before flying off.

I had to find that dragon and human. For the pack's survival.

Returning back to where I had first met them, I inched my way along. Each step I looked side to side. Several trees had the bark ripped off and branches missing. I was so busy looking that I failed to notice the ground change. My feet sunk into sand. I panicked like a hatchling, jumping backwards.

“Stop getting spooked. You're fine!” I hissed to myself.

The scent of the ocean soothed my sense. My body yearned to dive deep below the waters. It had felt so good swimming yesterday. I wanted to jump in. I pushed that feeling down deep into my heart. I had a mission to complete.

I scanned the stretch of sand and water. My jaw locked seeing nothing. I was about to turn around when it hit me. Burnt wood. Sniffing the air, I followed the trail down the beach. My search came upon a circle of stones. The wood was wet but the scent remained. Pawing at it, I let it be to walk around. Nothing else.

“Did they just fly off? That'd be great,” I said to myself.

I paused.

“I really should stop talking to myself...staaarting now!”

Diving back into the forest, I followed the path they made. I sniffed at the ground. His scent was mixed with strange smells. He ended where I slipped away. Sitting down, I just stared into the distance.

Yesterday came back to me. His eyes were so big and round as he stared at me. It was rather cute.

Shaking my head furiously, I got up and pushed my way through. I had no time to daydream. I had to make sure they were gone. So I spent most of the day searching. I found nothing. I had come upon a small clearing near the end. It held a pool of water at its center. Throat itchy and dry, I glided over to it. I drank large gulps letting the cool water relieve my throat.

Ripples rolled across the water breaking the surface. I gazed down at my reflection. Four large scars popped out immediately. I closed my eyes and curled my wing blocking them from view. Eyes opening I looked back at my reflection. Big, round, green eyes.

“You!” I yelled, side stepping away from the dragon.

“Hey, I'm Toothless!” he said to me, grinning.

I take another step back. I hadn't even heard him walk up. He drew in a breath to speak, but I bolted. I cursed myself as I ran. The element of surprise wasn't on my side and he was bigger.

Zipping through the woods, I stopped to catch my breath. A leaf had fallen onto my nose. Blinking, I looked up. This Toothless was sitting on a branch staring. I shrieked. I dug my way through under a pair of trees. He called after me but I ignored him. From the other side I emerged. I started running to hide.

“Why are you running?” Tongue sticking out, Toothless hung by his tail from a tree. I screeched to a halt. I nearly smacked noses with him. Doing a double take, I looked between him and behind me. I locked eyes with him.

“What are you?!” I screamed. None in my pack was fast and agile as this dragon.

He blinked at me. He said, “I'm the same dragon as you. Duh!”

My eye twitched. He swung gently back and forth, his gaze never leaving me. He was about to talk when I slapped him twice. He let out a yelp before falling to the ground. I hopped over him and flew up. I clawed my way up to the top and soared.

Looking back, I saw nothing.

“Phew he's gone.”

“Can we talk? I didn't mean to upset you!”

I flapped my wings hard to push myself back. Hovering before me was Toothless, my jaw dropped. He cast me a smile. Glaring at him, I dove down and under him. He never let up and followed. He then yelled to me, “I'm sorry!”

Genuine. That's how he sounded.

“Follow me,” I said.

We landed in a clearing. Toothless trotted towards me but stopped when I growled. He sat down. Eyes narrowed, I asked, “what are you sorry for?”

Toothless gave me a sheepish look. My heart skipped a beat. He said to me, “for chasing you yesterday. That wasn't nice. I'm really sorry.”

He sounded so sincere. I felt my stomach knotting up. I walked closer to him, caution in each step. “I take it you've been looking for me?” He nodded. I then asked, “why?"

He leaned in closer to me with his tail wagging. Those eyes of his seemed to get brighter. And happier? Bouncing in place, he said, “I was so excited to see you! I never thought it would happen!”

“You aren't here to take over?” I asked.

Toothless stopped bouncing. His nose scrunched up. Shaking his head, he replied, “no of course not! I didn't know anyone even lived here. I'm just exploring!”

“Mmmhhhmmm,” I murmured, turning away from him. He seemed harmless enough. He could have attacked at any time. He hadn't though. I remembered what Mother had said. Had to nip the problem in the bud.

Taking in a deep breath, I said, “you seem like a good dragon, Toothless. So I shall let you off this time with a warning. Leave my island and don't come back.”

“What? Why!” There was a whine to his voice.

“It isn't safe Toothless. You've shown me kindness, so I want to give it back. You aren't built for this island. You're too,” I paused. The word perfect came first strangely enough. I batted it away and said, “soft. You're too soft.”

I felt his gaze boring a hole in my head. His tail thrashed against the ground. I heard him say, “what's that supposed to mean?”

“You need to be bold, decisive, and sly. That is how one survives on this island.” I said matter-of-fact. Toothless was silent. I heard his footsteps then he walked past me. The sound of his wings unfurled saddened me. Silently I bade him goodbye.

His wingtip stroked down my back.~~~~~ Had this picture done for like week. Was gonna try and get all the current legacy chapters illustrations done last week. Did not happen. Dah well! Working on it now! Got next chapter done so there's that. 4 down, 5 to go! Enjoy and any constructive criticism is appreciated! How To Train Your Dragon franchise © Dreamworks Midnight © Myself

#how train your dragon #httyd #toothless #nightfury #dragons

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