#1 it helps break the mold of all the boys looking similar to him | Explore Tumblr posts and blogs

buttterknifeee · 3 years ago

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Final Exam- Teen Titans x Aquagirl! Reader

Masterlist

Request: Helloooooo! I have an Episode request “Final exam” (Season 1 ep 3) with Aquagirl!reader please and thank you very much!

Summary: It's a good thing you have junior life guard training as you face a new force of evil. Will you and your teammates defeat these foes or will you drown in the pressure?

Pairings: Robin x Reader (nothing serious, just some blushing lol)

Word count: 3192

A/N: hey!!! sorry this took a while I was just doing other things lul. Reminder that I'm now on AO3 (username is butterknifee) and that requests are always open! Hope you enjoy!!!

It was an uneventful day in the tower. Cyborg and Beast Boy were rummaging around the living room looking for the TV remote, Raven was reading silently and you were practicing your water skills, balancing an orb of water in mid air.

"It's gotta be around here somewhere!" Cyborg says, rummaging through the whole room. He lifts up the whole couch as Beast Boy sniffs around in dog form.

“How could you lose the remote?” Cyborg glares at Beast Boy.

“What makes you so sure I lost it?” Beast Boy asks, turning back into a human.

“Uh...'cause you're you.”

“Hey! Just because I lost that video game--”

“--And the toothpaste, and my football, and the waffle iron--”

“Things disappear. How am I supposed to know where they go?”

You continued to focus on your bubble, but couldn’t help but notice Raven lowering her book. You peeked over to see her annoyed expression, obviously caused by the two boys.

Cyborg huffs. “Well how am I supposed to watch TV without a remote?” Suddenly, Raven slammed her book, breaking you out of your focus and causing the water you were balancing to drop into a puddle. You stared wide-eyed at Raven as she stood up.

“Simple. You can just get up and change the channel.” she says with a stone cold expression.

“Don’t even joke like that.” Cyborg says. You hover your hands over the puddle, trying to pick it up with your hydrokinesis.

“Do you think you guys could argue in like, the bathroom or something? Cause-” you start, but Raven interrupts you.

“I wasn’t joking”

“Good, 'cause it wasn't funny!” Cyborg says. “Now either help us look for the remote or go back to your nasty old book and--”

“This is a pointless argument over a useless device.” she snaps, her face red from frustration.

“You know what, I'm just gonna get a mop or something,” you mumble. You consider actually getting up to get a mop as they continue to argue.

Robin and Starfire walks in to the three teens arguing and you sitting to the side. You make a pained expression at the two, your way of saying go back, before it's too late.

But Robin steps towards the bickering Titans. “Whoa! Take it easy, Titans! Combat practice is this afternoon!”

“We must mend your dispute by the sharing of unhealthy junk foods. I shall fetch them.” Starfire adds, happily flying towards the kitchen.

Cyborg continues to argue. “I don't need food, what I need is a time machine, I didn't--”

Beast Boy cuts him off. “Back me up here, Robin!! Have I ever lost any--?”

“Ok, ok!” Robin puts up his hands to stop them.

“To stop him from taking the REMOTE!!!” Cyborg yells.

“Hey! Come on!! Settle down! ENOUGH!!!” Robin starts yelling too. You start to cover your ears when a loud noise causes all of you to look up. You see Starfire staring wide-eyed at the fridge, her hands glowing green. Blue mold had exploded from her starbolt, causing it to land all over the kitchen. You made a mental note to start cleaning the kitchen more often.

“Maybe we should go out for pizza,” Robin decides.

The arguing does not stop at the pizza place.

“Can we please just order something?” Raven groans.

“As long as its vegetarian.” Beast Boy says.

“Come on, man, how can you deny me the all-meat experience?” Cyborg whines.

“Dude, I've been most of those animals!”

“Just no anchovies for me,” You say.

“I suggest a large pizza with pickles, bananas, and mint frosting.” Starfire says with a smile. You shudder at the thought of eating something like that. Robin leans over.

“Uh, Starfire? Not everything on the menu is a pizza topping.” She blushes at her mistake, Beast Boy and Cyborg going at each other again.

“Double pepperoni!!”

“I'm not eating meat!!”

“There's no meat in pepperoni!!”

The sound of a vehicle horn finally ended their argument. You all look up to see a bus barreling straight towards a baby carriage, a baby screaming from inside.

“Titans go!” Robin yells. You, Cyborg and Raven ran to stop the bus while Robin, Starfire, and Beast Boy ran to save the baby carriage. You summon a jet of water from a fire hydrant and shoot it at the bus, slowing it down. Cyborg planted himself in front of the bus, his bulky arms holding it back. Raven uses her magic, pulling the gearshift inside the bus to “park”. When the bus finally skidded to a stop, you three looked inside. No one was there.

“Um… don’t buses normally have drivers?” Cyborg asks.

“And don’t carriages normally have babies?” Robin says nearby. He, Starfire, and Beast Boy were staring at a teddy bear that was inside the carriage. A voice suddenly projected from the stuffed animal.

“Are you pit-sniffers normally this stupid?”

Suddenly, the teddy bear shot lasers out of its eyes, sending the three teens flying into an alleyway. You turned to see the bus next to you be lifted up by a large, hairy man in black and yellow. He smiled and threw the bus on top from the three of you, trapping you under it. You grunt as the weight of the bus begins to press down on your chest. You hear a voice from outside the bus.

“That was too easy. What a buncha cludge-heads. You guys want to get pizza?” The voice matched the one from the teddy bear. You gritted your teeth as you heard Cyborg’s sonic cannon warm up.

“This isn't over!” you hear Robin yells. Cyborg blasts his cannon, sending the bus in the air. You got up with the other two titans.

“We’re just getting started!” Cyborg yells.

“Who are these guys?” Beast Boy asks, stuck in a trash can. “And what’s a cludge-head?”

“We are the HIVE!” the villain who called you ‘cludge-heads’ said. He was a short kid, wearing a green jumpsuit and goggles. He basically looked like an evil Caillou.

“Your worst nightmare!” said the guy who crushed you with a bus. You noticed that he had a large amount of hair on his whole body.

“And this is attack pattern Alpha!” said the last villain, a goth looking girl with pink, hornlike hair. They jumped out of their poses, and towards you. The small guy in green flew forward in a jetpack, shooting lasers at Robin, Starfire and Beast Boy. The lasers hit the alleyway around them, causing a pile of rubble to fall on them.

Cyborg immediately started brawling with the large guy, Raven and the pink-haired girl attacking each other with their magic, and the smaller kid flying around your head. You tried to shoot him down with your blasts of water, but he wove through your shots. He then flew towards Cyborg, holding something metal.

“Cyborg watch out!” you scream, but it was too late. The green kid attached the metal object to Cyborg's back, and at that moment you realized it was a rocket. Starfire recovered from being crushed by rubble just to see him flying through the air.

"Cyborg!" She yelled, flying after him and out of sight. The two leaving so abruptly caught you off guard, so off guard that you didn't notice the burly guy sneaking up behind you. You turned just as he went to kick you, kicking your stomach and causing you to go flying. You hold your stomach in pain and try to run back towards him, but Raven being thrown towards you sends you crashing back towards the ground. You groan in pain as you hear Robin and Beast Boy meet a similar fate. You see them laying next to you.

"Is it just me or are we getting our butts kicked?" Beast Boy asked, the rest of you standing up.

"It's just you," the three of you say at the same time.

"Listen up team, I have a plan," Robin begins, but is cut off by 3 blasts from the short boy's jetpack. Those 3 blasts ended up hitting you, Beast Boy and Raven. You landed behind the Boy Wonder, leaving him to face the HIVE alone.

“Gee, scrum-buffer.” the jetpack boy jeered, lowering himself to the ground. “Sure hope your fancy plan includes getting fried!”

“You’ll just have to find out the hard way.” you hear him say. You watch him stand in a fighting position, beckoning them to fight. However instead of fighting, the three villains stood with a smile on their face. Then, one by one, they hit the ground between them and Robin. You were confused at first, but then realized in horror that they had created a crack in the asphalt, it getting bigger with each hit. The crack traveled up towards Robin and the area around him crumbled. A look of fear set in his face as he fell with the asphalt into the ground.

“Robin!” you yelled, running up towards the hole with Beast Boy and Raven. Through the crumbling hole you saw a stream of dark, murky sewer water. Water, you realized. You turned to the other two Titans.

“There’s water down there. I’ll go get Robin, you two go back to the Tower.” Before they could reply, you dove into the hole, landing into the water.

“Aquagirl!” Beast Boy yelled, but you were gone.

The cold water shocked your body, but you forced yourself to shake it off. You floated on the surface of the water, looking for any signs of Robin. When you didn’t see anyone, you dove back underwater and took a deep breath (yes, you can breathe underwater). You shoot through the water, swimming as fast as you can. Up ahead, you saw blurs of red, yellow, and green. It was Robin. You swam up to him and grabbed onto his unconscious body. Then with all your strength, you pulled him out of the water and onto the concrete surface of the sewer.

You laid Robin on his back and started to inspect him. You check for his heart rate by pressing two fingers against the area under his jaw. It was beating, but very slowly. You placed your hands on his chest and started pumping. After 30 seconds, nothing was happening. Tilting his head back, you pinched his nose and took a deep breath. You gave mouth to mouth once, then twice, then-

Robin’s eyes opened while you were giving the third. He jerked his head up and crashed his forehead into yours.

“Owwww” you whine, rubbing your hand on your forehead. Robin backed up from you, holding his lips.

“Hey! why did you-” He was about to finish his sentence but started coughing up water. You roll your eyes.

“Woah, calm down Robin, I’m not trying to make a move on you. The only move I made was saving you from drowning.”

“Oh- I’m sorry,” he says, his masked eyes staring at you apologetically.

You waved your hand. “Don’t worry about it, you had a pretty bad fall.”

“What happened to the others? Where are they? Where are we?” He asked, frantically reaching for his T-communicator, only to realize that his whole belt was missing.

“Oh man, your belt must’ve fallen off when you fell. Last time I checked, Raven and Beast Boy were injured, but fine. We’re currently in a sewer, I’m not sure if Starfire and Cyborg are ok, but maybe we can check.” you pulled out your own T-communicator and flipped it open. Water gushed out and formed a puddle under your hand. You both stared at it as you flipped the communicator closed and slid it back into your belt.

“We need to get back to the others, before the HIVE strikes again,” Robin says, standing up. He doubles over, falling to his knees, clutching his abdomen.

“You’re hurt. You need to rest before we find the other Titans,” you say, sitting next to him. “Here, I can help.” You beckon him to let go of his chest and you sit down with you, which he reluctantly does. You summon a bubble of the murky water and allow it to soak into his shirt. You concentrated, and the water began to glow blue.

“Hmmm… I only feel a rib fracture… this may take a while…” you mutter, hovering your hands over his chest. You were focusing so much on healing Robin’s wound, you didn’t notice the frown on his face, more stern than usual.

“Something on your mind, Robin?” you asked, looking up from your work. He furrowed his eyebrows and stared at the ground.

“It’s just that…” he began. “I really thought that I could take on the HIVE, you know? But they took me out so easily; they took all of us out so easily. How am I supposed to be a leader if I get hurt so easily, if I let all my teammates get hurt-” his rant is cut off by your finger being shoved in front of his mouth. You both stare at each other in awkward silence.

“When I was a kid, I knew all about you and your adventures,” you began, staring at the stream of water flowing next to you. “You were the boy wonder. The Hero of Gotham. The Sidekick. But now look at you; you’re the leader of a whole team of superheroes, who trust you and are here for you, Robin. We know the dangers, and hey, if I would be a superhero on any team, I’m glad I’m on yours.”

He gave you a small smile. “Thank you Aquagirl,” he said.

You nodded and smiled back. “Anytime, Robin.” You looked at his chest again. “How do you feel?”

“I feel great, both inside and out.” he said, standing up with ease. “I think it's time to find the other titans.”

“Great idea, and I know just how to get out of here.” You stretch out your arm and the ground starts to rumble. A giant geyser shoots up from the stream and punches a hole in the roof of the sewer, allowing the setting sun to peek through. You grabbed Robin’s waist and jumped into the water, another smaller geyser pushing you up and out of the sewer.

“Ugh, gross! I’m definitely taking a shower after this,” you say, looking back at the sewer you jumped out of.

“Ok, let’s go find the others,” Robin says, heading in the direction of the Tower, which was peaking out in the distance. “And, I think it’s time to come up with a plan.”

You finally get closer to the Tower when you notice something.

“Ummm Robin?” you say. “Doesn’t the tower usually look like a T?” You both stare at the tower, its original shape now being built upon to look like a ‘H’. The HIVE… you thought. You and Robin eventually find the rest of your friends, who were all arguing on the beach. You were about to announce your presence but Robin stopped you, putting his arm in front of you.

“We need to control our emotions,” you hear Raven say.

“Or What?!” Cyborg yells. “Our bad vibes will keep you from meditating??”

“I wish Robin were here..” Starfire mumbles. You see the slightest tinge of pink dust across Robin’s cheeks.

“Well he’s NOT! And neither is Aquagirl!” Cyborg continues to yell. “Don't you guys get it?! They won, we lost! IT'S OVER!!”

Beast Boy looked at him. “Then are the Teen Titan’s finished?” Robin looks at you and nods, you nod back. The two of you step forwards.

“We’re not,” Robin says. The other four Titans turn in shock to see you and Robin, both seemingly fine, standing before them.

“Not if I can help it,” he said, arms crossed.

“Told’ya I’d get him back.” you said. “Now who wants to hear our plan?”

You waited on the roof as Cyborg, Raven, and Starfire infiltrated the Tower. You sat on a ledge of the (hideous) HIVE add-ons, swinging your legs as Robin stood next to you, staring out into the distance.

“You ready, bird boy?” you ask, raising an eyebrow.

He smirked. “With you here, I’m more than ready.” He jumped down from the ledge, leaving you flustered above him.

Suddenly, The three villains come tumbling onto the roof and crash into each other, much more uncoordinated than they had seemed earlier today. The belt the pink haired girl had most likely stolen from Robin’s wardrobe goes flying, and Robin catches it midair.

“Sorry to interrupt your victory celebration,” Robin says, clicking his belt back on around his waist. “But like I said, this isn’t over.” The five of you join him, looming above the HIVE.

“It’s just getting started,” Cyborg said.

The trio of villains quickly recovered.

“Attack pattern alpha!” The pink haired girl yelled, sending waves of magic in your direction. You all jumped out of the way, splitting up.

You saw the large guy swing at Beast Boy, so you rushed in to help him. You summoned a long tendril of water from the ocean and used it like a third arm, with whipping the villain in the face. He turns towards you and grabs your wrist, but with a swift kick in the stomach he goes flying across the roof. You see Raven approach him, so you go to assist in taking down the other two.

Soon, the HIVE laid defeated at your feet. The smaller boy was holding a transmitter device.

"Cram it. I'm calling Slade." He groaned. Slade? You thought. Robin lifted the boy by his green jumpsuit.

"Who is Slade?" Robin asked quite aggressively. The boy scoffed.

"Wouldn't you like to know barf-brain?"

After you dealt with the villains, you finally came in the Tower after a long day. You flopped on the couch as the other Titans inspected the damage the HIVE had caused in the tower, which apparently, wasn't much. Beast Boy crouched at his music collection, head in his hands.

"My tunes! They've been… alphabetized!" He whined. "How am I ever going to find anything?"

Raven came out of her room holding one of her cloaks. "They went into my room. No one should ever go into my room," she said coldly.

"Someone has disposed of all of our blue furry food!" Starfire gasped. Cyborg lifted the whole couch like he did earlier today.

"You gotta be kidding me! The whole place gets cleaned and I still can't find the-" his rant is stopped by Robin, who points at the coffee table. There, the remote lay in plain sight.

"Ha!" He cheered, flopping down on the couch next to you and flipping through channels.

"Maybe we should let the HIVE take over the tower every once in a while, I think this place needed a good clean," you joke, still strewn across the couch.

"I guess we really oughta be training for battles, tracking down clues, and trying to figure out who Slade is, huh?" Cyborg said, looking at Robin.

"We will. But right now, I'm just happy to be part of the team." He looks at you while saying that and you smile.

"Me too"

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lady-divine-writes · 3 years ago

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Kurtbastian - “Always and Forever”

Summary: After the death of their daughter Grace, Kurt and Sebastian drift apart. Kurt wraps himself up in his grief so tightly he starts to push Sebastian away, and Sebastian, feeling himself shoved aside when he needs Kurt most, cheats. They make the decision to start over, to leave New York City and their pain behind, and start over again in a house Upstate. Sebastian buys Kurt a "fixer upper" and gives him free reign. While redecorating the room that will be his studio, Kurt comes across something interesting underneath the wallpaper. It starts to become an obsession for Kurt - an obsession that begins to replace Kurt's love for his husband, which Sebastian is holding on to by a thread. Can Kurt and Sebastian break through the pain and the hurt and find a way to fall in love again?

Notes: Inspired by the Klaine advent drabble prompt "ache". So this is a story I started a while ago, but stopped after chapter 4 because it started to get a little too real. But I’ve started revising, and now I’m ready to finish it.

Chapter 1 (3197 words)

“God! That traffic was insane, wasn’t it?” Sebastian complains, pulling off the highway and onto the less congested road that leads to the heart of Manhasset.

Kurt mutters in agreement, but he barely noticed. His right temple has been glued to the passenger side window the entire trip. Eyes pointed skyward, he watched the clouds pass by as they drove, counted the trees, followed a flock of birds as they flew off to warmer climes far, far away.

Away from here, the way Kurt wishes he could.

“I called ahead to turn the gas on. And the electricity... ” Sebastian has been rambling about nothing for the whole hour and forty-five-minute drive, filling the tense air of the Navigator with verbal static. “We’re gonna want to air the place out for a few hours. The realtor told me it stinks like mold but that there isn’t any actual mold in the house. I hired two separate contractors to go through the place anyway and make sure. I wasn't going to take the guy's word for it. He struck me as a sandwich short of a picnic. I mean, you should have seen him, Kurt! He was wearing a purple paisley tie and brown loafers with a grey suit. And not like royal purple. That would have worked. But puce! Jesus Christ!” He chuckles. It bleeds into a nervous cough. “I didn’t say anything, but it would have been nice if you were there to give him some subtle pointers. Or not so subtle. You know how much I love seeing you in action. Oh, and we'll have to go over our insurance policy. I’m having a second independent appraiser… ”

“Are we there yet?” Kurt interrupts, preferring to focus on how the changing leaves mute the skyline than on a single word coming out of his husband’s mouth. Not that he could catch a one the way they’re sprinting off his tongue like lemmings off a cliff.

The trees soothe Kurt, smooth the rough edges of this bumpy ride. They grow differently out here than in the city: springing up in rows, displaying their fall colors, blending one into the other like an ever-changing river - red tree, yellow tree, brown tree, gold tree…

Their daughter Grace would call out the colors on their long car rides Upstate, conjuring rhymes where there were none. They roll through his memory in her singsong voice.

Green tree… uh... lean tree!

Kurt smiles, clutching on to the sound of her voice.

He's terrified of the day he'll forget what her voice sounds like.

“Just… uh… just a few more blocks,” Sebastian replies, his attempt at chitchat cut short by his husband’s impatient tone. Despite his infinitely expressive voice, Kurt only uses three tones nowadays - angry, impatient, and indifferent. Sebastian hasn’t learned how to avoid any of them, but he hates Kurt’s indifferent tone the most. “Not too far.”

“Good. Because I’m tired of sitting in this stupid seat.” Kurt switches positions, massaging his hip for emphasis. 'Tired of sitting in this stupid seat.' That's what he said. But he meant, 'tired of being stuck in here with you.'

And Sebastian knows it.

Sebastian turns down two streets that spiral together tighter and tighter until he and Kurt are locked in to their new neighborhood.

Locked in to their decision to move here.

“Here it is.” Sebastian pulls up to the curb at the point before the street turns into a cul-de-sac.

Kurt sits up slowly to accommodate his stiff spine and numb ass. Looking around, he sighs in frustration. “Here what is? There are five houses on this block. Which one is it?”

“Guess.” When Kurt sighs again, Sebastian says, “I’ll give you a hint – it’s one of these three,” and motions to the houses on Kurt’s right. Kurt rolls his eyes but turns to the houses closest. They all appear relatively identical – three floors with a pointed roof and a square porch, reminiscent of a gingerbread house. They probably have basements – a huge selling point in this vicinity. But they don’t call them basements Upstate. They call them cellars. Somehow, the word cellar is more refined, and therefore more acceptable than having a dull, run-of-the-mill, drafty basement.

Need that cellar so you can have the most expensive cabernet on the market on hand in case we need to drunkenly judge Sally Jones’s latest highlight fiasco.

“She should have gone with lowlights, Sharon. (sip) Haven’t I been saying that, Kayla? (sip) Haven’t I been saying that she should have stuck with lowlights? But only around her face. (sip) Ha-ha-ha-ha! Please, pass the brie.”

Kurt spent a good portion of his life living in a basement bedroom, so he’s not above the word. But he remembers a time back in high school when he thought that was the person he would grow up to be. He’d start out as one of the New York elite, then become an Upstate snob. When his kids (two of them – a boy and a girl) were grown and gone, he’d start an artists’ colony. He'd retire to a lighthouse, isolate himself in obscurity while being ironically jaded at the world.

Well, he's nearing forty, and he is jaded, but for entirely different reasons.

The house at the curve in the cul-de-sac is painted a sea green Kurt isn’t thrilled with. But that can be remedied with a bucket of paint and some elbow grease. From its position, it probably gets the bulk of the noon sun.

There goes their electric bill.

Kurt knows Sebastian doesn’t care about trivial things like finances, but just because they have the money to spend doesn’t mean they should shovel it out the window. Plus, there's their carbon footprint to think about. But more importantly, there goes his fair skin, which will freckle at every meal while he does nothing other than sit at the kitchen table.

No, thank you.

The house beside it is in a better position, slanted away from direct sunlight. But it’s painted a slate blue that comes across as too harsh considering the neighborhood’s neutral color scheme. Sebastian should know better than to see that house and say, “Yes. That’s it. That’s the one,” unless the inside looks like the Palace of Versailles.

The last house is also blue, but this blue borders on pale grey, a similar shade to his father’s house in Lima. A maple tree has grown through the pavement in front, shading the house and shedding its red-gold leaves all over the front yard.

And this house has a porch swing.

He and Sebastian used to talk about owning a home with a porch swing. It became a prerequisite for the home they wanted to retire in. Kurt pictured sitting on their swing side by side in the early mornings, sipping coffee and watching the sunrise.

Sebastian, on the other hand, talked about having sex on the thing and scaring the neighbors.

Same planet, different worlds.

“It’s this one,” Kurt guesses, gesturing to the blue-grey house. “The one with the swing. Isn’t it?”

“Don’t sound too excited,” Sebastian jokes but warily, afraid of what the fallout might be if Kurt doesn’t like it. Sebastian has been climbing a tenuous ladder to make his husband happy. One misstep and he'll plummet back to the bottom, with no certainty that Kurt will let him try to climb up again. It’s his own damn fault, Sebastian reminds himself as they get out of the vehicle. He did this to them, so he’ll let Kurt lash out, let him bare his teeth and his claws, let him dig in with both hands and rip.

Sebastian deserves it.

He leads Kurt up the walkway in silence, past the tree and the swing. He unlocks the front door and pushes it open, standing back so Kurt can be the first one over the threshold. Kurt takes his time, poking his head in first, then taking a hesitant step. This is an all-or-nothing moment for him. In his heart, once he walks inside, there's no turning back.

He sets his foot down, rests his weight on it, and a dozen memories come flooding back: the house he lived in with his mom and dad, the house he and his dad moved into when his dad remarried, the dorm rooms he suffered from high school to college.

The first night he spent in Sebastian's penthouse, the excitement of feeling like he'd found his true home.

The house he dreamed of raising Grace in.

In the end, they stayed in the penthouse for convenience. He regrets not getting her an actual house with a yard and a swing.

Like this one.

The irony.

The room lists, Kurt's head swims, but he wraps his arms around himself and doesn't let it show. He focuses on the here and now. He's taken a step. He just needs to take another. And another. Keep going. Keep moving forward, or else he'll crumple to the ground.

And Sebastian will rush to catch him.

Kurt would rather bury himself under the porch.

Kurt breathes in through his nose and out through his mouth, relies on a cold and detached demeanor to help him instead of the strong arms of his husband.

This house has a different feel from the open floor plan of the penthouse they've been living in since college. It's cramped around the corners, with a lot more shadows and a lot less noise. Sebastian likes that better. He’s an Ohio native, same as Kurt. But unlike Kurt, he considers himself a country boy. Even though Sebastian built his identity around becoming a state's attorney like his father, he loved the quiet life: wide-open spaces, blue skies, unhurried, and just plain normal.

Kurt saw Ohio as a cage he couldn't wait to break free from.

Sebastian could have bought Kurt any house he wanted. In that vein, Sebastian feels like a heel for jumping on this one without consulting Kurt first. He reasoned that he'd been the one house hunting, not Kurt. So when a contact told him that the owner of this house, a house Sebastian had had his eye on for a while, was finally selling, it seemed too perfect, especially considering the timing.

Sebastian bent over backward to rescue it from escrow.

Kurt didn't want to leave the city, but it was full of too much pain for him to handle, too many memories, friends and acquaintances who had yet to hear the news, and those who constantly offered their condolences. Few people greeted him anymore without their smiles dropping and the words, “I’m so sorry,” coming out of their mouths, as if joy shouldn't exist around him anymore.

It made his head, his heart, and his soul ache.

Kurt loved New York City, but there was nothing left for him there but the constant hollow thud he felt whenever he saw something that reminded him of their angel Grace. School would be starting soon. All of her friends will be moving on to the fifth grade. But his daughter...

Life ended for her too soon.

“Here.” Sebastian reaches for Kurt’s hand, but Kurt reflexively pulls it away, slipping his hands into his pockets to cover for his flinching from Sebastian’s touch. Sebastian should be used to it by now, but he isn’t. “Let me show you why I think you’re going to love this house.”

Sebastian jogs up the stairs to the next level. Kurt follows a few steps behind. When he reaches the top, he sees three doors. They pass the first two without mention. Sebastian opens the last.

“Here.” Sebastian crosses to the opposite side and throws open one of two windows, filling the musty space with the crisp bite of autumn. “I thought this room could be your new studio.”

Sebastian knows him too well. The room is perfect. Even at dusk, it’s flooded with natural light. It looks out over the rooftops of the other houses, giving him a view of the surrounding forests and orchards stretching way past the highway. With a little TLC, it could look just like his studio in their penthouse.

Or he can turn it into something new.

Start with a clean slate.

“What are the other two rooms?” Kurt asks offhandedly. He doesn't need to.

He knows what the other rooms are.

There are only two rooms they can be.

“A bathroom and the master bedroom,” Sebastian answers, watching his husband stroll across the floor.

“So this would have been… ?”

“A spare? A guest room?” Sebastian shifts his weight from foot to foot, unable to find an easy groove to stand in.

Kurt frowns. No. It would have been Grace’s bedroom if she were still with them. Kurt was trying to get his husband to acknowledge that. Cruelly. But if she were with them, Sebastian wouldn’t have cheated, their marriage wouldn’t be falling apart, and they wouldn’t be running away from their problems.

“I guess I could put a foldout bed in here,” Kurt throws out as he estimates the space.

“You can if that’s what you want,” Sebastian agrees. “Or you’re just saying that to hurt me, which, if you are, you’ll be happy to know, it’s working.”

“I’m not saying that to hurt you,” Kurt eloquently lies. “I’m being practical. I’m not going to have easy access to the Vogue workshop if I live two hours away. If I expect to get a new line started, I’m going to have to pull long hours.”

Sebastian scrutinizes his husband, who’s doing his best to avoid looking at him. “You’re… thinking of starting a new line? You didn’t mention that.”

Kurt shrugs. “Did I have to?”

“No. I mean, I wasn’t sure that you would go back to designing so soon after.”

"After?" Kurt tilts his head inquisitively but still makes no eye contact.

"After... moving. There's going to be a lot to do here. I thought you'd give yourself a year. Maybe more." Sebastian answers so quickly, Kurt wonders if he'd practiced. They talk in code, this whole conversation a carefully choreographed tango through a labyrinth of knives.

Sebastian didn't mean after moving. He meant after the death of their daughter. Kurt practically spent every spare second he wasn’t designing for work designing with her. Kurt has been a designer since high school. Aside from music, it's his passion.

Sebastian feared Grace's death might sever those harp strings.

"I think you underestimate me. Besides, you’re considering going back to working in the city after… ”

Pivot, walk walk, close.

The dance changes. They switch places, and Kurt leads.

Kurt isn't talking about them moving or Grace.

Kurt means after Sebastian cheated.

Kurt only agreed to move out of the city and live in a house he's never seen to keep Sebastian away from the man he's convinced will become too big a temptation to resist the next time they get into any kind of argument. Granted, it took their daughter dying for Sebastian to cheat, but Kurt figures it’ll keep getting easier from now on to come up with an excuse.

Can't agree on where to go for dinner? Have a huge blowout over which cards to send out for Christmas? That's it! I'm sticking my dick in someone else!

“Anyway, I wouldn’t want to wake you by crawling into bed at four in the morning, not when you have to be at work at six,” Kurt finishes when he’s let that dig soak in long enough.

“I’m not going back to work for a while, remember? That’s what a leave of absence is. And even if I was, why would I mind you waking me?” Sebastian risks a grin. “In fact, I was thinking that it might be nice to get back to what we used to do in the mornings before work. I miss that.”

Sebastian holds his breath while he sees how that remark lands. He waits for Kurt to look at him. Kurt hasn’t been able to look at him, really look at him, since hungover Sebastian came home in a taxi the morning after, clothes ruined, their marriage officially in the gutter. Grace passed away six months ago, which means he’s been waiting for a while.

He’s still waiting.

“This isn’t all about you,” Kurt reminds him, raising his eyes to the ceiling.

Kurt didn't yell. But that doesn't mean he's not furious.

“I know,” Sebastian says softly. He rubs his cold hands together, wishing he could stick them underneath his husband’s thick, button-down sweater, and press his palms against Kurt’s skin. A year ago, Kurt would have squealed, “Bas! Your hands are freezing!” But he would have wrapped his arms around himself and held on, would have let Sebastian lean in for a kiss, would have fallen for the line, “Now that my hands are warm, maybe you can help me warm up a few other things.”

Then they would have made love on the wood floor with the door open.

If only he could make Kurt laugh the way he used to.

Then maybe Kurt would love him again.

But going by his husband’s expression, dreary as the olive sweater he holds closed with one hand at the neck, Sebastian knows that now is not the time.

“Is this what you need to make you happy?” he asks. If only it were that simple. If only a house, or a car, or a vacation could turn back the clock and erase everything that happened.

Erase everything Sebastian did, and bring their daughter back.

Kurt doesn't answer right away. He's not purposefully keeping Sebastian in suspense. He couldn't care less what's going on in Sebastian's head. This is his future he's considering.

He's going to take his time.

He circles the room, contemplating the echo of his footsteps on the roughly finished wood, debating whether or not it's a sound he wants to hear for the rest of his life. If not, is it worth putting in the time to fix it?

He traces the path of sunlight as it travels across the wall. That brings a new detail to his eye - a torn corner of wallpaper above the open window revealing a word underneath.

Darling.

Kurt eyes it from a distance, tries not to pay too much attention to it in case Sebastian is behind it. It doesn’t look like it was written recently. It's more than likely part of the pattern underneath. But leave it to Sebastian to try to woo his husband back with something syrupy like that.

Something hopelessly romantic.

Something he thinks Kurt will fall for.

“No,” Kurt answers honestly, re-examining the fading wallpaper, the scuffed floors, the peeling ceiling. His gaze glances his husband’s face and settles on the dust-streaked window. He stares out at the sky, the clouds, the trees, the birds flying wild and free. He’s never going to be able to fly away like that, so he might as well accept this cage he's been given. It's what he's supposed to do, after all. “But it’s worth a try.”

He has little else left to lose.

#kurtbastian #sebkurt #sekurt #sebastian smythe #kurt hummel

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thr-333 · 4 years ago

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Stand in the Shadows of Gotham

Part 1

Marinette, just another child abandoned on the streets of Gotham. She saw the horrors of Gotham, saw what could happen to her and lived it, she swore it would happen to no one else. If Marinette had to fight the shadows of Gotham, stand with them, or help them she will. Marinette will do whatever it takes to be the light to the night of Gotham.

---------

Marinette can’t remember not living on the streets of Gothams Crime Alley. She just remembers standing in an alley balling her eyes out when she realized her mother wasn't coming back for her. She doesn't remember a thing of her father, it not being outside the realm of possibility he had never known of her. It also wasn’t impossible he knew and didn’t care; it would actually be more likely.

She, like most the kids living in crime alley, had learned quickly how to survive. She could duck police and villains alike(although it was often hard to separate the two). It also helped that she had uncanny luck that her few friends always lamented over. If you could consider living in crime alley lucky at all. However, she often had trash cans fall in the way of people chasing her and occasionally finding a loaf of bread in the trash that wasn't completely covered in mold.

Like everyone else, she learned how to toughen up quickly. To send a glare deadly enough to have grown men cowering. To scratch and fight and make someone else bleed if it meant you got away. She learned not to flinch or feel sick when searching a dead body for anything of value.

However, none of that changed who she was. She was still soft and kind to her friends and strangers that meant her no harm. She would promise her friends she already ate when she gave them all her food. She would give her warmest coat to someone new to the streets or someone who had become so weather by them they didn’t have the strength to go on. She knew where to place her kindness and offered it freely to whoever deserved it.

That's why when one of her friends ran up to her, covered in blood and bruises, crying about how they couldn't save the other, Marinette did not hesitate. It was dangerous to go up against this mob, sure, but she couldn’t stand by and watch her friend be sold to become who knows what. Actually she knew exactly what and there was no way she would let it happen.

“You don’t have to come with me,” Marinette whispers to her ragtag group of friends and allies that had followed her.

“We know,” Butterfingers grins, their signature move was pickpocketing something worthless and dropping it right in front of the victim. Then someone else would swoop in and actually steal their wallet or something while they were distracted. It was a risky move and they only used it in emergencies. Butterfingers was brave enough every time to risk the police or a beating at being caught, letting them survive another day.

“You’d do the same for us,” Milo shrugs, they call him that because that was the only thing he would say to her after taking to the streets after his parent's murder. Apparently it was his happiest memory sitting down with his mother to drink a mugful wrapped in a thin blanket on a cold winters night. It had taken Marinette half an hour of running to lose the police as they chased her down for stealing a carton of milk and a tin of milo. Milo had been the newest after her to be let into their little gang. That night they drank milk (that was only still cold thanks to the snowy winter) straight from the bottle because they had no cups, using their hands to scoop up the milo. That was the best night in recent memory as Milo talked to them all for the first time and their family got just a little bigger that day.

“Plus you’re going to need us,” Knuckles had been there the longest out of all of them. Not because she was necessarily much older(not that they or she actually knew her proper age) but she had been living in crime alley much younger than the rest of them. Long enough she didn’t remember a thing and her name had long since faded leaving only her nickname of Knuckles. She had been the one to find Marinette and teach her how to survive. She was the first to raise a fist against anyone that would cross them and would sooner die than admit defeat, “let’s go get our boy,”

Stray, they had taken stray and for that Marinette vowed to destroy them. Stray was the kindest of all of them, even her. He had been on the streets for a long time but from the sounds of it liked the streets better than wherever he came from. He was the peacekeeper not only in the group but out of it. When they got into fights Stray would be the one to beg for forgiveness when no one else would sacrifice their pride. Honestly, he was the only reason they had lived this long and they needed to get him back otherwise they weren’t going to last long.

Marinette had too strong a sense of justice to even pretend to agree with older stronger people that they were wrong for getting in their way. Butterfingers would sooner use anger as a distraction to try and nick something than actually give an effort to say sorry. Milo’s apology would never be taken seriously as he smirks and gives thinly veiled insults. Knuckles simile wouldn't allow herself to stoop that low and would sooner die fighting than admit defeat. So yeah they needed Stray back to be their voice of reason. I mean just look at what they’re doing with him only been gone a day.

They stood on a roof across from where everyone in crime alley knew was a slave auction house but no one would dare say it out loud. Across from the was a window that was the best entry to the building, besides from well the door. A lot of places like this had an entry point less secured than the others, systems set on high alert, and designed to let Batman breakthrough. It was better to trick him into an entrance point far enough away from the auction the clients could get away and worth losing a few people to sell if it meant less property damage. Marinette had to admit it was a smart plan. It’s so much easier to trick people into getting you to do what you want when they think you’re dumb.

“Alright follow my lead,” Marinette doesn't attempt to dissuade them as she starts for the window. There's luckily a washing line that attaches to the other building just a few meters away from where they want to go. Marinette walks along the line like a tightrope, convincing herself it was no different from the chainlink fence she would play on in an alleyway they often hung out in. It dips under her weight but she cautiously marks he way across.

Reaching the building isn’t much of a relief as there is only a thin rim along the edge that leads to the window, a few heads higher than her. She takes a deep breath and jumps, fingers catching on the brick ridge, definitely scratching up the tips. She hauls herself up with just her arms using all the strength the few years spent in crime alley had given her. She sighs in relief, only slightly, as she has to hug the wall to keep balanced on the ledge. She glances back to see Knuckles swinging her way across the wire similar to monkey bars.

Marinette shuffles along to the window. She would have to disable the alarm before the others go there. Fortunately, she had once met a person form an ex-gang or mob or something who had delighted in explaining to her the inner workings of most security systems as they ate some stale bread she shared with them. She does her best with the few nails and wires she has stored in her jacket. However confident she is that the alarms are disabled she still holds her breath when sliding the window open. She stares into the dark hallway with bated breath for a miniature, waiting for someone to jump out and shoot her. When no one does she hesitantly steps inside.

Knuckles swings in seconds after her. They both help the others climb into the window. Lucky they did or Milo would be splattered against the pathway after he slipped on the edge. They only get a second to relax before they are tracking down the halls cautiously waiting for someone to come at them with a gun and try to sell them off too. The first thing they come across isn’t Stray but a series of lavish looking rooms instead. One has a desk and fancy chairs, Marinette is drawn to it and has learned better than to deny her instincts.

She creeps into the office against hissed protest. Marinette searches through the draws of the desk, jangling a ring full of keys in triumph. Her friends relax but she’s not satisfied yet. She noses around finding a cliche safe behind a painting.

“No, I know what you’re thinking, and don't you dare Lucky,” Knuckles says slipping into the room so no one walks by the hall and sees them. Marinette does dare, she really does. But she doesn't know the passcode and that's a problem. Luckily for her, the boss or whatever thought this through or really didn’t. There's a hidden safety latch that she pulls and it releases the safe from the wall. It must be a precaution in case they need to make a break for it but it suits her just fine.

Milo tells her off even as he stuffs the large safe into his ragged backpack. The corners tear the edges because of its size and they need to help Milo regain his balance when picking it up. They head down the hall again, going down the stairs to hopefully find Stray somewhere in the basement. They get downstairs and sure enough, there are people in cages and chains all around, Stray in one pushed off to the corner on the opposite end of the room.

They dart into the shadows behind some crates. There's a few tired looking guards and echoing sobs and pleads that go completely ignored by them. They try to track there way around the room. Hiding behind cages wherever the guards look over, hoping it creates the illusion of them being inside to a passing glance. It works, they just have to be careful to avoid them as they pace around the room.

“Please,” Marinette startles, Butterfingers thankfully pushing a hand over her mouth to stop the yelp as someone reaches through the bars to grasp at her clothes, “Please, Please , please get me out of here,”

“I- I can’t ,” Marinette’s voice breaks, tears pricking her eyes.

“Let me out or I’ll scream,” They warn, face grave and ashen.

“Please,” Marinette begs, the hands forming a vice grip around her arms and legs, “I can’t save you,”

“Yes you can!” and could she? They came here to save Stray but that didn’t mean these people didn’t matter. Why did they deserve to be left here while Stray got to go free? Who was looking out for them? If- if Stray didn’t have them would he be left here too? If they got caught would anyone come to save them?

No.

“What’s going on over there?!” A guard barks, the person freezes, and Marinette breaks out of their hold stumbling back. She freezes, breath only getting quicker as footsteps approach. They were going to get caught! They were going to get caught and no one would save them. There was no one looking out for kids like them, they only had each other.

“Hey!” The footsteps stop as someone bursts through the door, “Someone broke into the bosses office! The safe's gone!”

The footsteps retreat, running out the room and back up the stairs. She sighs, making her way to Stray.

“Lucky!” Stray smiles up at her, tears tracks trailing down his face.

“Hey, we’re here to get you out of here,” Marinette takes the keys sorting through them to find the right one.

“And the others?” Stray asks, and yeah everyone around them is yelling out, pleading to be let out. Kids their age and younger, adults that hardly qualify as such none of them deserving of such a fate.

“Everyone,” She promises, getting a surprised look from everyone else. She shrugs them off and hands off the keys to help get everyone out. All in all, there's around fifteen people and each gives her a hug, crying the way Stray had done when he got out.

They use their distraction of the safe to make their way out of the building. They find the doors this time, only two guards but both with guns. They could rush them but someone would definitely get hurt. If- if she ran along the wall she might be able to avoid getting spotted but what then? How was she supposed to outmatch two armed guards? She didn’t have that raw power. It wasn't fair that two random guys with nothing remarkable about them were able to hold her entire life in their hands. No, it wasn't fair and she vowed to change that if they ever got out of here. But first, she had to take a chance.

“It’s alright little one,” The person who had grabbed out at her puts a hand firmly on her shoulder, stopping Marinette from walking into the light, “I’ll take care of this,”

They were so young. Not as young as Marinette but still firmly in their teens. And here they were running at two fully armed guards with a war cry fitting of the mightiest warrior. The first guy is taken off guard, barely able to raise his gun before they are trying to grapple it out of their hands. A few others rush forward with the distraction. Marinette sticks behind the group with her friends running forward and sticking together. They trip up the second guard and someone starts bashing their head in with their fist, a pool of blood steadily growing.

A gunshot rings and they all freeze. Looking behind them, the grappling for the gun with the first guard is over now, it kicked across the room while the other stands over the guards' body. The person stares down in shock so Marinette grabs their hand and runs out the door as they all run to freedom. Most people break off, shouting their thanks over their shoulders as they run in opposite directions. Marinette leads their little gang and their tag-along into an alley far enough away that they can catch their breath without fear.

“That was crazy!” Milo yells, after a solid five minutes of silence.

“You guys are so cool,” Stray shouts right back, “How did you even get in there?!”

“There was a window and- are you ok!” Marinette yells, catching the person whose name she hadn’t even learned yet. She falls under their weight, shifting to try and lower them to the ground more gently than just crashing, “Whats-”

Marinette cuts herself off, pulling her hand away from their stomach red with blood. The gunshot hadn’t been for the guard. The gunshot hadn’t been for the guard! It hadn’t been for a man who chose to work to sell people into a horrible life of slavery for what? Some extra cash? Pathetic. How many lives had he ruined? How could he live while this person, this innocent person bled out in a random alleyway of Gotham on an unremarkable night?

“Stay with us, we’ll get you to the hospital!” Marinette exclaims trying to staunch the blood flow.

“It won’t work,” They just smile vaguely, staring vacantly up at the sky, “They don’t care about people like me, people like us,”

“I care, I care ,” And the tears flowing down her cheeks are proof enough, “So please just stay with me,”

“The stars are so beautiful tonight,” Looking up the night was full of smog and darkness the same way it always was in Gotham. Quite fitting for the city really not letting in even a sparkle of light. Looking back down their eyes were clouded over, Gotham has taken the light from their eyes as well.

#miraculous #miraculous ladybug fic #badass marinette #Maribat #crime #organised crime #dark #angst #child abandonment #Lila #Adrien #Chloe #Kagami #Marinette #good lila #or worse Lila?#not against marinette lila #we're gonna take over Gotham bois #salt

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anactualcaseofthetruth · 4 years ago

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Friends Can Break Your Heart Too > Chapter 3 Archive Of Our Own Link

Catch Up: Chapter 2 Chapter 1

Summary: Mia Flores flees to Santo Padre for one reason and one reason only: her godfather and the man who raised her, Bishop Losa. The last thing she expects is for Angel Reyes to come into her chaotic life and just maybe be the one thing that starts to make sense.

Chapter 3:

“Pizza!” Letty calls out as she enters the house just a few steps ahead of Mia.

Immediately, all construction noises cease, the small hand tools are dropped, and they are closing in.

“Fucking finally,” Coco says as he takes the pizzas from his daughter. “I was starting to feel like we’re working in a real fucking sweatshop, like no food or breaks until you’re done, you know?”

“Dude, you take a smoke break every fucking five minutes, calm down,” Angel instructs while freeing Mia’s own hands of the small pizza and box of Styrofoam on top without a word.

“Hey! These are for me and Letty, you each got your own pizza,” Mia complains with hands out.

“What, I’m not allowed to help? Be nice?” he questions and holds the food above his head so she can’t reach.

“Fine. Thank you, now give it back!” she whines and follows him to the kitchen to join the others, jumping for it the whole way.

“No, I don’t like your attitude.”

“Angel! C’mon, I’m hungry!” Mia exclaims with hands on her hips and a frown on her face

“Apologize first,” he says, and their audience laughs.

“I’m going to slap you,” she counters grumpily.

He looks her up and down, noting her ripped jeans and a tight, white tee matched with a black jacket and black and white sneakers on her feet. “Can you even reach without heels on?”

Mia’s eyes turn to slits before tapping him in the balls. It’s not so hard to hurt him, but enough to put him into defensive mode and lower the food. “Now, was that so hard?” she asks sweetly while handing the Styrofoam off to Letty.

“You better watch your back, Flores,” he warns, ignoring the snickers around them, and reaches for his pizza.

“Oh, but you’re so much better at it than I am,” Mia teases in return.

Angel nods as he swallows. “Can’t argue that. Hey, prospect, beer?” he asks of his brother a moment later.

EZ turns from his own pizza and takes enough out of the fridge for all of them besides Letty. She gets a bottle of Coke instead.

“Wait, you guys have beer here? While you’re working? I’m doing to die in a house fire, aren’t I?” Mia sighs while looking down at her white spinach pizza.

“Nah, there was nothing wrong with the wiring, so we haven’t had to mess with it. You’re safe from house fires,” EZ assures her.

Coco, on the other hand, makes an unsure noise and shrugs. "That’s not saying the crackheads who lived here before didn’t fuck with it. So, if you do die, it wouldn’t be on our consciences."

“That is what I was worried about, how you all would feel if something happened, not about actually dying,” Mia tells him in monotone.

“Good looking out, no worries, we’d be alright,” Coco insists, and the group laughs some more.

Upon further inspection to Bishop’s rental, her godfather decided a small remodel was in order before she could move in. “Nothing huge,” he promised her, “just some paint and maybe new carpet.” Well that was a month ago, and she has yet to move in.

What he meant by ‘nothing huge’ is repainting every single room, new molding, replacing over half the light fixtures, a few new windows, and a completely redone bathroom upstairs. Then, after finding hardwood in good condition under said carpet he decided he wanted certain rooms without carpet at all which meant pulling up good carpet that wouldn’t have even needed replaced. The kitchen, luckily, was the best-looking room in the house when they started, having been redone before the last tenants moved in, so all he insisted on was a fresh coat of paint, a few new appliances, a couple tiles replaced, and a good cleaning.

Mia’s been told the upstairs is ‘almost done’ and they are finishing up the living room now.

She has also noticed new pieces of furniture showing up when she isn’t around. Which, that isn’t hard to do since she only stops by once or twice a day to feed the guys and ‘make sure they are doing their fucking work’ at Bishop’s request. A new queen-sized bed appeared two weeks ago, a dining set a few days later, and after commenting on how comfy his couch is one similar has taken residence in the garage, not that she is supposed to know about it.

Mia's done her best to not argue with Bishop about all of it. She knows he means well, however, when she looks around all she sees is her godfather silently pleading with her to stay, possibly forever, but when asked about long-term plans she avoids giving any real answer.

It’s not dependent on her, not really, it depends on whether her past catches up with her.

“So how much longer until you guys are finally done with this place?” Letty asks as she eats her chicken fingers. “I can’t wait to have a sleepover.”

Mia smiles at the younger girl and pushes all thoughts of her ex away. Over the past month the two of them have formed a close bond. She sees a piece of herself in Leticia—being one of the few Mayan daughters, having mothers who barely cared, and men who aren’t quite their fathers as their sole parent. Coco is actually Letty’s dad, but she didn’t know that until a couple months ago, so it’s still ‘completely weird’ according to her.

She hopes to be the female figure she needed when she was stupid teenager for Letty. Growing up around these guys isn’t easy. It’s certainly never dull, but Mia remembers how kids at school used to look at her, with that mixture of fear and pity, of jealousy and hate. She remembers what boys thought of her, that because of how women are around the MC that she would be both easy to sleep with and manipulate.

That last part wasn’t entirely wrong, but she wants it to be different for Letty.

“Well, Prez is supposed to have a walk-through in a day or two. If he doesn’t see anything else wrong with it, hopefully next week,” Gilly says when no one speaks up.

Mia likes Gilly, she likes all the guys, but these four are a package deal. Angel is the ringleader, EZ his sounding board, Coco the one who challenges him when necessary, and Gilly is the silent partner. He only really speaks when spoken to, but is always listening, and is very much a protector.

“You guys said that last week,” Letty reminds them.

“Girl, you know we had the Vegas run and it set us back. Stop pushing,” Coco warns her. “It ain’t even your house.”

“No, but we’re going to have a sleepover the weekend she moves in,” Letty tells him like its common knowledge. And honestly, she’s been talking about it so much it practically is.

“Really?" Angel questions with a playful look towards Mia, never one to pass up an opportunity to give her shit, or flirt with her. Sometimes both happen in the same sentence. "Anyone else invited to this sleepover?”

As always, she decides to play along. “Why? You need a facial? We can buy extra masks.”

“It’d be nice to be thought of, that’s all,” he insists. “Besides, it’s not me that needs the facial. EZ’s skin is shit compared to mine.”

“Hey,” his little brother speaks up and it sounds so pitiful Mia can’t help but laugh.

“Shoulda seen his face in junior high. Pimple fuckin’ city,” Angel goes on. “Our mom had to buy him special cream and everything.”

“Can we stop? Like, that’s the point of this?” EZ asks as he turns just a little red.

“The point is mine was clear and yours wasn’t,” Angel responds.

“And when we were kids you were fat and I wasn’t,” EZ says with arms crossed. “So, shut up.”

Everyone laughs as they eat, but Mia is practically jumping up and down with joy. “Oh, my God, please tell me you have pictures. I want to see pictures of little chunky Angel,” she pleads.

“Stop, it wasn’t that I was fat exactly,” Angel tries to stop her giggles. “I wasn’t! I was a little late to puberty, alright?”

“Dude, you were definitely chunky,” EZ states. “Accept it.”

“No, I just didn’t grow for, like, a year, that’s all,” Angel argues. “You, quit laughing,” he demands while staring Mia down. “I’m serious, I was pretty much the same height for a year. Ezekiel was almost as fuckin’ tall as me, and he’s two years younger than me. Then, I shot up, like, six fuckin’ inches.”

“And you lost all your baby fat?” Mia asks, still snickering.

“As a matter of fact, yes, I did, and now look, all muscle, baby,” Angel says and lifts his shirt to show the abs that he knows she’s fond of. And, sadly, she’s not allowed to touch them because no one knows they are sleeping together.

“Damn,” they all hear Letty mumble and Mia can’t stop the laugh from bubbling up her throat. She would have said the same thing if she hadn’t seen them before.

“Alright, put that shit away, I got a kid here,” Coco urges and throws a napkin at Angel’s chest.

“What, this shit?” EZ asks while lifting his shirt too.

“Hold on, I gotta get a picture of this,” Letty says, her phone already in her hands.

Coco smacks it away. “Stop, they are like your uncles.”

“No, they definitely aren’t,” she counters, making the brothers laugh while dropping their shirts.

Mia gives Letty a pointed look that the girl ignores. She knows all about the younger girl’s crush on EZ, and she also knows how completely unattainable and stupid it is. Letty will grow out of it eventually, probably when she gets a crush her own age. At least, her next crush better be someone her own age.

“You��re real funny. You get that shit you needed for school?” Coco questions as he stands having eaten his whole pizza save three slices. Letty nods with her mouth full. “Good, we should get going. You got school in the morning and I got my own shit to do.”

“Yeah, what’s her name?” Angel asks innocently while picking up another slice.

“Ew,” Letty mutters as the others laugh. “Let’s go before this conversation continues. Is your car unlocked, Mia? The stuff for my project is still in it.”

“Yeah, it’s open, help yourself.”

“I’m going to head out too. I told Pop I’d stop by before he went to sleep,” EZ mentions.

“Let me know if there’s anything good on the history channel,” Angel jokes.

“Don’t worry, I know how you feel about a good Vietnam documentary,” EZ assures him and the brothers share a laugh.

Everyone starts getting up and throwing away their paper plates and saying their goodbyes. For now, anyways, since most of them will meet up back at the clubhouse before the night is over.

Mia’s just finishing up putting all the leftover pizza slices into one box for the boys to fight over tomorrow before she brings over their lunch when Angel comes back into the kitchen.

“I locked your car,” he says, and she jumps about a foot in the air. “I know it’s a piece, but you still shouldn’t leave it unlocked like that.”

She turns with a hand over her heart. “Don’t do that, I thought you were leaving,” she scolds him.

“When did I say that?” he questions with a crinkle to his eyebrows.

Mia rolls her eyes. “I don’t know, maybe when everyone said they were leaving, and you walked out with them?”

“I never said I was leaving. Besides,” he starts while approaching her and sets his hands on her hips, “I can’t say goodbye before I get a proper hello.”

“Oh, a proper hello?” Mia asks as his head dips in closer to hers. “What would that entail, exactly?”

“This,” he says and lifts her onto the island, their lips already connected and tongues threatening to meet.

His beard brushes against her chin and she reaches up to lightly scratch at it. “Mm, scruffy,” she murmurs, having admitted her liking his beard to him before. He does, in fact, use a special beard shampoo and pomade in it.

He smiles at her and lifts his chin so she can have better access. “I swear, if I was a dog this shit would make me do that kicking leg thing,” he mutters with his eyes closed.

“Hm, you’re cute,” she tells him as his chin practically sits in her hands, his face the picture of peace.

She’s not ashamed to admit that Angel quickly has become her best friend, not only in Santo Padre, but in general. Of course, she’s never been one to have many friends. Growing up other kids were weary of her, of Bishop rolling up in a Harley to pick her up from school, and their parents only saw the kutte on his back.

When it came to the club, there weren’t many other Mayan kids. Most of them, like Coco with his other two that aren’t Letty, pay for them but aren’t really involved in raising them. Sometimes, when it was a son, they’d come back around during their teen years, want to be like their biker dad, and prospect once they hit eighteen.

Her best friend was Marcus Alverez’s son Esai, but she hasn’t spoken to him since she left Oakland when her and Bishop had their big blowout. Cutting the club out of her life included Esai, and no matter how much he tried to claw his way back in she didn’t let him. That’s a bridge she hasn’t repaired yet.

“You look tired, osito,” she whispers and his eyes pop open.

Angel smiles lazily. “Is that what I am to you, huh? A teddy bear?”

“My teddy bear,” she corrects.

“Let’s keep that between us, huh?” he murmurs when his eyes slide closed again as she continues to scratch at his chin. “Wouldn’t want the guys to know how sweet I am on ya.”

Mia holds back a laugh. “As far as they're concerned the only thing you’re sweet on is my ass.”

“Ain’t no hiding that, querida,” he agrees. After a few minutes Angel’s eyes open and his face breaks out into a smile. “I have a surprise for you.”

“Is it shiny or is it chocolate?” she immediately asks, making him laugh and lift his chin from her hands.

“Neither it’s upstairs,” he replies and turns around to signal for her to jump onto his back, and she does, happily.

Mia tightens her hold around his shoulders. “Ooh, a sex swing? I’m in, but Bishop might be pissed."

Angel's laugh in return is loud and boisterous. “Nah, not that, but I can always add one later if you want,” he says and begins making his way up the steps. “Remember last week when Bishop told you to think about colors for the house? And you weren’t sure about what you wanted to paint your bedroom?”

“Uh, yes,” Mia confirms as they reach the top. “But Bishop said I had time to choose, that painting was the last thing you guys were going to do and I had colors for all the other rooms so you guys could get started.”

“It is, but” Angel stops at the master bedroom and lets her slide down his back until her feet touch the ground. “I got an idea. If you hate it, I can fix it, make it whatever you want, I just,” he sighs, his nerves obvious.

“Hey,” Mia says and grabs his hands so both of them are intertwined, “I’m sure I’ll love it, whatever it is, just because you did it,” she assures him. “Unless it’s just plain white, then that’s kinda lame and I’ll probably laugh.”

Angel chuckles and shakes his head at her. “It’s not white, promise.” He opens the door hesitantly with an unsteady breath. “Just… don’t lie if you don’t like it, okay?”

“Promise,” she echoes back to him and he flicks the lights on before ushering her inside.

Mia finds the room painted a pink-orange shade, the kind in a sunset, but it’s the ceiling that makes her gasp. It’s blue, dark blue, with slashes of different shades throughout to resemble the night sky, along with some yellow and gold. It’s very Van Gogh, but of course not Van Gogh.

“Oh, my God,” she whispers with hands over her mouth.

“And, uh, there’s this too,” Angel tells her before slapping the lights off and the ceiling lights up. There are glow in the dark stars on it. Not enough to be childish or make the room bright, but just enough to look like stars faraway in the sky.

“Angel,” Mia sniffs.

“I remembered how much you liked looking at the stars when you first moved here,” he explains. “And I woke up last week to some stupid infomercial on the TV in the middle of the night. They were selling some Starry Night knockoffs and the idea came to me. I hope you don’t mind or, I don’t know, if you don’t like it I can—”

“Stop,” she insists with a hand on his chest as she looks up. “It’s… it’s—I don’t even know what to say, Angel.”

“You like it?” he asks, and his voice is so soft, so vulnerable Mia’s heart tightens.

For a moment all she can do is nod. “I love it,” she finally manages and blinks to stop the tears from forming. “I’ve never had anyone go out of their way for me like this except Bishop, at least, not unless it was some sort of apology from a boyfriend at the time.” The lights come back on and Mia turns to face him, but Angel is looking anywhere but her. “Did you do this yourself?”

He nods and looks up at the artwork, still avoiding eye contact. “Yeah.”

“How did you—I mean, how?” she asks with a knot in her throat.

“I used to paint when I was a kid, and into high school. I, uh, stopped when my mom died,” he confesses with his eyes now on his hands as he plays with his rings. “I was rusty as fuck, but I don’t know, I think it turned out pretty good.”

“Hey,” Mia urges and lifts his chin until their eyes meet. “I love it.”

Angel nods and licks his bottom lip. “Really?”

“I absolutely adore it,” she promises, her voice low and gets on her tip toes while wrapping an arm around his neck to pull until their foreheads are touching. “And the fact that you did it yourself? That makes it so much better. You’re very talented, mi osito.”

“Again, with the teddy bear? You’re gonna fuck up my rep, querida,” he teases.

“Well, the rep you have with me is being almost too good in bed and possibly the sweetest man I know, so,” she stops with a shrug and starts backing him up until he hits the bed half-covered in plastic.

Angel falls on the bed with a laugh and shoves at the plastic covering until it hits the floor. “Almost too good? Damn, gotta step up my game then.”

Mia moves to straddle him. “Please don’t,” she replies with her hands on his chest. “I would end up ugly crying, like, all the time.”

“Ugly crying, huh?” he asks and removes her hands from underneath his shirt where she had been trying to push it up. “Now I know what the goal is.”

“I am serious, Angel Reyes, do not,” she warns and starts fighting for control of her hands so she can continue to undress him. “Let me go! I want to make it up to you,” she insists as they begin to wrestle.

Angel rolls them over and pins her hands above her bed. She tries extremely hard not to get turned on, but fails miserably. “I don’t want you to make it up to me,” he tells her once she stops struggling. “I did this out of the goodness of my heart and making it up to me implies that I did it for something in return.”

Warmth spreads from Mia’s chest down to her toes. “Okay, then, can we fuck just because I’m horny then? It has nothing to do with me being incredibly grateful for what you’ve done.”

“You sure?” he questions and tightens his hold when she begins to resist again.

“Nothing at all,” she confirms as she squirms. “I just realized why you’re so good with your hands and I want to feel them all over me.”

“Alright then,” Angel lets go and sits back on his haunches. “Strip, everything off.”

“You’re sitting on me,” Mia reminds him with a raised eyebrow.

“I’ll help with the bottom stuff, but I think you can handle the top,” he tells her while pulling his own shirt off. “Hurry up, I wanna see if I can get you to do that ugly crying thing.”

Mia glares at him once the top is over her head. “Do not. This mascara is not waterproof.”

“Not my problem. I’m always prepared,” he replies while flashing a condom in front of her face, “it’s time you start to be too.”

She rolls her eyes while undoing her bra. “I can’t believe you’re about to get laid after saying that.”

Angel grins and starts to take off her pants. “I’ve gotten laid after saying tons of dumb shit. It’s the pretty face that gets the panties to drop,” he says before sliding her cheeky lace underwear down. “What my mouth can do helps though. So, get up, you’re gonna sit on my face.”

“Geez, bossy,” she mumbles but readily slips out from underneath him and onto her knees.

“You’re into it,” he murmurs before pressing his lips against hers as his hands slide down her bare sides.

“Only when your mouth or dick are involved,” Mia says, breathless, when they pull away.

Angel grins as his hand slides between her legs. “We’ll see about that.”

About an hour later, Mia makes her way downstairs looking for Angel. Guys have it so much easier, she thinks. All they gotta do after sex is get dressed. Being the handsy motherfucker her boy is, Mia looks like she’s been through a tornado after they’re done, and needs put together, not to mention a moment to pee. He just throws away the condom and zips up before sauntering off.

“Angel?” she calls after not seeing him in the living room or upon entering the kitchen.

“Outside!” she hears and notices the back door slightly ajar.

Mia finds him outside on a lawn chair, the kind people lay out on next to a pool, apparently something else she has inherited from Bishop’s previous tenants. Angel is holding a beer in one hand, a cigarette in the other. “Room for me?”

Angel tilts his head back to look at her before parting his legs. “Always for you.” She lifts a leg of her own and swings it around to straddle his hips. “Beer?”

She nods and takes a sip before handing it back. “So,” she starts and stares at him expectantly.

“Sooo?” he echoes while taking a swig.

“So, you paint?”

Suddenly, the beer becomes interesting, as it’s all he can look at now. “I did.”

“Osito, you just pulled a Michelangelo on my bedroom ceiling. You paint, present tense,” Mia insists.

“I… relapsed,” he attempts to joke, but Mia shakes her head and lifts his chin.

“You know you can talk to me, right? We don’t just have sex, at least, that’s not all this is for me,” she admits with a tint of pink in her cheeks. “You’re like my best friend and I don’t say that easily. I’m not really one for friends.”

“I don’t believe that shit for a second,” Angel immediately disagrees with one last puff of his cigarette before flicking the cherry off the tip and turning his head so the gray smoke doesn’t hit her face. “But, if you gotta know, and I know you won’t shut the fuck up until I tell you,” he goes on and she grins in triumph, “my mom liked to paint. It was her thing. It was mainly religious shit, you know,” he says with a shrug, “but she was really good. She even has a piece hanging in the church we went to growing up.” He stops to smile, and Mia can’t help but mirror it, the genuine happiness coming from him infectious. “I remember when it first got displayed, my dad told everyone his wife painted it. I swear, he worked it into every single fucking conversation somehow.”

“And she passed it on to you?”

Angel puts the beer bottle down and wraps his arms around her waist, his hands resting on her ass. “Not really, I mean, not intentionally, I guess. I was an angry kid, it started in junior high, back when I was a chubby fuck. I punched a few holes in the walls, and every time they made me fix it, but that just made me angrier,” he says and looks passed her head. “I don’t know, I guess it pissed me off that they made me patch them up without really asking what was wrong? My mom tried, but—” he stops and shakes his head, “she wasn’t the one I wanted to open up to.”

“You wanted your dad,” Mia states and Angel nods, his eyes meeting hers again.

“One day I got sent home from school for fighting and my mom had to come get me. Pop wouldn’t leave the shop, said it wouldn’t matter if he did, that I wouldn’t listen to him anyway,” he continued, “maybe he was right, I don’t know.”

Mia slips her hands under his shirt, her fingers drawing endless loops and shapes on his bare skin. “What was the fight about, do you remember?”

Angel nods slowly. “They used to call EZ Kodak because of his memory. Some asshole cornered him in the bathroom, had a friend hold him down while he pushed some sleazy magazine in his face and told him to remember it because it would be the only naked girl he ever saw or some shit. I was chubby, but EZ was as thin as a fucking rail. That kid’s metabolism is no joke,” he comments with a faraway look in his eyes, like he’s reliving the memory. “I found out and took the fucker down. I remember being pulled off him and looking at EZ, he was so embarrassed. Before they took me away, he asked me not to tell, so I didn’t. I didn’t tell what the kid did to him, and the little dick didn’t fess up to what he did either, so all they knew was that I held him down and kicked his ass.”

“That… sucks. It definitely made you look bad,” Mia points out with a stink face. “I’m sorry.”

“Don’t be. I’m his big brother, I do what I gotta do,” Angel says easily, and she knows without a second thought he would do it again. “I expected to come home and go straight to my room or have a list of shit to do around the house. Instead, Mom brought me outside to the patio. There was this big, white canvas and a bunch of paint. She told me to paint my feelings. I thought it was stupid as fuck.”

Mia smiles, picturing little Angel looking at his mom with his ‘the fuck is this?’ expression and it’s definitely a funny image. “But you started painting?”

“I did it to just get it over with so I could go to my room, but I don’t know, it helped me get aggression out,” he admits. “My mom did religious realism, but I was super into abstract. I was throwing fucking paint around so fast my chubby ass worked up a sweat,” he chuckles at the memory. “It didn’t turn into anything, just a big shit colored blur, but it was better than punching a hole in the wall I had to fix the next day. Every time I got angry my mom had a canvas for me. I learned, I developed my own style, and I started taking classes at school. Sometimes I even watched my mom, asked her questions, and helped her a little bit. It became our thing.”

“That’s sweet,” Mia comments, her fingers now scratching at his happy trail as they often do.

Angel’s lips slowly stretch into a wistful smile. “I got real into charcoal for a while. Fuck, everything was covered in it. EZ hated it since we shared a room. My mom was annoyed because of the laundry, but she never said anything. Eventually, I settled on acrylic as my main medium. I would have so many fucking layers that it would take so fucking long to dry. I kept stealing her hair dryer to make it dry faster. She got so annoyed she bought me my own.”

“What did you do with all your work? I would like to see them, but I don’t think there is anything hanging at your place, or the clubhouse, or—”

“When she died, I quit,” Angel cuts her off. “It was our thing, and without her…” he trails off with a shake of his head, “I didn’t want to do it anymore, or be reminded of it. I stashed all my shit in the basement, it’s still there unless Pop tossed it.”

“What about her stuff?”

“It’s at the house, Pop still has a few displayed, has all her supplies exactly where she left them. I swear he turned parts of the house into a shrine. I could barely go in there right after she died and—” he falters, his voice deep and his Adam’s apple bobbing. “Um, I kept what she made for me in my old bedroom. I couldn’t look at it every day, I still can’t,” he admits. “I don’t know how Pop does it.”

Mia’s hands move to rest on his chest, rubbing softly to comfort him. “It’s okay that it still hurts, osito,” she assures him, and he drops his head while nodding. “The more you bury it, the more it hurts when it come out,” she whispers and kisses his head, her hands framing his face now.

“I didn’t—” Angel stammers and coughs to clear the knot in his throat. “EZ and I weren’t as close when we were teenagers, we had different shit going on in our lives, but I always had my ma. Sometimes I told her shit she didn’t even wanna hear, you know,” he chokes out and keeps shaking his head, but Mia keeps her hands firm. “We were closer than they know. Pop and EZ had each other, they talked all the time, but she was the person I talked to. With her gone…”

“I know,” she murmurs and kisses his forehead, his temple, anything she can while he refuses to look at her. “I’m here, mi angelito, I’m right here and I’m not going anywhere,” she promises over and over, her voice soft and hopefully soothing to him. She knows he’s settled a bit when he takes one of her hands in his and opens it to kiss the palm, a silent thank you she accepts. “Did your dad or EZ ever mention anything about it? About you not painting anymore?”

Angel shrugs nonchalantly and picks his head up. His eyes are glassy, and his cheeks flushed with embarrassment, but she simply kisses each one chastely to let him know it’s okay. “EZ mentioned it a few times, but I told him to shut the fuck up and he did. I told him to shut the fuck up a lot when she died. He learned to stop pushing and I stopped giving a fuck about pretty much everything.”

“Is that why he went after the person who killed her, and you didn’t?” Mia asks, and instantly regrets it, but Angel doesn’t move or retreat into himself, even if he does tense up considerably.

His hands find her ass again, a way of comforting himself, she thinks. “EZ kept wanting it to be more than a robbery, more than just a senseless murder. It was like he couldn’t see anyone wanting to do wrong by her because she was like a saint.”

“But you could?”

Angel looks her in the eye now. “There’s a lot of evil people in the world. Our mother wasn’t spared because she was a good person. Good people get the shit end of the stick all the time. Ezekiel is the smartest person I know, but he couldn’t wrap his head around that. It ate at him. Sometimes I think if I didn’t push him away I could have helped him, stopped him, something. But I was too busy doing anything I could to not think about it, about her, what happened, that my little brother had to be the one to find her, that my father got his heart broken, and how fucking lonely I was with her gone.”

“Hey, everyone deals with shit in their own way,” Mia assures him. “EZ wanted to fix it, bring her killer to justice. You tried to ignore it because you couldn’t deal with the pain. What happened isn’t your fault, it’s not your brother’s either. And EZ doing what he did… he’s too headstrong to have let it go. It probably still would have gone down, but instead of your dad losing one son to the prison system, he would have lost two.”

Angel chuckles and licks his lips. “He lost me a long time ago. Ever since EZ was a toddler I lived in his shadow. He was the golden boy, the sports star, he was supposed to get out of here, be someone important. There were no aspirations for me, no dream to follow, it was all on EZ. He and Pop were always close, always reading shit, having these meaningful conversations that would stop as soon as I walked into the room. When EZ got locked up it was like Pop had nothing left because not only was his wife gone, but his best friend was too.”

“Angel—”

“It was the loneliest fucking year of my life until the club came to town,” he cuts her off, his hands pulling her closer. “I started to prospect as soon as possible. It’s a family, and I hadn’t had one since my mom died, and fuck, I needed something, anything, to hold on to. It wasn’t what my mom would have wanted, but I had to stop pretending things were gonna be different between me and Pop. I’m never gonna be like EZ and he never tried to understand me, even after EZ went away. Every Sunday I went to the house for dinner and we barely said five words to each other that weren’t about sports. Every holiday was a letdown. I’d stop at the shop a few times a week to check in, just to make sure he was okay. He’d give me meat and send me away.”

“What about now that EZ’s home?”

He sighs. “It’s better, I guess. He has his buddy back. Sunday dinners are more lively. He accepts the club a bit more now that EZ’s a prospect, but it’s still the same with me and him.”

“But now you have your brother back,” Mia insists, her voice hopeful.

At that, Angel smiles, and it’s real. “I do. I forgot how much I missed him, how much I love him. The MC kept me busy, but having him back, and prospecting? Sometimes I feel like we’ve never been closer.”

“At least you have that. Only child over here, remember?” she reminds him. “Bishop’s done so much for me that I can never thank him enough, but having a sibling is different. I would be in a room full of people and still feel completely alone. There’s just stuff you can’t tell your dad.”

“I asked Bishop what happened to your dad, to Valentino,” Angel confesses, and Mia’s eyebrows raise. “All he said was that he was shot.”

Mia looks down at their laps and nods. “He was. Eleven times.”

“Damn.”

She peers back up and shrugs. “The risk comes with the life, and my dad wanted to be part of the Mayans ever since Tio started it, Bishop too.”

“Wait, you call Marcus Alvarez Tio?” Angel asks, his face almost comical.

Mia can’t help but smile, even with their topic of conversation being what it is. “Yeah, I know you guys all see him as your beloved Padrino, but to me, he’s the guy who did something completely over the top at every single birthday of mine until I was, like, sixteen,” she explains, her lips still curved upwards. “I mean, when I was eight, he brought a pony to my party. A fucking pony. When I turned eleven, he got me a trampoline and put it at the clubhouse. It was broken before I turned twelve, but it was fun while it lasted.”

“Well, now I know what to ask him for my birthday,” Angel comments and she barks out a laugh. “Your pop was from Oakland?”

“Yep, born and raised. He and Bop grew up together, and what Bishop wanted my dad wanted too. They had similar backgrounds—immigrant parents, hard home lives, just not an easy upbringing. They came up together and quickly became part of Tio’s inner circle once they were patched in.”

“What happened?”

Mia moves her hands his chest and starts wringing them together. “There was some new MC trying to make a name for themselves,” she starts, and Angel’s hands make their way to hers, linking them together. “I guess they figured what better way to do that than to take out the president of the mother chapter of the Mayans?”

“Dumb fucks,” Angel swears with a shake of his head. “That shit doesn’t make you legit, it starts fucking wars.”

“Yeah,” Mia murmurs. “They were in Oakland doing business and my dad saw the windows go down. He pushed Tio to the ground and pulled out his gun. He took most of the hit. Bishop took one in the arm himself. My dad was dead within a few minutes, before the police even got there, or so I’m told.”

“I’m sorry,” Angel says quietly. “You were five, right?”

She nods. “Bishop insisted on being the one to tell me and my mom. I remember her screaming and falling to the ground, then Bishop coming over to me,” she recalls, blinking to keep her eyes clear. “He told me, and I refused to believe him. I started hitting him actually, and he had just gotten shot so even though I was five it had to of fucking hurt. Eventually he just bear hugged me until I started crying.”

“And then he stepped up for your dad.”

Mia nods. “After the funeral, I wouldn’t let Bishop leave my sight. I would throw the biggest tantrum if he left. And my tantrums weren’t just screaming and crying like other kids. I went fucking postal. I threw shit, broke whatever was in my way. I would get so worked up I made myself sick. Tio gave Bop some time off from club stuff to help me and my mom, to spend time with me so I wouldn’t turn into the Tasmanian Devil every time he left the room.”

“You know, I’ve heard you talk about Bishop raising you, what you remember about your dad, but this is the most I’ve heard about your mom,” Angel mentions. “There a reason for that?”

“There isn’t much to know about her. Personally, I think it should take more than giving birth to make you a mother, because she gave birth to me, but that’s all she ever did. She’s no mother,” Mia states.

“It was like that even before your dad died?”

“She was there? I don’t know, I mean, Bishop says she was involved, but I have no memories of it. Maybe I held onto what I remember of my dad because I knew I wouldn’t be able to make more memories. But after he died, she just spiraled. Started drinking a lot, when that stopped doing the trick she turned to pills, and then graduated to heroin by the time I was ten.”

“She never got with anyone else?” he questions, his fingers playing with hers.

“Oh, she got with plenty,” Mia assures him. “Whatever she had to do to get her fix, she did.”

“I meant, not another Mayan?” he corrects.

Mia makes a face. “The thing about my mom is, well, she’s a user. She liked being with someone in the club, the respect you got from the girls who weren’t, the looks on the street when someone knew you were an old lady. My parents don’t have this big romantic love story like yours,” she goes on. “My mom was going back and forth between my dad and Bishop before she got pregnant. She would fight with my dad then get with Bishop, when that went south she’d go back to my dad. When she got pregnant she actually didn’t know who the father was.”

“Oh.”

Mia smiles a little. “Bop used to joke that I was one of the luckiest girls in the world because most guys bail in that situation, but they fought over me. They both wanted me, and they both wanted her too. Eventually, they got a test and Valentino Flores was crowned lucky winner of the sperm race. They got married when she was six months pregnant.”

“Bish didn’t want her after?”

“He did, actually,” she answers. “But the heroin got in the way. It turns out that is my mom’s one true love, not my dad, not Bishop, and certainly not me. Bishop refused to make her his old lady until she got clean and was able to take care of me. And, with her and Bop’s history, not to mention my dad’s, no other Mayan would get with her out of respect. It kinda pissed her off because she liked being a kept woman, you know.”

“She’s still not clean now, I’m gathering,” Angel pieces together.

“Nah. She never is. The longest she’s made it is six months. Every couple years or so she comes around wanting to be with Bishop, wanting to get clean, wanting to be together ‘as a family’. He falls for it every time, but I know better. I hate it because he get his hopes up, wastes so much money putting her through rehab, getting her everything she wants when she says she’s clean, then a few weeks later she’s gone and takes everything she can with her. His cash, whatever valuables she could get her hands on. She even sold one of his guns once, one of the .45s that had the Mayan insignia on it and shit.”

“Damn,” Angel swears. “Pop and I were never close, but he was still there. I knew no matter what happened he’d bail me out of whatever jam I got myself into, that I’d always have somewhere to go, a warm meal to eat,” he goes on with a shake of his head. “I couldn’t imagine not being close with my ma. That sucks, I’m sorry.”

Mia shrugs and leans against his chest, her arms snuggled between them. “My mom needs to be the center of attention, something she stopped being when I was born. The only thing she loves as much as heroin, is herself. I was never more than dollar signs to her, the Mayans supported her because of me, and she knew it,” she exhales, content as his large, warm hands rub up and down her back. “I’ve never known different. It was Bishop who made sure I stayed in school, got me into dance classes when I wanted them, signed me up for kickboxing because he wanted me to be able to protect myself. He’s the reason I’m alive,” she admits. “Well, him and Esai.”

“Esai Alvarez Esai?” Angel asks, pulling away enough to look her in the eye.

Mia nods with a ghost of a smile on her face. “Yeah, we were raised together. I think they wanted us to be like brother and sister. I mean, we have pictures of us in the bath when we were little, but that’s not the way it went.”

“You and Esai Alvarez?” he questions, his expression dumbfounded.

“Do you know another one?” she wonders in a giggle.

“No, I just—he, I mean, he’s fucking married to the club. He’s gonna be king, you know,” he comments and pulls her back against his chest. “I’ve never seen him with the same girl for more than a couple hours.”

“That was one of our problems. I couldn’t,” she stops and sighs, “I get there are rules. What happens on a run stays on a run, he could get his dick sucked whenever I wasn’t around, that shit happens but I—I never got right with it. It’s why we were on and off for about seven years. He’d go on a run and he’d come home looking so fucking guilty and would deny it up and down, but I knew. He’d admit it, we’d break up, he’d fight to win me back, and eventually I would give in,” she goes on and shakes her head. “He was my first everything, I couldn’t let go, I wouldn’t at the time. I had only two people I truly let in my life that I knew would love me no matter what, and he was one of them.”

“Wait,” Angel says, his mind churning. “La que se escapo,” he whispers to himself.

“Oh, fuck,” Mia groans.

“You’re the tattoo on his arm, the one that got away,” he continues. “Gilly asked once, he told him to fuck off.”

“Sounds about right,” she laughs. “He got the tattoo for my birthday. My birthday, his tattoo, fucked up, right? But he didn’t get ‘the one that got away’ until we broke up for the final time. I was pissed, but—he had to do something with it. I covered mine up.”

“You had one? Of him, I mean?”

“Kind of, I had the, uh, the old lady tattoo on my arm,” she answers as she shifts to reveal her skull tattoo to him, the one that got them talking in the first place. “I covered it with the tattoo for my dads. I’d always wanted something for them, and a guy I knew said he’d be able to cover it easily enough,” she says and pulls her jacket back up. “Fuck, that pissed him off. To Sai, that meant we were really over. He refused to cover his, did that instead,” she goes on. “Told me that I would be the only woman he would ever marry, so if it wasn’t me, it wouldn’t be anyone, and so there was no reason to get rid of the tat. I’m sure he’ll get someone knocked up one day and she’ll be his old lady, and she’ll be able to accept the shit I wasn’t able to.”

“Not the life for you, huh?” Angel asks with an eyebrow raised.

“It could be,” Mia insists. “I understand being in the club, loving it, putting it above most of the things in your life, but I need to be the one thing that it’s more important than. Not that I would ever make him choose, I respect the MC too much for that, but—I need to know that I’m number one. Sai couldn’t do that, no matter how hard he tried. I realized I was trying making him into someone he wasn’t, and I loved him too much to do that,” she explains. “He really tried the last two years. He’d opt out of runs, spend every spare moment he had with me, was completely transparent, but—he would get so angry sometimes. It made him feel like I was keeping him from the club, but I wasn’t, not intentionally, I just didn’t trust him. He had too curious of a dick.”

“I can’t believe I didn’t piece this together sooner. Of course, you knew E, why wouldn’t you? And that tattoo, it’s really you,” Angel mutters more to himself than her. “I feel like a fucking idiot.”

“He got it when I turned eighteen and he asked me to be his old lady. I was so happy, I thought that things would be different, and they were for a little. Bishop was pissed off because I moved in with him, but I was eighteen, he couldn’t stop me. Of course, I was back and forth between break-ups,” she mentions as an afterthought.

“This relationship, it sounds great, by the way,” he teases.

Mia laughs a little. “When it was great, it really fucking was. When it wasn’t, we were toxic, and I didn’t see it until later. He never hit me or shit like that, Bishop would have killed him if he did, but I saw what he did as cheating, and he didn’t. It made me feel like I wasn’t enough even though he swore up and down it wasn’t about me,” she continues. “And, like you said, he’s gonna be king. There is nothing he would choose over the club, and even though I would never ask, I needed to know I meant more, but I never would. When I finally accepted that I ended it. There were a few hiccups, and it was one of the hardest things I ever did. He was my best friend, he knew every single piece of me, you know?”

Angel shakes his head. “No, I don’t. I’ve never been with anyone like that.”

“You’ve never had a serious girlfriend?” Mia asks, biting her lip when Angel’s hands roam across her ribs, his fingers brushing against her bra. “I don’t believe that.”

“I’ve had girlfriends, but never like you’re talking about. The most serious one was in high school, which sounds fucked up when you’re thirty-one,” he says, a hint of a chuckle in his voice. “But I also haven’t been looking for anything serious.”

“What happened to her?”

“Her name was Adelita. I knew her from school, we were in the same year, but I guess you could say we met at church. Mom made us go every Sunday, rain or shine, sick or healthy,” he states, but then rethinks it. “Well, if we were, like, projectile vomiting or some shit we got out of it, but that meant she had to stay home too, and we knew how much church meant to her.”

“You were pickin’ up girls at church, Reyes?” Mia teases with a rock of her hips.

“Querida, I can pick up girls anywhere,” he answers with a knowing smile. “Anyways, she helped out a lot at church, and my mom would always guilt me and EZ into helping with whatever fundraiser or cause they were involved in every few months. We were working a booth together during the end of summer carnival and I was doing more flirting than working—”

“What? I do not believe that for a second. You have to be lying—ah!” Mia stops in a squeak when Angel tickles her sides.

“It’s my love language, mi dulce, literally,” he jokes. “One minute we’re working the booth, the next my mom is there and inviting her to dinner. It just kind of escalated from there. She wasn’t my first girlfriend, but she was the first I think I actually loved.”

“You think?”

“Looking back, I think I was trying so hard to be someone I wasn’t for her. I tried to be into the things she was, I wanted to care as much as she did about everything she did, but—I think I just wanted my mom to be proud of me for something, to have something for her to gush about to her friends what was about me for once and not EZ,” he admits.

“I didn’t know your mom,” Mia states the obvious, “but I know she had things to be proud of you for. It’s easy to see how much you loved your mother, how you would do anything for her, you even shared a hobby with her. So, I know damn well she gushed about you, Angel Reyes, so you shush right now.”

Angel smiles and presses a soft kiss to her lips. “Thank you.”

“What happened? With Adelita?” she asks.

“Just didn’t work out. We really didn’t have all that much in common. I mean, I like helping people, I still donate to the church and to causes and shit, but spending every waking hour asking people for money, going door to door to give out pamphlets and shit? Man, I felt like I couldn’t fuck my girlfriend without getting money from someone else first,” he says, and Mia can’t help but laugh. “Besides, she went into the Peace Corps after high school and I knew that shit was not for me. We ended with no hard feelings.”

“And nothing since? No one serious?” Mia asks.

“After Mom died, I didn’t want serious. I just picked up girls to fuck ‘em. And ever since I’ve been in the club, I’ve been happy to sleep with whatever hang around was paying attention,” he answers honestly. “Besides, it takes a lot to be with someone in the club, you gotta deal with more than the average bullshit a guy puts you through.”

“Oh, I know,” she confirms.

“You also don’t know who actually wants you for you or because of the leather,” he adds on. “Like your mom, being an old lady is all some chicks want, it doesn’t matter who gets them the title.”

“So many girls hated me when I was with Esai, even after we broke up because they knew how much we still meant to each other. None of the girls understood, to them I had everything. If Esai was going to be king, I would have been queen, but being an old lady wasn’t my end goal. Being with Esai was. This one particular puta, Bianca, fuck, every time she could she was tryin’ to get her nails in him. When we broke up, she thought it was like open season. I was in more than one fight with that bitch,” she says with a vengeful look in her eye.

“I would pay to see that shit,” Angel insists, and Mia pushes on his shoulder as he laughs. “What? I know you can fight, Bishop’s gone on about it, how many matches you won when you were in kickboxing.”

“Yeah, that’s why they guys were always quick to hold me back, they knew I could do some serious damage,” she mutters grimly. “All I wanted was five minutes alone with her, still do. She was all talk and I hate that.”

“You’re still close with E, then?”

Mia looks down, mostly out of shame. “I was. When Bop and I had our falling out I wanted away from all things having to do with the MC. I was so sick of him bailing out my mom and never taking my side with her. Esai tries to stay out of shit when it comes to my mom. He fucking hates her, but he respects Bop’s feelings about her, so he didn’t back me up. I cut him out too and haven’t had the lady balls to reach back out. This is the longest we’ve gone without talking since we broke up. I needed time away from him then to get over him, you know. That, and every time we hung out right after we ended up fucking.”

“I don’t know if I want to be in love like that,” Angel admits and starts to light another cigarette.

“Like me and E?”

“Maybe, I guess, more like my parents,” he answers before inhaling. “I saw what happens when it ends. My dad still isn’t the same, almost ten years later.”

“That’s where we differ—you don’t know if you want it, but I don’t know if I’m capable of it,” Mia confesses.

“I don’t know if I believe that,” Angel comments.

Mia’s eyebrows raise as she makes a face at him. “I loved Esai, but—I never trusted him so I never completely let myself go with him. I trust him with my life, but my heart? I barely trust myself with that shit,” she stops and shakes her head in shame. “The relationship I ended when I came out here…” she trails off and holds her face in her hands so he can't see her shame.

“Hey,” Angel pulls on her wrists softly, but they don’t budge. “Hey, talk to me, baby,” he pleads quietly. “You’re my best friend too, you never have to be afraid to tell me shit.”

“It was bad,” she confesses, her voice barely above a whisper. “It didn’t start that way, and—fuck,” she swears while trying to hold back tears, hating herself for getting so upset. “When Bishop and I had our falling out, he was brought into the fight.”

“Your ex?” he questions while finally removing her palms from her cheeks.

“Yeah, his name’s Jay—Jason, actually,” she corrects herself. “We had just started dating when my mom OD’ed, again, and we weren’t serious, but,” she stops and shakes her head, “I mentioned it when we got into it, how the guy I was dating was a normal law-abiding citizen and being there, trying to figure out what detox program to get my mom in, it shouldn’t have to be my normal, his either.”

“What did Bish say?”

“That it didn’t matter, she’s family and you do what you have to for family,” Mia recites from memory. “I said that she wasn’t my family, and she didn’t give a shit about him, and until she decided to get help herself nothing he did would matter,” she pauses to wipe at the corners of her eyes in an attempt to rid the pool of tears. “And he said he raised me better than to not care about my own mother and he was ashamed of me.”

“Hey, hey, hey,” Angel coos when tears start to fall. “It’s alright, c’mere,” he murmurs while pulling her into a hug.

“He’d never said that before, that he was ashamed of me,” she manages to get out in between shaky breaths. “I’d been arrested, kept in holding cells, tried drugs I told him I never would, made so many bad decisions he found about after the fact, but he’d never said he was ashamed of me.”

“He wasn’t, he’s not,” he assures her. “You don’t hear the way he talks about you when you’re not around, the joy in his eyes, how excited her gets. He loves you more than anything, mi dulce, please believe that.”

Mia nods against his chest, sniffling. “It hurt. What he said hurt, it hurt that it felt like he kept choosing her over me hurt, that he continued to believe her and not even listen to me, it really hurt. And I wanted to make him hurt too, so I said that I was done with it all—her, him, the MC, and that I would be better off with my cookie-cutter new boyfriend who would be able to give me a normal life.”

“It was a fight, everyone says shit during fights,” Angel responds in an attempt to console her.

“Yeah, but I made good on it. I stopped going to the clubhouse, I ignored Esai’s calls and texts, I didn’t check in with Bop the way I used to. I dug my heels in, and so did he,” she sniffs. “I fucked up. I made Jay out to be like Captain America and he wasn’t, I was just so angry, and so I tried everything to make it work to prove I was right. I gave in way too much, let him make me feel like I was crazy, isolate me, and control everything, and I mean everything,” she stops as her eyes well up again. “Fuck.”

Angel holds her tighter and presses kisses against her hair, shoulders, anywhere he has access to. “I’m right here, baby, I’m not going anywhere,” he promises.

“If Bishop knew what happened between me and Jay,” Mia says while wiping her cheeks, “he would be ashamed of me, it wouldn’t just be words.”

“Why do you say that?” Angel asks after a silent moment, his voice firm, cautious.

Mia shakes her head. “Never mind, forget I said anything,” she says and makes a move to get up, but he holds her down.

“No, I ain’t forgetting shit,” he tells her. “Talk to me.”

“It doesn’t matter, okay?” Mia insists and pulls free from his hold. “I got out of it, that’s what’s important. I’m here and made things right with Bishop and, and,” she falters and looks him in the eye, “I met you. My best friend.”

“I know you want me to let this shit go, babe, but—”

“No, no buts,” she cuts him off. “I need you to trust me when I say I handled it.”

Angel takes in a deep breath and stands with her. “Alright.”

“That’s it?” Mia asks, surprised.

“We’re best friends, right? If you say you handled it, then I believe you. That’s what best friends do,” he answers. “Especially ones that sleep together.”

“See, this is why we’re perfect for each other,” she insists while wrapping arms around his middle. “We’re best friends, we trust each other, and you don’t want to fall in love while I don’t think I ever truly can. We get the fun without the responsibilities of the relationship.”

Angel smiles softly before kissing her. “Well, when you put it that way…” he trails off and kisses her again.

They are interrupted by Angel’s phone buzzing in his pocket. He tugs it out and answers it immediately after looking at the caller. The conversation is quick, one she’s heard too many times before, but understands all the same. He’s needed at the clubhouse.

“I gotta go,” he sighs, but makes no move to let her go. “Thanks.”

“For what?” Mia asks, her chin resting on his chest as she looks up at him.

“Thanks for listening,” he whispers before kissing her gently. “I haven’t—I don’t talk about my mom, it’s just something I avoid, but it felt good talking about her with you.”

“Any time,” Mia says and pushes her lips against his in a barely-there kiss. “Me and Bop talk about my dad all the time. It was hard at first, but it makes it easier, I think. It helps keep your memories too.”

He nods. “Noted. You coming to the clubhouse?” he asks as they start to make their way back through the house and to their vehicles.

She shakes her head while leaning against her car. “Nah. If you got called in that means you guys are gonna be in templo for a bit and I’m tired. I was running around with Letty all day, remember?”

Angel puts his helmet on as he nods. “That girl does tire you out. Her mouth alone never stops moving.”

“Shut up, she loves you guys,” Mia scolds him with a smack to his chest.

“I never said she ain’t family, she’s just a teenage girl. I stopped being interested in them once I hit twenty,” he replies.

“Coming from your current sex partner, that’s good to know,” she jokes in return.

“Ooh, sex partner, I love it when you talk dirty. Say it again,” Angel instructs.

“Sex partner,” Mia says in a sultry tone.

They start to move closer to kiss again, but his phone goes off. “Fuckin’ Boy Scout,” he swears and pulls his phone out and declines his brother’s phone all. “Such a fuckin’ pissant.”

“You love him. Go, they’ll start to wonder where you are,” she encourages. “Thank you, again, for my ceiling.”

Angel’s leg swings over his bike and with a kick the engine roars to life. “I don’t know what you’re talking about. I just made the call to get it done when you asked, remember?” he says with a wink.

Mia nods with a knowing smile and watches him pull away while berating herself for even bringing up Jay, let alone talking about what their relationship was like with Angel.

She makes a mental note. It will never happen again.

CHAPTER 4

TAG LIST:

@joalsglasses @mrsamaroevans @justahopelessssromantic @mrsjaxtellerfan @claytoncardenasbabymama @starrynite7114

#mayans mc #fanfiction #friends can break your heart too #Angel Reyes #angel reyes x oc #clayton cardenas #mayans m.c.#ao3 link

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hale-13 · 3 years ago

Text

Into the Atmosphere

By Hale13

For the Summer of Whump Day 13 - Sacrificed

The Infinity Gauntlet, lying harmlessly but ominously in his hands, pulsed with a preternatural warmth and feeling of power that seeped through the Iron Spider and his regular Spidey suit under it. It felt more like a siren’s call than Peter felt comfortable with and he could understand the inclination to slip it on and wield that power.

Words: 2674, Chapters: 1/1 (Complete), Language: English

Fandoms: Spider-Man (Tom Holland Movies)

Rating: Teen

Relationships: Peter Parker & Tony Stark

Characters: Pet er Parker, Tony Stark, Stephen Strange, Thanos

TW: Major Character Injury

Read on AO3 or below the line break.

As a native New Yorker, Peter was used to weird shit as a kid. Watching a wormhole open over the new Stark Industries building? Watching hoards of aliens and space whales filter through to invade Manhattan? No one was prepared for that, least of all a kid.

May and Ben, an ER nurse and a police officer respectively had both been held up at work and had not been home with Peter, leaving him completely alone. His heart had pounded in his chest, triggering multiple asthma attacks that were barely mitigated with his inhaler, as he watched and wondered if he would ever see his remaining family ever again. Seeing Iron Man fly a nuke launched by his over government into the wormhole and nearly die had probably affected him more than he cared to admit.

But that was then. Now, Peter had no problem throwing himself head first into danger at smallest provocation. But, that being said, even this was a bit much for him.

He didn’t stop though. He didn’t give in a slip on the glove or let anything close enough to take it from him, dodging another blast from one of the dog-alien-things and letting his suit’s nanotech appendages (Instant Kill activated and Karen in partial control) stab the creature through its chest and fling it into the distance. Finally reaching a mostly unoccupied area of the battlefield, Peter paused to catch his breath and made an aborted move to rub away the blood he could feeling pooling from his nose onto his upper lip.

A pointless move really. He was wearing a mask after all.

The blond woman who had descended from space (actual space what the hell) in a fiery halo had tried to reach him but was held up by a veritable flood of aliens all vying for her attention. From Peter’s perspective it didn’t look like any of them were really much of a challenge for her but they made up for weakness in sheer numbers; keeping her overwhelmed and unable to break free.

Peter stumbled on tired and weak legs (it had apparently been five years after all, he reserved the right to be tired), doing his best to continue to dodge and disarm as many enemies as he could while still protecting the gauntlet. The rest of the extended Avengers, the Wakandans, the Asgardians were too busy with their own adversaries to help him. In the distance, Iron Man was blasting through the opposition unreservedly, clearly headed in Peter’s direction but vastly too slow to make a difference.

“Hello child,” Thanos deep voice said from behind him, making Peter’s Spidey sense explode. The titan was calm and quiet compared to the battle raging around them. Peter turned and tripped as he tried to back away as quickly as possible. “You have something there that doesn’t belong to you.”

“You can’t have it,” Peter said, surprising himself at the strength and steadiness of his voice compared to the thrum of fear and anxiety sparking through his nerves like lightning.

Thanos tilted his head, inquisitive and regarding Peter with a small, indulgent almost fatherly grin on his face and Peter felt a shiver course down his spine in warning. “You are brave little one. Perhaps to the point of foolishness but brave nonetheless,” he reached out with a weathered hand to grab the gauntlet but the spider legs attached to Peter’s suit lashed out in offense, Peter’s own free hand shooting up to knock Thanos’ aside.

“No means no asshole,” Peter grunted, scuttling up a mound of rocks behind him so he wasn’t at such a height deficit. “Fuck off.”

Thanos just tsk’d and looked at Peter with disappointment like he was a misbehaving puppy or a child throwing a temper tantrum. “I would rather not have to kill you boy. Hand it over.”

Before Peter could open up his mouth to retort, planning on stalling, the glowing woman (Captain Marvel his brain corrected) smacked into the titan’s side and knocked him away from Peter, her glowing fists more than enough to take him on. His expression had changed from benevolent to murderous as he pulled himself to his feet and threw a return punch, eyes never straying from the Infinity Gauntlet in Peter’s hands. “Uh guys?” Peter squeaked into his comms, turning and running away as quickly as his tired body could take him – aiming for the shitty van Ant-Man had been working to repair. “We’ve got to get ride of this thing – anyone free to help?”

“I’m coming Queens,” Captain America panted. “Hang in there,” he said with a grunt, wading his way across the ruins using both his broken shield and Mjolnir to mow down everyone in his way with extreme prejudice. Watching from the corner of his eye Peter’s stomach dropped: there was no way Cap would reach him in time as tired and injured as he was. Mr. Stark was stuck in a similar position, his nanotech suit morphing around him like high tech water to compensate for all of the damage it had taken.

A cold spike of fear went through Peter: they were going to lose. They were going to lose to Thanos again and this time they had pissed him off enough that he would probably forgo the random chance aspect of his plan and kill all of them. He was going to kill all of the Avengers and May and Peter’s friends. He was going to kill everyone who had just been brought back after five years. They would all be gone again.

Peter guzzled air that never quite seemed to reach his lungs, panicking but not stopping in his mad rush to get the gauntlet as far away as possible (hopefully back to the past where the stones belonged), the sounds of the battle muffled and silent around him. As if by fate, he glanced up and locked eyes with Dr. Strange, stuck holding back a spout of water that would otherwise flood the field, but with his attention solely focused on Peter.

His face was sad and sympathetic as he grimaced and held up a single, shaking finger mouthing ‘there was no other way’ and Peter skidded to an abrupt stop.

Oh.

Peter looked down at the oversized gauntlet resting in his hands and let his mask slide off his face to merge with the neck of his suit. Taking a quick look around him, Peter gave one final sniff and looked back at Dr. Strange, giving a firm and sure nod of understanding.

He knew what he had to do.

The stones glittered across the knuckles of the modified Iron Man gauntlet prettier than any precious gem Peter had ever seen and it took considerably more effort than he cared to admit to not allow himself to just be mystified by them. Peter adjusted his grip to hold the glove more firmly and began to slip it on, the armor automatically shifting to mold to his smaller hand.

“NO!” Peter huffed and felt a single tear leak from the corner of his eye, tickling his nostril as he ignored the agonized scream of his mentor. The gauntlet was half on. “PETER STOP!”

“I’m so sorry Mr. Stark,” he whispered as his fingers slid into place, the glove fully conforming and tightening around his hand.

The immediate pain was stunning and all encompassing and Peter threw his head back, eyes closed, with a grunt. He knees and muscles, already tired and overworked, turned into jelly and he just let himself drop, breath coming in short pants, hearing ringing and vision blurring and darkening around the edges. The hair on the back of his neck was standing on end, his Spidey sense screaming its final death rattle and giving up under the untenable onslaught. His very atoms felt like they were being ripped apart, blowing him apart and remaking him in the Stones image. He wanted to scream but he didn’t have the lung capacity to do much more than endure.

Finally – a second, a minute, a year, an eternity later, everything stabilized just enough for sound to filter back into him: repulsers rushing toward him, angry and desperate yelling from Thanos – barreling toward Peter in a last ditch effort to take the gauntlet for himself – gasps and moans from his own team and silence. Silence as the battle around him stopped and everyone turned to look at him with bated breath.

Using more strength and effort than he ever had before, Peter lifted his shaking right hand up to show the glowing gauntlet to everyone and forced his numb mouth into a lopsided smile – his eyes focused on Tony and only Tony’s terrified face as he said “I’m sorry,” and snapped his fingers.

“Where…?” Peter asked, looking around over the sunset covered lake and then down at his hands – whole and undamaged. He was dressed in his favorite science pun t-shirt, the one Uncle Ben had gotten him their last holiday together and he felt good. No aches and pain from the battle, his arms strong again. He made loose fists with both hands, clenching and relaxing his fingers in absolute wonder at just how good he felt – better than before he had ditched the bus to MOMA that morning (five years ago?) even.

“Hey Petey.”

At the sound of his voicePeter whipped around, already crying streams of silent tears, and wasted no time in rushing the short distance to fling himself into his Uncle’s open arms. “Ben,” he sobbed, embracing the man tightly, afraid he would disappear.

“I’m so proud of you buddy,” Ben whispered, his own tears mingling with Peter’s and returning the hug with equal force. “You’re the kindest, bravest person I’ve ever had the honor to know.”

“Am I dead?” Peter asked, resigned but not sad – he had accepted the possibility the second he put on the Gauntlet.

“Not really,” Ben answered, cryptic. “Somewhere in between would be the best way to describe it.” He stepped back, releasing his hold on Peter to hold him at arms length and grip his shoulders tightly the warm and comforting smile that Peter knew from his childhood on his face. “If you weren’t enhanced you definitely would be but you are so…” Peter just nodded in understanding, furiously wiping at the streams of tears still pouring down his face. “Regardless we don’t have much time.”

“I’m so sorry Ben,” Peter blurted, reaching up a hand to grip tightly onto Ben’s forearm. “I’m so sorry I didn’t stop it. I had my powers, I could have taken the bullet. I could have stopped it.”

Ben’s eyes were soft and his smile lines deepened as his lips twitched up into a sad smile, moving his hands from Peter’s shoulders to cup his face as gently as if he were made of glass. As if he were something precious. “Oh Pete its not your fault, it was never your fault. You were fourteen and staring down the barrel of a gun for the first time, I would have been more concerned if you didn’t freeze.” Ben told him, leaning forward to push their foreheads together, his hand cupping the back of Peter’s neck. “You’re my kid – it doesn’t matter about enhancements or powers – I’ll always put myself between you and danger. I don’t regret anything.”

Peter let out a hoarse sob that shook his frame and pulled Ben back in for another hug. “I love you,” he said fervently, trying to put as much force and emotion into it as he could. “I love you and I miss you and so does May.”

“I love you both so much,” Ben said, squeezing Peter one last time before releasing him and stepping away, water lapping at his ankles and rippling out to the horizon. “As nice as this visit as been Pete, I really hope I don’t see you again any time soon.”

Peter’s answering chuckle was watery will unshed tears, his vision already fading as Ben disappeared followed by the serene lake and sunset; the dusty battlefield snapping back into focus.

His body was numb in the way that promised pain if he could feel anything, his heartbeat stuttering and aching in his chest as Peter collapsed back against a pile of rocks and broken pieces of building. His body was limp and unable to support itself and his head lolled to rest on his undamaged left shoulder.

“Peter!” Tony’s devastated voice creeped in and Peter tried to smile but he couldn’t really tell if his muscles were responding, his eyesight was so dark. Gentle hands pulled him to rest against a warm body, lying his head in a more comfortable position and cupping to undamaged side of his face in a calloused palm. The grip was as careful as if he were made of glass and maybe he was. “Stay with me Pete, just stay with me okay?”

“Tony,” Peter rasped out, his voice broken and so so quiet, but it carried – the battlefield was a silent as a tomb beyond the heavy breathing of the surrounding Avengers. Peter had done it apparently.

His mentor let out a sob that he didn’t bother to disguise and ran his hands through Peter’s sweaty curls – it felt nice. “I’m so proud of you,” Tony said earnestly, echoing Ben and making Peter’s heart clench and skip a beat, his voice absolutely mangled with emotion. “You’re the absolute best of us and I’m so beyond proud of you buddy but I just need you to stay awake okay kiddo?”

“I’m tired,” Peter croaked, his eyes sinking closed against his will and only reopening due to Tony’s panicked jostling.

“I know kiddo, I know,” Tony choked out. “I’ll let you rest soon I promise but just humor me a little longer alright? A few more minutes for your old mentor huh?”

“Love you,” Peter said, forcing his voice to be as strong as possible even as his body sagged further and his heart rate slowed. “Tell May… Love her.” He was ready to rest. Peter’s left hand, barely gripping Tony’s with the very last of his strength, loosened and fell against his chest. His eyesight failed.

The last thing he heard was Tony, crying and begging him to stay.

————————————————

Part of Peter expected to be back in the lake or with Ben but instead he was met with only darkness.

It worked for him though to be honest. He could relax in the dark, let his mind wander and rest in equal measure, his worries gone and – for the first time in a long time – feeling no pain.

On occasion he thought he could hear voices whispering in the distance or see something bright far away but neither stayed long enough for him to investigate further. He still felt tired down to his bones and, as the time passed, his right side began to feel more and more like static and less numb, bright sparks of something like pain flaring through him like lightening and soon forgotten.

The light flickered – sometimes brighter sometimes nearly dimmed out – but seemed to get closer to more Peter looked at it and memories filtered in. Space, melting into dust, fighting with his childhood heroes, snapping, Ben… Tony… wanting to give up so bad but not doing it.

“Please wake up,” a broken voice whispered in the distance. “Please don’t die when I just got you back.”

Seconds, minutes, days, years later Peter opened eyelids that weighed a ton each to look around with blurry vision at the white room around him and the dark human-shaped spot next to him, his lips turning up just the smallest amount.

#summerofwhump #summerofwhump13 #Prompt: Sacrificed #irondad #spider man #Summer of Whump

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fanfictiondreamscape · 4 years ago

Text

First Kisses (Haikyuu - pt. 6)

Title: First Kisses (Haikyuu - pt. 6) aww crap the final part-

Genre: floof. Mega floof.

Pairing: Ushijima/Eita/Tendou/Shirabu/Goshiki x Reader (all separate)

Notes: Sadly, this is the end of the Haikyuu boys series! I hate typing that up, but it’s the truth. And I can still do some of these for other fandoms if you readers like these. Also, I think I’m going to make a directory once I get some requests posted (following this, of course). Would that make things easier for people to find the request rules and masterlist? Probably - why would I even bother asking that question?

Also, I apologize for the amount of cursing in this. I’ve been trying to cut back on it when writing, but it slips sometimes. Again, terribly sorry!

Anyway, read on if you wish! I hope you enjoy!

Part 1 Part 2 Part 3 Part 4 Part 5 Masterlist

Ushijima Wakatoshi

ushijima is a simple and straightforward man

so, it can be easy to assume that he’d want someone that is very straightforward and simple as well.

that doesn’t immediately translate to them being stoic and constantly stone-faced, though.

someone that can be considered blunt (to a fault), yet still remains very sociable and charismatic.

yep, they’d be somewhat popular for their aura.

otherwise, i imagine that he’d want to the kiss to happen in private.

but, something would happen during it that’d kind of ruin that.

like, imagine that the two of you are on a date.

something very easy-going, maybe even a study date.

there’s definitely some small snacking going on, though.

so like,

the two of you would be reviewing your notes.

the both of you had been at it for a bit of time, too.

you were getting tired, you could tell that he was too, and you were determined to fix this.

so, your plan?

you discreetly pull your bag over to your side.

while he didn’t notice the initial action, he was pulled from his study-coma due to the sound of a zipper.

he didn’t look over his shoulder until you had tapped his bicep

(that felt absolutely beaUTIFUL MY GOD-)

you had a simper on as you waved a small gift card to the nearest fast food restaurant,

“are you getting hungry, too? i’ll pay.”

he glanced down at his unfinished work, and while he did have second thoughts

he did realize that he was hungry when his stomach rumbled.

it embarassed him a little, but he knew that he could trust you enough to be vulnerable

(as vulnerable as he felt being around you)

his lips twitched up into a small smile, and that was all the confirmation you needed.

you grabbed his limp hand and pulled him from his seated position

while the normal person may have shied away, you’re dating the tall guy

so his height led to him towering over you

and you found the whole scene to be adorable

(as did he, but he wouldn’t say that - he still had a filter of a kind)

either way, the walk to the random restaurant was spent in comfortable silence

(aside from the grumbling stomach sound.)

(seriously - both of your stomachs were growling obnoxiously loud, and it left you surprised as to why not a single person had even given you nasty looks.)

(just some odd food for thought - holy shit. food.)

ANYWAY

when you reach the place, you order your food

it couldn’t have taken any longer to come out

and you were getting a little impatient

a little habit you had whenever you were starting to become agitated was making him melt,

you were starting to scrunch your nose up and mess around with your fingers.

you were also starting to pout.

(yeah, that even sounds adorable. to him, the view is an absolute masterpiece.)

when the food comes out, though

your face lights up from the previous expression, and the way you just glowed in the sun-

holy-

he would die from a cuteness overload, and it’d be your fault.

so, you may have momentarily broken ushiwaka.

good job!

either way, you two got the food and had made quick succession of walking back to your work to sit and relax.

and yes, while the food was greasy and slightly disgusting, it was quick and allowed you more time to do your work.

though you were unaware of his actions when eating, he was almost too aware of yours.

you were actually going through the food somewhat cleanly, but the way that you smiled when you made eye contact with the food

(if that would even be possible)

either way, your lips curled up in the most sweet expression, and

holy-

“you look cute.”

you paused.

‘did he really just say that?’

you blushed, of course

you blinked, you stood and you came to

“r-really?”

he nods, you blush brighter, and he decides that he just has to do it now.

“can i...”

his ears are turning red as he’s speaking.

“can i kiss you?”

you nod, and he awkwardly reaches up to cup your cheek

you turn even redder and he leans in

but he pauses, and you finish the motion for him.

you both are shocked by the actions that both of you had just done

but the feeling of each others lips together?

yeah, that’s forgotten.

you both get a little closer, a little more rough.

there is a lot of control in it, though that doesn’t negate any of the messiness that comes with something like this.

two teenagers that haven’t had a real relationship or kiss, just doing this for the first time?

yeah, this is gonna be a bit of a tough ride.

but as tough as it is, it still manages to be very loving.

the two of you indulge in the moment since, honestly, both of you have some trouble with your emotions.

it doesn’t last though.

and it’s not because of you two, no-

it’s because of tendou.

the boy barges in on you two, flips his shit, and jumps the gun immediately.

you laugh, ushiwaka smiles (see above, absolutely precious)

and everything just slowly gets a little more comfortable between you two following the kiss.

overall, very awkward and very inexperienced.

but still very loving and controlled, with the passion still coming through.

and the scenery?

couldn’t be more perfect.

private (somewhat), intimate, and most definitely quiet.

perfect for the both of you.

(plus, you got to tease the living crap out of the giant guess monster afterwards due to his reaction.)

(jokes on him, he talks a big game in this area, but he can’t own up.)

Semi Eita

boy here is a savage

and a borderline tsundere

so, i find that he might be attracted to someone similar to him in that sense

very competitive, very passionate, and very hot-headed

but definitely better with their emotions than he is

they’d be more open to letting their emotions out, but they’d also radiate bbe

(read: bad bitch energy in spades)

which i also think would mean that the first kiss would happen in an area that would be very emotional to the two of you

possibly a first date spot, possibly a spot where you two just share some huge memories (aside from the first date spot)

but it also wouldn’t happen right out of the gate

nor would it be completely happy

like, imagine this

sooo

gym.

the volleyball gym.

you two had your first run-in with each other there

you both also had your first date with each other here

(just, i imagine that there would be something super attractive and glorious about the gym, possibly a skylight or something under the stars)

(seriously. can’t leave school grounds? picnic in the gym under the stars, people will think you’re helping me train.)

and to top all of that off, that was where tendou and goshiki pushed you two into each others arms and made you confess to the other.

(yep, you guessed it - you’re a manager, and a 3rd year)

and, with you being a third year-

here you are.

you two are nearing graduation,

you’ve been dating a for around a couple months,

and you both wanted to relive your memories before you break away from the high school that you’ve attended since you were younger

so, yeah

a very emotional day and following.

so, the both of you had just gone to the cafeteria, the old dorms rooms that were looking barren

seriously, the rooms that the third years had been in were getting cleaned before graduation

which just so happened to be up and coming within the business week.

yeah, cue the tears

(oh wait, you already cried a fair amount a while ago and you’re saving the remaining ones for graduation.)

either way, you were pretty down about the whole thing

as was semi

and the both of you just needed the comfort of each other

just visiting the places that brought you joy over the years.

the gym was the final spot, and it was one that the both of you had silently agreed upon visiting.

the stars were out and the time was brushing 10 pm

you two had gone through the motions throughout the day, but now?

you both wanted nothing but to imagine a night under the stars, much like the past dances

so you did

you had pulled your phone out of your pocket, set it right up on full volume

and played a slow song

semi had wrapped his arms around your waist, yours around his shoulders

the comfortable aura from the both of you made you both calm down

and allowed the both of you to get lost in the moment

you were able to ignore the looming feeling of sadness that would most definitely follow

so, that being done, you got lost in each other under the stars

you were eyeing the way his eyes seemed so drawn into yours, the eye contact being so intense

the way your bodies just molded together

the way the music made the atmosphere lighten up

just...

an overall perfect moment.

and here, here is where that perfect moment was taken advantage of.

“can i kiss you?”

you paused for a second and blushed, but!

“yes, semi, you can.”

you leaned up and kissed him.

he smirked when you did it, but responded nonetheless

and, in typical semi eita fashion, it was very passionate.

you were just as driven as him, so your response was equal to his

there was no making out or any trace of a french kiss, but

it was super sweet and loving, despite the snarky attitude the two of you carried.

it lasted a fair while, and since it was under the night sky

and was also in an area that was secluded, especially at that time of night.

so yeah, when you two pulled away, you both went on with your action of slow dancing under the stars for the second time.

so, overall?

very sweet, as well as passionate

and yes, while i did hc them to happen during an emotional time,

the two of you would take the comfort you feel from each other, and manifest that into the kiss

(and its also an emotional moment for people that act like semi and his s/o’s headcanon).

but, again,

very long, passionate, loving, and romantic

(holy shit, who would’ve guessed-)

and it was everything you could have asked for while slow dancing with each other

under the moonlight

with the stars reflecting the other

beautiful. just beautiful. and perfect.

Tendou Satori

tendou is a tease, right out.

he’d want a s/o that can dish out what they can take.

and that includes any jokes, “insults”, and pick-up lines that are thrown to either of you.

so, someone witty (and a little sarcastic)

also athletic.

for some reason, i can just imagine the two of them just running around for the hell of it

like racing each other into grocery stores or the mall, maybe even the gym

and like, measuring up enough to tie on race wins.

they’d definitely be shorter, but their stamina would be nearly endless

but the kiss i feel would come up out of the blue.

possibly in the hallways to tease the living crap out of each other in the middle of an “insult” battle

so, basically just imagine the two of them are walking from lunch

and they were going at it

semi, reon, and ushijima were starting to get annoyed, but they found of the things you were throwing at each other

still doesn’t make it any less annoying

(honestly, they were just staying close to see who would win or call it time-out before they reached class.)

“so what, tall-ass? at least i don’t have to duck when walking.”

“yeah, and you? i don’t have to worry about jumping whenever i have to avoid you when you’re biting ankles.”

“oh, this again?”

i think you get it.

either way, things were taking a turn for the more impulsive

you had begun to target his shonen, he had begun to target your movie genre obsession

yeah, when you both hit those targets?

things were getting bad.

so, being the parental figure that he is, semi had tried to break it up

and he did...

“guys, calm down. i don’t want to have to separate you in the damned hallways.”

you two quieted down for a bit and laid off the borderline offensive banter

“thank you.”

but semi’s attempt only lasted for a few seconds.

“okay, but seriously, you still aren’t caught up on the last volume, what makes you think you have the right to-”

“one more word, and i’ll kiss you.”

the five of you were still walking, but 80% of the group straight was caught off guard.

you, despite being part of the 80%, still refused to back down when you were still shocked

“oh really?”

“yep. keep going, i dare you.”

“you don’t have the guts.”

“you sure about that, doll?”

“oh, damn straight i am.”

“keep it up.”

“gladly.”

this continued on for a while, pushing to an end when you two reached the hallway for your classes

but tendou was determined.

and time was still plentiful.

so when you spoke next, well...

“okay, just face it you won’t-”

and he kissed you.

straight up, in the hallway, in front of the eyes of many students.

and he wasn’t shy about it in the slightest

tendou went full messy on you, you responding similarly.

the shock of it definitely wore off quickly for you.

it was filled to the brim with passion

and yes, while it was a ‘shut up’ tactic,

it worked wonders for the both of you, seeing as this type of stuff would have been expected of the both of you

didn’t make it any less loving though

(at least, after the initial force.)

so, if you know what i mean, this lasted for a while.

(translation: make out session)

yep, you two straight up shared tongue in the hallway

(and you may have been pulled closer to him and laid against the wall as the people started to disperse following the action and it’s suddenness)

just, quite literally, a surprising mess.

and it took a few to get you two away from each other

(literally, semi stayed behind to try and pry you guys apart but was dismissed when a teacher had come by the scene.)

(yep, you two got pried apart and given a warning)

10/10, would do it again.

overall, though-

again, 10/10, would do it again

seriously.

that kiss is passionate, messy, and borderline sexual

BUT

that doesn’t mean that it is any less loving

(see above for author here’s repetition of the same sentence)

plus the breathlessness that comes with the whole experience

holy shit, yes

plus the scenario in which it happened as well as the setting?

oddly perfect for the two of you

casual, comfortable, and open

(yeah, i can’t imagine the kiss happening anywhere but at school don’t @ me)

Shirabu Kenjiro

first things first, this boy is a hardass.

but he’s also the only member of the Shiratorizawa volleyball team that didn’t get in on an athletic scholarship.

so, that being said, his s/o would most likely be someone highly intelligent

like, if he’s in class 4, they’d either be in the same class or a higher one

either way, highly intelligent

i also have the feeling that he’d have to have run-ins with them near constantly

think like, team manager?

they’d would also be very introverted and responsible

he already was drawn to their intelligence, what else could be asked aside from basic college-prep class student other than responsibility?

and the introversion is simply because the man is a man of action, i’d reckon

otherwise, for the kiss.

well, it’s in the library.

the two of you had decided to study together before the exams

you both got in on academic scholarships, so you both had to keep the grades up.

it didn’t necessarily help that the two of you also had little time on your hands because of volleyball practice and games.

(stress runs high in this household, y’know?)

either way, you find a way to work around the stress and go on your merry little studying way

(AKA ‘hope-to-god-that-i-don’t-absolutely-lose-my-mind-before-exams’ way)

besides the point, you had been wanting to kiss him as of late.

seriously, you two had been together for a good few months now

and you both wanted to take things slow

but the perfect moment had come and go many, many times

and you were starting to get a little POed.

‘does he not want to kiss me?’

‘does he not like kisses?’

‘does he not like me that much?’

yeah, you are intelligent but you are also pretty insecure

(and also very pretty, but since people find your straight face kind of terrifying, not many of them talk to you - not like you care, after all.)

and while none of that is true, from his perspective, of course

shirabu is just shy.

yep, that’s all it is.

he’s seen the moments, he’s wanted to take the chances

but things just haven’t worked out for him.

it’s always at the worst times, and frankly-

it was getting annoying for the both of you.

for different reasons, of course

but annoying nonetheless.

either way, you two came to the library to study, not make out in the surprisingly hidden area that you had chosen-

ANYWAY

you both got down to business quick.

flashcards, notes, textbooks, you name it

you needed it, you had it

and the both of you had an amazing grasp on the subject matter

so you both went about your normal study process

(that had been modified to match the library)

things had been going smoothly for a while.

there had been a few slip ups, on both ends, but there was still a few more days beforehand and you both planned to tear into the study material as they continued

so you’d both be fine in the long run.

you still weren’t happy with it, though.

it’s not a surprise that you two had decided to take a small break to hone and get some water.

and while shirabu took the water and small snack route, you took the opposite

you had shoved your face into your notes and reviewed what you got wrong, even going to the extent to annotate the notes you already had with extra information from his notes and the subject textbook.

shirabu had been watching you as you concentrated,

eyes grazing over the information with intensity that only intrigued him

(holy shit, i sound like i’m preaching something, why am i like this-)

the way your bright eyes practically glowed with drive

god, it drove him wild.

and whether it was the stress coming to a head, or just the look in your eyes-

hell, maybe even the lack of care that you had for your health-

he just had to kiss you

(distraction, aid, or not)

he knew that now was the perfect time, that this moment would be the best time to do it

so he knew he had to suck it up

and that he did.

he was still hesitant in his approach, though.

“s/o, look at me.”

“hmm? whaddaya nee-”

straight up smooches you midsentence.

the uncharacteristically bold move shocks you, but he makes it quick

(or at least quick enough to distract you from overworking yourself)

and as quick as it is, my god-

it is passionate.

veyr rough, very forceful,

but he was careful not to hurt you.

either way, the love and lack of hesitance came through.

and safe to say, the messiness was very prominent as well.

on one hand, though, you stopped pushing your head so hard to study

and you also managed to take the hint.

“so you felt that too?”

“yeah, i did. now stop studying and get some water, idiot.”

you chuckled at him, but did it nonetheless.

you two spent the rest of the time huddled closer together, as well.

(you two didn’t realize the third years peeking through the bookshelvesn watching this though)

(”my god, our little second years are growing up! T_T”)

overall, though

given the preciseness of the kiss, you both felt content with it for the time being

(i know, a short kiss despite the many times it failed? damn.)

but yeah, given the circumstance, it worked for the both of you.

the library setting, too, holy-

just, overall a great kiss

short, sweet, a little messy, and very shy

(just like your relationship lol)

(sidenote: you two got teased relentlessly by tendou, but semi shut it down quick.)

Goshiki Tsutomu

can we cover this first?

this boi is awkward.

yes, he’s driven. yes, he’s capable. and yes, he is intelligent.

but that doesn’t negate awkward.

this is why i think he’d have to know his s/o before dating them.

they would be aware of his little quirks and habits, as would he.

but they’d have to be much more sure of themselves in other areas in order to help push him forward

he does the same, of course, but he’d have an odd time handling it.

so yes, they’d have to be sure of themselves and, possibly, even motherly

patience and tolerance would be key to support this boy.

that being said, i have a feeling that he’d try to make the first kiss happen with a cliche romantic build up

i mean, he’s not stupid, but he most definitely is unaware of how to deal with romantic endeavors.

(that is actually kind of adorable, but hey - he’s oblivious to things like this, so tell him.)

otherwise, he started the date off in a typical manner.

he had walked up to get you at around 5 pm

you had the okay to skip dinner with your family/guardian for the night, you were prepped and ready in your flowing outfit \

(vague for personal reference)

he had also come prepared, dressed nicely and clean

holding your favorite flowers in his hand, possibly even some small candies for you (that are also your favorite)

just overall, you could tell he had paid attention to the things that you liked

(no duh though, you two have been friends for years).

either way, he had everything planned.

and it started off with a picnic at the park.

what else would he hold the candies in?

you thought the basket he was using was a little oversized for candies alone

and you were right.

he had everything that he could bring (and knew wouldn’t rot) with him.

what he didn’t know is that there was none of the food he had originally packed in the basket

and the blanket he had prepared wasn’t there

(his mom had taken the basket he was supposed to use and he took the one she had - potluck problems).

safe to say, you both didn’t really like the food in the basket

and worse yet? the food was nasty with a capital N

yeah, that part of the plan was bust.

your alternative?

McDonald’s.

some small amount of money for some small amount of fast food?

good enough.

not for goshiki, but hey - what can you do?

otherwise, his next plan was fairly simple.

he’d planned to meet his mother at the amusement park later that night to trade off the basket and enjoy some rides with you.

(and his plan included the ferris wheel)

anyway, since the ‘meal’ didn’t last long, you settled for walking through town.

and you did, but...

it rained.

and the both of you got soaked.

it didn’t last long, thankfullly, but boy oh boy...

goshiki was starting to get a little depressed.

you noticed, and reached for his hand.

if things weren’t working out, you’d find a way to replace it.

right now, it was calling your older sibling to come and get you from where you were and taking you to his flat

(it was the closest)

either way, he had come by and two had decided to change into off-hand clothing that had been stored there

(you left some clothes there for when you wanted to see your brother and fell asleep, your brother had some old clothing that fit goshiki)

either way, the awkwardness settled

your brother left you two to your own devices as he had some quick college assignments to complete.

so you two decided to watch a tv show you both liked while you waited.

eventually, it happened as such.

your brother had left his room after it was complete and, to keep some secrecy, pulled your brother aside to tell him the plan.

he agreed, and goshiki’s first kiss plan held a chance.

eventually, as 7:30 rolled around and it started to get dark, your brother told you two to get your stuff and get in the car

“we’re going to the carnival - y/n i’ll pay for whatever you need.”

you both just went along with it.

when you arrived, goshiki walked off for a little bit before running back to you and taking your hand in his.

your brother had already bought a good amount of tickets for you two to use, so you were in the clear.

you two had ran around, going on a rollercoaster even!

(you were smiling, goshiki was crying - good times)

but when night fully came upon the sky, he knew he had to act fast.

and, luckily, his luck didn’t screw him over.

the line to the ferris wheel was short, the sky was getting darker by the second, and he could see people setting up fireworks from his crappy vantage point below the hill.

‘perfect timing.’

and indeed it was.

you had been seated next to him and the ride had begun, and the fireworks had been set off.

the lights were reflecting, and the pressure of the night just hit him square in the face.

“hey, s/o, i’m sorry about today.”

“what do you mean?”

“the picnic, the walk...it didn’t work out the way i wanted it to and i’m sorry for that.”

you laughed, making eye contact with him.

your bright eyes made him blush and your smile made him melt.

it didn’t help that the neon lights and the fireworks were reflecting in the depths of your eyes.

he knew that the time was now, but he was afraid that if he took the bold chance, you’d push him away.

you, on the other hand, had a completely different idea.

when he had directed his attention to the floor of the compartment you two were in, you had reached for his chin and pulled his face to meet yours.

you straight up kissed him.

this shocked the boy, but he went along with it and cupped your cheek in his hand as you wrapped your hands around his neck and pulled yourself closer to him

it got more passionate, and much more messy.

hell, you didn’t even realize how breathless the two of you were until the loudest firework went off right as you two reached the top.

you pulled away from each other then

and while the two of you were bright red, you still cuddled up closer to the other for as long as you could before you both had to go home.

but, just in general, holy-

this boy’s whole attempt was the cutest thing, and the kiss?

same way.

honestly, it was shy and so timid,

but it held the messiness of the whole thing still-

it was still immature, no matter the whole ordeal.

otherwise, both of your romantic fantasies were met to the highest standard when you had kissed on the ferris wheel just-

mwah!

137 notes · View notes

swiftlythebest · 4 years ago

Text

In Defense of Lake Meriwether

All right, strap in folks, we’re discussing an unpopular opinion! Lake Meriwether is not a bad character and she goes through some realistic growth. Additionally, she and Felix are shown good development and I ship it. Yikes, lots of unpopular opinions in so few sentences.

Sidenote before I delve into everything: there is certainly a danger in media made for children and young adults being looked at through the lens of someone not in that target audience. I am 26, meaning the way I’m going to consume media differs from that of a teenager, especially considering that we’re apparently in different generations (which is weird, but that’s a whole other story). All of that is to say that I am an adult talking about a piece of media made for teenagers by older adults. It’s complicated, and I am in no way claiming that what I have to say is universally correct.

This whole whatever it is ended up being really long, so I’ll put it under a cut. Also, I know a lot of people probably won’t want to read it.

Sense of Identity

First of all, let’s keep in mind that Lake is 15/16. I have no idea how old people reading this post are, but if you’re older than 16, and out of high school, try to remember how you were at that age. Your brain hasn’t fully developed and much of your sense of self comes from interactions with your family and peers, not so much the world at large. That’s certainly altered by the widespread reach of social media, but someone that age is still navigating identity and their place in the world with limited experience. We can’t expect a girl who has grown up in a privileged bubble to be a bastion of morality. We can’t hold her to the same standard we would a full-fledged adult. She acts like a typical 15/16 year old who is insecure and trying to hide it while living in the shadow of her best friend.

And hey, it’s true, Lake is primarily known as Mia’s best friend. Mia is described by Felix as the hottest girl in their grade and loved by everyone. Mia has the affection of the cute new boy, as well as the popular jock that Lake initially likes. I’m glad they don’t fall into the trap of making that friendship toxic and unbalanced, which is so often the case. I think within their friendship, they are very much equals who love and value each other. But to the public, Mia is more liked than Lake, and she is definitely at least somewhat aware of that. Lake is not Summer Roberts or Lydia Martin in the sense that she is not viewed as a highly desired person in the same way those other two characters are; she is viewed that way by the nerdy love interest, but not the student population as a whole. There are definitely parallels to be made with Summer and Lydia (Summer especially when you consider the intense similarities between Lake’s speech about public couples being scrutinized and Summer’s incredibly similar speech to Seth in Season 1), but that’s not one of them.

Lake’s mom sucks. It’s clear that Lake has grown up in a household where her every move was judged and she was made to see more flaws in herself than she had. Think about how that must have affected her psyche and pressured her into believing that who she was to the public was what truly mattered. That’s ingrained in her. We see that almost immediately with her being obsessed with Creek Secrets and trying to make herself more appealing to Andrew at the party. I’m not sure she knows who she actually is, just who she’s been molded to be. She wants approval and in the beginning, it’s clear she really only gets that from Mia and Felix, albeit, the latter is from afar.

Importance of Friendship

Once she and Mia begin to hang out with Victor and Felix, she begins to shift. We do see it even before when she confronts Andrew at the Battle of the Bands, showing us that she at least in some way knows her worth, but I’m not sure how much at that point. Victor and Felix add a new dynamic to her friendship with Mia and give her more people to genuinely think she’s great and make that known to her. While she’s still clearly insecure, we can see that start to chip away. When she impresses them with her excuses, something she’s likely only done to Mia so far, you can see how their approval makes her light up. And Felix’s compliment is quite possibly the first step towards her developing feelings for him.

DJ F Bomb on the Track

So we’ve now arrived to the Felix of it all. I want to say that I absolutely love Felix. I think he’s funny and sweet and a great friend; he was my favorite right off the bat and that opinion was only reinforced as the series progressed. Our first introduction to Felix is outside of whatever image he has at school and with his peers. We are told about his status as an outcast by him a few scenes after we’ve gotten to know him, so we already have formed our opinion of him beyond his public image. We know he’s quirky and anxious, but it comes across as endearing; the audience doesn’t know that his unique personality is not the main thing working against him. To Lake, and a vast majority of his peers, he’s Lonestone, an awkward and weird boy who doesn’t fit in and has a truly unfortunate nickname and reputation. We don’t have five years of taunting to affect how we view him. The audience view of Felix versus his peers’ view is important to distinguish when talking about why Lake is so hesitant.

Felix initially comes on too strong. He recognizes that in Episode 7 and, with the help of Pilar, he learns to back off a bit. The angler fish speech is sweet, but was I the only one a little put off by how obsessive it sounded? He’s saying someone should sacrifice everything for the one they love, which is a lovely sentiment in a fairytale, but a bit much when you’re 16. His growth isn’t as explicit as hers, but he still does have to soften his approach in order to really make it work. And I want to be clear that while Felix is definitely a better person than Lake, I’d caution to say he’s a better character, in the sense of complexity and growth. I like him more, as I think pretty much everyone does, but Lake is a layered character with logical development, which shouldn’t be overlooked because you may not like her as a person.

It’s supposed to be Felix for her. We as an audience, as well as Felix, know it when she says the same thing he said about DJs in episode 3. She catches on a couple of episodes later after they steal the cake, but she’s clearly in denial. Lake likes Felix. And she seems to like him more and more as the season progresses. But he doesn’t fit into that perfect image she has spent so long cultivating and trying to maintain, so she’s having to come to terms with that throughout their relationship. When she shoots him down for the dance after seeing his apartment, you know she doesn’t want to. It’s clearly killing her to say it, but she’s not there yet. And Felix knows his worth so he ends it, which also clearly kills her.

She told him upfront that no one could know, and she repeats it a lot. He can walk away if he’s not comfortable with that, and we do see him almost do that in episode 8, until she tells Mia. He’s right to want to revisit that part of their relationship around the dance, and especially after baring his soul to her at his apartment. He’s right to break it off when, after such an emotional afternoon for them, she still won’t be seen with him. He’s right to accept an invitation from another girl. His reaction is completely valid.

She doesn’t expect to be jealous at the dance because she thinks it’s the natural progression of things. Kieran is the kind of boy she always saw herself with: a popular jock. And then he’s boring. He talks about working out and fantasy football and it’s boring. She can’t be herself with him. Then there’s Felix, at the dance with another girl who seems to make much more sense paired with him. He’s wearing a goofy ruffled shirt and joking about the smell of his hair and telling Lake he just wants her to be happy. I think she needed to see that what she thought she wanted she actually didn’t, and also that the boy she liked genuinely cared about her as a person, not just an object of desire. He makes her happy, something I’m not sure she had fully admitted to herself until that moment. And yeah, the big public declaration of love is a huge cliche and overdone and all that, but it works so very well in visual media.

Conclusion?

Look, all of this mess is to say that Lake is not a bad person, nor is she a bad character. We all latched onto Felix pretty quickly, so naturally, our standards for him were going to be sky-high. But in a show of tropes, this relationship was obvious from the start. Lake felt authentic, like a scared teenage girl navigating her self-esteem, public image, overbearing mother, and falling for someone unexpected all at the same time. She grows and develops, learning to go for what truly makes her happy, not what she thinks should make her happy.

TL;DR: Lake is a complex, realistic portrayal of an insecure teenage girl with an overbearing mother, who spends a lot of time in her best friend’s shadow. She’s in denial of her true feelings for Felix for a while, going so far as to sabotage something she knows is good and right in order to continue to feel secure. By the last episode, she has grown and learned enough to understand her own autonomy when it comes to her happiness. We should all cut her a little bit of slack and let the immature 16-year-old be immature and 16, while learning how to be just a bit more mature.

#love victor #lake love victor #lake meriwether #felix/lake #felix weston #felix westen #long post #i have opinions and you're all welcome to ignore them #love victor spoilers

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recallingrealities · 4 years ago

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Aligned, Chapter 5 (Zelda x Reader - NSFW)

For Chapter 1, click (here)

Chapter 5: Revision

(Warning: NSFW)

“As you are aware, the Academy of Unseen Arts has experienced sweeping change this past year. Our practice as a Coven, the source of our power, and the direction of our influence has changed drastically. We have had the blessing of our magics' resurgence, and I believe with the start of a new perspective, this comes a time where change is in great alignment - like the faces and phases of our Mother Goddess. It is time to begin new practice in our teachings. New ways of mending old are the only preparation for what is to come. I have been reminded in tidings with the Goddess that our students at the Academy are not only being molded as the witches of our future, but also the foundation of our Coven in times to come.

Myself, like many of you attended the Academy yourself in peak age, and here we stand, the building blocks of a new Era. We are tasked to prepare them to surpass us, in every way. In the past, yearning for personal power has been detrimental and cast shadow over our students when it was our sole duty to guide and enlighten them. In my time here as Directrix, I find myself remembering not only my own schooling, but the memories of our interactions over the years. I believe it is safe to say a lot has changed since then. Remarkably, a lot has also remained the same.”

Her voice was genuine, a small smile imparted her lips momentarily before fading to neutrality, upon the exposure of her last sentence. Though the woman stood strong and charismatic in her words. Her breath fell, tender. She was speaking to us as if to a dear friend she was confiding in; unearthing a new season like a fresh break of dawn. A frozen meadow finally melting in glistening dew with the sunrise of the first spring. The radiant blue of the awakening sky, but also the surge of openness and radiance of her throat chakra - speaking her truth. It always felt enlightening to see visions of nature aligning with her human experience, it was intimate and honest in that way.

The closure of her enunciated words sent a whir of images to your mind; Faustus Blackwood. You weren’t sure why him specifically out of her centuries of life, but you knew better than to ever question the wisdom of the sight. You had never even met him, and yet somehow you had a sturdy certainty it was him who you saw in the energy he carried. His sour demeanor pressed the young woman, urging her to follow his every command. In the libraries and halls, over her shoulder in classes, and guiding in the way she splayed her hands. You felt his snaking energy intertwining even in the ways she prepared her tinctures, feeling his constant gaze on her. He played on her whiley independence and fondness for him during her time at the academy. He was making sure there was never too much space between them, that she was always within his sight if he willed to regain control of someone that had never belonged to him.

You were an invisible bistander, witnessing moments of her childhood as if you had been there then - in touch with her twining regrets as she released them, and somehow through her projection, you could sense his will and desires as well.

You witnessed the cruelty of Zelda’s youth - ferociousness, influenced by his eager suggestions and lustful teasing. He expressed to her the pleasure that arose in him, witnessing her engage in ‘vengent’ cruelty. He was excited by playing on her smallest resentments and projections of insecurity. He felt himself as if his own Dark Lord, enabling unprecedented harshness, like that of Zelda’s sister’s harrowing. The things she had regretted most, even to this day. She was pushed beyond boundaries of extremity. Faustus got high off the power he held over her, how easy it had felt for him to ignite small fires. Even pushing her to ease worry of her sister's possible death at her own hands It was as if he meant to tempt her despite his words. He was amazed he held such power over her, and never let her forget they were her decisions, not his. Despite his suggestions and blatant gaslighting, she had still found twinges of desire in him. You could not sense her reason why. Dancing in the twisted pleasures between guilt and need for validation, perhaps, he had become untouchable to her, or so he thought, in his moments of narcissism. Especially once he knew he could command her over someone she truly loved, her closest friend reputably, and blood.

The vision then, flashed forward. A wave of enchantment contorted the movements of her body, in polluting idiosyncrasy. She was in Rome, on her honeymoon and you watched as his mouth formed the words, as to summon her approach down the hall of some sect of the Vatican, ‘Lady Blackwood’. ‘They were married..?’ you thought to yourself, surprised that she hadn’t seen the toxicity in him, even after centuries had passed. You would have thought she would’ve become aware by now, at least before the curdling idea of engagement. Arguably she would have justified she was looking for power, but you could feel in her deepest desires, she still yearned for his affection and approval. The same controlling boy, narcissistic, and power hungry had her dance to his whim in ways she would never - not even to appease him in preference or liking. He willed her to do so, if only to revel in his own ability to control her, or indulge pleasurably in her humiliation. You had no idea she had been married to the previous High Priest, let alone that he had enchanted her into the floral delusion of an obedient housewife, doing his bidding and curtsying coyly towards his every desire. The way he seemed so similar in pompous boyhood, how nothing had changed, sent a surge of disgust through you, a simmering rage - watching her look longingly at him through visions that seemed to span years. The few moments where you witnessed her blinks of genuine affection for him, you felt as if they dragged begrudgingly slow and painful, in their mere seconds of resonance. As your sight began to retreat to the present, you were granted one last vision; watching her unfurl with fiery anger in final acknowledgement of his lifetime of mistreatment and control over her. It surprised you that such a strong cunning woman such as Zelda Spellman had been fooled by the lustful promises of such an ass for so long, but even in that you pitied her softness and desire.

You understood now why she had built such a strong exterior, even to those she loved. You had never met Father Blackwood. From the little you had heard, you felt yourself unable to cast an honest judgement until now, able to witness his actions for yourself. The only general consensus had seemed to be a relief that he was exiled by Lucifer, long before even Lilith was actively reigning. In this moment, you were just grateful to watch how much more grounded she seemed apart from him. Time and self confidence: independent of anyone else. She had grown, severing from the monster she had been close to. She had moved on from the time when she would accept comfort in manipulation.

“I believe we can do better. Not only for our students, but to enhance ourselves as the ancestors of our Coven - as the capable casters we have grown to be in these passing centuries. This semester, we will not only begin the personal mastery of each professor's subjects, but encourage the students to find their paths in co-consciousness; weighing teachings and skills from each subject to help further engross their studies. This is a time to hone our own power - to push ourselves beyond the boundaries we think ourselves capable - so that the students of the future will too surpass expectations and go beyond the capabilities of magic as we know it; ascending in strength and tactility as we have come to expect it from them. Amongst our faculty we will be prolific in each other's specialties, challenging ourselves in expertise beyond our own areas of concentration. We will use each other, the best in our fields, to make ourselves unhindered masters of all they will come to learn. We will give them a strong Coven to come home to. Not one shaken and scrambled by the projection of an uncertain future. We are strong Warlocks and witches alike, but we have grown strongest in our times together despite the aid of our individual origins. Teaching one another through our range of perspectives, we will show our students that they too can do the same, and be no longer bridled by the fears of the unknown. Before this semester begins, we will have already created a new, stronger curriculum to teach alongside one another. It has been no easy task altering history but we have already begun doing it by surviving Hell-on-Earth together. As we have seen in this chaotic, unexpected year, anything has become possible.”

She couldn’t help but let a small smile purse her lips, Sabrina had seemed to be the impetus of so much. One young Spellman had tipped the scales in altering all of their futures, changing the expected value of bloodlines and witch traditions forever. One young, unstoppable woman had done this, and Zelda knew with all of their combined power and intention, they could bring so much greatness, so much honor to their Coven. The group seemed to nod in humming agreement as she spoke.

“By being taught to limit ourselves, we have limited ourselves - all this time bridled and bound by the will of the Dark Lord, our tutors, the Council. So much has been accomplished and so much has changed in such a short time. This change has brought us a new beginning. The death of an old way to bring life to a new one. We will challenge our old beliefs, our boundaries, and push ourselves, willingly - and this way of life will bring us to new heights and expectations. We will embody every element, every source of possibility in a mixed application of powerful, fearless magic. By our own experience we will fortify our Coven, and best serve its potential with both our dedications to self, and the preparation of our students towards the foundations of the future."

The consensus erupted in applause. The charismatic revelations of their Directrix and High Priestess cementing them in certainty that she would be the guiding hand towards a greater future. It was that moment after, we had spent days in frequent seminars, practicing the magics many were familiar with, but had never mastered to the levels of personal preference. You were mixing magics and experimenting with ideas never thought of before; honing gnosis to divination, expanding transfiguration with projection, and creating new blooms of alchemizing tactics - beyond anything you had attempted before. Though you hadn’t truly known the other professors before now, you were witnessing the bonds between them rekindling - the sight showing their younger selves overlapping their present bodies. Smiling, they pushed one another to expand, to think and act creatively with each exercise. The seminars were ending with note taking and collaborations, scrying plans for updates to the coursework to come, to be finalized with the Directrix in private critiques.

Your private sessions with Zelda, like the other professors, were happening almost daily. As the days counted down, the finalizations of your class plans were solidifying, what felt like effortlessly. Though you were forming a natural rapport with her separate from professionalism, the way you connected through teaching was brilliant. Like a composer and a cellist, the collaborations of ideas and notes constructed a course forged through veritable passion. Though your original plans had required significantly less changes than you’d expected, you had both managed to contribute some substantial improvements in applying "Intuitive application" to the other core subjects. You could hardly believe this woman, this insatiably beautiful woman, that you now realized you were staring at. She was standing bent over the desk beside you, scribbling notes intently. She had just finished informing you of her plans to make your course on Intuitive Application, one of the core subjects to be taught at the Academy, henceforth. Your heart fluttered in your chest at her certainty and passion towards the lectures you’d written with her. It was as if she had the sight, to have such certainty in your ability to guide the students on interpreting their instincts, in applying their magic. She could practically feel you ready to protest questionably, when she said:

"I have no doubt that this is the final shift needed to connect so much valuable ancient knowledge to the new. There has been too much important study to be left drawl and dusted in the confines of a history course. All that I’ve read is far more relevant than that and there has been so much that deserves revibrance in modern application. The blank space between the old ways and what is considered modern knowledge has been deafening, and a great split in the community of witches and warlocks alike. Intuitive application is the consistency of what can be carried from the old and into the new, and always seems to have room for improvement. Your course is going to close the gap of wandering that has been left between the old books and present study. You should be incredibly proud"

She looked up at you, peering over her glasses as is to question your silence or coyness.

"I've read your journals, Y/N. I've read every lesson plan you’ve ever written, down to the draft and I am certain this course is going to change everything. It has shaken up so much in me - and my studies here at the Academy were a long time ago."

She had spoken so openly; about her experiences growing up at the Academy, the culture of witchcraft she had been born into, and been exposed to her entire - and how you would change in history forever. She made these statements with no flattery, but firm earnestness. She now meant for you to be at the forefront of it all, when she could have easily claimed your teachings for herself. You were in wonder of her. A new 'Foundations' class hadn't been added in over half a millenia, but between the urging will of the Goddess and your prolific ability to apply her teachings to any scenario, the Directrix felt it would benefit everyone significantly to have ‘Intuitive applications’ as a prioritized mastery.

You couldn’t believe her, as a single tear welled in the corner of your eye. You could barely hear what she was talking to you about right now, only able to watch her lips as they moved, the fuzziness of gratitude clouding your present perspective. You tried not to be fearful, but you knew it was truly excitement that guided you and humility as you watched everything coming together so perfectly. Even with it so, the purposeful intent of everything, you found yourself surprised at Zelda. By this point, there was certainty that you were beginning to know her, or at least how she presented towards you, but when her mask came down, even just for a fleeting moment, you were always surprised. She was continually impressed with your work, in fact even in your zoning. She was expressing it now behind the poise and professionalism of your critique. But you noticed how hard of a time she seemed to have hiding it, her growing opinions of you. They hadn't been clear to you beyond what the sight explained, but you always felt as if you were being eluded, that there was more to her mind.

You had witnessed Zelda's poker-face often during the faculty sermons, when you would flash her a wink or genuine smiles in reassurance. Once you had swept your hair over your shoulder, and you witnessed her maintain her composure, you hadn’t realized it did in fact affect her, when you realized she was avoiding gazing upon your exposed neck. You hadn't noticed it the first few times - the quirk hadn’t been purposeful on your part, not even realizing your mannerisms spoke to her. However, you were always able to find her, witness her true reactions through the spirit of her eyes. Her stone expression was bulletproof until you spoke in sections of Ancient Magics and wisdoms aligned with the history of Ancient Mesopotamians or Druidic peoples. It was your knowledge that seemed to affect her the most, in private. When your eyes would meet hers, effortlessly sharing your years of meditative work, and it was then she was in awe of you.

To you, this wasn't necessarily impressive, it was honorable. In resonance of truth and vulnerability you strove to embrace every moment of your life. With that being said, you often shared moments like this. Where Zelda was breathlessly enchanted, and held structurally sound by the quiet of her listening to you. With her active critiques and your witting ability to adapt with instinct, or connect intention she had not noted, you had finished tweaking your course structure with a quickness. As she set down her glasses, taking a step back to allow you to observe the final draft, you were surprised that she had not altered anything, only adding areas she wanted to hear more from you. It had been a martyr despite your clear attraction for one another. Both lustful and innocent, that you were able to keep the relationship so professional. Especially in the timing for how much you both could accomplish in the span of an hour. In fact, the last time you two had met, you'd gotten into such a deep conversation regarding intuition and intuitive desire, that she had almost lost complete track of time, making her late to her ‘Spellman family dinner’. She had been begging Hilda to make it a necessity, hopefully long enough for it to stick before Sabrina caught herself up in her next whirlwind of an idea. Luckily for teleportation, this was nothing that couldn't be explained. Before her fingers had grazed yours on her desk tenderly, she had leaned next to your ear and let out a lustful threat you had not expected.

"I am not finished with you yet"

She had managed to tempt you before quickly swifting away, with the blink of a transportation spell.

However tonight, you had finished in the first few minutes of your meeting. You had only smiled before when she left you with such taunting words. But now, as your fingers traced over her final notes, you couldn't help but let out a sigh of relief. Aligning each page's corners to match, you placed them in the main drawer of your desk. As if all at once, Zelda pressed on your back firmly, with strong force. Pushing you down so your face and chest touched the desk. You had not expected this kind of strength let alone action from the woman. ‘What was she… doing?’ With a swift slam she had pinned you forward over your desk, supported against the cold hardwood frame, her touch direct with purposeful intensity. The surprise of the action revoked your breath, a surge of heat stringing through you like sudden fingers striking a harp. Your mind jumped immediately to the thought of her fingers, and you knew she had turned on something in you that you never had felt in this way before. It was almost primal. You let out a guttural moan in response to the impact, hardly believing what had just slipped from the back of your throat. She pressed her hips up against yours with a harsh, quick movement.

You could feel her strong hip bones digging into the flesh of your ass. Her movements we're so powerful and reactive. You weren't sure if it was the sudden lust that had blurred your thinking, or the quick change in events, but you felt yourself hardly able to distinguish what was happening in this moment. Only now, that you were terribly aroused. You couldn’t help but sway your hips against hers, not even thinking about how much you were teasing her. Her loins were pressed to you and when you moved against her it was like that electricity from before was shooting off from the impact, through your body, and into hers at the points of touch.

“You dirty little little thing..."

Zelda tutted. She had hardly expected this from you, and that only seemed to drive her with more certainty. Her voice was low and satiating, you found yourself lingering on every crescendo in her tone. You couldn’t help but close your eyes, a melodic hum vibrating from your chest as you continued to grind against her. She slipped a hand up from your back to caress your scalp with her tender fingers.

“I’ve been meaning to reward you… for all of the dedication you’ve shown recently. It is not often I find myself expressing gratitude for such risk taking behavior”

She hummed, a hoarse lusting in her throat as she was reminded of your insistence in meeting with her for a position at the Academy. It has been the Goddessend that had kickstarted a wave of successes for her as High Priestess, and she meant to show you how grateful she was to your boundless attentiveness to her wishes.

She took a fistful of your hair before letting her fingertips trace there for a moment. Her left hand began hand slipping between the light space between her stern hips and your grinding body, roaming teasingly past the hem of your skirt. Wandering across your thigh, she didn’t stop you, but instead smirked, your rear now grinding wantonly against her curious hand. She paused for a moment as you stopped your movement, before connecting her manicured nails to your warming, sensitive thigh - dragging upward with a light twisting, stinged pleasure. Your eyes shot open, in realization that this had been like your vision; infectiously more desirable, even more now than the lustful moment you’d first experienced it. It was then you realized, not even consciously, you were feeling her thoughts, you were reading her mind.

She was incredibly aroused by you, mouth agape as she stared lustfully at your arched back, pressed towards her with desire. She now realized how badly you’d wanted her, and that her level of desire had finally been met. She had had her fair share of tangles in sex and yet the desire she felt from you now in your amplifying and prominent energy, spoke to her like nothing she had ever experienced. It felt like you were catering to her every desire. Though you were feeling her waves of emotion, you did not know what it was she was craving, exactly. You felt as though you were acting completely on instinct, leaning into waves of craving movement.

You felt her amusement to your sounds, as her awareness came to the lack of protection on your door. She wanted to wait just a while longer before locking it, or soundproofing the walls. She was enjoying the thought of someone questioningly hearing you, knowing she had been there for your critique. At your quiet gasp, she took a moment to adore the heat arising from your quivering thighs. She rolled her hips into you before leaning teasingly in your ear.

“You wouldn’t happen to be lusting, would you little minx?”

Her left index and middle fingers tips, swiped over the front of your panties, amused as they touched the damp silken fabric. A low chuckle warmed your ear, as one of her manicured nails played with its hem below.

“To be lusting for your Directrix, and High Priestess during a meeting of utmost formality would be highly inappropriate.”

You felt yourself holding back a wine, your eyes were squeezing shut as your teeth gripped your cheek with a coppering tension. It was then, you felt her thumb, pull your panties aside with expert ease, her sweeping fingers slipping between the folds of your aching cunt. She had stopped, allowing her fingertips to lightly pass over your buzzing clitoris, feeling your quiet whine sing through your body with such a high frequency - that she could feel it through your harping body. It was as her nails ghosted, pressing you vulnerably at the heat of your core: your eyes shot open, realizing the dangerousness of no enchantment on the door. You quickly felt the urge to squirm beneath her, scrambling to regain enough composure to cast a spell. You felt your heart begin to patter quickly with erratic intensity.

“Zelda- I-..” Your voice caught, interrupted by a squeaking break in your sentence, unable to finish your statement as her middle finger, swept over your clit, dipping ever so teasingly over your entrance.

“Yes, little mouse?”

She questioned, knowing exactly what you were likely to bring up.

“I- euhhh…”

You moaned, unable to speak properly between the melting relief you felt and the teasing tension of her touch

“t-the door…”

“The door?”

She repeated back tauntingly, almost mocking you with sinister affection. Her hand gripping your hair, she pulled back to raise your face, having you stare at the door. You knew full well that at any moment you were at risk of it opening, a passing professor perhaps having heard your desperate moans - or even worse a student. You knew exactly how it would look too, unexplainable. Sprawled upon your desk, your hair tangled tightly between her fingers. Her hand, though behind the view of the desk, dipping slow and now deep into your cunt. You closed your eyes again, holding back another escaping moan, this time relieving a seeping sigh, as your abdomen began to tighten with desperation. “Zelda… please...”

“Whom?”

She was fully aware you were not in a position with the strength to cast.

“D-Directrix...”

She ghosted another sweeping finger over your clit, before snaking painfully slow, leaving another finger to tease at your warm, dampening entrance.

“High Priestess..!” you begged, with a pressing urgency, as you attempted to move against the grasp of your hair, her hips quickly moving to jolt against her hand, sending another wave of shock and pleasure as her fingers entered you, with a curling tenderness, slowly pulling out only to leave you whimpering and unable to move.

She took another moment, to tease inward and outward, growing used to the slickness of your warm, aching cunt before whispering a quick cantrip, two fingers from her tangled hand, twisting against the back of your neck as she enchanted the door to lock, and the sound to be confined to this very room.It was after that she praised you

“Good girl…”

with a lusting tone, as she plunged her fingers deep inside of you. Thrusting herself into you with dexterous fingers, moving out just far enough to graze your clit with her palm between each stroking thrust. She began pounding you hard against the desk, your moans unwaveringly loud, as your shoulders arched towards her hot breath, now tender on your neck between powerful, talented thrusts. As your body flooded with waves of ecstasy, you began to feel her wet lips on your neck, leaving hot, entrancing kisses as if she was savoring the shivers of your desperate flesh, your galloping heartbeat.

“Zelds…” you sighed relievingly as you opened your neck to her, your hips able to move back just enough to rock against her powerful hips. Her entire body, surging forward to fuck you with powerful ferociousness. You felt as if you were being conquered, and willingly allowed your hungry core to flex in pleasuring pulses at each thrust. You couldn’t explain how desperately you wanted to touch her, despite being fucked with such veracity, except only to think of how much pleasure you were wading in, realizing only now how badly you had wanted her up until this point. She curved her touches upward, her palm shifting in tight motions against her own gyrating hips. She began feeling you draw nearer, beginning to feel you come undone against her. Waves of pleasure cascaded your body in convulsive surges, wrapped your tired form slack against her. Her fingers slowing, she snaked from between your sopping thighs before breaking from your neck, realizing the tenderness she had left there. Her humming mouth kissed the edge of your ear before leaning back up to take her fingers in her mouth. She released her grip from your hair, catching your chest as she felt you begin to fall forward towards the desk. She caught you, before turning your hips, to have you face her. Your shaking breath, and shy expression now forced to look upon her, pulling her sweetened fingers from her mouth. She didn’t break eye contact for a second, looking at you with lusting affection. Her pupils were immensely dilated as she scanned your face, and the pulsing beat of your chest as it rose and fell with your returning breath. You felt your face flushed under her gaze. You knew you had come completely apart beneath her. You could barely stand, luckily having the sturdy desk and her structured touch to hold you upwards by the small of your back. You moved to straighten your posture, realizing you couldn’t yet stand as you fell into her arms, your shaking body pressed to her breast, as your erratic breath struggled to form words.

She couldn’t help but smile as your forehead pressed to the crook of her neck, her touch lightly encircling tenderly across the span of your back, and up between our shoulder blades. It was there you two held in silence, the same tenderness as the night you had last spent together in your office. A sense of security in the shared intimacy, and embrace of your quiet breathing.

#zelda spellman x reader #caos fanfaction #zelda spellman #zelda spellman fanfiction #the chilling adventures of sabrina #chilling adventures of sabrina #self insert #fem reader #reader insert #miranda otto #aligned fic #mine #chapter 5

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marshmallow-phd · 5 years ago

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Midnight Hours

Part of The Untamed - EXO Wolf Universe

Genre: Wolf!AU

Pairing: Sehun x Reader

Summary: For you, being a good witch was easier said than done. Something dark was lurking inside of you and the others knew it. When you’re forced to tag along with Soomi and help a local wolfpack face a coming evil, you’re sent on a path that breaks into a crossroads. While you struggle with your inner demons, could the wolf Sehun be the key to your ultimate fate?

Part: 1 I 2 I 3 I 4 I 5 I 6 I 7 I 8 I 9 I 10 I 11 I 12 I 13 I 14 I 15 I 16 I 17 I Final

You didn’t speak to Sehun as he pulled into the garage and shut off the engine. Hell, you were half tempted to jump out of the car when he’d first rolled onto the grass, but you thought that might be a little overdramatic. Besides, slamming the door to his “baby” as hard as you could was much more satisfying. You caught the flinch as soon as the metal hit and echoed through the building. Yes, satisfying indeed.

“(y/n)….”

Nope. You were not in the mood to listen to anymore of his doubts or his tries to persuade you out of your opinion.

Your anger and frustration must have been written all over your face. As soon as Soomi saw your face, she jumped up from the couch.

“What’s wrong?” she asked.

You glanced over your shoulder as Sehun’s sour face before replying. “Nothing.”

Clearly ignoring the hint that you didn’t want to talk about it, Soomi looked to the wolf behind you. “What happened?”

“(y/n) thinks she knows who the woman is, but I disagree,” he said in a very simplified version.

Soomi’s eyes lit up with hope. “You do? Who?”

You swallowed thickly. What if she had the same reaction as Sehun? What if absolutely no one believed you? “I think,” you said quietly, “that it might be Mina.”

“Mina? Dana’s friend? Why?”

“Because she looks like the woman in my visions,” you explained confidently.

“Whose face you’ve never seen,” Sehun argued as he stepped up next to you, an annoyed glare in his eyes.

You didn’t even look at him. “No, but I am the one who has had the visions, so I have the clues, as I said before.”

“But there are millions of people with blonde hair and pale skin,” Sehun pushed further. “That’s hardly enough to go by.”

“I don’t know,” Soomi muttered, her eyebrows knitted together as she weighed the issue in front of her. Just when it seemed that you would be on your own once again, she surprised you. “The timing is suspicious. For her to show up now and look so similar….”

“Oh, come on, Soomi, not you, too,” Sehun whined.

“What’s going on?”

Junmyeon entered with Kita by his side and several others behind him. Why did every little happening in this house have to have an audience?

“(y/n) thinks Mina might be the woman from her visions,” Sehun grumbled. It seemed he, too, was a little irritated at how big this was scene was getting. Since you saw it as his fault, you didn’t feel the least bit sorry for him. “I’m trying to make her see that there’s no way it could be Mina.”

“You don’t know that,” Hae In interjected. Oh thank god someone had some sense.

“She’s Dana’s friend.”

“So?” Hae In snapped. “We don’t know her. I’d trust (y/n) over Mina.”

Sehun rolled his eyes. “It’s not that I don’t trust (y/n). Of course I do. But I don’t think we should be jumping to conclusions. Blonde hair and pale skin? That could describe you, Hae In.”

“Maybe it is me,” she smirked. “Maybe I got sick of you and decided to form a rebellion and take (y/n) with me.”

“Honestly, I wouldn’t be surprised,” Baekhyun muttered.

“Kyungsoo would kill you if he heard that,” said Jongin.

Luhan shrugged. “I doubt it. He’s not a big fan of Mina either.”

“But Mina is still Dana’s friend,” Kimberly argued. “I don’t think we should be singling her out off of circumstantial evidence.”

“Another wonderful sentence from the future crime reporter,” Jongdae grunted. Jongin didn’t take too kindly to the remark, a deep growl rumbling in his chest.

“Okay, that’s enough!” Junmyeon barked. Shifting his attention to you, he said in a calmer voice, “(y/n), thank you for bringing this to our attention. We’ll keep a close eye on Mina. I’ll go call Kyungsoo. It’ll be difficult, but he should be able to keep this from Dana for the time being. We don’t want to cause her unneeded stress.”

You nodded, accepting that answer for now. It felt nice that you were being taken seriously by at least one of the alphas. But that didn’t make the initial betrayal hurt any less.

Pushing past the crowd, you took the stairs two at a time until you reached the second floor in record time. You should have known better than to try and use this place as an escape, but there was no turning back now.

“Hey, wait-”

“I don’t feel like talking to you right now.” You tried to open the door to the bedroom, but Sehun put his hand over yours, holding it shut. Damn the contact, you snatched your hand away. You were sure the boys used the hormonal seizure that happened in the mates’ body at the skin to skin contact to their advantage. This would not be one such occasion. Not on your watch.

“Well, I do,” he grunted as he pushed himself between you and the door.

“Unless it’s a genuine apology, I don’t want to hear it.”

He sighed heavily. “I’m sorry that I can’t believe that it’s Mina.”

“Wrong kind of apology.” You tried to shove passed him, but the big lug wouldn’t budge.

Sehun roared. “Why are you so difficult?”

“Why can’t you just trust me?” you fired back.

“It’s not that I don’t trust you! I just don’t want you to jump to conclusions!”

“I’m not jumping to conclusions, I’m following the clues!” You wanted to rip your hair out. Why wouldn’t he just take you at your word? “I can’t change what I saw in my visions!”

Sehun shook his head defiantly. “Sometimes I really hate that you have those.”

Knife? Meet heart.

Yes, you hated them sometimes, too, but at the end of the day they were still apart of you. They were a part of your gifts – gifts that frustrated you and put you on the outside, but still yours. You couldn’t get rid of them, you couldn’t just make them stop, so you accepted them. It was one thing for you to have animosities about the visions, it was another for him to. Saying that he hated your visions made you feel like he hated a part of you. Those visions were the reason you were here in the first place. They were what brought you to the farmhouse where you could meet this so-called love of your life. This was the man who was supposed to stand by your side and accept every part of you. Apparently, nice things didn’t last too long in your life.

“Excuse me, then, I’ll just turn them off for your convenience.”

Sehun groaned. “That’s not what I meant.”

“Then what could you have possibly meant, Sehun? Huh?” You didn’t really give him a chance to reply. “Why don’t you just admit that being mated to me wasn’t all you thought it would be?”

Sehun’s eyes widened in shock. “(y/n), where is this coming from?”

A million little facets of insecurity and doubt, that’s where. But you decided to throw his behavior in his face instead. That was a less vulnerable - and not as truthful - “Oh, I don’t know. How about the fact that you’re fine until the topic of my powers come up. Then you start acting weird and change the subject. Everyone else wants to see them, but you just sit there with this sour frown on your face. You used to be fascinated by it too, you know.” Tears pricked at your eyes. Fantastic. There was no way for you to hide them, so you just let them collect and pool. “You used to stare at me in awe when I used my powers. It’s part of why I fell for you in the first place, before knowing I was your mate. But now I just feel like a burden to you.”

“You have never been a burden, (y/n).”

“But it’d be easier, right?” you snapped back. “Now that the shine is gone, it’d be easier if I were normal, boring human like the others, wouldn’t it? Less complicated that way?”

At first, he said nothing. He stared at you with his mouth pressed in a tight line, the same look he always had when he was thinking hard. His hesitation wasn’t doing your self-esteem any favors. Air blew out of his lungs, ending the pause.

“Yes, it would be, but-”

You shook your head almost violently. “No, thanks. I don’t need any explanations. Not from you.”

“(y/n), listen to me-”

Slam! You’d made it to the bathroom down the hall and locked the door behind you before he could even finish his sentence.

You hated him. You hated him more than the ones who used to torture and bully you for being different, for being more. It was idiotic to feel accepted and at peace around him. You’d settled into content and it’d blown up in your face. He’d backed away as soon as things didn’t line up for him perfectly.

“(y/n)! Open the door, please! Just let me explain!”

No. He didn’t give you the benefit of listening to your suspicions, why should you listen to him now?

You didn’t yell at him to go away or to shut up or any words at all. Instead, you sat there on the cold tile silently, legs folded and back against the wooden door. Each time Sehun knocked against the thin barrier with his fist, you felt the vibrations through your shoulder blades. Still you didn’t moved.

Eventually he gave up and you listened to his footsteps fade away through the hall and down the stairs.

Now would have been the time to cry. Now would have been the time to let out all the tears. The wall of hurt that had built up inside you, each brick of molded out of the words and doubt given by Sehun, would easily come crashing down upon if you simply tapped on it with your finger. But you never touched it.

Sitting there you were just… existing. Time no longer felt real the longer you stayed in that small room. You could almost imagine yourself living inside a bubble connected to another dimension, another world. If only you could really escape to another place and no longer have to deal with the happenings of this place. But that wasn’t possible. Even magic had its limitations.

But you could do something.

You needed space. You needed to get away, have some time to yourself, and maybe even find some proof that you weren’t crazy. Maybe if you could connect more dots between the visions and Mina, you could-

You weren’t sure what you wanted at this point. To be right? To get back at Sehun? There was no telling what currently drove you.

Leave. Now.

It almost felt like a whisper in your ear, urging you to get up and go, to not waste time, but no true source could be found for the urge.

Taking a risk, you peeked out the bathroom to check that the coast was clear before scurrying to the bedroom. You didn’t stuff much into Soomi’s knapsack she packed for emergencies as you figured you’d only be gone for a day or so. It was fully your intention to be back before the blood moon. So with the pull-string bag slung over your shoulder, you checked the hallway once again and headed back for the bathroom.

You knew that your best bet of getting away was to make them think that you were still locked away in the bathroom throwing a tantrum. So you headed back, locking the door once again as quietly as you could before going over to the window.

The drop didn’t seem that bad, but it would have been dumb to jump and hope for the best. To your luck, however, there was a bush off to the side. Closing your eyes, you concentrated on the leaves and branches of the plant, imagining them growing and expanding into a pad that was safe to land on. By the time you opened your eyes, your imagination had become reality.

You gritted your teeth as you swung a leg over the sill. And then another.

Were you really about to do this?

Sehun’s face floated in your mind.

Yes. Yes, you were.

Shoving off, you twisted your body so you landed on the oversized bush on your side, rolling off the branches and landing a bit hard on the grass beside it. But you didn’t have time to think about the pain as you jumped up to your feet and ran for the forest. Breathing grew difficult the farther you pushed yourself. However, slowing down was not an option.

The closer you made it to the treeline, the more your determination grew. You were going to show him and you were going to do it on your own.

Sehun sat at the breakfast booth, staring at the glass of alcohol he’d poured with himself. He hadn’t touched it. The ice was melting and small dots of condensation were building up on the side of the cup, sliding down the surface before pooling on the table top. He’d poured it more out of habit, like a ritual that would suddenly make him feel better. But he knew that was a crock. The only thing that would make him feel better would be you talking to him again.

He knew he messed up. He should have just kept his mouth shut no matter what he thought. How could he explain that he didn’t sense any danger from Mina and that’s why he didn’t think she was behind the coming danger? Wolves had a knack for this sort of thing.

In the end, he figured that you needed space. After you’d calmed down, you’d let him explain what he meant by the words he’d said. Especially the stupid response to you being a witch.

He loved that you were different. He loved that you grew up in the same world as he did. It was a connection that was missing from the other couples. But you didn’t know how worried he was. You didn’t know that the reason he made that face every time you used your powers in front of the guys was because he was worried about you. He worried about you losing control and hurting yourself.

The fire still haunted him, even though he’d never admit it outloud. He’d been able to sense the danger and make it to before the flames got out of control, but who could say he could it again? He needed to protect you. It was his very instinct.

He wouldn’t change a single thing about you. And you needed to know that.

Sliding out from the booth, Sehun headed back up the stairs. It was worth another shot getting you to talk to him.

With an unsure fist, he knocked against the door. “(y/n)?”

No answer.

He tried the handle, but it was still locked. So you were still in there. “(y/n), can we please talk now?” You still didn’t reply. Wow. You were really going to keep going, weren’t you? “Okay, fine. Keep the door between us, but please listen. I didn’t mean to upset you. I just didn’t want to rush to judgement. Dana’s been through… a lot. And Mina’s been her closest friend for years. I didn’t want to ruin that without being absolutely sure. Of course I trust you. I know that you’re the only one who has seen - well, what you’ve seen.”

Still nothing. What was he going to have to do to hear your voice again? Keep apologizing was the only thing he could come up with.

“And… I know that you said you didn’t want to hear anymore excuses, but I have to say it. I don’t care that you’re a witch - no. I love it. I love how special you are. I wouldn’t change that at all. It- It’s just complicated. If you were human, I could protect you differently. I could make sure that you’re out of danger. But with as powerful as you are, I know I can’t keep you out of the fight. I can’t sideline you like Evie or Jiyeon or Kita. And… I’m scared. I’m scared to death to lose you. But I think I might have done that anyway.”

He waited. With no air leaving or entering his lungs, he waited. But no response to his confession came. In fact, no noises whatsoever came from the bathroom. Now that he was concentrating, he realized that not even your heartbeat was reaching his ears.

“(y/n)!”

Screw propriety. Kicking his foot out, he broke the lock and swung the door open.

It was empty.

#exo #exo wolf au #exo wolf!au #sehun x reader #oh sehun #exo werewolf!au #exo werewolf au #exo fanfiction #exo fanfic #exo series #exo supernatural au #untamed wolf universe #Midnight Hours

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stormtodoroki · 5 years ago

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Love Sparks

Pairing: Kaminari Denki x Reader

Soulmate AU

Warnings: None

P.O.V: Reader's

Word Count: 2,644

The knowledge about how and when Quirks came along goes far beyond my family's history, at least I think. My name is Aizawa, (f/n) and I am preparing for my UA entrance exam, thankfully my mother has allowed me to come to Japan from America for schooling. She mentioned something about being able to meet my grandparents as well as my biological father, if I get the chance. She hasn't told me much about him, every time I'd ask her she'd get really mad and tell me not to ask again, but I was persistent, I just had to know. But that's not the only thing I had to know, not only are quirks a fascinating part of our lives but so is the way we find our forever person, our body's receive a shock that courses through our bodies when we make skin to skin contact with our soulmate.

I stood at the main gates and took a few deep breaths, this was it, the beginning of my future, if I passed this entrance exam I will officially be a hero student at UA High. As I took my steps over the threshold and moved closer to the designated building I let out a shaky breath I didn't realize I was holding. What if my quirk might not be good enough to get through? What if someone has a similar quirk and they have better control over it than I do? I stopped walking all together and was about to turn around when someone crashed into me.

"WATCH WHERE YOU'RE GOING YOU DAMN EXTRA! STAY OUTTA MY WAY."

I looked up to see what I could only describe as an angry porcupine, his face contorted with rage if I looked at him close enough I'd probably see steam coming out of his ears. I let out a quick apology and nodded, he tsked and walked away grumbling, boy I would hate to be in the same testing area as him, I'm just grateful that I didn't say anything back to him. I shook my head clear and walked into the building, looking for my number I sat next to a kid who looked like he was in the wrong place, he dressed a bit too formal. I wonder if he's going to take the exam in that?

I took a quick glance around and gulp, there's a lot of kids here, I knew how prestigious the school was and how low the acceptance rate was, but this was just insane. My attention was soon directed to the front where- oh my gosh it's the Pro-hero Present Mic., he's giving us the run down for the practical? This should be good.

Present Mic. walked to the middle of the stage, he turned to all of us and screamed,

"Welcome to today's live performance. Everybody say, hey!"

We were all silent. You could hear crickets chirping.

"Well, that's cool, my examinee listeners! I'm here to present the guidelines of your practical, are you ready, there was silence, yet again as he screamed, "YEAH! "

Listening to Present Mic. screaming and talking loud like he always does began to give me a headache, rubbing my temples I tried to focus on what he was saying. A few rows or so away, I heard what sounded like muttering, I quietly turned and looked towards it, there was a boy with unruly green hair next to, I can't believe it… it's the angry porcupine from earlier who knocked into me. Though he didn't seem too happy to be next to the green haired boy.

"This is how the test will go, my listeners! You'll be experiencing 10-minute-long "mock cityscape maneuvers"! Bring along whatever you want! After this presentation, each head to your assigned testing location."

"Is that so kids from the same middle school can't help each other out?"

I heard from the duo behind me, shaking my head clear I was happy that I didn't know anyone from Japan so it'd be easier for me to take the test and not worry about any of my friends who were also trying to get into UA, all I have to do is worry about myself.

"Each site is filled with 3 kinds of faux villains, points are rewarded for defeating each according to their respective difficulty levels!! Use your quirks to disable, these faux villains and earn points! That's your goal, listeners! Of course, playing the anti-hero and attacking other examinees is prohibited!"

I noticed during this part of Present Mics. explanation, the boy dressed in formal attire next to me was twitching in his seat, he waited for Present Mic. to finish talking before he up abruptly stood up with his hand and paper in the air.

"Excuse me, but if I may ask a question?!"

Oh boy, this ought to be great…

"There appear to be no fewer than 4 varieties of faux, the one on this handout, such a bland, if it is one, is highly unbecoming for you. Japan's top academy we're all here today in the hopes of being molded into model heroes."

He then turned and pointed to Green Bean.

"And you with the curly hair, you've been muttering this whole time, it's distracting if this is some sort of game to you then please leave immediately! "

He muttered, sorry and put his hands to his mouth, I covered my mouth with my hand and fought back a giggle.

"Alright, alright, examinee 7111 nice catch thanks, but the 4th faux villain variety gets you zero points this more of an obstacle, have you all played Super Mario Brothers, the old retro games?"

"It's kind of like a thwomp! Only one at each site, a "gimmick" that will rampage around in close quarters."

I heard quiet murmurs about the zero pointer all around me and just shook my head in pity, clearly this is a decoy. Yes, there may be a zero pointer but it's more likely to be the biggest one there is otherwise there'd be more stationed at each site. They expect us not to worry about said faux villain, yet it'll probably be the most important one in the whole exam, I'll have to keep an eye out for it.

"Thank you, sir, I apologize for the interruption!"

With that the formal guy next to me took a bow and sat back down.

"That's all for me, I'll leave my listeners with our school motto, the great hero Napoleon Bonaparte once said, 'true heroism consists in being superior to the ills of life!' plus ultra!! Break a leg everyone! "

With that everyone got up from their spots and filed out in search of where they were to go. As I looked around the battle center I was sent to a breathed out a sigh of relief, neither the formal dude or the hot head were in sight. I looked around for the green bean to ask him what the hot head had shoved up his butt, but to my dismay he wasn't assigned to my battle center either. Looking around I see people meditating and conversing with each other, I don't need to do either. I began walking towards the front of the crowd marveling at the city front before me. I looked around and saw Present Mic. on top of a platform and smiled up at him and waved, like a buffoon he looked and and pointed to himself in confusion then waved back before pointing to the city urgently.

I took that as my cue to go so I took a deep breath and ran in, I made in about 10 feet into the city before I heard him call out.

"What are you waiting for?! There are no timers in real battles! Begin!"

I knew if I turned around I'd see all the kids running towards me so I decided to get some air coverage. Sticking my arms and hands out to my sides I shot up into the air leaving a trail of water spiraling down below me. I landed on a high rise and looked around the city, seeing a 1 pointer and a 2 pointer approaching I summoned a ball of water into my hands and contorted it into a spear.

I began to run and jump the rooftops closer to the faux villains and replicated the spear before throwing them both at each bot, taking them down. As the bots were falling I hopped onto them and used my water to slide down to the ground. Looking around them I did a double check to make sure nobody made it this far and accidentally got crushed by a giant falling robot. After seeing it was clear I decided to make way to the center on food, as I began to jog I heard a scream from behind me. I turned to look and saw a 3 pointer ready to crush a girl with pink hair and what appears to be horns? I looked closer and saw her foot was stuck and she was trying to get out without using her quirk on herself. I definitely wouldn't make it to her by running, so I had to muster up my energy and use my quirk from afar, something I'm not too good at.

"Hey! Close your eyes!"

The girl looked at me and nodded, I then stood next to one of the fallen faux villain bots and took a stray piece in a ball of water I expanded to its size, quickly I released the piece and expanded the water ball more until it was the size of the bot. I hurled the ball of water at the bot and encased it in my water ball before throwing the water ball into the air, it disappeared from the center and past the clouds.

"Okay, I may have been a little too extreme… "

I muttered to myself, as I walked over to the girl and helped free her.

"You good?"

She nodded and thanked me.

"Don't mention it, just go get some more points for yourself. I'd hate for you not to be able to get in because you were stuck and couldn't stop thanking someone who saved you."

After taking down a few more bots and saving a few people I estimate that I have around 35 points right now which means I should be in good standing. I was so lost in thought that I bumped into someone, they sent a shock through me and I froze for a second before shaking my arm.

"Oh my gosh I'm so sorry! I didn't mean to hit you with my quirk are you okay?"

'What? Wait? He hit me with his quirk?'

I cleared my head and looked at him in confusion, that wasn't just the electric shock that goes through your body when you meet your soulmate?

"Oh… uh. Don't worry about it. I'm all good."

'Lies, why would I be alright? You know damn well it wasn't your quirk.'

He gave me a look of uncertainty and smiled.

"Hi, I'm Kaminari Denki. Nice to meet you uh… what's your name?"

I scoffed internally, 'really? That's how you're gonna ask me my name? Dude just how dense are you?'

"F/n L/n. Crap, sorry. L/N, F/N. Nice to meet you as well Kaminari. Now if you'll excuse me I need to go and rack up more points so if you don't mind I'll just be o-"

Kaminari cut me off by yelling.

"That's a zero pointer! No way! That thing is huge!"

Looking up I saw what he was talking about, I smirked.

"U.A. definitely lives up to its prestigious name. I am impressed. Wow. This zero pointer is glorious."

Kaminari looked at me like I was insane, as if I somehow sparked a fire in him he puffed out his chest in glee and smirked.

"All the more reason for me to prove my strength. Stand back L/N I'm gonna light this bot up."

I blinked in surprise as he ran towards the bot and he charged up- no way, he wasn't kidding. Large amounts of electricity sprayed out of his hands to the bot, it froze in place for a few moments with electricity spazzing all around the bots frame, but it didn't go down. Kaminari turned to me and gave me a thumbs up and a dumb look on his face.

"Kaminari you fool! You fried your brain with that foolish attack!"

The bot soon was out of its shocked state and raised it's foot ready to pummel the poor dunce. I quickly mustered up my strength and formed a water ball and sent it at Kaminari, once he was inside I whipped it at me. Kaminari and the water ball collided into me just as the bot stomped down where Kaminari was seconds before. I stood up and slapped Kaminari, feeling another jolt of electricity surge through me.

'Awh hell. This fool is my soulmate and he's too dense to realize it's not his quirk.'

I turned to the bot and watched it moved closer before turning back to Kaminari.

"After this exam you're taking me out for ice cream for saving your fried ass not only once but twice."

I turned back to the bot and sent two water balls towards the next spots where it would step, not satisfied with the ground I sent more until the bot stepped and sunk a few feet.

"Yes! It worked!"

I happily then made a few water spears and threw them at the bot before I took a deep breath in, closed my eyes and concentrated on a tiny ball of water in my hands, I needed to focus all my energy if I wanted to make this work. I slowly enlarged the ball in my hand and listened as it started to crackle and pop, taking another deep breath I slowly opened my eyes and smirked before shrinking the softball sized water ball and throwing it at the exposed part of the bot. Once it was a foot from contacting the bot I spread my arms out enlarging the crackling ball and watched as it downed the bot.

I looked to Kaminari and sighed. I need to get him somewhere safe until this wears off, if I leave him here he'll be an easy target for the other bots. I'm pretty sure there's five minutes left meaning I can still get a few more points if I hurry up. I took some gummies out of my pocket and threw them in my mouth, I'm lucky we were allowed to bring things in that would help us, otherwise I'd have been out for the count when I helped that pink girl. I led Kaminari to a safe area and smirked as a three pointer came out of the alley next to us, I jumped up with my water and formed water around my wrist as I plummeted down and punched the bot. It went down just as Present Mic. screeched.

"It's all over! Good job everybody!

Within moments Recovery Girl was by my side looking at Kaminari, she shook her head and gave him a kiss on the forehead. Kaminari blinked and looked around in a state of confusion before looking at me.

"Come on Kaminari, you owe me an ice cream."

I poked his cheek and was sent another shock of electricity, which he definitely would have felt as all and leaned into his ear.

"After all we are soulmates, and I just saved your butt."

I gave the shocked boy a knowing smile and grasped his hand and began leasing him away towards the exit. If we both somehow get into the hero course this was going to be one exciting year...

A/N: this is AU prompt was brought upon you thanks to the bnha discord server. You can find other works by member of the discord here:

https://liliesoftherain.tumblr.com/post/614256302090223616/mha-x-reader-discord-prompt-masterlist

#bnha au #mha kaminari #kaminari denki #x reader #denki x reader #mnha #bnha x reader #mha x reader #bnha kaminari #kaminari x reader #denki x you

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cinnbar-bun · 5 years ago

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A Fool, a Sage, and a Lonely Friend (Lucilius x Reader x Beelzebub) [Part 1]

Summary: You have been forsaken and abandoned by the master who molded you, who spoke their divine wisdom to you, and who had left you alone in the new world. Revenge comes in the form of two Astrals who look incredibly similar to those figures who you used to be connected to. What simple fools they are, eager to hear your every word as they slowly break down the world you despise so much... if only they would stop thinking of those other clones of you.

Warning: Spoilers for lots of plots in GBF as well as lots of me creating a backstory and my own sort of lore that can kinda relate in canon, but is not actually canon. Please bear that in mind. Major Character Death as well as some swearing occasionally.

Note: Reader is an evil nasty person. Reader is basically the equivalent of Helel or Lucio (whichever you prefer), while also having two different forms (similar to the whole “rules of three” thing with Lucio/Lucilius/Lucifer). With that in mind, enjoy and please make sure to leave a like or reblog! Also, the reader’s divine name will be a bit different at first but it’ll make since later.

“Helel ben an-Nar...” Sahar called to you, a forlorn look in his eyes as his lips tightened to form a frown. “What are you doing?”

“An-Nar...I despise that name now.” You responded, sneering.

“What do you mean?”

“Why should I be called that when I was named from an unworthy master? It’s disgusting that name is attached to me. I despise that I was given this hideous form as well.”

He stepped closer to you, his footsteps echoing in the silent chamber.

“Don’t speak about our master that way, he is not unworthy nor as he-”

“I tire of your speech, brother.” Instead of softening at the term of endearment, it sent a cold shiver down his spine. “Aren’t you tired of waiting? Aren’t you tired of all of this? It’s ridiculous we must wait around like fools for nothing. Why don’t you just open your eyes? We have been forgotten.” You turned and faced him, your eyes glaring daggers at him.

“We have not. Things happen for a reason and we must be patient.”

“There you go again! ‘Be patient’, what for? Even you must realize we have received nothing! We are nothing now! And I’m sick of being patient and waiting. I thought you would know better, but I guess you are still as weak as before! Even you, the shining light of the speakers- you’ve heard absolutely nothing from our master! Hah!” You laughed arrogantly as he bit his lip and shook his head.

“You are still as stubborn and childish as ever. It pains me to see you reduced to this an-Nar.” Sahar gazed at you sadly. “You were always so eager to work and help. What happened?”

“What happened is I stopped groveling like a dog for a master who does not call to us. I stopped pretending he was coming to us. Open your eyes, Sahar, we are fated to be alone.”

“There must be a reason-”

“There is none. Stop excusing this behavior. You know better than I how we are truly useless.” Your (e/c) eyes bored into his pale blue ones. Your stance made him nearly weep. You were once so close to him, someone who stood by his and Shalem’s side, who used to smile at him with such glowing eyes and a bright smile. But now, they were dead and cold. All the light had been stripped from them as you furrowed your brows. “I have no use for a world that has no need for me.”

Just as you had uttered that, your eyes glowed a bright red as you summoned your flaming sword.

“And I shall start with you.”

You woke up with a shaky breath as you gulped and held a hand to your chest.

What a strange nightmare...

Sahar...an-Nar...master? What did any of those things mean?

You shook your head and sat straight up, noticing you were not in your bed, but instead a rather messy and scattered lab. You chuckled to yourself as you pulled the small blanket off of you, thanking your friend for giving it to you.

“You’re finally awake.” He said, his monotone voice startling you as you looked up at him. He was scribbling notes as he poked and prodded at a strange crystal. You smiled gently, rubbing the tired out of your eyes.

“Thank you, Lucilius.” You said.

“I don’t know what you’re talking about. I didn’t do anything.” He said as continued working. His face was stone cold, but after knowing him for so long, you merely waved off his obvious lie.

“Sure. Whatever you say. Where’s Beelzebub?” You asked.

“Hell if I know.” Lucilius mumbled, still not looking at you.

“How do you not know where he is?”

“Do I look like his babysitter? It’s tiring enough that I have to care for you already.” He huffed.

“But you love me!” You whined.

“Never said that.” He argued.

“Actually you did.”

“No.”

“Mhm. You did. You have done so multiple times.” You folded your arms.

“I have not. Don’t push your luck.” He chided. You noticed his cheeks turning a slight shade of pink, so pale you would’ve missed it if you blinked. You smirked victoriously.

“Alright, Faa.” You said, calling him by his least favorite nickname.

“Don’t call me that, (Y/n).”

“Just did. I’m going to find Bubz.” You poked his shoulders as you stepped away and ran out the door of the lab. You searched through the large corridors and rooms of the pristine building, eager to find your other best friend. You gazed at the bright light of the sun beaming through the windows and smiled at how warm it felt.

Life was undeniably perfect.

As your eyes trailed to the scenery outside, you noticed a black hood in the mix of the patches of grass. You gasped and ran outside, running to the large tree that he was resting under.

“Bubz!” You shouted, waving your arms frantically. He sat up and looked at you in confusion before you tackled him to the ground in a hug.

“(Y/n), must you always run into me like this?” He sighed.

“I can’t help it, I just get excited when I see you.” You admitted. He sneered and patted the area next to him, out of the shade of the tree. You laughed as you basked in the sun’s rays as he stayed in the dark.

“How was your nap?” He asked.

“Oh, it was weird. I had a crazy dream... I don’t understand it, if I’m being honest.” You awkwardly rubbed the back of your neck. It wasn’t the first time you dreamt of something like this. You once had a dream of a person named ��Shalem”, with dark skin and bright yellow hair that looked like gold thread. Instinctively, you gently touched Beelzebub’s braid.

“I’m guessing it wasn’t good?” He asked.

“I...I don’t know...I just remember... me...but not me... screaming and yelling at someone. I... I was going to kill them...” You stammered out. The “someone” looked so similar to Lucilius, albeit different from your friend. He had long white hair and wore a tunic that flowed as if by magic. He was someone special.

But why would you want to hurt him?

You sighed and Beelzebub awkwardly patted your head.

“I can’t say I don’t feel the same. I’ve also had rather strange dreams too.”

“It just felt so...”

“Real?” A voice cut in. You turned around and saw Lucilius standing along the doorway of the garden, his arms folded as his face remained in that same bored expression as always.

“You have them too?” You asked. He didn’t respond, instead just sitting next to you and staring at the sky.

It was silent as the three of you sat, the grass tickling your skin as the wind rustled the leaves of the tree.

You contemplated your thoughts for a moment before you looked up again.

“Thank you, you two.” You hummed.

“What?” They both said as they looked at you curiously.

“I just think it’s nice...to be have you two as friends. I’ve been alone all my life until you two accepted me. I want this friendship to stay forever.” You explained.

The two boys looked at each other, a certain feeling of warmth and bitter jealously filling the air. You didn’t notice as you sighed deeply.

“And...I’m sorry. For being so useless time and time again. I know I am not someone you two should be associating with and yet, I don’t want you two to leave me alone. Could you allow me to be selfish this one time?” You asked.

“Don’t ask stupid questions you already know the answer to.” Lucilius said as he folded his arms.

“It’s pointless of us to abandon you. We’re all in the same boat.” Beelzebub tiredly stated.

You nodded, but something about their statements made you feel off.

No. You were not the same. You were never the same to them.

You were always the useless third wheel, who had no special talents or skills that the Council saw as necessary. Sure, you three may have been orphans together, but they had a talent that you could never hope to have.

The thought made your mood dwindle significantly. Lucilius seemed to notice and rolled his eyes.

“Honestly, I don’t get you. If I didn’t like you, I wouldn’t have talked to you. Get that through your thick skull already.” Lucilius snapped. He always was aggressive and terrible at saying his feelings, no doubt a side effect he developed due to the cruel adult Astrals. Beelzebub sneered and laid back down.

“I don’t usually say this often, but I agree with him. If I did not desire your presence I would not have cared to interact with you.”

It cheered you up a bit when they both placed their hands on yours.

“Alright, alright. I’ll stop being gloomy. I want to be the best I can be for you two. Can we promise this though? To stay friends forever?” You asked.

“We just said-” You cut Lucilius off.

“No, we need to make this official, Faa. Come on. Pinkies out.” The two sighed as they did so, and you wrapped yours around their slender fingers.

“This is so stupid.”

“I don’t see how this makes it ‘official’.”

“You two are such downers. It’s a promise that we will stay together as friends! Cross my heart and hope to die, stick a needle in my eye!” You said.

“Don’t stick a needle in your eye.”

“It’s just an expression!”

“It’s a stupid expression.”

“Do you know what you’re doing?” He shouted.

“Yes. I am aware. In order to gain my freedom, I need to destroy all that stands in my way. You are the first that needs to go.” You stated, your blade pointed mere inches from his neck.

“I’m not going to fight you, my friend.” He stood as still as a statue as you stared at him, unyielding.

“We are not friends. You are in alliance with him and as such, I can’t have you alive for this. I’ll give you one last chance. Join me, brother, and we can gain our freedom together. Don’t you wish to be your own self? Choose your own name? Make your own choices?”

“We are not meant to have those choices. We are mere spectators, as our creator intended for us to be.” He answered. “We are meant to watch so others can get those choices.”

“But why? Why must we be the ones to forsake ourselves for selfish players? I didn’t ask to be created, nor did I ask to be chosen for this role. It’s not my duty, and I will not continue this. Stay out of my way, Sahar.”

“No. I will not allow you to upset the balance he had intended for us to keep. My dear an-Nar... please... return to us and-”

“Never. I will never stay here! You cannot keep me here any longer! I will not be a puppet for whatever damn game he made me for! It’s my life, and I will not allow him to choose for me! So, move or I’ll kill you!” You screamed, your blade glowing as your eyes flared red. You moved your blade back to swing at him when you felt a force hold you back. “W-wha-?”

Sahar looked down at you, a shadow casting over his face.

“I’m sorry it had to come to this. Truly, I don’t want to do this.”

“Sahar! What the hell are you doing to me?!” You shouted, straining your muscles to just move.

“You have done the unforgivable, an-Nar. We-no, I- cannot allow you to hurt others and yourself for this. It would be pointless blood shed.”

“Don’t tell me what to do! Don’t tell me what I am! Don’t tell me what’s pointless or useful!” You growled at him.

“You can hate me all you want. I don’t mind. I’m doing this because I love you and I can’t stand to see you this upset. Please...forgive me in time. I’m sorry.” He said, turning his head away as he raised a hand to you. You saw tears stream down his cheeks and it only made you feel even more rage.

“You! I’ll never forgive you! Never! Just you wait, I’ll come back and I will kill you and hurt you a thousand times harder! I’ll make you regret not dying before!” You cursed him, before he chanted a spell and a blinding light filled your eyes.

You couldn’t feel a thing as the light engulfed you.

“Ah!” You shouted, screaming as you gripped the blankets tightly. “Ah...it’s... just a dream...”

Every once in a while you got those dreams. Some man was there, shining brightly as he would take your hand and hold you, smiling gently as he told you you were precious to him. There were some where there was a young girl who was always curious, and you two would spend time questioning everything you could.

Then the nightmares would come along, where you spent nights agonizing over something, something you couldn’t understand. Something that your own brain couldn’t seem to process as it came out so jumbled and blurry, almost like a static noise.

An-Nar...an-Nar...an-Nar...who was that?

You buried your head in your knees as you tried to push the nightmare away. Your mind screamed for you to get up and you weakly struggled to get up. Your own body was slowly fading. A burning sensation spread throughout your limbs as you stood up and shuffled to the door.

You dryly coughed and opened the door, the sunlight making you shiver as you walked to a specific lab.

You gently rasped your knuckles against the door of the lab, and it opened to reveal a tired Lucilius.

“(Y-Y/n). Come in.” He mumbled as he walked back to his research and fumbled with a messy and poorly maintained notebook.

“F-Faa... rest...” Your voice croaked out. He froze before he shook his head.

“I can’t. The Council has been up my ass over these shitty projects. These bastards don’t seem to understand that it’s going to take a while for this freaking prototype to even function.” He snarled.

“Sorry...”

“Don’t apologize. Sit. You didn’t happen to see Beelzebub, have you? Bastard still didn’t come.” You shook your head and laid down upon the small window couch, shivering violently. It’s cold. So cold.

Lucilius, ever the keen friend, helped you get comfortable and gently rested the blanket atop of you. You curled into it and rested your head against the glass, hoping for the bright sun to keep you warm.

“Thank you...” You whisper as your eyes flutter shut.

He can’t bear to look at you.

“It’s nothing.” He responds with quietly.

“I had another dream...” You struggled to get the words out of your throat. “I think I died...he... I was gonna...kill him...”

He doesn’t understand your babbling anymore. He gulps and nods.

“It’s just a dream.”

“He looks...like you... she...looks like him... and they... they loved me... and I... I was gonna... kill... it’s...c-cold...”

He sees how bad you are shivering. It’s sunny out and he finds it quite stuffy in the room, but you cry how cold it is. And he bites his lip. He can’t stand to watch you like this.

“You’ll warm up soon.” He lies. He knows damn well you’re dying. He knows, Beelzebub knows, and you seem to know it in your deteriorated state. He doesn’t face you. He just continues scribbling notes into his pages.

“C-cold...” You let out a sob. “So... cold...”

He ignores it. It doesn’t exist if he doesn’t acknowledge it. For all the many years he has known you, you have always been about living. You loved life. No matter how useless you were to the shitty council, you always persevered and continued every day.

And he grew to love that about you.

It’s been years since you made him and Beelzebub do that stupid promise back when you were still young and naive. And now that both of them had gone up in the ranks, gaining more prestige and knowledge and power than they ever could’ve imagined, you have only gotten worse.

He couldn’t do much with this power as he had to slowly witness you collapse into a former husk of yourself.

“Bubz...” You say, and Lucilius looks up to see the hooded man walking in.

“(Y/n).” He calls to you, and reach out a shaky hand to him. He exhales and walks to you, reaching for your hands. You weakly stroke his hair, and it undoes itself from the loose braid he put it in.

He could never understand why you were so fascinated with his hair. But it would calm you down and make you happy, so he didn’t care anymore.

“You need to rest.” Beelzebub urged you. You shook your head.

“No...I keep...dreaming...again and again...they look like you...and they try... and kill me...” You gasp out.

“It’s just a dream. We aren’t going to kill you.” He explains.

“You...promise? You won’t let me...die?” You asked. He shakes his head.

“No. We will help you okay? So rest.”

“Outside...sun...outside please...” You begged as you held your burning and aching sides. Beelzebub hoisted you into his arms gently, careful to not hurt you more as Lucilius watched. “Faa...Bubz...join me...”

They didn’t say a word as Beelzebub silently carried you bridal style to the gardens. You shivered and buried your face into Beelzebub’s chest, and he ignored how cold you felt against him. He laid you down to rest on the green grass near the bed of lilies. Thankfully, your shivering stopped as the men quietly watched as you closed your eyes and slumbered away on the ground.

“Did you find anything?” Lucilius asked.

“If I did, don’t you think I would’ve said something?” Beelzebub snarled back.

“I’m being thorough. I’m not having them die on me like this.”

“Neither will I. The Council doesn’t seem to be willing to hear me on this because they are considered unworthy to them.”

“Bastards...” Lucilius mumbled. “All they do is act stupid to real problems.”

“Right now their focus is on the other sky. They’ve grown bored and their minds are craving new subjects.”

“Is that so? Then...perhaps if we go to that new world we can find a new cure for them.”

“There’s plenty of weak subjects for us to use too. The possibilities are endless. Once we stake our claim there, we have the vast resources to do as we please.” Beelzebub smirked.

“Ah, well at least that explains why they were so eager for me to finish my prototype. I’m sure they could be quite useful when I master this phenomena.” Lucilius tapped his chin. “I don’t care what it takes. I’m willing to sacrifice whatever.”

“Then you better hurry. They don’t have much time.” Beelzebub said.

“Keep an eye on them. I’m going back to work.” Beelzebub nodded as he sat on a bench and watched as you slept. Your shivering stopped completely, and he momentarily forgot about your current condition. It was just like when you both were younger and you held his hand as he led you to the gardens. It’s where you two played and relaxed and talked about whatever you wished.

There you two got into discussions of dreams.

You always had those “strange dreams”, as you called them since you were young. He vividly remembers the day you ran up to him and yelled, “I thought you were a girl!” It was the start of your rather unorthodox friendship.

You were supposed to be useless. Someone who would never amount to anything or have any impact on the world. But Beelzebub couldn’t help but think how important you were to him now. Something about you just drew him further in.

“Agh...I’ll...you...” You mumbled in your sleep, clenching and clawing at the dirt. He hunched over your form as you groaned in pain.

“(Y/n). (Y/n). Wake up.” He said as he shook your body gently. You held your side as your face contorted into one of agony.

“Bubz...it hurts...” You pathetically called to him. He frowned and sat on the ground beside you before he picked you and placed you on his massive lap.

“I know.” He said. “What did you dream of?”

“I want to see...the new world...” You whispered before you lost consciousness and collapsed against his sturdy chest.

He froze.

How did you...that wasn’t exactly common knowledge. In fact, he only knew recently as the Council had allowed it. But how did you know? Did you hear him and Lucilius talk? But that shouldn’t be possible... you were already asleep.

The thought burned into his mind as he stroked your hair gently, just like you did to him before.

“Don’t worry, we promise we’ll take you there soon. Just wait for us.”

There was no changing it. The Council had already decided.

“What use is there to a living corpse? They’ve never brought anything satisfactory to us.”

“A shame they were kept alive as long as they have been.”

Lucilius clenched his teeth as his nails dug into his flesh. Beelzebub folded his arms as his hood covered his face.

So this was it.

You were to die.

And they were powerless to stop it.

“What a useless little creature. It would have had more worth being cast to the bottom of the sky.”

That set Lucilius off. He strode to the middle of the floor, staring at the ground.

“How dare you say that about them?” He snarled. “You do not even know them!”

“Lucilius. Hold your tongue or you will be severely punished for this. We have respected your work for a long time, unless, of course, you wish to start over from zero? Do you want to join that dying thing?”

“Shut up!” He yelled, his eyes bloodshot and red as he stared angrily at the members. “What do you know of them? You know nothing! Nothing! You bastards have known nothing! You say you respect me, that’s only because I have the brains and the will to continue where you pieces of shit have never ventured! You are nothing without me!”

“Lucilius-”

“Quiet! If you won’t help them and listen to me, then I will destroy you all one by one! This is MY work that has helped you, and I can just as easily use it to destroy you! You’ll learn to fear me!”

The council stared in shock, some nervously eyeing one another before they trained their eyes back to Lucilius.

“This is nonnegotiable, Lucilius. Stay silent or there will be consequences.”

Lucilius shook his head and stormed out of the room, Beelzebub following behind.

“Bastards. Those freaking idiots are so-”

“Don’t lose your cool, Lucilius. We don’t need their permission anymore.” Beelzebub tried to calm him down. Lucilius nodded as they walked into their lab, where you lay, more sickly and thin than before. Beelzebub hoisted your unconscious body over his shoulders as Lucilius shoved his notes in a bag.

“Gods...why can’t I find it...” Lucilius huffed.

“We don’t have much time, they will come here soon for them.” Beelzebub warned.

“I know that.”

“Then hurry up.” Lucilius quickly picked up the last of his research, gripping his lance in his other hand as the two hurriedly walked out. Just as they had expected, a number of Astrals were there, waiting to drag you out and finish the death sentence the Council appointed to you. Beelzebub held you tightly against his chest as Lucilius pointed his lance at them, eager to battle.

“I’ve warned you fools before.” Lucilius mumbled. You stirred for a moment and weakly sputtered for air before Beelzebub gently stroked your hair and shushed you.

“Hu...”

“Sh... go back to sleep. Just stay with us for a while. Please.” He begged, hoping to the gods above that you wouldn’t die right now. Not now. Not yet. They still didn’t finish their promise.

Lucilius let out a battle cry as he swung his spear, the anger and pent-up rage he contained coming out full force as their bodies dropped and his robes were stained crimson.

“Come on. Let’s go.” He looked at Beelzebub, his blue eyes glazed over in an emotion Beelzebub had never seen, but one that slightly excited him. Their robes and cloaks fluttered behind them as they hurriedly made their escape.

“Bu...” You called. Your eyes looked to see a blurry Lucilius covered in red, and you tried to look at Beelzebub, who stared down at you worriedly. Your eyes rolled back as everything faded again.

“Aren’t you tired of being useless? Aren’t you tired of annoying them with your presence? Give yourself up to me. Give up, and we will be rejoined. You will be able to become stronger for them. Won’t that be nice?”

Your eyes opened as you saw the blue sky. You weakly gasped. It looked so different from your sky. But it was so gorgeous... so mesmerizing...such a beautiful shade of blue.

You cracked a smile.

“So...”

As your throat croaked, two figures overshadowed you as they knelt down right next to you.

“Faa...Bubz...” You tried to chuckle. It came out more like a choking sound, but they didn’t mind. They gently took your hand and smiled at you gently.

“Look. We made it.” Lucilius whispered.

“The new sky.” Bubz added.

“...pretty...” You smiled. You gripped their sleeves and weakly forced yourself to sit up. Seeing what you were trying to do, Beelzebub lifted you up and you clung to him as your body shook.

You awkwardly moved your body to grip Lucilius’s sleeve too, and braced an arm behind you so you didn’t fall.

“Die. Go on. Die. You saw the sky. Now go under. Close your eyes.” a familiar voice called to you.

How could you though, when you felt so undeniably happy? So... alive? In a moment of adrenaline and excitement, you grinned as you tried to walk forward. It hurt and your body could barely hold itself up, but none of that mattered. None of the pain even registered as you held onto your most treasured friends and got to witness the new sky in all its glory.

“(Y/n). Easy now, careful. You don’t want to trip.” Beelzebub said.

You nodded and held their hands tighter as your eyes looked at the sun. Funny how staring at it for so long didn’t make this sight any less amazing. You closed your eyes and breathed in the fresh air.

“Thank you...” You said to them both.

“Don’t thank us. It was nothing.” Lucilius blushed, looking away.

“It was your dream for a while, so how could we say no?” Beelzebub smiled softly at you. “We did promise to stay together and keep you alive, so we’re going to do just that.”

It had been nonstop work for Beelzebub and Lucilius. All this time, they had been out and about searching for a cure, for anything at all to fix you and improve their research.

In the meantime, you sat in the small, but still wonderful garden. It was quiet and full of white lilies, your favorite flowers. You stared at the sky as the wind rustled. It was beautiful...but yet it was so lonely. Your friends were not by your side, as they were always too busy to sit with you.

You smiled sadly.

It’s because I am useless they keep stressing over me...I wish they’d stop...

It was a harsh truth to accept. You were the reason they left the Astral world and started over here, the reason they murdered so many others just to have you escape.

You wished you could take back that stupid promise you made. You could hardly even speak anymore, as it hurt just to talk, but being alone with your thoughts made your mind run wild. It switched over from crying in fear from the nightmares to just thinking of sleep. In moments like this, where you had the rationale to think, you remembered how useless and selfish you were. It was your fault they were hurting.

I guess you were right, an-Nar...I should’ve died...

You stood up and immediately fell to the ground. It was so painful to move. But it didn’t matter. You weakly crawled to the patch of lilies and rested beside them. You were tired. So tired. It hurt to be alive. So...it was time to rest...

Lucilius liked taking walks to the garden. When he wasn’t being hounded by work and research, he felt a desire to get out and get some fresh air. Not to mention, he got to see you, which was the biggest reward in his mind.

You couldn’t talk, but you didn’t need to. He was right here for you. There was no need to speak when he could give you anything and everything without you uttering a single word. He and Beelzebub could give that to you.

He stepped outside and hissed at the sun’s light, before he squinted at the bench. You weren’t sitting there. Strange... weren’t you there before? He walked closer to it before he saw your legs curled up to your body as you lay in the grass.

His eyes widened.

He couldn’t process his next actions, but he could vaguely remember screaming, crying, yelling, shaking, and eventually him fainting due to exhaustion. Nothing made sense.

He awoke to see his creation standing above him, worry in his eyes.

“Lucifer. What are you doing?”

“I’m sorry, you fainted in the gardens and I took you back inside to rest. You haven’t been sleeping well have you?” Lucilius ignored him as he stood up, wobbling out the door as he tried to steady himself. “L-Lucilius, what are you-”

“(Y/n). (Y/n). Where are they?”

“Oh...them...” Lucifer’s eyes trailed off. “I’m sorry, but they have passed on. It’s... it’s for the best, don’t you think, Master? They were in a lot of pain-”

“Zip it! I didn’t ask for your worthless opinion!” Lucilius yelled at Lucifer, his eyes watering. “I don’t remember asking for your input on what’s best. I was going to save them!”

“Master-”

“Shut it.” Lucilius cut him off as he walked around aimlessly in his research lab.

How dare they? How dare they die when he was close? He could’ve- he paused.

There was something he hadn’t tried yet... something he himself was curious about. It may be a good time to test his newest hypothesis.

He noticed Beelzebub was gently resting your body in a poorly made grave. Traditions demanded that bodies be disposed to the bottom of the sky as a way to get rid of those “imperfect” beings. He never cared too much for it, but now, seeing as you were now one of those seemingly imperfect beings, he felt disgusted at the thought of just abandoning you as if you were trash.

“Beelzebub.” Lucilius called. Beelzebub stopped what he was doing, a forlorn look on his face as he gazed into the researchers. “Don’t do that crap now. We can have one more chance at this. Bring them to me in the lab.”

Beelzebub had a slight inkling on what he was planning and lifted your body gently out of the coffin. Lucilius made a beeline for his lab, ignoring all his creations around him as he hurriedly unlocked the door.

“This isn’t your usual lab, Lucilius.”

“I’m aware. I’ve been testing some theories over here, and now is a good way to prove them.” Lucilius mumbled back. Inside, there was a large table with a cloth over it, hiding an outline of a body. There was notes and diagrams pinned over the walls and littering the floor. Beelzebub made a disgusted face at the large mess he made. But Lucilius was nothing without his quirks.

Lucilius pointed at an empty table next to the one that was covered.

“Put them right there.” Beelzebub laid your body on it before Lucilius yanked the cover off of the other table. Beelzebub gasped.

“What the hell is this?” He asked. His red eyes narrowed as he looked at what seemed to be an exact copy of... you... He glowered at Lucilius. “What the hell did you do?”

Lucilius’s blue eyes paled over, an insane look in his eyes that made Beelzebub grit his teeth.

“I had an idea once. From a dream. What if we made them a body? A body that would never rest or wilt. A body that would never fade or get weak. A powerful one that could make them stronger than any of those other worthless creatures. If I could just transfer that consciousness into this-”

“No.” Beelzebub cut him off. “No. I already see where this is going. Don’t you dare, Lucilius.”

“I didn’t ask what you thought about my project. I am doing this to help them.” Lucilius snapped back.

“There are other ways. We can find another way. I’m not having you do whatever this shit is.” Beelzebub shook his head, preparing to lift you up. He felt cold metal on the back of his neck and turned around slowly to see Lucilius staring him down and pointing his lance at him.

“Put them down.”

“Lucilius, you’ve lost your damn mind!”

“I have not lost anything yet! Put them down! This is necessary! If we can do this then just think of all we can do to ourselves! We can all be the most powerful creatures in existence! We can be together forever!”

“And you’re willing to do this off of a stupid dream? Do you hear yourself?!” Beelzebub shouted. “Put down your stupid weapon! Listen to yourself! They just died and all you’re worried about is being the most powerful?”

“Put the body back! You will not take them from me!” Lucilius screamed. Beelzebub scowled at Lucilius.

“You’re getting ridiculous, Lucilius. You’ve been knocked out for over three days and now you proclaim you’re going to save them by putting them in a new body?”

“It’s a theory. One that I’ve thought of for a long time. I was prepared for this day, and it has unfortunately come. I know there’s something missing here. From me, you, and (Y/n). Something isn’t right with our current forms. And what better way to test it than with them?” Lucilius explained.

“And what do you plan on doing to them?”

“Whatever needs to be done. I will sacrifice whatever I must to prove this theory.” Beelzebub seemed to contemplate Lucilius’s words before he sighed.

“I don’t like this.”

“We promised to them we’d keep them alive. Their dream was to explore this world. We have yet to do either. I won’t rest until that happens.” Lucilius said. “Don’t tell me you plan on breaking that promise?”

Beelzebub frowned.

“Don’t use those words against me.”

“Whatever I must do, I will. And when I get them back, with or without you, I will be with them and I will make them happy. Leave if you choose to. I don’t care. Just know that I will be the one to return them here.” Beelzebub chuckled quietly, making Lucilius stare at him in confusion. His quiet laughter changed to full on guffaw as he ran a hand through his hair.

“The fact you think this will work and the fact that you think you’ll make them happy is ridiculous! You’ve really lost it! Lucilius, I once respected you and your intellect, but it seems you’ve just gone mad. You were once a friend before, but now seeing you attempt this? It’s too much. You have no damn clue what you are doing anymore.”

Lucilius bit his inner lip.

“I know what I must do. Unlike you, I am willing to take my chances. I don’t care what I must do for (Y/n), but I will bring them back.” Beelzebub waved a hand at him and walked out the door.

“Do as you please. You’re a fool, Lucilius. A damn fool.” He said before he slammed the door shut behind him. Lucilius huffed before he strode to the table with your corpse on it.

“Good riddance to him. I know you cherished me more than you did him, right? Unlike him, I actually care for you and adore you. If you’re patient, you can rule the world by my side. We’ll show them... we’ll show them all just how much more powerful we are than them. This world will be all yours. I promise.” He whispered.

Beelzebub angrily walked out of the lab.

“That damn man- agh!” He growled.

Just who does he think he is? Our plan was to make sure they were alive and well, and now he has the nerve to suggest we mutilate their corpse over a dream. Unbelievable.

This was not what you would have wanted. Unlike with Lucilius, you talked to Beelzebub a lot about your dreams. You talked to him about how you just wanted to see the world and sit in the sun with the two of them. You didn’t desire riches or power or anything of the sort. It was what made you so different from others he had met before. Despite your supposed uselessness, you just wanted to live your life in peace. And now Lucilius was trying to take your peace away from you and bring you back with whatever nonsensical plan he came up with.

He frowned.

He never understood you like I did. He thinks he’s so great. I’ll show him I can be better than whatever he is. I know he thinks you loved him so much- but deep down you trusted me more with your deepest fears and desires. I will forever be the one you ran to when you needed help, not him. He will never have that chance. Not even if the sky were to collapse.

He chuckled to himself.

“I guess now we’re going to see who will be the strongest, Lucilius. I will crush you into dust before I let you beat me.”

#gbf #granblue fantasy imagines #granblue fantasy #gbf imagines #gbf x reader #gbf x reader imagines #beelzebub x reader #lucilius #beelzebub #chaos bringer #chaos bringer x reader #lucilius x reader #reader is evillll #helel ben sahar #helel ben shalem #long post

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echotovalley · 5 years ago

Text

so because I’m taking a writing break but still super needy

I figured I would post this outline for a pokemon au that I’m never going to write. it’s basically notes from a conversation I had back in early 2018? Imagine my surprise going back now and realizing this might read much like Detective Pikachu - cubone is just my favorite pokemon

***before we get into anything please know that while I play pgo and I’ve learned LOTS of new pokemon, I’m still the most familiar and attached to the og 150 + 1. I also probably get a lot of canon pokemon rules and history wrong but my heart is in the right place

reblogs appreciated! | come talk at me about your thoughts or literally anything

premise: keith might not be a pokemon person

but pokemon are definitely a keith person

- for unknown reasons keith docks in cuba, he's kind of just been getting work and moving moving always moving because one place never works out for long. pokemon are everywhere but it's not his thing.

it never happened for him besides why would he make an animal be saddled with him? there's no stability there. and again, he's always moving. through so many different regions.

he doesn't have the heart to yank a sandshrew onto a barge across the atlantic or a charmander up the northeast coast of the US. he can barely take care of himself. and it's weird by now. to not have a pokemon by now. they were everywhere and so normalized.

they were part of everyday school curriculum and even in hospitals and rescue stations. which is another reason why he never stayed in one place very long because not having a pokemon didn't incite people to trust you.

bc even team rocket (team rocket still sounds so much better than team galra but team rocket is the galra) had pokemon that bonded and trusted them.

he gets a room and some horrible job on the coast and basically just gets by. tries not to cause trouble or get caught or encourage rattatas or a caterpie to follow him home because they could still smell half the lunch he didn't eat tucked in his bag

- i'm plotting by the seat of my pants but what really kick-started all of this was the thought of Keith finding a wounded cubone in the middle of the night.

it's too dark and raining to tell what animal or pokemon attacked it or if it was a person that fractured the skull he wore enough for a piece to break off along the jaw

the cubone sustained a mean looking scrape to its face and this is not what keith needs right now but he can tell the cubone's crying and kind of just accepted what's happened and it keeps pawing at the missing piece in the skull and keith may not actively interact with pokemon but he doesn't hate them and he still has a heart.

he's docked in cuba and his spanish just gets him by to get food and money and not anger anyone

he didn't think the barge's docking region through all of the way so he's got a cubone to help with rudimentary spanish that sucks on the best day but he's going to try and get the cubone help

he starts rushing through streets and people's yards because he could have swore the town had a gym he passed but in the dark and rain it takes him a full hour to find the gym.

- duh it's closed but he's at least going to bang on the doors and hopefully it's going to set off an alarm or something

the police will show up or someone will be able to take the cubone where it needs to go. his hand is numb from knocking as hard as he could before the door is whooshed open and someone is spitting rapid fire spanish like venom and he thinks he manages to get out that he can really only speak english and shoves the cunbone into their hands.

before he knows it, he's being yanked by his collar into the gym and down hallways and finally into the blinding lights of the pokemon center on sight.

there's more spanish and faces that look so similar that its clear it's a family that runs the gym.

- beep beep guess who's family owns and runs the gym

the pokecenter is actually a rehabilitation center founded and run by the McClain family for several generations

he gets questioned after the cubone is taken back behind the doors and it takes someone repeatedly snapping their fingers in front of his face to get him to come back to the conversation.

his name's keith, he's from the US, he just found the cubone - no he doesn't know if it has an owner, doesn't even know if it’s wild or if it has a nearby pack or how it got hurt or how long it’s been hurt.

but keith,

keith is his name and he can at least answer that.

he stays there over night and finds out that Marco is the one that answered the door. Veronica is the one to actually examine him because he looks like he's about to pass out.

their mother is the one to assure him the cubone would be fine - her daughter Rachel attends to injured pokemon and gets another son Luis to show Keith to a room in their house and keith passes out the second he stumbles to a bed.

- in the morning, when he goes to the bathroom and is in the middle of washing his hands, another son is banging on the door for Marco to get out of the bathroom and that's the first time he meets lance

when Keith yanks the door open he tells him to freaking stop because he's clearly not marco.

an older man, probably come to break up a fight, stops and blinks at keith before shouting over his shoulder about not remembering having or getting another kid (arthur "and who are you???" weasley style)

(our boy Lance has a minor panic about the cute random guy is his bathroom at 8 a.m.)

Keith gets shoved down at a table covered in food for breakfast and can't keep up he definitely has a headache and is ready to throw himself through a window when he's asked about his pokemon and if they need help too

he doesn't have pokeman and never has had one and isn't really interested and this family has centered their entire lives around it

- he sees the cubone again, in recovery and it paws a little at his hands in thanks

over the next few days, he stays with them and somehow gets roped into doing chores around the facility and given an assigned seat at their table for meals and he's just T H R O W N

they literally have an arbok taking a nap in a hammock in their backyard and a pod of seadras in an olympic pool in the gym just hanging out (doing little races between each other or chasing each other)

a vulpix he learns belongs to one of the McClain siblings (Rachel) sunbathes and sniffs at his feet while he’s working in the yard

and there's a persian destroying blinds in the living room window and a charizard in the kitchen

and some random small children he learns are marco's are throwing or shooting across the floor fridge magnets as a game with a magnemite

- begrudgingly on McClain’s part, keith’s assigned to Lance for being shown around the rehab center

lance takes him to the beach and out into the middle of the ocean on a boat

Keith: "this is where you feed me to a gryados"

Lance: "close"

and a freaking L A P RA S pops up out of the water and clicks at lance and makes little waves in his direction and they do a damn forehead touch he's crazy this is crazy

Keith: "YOU HAVE A LAPRAS???!!!!" - because even keith who doesn’t do pokemon knows what the heck a lapras is

Lance "I don't have a lapras. Nobody owns her. We just give her her room and protect or heal her when she needs it"

- the next few weeks see lance having to admit keith isn’t so bad and that just because he doesn’t have a pokemon, it doesn’t mean he actively dislikes them

the cubone is attached to keith - despite his bad attitude, lance says

this is the initial thought that kicked this off: keith asks if they have a 3D printer and once the cubone's injury is fully healed, he makes a mold for the missing piece and fits it in place

lance denies crying

"you've done one (1) good thing, kogane"

- then the real plot kicks in when the lapras is captured and taken from the beach by team rocket

lance blames keith because of the timing, because of keith's vague answers on where he's from, why he has no friends or family, no pokemon

insert painful, raw, yelled, "I TRUSTED YOU"

keith convinces him he's not part of team rocket and the main story starts where lance and keith leave to go after the lapras and return her to cuba.

- before they leave, rachel throws a pokeball at keith "i think your cubone might like this one"

and lance's eyes get huge because he knows what it is and then a pokemon is coming out of the pokeball

and it's a marowak

the cubone very carefully and slowly approaches her and the marowak just watches and waits. the cubone brushes its bone across the marowak's foot and then approaches and okay keith's eyes definitely water as he watches this marowak kind of take in the cubone.

(THE CRITICAL HIT COMES WHEN THE CUBONE EVENTUALLY EVOLVES. I like to think maybe through poke-magic the skull fixes itself when he evolves and the cubone hands the 3d mold back to keith and gets keith to put it on a chain safe for his skin to wear the 3d mold piece still)

- obv they get the lapras back,

they find out keith's mom was a double agent ofc for the team rocket faction that took the lapras

they meet hunk and pidge and allura and coran and romelle and others along the way to take down team rocket because what’s a pokemon au without the power of friendship

- keith and lance wait at the airport in cuba

it's for shiro, he had let keith travel because he saw that keith needed to find room to grow and find who he was

obviously keith is not 10. he and lance are 17.

anyways he rushes keith and pulls him into a big hug and tells keith how proud of him he is

the first thing lance tells shiro is about the time keith almost stepped on an exeggcute and how they chased him

or the time he almost sustained a skull fracture from a taurus and the time a seel thought keith was its mom

there was also that time with a magby-

keith: “OKAY LANCE WE GET IT THANK YOU”

BONUS:

keith being mildly terrified of the pokemon hanging around the McClain properties

Lance: "if you want to lay in the hammock just move him"

Keith: "just move him?! it's an arbok not a lap dog"

a nest of torchicks gets laid in the backyard and follows keith for two days after they hatch and lance laughs so hard he cries because keith can't shake them and he winds up tripping and they all jump on top of him

keith might not have been a pokemon person

but pokemon are definitely a keith person

#klance #Keith Kogane #Lance McClain #Voltron #VLD #writing tag

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marvelous-imagines-for-all · 6 years ago

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“What are you doing, mano?” Cesar x Reader OnMyBlock (Part 4)

Based on: “Cesar one shot where you two are making out and no one knows about you two and oscar walks in and he gets mad cause spooky doesnt need to protect cesar and y/n on top of that”

Author: Alana

Part 1, Part 2, Part 3

Recap:

Oscar’s POV

I watched as (y/n) climbed into the bed and kept talking to Cesar.

I let out a sigh, knowing that they’re good for each other. This shouldn’t have to be her life too though, I thought.

It broke my heart watching her cry over my little brother. He needs to be okay.

————————————

2nd Person POV

You fluttered your eyes open at the sound of slow beeps coming from the heart monitor connected to Cesar.

Looking over at him still asleep, you smiled a little at how peaceful he looked. Though you couldn’t see him very well in the dimly lit room, seeing him was enough to somewhat calm your anxious heart.

Rubbing your eyes, you looked at the time on the digital clock across from you. 4:10 A.M. it read.

All the memories of last night came flooding back to you harshly. You and Cesar being caught by Oscar. You walking home and Cesar catching up with you. Cesar being shot.. The memory that haunted you the most was the memory of recognizing that it was time for you to leave Cesar for the safety of everyone.

You let out a shaky breath, watching Cesar. You just wished time could reverse. Then you never would have asked Cesar to meet at his house and no one would have gotten caught. Which means Cesar would have stayed home safely and not gotten shot. It felt like everything was your fault. You couldn’t help the overwhelming feeling of guilt.

You kissed Cesar gently, for the last time, before sneaking off of the hospital bed.

“This is goodbye, my love.” You spoke quietly, as to not wake Cesar. You closed your eyes, allowing a few stray tears to fall. “I’ll always love you.” Your turned around, walking out of the room.

You quietly approached the bench outside of Cesar’s room. Which held a sleeping Oscar. “I’ll miss you too. Even though you’re a jerk at times, Spooky. Take good care of him.” You told the sleeping gang leader, smiling sadly and walking off.

Oscar’s eyes fluttered open as you walked off. He so badly wanted to call out your name and tell you to stay and that everything would be okay. The truth is, even he didn’t know if that would be the truth. He couldn’t afford to protect both Cesar and you, or more incidents like this may take place.

So Oscar stayed quiet, watching you disappear down the hallway.

Cesar groaned softly as his eyes slowly fluttered open. He quickly put his hand up to block the sunlight that was shining through the hospital curtains.

Oscar walked into the room with some magazines and a coffee, not realizing Cesar was awake yet.

“Oscar, where’s (y/n)?” Cesar questioned, trying to sit up and whimpering loudly.

Oscar gently pushed Cesar back down, “Don’t stress out your body, mano. How are you feeling?” Oscar asked, pulling a chair over to Cesar’s bed.

“Like my torso is on fire.” Cesar said, gently placing his hand on his stomach. “But you didn’t answer my question. Where’s (y/n)?” Cesar asked once again as Oscar sat down.

Oscar sighed softly and looked at the confused Cesar, “She left, Cesar.” He answered softly.

“Okay?” Cesar tilted his head, “When will she be back?” He asked, reaching for Oscar’s coffee.

Oscar handed Cesar the coffee, frowning more, “She’s not. (Y/n) isn’t coming back.”

Cesar took a sip of the coffee and scoffed, “Yeah right, she wouldn’t just leave, Oscar. I know her.”

Oscar scratched the back of his neck, “She would leave if she knew it would protect you.”

“Okay, But what would give her that idea-“ Cesar stared at the guilty expression on Oscar’s face. “No.. you didn’t.. tell me you didn’t!” Cesar demanded, slowly raising his voice.

Oscar glared a little at Cesar raising his voice, “I’m looking out for you! You wouldn’t have even been in this position if you weren’t distracted by protecting (y/n).” Oscar tried to reply calmly.

Cesar clenched his fists, a livid expression beginning to cover his face, “Don’t you dare try to say you’re looking out for me! You’re only looking out for yourself because you’re scared you’ll have to protect her too!” Cesar fumed, “We agreed to do this my way!! You said I could do this my way, which didn’t involve breaking up!” Cesar yelled, as his heart monitor began to beep faster,

Oscar looked at the monitor before looking back at Cesar, “Yo, you need to chill, Cesar. It’s not that big of a deal.”

Cesar threw the coffee to the floor, causing Oscar to abruptly stand up and glare at Cesar more, “Mano, I’m warning you..”

If looks could kill, Oscar would be dead 100 times over. “You ruined something that was so special to me. You’re selfish and I will never forgive you for this. Get out.” Cesar said, staring into Oscar’s eyes.

A nurse quickly walked into the room because of Cesar’s monitor beeping rapidly. “Cesar.” She said, placing a gentle hand on his shoulder.

Oscar stood there, not moving an inch.

“GET OUT!” Cesar roared, pointing at the door.

Oscar glanced at the nurse, “Take good care of him.” He responded before walking out, remembering that those were the last words you had told him. Oscar knew he needed to fix this.

Oscar knocked on your door gingerly, tapping his foot as he waited for you to answer.

You were inside trying to distract yourself by doing some chores. Currently, you were putting the dishes away when you heard a knock on the door. “Ma, did you invite someone over?” You called out to your mother as you approached the door.

“No, babe!” She called back from her bedroom.

You tilted your head and opened the door, “Hello?” Confusion covered your face at the sight of Oscar.

“(Y/n), I really messed up..” Oscar stated, looking down guiltily.

You stepped aside and let Oscar in, “You’re going to have to be a bit more specific.. what happened and why aren’t you with Cesar?” You questioned, crossing your arms and sitting next to Oscar on the couch.

“He kicked me out of the hospital room. He’s furious with me about talking to you about leaving.” He sighed.

You rolled your eyes, “Well obviously he was going to be, Oscar. What did you expect? Cesar and I really love each other and now we can’t be together. That’s going to kill us both..” you frowned, running a hand through your hair.

“I know, that’s why I want you both together.” Oscar informed you.

Your eyes widened, “Wait what? What about that entire speech of no one being safe?” You were so lost about Oscar suddenly changing his mind. Maybe he was testing you to see if you would run back to Cesar right away. Or maybe he just wanted to play with your emotions. You didn’t know.

Oscar gently bit his lip and bounced his knee, “Maybe I just didn’t want to have not one, but two teenagers to protect in this gang life that I’m involved in.” Oscar sighed, “Cesar was right. I am being selfish. Ever since our parents left and I had to raise Cesar, I only ever wanted what was best for him. Now I’m seeing that you’re what’s best for him, (y/n). Although I still don’t want you involved in this life, it’s your choice.” Oscar smiled softly, pulling you in for a quick hug. “And I heard what you said about how you would miss me. I would miss you too.” He chuckled softly.

You blushed and hugged back, “Don’t think too much into it.. Can we go see Cesar now?” You asked, eagerly awaiting to see Cesar.

“Let’s go.” Oscar said, standing up and walking out of the house.

Oscar knocked on the hospital door that Cesar was staying in. He heard a grumble that sounded similar to “come in”.

Oscar pushed open the door and walked in slowly, “Hey, mano.” He said awkwardly.

Cesar looked over at Oscar and glared, “Why’re you back?” Cesar asked harshly.

Oscar smiled as you walked in, “Because I have a visitor for you.” He said, motioning to you. “I’ll give you both a minute.” He said, walking out.

Cesar quickly sat up, reaching for you, “(Y/n).. please don’t leave..” he whispered as you walked into his open arms.

You hugged Cesar carefully, not wanting to hurt his torso. “I’m not going anywhere, baby boy.” You assured, tracing your thumb against his bicep.

“I can’t believe Oscar said what he said to you. He had no right.” Cesar huffed, gently pulling you closer so you would climb on the bed.

You climbed up onto the hospital bed and held Cesar’s hand, “Though Oscar was in the wrong, He is the reason that I’m here.” You smiled, kissing Cesar’s temple. “He explained that if we want to be together then it is our choice, not his.”

Cesar looked taken back, “My brother said that? He’s more of one to stick to his word.”

You let out a giggle and nodded, “That’s what I said too!” Your eyes scanned over Cesar’s face briefly, “I’m so ecstatic that you’re okay.. I was so scared I was going to lose you..” You spoke softly, gently squeezing Cesar’s hand.

“Hey.. listen, I would gladly risk my life to save yours. I would get shot again if it meant you were safe.” He cupped your cheek with his free hand.

“But that’s the point. You’re in danger if we are together.” You sighed, playing with Cesar’s fingers.

Cesar tilted your chin to him and kissed you passionately. Allowing his lips to mold into yours. You relaxed instantly and smiled into the kiss.

The heart monitor beating rapidly caused you to pull away and look at Cesar blushing immensely. “You make me nervous.” He chuckled, glancing at the monitor. “But I swear we will work something out to be together. Trust me, just don’t leave. I love you, (y/n).”

You smiled more and lifted Cesar’s hand to your lips, placing a gentle kiss, “I love you more, Cesar Diaz.”

#marvelous-imagines-for-all #alana and jade imagines #reader insert #jadana #imagines #imagine #on my block #on my block imagine #(y/n)#omb #cesar diaz imagine #cesar x reader #cesarxreader #cesar diaz

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666coffeeboi · 5 years ago

Text

Why Not Both? Ch. 1

Fic Summary:

After not talking to Craig Tucker for so long, since their fake dating days, when they were the best of friends, Tweek finds himself sitting ‘alphabetically” on the first day of their senior year of high school.

Enter Kenny McCormick.

__________________________________________

There was no universe where Craig Tucker was looking forward to the first day of his last year of school. It was going to be such a long year this time because it was the last year. Maybe playing again this year would make the time go by more quickly.

He put on his helmet and straddled his motorcycle. Since he was running early, he decided to just take the scenic route. He absolutely adored speeding his way beside the beautiful sunrise on the tiny hill across town. It was always so gorgeous. He loved speeding on his bike.

Once he arrived at the school building he did not want to go into. He didn’t want to deal with stupid South Park kids and more drama. He took off his helmet and put it in the seat thing. Then, he put on his chullo hat over his crazy bed hair that he didn’t really care too much about. Everyone was already trying to get his attention and he’d only just got there. All the guys said hi to him and waved at him before running to get their own schedules. It made him a little happy knowing that his friends were happy to see him.

The one thing that bothered Craig that morning was when he saw he had anatomy first period. He pretty much hated having it first thing and not because it was difficult for him, but because he was positive he would fly by with A’s in this class. It was stuff he already knew all about. Craig was a wiz with most sciences considering he’d been planning on becoming a doctor eventually.

Rushing to grab only his twelfth cup of coffee, Tweek let out a loud groan. He was already running late and it was only the first day of the year of senior year. He shook so much at the thought of how much pressure today would hold that he almost spilled his steaming coffee on himself. He practically ran out of his parents’ shop, having stains even through his apron after he’d taken it off. His parents pretty much had him working every second this summer, mainly in the kind of secret back room mixing the coffee in a big pot thing. Tweek didn’t know if he felt mildly relieved to at least be going back to school, but he knew he would pretty much be working for his parents every day after school until he was eighteen. He had been working there illegally since he was in kindergarten.

Once Tweek had walked the seven blocks to school and found his new years’ schedule, he practically ran into his first class, not wanting to be late. He noticed that, of course, the only seat available was beside the one and only Craig Tucker. Only the guy Tweek had been totally in love with since they’d fake dated way back in kindergarten. He’d gone through an totally angsty unrequited love thing back then because he was in love with Craig and to Craig it was all fake. Now, he was only a little feeling better about the whole thing, but he and Craig hadn’t even shared a class for a few years and now he had to sit beside him as his lab partner this entire semester for anatomy class. He was going to die. Craig would be the death of him. As Tweek avoided eye contact, he sat beside Craig. As far away as he possibly could, which wasn’t very. Craig probably didn’t even remember his name.

“Ack!” He squeaked with a jolting motion at the pressure of sitting so close to Craig Tucker for the first time in so many years.

One could say it was a little bit awkward of a situation for Craig, sitting beside Tweek Tweak in the first time in so many years. They had had that whole fake relationship back in elementary school and Tweek had pretty much been his best friend by the end of it. It’s not that he wasn’t on decent terms with the guy. It’s more that Tweek and he hadn’t even shared any classes for so many years that he couldn’t even remember the last time he’d seen Tweek’s face anywhere beside the hallways.

“Hey, so looks like we’re lab partners this semester, Tweek,” Craig said casually as he cleared his throat and wondered why Tweek was on the edge of the desk, so far away from Craig.

“Y-yeah- I guess s-so- sorry-“ he mumbled a bit, feeling bad that Craig was clearly disappointed to have Tweek as his partner. “We can probably switch if you hate me that much-“

Shocked a bit at Tweek’s response, he felt bad, remembering how extreme Tweek’s low self esteem was. He’d always been that way and Craig had always used to try his best as pretty much his only friend to make him feel better. He remembered that Tweek used to call him his rock.

“Hey, I definitely don’t hate you, Tweek, and you have nothing to apologize for. I don’t mind being your partner, either. It’s been a while since we’ve really talked so it’s kind of nice,” Craig tried to assure the other boy. He gazed cautiously at Tweek, trying not to scare him off. He knew he was pretty forward.

“Th- thank you- ACK-“ he said as his eye twitched. Craig Tucker thought talking to Tweek was nice? That would make him the first person to ever think that, and definitely the first to ever say it out loud. It reminded Tweek of why he’d been in love with him way back when so much. He was so candid and so openly caring. Even if it’d been fake. Tweek honestly wasn’t even sure if Craig had ever been actually gay to begin with.

“Still as twitchy as ever, I see,” Craig teased him softly with a small smile up at him as he casually watched Tweek twitch yet again. It brought back memories back in the time of where the two had been best friends. He would probably always cherish them. He hadn’t thought about all this for some time now since Tweek and he hadn’t spoken since the fake break up thing. After that, for some reason, Tweek hadn’t really been as before and then, they’d just lost contact.

“Ack!” Tweek made another noise and dared to look at Craig’s stunning face that he’d always been fond over and took a swig of coffee, before realizing that his coffee was already gone and pulled at his hair.

Craig smiled a bit to himself. Tweek was definitely as twitchy as he remembered. He remembered perfectly well how much the other boy used to get bullied over it. Kids used to claim he was on drugs and all other kinds of annoying bullshit. Anytime Craig had heard anyone say anything negative about his twitchy friend, he had told them to shut the fuck up. Sometimes, he had ended up fighting them because they didn’t stop. He got detention a lot. He always hated people talking badly about Tweek. It turned him into a protective asshole no one should mess with.

“I-uh- heard that you’re good at science stuff? I kind of suck,” Tweek said as he messed with his hair. He didn’t know why he felt so comfortable talking to Craig just then. It was almost like they’d immediately fallen back into their mold of best friends. He already felt as comfortable as he’d come to be so many years ago. Shit, he’d missed this boy. Back in the days when he’d agreed to fake date Craig, easily becoming each other’s best friend and immediately falling for him. Now, he hadn’t talked to many people outside of his parents for months. He kind of sucked at pretty much every subject and he didn’t exactly have time to study properly at all because of his parents constantly making him work.

“What? Oh, I guess I’m alright with this stuff, yeah. Here, I can try to explain some of the basics? I could try to help you with more stuff later, if you want?” Craig responded as he scooted closer to Tweek to help him with their homework. The shorter boy looked at Tweek a bit too long, thinking of how he’d seemed to be different but similar to all those years ago. His face was different, much more… sculpted? He’d also definitely gotten taller, while Craig was now the shorter of the two. He cleared his throat and looked back down to the book between them so he wouldn’t keep staring awkwardly at Tweek.

“Yeah, so you can just switch partners if you want like I said- I just, uh, I- my parents- don’t have a love of time to do homework..” he stumbled over the words for a while, figuring Craig would leave him. He didn’t want him to do that again. Tweek did find it strangely nice that he could at least feel like how he used to feel when he talked to Craig, except Craig and he had both grown up and did Craig just look at him?

“Dude, I’m not leaving you. It’s fine. I can come over to help you more or I can help you at school. Whatever you prefer,” he told him right before the bell rang.

“Here’s my number. Just in case. For...homework or whatever else,” Craig said as he quickly scratched writing on a piece of paper and handed the ripped paper to Tweek, touching his hand briefly accidentally.

“Ack! No! I don’t want to do that- you don’t h-have to do that- I- sorry- i don’t want you to do to do it all yourself..” Tweek stuttered, not wanting to inconvenience Craig more. Tweek had so missed Craig’s voice and his genuineness. He still loved him and it hurt so much more now. Craig’s voice had grown and was sexier and low now. Did Tweek just think that? He couldn’t help but stare at Craig probably for too long. Fuck. He didn’t want to scare the guy away, he just felt himself coming back into the way they used to be when they dated in kindergarten, it was anything but fake for Tweek even though it definitely was for Craig.

“O-okay, thanks,” he said with a tiny blush he hid. When Craig Tucker gave Tweek his number, smiled at him, and waved, Tweek blushed and smiled awkwardly. Their fingers had touched for too long for Tweek to be okay and not have those butterflies back from so long when he used to touch Craig more. He missed holding his hand. He just had nice hands, okay?

Once Craig walked off, Tweek bit his lip and pulled out his schedule, walking towards his next class. He was at least early this time. He saw that they had Mr. Garrison teaching yet a-fucking-gain and he had put a message on the board that they were all sat alphabetically, which by stupid South Park adults standards that pretty much meant Garrison just labeled all their desks however he wanted. Tweek was searching for his name on the desks and eventually ran into Craig Tucker. Again. How did they go from having no classes together to this?! Tweek got wide eyed and blushing all over again as he sat down at his desk.

While Craig walked to his next class, he couldn’t help think that he felt good about talking to Tweek after so long. It was nice being able to talk to them his dork. He smiled yet again at the thought and then walked through the doors of his class to see that he was sitting next to Tweek.. again.

“Guess we are seat buddies again, huh?” he joked with a small chuckle. It seemed the world wanted these two to rekindle their friendship, he thought. Craig looked up and he met a pair of shaky blue eyes that were looking at him and then away from him.

“Sorry! It was assigned I- I swear!” he said jerkily as he tugged his hair. “Sorry-” He had to admit that he still absolutely adored Craig’s eyes and couldn’t help stare yet again before biting his lip.

“It’s fine, Tweek. Calm down. Really, don’t worry about it. I told you before that it’s good to talk to you again,” he assured him with a small smile.

“You think it’s good to see me?!” Tweek couldn’t seem to control his tongue just then and he had to look away from Craig’s total gorgeousness. He had this hypnotic thing and it totally made Tweek a different person, that was always one of the many reasons he loved him.

“I mean, we haven’t talked forever, so yeah. It’s nice. You haven’t changed very much, have you?” Craig teased him gently with a smirk.

“Sorry! Is that a bad thing, that I- I haven’t changed? You have changed a bit...” Craig has most definitely changed physically. His face was so much more shaped and his entire body was just.. not cute kid Craig who’d stolen Tweek’s heart originally, but now he was basically a man and damn. It was just a good look for Craig. “Except most of your personality is the same. You still make me a little more sane.. like before.. little more calm, I mean.

“It’s not a bad thing,” he said simply before smirking teasingly at the taller boy. He’d missed teasing his old friend. “Oh yeah? I’m glad to make you even kind of sane. How else have I changed then?”

“I mean, you’ve gotten a little taller?” He tried to tease him back a bit. Ugh, he missed talking to Craig. The more Craig spoke to Tweek like it was the most normal thing and like Tweek himself was normal only reminded him of how it used to be with them. They actually did have fun doing the fake dating thing.

“Is that right? Maybe you just shrunk? I hear that happens with age,” he raised a brow at Tweek as he continued to kid with him.

“Yeah, maybe you’re right. Guess we’ll have to have someone measure us again,” he actually genuinely laughed with someone for the first time probably since he’d been friends with Craig.

Fuck, he’d forgotten about this guy’s adorable, goofy laugh he’d always had. He’d missed that laugh. It was probably his favorite laugh. It made him smile and remember their childhood. Maybe it’d be nice to get to get to know Tweek as he was now. Maybe they could be friends again. Yeah, that might be nice.

Sadly, as soon as Tweek felt hope at being able to talk more to Craig and feel what Craig had always done to him in his tummy again, the bell rang to signal the beginning of French class. Ugh.

“Well, I have calculus now. You?” Craig sighed with a glanced up to the stupid clock with its stupid loud bells.

“Nope. Guess we have to go now, huh?” Tweek asked with sad puppy dog eyes. Hopefully, they at least had another class or two together later that day.

“Yeah, well, I’m sure we’ll see each other soon especially since we have classes together this semester,” he said a bit hopefully with a smile and wave at Tweek as they gathered their belongings and left.

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