#AU where he just is not hurt in any way and is squeaky clean actually

[momomallowart]

Proof that he showers~ ʕ⁠ ⁠ꈍ⁠ᴥ⁠ꈍ⁠ʔ🚿

[taechaos]

Blackmail

pairing: bully!Jungkook x nerdy!fem!Reader

genre: drabble, smut, college au

synopsis: Jimin offers you information on Jungkook, but your friendship is misconstrued by Jungkook who ends it singlehandedly with one video of you professing your love to him between moans.

warnings: dubcon, fingering, degredation, mild squirting, manipulation

word count: 2.8k

a/n: jealous kook doesn't realize he's jealous. this part is a bit extreme, so beware ><

One doesn't come across someone like Jungkook every day. It's fate that you met him in your first year of college, extending to your second where he grows closer to you; fair, it's clear that he only intends to use you for his academic success, but you've deluded yourself into thinking you're in love with each other. Growing up, you only had your dysfunctional family to teach you about how to love, how to think. As long as Jungkook needs you, he will love you, and you’re willing to do anything to be with him, only him. You need him to live.

Birds sing in the background as you lay on your stomach on the grass of the yard across the campus. It’s sunny and breezy, the perfect spring day as you work on Jungkook’s research paper due next month. You compiled multiple credible sources in a separate file to create an outline for his essay the moment he forwarded the assignment to you. You want him to praise you, pet your hair, kiss your cheek for starting so early so he can turn it in before anyone else. He would be proud, flashing you his pearly whites and adoring eyes. The reward motivates you to work harder and you’re relentlessly skimming through articles while counting down the minutes of Jungkook's lecture. He'll be outside with his friends in 7 minutes.

With a bad childhood, you don’t care to befriend many people. You only have a few friends to keep you company and you’re socially awkward outside of that group. You’re content, so you steer clear of boys who try to sabotage your relationship with Jungkook. Jimin, however, doesn’t get the memo.

Typing away on your laptop, a shadow looms over you to give you a break from the sunlight. You glance up and stop swinging your legs absentmindedly when you recognize the shadow; it’s a boy with frames and a tight collar adorning his neck.

Park Jimin is a typical nerd whereas you’re more of a closeted nerd. When you’re in love, you usually put more effort into your appearance to impress the one on your mind, but that doesn’t work with Jungkook. It’s always other men giving you their attention through second glances, and that includes Jimin.

“What do you want?” you rudely greet. Jimin is ruthless with his attempts at pursuing you; he’s the perfect gentleman, and often volunteers to do group tasks with you. He is never mean to anyone, and has a squeaky clean reputation, but his only flaw is that he can’t take a hint. You don't bother being friendly to him because you don't want friends.

"I want to know why you look so happy," he bends over to curiously glance at your screen, "while doing homework?"

You slam the monitor closed to stop his ogling. "You wouldn't get it. And stop watching me," you sternly say.

"What's your secret?" he grins and sits down on the grass next to you with crossed legs. His upper body serves as a shade and you stop squinting.

"There is no secret, I was just in a good mood until you came along." You're not upset, but you don't want to lead Jimin on and he won't leave unless you blow him off.

"Thinking of Jungkook?" he teases with a mischievous smile.

"Are you stalking me?"

"No, you're just too obvious," he chuckles, but the sound is strained. You don't notice his melancholy as he continues, "You were doing his homework again?"

You shift on your propped elbows a little uncomfortably. Jimin doesn't need to know what you do in your free time. "Yes," you answer anyway.

"You know he has daddy issues?"

Your eyes round as your discomfort dissipates instantly; he's piqued your interest. "Really?"

"Yeah, he has a tough exterior but he's actually a real softie."

An involuntary smile carves on your face before it falters as you ask, "How do you know this?"

"We went to high school together. I can tell you some stories if you want," he boasts when he realizes he has your attention. The context makes his heart sink, but when he imagines your lovesick grin is directed at him, it fills him with joy.

"Tell me, tell me! Please."

"Weeell," he draws with a lopsided grin, "don't tell him I told you this, but he used to hate girls. I don't know if he still does, but back then he couldn't even stand talking to a girl."

"Why?" your eyes are wide with interest as you whisper.

He shrugs, "No idea, but he hit a girl once when she wouldn't stop clinging onto him. Not like drop-kick her," he laughs, "he just shoved her on the ground. Be careful with him, okay? He can be very aggres-"

"You guys forming a nerd club now?"

You gasp when you hear Jungkook's voice. When you look up at him, he's almost glaring as his eyes flicker from you to Jimin. You're gleeful at his approach, because he never comes to you unless it's about a new assignment. It flutters your heart to see him without any papers in his hand.

You don't take his subtle insult to heart as you immediately respond, "No, we were just talking. H-Hi."

"Pull down your skirt, you look like a whore. I can see your panties all the way from the gates," he seethes in distaste. You instantly sit up with a blush and tug your skirt down to your knees. He looks back at Jimin who's glaring at him under his lashes, "The fuck's your deal?"

"Nothing," Jimin grits. Although he hates Jungkook's guts, he's too smart to fight a lost cause. He has his own set of muscles, but it isn't enough. It's best to accept defeat now.

"Did you start on the paper?" Jungkook asks you.

"Yes, I-"

"Good," he cuts you off and crouches to peck your lips by pulling the back of your neck. You're stunned when he pulls away and nonchalantly walks off to his friends.

Jimin follows him with his eyes and mutters under his breath, "douche."

Your heart is racing and you clamp a hand over your chest as a lovestruck smile spreads across your face. You know this is your end of the bargain, but it never fails to shrivel you up in delight.

"Are you two dating?" he mumbles as he pulls on the grass with a pout.

"Something like that," you exhale as you caress your lips.

It’s become routine to link up with Jimin where he reminisces his high school memories and you don’t doubt a single word he says unless it sheds a bad light on Jungkook. You’ve learned so much about him in the past few days, and you’re eager to know more. He likes energy drinks to this day, he was athletic in school and often got into fights. He began interacting with girls when he entered college, as Jimin says, “only for a quick fuck.”

Though it hurts Jimin that you only talk to him for information on Jungkook, he can’t bring himself to care when you hang onto every word he says with a glint in your eyes like you’re doing now.

You're sitting in the bustling cafeteria across from Jimin, sipping on a homemade strawberry lemonade from your thermos, and you don't notice Jungkook glancing at your table every now and then. It is the first time he doesn't feel your heavy gaze on him. Jimin does notice however, because he is facing him every time he receives a threatening ferile look.

"He could become a lawyer with how much he blackmailed the teachers to give him a good grade," Jimin tells you as he glances back and forth between you and Jungkook. "He's quite dangerous, you know. He's manipulative, a liar and has no empathy-"

"He's clever," you counter defensively, "he knows how to get around the system."

He makes a disgruntled noise from the back of his throat with a grimace. "I don't think the judge would listen to that."

You laugh at his comparison of the conversation to a court hearing. Jimin can be funny sometimes, and you have to admit that he's not that bad of a friend either. You've come to enjoy his company without the topic of Jungkook the past few days, but talking about him is always appreciated.

"Are you the judge then?" you cheekily ask.

"I might as well be, since I'm not biased like a certain someone," he teases with a grin.

"A lawyer has to see the bright side of things, but if I was the prosecutor, I wouldn't tell you that your lecture is in five minutes."

His smile falters as his eyes widen; you remember his schedule? He ran late for a lecture yesterday, but he’s in disbelief that you reminded him today. "Th-Thanks," he breathes as he packs up his belongings before giving you a curt, shy nod. His heart pounds when he walks away, and he resists the urge to look back at you.

It's a good idea, because that's when Jungkook settles down on his former seat.

"I'm thinking you might be forgetting who you belong to," he starts as he gets comfortable on the stiff chair. You instantly smile at his appearance.

"No, I'm very well aware of it." Your tone is high-pitched in excitement.

"It wasn't a question."

"Oh..."

“You talk more than you work,” he observes with a quirk of his brow. “One would think another nerd would be a better influence on you.”

“I work at night,” you defend worriedly, “I promise I’m not slacking off. Can I get a kiss please?”

You’re so adorable when you’re needy. He hides a smirk with a bite of his lip; he thrives from your loyalty to him, but he knows Jimin is a threat to it. He wants you to stop talking to that freak, and he justifies it as a concern for his grades. “I’ll kiss you when you’re not procrastinating. Do you think you deserve even a pat on the head?”

“I do! I’m halfway done with the research paper, please Jungkook,” you beg pathetically, “I-I’ll show it to you, I have it with me right now.” You start unzipping the case of your laptop until he holds up a hand for you to stop.

“You’re going to read it to me, but not here.”

When he stands up, so do you in a haste. He leaves the cafeteria with you hot on his tail, almost jogging when his strides are much bigger compared to yours. You resemble a clueless lamb following a lion, desperate to hold his claws with your hooves. You don’t know where he’s leading you as you walk down the halls until you stop in front of a door. You’re about to freak out when he swings open the door, but you realize the lecture room is empty.

“You want me to read here?” you inquire meekly. It’s a little intimidating to do it in complete silence, because you have a tendency to stutter when reading out loud and you don’t want to embarrass yourself in front of Jungkook where no one can talk over you. 

“Yup.” He snatches your laptop case from your hand with the handle, and roughly opens it before placing the device on the front row wooden desk. It’s a large hall, and the desks stretch out to the half of the room. You’re feeling stage fright for no particular reason; it feels like reverse claustrophobia. “Open the document and give me your phone.”

You don’t question him and hand in your phone before going through your files on the laptop. Jungkook is looking through your contacts and grins when he finds himself saved as: the love of my life ♡. Jimin is saved by his name, and he finds his WhatsApp through his information below. Once he opens your empty chat with him, he switches to your camera and pushes your back so you’re bent over the desk. You sharply inhale and ask, “Kook?” 

“Don’t get distracted now,” he lightly scolds and starts pulling down your pants. You stopped wearing skirts after the incident a week ago to appease him. You stammer with your back arched, and your ass is on full display for him. It’s humiliating. “Start reading.”

“H-Humans are- Jungkook?” you warily look back at Jungkook when he slides the slit of your panties to the side.

“Are you slacking off?” he condescends. 

You bite your lip anxiously and continue reading, “Humans are social animals that n-need social interaction,” Jungkook spits in his hand, “the extent of our social relationships is the most important predictor of h-happiness.” You squeal when you feel wet fingers graze your folds, but you know better than to stop and ask what he’s doing.

“Continue,” he coaxes softly as he brushes his fingertips over your pussy lips. 

“Um, o-one of the main reasons our brains have developed the way they have is so that we can be social,” you speak between shaky breaths. Your cheeks are tinted crimson with embarrassment from his touches; why is he pleasuring you when he specifically told you, you didn’t deserve any? “Being happy a-all of the time is neither possible nor desirable.”

“Is it now?” He slips a finger in your cunt and you involuntarily let out a cry as you push your body forward. You don’t notice him holding up your phone behind you while slowly sliding his finger in and out of you. His saliva is mixing with your arousal as you answer in a gasp, “Yes.”

“Tell me why.”

“B-Because negative feelings are natural. When it comes to negative feelings, the most important thing to remember is to learn,” you pause to exhale with quivering lips, “to control certain potentially harmful thoughts.” You whine his name when another finger is added to your heat. You’re moving your hips back and forth until he slaps your wet folds as a warning. “Sorry,” you peep and continue in a breath, “Happiness all of the time entails epistemic irrationality.”

It’s difficult to keep your eyes open when you just want to indulge in his thrusts, but you’re encouraged to stop reading when he doesn’t comment on your moans. His pace is quickening and you chase his fingers with your hips, cum dripping down his wrist as you mewl.  

“You enjoying yourself, whore?”

You nod and whimper, “So much.” You’re clutching the edge of the desk as he fingers you with fervor.

“And you're my girl?” 

“Yes, all yours, I love you so much,” you pant, not stopping for a moment to question his words. He has a full view of your sopping wet cunt on the camera, and he lightly blows on you, making you shiver. He’s recording you confess your love for him while getting fingered.

“Only me?” he presses.

“Only you, Jungkook, I love you more than anything,” you slur as you start to feel a knot in your stomach.

“Then pee.”

“Wh-What?”

“Touch your clit and pee.” He removes his fingers from your clenching hole and takes a step back. “Prove your love to me.”

You mourn the loss of his hand while staring wide-eyed at the floor. You’re contemplating his demand as your hand slowly reaches down to your clit. Is he asking you to squirt? Your breathing is shallow as you near your climax, and you still don’t know if you’ll go through with his requirement.

It drips out in tiny drops as you come undone, moaning as clear liquid spills out of you for only a few seconds. 

“Good girl, my good little girl,” Jungkook whispers as he intently watches you humiliate yourself in the name of love. You’re twitching and trembling in shame when he stops recording you and sends it to Jimin without a second’s waste. “Are you okay, baby?”

You hum with a pout as you collect yourself by standing up straight, a sway in your posture. 

“Give me your panties, you’ve made a mess on the floor,” he chastises as he holds out a hand. You slip and step out of them before giving it to him. In return, he passes your phone before feigning a gasp, “Shit, I think I sent Jimin a video of you when I was trying to forward it to my phone.”

Your mouth falls open as heat consumes your entire being. “H-Huh?” Tears brim in your eyes almost instantly; your heart is pounding from anxiety.

“How will you ever look at him now,” he empathizes with a fake frown. “He must think of you as such a slut now.”

“Let me delete it,” you panic as you open your phone. “Wh-Where is it?”

He motions you to give him the phone and opens WhatsApp after. “He’s already seen it.” There are two blue ticks under the message.

“No, no, no,” you pull your hair in agony with a whimper. You quickly put your pants back on and cry as you do so.

“I guess that’s the end of your friendship,” he raises his eyebrows to himself without a hint of sympathy.

“What do I do?!” you wail and fling your hands in stress.

“Avoid him. I’ll make sure he won’t leak it.”

He steps forward to lean in your face intimidatingly. “And don’t talk to him ever again.”

You don’t exactly have a choice now, do you? 

[akumaalert]

not a request just sharing bc i couldn't stop thinking of just "what if lucky called heis good boy" like how he calls her good girl sometimes but like.. i'm pretty sure he would break

This was supposed to be a mini-fic....but...uh....it'll likely be the first chapter of "Divergence" instead LMAO But hope you enjoy!

Good Boy

Karl Heisenberg x Reader, Explicit

CW: Masturbation, Accidental Voyeurism, Voyeurism, Happy Ending, Virgin!Karl Heisenberg

An AU happening during chapter 19 of "Heavy Metal Lover" but can be read without reading the main story.

"Unfh..."

That had been the first noise from Lucky besides the scratch of a pencil against paper that he had heard in about an hour.

Stuck in his office with her as he searched for a misplaced - not lost, just misplaced! - core schematic, Heisenberg tried to ignore the nagging thought of how domestic the space had become. Lucky never moved his things - something he was infinitely grateful for. He could recall too well his ever boiling frustration at having his room "cleaned" when living in the castle. The maids were well-meaning, but always adjusting. The room he had held would have felt more his own had he been able to move his own furniture around without the chambermaids fawning over him.

"No, no, young Lord Heisenberg! This is all wrong...off you go...go play...we will fix this mess."

Now on his own and in his element of chaos, he felt comforted, even if secretly so, that Lucky never seemed to complain.

Comforted...but cautious.

The day at the stronghold seemed stamped into his memory...right in the front for all to see. It remained a wonder Lucky didn't see it on his face.

The knowledge.

The horrible, horrible knowledge.

Love.

Staring at an old newspaper clip-out that he had saved with a picture of a modern car on its faded pages, he absently pushed the glasses back up his nose.

It tired him - the constant need to flip back and forth between acknowledging his feelings and thrusting them as far down as he could manage. Drowning them out with that beautiful sound of cinching machinery. Allowing them to seep into him with every laugh from her lips.

Heisenberg was starting to fall in love with the woman. The woman he had failed to kill - the lucky one to survive his maze. The woman his mother expected him to impregnate in order for Miranda's mad vessel to be born and to be killed all in the name of misery.

Misery otherwise known as Eva.

Slowly but certainly, Lucky was driving him insane. Reminding him of things he could never, ever have. Teasing him over and over for days on end.

Heisenberg remembered all too well his reason for entering the office. He had nearly sliced his own arm clean off his shoulder when he lost himself to his situation. To the possibility that, despite his body being so ill-suited for the task, Lucky could have his child. Would want his child. His thoughts, as they so often did, snapped back to the need for freedom - for the need for the arms to come loose from his latest corpse to transform them into one of his many soldiers.

But the more he thought of freedom, the more she sat in the background of his mind.

The more she sat there, the more his tired musings began to stitch together.

The more freedom and Lucky - the two dreams of his world - became intertwined.

He had been thinking of her - of Lucky - beside him the day that he won freedom from the village.

Won freedom...and her.

"You did it, Heis! You did it!"

Lucky would never know how dear it was to him...the fact that her emotions ran so freely with her very being. Beaming. She would do nothing less than beam at him. Her eyes would glow and crinkle at their tails as they did when she gave him her most genuine smiles.

"You did it. You're free. Our...our family is free."

"...family?"

She would grab his hand. Just one. He needed the other steady on her cheek.

Lucky would bring that hand clasped in her own to her belly.

"Our family..."

"Our...another...another Heisenberg?"

In his dreams, she shyly escaped his gaze to nod.

"You...you haven't been alone. Not with me. Not with the start of our family. But now...now, Heis..." Her eyes popped back up all soft and sincere. "Now you'll never be alone again. Not with our baby Heisenberg on the way..."

The only break from his reverie was the slice to one of his favorite stained t-shirts. Only the fact that it was Heisenberg's powers directing the saw had it falling to the floor instead of through his tensed skin.

Heisenberg could only stand in shocked silence. The arm that had been spared from the violence came to grab his shoulder. Though no injury had occurred, he felt stabbed all the same.

Family...and joy?

Lucky...with him?

Another Heisenberg...alive?

A thought washed over him like ice entering his veins.

A boy or a girl...would we have a boy or a girl first?

First.

As if Lucky wished to be objected to more of his perverted and preposterous daydreams.

When he left the room, the metal was still shaking.

"Gotta get that fucking schematic...keep forgetting it...keep going to the office and...fuck...keep talking to her. Gotta stop fucking talking to her. Schematic. Get the fucking schematic."

Lucky had been asleep in bed when he first entered. A rushing relief to his soul. But as the search for the schematic went from flipping through one file to frantically reshuffling the wayward stack the paper should have been in, he knew it was only a matter of time before she would appear.

"Oh...ah!" Lucky yawned all cute and squeaky. "Good morning, Heis."

"Morning," he said flatly. "You...you move any of these lately?"

"No," she said sleepily. "I don't touch those...way above my pay grade. What are you looking for?"

"Core schematic," he grumbled. "Not fucking here...where the hell did I put it?"

Though Lucky made a very pointless questioning noise, she said nothing as she sat down and began her daily transcriptions. Hell, he had been grateful. She showed concern because she was simply a good person beneath all of the trauma and the terror she had reigned on his self-image. But she didn't pry or attempt to enter his space afterward where she would clearly only be in the way.

But that was before her second moan filled the office.

"What's wrong with you?" he asked, never looking up from his stack of papers.

A frustrated sigh and a grumble came from the desk chair.

"Think I slept on my neck funny last night," she said. "Doesn't help that my posture is shit. Just making it impossible to find a good angle to work in."

Growing agitated at his fruitless search, Heisenberg whipped around to look at her. "Want some help?"

"Mmn?"

"Want a massage or something?" he offered. "A...ha! You'll find this funny. Supersized one up in the castle? Used to love to make me massage her neck when I was a kid. Fucking manual labor when I was barely old enough to write. Had maids to do it - an assload at that - and forced me to instead."

Raising an eyebrow at him, Lucky frowned. "Was it...did she...did she hurt you? Like...if you didn't do it?"

"Ah nah," he said, taking careful steps over to Lucky. "Told you...when I was a kid, I was off limits. I whine about it now...but...well...I was a kid. Bitch loves kids. So I had to massage her back...but only part of this stupid salon thing we used to do together. It was nothing. Stupid. Just like her."

He did not know what to make of Lucky's face. Tilting her head, she steadied a look on him that could only be called curious.

"It's...it's a good memory? Of Alcina when you were small?"

Heisenberg scoffed.

"It's a memory," he said, standing behind Lucky with a wide stance and an even wider stare at her neck. "Not good or bad...just...there. Now...where's it hurt, kid?"

Raising a hand, Lucky placed her fingers on a section of her neck before swirling her touch.

"Ah...there...like just this one spot, but fanning out..."

"Okay...looks like your C7."

"My what now?"

Chuckling, Heisenberg moved her hand out of the way. "Your C7 vertebrae. Duck your chin down so I can get in here properly."

Doing as she was told, Lucky's head moved forward and Heisenberg placed his gloved hands against her neck. His thumbs encased the pained area and began to move in slow yet sturdy circles.

Lucky immediately began squirming.

"Can you maybe try without the gloves?" she asked. "Those are like...rough or something."

Casting off his gloves quickly, Heisenberg rolled his shoulders before trying again. "Wah, wah, wah...doing you a favor and you're out here complaining. That better, your highness?"

"Yes, actually," she said, relaxing. "And thank you. Asshole."

Puffing air out of his mouth, Heisenberg merely shook his head as he kneaded her skin.

"Mmn!"

Heisenberg tried to hide his stillness by immediately starting to massage her skin again.

But the noise could not be ignored.

"What was that?"

"Your hands...they're so warm. Fuck...feels good."

"Oh..." he said dumbly. Blinking down at her, he turned his head away as he kept his fingers in motion.

The fact that his cock had begun to waken in his pants was not lost on him.

"Are you using your electric powers? Is that why it feels so good?"

"Nah...really shouldn't do that on the living above the waist."

Above the waist...but below the waist...

"Ah," he continued, running his teeth over the scar on his lower lip. "Cause of the heart or whatever. Probably your brain too from this angle. Could fry both without meaning to. And I was working...earlier. Probably why they feel hot."

Lucky sighed as he continued to work her neck. His fingers were sweeping but slow. He had started off so intently and so rough. What had happened?

I felt her skin. Felt her beneath me. Felt her neck...for all she knows I could snap it right now and instead of being afraid she's welcoming me...she trusts me...trusts me enough to let me do this...

The next round of his fingers on her neck dipped into skin purposeful in their worship.

Her response was immediate.

"Oh...oh...good boy," she whispered.

To say he was lost for words was like calling water wet.

Though he kept his massage in a rhythmic round, his eyes were wide as they could possibly be behind his glasses. So wide that they hurt.

What the hell did she just do to me?

If he had to go off of physical injury, he would say she punched him in the stomach with all the force of a train running at full speed.

If he had to go off of an attack to his psyche, he would say she wormed her way into some long buried and forgotten wire that sent his entire brain into overdrive.

If he had to go off the erection now straining against his paints, he would say that he was royally fucked.

"You really are so good at this," she said, her voice still breathless. "Good boy...my good boy, Heis."

Heisenberg snatched his hands away as if Lucky were lava.

"Wait! No...what's wrong?" she asked, turning slightly to look at him.

If she looks down...if she sees...

"GOTTA TAKE A SHIT!" he exclaimed suddenly.

Lucky's mouth dropped open as she gaped at him.

Then she nodded with a laugh playing at her lips.

"Yeah. Go. Just come back and finish your massage."

Before he could finish blinking, he found himself storming down the hallway.

Well...intending to storm. His gait was impacted a bit by his dick standing at full mast and his hands hurriedly attempting to unbuckle the straps around his pants.

So FUCKING dumb. A shit? Really? he thought, visibly grimacing. It would have probably been less embarrassing to admit I was about to jack it to her calling me hers.

Hers...her good boy...good...I'm her good boy...hahaha...

What am I? A fucking dog?

...don't answer that.

Rushing into the break room, he considered the couch before catching sight of the bathroom. With a flick of one wrist as his other hand pulled his cock from his underwear and pants, Heisenberg slammed open the bathroom door.

He managed to slide his pants down his legs as he sat on the toilet and closed the door with the weakest of hand movements.

Finally free from judgment, Heisenberg hissed as he fumbled his glasses to the nearby counter and took himself into his hand.

"Good boy...her good boy...fuck...fuck yeah I am, baby..."

A groan and a grunt fell from his lips as he jerked his hand along his shaft.

All too often this act had been nothing but release from tension. An exploration so technical and so tedious as to be boring. But now with Lucky at his side and in his bed - however platonically she slept there - the images that plagued him seemed vibrantly real and tempting in their joyful teasing.

Imaginings - hopes and dreams and fantasies - that he could only cling onto in the moment.

The desk.

He would take her right on that same desk she was taking notes on.

"Oh, Karl," she would say, despite not knowing his first name. "Gonna be my good boy?"

"Yes," he said aloud, eyes closing and mind prickling with sights of her and waves of pleasure.

Lucky would be splayed on his desk - lying on her back and presenting herself to him as if she were a meal to be consumed instead of a darling treasure to worship.

"That's good...only good boys are allowed to fuck me. Isn't that what you want?"

"Yes...yes...god fucking damnit. YES." Huffing and hating the tremble in his thighs, Heisenberg bucked into his hand. "Yes...only me...wanna be your good boy. I'll be so good for you. Only you, Mein Schatz..."

A dirty laugh from her lips. The Lucky of his dreams becoming more and more defined as she palmed one breast and teased her clit with the fingers of her other hand.

"Mmm...know what you're saying you know...my treasure...that's so cute...been feeling the same way about you lately...thinking of you...dreaming of you...my good boy want to tell me what else he's been feeling? Mmn? Big boy wanna tell me before you put your cock inside of me?"

Lips loose along with his pleasure, Heisenberg found he could not build his voice to say the words aloud.

So he mouthed them instead. Mouthed them and stuttered in his quest for pleasure as his hand curled about his shaft at the "lah" tipping silently from his tongue.

"Oh, darling..." A smile. She'd smile. Genuine and sweet and sincere and all for him. "I love you too, Karl."

"Mmnnn....ah...fu-UCK!" With a panicked inhale, Heisenberg quickly pinched the head of his cock to prevent his end from coming too soon. "No, no, no...not yet...not yet...please..."

Though the pleasure was unlike anything he had previously experienced and his calves clenched in protest of a release delayed, his oncoming orgasm stalled and began to fade.

"Such a good boy," said Lucky, eyeing him in his fantasy like she would look at a drink of water on a hot day. "That's right. You don't come until I tell you to. Understand?"

A nod of his head.

"Good, good boy. My good boy. Good Karl. Come on...think it's time you got your treat...here...I'll help you..."

With her fingers moving to fully expose the inside of that wet and preciously pink pussy of hers, Lucky looked up at him with a lidded look.

Heisenberg had no experience with another person when it came to handling his physical pleasure. Hell, with any pleasure or positive feeling at all. Except maybe the triumph of victory over others, he had never had the chance to experience happiness - true happiness and trust and faith in another soul.

Until her.

And for her...for her he would indulge and give himself freely...if only locked away inside of his mind.

Inexperience taking a back seat to passion, he pictured himself guiding his cock into her waiting and welcoming body. Maybe he would steady himself with a hand on her hip or simply with a heated stare into her eyes.

He all but strangled his cock to try to mimic a feeling he had never known and had never thought to miss before her.

"Uh-huh," whined Lucky in his dreams. "Oh...you're so big...fill me up just right. So fucking thick..."

"Hah...ah...your good boy big enough for you?"

"Yes...oh yes...yes...so big...such a perfect dick...please...please Karl...Heis...please, baby, please...Heis?"

When he began to rut into his own hand with a purpose, he felt flames like that of standing directly beside the blaring crucible dancing across his cheeks. Though some of his daydream seemed vague and hard to read, he had enough to know that he could not delay the inevitable for much longer. Lucky - the real and actual Lucky - was still waiting for him back in the office. Waiting and none the wiser to his desperate need for her affection. It sickened him - the want for anything and everything to do with her.

Sickened him...and sent electric shocks of white pleasure down his spine.

"So fucking perfect...you're so fucking perfect for me, Lucky...oh..."

"Heis..."

"Huh...ah...already so close...so damn worked up...can't stand it...can't stand you looking like that..."

"Like what?"

Heaving and heatedly squirming where he sat, Heisenberg noticed for the first time that one of his boots jutted up and down on the floor beneath him. As if his entire body refused to be still.

"Most beautiful fucking thing I've ever seen," he bit out. "Please...please, Luck...I know it's soon...but please..."

A tilted head and a gentle grin. A pointer finger that danced around her clit and drew his eyes away only long enough for her to breathe out shallow and short. His eyes snapped back to hers immediately.

"Please what?"

"Please let me come...let me come inside you...wanna...wanna take you...claim you...don't want you with anyone else ever again."

Glinting eyes and lush eyelashes.

"You're gonna be all that to me, Heis? Well...in that case..."

Her lips finding his own. His very first kiss - albeit imaginary. Her lips soft but without taste. His own lips puckering even as they trembled from the need for more.

"In that case," she continued, taunting him in his ear. "Come, Heis. Be a good boy and come for me."

Hindsight would have him chastising himself for not thinking to grab some tissue. In the moment, however, he was too busy panting and watching his cum dot the floor in thick strips. Heisenberg growled...tried to hold on to the image of her with one eye still closed.

Reality settled in on him. Settled in even as his stomach quivered underneath his shirt and his orgasm began to relax into his bones. It was pleasant and his every nerve seemed to stand on edge. Tingles of pleasure radiated from his chest to his feet flat against the floor. Gulping in air, he knew he had never come so hard before in his life. It was good...great even.

But it was not her. It was not enough.

Clean up was a quick and tedious affair. Lucky could not know what he had done in her quarters. The tissues he found too late to wipe his seed from the floor were tossed and flushed away. He checked the room once and then again once his shades were back on his face.

Finishing the belt at the top of his pants, he cleared his throat before exiting.

The television in the break room still hummed though it sat completely dead in the meager light from the ceiling.

Shit...glad she wasn't in here. Never had anyone here to care about when I got down to business...no telling what my powers do with electronics...

The schematic. He had to find that damn schematic.

Trying to level his breathing as he stalked the hallway, Heisenberg considered the day before him. Lucky had not wished to attend a revitalization attempt with him yet. While he didn't intend to push her into seeing something that might scar her again, it might be worthwhile to have her eyes in the room at some point. She hadn't complained about the notes yet. Maybe he should offer? Make it sound like a small deal and let her in when it was near completion? Give her a taste before exposing her to more?

Fucking stupid...it's all so fucking stupid...what happened to me? If she were any assistant, I would just drag her ass there and have her record the whole thing. Fuck me with all this concerned shit.

But she's not just any assistant...

Entering the office, he stilled at the doorway when he saw Lucky facing him from her chair.

"Uh...hey," he said, licking his lips. "Sorry about that. Took...ah...let's just forget it."

"Actually," she began. "I need to be honest with you. Because of what happened before..."

Eyebrows shooting up, he stood in silence before she continued.

"Um...so...I was sitting here...sitting here and trying to rub my neck or whatever..."

"Yes?"

"Well...the radio came on and it freaked me out a little bit..." She paused, her fidgety look dropping to the floor. "But...the more I listened...the more I...recognized your voice."

"My...my voice?"

"Yes."

Heisenberg could not move. He shouldn't be looking at her, but he was afraid if he blinked that the tension would break and she would begin laughing or cursing or, worst of all, apologizing.

"Umm...it...I heard you. And I guess you were...I guess it was real time." A tent of her fingers and a swallow in her throat. "I heard your comment and responded and...I think...I think you could hear me too. Possibly? You seemed to...seemed to be replying to what I said directly."

Shame. Shame for a million years fell on his shoulders that had felt so light before.

"Where?" he managed to say. "Where did you come in? What comment did you respond to?"

How she looked at him, he had no idea. She was far braver than he could ever be. Heisenberg planned to face down Miranda without a single hesitation one day on that glorious battlefield where his freedom could be won.

But now? Faced with Lucky standing and walking toward him with the full weight of her eyes upon him?

He looked away.

"You said...you asked me if my good boy was big enough for me."

The purr in her voice. The sound of her steps growing closer. The burn in his throat.

"After that," she said. "I called your name...I...responded to you and you to me."

"That didn't...I..." He shook his head. "I...umm..."

"Can I hold your hand?"

Head shooting up, Heisenberg caught her heated look. The same heated look she had worn in his dreams.

He nodded. Nodded even though he barely registered it until she took his hand and steps to press herself flush against him.

When she spoke, it was hushed and low.

For him and him only.

"I'm going to go to the bathroom...freshen up. Since we know you can communicate from the radio to the television...I want you to tell me when it's okay to come back here. I'm giving you two options."

Heisenberg hung on her every word and looked at her as if she controlled his every movement.

"The first...you can leave. Can give me enough time to go there...find what you were looking for...then tell me you're off to do whatever. I won't mention this again. We won't mention it."

Silence fell between the two of you. A crackle of the radio to the side of the room.

"And the other option?" he asked, voice nearly breaking.

A shy look. A happy tilt of her lips.

"The other option...you can rest for a bit before I come back here and make whatever fantasy you were having come true."

A mouth drier than dry left his tongue feeling too large. Too large and too needed to swipe across his lips.

"You don't have to answer now-"

"The second one," he said. "Second one. Want that one. Screw the first one."

A bright and happy smile. A smile that crinkled the tail of her eyes and lit up her face.

She was beaming at him. Squeezing his hand before parting from him.

Not for long...not for damn long if he could help it.

"You give me the word then, good boy," she teased, walking out of the room.

Legs nearly buckling and sending him to the ground, Heisenberg took uneasy steps to his office chair before throwing himself on it. His entire body buzzed, though it seemed far less like electricity and far more like promise and hope. Not love on her end...not yet. But a maybe. Potential.

More.

Grinning stupidly and looking at the desk, he made quick work of clearing the area for the fun he planned on having from his daydream to come true.

As soon as he picked up the recorder Lucky used to transcribe his notes, Heisenberg saw it.

That damned schematic.

His last visit to this same room. A note on said schematic stating "DON'T FORGET" in large words. A note he carelessly put there before guiding Lucky to sit down to look at her transcriptions and laugh with her over the sixth stable boy in one week to die of drunken stupidity.

Quietly and contentedly, he opened the desk drawer to stuff the schematic inside.

"Mmn...don't think I'll need you for a while yet actually..." Eyeing the radio on the wall, Heisenberg tossed his glasses to the table and tried to slick and perfect the wiry hair about his head. "Oh, Lucky, honey...room is ready whenever you are...and so is your good boy."

[6blackfilin9]

I love your Anko fanart! Tell me, what are your views/headcannons on Anko X Kazuku?

hThank you so much for the ask, finally I can answer it

here is my big thank you for the waitng

In a nutshell, the shipp was created by accident while me and my buddy were working on our first Naruto AU in 2019, where Kakuzu and Deidara survived their shitty plotholes end eventually ended up in Konoha

Yeah

so, the shipp’s birth date is july the 1, 2019

anything like classy, aristocracy kind of tension-filled passionate gothic romance with playful, psychological games & hurt/comfort vibes with slight scent of rivalry is KakuAnko

Basically, they are: a very, very old man with absolutely horrendous background who’s trying to finally have his mother*cking 10 or 30 years of peace, and a rather young lady with a rocky youth who’s being good & noble yet has very strong antihero tendencies

You know, I think they do have potential, since, in fact, they seem to be very similar, at the core

They are both very pragmatic realists, the people of logic and reason, yet if Kakuzu’s irritability doesn’t affect him a tiny bit due to his ideal self-control, Anko’s can lead her to quite bad places, sometimes. They put their interests in the first place, and even though she tries to attach them to Konoha’s, she still has ‘personal’ things (I’ll write ‘bout it lower*). Their mindsets are so complicatedly organized that, at some point & way, it prevents them from having many close people, and makes them very hard to see through and predict

Both of them are very flexible & adaptive, independent individuals with similar outlooks on plenty of things and high intellectual level. They clearly can find plenty of traits that they would highly respect and adore in each other

Here I will speak mostly for “why and how” kind of things, bc both of them are terribly tricky to accurately figure out. But there will be some headcanons too

So, there are still some odds about them, due to the strong difference in their occupation, like, in plenty of cases they are really tricky to be brought together, because:

- Of the job

In original, Anko is a Konoha’s special jounin, and she is very dedicated to serving the country. Independently of whether she likes her job or not (depends on the plot), she orienteers at the people, at society’s gain from her work. So, accordingly, in any other AU her job is somehow connected to civil service, whether it’s something police-like, connected to science, or something like CCG in Tokyo Ghoul

Kakuzu, on the other hand, is a hitman and a persona non grata in literally all the five big countries, Konoha too (which makes it barely possible to bring them together in the original universe without hard complications or heavy drama. But still possible). He orienteers on his own gain alone, but, depending on the job, it can include others’ gain, too.

This detail makes him a saint once he holds supervising position in some company or any high position in the government (the better the working conditions of the staff now- the more money in the prospective), and the sheer nightmare once he has it on the opposite side of the law. Him as a mob boss is a complete different topic for discussion, but to get the point, in this case, the trouble isn’t him increasing the level of criminality (its rather vice-versa), but taking hold of too much control in the high and underground structures. Even as an ordinary hitman he’s rather tricky, since everything depends on the case

In most of the stories, they come to some sort of compromise, and how hard it is to reach it depends on how shitty his job is and how attached they are to each other at the moment

Like, in the above mentioned Shippuden AU and Harry Potter AU (which I also wrote with my buddy) everything went like clockwork, because there they are both more or less on this side of the law, in Tokyo Ghoul AU (which I also wrote with my buddy) it is a bit more complicated, with her being in-law and him being very much outlaw, in the Avatar AU (which I also figured out with my buddy, but we never happened to write it) it is also pretty smooth, with both of them being outlaws and then jumping out to the glory after all the shit is done, but in another Shippuden AU of mine, this all would be just a motherfucking bloody disaster

- Kakuzu is actually a hard nut to get attached to anyone

He lived too long to be truly afraid of anything, though. Its mostly because he doesn’t really need to get attached to or become close with someone to satisfy his need for communication. The man can get along with anyone once he wishes to, he can have countless acquaintances and plenty of buddies, but he doesn’t have many comrades and barely can call anyone a friend. Because he is used to lose everything and everyone he ever had or happened to have, because of his inhumanly lengthened lifespan.

It requires time for him to get used to the person, and then, eventually, in some cases, spend plenty of it to get attached

Plus, for him, due to his profession, each close connection is a really great responsibility for him. In most cases, he’d think twice of weather he is ready to take it or not

Though it of course has the personal factor, too

In Anko’s case, she has a grand privilege by being a very intelligent and keen woman, not just in cognitive plane, but in emotional, too. High emotional intellect is actually a rare trait, so she automatically stands out of the crowd for him. Even though it won’t guarantee his alliance, it will grant her his high respect and some sort of sympathy

- Kakuzu is, technically, an asshole

He does have his moral compass, which includes a great amount of common social morality, but he also has that “I am working” state

Even though Kakusu has a set of professional principles, and he still acts accordingly to what he thinks is right, one and the very same situation can be solved diametrically different once the context changes from working to casual and vice versa

This, and him being very independent and quite antisocial, makes the degree of assholeness depend on various factors

This can lead to major conflicts of interests, and if they are possible to have any compromise or not is strongly attached to the circumstances. After all, both are very, very prideful and dignified people

- In other words, the only major issue for them would be morality questions. It’s possible to make the case acceptable for Anko, since both of them ain’t truly squeaky clean, along with Kakuzu being willing enough to watch his borders

- She is provident and doesn’t really need a lot of money on a daily basis, which is much of a joy to him lol

- *they both seek for the stable ground, first of all

Taking in consideration the life conditions Kakuzu had in his youth (despite war state, he still stably had family, friends, grand respect from everyone, home, warmth and food) and how terribly he was torn out of his secured social environment, I believe what he seeks through all his bounty hunt and other money-connected manipulations is stability. Sustainability he had back then. The only way to have it in the conditions of our existent world order is to have money (and a very good mind and luck)

Anko has indeed much more altruistic motives, yet it’s still not that simple. It seems to be, on the first sight, yet considering the “Orochimaru related cases” and her very wayward behavior toward them, it’s clear she keeps her own motives and needs in mind oh so well. The service she has is very well payed, it allows her to do what she likes or believes is right, and to have the living conditions she finds comfortable. And only here, relying on the made sustainable basis, she does what she does

- Thus, they both illustrate the principle “first help yourself, next help the other” just right

- She knows she can keep an eye on him, yet it’s clear for her that her influence isn’t borderless, as well as telling him off some stuff is kind of a not wise thing to do. So in the majority of cases, she never interferes

- This is not common, yet he can actually change some plans if the situation is serious and the compromise can’t be found. He is that kind of person who works on a further prospective, and in this context, this would be the relationship with his loved one

- While Kakuzu is quite conflicted and has very reserved controversial persona, Anko is both controversial, conflicted, and sort of two-faced, on top of that

She is a very sincere, cheerful and humbly honest human being, yet she has some darker natural traits of her character that became rather strong with age and traumatic experience. Cunningness, guile, ways-depend-on-the-case and a bit of ruthlessness, that is. Moreover, she has some unsolved personal issues, which makes her even more twisted.

Like, remember the time when she confronted Orochimaru during the exam? And Kabuto, on the war? Getting rid of them is indeed beneficial for Konoha, but it’s clear that for her it is personal vendetta in the first place. She wouldn’t have tried to do this alone, otherwise, because these two are rather dangerous ones, to say the least.

She uses greater good to cover her real motives (even though it is not truly complete bullshit), and seems to have a terrible habit to keep silence about really important things, which makes her quite prone to lying, in some cases

And sometimes it very badly pisses Kakuzu off, since it makes her prone to doing useless but dangerous shit too

Yet this not any kind of separate hidden side, it is integrated into her personality, and coexists with her bright one. That’s where her violent humour comes from, for example.

But Kakuzu, on the other side, is completely monolith individual, yet sometimes his mindset can create contradictions when it comes to something important to him. but it's another topic

And seeing these layered constructions, and motives, they can pretty finely predict each other’s behavior. Not super-neatly, but they for sure see the basis. This is what helps Kakuzu to prevent Anko from doing some stupid shit, sometimes

- Anko has a role of an indicator for the people who don’t understand and see the changes in Kakuzu’s mood sometimes, since she usually reacts quite openly. Yet, when she has the same unreadable mask of cold, or one of guile, it’s a nightmare for them

- They prefer the non-verbal way to show their feelings, even though Anko is obviously the more chatty one

- They don’t say things such as “I love you”, or other sensual stuff like that really often, believing it to be some sort of cherished words that shall not be spelled mindlessly

- Anko isn’t majorly into PDA, but she fancies it much more than Kakuzu does. She has her whole moments of studying something with her hands, whether it’s a hand, scar or face. He’s more into passive display of affection, like wrapping an arm over her waist or leaning to her or something of this kind; they can allow themselves to (not sexually) kiss in public though

- She knows he doesn’t like to walk hand in hand due to considering it a youthful thing, so there are times when she intentionally walks holding on to his sleeve; generally they walk separately in order not to bother each other, but sometimes they walk arm in arm (like an old Victorian couple lol)

- Being older and wiser, Kakuzu eventually upholds some kind of mentoring position, yet he never considers himself any kind of a teacher or master to Anko, believing her to have a good head of her own. He is just insightful enough to break something through to her or give a word of advise

- This, combined with his highly powerful demeanor, also makes him have the leading position in their relationship

- Anko respects him much enough to fortify this, entrusting with plenty of life questions (like organizing the family budget), even though they make the majority of decisions together. Mostly because he is truly wise and highly experienced individual.

- This makes him one of the very few people Anko would actually listen to and take their opinion in consideration

- So basically they have equal relationship with some tendency to patriarchal order

- And it is, really, mostly economically-based disbalance, with him earning much more than she does

- Yet they never have any financial-based issues, since both of them keep in mind and respect the contributions of each

- There is major power play here, too. He has the absolute might, she has seduction. Anko loves how he makes her want to submit to him, let him have all the power, so she likes provoking him. And she knows he adores it, loves the subtle control she has over him

- They don’t have conflicts in their everyday life. Each knows how to avoid pissing one another off

- He cherishes her playful demeanor, her intellect. Combined with her cunningness, it allows her to rival him, in social sphere. The way she constructs her phrases, the way she speaks, mimics, moves, how bewitchingly it suits her feminine snaky features makes his blood boil and heart melt

- Both of them, actually, have rather specific kind of dry, dark humour. Kakuzu’s is very cynical, satirical, quite often menacing and subtly demeaning; Anko’s is very sarcastic and quite dirty, even gruesome and rather violent

- Sometimes they “fight” verbally as a form of a play. In some circumstances they may sound pretty vile, so some unobservant people mistake this for display of hate

- In general, Anko is the one to heat things up with her playful demeanor, which can include provocation and rivalry, and Kakuzu is the one to keep this energy in borders, accumulating it up to much more intense states

- They both put the comfort in the first place when it comes to household. Everything must be cozy, useful, silent and super clean

- Yet they are both very unpretentious and modest, really

- She absolutely adores when he is showing his serious, severe side, or powerful demeanor. She finds it incredibly suitable for him. She also likes how his real age is sliding out in this or that way. Like, even though he has rather young face (that of 37-40 y.o.), his eyes give away that he’ve seen oh so much more than it seems; the grumpy noises and grunts he makes, the lazy attitude in movements and the way how rapidly he finds a comfy pose once he has a chance to take a seat

- They are both rather patriotic, yet while in the most stories Anko’s feelings mostly lay towards the country she lives in, Kakuzu’s more often lay towards some places, so called small motherland.

- Kakuzu actually could be a source of deep, strong admiration and delight for her, despite all of his bullshit. The unbreakable will he has, mighty burning heart, all the wisdom, talents and mind. Being sent to fight god damn Hashirama, clearly a genius of his times, financial & management genius at the least. And, still, after all the hard times he’ve been through, he maintained the very strong sense of dignity and nobility, even though slightly twisted due to the profession and abnormal lifespan

- And the very same things can serve as the source for her chagrin: with all those traits, he could have been so much more rather than a criminal. With all the gifts he’ve got, he could have been of great use to society. He’s much easier about this, since his prospective is much wider and embraces decades (and in some universes even centuries) instead of months & years, and he knows that he’d be switching sides throughout his life, being on this and that side of the law, yet he still is a bit uncomfortable once it’s brought up

- They are deeply into science, which makes them atheists. He’s into medicine and human biology, she’s into chemistry and reptilian biology; both of them are nuts for physics, history and psychology

- They solve complicated physical and mathematical problems together time to time. She is the first one to have tea-breaks due to losing her temper over it, he tries to figure things out right until you can sense the smoke coming off his head

- Actually, they do have a stumbling stone aside from job & morality complications. And this is Anko’s attitude towards Orochimaru

What she does is basically ruins her life very-very slowly, maintaining the issues she has and planning to make him pay for all he’s done

Kakuzu knows exactly what is really going on with this attitude and why, but he can’t really do anything about it. Like, he knows he can’t make her change her mind or put something into her head

All he can do is really nothing but try to explain how those things are working, and even this option is basically a landmine field for him. At some level she does understand that he could probably be right, yet she just refuses to go back on her mind. And this is actually really dangerous, so at some moments they can fight quite badly about it

- He’s scared shitless to lose her, though; especially like that, even though he knows clearly that he will, anyway, sooner or later

- he knows that losing loved ones ends up with sheer disaster for him, yet he isn’t afraid to pay such a high price for those six, five or four decades of being with her. Because these decades are that of a paradise ones for him. Wife and family, as well as stable job, incomes and life conditions, are some sort of physical definitions of sustainability he craves. Especially family, yet it’s far ahead to plan

- The fact that he will have to bury her one day makes her rather depressed, as well as the knowledge that the only thing she can really do about it is to try to bring him as much happiness and comfort as possible before she dies

thank you, i'd say more, but it's too much already

[gamerwoo]

[Tales from the Pack] Chan: Homewrecker (Part Three)

Characters: Chan x female reader

Genre/warnings: werewolf au, fantasy, angst, implied abuse, a lil bit of fluff toward the end???

Word count: 1,888

Summary: Chan caught your attention as soon as your eyes met across the market. Something about him drew you to him, and you knew you were meant to be. However, you were already taken and arranged to be married on your next birthday, so you could never be together.

Previous | Next | Homewrecker Masterlist

“And where do you think you’re going, kid?”

Chan froze, turning around to see Soonyoung looking at him with a smirk and arms folded across his chest. He assumed the alphas wouldn’t want him sneaking out, especially not if they knew he was going into town again. There had been strange men wandering the woods, and the pack had confirmed they were guards and werewolf hunters, so they had to lay low for a while. But  Chan had to see you. He was going crazy thinking about what could’ve happened to you, especially now that your fiancé apparently suspected what he was. You were seen with them, and you said you were friends with them. He had to make sure you were safe and okay.

“Look, I know it’s not safe, but I have to see _____,” Chan tried to desperately explain, keeping his voice hushed in case Seungcheol wasn’t asleep just yet. “What if Donghae did something to her?”

Soonyoung nodded lazily, “I get it, she’s your mate. I’m not going to baby you.”

“I know I-- Wait…you’re not?”

It was normal for Chan to be treated like a child – although, sometimes he liked it when it was one of the girls – so he was surprised that Soonyoung, the one who picked on him the most, was being so understanding. Normally, Soonyoung didn’t seem to care too much about the mate thing, especially considering he was always going out to sleep around – though he hadn’t tried anything like that since hitting on you.

“No, I’m not,” he chuckled. “Chan, I know I don’t get the mating pull thing, but I understand how it must feel. We all had to see the heartbreak from Josh and Seungkwan firsthand, and the last thing I want is to have to see anything like that again. Whatever you have to do, you need to do it. Just promise me to keep yourself safe too.”

Chan was surprised by Soonyoung’s words, but he was also touched. Obviously what happened to Joshua was tragic -- it was almost tragic with Seungkwan, too -- and everyone was upset seeing him heartbroken, but he didn’t know that Soonyoung actually…well, cared.

“I will,” the younger wolf nodded. “Thanks, Soonyoung.”

Soonyoung nodded his head toward the backdoor, “I suggest you make your escape that-a-way. Front door’s a bit squeaky lately.”

Chan gave one final nod before racing out the backdoor, silently but quickly following the pull to you.

-

You knew your family took notice, from the way your sister’s eyes widened before leaving the room, to the way your mother bit her lip and fought the terrified look in her eyes, to the way your father awkwardly coughed and pretended to not notice. They knew Donghae had hit you – a lot – and he would definitely do it again, especially now that he knew you associate with the werewolves.

No matter how many times you insisted you didn’t know, Donghae wouldn’t let up, insisting you were a werewolf-lover. He even threatened your life if the wolves didn’t kill you first.

You didn’t know why, though, but you weren’t afraid. Chan had shown nothing but kindness, and the others you met clearly didn’t mean any harm since they never did anything to hurt you. In fact, you felt…oddly fond of the brown-haired boy. But you knew you’d probably never see him again; not when Donghae was going to be watching your every move – literally.

But even if they were werewolves, at least none of them hit you.

As you laid in bed that night, you couldn’t fall asleep. Your body was still sore from what Donghae had done to you, and you had stayed in bed all day just because moving hurt. You still couldn’t believe you had to marry him, but that was your fate. And man, did fate suck.

Staring at the ceiling in silence, you heard your window on the second floor slide open. You tried to sit up, but your muscles screamed in pain, and your arms ultimately shook before you collapsed back on your bed, your head falling against your pillow.

“Ah, don’t get up!” Chan whispered urgently, seeing how you couldn’t even hold yourself up. “It’s just me.”

You watched at the boy easily climbed in through your window, landing silently on the wooden floor. He smiled softly at you, but it quickly fell when he took in your appearance. Your skin was littered with bruises and your lip was healing from being split -- and the skin of your left arm was raised just a bit right at the top of your inner forearm below the bend of your elbow, a reminder that Chan should’ve expected all of this from Donghae when he was the reason there was a tracker implanted in you.

You didn’t want him to worry about you, so you offered a weak smile, “How did you find me?”

His eyes that scanned your exposed skin flashed back up to yours – you noticed they were gold instead of the brown you were used to, “You wouldn’t believe me if I told you.”

“You know,” you began, letting out a soft sigh, “Donghae already told me he thinks you’re monsters…”

Chan’s mouth parted, wanting to say something but he didn’t know what. What if you thought he was a monster too? What if you denied him?

‘Of course she will,’ he reminded himself, ‘she’s engaged.’

“Is that why he did this?” was all Chan could get out. “Because of me?”

He felt awful. It was his fault you got hurt this badly, and he couldn’t even protect you. Even now, he couldn’t do anything. It wasn’t like he could kidnap you and take you with him. The entire town would be out looking for you, and Donghae already had hunters searching the woods for them now.

You saw the broken look in Chan’s eyes as he continued to look over your injuries, and it made you feel sad, “Don’t worry about it, okay? It’ll heal.”

“Why are you trying to make me feel better?” Chan laughed, sounding both angry and upset. “I did this to you; this happened because of me!”

While his voice was harsh, he kept it a whisper so he wouldn’t alert anybody of his presence. The last thing he wanted now was your family finding out there was a strange boy in your room and you getting into even more trouble than he already did.

You forced yourself to sit up despite the protests of your limbs. Chan helped you up, his warm hands soothing against the ache in your body.

“I don’t blame you,” you told him sincerely. “Chan, I’m only mad at Donghae. …Well, afraid is more like it.”

Finally, he asked quietly, “Don’t you think I’m a monster?”

“A-are you really…a werewolf?” you wondered just above a whisper, chewing on your bottom lip.

He knew he’d have to come clean at some point, so he might as well just do it early on. You already were told he was anyway.

“All of my brothers are,” he nodded slowly. “There’s thirteen of us – not counting mates.”

You thought over his confession. While Donghae had told you, you thought maybe he was just crazy. But knowing he was right was a weird feeling, one you couldn’t describe.

However, you realized it didn’t change anything. You still preferred being around Chan over Donghae any day, and you felt much safer having the werewolf around than your own fiancé. In fact, even just having Chan here in your room felt like a dream that was too good to be real.

Chan waited nervously for you to say something, trying to keep his inner wolf at bay as he stared at the odd lump on your arm. He still couldn’t believe that was put there and your family didn’t do anything about it. He couldn’t believe someone was so vile as to do that to another human being.

“Chan,” you finally spoke up, making his yellow eyes dart to your face. To his relief, you at least didn’t look disgusted, “the only person I think is a monster is Donghae. You are far from a monster.”

The pup couldn’t help it as his face broke out into a relieved smile, and it took everything in him to not wrap you up in his arms and cover your face with kisses. He did let out a content hum in his chest, which you heard rumble through your quiet room. 

“Really?” he grinned, finally deciding to sit on the edge of your bed, facing you with one leg resting on the mattress while the other stayed on the floor. “This really doesn’t bother you?”

“You’ve helped me more than he has,” you gave a quiet chuckle with a shrug. “Besides, you’re more like a…a puppy than anything.”

At that, he frowned, “I am not.”

You watched as Chan’s eyes went down to your left arm, a place he’d been looking often. He had forgotten about the tracker for the last couple days, and seeing the bump reminded him and only made him more and more upset. Slowly, he reached toward your arm, making sure you weren’t going to pull away out of fear or otherwise. His strong hand held your forearm softly as he leaned closer to examine it.

“Can I ask what happened when this was implanted?” he wondered softly. “Although, I’m not really sure I want to know…”

You inhaled deeply, knowing what happened to your arm would upset Chan more than anything else he could physically see, “Chan… Look, I promise it’s not that big of a deal.”

“Really?” he quizzed, gesturing to the same arm that was covered in bruises. “This seems like a big deal.”

You didn’t know how to reply, so you just stayed silent as Chan continued to rub his thumb over the chip. 

“We have to get you out of here,” he stated, his body beginning to shake with rage.

He was surprised your next question wasn’t you wondering why in the hell you’d leave with someone who was not only a stranger, but a werewolf of all things.

“How?” you asked quietly, watching as Chan stewed in his own anger. “He’ll find me no matter where I go.”

“I’ll figure it out,” he promised, finally meeting your eyes. Somehow, looking at you calmed him. “Until then, I promise to visit you every night, okay? It’s not safe to meet in the market anymore if Donghae can track you.”

You frowned, “But what if you get caught in the woods? He sent hunters out there to look for you and the rest of your pack.”

“I won’t,” he swore, his jaw set, and his eyes showing his sureness. “I know it sounds absurd, but I’ll do anything to keep you safe, _____.”

“Why?” you laughed softly. “You barely know me.”

“That’s…a story for another day. You should sleep now. I’ll stay until you fall asleep.”

So you laid back down, letting the kind wolf tuck you in before he shifted beside you on the bed. He hummed softly as you closed your eyes, trying to help you sleep faster.

Right before you drifted off, you felt a warm hand running through your hair.

[trassellynn]

THE HAUNTING OF KREE MANOR (Chapter 4)

Fandom: Six of Crows  Rating: Mature Warnings: Horror, Blood and canon typical violence, Haunted House!AU Ao3 link here. Chapter undercut.

CHAPTER 4

WYLAN. The poltergeist (Part 1) I hadn't ever been in that house. And yet, I felt like I already knew it well, when we arrived. It wasn't because of the map I had studied those days: somehow, I remembered in details the  description Uncle Karl gave of it, that single time we met. I didn't know how it was possible, since I was only a child, at that time. I didn't even remember well my uncle's face, but every single words he told me about the house was perfectly stuck in my mind. When I found myself in front of that immense manor, I instinctively smiled. “Hi,” I thought. “We finally meet, then. Face to face.” A sudden, weird feeling filled my chest. I don't know how but... I felt... I felt like the house didn't greet me back. In the same moment, Trassel started growling and a tiny voice in my head told me it didn't matter I was a Van Eck, it didn't matter my name was on the property contract. I wasn't welcome there. “You told us almost every room has a story...” Matthias had just taken Aenya's cradle in his and Nina's room, with little to no effort. He placed it next to the huge bed and fixed the little sheet and pillow. “Yes, that's what my uncle told me” I replied, holding the little girl in my arms and checking if the room was clean and tidy. People who worked for my uncle left quite quickly after his death, but they had done a good job. After days, there was almost no dust on the floor and furnitures. Matthias straightened his back, smiling. He wore the sleeves of his shirt rolled up, baring his huge forearms. “I wonder if there's a story also for this one” he said. “Oh, yes, there is!” I answered, approaching him, as Aenya started playing with my bow tie, undoing it. “It was the room of a Khaelish lady, over a century ago. She almost never went out of it. I don't know if she was willing to stay inside or if her family kept her locked.” “The second option would be atrocious” the Fjerdan commented, approaching us. Seeing him, Aenya's mouth curved in a wide smile and she immediately stretched her little arms towards him, joyfully shrieking. “Yes, love!” Matthias replied with a squeaky voice, as I let him take the baby girl in his arms. “Come to papa, love!” His blue eyes were filled with adoration, as she started touching his beard, laughing. “I'll go to check the others' rooms” I smiled, kissing Aenya's plump cheek, before walking out of the bedroom. I almost reached the staircase, when a sudden, loud thud made me gasp. I turned around: one of the paintings on the wall had just fallen. “Wylan?” Matthias's giant figure appeared in the aisle: “Is everything okay?” “Yes,” I answered, approaching the fallen painting and carefully kneeling. “This painting has fallen. It made me loose years of life...” “Be careful,” the giant said, as Aenya started to playfully bite his jaw. “Are there many splinters?” I checked the glass that protected the accurate representation of the manor. “Actually... no. Not even a scratch.” I placed the painting at its place, staring at it for a while. The glass had to be extremely resistant, to survive to such a fall. “Well... that's good,” I commented. “We won't risk to get hurt.” “Definitely.” the Fjerdan replied, kissing his daughter's forehead. I felt his concern: those days, Aenya had learnt to crawl on the floor. If the glass had broken, she would have risked to injury herself far worse than all of us. I gave her and Matthias a smile, then I reached the staircase again. Suddenly, when I placed my hand on the handrail, I felt a thrill running down my back. But it was only for a moment. I couldn't sleep, that night. The bed was quite cosy, the room was large and elegant and there wasn't any noise that could bother my sleep, from the outside And yet, I laid awake, on my side, with my eyes open and Jesper's arm around my waist. I couldn't help but stare at the closed door, as I was expecting to see it opening by moments. Suddenly, some weird, faint but clear noises started to tickle my ears. I gasped, clenching Jesper's wrist and shaking it. “Jes...” I whispered. “Jes... do you hear this?” My boyfriend grumbled, slowly moving his legs: “Mmh... what?” “These... noises...” I replied, anxiety raising into my chest. “Don't you hear them too? What can they be?” “Nina and Matthias, probably.” “No, Jes... it's not that kind of noises... it's more like... steps... furnitures dragged on the floor... voices...” Before I could finish my sentence, the portrait next to the door, that represented uncle Karl during his youth, fell, in the same way of the painting outside of Nina and Matthias' bedroom. Jes winced, as I swore behind my teeth. “What the...” he murmured. “Stupid portrait...” “It happened this morning too, shortly after we arrived,” I explained. “There's... there's something weird in this house...” “Well, it's quite old, I would be surprise it hadn't any problem... do you want me to put the portrait back at its place?” “No, no... I'll do it.” Maybe I had just been paranoic. Maybe my constant fear to be unworthy of my family's name made me imagine everything, even that a house was telling me I was unwelcome. I approached the fallen portrait, feeling incredibly naive and stupid. “I'm probably a bit nervous,” I commented, hanging the picture on the wall. As I expected, the glass was perfectly intact: uncle Karl or the ones who lived there before him had obviously found a very good artisan. I stared at uncle Karl's portrait for a while: I didn't remember him well, since the only time I saw him I was only a child, but I had a memory of a tall, skinny man, whose red hair were turning grey. I couldn't help but notice his younger self looked a lot like me: his big, blue eyes, his soft auburn locks, the freckles on his nose... Yes... we looked much alike... “Wy?” A hand on my shoulder made me wince, like I had just woken up from a long, deep dream. “J-Jes?” I murmured. “You scared me...” “Oh, you have no idea how much you scared me, merchling,” he replied. “I did... what?” Jesper frowned: “I fell asleep again, while you were fixing the portrait. When I woke up, you were still standing in front of it.” I blinked confusedly: “I... I have just put it at his place...” “No, Wy. It was about one o'clock when you went out of the bed. You have been standing there for an hour...” I looked at the round clock on the wall: five minutes past two. I froze: “How... how is it possible? I thought...” Did I feel asleep in front of the portrait, managing somehow to stand on my feet? “I cannot understand...” I murmured. Jesper placed the inners side of his wrist on my forehead, checking my temperature: “You're so pale... do you feel sick?” “No, no... I'm just... confused...” I shrugged. “Maybe I'm just a bit stressed. I feel the project on this house as a huge responsibility...” “We're here to help you,” my boyfriend smiled, kissing the tip of my nose. “Come back to bed, merchling. You need to rest, we've got a lot of things to do, this weeks.” I didn't feel well rested at all, the next morning. Jes had to call me twice to wake me up and, when we went to the kitchen, almost all our friends were already there, except for Inej and Nina. “Good morning!” Kuwei smiled. He and Inga were in front of the stove, both wearing an apron. A delicious smell of coffee, tea and pancakes was filling the room. “Tea or coffee?” the little girl asked. I let myself fall on a chair. In front of me, Matthias gave me a little smile: he was feeding Aenya, who was sat on his lap, with some fruit yogurt. “Coffee,” I murmured, rubbing my hands on my face. “Double coffee, maybe.” “You've got horrible eyebags, Wylan,” Kaz said, giving me a quick glance over the newspaper he was reading. “Did you stay awake, last night?” “I... I had a strange night... I heard...” “Noises?” Matthias asked, raising his blue eyes on me. He stopped the hand that was holding the teaspoon with yogurt in mid air and Aenya immediately grabbed his wrist, protesting with a little shriek. He smiled, approaching the little spoon to her mouth. “Sorry, love... what were you saying, Wylan?” “I heard noises. Do you hear them too?” The Fjerdan nodded: “I woke up more than once because of weird noises. I also tried to check where they come from, but I found nothing.” “Inej saw someone in her bedroom, tonight” Kaz added, making all of us wince. “But we found no one.” “This house is quite old,” Kuwei suggested, placing a plate full of pancakes on the table. “It's not so unusual to old houses to make weird noises, I heard some too, last night. Not to mention the design here is somewhat... spooky. I think it's easier to let scary thoughts influence us.” “You're probably right” I sighed, thanking Inga with a smile when she took me a large cup of coffee. I frowned a bit seeing she was looking at someone behind my back, a little smirk on her lips. “Are you okay, Inga?” I asked, turning around. She widened her smile: “Oh... oh, yes.” She seemed to be about to add something, when Inej and Nina entered the kitchen, with Trass by their side. “Good morning, ladies!” Jes greeted them. “How are you?” “Kaz told us you didn't sleep well too, Inej,” I said, taking a sip of coffee. The young woman shrugged, taking place between Kaz and Jes: “I... I think I was just tired.” She actually looked much more nervous than she wanted to show, but I decided not to force her to share her thoughts. Once we finished our breakfast, I went back to my and Jes' bedroom, to pick my painting set. That morning I had to repaint the walls of the bathrooms at the first two floors and I was quite excited, but I soon realized there was something wrong. Before going downstairs to have breakfast, I had left the painting set on the bedroom but, once I entered the room, it wasn't there any more. “What the...” I murmured, starting to frantically looking around. “Jes! I called. “Jes, do you...” I got no answer, but I didn't need it: my painting set box was on the top of the large wardrobe that faced our bed. I frowned: how did it end up over there? Maybe Jes just played me a prank... “That's so funny...” I commented, grabbing a chair and placing it next to the wardrobe. I mounted on the chair, stretching my arms to grab the box, but I soon realized I also had to raise on my toes. I suddenly felt incredibly vulnerable, in a precarious balance. And then... that sensation again, the sensation there was something behind my back. Something that was slowly approaching me. I froze, completely unable to turn around. My limbs stilled, I had the impression to be trapped into a block of ice. I could barely breathe. Light steps behind me. Rustles. My uncle's portrait fell again. And then, something cold, two cold, scrawny hands, grabbed my bare ankles, making me scream. I lost my balance and fell backwards, stiffening my muscles, expecting the painful impact with the ground. But instead, I landed into familiar arms, hitting my back against someone's chest. “Merchling!” I turned my head, so I could look into Jes' eyes. My whole body was trembling. “J-Jes...” I whispered. “There... there was...” “What, in the good name of Aunt Eva, were you doing?” “I...” I looked around, expecting to see my mysterious attacker, but there was no one in the room, except for us. And, what was even weirder, Uncle Karl's portrait was still on the wall. Was it possible Ihad  imagined everything? “I needed my painting set. Did you put it over there?” Jesper frowned, his eyes going from me, to the box on the wardrobe: “No, I didn't. Wait, I'll take it down for you. Are you okay?” I took a deep breath, nodding: “Yes, I'm fine.” The double coffee effect hadn't probably started working yet. I told myself that frightful experience had to be a consequences of the previous night. But there was something I still couldn't explain: who put my painting set on the top of the wardrobe? My suspects grew deeper in my mind the following days. And it wasn't because of the objects that kept on disappearing and reappearing in wrong places:  all my friends had started to act weirdly, they looked nervous, restless, the moved around the house like they expected to be attacked by moments. Jes was not excluded. From the second night, I noticed there was something different in his glance, I could read a pinch of anxiety in his greenish-grey eyes, especially when he found himself in front of a mirror. It was about midnight when I laid on the bed, physically exhausted but, for some reasons, not sleepy as I expected. “Are you okay, Jes?” My boyfriend, who was sitting on the mattress, his back rested against the headboard of the bed, nodded in a distract manned, his eyes fixed ahead. He didn't seem to be okay at all. I propped up on my left elbow, giving him a worried glance: “Are you sure?” Jesper shook his head, blinking: “Yes, yes, I was just thinking...” “Thinking of...?” He gave a quick nod at the mirror that had been fixed next to the wardrobe, on the left. From my perspective I could see my bedside table reflected on its surface. “Thinking of... the mirror?” “I find it creepy...” “Creepy?” I frowned waiting for an answer, but Jes shrugged, laying down: “Just an impression. Better trying to sleep, we've got so much things to do these days. Goodnight, merchling.” “Goodnight...” It wasn't typical of Jes, being so elusive, there was clearly something more about his impressions on the “creepiness” of the mirror. But, at the moment, I didn't try to investigate, Maybe I didn't want to do it because... because I was afraid. Afraid of being forced to admit that his impressions were so much similar to my impressions. And if we both felt there was something weird, something bad in that house... maybe... maybe we were right. Maybe it wasn't just an impression. Those thoughts were scary, too scary. That's why I made a terrible mistake, deciding to suppress them. I managed to sleep for about four hours, then, out of nothing, I woke up, feeling terribly thirsty. I took a look at the bedside table, swearing behind my teeth when I noticed I forgot to bring a bottle of water. Snorting, I slowly got up, rubbing my eyes and paying attention not to wake Jes, then, barefoot, I walked out of the room, going downstairs to the kitchen. The unnatural silence that surrounded me made several thrills run down my back, but I kept on repeating myself to not get impressed. It was just a house. Just a house. I reached the kitchen with no troubles and, for a while, I almost felt relieved, so relieved I didn't even feel the necessity to turn the light on. I took a small bottle of water out of the fridge and I opened it, taking a few sips. It was in that moment I heard a noise behind me. My fingers clenched the bottle so hard my knuckles almost went white. I slowly turned around. There was no one in the room... no one I could see. But I felt that presence... I felt it clearly. “Who is it?” I asked, my voice trembling. I got no answer for a while. Then, the table started to move. At its own will. I widened my eyes, almost forgetting to breathe. Yes, the table was moving. It made little movements, little sprints, hitting some of the chairs around it. Little sprints towards me. At the same moment, the clock hands started to spin, faster and faster, and the sink trembled, spitting a disgusting flush of dark water. I opened my mouth to scream, but no sound came out of it. The table moved faster, reaching me, hitting me on the stomach and taking my breath away. I lost the grip on the bottle, that fell to the floor, crashing, and, soon after, my knees were on the glass chippings. Tears ran down my cheek, my arms were wrapped around my aching stomach and the skin of my legs was filled with small, painful injuries. Before I could do anything, I felt a hand grabbing my hair, fiercely tugging them. It was in that moment I found the strength to scream. The light turned on and somehow... somehow I realized I was still standing on my feet, with the intact bottle in my hand. “Hey!” Kuwei entered the kitchen, giving me a little smile and approaching the fridge: “Are you hungry too?” I blinked confusedly, looking around: the table and the chairs were at their place and the clock hands diligently indicated it was seven minutes past four in the morning. No traces of blood on my pants, no stomach pains... “Wylan?” I shook my head, awakening from my thoughts: “I... I just went to take a sip... I should keep a bottle on the bedside table, at night...” “Yeah, the weather is so hot,” my friend commented, picking a small strawberry pastry. A doubt started to torment my mind. “Kuwei... didn't you hear anything weird, tonight?” The Inferni shook his head, swallowing the first bite of his pastry: “No, why?” How was it possible? Didn't he hear the table moving? Didn't he hear me scream? I looked at the bottle in my hand. There was no explanation on what I lived just a few moments before. “Nothing. It doesn't matter. Goodnight, Kuwei.” I went back to my bedroom, trying to repeat myself again that I had imagined everything, that my mind had played me a cruel trick, that it was just an impression. But, deep in my soul, I had already started to doubt about those words.

[technoskittles]

Adora 2 6 2

Adora, hogwarts!au, fake dating, “fuck. fuck fuck fuck fuck this shit. fuck.”

(oh boy you probably picked the worst person to do a hogwarts au lol. I read the books when I was 10 and I’ve only seen the first movie around that same time and have not since interacted with anything HP. but I’ll do my best)

context: while I personally believe Adora is a Slytherin I believe I remember something about how you can still choose your house? Like, Harry was more suited to Slytherin but he wanted so badly to be Gryffindor so the sorting hat was like “lmao if you say so” and put him in Gryffindor. So I feel like the same thing happened with Adora which is why she’s in Gryffindor, not Slytherin.

cw: dubcon? ish? no sex, just some making out though.

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

On all accounts, it didn’t make much sense. Catra hated her. Both on a personal level and well, because of the pre-existing feud between their two houses. 

She was a Gryffindor. Catra was a Slytherin. What else was there to say?

A lot, apparently.

The proposal had, seemingly, come out of nowhere. It was both their fifth years and Adora was lined up to be the Gryffindor prefect. Of course, she had some competition, albeit minimal, but practically everyone and their mother knew that Adora had it in the bag. She had excellent grades and a pristine, crystal clear record that made her the perfect candidate.

Well...almost crystal clear.

And, she shouldn’t be surprised, Catra was not above blackmail.

“That happened in first year!” she’d argued. “It doesn’t even matter anymore!”

Catra, the epitome of nonchalance, had been picking at her nails. “Well, if that’s the case, Princess, then you shouldn’t be worried if anyone finds out.”

And Adora had been backed into silence, fuming and steaming, because despite how much she wanted to believe otherwise, she knew that something like that getting out would demolish her chances at becoming a prefect. Something that everyone, Catra in particular, knew that she’d spent most of her time at Hogwarts working towards.

So...yeah. Here she was. Walking the halls with her prefect badge pinned to her robes, keeping a watchful eye for any of the younger students causing havoc where they shouldn’t be.

And following closely behind her were the whispers of how she and Catra, the Slytherin fifth-year prefect, were....dating.

Ugh.

“I don’t know why you want to spread around something like that. Slytherins hate Gryffindors. If you’re trying to boost your reputation, something like this will have the exact opposite effect.”

“Bold of you to assume those were my intentions.”

Catra never divulged exactly what those were either though. Her lips were sealed, locked so tightly that not even the worst of coercion or spells could unlock it. She was planning something, that Adora could be sure of, but unfortunately for all her wits she couldn’t crack the code that was the mechanisms of Catra’s mind. 

So the year ran its course with the two of them pretending to date. Lower years gossiped in the halls in-between classes and Adora even caught her own quidditch teammates tossing about theories and conspiracies when they thought she couldn’t hear.

The only ones that knew the truth were her and Catra. And Bow and Glimmer, of course.

“I don’t understand why you’re letting her push you around like this,” Glimmer lamented each time the topic was brought up. “You deserve being a prefect, no matter what kind of dirt she has on you. Especially when she isn’t that squeaky clean herself.” She was always somehow more annoyed with the situation that Adora was, voicing the frustrations that Adora never could and then some.

Her defense was the same every time, too. “I can’t risk it, Glimmer. If there’s one thing that could get me stripped of my badge, it’s this.” What was the saying about regretting your youthful decisions? Because if there wasn’t one, she could probably easily come up with something. “I’ll just play along for now until she gets bored.”

“Or,” Glimmer rebutted, “You let her drag this on long enough until she achieves whatever it is she’s actually planning. You’re playing with venom here, babe. It’s up to you when you decide to suck it out.”

And she had a point. Without knowing what Catra’s intentions were with this whole thing or anyway of finding out, Adora was essentially a mouse in a mousetrap, waiting for her predator to either free her out of mercy or devour her whole. The longer she played this game, the more she risked losing. She used to assure herself that she’d play the waiting game until Catra either grew bored or until they were graduated, but who was to say that Catra would let her go after that? Who was to say she’d even last that long?

Bow, who was usually quiet during these conversations, only left her with a simple warning, “Be careful around her, Adora. We don’t want you getting hurt.”

So that’s what she was doing. Treading lightly, being mindful not to say anything too combative or instigate something that she can’t maintain a strong hold on.

They had rules, thankfully, from both of them. Rules from Catra to make the whole thing believable, and rules from Adora to make sure they didn’t step too far that she didn’t have any semblance of control. Their affection was public, a demand from Catra, but at Adora’s insistence, it was always chaste and simple. When asked about their relationship, Adora found herself reciting a spiel she’d rehearsed at Catra’s behest, but she was allowed to shut down questions that get too personal or intimate. 

For all the trouble it caused her, Adora had to admit that it could’ve been worse.

Until the night came where Catra broke her number one rule: Absolutely nothing was to happen between them in private. 

It had all started out during one of her nightly patrols. Her back was to a wall - literally - with Catra caging her in, too close for comfort. 

“Wha....what are you doing, Catra? This isn’t even your hall.”

Catra pouted and on the surface it looked almost genuinely hurt. But Adora could see the conniving little gears cranking behind the facade and steeled herself to disallow any notions of sympathy to break down her defenses. “Can’t one girlfriend say hi to the other?”

Adora quickly scanned the hallway they were in - dark and empty. “No one’s here. We don’t have to pretend.”

“Well,” and then Catra leaned in closer, her smirk fatally sweet and oozing venom and Adora could feel the toxins paralyzing her and making her overheat. “You never know who’s watching.”

They both knew very well that no one was. 

“Just what kind of game are you playing at here, huh? Because I didn’t agree to any of this.” Her anger was getting the better of her, pent up from being stuck in a trap she’d slid herself into. But she was tired of being the victim here. “You have no business being here unless it’s for some ulterior motive.”

Catra hummed and tapped the wall beside her head, mulling over her words with a halfhearted consideration. “Yeah, I suppose you might be right about that.” She leaned back, giving enough space between the two again that Adora takes in a gulp of air that she’d been desperately craving. “The game’s gotta change, Princess. Doubts are starting to creep into people’s heads and cheek pecks and hand holding ain’t gonna cut it anymore.”

Dread weighs in Adora’s stomach like lead. “So what are you proposing?” As soon as the words were out of her mouth she cursed inwardly, angry with herself for indulging Catra in her sick little fantasy. She wanted out of this, not to let herself be reeled in further. 

She could feel Catra coiling around her, tighter and tighter, cracking her ribs and compressing her lungs as she struggled to breathe.

Adora watched as Catra dragged her tongue along her bottom lip, eyes dropping down from her face. “I was thinking something along the lines of something to show that you’re mine.” Adora shivered at the way that sounded, chalking it up to the ice-laced fear and uncertainty coursing through her veins. 

Catra smirked and met her eyes once more, mirth and secrecy dancing in the piercing colors that kept Adora pinned where she stood. “A necklace, maybe?”

Adora frowned and her shoulders relaxed. That was it? Gift giving? Well, that was manageable, she supposed. “What? To wear around for everyone to see?”

Something flashed in Catra’s eyes and suddenly things weren’t so simple. “Exactly like that.”

Still... “Okay. Fine. Do you have one now?”

Then Catra cackled and a warning ping went off in Adora’s head, something telling her to get out of there. Now. “Oh, sweet, sweet Adora. Not that kind of necklace.” Before Adora could say anything else, Catra’s hand was at the back of her head, gripping her ponytail and yanking it down. At the same time, one of Catra’s hands was yanking at the top of her robes, pulling it away from her neck, just before she descended.

Teeth clamped around supple skin and Adora yelped. Luckily, she still had enough wits about her to quickly bring a hand up to her mouth to muffle her sounds when Catra moved onto the next spot, trailing her tongue across the skin of Adora’s neck and collar before biting down again and sucking.

Her legs were trembling beneath her, breath coming in short spurts as her other hand grabbed at Catra’s robes. She was surprised to realize that instead of trying to pull her off, however, she was instead pulling her closer, body arching to brush against Catra’s. 

It last only a couple minutes. Soon enough, Catra was pulling away from Adora’s neck, admiring her handiwork in the form of a plethora of hickeys and a panting, flushed Adora. Clearly contented, she began to pull back, only to be halted by Adora’s hand still wrapped in the billowing fabric of her robes, pulling her back in. 

Their lips met, rough and Catra’s hot lips searing. Adora could feel the venom pooling in her mouth, coating her tongue with each swipe of Catra’s and trickling down her throat, poisoning her mind, body, and soul with each drop.

When they pull away, Adora no longer knew what to make of anything - up, down; left, right; friend, foe; Slytherin, Gryffindor. 

Catra let out a rush of air that she supposed was supposed to be a laugh, an amused light to her eyes that hinted at something else. Whatever it was, Adora wondered if it reflected the spark that she felt igniting in her own chest, spreading its heat to the bottom of her stomach.

“I think that’ll do for now,” Catra whispered, giving her one last peck on the lips before backing off. Adora watched her saunter off from whence she had come, robes fanning out around her, lips tingling with the phantom sensation of Catra’s pressed against them. 

Her fingers brushed against the sore spots on her neck, feeling the tenderness in a few select spots, as reality began to sink in and she realized just what this meant for tomorrow.

Fuck.

Fuck fuck fuck fuck this shit.

Adora pushed herself away from the wall, standing still a second or two to make sure her legs were steady enough to walk, before drifting down the hall in the opposite direction to finish her rounds. 

Fuck.

[coconutshvings]

ATZ Reaction: You live in a bad part of town/neighborhood {Hyung Line}

∵ Group || Ateez

∵ Genre || Highschool AU

∵ Warnings || Mentions of drugs, swearing, some are shorter than others , typos

This story is not to be offensive to anyone, I didn't grow up in the best neighborhood myself while living in Chicago, this is strictly a story to show that a person who truly loves you wouldn't care where you came from even if it wasn't the best enviroment, also, never let the enviroment you grew up in mold you into a person unless that's what you personally want ~ WR:Le ♡

Hongjoong:

The Grey sky out side hid any signs of light in it as rain poured down heavily causing small but loud thuds to hit all over his vehicle, sketchy figures would pass by ever now and again while others stood infront of the decaying apartment buildings that he parked across from.

This area wasn't one he had been in often, at all actually. However, he made this trip to come and see you well- give you your geography study book for you upcoming quiz that you needed to study. All be it he'd see you and maybe make a small conversation because if it wasn't clear since Junior year, he liked you, a lot.

He'd seen your information including your number written on the book and gave you a call to which you told him to just drop off to you at the address he was sitting at now, waiting. The delicate knock on his window caught him and he looked to see you in your rain resistance hoodie squinting in the droplets. He quickly grabbed your book from his passenger seat rolling down the window and handing it to you with a gentle smile that spoke of his adoration for you.

"I was beginning to think you'd written the wrong address down." He lightly joked speaking loudly over the rain making you smile "Why, because this isn't the neighborhood you pictured me living in?" Hongjoong's eyes were screaming and you could sew his panicking figure,

"I was joking! I know you aren't some uppity entitled person." His body visibly "Good because I'd never be that way towards anyone." You nodded understanding not noticing the rain quieted down and so did your voices.

"I'll see you tomorrow in fifth period?" , He smiled at your question "Of course. Let me know if you need a studying partner."

"Will do."

Seonghwa:

Never in a million years did he think you'd be ashamed to be walked somewhere, you enjoyed his company but he'd never asked to walk you home before even though you quickly said no it was easy to change that answer when you seen the hurt and question on his face. So here you were, quietly walking home hand in hand, Seonghwa was walking on sunshine after you'd changed your answer he didn't notice your longing face before you could Cross the street you abruptly halted pulling at his hand causing him to sling backwards,

"This walk is long I don't want you to endure it." You spoke suspiciously but he hadn't caught it "More time with you." He simply replied before attempting to walk again but once again being stopped by you,

"Then you'll have to walk back alone." ,

"I'll call for a ride once I get in front of your house." The pulse in your neck began to jump as he clearly didn't understand why you kept making excuses, you had to flat out tell him now,

"I don't want you to walk me home," you searched his eyes for any sign of anger but they were just boring into your own, "because it's not safe for.. Y'know, you." This made him scoff in a comedic tone,

"You think because you live somewhere that you personally consider to be dangerous that it's personally not safe for me? Y/n I have friends that live in your neighborhood, I have friends everywhere." You were taken aback "You do?"

"You think all my friend live in golden gated communities with foutains in every yard? No. They come from all walk of life, I'm not scared of a neighborhood, I'm scared of you being too ashamed of where you come from to not let me see it because you shouldn't be, ever."

Looking at the sincerity and determination in his eyes with evident sparkles as well you'd lost for sure, "I'm sorry for trying to deny this walk and sort of categorizing you." Seonghwa deeply sighed, "It's alright, you don't ever have to be ashamed of your upbringing, family, anything with me. I like you regardless." That was such a relief to hear.

Yunho:

He simply followed the directions you'd given him to your house, you stayed on the phone with him as he walked just in case he got into any trouble, "I don't need you to babysit me over the phone." He tried to sound convincing, "Yeah you do. I'm not hanging up and you better not either."

You sternly said. Yunho knew all about this sketchy side of town, the high crime rates, drug hideouts or half way houses, police sirens were heard at least 3 times a day but he didn't care he was coming to his love either way no matter the stakes it'd only prove his feelings more with the lengths he was willing to go,

"I can follow directions well." He heard you chuckle "Good now follow my directions and don't hang up this phone." Yunho loved your take charge attitude especially when it was for his good, "You definitely run this relationship, huh?" ,

"Only when you're too tired or unconscious to." He could feel your grinning smile though he couldn't see it , "I promise I'll make it there safely baby I'm almost there, I think," Yunho spoke teasing you knowing you'd start to stress a bit "Yunho do I-" ,

"That was a joke I'm not lost." He could hear you grumble annoyed, "I'm on this street name-" Yunho's sentence was caught off with an oomf you listened closely to hear if he was okay. Yunho stood up dusting himself off after he hit a hard yet soft object, human object.

He was busy searching for his phone to look at the angry trio of men looking his way ready to skin him alive.

"You have no knowledge about watching where the fuck you're going kid or are you just empty headed all together?" A gruff voice spoke startling Yunho, he finally looked up seeing the three males with menace like features, they all looked as if they could break his entire skull with a single punch without much muscle.

"I apologize, really. I'll be out of your way." He tried to smooth over the situation a rough laugh was heard "You'll be out of everyone's way if I get my hands on you." Another man spoke though Yunho's shakey eyes never left the man in front of him he could see the remaining two men swiftly move there hands to their inside jacket pockets, he'd seen movies like this either they'd pull out a deadly weapon or a lollipop.

"Uhm, it'll never happen again sir- sirs." He corrected stumbling over his own words. "If it does nothing will happen to him anyway." An all too familiar voice added, never had Yunho whirled around so quickly "Y/N?!" A Tone of fear, relief, and excitement was heard his his voice,

"You know this clown?" Yunho's eyes were screaming for you both to make a break for it, "Yes Uncle Roy, this is my boyfriend."

"Boyfriend?!"

"Uncle?!"

They both chimed in union but you ignored both grabbing Yunho's hand and pulling him away from your uncle and his goons.

"I don't need protecting," You mocked him "You walked past the block you were supposed to turn on Mr. 'I can follow directions well'" you scolded playfully

"My phone." Was all Yunho could say.

Yeosang:

He loved being on this side of town, the graffiti run down buildings, people on every corner looks ranging from lovely people to those parents would warn to stay away from but Yeosang didn't care.

He was a long way from home but that didn't matter, the pot holes that filled the streets in this part of town the corner stores that lit up almost every street was different from the clean cut grass and untarnished pavements that usually surrounded him, it was all so suffocating and too clean cut for him.

He wanted to explore every enviroment and have friends in all it may be a strange task but he wasn't one for the normal anyway, the unknown excited him even if it was dangerous.

He walked the side walk with weeds growing out of some of the cracks happily looking at the busy streets and in the store windows in business or out, cracked or squeaky clean. "Yeosang?" A voice carried through the air, "Yeosang over here!" His eyes scanned and scanned until he saw you attempting to Cross the busy street,

you looked to him like a pretty yet unprotected rare artifact that he wanted to keep for himself, Heaven knew he carried this deep care and emotion for you that most would describe as a crush.

He waited til you safely crossed in front of him to speak "Didn't think I'd see you over this way." , "I live over here you however are a long way away from home aren't you?" Yeosang Shrugged "I like the scenery."

You looked past him then back to him "What scenery? There aren't any museums or statues around , this part of town isn't the best." You admitted,

"Which is what makes it great, it's not some land of perfection where you can't breath longer than 7 seconds," you raised your brow at him asking him to explain further making him sigh,

"Okay I know it sounds ungrateful, I truly blessed to have grew up in the enviroment that I did but it's also blocking me from the rest of the world, leaving me unprepared and curious, I have opportunities in my neighborhood but still so many restrictions."

You hummed "And what opportunities do you think you'll have out here?" He thought for a moment "You guys have the best hip hop dance classes here, they only teach contemporary and well, everything but hip hop based anything or remotely related to the genre where I live."

You laughed at his almost tantrum like attitude, "So you're looking for a place to take dance classes at out here?" You asked with him sending a nod in response. "You could help me look for one if you're not busy?" He questioned "I could . I was only going to buy some junk food but that can wait, I know this town front and back, "

You could see the cheerful hope in his eyes that begged you to help him find a dance studio where he could be free so you couldn't deny his request, well, you didn't want to. "let's go find you a dance stuido." You finished seeing Yeosang cheer silently

"I'll buy you food after?" He offered "You definitely got me now." You grinned linking your arm with his as you both began to walk together to find him a nice spot to showcase his love for hip hop and dance while exploring the city and maybe the depths of your friendship as well.

[cruzrogue]

F’M Smoak Part II

#Fictober19 @fictober-event

————————————————————————

for fanfiction:

Prompt number: Prompt 31 “Scared, me?”

Fandom (AU if applicable): #arrow fanfiction #olicity

Rating:PG13

Warnings/Tags:  Fluff (friendship)

Thomas Merlyn/ Felicity Smoak/Oliver Queen

Summary: Continuation from F’M Smoak Prompt number: 5  “I might just kiss you.”

Notes: Halloween Bash and Felicity takes the stage. F’M Smoak is has an appearance at Verdant for a one time performance.

~~~~~~****~~~~~~~~sp@ce~~~~~~****~~~~~~~~

I want to thank @fictober-event​ this was a blast! Thank you!

~~~~~~****~~~~~~~~sp@ce~~~~~~****~~~~~~~~

​F’M Smoak Part II on A03

.

Verdant has been gearing up for the Halloween Bash. Tommy loves this holiday. He revels in being someone different and watching people be more enticed to party with as the added bounce to their normal festivities. Having a club, he can decorate as he sees fit keeping of course within a budget. He needs the club to turn a profit. Choosing the orange and black theme. Plenty of pumpkins and black cats, spiders, crows with the usual skulls, witch’s hats, and a few more Halloween décor choices.

He is excited that Felicity is helping him with a few designs. Using this to cover why they are spending loads of time together lately. He excitedly got her aboard to be one of the main event singers. She even deciding to write an extra song or two. That means he hired a local garage band to work with her. It has been so cool to see her walk in and meet the band members. Her squeaky-clean image throwing the grunge band for a loop.

“Tommy?”

Tommy moving some crates around. “Yea?”

“Why is Felicity’s name on some of these foam things?”

Tommy looks at the designs that will be used for the bash and he just shrugs, he promised Felicity that Oliver wouldn’t find out about this. The man is set to go on a trip with his mom and sister to visit a family member and won’t be here for this particular event. It’s the reason Felicity signed on to do her comeback for one night.

“What makes you think those have anything to do with Felicity?”

“Tommy? It’s her name. I may be dense at times but I know Felicity’s initials.”

“Of course, you do, you probably know all sorts of little facts about her.” Oliver gives him a dead stare. “What? You probably do and I’m not taking back that comment.”

“Well?”

“Felicity’s been helping me with designs maybe she took a break and did her name…” He won’t say she hasn’t helped him. She’s been busy practicing with her band. He admits she’s even better than he remembers.

Oliver goes to where the large cutouts that say ‘F’M Smoak’ are and counts a few. “There is about half a dozen here.”

Tommy just waves his hand, “Maybe it’s a prank I’ve set up and don’t need your disapproving overprotective tendencies when it comes to her.” He can see Oliver’s demeanor change as the man is super protective. “You’ll be away anyhow and…”

“No, I won’t.”

“No. You won’t, what?”

“My aunt is coming here to Starling so change of plans.”

“Oh. Does Felicity know?”

“No. Why should she? What are you planning Merlyn?”

“Whoa, you only call me by my last name when your peeved with me. Are you jealous?” Oh, yea the boy is jealous he can practically see the fume come from the man’s nostrils.

“No. You still haven’t answered the question.”

“There is nothing to tell.” Tommy goes back to moving crates. “If you are going to stand there like a stalk you can help me out here.”

“There is something going on.” Oliver does move to help move some crates. “Since you and Laurel are off the table…”

“I’m not seeing Felicity. You don’t have to worry.”

“I’m…”

Tommy puts his hand up as he makes a growly sound. “I wouldn’t go behind your back and you can shove this denial shtick with me.”

“Tommy, I’m sorry. It’s just everyone expects… you know what forget it. Let’s just get these crates moved.”

“Okay, I get it now. At first, I didn’t. I admit I acted like I did but I really didn’t. For that I am also sorry.” Oliver with one of the last crates that need moving looks at Tommy confused. “The laurel bit, the trying to act like 5-years never happened, a few little things. Like acting like everything is okay when it’s not.”

“What do you mean?”

“Let’s start by me telling you. Felicity is a great catch. You know. I know it. Someday the man who is lucky to have her will know it.”

“Why are you telling me this?”

“Because you should hear it out loud, maybe even hear this over and over that she is thee catch. I also think you should not start anything with her until you figure your shit out.”

“Then why tell me this?”

“Oliver! It an incentive.” Tommy shakes his head. “We aren’t those dickheads of our youth anymore. I know I want more. And you know damn well you do to.”

“It’s complicated.”

“When is it not? Life is full of crappy situations but it also has these moments. Ollie don’t be so afraid to live.”

“It’s more not wanting to see her hurt.”

“You know that is a copout, right?”

“Tommy?”

“Hey, I didn’t know I was going to lose my best friend five-years ago. Not once during my grief did, I wish our history stopped existing.”

“What’s your point?”

“That no one is guaranteed a tomorrow. If there is a chance that you can make her happy than it’s worth the gamble.” He can see Oliver just begin to think things over. “Just figure your shit out first!”

“I wish it was that easy.”

“Yea well join the club. If things were that easy, we’d all be happily in love.”

Oliver takes a breath but he asks one more time because the thought came back, “Are you going to tell me the truth about those foam pieces?”

“Nope.” Tommy moves around the bar. “If I were you, I would stop by Verdant tonight.”

Oliver looks around the club. It actually looks really good and that cauldron front center to the stage he wonders how that’s going to look when everything is in motion. “You need any help setting up?”

“Nope, the crew will be here soon. All the last-minute touches will be handled. You go hang out with Auntie Beatrice.”

“Fine. I’ll see you later.”

Tommy wants to tell the man not to text or call Felicity that his plans have changed. Now that Oliver has left, he can place the pamphlets that holds the main attraction the reason the place is going to be packed. F’M Smoak is preforming tonight and her music sample is available online. With his panache of adding some videos taken of her college hey days it brought buzz thank goodness Oliver is so not into trends.

~~~~~~****~~~~~~~~sp@ce~~~~~~****~~~~~~~~

“Tommy! Tommy!” Felicity scrambling around the crewmembers that are putting the last bites of the pieces for tonight bash. “Tommy? Where are you?”

“Hey there superstar.”

“Oliver, hasn’t left. He’s still in Starling.”

“I know.”

“You know. Yea he told me not that long ago.” She’s fidgeting. “I can’t. I just can’t perform.”

“Why not? You sound amazing.” Tommy makes a gesture of rocking it. “Are you scared of a few people rocking it to your music?”

“Scared, me?” Felicity continues, “I… I didn’t think Oliver would be here. He says he’ll be passing by. I just can’t…”

“Yes. Yes, you can. Girl you are amazing. You’ll be in disguise. The music will speak for itself.”

“I can’t believe I’m going to do this.”

“Felici-ty, think of this as something years in the making. You know the club owners and you’ve got the voice.”

“Fine, I know your right.”

“Good, because I know you got this. Go get yourself transformed and become this amazing F’M Smoak I know you are.”

He watches her leave and is glad she listening. Taking a look at the amazing setup that Verdant has done he can’t wait to open the doors in less than an hour. If Oliver comes, he hopes seeing what he is dubbing Ollie’s girl up on stage will shake the man unto his core.

As Tommy gets his crew ready. He goes through the drill. Making sure his people work safe yet keep an eye out for any disorderly clients. People having fun and remembering a good night is all he wants. As the time dwindles down, he calls out, “All right people show time. You all have this. Let’s make this Halloween Bash be the talk of town. Best service, great atmosphere and one hell of a night of musical performers.” Here his crew cheer on everyone is ready. Doors open and the costumed guests start to fill in.  

The music begins to play as the bar fills up. Tommy goes and checks on his musical guests, Thanking them all personally again. He notices he can’t find his number one girl. A little worried until her voice calls to him and he gets a good look at Felicity.

“Whoa.”

“Tommy?”

“Nah, wow you look amazing.” He gives her another look over. “I love the Goth you, not that the blonde you isn’t spunky.”

“I’ll take that as a compliment I think.”

He just chuckles, “Well I can’t wait to your set.” He can visually see her take a moment. She looks nervous. “Hey, you can so do this. F’M Smoak can. Knock them out of their boots.”

As her time comes, she goes up on stage. She’s glad that the lighting keeps her from truly focusing on any person. This way she can just sing to the crowd and not see any familiar faces, one especially.

Tommy is amazed as he watches her first set. He is singing along until he gets jabbed in the side and smirks to see Oliver make his presence known. The man is taking in the foam signs as his eyes fall on the singer. Tommy can pinpoint the moment Ollie recognizes Felicity and wow he doesn’t know which show to watch because Oliver is entranced and it’s like watching a movie as the most stoic man is showing so many different sentiments. From surprise all the way to lust.

Felicity words capturing the audience as her voice rocks the club.

“I'm kicking all the doors down I swear I'm gonna pull you out 'Cause your demons have been screamin' loud Na na-na-na na Throw me up against the wall There's nothin' that could scare me now Na na-na-na na”

She does a few more known songs and when she’s down the roar of the crowd clapping has her take a bow and then she moves to go back stage. Oliver is already moving quick. Tommy trailing behind he does not want to miss this.

Taking an offered water bottle Felicity chugs it. She is so glad this is over. She doesn’t know if Oliver caught her performance. Its freaking her out. She has no idea what he’d say or do and he’s only ever seen her be his tech girl.

“Felicity?”

His soft voice, she never noticed him sneaking up on her. She’s afraid to turn and see. As he calls out to her again, she tightens her closed eyes. She’s afraid of the disappointment she’ll see. He comes around to face her and she finally gazes at him. His blue eyes mesmerizing.

“I didn’t know but you were amazing.”

She’s stunned. Though his brightening smile gets her to smile.

Tommy watching this two fools dance around each other is sickening. “Well yea, you’ve always known she’s amazing.”

Oliver gives his best friend a dire look. Tommy just shrugs. These two aren’t going to move faster than a glacier so he goes back to front to watch the next act.

“You think I did good?”

“I do.” He’s really rattled by her look. He’s really digging it. “You also rock this getup.”

“Its something of a vintage. I first met Tommy wearing this.”

“Wait? What?”

“During some of my college days I may have also dabbled with music.”

“And you met Tommy than?”

“He was unreal and a perfect gentleman as he took a nice shiner to the face.”

Oliver is flabbergasted and actually recalls Tommy telling him about the black eye and his friend shrugging it off saying “The angelic voice was worth it.”

“The angelic voice.”

“What?”

“That is what he called you. This is what you’ve been doing all these weeks?” She nods. “I thought you and Tommy were getting chummy.”

“You did?”

“I almost wanted to give him another shiner to the face.”

“You won’t?”

He smirks, “F’M Smoak, I guess will never know.”

“Oliver, I’d like to get out of this ridiculous outfit.” She already grabbing a bag as she heading to where the foundry is. “I also have some…”

“Felicity?” he stops her.

“What?”

“You mentioned its only Halloween that you’ll where a mask. I was hoping to prolong the moment. Would you honor me with a drink at the bar?”

“Oliver, I would love to but there will be fans out there and…”

“And for a night, allow yourself to be the star, I promise to look out for you.” Getting really close to her as he whispers. “Tommy told be about the stalker.” He can see her processing that info but just nods as she takes his arm and the walk back.

The crowd loved her. For the rest of that night Oliver made sure she felt safe as she mingled with the fans. He enjoyed seeing her so out of the element for the quiet IT girl she has always portrayed to him. His girl is truly amazing and he promises himself that he won’t waste another second and ask her out soon. Though tonight F’M Smoak is in the house as Tommy gets her to do an encore.

.

.

.

This concludes the 31 days of Fictober!

Thank you!!!

.

song inspired:

Notes: https://genius.com/Valerie-broussard-deeper-lyrics

[superfreakerz]

TDDUP 22

“Til Death Do Us Part”

Rated M for smut and eventual heavy themes.

Reincarnation/Immortality AU.

Summary: There are immortals and there are those who reincarnate, but it’s best to keep these things hidden. Lucy is attending college and meets Natsu, a boy with pink hair, a devilish smile, and a body that never ages.

Read earlier chapters on FF.net

Chapter 22

Closer

As sunlight filtered through the cracks of her curtains, Lucy’s eyes slowly began to blink open. She was met with Natsu’s sleeping face, as she did nearly every morning. The corners of her lips tugged upwards into a smile. Her eyes washed over his features, admiring how peaceful he appeared. With his bangs flattened against his forehead, his mouth parted slightly, and his body relaxed, one would never have guessed that he was actually the world’s most rambunctious, mischievous boy.

And Lucy loved those things about him.

Lightly dragging her finger over Natsu’s cheek, she waited for him to stir. Soon enough, he was cracking a yawn before opening his eyes, squinting at her.

“Good morning,” Lucy said, smiling at him.

He smiled back at her. Both were laying on their sides, facing each other. Natsu rested his hand on Lucy’s thigh, giving it a squeeze.

“Morning,” he replied.

“What are your plans for today?”

Natsu pulled her closer to him, their chests flushed against each other. “I wanna stay like this a little longer.”

Lucy wrapped her arms around him, giving him a quick peck. “Okay, but not for too long. I have to work on my final today, which means I need you out.”

“You know, you don’t hafta kick me out every time you write.”

“I do, actually, because if I don’t, you’re going to try to read it.”

“Then just let me!”

“Nope. Not happening.”

“But Luuucy-!”

“No buts!” Lucy interrupted, sitting up. She swung her legs off the side of the bed, glancing back at him over her shoulder. “You can come back later. But until I’m done writing, you’re going to have to find something to do.”

Natsu sat up, crossing his arms over his bare chest. “But it’s Saturday! I wanna hang out with you!”

“And we will. Later tonight.” She got out of bed, raising her arms in a stretch. Bending over, she picked up Natsu’s shirt, which he had thrown to the floor last night as he preferred sleeping shirtless. She tossed it to him. “Now hurry up and get dressed.”

Natsu got out of bed and stood in front of her. Snaking his hands around her waist, he gave her a coy grin. “We could do something else. Since we never got to finish last night.”

Lucy felt her heart thrash around her ribcage as a familiar tingling sensation appeared between her legs. Her eyes peered down at his torso, admiring the indentations of his abs. It was a tempting offer.

“Nope,” Lucy finally said, tearing her gaze away from his abs to meet his eyes. “I need to write ten chapters, all of them having five-thousand words. I need to start as soon as possible. And I’m actually inspired to write, so I can’t just pass it up. But…” She slid one of her hands down to the hem of his pants, sliding a finger underneath. Her voice was sultry as she continued, “I’ll make the wait worth it.”

Natsu swallowed thickly, feeling himself growing beneath his joggers. “O-Okay.”

“Good. So I’ll see you later?”

The boy threw on his shirt and grabbed some of his things. “Yeah, let me know when I’m allowed back.”

“Will do.” They shared a quick peck before Natsu headed towards the door. “Oh, and Natsu?”

“Yeah?”

“Bring a condom.”

Lucy had to stifle a laugh, watching his cheeks turn bright red. With that, he was practically rushing out the door.

Lucy sat at her desk pulling, out her journal so she could get to work.

“Hmm. Though now all I want to work on is that smut story.”

The moment Natsu got home, he jumped straight in the shower. This time, he took extra care to make sure he scrubbed every inch of his body. He needed to be squeaky clean for his plans with Lucy later that day.

Once he was finished, Natsu stared down at his hands with a look of disgust. They were all wrinkly from being in the shower too long. He wondered how Lucy could handle it.

He finished freshening up, taking extra care of his appearance and hygiene that day. He used extra mouthwash, he actually brushed through his hair, and he chose a set of clothes that he didn’t typically wear: a pair of black jeans and a button up grey shirt.

Stepping out the bathroom, he found Gray sitting on his bed. It had been a while since they were both in their room at the same time. Usually, they could be found at their girlfriends’ places.

Gray looked him over. “Why’re you dressin’ like that?”

“None of your business,” Natsu replied, grabbing his wallet and shoving it in his pockets.

Gray narrowed his eyes at him. “No, you’re up to something. I’ve known you for a really long time, as much as I hate to say it. In that time, I’ve never seen you willingly wear a button up shirt. You and Lucy goin’ on a date?”

“Something like that.”

Gray’s eyes widened. “Oh. Are you two…”

Natsu whipped his head towards him, giving him the answer he needed. “Shut up.”

“This is your first time, right?”

“I’m not talkin’ about this with you!”

Gray sighed and rolled his eyes. “I’m not judging you, idiot. I’m just asking because it’s also gonna be Lucy’s first time, so you should probably be prepared.”

The boy arched a brow. As much as he hated talking about this, especially with Gray of all people, his curiosity had been piqued. “Prepared for what?”

“For hurting Lucy.”

Natsu’s eyes went wide. “What do you mean? I would never hurt her!”

“Yeah, not on purpose. But apparently the first time hurts a lot for some girls. At least, that’s what Juvia told me.”

“Did it hurt for her?”

“Yeah, but she said it’s because the guy wasn’t doin’ it right.”

“Wait, you weren’t the first-”

“No, I wasn’t. Juvia’s had sex before me,” Gray said, shoving his hands in his pockets.

“Does that make you upset or anything?”

Gray shrugged. “Not really. I mean, yeah, I would’ve liked to be her first so that she didn’t have to go through that, but we’re immortals. We’ve been alive a hell of a long time, so of course she’s dated other guys before. That’s all in the past.”

“Did… Did she ever say how the guy did it wrong?” As embarrassing as it was to get advice about this from Gray, he endured it so that he could keep from hurting Lucy.

“She said a lot of it was because he didn’t keep… you know.”

“No, I don’t know.”

Gray’s cheeks turned pink and he averted his gaze. Maintaining eye-contact with Natsu while he said this made him feel gross. “He didn’t keep pleasuring her.”

“How does that make it hurt?”

“Apparently some stuff happens with their bodies when they’re pleasured so that it keeps them from hurting. Something about stretching. Look, I don’t know the science behind it. But that’s what you have to make sure to do. Also, even if it still hurts her a little, don’t freak out over it. That’ll just make her tense up and hurt even more.”

“How am I not supposed to freak out if I’m hurting her?”

“You’ll just have to. Chances are, she won’t even feel any pain at all, so don’t go freakin’ out yet.”

Natsu groaned, dragging a hand over his face. “This is more complicated than I thought.”

Gray shrugged. “It’s worth it. If it makes you feel better, Juvia said that even though the first time hurt, it wasn’t like it kept hurting forever.”

Natsu flopped onto his bed, staring up at the ceiling. “How was it for you?”

“You mean my first time?” Gray asked, to which the other boy nodded. His cheeks tinged pink. “It was even better than my expectations.”

“Seriously?”

“Way better.”

Natsu got up and slipped on his shoes. He had errands to run to. “Well, I’m outta here.”

“Have fun.”

“Shut up.”

Lucy glanced at the clock. Two hours had passed since Natsu had left. She made a good amount of progress for her story, and now it was time to get ready for what was next.

Jumping in the shower, Lucy took an even longer shower than normal as she had shaved every part of her body in excitement. Picking up her perfume, she questioned spritzing some on herself before deciding against it. She knew that Natsu’s nose was strong and that he wasn’t a big fan of perfume. At least she could still smell her shampoo. That was good enough.

Dragging a brush through her long, golden hair, the girl made sure to get every tangle out. Though, it was likely going to get messy again with what they were going to be doing. She looked at herself in the mirror, satisfied with what she was wearing. She was adorned in an off-the-shoulder top and jeans that hugged her shapely legs. Her favorite part was what she wore underneath. A black, lacy bra that was see through, save for the flowers embroidered over the area that covered her nipples, and a matching pair of underwear that showed off more skin than it covered.

Finally ready, Lucy sent Natsu a quick text, telling him he could come back. Her heart thumped wildly in her chest, her cheeks flaming red. After literal lifetimes, she was finally going to lose her virginity.

Almost twenty minutes later, there was a knock at the door. Lucy took a deep breath before going to answer it. Swinging the door open, she found Natsu more dressed up than normal. His cheeks were just as pink as her own.

“Ready to go?” Natsu asked.

“Go? Go where?” Lucy asked in return.

“On our date. Duh.”

“Date? We didn’t plan a date.”

“Lucy. You really think I’m not gonna take you out before our first time? C'mon! I got it all planned out!”

Lucy beamed at him, accepting his hand and allowing him to lead the way. She should’ve known that he was going to make it special for them. Warmth traveled through her body. He always managed to make her feel special.

Their first stop was an ice-skating rink. After paying and renting some skates, the two waddled towards the rink. Natsu struggled walking on the skates, nearly falling over once or twice before even making it to the ice.

“Have you ever ice-skated before?” Lucy asked, stepping onto the smooth surface.

“Nope,” Natsu answered, following right behind her. “But I looked up fun things to do during the winter and this was first on the list.”

“It is pretty fun. I used to go ice-skating with my mom when I was a kid.” Natsu glanced at her, his eyes boring into her. She arched a brow. “What?”

“Oh, nothing,” Natsu replied. “I just didn’t think you’d talk about your mom so casually.”

Lucy nearly slapped herself. She needed to stop telling him about her parents, or at least stick to one set. “Oh, uhh, right. Anyways, let’s skate!”

Staying close to the edge of the rink, Lucy moved gracefully on the ice. She couldn’t do any fun tricks, but skating itself was pretty easily. It was just like rollerblading, only on ice. A bright grin etched her face.

“This is fun, huh Natsu?” Lucy said, glancing over her shoulder at the boy only to find him collapsed on the ice. “Natsu?”

Skating up to him, she found his face pale and dotted with sweat. His cheeks were puffed out. She knew that look.

“Wait, are you getting motion sickness from ice-skating?” she asked.

Natsu nodded. “Feel…sick…”

“But it’s not even a vehicle!”

“Still…”

Lucy apologized to the other customers who had to go around him. She couldn’t just leave him there. Grabbing him by the arms, the girl tried to lift him up, only to lose her balance fall down with him. In hindsight, she should’ve known that would’ve happened. After all, she was on ice.

Rubbing her head, which was soon to sport a bruise later, Lucy grabbed the railing and hoisted herself up. Keeping one hand on the rail and the other on Natsu’s collar, she dragged him towards the exit, having learned her lesson from trying to pick him up. Once they made it back to the carpeted floor, Natsu was better in no time judging from the color returning to his cheeks.

However, the frown on his face would’ve told Lucy otherwise.

“Natsu? Are you okay?” she asked.

“Yeah, I’m good. Let’s go eat!” he answered, though she could tell something was bugging him. Still, she followed along without questioning it.

Their next stop was a popular Italian restaurant. Lucy’s eyes lit up. She had been wanting to go there since it opened.

Heading inside, the two found the place was packed. Even the waiting area was cramped, and they had to squeeze through a throng of people just to reach the podium, only to be told that there was over an hour wait for a table. A loud grumble sounded from Lucy. Even in all the commotion, they could still hear her growling stomach. Natsu cursed beneath his breath, running a hand through his hair.

“I should’ve made a reservation,” he said.

Lucy frowned as she studied him. He was taking it harder than he should have. “It’s fine, Natsu. Let’s just eat somewhere else. We can go to the barbecue place down the street! I know you love that place!”

Natsu turned to face her, a pained look on his face as he slowly nodded in defeat. They walked to the barbecue join wordlessly, the air around them thick. Even surrounded by his favorite food, Natsu had acted differently. Something was bothering him.

“Natsu, what’s wrong?” Lucy asked, pushing her food away. “You’ve been upset since the ice-skating rink.”

“It’s nothing.”

“Natsu. The truth, please.”

The boy’s frown grew as he averted his gaze. “I just wanted to make tonight special since, you know… And so far I’ve been messin’ everything up.”

“What do you mean messing things up?”

“Come on, Lucy. I took you to an ice-skating rink only to get sick and have to leave a moment later. Then I made us walk across town because I’m too sick to get in a car, only for the place to be packed. And now here we are, eating at one of my favorite restaurants instead of tryin’ the place you wanted. I fucked up everything.”

Lucy’s lips curled up into a touched grin. “Natsu, you didn’t mess up anything.”

He rolled his eyes. “Yeah, thanks.”

“I mean it.” She reached over and grabbed his hand, giving it a reassuring squeeze. Only once he met her gaze, she continued, “Tonight has been wonderful. So what if your original plans got derailed? That doesn’t mean that I’m not having fun.”

“You didn’t even get to skate much. You even hurt yourself trying to help me up.”

“It didn’t hurt much. And no, I didn’t get to skate that much. But I got to go to a new place with you. And you should know by now that I don’t mind walking for you. In fact, I may not have motion sickness, but I’m not too fond of being in cars either.”

“You aren’t?”

“Nope. I’d much rather walk with you.” Considering two out of her three deaths happened in car accidents, the girl practically swore off driving in her fourth lifetime. “And our walk to the restaurant was fun! We got to joke around.”

Natsu still wasn’t so sure. “You still couldn’t eat at the place you’ve been tellin’ me you wanted to go to.”

“Then we’ll go next time,” Lucy assured with a grin. “And now we’ll know to make a reservation. I promise, Natsu, I’m happy with our date. Just spending time with you is fun.”

Finally, the boy’s mood seemed to lighten. His normal, face-splitting grin returned to his face, lighting up the room. “Alright, good. As long as you’re having fun, then I’m having fun.”

Lucy nodded, her cheeks turning pink as she said, “And we’re going to have even more fun later tonight, right?”

Natsu stared at her for a moment, onyx boring into brown, before he flagged down their waiter. Paying for their food, he didn’t even bother boxing up leftovers before taking her hand and quickly leading her out of the restaurant.

Lucy’s heart thrashed around her chest in excitement as she knew what was next in store for them. They were about to take the next step in their relationship.

Reaching her apartment, Lucy kept her eyes glued to the wall as she found herself nervous. This was her first time initiating something like this. She didn’t know how to lead them into what was next.

Luckily, Natsu took the lead for her.

Closing the door behind him, he looked Lucy over before brushing some of her hair out of her face. Remembering Gray’s advice from earlier, he leaned towards her and softly brushed his lips against hers to warm her up. Her lips were soft as petals and were warm against him. Cupping the back of her head, he deepened their kiss. His tongue eagerly met hers, washing against each other in a smooth rhythm.

He felt Lucy relax against him, her previous stiffness from before melting away. Her hands traveled to his chest while his moved to her hips. He squeezed her hips, enjoying the feel of her curves. Natsu’s lips left hers, leaving butterfly kisses down to her neck. He dragged his teeth over her flesh before sucking on the skin, leaving red marks to show that she was his and his only. He was glad that she wore an off-the-shoulder top, giving him easy access to her shoulders and her collarbone.

Lucy’s eyes closed as Natsu’s lips washed over her collarbone. It tickled her skin and caused the area between her legs to tingle in excitement. As his tongue dragged over her, sparks jolted through her entire body.

“Bed,” Lucy whispered, unconfident in her ability to stand much longer as he was turning her legs to jello with his kisses.

Natsu nodded, hoisting her up beneath her legs while never taking his lips off of her. Dropping her on the bed, he moved eagerly to unbutton her jeans. Helping her shimmy out of the tight pants, his eyes were glued to her underwear immediately. They were black and small, barely covering much. His eyes traveled to her creamy legs, admiring the thickness of her thighs. His groin throbbed in arousal as he thought of kissing his way up her legs and to her underwear to kiss her folds.

Grabbing the hem of her shirt, he tore it off in his excitement, throwing it over his shoulder. Matching her underwear, her bra was also black and lacy. His tongue slid over his lips. Her nipples were still covered from the flowers on her bra, but that would change soon enough.

Natsu lowered his lips onto Lucy’s thigh. He felt her squirm beneath him, especially as he started to move upwards. His mouth hovered over her underwear, teasingly dragging his lip over the fabric.

Moving up her body, he trailed kisses from her stomach up to her breasts. He traced his hands over the lace. His pants were started to feel tight around him as he brought his lips between her breasts. Lucy wrapped her legs around him, bringing his bulge against her.

Lucy’s mouth flew open as Natsu’s lips moved over her bra. Even through the fabric, she could feel the warmth of his mouth against her, moving towards her sensitive areas. She wiggled and squirmed below him, the sensation foreign to her.

A fire was ignited within her, and there was only one way to put it out. Rolling her hips against Natsu, the girl bit her lip at the pleasure brought from the friction. The feeling increased as Natsu’s hand slipped the cups of her bra out of the way and covered her breast with his mouth. He flicked his tongue over her hardened peaks, bringing a scream to the tip of her mouth.

Her brain was short-circuiting as her body was overloaded with pleasure. Natsu was touching every sensitive spot of her body. The feeling was contradictory. On the one hand, it almost felt like the pleasure was too much. On the other, it left her wanting more.

Her hands moved between them, sloppily undoing the buttons of his shirt. She needed to feel him. All of him. Once the damned shirt was out of the way, she traced her fingers over his abs down to the hem of his pants. She heard him intake sharply.

“Natsu,” she breathed out.

Luckily, he got the hint. Removing himself from her, he quickly tore off his pants and tossed them aside as she took to taking off her bra. Her eyes landed on his boxers, eyeing the tent created from his bulge. Her tongue slid across her lips. She wanted to see all of him.

Sliding her finger underneath the hem of his boxers, she implored him to take them off. She wanted them to be bare for their first time.

Natsu nodded, hooking his fingers under his boxers before sliding them off. Lucy’s eyes widened as his cock sprang free. She wasn’t sure what was considered big, but she had a feeling that Natsu was. Eagerly moving her hands to her own underwear to take them off, she was surprised as he lightly smacked them away.

“I’ve been imagining this for so long,” he said, eyes glazing over her body. “I wanna do it.”

Lucy could see the hunger pooled in his eyes, the same lust that she was sure reflected off of her own orbs. This was a new side of Natsu she hadn’t seen before. Dominant. He knew what he wanted and he was going to have his way with her.

It excited her.

Lucy nodded, laying back down as Natsu trailed his palms up her thighs. She was soft and smooth, everything he knew she’d be. He slid his fingers underneath her underwear, a shiver running up his spine at the realization that this was part of Lucy he’d never touched before, and that they were going to be exploring each other even more shortly.

As he removed her underwear, Natsu took a moment to catch his breath. There before him laid Lucy, completely bare. He’d seen her naked before, but the circumstances were different this time. He wasn’t just breaking into her apartment at a bad time. No, they were moving forward as a couple.

“You’re beautiful, Luce,” Natsu breathed out.

Lucy flushed, squirming as she resisted the urge to cover herself. Even though she was excited for the next step and usually confident in her looks, she felt vulnerable and a bit insecure to be naked in front of him.

“You don’t believe me?” Natsu asked, arching a brow as he took in Lucy’s reaction. “I’ll prove it then.”

A swarm of butterflies paraded around Lucy’s stomach as Natsu began to lower himself onto her. He molded his lips with hers.

“Believe me now?”

She shook her head. “I think I might need a little more reassurance.”

Natsu gave her a grin. “I think I can do that.”

He crashed his lips against hers once more before trailing down to her breasts. He grabbed the globes in his hands, rubbing his finger over her peaks.

Lucy closed her eyes as Natsu began to pleasure her. Her body shook as Natsu dragged his lower lip against her breast before licking them like he had before. A moan slipped past her lips as he teased her.

Moving her hand down, she grabbed his length to position it between her legs, surprised at how warm it was against her palm. Placing his shaft against her folds, Lucy gave a breathy sigh, indulging herself in the heat and friction he had to offer. As his mouth worked on her breasts, she began to grind against him, his velvety skin sliding against hers.

Her stomach began to coil as a newfound pleasure washed over her. It was nothing like she’d ever experienced before, even in her moments of self-exploration. She was close to climaxing, but she couldn’t just yet. Not when they hadn’t gotten to the best part yet.

“Natsu,” she breathed out, her voice airy and light. “I’m ready.”

“Are you sure?” he asked. He needed to make sure she was really ready before continuing.

Lucy nodded. “I want you in me.”

Natsu swallowed thickly, not needing to be told twice. Reaching for his discarded pants with shaky hands, he pulled a condom out of his pocket. He tore it open and rolled it on, his cock throbbing in excitement.

“I love you, Lucy,” he told her. He wanted her to know that before he continued.

She smiled. “I love you too.”

Natsu kissed her once more as he slowly lowered himself back onto her. He positioned himself between her legs. He rubbed against her a few times before guiding himself to her entrance, which had already been soaked with her juices.

Remembering that he needed to keep her pleasured, Natsu moved his mouth back to her breasts, having learned that she loved it when he kissed them. He glazed his tongue over her nipples as he pushed himself inside of her. A shaky breath left his lips as pure bliss swept over him with just his tip inserted.

Meanwhile, Lucy closed her eyes and took a deep breath. She’d heard stories of it hurting for girls their first times, and admittedly there was a slight pinch of pain. But as Natsu transitioned between her breasts and pushed himself deeper within her, she found that there was more pleasure than pain.

A soft moan slipped out of her as Natsu slowly began to withdraw. Even inside of her she could still feel his warmth. The sensation was indescribable. Wrapping her legs around him, she willed him to go inside her again. This time, there wasn’t a single ounce of pain.

Now they could really get started.

Lucy’s hands flew to Natsu’s back, her nails raking his body as he pushed himself deeper than before. No longer feeling any pain, she decided to join in and move against him as well. Every time he tried to withdraw, she tightened her hold.

Natsu groaned. Lucy was deliciously tight around him, clinging to his shaft as he moved. He could feel his skin being stretched as he explored her body. His hands found purchase on her shoulders to keep her steady.

Everything just felt so good.

“Let’s go faster,” Lucy whispered. As good as it felt, she wanted to try something new.

Natsu nodded. Tightening his hold on her, he picked up the pace, pumping in and out of her. Their movements caused her breasts to bounce, which stirred the hunger within him even more. A low growl resonated in his throat as he crashed his lips against hers roughly. Her hands moved to his hair, tugging on his pink locks.

As he went faster, he started to go harder as well, no longer able to hold himself back. He pounded his cock into her, causing her breaths to get louder and louder until she was moaning.

“N-Natsu,” she moaned. “I’m close.”

“Good,” he replied. He wanted to make her scream his name. He wanted her to experience as much pleasure as possible.

Moving one of his hands to her breasts, he squeezed it hard in his hand. He smoothed his thumb over her nipple, all the while kissing her and pushing deep within her. All of the stimulation to her sensitive areas had Lucy reaching her climax.

Suddenly, a wave of intense pleasure washed over her, causing her body to tremble. She arched her back, pushing herself as hard against him as she could so that he could go even deeper within her.

“Natsu!” she shouted as he continued to thrust within her. Her toes curled and she was sure she was seeing stars. Her body spiked with rushes of ecstasy. It was so much better than she had expected.

Hearing Lucy scream his name was all Natsu needed to reach his own climax. His knees buckled as he rode out his orgasm, pleasure jolting through him like electricity. To be able to finish with Lucy was his goal, and he accomplished it.

Once the waves of pleasure began to lull, Natsu pulled out of Lucy and collapsed on the bed beside her. The two stared up at the ceiling, their faces flushed with heat and coated with sweat. They panted, still not having caught their breath.

“How was it?” Natsu asked, turning on his side to face her. His eyes were serious. “Did it hurt?”

Lucy shook her head. “There was a tiny pinch and that was it. Other than that, it was amazing.”

Natsu heaved a sigh of relief. “Good. I hope you liked your first time.”

“Oh I liked it alright,” Lucy replied, giving him a coy grin. “And we’ll only get better from here.”

Natsu chuckled, brushing some hair out of her face. “Are you saying that we’re gonna do this again?”

“Bet on it.”

“Tonight?”

“If you’re down for it.”

Natsu placed a hand on her hip, squeezing it as he gave her a grin. “You don’t even have to ask.”

“Good. Then I hope you brought more than one condom, because we’ll be needing it.”

Natsu paled. “Shit.”

“You only brought one?” Lucy asked.

“Yeah. Just in case you didn’t like it.”

Lucy laughed, smacking his chest. “Of course I’m going to like it, you dummy! Well, looks like we’ll have to wait until some other time then.”

“Unless-!”

“If you even suggest the pull-out method, I will strangle you.”

Natsu chuckled, bringing Lucy in for a hug. “Kidding, kidding!” Sitting up, he stared down at the condom that he had yet to remove. “I think I wanna shower, actually.”

“Ooh, I’ll join you.”

“You wanna shower together?”

“I don’t see why not considering we just had sex.”

Natsu grinned. “I’ll go start it.” He kissed her before running into the bathroom.

Lucy sighed happily, forcing herself out of bed to join him. Even though they talked about going for a second round, the two were feeling exhausted after their quick shower. Natsu hopped into bed, patting the space beside him.

A smile was glued to Lucy’s face as she laid beside Natsu. Never in a million years would she have thought that she would end up finding someone like him during this lifetime- or any lifetime, for that matter. Before, she would go out of her way to avoid interacting people. She pushed others away, keeping to herself. She was isolated. She was lonely. She hated life and felt guilty having to replace those she had loved in her first life.

And yet here she was, snuggled in bed with the love of her life. So much had happened during this lifetime. She had made friends. She had fallen in love. Every day was no longer a repeat of the last. She was having fun. Life was an adventure.

And for the first time in her many lifetimes, Lucy could say she was glad she was reincarnated.

If only she could go back in time and tell the second-lifetime version of herself, along with the third, that life got better. That there was a light at the end of the tunnel. Unfortunately, she couldn’t change her past.

Her eyes went wide at a sudden realization.

She couldn’t change her past, but she could try and change someone else’s future.

Glancing towards Natsu, she found that he was sleeping peacefully. Slowly climbing out of bed to keep from waking him up, Lucy grabbed her laptop before tiptoeing into the bathroom. She sat on the edge of the tub with the laptop on her thighs.

It’d been a while since she talked to the one other person who she knew shared her circumstances. Even though they could relate to each other, they found that talking to the each other only reminded them of their situation, which they chose not to think about. Both of them were miserable before, and only shared emails a few times.

But Lucy felt that she had to tell her that good could come out of their situation.

Opening her email, Lucy typed her message.

Yukino, it’s been a while, hasn’t it? I don’t know when you’ll see this or if you’re still even on your second lifetime, but I’m here to tell you that things get better. Even though you reincarnate, there are still good things to be experienced. I’ve stopped shutting other people out and started making friends. I even fell in love. I know it’s hard to believe, but you can still be happy. Live life for yourself, Yukino. There has to be a reason we reincarnate, and I’m going to keep trying to live life to the best of my abilities.

By the end of her message, tears were streaming down Lucy’s cheeks. She covered her mouth with a hand to keep from sobbing loudly. These were the words that she needed to hear long ago. If only she had believed it before.

Lucy exhaled, throwing her head back to stare at the ceiling. Things were different now. Even though she loved her friends and family of her first lifetime, they were in her past and they weren’t going to be in her future. Natsu and everyone else, they were her present. They gave her reason.

Lucy opened the bottom drawer to find her necklace, only to remember that she stashed it below the mattress to keep Natsu from finding it. She had to make sure to bring it with her on her trip, as it was tradition to wear it whenever she visited her first parents’ graves. Pretty soon, she would have to bury it somewhere.

And with it, she was going to make sure to bury some mementos of this lifetime, because there were finally people in her life that she cherished and wanted to keep in her heart forever.

[proxylynn]

Underfell: File Name not Edgy Enough #10

Chapter 10: Skeletons WARNING: I WANT NO RESPONSIBILITY OVER SPOILING THINGS FOR OTHERS. THAT BEING SAID, THIS IS HOW FILE NAME NOT FOUND WOULD FUNCTION IN THE AU OF UNDERFELL. BEFORE YOU READ THIS, UNLIKE THE NICE TIME OF UNDERTALE, THIS WORLD IS KILL OR BE KILLED. THIS STORY WILL BE GRAPHIC, GORY, USE SWEARS LIKE NOBODY'S BUSINESS, AND DEAL WITH SENSITIVE SUBJECT MATTERS. FOR EXAMPLE, THOSE OF YOU WHO HAVE READ THE FILE NAME RELOCATED SPOOF WILL KNOW HOW I PICTURE THIS VERSION OF LYNSIE COMING TO THE UNDERGROUND. IT IS NOT AN ACCIDENT. IT IS NOT BECAUSE OF SOMETHING DUMB. IT IS BECAUSE SHE CHOOSES TO END HER LIFE. SO TAKE THIS WITH A GRAIN OF SALT. I MADE IT BECAUSE I NEEDED TO LET SOME OF THIS EDGINESS OUT OF MYSELF. WHICH I GUESS MAKES UNDERFELL LYNSIE EVEN MORE TRUE TO WHO I REALLY AM. ANYWAY, ENJOY. ^_^ ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ This feels familiar. Different, but familiar. This same darkness. This same unease. This same soul shivering chill of nothingness. Funny...Where's Gaster's door? Did we just revert to the old way? {Hey...Why are you here?} That voice... "Chara?" {Lynsie? What are you doing here?} "Hell if I know." {You need to leave this place.} "Not like I know how. But why?" {They took you and Asriel. I don't know where you are now, but you shouldn't be asleep while in Snowdin Town...Even if Sans is helping you, Papyrus is not bound by any promise.} That made my spine tremble. "Okay, you have a point there. But how do I leave from...what or wherever this place is?" {You have to wake up.} "I've never made myself wake up before." {Well, how do you normally know you're about to wake up?} "Normally? I become aware that I'm dreaming." {Like right now?} "There's the conundrum. I don't know if this is a dream. I mean, I'm fulling aware when I see Gaster, but I never..." {Wait...You've met Gaster?} "You know the guy?" {Stay away from him!} I feel like I flinched. "Dude, what's wrong?" {Don't go near him! He's dangerous. You can't trust him.} "Can't really do nothing about that. He comes to me. Not the other way around." {Then don't talk to him. Ignore him. Do what you can to keep him away from your soul.} "What? Why? How?" {Just try to...} Chara's voice starts to dampen, almost like he's going mute. I don't get to speak up as I'm forced away. "*gasps and coughs*" That was the weirdest awakening from that dream-thing yet. I can't see yet, I'm sweating and covered in goosebumps. My chest is tight from lack of air and movement. What the fuck is happening to me?! "HUMAN...I SEE YOU'RE FINALLY AWAKE." I shake my head and try to focus as my sight begins to come back. I can barely make him out as a white smudge in black. "Papyrus? What happened? Where is this?" I attempt to rub my eyes but can't. I yank them only to hear the clatter of chains. "NOTICING YOUR NEW ACCESSORIES, I SEE." "The hell? Why am I restrained?" "ONE CAN NEVER BE TOO CAREFUL WHEN IT COMES TO SAFETY AND HUMANS." I scoff and rub my eyes into my shoulder, blinking a few times to get things cleared in my vision. Now that I can see, I find Papyrus standing over me, which is normal because he's taller than me, and Sans is off leaning on a wall behind his brother. I seem to be inside a small room of some sorts. There is a bowl of dry pet food with what looks like cut up hotdog mixed in, a squeaky bone chew toy, and a small pet bed. Like at the start of the forest, there is a wall of bars that separates 2/3s of the room, Sans is on the smaller watching side while Papyrus is on the larger captive side with me. The walls and floor are in terrible shape, even the two windows are in need of repair yet less than the rest of the room. I'm stuck in a kind of kneeling position due to the chains connected to the wall and floor. My wrists are connected to the chains on the wall and ankles to the ones connected to the floor. However, this doesn't concern me. What does get my attention is the fact that ALL my stuff is gone. The backpack with Flowey? Gone. My equipped gear? Gone. Even the ribbon? Yep, that's gone too. Frankly, with how thorough they were at disarming me, I'm surprised I'm not chained up in my underwear right now. [HP 36, ATK 18, and DEF 11] "Where is Flowey?" "THAT IS NONE OF YOUR CONCERN." "I won't ask again. *stern* Where is he?" Papyrus growls and Sans taps on the wall. "relax, kiddo. the weed is fine. got'em in the house so he won't shrivel up." "WHILE I DON'T CARE TO HAVE THE PLANT IN OUR HOME. SANS DID BRING UP THE POINT THAT THE FLOWER IS MORE USEFUL ALIVE THAN DEAD." "Oh yeah? How so?" He grins. "YOU'D BE MORE COOPERATIVE IF THE HOSTAGE WAS STILL LIVING." My eyes widen into a glare. "If you hurt him..." "YOU'LL WHAT? AS YOU CAN SEE, YOU AREN'T IN ANY POSITION TO MAKE THREATS." "Oh sure, overreact much? Like I've done anything to actually prove I'd hurt you if I made a threat. Probably would embarrass the crap out of you, but nothing painful." "YES. SPEAKING OF EMBARRASSMENT, YOU HAVE LOWERED MY CREDIBILITY BY NOT KILLING THOSE DOGS." I scoff. "Dude, you captured a human and no one died. How is that not a good thing for you?" "YOU ALMOST MADE IT TO TOWN. YOU HAVE ONLY AN LV OF 1. EVERY MONSTER ON PATROL IS TRAINED TO KILL HUMANS AND IS UNDER MY WATCH. BY BEING NICE AND GETTING SO FAR, IT HAS MADE ME LOOK BAD." I look at him funny. "Dude...You wanted me to go through the puzzles and even agreed to my plan on making the dogs leave us alone. You were with me the whole way for fuck's sake! If you had any problem then you should've said something, ya jackass!" Sans wasn't paying all the much attention until that moment. Papyrus glares and growls deeply. "WHAT DID I TELL YOU ABOUT THAT MOUTH OF YOURS? KNOW WHEN TO KEEP IT SHUT, HUMAN. THAT'S YOUR LAST WARNING." "Bull crap! You're mad because some random assholes are talking shit about you? God forbid you yourself are happy to have done your fucking job without any issue and not care what some pussies say because they are too much of a bitch to deal with what you do. Oh no. Not the great and terrible Papyrus. You're the guy that chained up a girl that blacked out from intense vertigo. Oooh...You must be so scared." He slaps me hard enough to lock my jaw until it snaps back when I hit the wall. [HP ██████████████████████████ 26/36] "MOCK ME AGAIN! I FUCKING DARE YOU!" I can only think that his hit didn't deal more damage because of lack of space for me to fly, unlike last time. But now I'm not in a good mood. I've had enough. "Again..." "HUH?" "Touch me again. I fucking dare you! I will rip that arm off and shove it up your bony ass!" "YOU MOUTHY LITTLE BITCH..." He swings at me again and I lurch forward in a small lunge. This surprises him and he's almost caught off guard enough for me to chomp down on his hand, yet his reflexes are better than my jaw snapping. "YOU...YOU WERE GOING TO BITE ME? SANS? SHE WAS GOING BITE ME...I SAW THAT CORRECTLY, RIGHT?" Sans is now leaning into the bars with a worried expression. "um...y-yeah." "HUH...A DIRTY MOVE, HUMAN. I'M IMPRESSED YOU'D ACTUALLY DO SOMETHING LIKE THIS. BUT..." He summons a sharpened bone and plunges it into my left shoulder, reopening the scar from when it was hurt the first time as I roar in pain. And it's not a clean stab either, only the tip exits out while the rest scraps my own bones. Blood seeps around the entry point slowly and Sans is visibly shaken by it. [HP ████████████████ 16/36] "BUT YOU'RE WRONG TO THINK I'D LET YOU DO THAT WITHOUT CONSEQUENCE." He twists the bone and I choke the yell my voice demands. The satisfied smirk he has grows as I bite my lower lip hard enough to bleed just to distract from this. [HP ████████████ 12/36] "IT HURTS, DOESN'T IT? YOU CAN TRY TO FIGHT IT, BUT YOU CAN'T HOLD OUT FOREVER. I CAN MAKE IT STOP. YOU KNOW THIS. AND I'M WILLING TO BET YOU KNOW WHAT I WANT IN EXCHANGE. SO I'LL ASK YOU, HUMAN, WILL YOU SWALLOW YOUR FOOLISH PRIDE AND SAY IT?" "*strained* I'm..." "YES?" "*strained* Not impressed..." He jerks the bone and I thrash harshly against the chains. More blood begins to come out. [HP ██████ 6/36] "pap...maybe this is a bit much." "SHE HAS TO LEARN, SANS. IF SHE DOES BAD THAN SHE WILL BE PUNISHED. SUCH IS THE CONDITIONING NEEDED IN PROPER PET TRAINING." "*strained* I'm not...a dog...asshole..." He grabs my face in one hand and forces me to look at him. His other hand still holding the bone firm. "YOU ARE IN NEED OF A RUDE AWAKENING, HUMAN. YOU ARE IN OUR CUSTODY NOW. IF YOU WEREN'T, YOU'D BE HAULED OFF TO THE CAPITAL AND KING ASGORE WOULD PERSONALLY RIP THE SOUL FROM YOUR WEAK BODY. IF IT WEREN'T FOR ME, YOU'D BE JUST ANOTHER BODY ADDED TO THE UNTOLD NUMBERS THAT WILL FALL TO US WHEN WE RETAKE THE SURFACE. SO GO AHEAD. BE DISRESPECTFUL. SEE HOW FAR THAT GETS YOU. BECAUSE LIKE ANY OWNER WITH A DISOBEYDANT PET, I HAVE A LIMIT OF HOW MUCH I CAN STAND OF YOU BEFORE I PUT YOU DOWN. AM I CLEAR?" I snarl, shaking my head from his hand and defiantly biting the bone. This gives them both very weird blushing looks, though Papyrus snaps out of this oddness first when I try to pull the bone out. "*SIGH* I WANT TO ADMIRE THIS RESOLVE YOU HAVE, BUT I'M NOT IN THE MOOD." With him being stronger than me, he has no issue pushing the bone in further in. I release it in my whimpers and end up yelping when he presses me to the wall as the bone pins me to it. [HP █ 1/36] "I DO HOPE YOU'RE COMFORTABLE. YOU'LL BE STAYING LIKE THIS FOR QUITE SOME TIME." Tears leak from the corners of my eyes but don't sting as bad as the dirty look I'm giving him. Papyrus shakes his head and moves through the bars with ease. "SANS..." "y-yeah?" "MAKE SURE SHE LEARNS HER PLACE WITHOUT DYING. I'D HATE TO HAVE WASTED MY TIME ON A HOPELESS CAUSE." "sure. no problem, boss." Papyrus heads to the door and opens it, the snowy wind blows inside. Wait...Am I in a shed? "USE YOUR TIME WISELY, HUMAN. THIS CAN EITHER BE PLEASANT OR TORTUROUS. THE CHOICE IS UP TO YOU." Papyrus leaves with a slam of the door and I wince from the vibration shaking the bone. Now alone with Sans, I try to relax. I need to think of how I'm going to deal with this and get Flowey back. "man...you really like to push his buttons." I look at the bone and try again to bite and pull it out. This gets that weird look to come back to Sans. "uh...d-do ya want some help with that?" I look at him and he flinches. The blush getting worse on his face. "n-n-never mind." He looks away but takes small glances when I grunt at each nerve being tugged. "*muffled* Damn it...Why is it so big?" Sans gulp and shudders into biting his own hand. "*quiet* fuck, kiddo...not this again...and why it like that?" I snarl and give up for the moment. I'll try again later. "*annoyed* So...What's this whole 'pet' thing he was talking about?" He blinks a few times and rubs his face to return to normal. "ya don't remember what was said at the bridge?" "Dude, I was so out of my mind I have no clue what you or him were doing. For all I know, you guys were playing checkers while in formal ball gowns." "never say that again." "Whatever." "look...ya got so messed up that pap gave up on the whole 'play with the human with puzzles' idea and was about to off ya. i came up with a quick idea of keeping ya alive as our pet so he can show off that he's so great that he bends a human to his will." "You played to his ego...Smart move, skele-dude." "yeah, but you're not really helping matters much with this whole rage against papyrus thing ya got going on." "He started it. Fucker wants to blame me for stupid shit he had no problem with because of other assholes. I ain't gonna take that! And I sure as hell ain't saying sorry! You hear that?! I'm not apologizing!" "YOU WILL IF YOU KNOW WHAT'S GOOD FOR YOU!" Sans jumps and I hop a little at the sudden shout from the window. "I'll apologize when you do for reopening my shoulder, ya smarmy turd!" "YOU WILL APOLOGIZE AND DO SO LIKE A PROPER PET! YOU SHALL ADDRESS ME AS MASTER." "The hell I will!" "enough!" Sans shouts and gets our attention. "i am not putting up with this crap! if we're really doing this, then there's got to be some ground rules!" He points to his brother in the window. "papyrus, meet me at the library. we need to talk." He points at me. "and you...just... *sigh* just don't do anything stupid." Sans leaves the room and now it's just me. All alone and pinned to a wall while also chained. I wait some time to make sure they really left. I don't hear anything outside except the wind. Now it's action time. I clamp my teeth on the bone again and do my darnedest to ignore the pain as I pull on it. It's a slow and very painful process. Pulling it inch by inch. But it gets easier when the wider part of the bone is out and only the thinner pointy part remains. When it gets that far, I just let it fall out on its own from weight and heave a heavy sigh of slight relief. The bleeding isn't so bad, by my standards at least. I can pack some snow into it when I get out. Now for the hard part, getting rid of the shackles. I'm not going to enjoy this, but I am grateful for three things. One, shackles have a set restraint clasp that can't be adjusted to different sizes. Two, I'm double jointed in a few areas, my wrists being one spot. And three, when you're a creative kid with no friends, you do a lot of weird things...like learn how to escape. I move my thumb and pinkie finger to be in my palm so that my right hand is thinned in a curve. "One...Two...Three..." On three, I pull my hand down hard. I hiss at the sting and the bones popping don't help it from sounding worse than it is. But the results are what I wanted. My hand is free. Bent and sore, but free. "Hell...*wince* I'm gonna be a mess by day's end. Mom's going to kill me." Grabbing the bone, I use it before the magic fades. Using the tip to pry out the pin that keeps the clasps together. It isn't long before my limbs are under my full control again. "Alright...Step one, done. Step two, in progress." Now able to move, I tackle the annoying issue of the bars. I exhale and make myself as skinny as possible before trying to squeeze through. These bars are a little bit easier than the forest ones, but still a huge pain in the ass. Both figuratively and literally. This shed is filled with many made up swears by the time I get my body past the bars. I contemplate on whether I should've tried going out one of the windows, but that's when I notice something weird about the shed's door. The doorknob is backward. [It's locked from the inside.] I laugh a bit and walk out like a boss. Though being touched by the cold snow air doesn't make my shoulder or inevitable bruises feel any better. To slow the bleeding in my shoulder, I pack a bunch of snow into the wound. It won't last long due to body heat, but it's a temporary thing until I can fix this better. "Step two, done. On to step three. Now...How do I get inside?" Beside the shed, is a two leveled house that I can surmise belongs to Sans and Papyrus. Spikes outline the structure, it sports a classic pirate flag and is adorned with strings of red ominous lights. To the left of the house is Sans's mailbox, which is full of threatening letters, and Papyrus's mailbox, which is also holding equally bad looking mail. Looking at the "FUCK OFF" mat at the door, I kick it up and scoff at my idea that a key would be there. I check the door nob, to no surprise, it's locked. Checking the window yields more interesting results. The frame wiggles and it loosens the clasp. With a bit of effort, the lock slips off the bracket and I'm able to lift it up. From where the window is, part of a black couch is underneath, which come in handy when pulling myself in. Mental note to self, breaking into a skeleton's house is oddly thrilling. I re-secure the window and look around. Flowey is in here somewhere. I just have to figure out where. "Step three, done. Step four, needs work." The first floor of this house contains a living room and a kitchen. The living room features a large flat-screen television. The living room also hosts a table with what looks like a pet rock sitting on it, which is covered in salt, and one of Sans's dirty socks with a series of sticky notes attached to it, I'd recognize those dingy yellow things anywhere. The sticky notes depict Papyrus nagging Sans to pick it up and they get harsher the with each continuing note. There's also stool by the couch that seats a book titled "How to kick ass and give no fucks" that contains a joke book inside, yet within that is a book on quantum physics book which itself contains another joke book that contains another quantum physics book. I feel like that means something more. But fuck if I have time to think about it. My snow shoulder patch is melting, so off to the kitchen I go. The kitchen is rather simple, containing a stove with a tinfoil covered lasagna in it that has a note on it reminding Sans to warm it up for supper, a trash can, a long countered sink, and a fridge that has containers labeled "pasta perfection" with a number next to it on one side and an half-empty box of doughnuts on the other side. "I'll take this, thank you very much." I grab a strawberry glazed doughnut and munch to bring up my HP before a hand towel into the wound. [HP █████████████ 13/36] "Okay, flower-boy ain't down here. Now if I were a somewhat evil jackass, where would I keep a hostage? Hmmm...*gasp* My bedroom! Of course." So to the stairs I go. The second floor of the house contains a framed painting of a bone in regal attire and four doors, two leading to Papyrus's room and Sans's room, the others are unknown though one is likely a bathroom. "Yo! Flowey! You here, bro?!" "*muffled yell*" "Called it." It sounded like it came from the first door and judging from the all the warning signs on the door, I have to say it's Papyrus's room. This is further proven true by the note on the door. [It's the door to Papyrus's room. It's covered in many labels...] [NO GIRLS ALLOWED!] [NO BOYS ALLOWED!] [NO SANS ALLOWED!] [PAPYRUS ALLOWED.] "Dude just keeps finding ways to come off as a pompous ass and yet cute at the same time. Well...till he stabs you that is." I check the knob, it's locked. "*muffled shout*" "I hear you, give me a second." I lack expect thief skills so I'm not so stealthy with this approach. "Screw the rules, I have boundary issues!" I kick the door near the knob and it busts open with a loud crash. "Knock knock..." Papyrus's room isn't what I was expecting. There's a chest of bones by the door, a desktop computer in the back right corner blocking the only window, a closet between the PC and a large bookshelf. Another pirate flag adorns the wall of the back left corner, an end table with figures resembling monsters of the Royal Guard is near the bed, and the bed itself is a black modified pro stock hot rod decked out with glistening flame decals. In the center of the room is a black rug framed with flames...and a suspicious looking box that looks big enough to hold a potted flower. Opening the box reveals a bound in string Flowey that's also gagged with a sock. I pull it out of his mouth and he spits in disgust. "Ew! Ew! Ew! Ew! Ew! Ew! That was the worst thing I've ever experienced in my entire life!" "At least you're not dead." I snap the string and he stretches. "What happened to you?" I look at the now very wet hand towel. "Take a wild guess." He sighs. "Papyrus?" "Bingo." He groans as I pick him up. "You wouldn't happen to know where my stuff is, would you?" "What?! They took our gear?!" "My gear. Mine. I don't see you walking around with all that on your back." "Semantics. And no. I have no clue." "Damn it...*sigh* Guess we're not leaving any time soon." Flowey's eyes widen. "W-What do you mean we aren't leaving?" "I mean, we are not leaving this house. Not till I find my stuff." I head out of the room and put Flowey down so I can fix the door. "Are you nuts?! Look what those crazy boneheads did to us! If we stay here, we are both going to die!" "And what do you think will happen if we can't call mom by curfew?" That makes the next remark die on Flowey's tongue. "...Good point." Yank the door back into its former place and tumble back a bit. "Pap is gonna be so pissed." "How do you plan to lessen this?" I pause for a moment. "I could do a little around the place. Maybe earn some points that way." "Why?" "I can snoop around while looking innocent." "...Sometimes you surprise me with evil ideas." "It's not evil if I'm doing good to get back what's mine." I pick up his pot and head downstairs. Maybe I'll start in the kitchen and work my way up. Heating up that lasagna seems like a good start. Maybe do some cleaning. But first I need to tend to this wound. [In Snowdin Town, Library] "OKAY SANS, EXPLAIN TO ME WHY WE HAD TO COME HERE AGAIN?" "like i told ya on the way...if we're gonna keep her like a pet, we should at least do some research on humans so we know what the fuck we're doing." "*HUFF* SOUNDS MORE LIKE YOU JUST WANTED ME AWAY FROM THE HUMAN." "that's just a bonus so the two of ya would shut the hell up for five minutes." The brothers stroll up the front desk where the librarian lizard looks extremely bored. "Welcome to the library, how can I be of...Oh. It's just you two. What do you want?" Papyrus sneers. "WE ARE HERE ON OFFICIAL BUSINESS, SMARTASS." "Oh yeah? Like what?" "we need any and all book ya got about humans." That made the lizard monster adjust their glasses. "This would be because of what the town is all chattering about, right? You two actually caught the last human?" Papyrus confidently poses. "INDEED, YOU HEARD RIGHT. I, THE GREAT AND TERRIBLE PAPYRUS, AM IN POSSESSION OF THE FINAL HUMAN." Sans rolls his eyes in annoyance as once again, Papyrus has stolen all the credit. "And why is that? Shouldn't the human be sent to the Capital to have its soul removed?" Papyrus was going to speak but Sans beat him to it. "this is the last human. we need to know what it knows. it's been ages since the last one, so who knows what shit is like on the surface. we need to interrogate the human and report the information before we blindly run up there." Papyrus looks at his brother in surprise. "Yeah, I guess that's a smart move. But just letting you know, my stock on human books isn't as good as you might need it to be. Aside from water damage, Alphys keeps having me send her any new books I find on humans." That made them confused. "WHAT FOR?" The librarian shrugs. "She doesn't tell me. The best answer I got out of her was something along the lines of 'needing info to improve Mettaton's lethality' or something like that. If you ask me, anything she does it that hunk of scrap is an improvement." Sans chuckles. "heh...that quack really thinks she can make the tin-can deadly to humans? hell, she can't even make it be the least bit entertaining. what's it gonna do? bore them to death?" "I know. She's wasting her time. But it's none of my business what she does." The librarian steps away. "I'll check what I have and see how much she's actually returned." The lizard goes to the many shelves and Papyrus snickers, gaining Sans's attention. "what's so funny, bro?" "HEH...YOU SURPRISED ME, SANS. I WOULDN'T HAVE GUESSED YOU WERE CAPABLE OF LYING WITH A STRAIGHT FACE." Sans rolls his shoulders. "never said i couldn't lie. i just can't do it to you." Papyrus smirks. "THAT'S GOOD TO KNOW." After about fifteen minutes or so, the librarian returns with a fairly decent stack of books. "Okay, fellas, this is all I got." Just merely glancing at the spines of these books showed them to be a rather random assortment. "WHAT IS THIS ONE?" "Anatomy & Physiology Workbook For Dummies. I've got a few of these 'Dummies' books and from looking them over, they're pretty much like a crash course rundown on whatever the subject is. This one is about the human body. It's actually pretty weird." "oh yeah? how weird are we talking about?" "Get this...Their bodies are mostly composed of water?" They laugh mockingly. "No, I'm serious. Look it up if you don't believe me. And the amount of water is different depending on gender. Males have about 10% more than females. It's so weird." Sans takes the book and begins flipping through it as Papyrus scoffs. "NONSENSE. SUCH THINGS CAN'T POSSIBLY BE TRUE. WHAT KIND OF CREATURE CAN MAINTAIN LIFE WITHOUT MAGIC?" "Humans apparently. None of these books mention anything on a human's magic abilities. Seems like the rumors were true. Humanity has lost its magic." "THAT'S GOOD. THAT MEANS THEY CAN NEVER TRAP US UNDERGROUND AGAIN." "I wouldn't be so eager if I were you. Remember that one human that came through. The yellow soul with that strange weapon?" "I VAGUELY RECALL SUCH THINGS, BUT GO ON." The librarian flips open another book. This one depicting weapons and battles between humans and other humans. "They've lost the use of magic, true. But they've advanced in physical weaponry. These bombs they have...I couldn't begin to imagine such things ever being real. The damage is incredible. The devastation to their own kind is unbelievable. We'd have to hit them hard and fast or we're goners for sure." Papyrus begins looking over the book when Sans suddenly lets out a slightly shuddering gasp. "HMMM? WHAT IS IT SANS? DID YOU DISCOVER A WEAKNESS WE CAN EXPLOIT?" Sans is sweating bullets and his cheekbones burning. "this is for real, right? this book isn't just making shit up?" This has Papyrus's attention. "Yes. It's a science book. Not science fiction. Why?" "so you're telling me that THIS is a real human fact?" Sans puts the book down on the counter and has it opened to the diagram of a human's skeletal system. "Yes. Humans have skeletons inside their bodies. It's like the core of their shape and everything else covers it. Why is that so...odd...?" Now the librarian is confused by the red tinting both skeletons' faces. "SO THERE'S A SKELETON...INSIDE OF THE HUMAN?" "Yeah?" Papyrus slaps a hand over his face and Sans slams his head into the book to hide his growing blush. "*muffled* fuck my life..." "You two are acting weird. Well, more so than usual. So...Just hand over your card and I'll let you take these so this doesn't get any more uncomfortable." "AGREED." Papyrus hands over his library card and the lizard takes Papyrus's information while also stamping the due dates into each book's time card. "Have fun learning, gentlemen." The librarian teases, making Papyrus huff while taking all the books and Sans pulls his hoodie over his head in shame of the still maddening blush he has even while leaving into the cold. "CAN YOU BELIEVE THE NERVE OF THAT GUY? MUST BE A TRAIT ALL REPTILES HAVE. JUST LIKE ALPHYS." "yep." "...YOU'RE STILL THINKING ABOUT THE BOOK, AREN'T YOU?" "i wish i could stop." "THAT...I CAN AGREE WITH YOU THERE. MOST UNSETTLING." "knowing this now makes everything so awkward!" "WE JUST HAVE TO IGNORE IT. IT'S NOT LIKE SHE CAN TAKE OFF HER SKIN AND WALK AROUND IN JUST BARE BONES. ...RIGHT?" "for the love of asgore, i really fucking hope so." "BE STRONG, BROTHER. DO NOT FALL PREY TO THIS NEW INFORMATION. SHE STILL THE SAME BITCH OF A HUMAN. THIS DOESN'T CHANGE ANYTHING. SHE IS OUR PET. AND WE WILL NOT BE CORRUPTED BY SUCH..." [RING] The sudden sound actually makes Sans jump in surprise due to being so wound up and Papyrus nearly drops everything from shock. "holy shit...*pant* that freaked me out so bad..." "WAIT...THAT ISN'T YOUR RING TONE." "it's not my phone. i took her's when we 'confiscated' her stuff." [RING] "WHO'D BE CALLING HER ANYWAY?" "probably this ghost she knows. or her mom." "HER MOTHER?" "it's a long story..." Sans pulls the old cellphone from his shorts pocket and checks the name that pops up. "yep. it's her mom. let me just..." Without warning, Papyrus snatches the phone from Sans in one hand while holding the books in the other. "pap, no! don't!" Too late. "GREETINGS. YOU ARE SPEAKING TO THE GREAT AND TERRIBLE PAPYRUS, SECOND IN COMMAND OF THE ROYAL GUARD!" Sans's eyes go black and he knows damn well this isn't going to end well. "Papyrus? Oh! You must be Sans's brother. I've heard so much about you." That caught Papyrus off guard. He wasn't expecting to be known. Or to just be known as Sans's brother. "*AHEM* YES. THAT IS INDEED WHO I AM. NOW, WHAT IS THE NATURE OF THIS CALL?" "Well, sir, I do believe I am the one who should be asking the questions. For one, why are you in possession of my daughter's phone?" Papyrus grins evilly. "SIMPLE REALLY. I HAVE HER PHONE BECAUSE SHE IS NOW MY PRISONER." Sans cringes. "You WHAT?!" The shout was loud enough to make the phone receiver crack. "YOU HEARD ME. I HAVE YOUR DAUGHTER NOW. BUT DO NOT FEAR. SHE IS PERFECTLY FINE...IF YOU DON'T COUNT THE WOUND TO HER ARM THAT IS." There's eerie silence on the phone and Sans can't take this anymore. He rips the phone from Papyrus. "SANS! GIVE THAT BACK! I WASN'T DONE GLOATING!" "tori! it's me! don't believe a thing my bro said. h-h-he's just trying to get your goat. *nervous laugh* get it? ya know i'd never let the kid get hurt." "SANS, WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU DOING?" "if ya want, i can give the phone to her right now and she'll tell ya how she's fine. that sound okay, tori?" "SANS..." Sans covers the phone. "you idiot, do ya even know how fucked up you're making this?" Papyrus glares. "DO NOT TAKE THAT TONE WITH ME, SANS." "pap, the human's mom isn't another human. it's asgore's wife, toriel." That name took a moment to click in Papyrus's head, but when it did, his skull only had the look of horror smeared on it. "T-TORIEL? THE TORIEL? THE QUEEN?" "yes! she ran away to the ruins and locked herself in, remember?" "AND HUMAN IS..." "she kinda adopted her." "AND I JUST...OH MY GOD, I JUST GLOATED OVER HURTING THE QUEEN'S DAUGHTER..." "yes, you did. now go get the human so we can save our asses from being cremated!" Papyrus needs no further prompting and rushes to the shed. Sans slowly follows. "sorry about that, tori. i had to tell my bro to go wake the kid. she's at our house taking a nap. poor thing worked herself to the bone trying to get to town, it was the least i could do to let her get some rest." "...This had better not be a lie, Sans. I am in no mood to be played a fool of." "tori, trust me. i hate making promises but never do i break them. the kid is fine. she's..." Sans pauses when Papyrus comes out of the shed with even more panic than he already had. "*SHOUT* SHE'S NOT IN THERE!" Sans almost dropped the phone. The human's gone? But how? She was chained up and pinned to a freaking wall for fuck's sake! How did she...where could she...? Okay, calm down. She couldn't have gotten far. There has to be some sign of her nearby. "Sans? Is everything alright?" Sans begins to sweat profusely and gulps nervously. "y-yeah! everything's fine. the kiddo's just being fussy is all. let me put ya on hold for a sec while i calm her down." Sans hits the button to pause the call. "what do ya mean she's not there?!" "SHE'S NOT IN THERE, SANS!" "are there any clues? ya fucked her shoulder up, maybe there's a blood trail." Taking a moment to settle down, Papyrus lets his training take over. Looking back in the shed, there is a slight trail of blood droplets starting at the wall where they let her, then a big smear of it on the bars, and then leading out of the door. Sans could see the hunter in his brother take hold and calmed down. Once Papyrus had a target in mind there was nothing that escaped his sense until he found it. Papyrus took notice that the blood had stopped outside the shed but footprints took their place. These prints lead him to his own home and even stranger still, the window. "SANS...SHE'S IN OUR HOUSE." Sans comes up to him. "how do you know?" "THE FLOWER IS WATCHING OUR TV." Sans took a look to confirm his brother's words. Yes, Flowey is seated on the floor in his pot and watching television. Though the human is nowhere to be seen, it is very convincing to believe she is indeed within the residence. They waste no time in entering their home and Flowey is tackled before he can scream. "okay, weed, we know she let ya out. now tell us where she is!" To add some more convincing, Papyrus produces many sharpened bones that take aim at his face. Flowey panics but his cries are all muffled, all he can do is point to one of the doors upstairs. "THE BATHROOM!" "got it!" Sans teleports into the bathroom, leaving Papyrus and Flowey alone. There's deafening silence before screaming and swears are heard. "Get out! Get out! Get out! Get out!" Sans appears on the outside of the door completely red skulled and panting, his left hand gripping his chest like his soul was about to escape. "SANS? WHAT HAPPENED?" He can't speak. Words fail to form in his mouth. All he can do to let Papyrus know that something at least went okay was give a shaky thumbs up. This wasn't as reassuring to Papyrus as Sans wanted it to be and he leaves the flower to check on his brother. "SANS? WHAT HAPPENED? DID SHE DO SOMETHING TO YOU?" Sans shakes his head. "DID YOU SEE SOMETHING?" He nods. "WELL? WHAT DID YOU SEE?" Sans only has enough cognitive thought to spit out one word. "everything." Papyrus goes to ask what he means by that, but seeing how shaken up Sans is, he decides to let it go till he's calmed down. Seconds later, the sound of water being drained clues Papyrus a bit more into what just transpired and he too shares the stunned look his brother has. "I was trying to warn you..." Snidely remarks the flower. "But I suppose that's the price you pay for just rushing in where fools dare to tread." Papyrus in no mood for smart-mouthed flowers. He carries Sans downstairs and sits him o the couch before leaving back to the shed to recollect the books he left there. "Awww...You don't look so good. What's the matter, Smiley Trashbag? Never seen a girl like that before?" "stop..." "Must've been something to really rattle you up like this." "stop." "Funny. I never thought I'd see the day when something got under your skin." "i said, STOP!" Sans's voice roars and his eyes go dark with only the left flaring a violent intense red. Flowey instantly regrets his choice to be a turd at this moment. "do not mock me! i will fucking end you! i will give you a very bad time! i will..." "You'll what?" My sudden voice breaks his rage and his glowing eye dims a little. "i'll make mulch of him if he doesn't stop being such a huge pain in the ass." "Of course you will..." Now out of the bathroom, I'm stuck wearing my bloody clothes and have my hair wrapped in a towel. "Flowey quit being a little shit." "But I..." "I could hear you through the door. Don't antagonize him." He grumbles as I descend the stairs. Sans doesn't look at me. I don't blame him. He saw way too much. "You okay?" "i'm fine." I don't believe him. "Want to reset this moment too?" Flowey looks at me funny upon hearing that. "i don't think that'll work this time." I plop down on the couch away from him. "Damn...And just when things with us were going cool again. Lady luck is being a real bitch today." That musters a small smile to his face but it's short-lived. Moments pass till Papyrus comes in with books and he isn't pleased to see me. "YOU WERE TOLD TO WAIT IN THE SHED." I want to clash with him on that, but choose not to. If I'm stuck here, for the time being, I might as well make it pleasant. Well...as pleasant as it can possibly get. "You're right. I'm sorry." That has Papyrus dropping the books. "WHAT DID YOU SAY?" "I said, you're right. I was told to stay put but did not. I'm sorry." My shift in obedience even takes Sans by surprise, his eyes reverting to their normal white pinpricks. I get up and head to the kitchen. "I will admit to not being the most well-mannered person. Definitely not getting a 'good girl of the year' award for such things. But I had some time to think while you boys were gone." "OH YEAH?" I get quiet and they hear the over squeak open. "THE HELL ARE YOU DOING?" Papyrus rushes over and sees me pulling the lasagna out. "What's wrong? If I leave it in there it'll burn." He's confused. But when I set it down and lift the foil, all this steam comes wafting off. "YOU...YOU HEATED IT FOR ME?" "Like I said, I had some time to think. After getting inside here..." "HOW DID YOU DO THAT BY THE WAY?" "The window. It'll need to be resized or change the lock because I just had to shake it and it came loose. I recommend a temporary fix by jamming something into the frame." "DAMN IT. MY IMPENETRABLE FORTRESS HAS A FLAW. I MUST FIX THAT." "I got Flowey and let him watch TV while I did a few things. First thing, I fixed your bedroom door." He glares. "WHAT DID YOU DO TO MY BEDROOM DOOR?" "Had to kick it open to get to Flowey. But I repaired what little issues such force caused." "IF YOU TOUCHED ANYTHING IN THERE..." "Please, you insult me with such an idea. All I touched was the box holding Flowey and nothing else. By the way, your room, very badass." He gets a faint smile. "GLAD TO KNOW YOU CAN RECOGNIZE SOMETHING SO OBVIOUS. NOW WHAT ELSE HAVE YOU DONE AROUND HERE?" I begin cutting into the food and plating it. "Well...After patching my shoulder I did some lite dusting and cleaned up any blood I tracked in with me. Then I searched the couch to find about 50G under the cushions and under the couch itself, which the pet rock is now guarding in case you want it. Plus...I picked up that sock. Damn thing was bugging my brain just sitting there. Not sure what room is Sans's so it's sitting in my pocket for now." I feel his hands rest firmly on my shoulders and I freeze. "HUMAN...THANK YOU." "Um...You're welcomed?" Why is this making me so nervous right now? "YOU HEAR THAT SANS?! EVEN THE HUMAN IS CAPABLE OF PICKING UP SOCKS!" "good for her! i don't give a shit!" "*SCOFF* GOD, HOW HE ANNOYS THE PISS OUT OF ME." "Easy now. You're both just on edge. Nanny tends to have the effect when mad." "NANNY?" "It's a nickname I gave mom before I started calling her mom. It's a goat joke." "AH. I SEE YOUR HUMOR IS JUST AS BAD AS HIS." "Either way, Toriel can be very protective. And you telling her I was hurt? Not a smart move. You're lucky Sans talked her down or we'd all be in some serious trouble." "*GRUMBLE* WHATEVER." I hand him a plate. "Here. Go relax and eat. Now is the time for peace." He looks at me funny. "Is something the matter?" "WHAT THE HELL HAPPENED IN THAT BATHROOM TO MAKE YOU SO PLEASANT? YOU DIDN'T DRINK THE BODYWASH, DID YOU?" "*giggle* No silly. I'm just in a better more. I'm fine. Could use some healing magic to seal this wound, but otherwise okay." "HMMM...PERHAPS AFTER SUPPER, I MIGHT OBLIGE YOU WITH THAT." "I thank you ahead of time if you do." He smirks and returns to the living room. I gather up three more plates, one in each hand and one clasped hard in my teeth, before heading back to join them. I serve Flowey and move the plate from my mouth to the free hand. I then hand a plate over to Sans and takes it from me without looking at me. I frown at this but know he has to settle down. I sit on the floor and eat with Flowey. Aside from the TV playing, not a sound is made between the four of us. It's really uncomfortable. So...I try to change that. "So...Who's the robot?" Flowey gulps a large bite down. "From what I've gathered, its name is Mettaton. It's actually not that bad." "Huh? Looks familiar." "What do you mean?" "I swear...I've seen that machine before. I just can't place it." "Weird." "Eh. I'll come to me later." "So what did mom say?" "Oh, she was pissed! But I talked her into being okay. If she ever asks, we slept over. The reason I may or may not have gotten hurt was due to slipping on ice and colliding with stalagmites. Got it?" "That...That's believable. You can be a klutz sometimes." "*mock gasp* Sir, you speak ill of me? Have at you!" I nuggie Flowey and he nips at me to make me stop. This childishness plays out in front of the brothers and has them puzzled. "ARE YOU SEEING THIS?" "i am. it's so weird. like she's a different person." "DO YOU THINK THIS IS COVERED IN THE BOOKS?" "don't know. but one of those has to be a psychology book of some kind." "DO YOU THINK...IT'S POSSIBLY A RUSE?" "what? like she's faking it?" "EXACTLY." "i don't know...not sure ya can fake something like that." "DO WE...DO WE STICK WITH THE PLAN?" "the pet idea?" "YEAH?" "maybe. we gotta spin something to keep those assholes in town from narking us to undyne." "SOUNDS LIKE WE'RE DIGGING OURSELVES INTO A PRETTY DEEP HOLE HERE, SANS." "we just have to make a plan. but for now...she doesn't leave this house." "AGREED." "Hey, guys..." That broke up their little huddle. "Could I have my backpack back? I'd like to change into something less torn and blood caked." "YOU'D HAVE TO ASK SANS FOR THAT. HE TOOK YOUR THINGS. I JUST HAD THE FLOWER." I look at Sans and he flinches when he makes eye contact. "If it helps, I'll make a trade." I dig the sock out of my pocket. "Item for an item?" He looks annoyed but puts his plate down. "fine." He teleports away and Papyrus growls. "DAMN IT, SANS! YOU FORGOT TO TAKE THE SOCK!" "i didn't forget...i just didn't want to have it." Suddenly Sans is upstairs and opening a door. I mentally mark that as his room and it won't be hard to remember either. That door was the odd one with multicolored flames seeping out from under it but oddly they didn't burn or have any heat as if it's an illusion. "*SNARL* YOU WILL TAKE THIS DAMN SOCK AND PUT IT IN YOUR ROOM, OR SO HELP ME I WILL..." "you'll what?" A bone is launched and harpoons itself in the wall beside Sans's head, rattling him big time. "TAKE. THE. FUCKING. SOCK. NOW." "uh...okay, i get it. toss it here, kiddo." I ball the sock up and throw it. He catches it with ease and enters his room. Seconds later, Sans appears on the couch again with my bag. "here." He holds out the bag. "Everything in there?" "yeah." "That include my gold and items?" He sneers. "ya don't trust me?" I groan. "Don't start this crap. I have a right to ask since you guys stripped me." I snatch it from him and head back upstairs. "the fuck ya giving me attitude for?!" "Stop now before you say something stupid." "so what? now you're calling me stupid?!" "Oh my god...Grow up! You saw me naked! Get over it!" I slam the door behind me and roar in annoyance. Oh, who am I kidding? I'm not even over. Nothing like coming out of deep thought soaking in a tub and opening your eyes to see a stunned skeleton staring at you like he's seen a dead body. Why? Why did he look at me like that? The first time anyone, let alone a guy, sees me nude and they looked terrified. My self-esteem went down the drain with the bathwater. God, I hate my life. I change into a spare outfit and tie my hair back up in the ribbon. Once I'm done, I look over myself in the mirror. [It's still you, Lynsie.] [HP 36, ATK 26, and DEF 14] "Not quite. But getting there. There's always room for improvement." I exit the bathroom and see Sans is gone. Probably in his room. Papyrus appears to have grabbed another plate. The guy enjoys his own cooking, that's for sure. Flowey's zoned out on watching TV, he's such a kid sometimes. I get down there and join them. I toss the bag under the table with the rock and grab a book Papyrus brought in before sitting beside him on the couch. What a strange assortment these things are. They all had something to do with humans. This one, in particular, is called "Evolution and Selection of Quantitative Traits". So far not a bad read. "WHAT IS THAT ONE ABOUT?" "The synopsis on the back says...Evolution and Selection of Quantitative Traits presents a holistic treatment of the subject, showing the interplay between theory and data with extensive discussions on statistical issues relating to the estimation of the biologically relevant parameters for these models. Quantitative genetics is viewed as the bridge between complex mathematical models of trait evolution and real-world data, and the authors have clearly framed their treatment as such. This is the second volume in a planned trilogy that summarizes the modern field of quantitative genetics, informed by empirical observations from wide-ranging fields (agriculture, evolution, ecology, and human biology) as well as population genetics, statistical theory, mathematical modeling, genetics, and genomics. Whilst volume 1 (1998) dealt with the genetics of such traits, the main focus of volume 2 is on their evolution, with a special emphasis on detecting selection (ranging from the use of genomic and historical data through to ecological field data) and examining its consequences." "IN ENGLISH?" "What makes something work in a species so that THAT creature continues to thrive while similar beings that lack such traits don't. Like for example, there are two types of birds that live in a heavily wooded area. Food starts to get harder to come by because it starts going into the trees. The bird that evolves first to take advantage of this new way of eating, by digging into the trees, is the bird that will get to keep going while the other dies out. Makes sense?" "AH. THAT SEEMS VERY LOGICAL. HOW DOES THAT WORK FOR HUMANS?" "Eh. Humanity hasn't really evolved for a long time. I think noticeably, we stopped when Homosapiens came about and made Neanderthals die out. Though they didn't die out completely. There are still traces of Neanderthal DNA in most of the population, which shows they were able to crossbreed and keep going that way." "SO THESE HOMOSAPIENS...THEY ARE WHAT IS KNOWN AS MODERN HUMANS?" "Correct. Advancements in DNA research has allowed us to trace our line back 85 million years ago when primates diverged from other mammals." That shocks him but then has him confused. "WAIT...WHAT DO YOU MEAN BY PRIMATES?" "Monkeys and Apes. Humans evolved from them." "NO..." "I know. Sounds like complete bull. But the proof is in our blood. Yet that doesn't stop most people from thinking that's crap and we just poofed on the land because religion says so." "BUT HOW DOES A MONKEY OR APE TURN INTO A HUMAN?" "Human evolution from its first separation from the last common ancestor of humans and chimpanzees is characterized by a number of morphological, developmental, physiological, and behavioral changes. The most significant of these adaptations are bipedalism, increased brain size, lengthened ontogeny otherwise known as gestation and infancy, and decreased sexual dimorphism. The relationship between these changes is the subject of ongoing debate. Other significant morphological changes included the evolution of a power and precision grip, aka, our hands, a change first occurring in Homoerectus." "YOU KNOW AN AWFUL LOT ABOUT SUCH THINGS." "She's a nerd." Flowey interjects and I playfully shrug. "He's not wrong. I like to study random stuff that keeps my interest." "THEN IF YOU DON'T MIND ME ASKING, WHEN DID HUMANS EVOLVE TO HAVE SKELETONS INSIDE THEM?" I tilt my head confused. "I'm not sure I understand the question." "IN ONE OF THE BOOKS WE GOT IT SHOWED THERE IS A SKELETON INSIDE OF HUMAN BODIES. WHEN DID THAT BECOME A THING?" I think hard. "Well...When life began forming in the ocean, ages ago, nothing had bones because gravity is less in water and when all life is just fist, you don't need an internal support system. One-celled animals don't have any support system that holds them in a certain shape. Plants do have a support system, but it's the cellulose in the cell wall of each cell, rather than bones. Ain't that right, bro?" Flowey rolls his eyes and focuses on the show. "Early multi-celled animals like jellyfish, sponges, and worms also didn't have skeletons, but beginning with arthropods, about 550 million years ago, animals began to make specialized structures to support their bodies and give them a definite shape. The earliest skeletons were exoskeletons. They were on the outside of the animal. Modern lobsters, crabs, snails, and insects have exoskeletons. By about 510 million years ago, eels began to have their skeletons on the inside as well as on the outside in the form of their scales. They evolved first notochords and then vertebrae to protect their delicate spinal cords. These early inside skeletons or endoskeletons were made out of cartilage rather than bone. Sharks still have skeletons made out of cartilage to this day. Which makes finding their fossils very annoying. You mostly just find teeth. Big sharp killer teeth." "INTERESTING." "By about 480 million years ago, some fish were beginning to have teeth, so they could eat other fish. To protect their heads, some fish evolved their teeth into skulls. The earliest skulls look like lots of tiny teeth. Fish also evolved two sets of fins, one near their heads, and the other about half-way down to help them swim faster. During the Devonian period, about 400 million years ago, many seas were very shallow, and fish evolved to be able to live in very shallow water. Their fins developed into legs, because crawling worked better than swimming in these puddles, and they developed finger-like appendages to help them balance when they were moving. Gradually these lungfish evolved into amphibians, about 375 million years ago, and lived more and more on land. Their bodies were not supported by the water anymore, and they needed stronger bones to hold them up. And it really just kept going from their the more land dependent life became. All the way up to the bones we have now." "THAT IS INCREDIBLE. TIME AND DETERMINATION TO LIVE REALLY AMAZES ME SOMETIMES." "Wanna see?" He cocks his brow as I put the book down to pull my left arm out of its sleeve and bring it out of my shirt's collar. Now seeing the bandage, I peel it down to show the gaping hole his bone made. "If you look up in middle of it, you can see part of my scapula and humerus. You cut into there pretty deep to move that much muscle to expose the bone. Rather impressive actually." The look he gets is a weird mixture of curiosity and restraint. "Papyrus?" He doesn't respond. He just keeps his eyes locked into the wound. It's beginning to unnerve me. I move to put the bandage back on but he stops me, holding my wrist away. I don't move now. I let him do what he wants. Slowly the hand holding my wrist starts feeling the bone behind the thin layer of skin. Those eyes of his, so intense and yet holding no ill intent like he tends to display. I pay more attention to that hand and fail to notice the other begins to test touch the inside of the hole for bone until a raw nerve makes me hiss. "SENSITIVE?" "*wince* No...Painful..." "DO YOU WANT ME TO STOP?" "*strained* If that's okay, yes." "THEN SAY THE MAGIC WORDS." I glare at him and he smirks. "*weak growl* You jerk..." "I DIDN'T HEAR YOU. CARE TO TRY AGAIN?" He shoves his fingers in deeper and I bite my lip hard. This feels so weird. Why is he blushing? Is he enjoying this? Why am I blushing? The fuck is wrong with me?! Nope! So much nope! This ends now! "*stressed* Please stop, Master!" The room goes silent. Flowey even turns off the TV in shock. Papyrus grins triumphantly and takes the offending hand out to cover the wound instead. "GOOD GIRL. FOR THAT, YOU'VE EARNED THIS." His hand starts resonating with healing magic and I feel nothing but shame. "YOU DON'T LOOK HAPPY." "I feel disgusted with myself." "AND WHY DO YOU FEEL THAT WAY?" "Because you're humiliating me in exchange for aid." "DO YOU WANT ME TO STOP?" I look away. "No." "NO WHAT?" I lower my head. "*mumble*" "WHAT WAS THAT?" "...No, Master." "THAT'S WHAT I THOUGHT." Flowey just shakes his head at me and I glare harshly. "AS A SHOW THAT THIS SORT OF BEHAVIOR IS ACCEPTABLE, I WILL PERMIT YOU TO SLEEP ON THE COUCH." "Where would I have slept otherwise?" "THE SHED OF COURSE." "...I'm not even surprised." He pulls his hand away to reveal the healed flesh and stands up. "I TRUST YOU'LL BE A GOOD PET AND MAKE SURE THE FOOD IS PROPERLY STORED AND THE DISHES DONE BEFORE YOU GO TO SLEEP." I sneer and grip the couch. "Yes, Papyrus." He eyes me before turning away. "I'LL EXCEPT THAT FOR NOW. BUT DO GET USED TO CALLING ME MASTER." He heads upstairs to his room and I internally scream bloody murder while putting my arm back in my shirt the right way. "The hell did I miss?" "Not now, bro. Not now." I get up and take his plate to the kitchen. "What are you doing?" "Being a whipped bitch and hating myself for it! What else does it look like?" I kick myself as I do as told. I put the food into a correctly sized container, mark a date and number it, then put it away. Dishes don't take long to do and I set the books up on the table for them later. I even end up making sure the window and door are secured. "Why are you doing this? We have our stuff. We can leave." He's right. I have him, the bag, all my stuff, and the door is right there. So why am I doing this? Why can't I seem to even grip that idea as an option to take? "Lynsie? Hey...Are you okay?" "...I don't know." My hands are shaking and I can't feel it. Is it nerve damage? Or is something going wrong in my head? "Why don't you take a break? You've had a long day." "Yeah...Yeah, that sounds nice..." I pick him off the floor and set him on the table before flopping face first onto the couch with a groan. I want so bad to shut down and forget this happened. But I can't. I have one last thing to do before I can. I pull out my phone and dial up the only other number that isn't Toriel. [RING-RING] "...hello?" "Blook-man, it's me." "Lynsie! hey...you still coming over?" "I'm in Snowdin Town." "wow. you made it halfway. you really are something else." "Listen...I don't think I can make over by, what I'll guess is, nightfall." "how come? is it that bad out there for you?" "I am currently in the house of Royal Guardsmen Sans and Second in Command Papyrus. So...Yeah, I don't think I'm leaving anytime soon." "holy shit! are you alright?!" "So far. Kinda got this weird situation where I'm gonna be made into a pet thing going on, but other than that..." "do you need any help?" "Blooky, as sweet as that is, I ain't gonna risk you getting in trouble over me." "...then what are you going to do?" "I'll find a way. You know me." "if you need anything, just call and I'll come as fast as I can." "I know. You're a good friend, Blooky. I'll try to get over there. I just don't know when." "don't rush. the royal guard isn't to be taken lightly. hell, the captain lives near me." "...You're just telling me this now?" "in my defense...I never really thought you'd leave the ruins." "Yeah, can't fault ya there." "um...can I call you back later?" "Dude, you can call me anytime. Sorry if I bugged ya while you were doing something." "n-no! not at all! I wasn't doing anything! alright, got to go now! bye!" [CLICK] "Huh...That wasn't suspicious at all. Goodnight, Flowey." "Take it easy, human." I put the phone away and get comfortable. At least I'm indoors now and out of the cold. I can't imagine trying to sleep in that shed. A little nap will calm my nerves and bring peace to me weary soul...I hope. [Many hours later] Sans had woken up, as he often does, from non-restful slumber. The tossing and turning due to bad dreams always left him exhausted. This drained feeling is what drove him to always raid the fridge for a quick bite and feel recharged. How often he did this depended on pure randomness, but rest assured, it happens none the less and this night was no exception. Rummaging the fridge after teleporting down there, he scarfed down two or three doughnuts before chugging a large bottle of mustard he kept in the crisper. So far, a very normal replay of past nights for him. Yet in deciding to walk back to his room, something new caught his attention. The human was stretched out on the couch looking both uncomfortable and yet comfortable at the same time. Papyrus must have let her stay inside for some reason. He had to admit, he had no idea how she was managing to sleep on that thing. The couch, when used for sitting, was fine, but laying on it was another matter. It was lumpy and jangly when the springs were pressed on, so not the best bed in his opinion. But there she was. Out cold and dead to the world. He slowly approached her. Oh, how easily she could be taken out right now and no one would know. "heh...really? after everything, you really can just sleep like nothing happened?" Of course, there was no response on her end. "tell me to grow up. where the hell do ya get off telling me that shit? you don't fucking know me. you don't know half the fucked up shit i've been through. tell me to get over it after you've seen some little shit kid kill your brother and slaughter everyone before killing you. try getting over that and then you'll be on my level." He rubs his brow and sighs. "the hell am i even doing? ya can't even hear me. so why? why do ya do this to me? why are you making things so difficult? none of this has ever happened before. this is different. you weren't supposed to be here. it's a mistake. a big middle finger in the shitty comedy that is my life. like the killer kid wasn't tormenting enough, now i gotta deal with this woman that unintentionally sets me off? oh ha ha, real funny. what's next? a random house is gonna fall out of the sky with little people singing about candy and friendship? dear god, i hope not." She stirred a little to roll over. "*incoherent mumbles*" He knew he should stay quiet. He had no reason to speak. But the words left him before he could stop. "what did you say?" That seemed to draw life into her as her head lolled to look at him. Her eyes dull and hard to keep open. "Sans? You okay, buddy?" She really didn't hear any of that? He internally thanked whatever force out there for at least doing that much and got a tad bit closer. "yeah, i'm fine." "You're not mad at me anymore?" The way that came out of her sounded so innocent to him. A big difference between the girl he knows. "i wasn't mad you." "You weren't?" "no." "Oh, good. *yawn* I don't like seeing you sad. Your smile is so cute." That slowly drowned out of her as she began nodding off again and it caught him off guard. What did she mean by that? Was that even real or just the sleep talking? He wanted answers and shook her a bit. "hey, kiddo. wake up." "*whine* Two more hours, Nanny..." "i ain't your mom. now look at me." A tap on the cheek got her eyes open and the speed nearly made him jump. "Sans? What's wrong? *yawn* Is everything okay?" He just stared at her for a moment before chalking what he heard to just be nothing but sleep speech. "nah. everything's fine. just making sure you're not dead." She looked at him oddly yet let it slide due to tiredness. "Thanks." Having nothing further to investigate about her, he turned and headed towards the stairs. "Sans, wait..." He paused in mid-step. "I...I want to say...I'm sorry...For the awkwardness after that whole, you know..." That made him look back at her. This whole time he figured it wasn't bothering her past that initial intrusion, but in reality, it's been eating at her too. She was putting up a tougher front while Papyrus was around than he was. It made him feel just slightly sympathetic about it. "kid, don't mention it. i accept the apology, but let's just let that die from our thoughts. maybe give that reset thing a try." That made her smile and it had him feeling odd about it. "I'd like that." "good. then when we wake up, none of this will have happened. deal?" "Deal." She got nestled back into the couch and he began walking up the stairs. "Goodnight, Sans." Those moments. These little bits where there's no hostility. Where things are relaxed and nice. Where there is no fear and it feels safe. Those were the moments he longed for. And it scared him that she was the reason he felt any of that. "whatever." He continued up to his room and opened the door. He could feel her eyes on him yet he resisted looking back and entered his room. Now free from her gaze, he exhaled deeply and slinked over to the mattress he called a bed. This was the one place she had the weakest effect on him, but still some power none the less. She wasn't supposed to be here. Frisk was supposed to come, not her. Why this change? Why now? Such a random anomaly showing up and doing things that were so out of place made his skull itch with burning questions. Yet despite most of these questions, other thoughts would come to his mind. Like, does it even matter all that much that she's here and not Frisk? Was this really so bad? Would he had really preferred the return of that kid and causing more chaos to the timeline than to deal with this odd woman? It's not like Frisk ever gave a damn about him or Papyrus. In fact, that brat never gave a shit about any of them. So why was this bugging him so much? Maybe it was just the sense of repetitiveness that was making things weird. Expecting things to go the same way as they always had even with a new variable was foolish. Of course, things would change. And while most changes were bad in this world, this human didn't really bring any of that with her. She wasn't mindlessly going from point A to point B just to reach some unknown goal. No, she was staying put and learning. She was getting to know them. Trying to understand them. Frisk never did that. But this human...Lynsie...She was at the very least trying. Trying to do good. Trying to be better than what they thought humans were like. Trying...to be his friend. It made Sans frown at such a thought. "kiddo...don't waste your time on me. i'm not worth it." He drew his ripped sheets over himself and shut his eye sockets. Maybe in sleep, none of this would matter. Maybe when he wakes up, this will all be gone. She'd be gone. And that scared him the most.

[cocobaek]

Crossfire | 07

Bodyguard AU!

Pairing: Namjoon x reader

Genre: Angst (more so in later chapters) | Fluff | Slow burn

Word Count: 1.5K

Warnings: None

Previous Chapter:  06                                         Next Chapter: 08

AN: Shorter chapter this time sorry team, time is catching up on me. Hope you enjoy <3

Namjoon's expression begged me to back down, to forget the small snippet of his past I had heard about, but I wasn't backing down, not this time. "You need to drop this," he said, going to walk past me to the kitchen, but I caught his arm. He stood still beside me and moved his head down to look at me. "[y/n], it won't benefit either of us." "I don't care Namjoon," I said, ignoring the way the heavy eye contact made my heart race, "I am literally trusting you with my life, I think I deserve to know if you're actually some... some criminal!" I saw his eyes widen for a moment upon hearing my concerns. I don't think he had considered that I may actually be worried about him. "[y/n]," he said, moving to my front and placing his hands on my shoulders. "You don't ever need to worry about me, I'm not going to hurt you." "Then tell me," I said without hesitation, although I was very nervous to hear what he had to say, I needed to hear it. "Tell me about Hobi, about Yoongi, about you." He stared another moment before sighing, pulling me over to the couch and sitting beside me. "We grew up in the kind of neighbourhood where you had to fight to get anything," he started, a rather sad tone filling his voice. "My mother and father tried their best to hide this though, make my sister and I believe that we weren't struggling, and it worked until I was what... 15? 16?" he said, remembering the moment not too fondly. "So, once that happened I decided that I was going to do something about it, and I did." "And you went to Yoongi?" He chuckled despite himself, "I'm sorry, hearing you say his name so casually is something I've never heard before." "Is he that bad?" I asked, my nerves growing. Namjoon nodded, "unfortunately.. he's actually only one year older than me, but his whole family have been in that business for ever, so he got into it young." "What business?" Namjoon looked at his hands, "a gang wouldn't be the word I'd use to describe them, but it may be the closest comparison. They did jobs no one else wanted to do, they did.. No, they do all the dirty work." I tilted my head slightly, "and they put a kid in charge of that?" He shook his head, "not the whole thing no, but often they got jobs that would be best performed by someone smaller, less obvious," he leant back against the couch, "so there was us... Last I heard, Yoongi had only gone further up the ranks as he got olde-" "What did you do?" I asked, interrupting him. At this point I didn't care about Yoongi, everything was about Namjoon. I looked over to him, seeing him regarding me carefully, "while you worked for Yoongi..." He was hesitant, "things that may change the way you see me.. And that's the last thing I want," he said. "and Hoseok?" I asked, knowing I wasn't going to get any answers from him regarding his own involvement. "He joined after me, he was just a kid, but he looked up to Yoongi so much, which Is why I freaked out when I saw him." "So he didn't sleep with your sister?" I chuckled nervously. "no, no he did, but that is a moment for another time," he smiled sadly. I was somewhat relieved with this light-hearted moment. I had become terrified that Namjoon had some dark secret, but all it seemed to be was a hard past. Even so, I couldn't stop that small worry from invading my thoughts. "Can I ask something.. Something that might seem stupid to ask?" He sat back forward when I spoke. "Yeah, go ahead." "You don't work for him now do you?" I kept my gaze on my hands, letting my mind run wild, "you're not lying to me? This isn't just some elaborate plan to get to my dad?" There was no answer, which didn't help. I tried to keep my emotions in check, however it was impossible, and soon my eyes were filled with tears. I felt the couch shift as Namjoon moved from his spot. I felt his hand brush against my chin before he tilted my head up to look at him. He inhaled shakily when he saw my teary eyes. "I don't know how I can prove it to you, but I promise, I promise you that I have not spoke to him in years, but more importantly, I would never do anything to put you in danger." I bit my bottom lip, trying to stop myself from crying more. "You're dedicated to your job aren't you?" I said, trying to dismiss how stupid I felt asking that question. However, Namjoon's expression remained serious. He shook his head, and opened his mouth as if he was considering whether or not to speak. "Say it," I whispered, knowing if he was hesitating this long that whatever he wanted to say was regarding us. "It's not just because of work anymore... There are more reasons why I want to keep you safe." I shifted slightly, moving closer to him. I saw him clench his jaw, however his hand didn't move from my chin. "I'm so glad," I whispered, hesitantly moving one of my own hands to his cheek, "it would've hurt too much to lose you like that." He closed his eyes, resting his hand on mine. "It shouldn't. you shouldn't care about me like this." His words seemed forced, like he was trying to make himself believe it too. "Would it be so bad if I did?" I asked, leaning forward, using this burst of confidence to close the distance between us and kiss him. It wasn't like the last time. Although there was hesitation still there, it wasn't as present. After a second, Namjoon seemed to catch on. He moved one of his hands behind my head and the other drifted to my waist. I melted under his touch, every part of what was happening felt correct, his hands fit perfectly where they should, nothing was uncomfortable or wrong. It was everything I hoped it would be. It didn't take long for the kiss to become more heated, as if we were catching up on all the time we missed. I smiled into the kiss more as his hands continued to explore my body, not too boldly, as if anytime he wanted to touch somewhere new he was asking permission. He eventually got a little bolder, and his fingers began snaking underneath my shirt and held my waist. Skin on skin. I let out a soft moan, and suddenly Namjoon pulled away harshly, standing up, "no, no, no, I can't be doing this." I couldn't help but feel a stab of rejection at his actions, which he picked up on. "It's not safe," he said, trying to justify himself. "Not safe? Namjoon you can't keep stopping stuff or pushing me away!" I said, this was the final time, I was over it. He seemed momentarily surprised in my reply. "Even though I said my motivation isn't all work related, protecting you is still my job," he fired back. "And why would that be affected?" I finally stood up as well, "I'll say it, I have feelings for you and I know you feel something for me... You can still protect me and act on those feelings!" He sighed, calming himself down and running a hand through his hair. Even now, when I was not happy with him, he was making my heart race with a single movement. "You're not getting it," he said. "if I was your typical, squeaky clean body guard then yeah, it wouldn't be a problem, but I have people who would want nothing more than to see me broken, and the best way to do that is to go after someone they care about." I didn't even hesitate, "Yeah, but shouldn't that be my call too?" I stepped forward hesitantly, "Namjoon, I hate tiptoeing and trying to ignore this." He sighed, "me too [y/n], you think I don't want this?" He looked like a different man, a softer man, one that I could see myself falling very, very hard for, "but I've made up my mind.. Just- just forget tonight ever happened." Those words broke my heart. I had been so happy for that short while, and now he wanted me to forget it. "Nam-" "Please, [y/n]," he interrupted. "I don't like it either, but it's how it has to be." He looked as pained as I did, but instead of fighting for it, fighting for us, I dropped it. "Right... ok..." I said, turning to go back to my room. "I'm sorry [y/n].. Truly, I am," I heard him say. I didn't reply, I didn't know how to. Instead, I simply nodded and bid him farewell for the night with a "goodnight Namjoon."

[dear-mrs-otome]

Consonance, Chapter 1: Exposition

Fandom: SLBP Pairing: Mitsunari + MC Rating: No Warnings (NSFW in later chapters) Summary: Transferring to a new school, and a new orchestra, is no easy task for any student. Even less so when your new roommate and fellow violinist is a polite but mysterious young woman with an absolutely infuriating twin brother. (2k words, Modern + College AU) Author’s Note: This should be longer. This should be better. This should be a lot of things, but I am too stubborn to not post something on the Mitsun’s birthday, so have this first chapter anyways. There are many more to follow, eventually. MAJOR SPOILERS FOR MITSUNARI’S ROUTE.

It was impossible to be homesick in a violin shop, as long as one never opened their eyes. The layouts might change, the shape of the building or even the people within it, but some things never did. The faint strand of notes floating in from the back room where someone was changing out strings. Rosin and varnish and old old wood on the air, catching you up like a dear friend’s hug.

“Can I help you find anything, miss?” The employee’s polite voice broke your reverie, and you shook your head with a smile.

“No, thank you. I’m just looking for the moment.” At his nod, you turned to brush a wistful gaze over the lovely Hesketh on display, curling your fingers behind your back to keep from reaching out to touch it. Some off these violins cost more than you would pay for your entire higher education - even with having just transferred to a more expensive university in Tokyo.

You ambled further into the store, past rows of cellos and violas and mathematically precise hashmarks of bows lining the wall. Nestled in long cases of squeaky-clean glass was a myriad of chin and shoulder rests, reminding you that you’d meant to replace yours for awhile. Now, before starting up with a new ensemble, seemed as good a time as any.

“Your neck is too short to require a shoulder rest.”

You glanced up from the array, half expecting to see an overbearing employee dispensing advice - but the man beside you was young. Close to your own age, and startlingly handsome. Neatly dressed in a pullover sweater and slacks, with a shock of midnight-blue hair that kept trying to fall into his equally blue eyes - the only thing even remotely unruly about his tidy appearance. He had the relaxed air of one browsing as well.

“Excuse me?” Had he actually been talking to you? You glanced around, but there was no one else nearby.

Waving a hand at the display case, the man fixed you with a flat stare. “The shoulder rests. I noticed you looking. I was merely pointing out that they were unnecessary.”

The first, tiniest spark of irritation flared in your belly, and you returned his stare. “I’m quite sure I know what works for me, thank you very much.”

He only blinked at your reply. “Have you ever even tried without? You are aware that the shoulder rest is a relatively recent invention, and the old masters never would have dreamt of it. Even if they weren’t creating instruments with female players in mind.”

“I am. Very aware. Thank you. But I also know that it improves my vibrato.” You couldn’t believe you were even humoring this…this…patronizing.

“If you require a rest to support your vibrato, that simply means your vibrato motion needs to be changed.” He frowned then, the expression pinching what would have otherwise been elegant features. It figured, didn’t it? The prettiest ones were almost always jerks.

“I do not need to defend my decision whether to use a shoulder rest or not from some…random man at the violin shop.” Tension hunched your shoulders, and you kept your words barely above a hiss. You were not going to cause a scene the first time you’d stepped into a new place.

No matter how tempting the thought was, right now.

“I don’t believe anyone was asking you to. I stated a fact, you have chosen to dismiss said fact - there is little else to be gained from dwelling on the matter. If you insist on ignorance, by all means, carry on.” And with that he turned away dismissively, his attention falling on a nearby display of bows he immediately strode over to, leaving you gaping in his wake.

He walked away from you? You had half a mind to follow him, and finish giving him a piece of it, but the first step set the case slung over your shoulder tapping against your thigh and you tamped down the urge. You had business to take care of, boxes to finish unpacking, and groceries to snag - you didn’t have time to waste any more breath on arguing with a know-it-all.

You plucked the shoulder rest you’d been eyeballing from its spot and stalked over to the register with it.

“Please, don’t mind him,” the clerk behind the counter begged as you set it down, his weathered gaze flickering to the stiff, ramrod spine of the man you’d been arguing with. “Mitsunari is a regular here. He means well.”

Smothering your grimace, you handed over payment. “I hope he purchases enough to make up for all the business he’s probably lost you then,” you grumble, half under your breath.

Wrapping your item in a bag, the elderly man nodded. “He teaches violin lessons to children in the back space of this shop, actually. They bring in plenty of business.”

You half choked on your breath. “That man?” You pointed across the store at his still-turned back. “Teaches children? Do their parents dislike them?”

“You might be surprised.” Chuckling as if he knew a great secret, the man merely shook his head and offered you your parcel. “Have a good day, miss. I hope we see you back again.”

Loaded down with bags, you elbowed the button in the elevator for your floor, the action still novel enough to make you smile. Back home there was no need - your house was modest and the city small, still steeped in history and sleepy in its own way. Nothing like the immense bustle and dizzying heights of Tokyo.

Shifting your load to one arm you pressed the security code to unlock your door, the numbers dredged up from memory. You’d stared at them for hours upon receiving your housing arrangements from the school last month, the four simple digits seeming to hold all of the secrets of the universe. What was this apartment going to look like? Were you ready for a roommate? What sort of person was this woman going to turn out to be?

At least, you could be grateful you knew it would be a woman. That was one advantage of attending an all-women’s university.

The door swung open with a sleek hiss, opening onto a modern entryway with space to change your shoes. You’d already seen the neat, minimalistic interior when you and your mother and Yahiko had moved boxes in that morning, but you hadn’t seen any sign of your new roommate at that time. Not even a hint of personal items or touch amongst the bare essentials of the pre-furnished decor. Just a terse note left on the counter that explained they’d be back that evening.

But you noticed there was one less pair of house slippers than there had been earlier, and from down the hallway that led to the two bedrooms there was the faint sound of music. Lilting and full of bravura, clearly Paganini. The recognition brought a smile to your face.

Maybe this would go much smoother than you’d even hoped.

“I’m home,” you called, toeing your shoes off and putting on a pair of slippers before shuffling deeper into the apartment. It was spotless, if small, and your grocery haul was more than enough to blanket the small amount of counter-space afforded your tiny kitchen.

No matter, though. You’d grown up cooking in one almost as tiny as this, before the restaurant had finally begun turning profits and your mom had been able to move the three of you into a proper home.

You had your head stuffed partway into the half-sized refrigerator, stowing some fruits and vegetables, when a voice came from just over your shoulder, startling you. “Welcome home.”  

A yelp of surprise found its way loose before you could squash it, and you jumped, cracking your head on the inside of the fridge. Tears immediately sprang to your eyes and you clapped your hands over your head, rubbing the sting away as you straightened. Coming face to…almost face with a tall woman whose features swam slightly in your blurred vision.

“I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to startle you,” she said, sounding genuinely remorseful. There was a pleasantly husky edge to her voice, and what little of her smile you could see carried a genial air, until she seemed to finally get a good look at you and her smile fell away, drawing the rest of her features tight as it did. “Are you alright?”

“Yeah, don’t worry.” You offered her a wobbly grin as you let your hands fall back to your sides, blinking back the rest of your watering eyes. “Can’t hurt something that’s empty, my mom always teased me.”

She smiled again, but even you could tell it was merely politeness and not genuine amusement at your bad joke. “I’m Saki. You must be…well, you know your own name. And I read the paperwork too.” Bowing just the right amount, she cut off any further discussion of the topic. “It is nice to meet you.”

Alright, that was almost uncanny. She looked…disturbingly like the man you’d spent the afternoon glaring holes through at the violin shop. The same deep blue eyes, the same angular face, the same dark hair - although hers was long and caught up in a plait, and she seemed to be missing the beauty mark below one eye you’d grudgingly noted on the man.

“Is something the matter? Do I have something on my face?” Her tone was mild, but there was a subtle edge to it, and you realized you’d been staring.

“No. It’s just that - this is going to sound very odd, but - do you have a brother, by any chance? About this high?” You gestured with your hands to the top of Saki’s head, fingers fluttering uncertainly. This was ridiculous, right? “Seems to frown a lot and has very….strong opinions?”

“Ah.” Saki made a small sound of acknowledgment, her gaze drifting away almost uncomfortably. “Mitsunari. My…twin brother.”

“I’d say so. You look almost exactly alike!”

Her expression grew pained, and you realized that perhaps it hadn’t come across the way you intended - maybe you’d offended her telling her she looked rather like a man. But at the same time, telling her you thought her brother was attractive (even if he had ruined the effect by opening his mouth) didn’t seem like the wisest course of action either. As you scrambled for something else to say, the awkward silence spooled out between you.

Saki broke the tension first. “It is possible you’ll see him again. I’ve always given him free use of the apartment. Since his is much further away and his school and work are so close by, sometimes he stops here to study or eat between them. Unless that will be a problem?”

“No,” you hastily reassured her. This had been mentioned briefly in the handful of emails you had exchanged before arriving, and it seemed petty to change your mind now simply because her brother had proven himself something of an ass upon your first meeting. “It’ll be fine, I’m sure.”

You hoped. Worst case, you could make yourself scarce when he came around.

She smiled politely, and pointed at a whiteboard on the refrigerator door that was covered in lines of neat print. “I put a rough schedule on there, for safety and so that you’ll never be surprised by his visits. If you would please fill in yours when you get your classes ironed out, that would be helpful.”

“I will.”

“And over here…” She moved past you in the small kitchen gracefully, managing to give you a wide berth in such a small space, and drew your attention to another grid tacked to the wall. “I have taken the liberty of putting together a chore chart. If you have objections to any of these, then we can discuss other arrangements.”

At the silent shaking of your head, Saki nodded with satisfaction. “Then if you’ll excuse me, I have studying to do. Good night.” Before you could scramble together a reply, or wonder what she could possibly have to study before classes had even started, she’d turned on a heel and disappeared back down the hallway, out of sight with the soft snick of a door sliding deliberately closed. Leaving you with a handful of bean sprouts and taking your half-formed hopes of a friendly first dinner with her.

Tag list: @ayatoiloveyou @cavern-of-bells @soundless737 @that-otome-potato @atroniascreamsube @ihavenotfallenyet @wonky-glass-ornament @saizoswifey @belxsar @alva-radio @shikikira @enchantress96 @frywen-babbles @eth-real @kawa-akarin @yoolee @tinydadkanetsugu @nightingaledarling @thegreenfairy25 @pseudofaux @mandakatt @meruchan @his-pretty-little-doll @jjonghugs @em-jplaysotome - If you do not wish to be on the tag list for this fic, or any others (or if you DO WISH TO BE) let me know! No hard feelings ever!

[justsomebucky]

The Only Exception (Part 6)

Summary: AU. Reader is given the task of running a popular love advice internet show when her coworker is fired. Her cynical attitude toward love makes her offer some harsh advice, and more than a few hearts are caught in the aftermath. Will hers be one of them?

Pairing: Bucky Barnes x reader

Word Count: 2,725

Warnings: language, angst, self-reflection, discomfort, melodrama, mentions of trauma, fire, rescue (of secondary character), sad thoughts. I don’t know. I'm no Shonda Rimes, but, tread lightly.

A/N under the cut.

Part - 1 - 2 - 3 - 4 - 5 - 6 - 7 - 8 - 9 - 10

A/N: Thanks for providing feedback on this story. I love that my writing invokes strong feelings. I haven’t taken anything lightly.

Two weeks later…

“I’m sorry, Miss Y/L/N, but I don’t think you have the right experience for this position. Best of luck to you in your job search.”

You thanked the hiring manager at the second – no, wait, the third – place you’d applied to, and ended the call with a big sigh.

That was your third rejection in a row, and these people hadn’t even waited until you were on the L train home to shoot you down. You shoved your phone in your pocket, glancing around the skyscrapers of Manhattan, ones that used to calm you down.

Now they just reminded you of rejection and failure.

You knew it was because of your meltdown; there was no way that this was going to die down anytime soon. It was still haunting you, from having to avoid googling your own name, to relatives emailing you memes of yourself, with the subject line ‘This one is really funny!’

The one meme of your face photoshopped on Grumpy Cat’s body was especially ridiculous, though it made you want to adopt a cat. Cats wouldn’t laugh or judge you.

Cats were too self-involved to care.

Your heels clicked on the pavement as you hurried to the subway entrance. There was no point on sticking around downtown for rush hour. You were grateful when the train arrived quickly, and you stepped on to find a seat, flopping down beside a man who was reading a newspaper.

Your thoughts drifted back to your YouTube debacle.

The memes weren’t even the worst of it.

The worst bit was that you didn’t have anyone to talk to about it. Your former-assistant-slash-best-friend Natasha and your former cameraman Scott weren’t legally allowed to talk to you about anything work-related until the investigation into the creepy emails finished. To be safe, you’d told them both to just wait until you heard from the company lawyer. No need to get them into a mess, too.

Natasha had made her feelings on the matter pretty clear, anyways, the night you quit your job, before the gag order.

“I know this job was beneath you, Y/N, but you had a chance to impact people’s lives, and you were so…so reckless about it.”

“Here we go. Here comes Saint Natasha, never does anything wrong, won’t even let me talk to her without trying to make me to blame. Don’t take May’s side and Bucky’s side just because you like Steve, Nat, I-“

“I’m not!” She moved to sit down on your couch beside you, her eyes large and pleading. “I promise, this isn’t about me, or Steve, or May, or Bucky. This isn’t about assigning blame. No one won this week...not one of us is squeaky clean here. I’m talking about you, now, Y/N. You’re a trained psychologist. You’re a wonderful, compassionate person. You know the signs of when to get help. You know the impact of words, especially when casually thrown at someone who is knee- or chest-deep in heartache.”

You weren’t ready to hear that yet; the thought made you want to crawl out of your own skin. “They shouldn’t have put me on the show. I shouldn’t be forced to do something I don’t want to do.”

“Everyone goes through that at work, Y/N. It doesn’t make it right, but it’s the way of the world since the markets crashed. There are steps employees can take, though. You could have gone over May’s head, or quit sooner. Instead, you accepted the role, and you hurt people, including yourself.”

You were silent for a moment, feeling the familiar sting of unshed tears in your eyes as you glanced away from her.

“I know it’s scary to quit, or to stand up for yourself, but think about how scary it is to ask for help from a stranger,” she said softly, reaching out to grab your hand. “Think of how those people had to have no one else to ask but you, and then think about what you told them.”

That did it. The tears poured down your cheeks as the stress of the last few weeks finally caught up to you. You were exhausted, physically and emotionally. “What am I going to do now, Nat? No one’s gonna hire me after this.”

“Someone will.” She smiled at you, brushing your hair back gently. “Someone will see your worth, and they will give you a second chance, and everything will be ok.”

As much as you appreciated the sentiment, you were starting to lose hope again. Three rejections in a row – this wasn’t something you were used to. Sure, it had been difficult getting a job in your field as an entry-level person, but now the markets were opening up. You had a good degree, a good bit of training, some…experience…and most of all, you still genuinely wanted to help people.

You sighed as you watched the buildings go by in the train windows.

“Something got you down, Miss?”

The man next to you put his paper down on his lap as you looked over at him. He was really handsome, and right now his eyes were full of concern.

“I, um…” Okay, so maybe Nat had a point about talking to a stranger. “I’m fine.”

“You don’t seem fine.” He nodded his head at you. “I’m Sam.”

“Y/N,” you replied, offering your hand to him, which he shook firmly.

His face scrunched up. “I think I recognize you.”

No no no no no…

“I just have one of those faces.” You looked back to the windows, feeling your face grow warm.

“No, I definitely recognize you. You’re that love doctor from YouTube, aren’t you?”

“Love Therapist,” you mumbled. “And I don’t do that anymore.”

He bit back a grin. “Yeah, no wonder. I saw your last episode. It was pretty friggin’ crazy!”

“What made you want to watch it?” You couldn’t look at him yet, not until you heard his answer.

“Honestly? Curiosity. It was all over the place: Love Guru hates love, has meltdown live!”

You groaned again, covering your face. “I don’t hate love!”

“What was that?”

“I said, I don’t hate love,” you repeated, dropping your hands to your lap. “I just hated that job.”

“Coulda fooled me.”

It sounded like it should be an insult, but his tone was too gentle, and it made you look up at him again in question. “What do you mean?”

“I mean, it sounds to me like you were taking your personal feelings out on others. You were hurting, too. But, we all have those days. Most of us just don’t have to show it to so many people.”

You were silent as you contemplated this.

“Anyways, Y/N, where are you working now?” Sam shifted in the tight space so he was facing you a little more.

“I’m not,” you admitted. “I just came from my third job interview, and they rejected me five minutes after I left, via phone. They couldn’t even tell me to my face.”

He hummed. “That’s not right.”

“It’s what I’m facing now that I was the infamous Love Therapist.”

“You don’t have to let that shit own you, Y/N.”

“I’m trying not to, Sam.”

“You’re taking these rejections sitting down with a whimper. Stop feeling sorry for yourself. Bad things happen to good people all the time, and they carry on. It’s time to carry on.”

Again, you didn’t have a reply for him, suddenly feeling a little childish.

“Listen,” he began, reaching into his pocket for his wallet. He pulled out a business card, gesturing for you to take it. “I’m actually the head of the Red Wing Foundation, based here in Brooklyn. Have you heard of it?”

You shook your head no, accepting the business card with interest. Sam Wilson, Founder and Executive Director.

“The idea for a foundation formed after my last stint in the Army. I wanted to help veterans, reservists, first responders, even those currently active…anyone who went through some major traumatic events that needed help. It’s based in a community center down on Union Avenue, and it’s got career help, continuing education courses, support groups, even on-site therapy sessions.”

“It sounds wonderful,” you told him, feeling your chest tighten a little. If any city in America needed a center like that, it was New York.

Note to self: keep things in perspective.

“It really is. I’m in meetings all afternoon, but I think you should come by tomorrow, have a look around.” The train slowed to a stop, and Sam stood up. ”If you call my assistant, she’ll schedule a time for you to stop by.”

“Sounds good, Sam. Thank you so much!” You gave him a big smile, grateful for the offer, especially from someone who’d seen your show and still thought you were worthwhile.

With a final nod, Sam left the train, disappearing into the rush of people.

You felt more hopeful than you had in weeks.

True to his word, Sam’s assistant Sharon scheduled a time for you to meet with him the next day. The center was about seven blocks from your apartment, but that was nothing compared to hauling it to Manhattan every day.

Sharon informed you that therapy sessions were held three times a day, in the morning, afternoon, and evening, so that people on shift work could still make it to one if they wanted. The sessions were donation only, meaning that anything you could afford to pay, you were welcome to donate, but if you couldn’t you didn’t have to. The Foundation covered the remaining costs.

It seemed a little too good to be true, and you were a little nervous. You’d never dealt with trauma, PTSD, or anything like that before, but you were willing to learn for those who needed help.

Once again, you didn’t have anyone to talk to about this opportunity. Despite the ups and downs of the last few weeks, you really missed Natasha.

With a big sigh, you took the takeout food you’d ordered over to the couch and turned the TV on. The local news was on, and your favorite weatherman was mentioning how gorgeous and sunny it was going to be tomorrow. That was good news, at least.

The TV kind of became background noise as you concentrated on your dinner.

You looked back up, though, when you heard the reporter mention a fire.

“I’m here on the scene of a two-alarm fire at Japanese restaurant in the heart of Brooklyn, where multiple units have been dispatched to try to contain the blaze. We don’t yet know if anyone is trapped inside. Unofficial sources have told us that it started as a grease fire in the restaurant you’re seeing here.”

The camera zoomed, and you saw the awning of the restaurant that Bucky had taken you to on your date. You sat up, food forgotten, and watched in horror as his surrogate family’s restaurant burned to the ground.

The camera focused back on the reporter, and she held a hand to her earpiece, then nodded. “I’m getting new word in now, that one person – a woman, approximately in her sixties – was rescued from the apartment above the restaurant.”

The anchor at the desk gave a very serious nod. “Do you have any word about her condition, Sheila?”

Sheila shook her head. “Not at this time. I will keep everyone updated as Action News continues to be on the scene. Back to you, Tom.”

Your hands were shaking as you tried to google for any more details about the fire. No matter what had occurred between you and Bucky, you still hated to see that poor woman’s whole life go up in flames.

It was about twenty minutes later that Sheila came back on to report that the fire was contained with minor damage to surrounding buildings, but the restaurant was a total loss.

What you saw next completely shocked you.

Sheila was standing next to a soot-and-sweat-covered Bucky Barnes, in full fireman gear, and looking totally upset and uncomfortable.

“I’m told that you’re the fireman who rescued the woman from the apartment, is that accurate?”

“Yes,” he replied gruffly. “But I’m not going to comment about her identity or current condition.”

“Fair enough. Can you confirm that this fire is contained?”

“It’s about eighty-five percent contained at the moment, with three units assisting.” Bucky wiped the sweat from his brow, then glanced over his shoulder. “Excuse me, ma’am, but I have work to do.”

He turned and left Sheila standing there, a little flustered about his sudden departure.

Despite everything, you had the strongest urge to text him and ask how she was doing. You wanted to make sure he was okay, remembering how he lost his little sister in a fire. You couldn’t imagine what was going through his mind just then.

You didn’t text him that night, knowing that the rift between you was still there.

That didn’t stop your heart from hurting for him, though.

After a restless night’s sleep, you meandered around your apartment, slowly getting ready for your meeting with Sam. There was no saving the puffiness around your eyes, but the rest of you looked pretty good.

Your walk to the community center took you past the charred remains of the Japanese restaurant, now blocked by yellow caution tape. Your heart sank as you wondered what the poor woman would do, now that everything she’d worked for and built with her late husband was gone.

Maybe the foundation could help.

Maybe you’d see about helping them expand to any trauma victim.

That was getting way ahead of yourself, though, since you weren’t even technically offered anything more than a tour of the facilities.

Sam greeted you warmly when you arrived, and you were in awe of the sheer magnitude of what he had designed here. There was so much for someone to partake in for such a little building. Everything was handicap-accessible and user friendly. You could tell Sam really poured his heart into this project.

“So what do you think so far?”

You looked at Sam in awe. “I’m stunned that I didn’t know this was here sooner. I guess I didn’t do my research well enough.”

“It’s a growing project. We aren’t endorsed by a celebrity or anything, though quite a few are generous benefactors. In other words, the work ain’t sexy, but it helps a lot of people.”

“I’m sure.” You took a few steps forward to peer into the window of one of the therapy rooms. It was a closed-door session, but you were still impressed with what you could see. The session was small enough to allow for everyone to get a chance to talk, but big enough to not feel the pressure of talking if you didn’t want to. “Do they have breakout sessions, one-on-one?”

“Some do,” Sam nodded, walking over to you. “Sometimes the heavier cases require a more specific training for recovery.”

You nodded, stepping back from the window. “And what are the stats? Do you have more veterans, or first responders, or…?”

He shrugged. “A mix, I’d say. Not everyone’s a regular. Sometimes they just come back when their problems flare up. But that’s the kind of thing we’re prepared to handle here.”

“Got it.” You looked back at him nervously. “So I guess that concludes the tour?”

“Not exactly.” The corner of his mouth lifted ever-so-slightly. “If the foundation offered you the training to obtain your trauma therapy certifications, would you be willing to come help us out?”

What? Was that even a question? “Of course I would! This is exactly how I always envisioned myself helping others. And you don’t mind…”

He raised an eyebrow at you. “Don’t mind what?”

“You don’t mind my past job experience?”

Sam chuckled, putting a hand on your shoulder. “Y/N, I’m not about to hold your past mistakes against you if you’re sincere about your work here. You aren’t just that show; you had a great column, too. I’ll take a chance on you. I don’t know if you noticed or not, but I’m a big believer in second, third, fourth, however many chances someone needs, as long as they’re trying to be better.”

You could be better.

You could make a positive impact on people here, and you were grateful for the opportunity.

“When do I start?”

Part - 1 - 2 - 3 - 4 - 5 - 6 - 7 - 8 - 9 - 10

PERMA TAGS (closed for now): @sprinkleofhappinessuniverse @alurea-actually @smkunz613 @marvel-fanfiction @bluebrrn @simplyme8308 @cleanslates @ailynalonso15 @jaydenval @imnoaingeal @miss-jessi29 @kittthekat @crownie-sr @indominusregina @wonder-carolina @captain-ros3ann3 @amrita31199 @tatortot2701 @melissalovesmusicyay @kcsavege4134 @lilasiannerd @hardcorehippos @buckyswinterchildren @hello-sweetie-get-the-salt @cosmic-avenger @mirkwood---princess @neverbeforgotten @minervaem @givemethatgold @assbutt-son-of-a-bitch @decemberftw @widowvinter @nolaimagines @notsoprettykitty @dracsgirl @hollycornish @feelmyroarrrr @ancchor @seeyainanotherlifebrotha @aenna-4 @kithlin @heytherepartner @polkadottedpillowcase @johnmurphys-sass @aeillo @winterboobaer @kaaatniss @whyisbuckyso @super-daryl-dixon @wishingtobelost @capdanrogers @gallifreyansass @rockintensse @minaphobia @vaisabu @rchlnwtn @imamoose @ria132love @sofiadiaz04 @actual-bucky-barnes-trash @dolthiac

Story Tags (Closed): @mcusebstan @youpocketwitch @universal-glitch @thewinterdorito @aqueenwithoutherkingx @ani808 @themistsofmyavalon @logan8546 @the-renaissance @lostinspace33 @mcsmashdesigns @stormin-thru-glitter @cantchoosejustonefandom @vivianbabz @sociallyimpairedme @pinkleopardss @stomachfilledwithbutterflies @frnkensteingrl @wunnywho @buckys-fossil @mytrueself @tigers-have-teeth @kenobi-and-barnes @with-a-hint-of-pesto-aioli @grumpybeyonce @zxcorra @themanwiththemetalarm @marvelgoateecollection @blueeyedboobear @comicariadne @blue1928 @pixierox101 @wildestdreamsrps @buckybarnesbestbabe @vindictivegrace

[ernmark]

I don't know if this has been done yet, but: Jupeter AU where Juno is the thief and Peter is the detective?

I loved this prompt. I might have to do more with it sometime.

The woman who steps into Peter’s office is distraught. He can tell it’s serious– she barely even smiles when he lays on the charm, so he doesn’t waste any more time flirting. 

“How can I help you, miss…” 

“Rita,” she says quietly. “And… it’s not for me. It’s for a friend.”

“It must be quite a friend to have you so concerned.” Already he’s got a kettle boiling. “You look like you could use something to drink, Rita.” 

“Oh, I couldn’t,” she says. “I’m on my lunch now. The chief would be furious if I came back smelling like alcohol, especially what with all the drama over Kowalski and Chen…”

“I was thinking something closer to Oolong, personally.” Though judging by the way she’s fidgeting, she could use anything that might help her relax. “Now about your friend…?”

“Right. Juno. Um…” She doesn’t seem to know what to do with her hands until Peter hands her a steaming mug. “He used to work with me at the station. One of the detectives at the HCPD, ya know? Real talented guy. Real sweet, too. Only… only sometimes people break rules, ya know? Not all cops are squeaky clean all the time, right?”

“And your friend Juno wasn’t one of the squeaky ones?”

“Oh, but he was!” she says in a hurry. “He was. It’s just that he’d always get so mad at the ones who were dirty. He’d see them takin’ bribes or extortin’ little old ladies– and he had this temper, see. And he mighta punched a few too many dirty cops. Kinda got himself kicked out, and not before he made himself a few enemies back at the precinct.”

“I imagine not.” He’s not sure exactly where this is heading, but he invites her to continue.

“So now he’s working with the Kanagawas. Their muscle, some of the time. Other times, he helps ‘em find stuff. People. Like I said, he used to be a detective.”

“And he’s found more honor among thieves than among the people meant to catch them.” 

“Maybe a little,” Rita says meekly. 

Peter can’t exactly blame him. He’s worked closely enough with the HCPD that he knows to avoid them when he can. “It sounds like you care for him quite a lot, Rita.”

“He’s a good friend,” she says. “Practically family. And…” She lowers her voice. “And I really don’t want him to die.” She takes a long draft of her tea and chokes a little on the heat. It was boiling a few minutes ago, after all. “See, the streams haven’t been going as well as they used to, and the Kanagawas haven’t been paying their protection money the way they ought to, and when one of the beat cops came in wanting their dues, she came back in pieces. So now the HCPD is planning a raid on a bunch of Kanagawa businesses. It’s gonna be real ugly. They’ve been getting body bags delivered to the station all week.” Her voice is shaking. If anyone found out that she’d told him all of this, she’d lose her job at minimum. More likely, she’d wind up behind bars. “I want you to find Juno and make sure he ain’t there when it goes down.” 

Peter’s been in the business long enough that he’s developed quite a few aliases with a few credentials of his own. Today he’s drawing on one of his less developed ones– Duke Rose, a thief with delusions of grandeur from the outer rim. It’s not quite one of his favorites, but it’ll work well enough for this case.

According to Peter’s sources, Croesus Kanagawa intends to have Juno steal information on the upcoming seasons of the Triad’s shows. It’s a valuable asset from a dangerous rival, and that means it’s going to be a two-person job. It only takes a few little threats and bribes to make an old contact introduce Peter. He doesn’t stay long enough to vouch for him, but he doesn’t have to.

Juno Steel is a creature of habit. The dive bar they’re meeting in is one of his most frequent haunts. The scotch he’s nursing is his favorite drink. And his wallet is always kept on a chain in his back right pocket.

“Could I get you a refill?” Peter offers as Juno drains his glass.

The thief shrugs. “It’s your money.”

It’s a little bit thrilling to watch the nonchalance drip off his face when Peter pulls out Juno’s wallet from his own back pocket. “Actually, it’s yours.” 

For an instant Juno flounders, checking his pants for a wallet that isn’t there. Then he rounds on Peter, grabbing him by the collar and flattening him against the bar.

“You trying to be cute?” he snarls.

“I hardly need to try,” Peter laughs with confidence he doesn’t really feel. He might have swiped the blades and lasers out of Juno’s pockets, but the bar is still lined with glasses that could do just as much damage if they’re shattered and embedded in his face– and that isn’t even getting started on Juno’s fists. “You didn’t call me in for my looks, Mister Steel, you called me in for my abilities. You’ve seen a sample of what I can do. I want to know if it satisfies.”

Juno releases him with a sharp breath that might be a laugh. “Is that supposed to impress me? Pickpockets are a dime a dozen.” He returns to his seat and pushes his glass at the bartender, signalling for a refill. The motion takes less than a second, but in that moment, his eyes are off Peter.

That’s all the time Peter needs. In that single moment of distraction, he slides off the table. When Juno glances back at him, he’s gone. 

The thief frowns. “Where’d you–”

“Right here, Mister Steel.” Peter’s already on Juno’s other side, tugging open Juno’s jacket to slide his laser back into its holster. “I suppose you’ll be wanting this back?” He catches Juno’s hand the moment it comes up to grab him. He doesn’t have Juno’s strength, but he makes up for it with an intimate familiarity with ligaments and tendons. The smallest push, and he forces Juno’s fist to unfold long enough to place the wallet into it. “That too.” He gives it a little pat, just for good measure.

“Okay, fine,” Juno says peevishly. “You might be useful.” 

He can’t tell if the look on Juno’s face is more impressed or aroused. 

Growing up on Brahma, theft was necessary to survival. On Mars, he has the luxury of having a legitimate job that can pay all his bills, but he never quite let those old skills rust away. There’s something nostalgic about slipping back into the old ways and hearing Mag remind him of the thousand and one variations on Lesson One of Thieving. He has even fewer qualms about revisiting his childhood when his mark is an organization like the Triad. 

They’re only a minor mark, anyway. His real target is Juno Steel, and he’s far more of a challenge. Come on too strong and he’ll be frightened off; don’t come on strong enough, and he won’t catch on. Keeping him interested is a balancing act that keeps Peter constantly on his toes, and he can’t remember the last time he’s had this much fun. The case is thrilling. The banter’s delightful. Even when things go wrong, there’s a thrill in fighting beside Juno. They whirl and slide around each other with such fluid intuition that it feels almost like a dance, moving to the beat of laser blasts and fists on flesh. 

And all at once the music ends. The fight is won, their opponents are scattered across the ground, the air thick with the scent of blood and ozone. The two of them are left leaning against each other, their chests heaving as they catch their breath, still delirious with adrenaline.

And in a wild moment, all Peter can think about is how much he wants to kiss Juno until he leans in and does it.

Juno tastes like scotch and ashes. His lips are gentle and his hands are soft, as if he’s afraid he might hurt Peter if he applies even the slightest pressure. 

When he whispers Peter’s false name, it sounds almost like a prayer.

Juno’s phone is turned off and hidden under Peter’s couch, out of sight and well out of mind. Maybe some of Juno’s associates might have tried looking for him at his apartment, but nobody’s going to be looking for him at Peter’s place. 

The supply of condoms and lube is generous. The refrigerator is well stocked. The curtains are thick enough to blot out the passage of day and night. So long as Juno stays lost in the haze of sex and satisfaction, he’ll have no reason to notice the passage of time. 

Peter does, though. And he knows he should check the news, just to see if the HCPD raid has happened yet. Just to see if the job is over, so he can go back to his ordinary life. Juno can go back to his, too– though there’s no telling how many of the Kanagawas will be dead by the time all of this is over. How many of them did Juno know? How many of them were his friends? How will he cope with the knowledge that he wasn’t there when it happened?

It’s a reality he’ll have to face eventually, no matter how much Peter wishes he didn’t. But for now he doesn’t have to. For now Juno is right here with him, safe in well-fucked bliss, content to be in the arms of somebody who loves him.

[fuurin-senpai]

long and not-well-organised notes about a twins!Eggsy&Teddy AU

So my hc for Teddy is that he’s attracted to violence – the more uninhibited, the more it appeals to him. But Eggsy is attracted to power – controlled power, exerted with reason. It doesn’t need to be the best of reasons (cough Harry beating up a bunch of thugs coz he felt like it) but there has to be some form of reason, unlike Dean’s unreasonable anger.

Teddy likes unrestrained, unleashed power.

Eggsy likes channeled, controlled power.

Teddy really doesn’t put up with Dean’s shit very well, keeps getting into fights but is terribly outnumbered, etc. Eggsy has been worried about Teddy for a long time, because what people don’t realise is that Teddy is a lot more dangerous than he seems. His moral compass is skewed in a different way, and he isn’t afraid of the same things other people are.

Violence doesn’t faze him. killing doesn’t faze him.

For Eggsy, violence without reason is something he deeply hates, and killing is only fine for people who are against his moral code or in the way of a greater objective (eg. Chester King, Gazelle, Valentine, other people who got headsploded).

Teddy wouldn’t hurt someone he cares about (eg. Eggsy, Ron, Reg, Michelle). But other people… he doesn’t care much. 

I think Eggsy wants his violence to be rationalised because he doesn’t want to become what he hates/fears – and also because someone needs to be able to keep a logical head between himself and his twin, because otherwise Teddy would’ve gotten himself killed a loooong time ago, probably, or locked up.

Eggsy is probably relieved when he finds out Teddy ran into the Kray twins, and that Teddy was very taken with them, because he knows it’s just a matter of time before something big happens and Teddy gets caught up in it and/or Teddy gets sent to prison or something.

And since Teddy can’t change who he is, especially not with their current home life, it’s for the best if he can at least find people who can help him, maybe protect him, and let him be free (or at least more free than he currently is).

If Teddy gets sent to prison Eggsy would just call the number on the medal, so I suppose he is successful in keeping Teddy out of too much trouble until Teddy runs off with the Krays.

OKAY NOW WE CAN MOVE ON TO THE (rough ideas about) THE STORYLINE.

There’s a lot of shit going down post-Vday, and it looks like it mainly has to do with the Krays. Kingsman investigates, bla bla bla wtf Eggsy has a twin, bla bla bla conflicted loyalties, doubt, angst, etc. 

Eggsy is very determined to be involved with the investigation into the Krays and Kingsman kind of has to let him, because he’s their best shot at getting close. But they also keep a close eye on things.

Thing is, Kingsman doesn’t intervene unless it’s a huuuuge threat, or unless nobody else is up to the job. I mean, MI6 and Scotland Yard etc also exist, and have jobs to do. And maybe Harry isn’t back yet, but even if he is, Eggsy’s position in Kingsman is still a little shaky so Harry and Merlin can’t afford to have it look like they doubt his allegiance.

I mean, the biggest problem with undying loyalty is when you’re loyal to two sides that may come into conflict. Eggsy’s never grassed anyone up. But he is also a Kingsman agent now. What to do?

And Eggsy has a gut feeling, maybe, that there’s more to things than what appears on the surface. He did ask Teddy to promise not to get into trouble unless he can get himself out, after all, when they separated. 

Teddy wouldn’t break a promise, not to him.

Even if he is mad and sometimes capricious and he doesn’t see the world the way most people do, his brother is still his brother. 

I think there’s actually bigger fish hiding behind the Krays, making it look like the Krays are the biggest fish. (CRAYFISH HAHA)

Scotland Yard has been keeping the Krays in check for some time (not very well, but just well enough that nothing too big happens)

And like, with modern meds, maybe Ron’s doing a liiiiiiiiiiiiiittle bit better. m a y b e. He can still refuse to take them, so there’s no magical solution to any of that. It’s always going to be something they have to deal with.

So like. Eggsy contacts Teddy. maybe gets a meeting with the Krays, Hangs out for some days? 

And like. Idk. I have this idea, that instead of going as “chav”!Eggsy he goes as gentleman!Eggsy

Maybe because he knows Teddy, and Teddy knows him, and it’d be extra suspicious if he shows up in his former state.

Like – Eggsy as Teddy knew him, wouldn’t go randomly seeking out the Krays. By making it obvious that he has an agenda, but not telling the truth on what the agenda is, people are actually less suspicious, or at least not suspicious in the right directions.

I had this idea for what Eggsy’s cover story could be, and it’s basically a bunch of partial truths. I’m guessing Kingsman probably has several different aliases for the organisation itself, so Eggsy pretends he’s working for a… mercenary organisation? Which isn’t entirely untrue, since Kingsman is independent and all. He basically says killed their former leader for being a traitor so right now the organisation isn’t sure what to do with him – which is also technically kind of true.

On one hand, he did them a huge favour by exposing the treachery. On the other hand, he did that while he wasn’t a formal member or anything so he’s still an unknown in a sense, possibly a threat, but also a great asset and they don’t want to lose that (or worse, have him turn against them).

When asked about how he got recruited, Eggsy would probably give a cheeky as hell answer like… he slept with one of their members, or something along those lines.

(Harry was rather unwisely drinking tea while watching the video feed of this conversation)

Or, he says he must’ve made an ~*~impression~*~ but insinuates - quite blatantly, too - that there was sex involved. and he does it so convincingly that even Merlin looks at Harry for a moment and tries to figure out the probability of that.

And Harry is just. coughing very loudly.

ANYWAY, MOVING ON.

The Krays obviously want to test Eggsy, see what he’s made of and all that. Maybe they arrange an encounter with Dean (and thugs?). And Teddy’s all ready to go, to beat up the scum who made his earlier years unpleasant and indirectly forced him to be separated from his brother. But Eggsy steps forward, places a hand on his brother’s shoulder. Teddy looks at him for a moment, then smiles and steps back. 

Teddy steps back, Eggsy steps forward, smiling his murder smile. And Teddy’s eyes are alight, eager, almost feverish, because the first time he fell in love wasn’t with Ron, but with Eggsy. The furious, violent, ruthless Eggsy he saw during their teenage years, after Teddy nearly got killed by a large group of thugs.

But that part of Eggsy is always so deeply concealed, dormant, that he knows Eggsy can’t and won’t give him the violence he craves to watch and partake in.

Which is why he loves Eggsy, but he later went with Ron.

Okay so. Eggsy does some terrifying violence, to Dean and goons, like Vino and Ladd Russo from Baccano. Quite possibly torture too? Things that make even Merlin and Harry wince.Teddy is ecstatic, Ron is pleased and intrigued.

Teddy, watching it, feels like this is as good as / way better than sex (huehuehue)

Also, I headcanon that Eggsy, when he’s murderous AND violent, fights just like Vino - acrobatic, ruthless, graceful, vicious… because yes please. And Teddy’s usually more inclined towards Ladd Russo’s style - straight out brutality. 

Eggsy, in a non-murderous setting, fights more like Firo Prochainezo - still very agile and all, but more playful, more about having fun and using his skills than about blood and gore and violence

Eggsy, in full gentleman spy mode, is more like Luck Gandor - smiling enigmatically, calm and composed, speaking in a sophisticated manner, but far more ruthless.

He heavily emulates Harry in his gentleman spy mode, although his irreverence is more towards cheekiness and Harry’s is towards, idk, being a little shit ayyy.

Harry likes to give unpleasant surprises (aka dreadful shocks) to people he doesn’t like (cough cough “Hail Satan”).

Also uhmmmm…

After Eggsy finishes going full Vino on Dean&co, he turns and gives that same smile + head tilt he gave Gazelle after she realised she got hit by the shoe blade. Teddy’s probably going to jump on him at this point and, idk, do whatever it is that Teddy does when he’s very pleased >:3

Idk how much twincest Ron is okay with regarding Eggsy and Teddy, but… 

¯\_(ツ)_/¯

(But I think ultimately the twins (Eggsy and Teddy) will still split, but it will be on amiable terms, and they’ll go with their respective boyfriends. Eggsy and Harry aren’t together yet so Harry feels conflicted but not betrayed or anything, just… wishing Eggsy could be back and with him.)

Okay so, Eggsy shows off and lets off some steam, everyone is suitably impressed, Teddy is overly impressed…….. plot stuff happens but in the end Eggsy confirms his suspicions that there’s bigger fish for Kingsman to fry and they’re using the Krays as a front because the Krays are far from squeaky-clean anyway.

And idk, maybe the real opponent is similar to Moriarty. It’ll probably end up being a situation where Kingsman has bigger fish to fry and kind of needs some help (or at least no interference) from the Krays due to still being short-handed after vday, and in the end they establish a sort of truce. if the Krays don’t go too far and maybe occasionally help Kingsman, Kingsman will leave them be?

And like. Eggsy and Teddy meet up for tea or something, on a semi-regular basis.

Also I think Eggsy will have a moment of understanding with Reg, because they’re very much in the same boat. Eggsy has been his brother’s keeper for so many years, and in a sense he still is. Reg is much the same. 

I liked how the bond between Reg and Ron was shown in the movie. like, even though Ron has done a lot of things that are driving Reg crazy, Reg still cares a lot about him, and would rather see the Firm fail than let Ron be locked up or “dealt with”.