#And so when he broke free he was flailing around like crazy

[siobhanromee]

Unsurprising! Local method actor revealed to be a shitty person

[lilac-5ky]

get him back! (ex-boyfriend!Toji x Fem!Reader)

mini kinktober tribute: hate sex

plot: you broke up with toji and he decided to break your friends, until you decide you've had enough.

tags: hate sex, toxic relationship, exes to ???, reader tried to be a good friend, toji is a manipulative asshole, against a door, unprotected sex, spanking, recording, derogatory petnames, slight angst and arguing.

wc: 2.2k

Masterlist | Kinktober Masterlist | AO3

“You fucking asshole! I know you’re holed in there like a damn rat; open up!”

Your fist bangs against his door with abandon. You don’t care that it’s 4 a.m. on a Thursday night or that the neighbors probably think of you as some crazy bitch, which maybe you are. You turned into one the moment your best friend was dumped through a three-word text.

“Saw your clunker out front; open up or the whole block will learn what a prick you are!”

Kimie was in love with him. She was in love with him when she collapsed on your doorstep an hour ago, and she was still in love with him when you left her sleeping soundly in your bed. So were Nanako, Azami, and Rio—the victims before her.

His modus operandi was the same with all four of your friends. He approached them one by one, casting the same spell that enchanted the panties off their thighs, dated them until he got bored, and then broke them into a state beyond repair, leaving you to pick up the pieces.

“I swear, if you don’t open the door right fucking now—” You’re suddenly dragged into his apartment, your wrist pulled against a firm wall of muscle as the door shuts behind you with a thud.

“And they say prayers don’t get answered.” His smile makes your guts churn, pearly white canines beaming below a taut, scarred lip. “Tad late though, aren’t ya? Been—what, two hours since I dumped that b—”

An attempted slap has your hand joining its twin in his grasp. “Call her a bitch again, and the next will be your balls!” You flail, trying to break free.

He doesn’t look disturbed in the slightest. His grin only turns wider at the sheer hatred with which you look at him.

You hate him. You hate Toji with every inch of your being. You hate how he ruined your friends’ lives on a whim; how he poisoned them against you, pointing you out as the reason for each of their breakups. You hate how there’s an ounce of truth in that accusation because, in his twisted brain, he’s doing all that for you. Because his ego can’t stand that you bailed on him first.

“Oh yeah?” He sneers, shoving your hands back against your chest. “Try me, girl. Show me what you got.”

His eyes provoke you, as smug as the rest of his face. You hate to think they were once the most wonderful thing in existence, and you treasured them like pure jade.

Your hands ball into fists, that remain glued to your sides. Your threats are empty, and he knows that. You aren’t there to fight. Just to give him a piece of your mind and hopefully, put an end to this insanity.

“Finally came around?” Toji asks at the lack of reaction.

You sigh. “How long will you keep this up?”

“Oh, I don’t know. Any more cute friends of yours left to fuck?”

“What the hell is wrong with you?” Your voice climbs a whole octave above his.

“You are.”

“Really? You’re gonna pin all of that on me?” It takes every bit of self-restraint not to pluck the hair out of his stupid head. “Please, enlighten me!”

“I miss you.” He admits, and he sounds earnest, but you aren’t fazed. You’ve heard all of that before; read all about it in the countless texts he’s sent over the past five months. “I miss my pretty baby and all the fun we had together. Miss how we talk, how we laugh, how we fuck.”

You managed to disregard the sculpted muscles decorating his bare chest that had been in plain sight since before you entered his place, yet now you look at them with a stare that is almost nostalgic.

“We were so good together, princess. Why be apart now, mm?” He reaches out to you, his forefinger curling near your cheek. “Don’tcha think your tantrum lasted long enough?”

“My tantrum?” You smack his hand away. “You are the one who had it good, Toji. You are the one who had a maid, a girlfriend, and a wallet all in one. You did nothing, and I did everything! I cleaned for you, I cooked for you—I even tagged along to all your stupid races, and you did what exactly? Fucked all my friends to get back at me for calling things off? If you really think it’s my fault, then you’re sick in the head, though that’s nothing new. You killed us; not me.”

Toji scratches the back of his head uncomfortably. As expected, he has nothing to say in return. He doesn’t miss you; he misses the comfort of you, and you don’t miss him either. You simply miss the way he sometimes held you tight against his chest and whispered he loved you so many times that you were inclined to believe him. You miss the dreams you created—the entire life you’d planned together only for it to be viciously torn apart by his current self.

“Can’t you see it? There’s no ‘we’ anymore. There’s only ‘you’ and ‘I’, and the poison that’s left behind from what we once were. It’s over between us, but ” you take advantage of his silence, “Kimie did nothing wrong. She loves you, so better give her a call, say you got high on some shit—I don’t fucking know—and apologize. Beg if you have to, but get back with her.”

“And why would I do that?” His arms fold over his chest, a thin obsidian brow shaping an arch. “Boring bitch was only good at getting my dick wet. Nothing like you.”

His voice mellows down as he speaks your name, his eyes waning past his eyelids, both soft, unlike the calloused palm that traces the outline of your face. “I was serious about you. Still am. Why else you think I did all that? I love you. Love my baby and her little pussy so much.”

“S-stop that.” Your heart skips a beat as he corners you against the door, your hand searching for the handle behind your back.

“My pussy.” His lips ghost over your neck while his hips buck into you possessively. “C’mon, baby. Be honest with yourself. You don’t really give a shit ‘bout Kimie. You came to me cause ya knew I’d fuck you good. Haven’t let anyone in my pussy since last time, mm?”

“You are wrong.” You breathe out, nails digging sharply into your palm. You don’t want this. You don’t want him. You are here for your friend—the only friend you’ve got left after he turned everyone against you. “You ain’t shit, Toji.”

“Yeah? How many guys have made you scream like I have? How many of ‘em have fucked both your brain and thighs into mush? How many of ‘em you called daddy, hm?” He bites into your shoulder, and an immediate shudder circuits from the point of impact across your body. “Thought so. No one fucks you like I do. No one will ever love you the way I do.”

“Fuck you, Toji.” The way his knee presses between your thighs coaxes a sigh he doesn’t miss. He grinds harder, your heat pulsing below your soaked underwear.

“Yeah? Fuck me?” He’s gone back to facing you, his minty breath tickling your bottom lip right before it follows his tongue into your mouth. Your body doesn’t resist; worse, it reciprocates.

“Yes. F—fuck you,” you mumble, having found a new reason to hate him.

He is right. You never cared that much about Kimie, because if you did, you wouldn’t have sneaked out in the middle of the night in your skimpiest outfit. Avenging your friend was the last thing in your mind, an afterthought drowned by his lips and his hands crawling beneath your dress.

“Why not do it yourself, baby?” Toji nibbles at your lip in the exact way he knows that you like. “Fuck me. Fuck me, and I’ll take that bitch Kirie back ‘f that’s what ya still want after.” His finger curls around the elastic band of your panties, awaiting your answer.

“God, I hate you so fucking much.”

“Hm?”

“It’s Kimie, you asshole.”

In an instant, your arms loop around his neck and your legs around his torso as Toji lifts you up against the door. He grunts into the kiss, teeth and tongues clashing while each tries to gain access to the other’s body. He rips your underwear into a single shred he flings away, giving your ass a rough smack that makes you whine countless little I hate you’s into his mouth.

Fumbling with the laces of his sweatpants, you lower them enough for his cock to spring free, already rock hard even when you’ve done nothing besides arguing. You almost moan at the sight, thinking to yourself there might just be a part of him you actually missed.

“Shoulda wash that potty mouth for all the useless shit it spews,” he murmurs against your skin, sliding your dress’ straps below your breasts and rolling the hem over your stomach. “‘member how much ya loved to suck me off? Gagged on every inch and swallowed every drop like the fucking cockslut that y’are.” His teeth dig in your flesh, coloring a mark right above where his fingers close around your neck. “My cockdrunk whore.”

“Just fuck me and get this over with.”

Your breathing grows strained the more pressure he applies, your walls clenching around his cock as he finally sinks inside. You try not to give him the satisfaction of a reaction, pursing your lips together while his thick girth stretches your cunt to its limits. You channel all the miserable memories he left you with, every tear you shed over him seemingly gathering as slick that squelches with each thrust your moans drown out. Oh no.

“Liar,” Toji smiles haughtily, a continuous drum from his hip ruthlessly slamming yours against the wooden door, your back rising higher each time. “Knew ya wanted this as much as I do.”

“N-no,” you pant out, stubbornly holding onto your last vestige of self-respect while the tip of his cock insists to kiss that one spot that has you seeing stars quicker than you can account for.

“Don’t tell me ya still lie to yourself ‘bout doing this to be a good friend.” And when you don’t answer, he reaches into his pocket to dig out his phone, first pointing the camera at your face and then at the point where his cock splits you open. “Wanna make a video and send it to her? See what she makes of you getting railed?”

“You fucking piece of shit!” You slap the phone from his grasp, the entire screen filling up with cracks before going dark.

“That was new.” His tongue clicks against his mouth’s roof. “Guess I’ll have to make you pay for this, hm?”

Both his palms drop to your ass, spanking both cheeks in tandem with his thrusts until tears thread your eyelashes, the intoxicating mix of pain and pleasure speeding up your orgasm.

“A bit louder, baby. Don’t think the neighbors heard ya.”

He bullies his cock faster into you, husky moans complimenting your high-pitched whimpers that fill the space and echo across the halls of his apartment building.

“T-Toji, I—” He finishes you off before you can finish your sentence, your eyes squeezing shut as fireworks blast behind your eyelids.

“That’s my girl.” He praises, laying soft kisses that you reject on your sweat-covered forehead. You don’t want to be fooled again. This is a one time thing.

“‘m not your—ugh, fucking girl.” You hiss, yanking at the frayed tufts of hair your fingers pick from his skull. “Never will be.”

“Sure about that?” A hand sneaks between your bodies and finds your clit. “Bet if I make ya cum ‘nough times, you’ll come crawling back to me.”

“N-not a chance,” quickly shifts into a loud, “Fuck!” when he starts rubbing quick circles around the sensitive nub. You can’t seem to stop moaning for him, feeling your second climax creep up on you at the same time he spills his load, fucking every velvety rope of his cum deep inside your sopping pussy.

You stand on your feet for the first time in a while, your knees trembling as you struggle to keep straight without his aid. Toji looks so smug with his cock still throbbing in his hand, the swollen red tip mocking you and your efforts to resist it.

He pulls his sweats up, and without a warning, the door flies wide open. This is your chance to leave. It’s what he wants. For you to either bear the shame of stumbling back home with his cum staining your legs down to your ankles or stay the night and be tricked into getting back together; humiliation on both ends.

“What’s it gonna be, baby?”

And as the door falls shut behind you, you know you’re going to hate yourself even more after this night than you ever hated him.

a/n: so i planned this waaaay too late, but i still wanted to partake in the madness known as kinktober. i'll be doing some of the days at random, sometimes adding more than one kinks to one one-shot. most will be about toji, unless-

and yes, i'm obsessed with olivia's new album. sue me. masterlist tomorrow, it's 5 am ffs.

[skekilla]

https://www.deviantart.com/skekilla/art/Runaway-Train-Act-I-Scene-8-903218157

Things couldn’t get any more terrifying.

Desperately, they all scrambled to get out of that horror-show of a theater. Johnny’s heart was racing. The film, the demons, not to mention the already stressful events of the last few days—it all built up a horrible dread, only to be knocked over and become a big mess of terror. Now, not only was he in physical danger, but mental too; that taunting voice with its threats and suspiciously deep insight into not just him, but all of their little party had now sent him into complete mental turmoil. All kinds of horrible things played out in his mind, both memory and make-believe; his past and new friends alike spread out dead, demons tearing at them like dogs, a far off voice issuing commands with glee for them to mercilessly kill. He breathed heavily. He was in the midst of a full-blown panic attack.

He was vaguely aware of the others getting the heavy sliding door open, but all he saw was the way out. They had their escape. He darted between the rows of movie chairs, dodging the ever increasing amount of demons seeping from the ceiling, fighting his way to safety. Please, please, please just let me out of here! Let me out of this crazy place! A yelp escaped him as he finally broke free of the cinema’s confines, having been pushed out by Curtis. The sour sailor was the last out; he’d made sure of that much, practically throwing the other three out before him. Now he was making a truly valiant effort to hold the door shut against the things that flooded into the theater like water into the hull of a ship. It was clear he wouldn’t be able to keep the flood back for long, though; boney fingers of shadow cracked through the frame, prying it open further and further by the second.

Anticipating the break, Johnny scrambled behind a nearby booth seat (they’d found themselves in some kind of bar now). He willed and begged and screamed at himself to calm down. The sound of cracking wood and screeching metal did not make that business easier, though; with one last grunt of failing effort from Curtis, the door finally burst open.

Someone screamed—whether Sally or Orla, Johnny didn’t know and couldn’t tell from his hiding spot. Sounds of an awful struggle took place. It almost sounded like Curtis was actually trying to fight all those things—his constant curses and insults made that obvious. Judging by his word choice, things weren’t going so well. Daring to peek out from the booth, Johnny saw a tidal wave of demons washing over Curtis and into the rest of the car. He was getting beaten. He was losing the fight, and badly.

Johnny had to do something. What… what can I do… He frantically glanced around. And then he saw it. A fine, crystal glass on top of the table he was under. “RT” was engraved in it. Runaway Train. Adrenaline pulsed through his veins. Though still jittery with shock, he stood up, grabbing the glass in his good hand. I’ll show you who’s running away! Aiming as best he could so as not to hit Curtis, he threw it like a grenade into the fray.

And like a grenade it was; it shattered, shards flying in every direction. Hisses and screeches from the little things sounded. For a moment, a shaky smile danced across Johnny’s face. He had done it! He’d finally been really useful. He must’ve gotten at least a quarter of those creatures; that was quite a lot of damage. But then, when their furious, glowing eyes turned to him, he realized now was certainly not the time to be smiling. Without a moment of delay, that quarter of the demons came at him, claws ready and eyes flashing.

Johnny ducked down again immediately. A demon or two lashed out under the table with their little talons. Each slash made him scream as he scooted out of the way. He tried to kick them away on impulse, but his prosthetic leg only flailed out weakly. It didn’t work as planned in any sense; none were deterred, and in fact they only got angrier. They grabbed the leg in retaliation, trying to yank Johnny out from under the table with it. No no no!

“Crazy rhythm, here’s the doorway

I’ll go my way, you’ll go your way

Crazy rhythm, from now on we’re through!”

The demons all stopped to look at the source of the music. From where she must have been hiding behind the bar, Sally had now stood and was singing in her sweet voice. The man under the table now mostly forgotten, the demons’ grips on the prosthetic loosened. Some even let go all together and ran to the bar to get front row seats to the performance. Oh, thank you, thank you Sally!

“Johnny!” Curtis hollered from across the room, cutting into the melody of the song. Johnny didn’t look a second too soon; he was just in time to see Curtis’ pistol thrown onto the seats above him.

Some impulse trained deep into his head made him reach for it, cock it in the blink of an eye, and get one of the things’ heads in his sights with trained precision.

“Here is where we have a showdown

I'm too high hat, you're too low down

Crazy rhythm, here's goodbye to you!”

Then that impulse faded, leaving him to realize just what he was about to do. The Pavlov soldier—conditioned by the reward of living another moment at the firing of a gun—tensed his finger on the trigger, but the sensitive animator from all those years and years ago checked his heavy hand and recoiled at the memory of red and pink splashing everywhere. Even though this creature—this demon—and all the others like it meant to kill him, he just couldn’t bring himself to do the same. He couldn’t do it again.

But he had to do something. He had to get them away from him, or at least, scare them into leaving him be. He realized the easiest way to do it then. I’m sorry… at least I didn’t do something worse. With that apologetic thought, he squeezed his eyes shut as tight as he could, aimed down a little from the demon’s head, and fired at what he knew would be its arm. The bang made him flinch. The thing’s screeching afterward made an awful, familiar guilt sink over him.

Before it or its friends could react any more severely than hissing, though, Orla spun in and kicked them all up their jaws. Those who weren’t caught in the whirlwind of her boots scuttled away in fear. “Phew!” she breathed after they were all gone. “Now, up with you! These critters are scraping for a fight and that fancy gun would be just a treat right now.” Despite the danger, she smiled as she reached down to help Johnny out from under the table.

He was much less cheerful about this whole thing. He looked frantically around the car as he crawled up and out. His eyes widened as he saw the mess Curtis was still in. Though the number of his opponents had been greatly reduced, he was still in a jam. “C-Curtis,” he stuttered to Orla. “He needs help- go to him, I’ll shoot from here.” Though the idea of that made him sick to his stomach, he didn’t figure he could be much use in any other way.

Her lively eyes danced, following after his. “Well! I guess I’m finally getting myself a sailor, then,” she said, her grin gaining a flirtatious quirk that dimpled her cheeks. “Take care not to shoot either of us! Wouldn’t blame you if you did, of course; I’ll be reeling around almost too fast to avoid!” Her bragging finished, she skipped off to do as she was told.

“I will,” Johnny whispered under his breath as he watched her go. Though he was anxious about practically everything happening right now, he knew for absolute certain that he wouldn’t shoot anything but his targets. Though you never would have guessed it, he was quite the deadeye. Maybe it was something to do with his years spent steadying his hand to ink frame after frame, but, though he had never shot a gun in his life before going off to war, he had been a crackshot right away when he was put to it. Even with just his one dexterous hand now, he knew he’d still be sharp as death with his aim. He truly hated that he would.

“What's the use of prohibition?

You produce the same condition

Crazy rhythm, I've gone crazy too!”

Tears pricked his eyes as he opened fire from behind the booth seat. He made sure to hit them all non-lethally, but that didn’t keep the memories of pain from creeping closer and closer to the surface with each fired bullet. Each flash of fire, each click and bang, they all triggered his mind like it, too, was a pistol, shooting off recollections agonizing as any gunshot wound. At least it’s helping Curtis and Orla, he thought, trying to reassure himself in any way possible.

He wasn’t lying to himself, to be fair; he was surely helping them. If the demons weren’t driven away outright by the wounds inflicted by Johnny, Orla made sure they didn’t see it fit to fight on any further, or Curtis tossed them back to the doorway. Even when Johnny inevitably ran out of ammo, the mob had been thinned quite enough for the two to get on the winning side of this fight. They were going to survive. They were going to win.

Thump. Bump. Thump.

Deafening thuds came from in the cinema. Time in the car seemed to slow to a stand-still; all eyes turned to the door. Even the demons stilled themselves and brought their beady little eyes to look. Johnny saw something in their shades of red, purple, and yellow change. Something dark and desperate made their pupils narrow to barely slivers of their original size. He realized it was fear.

Suddenly, the door slammed open. Roaring through it, almost too big to fit through the frame, was a horrible creature. While its shape was human in some sense—less vaguely so than the other demons and such, but still much larger than a normal person—it was a ghastly sight. Its dark cloak shrouded it, though from what Johnny could see, there wasn’t actually anything it was shrouding; it had no neck, and its massive, shadowy claws were only really distinguishable by the tears they left in the wallpaper. But most eerie of all was the mask that was where its face should be. It was a ghostly ivory, cold as the moon. Its surface was only broken by two gaping eyeholes, a smaller slit for breathing, and a golden “III” on the forehead. Horns and ears, like those of a ram, curved from it.

Johnny jerked back behind the booth seat. He pressed his hands over his ears, trying to drown out the horrible screaming roar it let out. What was that thing?? Panic and fear all slammed down on him at once. Even the other demons were running away at the sight of it; what would they be able to do?

Another tortured scream erupted from it. It almost sounded… afraid, itself. Afraid? What’s got something like that afraid? he couldn’t help but wonder.

Wood and glass smashed just behind him; doubtless, the thing had destroyed the booth just behind him. If it was continuing on like this—lashing out in fury at everything in its way of escape—then… “I’m next,” he whispered to himself. “No. No no no no-”

Though he scrambled from the booth as fast as he could, he wasn’t quite quick enough. Johnny’s own screams mingled with the masked creatures’ as the force of it ramming through the back of the seat sent him flying to the carpeted floor. Pain thumped through his body, but the immense fear beating on his brain was what really made him buckle. He didn’t have to worry about getting up, though. The distressed panting just above him made it clear that if he tried, he wouldn’t be able. He’d probably die if he did, in fact. The thing had fallen over him in its struggle to escape. He was trapped under it. He was within the grasp of death.

So, this is it, he thought. This is finally how I die. He squeezed his eyes shut. In an instant that felt like a lifetime, he thought of himself. Growing up. School. The studio. The war. His ma and pa, may they rest in peace. Polly. Though he had lived through so much suffering and indignance and guilt, he supposed, looking at it now, there was a point to it; maybe not something pleasant about it, but it was better than it all being over. He didn’t want to die, especially not like this. But, he figured resignedly, this was it. Maybe my life wasn’t the greatest. But… at least I had one. And to think I never saw how wonderful that is. Not until now, anyway.

He awaited sure death like this. However, numbness never came. Neither did darkness. Not even pain—not more than he already felt, anyway. Slowly, Johnny turned his head and opened his eyes to see the creature above him, to see why he hadn’t died on the spot then and there.

The answer was immediately clear when he looked. The blade of a large, working shovel stuck through its chest. The thing had been impaled. The shovel twisted, causing a guttural screech to be extracted from the creature. Finally, the scream died away and its body faded into shadow and mist. All that remained of it was the mask, which fell on Johnny’s back.

However, Johnny was quickly distracted from the death of the thing by what was revealed when its hulking form dissolved. A man, holding the shaft of the shovel, stood over him. An old, ragged coat hung over his broad shoulders. Eyes burning with cold fire peered down at him from under a wide-brimmed hat. A grim smile was etched into his face. Johnny’s eyes widened. It was the man from the forest car! The man who had held off that demon and allowed Sally and him to escape! He was frozen in shock, not sure how to react to this strange and foreboding man who had saved his life twice now.

The stranger chuckled to himself, breaking the silence that had suddenly fallen over the room. He reached down, picking that horrible mask up off Johnny. Then, slowly, he straightened up and looked around at the other three passengers.

Do something, Johnny! Come on! With a gulp, Johnny forced himself to speak. “Wh-wh…” he stuttered. “Who are you…?”

His burning eyes settled once again on him. He blinked, and then his smile grew to a grin. He chuckled again. “Your mercy,” he rasped. He stuck his shovel right into the floor beside Johnny’s head when he was done speaking. Its blade cut through the carpet into the wood.

That terrible feeling of dread returned to Johnny. He pushed himself a few feet away from the man, but not nearly far enough for him to stop looming over him.

“I think we oughta run,” Sally murmured, glancing between all her companions.

“No point,” the stranger said as he took a booming step, closing the distance that Johnny had gained from him. His smile chilled him to the bone. “You’re only running to a worse fate. I’m the only way any of you are getting off this train.” He pulled his shovel from the floor, held it in his strong grip, and turned it to aim its cutting edge right at Johnny’s heart.

[griffintail]

Hi I'm so so sorry for bothering you! I absolutely love your child reader x parent dreamsmp series, it's amazing!! I had an idea for the lost ones though, or a seperate scenario if that's okay!!! What if the baby was a witch? Witches exist in minecraft, so what if as the child gets older, their powers grow. Windows breaking when they cry, things floating mid air, sparks and fires from their hands, things like that?? I think it'd be really interesting if you want to write it!! If not all the lost ones, then just tge sbi seperate please! Thank you so so very much, i love this series and i cant wait till the next part!!!!!

Magical Born

Pairings: Tommy, Technoblade, Wilbur, Philza, and Ghostbur x F! Child! Reader

Warnings: Mentions of raids, mentions of death, light blood, light violence

A/N: It’s based on Lost Ones Canon, all over the timeline, but it is NOT canon. I didn’t write all of Lost Ones because it’s already a lot to write Lost Ones as its own entity :P I added Ghostbur though for fun because I just really like Ghostbur. Technically he’s part of the SBI!

I went further than planned though so enjoy. ♥

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

TommyInnit

        Tommy screamed as he ran from Fundy, who had caught him stealing from his house, (Y/N) sitting on his shoulders as she laughed. He was making for the sewers as (Y/N) waved at Fundy.

        “Bye, bye furry.” She smiled.

        “YOU’RE SO DEAD TOMMY!” Fundy shouted.

        But now Tommy was laughing hysterically as he quickly turned a corner and made for Tubbo’s entrance into the sewer. Tubbo startled when his door opened.

        “What the—” Tubbo questioned.

        “No time, good luck big man.” Tommy saluted, (Y/N) waving her hand before Tommy held (Y/N) and jumped into the entrance.

        “WHERE IS HE!” Fundy came in a moment later.

        “Damn it, Tommy,” Tubbo muttered under his breath.

        Tommy laughed as he pushed his wet hair back, (Y/N) clapping her hands.

        “Big score for us little (F/L). And extra disc time for calling him furry.” Tommy grinned. “Let’s get home with it all.” Tommy walked along the pathway, letting (Y/N) walk behind him.

        (Y/N) clapped excitedly hearing extra disc time. She bounced slightly behind him as Tommy was bragging about this adventure.

        “The furry may be an easy target to take, but we managed to escape successfully, becoming richer!” Tommy said to the little girl, who continued to bounce, announcing as she did.

        “Boing!” She giggled.

        Tommy chuckled, not looking back at her. She had a lot of energy like him and always had to find easy solutions to let it out.

        “Boing!” She squealed with delight and Tommy froze where he was walking as she…float over and past him??

        “…What the fuck?!” He shouted, dropping the bag of stolen loot.

        “Boing!” She jumped over to the other walkway of the sewer water.

        Tommy put his hands through his hair as he watched his child fucking float.

        “What the fuck is going on?” He muttered, looking around.

        She jumped over to him, and he yelped as he caught her, staring at her.

        “Hi, big man.” She giggled.

        “We’re going back to Tubbo.” Tommy nodded, picking the bag and walking back down the tunnel. “No jumping.”

        (Y/N) gave a pout but didn’t jump as she followed after Tommy. He had her go up the ladder first before following after. Luckily, Tubbo had gotten rid of Fundy, looking rather miffed as he went back to sorting his chests.

        “I already got rid of Fundy, what are you doing?” Tubbo groaned, seeing the pair.

        “Dude, you got to see this, I don’t get it,” Tommy told him. “Ok, (Y/N) jump.”

        She smiled again before bouncing around. Tubbo raised an eyebrow as she bounced around like normal and Tommy was concerned for his mental health for a moment when she started to take large leaps again.

        “What the hell!” Tubbo freaked out.

        “Exactly!” Tommy motioned to the girl, who was making her own sound effects as she jumped.

        “Could…has she always done this?”

        “NO! You think I wouldn’t say if she always did this?!”

        “What the hell?” Tubbo put a hand on his head.

        “I know!”

        Then (Y/N) jumped too high and hit her head on the ceiling, crashing on the ground.

        “Shit!” Tommy flailed his arms for a moment before rushing over to the little girl.

        He made sure she had no serious injuries as she started to tear up then cry.

        “Hey, it’s ok.” Tommy tried to assure her, gently rubbing where she hit her head.

        But she only cried harder and Tommy and Tubbo both screamed as the windows in the room exploded. Tommy was hugging (Y/N) to him, looking at Tubbo with wide eyes as Tubbo was looking around wildly at the shattered glass.

        “What’s going on?” Tubbo gestured wildly to the windows.

        “I don’t know!” Tommy said exasperated, still gently rubbing his hand on her head, the effect doing good now.

        The little girl died down to sniffles as Tommy connected the dots.

        “Wait, she cried and the windows broke. I think that was her.”

        “What?”

        “I-I don’t get how it works but she’s doing these crazy things.”

        “Do-Do you think she’s magic or some crap?” Tubbo threw out whatever he could.

        Tommy’s eyes went wide as he nodded. “That has to be it! I mean…I don’t know where she came from after all.” He muttered now, looking at the little girl.

        “So, what, she’s a witch?” Tubbo huffed.

        “I guess…” Then Tommy’s eyes sparkled with mischief. “Tubbo, can you imagine all the things we could get away with?”

        Tubbo frowned as Tommy now, as Tommy put (Y/N) down as she had calmed down.

        “This could be great! We’ll need to figure out how to teach her of course…”

        “We don’t even know what we’re doing with her as a normal kid!” Tubbo flailed his arms.

        “But she’s still alive.” Tommy pointed at his friend and Tubbo put his head in his hands. “We’ll be the greatest, richest crime trio!”

        “She’s a child!” Tubbo protested but Tommy picked (Y/N) up.

        “You can help me out now little (F/L).”

        The chaos they could cause once they figured out exactly (Y/N)’s powers were. Tommy couldn’t wait.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Wilbur

        “Alright little star, we have to go talk with a few people today but after, we’ll play together, just you and me,” Wilbur promised the little girl as he held her hand.

        They were wearing their matching L’Manberg uniforms and (Y/N) was humming as she walked beside him, their first stop at Niki’s bakery.

        “Ok.” She nodded with a smile.

        “Thank you, little star. Why don’t we get some cookies from Niki to make sure we’re not hungry while we walk?” Wilbur offered with a smile.

        “Yes pwease!” (Y/N) grinned.

        “Please.” Wilbur corrected gently.

        “Hello!” Niki greeted the pair as they came in. “How are you two?”

        “We’re well Niki, I hope you are as well.” Niki nodded and Wilbur went on. “I’ve come to talk to a few the citizens around L’Manberg,” Wilbur told her. “And we were also hoping to have some of your best cookies while we’re working.”

        “Your very best.” (Y/N) agreed.

        “Of course, I just finished a new batch. Would you like to see?”

        (Y/N) looked up at Wilbur with puppy dog eyes and he chuckled. “Alright, but you have to stay away from the furnaces, they’re going to be hot.”

        “Ok!” She nodded before the two went around back into Niki’s area.

        As (Y/N) watched the woman in infatuation put a new batch into the oven as she was taking the other out, putting them up to cool for the few minutes Wilbur was talking with her about how her life in L’Manberg was. The adults continued to talk as (Y/N) was now looking at the furnaces curiously, wondering how the fire worked to make the cookies.  While she was, Niki suddenly screamed, making the little girl jump as Wilbur looked around in a panic to see why she screamed.

        Wilbur saw after a moment, (Y/N)’s hands had little fires on them! (Y/N) spotted them as well and gave a shriek as his reactions kicked in as he spotted a bucket of water. He snatched it up before quickly throwing it on his little girl. The fire was gone as the girl stood soaking wet, Wilbur bolting over to check her hands.

        “I told you not to go near the furnaces!” Wilbur scolded as he carefully took her hands.

        “I-I didn’t daddy.”

        Wilbur looked at her hands confused though. She didn’t have a single burn.

        “How…” He muttered.

        “I stayed away. Just like you said.” (Y/N) shifted uncomfortably in her wet clothes.

        Wilbur looked at Niki, who had run and came back with a health potion.

        “She’s not hurt,” Wilbur told her.

        “What?” Niki looked at him with wide eyes.

        “I-I don’t know how,” Wilbur said, looking back at the little girl, freezing up as he did.

        All of the sudden…her clothes and hair were completely dry! He hesitated before touching her jacket, indeed finding it free of water.

        “Niki…I have no clue what’s going on.” Wilbur gently pulled (Y/N) to him. “Sweetie, how did you do that?”

        “Do what?” She asked confused.

        “You don’t have any water on you anymore.” Wilbur pointed out to her and she looked at her clothes, before shrugging.

        “I don’t know.”

        “Have…you ever done that before?” He questioned and she shrugged again.

        “How…how do you think it happened,” Niki asked him.

        “I’m not sure,” Wilbur muttered. “I need to send a letter to Phil or Techno; they’ve seen a lot more things in their time. I appreciate it if you didn’t mention this to anyone Niki.”

        “Of course.” The soft-spoken woman nodded.

        “Thank you, we’re going to go home early little star.” Wilbur stood up.

        Niki still gave them a few cookies and Wilbur brought (Y/N) home, making a bird call outside first.

        “Whoa, that was cool!” (Y/N) grinned as a crow landed on Wilbur’s shoulder.

        “It’s one of my father’s crows, they’re usually all around,” Wilbur told her as they went inside.

        “Your dad?”

        “I guess I’ve never told you about him.” Wilbur chuckled quietly as he sat, writing a letter to both Techno and Phil. “My father, Philza Mine Craft, is pretty old but he’s a great dad. He taught me a lot and he’s been through a lot. I’ve told him about you a few times, I suppose I forgot to tell you about him in return.” Wilbur ruffled her hair lightly, making her giggle. “I don’t talk to my brother Techno as much though…we had some arguments in the past. I’m hoping maybe we’ll put that aside to see what be happening with you.”

        He signed off the letters and let the crow have them before they flew off.

        “We’ll know in a few days though I suppose. Now, let’s play some music while we eat these cookies.” Wilbur offered out.

        Waiting for a return letter became a little more desperate the next few days. Not only had Wilbur found his daughter’s hands liked to spontaneously combust with flames sometimes, through some careful observing, but he also found if she was particularly happy she’d find herself being able to jump to his height; and thanks to Tommy, when the boy had come to visit to get instructions from Wilbur, he decided to scare the little girl, causing her to scream and Tommy, in turn, screamed when all the windows shattered.

        “Not a word!” Wilbur immediately demanded as he made sure (Y/N) wouldn’t step on any glass. “To anyone.”

        “What the fuck?!” Tommy screeched.

        Wilbur was tempted to force the boy to stay at the house to ensure word didn’t get out but after a bit of time, he got Tommy to promise him. Finally, two separate letters came in to tell him the same thing.

        (Y/N) might be a witch.

        Techno was a bit blunter about it, proceeding to tell Wilbur off a bit for just taking some orphan, but Wilbur knew it was just his brother’s ways and didn’t hold it against him. Phil’s letter had a bit more useful information and he had once researched witches. Wilbur kept that letter safe as he came out to find (Y/N) jumping around with her powers. She was smart and figured out how to activate it, she often liked to play with her floating power.

        Wilbur wondered what else she might be able to do…It was a rather terrifying thought but he’d learn regardless. She was still his little star, witch or not.

        “You’re getting good at that little star.” Wilbur praised as he came over.

        He also let the thought cross his mind if that’s why she was abandoned but pushed it away. That didn’t matter, she was his little girl now and they’d figure it out together.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Technoblade

        Techno watched from the porch with crossed arms as (Y/N) laughed while running from Tommy, who was armed with two snowballs. Tommy did know how to bring the energy out of his kid. (Y/N) stumbled and fell, Tommy, grinning with victory as he stood over her but the little girl reacted fast and threw snow at him before running again with a giggle at Tommy’s temporary blindness.

        Tommy shouted profanities as Techno smirked, the voices praising his child. That’s his little girl.

        “How much longer are you two going to be out here?” Techno called now.

        “Not much longer!” Tommy shouted before swearing again as (Y/N) managed to hit with a snowball while he was distracted. “THAT’S CHEATING!”

        “All is fair in war!” She demanded.

        “Don’t track snow in the house,” Techno told them before going back into the house.

        Phil was tending to one of his crows as Techno came back in.

        “They alright?” Phil asked.

        “They’re fine.” Techno nodded, going over to his enchanting equipment.

        “I’m proud of you, mate. For taking in that little girl and making sure she’s happy.”

        Techno simply shrugged as he was glad, he had taken in the little girl as well. Life would be nearly the same. He often thought about how things might have been different if she wasn’t around, he probably would have already taken out L’Manberg but he held back for her. He didn’t need people hunting him down again right now and find out about her…

        He was taking off his pick to put a new enchantment on it when his world slowed hearing a scream and Tommy shouting loudly. Running out with his pick in hand, Phil grabbing his sword off a chest as he ran after, he found (Y/N) shaking on the ground as a wolf stalked towards her as Tommy had a bloody arm. Techno dropped his pick as he ran over, taking off his crossbow, a bolt already loaded.

        He took a shot at the wolf but his panic made him sloppy and he missed! It went over the wolf, it not noticing until…

        The bolt turned around all of the sudden and hit the wolf right in the front leg. It gave a yelp, snarling as it backed away from the little girl now, who was scrambling back.

        “B-Bad wolf!” She shouted as she shook.

        The wolf noticed the approaching pissed off man and cut its losses, running off with a limp. Techno was most certainly confused about the bolt but he had other worries. Phil was already going over, tending to Tommy as Techno came next to (Y/N), putting a hand on her shoulder.

        “You, ok? It didn’t hurt you, did it?” He asked as he quickly checked the little girl.

        “No.” She shook her head before hugging him. “It hurt Tommy.”

        “I know, Phil’s got him though.” Techno hugged her before picking her up. “Let’s get inside.”

        Phil was helping Tommy inside as Techno followed, picking up his pick.

        “If it hurt Tommy, is it ok it got hurt?” (Y/N) asked Techno.

        “Yes, because it was about to hurt you too. So, it’s ok. That’s defense.” Techno told her but he wasn’t sure what happened.

        The bolt had certainly missed and then flew back, striking it in the leg.

        “I didn’t want to hurt it.” She mumbled. “But it’s right.”

        Techno was confused by her words, but maybe she had gotten confused with her own words. He put it to the side for now as he spent a bit of time with her for the rest of the day to make sure she was alright. After he put her down to sleep, he came down into the main room where Phil was sitting by the fire. Techno sat across from him and brought up the thought he had put aside.

        “(Y/N) said something weird today.”

        “What was that?” Phil looked at him.

        “She said she didn’t want to hurt that wolf. Like she was the one who fired the crossbow.”

        Phil hummed, looking out the window. “Something was weird, I saw that bolt move on it’s on.”

        “Good, I’m not losing my mind.”

        Phil gave a quiet laugh. “Not yet my son. But something odd did happen. Have you ever seen anything like that?”

        “No…Not around here at least. I’ve seen witches do stuff like that though. That’s why they’re difficult to kill sometimes.” Techno took off his mask for the day, putting it down safely on the fireplace mantle. “If there had been a good witch around, I’d say it was them.”

        “I haven’t seen a witch in some time. Pretty rare these days, some people don’t like their power with magic and hunt them down. They’ve pretty much gone into hiding.” Phil nodded.

        “Sounds about right,” Techno grumbled, leaning against the stone of the fireplace, closing his eyes.

        “Mate, you don’t think…(Y/N) might be a witch?”

        “Doubt it. Would have meant she was magic born; they wouldn’t have just left her on someone’s doorstep for them to die.”

        “It’s rare but she could have been naturally born, with normal parents, and we’re now just finding out.”

        “Even then, when she was born, she shows signs. A magical birth has effects while they’re born. The parents would have known.”

        That made Techno frown now at the thought as he looked over at quiet Phil, who had the same frown. They were both thinking the same thing; what if they left her because of the magical birth?

        “It would explain why she said she hurt the wolf.” Phil leaned back as well on the other side of the fireplace.

        “Yeah…I’ll find out more in the mor—”

        Both Phil and Techno jumped up with muscle memory at the sound of (Y/N) screaming. Phil’s crows cried out in panic as Techno was first up the ladder to find (Y/N) whimpering as she hugged herself as a few objects floated around the room. Techno went to her side as Phil came up, Tommy shouting up as he had been startled awake by the noise.

        “Hey, it’s ok little goddess,” Techno muttered to her, putting a hand on her side.

        “T-The wo-wolf.” She whimpered.

        “It can’t hurt you. I won’t let it.” Techno told her, sitting next to her and pulling her into him. “And neither will Phil or Tommy.”

        She gave a few more soft whimpers before everything in the room slowly floated down, Tommy standing on the ladder, watching amazement.

        “You’re alright,” Techno promised, looking at Phil, the two sharing a meaningful look. “We won’t let anything or one hurt you.”

        There was just more of a reason to keep (Y/N) their secret. He’d have to brush up on his knowledge about witches as well.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Phil

        “Alright, it’s been a while since I’ve done this,” Phil told the little girl. “So, I got to do a bit of practice.”

        “Ok.” The little girl tried to have patience as she was taught but couldn’t help but bounce in excitement.

        Phil chuckled, ruffling her hair, before spreading his wings. “Ok, let’s see if I still remember this…”

        He took a deep breath before taking flight; he grinned as he felt the wind flying by, enjoying the wonderful memories that came to him. Flying had been something he had really missed. From the ground, (Y/N) cheered in the snow as she jumped, clapping. Phil chuckled at his little girl’s reaction as he took a few warm-up laps to make sure his wings were truly back in shape.

        Techno looked up from his work at the commotion, coming out as he took off his glasses. Going out, he looked to see Phil snapping by in flight and he smiled watching his father flying again. He had seen how it affected him to be trapped on the ground. Across the field, he spotted his little sister running after their father rather uselessly but she jumped as she followed after the older man, cheering as she did.

        The older brother shook his head as he watched his father again as he leaned his back on the railing, a few of Phil’s crows flying beside him as they were going over the roof. Techno was watching when another figure went over his head, giving a shriek.

        “Techno!” (Y/N) said and Techno fell backward off the railing of the steps, his cape over his face, but he shouted out.

        “PHIL!”

        Phil looked over to find his daughter now falling to the ground?! With practiced ease, he turned and caught the girl before she hit the ground. He took a bit of a crash into the snow as his crows gave out a few cries in panic but he was alright. It wasn’t the first time he had crashed after a flight.

        (Y/N) looked around a bit of daze before grinning and throwing up her arms. “Again!”

        “Did you throw her?!” Phil exclaimed as Techno threw his cape off his face.

        “What!? No!” Techno huffed as he stood up, brushing snow off himself. “I was watching you and all of the sudden she was over my head!”

        “That makes no sense, mate.”

        “I didn’t throw her; I actually like her more than my brothers.”

        Phil looked at the little girl, who was still grinning even though she could have gotten hurt. “What happened?”

        “I jumped and I flew like you! It was a bit scary and I almost fell.” She told him animatedly. “But then you caught me and it was like Whoosh!”

        Phil looked at Techno as Techno was raising an eyebrow at the explanation.

        “Y-You jumped and flew?” Phil turned his attention back to her.

        She nodded. “I was jumping after you because I was excited.”

        “Why…don’t we go inside and then I’ll take you on a flight, alright?” Phil asked her.

        She gave a little pout but nodded. He nodded as well before standing up, letting her walk on her own. Techno followed the pair in and they let (Y/N) be before Phil spoke to Techno alone.

        “I…have a feeling (Y/N) might have magic.”

        “You think?” Techno snorted. “Where’d you find her again?”

        “A village during a raid,” Phil muttered, glancing over at (Y/N) as she was playing with a few of her toys as one of his crows kept an eye on her as a few of them were just as protective of her as he was.

        “They could have been there to get her family. Pillagers tend to like magic and hearing about magic users, they probably were there for them.”

        Phil nodded. It made sense; the village he had found was a pretty small farming village it had seemed. It had been odd to him how they were raided but now it made a bit of sense…

        “Guess I’ll have to brush up a bit on my witch knowledge. It’s been a few years since I’ve run across one, good or bad.”

        “Yeah, it’s been some time. Heard around the arctic that a few of them were going into hiding. Probably because of the pillagers.” Techno nodded, as he went over to his potions to do a bit of work.

        “Dadza! Your crows talk?!” (Y/N) exclaimed in excitement.

        Phil paled as Techno snorted into his potion ingredients chest.

        “You need to learn what the hell they can do too,” Techno said.

        That was going to take a bit of time to learn.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Ghostbur

        “No one else was in the room where it happened. The room where it happened. The room where it happened.”

        Ghostbur clapped as he sat on nothing as he floated above the ground as he watched his daughter sing and do her own little dance. Tommy had taught her all about his favorite musical and taught her a few of the songs. She now wanted to show off what she learned to her father and Ghostbur was more than happy to sit and watch his little blue. He even made sure Friend was there to give her a proper little audience.

        She stumbled over a few words occasionally but he loved watching and listening to her regardless. Once she finished the song, she gave a little curtsy with her hoodie and Ghostbur clapped, giving a joking call of an encore as Friend gave a baa. She giggled, coming over and hugging him. He gladly returned the hug, nuzzling the top of her hoodie.

        “That was wonderful little blue! I can teach you a few more songs and you can sing more for Friend and me!” He smiled.

        “Please.” She nodded eagerly.

        “I’ll have to get a few of my books from L’Manberg, so we can do it tomorrow,” Ghostbur promised her. “We can all go visit Phil as well and you can show him how wonderful you are. Wasn’t it wonderful Friend?”

        The sheep gave another noise and (Y/N) giggled, letting go of Ghostbur and hugged Friend now.

        “Thank you, Friend. You’re a very good friend.”

        “We should get inside, it’s almost time for dinner.” Ghostbur stood now.

        “Ok, can I ride on you, Friend?” She asked the sheep and the sheep didn’t make a noise of acceptance or protest. “He said yes.”

        “Thank you, Friend,” Ghostbur told their sheep friend before putting (Y/N) on top of the sheep.

        After, he took the lead and took the pair to their home in Logstedshire. (Y/N) gently petted Friend’s wool as Ghostbur brought the pair inside, not seeing Tommy, which meant he was downstairs in his chest room.

        “What do you want to eat today little blue?” Ghostbur asked the girl as he helped her off Friend.

        “Carrots and potatoes.”

        “Ok.” Ghostbur nodded, petting Friend before going to cook.

        He made food for (Y/N) and set her up at the table before brewing a few potions he was low on. He hummed as he brewed, (Y/N) happily enjoying her meal as she talked to Friend. Ghostbur occasionally glanced over with a smile at his little blue and the last time he glanced over, he saw Tommy had come up and snuck up behind the little girl. Ghostbur was about to speak as he held a potion bottle but Tommy moved first.

        “BOO!” Tommy gave (Y/N) a scare as he took her shoulders.

        The little girl shrieked…before disappearing.

        Ghostbur and Tommy both stood there for a moment before (Y/N) spoke, gasping.

        “Daddy! I’m like you!”

        Tommy screamed at that, jumping back as Ghostbur dropped his potion bottle, shattering it on the floor. He floated as he went towards the table.

        “(Y/N)? Are you…invisible?” Ghostbur asked, unsure how to process this

        “I can’t see me.” She spoke.

        “HOW?!” Tommy flailed at the empty spot.

        It was another moment before the little girl appeared in the chair again, grinning. Tommy put his hands through his hair as Ghostbur feet touched the ground again as he stood in front of the little girl. There were a few beats of silence before he grinned.

        “You are like me!” He picked her up, hugging her. “This is a very fantastic day!”

        “You found her Ghostbur! She’s not supposed to be like you!” Tommy protested.

        Ghostbur pouted at that as he nuzzled the top of her head. “She can still be like me if I found her.”

        “I…I’m getting Phil. This is not normal and he’ll know.” Tommy pointed at the pair before leaving the house, too freaked out to stay inside.

        “He doesn’t understand yet,” Ghostbur whispered to the little girl before grinning. “Maybe I can teach you to do it on your own like me!”

        Ghostbur had cleaned up the glass quickly as he made (Y/N) stay on Friend just to be safe before he sat with her on the floor, trying to teach her to go invisible excitedly. The moon was a good bit into the sky when Tommy came back, a worried-looking Phil coming in.

        “Phil! We were going to see you tomorrow!” Ghostbur grinned. “(Y/N) wanted to show you a few things.”

        “Like…what?” Phil questioned carefully.

        “She learned a lot of songs and we were going to learn more. Then at dinner, she turned invisible like me! Isn’t that wonderful?”

        “See? I wasn’t lying!” Tommy motioned.

        “Calm down Tommy,” Phil told the younger boy before sitting on the floor with Ghostbur and (Y/N). “Is that true (Y/N)? You did that?”

        She nodded, smiling widely. “I learned a lot of songs and I disappeared like daddy.”

        “Have…you ever done that before? Disappear like that?”

        She hummed before shaking her head. “No.”

        “It’s new?”

        She and Ghostbur nodded.

        “Well…She could be magical born.” Phil threw out, looking at Ghostbur and Tommy.

        “What the hell does that mean?” Tommy asked as he stood next to Phil.

        “She’s a witch. Her parents would have probably been too. It’s extremely rare to have a magical born in a non-magical family. And as the house that Ghostbur found (Y/N) was the way…it was.” Phil avoided the details but Ghostbur floated off the ground as he remembered. “It would make sense; some people aren’t keen on witches.”

        Tommy frowned at the thought with Phil as Ghostbur tried to just ignore the bad images. As Ghostbur looked away from Phil, he looked at (Y/N) to see her sticking her tongue out slightly as she had her eyes closed as well, looking to be concentrating. What she was concentrating on doing made Ghostbur grin widely.

        “(Y/N) can float too!” Ghostbur cheered, making the little girl open her eyes and grin herself.

        “I’m like daddy!”

        Ghostbur laughed as he scooped her into his arms, cuddling with her. Tommy and Phil shared a look though. They had to make sure Ghostbur wasn’t vocal about this…They couldn’t let little blue lose another life just for being a witch after all…

        But Ghostbur didn’t think about that as he was simply ecstatic about his special little blue.

[funkzpiel]

I recently fell head first into the Omniscient Reader's Viewpoint webnovel, which is banana times crazy long. I'm only 60% done, but I couldn't stop thinking about the 46th Scenario and what might've happened if Yoo Joonghyuk had gotten the star. So here we go...

THE TRAITOR WHO LOVED A STAR Pairing: Yoo Joonghyuk/Kim Dokja Warnings: Forced Bond(s), Scenario 46th Gone Wrong, Betrayal (available on AO3)

From the moment the transfer to the scenario chamber began, Yoo Joonghyuk was already preparing himself to run. There would be – as was true with many scenarios – only one glimmering moment of opportunity to succeed before all was lost. Or rather, before Kim Dokja was lost to him—no, to the company. To the company, of course.

He had to get that star.

Focus, damn it, Yoo Joonghyuk snarled to himself as their bodies broke apart into twinkling lights, taking him to the chamber – and the star – that had once been his hell and would now become, perhaps, his salvation.

[MAIN SCENARIO #46 – PROOF OF STARS] CATEGORY: MAIN DIFFICULTY: ??? CLEAR CONDITIONS: ACQUIRE AND USE THE “STAR” IN THE CENTER OF THE ROOM OR PREVENT THE OTHER PARTY FROM OBTAINING THE “STAR” WITHIN THE TIME LIMIT. IF ONE OF THE TWO CONDITIONS ARE MET, THE SCENARIO WILL AUTOMATICALLY BE CLEARED. TIME LIMIT: 3 HOURS FAILURE: CONDITIONAL DEATH COMPENSATION:

OPTION 1: IF YOU ACQUIRE OR USE THE “STAR” BEFORE YOUR OPPONENT, YOU CAN ACQUIRE ALL THE SKILLS AND STORIES OF THE OPPONENT.

OPTION 2: IF YOU ACQUIRE OR USE THE “STAR” BEFORE YOUR OPPONENT, YOU CAN ACQUIRE INDEFINITE LIFE OR DEATH RIGHTS OVER YOUR OPPONENT.

OPTION 3: …

From the moment they appeared, Kim Dokja was already reading – always reading. Yoo Joonghyuk did not even need to spare a glance to know what he’d find: the Constellation’s chin held in pensive fingers as his free hand traced a scant inch above the scenario window line by line. Meticulous. Observant.

But Kim Dokja was not the only player who had been carefully watching and observing all this time, and Yoo Joonghyuk had seen enough to know the man’s weak point. He was a former gamer, afterall. He knew how to beat a boss fight. He knew when to wait and watch for openings – and he knew, after years of watching Kim Dokja, that the man’s true and most valuable opening would only appear once.

Now, at the beginning, while Kim Dokja thought they were still on the same page. In the corner of his eye, he could see Kim Dokja slowly turning toward him even as his eyes kept reading – calm and relieved to be teamed with a person who already knew and understood the scenario, no doubt. He could hear the man saying, “Well, it’s simple. We just—”

Then Kim Dokja finally saw him. Yoo Joonghyuk knew what would follow. A fractional, pivotal second of confusion and panic. The opening of whatever skill allowed the Constellation to steal abilities from others, then Way of the Wind, followed by Electrification. If Yoo Joonghyuk had waited even so much as a moment longer to act when they appeared, the Constellation might’ve caught him in time.

But Yoo Joonghyuk was a pro-player, a fighter unmatched. A Regressor and a Transcendent. He knew how to win, even against clever men like Kim Dokja.

The Regressor's long fingers closed around the star – warm and gleaming between his fingers – just as Kim Dokja slammed into his waist, sending the both of them tumbling into a pile. He could feel Kim Dokja's thin, scrawny limbs flailing against him, trying to get some sort of advantage over the situation, and Yoo Joonghyuk let him. More than content to allow the little Constellation to climb atop him and settle on his waist. He had already won, after all. If that position made this all more bearable for Kim Dokja, then so be it.

“What the hell are you—” Kim Dokja began, still blissfully unaware he had lost until the messages began to arrive one by one with telling little pings.

[The “star” has been acquired by Incarnation Yoo Joonghyuk!] [Incarnation Yoo Joonghyuk has betrayed the “trust” of his teammate.] [Incarnation Yoo Joonghyuk has acquired the “Traitor” story.] [The story “Traitor” has begun telling its story.]

Kim Dokja’s eyes grew wide, the blue of the scenario windows glittering in those dark depths like stars. His pale skin further illuminated by the twinkling star cradled carefully in Yoo Joonghyuk’s hand.

“It’s not too late,” Kim Dokja said suddenly, quickly – thinking, always thinking – as he urgently met Yoo Joonghyuk’s gaze. “Refuse the prize, we can still fix this, we—”

[Incarnation Yoo Joonghyuk has selected his prize.] [The target of this selection is a Constellation!] [Incarnation Yoo Joonghyuk’s selection is currently being evaluated for approval by the Star Stream.]

Yoo Joonghyuk watched hope briefly flit across Kim Dokja's face. It was quickly dashed.

[Incarnation Yoo Joonghyuk's selection has been approved by the Star Stream.]

Above him, Kim Dokja stiffened and quickly screwed shut his eyes, as though bracing himself. A silent, heavy moment passed – then another and another. Until, finally, Kim Dokja slowly opened an eye to peak at him when nothing immediately happened. Yoo Joonghyuk simply continued to stare at him, and Kim Dokja’s pretty mouth slowly began to pull into a frown.

“Well, go on,” the Constellation snapped. There was something indiscernible on the man’s face. No, not indiscernible. Yoo Joonghyuk knew the look. Kim Dokja was disappointed, furious – hurt. The Regressor remembered what it felt like, and something aching passed through his chest as the knowledge settled that he had inflicted this upon Kim Dokja. The pain of a companion that you trusted taking a star you never even thought to take yourself... But Yoo Joonghyuk would bare it. He had to. If that was the price of the Constellation's well-being, then so be it.

“Go on!” Kim Dokja snapped again, louder now, less controlled. More human. He seized Yoo Joonghyuk by the collar of his black clothing and lifted him just enough to jostle him back down against the floor firmly in a little slam. “If you wanted my stories and abilities so badly, then take them. What do you even want? Way of the Wind? Electrification? My attribute? What do I have that you covet so much to do this?”

The bottoms of the Constellation’s lashes were growing heavy above him. Wet and hot, glimmering tragically in the starlight. Yoo Joonghyuk found he couldn't look away.

“Always so foolish,” The Regressor finally said, and regretted – for just a moment – that the situation wasn’t different. Because, as it stood, it was impossible to enjoy the rare surprise on Kim Dokja’s face when the next message sprung up above him, as precious as that expression was.

[Incarnation Yoo Joonghyuk has acquired the Life and Death Rights to Constellation Demon King of Salvation.] [The story “Life and Death Companions” is trembling.] [Incarnation Yoo Joonghyuk has acquired the story “Traitor Who Loved a Star”.] [The story “Traitor Who Loved a Star” has devoured the story “Life and Death Companions”.] [The story "Traitor Who Loved a Star" is growling possessively.] [Secret ability of the chamber's “star” has been triggered.]

“Yoo Joonghyuk,” Kim Dokja gasped. Yoo Joonghyuk could see it on the man’s face as he began to connect the dots. The messages leading him like a trail of breadcrumbs towards an inevitable conclusion.

“For the past three years, you’ve been free to act like a feral animal,” Yoo Joonghyuk said as one by one, more and more messages cascaded above them. He didn’t care for them. He knew what would happen. He cared more that what came next was done right. There was no room for error. Not when it came to someone as cunning as Kim Dokja. “I can tolerate it no longer.”

[The chamber's “star” has become a vessel.] [The chamber's “star” will bind the Constellation Demon King of Salvation’s Constellation Star in order to fulfill Incarnation Yoo Joonghyuk’s selection.]

The light of the star held delicately in Yoo Joonghyuk’s hands began to glimmer all the more brightly. Light poured from between his fingers as Kim Dokja sucked in a stuttering gasp as though struck. The slim man’s shaking hands released Yoo Joonghyuk’s collar to flutter and paw at his own chest as though searching for a wound that wasn’t there, or perhaps trying to hold something in.

Above, delicate little orbs of light began to appear and drift down to them like snow as the ceiling of the chamber disappeared, revealing the expanse of the cosmos above. It drew both of their gazes up, the room for just a moment looking more like a galaxy than a scenario chamber. There was the soft chime of a clear and ringing bell, and then in a small flash of light, a larger orb fell from the sky with great speed, only to come to a gentle halt just where the ceiling should have been. It twinkled gently, a soft and humming melody echoing from its softly pulsing light until voices began to whisper out from its depths.

“We will see the end of the scenarios together—" “—can’t let them know. They must see the end. I’ll be fine, I’ll find another way; but they cannot die here.” “Yoo Joonghyuk, that crazy sunfish—” “—Is this what it feels like? To have fami̴̮̓l̴̰̆͐͠ͅy̶̮͑̚—” “—They’ll hate me for this, but it must be done—”

The melody became fragments of thoughts. Kim Dokja’s thoughts. Past, present, future; they radiated from the little orb, honest and true. Above him, Kim Dokja flushed from the tips of his ears down to the delicate hollow of his clavicle peeking out beneath his collar. His gaze fell down quickly to Yoo Joonghyuk, hands moving to frame either side of the man’s head on the ground as if the span of his now hovering back between the vessel and his star could block the true light of his Constellation Star from becoming one with the vessel Yoo Joonghyuk had made.

“D-don’t do this,” Kim Dokja pleaded, his calm wavering slightly as his eyes darted here and there across Yoo Joonghyuk’s stoic face. “I don’t know what I did to you to make you hate me this much, but I—”

[The story “Traitor Who Loved a Star” is crying out indignantly!] [The story “Traitor Who Loved a Star” is telling its story more passionately!]

The force of the story's cry compelled Yoo Joonghyuk. Compelled them both. Even as a part of Yoo Joonghyuk wondered if it were love, if he could even love, if he even knew what it was – he felt love sway his hand up to cup Kim Dokja’s face above him. To cradle the gentle curve of the Constellation’s trembling jaw. And all the while, Kim Dokja just stared down at him with wide, startled eyes – for once speechless.

“It would be so much easier to hate you,” Yoo Joonghyuk said as the star continued to descend from above Kim Dokja’s head, haloing the man in brilliant light. “But three years without you was more than enough to realize I can't…”

“I don’t understand,” Kim Dokja whispered dumbly. "Then why are you doing this?"

[The story “Traitor Who Loved a Star” is growing exponentially!] [The story “Traitor Who Loved a Star” is telling its story!]

Kim Dokja jerked as though struck, and all of a sudden his eyes became sightless and dull, clouded over with memories. In them, Yoo Joonghyuk could see the faint reflections of what the story was showing him. The aftermath of the Constellation's sacrifice as the shackles he had forced upon his friends fell away with his death. The terrible days of hopeful, painful waiting – because he had come back before, maybe he would do it again. The children crying, their faces buried into the bellies and hips of their older companions. And just as painful, the crying of the adults – hidden, broken moments in stolen away corners, deep in the quiet, solitary darkness of night. Their grief laid naked beneath the gluttonous gaze of the Star Stream. They continued without him. They thrived because of Kim Dokja’s hand in their training, their evolution, their stories. But they also died a different death without him. A thousand tiny, little dreadful deaths. Three years of them.

Yoo Joonghyuk felt a wet, hot drop fall on his cheek. First one, two, then a small handful more as above him, Kim Dokja cried the stunned, silent tears of a Constellation’s grief. Each drop twinkling like starlight.

“I had to,” Kim Dokja tried weakly when his sight had returned, only to shudder as the falling star above him passed harmlessly through his back, illuminating him from within, then continued through his chest – taking his mortal heart with it with a little gasp.

[Life and Death Rights have been initiated!]

Kim Dokja’s head fell to hang heavily between his shoulders above Yoo Joonghyuk, his dark bangs hiding his eyes.

“They’ll call you a traitor,” the Constellation whispered in a broken little voice.

“Not if they don’t know.”

Kim Dokja’s gaze shot up to the Regressor's, wide once more and so preciously confused. Yoo Joonghyuk’s thumb brushed back and forth along the slope of the man’s jaw.

“You aren’t the only one who’s clever, Kim Dokja,” he finally said as the light of Kim Dokja’s Constellation Star finally made its final descent into its new vessel. The light between them bloomed impossibly brighter for a moment – dazzling and casting their shadows in stark relief against the walls – until all at once it disappeared into a far more subdued glow within the palm sized star in Yoo Joonghyuk’s hand. Kim Dokja shuddered, head tossed back as what sounded like a key turned in the metaphorical lock of their bond.

[Constellation Demon King of Salvation has been bound!]

Kim Dokja trembled, his spine bowed into a tight and quaking arc above Yoo Joonghyuk, legs tight around the Regressor’s waist where he was still primly seated.

[Constellation Demon King of Salvation has lost his Life and Death Rights!]

“N-Noo,” Kim Dokja whimpered, even as Yoo Joonghyuk’s hands fell on his waist, thumbs rubbing gently, soothingly. It would all be fine in the end, Yoo Joonghyuk reminded himself as he bore the pain of watching Kim Dokja become shackled as he had been in his 2nd Regression. But he would be a better master than Anna Croft. He would. For all their sakes.

[Incarnation Yoo Joonghyuk now possesses the Life and Death Rights of the Constellation Demon King of Salvation!]

A bond - invisible and unbreakable - formed and thrummed tight and strong between them as the vessel in Yoo Joonghyuk’s hand began to pulse needily, craving its final resting place, capturing both of their attention. The Regressor brought that hand up to his own chest even as Kim Dokja shakily collected his wits above him. The Constellation’s slender hand grasped Yoo Joonghyuk’s wrist in a weak, final bid to plea with him. And for just a moment, Yoo Joonghyuk grimaced.

"Just let me think for a minute," Kim Dokja pleaded, hand shaking where he held Yoo Joonghyuk's wrist. "I can fix this."

“No, Kim Dokja. We cannot lose you again,” The Regressor said, and ignored Kim Dokja’s shocked little ‘no’ as he pressed the Constellation Vessel to his own heart. The little light flickered brilliantly, recognizing its new home, before absorbing into Yoo Joonghyuk's chest eagerly. Kim Dokja’s slim fingers scrambled to pry Yoo Joonghyuk’s large hand away, but bit by bit the light disappeared until finally, it was gone as though it had never been. The room grew suddenly dim around them without that light.

"This is the only way to save you from yourself," Yoo Joonghyuk continued in the quiet, hushed only by the startled heaving of Kim Dokja's furious breaths.

"I didn't ask to be saved!"

"Then now you know what it feels like."

[Constellation Demon King of Salvation’s Constellation Star is no longer aloft among the sea of stars!]

Above, a certain patch of the Star Stream sat empty and barren.

[Incarnation Yoo Joonghyuk now has the right to make requests of his Constellation.] [Incarnation Yoo Joonghyuk is making his first request.]

Kim Dokja kept his gaze resiliently away even as he felt pulled in by the message, his attention drifting toward Yoo Joonghyuk like an asteroid pulled in by Earth’s gravity.

“Look at me, Kim Dokja,” Yoo Joonghyuk said, and when the Constellation atop his waist firmly attempted to rebel against the request, thinking it a command, Yoo Joonghyuk used Life and Death Rights to show just how futile the attempt was. Now, uttering a true command, Yoo Joonghyuk’s voice dipped lower as he said, “Look at me.”

With a sharp inhale, Kim Dokja’s gaze shook heavily. His body trembled like the last delicate leaf of fall, and barely a moment later his breath exploded from him in a relieved little gasp as he relented and looked at Yoo Joonghyuk. The Regressor let Kim Dokja breathe for a moment, all too familiar with the overwhelming pain of resisting a command just as much as the heady relief of obeying it. And when Kim Dokja’s overwhelmed gaze became a sullen glare above him, Yoo Joonghyuk finally continued.

“This is my command, Kim Dokja. You will not throw away your life ever again.”

[Incarnation Yoo Joonghyuk has issued a command using Life and Death Rights!] [Constellation Demon King of Salvation cannot throw away his life ever again!]

Kim Dokja shuddered, his trembling voice stuttering off a soft, “Y-you don’t u-understand—” but Yoo Joonghyuk simply continued.

“You will communicate your plans with me openly, honestly,” and then, after a searching moment as he saw the cogs already turning in Kim Dokja’s mind, added, “Eagerly.”

[Incarnation Yoo Joonghyuk has issued a command using Life and Death Rights!] [Constellation Demon King of Salvation must communicate his plans with Incarnation Yoo Joonghyuk openly, honestly and eagerly!]

Kim Dokja’s hands fell to Yoo Joonghyuk’s chest as another wracking fit of trembling overcame him, overwhelming him. His fingers curled there weakly, nails dragging faint lines into Yoo Joonghyuk’s skin even through his shirt. It was a distant thing. Yoo Joonghyuk barely noticed, too absorbed by this rare opportunity to finally protect his companion.

“You will do everything within your power to survive and remain with the people you insist on getting to your perfect ending.”

[Incarnation Yoo Joonghyuk has issued a command using Life and Death Rights!] [Constellation Demon King of Salvation must do everything within his power to survive and remain with the people he has been championing to get to the ◾◾!]

Kim Dokja cried out, his head finally falling weakly until his brow laid heavily on Yoo Joonghyuk’s chest. The Regressor could feel the Constellation’s breath, hot and panicked, those slim ribs heaving.

“And finally,” Yoo Joonghyuk said softly, his hand rising to lace his fingers through those dark tresses with surprising tenderness. Beneath his hand, Kim Dokja shivered pleasantly now, as though Yoo Joonghyuk’s touch was a soothing balm. Craving it, even as Yoo Joonghyuk knew he’d be fighting it furiously within. Yoo Joonghyuk remembered that siren’s call, after all. And he suddenly regretted that now, with the bond between them, he’d never know if their companionship was true or not.

Another price to pay.

“When we leave this room, you will not remember that this bond has been established.”

[Incarnation Yoo Joonghyuk has issued a command using Life and Death Rights!] [Constellation Demon King of Salvation will not remember that he is bond to the will of Incarnation Yoo Joonghyuk's Life and Death Rights!]

Kim Dokja jerked up, staring at him – shaken and furious.

“Yoo Joonghyuk, don’t—!”

“You will remember my commands. You will be open to further commands from me and me alone. But you will not look for your star up in the Star Stream. You will not wonder why it’s not there. You won’t think of me as a traitor, and you won’t tell the others of my new story. When we leave this room, you will believe neither of us touched the star.”

[Incarnation Yoo Joonghyuk has issued a command using Life and Death Rights!] [Constellation Demon King of Salvation will retain all commands given using the Life and Death Rights!] [Constellation Demon King of Salvation will be open to further commands from Incarnation Yoo Joonghyuk in the future!] [Constellation Demon King of Salvation will not look for or wonder about his missing Constellation Star in the Star Stream above!] [Constellation Demon King of Salvation will not consider Incarnation Yoo Joonghyuk to be a Traitor!] [Constellation Demon King of Salvation will not tell the others that Incarnation Yoo Joonghyuk has acquired the story "Traitor"!] [Constellation Demon King of Salvation will believe that neither he nor Incarnation Yoo Joonghyuk acquired or utilized the chamber "star" after departing from the scenario!]

Kim Dokja slammed a delicate wrist down on Yoo Joonghyuk’s chest as the messages came pouring in, even as he spoke, but could not so much as stop a single word that spilled from Yoo Joonghyuk's lips. And when the commands finally rattled to an end, all Kim Dokja could manage to mutter was, “Why? Why are you doing this?”

Yoo Joonghyuk let the question hang for a long, pregnant moment as he felt the weight of his answer finally settle in his heart. As he brushed Kim Dokja’s tears away the blazing Constellation Star within him illuminated the darkness and denials that hid the truth before, until there was only one thing left to say. And even as Kim Dokja scowled, the Constellation leaned into that touch. Drawn in by the gravity of the bond.

With time, it would feel natural. With time, neither of them would question it.

“Because, Kim Dokja... I am the Traitor who fell in love with a Star.”

[The story “Traitor Who Loved a Star” is telling its story.]

(available on AO3)

[darkficsyouneveraskedfor]

Fully Completely 4

Warnings: non-consent sex and rape (series), violence, mutual irritation, harassment, blood

This is dark!Loki x reader and explicit. 18+ only.  Your media consumption is your own responsibility. Warnings have been given. DO NOT PROCEED if these matters upset you.

Series Synopsis: There’s a new face in Birch and he’s come to haunt your door.

Sister series to Smalltown Bringdown, When the Weight Comes Down, and Little Bones

Note: It’s me again, ya girl. We get more Loki and tomorrow more Zemo and I’ll see if I can get more done through the week + headcanons!

Thanks to everyone for their patience and feedback. :)

I really hope you enjoy. 💋

<3 Let me know what you think with a like or reblog or reply or an ask! Love ya!

Chapter 4: Bring me back in shackles

💀💀💀

You lunged at Loki with a snarl. The cold air flew up the bottom of your shirt and reminded you of your naked legs. You clawed at his throat as he caught your wrists and held you at bay, your feet fiery on the bitter ice. He kept you in an awkward dance and suddenly you were plummeting back as he hooked his leg around yours and swiped it sideways.

You hollered as you slipped but were caught before you could meet the hard ground. Korg hooked his arms under yours and put you right. You jabbed your elbow into his ribs and turned on him as he yelped in surprise.

“Don’t touch me!” you shouted, “I’m gonna fuckin’ kill him.”

Korg stopped you from swinging at Loki and you turned to aim your fist at him instead. He dodged it and you sensed the crowd forming along the street as the flames and sirens drew the club from The Asp. Your ire diverted as you saw Bucky stride down the sidewalk and you stormed away from the large redhead.

“You see this? See what he’s done?” you shrieked, “you just gonna stand there.”

Bucky said nothing as he came to a stop and his men watched you in shock as you raged in little more than your tee shirt. You were so angry you could hardly feel the cold. The smoke tickled your nose and you looked again at your burning shop.

“Nothing! You coward!” you lurched forward and Jerome kept you from reaching Bucky as he came between you.

“Hey, don’t. Don’t. You’re gonna get yourself killed,” he hissed under his breath, “stop!”

“Stop? Don’t you get it. He’s letting this happen. He as good as set the fire himself,” you fought against your brother as whispers swirled in the air, “it’s my shop!”

Someone snapped their fingers and again there was movement behind you. Korg’s large hand settled on your arm and he tugged. Jerome kept a hold of your other elbow and glared at back at him.

“What are you doing?” he squeezed your arm.

“Jerome,” Bucky said, arms crossed and unmoving on the sidewalk, “let her go.”

“She’s my sister, I’m not going to let them--”

“You’ll do what I say,” Bucky insisted, “your sister made her choice, time to make yours.”

Jerome looked between you and the biker. Bucky wouldn’t even looked at you and the woman a few feet behind him, his girl, watched in terror. She stepped forward and touched his arm. She whispered to him and he shrugged her off.

“I won’t tell you again, Jerome,” Bucky growled, “you’re a part of this club, you don’t just leave.”

Jerome inhaled and stared at you. You saw his eyes glistened and he gulped. His hand dropped from your arm and he backed away. He shoved his hands in his pockets and hung his head.

“Disgusting,” you sneered, “all of you.”

Korg dragged you back and you tried to twist free.

“You’re a coward, Bucky Barnes,” you yelled as kicked out, “you’re all a bunch of cowards.”

Korg hooked his arm around you and lifted you easily. You flailed and wriggled in his grasp, tossing your head back and just missing his jaw as he grunted. He turned and walked back towards Loki. You saw his green eyes and the way they glimmered over his smug grin.

“Fuck all of you!” you barked as the chattering voices grew louder, “all of you!”

💀

As you neared the old Victorian house where Bucky had Loki holed up, you didn’t stop snarling and clawing at your captor. Korg had you over his thick shoulder but walked silently as if you weren’t even there. When Loki got close enough, you reached out for him and several times he snickered and sidestepped you.

You latched onto the door frame as Korg tried to carry you inside and after a moment, he wrenched you away so hard your fingers bent back. You hissed and twisted on his shoulder until he was forced to put you back on your feet. He gripped your wrist as Loki closed the door and you were too quick for the larger man to get you under control.

He grabbed your elbow only as you shot your foot out and caught Loki in the crotch. The lithe man grunted and stumbled back. He leaned a hand on the wall as he bent over and held his breath. Korg hooked his arms through your other and kept your arms behind your back as he reined you in.

There was a stark silence as Loki stood straight and coughed. He rolled his shoulders and looked down his nose.

“Take her upstairs,” he pointed along the ancient banisters.

You were forced away from the thinner man and your toes hit each step painfully as you tried to kick back.

“Let me go!” you grunted and threw your head back into his shoulder, “why the fuck do you listen to that asshole? Come on--”

“He’s the boss,” Korg said lightly as he struggled with along the creaky hallway.

“You’re just as bad as him, you bastard,” you threw your feet out and planted them on the door frame as he tried to veer you through.

“Look, miss, I don’t want to hurt you,” he said, “but if they boss tells me to, I will.”

He pulled you back and quickly angled you past the door frame. You stomped his feet but he barely noticed and turned to face Loki as he entered, keeping you at bay as another eruption of anger swept through you.

“I’m going to fucking kill you, you know that?” you snarled, “I’m going to bash that dumb look off your face, you mother fucker--”

Loki rolled his eyes and his lips pursed as he ignored you and went to the closet. He pulled out a leather duffel and searched through a small case. He revealed a pair of cuffs and you scoffed.

“Oh no, no, no,” you wriggled wildly, “you can’t be serious. Let me out of here.”

“Well, darling, since you’ve felt it necessary to assault me and threaten me further, I can only take the proper precautions,” he kept away from you as he rounded Korg, “this should do, bring her here.”

You were wrestled over to the wall as Loki waited by the ridged radiator. It took several minutes for them to get your wrist hooked in the metal cuff, the other locked around thick leg of the heater before it hooked into the wall. Korg let you go and both men stepped away as you lashed out at them, only to yank on your shoulder painfully and fall back.

“That should hold her for the night,” Loki waved away the other man, “get your sleep. We have some driving to do tomorrow.”

“You can’t keep me here,” you sneered, “you’re crazy!”

“I’m crazy? You who gives me demands as you sit bound?” he chuckled and shed his coat and then his suit jacket, both carefully folded over the back of the antique chair, “and on the authority of this town’s keeper, I can do whatever I want with you…” he turned as he unlooped his tie, “and I surely will find many things to do to you.”

He dropped his tie on the polished table and unbuttoned his cuffs. He then worked on the buttons along the front and shrugged out of it. He flung it into the tall basket and sat to untie his shoes. You wanted to laugh as he was surely still slipping and sliding around in those things.

You looked away as he continued to undress. You boiled in rage and hatred as your lip curled. You pulled on the cuff until it hurt. You gave up and looked at him as he sat on the wide queen bed.

“You know what, I’m sorry, I shouldn’t hit girls, right?” you taunted.

He lifted a brow and reached over to pull the chain on the lamp. The room went dark and you watched his dark silhouette lay across the bed.

“Good night,” he slithered, “you should be cozy.”

“Sleep tight, princess,” you spat.

He sighed and there was a brief lull. He got up suddenly and moved through the dark. He grabbed the tie off the table and approached you. He kicked your leg aside as you darted your foot out again and he gripped your chin. He straddled you and forced the silk deep into your mouth.

“I don’t want to have to cut that tongue out… yet.” He squeezed your chin and backed off of you.

He went back to the bed and you kept your eyes on the legs of the table. You could not spit out the tie or make a noise around it. You hit your head on the wall and hissed through your nose. You bent your legs to your chest and pulled them under your shirt. 

The chill finally broke through your fury. Your feet were raw from standing outside in the cold and even the heat of the radiator hardly helped. You smelled of smoke and it reminded you of your rude awakening. You tugged on the cuff again and it clinked. 

Even if you weren’t cuffed, you wouldn’t have slept. You were too angry and heartbroken. That man burned down your livelihood, he wouldn’t get anything else.

💀

You dozed here and there but woke with your back wracked each time. You sat against the wall, too stubborn to curl up on your side like you truly wanted to. When you woke for the last time, the room lightening with the dull winter morning, you felt a pressure in your bladder.

You groaned and stretched your legs. The night came back to you and you pulled again at the metal cuff. You wiggled it until it made an annoying metallic clicking but it was hardly loud enough to disturb the other person in the room. You knocked on the metal with your knuckles and you heard the soft snort.

“Stop that,” Loki’s voice was rough from fatigue, “I mean it, stop.”

You kept on until he rose and stomped over to you in his silken pajamas, his top entirely bare. You’d been too worked up to notice before. It only meant he was vulnerable. You stopped as he got close and you pushed yourself up on one foot and kicked at him. He caught your ankle and then grasped your other and pulled your legs out from under you.

“Enough,” he growled, “enough.”

You made a face at him as his tie remained firmly lodged in your mouth. You tried to talk past it and he tilted his head and huffed. You stilled and attempted another word. He poked his fingers between your lips and pulled on the tie. He retracted his hand right before you bit down.

“Darling, you tread a thin line,” he warned as he tossed the tie away, “if you didn’t insist on being such a pest, you might spend the nights to come on something a little more comfortable.”

“Fuck you,” you spat.

His eyes flipped to the ceiling and his jaw tensed. You wanted to grin but you also really had to go.

“I have to pee,” you said, “but if you’d rather, I can just let it go right here.”

“Don’t be ridiculous,” he tutted and stood, “a little patience would do us both a favour.”

“I have no desire to do you any favours,” you snapped.

“Yes, but I might do you one,” he took the key and hung it from his index finger, “or I might take your suggestion and let you languish in your own filth.”

You sucked in your cheeks and flared your nostrils. You let out a long breath and raised your free hand defenselessly. “Fine, my bladder’s about to burst.”

He neared you cautiously and bent to uncuff you. He swiftly latched onto your wrist and dragged you to your feet. You pulled back your other hand in a fist and he pointed his finger in your face.

“Don’t,” he warned pointedly.

You shook away the anger and dropped your arm. He drew you after him and led you to the doorway on the other side of the bed. He let you through into the bathroom and closed the door behind you.

“One minute, darling,” he said from the other side, “remember this kindness the next time you think to strike me.”

You made faces at yourself in the mirror and rolled your eyes. You slid down your panties and sat to let forth the building stream. When you finished, you rinsed your hands and heard a tap on the door.

“I’m coming in, darling, I do hope you’re decent,” he purred grossly.

You reached out to the folded straight razor as the handle turned and backed away from the door. He took a step in as you opened the blade and you lunged at him without pause. He caught your hand and squeezed it painfully. He spun you and threw you against the wall.

“Oh, darling, did you think I forgot about that?” he snickered as he freed the razor from your grasp, “you are too predictable.”

He aimed the end of the blade at your neck and you flattened yourself against the wall. He poked the top of your shirt with and hooked it under the cotton. He slashed through the fabric easily and you felt the hot slice down your chest, shallow but enough to bleed as the incision quickly grew hot.

“The next will not be so nice,” he warned and folded up the razor, “now,” he threw it into the sink and grabbed your arm, “back to the beginning for you.”

You elbowed him and he snaked his arm around your neck. He locked you in a hold and forced you across the room He bent you and stretched out your arm painfully, just enough to hook you in the cuff again. He retreated quickly as you struck out at him again and he laughed as you were pulled back by the metal.

“You will remain thus until you can show me you can behave and I promise you, you will not outlast me,” he smirked, “if you might take some time and truly think, you will realise what I could do for you instead of to you.”

“I don’t want anything from you,” you sat against the wall and splayed your feet out, “fucking asshole.”

“Well,” he said, “you do need some clothes, I expect, and I need some proper boots as you suggested yourself. The roads have cleared you did a brilliant job on your repairs so I will be spending the day in the city,” he stretched his arms above him as he strode around the room, “I’m certain you will be just fine without me but it would do you well to miss me.”

“That’s amazing, some peace and fucking quiet,” you retorted as you pulled the slashed front of your shirt closed and your hot blood seeped into the cotton, “I think I’ll like that a lot.”

[cloudy-leonhart]

Request for a Erwin or Levi X Reader where the reader lost their twin on the 57th expedition. After wards they find them having a break down late at night and they find out they have no one left, like they lost their entire family in the fall of Wall Maria and then their twin.

Ah- yes the angst 😭😭 Do you guys like me for my angst fics?? Is that it?? LMAOO

I’ll name your twin as Elise, so it’ll be easier to write!! Imagine if I do a part two of Reader confronting annie-

———

Two By Two. (Levi Ackerman x Reader).

Summary: you and Elise were like two peas in a pod, always attached at the hip, Levi had to choose, it was you or her and he had to choose. He just couldn’t live without you, he had to be selfish.

Gender Neutral Reader.

TW: family death, blood, injury, swearing.

Theme: Angst/Fluff, canonverse.

Recommended Song: Butterfly’s Repose - Zabawa.

“Elise! Ten-meter, beside you!” You warned, Elise barely avoided the huge fingers reaching for her. You cursed in your head, you couldn’t believe that the female titan had sabotaged your whole expedition. 

“Reader! What’re you doing?!” You had grabbed onto Elise, holding onto your twin sister tightly. “Saving our asses!” You spat out, trying your best to get your sister to safety. “If we carry each other, we won’t lose as much gas and we’ll make it to base!” You explained holding tightly onto Elise’s waist.

Your comrades screams and yelps of pain filled both you and your sister’s ears, you ignored them with an aftertaste of guilt running down your dry throat. The titans seemed like they cherry-picked other fellow soldiers, you tried your best to scan the area, hoping you could catch a glint of the corps’ base with your eye. You were left with disappointment when you saw the brown blurs of trees pass you by.

“Reader..” Elise shook you out of your thoughts, her eyes were laced with fear as she stared behind you, “Elise, just don’t look back! It’s not worth it!” You tried to persuade her to look back, thinking she was traumatized about your comrades being eaten. 

“We aren’t gonna make it..” Elise mumbled, you had heard her, since holding her tightly made her curl up to you, her face was over your shoulder. “Reader, stop!” Elise screamed, flinging her body everywhere, making it a pain to swing from tree to tree without dropping her. 

“Are you giving up now, Elise?! We’re doing this for Ma and Pa, remember!?” You screamed back, Elise and you argued mid-air as you both didn’t watch what was in front of you, crashing onto a tree branch.

You had hit the bark harshly, a yelp of surprise and pain passing through your lips. “Elise-” You felt your sister’s hands roaming your gear, removing your gas canisters. “What are you-” She had disconnected her gas canisters and reconnected them with yours. 

 “Elise, stop!” you tried to keep her from replacing your gas canisters, hoping, begging. Elise’s hands shook, as she made sure that the gas canisters were secured tightly. 

“Reader, get a hold of yourself! We’re not gonna make this together.” Elise held your frantic face in her hands, making you forcefully stare at her, how the pain and unknowing look in your eyes pained her dearly. She could feel death crawling up her back, each an every rumbling footstep the female titan took, coming closer.

“You’re lying! We can find the base and we’re gonna get out of here, Elise!” She closed her eyes tightly, before cutting off your rambling out of panic. “Reader, stop.” She shook your head to keep you focused on her. She glanced over your shoulder, a figure approaching both of you from far away, at an immense speed. “Only one of us can live, reader,” You shook your head holding onto your sister’s hand tightly. “And like hell, I’m gonna watch you die like Ma and Pa.”

You could hear and feel the female titan was close, “No! No, not like this, please-” You begged, not letting go of your sister. “It’s okay, Reader. Remember? We’re twins, we’ll be stuck together, even in our next lives,” You couldn’t tell if it started to rain, or your eyes just started to spill. You felt your nose sting, a reoccurring headache starts to surface. 

“You don’t know that, Elise..” You cried out, still in disbelief. You could tell that it was mere minutes before the female titan were to kill either one of you, if not both of you. “Reader, we have a bond that’s tried and true. It’s always gonna be you and me.” A saddened laugh left your sister’s mouth. 

“Me and you.” You could feel yourself slowly start to accept that only one of you was going to live, you slowly let go of your sister’s hand in acceptance, both of knowing that only one of you gets to see the outside of the damned forest, and that your sister made it clear that her choice was to let you live.

You looked at the huge foot about to crush you both, ‘the titan’s here!-’ You thought, standing up to best get yourself out of there. A push from your sister was felt, you fell into someone’s arms. You felt everything go slowly, your sister’s tear-stricken face looked at you with a pained smile, as the female titan’s foot kept coming closer and closer with each second passing by.

You saw her mouth an apology before everything resumed normally, you watched and heard the tree crack, a dent on the dark oak wood, of the wretched titan who murdered your sister in front of your eyes lay forever on that tree.

You looked up to see your saviour’s face, jet black hair clouded half your vision as the rest was clouded by the underside of your hero’s chin. “Levi?..” You mumbled, he looked down twisting his ODM gear to turn you both around, trying your best to get to safety. 

“I’m sorry, Reader.” You heard his last words muffled out, as shock takes over your body, you couldn’t hear or smell the rain’s muddy scent as darkness started to take over your sight, the last thing you saw was Levi trying to speak to you, coming out muffled and finally, you passed out from shock.

---

The clean scent of isopropyl alcohol filled your nose, as you twitched from the overbearing smell of cleanliness. You opened your eyes to the light on the ceiling, wincing in pain. Your head and arms ached, from being still in one spot for too long, you sat up, the only sounds you could hear was the rustling of the thin blankets the medical wing could offer and the footsteps of nurses from outside your curtained space. 

“Oh, you’re awake!” A nurse chirped out, holding a tray of what you assume was dinner based off on the meal placed. “You passed out during your expedition. It wasn’t a success. You passed out from trauma, that’s what the doctor concluded.” The nurse kept the one-sided conversation going, you felt your throat was dried, you took the glass of water out from the nurse’s hand, shooting her a sorry glance as you chugged the water downed.

“Where- Where’s Levi, and- and my sister?” Your raspy voice came out painfully, as you held your chest as if it would help your dry throat. “Your sister?..” The nurse tensed from her spot, before relaxing. “I’m so sorry..but, you’re the only L/N registered so far.” She explained, a sympathetic expression painted her face.

“Either, she’s MIA or, her body is..” The nurse explained, replacing your blankets with clean ones. Was it not a dream? Your mind raced as you tightly took hold of the nurse’s shoulders. “You’re lying! That was a dream!” You started to panic, shaking the poor nurse, scaring her immensely. “Where is she?! Where is Elise?!” You screeched, as the nurse started to panic, fearing for her life.

The sounds of the curtain hooks screeching against the bar was heard, a pair of arms holding you down. “Reader, stop that stupid behaviour!” A familiar voice pinned you down on your bed as you screamed and thrashed around on your bed, you took staggered breaths as you tried to free yourself.  “Look at me, Reader!” The same voice called out, his hands maneuvering to hold both of your hands above yourself as his free hand held your chin, making you stare at the steel-grey eyes that could calm you down besides your sister.

“It’s okay, it’s me, it’s Levi, Reader. You’re okay.” He repeated, as you started to calm your erratic behaviour, your eyes wet from the tears that kept pouring out. Levi curled his arm around you body and shoved your face into his chest to muffle your cries. 

With every cry you let out, you could feel your heart beat painfully and insanely. You squirmed your legs around kicking and flailing around as Levi held you tighter, hoping that holding you longer would stop you from flailing like a crazy person.

You cried your mind, heart and lungs out into Levi’s chest, you could taste your salty tears, Levi’s clean and soapy scent overwhelmed your nose. The tears clogged your nose as you let out left sniffles, your eyes were shut tight, scared to open them. 

Levi sighed, kissed your hair as he just held you tightly, he knew he could care about you ruining his shirt. With every painful breath you took, his heart broke little by little, as he silently ordered a few other nurses to take the nurse you assaulted out of the room.

It felt like hours passed by while Levi held you, you could feel him softly rock you, place short kisses to your forehead and on your hair as a way to comfort you, knowing he struggles with giving words of comfort was not his strong suit, you accepted his affection.

Levi was the only one who was important to you that rivalled your love for your twin sister. You held him tightly, he wasn’t just like your lifeline, he probably was, you wouldn’t know how to continue living if you lose both your lover and your only family.

“I’m sorry, Reader.” He mumbled into your hair, hearing that your painful cries have dulled into sniffles and staggered breaths. “Levi..she was my only family, she was my twin. We were supposed to be always stuck together.” Your voice has become meek and feeble. 

“I know, Reader. I know.” Levi’s expression was focused, as he just held you, his arms ached but he didn’t care, he managed to maintain the tightness in his arms as he held you, you felt safe in his arms, you always went to him to get a hug when you were unsure of surviving through this painful hell of a world.

Long minutes went by, with every minute starting to get quieter and more quieter until it was just your silent figure holding onto Levi’s figure like a teddy bear. “Me and Elise both knew I could only save one of you, and I’m sorry for that, Reader.” Levi confessed, his chin was now laying on top of your head. “We’ll go back some day to retrieve your sister’s body okay? We’ll give her a proper burial. It’ll be alright.” 

He looked down at your figure, you stared at him back, your eyes red and your nose puffy. You looked like you had a cold. Levi felt you nod against his chest, you listened to the beat of his heart, listening to his heart felt like therapy for you. 

“Levi..” You mumbled out, he let out a hum at the sound of his name. “I’d give all the kingdom’s treasures if she came walking through that door..” You confessed, staring at the closed door of the medical wing. He just hummed again in response. Knowing he too, would do the same if it meant to bring back his friends.

You both held each other for the night, you understood that Levi’s probably the only one who can calm you like this, Levi’s the only person you’ve got left. You made a promise within your head that you’d keep Levi safe, you’re gonna make damn well sure that not a scratch gets on Levi.

You slowly started to fall asleep, with a new goal in your mind, and a relit fire of determination in your heart.

[wasjust-a-fangirl-here]

Changes. (Part 1)

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

Summary: You follow Stiles and your brother Scott out into the woods to find a body. Problem is; Scott’s not the only one to get bit..

Fandom: Teen Wolf.

Warnings: Mentions of a dead body, a swear word, etc.

Word Count: 2,919

Pairings: Scott McCall X Sister!Reader, Stiles Stilinski X Reader (Platonic).

Note: I just felt like writing this, and if there’s anything wrong with this, let me know, please and thank you. I didn’t expect this to be this long, so I broke it down to a few parts.

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

Listening to music on you iPod, you were studying for your English class tomorrow, wanting to be prepared on your first day back to school.

You jumped when you felt a hand on your shoulder.

Turning around, you realized it’s only Scott, taking out your earphones, you asked, “yeah?”

Scott sighed, “I take it you didn’t hear that noise outside?” He asked you.

You shook your head, “nope. I’m studying for tomorrow.” You answered him, gesturing to your workbook and notes. “Also listening to music.” You added.

“It’s only the first day of school tomorrow. Why are you studying now?” Scott questioned you, you shrugged your shoulders.

“I like to be prepared.” You answered simply, you turned to your window. You definitely heard that, you looked to Scott, raising a brow.

You stood up, grabbing your sweater and following behind Scott.

~

You stood by the front door, watching Scott hold the bat defensively, looking for the source of the noise.

You guessed that it was only Stiles, who refused to use the door like a normal person, you shook your head, sighing.

Your guess was correct, watching Scott and Stiles scream at each other.

After their screaming match, you walked over to Scott, laughing quietly. “Stiles, what the hell are you doing?!” Scott exclaimed, almost out of breath.

“He obviously knew the door would be locked, and did what he normally does.” You explained to Scott, winking at Stiles. You saw him blush slightly.

You smiled, “exactly! And you guys weren’t answering your guys’ phones.” Stiles said, looking at the bat in Scott’s hands, “why do you have a bat?” He questioned Scott.

“Because I thought you were a predator!” Scott exclaimed, “a pred- look, I know it’s late, but you guys gotta hear this. I saw my dad leave twenty minutes ago. Dispatch called.

They’re bringing in every officer from the Beacon Department, and even state police,” Stiles explains. Scott, finally lowering the bat, “for what?” He asked.

“Two joggers found a body in the woods.” Stiles says simply, jumping down from the roof.

“A dead body?” You and Scott questioned at the same time, leaning over the railing. Stiles looked at you and Scott, “it’s creepy how you guys still do that.” He commented to himself.

“No, a body of water. Yes, dumb-ass, a dead body.” Stiles answered your and Scott’s question sarcastically, jumping over the porch rail.

You rolled your eyes, “you mean like, murdered?” Scott asked, “nobody knows yet. Just that it was a girl, probably in her 20′s.” Stiles answered, hands on his hips.

“Hold on, if they found a body, then what are they looking for?” Scott asked again, you looked to Stiles, “yeah?” You added, raising an eyebrow.

Stiles looked between you and Scott, oddly excited.

“That’s the best part.” Stiles says, pausing for dramatic effect. “They only found half. We’re going.” He added, grabbing your and Scott’s arms, dragging you both towards his jeep.

You were complaining about wanting to finish your studying, Stiles turned to you.

“Studying? It’s the first day back to school tomorrow and you’re already studying?” He asked you in disbelief.

You sighed, “I like to be prepared.” You say yet again, but this time to Stiles. “Huh, it’s a wonder that you guys are twins.

Are you sure you’re twins? ‘Cause you guys are such opposites.” Stiles says to you and Scott.

Scott and you shared a look, before getting into the jeep.

You and Scott always hear that question, and you’ve both grown to not answer that question anymore.

~

On the way, you were humming a song that got stuck in your head, listening to Scott and Stiles talk to each other.

Stiles parked the jeep, getting out. You and Scott followed after him, “are we seriously doing this?” Scott asked hesitantly, looking between you and Stiles.

You smiled when they weren’t looking at you, “do we have a choice? Stiles practically kidnapped us.” You say jokingly, flailing your arms at your side.

You laughed when Stiles turned to look at you.

Stiles laughed with you, winking. “Hey. I did not kidnap you both. I simply guided you both to my car, and you guys got in, on your own free will.” He says, playing along, pointing and waving a finger at you.

You looked at him, smiling.

Scott just shook his head at the both of you, a small smile on his face. He loved the both of you, but you both drive him crazy sometimes.

“Besides, you’re the one that’s always bitching that nothing ever happens in this town.” Stiles says to Scott, walking into the woods.

“He’s got a point.” You added, following behind Stiles. Scott watched you and Stiles walk off, in disbelief.

Ignoring both you and Stiles, “I was trying to get a good night’s sleep for practice tomorrow.” Scott says, walking towards you and Stiles.

Stiles huffed, “right, ‘cause sitting on the bench is such a grueling effort.”

Scott sighed, “no, because I’m playing this year. In fact, I’m making first line.” He says confidently.

You smiled, knowing he can do it. He just need a lot of practice though.

“Hey that’s the spirit.” Stiles says, you looked at him dumbfounded. “Everyone should have a dream, even a pathetically unrealistic one.” He added.

‘Ah. There it is,’ you thought. “Well, Stiles, I believe he can do it, if he puts enough effort into it.” You say, trying to reassure Scott, smiling at him.

Scott scoffed, “just out of curiosity, which half of the body are we looking for?” He asked, changing the subject.

You stopped walking, waiting for Stiles’ answer. “Huh!” He says, continuing to walk. “I didn’t even think about that.” He added.

You shook your head, starting to walk again, going by Scott. “And uh, what if whoever killed the body is still out here?” Scott asked again, hands in his pockets, a smile of disbelief on his face.

You wondered how you survived with the both of them around, what with them dragging you around every where.

Shaking your head from your thoughts, you walked up by Stiles. “Also something I didn’t think about.” Stiles says, climbing up the hill.

“Wow, great plan Stiles.” You commented sarcastically, following behind Stiles.

“It’s comforting to know you’ve planned this out with your usual attention to detail.” Scott added breathlessly, leaning against a tree on the side of the hill.

“I know.” Stiles says, continuing to climb up. You stopped, waiting for Scott.

He took out his inhaler, you offered him a hand to help him up, he took it. “Thanks.” He said, you nodded your head, smiling.

“Maybe the severe asthmatic should be the one holding the flashlight, huh?” Scott asks, ducking down by Stiles, you followed their lead.

You saw police men with flashlights and dogs, you regretted coming along with Stiles.

Stiles turned off the flashlight he had in his hands, “wait, come on!” He says, getting up and running in the opposite direction of the cops.

You got up, following behind Stiles. “Stiles, wait up! Stiles! Y/n!” Scott yelled after the both of you.

You were about five feet behind Stiles, Scott not that far behind you. “Stiles!” Scott called out again, you stopped walking, waiting for Scott.

Stiles looked behind himself, but turned around again. You almost continued walking, until you felt arms wrapping around your waist.

Scott covered your mouth to stop you from screaming, pulling you close to him behind a tree. Scott moved his hand away from your mouth.

He held a finger to his mouth, telling you to be quiet, you nodded your head in understanding, hearing dogs barking and people yelling.

“Hang on, hang on. This little delinquent belongs to me.” You hear Sheriff Stilinski say, “dad, how are you doing?” You hear Stiles ask his dad.

“So, do you listen in to all of my phone calls?” Sheriff asked, ignoring Stiles’ question.

“No.” Stiles answered unconvincingly, “not the boring ones.” He admitted.

“Now, where’s your usual partners in crime?” Stiles’ dad asked him, “who? Scott and Y/n? They’re home. Scott said he wanted to get a good night’s sleep for

first day back at school tomorrow. And you know Y/n, she’s probably studying.” Stiles says, slightly lying to his dad.

You shook you head, “it’s just me. In the woods. Alone” Stiles added.

Unconvinced, Stiles’ dad held out his flashlight, moving it around the woods behind Stiles. “Scott, Y/n, you guys out there?” He called out to you and Scott.

Scott and you ducked behind the tree again, tense. “Scott? Y/n?” He yelled out again. “I hate this, lying to Stiles’ dad.” You whispered to Scott.

Scott looked at you, “I know, me too.” He whispered back, “well, young man, I’m gonna walk you back to your car. And you and I, are gonna have a conversation

about something called; invasion of privacy.“ Stiles’ dad stated, you watched him drag Stiles away.

You looked at Scott, who mouthed, ‘oh come on!’ You huffed, crossing your arms, “so, our ride is gone.” You stated, moving away from him and the tree.

You hear Scott sigh, “come on, let’s find the road and go home.” He says, walking in a different direction from the way you guys came from.

You said nothing, following behind Scott. You looked around, almost sure you guys were lost. ‘Great,’ you thought.

Scott looked up, still walking, you did the same. Hearing all the different animals, sent a shiver down your spine.

Scott stopped walking, looking at the scenery in front of you guys with a curious yet confused look on his face, you stopped by him.

“Why are you stopping?” You asked him, seeing him take out his inhaler.

“Listen.” He says, you looked at him confused, but listened anyways. “It’s quiet.” He added, “yeah.” You added quietly, it was odd.

A moment later deer came running towards you and Scott. You both screamed and fell to the ground. You covered your head with your arms, trying to see where Scott was.

After they were gone, you got up, helping Scott up as well. Trying to calm your racing heart, “my inhaler.” Scott says, looking around for it.

Your eyes widened when he said that, “what? You dropped it?” You asked him, helping him look around for it. They were not cheap to come by.

Scott didn’t look at you, not noticing that you were looking as well, “yes, I dropped it. Help me look!” He says desperately, you rolled your eyes, but kept looking.

You saw Scott turn his phone on for lighting, you sighed, wishing you brought your phone with you, but you left it at home, on your desk.

After a while of looking in the dark, you walked over to Scott who still had his phone out, looking for his inhaler. “Anything?” You asked him, he shook his head, sighing.

He ran his phone over the ground still looking, dismissing the top part of a human body, but did a double-take, running his phone back to the face of the body.

You both screamed, although Scott walked backwards and fell, “Scott!” You yelled, eyes widening in shock, carefully going down the hill to make sure he was okay.

You helped him up, “god, I sometimes wonder whose the clumsiest out of the both of us.” You say jokingly, rubbing mud off of your hands and onto your jeans.

Scott looked at you, smiling. “Oh, come on. We both know it’s you.” He joked, you looked at him, laughing.

“I’d argue back, but just yesterday I completely missed the couch sitting down.” You say, shaking your head.

Scott looked at you, both eyebrows raised, “how do you miss the couch sitting down?” He asked incredulously, laughing in amusement.

You flailed your arms, “I was reading a book! Things happen.” You say, laughing with him.

“But seriously, are you alright?” You asked him, worried. “Yeah, I’m fine.” He says, jumping over a fallen tree.

You followed his lead, but you both stopped when you heard growling. You both turned around, eyes widening. There was a wolf, bigger than you can imagine.

Before you guys can do anything, it ran towards you and Scott, knocking you both down. Scott and you tried to crawl away from it, but it dragged Scott backwards, biting him.

You heard Scott scream, you got a bit further than Scott, but it dragged you backwards as well. You screamed when it bit into your side, it hovered over you for a few seconds before it ran away.

You lied there, feeling your heart beat against your chest, you see Scott’s hand in front of you.

You grabbed it, he pulled you up to your feet, both of you running in any direction, looking for the road.

You both found it, although you ran onto the road, not noticing the car that was heading straight for you.

Scott pulled you into him and away from the car, you heard it honking. Barely missing the both of you, you and Scott watched it drive away.

You rested your head against Scott, sighing. You pulled away from him, looking at the moon, you finally noticed that it was raining.

You looked over to Scott, who was looking at his bite from the wolf on his side, you notice the blood running down from the wound.

He looked at you, lowering his sweater and shirt, “did it bite you too?” He asked you, nodding your head, you lifted your shirt and sweater, showing where it bit you.

Scott looked at it, sighing, you lowered your shirt and sweater. It was on the same spot as Scott’s, just on your left side.

As you and Scott started to walk, there was a howl. It made a shiver go down your spine.

“I can clean and bandage our bites at the animal clinic.” Scott says, walking besides you, “okay.” You say quietly.

You knew you both should go to the hospital, but you said nothing. Following besides Scott.

~

You both walked inside the animal clinic, Scott lead you to the examining room.

You sat on one of the chairs that was in there, watching Scott gather the things he needs to clean and bandage both of your bites.

Scott walked over to you once he had everything he needed, making you stand up, lifting up your shirt and sweater.

“This might sting.” He warned you, you nodded your head.

He poured it over your wound, he was right, it stung like a bitch. You grabbed onto the arm of the chair, hissing slightly.

Scott looked at you apologetically, “sorry.” He said, putting the bandage on you, once he was done, you sat back down. Watching him do the same thing to himself.

You sat there in your thoughts, watching Scott clean up a little, “I wonder why that wolf was in the woods.” You say after a while, Scott looked at you confused.

“What do you mean?” He asked you, leaning forward against the table in front of him.

You sat up straight, looking at him in surprise. “You don’t know?” You questioned him, he shook his head, “no.” He answers.

“Well, there was no wolves in California, for at least 60 years.” You explained to him, “like I said, I wonder what that wolf was doing in the woods.” You added in thought.

Scott looked at you, not believing you, “really?” He asked you, “yup. Stiles is going to say the same thing when you tell him.” You say to him, standing up.

Both of you going to the front of the clinic, “I’ll bet you five bucks if he does.” You added, smiling mischievously.

Scott glanced at you, smiling as well, “you’re on.” He said, locking the door to the animal clinic.

You grinned, both of you starting to walk home.

~

You unlocked the front door, walking inside, Scott following behind you, closing the door.

Both of you walked up the stairs in silence, you made it to your room first, turning towards Scott.

“Night,” you say, walking into your room, you hear him reply, before closing your door.

Sighing, changing out of your clothes and into pajamas. You looked around your room, seeing your clothes scattered on your floor.

Deciding to clean up, you started with the clothes on the floor. After you were done, you sat at your desk, looking at your notes.

Once you went over them, you put them in your bag. You went downstairs for a glass of water.

Walking back towards the stairs, you hear the front door open. Peaking your curiosity, you looked towards the door, seeing your mom. “Hi, mom,” you greeted her.

She looked at you surprised, “hi, sweetie.” She says, closing the door.

“What are you still doing up?” She asked you, you shrugged your shoulders, “was just getting a cup of water.” You answered, showing her the cup of water in your hands.

She nodded her head, chuckling, “okay, is your brother still up?” She asked again, “I don’t think so.” You replied, both of you walking up the stairs.

“Alright, go to bed. There’s school tomorrow.” She scolded playfully, nudging you with her shoulder.

You giggled, “okay, okay. Good night, mom.” You say to her walking into your room.

“Night, sweetie.” You hear her reply, walking into her room. You set your cup of water on your nightstand, going onto your bed.

You turned off your light, going to sleep.

[tinyboxxtink]

“Sharky” *Part 9*

Okay it might end up only being 10 chapters, DEPENDING on what happens in the next chapter-- which guys, you’ll never see coming. Never in a million years. MWAHAHAHAHAHA!!!!

Also-- I don’t know if you care but the beginning scene/paragraph was written based on the scene in Grey’s Anatomy when Burke leaves Cristina at the altar and she has a panic attack/breakdown in her wedding dress. Just for reference, that’s what it’s supposed to look like. Don’t know who will understand that or not, but if you wanna YouTube it it’s very powerful. [To me.]

TAG LIST:

@wanniiieeee

@gibbs274

@word-scribbless

@dumauier

@chasingeverybreakingwave

@objection-argumentative

@aprildecker-blog​

Chapter List Part 1 Part 2 Part 3 Part 4 Part 5 Part 6 Part 7 Part 8

Part 10

-----

You made it halfway down the street before you felt your breathing increase, your body temperature rose by the second. In seconds you were hyperventilating, stuck in a damn leather trap of a dress. You were having a full on panic attack and you physically couldn’t breathe in the tight leather bodice. You had no idea what to do, you had literally never felt this panicked and scared and upset in your entire life. You tried desperately to rip off your sleeves at the very least, clawing at them while sobbing like a crazy person. But you were fighting a losing battle, and you felt yourself falling down to your feet. 

Your eyesight was blurry through tears but you managed to crawl into a nearby alley, still sobbing loudly and trying to breathe. You really thought you were going to pass out, and some creep would probably come and find your unconscious body in the alley and do sick stuff to it, and you’d be on the news at 11. 

You kept gasping for breath, now wrestling with the zipper on the back of your dress. You needed this OFF, and you needed it off NOW. You felt yourself losing consciousness, when a pair of hands caught you from behind. 

“What do you need?” The voice asked. You were certain this was a rapist, but why was he asking what you needed? 

“I...can’t….I can’t….” You sobbed, flailing your arms towards your back. You felt the hands unzip your dress just far enough that you could pull it off to rip your arms out of the sleeves and just hold it up over your breasts so you weren’t standing there half naked. Finally able to breathe you finally just sobbed while this person held you from behind, their head was pressed into your back and you could hear their words muffled but clear:

“I’m so sorry...I'm so sorry…” 

You finally looked down and realized the pair of hands that were holding you, and your panic went straight back to rage. You broke free from their grasp and spun around to see Rafael hunched over, clearly surprised by your sudden turnaround.

“What the fuck do you think you’re doing?!” You screamed at him, causing people walking by to look in concern.

“You were having a panic attack! You nearly collapsed in the street! What was I supposed to do just walk back into the party and leave you to die?” He said loudly so people would know he had been trying to help you, not rape you.

“YES!!!”

“Oh come on Y/N---” He tried to help you steady yourself on your heels, but you ripped them off and tossed them at him.

“No!!!” You screamed. “I told you to leave me alone, Rafael for fuck’s sake! Just go back and be with your girlfriend--” You started to walk away.

“I don’t want her, I want you!!!” He yelled, making you stop in your tracks.

“Well you sure have a hell of a way of showing it!” You turned back around and yelled angrily. 

“Look, Y/N...God, I don’t know how this got so fucked up…” He shook his head as he paced the alleyway. 

“Right because nothing is ever your fault,”  You scoffed with a roll of your eyes.

“I’m not saying that! I--” He sighed and stopped pacing to look at you. “Look, I was really low, and upset about you, and Liv and I were drinking, and--”

“So your solution to getting over me was to bond with the person who sabotaged us in the first place? Real sound logic there, counselor,” You said in a mocking tone.

“Look I get what she did was wrong, but she’s also been my best friend for a very long time, and I just-- I don’t know, I focused on that part,” He looked down. 

“How? How can you just sit there and make excuses for her--”

“I’m not making excuses for her, I fucked up okay? I was drunk, and sad, and I ignored my angry feelings at Liv and one thing led to another…” 

“Oh for Christ’s sake Barba really? One thing led to another? You PURPOSEFULLY slept with the ONE person you knew I’d never forgive you for!”

“That’s not true!!!” Rafael argued. “I’m not dismissing my behavior, but I swear to you it was NOT my intention to hurt you--” 

“Really? So what did you just think I’d never find out about you and her?”

“No I just-- look the next morning she was just so happy, and I was too much of a coward to tell her that I was just missing you and--”

“For fuck’s sake Barba are we in 10th grade? You ‘accidentally’ sleep with your best friend and then just date her because you can’t tell her the truth? And I’m just supposed to believe that?”

“It’s the truth!” He yelled. “I’m not proud of it, but it is the truth. I will go right back into that party and I will end it with her right now Y/N I swear it--”

“It doesn’t matter!” You cut him off. “I don’t care what you do, or don’t do with Olivia, Barba, I really don’t. Date her, fuck her, break her heart. Because you and I are off the table, permanently” You started to walk away again, but he grabbed your hand.

“No, come on Y/N there has to be a way we get past this, there has to be. I mean, look how upset you are. I know you still care about me--”

“OF COURSE I STILL CARE ABOUT YOU, IDIOT!!!” You screeched. “Yes, I’m having a fucking nervous breakdown over you because yes I do still lo--like you, but it’s irrelevant!” 

“But why…?” He asked in a soft voice.

“Do you really think that I can EVER look at you without seeing you and that bitch with her legs in the air?” You asked. “I mean, even right this second that’s ALL I can think about!” You started to cry again as you once again  tried walking away from him.

“Y/N, Please...please I am begging you…” He grabbed both of your hands this time and got down on his knees.

“This isn’t a negotiation, counselor. There’s nothing you can do, no penance you can give,” You sniffled. “It’s just...it is what it is,” 

“Please, Y/N....,” He clung to your waist like a child as he whimpered into your stomach.

You placed your hands over his back and looked to the sky, pleading to whoever was up there to make this stop. It was absolutely true, everything you said. Even though you could see that this whole situation was just a fucked up series of events and misunderstandings, you really couldn’t look at him without seeing her. You wanted to forgive him, you wanted to pick him up off his knees right now and just kiss him until the pain went away, but you couldn’t. 

“No,” You did your best to keep a stern tone as you pried him from your body. “I’m sorry,” You whispered as you put a hand to his cheek; you noticed he had started crying as well. 

It took everything you had to pick up your heels and walk out of that alleyway with your sleeves tied around your neck so it kept your dress over your breasts. 

------

After several minutes of trying to compose himself, Rafael finally walked back down the street and into the bar where his friends were waiting. 

 Rafa! Where the hell did you go?” Oliva cried.

“I went after Y/N,”  Rafael simply stated.

 “A-Are you serious? Why?” Olivia asked in disbelief. 

“You know why, Olivia” Rafael replied with a straight face.

“I cannot believe you--”

“Look, Liv. You are my absolute best friend in this entire world, I hope you know that,” He sighed. “But this has gone too far,” 

“Excuse me?” 

“Why did you do everything you did to Y/N, Liv?” Rafael crossed his arms. “ Is it because you’ve known how I’ve felt about her from the start?”

“I...Maybe…” Olivia looked at the ground as Rafael sighed deeply.

“Olivia I have tried so hard, SO hard to be there for you. To care about you, to love you. I have chosen you over and over again, but I won’t do it anymore. What you did was wrong, and you really hurt me,” He said sternly.

“How did I--”

“By hurting Y/N, Liv! By hurting us! Now, it’s so fucked up that I will NEVER be with her, and yeah that’s my fault and I have to deal with it now but--” He took a breath. “I need space, okay? I need to face what I’ve done to someone I cared about very much, and I need to do it on my own, and not with the person who helped me do it. I’m sorry,” 

He gave her a kiss on the cheek and walked out of the party, alone.

------

The next Monday you walked into work with your head held high, despite all the whispers and snickers as you passed by each desk. 

“Hey there, Cobra,” Your colleague Stacy waved. 

“Cobra?” You raised an eyebrow.

“Yeah, you know like a spitting cobra?” She smirked. 

“Oh lovely, is that my new nickname then?”

“Could be worse,” Stacy shrugged. “We could just call you ‘chum bucket’,” she added with a laugh.

“Pithy,” You chuckled mockingly. 

“Y/L/N,” Buchanan suddenly walked up to your conversation. “May I see you in my office?” 

“Um, Yeah sure…” You muttered uneasily as you followed him back to the office. You could hear Parker humming “The Death March” behind you. Vultures. You finally reached Buchanan’s office, he let you in first as he closed the door behind you.

“Sit, please,” He gestured to a chair. You obeyed as he went around and sat at his desk chair.

“So, I heard you had an interesting Halloween night…” He raised an eyebrow.

“Listen, sir I am so sorry--” You started to beg for forgiveness.

“Y/N, you are one of the best lawyers I have here,” He cut you off. “You’re a Great White among those Tiger Sharks,”

“Thank you…?” You scrunched your face.

“But you’ve been spiraling,” He sighed. “I mean, spitting on a sergeant in the middle of a bar full of NYPD, that’s…” He shook his head with a laugh of disbelief. “That’s ballsy. Do you know how many cops have called here today asking for your head on a stick?”

“I know sir and I--” You started to apologize but he put his hand up.

“But do you know what I love most about being a lawyer?” 

“What’s that?”

“I don’t work for the NYPD,” He smirked. 

“I’m sorry sir...what are you--”

“That took guts, Y/N. Putting ‘Saint’ Olivia Benson in her place like that,” He went on. “You know those schmucks at the NYPD think they are so high on the moral ground, but just look at what Barba did to you,” He came around and put a hand on your shoulder. “Lying and manipulating you like that, just for that self righteous Siren,” 

“Yeah…” You shifted uncomfortably in your chair. 

“And I would like to reward you for your courage,”  He smiled.

“Sir?” You were sure you heard him wrong.

“I know that those three idiots tried setting you up at that party to tank your career, but unfortunately for them-- it did the very opposite,” He gave you an evil smile. “I’d like to offer you the position of partner,” 

“R-Really?” You blinked in disbelief. 

“Yes really,” He chuckled. “Is that a yes?”

“Absolutely, John! Thank you!” You went to hug him but he put his hands up.

“Ah...just the thank you is fine, Y/N,”

“Right. Sorry,” You put your arms at your sides. You knew better than to show emotions at work. 

“Well then, let me show you to your new office... partner,” He smiled as he led you out of his office. You walked proudly behind him as you raised a high middle finger to the glaring looks of your co-workers.

 Maybe things were turning around….

 . 

[platypanthewriter]

Fuck the Afterlife

Don’t worry, nobody’s dead...that we know.  Harringrove April Prompt Day 24: Afterlife!  A misunderstanding leads to everybody appreciating Billy a whole lot.

Billy couldn’t stop snickering under the sheet, even with Steve’s arms around him, and his face sniffling against Billy’s side, so Max stalked over to the bed and kicked Billy’s leg.  “Shut up,” she slurred, at five in the morning, her hand locked with Lucas’.  Their wedding rings gleamed.  “You’re dead, remember,” she told Billy, “—so shut the hell up.”  Will giggled from over by the window, wiping his eyes, but El still looked solemn.

“You shut up,” Billy hissed back.  “Stop drinking, everybody, jesus, how come I’m the only sober person here.” 

“You think I’m gonna turn down free liquor,” Erica Sinclair said, sitting against the windowsill, and playing with the little umbrella in her glass.  Robin laughed, leaning against the window, tears streaking down her face.

“Because…’cause we all thought.  Thought you were dead,” Nancy muttered, staggering into the foot of the bed, and leaning her elbows on the footboard.  “Steve here was drunk before he even called us.”

“I’m just saying, if I have to lie here like a corpse with a sheet over my face—” Billy started, but Max cut him off.

“Dead men don’t get cocktails,” she said, waving something blue, and taking a swig.  “We gather here to celebrate the life of one Billy Hargrove,” she intoned, to general sniffles and giggles.  “So shut up and listen, dead man, you brought this on yourself.  Billy Hargrove,” she sighed, “—a man I definitely did not know and had no relation to, who died due to gross sex crimes.”

Everyone laughed harder, and Billy threw the sheet back, propping himself up on his elbow to glare around at the Sinclairs, and Robin Buckley, and what seemed like half the town.  His face was flaming.  “Hang on now,” he said, waving his splinted finger.  “I’m not gonna sit here—”

“Lie here,” Dustin put in, from where he sat by Steve’s feet, and Billy flipped him off.  

“I’m not gonna lie here and get accused of gross sex crimes when that’s not even what happened—”

“Don’t you look me in the eyes and tell me you’ve never committed any gross sex crimes, you fucking liar,” Max growled, and Billy stared around at the faces gathered around his bed, opened his mouth, cocked his head, and closed his mouth again.  “And I can’t hear you anyway, you’re fucking dead, shut up.”

“I’m so glad you’re not really dead,” Steve sniffled into Billy’s chest, reeking of tequila.  He rolled to flop an arm over Billy’s stomach and elbowed him in the gut, and Billy oof’d, and then put his splinted hand around his boyfriend, and leaned to kiss his hair.  “Love you,” Steve mumbled, into Billy’s chest.  “Don’t be dead.  I miss you,” he gulped.  “I miss you so much.”

“I’m not dead,” Billy said, for like the nine-hundredth time.

“Look at him,” Max pointed to Steve.  “Look what you did.”

Billy laughed harder, grimacing.  “I just jammed my finger!  I didn’t die!  I definitely didn’t die of any gross sex crimes without you, babe,” he whispered into Steve’s hair, and Steve harrumphed.

“Damn straight,” he mumbled.  “No sex crimes without me.  Love you.”

“Gross, this is a sex crime, my eyes are suffering, oh my god,” Max groaned.

“We’re all suffering, Billy,” Nancy said, finally, putting her hands on her hips.  “How dare you drive yourself to the hospital with a broken finger and not call anyone for nine hours and then drive yourself home—”

“It’s not my fault they got the records mixed up!” Billy yelled again, laughing, and squeezing Steve gently.  “I thought Steve was asleep!  Look, I just jammed my finger and it swelled up, I didn’t wanna wake anybody—” Billy grimaced.

“How’d that happen,” El asked, frowning at his splinted hand, and Billy groaned.  

“I...uh,” he grimaced, reluctant to admit he’d nearly died of what Max would definitely consider a gross sex crime—showering the jizz off himself after Steve fell asleep, he’d had a little jerk-off session remembering how good the night had been, gotten lightheaded as the blood rushed to his dick, and fallen in the shower.  He cleared his throat, grimacing, and felt his face redden further.  “I fell in the shower,” he said, sniffing as though Robin’s snickering was unfounded.

“You gross sex criminal,” Max hissed.  “How dare you almost die of sex crimes—”

“You have people who care,” Nancy yelled, wiping her eyes.  They’d all been crying, Billy registered, again.  It didn’t seem any more believable than an hour ago, when he’d gotten home from the hospital, crept in from the garage so as not to wake Steve, and everyone had screamed, running towards him.  Lucas Sinclair and Max had shaken him until his teeth rattled, both crying, and Nancy Wheeler had hugged him until his back cracked, taking ragged breaths into his shoulder.  Steve hadn’t let go of him since.

Erica had tried to get Billy to lie down with his arms crossed on the coffee table, like a vampire, but he’d rolled his eyes and hauled Steve—and the crowd of crying drunks—upstairs.

Billy was pretty sure he was having a really weird dream.  

“You can ask for help next time,” Nancy said, pointing at him, and rubbing her runny nose.  She flailed a hand behind her, and Robin handed her a kleenex.  “Wake your boyfriend up!  Call me!”

“Yeah, shut up and take your punishment,” Erica Sinclair sighed.  “You turned them into this, now lie the fuck down, you stupid corpse.”

Billy did so, sighing, but he left his arm sticking out to stroke Steve’s hair.  “‘M not dead,” he muttered.

“We gather here to celebrate the life of one Billy Hargrove,” Max said again, “—my brother, who is annoying as shit, and I’m really pissed at him,” she said, her voice shaking, “—b-because I thought he died tonight.”

“Guys,” Billy mumbled, his eyes stinging, now, and she kicked his thigh.

“Shut up.  I had to make Lucas drive me over here,” she said, sniffling, and clearing her throat, “—because I kept letting the clutch out and killing the engine, and all I could think was my brother’s goddamn ghost voice saying ‘—clutch, Max.  Don’t murder my car, Max,’ and then I thought I-I’ll never have to take his shit again—” she covered her mouth, shutting her eyes tight on a strangled noise, and Billy peered wide-eyed at her over the edge of the sheet.  “—and I missed you,” she choked out, and Billy tried to scramble up, but she kicked him in the leg again, bruising, by now, he was fairly sure.  

“Stay there,” she hissed.  “I pulled a sweatshirt of yours on on the way and smelled your stank and I thought—I thought I’ll never smell it again, I’ll have to just—just curl up in this, it’s the last time I’ll smell your shitty cologne—”

“It’s nice cologne,” Steve mumbled.

She stomped forward to kick Billy again, choking back a sob, and Lucas grabbed her around the waist, holding her back.  

“Glad you’re okay, man,” he said, and Billy nodded, relieved, but Erica raised her hand.  

“Foul,” she said.  “This is a wake.”

“Okay, okay,” Lucas said, obviously thinking.  “Thanks for...getting better,” he said, grimacing.  “You...you went from just being Max’s scary brother to saving one of my best friends,” he said, then paused, biting his lips together.  “I’m glad you’re my brother too,” he said, shrugging a shoulder, and Billy groaned and made a face at him, knowing Lucas Sinclair was probably the only person as embarrassed by this situation as he was.  Lucas grimaced back over Max’s head, but grinned.

 After a long pause next to the bed, Will said “I’m so glad you’re not dead,” so shakily even Erica didn’t try and make him keep talking, and then El broke the rules of the fake funeral, and just hugged Billy.

Billy tried not to die of embarrassment as Nancy talked, long and sincerely, about how happy he made Steve, and Steve nodded against his side, occasionally raising his arm with a thumb up.  

“S’all true,” he mumbled.

Robin waved Max and Erica off when they tried to get her to talk, smiling.  She wiped her eyes too.  “I’m just glad I don’t have to call everyone and tell them another gay dude died,” she said, a little bitterly.  “Everybody asks about you.”  Her eyes filled with tears, though, and Billy felt a pang of guilt for scaring her.

Dustin hauled off with a whole best man speech at that point, all about how annoying Steve was when they’d first started fucking, and Billy thought he might melt away at the news Steve had liked him so soon.  Dustin, the little shit, knew exactly what he was doing.  “He kept saying ‘I never want him to leave’,” Dustin said, just dropping that bomb with a sly grin.  “Like, ‘Is that weird?  Am I crazy?  I never want him to leave.’”

“Oh my god,” Billy mumbled.

“S’true,” Steve sighed.

“I am conditionally glad you’re alive,” Erica said, and Dustin started cackling, “—because of the way the hospital told Steve you died.  I was really looking forward to telling everybody,” she said, sighing.

“Wait, what the fuck did they tell you,” Billy asked, yanking the sheet off his face again.  

“And then I remembered I’d lose my quiz night teammate,” Erica said, crossing her arms.  

“Said I c’d do it,” Steve slurred.  “Said—”

“Fucking hell fucking no, Steve,” Erica said calmly.  “Billy told me about when you got the ‘who was president during the first gay marriage’ question—”

“ABE LINCOLN!” Steve yelled, again, and Billy groaned, cackling, as Max snorted loudly.  

“...hun,” Billy said, and Steve shook his head, pushing himself up to frown back woozily.

“All...men...created...equal,” he enunciated carefully.  “Abe Lincoln.”

“I mean, to be fair, that shoulda handled it,” Robin pointed out, and Steve gave her two fingerguns.  

“I’ll stay alive and be your bar quiz partner,” Billy told Erica, crossing his heart, and she narrowed her eyes.

“Good, because your man there doesn’t believe in narwhals,” she said, and Steve groaned.

“Stop lying to me about narwhals,” he mumbled.  “I’ve been to the zoo.  Din’t see any...unicorn...whales.”

“They don’t keep them in cages, babe, they’re still whales,” Billy told him, and got a hard prod.  

“He’s a conspiracy theorist,” Steve mumbled sadly.  “Came back from the dead to lie to me about narwhals.”

“I didn’t die, babe,” Billy told him, leaning in for a tequila-flavored kiss.  

“I couldn’t wait to tell the whole dorm a guy I knew shoved a lightbulb up his ass and electrocuted himself over Spring Break,” Erica said, sighing wistfully, and Nancy and Robin started laughing so hard they leaned in to each other.  Billy shot upright in bed, dumping Steve off his shoulder, and nearly clonking skulls with El.

“I’m sorry, they said what,” he said flatly.  “You guys really believed I stuck a lightbulb up my ass and electrocuted myself?  How fucking stupid do you think I am?!”

“You have me,” Steve mumbled, sniffling and reaching for the Tequila, and Dustin snatched it away.

“Oh, no, buddy, you don’t need any more of that,” he said, and Billy nodded.  

“You don’t need to put a lamp up your ass,” Steve mumbled into Billy’s thigh, sniffling, as Billy laughed helplessly.  “You have me, babe—don’t cheat with a lamp.” 

“Yeah, sweetie,” Billy said, yanking him into a tight hug.  “Fuck heaven, right?  Never gonna leave.”

 Here are my other Harringrove April prompts!

[kurlyfrasier]

The Plan: Step Two

Raph x Reader

Synopsis: Reader has a plan to win her favorite terrapin over. Step Two: Get him to notice you. If only Raph would stop leaving in the middle of practice!

Warnings: None

Word Count: 1500-ish

It had been months since Raph finally agreed to teach you how to fight, and it felt like you had gotten nowhere. Yes, your fighting skills were getting decent. Yes, you got to spend all of your free time with Raph. But he was keeping himself at a distance, or so it seemed to you.

The first few weeks you wore a t-shirt (that was a little too big) and sweats before practicing in leggings and a tee that fit a little better with a lower cut. When that didn’t work, you upped your game with school-appropriate length shorts and a cami. Now you wore short shorts and a sports bra- no shirt- and had been for almost a month. Still, Raph never ‘accidentally’ touched you inappropriately. Never said anything inappropriately. He didn’t even look at you inappropriately! It was starting to get more than frustrating. It was starting to sear a black hole in your heart. 

You were going to fail.

Did he even find you attractive?

You groaned, sprawling yourself out on the floor as you waited for Raph to return from helping Mikey with- you couldn’t remember. You didn’t know because you never heard Mikey asking for help in the first place. Raph just suddenly stopped the lesson and said he would be back- that Mikey was calling for him.

“What’s wrong y/n?” Donnie’s voice from above had you gasp in surprise and had your eyes opening wide. You hadn’t even heard him walk towards you. 

“Nothing...just waiting on Raph,” you replied as you sat up and wrapped your arms around your knees, sounding hopeless.

“I thought he was in here? I was going to give him his phone back,” Donnie glanced around the room as you gave him a quizzical look. “He broke it last night on patrol. Again.”

“Oh. He’s helping Mikey with...something,” you shrugged.

“Mikey?”

“Yeah.”

“Getting the pizza?” Donnie asked in suspicion.

“I guess? I don’t know. Raph just said Mikey was calling for him,” you explained.

“Okay,” Donnie drawled. “Mind giving this to him when he gets back?”

“Sure,” you answered, grabbing the t-phone from his outstretched hand before he left the room mumbling to himself.

After a few more minutes of inactivity, you shivered.

“If ya put on some clothes ya wouldn’t be so cold.” Your head snapped to the entrance to find Raph sauntering in.

“I am wearing clothes,” was your automatic reply. “I get hot if I wear more, is all.”

“Ready?” he said, taking a fighting stance as if you were actually a worthy opponent.

“Yeah,” you stood up with a stance of your own. “Did you guys get the pizza?”

“Pizza?” He let his arms drop a little, face scrunched in confusion.

“Yeah, Donnie said you guys went to get the pizza,” you barely registered his confusion, too engrossed in thinking of a way to get past his defenses.

“Uh, yeah,” he put his arms back up. 

“And you don’t wanna eat first?”

“I- uh- when I found out he jus’ wanted someone ta go with him I told him I was trainin’ with ya an’ told him ta go by himself.”

“Oh...okay,” you punched at him, hitting nothing but thick forearm when he blocked it.

“Good hit,” he commented.

“Good hit?” You asked in exasperation and relaxed your stance, arms hanging at your sides. “Raph, you easily blocked me- like always.”

“Doesn’ mean it wasn’ a good punch.”

You sighed, more upset that Raph didn’t seem to be interested in you more than anything. “Can we stop for the day?” You asked hopefully. Raph was a strict teacher. Shortened sessions did not happen unless someone was dying. “I’m exhausted and I’m sure the pizza will be here any minute anyway.”

“Sure,” he shrugged, acquiescing easier than you thought he would.

“Really?”

“Yeah. ‘M starvin’ anyway,” he turned to walk away, barely giving you a second glance.

“Wait!”

He stopped at your demand, but didn’t face you. 

“Mind if I borrow a shirt? I didn’t bring anything extra with me because I was running late,” you lied. You didn’t run late and you didn’t forget anything. You left you hoodie and sweats at home, hoping Raph would let you borrow one of his oversized shirts- maybe get some sort of reaction out of him. Damsel in distress and all that.

“Sure,” he rumbled out, sounding weirdly pleased. You cocked your head, confused because you had never heard that sound from him before, but followed him to his room anyway. Every once in a while you would hear Leo make a rumbly purring sound around Layla, mostly on movie nights like tonight would turn into- hence why Mikey was getting pizza- and wondered what it meant.

Was it a good thing?

Or was he annoyed?

You decided you would ask Donnie about it.

~~~~~~~~~~~~

Raph couldn’t stop the happy chur that emitted from deep within. It wasn’t often his chur slipped out and usually it was when he was thinking about you late at night after everyone else was asleep. Needless to say, he was relieved when you told him that you needed to talk to Donnie the moment you had his shirt on. He didn’t think he’d be able to stop the deep chur that was quickly building as he watched you leave his room. He didn’t even comment for fear of churring instead of speaking.

What a freaky mutant thing to do- another thing to remind you that he wasn’t human.

He practically slammed the door shut behind you so he could chur in peace and maybe find a way to keep it in during the movie later. Raph decided that Donnie might know a trick or two to keep the chur in and headed to the lab- completely forgetting the fact that you left to go talk to the same brother.

“...make rumbly sounds?” 

Raph stopped short in a panic outside the lab when he heard your voice.

“Sure, Raph’s always rumbly,” Donnie chuckled, sounding distracted.

“What about Leo?” You asked, causing Raph’s curiosity to peak. “He does some sort of purring thing when he’s around Layla.”

“Yeah. What about it?” Donnie seemed to be wary of where the conversation was going. Which, in turn, had Raph worried.

“Well, have you ever heard Raph make that noise?” 

Raph internally groaned. He had hoped you didn’t hear him chur in the dojo, but apparently, you had.

“Not really, no.” 

Raph sighed, thankful his brothers hardly ever heard the embarrassing noise out of him.

“Oh,” you sounded disappointed. “What’s it mean, then?”

“Uh...Well, you see- um-” Raph peeked around the corner to see Donnie was doing everything in his power to not look you in the eye. You were making it difficult, though, constantly moving in front of him to gain his attention. Raph barely kept his chuckle from bubbling up- glad it wasn’t him. “That’s not really something that we- uh- like to talk about.”

“It’s not?” You asked innocently.

“Right. It’s kind of…,” Donnie sighed in defeat. “Personal.”

Raph took that as his cue to interrupt, pretending he hadn’t heard a thing. “Hey, Donnie. I got a question for ya.”

“Oh, thank goodness,” Donnie mumbled before giving his brother a sly grin. “What a coincidence, Raph. Y/n has a question for you.”

Raph’s heart sped up in a panic- betrayed by his own flesh and blood. Not that he could blame Donnie, it wasn’t his fault you were so curious, so troublesome, so adorable in that oversized shirt. Not that he was looking at you. He couldn’t without embarrassing himself, so he looked past you. At the interesting vial of goo behind you.

“N-no I don’t,” you stuttered out, eyes shifting toward the exit as you rambled. “No questions here, haha. I mean, do ya think Mikey’s back? You know what, nevermind. I’ll go check. Bye!”

The guys watched you leave in amusement. The moment you were out of earshot Raph turned to his brother, churring uncontrollably.

“Oh you’ve got it bad, don’t you,” Donnie grinned.

“How do I make it stop,” Raph’s eyes bugged out, panting.

“How do you usually stop it?”

“Holdin’ my breath.”

“Well, you can’t do that all night. You’ll pass out.”

“Naw, ya think?” Raph’s chur turned into an aggravated growl.

“Maybe don’t try to stop it?”

“Wha’? Are ya crazy!” Raph’s arms flailed at his sides. “She’ll hear it.”

“Is that such a bad thing?”

“Yeah, it’s embarrassin’.”

“Maybe telling her won’t make it so daunting. Once she knows that it means something positive-”

“Positive?” Raph’s fists clenched.

“Yeah,” Donnie shrugged. “If you put it in the most vague terms, anyway.”

“Like?” Raph growled threateningly low.

“Just tell her it means you’re happy. That should keep her off both of our backs.”

“Happy?” Raph thought for a moment before gently nodding. “Yeah...I guess tha’ could work. Thanks Don.”

“No problem, Ra-” Donnie turned around to see his brother was already gone.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Step Three

[peachiikawa]

Caged Bird | Prince!Oikawa Tooru x Reader

a/n: if you know anything about fairytales then you might realize that the reader has the flute of the pied piper, though modified for the story. been watching a lot of once upon a time and got the idea from the neverland arc. hope you enjoy!

word count: 1.9k

genre: fantasy, romance

trigger warnings: reader gets hurt a bit but nothing graphic

summary: oikawa has always lived a lonesome life in the cage that is his castle. one day he sneaks out and a beautiful melody leads him to you, a traveling musician. oikawa is about to find out that his luck is going to change for the better.

oikawa gazed out over the town from his balcony

he let out a long sigh as he grew bored from his studies

“why the long face trashykawa?”

his bestfriend and knight walked up next to him and leaned against the railing

“oh you know, just bored of being in this castle. theres a whole town of people out there and im stuck in here. gets tiring after a while”

iwaizumi listened to his friend and nodded along to what he was saying

“then sneak out for a day”

oikawas eyes widened

“youd help me sneak out?”

“only if you come back by sundown”

so oikawa grabbed his cloak and thanks to iwas help got out of the castle

despite being born and raised in this town oikawa had no idea where he was

and after about ten minutes he was completely and utterly lost

until he heard the faint sound of a flute

he followed the sound until he ended up in the mostly cleared out town square where he saw you playing a small wooden flute for those who were present, though you had no audience

everyone walked past you as if you were invisible like you werent playing such a beautiful song

he approached you slowly and listened until you finished your performance

“that was really good”

you looked up at him and smiled

“always a pleasure to play for those who need it”

the bright smile on your face felt warm and inviting

like he was meant to be here

“would you like to take a seat next to me?”

you gestured to the spot next to you and he gladly took it

“so...whats your story”

hes hesitant to answer your question

“ill tell you mine if you tell me yours”

you set your flute down in your bag next to you

“well first of all my names y/n and my life is nothing too interesting. im a traveling performer and play my flute as a way to pass time and help those who need it. always come across the most interesting people this way”

traveling. thats something oikawa could only dream of

“so cmon now tell me about you”

he peaked at you through his hood

“ok but dont make a big commotion..im oikawa tooru”

you laughed a bit

“thats funny you share the same name as the prince”

you stopped laughing when you saw the serious look in his eyes

“oh..oh! im so sorry for being so rude!”

you started to scramble around when he grabbed your wrists to stop your movements

“shh yes im the prince but stop flailing people are starting to look”

once you had calmed down he went on

“ive been confined to my castle my whole life and stuck to certain rules i have to follow. it seems like even if i catch a break something else comes along. i have to stay this perfect image because im the prince and it just gets so lonely. its as if im a bird trapped in a cage and theres no way out”

ah so there it is

the reason he could hear your flute

you picked a flower that was growing next to you and placed it in his hair as you spoke

“im sorry your lifes been like that but oikawa, if i may be so bold, even a caged bird will become wise enough to break free. the dream of flying is too great to resist”

Once you had properly placed the flower you smiled at him before standing up from your spot and grabbing your bag

you then held your hand out to him

but he couldnt gather his thoughts

you were so bright it was almost blinding

“now cmon! lets go have some fun!”

he looked at the hand held out to him

and with a leap of faith, he took it

he was going to get out of this cage, this perpetual cycle

and finally add some meaning to his life

day after day you two spent your time together

oikawas days that were once filled with hollow words and empty actions were now filled with happiness

filled with you

and everyday slowly but surely he was falling for you

passing glances turned into prolonged gazes

his heart could no longer stay still around you

you became the key to his happiness

but for now...he had to be content with just being next to you

it would be too selfish otherwise

to ask you to stay with him here in the kingdom...he could never trap you like that

“so what are we doing today y/n?”

you were strolling through the town on a quiet sunday afternoon like you had the last few sundays

“how about we go to the bakery? theyre usually busy but since its sunday i bet its not as packed and then i want to take you somewhere”

he was curious as to what you had in store but decided against asking questions

so you two got some baked goods and headed out towards the woods

“cmon we’re almost there”

you pushed some branches and shrubs out of the way

and one eventually hit him in the face

“watch it y/n! i keep getting wacked by you”

you just chuckled a bit which oikawa had found adorable in itself

it made his heart slow just hearing it

“just come on!”

eventually you two made it to a clearing over a beautiful lake

he didnt know that there was something like this so close by

he was absolutely amazed by it

“take a seat oikawa! we can rest and eat here!”

this moment was just too perfect to him

with you here he felt as if nothing bad could happen

that if he only could see your smile everything would be alright

being content with just being at your side...was no longer and option

he knew that if he wanted this he needed to take his chance

“y/n”

your eyes were full of life and he couldnt help but feel so happy next to you

and before he knew it he was closing the gap between the two of you with a hand gently cradling your cheek

but right before you two could kiss you were ripped away from him

“dont you dare touch the prince commoner!”

oikawa frantically looked around as many of his guards came out of the brush

“get your hands off of them!”

you were pressed to the ground and the sight almost broke his heart

“sorry your highness but we’re under strict orders to bring you back and throw whoever was seducing you to leave the castle into the dungeon”

the guard that had been on you lifted you up like you were a sack and bound you by rope

you gave oikawa a final smile before you were taken away even though you were so banged up that it made him want to puke

he was speechless

this is what he was talking about

being so controlled and monitored made him feel so small and helpless

and he absolutely abhorred it

“your highness your mother is waiting for you in the throne room”

oikawa was beyond upset

this isnt how he wants to live

“mother how could you throw the only good thing in my life away!”

his mother sneered at his words

“only good thing? what need to you have for that filthy peasant! and how dare you cast me aside as if i hadnt given you everything you own, everything you are is because of me! i will not allow for any of this nonsense! now go wash up. and dont you dare ever leave the castle again and i forbid you from seeing that nasty peasant again. wasting your time with such a person...”

he gritted his teeth and was about turn to leave

his emotions were running too high

he wasnt himself and he knew it

but even so...he wont allow it to end like this

he was going to end it on his terms

“no”

“what did you say?”

he stood his ground

“i said no mother. im going to live the way i want and with who i want. ill gladly give up my title because frankly, i never wanted it in the first place. and dont you ever call y/n filthy or nasty again. their so incredibly kind and full of joy and laughter. i can only hope to be like that one day. so ive decided that im leaving. with y/n.”

as soon as the doors shut behind him he let out the breath he didnt even know he was holding

but it also felt as if there was a giant weight off of him now

“im coming y/n dont you worry”

it had been a couple hours since you were brought to your cell

you didnt have any major injuries, just a few cuts and scratches from when you were body slammed to the ground

“do you mind if i play?”

you pulled out your flute and the guard nodded

“thank you!”

you started playing and filled the cell you were in with a relaxing tune

“why do you play if it doesnt make noise?”

you stopped and looked at the spiky haired man who stood outside your cell

“it takes a certain person to appreciate its music”

he just looked at you as if you were crazy

but you continued anyways

until you heard frantic running coming from down the hall

“iwa you gotta let them out”

oikawa was panting trying to catch his breath

“dude no offense but your mom would kill me and you if i just let them out”

oikawa grabbed the key from iwaizumis waist before he even realized what had happened

“dont worry about it iwa. and dont worry about me. today i start my new life. it was good knowing you buddy”

they gripped hands the way they always had. A solemn but knowing look was shared between them

“if i had known me letting you leave the castle one time would lead to this...i would have done it a lot sooner. good luck out there bud”

oikawa quickly turned to you and helped you off of the ground

“you ready to run?”

he cupped your cheek and ran his thumb over one of the small cuts

hed be sure to treat that later

you nodded and leaned into his hand

“are you sure this is what you want?”

you were happy to leave with him

its more than you could ever ask for

“y/n youre the only person thats made me feel free. and by doing this i will be.”

you two finally got to share the kiss you had been deprived of and not only was it full of love but also full of hope for your future

“then lets go”

and you two sprinted off to your next adventure together

the flute you possessed was one he could no longer hear the sound of after that day

for it was enchanted, only to be be heard by those who were lost and lonely

with you he was neither anymore

and he couldnt be any happier than living out the rest of his days with you as a free man, a bird outside of its cage

[larsthefishoil]

Running in Circles

In hindsight he should have seen this coming. The icy wind tore at his eyes and falling snow prickled his skin as he fell. It was too much like last time. But that was what they said insanity was right? Being doomed to run in circles and repeat mistakes over and over again. He hoped it wouldn’t be a full rehash of the last story. He was certainly thrashing around less this time. Wishing he wouldn’t wake to see blood staining the clean snow as he was dragged on. But no, he was just falling for now.

```````

“Sir, with all do respect this is dumb. I think this mission is dumb and your choice in my partner is dumber. I-”

“What makes you think I give a shit Wilson?” Maria demanded “It’s not my fault you two work so well, and besides it’s just a simple shipment run, get in, get out, I don’t know why you're complaining.” Hill leaned forward over the table with spread palms and a no bullshit pull in her eyebrow. “Just take back what Hydra stole from us and we won’t assign you two together for a whole week alright?”

At that Bucky turned his head up to meet Sam’s eyes, they both knew Hill was bullshiting them again. They always made a fuss about being forced partners, but if Bucky was being honest with himself, they made a not awful team.

Maria briefed them with the rest of the plan, Sam would fly in from the vantage point, and drop Bucky off on top of the train before it passed under the mountain. From there, the two would sneak inside and take control of the train from the inside, and bring it to a stop. Later S.H.I.E.L.D would pick them up with the stolen tech.

```````

“I don’t like this one...”

“You never like missions in the cold Buckster, HA! See how well I know you? And you say I don’t listen.” Sam mumbled to himself the last part but the nickname didn’t fly over Bucky’s head by a long shot.

Bucky grit his teeth to think of a comeback and to bite away the cold. The cliff was both full of snow banks and ice depending on where you stepped. Which resulted in Sam hovering above the ground on the way up and using Bucky as a tester of when and where to step. “I don’t know Sammy,” Bucky bit back “I just don’t prefer to spend my free time in stupid ass climates.” He smiled wide and toothy at Sam squishing his eyes closed in fake excitement before pulling a deadpan look.

“Really, Sammy?”

“What? Do you want me to go with bird-y?”

“I will-”

“I see it.” Bucky started shoving his hand over Sam’s mouth going all business. He pulled the binoculares to his eyes to see the train rounding a dip in the mountain. “All right I gotta get ready to hall your lard-ass over there.” Sam started and he jumped up and started kicking his legs out to warm them up. Bucky glared up at him before going back to the train. “Are we ready yet?” Sam asked as he hopped up and down and started up his wing’s jets. Bucky shook his head “Just a few more seconds,” he said and held out his hand for good measure. “Welp, I am-” Sam started before he dove at Bucky who could only manage a helpless yelp before he was pounced on and was dragged off into the bitter cold air.

Riding with Sam holding him was the most awkward thing. Wrapping his thighs over Sam’s was way too much, and a piggyback ride may not be that bad, but the falcon wings made it impossible. And bridle style was just too ridiculous no matter how much Sam tried to convince Bucky he wouldn’t look like a moron in the air. So they came up with the solution that both kept their dignity and was efficient. Sam would always hook his arms around Bucky’s arm pits and hall him around that way. It was still awkward though.

They flew over and landed pretty safely on the train. Bucky pulled out his guns and watched from all sides as Sam picked the lock to get inside before they were hit by the mountain-tunnel.

Suddenly everything started happening at once. A trapdoor behind Bucky flapped open, and H.Y.D.R.A agents started pouring out, only for the same thing to happen on their front.

“It’s fine, this is fine!” Bucky could hear Sam yell over the wind. Sam pulled their trapdoor open only for H.Y.D.R.A agents from inside to start shooting at them. “It’s still fine! I can fix this!” Sam started again shutting the door.

This isn’t right Bucky thought. There shouldn’t be this much resistance from the intal they got. He could feel the vibration of boots stomping about behind him trying to catch their balance. Bucky let out a breath figuring Sam’s tactic of saying something was fine until it was, was just going to have to do. He turned to his six, taking a few steps, and jammes his heel in an agent's stomach. The agent fell forward before losing his balance and tumbling off. He could feel the dread creeping in on himself hating the fate that awaited the falling soul, but continued to move on. Distantly Bucky knew Sam was firing shots, taking the agents down as fast as he was. But the old memories kept creeping through, making everything feel distant even if it was just in front of him. He then heard a “NO!” be halard before Bucky could register why. He was falling. Again.

Bucky remembered flailing so much the first go around. That maybe if he wished it enough, Steve would be able to suddenly fly and catch him before he smacked against the ground. He blacked out before he hit the ground. Distantly Bucky wondered what would unfold this time. The train was gone, now it was just white. Bucky closed his eyes and let himself fall.

`````

“So… what are you doing after this?” Sam asked slowly. Bucky looked up to see Sam avoiding eye contact as he finished tying his boots, and gave the man a quizzing look. Sam was absent mindedly scuffing his boot at the dirty cemented locker room floor.

“I have no idea, what I always do I guess…why? ” Sam then had a weird look on his face with something wholly unlike him- loneliness, and uncertainty. It didn’t fit him all that well but Bucky was set on not caring about the prick.

“Nothing, I was just wondering if you wanted to help me grocery shop.”

“Wison, if you are in such dire need of friends you need to come to me, I- Should I be worried? Really who grocery shops on a Tuesday night?” he exclaimed as he placed his hands on his knees and stood up from the wooden bench. Bucky was about to go on before Sam cut him off

“I gotta buy a slice a cake for my partner.” He sped out, arms stiff and his sides and spine a steel rod. oh. yeah. the dead one. Bucky remembered Steve talking about that guy. How he reminded Steve of the two of them. Fine. He’ll indulge, but only for Steve.

“Uh sure, I don’t have anything going on, yeah okay.” There was a beat of silence between the two men before they walked for the S.H.I.E.L.D HQ in silence. No quips or bickering, just staying quiet leaving space for the sad and mourning.

The nearest grocery store was a quiet mile long walk out in the quiet of upper New York. The air was dry but heavy, with fireflies floating around them. The sidewalk was old and cracked, and Bucky tried to not step on the cracks like he used to do as a kid to pass the time. All the while Sam was uncharacteristically quiet. Bucky knew he got like this, a certain Marvin Gaye song would come on and he would stop singing along for once, he would sit down and stare into space until the song ended. Or when the two would get along for once, laughing at a joke until their stomachs hurt. Afterwards Sam would get that same lost and lonely look. Bucky often couldn’t care enough to ask, though lately it was getting harder to.

As they walked into the store, the few people who were there continued their wandering, either not caring that two Avengers just walked in or not knowing who they were entirely. Sam asked one of the workers where the bakery was and made a beeline for it. Bucky followed further behind not wanting to get in the way. Sam quickly picked up a slice of cake enclosed in a plastic container about to leave for checkout, when he stopped at another slice sitting on display. Bucky leaned over to see what Sam was looking at and found a cute slice decorated with icing flowers.

Bucky cleared his throat carefully “What’s with the flower one? Do ya want it?” He stuffed his hands in his pockets awkwardly not used to being the one with the higher word count out of the two of them.

“Na it’s just… Uh Riley hated flowers. Before we got shipped out, he went on a date with his girl and bought her these really expensive flowers. She broke up with him that night and he blamed it all on the flowers vowing to never spend that much on a girl that wasn’t his wife yet.”

“Then get him that one, it’s more meaningful than basic vanilla.” Sam sucked in a breath, threw his nose and looked up at the ceiling, no doubt willing tears away. “Or not...”

“No I’m-I’ll get that one.” Sam put the first one back and picked up the flower cake. They went to checkout right as the store was announcing it’s soon to be closing time. The two found a nice patch of sidewalk just outside of the grocery store by a tree and sat down, and with the two forks Sam snatched from the bakery area, they ate the cake. The longer they sat there the more Sam was inclined to talk. “Riley hated the smell of ginger, the taste too I guess. But who does like the taste of ginger really.” Soon half the cake was gone. “ Riley was in love with all the Kardasians, he only ever told me that he watched the show whenever he could.” Even later, only the icing flower remained. “Riley loved the color cyan, but no one ever knew what that was so he just always said green.”

“Sam?”

“Yeah?”

“How… How did you lose him?”

“He fell.” Bucky looked over at Sam at that. All this time he hadn’t really realized how crazy similar the four of them were. Sam, the new Captain America had lost his best friend the same way the first one had. Running in circles. Bucky thought.

“I’m sorry.”

“Nah, it’s not your fault.” At that Sam stuck his fork next to the icing flower and looked up at the sky again letting the tears fall this time. “All those missions and he just fell, I couldn’t catch him in time… nearly died myself. And after was… Well I got sent back home, and I had to keep helping so I started doing group therapies. Then I met Steve years later and…”

“You two shared a similar story?” Sam huffed a laugh

“Yeah we did.” The two looked at each other and smiled in comfort.

````````

Cold. White. Snow. The mission. Bucky opened his eyes and he was falling. A dark spot appeared in his vision. It was yelling on the top of it’s longs. Sam.

Suddenly Bucky’s hand was grabbed and yanked up with a concerning pop against the force of falling. Sam was still yelling, but to push against gravity this time, and Bucky was pretty sure he had a dislocated shoulder now. He lifted them up to the middle of the gap between the two mountains and pulled Bucky close to him fully wrapping his arms around Bucky’s waist. Bucky let his dislocated arm dangle and wrapped his right arm around Sam, his hand gripping his saviour’s neck, and knocked their heads together. They stayed there laughing deliriously and relieved, the train long gone along with the mission.

Sam was still breathing in heavily when he said,”I caught you.” Bucky could feel his breath puff hot against his cheeks.

“Yeah, you did man.” Bucky knocked his nose against Sam’s with his eyes still closed and slid his arm up to attach himself more to Sam.One foot was perched on top of Sam’s and the other wrapped around his leg.”Wanna get us away from the icy trench?”

“Oh shit, yeah,” With that Sam parted from Bucky to look down to the snowy depths, the weirdly clingy moment snapped in two with the comment. He then flew them to their earlier steak-out spot and plopped down exhausted in the snow. They laid there for what felt like hours, their comms down and sky going dark. Their hands were still laced together when Maria and Sharen showed up in a S.H.I.E.L.D helicopter.

A/N Alright I’m done! I feel like I did alright and that they seemed in character. Crotiques are fully invited and apperciated:)

As people might realize, they didn’t kiss and shit, and I went with that cause most of the time with slow burns, aspeshaly with friends to lovers, it’s like a spring that gets squished until the characters are just Boom! Going out and are all cuddly and fully adjusted to making out and being romantic. Which is fine, and my lonely single heart soaks that shit up like a sponge, but I want to explore a side of romance that isn’t so rushed to put the “going out” label on it. And I feel like this applies to Sam and Bucky really well, but when people are writing fanfics they rush to the romance cause that’s what it's there for. So! Just another side to see, and if I end up posting this and people want more, I will try to add more stuff if I can think of it.

I also put some characterization for Riley cause i realized that he kinda just acts as a bad frigid girlfriend for Sam, so he now has three fun facts lmao.

[canarygirl1017]

Ghosted - Chapter 1

Pairing: Reader / Jungkook, Reader / Taehyung (past relationship, friends to lovers to friends)

Genre:  College!au, fluff, angst, supernatural drama, smut, friends to lovers, emotional trauma, hurt/comfort

Length:  11, 400k words

Warnings:  language, episodes of anxiety, panic attacks, sexual themes in later chapters 

Summary:  Living in a world full of things only you have the ability to see, growing up with Jungkook has been your island amidst the chaos. But when your best friend makes an impossible request, your friendship is fractured, and your sudden decision to cut ties and move abroad changes everything. Three years later, Jungkook is thriving at university as he begins his junior year. He’s a star athlete, member of a popular fraternity, and every girl’s ideal boyfriend. He tells himself that he’s long forgotten you and the friendship he never had a chance to mend – that is, until you show up on campus as a transfer student with new friends in tow. It’s been three years, and everything has changed, but the biggest change is you. Your new found determination to use your abilities to help the ghosts you used to live in fear of, no matter how dangerous it might be, makes Jungkook fear he’ll lose you before he has a chance to fix what he broke. College AU. 

A/N:  This was based on a short story prompt I received in my writers’ group, so I’m adapting it as a JJK story. I’ll post the last part of Hands On Me next, and then Chapter 2 of this one. I’m also going to make a Masterlist this week to make things easier to find. 

Disclaimer: Just for funsies, I don’t believe in real-life shipping. But I like to write, and I like fandom, so here we are. Please do not duplicate this work or repost anywhere else without permission. 

 Chapter 1

You couldn’t remember a time when you didn’t see the shadows. They were less scary when you were young – too young to understand what you were seeing. Too young to understand how they could hurt you.

But you’d always remember the exact moment that Jungkook became the most important person in your world.

When your father died and your mother remarried, you moved back to the town where your mom grew up. They bought a house in a quiet suburban neighborhood, and near one of your mother’s childhood friends whose family lived two doors down.

You and Jungkook were five years old then, and though your mothers frequently got you together for play dates with the other neighborhood kids, you didn’t exactly bond right away. Jungkook was always on the move, and you liked finding quiet spots away from everyone.

That changed the year you turned eight. Though your birthday was a month earlier than his, your mothers had begun throwing joint birthday parties when you were six. This year the party was at the nearby lake at Jungkook’s request – a noisy affair with several of Jungkook’s friends from school as well as kids from your neighborhood. The fathers were grilling, and Jungkook’s older brother, Jin, was playing in the water with two of his friends and their younger sisters.

Your mother kept pushing you to play with the other kids, but you knew that you made them uncomfortable. As if they could sense that you were different, they kept their distance. You were scared of many things they didn’t understand, and you spent your school days alone. So, at your own birthday party, you sat on the sidelines, knees drawn to your chest as you watched the activity. 

______________

 Jungkook glanced over at you as he tossed a ball back and forth with his friend, Jimin. You had completely isolated yourself from everyone as soon as you arrived. It was nothing unusual, but it still bothered him because this was supposed to be your party too.

He’d seen kids teasing you at school, and he’d done his best to quietly put a stop to it. Since you were in a different class, he wasn’t sure how your school days went but judging by the way the girls ignored you, he was guessing not that well. When he missed the ball that Jimin threw, he forced his attention back to their game.

“She always looks sad,” Jimin said. “The kids in her class say mean things about her.”

“I know,” Jungkook said. “I try to play with her, like after school, but she never wants to.”

“Do you think it’s true?”

“Is what true?”

Jimin hesitated. “Two girls from her class are saying she’s crazy – that she sees things.”

“Huh? Who said that?” It was the first time Jungkook had heard that.

“Lily and Hanna,” Jimin answered. “They said she talks to herself a lot, and she was talking to someone in the bathroom, telling them to go away, but no one else was there. It was just her. They’re saying she talks to ghosts.”

Jungkook frowned as he thought about that. It was true that he’d heard you talking to yourself before, but not in some crazy way. He’d never thought much about ghosts beyond the scary movies he sometimes watched with Jin, and he wasn’t sure he believed in them.

“Do you believe in ghosts?” he asked as he tossed the ball to Jimin again.

“I don’t know,” Jimin said with a shrug. “But I guess it doesn’t really matter if we believe in them or not if it’s something that scares her. I feel sorry for her, always sitting alone like she does.”

Jungkook thought about that as he played with his friends. When the food was ready, he loaded up a plate and took it over to join you where you sat on a blanket reading. “Happy birthday, y/n.”

You looked up and stared at him for a moment before replying. “Happy birthday.”

“I brought some food we can share,” he said as he sat down and placed the plate between you. He’d piled on hot dogs and short ribs and, at the last minute, he’d remembered that you liked his mom’s potato salad and bean salad. He probably should have used two plates because it was a little messy now.

Your eyes widened. “That’s a lot of food.”

“I eat a lot,” he admitted as he grabbed a hot dog. “These hot dogs are really good. My dad bought the good sausage for today.” When he offered it to you, you took it without protest.

You both ate in silence for a while as all the parents filled plates for the kids. Eventually Jungkook’s mom brought out the cake, much to his excitement. “Come on, we have to blow out the candles.”

He didn’t give you time to hang back like you always did. Your mom seemed surprised but pleased when you ran up together. “We’re lighting the candles so get your wishes ready.”

Jungkook bounced, excited as he thought about his wish. He looked over at you and asked, “Do you know what you’re gonna wish for?”

You shrugged. “I always make the same wish, but it never comes true. So I don’t care anymore.”

That dimmed his excitement. “Maybe you can tell your parents and they can help?”

“They can’t help me.”

Jungkook watched his mom light the candles as he thought about what you said. “Make it one more time.”

“Why?”

“Because I changed my wish, and you shouldn’t give up if you really want something.”

“But…”

“Just do it,” he said, nudging you forward.

“Fine,” you said, a grumpy tone to your voice.

You both waited until everyone finished singing and then Jungkook looked over at you. “Ready?”

You nodded, and together you blew out the candles on the cake.

“Why did you change your wish?” you asked as you waited for the cake cutting.

“My first wish was for a new game player,” he said. “But your wish must be important or you wouldn’t keep asking for it. So I wished that you would get your wish.”

It was a little embarrassing saying it out loud, but then you smiled and he realized it was the first time he’d ever seen you really smile.

After you ate your cake, Jungkook wanted to go into the water.

You shook your head when he suggested it. “I can’t swim and earlier I thought…”

“What?” he asked.

“I thought I saw something in the water,” you said quietly.

Jungkook remembered what Jimin had said earlier. It was a sunny day, and the water sparkled as kids splashed around in it. “You can wear a life jacket. And I’ll stay with you.”

______________________

 You sat gingerly on the end of the pier and checked your life jacket buckles again. Looking out at the water, you wondered if you had just imagined that you saw something before. Now, the water looked inviting and fun. Jungkook jumped in and swam over to Jin to ask him to come swim with you. You saw them talking and then Jungkook gave you a thumbs up as he began swimming back towards you.

You lowered your legs over the side of the pier, testing the water with your toes. Suddenly, something swirled in the water near your right foot. Thinking it was a fish, you leaned forward to take a closer look and recoiled in horror when a woman’s face appeared below the surface. Before you could move back, a hand grasped your ankle and pulled you in.

The water was warm, but a chill invaded your entire body as you opened your eyes to see the waxy white face again, mouth open in a frozen, silent scream. The woman’s dark hair spread out around her like a cloud, blending into the shadowy depths as she began pulling you.

You kicked, arms flailing wildly, and broke free. Your life jacket bobbed you to the surface and you screamed as you dog paddled frantically towards Jungkook, who was only a couple of feet away.

Jungkook reached you and wrapped both arms around you as he pulled you towards the shore. Then you felt cold fingers wrap around your ankle again. You didn’t even have time to scream before you were pulled below the surface.

But this time Jungkook was there fighting with you, refusing to let go as he pulled back with all his strength. You kicked and kicked, finally freeing yourself a second time. Jin was there now, helping Jungkook pull you up, and the three of you surfaced, gasping for air.

You couldn’t stop shivering as Jin carried you out of the water, a concerned Jungkook right behind you. The shore was chaos as the other kids ran out of the water, and parents were crowding around trying to figure out what had happened.

Jungkook’s father quickly removed your lifejacket and wrapped a blanket around you as he asked Jin what happened.

“I don’t know,” Jin answered, sounding confused. “It was like a current pulled her down.”

“This lake doesn’t usually have strong currents,” his father said. “It’s been years since I heard about any kind of accident here.”

You were distantly aware of your mom and Jungkook’s mom both fussing around you, but you tuned them out and focused instead on Jungkook’s hand still grasping yours tightly. Eventually the adults moved away and began packing up the food since no one wanted to go back into the water.

When you were finally alone, Jungkook asked, “What was that?”

You stared at him. “Could you see her?”

He shook his head. “But I saw how you got pulled into the water. You didn’t fall – I’m sure of it. And under the water… I couldn’t see it, but I felt like something was there.”

“I’m not allowed to talk about this,” you said, staring down at your lap. “If my mom or my stepfather hear me, I’ll be in trouble.”

“Then just tell me. I won’t tell anyone.”

You swallowed, the metallic taste of fear on your tongue as you whispered. “Water ghost. She was so scary.”

Jungkook let go of your hand and for a horrible moment, you thought he might leave, as eager to be away from you as everyone else who thought you were strange. Instead he wrapped his arm around you.

“You see them at school too?”

“Sometimes,” you answered. “They don’t always know I can see them ‘cause I’m good at pretending I don’t. But sometimes they know, and then they get scary.”

“Can they all hurt you like she did?” he asked.

You shook your head. “No. Sometimes people walk right through ghosts. And I’ve seen a few ghosts move things, but they’ve never hurt me.”

“I wonder how she could do that then,” he said, staring out at the water. “And why she didn’t try to pull any other kids away.”

You didn’t answer, but you thought you knew why. It was because the water ghost had only wanted you.

____________________

 You were ten when you realized you weren’t the only one who could see ghosts. Jungkook often stayed with his grandmother in summer, and when he did, you went with him. Nana assured your mother that she didn’t mind, and you knew that with the birth of the twins the previous year, your mother just didn’t have time for you anymore.

You and Jungkook had been inseparable since your eighth birthday party. After he’d talked to his mom, who’d talked to your mom, you and Jungkook had also been allowed to stay in the same class together each year. Teachers recognized that you had a calming effect on Jungkook, while he helped you venture out of your shell. He helped you be a little less afraid.

One hot afternoon in late summer, Nana made you both clean up and go with her to visit an old friend who had recently moved back to town.

“You’re not old enough to stay alone,” she insisted when Jungkook moaned about the visit. “And I think my friend will enjoy meeting you. You remind me a bit of her, y/n.”

Nana’s friend, Mrs. Kim, was a tall, imposing woman. She wore clothes with oddly clashing colors and patterns, and her back garden was a wild labyrinth of vines and bright flowers. Granted permission to play while the two elders became reacquainted, you and Jungkook explored the garden, picking honeysuckle and drinking the nectar.

When Nana called you in for a snack, you raced each other to the patio. Jungkook beat you as he always did, but he stopped at the door to let you go first. You were giggling when you walked inside and followed Nana to the sitting room, only to freeze as you saw the man sitting with Mrs. Kim on the loveseat. His neck was tilted at an odd angle, eyes on Mrs. Kim as she placed slices of cake on plates and added fresh fruit.

You must have made a sound because the man turned his pale eyes your way. You immediately looked down and shuffled backwards, bumping into Jungkook. You could tell by the way he stopped and then pressed close behind you, reaching for your hand, that he knew something was wrong.

“We should go wash our hands,” Jungkook said. Mrs. Kim directed you to the bathroom, and Jungkook pulled you behind him until you were far enough away not to be overheard. Then he turned wide eyes on you; you nodded in answer to his silent question.

“What kind?” he asked in a low voice.

“A man. Something’s wrong with his neck, like maybe he broke it before he died.” You shivered.

“What was he doing?”

“Nothing. Just sitting next to Mrs. Kim, watching her.”

Jungkook nodded. “You just have to pretend you don’t see him while we eat and then we’ll go outside again.”

After washing your hands, you followed Jungkook back to the sitting room, unsurprised when he sat nearest Mrs. Kim because ever since that day at the lake, it’s what he always did. The fact that he couldn’t see the danger didn’t matter to him – he still acted as a barrier between you and anything that he thought could hurt you.

You kept your eyes on your plate as you ate. You peeked over at Mrs. Kim once to find her watching you, a thoughtful expression on her face. The man was also watching you now, and you tugged urgently at Jungkook’s shorts.

Once you were excused, you both rushed back outside, where you felt you could finally breathe. “So scary. I really think he broke his neck in an accident or something.”

“Who do you think he is?” Jungkook asked as you sat in the grass near a bush with bright pink flowers.

You shrugged as you touched a finger to one of the petals. “I don’t know, but I think he’s haunting Mrs. Kim instead of the house. He was maybe your dad’s age, but his clothes look older.”

“How can you tell the difference?”

“I can’t – not exactly. I’m guessing because of the ghosts at school. They walk around the halls or have a favorite room, or like a favorite spot outside. They only notice students if they get annoyed about something, or if they realize I can see them. This ghost only watched Mrs. Kim until right at the end when he looked at me.”

“Mrs. Kim was looking at you too,” Jungkook said.

“Yeah.” It was weird, how they’d both looked at you like that.

You were playing rock paper scissors when the door opened, and Mrs. Kim walked out to the garden followed by the ghost. You shrank back behind Jungkook.

She sat on the little bench near the flowering bushes and handed them the juice she’d brought out. “Your nana says you two are always forgetting to drink enough when it’s hot.”

“Thank you,” Jungkook said. He passed one to you as you both sat in the grass, as far away as you could without being rude.

You kept your eyes down as Mrs. Kim talked to Jungkook – about school, and how long you’d been friends. “You know, your nana and I were best friends when we were your age, right up until we graduated from high school and got married. Then I moved away with my husband. He died in an accident twenty years ago. Broken neck.”

You swallowed hard, resisting the urge to look up.

“You can see him, can’t you, y/n?”

Shocked, you raised your head to look at Mrs. Kim. “What?”

“I can see him too. He’s been with me these past twenty years, refuses to go on without me, stubborn goat.”

You looked over at Jungkook, who was staring at Mrs. Kim, mouth open.

“I’ve been able to see them since I was at least four years old,” Mrs. Kim continued. “Was it the same for you?”

You nodded, still unable to believe she was like you. “I can’t really remember a time when I couldn’t see them.”

“Your ability to see and communicate with them will grow stronger as you get older. They’ll begin to recognize you as part of the otherworld.”

“What if I don’t want to see them or talk to them? I just want them to stay away from me.” You didn’t realize you were trembling until Jungkook scooted closer and put his arm around you.

“I’m afraid it’s not that simple,” she replied quietly. “But as your ability grows, you will be able to learn how to manage them – how to block the weaker ones, and how to resist the stronger ones. You’ll find that you can help them move on. Until then, I can give you talismans that will protect you.”

____________

 Mrs. Kim was true to her word. From that summer on, her paper talismans hung in your room, and you carried a jade protection amulet wherever you went. You’d learned that spraying salt water in the air was a simple method of disrupting the electromagnetic field of ghosts that were causing trouble.

Your mother ignored the talismans in your room, but you knew better than to talk about the ghosts you saw. And so Jungkook and Mrs. Kim were the only ones in whom you could confide your fears.

When you were thirteen, your father’s family requested that you spend two months at their home in the city. It was the first time you had seen them in over a year, and you’d never stayed with them before without your mother. It was also the first time you and Jungkook had been separated for more than a week since you were eight, and it triggered your anxiety. You’d packed your talismans and your amulet, but what if something happened? Jungkook and Mrs. Kim would be four hours away.

The weeks passed slowly. You were uncomfortable with your father’s family. They were extremely wealthy, and your grandfather was stern and cold. Your uncle wasn’t so bad, but he only returned to the family home at night. You had nothing in common with his wife or their daughter, who was five years younger than you.

You and Jungkook messaged and video chatted every day, but your grandfather kept you busy with music, art and French lessons, claiming that your education was sadly lacking. That summer was the first time that he brought up the idea of sending you to a boarding school abroad, stating that it would better prepare you for entering a prestigious university.

Your uncle’s driver took you home at the end of the summer, and your uncle accompanied you. He talked to you about the co-ed boarding school in England which both he and your father had attended, giving you several brochures to look over.

“I believe your father would be happy to know that you continued the tradition,” he told you. “Money is no concern. I’ve talked to your mother about continuing your art, music and language lessons this year, and I’ve opened an account for you where your allowance will be deposited each quarter. That money can be used to pay tutors and for whatever else you might want.”

“I don’t think I want to go to another country,” you said quietly, staring out the window.

“Well, you’re not in high school yet. Just think about it.”

Jungkook was sitting on your front steps with Jin, and he ran to the car when you pulled into your driveway. He slung an arm around your shoulders and rubbed his hand on top of your head, making you laugh.

“Stop,” you said as you pushed him back. “How are you like two inches taller?”

“I hit a growth spurt,” he replied proudly.

“About time,” Jin said as he took your bags from the driver. “Why do you have three bags now when you left with one?”

“My aunt took me shopping,” you explained.

Your uncle passed you the brochures you’d left on the car seat. Nodding to Jin and Jungkook, he patted your shoulder. “Think about it, okay? This could be a good experience for you.”

After he left, you turned back to Jungkook and Jin, who were looking at the brochures you held.

“What does he want you to think about?” Jin asked.

You held up the brochures as you took one of the suitcases. “Boarding school. The same one he and my dad went to. My grandfather barely acknowledged my existence before now, except sending money to my mom twice a year, but suddenly I’m his summer project.”

“Boarding school where?”

“England.”

Jin whistled. “That must be expensive.”

“Money’s the one thing they’re not lacking, so…”

“But you’re not going, right?” Jungkook suddenly asked.

“I told him I would look at these brochures and think about it, but no. I don’t really want to go.”

“Well, then you should just throw them away. There’s no point looking at them if you’re not going.”

You frowned at the edge in his tone. “Why do you sound mad?”

“I’m not mad, I just think it’s a stupid idea,” he answered.

“Ignore him, y/n. He missed you this summer, even if he won’t admit it, and now you’re talking about moving to England. He’s feeling abandoned.” Jin laughed and ducked when Jungkook threw a mock punch at him.

You greeted your mother, stepfather and younger siblings before following Jin and Jungkook up the stairs to your room. Jin left after he helped you get the bags upstairs, but Jungkook stayed and watched as you unzipped your suitcases and began sorting through your things. Your talismans came out first, and Jungkook hung them for you as you put away your new clothes.

“If you really have to keep up with the lessons this year, you should use the same art teacher I use. She’s really good, and then we could do them together.”

“Okay.” You turned around to see Jungkook looking at the brochures.

“This place looks haunted as hell, y/n.”

“Your mom will beat you if she hears you cursing,” you reminded him.

“Well, it does. Look haunted, I mean. Who even knows how many ghosts are wandering around a centuries old school like this.” Jungkook shook his head and tossed the brochures into the trash can next to your desk. “Tell your uncle thanks but no thanks.”

“So did you decide where you want to have our birthday party next week?” You took turns each year, choosing the location and cake, and this year was Jungkook’s turn.

“The arcade,” he said, ignoring your groan. “Come on, we’ll have fun playing the games. Mom said you should come for dinner tonight and help think about the cake. I get the arcade, and I’ll eat whatever cake you want.”

“Okay. I need to ask my mom, but they probably won’t care.”

You didn’t mean to eavesdrop, but it was impossible not to hear your mom and stepfather arguing as you walked down the stairs and around the corner to see them standing at the kitchen island.

“She’s still hanging paper around her room to ward off ghosts, for God’s sake. Remember that the twins heard her talking about ghosts to Jungkook last year and still won’t sleep with the lights off. I’m just saying that if her father’s family want her to live with them, we should consider it. And the boarding school might be good for her.”

“You know that I promised her father I wouldn’t let them influence her upbringing too much.” Your mother sighed. “I know that her eccentricities complicate things, but I can’t break that promise. If she decides to go to boarding school, she’ll only be with us for another year anyway.”

You shouldn’t be surprised to hear them talking about you; you knew that, but it still hurt. The chasm between you and your mother had widened over the years until you barely talked about anything that wasn’t related to helping out with household chores or schoolwork. You jumped as Jungkook cleared his throat loudly.

“We were just going to my house for dinner if that’s okay,” Jungkook said. “We’re still planning our birthday party.”

“Oh.” Your mom bit her lip as she looked at you, obviously wondering if you’d heard them talking. “You just got home, but I suppose that’s fine. Don’t stay too late.”

You nodded and allowed Jungkook to lead you outside. You made it to the end of the driveway before Jungkook spoke. “Your stepfather sucks. Asshole.”

You swallowed down the tears threatening. “You can’t blame him for thinking I’m weird, and wishing his kids weren’t exposed to it. We have to be more careful what we talk about with the twins around.”

“Yeah, I can blame him. He married your mom knowing she had a kid, and that makes you his kid too. He’s never been that nice to you, even before the twins were born. Asshole.”

You laughed.

“You know my parents love you right? And Jin too. He missed you almost as much as I did this summer.”

“Aww, so you did miss me?”

He rolled his eyes. “Shut up and let’s go eat. I’m starving.”

_____________

 High school was a new world. Your grandfather wasn’t pleased with your decision to stay at your local school but when you didn’t budge from your decision, he shifted his attention to making sure you were properly prepped for university. You still spent at least six weeks with them every summer, and you’d continued extra music, art and language lessons.

Jin had gone to university and only came home for holidays, so you spent more and more of your time at Jungkook’s house. Jungkook played varsity baseball and was often busy with training programs for a few hours after school. His growth spurts meant he’d long outgrown you, at least vertically, something he liked rubbing in when he propped his arm on top of your head. He was losing his baby fat too, and out of nowhere he suddenly had a jawline that the girls in school noticed.

He wasn’t the only one changing. Mrs. Kim had been right when she told you that your ability to see and communicate with ghosts would grow as you got older. You were sixteen now, and the older you got, the more they seemed drawn to you.

“Somehow, they’re able to recognize those of us who can see the otherworld,” Mrs. Kim explained one afternoon when you and Jungkook visited her. “We shine a little brighter for them, I suppose, or they’re drawn to our energy. This is especially true for the ones who feel they left unfinished business behind.”

“They’re following her now – sometimes to school, sometimes to her house,” Jungkook told her. “There has to be a way to stop that. Isn’t there some kind of banishing talisman?”

“I’m afraid it’s not that simple, Jungkook.” She looked over at you. “I told you years ago that the talismans were only meant to be a partial protection. They’re best used to protect small spaces, like your bedroom when you’re sleeping. They cannot be used to forever shield you from the otherworld. You have to learn to communicate with them, y/n, and stand firm when they push back against you. If you learn to push back against them, you’ll be able to block their energy. But in order to do that, you’ll have to allow yourself to come into contact with them.”

“No,” Jungkook replied flatly. “That water ghost almost killed her eight years ago, and last year one of them pushed her into traffic. Confronting them is too dangerous.”

“But if she doesn’t confront them and learn to wield this power she possesses, she’ll forever lead a half-life hiding from shadows.” Mrs. Kim raised her brows. “Are you going to hide in the shadows and live that half-life with her?”

Those words stayed with you as the school year ended. You had two more years of high school left and then it would be time for university. Jungkook was already talking about which universities you could apply to together. He was hoping to get an athletic scholarship, which is why he’d become so serious about baseball. Jin had gone to university on a drama scholarship, something that had helped a lot with expenses.

Money wasn’t a problem for you, but how would this work? Would you just follow Jungkook to whichever university he attended? Would he follow you to yours? And what would happen after university? At some point, you’d have to part ways in the world, at least to some extent. As Mrs. Kim had pointed out, he couldn’t stay with you in the shadows forever. You were surprised that Jungkook didn’t already have a girlfriend given how many girls were hovering around him lately, and you were sure that a girlfriend would absolutely hate you for taking up all of his time.

________________

 The end-of-the-year party at Jimin’s house was in full swing, and Jungkook had lost track of you about an hour ago while he was dancing with Grace, a girl he’d been quietly crushing on for the last few months. She was one of the most popular girls at school though and getting time alone with her was difficult. He thought she liked him back, but she’d danced with two other guys after dancing with him.

The only girl he really understood was you, but you didn’t act like other girls. You never showed an interest in the boys at school, or in dating, and you had never befriended any of the girls either. Grace had been friendly towards you, but she was also good friends with Hanna and Lily, and so you seemed wary of her. He could understand that since he knew Hanna and Lily had been horrible to you in the past, on numerous occasions. But he also thought it was unfair to blame Grace by association since she’d only recently moved to their town.

Jungkook wandered outside to the pool area and finally spotted Jimin. “Hey, have you seen y/n?”

“Yeah, about thirty minutes ago? She was with Lucas.”

He frowned. “What the hell is she doing with Lucas?” Lucas was on the baseball team with him and he was the one guy he didn’t get along with. He was popular, but Jungkook had heard him say gross things about girls, and he could be a bully.

Jimin shrugged. “I don’t know. They were with a group playing truth or dare and then someone said they left together.”

Jungkook couldn’t get rid of the uneasy feeling as he searched the crowd for you. He’d tried calling you, but your phone was off, or maybe dead – you were always forgetting to keep it charged. Relief surged through him when he finally found you sitting in a quiet spot on the front porch.

“Geez, y/n, can you not disappear like that? Or at least keep your phone on?”

You looked up and smiled at him. “Sorry. I thought you were still with Grace.”

He sat down next to you on the swing, pushing off gently to get it moving again. “Jimin said he saw you with Lucas.”

“Hmm.”

He waited for you to continue, but you stayed quiet. “Why?”

“He pulled me into their game of truth or dare when I was walking by. I didn’t really want to play but then I thought, it’s a party, and maybe I should just… try to have fun? So I played. Lucas admitted he liked someone in the circle, and they dared him to kiss the girl he likes. Then he kissed me.”

Jungkook was stunned. And pissed. “I am going to beat his ass.” He stood but paused when you grabbed his arm and pulled him down again.

“It’s fine. Well, it’s not, but it wasn’t much of a kiss. His lips were kind of dry,” you admitted. “Kissing Lucas during a game of truth or dare at Jimin’s house isn’t the kind of story I imagined for my first kiss, but at least it’s over with, I guess.”

“He’s already slept with two girls in our class, and we’re barely halfway through high school. You shouldn’t be going anywhere alone with him. He talks shit about girls in the locker room, y/n, so don’t let him fool you.” He was getting angrier the longer he thought about it, and he really would beat Lucas’ ass if he heard your name out of him even once.

You looked over at him in surprise. “I didn’t go anywhere alone with him.”

“Jimin said you left together.”

“No, I didn’t. I left after he kissed me and went to the bathroom. He followed me and asked if he could take me home later, but I told him I was here with you. Then I came out here, alone.”

“Oh.” That made him feel a little better, but not much. The idea of Lucas’ lips anywhere near you made him want to hit something. You were way too good for a guy who showed the bare minimum of respect to girls even when he was dating them and then trash talked them after he was done.

“First kiss with Lucas is a real low point for the year, I have to admit,” you said with humor. “He’s cute but not really my type… ow!” You glared at him, rubbing your forehead where he’d just thumped you. “Why did you do that?”

“He’s cute? Are you blind?”

You sighed. “I know you hate him, but now you’re just being unreasonable. It’s not like your first kiss was much better.”

“For the record, Hanna kissed me, not the other way around,” he reminded you. “It’s not like I wanted her to.”

“Whatever. Though it’s kind of funny that both our first kisses were with someone the other hates. It shouldn’t even count since it’s not like they asked for consent first.”

Jungkook looked over at you. He hadn’t really noticed before how pretty you looked tonight. You were wearing a silky green tank top with a gossamer thin white cardigan, and the gold locket you’d gotten for your sixteenth birthday hung around your neck. Since it had belonged to your paternal grandmother and held a photo of your father, you rarely took it off.

He thought about the other photo he knew was there, one his mother had taken at Halloween when you were ten. It was the year you’d discovered that old Ghostbusters movie and Jungkook had convinced you to wear matching Ghostbusters costumes. You’d had a miniature made for your locket, and he carried the same photo in his wallet. So many of his best memories included you.

“Let’s make it not count then,” he suddenly said.

You looked over at him again, a questioning look on your face. Before he could give himself too much time to think about it, he leaned forward, pausing when he got close to you, giving you a chance to move away if you wanted to. Then you closed the distance and pressed your lips to his.

Your lips were softer than he’d expected. The kiss only lasted a few seconds; he licked his lips when you pulled back, tasting the berry flavored lip gloss you used. He took a breath, surprised that his heart was racing.

“It’s the first because we chose it, right?” You looked happy about that, your hand reaching up to touch your locket.

“Yeah.” He stood up and held out his hand. “Let’s go home.”

_______________

 You spent six weeks that summer at your grandfather’s house and when you returned, Jungkook was following Grace around like a puppy. You told yourself that you were happy for him even as your heart sank whenever you saw them together. It was silly and you knew it, so you did your best to ignore that feeling and support him. She was nice enough, but you kept your distance since Grace was friends with Hanna and Lily. Regardless of what Jungkook believed, you weren’t sure a really nice girl would be friends with the literal mean girls of your high school.

Jungkook was being scouted by universities by the time baseball season started. You were only juniors, and he probably wouldn’t get any offers until the following year, but it was a big deal that coaches were already talking to him. Just as you had every year he played, you watched his practices and attended every game with his parents, cheering him on.

The coach from Gettis University had visited twice, something the whole school was talking about. It was an old and well-respected university located five hours north of your town, and one of the best universities in the country. You knew that Jungkook was leaning towards studying filmmaking since he enjoyed shooting and editing videos, and Gettis had an outstanding film program. The tuition prices were outrageous but with a scholarship, it would be an incredible opportunity for him.

It was also known as one of the most haunted college campuses in the country. Because the university was located near an area where several bloody battles had been fought, tales of campus ghosts fueled the local folklore and had inspired many creepypasta tales. The Gothic inspired architecture lent credibility to the stories, and students leaned into it, throwing elaborate Halloween parties and hosting infamous haunted houses each October.

The idea of attending college there filled you with a deep dread that you tried to hide from Jungkook. Despite that, you knew that he was aware of it because every time his parents talked to him about college options, he dismissed the idea of attending Gettis.

You hated it. Hated that you were so fragile that he felt he had to turn down an opportunity like that. Hated that you were also too selfish to tell him he should go without you. Most of all, you hated that you were so terrified that you couldn’t think about Gettis without breaking into a cold sweat.

It was a topic that you had carefully avoided talking to each other about, but the time was rapidly approaching when you’d both have to make decisions about your future, and the last thing you wanted was to hold him back. It always brought you back to what Mrs. Kim had told you – that unless you learned to control your ability to see and interact with the otherworld, you would condemn both yourself and Jungkook to a half life hiding from shadows.

You were trying to think of a way to broach the topic one afternoon after baseball practice as Jungkook walked with you to the library. You’d been talking to Mrs. Kim recently about ways to control your ability, and ways to safely confront ghosts, something you knew Jungkook wouldn’t agree with. You hadn’t quite worked up the nerve to test any of Mrs. Kim’s suggestions yet, but you were hoping that you could convince Jungkook to help.

You cleared your throat. “So I was thinking…”

A car horn interrupted you. Turning, you saw Grace pull up in her red convertible with a friendly wave.

“Hey you,” she said, smiling at Jungkook. “A bunch of us are headed to the lake now that it’s warm enough. I know you two usually study on Wednesdays but come on – it’s such a waste of a nice afternoon.”

When Jungkook hesitated, Grace added, “Of course you’re welcome to come too, y/n.”

You hadn’t been to that lake since your eighth birthday, and everyone in school knew that. Grace had even commented on it before, so you knew it was an empty offer meant to appease Jungkook.

You could see that he was about to refuse, so you stopped him. “You should go. It sounds like fun.” When he didn’t say anything, you gave him a little push. “Seriously, go. I’ll help you study tomorrow.”

He smiled at you. “Okay. But let me know when you’re ready to walk home and I’ll come walk with you. You shouldn’t be walking alone after dark.”

You nodded, watching as he got in the car and they drove away. You continued on to the library, stopping to talk to Jimin when you arrived. His mom was the librarian and he often studied there with you and Jungkook. Today he was behind the desk, helping his mom scan in a backlog of book returns.

“Where’s Jungkook?” he asked as you leaned against the counter.

“With Grace at the lake.”

“Yeah, I heard a bunch of people were headed there this afternoon,” he replied. “If you want to grab a table, I’ll come join you as soon as I’m done.”

You and Jimin studied for the next two hours and when you were done with your homework, you wandered over to the stacks to look for a book that Mrs. Kim had recommended you read. From the corner of your eye you saw a man move between rows of books. He looked familiar, so you turned to look at him. You froze, eyes automatically shifting away when you realized that he wasn’t a man at all.

You’d also seen him before. He’d been outside the farmer’s market one weekend, and you’d seen him near the school. That you were now seeing him at the library meant he was probably following you. You could feel your palms start to sweat. You concentrated on breathing for a moment, willing your heartbeat to slow as you counted in your head.

This was an opportunity. He wasn’t like the water ghost, and he wasn’t full of the menacing energy you’d briefly felt from the ghost who had pushed you into traffic two years ago.

Swallowing hard, you ran your fingers over the pocket of the lightweight jacket you were still wearing in the chilly library, feeling both the stone of your protection amulet and the small spray bottle of salt water you kept with you at all times. You’d used the saltwater spray a handful of times over the years, finding that once their energy was disrupted, nuisance ghosts usually disappeared and often didn’t seek you out again.

Slowly, you looked up at the man. He was older than you but still young, and if he wasn’t so eerily still and pale, you might have thought him handsome. His dark hair was cut in an old-fashioned, feathery style that reminded you of the album covers of 70s rock bands that your stepfather had in his record collection.

“Hi,” you said, your voice shaking. “Do you… do you need help?” You’d never tried to talk to any of the ghosts before, and you had no idea what you should say, but offering help seemed like a good first step.

The man moved closer. You were amazed by just how solid he looked, much more so than when you’d seen him outside. His eyes were a deep, dark brown, and something about them drew you in. Unable to look away, you remained still as he continued moving towards you, feeling an almost drunken heaviness suffuse your limbs. He reached out; almost as if disconnected from your body, you felt your hand meet his halfway.

The scorching heat from his fingers was a shock, as was the spark of electricity that zapped you back to awareness. You jerked backwards with a gasp, reaching into your pocket for the saltwater spray. “Please, if you need help, I’ll try to help…” you broke off as you heard a popping sound behind you.

You stood, frozen in horror as the wall socket next to the reading nook popped and sparked with electricity. Before the man could move closer again, you sprayed the saltwater into the air between you. He shimmered brightly, dissolved into the air, and then reappeared so suddenly you had no time to react. An orange glow seemed to burn within his eyes when he reached for you again.

This time his touch burned through the fabric of your jacket, and the floor beneath you shook as you screamed in pain and horror. He shimmered again and you fell backwards, dimly aware that the smoke and flames behind you were from the armchair which had caught fire. The lights above you flickered out, and you curled into a ball, arms over your head.

You screamed again when you felt hands on your back until you realized it was Jimin trying to lift you off the floor.

That was the last thing you remembered until waking in the hospital to find Jungkook asleep in a chair beside your bed. He’d fallen asleep holding your hand and looked exhausted. He was still wearing the same clothes he’d been wearing when you last saw him, with the addition of his well-loved black hoodie.

The memory of what happened in the library came back when you saw the bandages on your left forearm, and you couldn’t stop the fear that raced through you. The steady beeping of your heart monitor increased sharply, jolting Jungkook awake as you gasped for breath.

Your head swam. Two nurses rushed in, and through bleary eyes you saw your mother behind them. You thought Jungkook was speaking, but you couldn’t understand through the rushing sound in your ears. The darkness slipped in again.

You woke again the next morning to Jungkook, pale and tense beside you, still holding your hand.

“You’re okay,” he said quickly, leaning in to cup the side of your head. “Just look at me for a minute and breathe. You have to breathe slowly, remember?”

Your heart was pounding again. It had been a couple of years since you’d had a severe panic attack, but you recognized it, as did Jungkook. You closed your eyes and concentrated on breathing as you listened to him count. Gradually your heart rate slowed.

You were calmer when the doctor came in to examine the palm shaped burn on your arm. You hadn’t imagined it then, you thought dimly. The man had burned you with a touch. You had never considered that a ghost could harm you like that – that something scarier than water ghosts existed. Your mother was talking to the doctor about the library fire, the assumption being that you must have been sitting in the chair that caught fire when a power surge overloaded the electrical system.

Jungkook obviously knew something much worse had happened, but you couldn’t bring yourself to talk about it yet. You couldn’t speak at all. You thought you might shatter from the inside out if you did. You didn’t want to eat or drink either until the nurse explained to your mother and Jungkook that your body needed the sugar due to the shock you’d been through. As long as you didn’t feel sick or vomit, you needed to try eating and drinking.

After that, Jungkook was relentless, coaxing you to drink juice and eat small bites of food every hour. You didn’t want it, but you didn’t have it in you to refuse when he looked so worried. His mother arrived in the afternoon, bringing your favorite fresh fruit, some homemade food and a change of clothes for Jungkook.

His mother sat with you while he washed up since your mom had gone to pick up the twins from school. You were still on a saline drip and the doctor had said you wouldn’t be discharged until tomorrow at the earliest because your blood pressure and blood sugar were still low.

A bone deep weariness had settled in by evening, but you were afraid to sleep. You heard Jungkook’s mother urging your mom to go home and get some rest since she’d been awake all night, promising that she and Jungkook would stay with you, but you didn’t look at your mother when she said goodbye. You felt oddly detached from her; whether she stayed or left didn’t really matter when you knew she’d never believe you if you tried to tell her what happened to you.

That night after his mom fell asleep on the sofa, Jungkook whispered, “Please talk to me, y/n. You’re scaring me.”

You looked at him, sitting there next to you, still holding your hand. You wondered what your lives would be like now if you had never moved here. You were sure that your life would be worse while his would undoubtedly be better.

“One of them…” your voice cracked, and you cleared your throat. “He followed me. I tried… tried to talk to him. And he… he…”

When you stopped talking, Jungkook asked, “Did he start the fire? Is that how you got burned?”

You shook your head and tried again. “He burned me when he… he touched me.” You squeezed your eyes shut, and the tears finally came, quietly.

“You’re okay now,” he said. He grabbed the box of tissues off the table and climbed onto the bed with you, carefully pulling you to him as he rested his chin against the top of your head. “It’s okay.”

____________

 But it wasn’t okay. You spent the final two months of the school year at home, completing your assignments online. Jungkook diligently took notes in class, and Jimin shared his notes as well. The teachers allowed you to come and take exams in a quiet room alone.

The only place you felt safe was in your bedroom with the talismans protecting your space. You had no idea what happened to the ghost at the library, but you were terrified that he might find you. Sleeping with the lights on was your new normal when you slept at all.

Your mom suggested counseling to help you deal with your anxiety. You went along with it, though you didn’t see the point. A therapist couldn’t help with something they didn’t know or understand, and it’s not like you could tell the woman what you were really afraid of. The best she could offer was advice on how to deal with your panic attacks and general anxiety. They were coping mechanisms that would do little to help you get to the root of the problem.

The one person who could help was also someone you didn’t want to talk to. Nana had visited with Mrs. Kim, but you’d told your mom that you didn’t want to see them. Your stepfather and the twins gave you space, rarely venturing into your bedroom, and you rarely ventured out. The only people you talked to besides the therapist, who came to your house twice a week, were Jungkook and his mom. Jin was in his last year at university, but he messaged you daily, making you smile with his terrible jokes.

Mrs. Kim had gone abroad to stay with her daughter in May. Nana brought over a small box that she said Mrs. Kim had asked her to give you, but you hadn’t opened it yet. It sat in your closet, buried beneath your schoolbooks you’d put away for the summer.

Then, one sunny day in early June, Nana went for a walk at the lake. It was her favorite spot because it was where she’d met her late husband. She’d always said she felt closer to him there than she did at his grave. She sat on the bench where he’d proposed so many years before, and her heart quietly gave out.

Jungkook was inconsolable. You tried to be there for him as he had been there for you in the past, but he held his grief in. You mustered up every bit of courage you possessed to stand with him at her grave site for the funeral services, heart in your throat and jumping at every shadow or slight noise.

You looked for her that day – at the grave site, and at the wake. You didn’t know how to explain it, but you were certain that she had moved on, that nothing had held her back. She’d found her peace and returned to her husband.

Jungkook didn’t believe you. You knew it was because on the day she died, Nana had asked him to walk with her as he often did. But on that particular day, he’d chosen to meet Grace for ice cream, and he couldn’t forgive himself.

“She said she wanted to talk to me about something. We were going to talk the next day,” he told you. He was sad, and angry, and after a week of stoicism, he began lashing out at everyone.

He’d begged you to go back to the grave site with him and you did. The anxiety of being there for hours, waiting for a spirit you knew would never come while avoiding the others who came and went, sometimes getting entirely too close to you for your sanity, took its toll. You spent the night in your bathroom, vomiting, sweating and angry with yourself for being so weak when Jungkook needed you.

The next day, he asked you to go to the lake with him.

“I can’t,” you whispered, shaking your head. The very idea made you want to vomit again.

“Please, y/n. Please.” He grabbed your hands, the pleading in his dark eyes making you feel like the worst friend for denying him.

“She’s not there, Jungkook. I can’t explain it, but I feel…”

“You don’t know that!” He let go of your hands and stood up, his anger spilling over, this time at you. “All these years, I never fucking asked you for anything. I’ve spent ten years adjusting my life to your fears and paranoia. I fight with my girlfriend because of you. I can’t even fucking go to the college I want to go to because I have to worry about how that affects you. And you can’t do this one thing for me?”

He was breathing heavily, not looking at you now as you stared at him, unable to believe the things he’d just said to you. You tried to tell yourself he didn’t mean it, that he was just hurting and angry, but you weren’t so sure. Maybe this was the sum total of the things you’d avoided talking about even when you knew that you were holding him back.

Before you could think of what to say, he turned and left, slamming your bedroom door behind him. You heard his footsteps down the stairs, and then there was nothing but the silence he left in his wake.

In all the years you’d been friends with Jungkook, you’d never seen him that angry. Typically, he was slow to anger, and he wasn’t one to hold grudges either. You were the one that held grudges for the both of you. But after two days passed without hearing from him, you knew this time was different.

Everyone tried to mediate since they didn’t know why you were fighting. Your messages to Jungkook went unanswered, and he’d refused to come out of his room when you finally went to his house to talk to him. Jin sat on your porch with you that afternoon, poking and prodding to try and figure out what was going on. You just told him that it was your fault because it was. Deep down, you felt like Jungkook had a right to be angry with you.

Two weeks later, Jungkook left for baseball camp.

There was almost a sense of relief you felt now that he was gone. Jin had come to talk to you again, telling you that he was sure that Jungkook was going to be feeling shitty about this whole thing by the end of the summer, and making a point to remind you that he couldn’t call even if he wanted to because he wasn’t allowed to have his phone for the month-long camp.

You didn’t say it, but you were beginning to think a clean break would be best for everyone. You talked to your uncle, quietly making plans without bothering to discuss it with your mother. And when you felt ready, you took out the box that Mrs. Kim had sent to you. You read the long letter, set aside the new talismans, and examined the jade Taoist amulet she’d included. Somehow, you weren’t surprised that she was prescient enough to know this time would come.

That night, you went to the lake.

________________________

 Jungkook was surprised to see Jin waiting for him when he left the camp facility. “I thought Mom was picking me up.”

Jin opened the trunk, took his bag and tossed it inside. “She was, but I need to talk to you, so I told her I’d do it.”

“I thought you’d still be mad at me,” Jungkook said as he got in the car. He ran his hand through his hair, pushing down his nerves. Baseball camp had been physically exhausting, but nothing had been able to drown out the horrible, horrible things he’d said before he left. They played on a loop as he lay in his bunk at night, and he saw your face when he closed his eyes.

“I am,” Jin said shortly. “You weren’t the only person who was sad about Nana, Jungkook. You’re just the only person who was super shitty about it, to everyone.”

He supposed he deserved that. “Do you have my phone?” It was a two-hour drive home, but he didn’t want to wait that long to call you. He wasn’t sure if you’d answer, but he needed to at least try.

“Yes, but I know who you’re going to call, and we need to talk first.”

Jin pulled into a small roadside diner. They sat in a back booth and ordered drinks and the lunch special, pulled barbecue sandwiches. Jin waited until he’d finished his sandwich before he spoke again.

Wiping his hands, he pushed his plate away and asked, “What exactly happened between you and y/n?”

Jungkook looked away. “I said some things to her that I should never have said. I don’t even know why I said them. I was just sad, and mad, and I’d already lashed out at everybody else. She was the only one left.”

“When I asked y/n, she said it was her fault,” Jin said. “She seemed to think she deserved your anger. Why would she think that?”

“Look, Jin, I appreciate that you tried to fix this, but I really need to talk to y/n. This is personal, between me and her. Can you give me my phone, please?”

Jin reached into his pocket and pulled out the phone, handing it over without another word.

Jungkook turned it on and gave the voice command to call you. After a moment, he heard a toneless voice saying the number was no longer in service. Annoyed, he went to his contacts and selected your name, again waiting for the call to connect.

Jin was sitting, arms crossed when he looked up. “What the hell is going on?”

“She changed her number.”

“Okay. What’s her new number?”

“See, I don’t know because she didn’t give it to anyone before she left.”

Jungkook set the phone down on the table, a sick feeling twisting in his gut. “I don’t understand.”

“About a week after you left, y/n’s mom called late one night to say she was missing. She wasn’t in the house, her phone was on her desk, no note, nothing. She had already driven around looking for her, but it was getting late, and she was worried, so we got some neighbors together to search for her. We couldn’t officially file a missing persons report, but Dad called a friend at the police department. They had patrol officers looking, and one of them said he remembered seeing a girl walking down by the lake at sunset.”

“She hasn’t been to the lake in ten years,” Jungkook said flatly. “There’s no way she’d go down there alone at night.”

“That’s what we thought too, but we looked just in case. No luck. I told Dad maybe we needed to come get you because if anyone would know where she might go, it would be you. But then another patrolman called to say he’d found her sitting on the pier at the lake. Apparently, she’d been there all night and when Dad and I got there, she was wet, like she’d been in the water.”

Jungkook shook his head. “No. She can’t swim, and she hates the water, even the pool.” If she’d gone there looking for Nana, he’d never forgive himself. “She was okay though, right?”

“Physically, yes – cold but not hurt. But the way she just stared out at the water gave me the chills, Jungkook. When I asked her why she’d gone down there, the only thing she’d say was that she needed to know if she could do it. Do what, I don’t know, but that was her answer.”

Jungkook swallowed hard. “You said she left. Did she go to her grandfather?” If he could catch the early afternoon train, he could be there by this evening.

“She left the country, Jungkook. Packed her bags, and when her uncle’s driver pulled up, she told her mom that she was going to that boarding school. All of ten minutes notice before she was in the car driving away. She called once after she arrived in England, and that’s the last time any of us heard from her.”

Jungkook couldn’t collect his thoughts as they drove home. All he could think of for the last couple of weeks was fixing the mess he’d made. He’d imagined many scenarios – some where you accepted his apology and things went back to normal, and others where you refused to speak to him. The latter was what he deserved, but he’d been so sure that he’d be able to fix it eventually.

“Do you remember the name that was on those brochures?” Jungkook asked. “I remember looking at them, but I can’t remember the name of that damn school.”

“No and believe me when I say I’ve been trying to remember. I even got her uncle’s number and called him, but he very politely told me that he supported y/n’s decision to cut ties with, and I quote, emotionally damaging people. I don’t even think her mother knows exactly where she is, probably because y/n thinks her mom would tell our mom, who would tell us, so yeah. Basically, we know she’s in England. In case of emergency, her uncle will get in touch with her.”

When they pulled up to their house, Jungkook got out and immediately went to your house. When your mom answered the door, she looked both surprised and dismayed to see him. “She’s not here, Jungkook. I thought Jin was going to talk to you about this.”

“I know, but I left something in her room. Can I go up and get it?”

She hesitated for a moment before letting him in. He took the stairs two at a time and opened your bedroom door. The air already smelled stale, and there was an abandoned air to the room now. Your favorite books weren’t on the bookshelf, and your closet was mostly empty. It was shameless, but he searched all of your drawers, looking for any hint about the school you were attending. After ten minutes, he was forced to admit defeat.

There was a box on your desk that looked familiar. Then he remembered that Mrs. Kim had left a box just like this one with Nana to give to you. He opened it to find the well-worn talismans that used to hang around your room. There was also a photo album – when he opened it, he found photos and news clippings of every baseball game he’d ever played, beginning with his t-ball years.

Instinctively, he knew this must be something you’d worked on for his birthday. You’d known that he would come looking for you, and you’d left the box out for him. Next was a hoodie he’d been looking for, not realizing he’d left it in your room. And at the very bottom of the box was a note with your neat handwriting sloping across the paper.

“Happy birthday. My wish for both of us is that we can be free.”

He’d thought the worst pain he’d probably ever feel was when Nana died but somehow, this pain was worse. It was an ache that hollowed him out, that made his jaw clench and his hands tremble. He wasn’t sure how long he stood there, staring down at that note. It was proof that you really didn’t know how important you were to him because if you did, you never would have left like this. You had decided that the best thing for both of you was to be free of each other, and that was on him.

When he heard a noise behind him, he wiped at a tear that slid down his cheek and turned to see your little sister, Emmie, standing in the doorway.

Emmie looked around the room and said, “I knew she was packing, but I thought she was gonna go to her dad’s family like she does every summer. You made her cry, you know.”

The little girl looked so much like you did when you were her age. It was in the way her hair parted, and how she tilted her head when she looked at him. The big eyes, and the stubborn chin – they were all little parts of you. It made his heart ache.

“I know. I wanted to tell her I’m sorry.”

“If you didn’t come, I was supposed to take that box to you. But you already found it.”

“Did she tell you anything else?”

“I don’t have her number,” she said bluntly. “Jin already asked me and Robbie. She just said we should be good and she’d send us presents from England.”

Jungkook took one last look around your room. The lucky pig you’d won at the arcade for your birthday still sat on your bed, so he picked it up and put it in the box. The pressed flower bookmark you’d made in middle school went in next – it was your birth flower. He found two mixtapes in your desk drawer, remnants of that weird CD burning phase you went through when everyone else was making playlists.

He added a few stray photos his grandmother had taken of you both using her ancient Polaroid, a book of poems you loved, and the silver charm bracelet you’d stopped wearing when the clasp broke last year. He’d given you at least half the charms on that bracelet anyway, so it was half his.

When Emmie raised her brows at his blatant theft, he shrugged. “Tell her she’ll have to talk to me if she wants her stuff back.”

Back at his house, he put the box in his closet and thought about the year ahead. Almost as far back as he could remember, you’d celebrated your birthdays together. This year, he’d be alone. He wouldn’t walk to school with you, and you wouldn’t share classes. You wouldn’t be on the bleachers during his baseball games, holding up your hand drawn signs. There would be no silly, senior year prom poses together. He’d graduate alone.

But you’d have to come back eventually. Maybe for the holidays, or at least before college. When you did, he’d do whatever it took to fix this.

[deerixiie]

description: nishinoya yuu helps you let go. or, you go cliff diving with your best friend

pairings: nishinoya yuu x gen!reader (tell me if i have any female pronouns and i’ll fix it!)

wc: 1,015

genre/warning: fluff i guess

a/n: probably my favorite work on this account ngl. i’m lazy so i’ll add the cut later

"yuu, we're going to die."

nishinoya laughed, a musical, filling sound. "we aren't going to die, dummy!"

the salty ocean air whipped against your bare arms as you stared at the churning water below. "it's literally jumping off a cliff. what if there are rocks below? we could get-"

your words were cut off by the sound of a whoop and a splash. your eyes bugged out of your head as you searched the whitecapped waves for the familiar ex-libero's face. "yuu!" you cried desperately. you swore under your breath repeatedly. "yuu, if you're dead, i'll kill-"

"CANNONBALL THUNDER!" nishinoya's head popped out of the water, a smile splitting his face. "that's what i'm going to call it! cannonball thunder!"

you could barely make out his voice with the early morning air whipping around your face. "are you hurt? jeez, you're such an idiot!"

nishinoya beamed, flashing you a thumbs up. "i'm fine!" he dragged a hand through his damp hair, the rebelliously-spiked locks now limp and hanging over his eyes. "your turn!"

"are you crazy? i'm not jumping 6 meters into water!"

"competitive cliff divers dive 18 meters!"

"we aren't competitive cliff divers, idiot!"

he laughed. "c'mon y/n, just do it! it's not like you're scared of heights!"

"i'm scared for my life! there's a difference!"

"i survived, didn't i?"

you frowned, knowing you didn't have a sharp retort to that. "but..." you trailed off. there was something daunting about jumping off. it wasn't the 6-meter drop into churning water. it wasn't the fact that you could fall the wrong way. it wasn't the fact that the water would be freezing. it wasn't the fact that you could possibly drown.

it was the letting go. the free-falling. tip-toeing off that edge and just... falling. nothing there to support you, no one there to ground you.

it was a frighteningly accurate metaphor for your relationship with nishinoya yuu. here you stood, teetering on the edge of a daunting cliff, staring into the rushing waters below. nishinoya was a coursing ocean, rough and unpredictable. you wanted to fall, to feel the refreshing water close over your head—but you were scared. you were scared you would drown in him, you were scared he would sweep you off to a place and you'd never return.

you were scared that he would get tired of your stubbornness and rush somewhere else, leaving you lying in the sand in the wake of his tide.

"who am i kidding," you murmur ruefully. "i'll probably be stuck on this cliff forever."

"y/n!" nishinoya called impatiently. "come on! it's almost 8 AM, people will come here soon."

you wrap your goosebumped arms around yourself. "does it hurt when you land?" you asked, your voice small.

somehow, nishinoya heard you. "oh, the landing? it's a little shocking, but you'll be alright." he grinned. "i believe in you!"

"but," your voice was louder now. "what if i don't land correclty? what if something happens and i can't swim? i could drown."

nishinoya scoffed. "that's easy." he spread his arms out to either side of him as if he was asking for a hug. "i'll catch you!"

“i'll catch you.”

those simple three words sent a jagged bolt of shock through you. it's okay, i'm here. i'll always be here.

no matter what happens, i'll be here.

and so you let go.

you spread your arms out to either side of you, took a step of the cliff, and fell.

and as you plunged toward the icy water, the walls you built around your heart crumbled down. a scream tore itself from your throat—though it was more like an excited shriek. wind streaked across your face as you fell. you were scared, terrified, but you were free.

your feet hit the water first. shock rippled through you as your flailing body broke the surface of the water. "yuu!" you found yourself screaming as the churning waves swallowed your head.

"hey, it's okay, i got you!" strong arms wrapped around your middle, pulling you out of the water. your best friend's face was inches away from your own. for once, you didn't see a smile on his face. his cheeks were red, flushed from the cold temperature of the water—at least, you thought they were. water dripped off his limp, dark chocolate-toned hair and trailed down his face. you felt his heavy breaths against your own chest, his heartbeat thudding with yours.

"that was..." nishinoya seemed to catch his breath. "that was awesome."

you stared into his wide earth-toned eyes. your heartbeats seemed to progressively grow louder and louder. "i..." you swallowed slowly. "thank you for catching me."

"anytime." his voice was breathy; as if he was still high off the adrenaline.

"anytime," you repeated. "do you really mean that? will you always be here?"

nishinoya's eyebrows pulled together. "of course! no matter what." he pressed his forehead to yours, grinning slightly. "i'm never leaving your side, i care about you too much to do that."

a swell of warmth filled your chest. you lean into his touch, feeling his grip on your waist tighten slightly. "thank you for making me let go, yuu."

let go. fall. fall into his arms.

"yuu," you swallowed slowly, your mind still playing with the idea of saying the next three words. when you finally did say them, they came out soft and hesitant, but somehow covered with whole-hearted earnest.

"i love you."

his breath caught in his chest. "wait...really?"

"yeah." you pulled your head away from his to look straight into his eyes. "i think i've loved you for a long time." now your gaze dropped. "i was just scared... i didn't want to love you and then see you leave."

nishinoya's eyes widened. "can i kiss you right now?"

you blinked in confusion as your heart jumped in your chest. "wait, wha-hmph!"

nishinoya's lips pressed against yours, cutting off your trail of thoughts. loving him like this was scary, you thought to yourself as you sunk into his embrace. it was terrifying.

but maybe, just maybe, i'll let go.

[koiotic]

AU where Zuko has 30% less impulse control and 1% better decision making

This fic idea has been bouncing around in my head for weeks, but I want to get more done on my other fics first. Anyway, here’s a snippet.

Zuko makes a different decision in the Crystal Catacombs-

•••

“I need you, Zuko. The only way we win is together.”

Azula smiled her sharp smile, but - was he seeing things, or did it look softer than usual? Was there something like desperation in the back of her gaze?

A cold, twisting feeling shot through him. He was seven again and running through the palace corridors, clutching her hand and helping her steal mochi from the kitchens; he was six and watching her bend her first flames in awe; he was five and hugging her tight as they hid in one of the empty rooms because dad was angry and they knew better than to cross his path.

“You are free to choose,” she said, suddenly cold and even all over again, like nothing had happened.

Uncle was saying something, but he couldn’t hear anything apart from the blood rushing through his veins. She said she needed him. It might be a lie, but she’d needed him before and he’d left her. Not by choice, but he’d left her. This time, he had the freedom to choose.

He made a decision, and prayed to the spirits it was the right one. Her words ricocheted around his head - honour, father’s love, everything you wanted. And that look on her face, the closest to vulnerable he’d seen since she was four and curled up under the bed with him because mother and father were yelling in the next room.

He was running without thinking, almost stumbling into the cavern behind her. The waterbender - Katara - looked up with something like hope shining in her eyes, the Avatar looking dubious but not instantly attacking. And that harsh glee was back on his little sister’s face, making her look so like father it stung. But she said she needed him. She needed him.

He sent a silent apology in his head to whatever spirits were listening, and struck.

Azula dropped like a stone.

~~~~~~

Katara didn’t know what she had been expecting, but it wasn’t that. Azula hadn’t either, apparently, eyes going almost comically wide as Zuko moved, hitting her in the back with a precise strike. She crumpled, Zuko catching her moments before she hit the floor.

“Wh- what?” Her voice cracked, laced with pure surprise.

Zuko looked just as surprised as everyone else, which was not very reassuring. “Sorry-“

And then, more to himself, “fuck”.

“Did-“ Aang gaped, “did you just chi-block her?”

“Apparently,” Zuko said, still looking shocked.

“When did you learn to chi-block?” Aang asked, half impressed and half nervous.

“About fifteen seconds ago,” Zuko admitted, sounding a little strained.

“So- you- you just did that and hoped it worked?”

“That’s... basically how I do everything.”

Katara was starting to wonder if they had seriously overestimated Zuko’s threat level. A laugh bubbled up in her throat.

“That was the most anticlimactic fight I’ve ever been in.”

And then one of the walls exploded, sending dust and rubble flying. Katara pulled up the water into an ice wall, then dropped it when she recognised familiar shapes careening through the dust cloud.

“Sokka! Toph!”

“Katara! We have to stop Azula, she-“ he stopped short and blinked, “... is unconscious?”

“I’m not unconscious, peasant,” the princess snapped, “why don’t you come here and we’ll see what I can do?”

A tongue of blue flame leaped up past her lips.

“Wow. Okay, cool,” then- “wait, Zuko?”

“Uh, hi?”

“Can someone please tell me what’s happening?” Toph burst out, throwing her arms up, “because I came here ready to beat up some Dai Li and that’s not happening for some reason!”

“Oh, Zuko chi-blocked Azula,” Aang said brightly, previous awkwardness forgotten.

“Does this mean you’re good now?” Sokka asked dubiously, fixing Zuko with a hard look.

“I... I guess?”

“Awesome!” Aang cried, and Zuko frowned, “does that mean you-“

The walls started shaking again, rocks clattering to the ground. Katara’s stomach dropped as rows and rows of Dai Li approached.

“Now that’s more like it,” Toph muttered, a tiny smirk crossing her face, “fighting now, talking later.”

“The only ‘later’ you’ll get,” Azula intoned, the air around her crackling dangerously, “is in a cell before your executions.”

“Charming,” Sokka muttered, letting his boomerang fly at the first line of earthbenders.

Then the Dai Li struck, the room exploding into cracks and rumbles. Zuko threw up a wall of fire, driving back the agents rushing towards Azula. She jerked forward, clearly trying to get up and start throwing around some fire.

Azula writhed as much as she could, then started screaming insults and curses as she whipped her head about, dark hair flying around her face.

Katara pulled up more water from the streams running through the cave, moving into bending stances that felt as familiar as breathing. Beside her, she saw Aang clutch his staff and Toph slide into a solid stance, waiting to strike.

The Dai Li moved first, striking in perfect synchrony. Their rock gloves shot forward, almost whistling through the air. And fast - Katara barely had time to freeze a shield before it was shattered on impact. Some air blasts from Aang threw more off course, but she caught the flicker of worry before he shifted into earthbending posture next to Toph.

Fighting fire with fire, so to speak.

Zuko, fighting earth with fire, didn’t seem to be having much better luck driving them back, but he was certainly holding his own.

A look of fierce focus had appeared on Toph’s face, and between her own attacks and blocks, Katara saw her precise and almost deadly looking movements. She was certain that if the Dai Li hadn’t been earthbenders capable of weakening her blows, they wouldn’t be getting back up.

She didn’t know how long it lasted, but soon a cold dread was settling in her stomach. Spirits knew how many Dai Li there were, and they weren’t stopping. She had lost her breath at some point and was struggling to get it back, feeling heavy exhaustion set into her limbs.

Beside her, she saw Aang stumble. A second later, so did she.

Two more figures appeared in Katara’s peripheral vision, and she cursed under her breath. Azula’s friends, the acrobat and knife thrower, weaving through the crowd of agents.

The princess saw them at the same time as she did, crying out “Mai! Ty Lee!”

Katara ducked under another flurry of projectiles and sent a wave back with all her strength, but the two girls were undeterred, the acrobat jumping over the water using the heads of flailing Dai Li as stepping stones.

“Zuko!” The knife thrower barked, “what are you doing?”

He faltered for a moment, locking eyes with her - but the girl was completely unreadable.

“Treason.”

The other girl - the actual, trained, chi-blocker, Katara remembered with a jolt - sprang forward before she could drive her back with a water whip. She flipped, landing on her hands in front of Zuko and Azula, jumping to her feet with that seemingly ever-present grin. The firebender moved into a familiar, aggressive stance, but seemed hesitant to strike.

“Treason? Without us?”

And then she was leaping back into the fray, striking with lightning quick movements almost too fast for Katara to catalog. The earthbenders finally broke rank, scattering in futile attempts to dodge or fight back.

Katara thought she saw a tiny smile on her otherwise emotionless companion before her arms flew out almost as fast, and another group of agents were thrown back, pinned to the ground and walls by glinting blades. The Dai Li were dropping like flies, piling up on the floor almost comically fast.

And then there were dozens of unconscious or immobile earthbenders at their feet, and Azula hissing and spitting flame in incensed horror.

“Well,” the knife thrower said, turning to Zuko, “what are we doing now?”

Zuko was frozen, looking utterly stunned, and Katara couldn’t blame him.

“Mai, you- you-“

“Well, I couldn’t let you commit treason without me,” she deadpanned, “I can’t let you have all the fun. And we need to get going. What are we doing with Azula?”

“How about we leave Crazy Blue and get out of here?” Sokka cut in, still looking suspicious but more preoccupied with not getting impaled on a rock, “Appa should be outside, Aang, do you have the bison whistle?”

The acrobat, Ty Lee, appeared at Mai’s side and latched onto her arm like a pentapus. “How are we getting out? We could try sneaking out, but Azula’s might give us away-“

“You’re damn right I will,” Azula practically growled, “I didn’t think even you would be stupid enough to double cross me!”

“Wait-“ Katara cut in, “you’re not coming with us?”

The three stared at her blankly.

“Coming with you?” Zuko looked perplexed.

“You- you turned on Azula and helped Aang. I thought you were on our side.”

Was she going crazy?

“Well,” Mai shrugged, “it’d be a nice change of scenery.”

Zuko exchanged an unreadable look with Mai and Ty Lee and shrugged somewhat helplessly. “I was planning on taking Azula somewhere safe in the Earth Kingdom, but...”

“We would love to!” Ty Lee exclaimed, looking so excited and bubbly Katara could almost forget that she was a force to be reckoned with in battle.

“Alright,” Mai shrugged, then glanced at Azula, “anyone got any rope?”