#Angst with a Happy Ending

[runraerun]

Steddie Amnesia Fic — 3/3

Part 1 | Part 2 | AO3

wc: 3k | rating: T | cw: head trauma, brain injury talk | a special thank you to @dame-zoom-a-lot for betaing! <3

The days following Steve’s Houdini act are fuckin’ tense, to say the least.

Eddie had messed up. Royally.

He could’ve sworn that when Steve took off, he’d ducked into the Recovery Center, y’know, the place he was supposed to go! If Eddie had known Steve took a detour and missed the building entirely, Eddie would’ve ran a lot fucking faster than he had. Especially after…

Well, no point in shying away from it anymore; after Steve confessed his love for him.

And how did Eddie return the favor? By being a total bone head and losing Steve for the entire goddamn day! Not to mention a good chunk of the night. Jesus… It’s no wonder Robin’s still sore.

Now, in Eddie’s flimsy defense, Steve had thrown him for one hell of a loop. One that Eddie was still seeing double from. He’s still having trouble wrapping his head around what he’d heard; Steve ‘the Hair’ Harrington, King of Hawkins High, being into Eddie ‘the Freak’ Munson, the drug-dealing ne’er do well hailing from the Forest Hills trailer park. Forgive him for finding the threads a little difficult to tie together! He’s not exactly Steve’s usual fare.

But it had happened.

Things have fundamentally, metaphysically, allegorically and subatomically shifted between the two of them—there’s no getting away from that, no matter how long they try and dance around this.

Steve said he loved Eddie. Love.

That isn’t something you just move on from. At least, it isn’t something Eddie can move on from. Especially when he didn’t even get to say his piece!

The trouble is that Robin’s in all-out guard dog mode with Steve, keeping Eddie at arm's length even after a whole goddamn week goes by. Sure, she’d accepted his apology (albeit begrudgingly), but she isn’t exactly keen on letting Steve out of the house without her by his side—much less with Eddie. It would be kind of heartwarming if it weren’t so goddamn annoying.

Steve isn’t some damsel locked away in a tower, and Eddie wasn’t some knight in shining armor, planning to scale the side of a stone tower to avoid the sleeping, fire-breathing dragon…

But as Eddie stares up at the fire escape attached to the side of Steve and Robin’s brick apartment building… he'd be lying if he said he didn’t sort of feel a little shiny.

Part of Eddie can’t believe it’s really come to this, but… he just can’t stand the idea of wasting another goddamn night tossing and turning, going over and over Steve’s words in his mind. Thinking about the way Steve’s hand felt in his, the way his eyes went all soft when he told Eddie he—he loved him…

Jesus H. Christ, this is way beyond his skill set—he’s way out of fucking league here, but there’s nothing for it. Eddie needs to settle this, once and for all.

So, he takes his bandana from the back pocket of his jeans and presses the flat of it to his forehead while his hands make a tight knot in the back. He zips his leather jacket as high as it’ll go and gives his hands a shake to try and get the jitters out.

It’s not exactly a helmet and plates of armor, but it’ll have to do. Eddie takes a breath, steels himself, then climbs on top of a precariously stacked pile of milk crates that he’d crafted and leaps for the steel ladder. As soon as his feet leave the plastic tower, it collapses under him, clattering to the ground. Eddie knows he shouldn’t look back, but he sneaks a peak over his shoulder and… yep. He really shouldn’t’ve looked. He’s not that high up, but it’s enough that if he falls, he’d be feeling it tomorrow. Might even bust an ankle if he landed wrong.

He turns back to the task at hand; getting to Steve.

There’s a terrifying moment where he’s not sure if he can pull himself up, but somehow, he finds the strength to do just that. If only Coach D’Amour could see him now!

He grunts as he pulls himself up onto the platform, belly getting scratched against the grates as he goes. Eddie scrambles to get his legs underneath himself. Then, he stands, dusts himself off and takes the win, graceless as it was.

The fire escape is rickety and fucking loud as he takes the steps two at a time. It’s cold enough that even the quickest touch of the steel railings drains all the heat out of his fingers, so he just keeps them balled up, swinging at his sides. The wind is especially chilly up here too, something he hadn’t noticed on the ground, but now that he’s up a couple of floors there wasn’t anything for the wind to buff off except the side of the building and, well, Eddie.

By the time he reaches the third floor, his nose is running and no doubt red and irritated looking, and he’s woefully out of breath.

Kind of a pathetic knight, he thinks as he sniffs back the worst of it, wipes the underside of his nose on the sleeve of his jacket to get rid of what’s left.

The light in Steve’s room is on, reaching out to him through the lines of Steve’s shut blinds.

His hand is raised, wind-chapped knuckles knocking against the glass of his window before he can plan out what he’s going to say. He just wants to see Steve. Get eyes on him again. Work this out.

It’s a painful few seconds before Eddie can see movement from inside the window. He bounces on the balls of his feet as he impatiently waits for Steve to let him in. His breath fogs the window.

Then finally. Finally! The blinds are pulled up. He smiles and—

Oh Christ on a cross. That’s not Steve.

Eddie’s stomach damn near falls out of his ass as the woman on the other side of the glass screams, as shrill and high as if she were next to him.

And of course she’s in a fucking towel.

Eddie slaps one hand across his eyes and the other up in surrender, “I’m sorry! I’m sorry! Shit, Jesus, I—I’m not a pervert, I swear!”

Debatable, his brain supplies, entirely unhelpful in an emergency situation. But hey, what’s new?

“I was looking for my friend, not—Please stop screaming!” He screams.

“Eddie?” A familiar voice calls from below.

The hand on Eddie’s eyes lift and looks down through the metal grates under his boots. “Steve!”

Steve’s hanging half out his window, peering up at him with a bewildered expression on his face. “What’re you doing?”

Eddie holds his arms out like it should be obvious. “Seeing you!” He snaps.

Eddie’s attention is briefly yanked back to the scandalized looking woman in the window in front of him. “I’m—yeah, I’m gonna—” He backs away, and swings around the escape before thundering down the stairs, shouting another apology up in his shameful retreat.

Steve backs up in order to let Eddie in. He climbs in as gracelessly as ever, all knees and elbows, stiff from the cold. He slides the window shut behind him once he’s in, dropping the blinds for good measure.

He wonders if Hopper is getting a call about a long-haired, wild-eyed, deranged looking peeping Tom at this very moment.

“Smooth.” Steve says from behind him, an edge of playfulness.

When Eddie turns and finally gets a good look at Steve, who looks especially comfortable in his flannel sleep pants and worn sweater, hands on hips. “I was looking for you.”

“Yeah, I got that,” Steve snorts softly, “third floor, remember?”

“I counted! Ground floor, first floor, second floor, third floor.” Eddie says, using his hand to indicate his pattern of thought, moving it up a tick with each floor.

Steve scoffs, shaking his head. And even though Eddie knows Steve’s laughing at him, he can’t help that warm feeling that pours through him, filling him up. All his cracks and edges, sealed up with Steve’s effortless being.

“No.” Steve raises his own hand, mirroring Eddie’s. He begins notching as he explains, “ground floor, second floor, third floor. The ground is the first floor, dude.”

Eddie frowns. “What? Since when?”

Steve levels Eddie with a flat look. “Since like, the civil war, dude.”

Huh. Eddie frowns. Mulling over the new bit of information. That would’ve been nice to know.

“Why were you even doing out there in the first place? We have things called front doors. And, y’know, phones.” Steve crosses his arms across his chest, losing a bit of steam as the words left him. Like he’s realized exactly what Eddie being here, in his rooms, meant.

“I had to see you.” Eddie says, like it’s not the most obvious thing in the world, “Face to face, just me and you.”

“Can’t we just—I don’t know, pretend all of… that never happened? Hell, it might drop out of my head one of these days anyway. Lots of shit does.” Steve’s says, sounding so fucking defeated that it sends a sharp pain through Eddie’s chest.

“Hey,” Eddie makes a face, gets in Steve’s space, “don’t be a jerk to yourself.”

He ducks his head in an attempt to meet Steve’s downturned gaze, which he reluctantly returns. He’s got these big, warm eyes, the color of dark honey—the kind that are hard to look away from, so Eddie rarely does. He’a got a staring problem, he knows, but… damn. Can you really blame a guy?

A nerve in Steve’s jaw jumps when he clenches his teeth together, and salt pools begin forming along the rim of those familiar eyes. When he speaks, it’s stiff. Barely above a whisper. “I’m embarrassed, alright?”

“You don’t gotta be embarrassed, man.” Without thought, Eddie’s hands go to Steve’s arms, fingers hovering around his elbows. Eddie tilts his head again to try and keep eye contact again but Steve seems determined to avoid it.

“Easy for you to say.” Steve huffs, and sits down on the edge of his bed, slipping out of Eddie’s hold, arms still crossed over his chest. “You didn’t totally humiliate yourself in front of your—friend.”

The word, one in which Eddie holds in a most sacred of views, sounds distinctly hollow when Steve says it.

“Steve, listen to me, just for a sec, alright?” Eddie gets down to the floor, one knee buried in the carpet while the others bent out in front of him. “This is my fault.” He confesses, voice full of remorse.

Finally, Steve looks at him. His brows twitch together as he makes a face. “Bullshit.”

“No, it’s true! I—I didn’t mean to, but I’m not exactly big on the whole impulse control thing, as you know, and, thinking back on things I probably… I probably let a few things slip.” Eddie explains, his rings clinking together lightly as he gestures with his hands.

Steve, however, doesn’t look any less confused. He blinks. “What?”

Eddie lets his head fall forward in a moment of defeat as he attempts to gather up his fleeting thoughts. It’s like chasing wet, feral cats up there!

Still, he picks himself back up. For Steve.

“What I’m trying to say is…” Eddie puts his hands on Steve’s knees. Feels the warmth under the soft, worn flannel. The hard muscle. Alive, whole. He tightens his grip. “Steve, I’ve been crazy about you since the first time I ever saw you. Don’t roll your eyes—I’m serious! You sat in front of me in math one year and you forgot your pencil. We were having a test that day, and you asked me if you could borrow one of mine, so I let you have the one I was using. You chewed up the end of it, squashed the eraser to all hell, but then when you gave it back to me, you smiled, thanked me and said, ‘I owe you one.’ It—okay, yeah, so it sounds, like, really small, and probably pretty pathetic, but… I was totally starstruck, man.”

At some point in his little spiel, Steve had uncrossed his arms. So Eddie takes the opportunity to clumsily take Steve’s hands, his insides feeling like a kicked hornets nest. Buzzing. He swallows. “I still am.”

Steve keeps his mouth shut, but there’s a knot in him that’s loosening, Eddie can tell. He’s just gotta keep tugging. He squeezes Steve’s fingers.

“The feeling was cranked up a few hundred clicks because of all the, y’know, near death experiences we went through together. But you get it now, right? You get how this is all my fault?”

“Eddie, you don’t have to—” Steve starts, hands stiffening in Eddie’s hold. Slipping away. But Eddie holds firm, decides to just fucking say it. If Steve could, Eddie could too.

“I’m in love with you too.” He blurts out, and now that he’s said it out loud, it’s like there’s a dam that gets busted inside of him; he can’t stop the rush of words that follows the confession. “That’s what you were seeing. That’s what you were noticing. I thought I was being slick, just keeping it friendly or whatever. Flirting, yeah, but I didn’t think you’d ever actually reciprocate. Because, honestly man, I’m not really used to people taking me all that seriously. ‘Zany, pot-head Eddie, can’t trust anything that comes out of his crooked mouth!’”

Eddie shakes his head, scoffing at his own blind spots, “But… you saw right through that shit—right through me. You didn’t make it up in your head, Steve—you felt it. You were right.”

Steve’s got a funny look on his face, but he nods. A lock of hair falls over his forehead, but he doesn’t remove his hands from Eddie’s to fix it. “You love me?”

That’s like asking if the sun would rise tomorrow morning. Of course. Of course.

Eddie pulls one of Steve’s hands and flattens it onto his chest, over the leather.

“Every time my heart beats, it's your name it calls out, man.” Eddie says, a smile tugging at the corners of his mouth when he sees the red creep up on the apples of Steve’s cheeks. “D’you feel it?”

Steve gives a breathless chuckle, hesitating for a split second before he nods, playing along.

Electricity hums under Eddie’s skin, the resulting static snaps in the air around them. Eddie presses Steve’s hand against the wall of his chest a little harder, so that he can feel the pounding a bit better. Then Eddie whispers in time with the rhythm of his lovesick heart, giving it a voice, “Ste-vie, Ste-vie, Ste-vie…”

He keeps chanting until Steve’s grinning, eyes glued to their joined hands. It’s a fleeting thing, though. Eddie watches as that hard-won smile drops and a pinched look takes its place. “Even now? Eddie, I’m not—I don’t think I’m the same person I was before.”

“Are you kidding me? Especially now. In sickness and in health, right?” Somewhere in his brain an alarm sounds, but he doesn’t pause long enough to acknowledge exactly why, lest he lose momentum, “look, Steve, even if you are a little different from the guy you were in high school, you’re still you.”

A beat passes. “What if I never get better?”

“Steve, you will, the doctors said—”

“But what if I don’t? Jesus, Eddie, what if I get worse?” Steve’s voice had gone progressively more hushed as he spoke, as if he were so afraid of its possibility that even voicing it felt risky. Made it real, even in that small way. It’s something Steve’s thought about, Eddie realizes. Agonized over, even.

“Then I’m the lucky son of a bitch that gets to take care of you.” Eddie says, sure as shit. Truthfully, he can’t think of anything else he’d rather do, even if Steve hadn’t done a completely insane thing like falling in love with Eddie. His love isn’t conditional. “S’long as you’ll let me.” He tacks on.

It’s like a wall crumbling. Brick by brick, Eddie watches Steve’s resolve collapse. The rim of his eyes shine with unshed tears, his brow relaxes and his chin twitches. “You sure you want that?”

He scoffs, eyes wide. “It’s all I want.” He answers, quickly. A reflex. Who wouldn’t want to be with Steve Harrington? Eddie thought he was lucky just to be in the same fucking orbit as the guy, but now…

Now, as he watches a smile slowly spreads across Steve’s face—fucking Adonis incarnate—it feels like he won the goddamn lottery.

“Okay.” Steve utters, so softly that for a second Eddie thinks he’d imagined it.

“Okay?” Eddie asks, trying his damndest to keep from imploding. He’s fucking vibrating in his skin.

Instead of answering Eddie, Steve decides to clarify himself by leaning forward and pressing his mouth against Eddie’s.

Fireworks go off inside of Eddie, every inch of him. All lit up. Feels like he’s shining just as good as any knight.

One of Steve’s hands snake their way behind Eddie’s neck, pulling him closer, while the other remains held over Eddie’s jackrabbiting heart. Their lips part, and their kiss deepens. Eddie tries to keep up.

They eventually end up on Steve’s narrow twin bed laying side by side, legs entangled, kissing until their mouths go dry. Eddie swipes a calloused thumb over Steve’s cheek, savoring the feeling of the barely there stubble, the heat from the blush that never seems to subside.

They don’t speak for the rest of the night. Not even a ‘goodnight’ after Steve crawls over Eddie to flick off his bedside lamp, tugging the comforter up around their shoulders as he settles back into the safe harbor of Eddie’s arms. They don’t need words. Not tonight, anyway. Tonight, all they need to do is to rest.

Whatever comes after, they’ll deal with it together.

—

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[rei-plswork]

omg i read this a week ago why didnt i reblogg :(( I swear this made me sad sad and the gore was WILD like sent actual shivers down my spine. While reading I was panicking cuz i felt it in my gut that one of them would die. I read the ending so no spoiler for those that wanna read

࣪ . ִֶָ๋ KINICH: ❝ HEAVEN CAN WAIT. ❞

pairing: kinich x afab!reader (uses she/her) synopsis: during the invasion of the abyss, the bond between you and kinich is put to the test when you're both lost in the chaos searching for eachother, as he fulfills his sacred duty as one of the heroes of Natlan. warnings: spoilers of the 5.1 archon quests! lots of bodily injury + descriptions of gore, the war ingame is described in a darker way here, cursing, many mentions of death. wordcount: 5.4k cho’s notes: PLS SRSLY LISTEN TO THE INJURY WARNING!! i might be a little dramatic but theres an injury here that made me geek when i was writing it idk. this is basically 5.4k words of me pretending to understand the mechanics of the ode of resurrection 😭 i was inspired to write this after playing the 5.1 aq! hope u guys enjoy this, happy reads <3

taglist: @sillywinnertidalwave

Today marked the exact moment the people of Natlan realized that the abyss weren’t just these noisy hilichurls you see camping in the meadows or the occasional mages you’d encounter in the caves; The Abyss was a ruthless cult of monsters with their uniform goal of bringing humanity to its demise.

‘It was never supposed to get this bad.’ was the only thought racing through Kinich's mind as he swung from cliffs to trees as fast as he could, the muscles in his arms feeling like they could rip apart if he swung one more time, his head slightly burning with exhaustion and heart racing with overwhelming pressure.

People were getting massacred on the ground underneath him, as numerous warriors and guards pushed themselves beyond their limit to fend off the neverending wave of rifthounds and hilichurls coming from the illuminating pylons—and he couldn’t do anything about it. Not when everyone and everything needed his aid, all at once.

But Kinich had someone to come home to, and it was you.

The last moment of peace the both of you had together was just earlier today; Sipping coffee and eating fruit together, discussing light subjects to try and distract each other from the rising attacks of the abyss, totally oblivious to the fact that Natlan would be dragged into war by them hours later. 

He felt like it was just a minute ago when you sat in front of him, and glowed under the sunlight, slicing apples intricately as your lips spilled words. ‘How could this happen?’ he thought.

The image of you smiling, your face full of faith pulsed in his mind, making his stomach twist when his eyes landed on the village of the Scions of the Canopy; it was on the brink of ruin.

Caravans and carts were being ripped open with the goods spilling onto the ground only to be squashed, children getting dragged by desperate parents, greedy businessmen clawing at their money hoping it would save them, and the scattered limp bodies of innocent natlanese. The sky loomed over everyone’s heads in an eerie color, only amplifying the hopelessness he rarely felt in his chest. The scent of blood and burning ash filled his nostrils the second he violently landed onto the oversized canopy, mildly hurting his ankles in the process.

“Y/n? Y/n!” He called out among the frenzy, his eyes darting to every face he could spot. He got on his heel and started running— desperate that you wouldn’t appear as one of the bodies that were left to rot on the ground. 

He raced to your house, and tried to push the door open with no luck. He had no time to care for it, and just slashed through it with his bulky claymore and bursted into the room, his eyebrows knitted together, pupils dilated, cold sweat on his nape. His eyes don’t spot you in your usual leisure spot of your common room, making his heart drop. He checked all other rooms, and finally opened your bedroom:

You weren’t there.

You weren’t anywhere.

His heart hurt with every beat, and he desperately clawed at his chest trying to get back his calm composure he was always known for. But what for?

“Just give it up, that peasant probably turned into abyss food long before you even got here. Stop wasting your time, my time!” Ajaw suddenly hissed out, his words filling kinich’s mind with poison.

Imaginations of your body growing limp and cold, face turning blue, and blood oozing out from some part of your body as rifthounds dug through your flesh flashed through his head. And he tried to stop it. But with the spinning of his head and the lifelessness of your house that was once so full with your laughter, it just kept getting worse.

He stood with a lowered head, his hand gripping his claymore so tight his knuckles turned white. He fought back tears as his mind danced like a kaleidoscope. To him, there would be no use in saving Natlan, if you weren’t in the picture.

He was supposed to not let his will in defeating the abyss sway at all, you wouldn’t want that. No one would want that. He doesn’t either. But now faced with the odds that you might not be able to experience a Natlan that is finally free from centuries of prejudice, after you’ve been by his side telling him to have faith that the day will come, and the dreams you want to accomplish when everything is finally okay— It seemed unfair. SO unfair.

He whispers to himself, or rather to anything who was willing to listen, with a shaky voice: “If only one wish of mine can be granted for my whole lifetime, please.. Keep her safe. That’s all I ask.”

🎕 ‧₊˚ ⋅

The clashing of weapons against the shelled skin of the abyss monsters zipped through the air, as you swiftly dodged the claws of a relentless rifthound; you’ve been doing this for hours now.

You were helping your tribe, the Scions of the Canopy, strengthen its defenses before the outbreak until you were called by a messenger to help strengthen defenses of an adventurer’s base southeast of the village as it was being easily overwhelmed by the enemies. As the head of preparing defenses from the village, you happily obliged.

But now you were almost hours into battle, with your body aching in all different spots, as you tried your best to continue evading the insistent attacks of numerous monsters. You couldn’t find the energy to swing your sword with maximum strength anymore, so all you could muster up was to dodge them.

“Fuck! Will you ever quit!?” you yell, before pushing yourself beyond your limits again, attacking with frustration. You slashed through the tough skin of the rifthound with your dendro-infused blade, making it dissipate into purple smoke with a screeching growl before fading into the air.

You had a second for a breather and  took a deep breath, which you regretted immediately. “ugh!” you cried, falling to your knees, grabbing your side. You recall the moment you heard something snap when a hilichurl swung its wooden baton at your side when you were busy confronting a different monster. You broke your rib, and it was now piercing your lung.

You stared into the dirt, forehead collecting sweat. You took your hand off of your side, seeing blood paint your palm a deep scarlet. You touched your forehead, and brought your hand back to your eyes— You were bleeding. everywhere.

Your eyes sting with tears, the reality of the situation slowly setting into your head— The chances of you leaving this battlefield alive was slim. Your teeth press against your bottom lip tightly, the pain being incomparable to the injuries you’ve sustained. 

‘I’m sorry kinich.’ echoed in your mind. Kinich had been training you recently, for you to be ready in case of an invasion and he wasn’t there to protect you. But here you are, head-first onto the ground, realizing you’ll probably die in the next few minutes.

‘I’m sorry kinich.. I’m not built for this.’ you whimpered, tears slowly trickling down your face. You felt so heavy with hopelessness, you felt like you could start sinking into the solid dirt beneath your body.

It wasn’t supposed to end like this. You were only supposed to continue helping people fend off the abyss for a few more days, until the Pyro Archon solved the crisis. And after she did, you would’ve explored places outside of Natlan with Kinich. Sumeru was the first region you both agreed to visit; It was always a dream that you shared together to travel all of Teyvat one day. Hell, you even had a hunch he’d propose to you somewhere down the line of your voyage. 

So why are you kneeling on the floor, bleeding from every possible corner of your body, accepting your demise as your comrades slowly thin in number?

‘How long do I have to keep this up? I feel like if I swing my sword one more time, my arms will come flying off. I can’t do it anymore. This is something only strong people can do. Strong people like kinich. I can’t. I just can’t. I ca-’

Woosh!, Your ears picked up the sound and you jumped to your feet, barely escaping the blade of an enormous mitachurl that almost claimed your head. 

You tumbled lightly onto the ground, before you hold your sword up again with both your hands, your limbs trembling hopelessly in the gaze of the towering monster over you with demonic horns. You almost drop your blade and just let it kill you right then and there. 

But kinich appeared in your thoughts.

The mitachurl was standing the way the dummy kinich built for you was. Kinich’s voice instructing you rippled in your thoughts: “swing your sword down to the left, diagonal to the body. Then, slice up to the right, also diagonally. For the final blow, strike straight down the crown of its head, taking force from your shoulders. ”

You listen to kinich on repeat a few times, drawing imaginary lines on the body of the scowling mitachurl that stomped closer to you. You gulped the lump in your throat, before you did exactly what kinich taught you.

You twist your body with your edge in the air, taking a (painful) deep breath before swinging your blade to the left in a declining path. The mitachurl stumbles back at your sudden strike making an mmgh! sound, breaking down some of its armor. You quickly slice back up in the opposite direction before it could react any further. Your shoulder burned with every twist, but you had to keep going.

As it stumbled one more time, You bring your weapon above your head, and ignite it with dendro, causing a deep green aura to emit from your person. You meet eyes with the monster; It looked horrified. You stood there ready to take its life, appearing like a monster yourself with the blood that dripped down your head, your eyes seething with revenge.

You spare no more time before completely slicing straight down its head with maximum precision. A loud growl slowly faded with the noise, just as its body did, turning into a dark smoke. 

“If my life is going to end with this battle, then please grant my final wish—” You whispered, looking at your blood-stained hands, hoping the heavenly principles could hear your wish among the deafening sound of war:

“—Please.. Keep kinich safe for me.”

🎕 ‧₊˚ ⋅

The people seeking refuge in a temporary hideout turn their heads at the noise of their beloved heroes walking into the space. ‘Baraka’ Xilonen, ‘Umoja’ Mualani, ‘Uwezo’ Iansan, ‘Bidii’ Ororon, and ‘Vuka’ Chasca. There was only one more hero missing.. ‘Malipo’ Kinich.

Kinich had just rounded up civilians he saved from the village, and brought them there for safety. His gaze met with his friends, before he carefully placed a baby he was protecting into the arms of its mother— The baby had your eyes, which gravitated him into holding it just a little longer. He walked over to them with heavy steps, still trying to keep his composure despite the pain weaving his insides; just like them. 

“It’s the final phase of mavuika’s plan. We have to get back to the stadium, and help her with the Ode of Resurrection.” Xilonen says. “Can you do it?” 

It’s not like he had any other choice so he just nodded, not being able to muster up the strength to talk.

“Kinich.. Did something happen?” Mualani asked, taking notice of his silence as she placed her hand on his shoulder in support. It was clear she was just as broken down as he was, covered in bruises and scratches. But she continued to stay strong and pulled an empathetic look for him, trying to get his lowered eyes to meet hers.

“I.. couldn’t find y/n.” Kinich barely mumbled, the dread he felt earlier coming back to him, feeling like it only got worse verbalizing it. His eyes stuck to the ground, refusing to peel away.

The five heroes suddenly feel the air grow thick, a gasp leaving Iansan and Mualani's lips. This reaction only made the feeling worse, his fingertips digging into his palm. ‘Why does it have to turn out like this? I don’t fucking get it. It’s unfair. Not fair. Not fair to me, to her.’

The five struggled to find words to say, but ajaw quickly filled the space, spitting out: “Fear not lowly humans! For when Kinich finally slips in this final fight and accidentally ends up kicking the bucket, I, the almighty dragonlord, k’uhul ajaw! Will reign over this world once more! And the abyss will no longer be the biggest threat Natlan has faced!” The 8-bit monster laughed proudly with its jagged voice.

Kinich suddenly snapped at the puny dragon: “Zip it ajaw. Let’s go.” before stepping out of the hideout. The heroes gave each other glances, before silently following after him. They weren’t scared of kinich releasing ajaw, they knew kinich would never do that to them. But it was him they were worried about.

Kinich never handled loss well. It often resulted in.. Accidents. Towards himself.

🎕 ‧₊˚ ⋅

You continued to fight your way to survival, the dendro vision hanging by your hip flashing every few seconds. You shifted your focus to destroy nearby pylons. Your hands had bruised, and slowly became callused and firm. The amount of blood loss you’ve endured has slowly started affecting you too, as your actions started getting sloppier, following your sight getting hazy from time to time.

‘Ching!’ You sliced through the last mitachurl around— atleast, last one before another one spawns—and fell to your battered knees. You sat there, gasping, your body begging for air. 

“Y/n!” a fellow comrade called out, rushing to your side. You can hear him mumbling something to you, but it’s incoherent. You looked at your dirty, bloodied hands, ‘what an ugly sight.’  

“Just.. keep pushing on y/n.” his words sound muffled to you and almost accompanied with sand; he’s losing hope too. 

Without warning, a bright beam of light suddenly shot up into the air, emerging from somewhere in the distance.

‘Huh?’ You look up.

The ray of light exploded into a star, making you wince at the glare. The explosion was so grand, you felt the earth tremble all around you, and even felt a slight radiance of heat reach your skin, even when it was suspended so close to the stars.

The warriors and monsters’ brawl comes to a pause, all beings turning their heads to the magic unfolding above their heads.

You look back up once more. It’s the Pyro Archon.

“In the name of the Pyro Archon, Haborym,” the transcendent voice sends chills down your spine.

“I declare the Night Warden Wars underway—”

“—The Ode of Resurrection will guard all life, until the war is over!”

🎕 ‧₊˚ ⋅

Kinich might’ve lost his mind.

With the Ode of Resurrection, there was nothing in his way to contain the blood rushing through his veins anymore, the flame pumping his drive. There was no limit to the blood he could pour, no limit to the bones he could snap, no limit to the wounds he could take; There was no more life that kept him from death, and no death to threaten him to life. 

He shot himself through the trees and cliffs and plunged into the ground, slashing right into an abyssal pylon, immediately shattering it into pieces. The abyss that caught sight of his unhinged eyes,  became the last thing they saw. He swung his blade relentlessly, calculated with maximum precision embedded into every strike. Every blow he landed would end a life point-blank, not wasting a single movement. No monster could keep up with the speed of his assault, their death delivered to them in a blur.

A hilichurl had taken an open opportunity to stab him right through the heart from behind. He felt the flame inside him flicker for a second.

‘Again.’

He ripped the double sided polearm right out of his chest, before skewering the same hilichurl right through its chest with the same weapon. A cryo mage quickly sent icicles to penetrate through his limbs and vital organs. He felt the coldness pierce into his insides, feeling the flame inside him flicker for a second time.

‘Again.’

He swiftly turned around, and spun his claymore right into the mage, beheading it in the process. The mage had evaporated to its death, as his claymore spun right back into his palm, snug as a glove. A hilichurl decided to charge into his tall figure and stab him with a dagger, puncturing his abdomen. His flame flickered for the third time.

‘Again.’

He sliced down on the hilichurl, making it dissipate into the air with a groan. He pulled out the dagger from his body and carelessly threw it onto the ground. Noticing the area was clear, he flung himself back into the air, swinging himself through the thick trees and long branches. They would momentarily graze his skin, cutting and wounding him but it was nothing to him, not anymore.

His void eyes scanned through the rocky terrain underneath his feet, searching for your figure. ‘You have to be here. Somewhere. Anywhere.’ His thoughts of you distracted him from an incoming tree, before flying straight into its tree branch, his body getting skewered in the process. He let out a loud cry of agony— “aaghh!”—, hearing static ringing in his ears. His bewildered eyes landed at exactly where he got impaled before feeling his head go fuzzy, his eyes slowly losing light, and his body going limp. He feels his flame flickering once more.

��Again.’

Life is shot right back into him as he braced himself again, taking a deep breath, and pulling himself off of the tree branch. His injury immediately punished him, making him wince. He took one last look at the tree branch covered in his gore before swinging himself again. He looked at the gaping hole in his abdominal cavity slowly patch and fill itself again, and for a moment he’s completely mesmerized by the power of the ode of resurrection. 

In his mind, he punished himself for not being by your side, for not protecting you. And his mode of punishment would be feeling your misery over and over again. The sensation of burning pain ending up to his death just to wake up again completely alive again all in a split second was intoxicating. He was preserving life, as he toyed with his own. 

In his mind, he would rather die a million deaths than find out he’d be alive without you around.

“Listen to me bastard! I’m starting to appreciate this new thing you got going on, you know, like actually following your master, me, Almighty dragonlord, K’uhul Ajaw! and using your vision for something exhilarating like ending lives. But I HATE! how i’m getting excited to take your body everytime you go floppy, but you just wake back up! It’s so ANNOYING!! So just keep it up until the fire-head woman turns the ode of what-ever-you-call-it off, and you stay dead. Alright!?”

🎕 ‧₊˚ ⋅

Mavuika looked longingly onto her people fighting for their nation underneath her feet, as she levitated in the dark sky. It was a surreal simulation to her; It was her that was the catalyst for their dreams and hopes. It left a deep impression of justice, duty and pressure on her. 

Mavuika took a deep breath, before feeling a surging power slither all throughout her body.

‘This has to end, now.’

She collected all the dreams her people have relayed to her, the hopes for a future guided with justice and equality, their ancestors and their prayers for Natlan, the lives of her beloved followers who had been sacrificed and martyred, into her fist and made it into her strength. 

Her hair ignited into its flamed form, as she shot out all the might and glory of Natlan into a beam of radiance, targeting the abyssal body that was the sole cause of terror over her nation. 

The Celestial body forms a temporary glowing shield to stand its ground, until it doesn’t.

It slowly starts shattering like thin glass, making her attack on it only more powerful. Her thrash breaks through until it exploded into a dark fume, her light piercing right through it and into the distant sky. The sky carries the sound of the thundering explosion, shaking nature all around.

The black cloud slowly starts fading, revealing the eradication of the Abyss.

The black sky lifts off of Natlan, revealing the blue once more. You choked out the blood that’s been pouring in your mouth for the longest time as you finally finish off the last creature in sight. The Abyss had been eliminated by the Pyro Archon, and no more would spawn. Dulled and scratched swords, torn bows, and unfortunate martyrs polluted the grassy field around. The noise of battle could still be heard somewhere distant but not around you anymore. 

You spat and coughed out blood onto your palm, your other hand clawing and digging into your chest trying to calm your rampaging heartbeat. You heard your remaining comrades cry and yell out of grief and solace. The words they yelled were incoherent, only being able to hear ringing. 

But you could almost make out what they're saying, somewhere along the lines of: ‘It’s over.’

🎕 ‧₊˚ ⋅

Kinich’s eyelids slowly peel open, feeling the heat of the sun greet his eyes immediately making him wince. He sits up and tries to gain back his senses, letting out a sore groan.

Ajaw perches up at the sound, and starts roaring in his ear: “You were supposed to be dead! I was so thrilled to finally take over your cold body, finally thinking of the horrors I'd run to this land, just to find our contract not working! Just bite the dust already you useless asparagus! Curse the archons!”

“Wh-what happened?” Kinich croaked, his throat stinging him in the process. Completely ignoring ajaw’s tantrum, he looks at the nature around him; There were dismantled weapons, a few dead bodies scattered meters apart, and an awful lot of silence. 

“The fire-head woman destroyed the abyss in the sky, and the magical thing happening to your body that stopped you from dying stopped, and you just crashed into the mountain side and passed out onto the ground. Your head should’ve caved in! Fucking imbecile!” 

Kinich stares at the state of his body; It was a disaster. His jacket was torn with all sorts of holes, his arms full of scars and dried blood and smeared dirt, his gloved hands having numerous rips and tears. All of his digits were present, but a huge scar trailed over the joints of his thumb. ‘So I lost a finger huh?’ he guessed to himself. He looks at his headband dangling around his neck, and feels his face with his hand. He felt a few scars and winces at a cut he had, realizing he had a gaping wound that was actively bleeding out.

Body intact, clothes and weapon secured, with his heart beating in his chest cavity.

But something was still missing. Something was out of place.

He feels his heart drop to the ground, mumbling: “Y/n.”

He hurriedly turns around and tries to run on his feet, a sharp pain kicking into his legs making him fall back onto the soil. He curls into a ball, suddenly feeling all his muscles tormenting his body at once. He groans in pain, feeling parts of his body ache and burn under his skin.

“Yes! Perish!” Ajaw shrieks, making kinich swat at him. He takes a cramped breath— almost like the capacity of his lungs had shrunk— before digging his hands into the sharp blades of grass, dragging his body through the earth.

Each pull of his body made him wish he wasn’t human, pain electrocuting each living cell in his body. Grunts slipped through his teeth, as he tried not to notice the torture he had been enduring for what has felt like forever. He despised the pain he could feel as he crawled not because it hurt him, but because it was proof he was alive and could use his senses. That would remind him that you might not be, only making the weight of his chest heavier.

Red from his wound dripped down his head and slipped onto his lip, making him spit it out bitterly. 

The silvery of blood was inferior to the bitterness in his mouth if he felt your body without its heart beating against his own. Ajaw slowly follows him in the air a meter away, and is almost horrified. Ajaw that day, saw humanity in its most desperate state.

🎕 ‧₊˚ ⋅

“Let me go!” You yelled, trying to break free from the arms of the other scions of the canopy. They had tried convincing you to go to the village and get your injuries treated, but they mentioned kinich was missing. You heard glass shattering in your ears, almost reality to your eyes breaking just the same. You escaped their captive and tried to find kinich, but they had caught up to you easily.

“You don’t understand! You might die out of blood loss before you even find him!” Said one of the nurses, gripping your wrist tightly. “I have to try!” You snapped, shoving and kicking at the men trying to get a holding of your legs.

“And what if kinich is dead y/n!?” A man retorted, making you freeze in your spot. Words got stuck in your throat, as your eyes blurred for a second. “Kinich would never.. be..” you feel your tongue stiffen, your knees slowly sinking back onto the grass. The men among the helpers quietly argue behind you, scolding each other with ‘don’t say that!’ as your thoughts slowly dim your spirit.

‘Kinich? Dead?’ the thought of kinich dying seemed so far and impossible to you. It was always kinich who seemed to prevent harm from going your way, and knew how to deal with injuries or how to get out of risky situations. But not even the strongest warriors of Natan's ancient tales survived against the toughest attacks of the abyss. You feel like vomiting, the imagination of kinich mangled body suddenly tormenting your thoughts. ‘I still have to try’, you interrupted yourself, reminiscing the oath you took between the both of you to never abandon his side, dead or alive.

You quickly try to pounce off of them, but they're quicker into getting ahold of you again. You try your hardest to tear through their grasp, feeling your skin ache as they tighten their hand around you.

“Please! Just let me try!” you cry out, almost freeing yourself. They object in volumes, a series of ‘No!’s and ‘You need to rest!’ leaving their mouths. You almost feel helpless, but the group of five freeze all together, out of nowhere.

Their eyes are wide, dilated. Their mouths agape, skin draining of color.

You turn your eyes the same direction as theirs, and a sudden chill waves all throughout your body.

It’s kinich.

🎕 ‧₊˚ ⋅

Kinich locks eyes with you, his breath hitching. Almost terrified you’ll disappear in front of his eyes, he doesn’t waste another second and sprints towards you on his feet, ignoring the sharp pain afflicted to his ligaments. The tribespeople quickly free you from their clutches, stepping back as your aching bodies collided into an embrace.

Everyone else disappears from his world as he takes you into his dirtied arms. His body melt into yours, leaving no space for the opportunity of separation between both of you ever again. He feels you trembling underneath his touch making him hold you tighter. “I’m home.” He whispers into your ear, feeling a weight lift off of his shoulders, like bulky armor sliding off of his battered frame— He had died a hundred times to tell you those words.

He can hear you; you're crying into his shoulder, salty tears reviving the scent of the dried blood on his clothes. All he can do is hold you, and take refuge back into your arms after leaving them for what seemed like an eternity. His heart is communicating with yours, beating back and forth at each other. “I was looking for you.” You mumbled against his skin, lips quivering. Your voice is hesitant, as you pull away and look into his tired dark-golden eyes.

“You never lost me in the first place.” He whispers, planting a delicate kiss to your cheek, placing your nimble hand on the left side of his chest to feel evidence of his return. His arms felt lighter, his bones seemed to unbreak, and his wounds were no longer burning. His eyes slowly stickled with tears, burying his face into your hair to let out his shy tears before you had the chance to notice.

His body grew vulnerable under your touch as your tears slowly undid the knot of grief residing in his chest. He almost feels himself shrink back to when he was a lonely child as your mere presence invited the fragile parts of him to be loved again.

His soul yearns for moment like this, where your love is presented raw; It was never about just the beauty. He thawed under your touch even when his clothes and body was drab and scarred. It was never about just the mora, his wallet was no longer weighing in his pocket and he knew that he didn't have to worry about it. It was never about just the distance, it didn't matter if he had to crawl from mondstadt, he still would've tried to come home even if he knew he would die along the way. and it was never about the festivity. he didn't need a festival to celebrate in a way of holding you like he is now. It was always about the bond between both of you and how much joy his heart is beating out just because he can count the beats of yours.

To him, his soul is bound with yours. No matter how far his heroship takes him, he’ll always return to you. For him, that was enough of a reason to come crawling home. 

Kinich escaped heaven a hundred times to come home to you. For you, he would’ve gladly left a hundred times more.

🎕 ‧₊˚ ⋅

You relish his embrace with tears sticking your lashes together when your mind slowly floats you away to a distant memory, one you feel like you should have forgotten by now.

It was so long ago.. 7 years ago or so?

It happened somewhere.. Here?

With someone.. Kinich.

You were younger teenagers with kinich that time. You had tripped down a short rocky fall while traversing grassy terrain with kinich. A wince squeaks through your gritted teeth, as he poured water onto the gash you scored on your stumbling. “I’ve always told you to stay sharp when we go out on a walk, but you never listen.” He grumbles, wiping off the dirt that trailed down your calf. “..And everytime you trip, it’s always me who has to clean you up, bandage you, and carry you home.”  He treated your wound as you sat on a rock, awkwardly playing with your fingertips.

You can tell he was just worried about you, you always managed to injure yourself when he took his eyes off of you. He was already pressured on finding a way home, but you just had to go get your knee busted. “Sorry.” you mumble, heat rising to your skin out of embarrassment. “If you really were sorry, you would actually look before you land your feet.” he said bitterly, undoing his bandana, and wrapping it around your knee tightly. As he tightened the knot, he said: “You know I won't always be around to protect you right?” 

“Yeah..” you shuffle your feet around. “But I-i swear I looked before I stepped okay! But the dip was.. was hiding under all the grass.” You attempt to defend yourself, looking at him with guilt written all over your face.

“Can you just promise me you’ll make heaven wait when I'm not around?” He sighs, before helping you get back on your feet, his arm snaking around your waist, as he scooped your shoulder over his shoulder. “Only if you promise too!” you scoff. He rolls his eyes, “As if I'll ever die before you. Seriously, one day I might just be running a commission and bump into you just bleeding to death from your knee.” you grimace under the thought. “Don’t say such horrible things!”

“Then promise me.” “..I promise.”

[geraskierfanficprompts]

Prompt 141

Many would assume the flirtatious and caring bard to be the most touchstarved of the duo, but they would be wrong. Very very wrong. It was Geralt that sought out Jaskier's personal space like it was an all-curing ambrosia. Day and night, In town or in the woods, warm weather or the late autumn, Geralt would touch him. Always, always touching him. Don't get him wrong! Jaskier loves being groped all day by his rather attractive witcher friend, but it wasn't always the most convenient trait for his witcher to have.

*Growls* "Geralt, please, it's the waitress! She's taking our order."

Geralt clings to Jaskier's arms, plays with his hair, sniffs at his neck. He guides Jaskier with a hand on the shoulder, or an arm around his waist, or one time, - flustering Jaskier greatly - a hand on his hip. When Geralt is worried for him, he grips his arm, shields him with his body, or roams his hands over Jaskier's body, searching for injuries. Geralt is ever-present in Jaskier's personal space. It's just become a thing with them. Even in times of stress, danger, adrenaline. Geralt is fighting a manticore one day, and Jaskier is - admittedly, quite foolishly - in plain view. It wasn't on purpose! He's not an idiot! STOP JUDGING HIM! The beast goes to charge straight for him, and Geralt grabs his arm and whips him to the side, just in time to save him from the beast who then careens off a cliff. Jaskier pants, and feels the familiar weight of Geralt's hands. Geralt is snarling at him, shouting at him, and Jaskier tries very hard to understand, truly, he does, but it's hard. "Damn it, Jaskier, answer me!" Oh! REALLY should be listening now! "Hm?" "Are you hurt? Are you in pain?" "No, no, you- You saved me." Like always. Jaskier stares at his hero. His witcher. His Geralt. His love. For Jaskier does love Geralt. More than anything. And Jaskier seems to realize this fact more and more every day. With every move Geralt makes, with every word he says, with every little touch and caress. He thinks more on this fact later that night around the campfire. Geralt asks him to pass him a waterskin, but when Jaskier reaches to grab it, he hisses in pain. He rolls up his sleeve and sees a bruise in the shape of Geralt's hand on his arm. Right. From when he was saved. "I'm going to find some dinner." Geralt suddenly announces, standing abruptly and already shuffling away. "Wh- But Geralt, what about the watersk-" "I don't need it." He disappears into the bushes and trees, and Jaskier furrows his brow. He was sure they still had some food in their packs, why was Geralt so insistent on leaving? Curious... Even more curious, is in the following days, Geralt is avoiding him. From an outsiders perspective, nothing would appear wrong. But Geralt hasn't touched him once. No embraces, or odd sudden bouts of smelling Jaskier's hair, or holding his hand... He hasn't even stood closer than a meter to him. Jaskier worries to no end. What must he have done? What's changed? Why won't Geralt touch him? It's not until he's bathing one evening and he glances to the still-healing bruise that it clicks. Geralt feels guilty. The damned bleeding-heart is so convinced he's a monster that even a mark that shows protection shows only it's ugliest form to him. When Jaskier sees the bruise on his arm, he remembers Geralt saving him, he remembers the relief, he remembers feeling alive. Geralt only sees a bruise. Something of hurt. Caused by Geralt. Jaskier is so simultaneously horrified and infuriated that he slams open the door of the joined bathroom and marches into main area of the room they'd rented for the night. Still nude. Still dripping. Geralt, sat on the bed, midway through taking off his boots, was certainly shocked.

[cheeseofmysteriousorigin]

Reblogging because this art by @cipheringcats almost made me cry and inspired me to write this fic (which also almost made me cry)

somewhere over the rainbow 🌈

[reveryfics]

Just Pretend

Pairings: Dean Winchester x Male reader

Summary: You sold your soul for Dean against his and Sam's wishes. Years later you return from hell and finally break about what happened to you.

A/n: Slightly based off "Just Pretend" by Bad Omens. I apologize if the pacing seems off. Wanted to thank everyone for the likes, reblogs, and follows as well.

⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯

The wind howled, whipping dust and leaves into a frenzied dance around the desolate crossroads. A lone figure stood there, a young man etched with the marks of desperation. He kicked at the gravel, a futile gesture against the weight of his decision. A shiver ran down his spine as he turned to face the approaching darkness.

A demon appeared, a smirk playing her lips.

"Dean Winchester," she purred, her voice a chilling whisper. Her eyes, twin embers of hellfire, bore into him. "Your soul for his."

He nodded without hesitation. "Deal." The words hung heavy in the air, a damning pact sealed with a chilling handshake.

A moment of quiet. A moment to say goodbye.

The hospital room was bathed in the sterile glow of fluorescent lights. Dean, pale and still, lay connected to a maze of tubes. The young man approached the bed, his heart heavy with sorrow.

A gentle kiss pressed to Dean's forehead.

"I love you, Dean," he whispered, his voice barely audible. "I'm so sorry."

The demon reappeared, a harbinger of doom. With a chilling touch, she dragged him down.

Dean's eyes fluttered open. The room was silent, the machines humming softly. Sam's gaze met his, a somber understanding passing between them.

"No," Dean's voice was a hoarse whisper. "No, please tell me you're lying."

Sam shook his head, his own eyes brimming with tears. "I'm so sorry, Dean."

Dean's heart shattered. "So, just pretend my life's worth it?" he choked out. "He sold his soul for me?"

Sam hesitated, searching for the right words. "He loved you, Dean. More than anything."

The truth hung heavy in the air, a painful reminder of the ultimate sacrifice.

Four years later, the weight of his decision still pressed down on Dean. Every sunrise, every sunset, every fleeting moment was a stark contrast to the life he once knew. His world, once painted in vibrant hues of love and laughter, had been reduced to a monochromatic canvas of longing and regret.

He'd traded his soul for a life, a life that now felt hollow and incomplete. Dean often found himself questioning the morality of his choice, the worth of his existence. Was it truly just to steal another's fate, to cheat death in such a cruel and selfish way? The guilt gnawed at him, a persistent, unrelenting force.

He missed him, the boy with the kindest eyes and the warmest heart. He missed the way his boyfriend made him feel, the way he'd ground him, the way he'd pushed him to be a better man.

Every memory, every shared laugh, every whispered secret was a bittersweet torment. He clung to these fragments, cherishing them as if they were the last drops of a dying river.

Even the solace of alcohol offered little relief. As he raised a glass to his lips, he'd often find himself staring at a faded photograph, a tangible reminder of a love that had been stolen.

"Heaven knows I ain't getting over you," he'd murmur, his voice thick with emotion.

Dean stared blankly at the flickering TV screen, his mind a fog. The motel room, once a temporary haven, now felt like a prison.

The door burst open. Sam, his face etched with urgency, rushed in. "Dean, we need to go to Bobby's. Now."

"What's going on?" Dean asked, his voice barely a whisper.

"I don't know, but it's important," Sam replied, his tone serious.

As they approached Bobby's house, an eerie silence hung in the air. They hurried inside, their footsteps echoing through the empty halls.

The source of the noise was a room at the back of the house. As they approached, the sound of muffled sobs grew louder. They burst through the door, their eyes landing on a heartbreaking scene. Bobby, usually so strong and steady, was hunched over, his broad shoulders shaking with sorrow. In his arms, a young man, his face streaked with dirt and confusion, clung to him tightly.

Dean's eyes widened in shock as he recognized the face of the young man. It was his boyfriend, his beloved, his lost love, who had sacrificed himself four years ago to save Dean.

Overwhelmed by a surge of emotions, Dean rushed forward, pulling him into a tight embrace. Tears streamed down his face as he choked out, "I missed you so much. I love you."

His own eyes brimming with tears, returned the embrace. "I'm so sorry, Dean. I love you too."

It was late, and Dean lay in bed, his boyfriend cradled in his arms. The warmth of his body offered little comfort to the man who trembled uncontrollably, silent tears streaming down his face.

"Please, talk to me," Dean urged, his voice soft.

His boyfriend remained silent for a moment, his breath ragged. Then, in a whisper, he confessed, "It wasn't four years. It was eighty years for me. Every second was agony." He paused, catching his breath. "I felt everything they did to me—every cut, every brand. They'd heal me, just to start all over again." His sobs grew louder. "I can still feel their touch, Dean. I can't bear it."

Dean tightened his embrace, wishing he could shield his lover from the pain. They lay in silence for a long time, the only sound the rhythmic rise and fall of their chests. Finally, Dean spoke, his voice steady. "I'll never let them touch you again."

[officerfriendlysblogs]

Hidden Chords

Harry Styles x Reader

Summary: The story follows a long-time friendship between Harry Styles and the reader, who meet during Harry's One Direction days. As they both rise to fame, their bond remains strong despite busy schedules. Over the years, the reader secretly falls in love with Harry but keeps her feelings hidden, especially when he starts dating someone else.Heartbroken, she channels her emotions into a song, which becomes a hit. Harry later confronts her about the song, revealing that he has loved her all along.After years of missed chances, they finally confess their feelings and start a relationship, proving that their love was worth the wait.

Warnings:⚠️This story features elements of mildangst, minor jealousy, and heartbreak, yet it is also infused with excessively sweet moments, culminating in a joyful conclusion.⚠️

Word count: 1,184

You met Harry Styles when you were just two teenagers chasing dreams. He had his wild curls and charming grin, and you had a notebook filled with half-finished songs. It was 2010, and One Direction was on the rise. You were signed to a small record label, opening for big acts and waiting for your moment.

It was a chance meeting at a shared soundcheck that changed everything. He walked in with his bandmates, a gaggle of exuberant energy, and you were busy trying to fix a broken guitar string.

“Need a hand?” he asked, his green eyes twinkling.

“Do you know how to restring a guitar?” you shot back, skeptical but amused.

“Not a clue,” he said with a laugh, “but I could fetch someone who does.”

You smiled at that. And just like that, Harry Styles became your friend.

The years that followed were a whirlwind. You watched One Direction skyrocket to unimaginable heights while your own career slowly took off. Harry never let fame change him, though. He still texted you terrible jokes, shared Spotify playlists, and called late at night when he needed to vent about the pressures of being in the world’s biggest boyband.

“I don’t know how you handle it,” you told him once, lying on the floor of your London flat, phone pressed to your ear.

“Sometimes I don’t,” he admitted. “But then I think of people like you. Grounded, real. It keeps me sane.”

You rolled your eyes, but your heart fluttered. You told yourself it didn’t mean anything.

When the band announced their hiatus in 2015, Harry confided in you first.

“I think this is it,” he said, voice low and uncertain. “I think we’re done.”

You wanted to comfort him, to say the right thing, but all you managed was, “Are you okay?”

“I will be,” he said after a pause. “I think I’m ready to do my own thing.”

And he did. You watched him transform from boyband heartthrob to a solo artist who commanded the world’s attention. You couldn’t have been prouder, but with every milestone he reached, you felt the distance between you growing.

You stayed close, though. Somehow. Amid tours and albums and award shows, Harry always made time for you. But somewhere along the way, your feelings shifted.

It wasn’t just friendship anymore.

It hit you one night in New York. You were both there for different reasons—he was recording his debut album, and you were promoting your second. He invited you to his studio, where he played you a rough cut of “Sign of the Times.”

The song was beautiful, haunting. And so was he, sitting there with his guitar, eyes closed as he sang.

When he finished, you clapped, a little too enthusiastically to hide the way your heart was racing.

“It’s incredible,” you said.

“Thanks,” he said, looking almost shy. “Means a lot coming from you.”

You wanted to tell him everything in that moment, but fear held you back. He was Harry Styles. Your best friend. What if you ruined it?

Then came Camille.

She was stunning, of course—French, sophisticated, effortlessly cool. You found out through a tabloid, and your heart sank.

When you saw Harry next, you tried to act normal. He brought her to a party you were both attending, introducing her with a proud smile.

“This is Camille,” he said, arm draped around her shoulder.

“Hi,” you said, forcing a smile. “Nice to meet you.”

She was kind, polite, everything you knew Harry deserved. And that made it worse.

The first time you cried over Harry was after that party. You went home, locked yourself in your room, and let the tears fall.

You hated yourself for it. For being jealous. For wanting something you could never have.

So, you did the only thing you knew how to do. You wrote.

The song poured out of you in a way nothing ever had before. It was raw, painful, and honest—a confession you couldn’t give him in words.

The chorus was a plea: “How do I compete with the stars in your sky, when I’m just the shadow in your light?”

When your producer heard it, he insisted it go on your next album. You hesitated, terrified of what Harry would think, but eventually agreed.

The album came out, and the song—aptly titled “Shadow”—became a hit. Fans speculated endlessly about who it was about, but you never confirmed anything.

Harry called you after hearing it.

“‘Shadow,’” he said. “It’s beautiful. Heartbreaking, but beautiful.”

“Thanks,” you said, your voice tight.

“You okay?” he asked, sensing something in your tone.

“Yeah,” you lied.

Months passed. Harry and Camille broke up, but you didn’t let yourself hope. Instead, you threw yourself into work, trying to forget the way his smile made you feel, the way his voice lingered in your mind.

It wasn’t until a late night in Los Angeles that everything came to a head.

You were there for a show, and Harry was in town for a film premiere. He invited you to dinner, just the two of you, like old times.

Over glasses of wine, you talked about everything and nothing, laughing until your sides hurt.

Then, out of nowhere, he brought up “Shadow.”

“Was it about someone specific?” he asked, his tone careful.

You froze, the truth threatening to spill out.

“Why do you ask?” you countered, stalling.

“Because…” He hesitated, running a hand through his hair. “Because I feel like I know who it’s about.”

Your heart stopped. “Harry—”

“Is it me?” he asked, his voice barely above a whisper.

You looked away, the weight of his gaze too much to bear.

“I…” You swallowed hard. “Does it matter?”

“It does to me,” he said.

When you finally met his eyes, you saw something there—something that looked a lot like hope.

“I wrote it because I didn’t know how else to deal,” you admitted, your voice trembling. “I didn’t want to ruin what we have.”

Harry reached across the table, his hand brushing yours.

“You could never ruin it,” he said softly. “But you should’ve told me.”

“Why?” you asked, tears brimming in your eyes. “So you could tell me you don’t feel the same?”

“No,” he said, shaking his head. “So I could tell you I do.”

The world seemed to stop in that moment.

“You… what?”

“I’ve been in love with you for years,” he confessed. “But I didn’t think you felt the same. And then Camille happened, and I thought maybe I’d missed my chance.”

Tears spilled down your cheeks, a mix of relief and disbelief.

“Harry…”

He stood, pulling you into his arms. You melted against him, all the unspoken words finally finding their place.

“I’m sorry it took me so long,” he whispered.

“It doesn’t matter,” you said, your voice muffled against his chest. “We’re here now.”

And as he pressed his lips to yours, everything else faded away.

From that moment on, your relationship changed. It wasn’t easy—balancing two demanding careers never is—but you made it work.

Because love, you realized, was worth the wait.

[writingsoftarnishedsilver]

The Fallout | Sebastian Sallow x OC #21

this entire chapter is angst and hurt with pretty much no comfort bc sebastian sallow is an idiot.

Summary: Sebastian, wracked with guilt after betraying Evangeline’s trust, seeks her out to apologize, navigating through Ominis’s pointed rebuke and his own self-loathing. He finds Evangeline by the Black Lake, and though their conversation is raw and painful, they begin to bridge the gap between them, with Sebastian vowing to change (again).

Words: 7,782

Tags: Angst, Slow Burn, Friends to Lovers, Unspoken Feelings, Angst AGAIN, Emotional Fallout, Happy(?) Ending, Miscommunication, Drama, Sebastian Sallow Is An Idiot, Ominis Gaunt Being VERY Done™

Read more stories about Sebastian and Evangeline

Read on AO3

The Great Hall was alive with the low hum of chatter, punctuated by bursts of laughter from distant tables. To most, it was the familiar chaos of breakfast before enjoying the weekend. To Ominis, it was a minefield.

His wand rested lightly against the table, his fingers tapping a steady rhythm on its polished surface. His sharp ears picked up the undercurrent of conversation, threads of gossip weaving their way through the hall. He didn’t need sight to know who the subject was—Evangeline, whose name was on far too many tongues this week, and Sebastian, the ever-present chaos at the heart of Ominis’s life.

“…stood up for him like he’s some kind of hero,” someone hissed from the Ravenclaw table behind him, their voice dripping with scorn. “And then he’s caught snogging some fifth-year? Couldn’t even wait for her to wake up. Poor thing.”

Another voice chimed in, softer but no less cutting. “I heard she passed out by the fire and a moment later, he was off with the next Gryffindor. Honestly, it’s embarrassing.”

Ominis gritted his teeth, his jaw tightening. He carefully kept his expression neutral, though his fingers curled into a fist under the table. These weren’t just idle comments; they were knives, sharp and intentional, aimed at two of the people he cared about most.

Evangeline had always been bold, unflinching in her loyalty to those she called friends, and Ominis hadn’t been surprised when she confronted Lysander to defend Sebastian's honor—Evangeline’s fierce devotion was as much a part of her as her Quidditch skills or her sharp tongue. What had surprised him was how quickly Sebastian had thrown it all away.

Around him, the murmurs shifted, growing louder, like a fire spreading unchecked.

“Did you see how close she was sitting to him before it all went down? Makes you wonder how long he was waiting for her to pass out so he could leave,” someone at the Hufflepuff table said, their voice tinged with curiosity.

Ominis clenched his wand tighter, the cool wood grounding him as his anger simmered. He couldn’t tell what enraged him more—the audacity of the rumors or the fact that Sebastian’s actions made them so easy to believe.

"You'll break your wand if you're not careful," Imelda’s voice was surprisingly warm and low enough not to draw attention. She plopped herself down beside him with the casual confidence only she could pull off.

Ominis loosened his grip and let out a long, steadying breath. “I should hex everyone to make these rumors stop.”

Imelda snorted. “You and I both know the only thing that would stop these rumors is a new scandal. Give it a week—someone else will do something idiotic, and Sterling and Sallow will be yesterday’s gossip.”

Ominis doubted that. The combination of Evangeline’s bold declaration of loyalty in front of the whole school and Sebastian’s reckless behavior had painted an irresistible target on both their backs. The spectacle was too good, the drama too ripe, for people to let it go easily.

Imelda leaned in slightly, her voice dropping. “For what it’s worth, the rest of us are doing our best to stop the spread of this garbage. Poppy practically hexed a Hufflepuff who was being too loud about it yesterday, and Natty shut down a pack of Ravenclaws in Charms.” She shrugged. “We’ve got her back.”

It was true. Their group—Natty, Poppy, Garreth, and the others—had done their best to redirect conversations and shut down the crueler remarks when they came up. But there were limits to what even a tightly-knit group of sixth years could do. Hogwarts wasn’t exactly known for its restraint when it came to gossip.

Ominis sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose. “I just—” He cut himself off, unsure how to finish the thought.

Imelda didn’t wait for him to try. “You’re worried about them,” she said simply, as if the thought wasn’t worth debating. “Look, Sterling’s tough. And Sebastian… well, he’s an idiot, but he’s not helpless.”

“An idiot is putting it lightly,” Ominis muttered. “This has hurt both of them. Evangeline’s been humiliated, and Sebastian—” He paused, shaking his head. “He knows he’s responsible, even if he hasn't admitted it.”

“It’s just…” Imelda hesitated, which caught Ominis off guard. She rarely hesitated. “I hate seeing her like this. She’s always been so… sure of herself, you know? I don’t like watching people like her get knocked down because of someone else’s stupidity.”

Imelda’s words hung in the air, heavier than Ominis expected. She rarely let her concern for others show, but when she did, it carried a weight that was impossible to ignore. He let the silence stretch between them for a moment, his mind turning over her observations.

"She’s been avoiding everyone," Ominis finally said, his voice quiet. "Burying herself in books. She’s retreating."

Imelda sighed, her usual bravado replaced by a rare softness. "And what about Sallow? Is he retreating too, or just digging himself into a deeper hole?"

Ominis let out a bitter laugh. "Oh, he’s digging, all right. Acting like none of this bothers him, flashing that irritating smirk at everyone who dares bring it up to his face. Still choosing to be seen with the same girl he snogged that night. But I know him too well to believe it. It’s a mask." His tone darkened. "The worst part is that he hasn’t even apologized to her. Not properly."

Imelda shook her head, muttering something under her breath that sounded suspiciously like bloody idiot.

"He’s lucky Sterling hasn’t hexed him," she said. "If it were me, I’d have turned him into a flobberworm by now."

Ominis couldn’t help the faint smile that tugged at the corner of his mouth. "I'm sure she's thought about it. But Evangeline isn’t like you, Imelda. She doesn’t lash out when she’s hurt—she pulls away."

"And you’re caught in the middle," Imelda observed, her tone resigned. "As always."

"As always," Ominis echoed, his voice laced with weariness.

Imelda tilted her head, studying Ominis’s face with an expression he couldn’t see but could feel. “So, what’s the plan then, Gaunt? You’ve always got one.”

Ominis frowned, his fingers still idly tapping against his wand. His plan? As if he could snap his fingers and undo the damage Sebastian had caused—not just to Evangeline’s reputation, but to the fragile balance of their trio. “I don’t know if there’s a plan for this,” he admitted. “Evangeline needs space, but if we leave her alone too long, it’ll only get worse. And Sebastian…” He trailed off, the weight of Sebastian’s stubbornness settling like a stone in his chest. “Sebastian needs a proper kick to the head.”

Imelda laughed, though it was short and dry. “If you’re volunteering, I’ll hold your wand while you do it.”

"Too bad his skull's too thick for it to work,” Ominis replied, lips twitching into a faint smirk before fading again. "He knows he’s ruined things; he just doesn’t know how to fix them.”

Imelda leaned back, crossing her arms. “So, no plan?”

“Not yet,” Ominis admitted, though his mind was turning. He wasn’t sure what the right course of action was, but he couldn’t stand the thought of leaving things as they were.

“I’ll think of something." He said at length, "Someone has to.”

“Well, good luck with that,” Imelda said, standing and grabbing her plate. “And when you do get around to kicking some sense into him, make sure Sterling’s around to watch. She deserves the entertainment.”

Ominis leaned back in his seat as Imelda departed, his mind whirring. Someone had to step in. Sebastian was clearly incapable of making the first move, and Evangeline… she was too hurt to reach out herself. And if nothing changed soon, the damage might become permanent.

He pushed his plate away, no longer hungry, and rose to his feet. Raising his wand to guide him, he made his way out of the Great Hall, the chatter behind him fading into a dull roar.

~

The library was quieter than the Great Hall, but it carried its own brand of tension. The soft rustling of pages and the occasional scrape of a chair created an uneasy symphony, one that suited Ominis’s mood. He navigated the familiar aisles, his wand guiding him toward the far corner where he hoped Evangeline would be hiding.

She’d been skipping meals and even classes all week, avoiding crowds and slinking away before anyone could corner her. Ominis had been patient, waiting for her to resurface on her own, but her absence was stretching into worry. The Evangeline he knew—bold enough to face down trolls and outfly Imelda in Quidditch—didn’t hide. It wasn’t like her to disappear—not like this.

Ominis stopped when he reached the corner table and tilted his head, listening for the familiar scratch of a quill or the rustle of parchment. Relief swept through him when he caught the faint, rhythmic sound of writing.

“Still avoiding everyone?” he asked as he approached, his tone carefully casual.

Evangeline paused mid-stroke but didn’t look up. “I’m studying,” she replied, her voice clipped. The quill resumed its steady movements, but there was tension in her tone, a defensive edge that Ominis didn’t miss.

“Studying, hiding,” he said, pulling out the chair across from her and settling into it. “They’re not mutually exclusive.”

She let out a sigh, setting her quill down and leaning back in her chair. “What do you want, Ominis?”

He rested his wand lightly on the table, folding his hands in front of him. “To make sure you’re alive. I've been worried.”

“Well, as you can see, I’m perfectly fine,” she said, gesturing vaguely to the books stacked around her. “Now, if you don’t mind—”

“Evangeline,” he interrupted gently, his tone firm but calm. “You can’t keep doing this. Hiding won’t make the rumors go away.”

Her hazel eyes snapped up to meet his, sharp and tired. “What else am I supposed to do, Ominis? Walk into the Great Hall and pretend I don’t hear them? Pretend they’re not calling me an idiot?” Her voice cracked slightly on the last word, and she looked away, her fingers curling into fists on the table.

“They’re cruel, Evangeline,” Ominis said softly. “But they don’t define you.”

“They don’t have to,” she replied bitterly. “I’ve already defined myself—for the whole school. The foolish Gryffindor who stood by her so-called friend who turned Quidditch into boxing, only to find out he doesn’t care. At all.”

“That’s not true,” Ominis said, leaning forward. “Sebastian cares. He cares so much that he’s too afraid to face you and apologize."

She let out a hollow laugh, her expression hardening. “If that’s your attempt at defending him, don’t bother. Actions speak louder than words, Ominis, and his actions have been loud and clear.”

Ominis sighed, rubbing his temple. “I’m not defending what he did. And believe me, he knows he’s made a mess of things. But he’s too much of an idiot to figure out how to fix it.”

“Then that’s his problem,” she said sharply, standing up and gathering her books. “Not mine.”

“Evangeline—”

She paused, her shoulders tense but not turning back to him. “I appreciate you checking on me, Ominis. Really, I do. But I can’t… I can’t do this right now.”

He didn’t stop her as she walked away, her footsteps quick and purposeful. Instead, he sat back in his chair, his fingers tapping an uneven rhythm against the wood.

Ominis pressed the heels of his palms against his eyes, trying to push the building tension out of his skull. He’d thought that after last year, they could weather anything. But now he wasn’t so sure.

This wasn’t about dark magic or ancient artifacts. It wasn’t about the kind of betrayal you could blame on desperation or fear. This was about trust. And Sebastian had shattered it, not with curses or lies, but with something so mundane it almost felt worse.

Last year, Ominis found himself thinking, when Sebastian did the unthinkable, Evangeline had stood by him.

Ominis could recall the horror of that night with a clarity that made his stomach churn. The dark chamber, the oppressive weight if the the air, and the sickening, searing sounds of the Cruciatus Curse as it tore through her. She hadn’t hesitated to let Sebastian cast that unforgivable curse on her, because she’d believed in him. She’d trusted him enough to endure that kind of agony, certain that he wouldn’t lead her astray.

And later, when Sebastian’s own desperation and grief had driven him to kill Solomon in front of her, she still hadn’t left his side. She’d looked at Sebastian and seen a boy crushed under the weight of his own choices, not a monster, not a murderer. She’d forgiven him.

And now?

Now, after all of that, this—the fallout of one drunken party and Sebastian’s idiocy—felt like an impossible hurdle. And Ominis hated it. Hated the absurdity of it. Hated that something so comparatively trivial could cause this much damage between them.

But then, should he be surprised?

For the past two years, Evie had been the one who stood in Sebastian’s corner no matter what. She’d fought his battles, taken his side, even when Ominis had turned away in anger or disgust. How many more times could she be expected to put herself in the line of fire for him? How many more times could she pick up the pieces of his mess, only to have him treat her loyalty as something he was entitled to, rather than a gift?

Ominis knew Sebastian was a master at self-destruction, but this was different. This wasn’t just about Sebastian’s inability to apologize—it was about Evangeline’s breaking point. And Sebastian had betrayed her. Not in some dramatic, high-stakes moment like the ones they’d faced last year, but in a way that was somehow more personal. More intimate. He hadn’t protected her—not from the rumors, not from humiliation, and certainly not from himself.

Ominis sighed, pushing himself to his feet.

He couldn't allow this to tear their friendship apart. He couldn't let the two people he cared for most drift further away, not when he knew how much they meant to each other—even if they were too stubborn to admit it right now. Evangeline and Sebastian were tangled together in ways they probably didn’t even understand themselves, and Ominis had spent enough time caught in their orbit to know he had to intervene.

Ominis took a steadying breath, his resolve hardening. If there was one thing he was good at, it was cutting through Sebastian’s excuses. He wasn’t sure what he’d say yet, but he knew it wouldn’t be gentle. Sebastian had burned through every ounce of patience Ominis had left. If cruel honesty was what it took to finally get through to him, then so be it.

~

The Undercroft was quiet when Ominis arrived, the stone walls damp with the faint chill that always lingered in the hidden room. His footsteps echoed softly as he stepped inside, his wand guiding him toward the center where he knew Sebastian would be. Because when things got overwhelming—and they always did with Sebastian—he retreated to the Undercroft. It was his sanctuary.

But not today. Today, it would be his reckoning.

Sure enough, Sebastian was there, pacing in agitated circles. Ominis could hear the scuff of his boots against the floor, could feel the restless energy radiating off of him even without seeing it. He stopped mid-step when the wall closed behind Ominis, and for a moment, the silence stretched between them.

“You’re late,” Sebastian said eventually, his voice carrying a familiar edge of bravado. But it was thinner than usual, and Ominis could tell he was barely holding it together.

“You’ve really outdone yourself this time, haven’t you?” Ominis replied, his voice calm but laced with steel.

Sebastian sighed, running a hand through his hair. “If you’re just going to yell at me, save it. I’ve heard enough of it from Imelda, from Poppy—hell, even Garreth had a go at me.”

Ominis took a step forward, “And did any of them get through to you?”

Sebastian didn’t answer right away, his silence telling. Finally, he muttered, “I already know I messed up, Ominis.”

“That’s putting it lightly,” Ominis snapped, his frustration breaking through. “Do you have any idea what you’ve done? Any idea how much you’ve hurt her?”

Sebastian flinched, but Ominis pressed on, his tone sharp. “Evangeline has stood by you through everything—through curses, through murder, protecting you from Azkaban. She’s defended you, fought for you when you didn’t deserve it. And now, because of one drunken night and your inability to think past your own damn nose, you’ve humiliated her in front of the entire school.”

“I didn’t mean to,” Sebastian said quietly, his voice strained.

Ominis barked out a bitter laugh. “Of course you didn’t. You never mean to. But that doesn’t change what happened. While she was passed out, Sebastian—passed out—you went and snogged some fifth-year by the fire. Do you even realize how that looks? How that makes her feel?”

“I wasn’t thinking!” Sebastian exploded, his voice rising. “I—Merlin, Ominis, I didn’t plan for any of this to happen! It just… it just did.”

Ominis took another step forward, his voice cutting like steel. “And instead of fixing it, you’ve spent the last week pretending it doesn’t bother you. Flashing that stupid grin, parading around with the same girl you snogged that night—”

“I’m not parading—”

“Don’t,” Ominis snapped, his tone icy. “Don’t even try to justify it. You’ve made a mess of things, Sebastian. A mess that Evangeline is paying for. And what have you done to fix it? Hm?”

Sebastian exhaled a shuddering breath, his pacing resuming as though the movement could somehow release the weight of Ominis’s words. The silence between them grew heavy again, stretching like a taut wire that threatened to snap.

“Why?” Ominis finally asked, his voice low but unyielding. “Why did you do it, Sebastian?”

Sebastian froze mid-step, his back to Ominis. He ran a hand through his hair, tugging at the strands as if the answer could be wrung out of his skull. “I don’t know,” he muttered.

“Don’t lie to me.”

Sebastian turned sharply, his frustration bubbling over. “I don’t know what you want me to say, Ominis! I was drunk! She was drunk! It just—” He stopped, his fists clenching at his sides. “It just happened.”

Ominis shook his head, unimpressed. "I’ve known you long enough to know that everything you do has a reason—even if it’s a selfish one. So tell me why. Why did you do it?"

Sebastian’s jaw worked as he looked away, his gaze fixed on some point on the floor. Ominis could hear the rapid, uneven rhythm of his breathing, the tension coiling tighter and tighter in his frame.

“What were you thinking?!” Ominis pressed, his tone sharp.

Sebastian barked out a bitter laugh, shaking his head. “You really want to know, Ominis? Fine. I was thinking about myself,” he said, "About what I wanted, about—” He hesitated, his voice faltering. “About what I couldn’t have.”

Ominis clenched his jaw, his knuckles whitening around his wand. He knew where this was going, but hearing Sebastian lay it out piece by piece was like watching a slow-motion train wreck.

Sebastian let out a bitter sigh, slumping against one of the stone pillars. “She was… Merlin, Evie was so drunk. But she was happy to see me. She smiled at me like, like maybe she—” He stopped himself, his jaw tightening before he forced the words out. “Like maybe she might feel the same way. Like maybe we could actually have a chance.”

“But then she passed out. And I—I should have stayed with her. I know that." He laughed again , the sound hollow and self-loathing. "But all I could think about was what it felt like when she looked at me, when she leaned into me like she didn’t want to let go. And how much I wanted her. How much I couldn’t have her. Because she'll never love me back, Ominis. And I don't deserve her anyway.”

He pressed the heel of his palm against his forehead, his words tumbling out in a rush now. “And then I saw someone else, and for one stupid, selfish second, it was easier. Easier to let myself pretend my feelings for Evie didn’t matter, to forget how much I wanted someone I couldn't have and never will. So, yes. I kissed her. I didn’t think about what it looked like, or what it meant, or how much worse it would make everything. I just… did it.” His voice cracked and he turned away, his shoulders trembling with the weight of his confession.

“And now you've ruined everything,” Ominis muttered, his voice low but razor-sharp.

Sebastian flinched, his head dropping. “I know, Ominis. You don’t have to keep saying it.”

“Oh, I do,” Ominis shot back, stepping closer, his tone gaining an edge. “Because apparently, it takes the whole damn school yelling at you before anything gets through that thick skull of yours."

Sebastian turned back to him, his expression anguished. “Do you really think you need to say all this? That I don’t already hate myself?”

“Hate yourself all you like," Ominis said coldly. "But hating yourself doesn’t fix anything. It doesn’t undo what you did, and it sure as hell doesn’t make up for the fact that you left her lying there while you went off to satisfy your ego.”

Sebastian swallowed hard, his head falling against the pillar again with a dull thud. “How could I leave her there, Ominis? I didn’t even think about what might happen to her. What if she’d gotten sick? What if someone else found her before Natty? What the hell is wrong with me?”

“Do you want me to list it all out for you, Sebastian?” Ominis’s voice was sharp and unrelenting, each word like a lash. “Do you want me to spell out exactly what’s wrong with you? Because I will. I’ll tell you that you’re selfish. That you’re reckless. That you’ve let your feelings for Evangeline warp you into someone so consumed by his own desires that you don't even think about the destruction your decisions leave in their wake.”

Sebastian flinched, but Ominis didn’t stop. He stepped closer, his voice deadly calm. “I’ll tell you that you’ve taken the strongest person I know—the one who never wavered, who stood by you when no one else would—and you’ve turned her into someone who hides. You’ve made her doubt herself. Doubt her worth. And why? Because of your selfishness. Because of your inability to think beyond your own wants.”

Sebastian’s shoulders sagged, his mouth opening as if to respond, but no words came. Ominis’s voice grew colder, his tone cutting like ice.

“You humiliated her, Sebastian. In ways no one else ever could. Not the Slytherins who taunt her about her heritage. Not the gossiping fools who envy her. You. Because she trusted you. She trusted you more than anyone else in this world, and you threw that trust away—for what? A fleeting, meaningless moment of distraction?”

Sebastian’s fists clenched, his knuckles white. “I didn’t—” he started, his voice hoarse.

“Didn’t what?” Ominis interrupted, stepping closer until he was looming over Sebastian, “Didn’t think? Didn’t mean it? Those excuses won’t fix what you’ve done. You can’t undo this with hollow words or promises you’ll never keep.”

Sebastian’s breath hitched, his head hanging low as Ominis continued, his tone softening slightly but still firm. “You're broken. You’ve been breaking ever since Anne left, ever since Solomon died, ever since you let yourself believe you don’t deserve better. And maybe you’re right. Maybe you don’t. You sure as hell don't deserve Evangeline. But she deserves better than the coward you’re being right now.”

The silence that followed was suffocating, heavy with the weight of Ominis’s words. For once, Sebastian had no quick retort, no deflections or bravado to hide behind. He stood there, raw and exposed, the reality of his actions settling over him like a suffocating fog.

Ominis stepped back, his expression unreadable. “If you want to fix this, then stop wallowing and do something about it. Not for you—for her. She’s not going to wait for you forever, Sebastian."

Sebastian looked up at him then, his eyes glassy with unshed tears. “I don’t know how,” he whispered. “I don’t know where to start, Ominis.”

Ominis stared at Sebastian for a long moment. His sharp features softened only slightly, though the anger still simmered beneath the surface.

“You start,” Ominis said, his voice low and deliberate, “By telling her the truth. And then you listen, Sebastian. You listen to what she has to say, and you take it. Whatever she throws at you, you take it, because you deserve it.”

Sebastian flinched at the finality in Ominis’s tone, the weight of his words sinking deeper into the pit of his stomach. His eyes fell to the floor, his shoulders sagging under the crushing realization of just how badly he’d screwed up. “What if she doesn't forgive me?” he asked, his voice trembling.

“I think,” Ominis said, his voice softer now but no less firm, “that Evangeline Sterling has already given you more chances than anyone else ever would. And if you don’t stop wasting them, then yes, Sebastian. She’ll stop listening. She’ll stop caring. And she'll stop forgiving. But you have no one to blame but yourself.”

Sebastian nodded slowly, the motion heavy with resignation. “I’ll... I'll talk to her,” he said finally, his voice hollow.

Ominis didn’t respond right away. He studied Sebastian for a moment longer, as though weighing his words. Then he gave a short, curt nod. “Good. And Sebastian?”

Sebastian looked up at him, his expression hollow and weary. “Yeah?”

“If she forgives you, don’t make her regret giving you another chance.” Ominis’s voice was like iron, unyielding. “Because if you hurt her again, I won’t forgive you either.”

Sebastian’s throat tightened, the weight of Ominis’s warning settling over him like a second layer of guilt. He didn’t reply, and Ominis didn’t wait for him to. With a swish of his wand, the Undercroft’s entrance opened, and Ominis stepped through without another word, leaving Sebastian alone with his thoughts.

~

Sebastian woke to the damp chill of the Undercroft, the rough stone beneath him pressing uncomfortably into his back. His neck ached from the awkward angle at which he’d slumped against one of the pillars, and his robes were crumpled, wrinkled from what could hardly be called sleep. For a moment, he stared up at the ceiling, his mind foggy and disoriented, the weight in his chest a stubborn, familiar ache.

How had he ended up here?

It hit him all at once: Ominis. His words. The cold fury in his voice, the brutal precision of every accusation. The memory surged back like a slap, leaving no room for denial, no way to escape the truth Ominis had hammered into him.

You humiliated her, Sebastian. In ways no one else ever could. Because she trusted you.

Sebastian groaned, dragging a hand over his face. The coarse fabric of his sleeve scratched against his skin, grounding him against the dull throb of his guilt. He knew he deserved it. Deserved worse, even. But that didn’t make it any easier to breathe.

Sebastian sat up slowly, his body stiff and sluggish. The cool air of the Undercroft wrapped around him, biting through his crumpled robes, but he barely felt it. All he could feel was the memory of Evangeline’s absence—her quiet absence in the hallways, the way her laughter had disappeared from their group, leaving behind a hollow silence he couldn’t fill.

You threw that trust away.

Sebastian pressed the heels of his palms into his eyes, as if he could physically push the memories back, stop them from replaying over and over. But they wouldn’t stop, because Ominis had been right. His words weren’t just true—they were inescapable.

Because she trusted you.

The thought alone was enough to drive him to his feet, his legs trembling slightly from the hours he’d spent curled on the ground. He staggered upright, leaning briefly against the pillar for support as his knees protested. His movements were stiff, his body as uncooperative, but he couldn’t stay here.

He had to find her. He had to try to fix this.

The Great Hall buzzed with its usual morning energy as Sebastian stepped inside, scanning the Gryffindor table for any sign of her. His stomach clenched when he saw that her usual spot—wedged between Natty and Cressida—was empty. His heart sank further when he caught sight of the guarded expressions on their faces as he approached.

“Where’s Evangeline?” he asked, his voice rough from sleep and the lingering tension in his chest.

Natty exchanged a glance with Cressida before answering. “We don’t know,” she said carefully.

Sebastian frowned. “What does that mean?”

“It means,” Cressida said softly, “that she hasn’t been around much. We didn't see her this morning in the common room, nor in our dorm. She’s barely there. She wakes up before us, goes to bed late, and hardly says a word.”

Her words landed like a blow to his gut. “She hasn’t said where she’s been?”

Natty shook her head, her expression turning to one of quiet reproach. “Sebastian, she’s avoiding people for a reason.”

He swallowed hard, a lump forming in his throat. He wanted to press them for more, but the look in Natty’s eyes was enough to stop him. She knew what had happened—of course she did, she's the one who found Evie laying there alone—and there was no hiding from the judgment in her eyes.

“Thanks,” he muttered before turning on his heel and stalking out of the hall.

The hours that followed were a frustrating blur of dead ends as Sebastian scoured every corner of the castle he could think of.

He wandered through the library first, weaving between the shelves and peering into the tucked-away corners where she liked to study. His footsteps echoed in the quiet space, but no matter how far he searched, there was no sign of her. Madam Scribner glared at him over her spectacles when his whispered inquiries became too loud, and he left before her irritation could boil over into words.

The Quidditch pitch was his next stop, but it, too, was empty, save for a pair of second-years casually tossing a Quaffle back and forth. He lingered at the edge of the stands for a moment, staring out at the expanse of grass, before turning away with a muttered curse.

By the time night fell, his legs ached from climbing stairs and traversing hallways, but his determination remained unwavering. He retreated to the Undercroft once more, hoping that she might show up, seeking the solace the hidden room often provided. But as the minutes stretched into hours, he was met with nothing but the cold, empty silence of the space.

It was in the early hours of morning that Sebastian finally slipped through the entrance to the Slytherin common room. The dim, green-tinted room was nearly empty, save for a pair of fifth-years whispering near the hearth, but Sebastian barely spared them a glance as he made his way toward his dormitory.

He felt hollow, his chest tight with frustration and guilt. Hours of searching had turned up nothing, and the idea of going to bed without finding her filled him with a restless dread.

Pushing open the door to his dormitory, he stepped inside, his gaze immediately snapping to the companion candle on his bedside table. The soft glow of its flame greeted him, flickering steadily. His pulse quickened.

Evangeline was awake somewhere.

Sebastian stepped back into the corridor and closed the door behind him, leaning heavily against it as relief warred with frustration. She was awake. But where?

He racked his brain, thought back to every conversation, every memory they’d shared, searching for something—anything—that might give him a clue of where she might be hiding.

And then, it hit him.

The memory she’d shared with him for his birthday. It had been a beautiful day by the Black Lake in their fifth year, the two of them sitting side by side, staring out at the water as the sky reflected on its surface.

Sebastian pushed off the door, his heart pounding. Maybe she was there. It was a long shot, but it was all he had.

The castle was silent as he slipped through its shadowed corridors. Sneaking out past curfew was second nature to him by now, but tonight, his usual thrill of rebellion was absent. All he could focus on was finding her.

The cool night air hit him as he stepped onto the grounds, the vast expanse of the Black Lake stretching out before him. The moonlight danced across its surface, casting rippling reflections that seemed to shift with the breeze. The chill bit at his exposed skin, but he ignored it, his eyes scanning the shoreline.

And then he saw her.

She was perched on a low, weathered rock near the edge of the lake, her knees pulled up to her chest and her arms wrapped around them. Her long hair spilled over her shoulders, catching the moonlight.

For a moment, he stopped, his breath catching in his throat. The sight of her after what felt like an eternity apart stilled him, rooting him to the spot. She looked so small, so fragile, her usual fire dimmed into quiet embers.

Sebastian swallowed hard, forcing his legs to move. The crunch of his boots against the gravel shore broke the silence, and he saw her stiffen slightly at the sound. She didn’t turn to look at him, but he knew she knew he was there.

“Evie,” he said softly, his voice barely carrying over the lapping of the lake’s gentle waves.

She didn’t respond. Her gaze remained fixed on the water, her arms tightening around her knees.

Sebastian hesitated, unsure whether to move closer. He felt like he was standing on the edge of a cliff, and one wrong step would send them both tumbling into an abyss they couldn’t climb out of.

“I’ve been looking for you,” he said, his voice trembling with the weight of everything he’d been carrying.

“Why?” she asked, her tone flat and distant. The single word cut through him like a blade.

He took a step closer, the cool air biting at his skin. “Because I need to talk to you."

She let out a bitter laugh, the sound hollow and devoid of warmth. "What for? To give me some excuse for why you left me there? Why you chose her over me?" Her voice cracked, and she quickly turned away, her hands gripping the fabric of her cardigan - the very same one he'd picked out for her weeks ago in Hogsmeade. And now, seeing her clutch it like armor against him, the memory felt like a knife twisting in his chest.

“I—” His voice faltered. He had spent hours in his mind rehearsing what he might say if he found her, but now, faced with the raw pain in her voice and the sight of her curling further into herself, every word felt inadequate.

“You what, Sebastian?” she snapped, finally turning to look at him. Her eyes, glinting in the moonlight, weren’t filled with the fire he was used to. They were dulled, tired, and red-rimmed from tears. “You didn’t mean for it to happen? You didn’t think it would matter? You didn’t—what? Care?”

“That’s not true,” he said quickly, the desperation in his tone undeniable. “I care, Evie. I care more than I can—” He stopped, running a hand through his disheveled hair. “I just… I didn’t think. I was stupid, and I didn’t think.”

“Didn’t think.” She repeated the words slowly, bitterly, her voice dripping with disbelief. “That’s always your excuse, isn’t it?”

Sebastian flinched, the accusation hitting harder than he’d expected.

“You didn’t think about how I would feel,” she continued, her voice steady but trembling with barely restrained emotion. “You didn’t think about what it would be like for me to hear what you did—to watch you strut around the school with her on your arm and know that everyone was laughing at my expense. You didn’t think about how it would feel to trust you, to stand by you, and have you turn around and… and—”

She broke off, her voice cracking as her gaze dropped back to the water. Her arms tightened around her knees again, her fingers digging into the fabric of the cardigan.

Sebastian took another step closer, his hands clenched at his sides as though he was physically holding himself back from reaching for her. “Evangeline,” he murmured, her full name slipping out instinctively.

"Don't call me that." Her voice cracked, sharp and brittle, as if the words themselves were a shield she had hastily raised.

Sebastian froze.

She had never stopped him from calling her Evangeline—never. It wasn’t just her name; it was his, in a way... something he naturally wielded with purpose. He used it sparingly, reserved for moments that carried weight: when he wanted to tease her into a smile, make her pause and really hear him, or when he needed to say something only she could understand. It was his way of reaching past her walls, of breaking through barriers when she threw them up. Now, hearing her reject it felt like a door slamming shut, leaving him stranded on the other side.

“I’m sorry,” he said quietly, the words rough and uneven.

She shook her head, her gaze still fixed on the water. “Don’t say things you don’t mean,” she murmured. “You’re good at that, you know—saying what people want to hear."

Sebastian stepped closer, “I do mean it,” he said, his voice low but firm. “I’m sorry, Evang—Evie. For everything. For hurting you. For making you feel like I didn’t care. I... I don’t know how to fix it, but I want to. I need to.”

She let out a hollow laugh, her shoulders rising and falling with the motion. “Fix it? You can’t undo what you did. You can’t un-snog her. You can’t erase what everyone’s saying.”

“I know,” he said, his voice almost breaking. “I know I can’t. But that doesn’t mean I won’t try to make it right."

Her head turned slightly at that, her eyes meeting his for a fleeting moment before darting away. “For me, or for you?” she asked softly. “You sure you're not just here to soothe your guilt? To make yourself feel better?”

“No!” he said urgently, stepping closer again. “This isn’t about me, Evie, it’s about you—because you’re…” His voice faltered, and he blinked hard, feeling the sting of tears building behind his eyes. “You’re everything to me, Evie. You always have been.”

Her breath hitched at his words, her posture stiffening as if she were bracing herself against them. “Stop,” she whispered, her voice barely audible. “Stop saying things you don’t mean.”

Sebastian’s throat tightened, and a tear slipped down his cheek, warm and bitter against his skin. He wiped it away hastily, as if embarrassed, but his hands trembled at his sides. “I’ve never meant anything more in my life,” he said, his voice raw. He took another step, closing the space between them, and knelt in front of her. His chest heaved with the effort to keep himself steady, to show her the truth in every fractured word.

Her hazel eyes lingered on the water for another beat, and then she exhaled, her shoulders sinking under the weight of everything she’d been holding back. It wasn’t a collapse, but a quiet unraveling, as though all her defenses were fraying at the edges.

The first tear slid down her cheek, and she didn’t bother to wipe it away. It was followed by another, and then another, until her breath hitched, a small, broken sound escaping her lips. She pressed her trembling hands to her face, muffling the quiet sobs that started to spill free.

“Evie…” Sebastian’s voice cracked, raw and filled with desperation. His own eyes burned, his own tears slipping free, but he reached out instinctively, his hand hovering uncertainly over her arm. “Please... don’t cry. I—Merlin, I’m so sorry.”

She shook her head without looking at him, her face buried in her hands. “You don’t get it,” she gasped through the tears, her voice raw and choked. “You don’t get how hard it is—how humiliated I’ve felt. I was always the one who stood by you, Sebastian. Always. And this... this is what I get for it.”

“You’re right,” he said hoarsely, his voice breaking again. “You’re right about all of it. I’ve been selfish, reckless... I’ve hurt you in ways I don’t know how to fix. But Evie, please believe me—I never meant to. I never wanted to hurt you.”

His hand trembled as it settled gently on her arm, the gesture tentative, pleading. When her gaze flickered down to it, Sebastian froze, his breath catching in his throat. He braced himself for her to pull away.

For a long moment, she didn’t move, her lips pressing into a thin line. But then, with a sigh so soft it was almost inaudible, she shifted, her body leaning ever so slightly toward him.

He stayed perfectly still, his breath catching as she let her head drop, her temple brushing lightly against his shoulder. He could feel her uneven breaths, the tremble in her frame as tears rolled down her cheeks.

“I don’t know what to do with you, Sebastian,” she said after a long silence, her voice barely above a whisper. There was no anger in her tone now, no sharp edges. Just tired, aching honesty. “You always do this. You hurt me, and then you come back, and somehow, I always forgive you.”

He swallowed hard, guilt twisting in his chest like a knife. “I don’t deserve your forgiveness,” he said quietly, his voice rough.

She didn’t respond right away, her silence stretching out between them. The soft lapping of the lake’s waves didn't even fill the void that had grown. And when she finally spoke again, her voice was so quiet he almost missed it.

“I don’t know if I can keep doing this. I keep thinking… maybe this time will be different. Maybe you’ll change. And then... you don’t.”

Sebastian flinched, “Evie, please,” he said, his voice raw. “I’m trying. I know I’ve failed, but I am trying. I swear I am.”

She let out a quiet, hollow laugh, her breath warm against his shoulder. “I think you believe that,” she said softly. “But it doesn’t feel like it from where I’m standing. From where I’m... sitting.” Her lips quirked faintly, though there was no humor in the gesture.

Sebastian’s chest tightened further, his vision blurred by unshed tears, “I’ll do better,” he said, his voice heavy with desperation. “I swear it, Evie. I know I’ve let you down. Over and over. And I hate myself for it. I hate what I’ve done to you. What I’ve done to us.”

She leaned back to look at him and her gaze softened slightly, though the weariness didn’t leave her eyes. “I don’t want you to hate yourself, Sebastian,” she said quietly. “I just… I just want you to stop hurting me.”

Sebastian felt her words sink into him like lead weights, dragging him down with the raw, simple truth of them. Stop hurting me. It wasn’t a demand or an accusation. It wasn’t even spoken with anger. It was a plea—fragile and trembling, like she didn’t even expect it to be possible.

“I will, Evie,” he murmured, his voice raw and unsteady. “I swear it.”

Her lips twitched faintly, though the ghost of a smile never quite formed. “You say that,” she said softly, leaning back against him. “And maybe you mean it. It's just... I don’t think I can take it again if you’re wrong.”

He didn’t respond right away. He didn’t trust himself to. Instead, he let the silence settle between them again, his hand still resting lightly on her arm. He wasn’t sure how long they sat like that, the quiet stretching out into a fragile bubble. But eventually, he spoke again, his voice low and steady.

“I’m not wrong this time,” he said, the words more a vow than a promise. “I can’t be. Because I don’t know what I’d do if I lost you.”

Evangeline's breath hitched then, and for a moment, he thought she might pull away. But instead, she simply nodded, a silent acknowledgment of his words. A silent understanding.

Sebastian let out a breath he hadn’t realized he was holding, his hand hesitating before shifting to cover hers where it rested against her knee. He didn’t squeeze, didn’t grip—just let his palm rest there, warm and steady, like an unspoken promise.

“You’re still a bloody idiot,” Evie murmured after what felt like an eternity, her voice muffled against his shoulder.

Sebastian let out a faint laugh, the sound rough and cracked but real. “Yeah,” he admitted, his lips twitching into the barest of smiles. “I probably always will be.”

She pulled back just enough to look at him, her hazel eyes searching his face. There was still hurt there, still an ache he couldn’t hope to erase in a single night. But there was something else, too—a flicker of something softer, something that gave him hope.

“Please don’t make me regret this, Sebastian,” she said quietly.

His throat tightened, and he nodded, his eyes locked on hers. “I won’t,” he promised, his voice raw but unwavering. “Not this time.”

For a moment, she held his gaze, her expression unreadable. Then, with a small, almost imperceptible sigh, she leaned back into him, letting her arms snake around his waist, pulling him closer.

The tension that had been coiled so tightly in Sebastian’s shoulders began to ease as he closed his eyes, his chin lightly brushing the top of her head. The scent of her hair enveloped him. It was a comfort he hadn’t realized he was desperate for until now.

“I mean it,” he murmured, his voice soft, “Whatever it takes, Evangeline, I’ll prove it to you. I’ll fix what I’ve broken.”

Her grip on him tightened slightly, and though she didn’t respond, he felt the subtle shift in her breathing. She was letting him in, piece by fragile piece. It wasn’t forgiveness—not yet—but it was something. A beginning.

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[porcelainmortal]

Chapter 7

We are almost there.

mad love.

This is sort of a WIP Wednesday? Thank you to @tailsbeth-writes for the early tag.

The exes-to-lovers fic that I've been teasing since April is finally live! It's fully written at around 31k words and I'll be posting twice a week for the month of November. Please follow along if you feel so inclined. I'm really proud of finishing this one, especially considering how many times I almost scrapped it entirely.

I know this is a weird day to post something angsty but if you decide to read along, I hope it provides some escape from the horrors™️. And I promise, with my whole heart, a very happy ending. 💕

Chapter 1

Tagging folks who showed interest below the cut, along with my normal WIP Weds folks - thank you all!

@bitbybitwrites @dreamtigress @nocoastposts @cactusdragon517 @onthewaytosomewhere

@sophie1973 @iboatedhere @oldfarmwitch @thesleepyskipper @mylucayathoughts

@caterpills @anincompletelist @georgiee-22 @mamamiush @lekrua

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@buckybarnesalways @kj-bee @na-dineee @clottedcreamfudge @emmzzzeliza

@chengdu-zone @rachelica9 @westchester777 @tinka-26 @buddieunite

@hrhacd @elliss-stuff @purgingmyemotions @blueeyedgrlwrites @cha-melodius

@firenati0n @faketrex @getmehighonmagic @hgejfmw-hgejhsf @inexplicablymine

@kiwiana-writes @priincebutt @rmd-writes @sparklepocalypse @stellarmeadow

@theprinceandagcd @thighzp @whimsymanaged @wordsofhoneydew PHEW! I think that's everyone. And, of course this is an open tag for anyone who wants to WIP Wednesday with me.

[mywhisperingwords]

almost | george f. weasley

summary: george and yours relationship was the definition of almost word count: 6.8k masterlist

It started with laughter.

Not yours—George’s. That low, rolling sound that always seemed to carry through the corridors of Hogwarts, chasing away any gloom lingering in the air. You didn’t know how he managed it, but wherever George Weasley went, he brought the sun with him.

And you? You were content to stay in the shade.

Your paths had crossed so many times that it felt inevitable. You shared classes, the Gryffindor common room, countless Quidditch matches, and a mutual knack for being in the right place at the wrong time. George always seemed to notice you in those moments—the way your head tilted when you were thinking, or how your lips curved ever so slightly when you were holding back a smile.

And then there was the teasing.

“You know, you’d be brilliant at a joke shop,” he said once, sliding into the seat beside you in the library. “With that sense of humor you’ve been hiding, you could put even Fred and me out of business.”

You rolled your eyes, but you didn’t deny it. There was something about George that made you feel like you could be a little sharper, a little bolder than usual. He brought it out of you without even trying.

But you never let it go further than that.

Not when his gaze lingered on you a little too long. Not when your heart stuttered every time he gave you that crooked grin. Not even when he sat beside you at every Gryffindor party, leaning close as if the rest of the room didn’t matter.

Because you knew George. He was everything you weren’t—reckless where you were careful, loud where you were quiet, bold where you were hesitant. You were convinced he was destined for something far brighter than the mundane life you imagined for yourself.

But one evening in your sixth year, as you sat together on the Astronomy Tower steps, watching the stars and listening to the hum of the castle below, you let yourself wonder.

“What’s it like?” you asked softly, breaking the comfortable silence.

George turned his head, the moonlight catching the copper in his hair. “What’s what like?”

“To be you.” You gestured vaguely, as if that explained anything. “To be fearless.”

He laughed, but it wasn’t his usual bright laugh—it was softer, quieter. “I’m not fearless, you know.”

You raised a brow, unconvinced.

“I’m serious!” he insisted, his grin faltering. “I just… don’t let it stop me. That’s all.”

You didn’t realize how closely he was watching you until you turned to meet his gaze. For a moment, it felt like the rest of the world had fallen away, leaving only the two of you and the vast, endless sky.

But before you could say anything, before the moment could stretch into something more, George stood up, brushing imaginary dust from his robes. “Come on,” he said lightly, holding out a hand to help you up. “Fred’s probably wondering where I’ve gone off to.”

You hesitated, staring at his hand, before finally taking it. His grip was warm and steady, and you found yourself wishing he wouldn’t let go.

But he did.

And that was how it always went with George Weasley. Close, but never close enough.

&

It was easy to get used to George’s presence. Too easy.

He had a way of slipping into your life, filling spaces you didn’t realize were empty until he was there. Like tonight, at the edge of the Black Lake. The two of you sat on a crumbling old log, shivering slightly as the early spring breeze rippled across the water.

“I swear, if Snape gives us one more essay, I’m going to feed him to the giant squid,” George said, tossing a pebble into the lake with a dramatic flourish.

You snorted, hugging your knees to your chest. “The squid doesn’t deserve that. It’s innocent.”

He turned to look at you, his grin widening. “You’re right. That was cruel of me. Maybe I’ll just charm his robes to flash neon pink for a week instead.”

“Now that would be brilliant,” you said, smiling despite yourself.

Moments like these had become your sanctuary—just you and George, away from the noise of the castle, away from the world that always seemed to demand more from both of you. You weren’t sure when it had started, but somewhere along the way, this had become your unspoken ritual.

“Hey.” His voice broke the silence, softer now. “You ever think about what you want to do after all this?”

You glanced at him, frowning slightly. “After Hogwarts?”

“Yeah.” He leaned back on his elbows, staring up at the stars. “Fred and I—we’ve got plans, you know? Big ones. But sometimes I wonder if I’ll… I don’t know. If I’ll actually go through with it.”

You blinked. “You? Not go through with something? That doesn’t sound like the George Weasley I know.”

He laughed, a little self-conscious this time. “Yeah, well, it’s different when it’s something that really matters, isn’t it? You start thinking about everything that could go wrong.”

You didn’t reply right away. Instead, you looked out at the lake, watching the moonlight dance on its surface.

“I think you’ll do it,” you said finally.

George turned his head toward you, his expression unreadable. “Yeah?”

You nodded. “You’re George Weasley. You’ll figure it out.”

For a moment, neither of you spoke. Then, out of nowhere, he said, “What about you? What’s your big dream?”

You hesitated. It wasn’t a question you were used to answering, and the words felt foreign in your mouth. “I don’t know. I guess I’d like to… see the world. Do something that feels like it matters, you know? Something worth remembering.”

George tilted his head, his gaze steady. “You will.”

You gave a small, rueful smile. “You don’t know that.”

“Course I do,” he said, as if it were the most obvious thing in the world. “You’re you.”

Heat rose to your cheeks, and you quickly looked away, pretending to adjust your scarf.

“Tell you what,” George said suddenly, sitting up straight. “If you ever feel like you’re stuck—like you can’t do whatever it is you’re meant to do—you tell me. And I’ll fix it.”

You raised a skeptical brow. “You’ll fix it?”

“Yep.” He grinned, utterly confident. “Whatever it takes.”

“George, you can’t just—”

“Promise me,” he interrupted, holding out his pinky.

You stared at him, incredulous. “A pinky promise? Are we five years old?”

“Hey, don’t underestimate the power of a pinky promise,” he said, wiggling his finger at you.

You sighed, but there was no resisting that grin. Hooking your pinky with his, you said, “Fine. I promise.”

“Good,” he said, his voice unexpectedly serious. “Because I mean it.”

And for some reason, you believed him.

&

The common room was quieter than usual. The muffled sounds of laughter and chatter from the dormitories seemed distant, leaving the space feeling oddly intimate. You and George were seated side by side on the old, worn sofa, the firelight casting flickering shadows across the room.

“I don’t know how you do it,” George said, breaking the silence. His voice was softer than usual, missing its typical teasing edge.

“Do what?” you asked, looking up from the parchment in your lap.

“Keep all of this together.” He gestured vaguely, his hand brushing the air. “Homework. Prefect duties. The whole ‘saving the school from falling apart’ thing. It’s… impressive.”

You laughed lightly, trying to ignore the warmth creeping up your neck. “You sound surprised.”

“I’m not,” he said, his tone earnest. “I’ve always known you could handle anything.”

The compliment caught you off guard, and for a moment, the air between you shifted. His gaze lingered on you, softer and steadier than you’d ever seen, and you felt it—the weight of something unspoken, something you weren’t sure you were ready to face.

“You’ve always known?” you teased, trying to lighten the moment, though your voice came out quieter than you intended.

George’s lips quirked into a faint smile. “Yeah. Always.”

The silence that followed was heavy, but not uncomfortable. It was the kind of silence that made your heart race, the kind that felt like a question waiting to be answered.

His hand was resting on the edge of the sofa, just inches from yours. Neither of you moved, but the space between you felt impossibly small.

“George,” you started, your voice barely above a whisper.

He leaned in slightly, his breath warm against your cheek. “Yeah?”

You didn’t know what you were going to say. Or maybe you did, but the words were stuck in your throat, tangled with nerves and the fear of ruining something that had always been… undefined.

Before you could find the courage to speak—or before he could, either—the sound of footsteps on the staircase broke the moment.

Fred appeared, his expression unusually grim as he glanced between the two of you. “George,” he said, his tone clipped. “We’ve got to finish up. Now.”

George pulled back, the warmth of the moment dissipating in an instant. “Right. Be there in a minute.”

Fred hesitated, his eyes flicking to you as if debating whether to say more, but then he nodded and disappeared back up the stairs.

You frowned, looking at George. “Finish what?”

George hesitated, and you could see the conflict in his expression. He ran a hand through his hair, leaning back against the sofa. “I was going to tell you earlier… Fred and I are leaving.”

The words didn’t make sense at first. “Leaving?”

“Hogwarts,” he clarified, his voice quiet. “We’re not coming back after this weekend.”

You stared at him, your mind struggling to catch up. “You’re joking.”

“I’m not,” he said, his tone steady but tinged with regret. “We’ve been planning it for a while. The shop’s ready, and… we just can’t stay here anymore.”

Your chest tightened, the weight of his words sinking in. “When were you going to tell me?”

“I’m telling you now,” he said softly. “I didn’t want to leave without saying something. Not to you.”

The words were meant to comfort, but they only made the ache in your chest worse.

“And what?” you asked, your voice trembling. “You were just going to leave and hope I’d understand?”

“I thought you would understand,” he said, his voice growing quieter. “You’ve always been the one who gets it. Who gets me.”

You couldn’t find the words to respond. The hurt was too raw, too fresh.

George shifted closer, his hand brushing yours for just a moment before pulling back. “This doesn’t mean goodbye forever, you know.”

You looked at him, searching his face for something—reassurance, hope, anything to ease the ache in your chest. His eyes softened, and you thought of that day by the Black Lake, the promise you both made that had lingered between you ever since.

“You’re still holding onto it, aren’t you?” he asked, his voice quieter now.

You nodded, understanding what he meant without needing clarification. “Of course I am.”

“So am I,” he said, a faint smile tugging at his lips. “It’ll still be there when we see each other again.”

It wasn’t the confession you wanted. But it was the only one either of you could offer, here and now.

&

The first few months without George felt like a puzzle missing its most vital piece. Life at Hogwarts carried on, but without his presence—his laugh echoing down the corridors, his clever remarks that made you bite back smiles in even the most serious situations—everything felt muted.

You tried to throw yourself into schoolwork, into your duties as a prefect, into your friendships. But no amount of distraction could stop you from replaying that last night in the common room, the quiet promise he left hanging in the air between you.

It’ll still be there when we see each other again.

The words haunted you, both a comfort and a curse. How long would “when” take? And what would “it” look like when you found it again?

You didn’t owl him. It wasn’t that you didn’t want to—it was that you didn’t know what to say. What could you possibly write to someone who’d carved himself into your life so completely, only to leave? So you stayed silent. And, maddeningly, so did he.

Then the war began to loom over everything. Whispers of Voldemort’s return became shouts, and the weight of fear settled like a fog across the castle. The once vibrant halls of Hogwarts grew darker—both literally and figuratively. Students were no longer concerned with petty rivalries or Quidditch matches; they were concerned with survival.

You told yourself you didn’t think about George much anymore, but that was a lie. In the moments of quiet, when the threat of war felt heaviest, your mind wandered back to him. You wondered where he was, if he was safe, if he ever thought of you.

And then the war came in full force.

The news of Dumbledore’s death shook the castle, and the arrival of the Carrows solidified the nightmare. You tried to be brave, to stand strong, but bravery was harder when you didn’t have someone like George by your side to remind you that the world could still be good, still be funny, even when it felt like it was falling apart.

You fought, of course. You stood beside your friends, doing everything you could to resist the tyranny that had overtaken Hogwarts. But you felt the loss of him like an ache in your chest, a hollowness that you couldn’t quite fill.

When the war finally ended, and the dust of the Battle of Hogwarts settled, you didn’t feel victorious. You felt exhausted, broken, and adrift.

The first time you saw George again, it wasn’t planned.

You’d stepped into Diagon Alley on a whim, needing to pick up a few supplies. The destruction from the war was still evident in the cracked cobblestones and the boarded-up windows of shops that had yet to reopen. It was quieter than you remembered, the air heavy with the echoes of what had been lost.

You weren’t even sure why you stopped in front of Weasleys’ Wizard Wheezes. Maybe it was curiosity. Maybe it was something else. Either way, you found yourself staring up at the garish purple sign, at the brightly colored window display that seemed so at odds with the somber mood of the alley.

And then you saw him.

He was standing behind the counter, speaking to a customer with a faint smile on his face. His hair was longer than you remembered, a little shaggier, and there were dark circles under his eyes that hadn’t been there before. But he was alive. He was George.

Your breath caught in your throat, and for a moment, you considered turning around and walking away. What would you even say to him after all this time? But before you could decide, he looked up—and his eyes locked onto yours.

For a moment, neither of you moved. Then his smile softened, something unreadable flickering across his face, and he waved you over.

“Look what the Nifflers dragged in,” he said when you reached the counter. His voice was lighter than you expected, but you could hear the tension beneath it.

You laughed softly, though it sounded more like a sigh. “I didn’t mean to stop by. I just… saw the shop.”

“And thought, ‘Why not see how George Weasley’s holding up?’” he teased, though the question felt heavier than it should have.

“Something like that.”

For a moment, the two of you stood there, just looking at each other. The war had left its mark on both of you, in ways that words couldn’t fully capture.

“Fred told me you fought,” he said finally, his voice quieter now. “That you helped protect the castle.”

You nodded. “I did what I could.”

“Sounds like you did a hell of a lot more than that.” His gaze softened, and for the first time in years, you saw the George you remembered—the one who believed in you, even when you didn’t believe in yourself.

“What about you?” you asked, though you already knew the answer. “How are you holding up?”

His smile faltered, and he looked down at the counter. “Some days are better than others.”

It wasn’t much, but it was enough.

That day, you didn’t talk about what had happened between you—not yet. But when he offered you a cup of tea in the backroom, and you accepted, it felt like the first step toward something.

Not a new beginning, exactly. But maybe the start of healing.

&

It was never a conscious decision, the way you and George fell into each other’s lives again. It wasn’t planned, wasn’t something either of you sought out. But it happened—slowly, quietly, like the tide creeping back to the shore after the storm.

It began with the little things.

A lingering glance across the shop. The sound of his laugh breaking through the dull ache in your chest. The way he always seemed to know when you needed silence or when you needed a distraction.

You weren’t sure if he realized it, or if you were just too aware of it yourself.

One evening, after the shop had closed and Fred had disappeared upstairs with a quick “Don’t do anything I wouldn’t,” you found yourself in the small backroom again.

George was finishing inventory, scribbling on a clipboard as you sipped tea at the worn wooden table. The shop was quiet now, except for the scratch of his quill and the occasional creak of the chair as he shifted.

“You don’t have to stay, you know,” he said eventually, not looking up.

You glanced at him, at the way his brow furrowed in concentration. “I don’t mind,” you replied. It was the truth.

His quill paused, just for a moment. “Alright,” he murmured, returning to his list.

It was like that most nights. He didn’t ask why you stayed, and you didn’t offer an explanation. You just…did.

But somewhere along the way, the silence between you shifted.

One night, as you leaned against the counter while he reorganized a shelf, he turned to you, his expression softer than usual.

“Do you ever think about it?” he asked suddenly, his voice quiet.

“About what?”

“Us. Before.”

Your heart stuttered at the question. You forced yourself to meet his gaze, even though the weight of it was almost too much. “Sometimes.”

He nodded, his lips curving into a faint smile. “Me too.”

You wanted to say more, to ask him what he thought about, but the words caught in your throat. Instead, you looked away, pretending to study the box of biscuits on the counter.

“Do you think it would’ve worked?” he pressed gently, his tone almost hesitant, as though he wasn’t sure he wanted the answer.

You exhaled, the breath shaky in your chest. “I don’t know,” you admitted. “Maybe.”

The corner of his mouth twitched, but it wasn’t quite a smile. “Yeah. Maybe.”

Neither of you said anything after that. But the moment lingered, hanging in the air long after the silence returned.

Over the next few weeks, the rhythm between you shifted.

It was subtle at first—the way his hand lingered near yours when he handed you a cup of tea, the way his smile softened when you laughed.

One evening, as you sat on the worn sofa in the backroom, you found yourself leaning closer to him, your knees brushing against his. He didn’t move away.

“It’s strange,” you murmured, staring down at your cup.

“What is?”

“This,” you said, gesturing vaguely between the two of you. “It feels…”

“Like it’s where it’s supposed to be,” he finished for you.

You looked up at him, startled by the certainty in his voice. His gaze met yours, steady and unguarded.

Your breath caught, but you forced yourself to smile. “Yeah. Something like that.”

He nodded, the faintest hint of a smile tugging at his lips. “I’ve missed this,” he said quietly.

Your heart clenched at the admission. “Me too.”

It wasn’t a declaration. It wasn’t a confession. But it was enough.

And slowly, without either of you realizing, you began to slip back into each other’s orbits.

The first time you noticed the shift was on a particularly quiet evening.

You were helping George restock the shelves, your hands brushing more often than they should. Every time it happened, he glanced at you, his expression unreadable but warm.

When you reached for the same jar of powdered moonstone, your fingers collided, and neither of you moved for a moment.

“You take it,” you said softly, trying to ignore the way your pulse quickened.

“Alright,” he replied, but his hand lingered on yours a beat too long.

Later, as you sat on the sofa with him, a shared blanket draped over your legs, you caught yourself leaning into his shoulder. It felt natural, effortless.

But that night, as you walked home, the weight of it hit you. You were falling for him again—if you’d ever stopped.

The turning point came quietly, slipping into your life like a thief in the night.

It was Fred who noticed first.

“You two are ridiculous, you know that?” he said one evening, watching the way George’s gaze lingered on you as you laughed.

“What are you on about?” George replied, but his ears turned pink, and he avoided Fred’s knowing grin.

Fred just shook his head, muttering something under his breath about hopeless idiots.

&

The letter came in a crisp white envelope, bearing the emblem of the prestigious Parisian institution. When you unfolded it, your breath caught.

It was everything you’d worked for, everything you’d ever wanted. And yet, the words on the page felt heavier than you could have imagined.

You held the letter in trembling hands as you sat on the sofa in the backroom of the shop. George was across from you, scribbling notes for a new product, utterly unaware of the storm brewing in your mind.

“George,” you said softly, your voice barely above a whisper.

He looked up, concern flickering in his eyes the moment he saw your expression. “What’s wrong?”

You hesitated, holding the letter out to him. He took it, his brows knitting together as he read.

When he finished, he looked back at you, his face carefully neutral. “This is incredible,” he said, though his voice lacked the enthusiasm you expected.

“It is,” you said, forcing a smile. “It’s everything I’ve ever wanted.”

“But?” he prompted, tilting his head.

“But…I only just got back to you,” you admitted, your voice cracking at the edges. “How can I leave again? How can I walk away now, after everything?”

He didn’t reply right away. He leaned back in his chair, the letter still in his hand, his eyes fixed on some distant point in the room.

Finally, he sighed. “You have to go,” he said quietly.

The words hit you like a Bludger to the chest. “What?”

“You have to go,” he repeated, looking at you now. “You’ve worked so hard for this, and I—” He paused, his jaw tightening. “I can’t be the reason you don’t take it.”

Tears pricked at the corners of your eyes. “But what about us?”

“What about us?” he echoed, his voice softer now. “We’ve always been ‘almost.’ Always just…missing each other. I don’t want that for you. I don’t want you to look back and regret not going because of me.”

You shook your head, the tears spilling over now. “I don’t want to leave you.”

He stood, crossing the room to kneel in front of you. He cupped your face in his hands, his thumbs brushing away the tears.

“Do you remember the promise we made at the Black Lake?” he asked, his voice low and steady.

You nodded, your heart aching at the memory.

“We promised we’d fix it,” he said. “And this…this is me fixing it. You need to do this.”

“But what about you?” you whispered, your voice breaking.

He smiled, though it didn’t quite reach his eyes. “I’ll be here. The shop will be here. And if it’s meant to be…” He trailed off, his gaze searching yours.

“If it’s meant to be, we’ll find our way back,” you finished for him, your voice trembling.

He nodded. “We always do, don’t we?”

You leaned forward, pressing your forehead against his. Neither of you said anything for a long time, the silence filling with everything you couldn’t say aloud.

Finally, he pulled back, his hands dropping to his sides. “Go,” he said firmly, though his voice was laced with emotion. “Go make your mark in Paris. And when you’re ready…come back.”

You nodded, though it felt like your heart was shattering with every breath.

It wasn’t what you wanted, not really. But deep down, you knew he was right.

You had to go.

&

You didn’t expect the shop to feel so foreign.

When you left a year ago, you promised yourself you’d come back. You didn’t imagine how much could change in the meantime, or how distant you would feel from the place you once called home.

The bell above the door chimed, and you stepped inside. The familiar scent of sugar, sawdust, and something faintly explosive greeted you, pulling a small smile from your lips.

“Welcome to Weasleys’ Wizard Wheezes!” a voice called cheerfully from behind the counter.

For a brief, heart-stopping moment, you thought it was George. But as you looked up, your stomach dropped. It wasn’t him.

The girl standing there was about your age, with blonde hair pulled into a neat ponytail and a bright, effortless smile.

“Can I help you find anything?” she asked.

“No,” you said quickly, shaking your head. “I’m—uh—I’m looking for George.”

She tilted her head, her smile faltering slightly. “Oh, he’s upstairs, working on a new design. Should I get him?”

Before you could answer, you heard his voice from the staircase.

“No need, Ella, I’ve got it,” George said, appearing at the top of the stairs.

He froze when he saw you.

“Hey,” you said softly, your voice catching in your throat.

“Hey,” he replied, his expression unreadable as he descended the stairs.

It had been a year since you’d seen him. A year of letters exchanged sporadically, each one growing shorter and more distant. A year of wondering if the promise you made still held any weight.

George reached the bottom step, his hands shoved into his pockets. He didn’t look at you right away, his eyes darting between you and Ella, who was now watching the two of you with open curiosity.

“I’ll—uh—just stock the shelves in the back,” she said quickly, giving you both a polite smile before disappearing into the storeroom.

You and George stood in silence, the air between you heavy and uncertain.

“You’re back,” he said finally.

You nodded. “I’m back.”

His lips pressed into a thin line, and he glanced toward the storeroom door where Ella had vanished. “When did you get in?”

“This morning,” you said, fidgeting with the strap of your bag. “I wanted to see the shop.”

“And how was Paris?” he asked, his tone casual, though there was something beneath it you couldn’t quite place.

“It was…” You trailed off, searching for the right word. “Lonely.”

His eyes flicked up to meet yours, the guarded expression on his face cracking ever so slightly.

“But you did it,” he said. “You lived your dream.”

You nodded, though it felt hollow now. “And you? How’s everything here?”

“Good,” he said, his voice tight. “The shop’s doing well. Fred’s…Fred.”

“And Ella?” you asked before you could stop yourself, the name tasting bitter on your tongue.

He blinked, caught off guard. “She helps out around here,” he said simply, though the way he shifted on his feet made you wonder.

“She seems nice,” you said, forcing a smile.

George didn’t respond right away. Instead, he studied you, his gaze searching your face like he was trying to solve a puzzle.

“I didn’t think you’d come back,” he said quietly.

“Neither did I,” you admitted, your voice barely above a whisper.

He took a step closer, and for a moment, you thought he might say something more. But the door to the storeroom swung open, and Ella reappeared, carrying a box of Peruvian Instant Darkness Powder.

“Where should I put this?” she asked, oblivious to the tension in the room.

George cleared his throat, stepping back. “Uh, by the display in the front.”

Ella nodded and walked past, her presence a stark reminder of how much had changed.

You took a step back, too, your heart sinking. “I should go,” you said quickly, your voice wavering.

“Wait—” George started, but you were already at the door.

“It was good to see you,” you said, forcing a smile you didn’t feel. “Really.”

Before he could say anything else, you slipped out the door, the bell chiming behind you.

As you walked away, you realized that the shop wasn’t the only thing that felt foreign now.

So did he.

&

The first time you ran into George again, it was at the Leaky Cauldron. He was alone, sitting at the bar with a Butterbeer in hand, lost in thought. He looked up as you passed, his gaze catching yours, and for a moment, it felt like the past year hadn’t happened.

You both hesitated, each waiting for the other to speak.

“Hey,” he finally said, his voice soft.

“Hey,” you replied, your heart stumbling over itself.

It wasn’t much of a conversation. Polite smiles, an exchange of awkward pleasantries, and then you were gone again, the weight of his presence pressing against your chest long after you left.

The next time, it was in Diagon Alley. He was with Ella.

You hadn’t meant to stop, but the sight of him—of them—froze you in place. She was laughing at something he said, her hand brushing against his arm, and it felt like a knife twisting in your gut.

He called out for you, noticing you before you could slip away.

Ella turned, her smile bright and welcoming, blissfully unaware of the history standing between you and George. “Hi! It’s so good to see you again.”

You forced a smile, nodding at her before meeting George’s eyes. They were unreadable, as always.

“Hi,” you said, your voice quieter than you intended.

“Have you been well?” George asked, his tone careful, like he was afraid the wrong word might shatter whatever fragile thread was holding this moment together.

“Fine,” you lied, your throat tight. “You?”

“Yeah,” he said. “Good.”

You didn’t stay long.

It became a pattern after that. You’d see him at the shop, or out with mutual friends, or walking through the Alley. Sometimes he was alone, sometimes he wasn’t. The encounters were brief, stilted, like neither of you knew how to exist in the same space anymore.

And then, one night, everything came to a head.

The rain came down in relentless sheets, drenching the cobblestones of Diagon Alley. You hadn’t expected anyone to show up on your doorstep, least of all George, but when the knock echoed through your flat, some part of you already knew.

You opened the door, and there he stood—soaked to the bone, his hair plastered to his forehead, and his eyes holding something that made your chest tighten. Neither of you spoke at first, the rain filling the silence between you, as if it could drown the years of longing and missed chances.

“George,” you finally said, stepping aside to let him in. He hesitated, his hand gripping the doorframe like it was the only thing keeping him upright, before crossing the threshold.

“I didn’t know where else to go,” he muttered, brushing past you.

You closed the door behind him, your mind spinning. “What’s wrong?”

He turned to you, his expression unreadable, but his hands—his hands trembled. “This,” he said, gesturing vaguely between you. “This has been wrong for years, hasn’t it?”

Your heart sank. “I don’t know what you mean.”

“Yes, you do,” he snapped, his voice louder than you’d ever heard it. “I’ve been trying to move on—Merlin, I thought I had. And then you came back.”

You flinched, the words cutting deeper than you wanted to admit. “I didn’t mean to—”

“Didn’t mean to what?” he interrupted. “Didn’t mean to show up and turn everything upside down again?”

The anger in his voice mirrored the storm outside, but it wasn’t just anger—it was pain, and it made your throat tighten. “You think this is easy for me?” you shot back, your own voice rising. “I never stopped thinking about you, George. Not for a single day. But you—you had someone else. You made your choice.”

His laughter was bitter. “You think it was that simple? That I just—what? Stopped caring about you because Ella showed up? No. I tried to forget you because you left!”

“I didn’t leave you,” you said, your voice cracking. “I left for me. Because I needed to, and you told me to go.”

“And look where it got us,” he said, his voice breaking as he raked a hand through his damp hair. “You’re back, and everything’s worse than it’s ever been. I thought I could pretend. I thought if I saw you enough, it would get easier. But it doesn’t.”

You took a shaky step closer, your pulse pounding in your ears. “Why are you here, George?”

“Because I don’t know what else to do,” he admitted, his voice barely above a whisper. “I can’t stand seeing you, and I can’t stand not seeing you. It’s maddening.”

The air between you crackled with everything unsaid, and before you could stop yourself, you closed the distance. “Then stop pretending,” you said, your voice trembling.

He froze as your words hung in the air. You were so close now, you could feel the heat radiating from him, see the way his jaw clenched, how his breathing quickened.

And then he kissed you.

It wasn’t gentle. It wasn’t soft or sweet or anything you’d imagined all those years ago. It was desperate, filled with anger and longing and all the things you’d both kept bottled up.

But it wasn’t right.

You broke away first, stumbling back, your breath ragged. “No,” you whispered, shaking your head.

George’s chest heaved as he stared at you, his expression unreadable. “Why not?”

“Because this isn’t how it’s supposed to be,” you said, tears pricking at your eyes. “Not like this. Not when you’re still with her.”

He ran a hand down his face, his frustration evident. “I know.”

Your heart twisted, the revelation sending a jolt through you. “This is wrong. We’re wrong.”

“I know,” he said again, his voice breaking.

You swallowed hard, the lump in your throat threatening to choke you. “Fix this, George,” you said, your voice trembling. “Fix us.”

You were begging him, begging him to keep his promise from all these years ago.

His gaze softened, but the pain in his eyes didn’t fade. “I don’t know how to fix us,” he admitted, the words cutting through you like a blade.

The silence that followed was deafening, and when he finally turned to leave, you let him go, tears streaming down your face.

When the door clicked shut, you sank to the floor, the weight of everything crashing down on you. You pressed a hand to your chest, trying to steady your breathing, but it was no use. You were falling apart, and for the first time in years, you weren’t sure if George would be there to pick up the pieces.

&

The days turned into weeks, and somehow, miraculously, your path and George’s didn’t cross again. Not in Diagon Alley, not in the pubs, not even through your mutual friends. It was as though the universe had decided you both needed the space to finally breathe.

At first, it felt like suffocating. You’d always thought the hardest part was seeing him, knowing he was there but not yours. But the silence—the void he left—it was worse. There were no chance encounters to brace for, no stolen glances to both dread and crave. Just emptiness.

You threw yourself into work, into anything that could keep your mind occupied. Yet, every time you returned to your flat, the quiet was unbearable. You found yourself staring at the spot where George had stood that night, hearing the echo of his voice.

“I don’t know how to fix us.”

You hated him for that. And yet, you couldn’t blame him.

Healing wasn’t linear. Some days you convinced yourself you were better off—stronger for having walked away from something that would’ve broken you in the end. Other days, you broke all over again, mourning not just George, but the version of yourself that had loved him so completely, so recklessly.

Months passed. Then a year.

You didn’t know when the ache dulled, only that one day, it hurt just a little less. The rain no longer reminded you of that night, and Diagon Alley became just another street. You stopped looking for his face in the crowd, stopped imagining what you’d say if you saw him.

And then, of course, the universe brought him back.

It was late spring, the air warm but still carrying the crispness of a lingering chill. You were on your way out of Flourish and Blotts, balancing a stack of books in your arms, when you heard his voice.

“Let me get that for you.”

Your heart stopped.

You turned slowly, and there he was. George Weasley, standing before you, his hair a little longer, his smile softer, and his eyes—those same eyes—holding a flicker of something you couldn’t quite name.

“George,” you said, your voice barely above a whisper.

He reached out, taking the top few books from your stack without waiting for an answer. His hand brushed yours briefly, and it sent a shock through you, one you hadn’t felt in so long.

“How’ve you been?” he asked, his tone light, almost careful.

You laughed, though it came out more bitter than you’d intended. “That’s a loaded question, don’t you think?”

His smile faltered for a moment before he nodded. “Yeah. I suppose it is.”

You both stood there, awkwardly, as the world moved on around you. For the first time in years, you didn’t know what to say to him.

“Ella’s gone,” he said finally, breaking the silence.

Your breath caught, but you forced yourself to stay composed. “Oh.”

“It’s been a while now,” he continued, his voice quieter. “I thought… you might want to know.”

“Why?” you asked, the word slipping out before you could stop it.

He hesitated, his gaze dropping to the books in his arms. “Because I didn’t want you to think I hadn’t changed. That I didn’t learn anything from… from us.”

Us.

You swallowed hard, your grip tightening on the books in your hands. “And did you?”

His eyes met yours, and for a moment, the noise of the street seemed to fade. “I think so.”

It was such a simple answer, yet it carried the weight of everything you’d both endured—apart and together.

“I thought I’d run into you sooner,” he said, a ghost of a smile returning to his lips.

“Maybe it wasn’t time,” you said softly.

“Maybe.”

The pause stretched between you, but it wasn’t heavy this time. It felt… necessary.

“You look good,” he said suddenly, his smile growing a little. “Happier.”

“I’m trying,” you admitted. “It’s not perfect, but… I’m getting there.”

“Good,” he said, and the warmth in his voice made your chest ache.

For a moment, it felt like old times. Like you could slip back into the rhythm you’d once had, but you knew better now. You both did.

“Well,” you said, adjusting the books in your arms. “I should get going.”

“Yeah,” he said, handing his share of the books back to you. But before you could turn, he stopped you. “Wait.”

You looked back at him, your heart racing.

“I still don’t know how to fix us,” he said quietly, his voice barely audible over the noise of the street. “But if you want to try… I’d like to figure it out together.”

The words hung in the air, and for the first time in a long time, you allowed yourself to hope.

You gave him a small smile, one that felt genuine and warm, despite the lingering ache in your chest. “Maybe this time, we’ll get it right.”

He nodded, and the smile he gave you in return was filled with something you hadn’t seen in years. Not certainty, not closure, but something close enough to start again.

And as you walked away, you didn’t look back—not because you didn’t want to, but because you finally felt like you didn’t need to.

[steddieunderdogfics]

cyclical by cuips_not_cute

@cuips-not-cute

Rating: Explicit

111,111 words, 11/11 chapters

Archive Warning: Graphic Depictions of Violence

Tags: Time Loop, Time Travel, Alternate Universe - Groundhog Day (1993) Fusion, Time Travel Fix-It, Angst, Angst with a Happy Ending, Eventual Smut, Hurt/Comfort, Canon-Typical Violence, Eddie Munson Lives, eventually, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Gay Eddie Munson, Bisexual Steve Harrington, Homoerotic Wound Care, Smoking, Shotgunning, Eddie Munson Has a Crush on Steve Harrington, Steve Harrington Has a Crush on Eddie Munson, they will figure it out, It Gets Worse Before It Gets Better, Temporary Character Death, Supernatural Elements, Slow Burn, Making Out, Kissing, First Kiss, Virgin Eddie Munson, he's my sweet little loser boy in this one, First Time, Grinding, Hand Jobs, Blow Jobs, First Time Blow Jobs, Bottom Eddie Munson, Top Steve Harrington, Top Eddie Munson, Bottom Steve Harrington, they're switches bitches, Eddie Munson is a Sweetheart, Inexperienced Eddie Munson, Anal Sex, Anal Fingering, put these boys in situations, and by situations i mean extreme trauma, Amnesia, in the sense that only steve remembers the loops at first, Trauma, eddie munson is full of Lust, Mutual Pining, Falling In Love, Rimming

Summary:

There’s a bottle on his neck and a boy pressed against him. Steve should be terrified. He’s shoved higher up the wall he’s pinned to, the boy’s eyes wild beneath his tangled mess of hair, his breath all rasp and spit and fear. The bottle presses closer, harder, almost enough to break skin. Steve knows it won’t, though, because this isn’t the first time he’s been here. Or, Steve keeps finding himself back in the boathouse where everything started, wrapped up in the arms of a boy who can’t stop dying. Saving him means ending his torment, and it also means falling in love.

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[fandomhopper-shit]

𝐓𝐞𝐚𝐜𝐡𝐞𝐫𝐬 𝐏𝐞𝐭

Regina George x Female Reader

Summary : After the bus incident regina started to become more aware of everything around her one thing that stuck out to her was the cute girl that sat at the back of her algebra class, turns out she wasn't the only one to see that after all the girl seemed to be the Teacher's Pet

Warnings: Ooc Regina? Internal and External Homophobia, Forced Religion, Manipulation, Perverted old men,Terrible Parents, Swearing, Mentions of Forced Marriage, Protective Regina and Mild Scopophobia [Fear of Being looked at]

A/N: This is probably gonna be terrible like my other one so i will probably keep this in my drafts part 2 will come out just not eventually

Regina's Pov :

Walking back through the halls of North shore was a completely different experience for me since i wasn't the queen be anymore i started to see more of the 'background characters' as the old me would say, there were so many underrated cliques that honestly looked kinda cool and fun to hang out with for example ; The goths their make up looked so complicated but it fit them just as much as their clothes then there was the softball girls who looked like they could kick your ass but when you looked close enough they were just a bunch of goofy masc's but I would never tell any of them this to their faces I was reformed but I was still Regina George.

I walked into my Homeroom and saw a new teacher, I guess since it was a new year so there were bound to be some new people but what really caught my eye was the girl sat in the back of the classroom near the window, she was pretty. Really pretty. She wore a red oversized hoodie that was covered in white stars that were painted on there were other splatters of paint on it which just made it all the more unique then she had a plaid skirt that fell comfortably onto her thighs she wore thigh high socks with vans that once again had stars painted all over them but this time they re painted baby pink. It was adorable she looked too innocent to be going to a school like North shore.

I snapped out of my daze when the final bell rang I looked around for new seat and lit up when i saw one in front of the cutie, I quickly walked towards it before any other jock could take it. When i sat down she glanced away from the window towards me and a look of fear i think passed her face i couldn't tell because her face went blank as soon as she looked back at the window completely ignoring my presence I frowned and turned my head back around to see the new teacher looking at her with a weird glint in his eye it made me suspicious but i pushed it aside when he started speaking.

I think i could speak for everyone when I say we were surprised at the strong Southern accent the man had "Y'all bring to your books out we're gonna be looking' over some extra stuff y'all'd've see last year" He paused and let his eyes scan the entire classroom looking onto the girl behind me who refused to raise her head and meet his gaze and for some reason he smirked showing off his rancid brown smoker teeth then he went back to having a passive look, something about him made me and all the other girls and guys in class extremely uncomfortable he was watching us as if we were pieces of meat or worse Toys "Alright everyone My name is Mr Rockefeller, y'all will address me as such ye hear." He had a threatening undertone causing everyone even the football jocks to shrink into thir seats and nod.

The lesson went on and the uncomfortable energy increased especially when he was walking round the classroom 'helping' students with the work, by pure luck he didn't come over to me but he did spend half the lesson with the mystery girl behind me whispering things to her i could hear her swallowing and shuffling uncomfortably in her seat. I couldn't hear everything he was saying but i definitely caught bits and pieces that made me sick to my stomach, the bell rang and we all rushed towards the door I was about to make it out the door when I heard him call someone back "Ms (L/N) please stay behind I' do like to discuss some matters with you," He had the same weird glint in his eyes as he had at the start of the lesson it was unnerving and borderline predatory my posture stiffened i wanted to say something but my body didn't let me luckily Ms Norbury came in "Mr Rockefeller i'm sorry but Miss (L/N) must come with me to sort out the rest of classes as well as her clubs that her parents signed her up for her," She said not noticing the tense atmosphere in the room, i didn't even notice the breath that left my body.

Ms Norbury turned to me "Ah Regina just the girl i wanted to see, as a part of your new leaf you wouldn't mind if you could show miss (L/N) around the school and take her to her clubs you wouldn't mind that would you Great thank you," she rushed past me after a message popped up on her phone, leaving me stood in the entrance of the classroom while the new teacher and Student were stood in the classroom. The man looked like he was about to murder someone and the girl looked sort of relived but terrified, after a few seconds of awkward seconds she slowly walked towards me like a timid little deer avoiding my eyes and handed me a piece of paper i looked it over and realised it was practically a copy of mine, I smiled to myself "Well looks like we have very class together besides Pe but right now we have English so let's go," I gave the teacher an awkward wave as he glared at me as if i ruined his life, guiding her out the classroom we walked in silence she was constantly avoiding everyones eyes who turned to us so in response i glared at them and they turned away. Just cause i was turning a new leaf didn't mean couldn't install the fear of god into them.

We reached the classroom, walked in and i let her pick the seat she was most comfortable in which was closer to the back window I sat next to her and passed her back her schedule "After this we have History which is at top floor Then Art, Math and Lunch if you want you can sit with my friends?" I shifted in my seat nervously when she didn't reply for a good 30 seconds had i overstepped was she uncomfortable oh god shit shit shit i didn't mean to do that what do i do maybe i ca-

My spiralling was cut off when i heard a small southern voice quiet enough that i almost thought i imagined it "Your okay, don't wanna disturb y'all," She whispered letting her hair fall infant of her face to avoid my eyes as if she said something wrong, Her accent was similar to Mr Rockefeller's except more pleasant and it reminded me of a little mouse it was adorable. "We'd love to have you with us (Y/N) don't worry they'll love you," i gently let my hand hover over her arm not actually touching her but letting her know i was there, in homeroom she seemed to hate physical touch she flinched when someone brushed their hand on hers when she let them borrow a pen not to mention the way she was shaking like a leaf when Mr Rockefeller was practically pressing himself up behind her "I'll make sure they don't bombard you too much, if you get overwhelmed by them I'll take you out of there just tap my knee is that good? " the short time i've known her i guess you could say i'm protective of her.

She gave me a small smile so small in fact I almost missed it, the lesson carried on till the bell rang and everyone filed out chatting with their friends in the middle of the hall way it looked normal to me but she looked like she was overwhelmed her eyes were darting all over the place and she was shaking slightly without a single thought i hovered my hand over the small of her back and guided her to the top floor towards our history class, by the time we got there she had calmed down and was almost leaning in to my touch but i was probably imagining it we made it and the lesson went on as normal other than the teacher welcoming everyone.

@dandelions4us

[birdie123au]

The Green Light

pairing: leon s. kennedy x reader, leon s. kennedy x ada wong

Great Gatsby AU (unrequited love, not actually requited love, angst w/ happy ending)

Amid the glamour and tension of university life, you finds yourself falling deeply for Leon Kennedy, a friend whose heart seems forever entangled with the alluring but unreachable Ada Wong. As Leon's obsession leads him down a path of self-destruction, you struggle to hide your feelings, hoping he'll finally notice the love and loyalty you've always had for him. In the wake of a life-changing accident, Leon is forced to confront who or what truly matters.

When you were younger, your father had sat you down on his lap and told you that wealth is an unimaginably powerful thing. When you’re offered chances in life, you best believe you should take them . What to a child was the concept of “wealth”? You used to imagine it was a giant room in the back of some new-money mansion filled with enormous piles of gold stacking higher than the eye could see. You came from humble origins. Your father, a midwestern farmer, had taken pride in what he referred to as “honest work”. Some of your fondest memories of your youth had been sitting on the wooden porch swing in your backyard watching your father drive his tractor through the fields. Your mother, the daughter of a banker from Georgia, would come through the creaky screen door and remind you to come inside before you overheated. Her southern draw on the word “burn” would stick in your mind many years after you left that old farm of yours.

Telling your parents you wanted to move to Racoon City to pursue your degree came as a shock. You had spent your entire life in your small, rural town. Your mother opposed the idea of moving to such a large city, stating that there was no way you would survive such a large change. Your father simply shook his head before placing his hand on your mother’s thighs. With that she conceded. 

The drive into Rockefeller College, one of the most prestigious universities in the midwest, felt like driving into an alternate universe. Sitting in the back of your father’s pick up truck, your mother verbally recounted her disgust with seeing the number of Teslas or Range Rovers that were lined up by the curb. You were immediately reminded of your status: a country bumpkin with a full ride scholarship. The move into your dorm was no better. Your roommate, a girl named Mikayla, was the daughter of a wealthy family from the northeast. Her half of the room had already been set up by the time you set your foot in the door. Her minimalist, sad-beige aesthetic would certainly look dull compared to what your mother referred to as the ‘90s bedroom’ look you were going for. Mikayla was a sweet girl, but the moment she suggested you should all grab lunch at Machiavelli’s Steak and Winery you were immediately made aware of a key difference between the two of you.

Saying goodbye to your parents was the hardest part of all. Your mother sobbed, holding you tightly as though she would never see you again. Your father simply patted you on the head before grabbing hold of your mother’s hand, leading the two of them out of your new home. After coming to a consensus on a more affordable place to eat lunch, you and Mikayla stepped into the hallway of your dorm, waving hello to your new neighbors. As you entered the elevator, you noticed you had the company of two young men, most likely new students from the floor above. 

“Hey,” said the taller of the two men, “My name is Chris.”

“Hi!” Mikayla said happily, “I’m Mikayla and this is Y/N, we're roommates.”

Chris nodded his head politely. “I’m Piers, we’re roommates too,” he said with a smile as he pointed at Chris.

“You both headed to lunch?” you asked. 

“Yeah, we were thinking about checking out the dining hall, but there's a good deli down the street that looks pretty good,” said Chris.

“No way!” Mikayla shouted, “McEvan’s? We’re headed there too.”

Chris laughed, “Awesome.”

———————————————————————————————————————

The conversation amongst the four of you at McEvan’s had been polite small talk. Lots of What’s your major? Where are you from? and What classes are you taking this semester?

By the time your meal was served, a patty melt with no tomato, you had moved onto slightly less general topics such as extracurriculars and hobbies. It was then that you and Chris discovered a shared love of horror games, psychological ones in particular. 

“Did you bring a console here?” Chris asked, taking a bite of his chicken wing. 

You laughed. “Fuck no, Mikayla and I have such a small room. We’re next to the RA. We can barely fit two beds and a desk in there.”

“That sucks,” he said, “You should totally swing by our place at some point. I brought my PS5.”

“I brought my Wii,” Piers chimed in, “We could play Mario Kart together or something.”

You noticed how Mikayla’s eyes lit up as soon as Piers seemed to be on board. “We’ll definitely be there,” she said, “If there's nothing else going on tonight we could definitely stop by.”

“What else would be going on?” Piers asked, seeming genuinely confused.

“Functions, bro,” Chris nudged his roommate, “And you’re right, there's not going to be any going on during orientation. Once the upperclassmen get here though, that's another story.”

“Are the parties here good then?” you asked.

“You have no idea,” Chris responded with a smile, “A family friend of mine goes here– she says that's the reason she loves it so much.”

Later that night you and Mikayla did exactly as you– well she said. The four of you crowded around Chris’s surprisingly large TV, dressed in pajamas and eating greasy popcorn, watching intently as he played the Silent Hill Two remake. Each time there would be a scary scene, Mikayla would cling to your arm with a scream. You had spent a total of four hours in the boys’ room that night. 

Your group of friends established a routine during orientation week. You would wake up, go to the dining hall for breakfast, go to whatever orientation lecture was required for the morning, eat lunch under the giant fruit tree, attend the afternoon lectures, eat dinner as a group, and then go to Chris and Piers’s room to play video or watch shows until midnight. You were lucky, you thought, to have found such a good group of friends so early on into school. 

When you told your mom on the phone about your friends, she was very proud of you, saying how lucky you were to have a great friendship with your roommate. The summer leading up to school, she would often tell you about her nightmare roommate freshman year, and how she nearly transferred from the University of Alabama. However, as a traditional southern lady, she was slightly alarmed by the fact that two of your closest friends were men. You assured her you had zero interest in either of them, but Mikayla? You weren’t so sure. 

“Well I’m not worried,” your mother said, sounding worried, “Just make sure you pick a good one, okay?”

“Yes ma,” you rolled your eyes.

“I love you, hunny,” she said.

“I love you too.”

———————————————————————————————————————

Just as Chris said, by the time orientation week ended and the upperclassmen arrived, campus life went from dull and boring to bustling and bright. However, instead of going to a function, you found yourself in the backseat of an uber driving thirty minutes off campus across the river and into the suburbs of Raccoon City. 

Chris had talked all week about taking your friend group to meet his family friend, Ada Wong. She was a junior meaning she was allowed to live off campus with her fiance, Albert Wesker. You spent a majority of the car ride trying to recall where you had heard the name “Wesker” before. By the time you arrived at the lavish, Greco-Roman style mansion, you remembered. Umbrella Pharmaceuticals, the largest pharmaceutical company in America, was owned by the prosperous, old-money Wesker family. You were shocked Chris had such a strong connection, but when you remembered how his last name was Redfield, as in Redfield Properties, you understood. 

“This place is huge!” Mikayla said as you pulled into the circular driveway with a large water fountain in the middle, “I can’t believe you can live in this area as a college student.”

She then turned to the three of you, “Hey, if there's any housing available, we should rent one as a group for our junior and senior years!”

Chris and Piers laughed, nodding their heads. You laughed too, but for different reasons.

When you arrived at the front door, there was no one to greet you. Instead, Chris simply opened the door, motioning you all to follow. The interior was grand and luxurious, straight out of a bourgeoisie home owners magazine your mom used to have lying around the house when you were little. You tried to hide your astonishment but your mouth was agape. Mikayla laughed, closing your jaw with her hand. 

“Come on!” she whispered to you, “We’re having roast goose, apparently. I want to sit next to Piers!”

The two of you ran through the house while holding hands before finally catching up to Chris and Piers. If you thought the inside of the house was luxurious, you were sorely unprepared to see the backyard. Flower, trees, and marble statues created one of the most beautiful gardens you had ever seen. Chris led you all to the pool, larger than your bedroom, that had floating lilies and flowers. Next to the pool was a dining area underneath a series of marble columns. Behind it all was what looked to be a greenhouse with someone standing inside.

“Chris?” you heard a distinctly feminine voice call out, “Is that you?”

“Yup, it's us,” he responded, “Here, follow me guys.”

The greenhouse was filled with beautiful, tall plants. The floors were a light birch tile with a floral design scattered throughout. Each of the walls was made entirely from a slightly tinted green glass. When you finally got to the center of the room, you saw her.

Ada Wong was absolutely gorgeous. Although she was sat, you could tell she was a tall, slender beauty. Her black hair was cut and styled into a perfect face-framing bob. Her porcelain skin was flawless and her makeup was light and airy. The justs of wind from the open windows caused her red dress to swirl and flutter through the air. It reminded you of that one Marilyn Monroe photo. When you made eye contact, she smiled.

“Chris,” she stood up, the sound of her red-bottom heels hitting the tile floor echoed in the room, “It’s been a while.”

“It has,” he said, pulling her into a hug, “Mrs. Wesker.”

She laughed, you couldn’t miss how her voice was slightly strained. “And you must be Chris’s little friend group. Let me guess… Piers, Mikayla, and Y/N.”

Ada pointed to each of you as she spoke, correctly guessing the order of your names. 

“Yup, that's me,” Piers joked, “It's nice to finally meet you.”

Ada hugged Piers before turning to you and Mikayla.

“Aren’t the two of you beautiful,” she said, “It always warms my heart to see such smart young women.”

Mikayla didn’t miss a beat and went in for a hug. Eventually Ada turned to you, pulling you into a soft embrace. She smelled like expensive perfume. She smelled expensive.  

“Now, you four, come with me,” Ada said, “The duck should be served soon. It would be a crime to eat it cold.”

When the sun set and the meal was served, the backyard was lit with beautiful, warm lighting. Albert Wesker had finally made his appearance. Your first impression of him was that he was… odd. Smart, rich, and successful, no doubt, but something about him rubbed you the wrong way. Firstly, he wore sunglasses at night. Secondly, he was dressed as if he was about to go on a spy mission. And finally, he was harsh with his words.

“So,” said Albert, “What do you kids plan on majoring in? I know you mentioned pre-med, Chris, how about the rest of you?”

“Public Health,” said Piers, giving a polite smile to Albert. He then turned to Mikayla, who got her wish and was sitting right next to Piers.

“I’m thinking Art History,” she said, “Maybe Literature, I’m not too sure.”

All eyes then turned to you. “Economics,” you said.

Albert smirked, “How ambitious.”

The conversation continued but you couldn’t help but feel Albert Wesker’s condescension in his reply. It felt the same as when you told your counselor you would be applying for Rockefeller University. Amused but insulting. Other than that, you thought that dinner had been going relatively well. 

That is, until Albert’s phone suddenly began to ring. Miranda Psych Class was the name of the contact that appeared on the phone. Chris’s smile dropped and Ada’s face went from jovial to disappointed.

“Excuse me while I take this,” Albert said.

“You should really stay,” Ada pleaded, standing up to grasp her fiance’s arm, “It would be rude to leave our company. If it's about class you can tell her to text you about it later.”

Albert yanked his shoulder, effectively escaping Ada’s grasp. “I said excuse me while I take this fucking call, Ada.”

Your eyebrows shot up at his words. Mikayla dropped her spoon in shock. Piers choked on his bite of food. Chris then stood up from his seat, stepping a mere couple of inches away from Albert.

Just like that Albert declined the call and sat down. Not without intentionally scoffing at Ada and Chris. 

“I don’t have time for your antics, Redfield,” he said, “Now sit down and enjoy your dessert.”

Chris rolled his eyes, his face a mix of anger and disgust, but he nevertheless obliged. Ada said nothing. She sat down, taking a large sip of her red wine.

The six of you attempted to enjoy the rest of your meal in peace. Still, it was hard to ignore the invisible seventh attendee, as Albert’s phone would not stop ringing for the rest of dinner.

———————————————————————————————————————

“Should I wear the white top or the pink one?” Mikayla asked you, holding both options out for you to see.

“I like the pink one,” you said, “The crop is cuter.”

“Piers?” Mikayla turned around to where the boys were sitting on her bed, “What do you think?”

Piers looked up from his phone, slightly flustered as he looked at Mikayla who was in nothing but her underwear and bra. “Umm, I agree with Y/N, the pink is good.”

“Awesome!” Mikayla cheered, “I’m assuming you think the same, Chris?”

Chris threw her a thumbs up without ever looking up from his phone. The four of you were getting ready for your first college party. The dinner party the night before had been awkward. The four of you hadn’t spoken much about it. You, Chris, and Piers had already been dressed for the past twenty minutes, and had spent the rest of the time attempting to help Mikayla choose her outfit. Piers had used his fake to buy you all some liquor and pomegranate juice. You were sipping on it now.

“I still can’t believe you bought Smirnoff,” said Chris, “I mean really man? Do you want us to be hung over tomorrow?”

“How was I supposed to know it was shitty vodka!” Piers threw his arms up in defense.

Mikayla laughed. “Just buy Tito's next time or something.”

“So where exactly are we going again?” you asked, taking another sip from your drink.

“We’re going to Rutherford Hall,” he replied, “Kennedy’s hosting.”

“This better be as good as you’re saying it's gonna be,” Piers said, making a disgusted face after he drank another sip of his drink, “Or I’m gonna be disappointed.”

“Trust me,” Chris said, “Kennedy hosts the best parties. Like actual parties too, there's gonna be dancers and a whole bar and shit. He’s got a pool table too!”

“Bro, we better play tonight,” Piers said.

“Obviously,” said Chris, “Once we get there, we’re going shot for shot.”

“Count me in!” Mikayla said.

“So is this Kennedy guy famous or something?” you asked.

“Pretty much,” Chris replied, “He owns basically all of Rutherford Hall. Dude’s loaded. He’s one of Ada’s friends from high school I think.”

“Guys!” Mikayla cried, “The Uber’s almost here, we should start heading down stairs.”

With that the guys got off the bed, Piers helped you to your feet.

“Cool,” you said, “I wanna meet him. Think you can point him out to me?”

Chris laughed as he opened your dorm door. “Hell no. I’ve never even met the dude. He’s like a mystery.”

“I like mysteries,” you said softly.

———————————————————————————————————————

Rutherford Hall was one of the off campus housing options still in the city. From your understanding, it was owned by a small group of frat boys who had enough money to afford such expensive housing. The dorm looked more like a classic New England style home. White painted wood, large shutters, and large white columns, it was beautiful and ginormous. The lawn was filled with college kids dressed in short skirts, crop tops, shorts, and polo shirts. 

Stepping inside to the home transported you into a stereotypical movie about the 1920s. Dancers dressed in tiny little outfits were scattered across the main foyer. In the kitchen was a makeshift bar being manned by an actual bar tender. Judging by the amount of good quality alcohol that was being offered for free, this Kennedy guy had money to throw away. The four of you each grabbed a shot of quality vodka, downing it on three. 

“Yo, Redfield!” cried a voice from behind your group, “The rest of the teams out back.”

Chris was on the rugby team, no surprise there, but you haven't seen him spend much time with them outside of practice. Chris gave you all an apologetic look.

“I’ll be back, guys,” he said, “I’m just gonna go say hi.”

“No worries, man,” said Piers, “Do you guys wanna go explore?”

“Um, obviously!” Mikayla said, clearly starting to get drunk, “First let's take another shot.”

“Say less,” you laughed.

As the shots continued to pour, the three of you grew more and more wasted. You swayed to the beat, feeling warm and drowsy. In your intoxicated state, you had hardly noticed Chris hadn’t come back in over forty five minutes. Mikayla and Piers became more touchy as time went on. They were your friends and you loved them, but God did they have to do that in front of you?

“I’m-uh gonna go pee…” you said, “Don’t miss me too much!”

“I love you!” Mikayla shouted.

“Love you too,” you smiled, “You too Piers. You’re m-my homeboy for real.”

Piers laughed, his hands still tangled in Mikayla’s hair. You stumbled across the first floor, searching intensely for a bathroom. When you finally found a single stall one, it had a line longer than a Disney ride. You rolled your eyes, dramatically pivoting the other direction. 

“Um– excuse me,” you shouted over the music, tugging at the end of a frat boy’s Alpha Sigma Tau tank top, “Where is the bathroom? With no long line?”

The frat boy pointed up the stairs. “Third floor on the left!”

“Thank you!” you said, swaying back and forth as you climbed your way up the stairs.

By the time you made it back down to where you had left Piers and Mikayla, they were gone.

“Well fucking damn it,” you cursed aloud.

In your dismay of being abandoned at your first frat party, you overhear some people talking about how the fireworks were about to start.

“Fireworks?” you drunkenly whispered to yourself, “What kind of frat party is this?”

You walked outside onto the quartz terrace. It was filled with people shouting, socializing, and staring up at the sky. You tried your best to push to the front of the terrace that overlooked the rest of the giant backyard. Leaning the front of your body against the pole, you sighed.

“You doing alright there, old sport?” you heard a low, smooth voice say.

“Huh?” you turned, finding yourself face-to-face with a young man, “Oh, sorry. Yeah, I’m good.”

“Well that wasn’t too convincing,” he laughed, “Your face looks familiar, you don’t happen to have any connection to the Midwestern Farming Association, do you?”

Your eyes widened as a mix of surprise and recognition hit. “Yes, I do. My father’s been a member for years.”

“I thought so,” he replied with a gentle smile, “My father was too, before he passed. I used to go to the yearly showcases as a kid. We must have run into each other, huh?”

“I guess so,” you said, smiling back “That’s so crazy– you must have an amazing memory.”

As you took him in, you realized just how striking he was: his sandy blond hair, the way his blue eyes held yours with an intensity that felt deliberate. He was watching you with a kind of careful attentiveness, his smile perfectly polite yet warm enough to make your cheeks feel a little too warm.

“I’m Leon, by the way. Leon Kennedy,” he said suddenly, catching you off guard.

“What!” you exclaimed, “I’m sorry– wow. You’re the ‘Kennedy’ everyones been talking about all night.”

“I’m sorry,” he said, “I thought you had known. Guess I’m not a very good host after all.”

“Well, Leon ,” you said, placing special emphasis onto his name, “This is some place you’ve got. It’s beautiful.”

“Thank you, umm?” he responded, unsure of how to address you, “How did you find out about it? Assuming you didn’t just overhear someone else talk about it.”

“Y/N,” you said with a laugh, “And no, I actually heard about it from one of my friends. His name is Chris Redfield, apparently he has some upperclassman friend who goes here. She might be here tonight, who knows.”

“Chris Redfield?” Leon asked, shock evident in his voice, “You wouldn’t happen to be talking about Ada Wong, would you?”

“Yes, oh my gosh!” you said, “Wow, this is so crazy! I can’t believe you know her too.”

“Did you see her tonight?” he continued.

“No, not tonight,” you said, “But we had dinner with her and Albert Wesker yesterday.”

Any ounce of excitement in his face fell. “I see.”

“Y/N! Y/N!” you heard Mikayla’s unmistakable voice holler at you, “We’ve been looking for you everywhere! We’re headed home– Chris was playing beer pong and broke the table! We gotta go!”

“I’m sorry,” you turned to Leon, who began to laugh again, “I should get going.”

“Wait a second,” he said, grabbing your arm as you turned to leave, “Y/N, can I have your phone number?”

“Huh? Oh, sure.”

And so you scribbled your phone number in your sloppy, drunken state onto his arm with a sharpie from his back pocket.

———————————————————————————————————————

The next weekend, you were back at Rutherford Hall. Another party hosted by the infamous Kennedy.

The atmosphere of the party was buzzing: people laughing, music blasting, cheers from the crowds gathered around the various pool tables and countertops. You were already a few drinks deep, feeling an increased amount of courage and confidence. Leon was sitting at the bar. You had no doubt that half of the people sitting around him had no clue they were that close to the host of such a lavish college party.

“Wow, Mr. Kennedy sitting by himself at the bar,” you said, tapping him on the shoulder, “I didn’t take you for the quiet type.” 

Leon chuckled, motioning you to sit beside him. His eyes had a gleam of mischief. “I can do loud,” he said, “I just don’t want to make too much of a scene.”

“You’re just saying that because you’re afraid to embarrass yourself,” you said with amusement, “I’ll have a vodka cran please.”

Leon raised his hand, signaling the bartender to hold off on making the drink. “I’ve never been embarrassed a day in my life.”

“Oh really?” you leaned in, lowering your voice, “Then why are you standing here all by yourself trying to look mysterious?”

“I’m not mysterious,” he said, “I’m just trying to enjoy the view at my own house, so watch it, freshman.”

“I was talking about the party, not me,” you placed your hands on your hips and gave them an obviously exaggerated shake. Leon laughed, though it was hard to tell if it was out of genuine amusement or pity in your heavily drunken state.

“Fair enough,” he said. 

“I don’t get it,” you said with a sudden shift in tone, “For a person who's always throwing large parties, you seem like you don’t like large parties. Like at all.”

“Would you want to go somewhere more private to continue this conversation?” he asked, “It’s getting a little loud in here.”

“Okay, but no more bullshit, Leon,” you said, “I want to know your truth.”

“Deal.”

The two of you walked through the crowd, a fair amount of distance between you. As you weasled your way through the tight spaces you prayed that you wouldn’t run into your group of friends. This conversation was about to get a whole lot more interesting and you wanted to hear every last bit of it. Leon ended up bringing you through the entire backyard to the dock. It overlooked the river that surrounded Racoon City. 

“So, what’s your deal?” you said.

“My what?” he responded.

“Your deal,” you affirmed.

“I know, I’m just kidding,” he laughed at his own joke, “I think it's because of people like you.”

You raised your brows in confusion. “What?”

“Why I host these things,” he said, “You’re the type of person that makes things more interesting without even trying.”

“Anyone ever told you that you’re quite the charmer, Kennedy?” you said, “Can I ask you something a bit more personal?”

He nodded his head. “Why do you always ask so much about Ada Wong?”

“I figured you’d ask that sooner or later,” he said, “Ada– well, she’s complicated.”

“Hey!” you playfully punched his arm, “I said no bullshit. That answer is total bullshit.”

He chuckled, his eyes meeting yours with a hint of resignation. “Okay, maybe you’re right. Ada and I go way back—she’s... she was important to me.” He looked away, his expression unreadable. “Do you see that light? The green one across the bay?”

You squinted your eyes. “Yeah, yeah I do.”

“That’s her house right there,” he said, “She’s over there. So close but… always out of reach.”

“So that’s what all of this is for, huh?” you asked softly. “These parties, the constant crowd, the noise. It’s all just... a way to reach her?”

He gave a slight nod, then looked back at you, his gaze steady. “I thought maybe she’d show up one day, or maybe that someone in her orbit would walk in and give me some kind of sign.” His tone softened, and he chuckled, though it sounded almost bitter. “But maybe all of this– maybe I'm just trying to find someone who actually sees me, who’s here because they want to be.”

“Damn that’s… sadder than I thought it would be,” you said, staring at the green light, “But it makes sense, I think. It’s caring and Ada deserves someone like that.”

The two of you remained silent, gazing at the mansion across the bay. Ada was Leon’s green light. So where did that leave you?

———————————————————————————————————————

The library was quiet. You, Chris, Piers, and Mikayla were sitting at a table for four, each working on your own independent work. You were attempting to finish writing a paper for your Introduction to Early European History, but the constant sound of your phone buzzing was distracting you.

*Buzz

“Is he still texting you?” Mikayla asked, clearly annoyed.

“Yeah,” you said, trying not to smile as you picked up your phone again .

“Block him,” she said.

“Why?” you asked.

“Because all he does is ask about Ada,” she said, before moving closer to you and lowering her voice, “And you clearly like him. It’s not healthy.”

“I do not,” you said, “Besides, I’m trying to play matchmaker. Wesker is a dick and Ada deserves better.”

“You heard what Chris said,” she responded, “It’s not your choice to make. Besides, Ada is your friend too. Don’t be sneaky.”

“I’m not!” you whisper-shouted.

“Can you two shut up,” Chris said sarcastically, “We’re trying to study here.”

The four of you feel silent again, returning to your work.

* Buzz

“Oh my God!” Mikayla threw her hands up in defeat.

Chris sighed, slamming his books shut. “I’m seriously going to beat him up the next time he throws.”

Piers laughed awkwardly, rapidly looking between Chris and Mikayla. 

“Shut the fuck up,” you said, “Start studying before I beat you up.”

You picked up your phone, sending a final text to Leon.

———————————————————————————————————————

Leon S. Kennedy

…so I guess what I’m trying to say is, I want to see her again. Properly, this time.

Wow. Just like that?

I don’t think “just like that” sums it up. It’s been years, after all. A whole lot of time to wonder if she even remembers me.

Trust me, she does. A meeting would be… well, poetic, you know?

Exactly. Something simple but meaningful. Think she’d go for it?

Hard to say, but you’re a host, aren’t you? You do things in style. Maybe just start with a familiar setting, like a quiet café or even somewhere… scenic?

Like the gazebo out back? Or maybe somewhere with just the right flowers… that sounds almost too much like a book, doesn’t it?

It’s perfect, though. A little mystery, a little drama—it’s exactly how you’d want to see her again.

I knew you’d get it. So… would you help me set it up? I know it’s a lot to ask, but I’d owe you big time.

You don’t owe me anything. But yeah, I’ll help. If this is what you want, I’m in.

You’re a real friend, you know that? 

Glad to be of service. When are we doing this?

Tomorrow night. I’ll pick you up at 7. Just… be ready.

Consider it done. And Leon?

Yeah?

I'm excited to see you again. For what it’s worth, I think she’ll be thrilled to see you again.

Thanks. Here’s to hoping.

———————————————————————————————————————

“You done?” Chris asked.

“Yes, Chris,” you sighed.

He cracked his knuckles. “Good, let's go to dinner soon.”

After the typical chicken dinner at the dining hall, the four of you split up to go back to your rooms to shower and finish some last minute homework. You and Mikayla were wearing your matching Christmas pajamas, even though it was September, that she had bought for the two of you last weekend. The elevator ride up to Chris and Piers' room was familiar. It took less than three minutes for the four of you to be reunited again. When you entered the room, Chris was on the phone with Ada. 

The four of you, minus Mikayla who has swim practice on Sundays, were supposed to meet for dinner this weekend. You prayed it wouldn’t be awkward after what you and Leon planned for tomorrow. Once Chris got off the phone, he flashed you a thumbs up. No words had to be exchanged, you and Mikayla had already taken your place on the carpet near the TV. Piers sat next to Mikayla. He seemed to get closer and closer to her with each passing day. When Chris finally joined the group on the floor, he turned on the console.

“Until Dawn?” he asked.

“Noooo that's too scary,” Mikayla said, cuddling up between you and Piers. 

You smiled, pushing her off of you playfully. “Yes, Mikayla, we need to finish the game sooner or later.”

* Buzz

“Or, we can play more Mario Kart,” she continued.

* Buzz

“Sorry, the controllers are still dead,” Piers frowned.

* Buzz

“You two still haven’t charged them?” I asked.

* Buzz

“Why don’t you go charge them, Y/N?” Chris suggested sarcastically.

* Buzz

“Turn that off!” Chris and Mikayla shouted over each other.

You winced. “Sorry.”

You put your phone on Do Not Disturbed, but not before noticing the twenty-seven missed texts from Leon. What the fuck?

Opening the text conversation, you were greeted with a wall full of pictures of flowers and Leon desperately asking which ones you liked most. This was going to be a long night …

———————————————————————————————————————

“Why do you look so nervous?” Chris asked, throwing a pillow at your face. You and Mikayla had created a small pillow fort in the one available corner of your tiny room. Piers and your roommate were out doing God knows what, so that left you and Chris together one on one. This wasn’t entirely unusual– you had gotten used to Chris’s presence outside of a group setting.

“Leon’s almost here,” you said, “It’s freaking me out.”

“What are the two of you doing?” he questioned, eyebrows raised.

You sat up in your bed, unable to hide your emotions. “Chris, can I tell you something? You can’t tell anyone.”

Chris put his phone down, suddenly looking equally as serious. “Yes. Is everything okay?”

“I’msettingupLeonandAdaonadatebutI’mtotallyfreakingoutbecauseI’mscaredofWeskerandAda’sreactions,” you spilled, unable to catch your breathe. 

“Woah woah, slow down, Y/N,” Chris got up from his pillow fort, sitting beside you on your bed, “Wait, why are you setting up Leon and Ada.”

“Well, in all honesty, I don’t like Albert. The way he was acting… rubbed me the wrong way. Ada is a friend and I want what's best for her, and– um.”

“And?” 

“I’ve been talking with Leon a lot,” you admitted, “He’s dorky and funny and he's a great friend. He cares about Ada a lot and I want him to be happy.”

Chris sighed, placing his face into the palms of his hands. “When I was in high school, my sister asked me to drop off one of her CDs to the Wong’s house. I was too young to drive, I was fourteen. I was always scared of Mr. and Mrs. Wong, the Wong Credit Enterprise is a huge cooperation, you know? Turns out, I didn’t even need to go inside. Ada was in the driveway, sitting in her white mustang. There was a blonde guy in the front seat who I had never seen before. The two of them were clearly talking about something important. I left pretty quickly, I didn’t want to interrupt.”

After a moment he continued. “I found out later from Claire that the guy in the front seat, Leon, was her boyfriend. They met at the country club: Ada was the member and Leon was the busboy. After his dad died he apparently moved back east. I don’t think the two of them wanted to break up, but they never got back together. When Ada got engaged to Albert the Wesker and Wong families threw a huge party. Long story short, Ada got a letter from Leon, got super drunk and flipped out– she said she didn’t want to marry Albert afterall. Her dad pulled her aside and the last thing I heard was that Ada kept the engagement but tore up the letter.”

You took several moments to process the absolute information dump Chris had placed on you. Leon had told you he and Ada had a past, but you never knew how serious it was.

“Why are you telling me this?” you said softly.

“Because I don’t think it's a good idea,” he said, “Ada is marrying Albert. Leon needs to move on.”

* Beep

You didn’t even need to read the text message to know: Leon was here. You and Chris stared at each other silently, words did not need to be exchanged. As you stood up to leave, Chris gave you a sad smile before sitting back down in the pillow fort. Walking to Leon’s car felt like walking to your own doom. Leon drove a Range Rover– the newest model. Rolling down his window, you were immediately met with an expensive, mahogany smell.

“Hi,” he smiled warmly.

“Hi,” you returned the gesture.

Stepping into the car, you put your seatbelt on. Leon was silent, his grip on the steering while tightening with each passing moment. His knuckles were turning white. The moon was barely visible due to the dark, thick clouds in the sky.

“Are you sure this is a good idea?” Leon’s voice cracked slightly. You turned towards him, seeing the stress in his furrowed brow. His eyes were focused on the road ahead, but you're not so sure he was paying attention.

You smiled softly, reaching out to place your hand over his own. “You’re going to be fine, Leon. Just be yourself.”

He laughed, shaking his head. “I don’t know if I can. I’ve waited years for this. I don’t think I’ve ever felt this… exposed.”

This time it was your turn to laugh. “Exposed? You’re the Leon Kennedy– you’re somebody worth being with. She doesn’t get to change that.”

“You’re not nervous?” he asked, his voice hardly above a whisper.

“A little. Maybe more than a little. But I’m here for you above all else. If you need me, I’m here.”

He swallowed hard. “I don’t know what I’ll do if she—” He stopped himself, the name stuck in his throat. Ada. You could feel the jealousy stirring in your stomach, trying your best to mask it.

You put a smile on your face, gripping his hand even tighter. “We’ll cross that bridge when it comes to it.”

“We’re in this together, right?” he asked.

“Hell yeah,” you responded, “I’m like the best wingman ever.”

His laugh was genuine, hearty. “What would I do without you?”

———————————————————————————————————————

When you arrive at Leon’s gazebo, it was already filled to the brim with flowers. Each of the flowers in the photos he had sent you that you had hearted were in the room. When you recommended them, you didn’t expect him to buy the entire stock. You were amused, though a little scared. Who on earth has this much money to blow on flowers for just one afternoon?

“So, Ada’s coming here at 8:30 for tea, right?” Leon asked, anxiously rubbing his hands together.

“Yup,” you responded, preoccupied by the flowers, “Jesus, Leon, you look like you robbed a flower garden.”

“Do you think it’s going to rain?” he said, “Because if it’s going to rain we– we should just call this whole thing off.”

You snapped out of your flower drive daze. Stepping towards Leon, you placed your hands firmly on his shoulders. “Leon, a little bit of rain won’t be a problem. You should really sit down, you look like you’re going to pass out. I’ll… umm work on finishing up the food for the tea.”

Leon let out a breath of relief, his blue eyes looking entirely exhausted. “Thank you, Y/N. I really mean it.”

———————————————————————————————————————

When the clock struck 8:45 Leon looked as though he was about to throw himself into the river and never return.

“She’s not coming,” he said, pacing around the room, “Of course she’s not! Why would she be–”

You heard the unmistakable beep of Ada Wong’s black Porsche Panamera. She was here– late probably because of the rain and traffic. Leon’s face went blank. In a moment, he had left out the back entrance of the gazebo.

“Leon? Leon! Where are you–” you sighed, “God damn it.”

You met Ada outside the gazebo, ushering her inside under your cheap umbrella you had bought from the dollar store.

“Just give me one second,” you smiled, concealing your panic at Leon’s sudden disappearing act. And– nope! He was nowhere to be found. You were internally kicking yourself. You rested your head onto the front of the refrigerator, groaning internally.

Ada, who you imagined was as confused as ever, had likely taken a seat amidst all the flowers suffocating the room. “Oh goodness,” you overhead, “Maybe she really is in love with me.”

You laughed, feeling an ounce of relief knowing that at the very least you would have a nice evening tea with a dear friend. So you grabbed the tray of finger sandwiches, scones, and small desserts and set it on the table next to the kettle.

“Here, allow me,” Ada offered, pouring you both a warm cup of tea, “Now tell me, Y/N. Why did you ask me for tea all by yourself?”

You mentally prepared a bullshit response to give her, but just then the back entrance of the gazebo slammed upon. Leon walked through, completely drenched. When Ada and Leon made eye contact, you could practically see the fireworks. It was like a scene out of a movie. You felt sick to your stomach.

“I’m… gonna give the two of you some space,” you said before taking your cheap umbrella and leaving out the front door.

———————————————————————————————————————

When you returned to the gazebo after the rain had stopped– maybe an hour after you left– Ada and Leon were holding hands. Ada had clearly been crying, evident by her red, puffy face and crumpled tissue in her other hand. Leon was absolutely beaming.

When Ada’s chauffeur came to pick her up, you saw the two of them share a brief, yet passionate kiss. As you watched from inside the gazebo, you couldn’t help but wonder if you had made some sort of mistake. No– Leon and Ada were both happy. That’s all that mattered to you.

Over the next couple of months, Leon and Ada’s secret meetings became a full blown affair. You watched Leon drift further away, his attention drawn to the woman who always seemed to remain just out of reach, wrapped in mystery and promises. Each party and late-night conversation left you feeling more hollow, though you tried to hide it beneath smiles and reassurances to your friends. Chris, Piers, and Mikayla could see through you. No matter how many times they would try to convince you to take a step back, you just couldn’t do it. Besides, Leon had already done that part for you.

One Tuesday afternoon while walking back from your Intro to Philosophy class, you finally ran into him. As the two of you moved to speak, his excitement was palpable. “Ada’s leaving Wesker. She told me she’s finally ready to move on.”

Your heart ached. This time not out of pure jealousy, but also concern. “Leon… are you sure?”

“What do you mean?” he asked.

“Well… I talked with Chris a while ago and he told me it's a bit more complicated than that,” you tried to explain gently, “Leon, I don’t think Ada’s going to leave Wesker. It’s not just about her.”

His smile faltered. “Why can’t you just be happy for me?” he asked, a flicker of irritation in his tone. “Ada isn’t like everyone else. She means this.”

You didn’t have it in your heart to argue with him. “Okay, okay, I trust you.”

“You’re a good friend, Y/N,” he said softly, “Thank you for always looking out for me. Um, this weekend I’m having lunch at the Wesker house. You and Chris should join, make it less awkward.”

You nodded your head, giving him a hug goodbye without saying another word.

———————————————————————————————————————

The uber ride with Chris was certainly awkward to say the least. He wasn’t happy when you told him who the guests at this lunch would be, but Chris was a good friend, so he went with you anyways. It was supposed to be a formal event. Chris was wearing a Tom Ford suit that was likely worth more than your entire wardrobe and furniture combined. You, on the other hand, were wearing a simple sundress that your mom had sowed you. It was light and airy and always managed to make you feel like a princess. You wore it almost every time your mother dragged you to church senior year. Still, you couldn’t help but notice how underdressed you looked sitting next to your best friend. You looked like a poor country girl.

Lunch was served in the backyard in the garden. Ada was already sitting out there when you arrived. She wore a red, silk Versace dress with a slit down the side. She looked as expensive as ever. When Leon arrived, he too was wearing an expensive suit. His hair was slicked back. He looked so handsome, so rich . He and Ada looked perfect together.

“Welcome to my garden,” Ada greeted you all, “Care for some wine?”

“Sure,” said Chris, his arms folded. He had a hard time hiding when he was upset.

“I’ll take a glass,” you said, fiddling with the silver ring your father had forged for you for your eighteenth birthday.

Ada got up from her seat, pouring both you and Chris a glass of expensive red wine. When she walked closer to hand it to you, you caught a whiff of her floral perfume. When Ada turned back to the table, she poured a third drink: whiskey. Without Leon having to speak a word she handed it to him.

“Some whiskey for you,” she smiled, “Just how you like it.”

You downed your cup of wine quickly, pouring yourself another. This was going to be a long lunch. By the time Wesker had arrived for the meal, you were already three glasses deep. Chris was concerned, to say the least. Leon told you to slow down, but it was clear where he was focussing the majority of his attention. When you all took a seat, you were in between Leon and Chris. Ada sat next to her fiance on the opposite side of the table.

You could practically feel the nervousness radiating off of Leon. He was gripping the arms of the chair, his knuckles turning white. This was a telltale sign he was freaking out even if he otherwise appeared calm and composed. You silently placed a hand on top of his, giving it a light squeeze. Leon turned to you with a soft smile. Tea sandwiches were served. Leon and Ada were not breaking eye contact. Way to be subtle guys , you thought, rolling your eyes.

Wesker finally broke the silence, looking directly at Leon. “You look tense, Kennedy,” he said smoothly, his voice like ice. “Something on your mind?”

Leon cleared his throat, letting go of your hand. “I wanted to talk to you about Ada, Wesker.”

Chris tensed in his chair, seemingly knowing what was to come. You turned to Chris, unable to stand the sudden tension that filled the garden.

Wesker laughed, leaning back in his chair with a mocking smile. “Oh really? Tell me, Leon, what is it about my fiance that concerns you?”

Leon’s jaw clenched, but he didn’t look away. “Ada and I have a connection—something that goes beyond whatever arrangement you two have.”

“Oh Leon,” Wesker said, “You are so young, naive. Do you really think a little connection is enough to change her mind? Ada and I understand each other in a way you never will. In a way someone from your background never will.”

Leon let out a frustrated sigh, his face growing angrier by the minute. “She's leaving you, Wesker.”

Ada’s expression faltered, her eyes darting between Leon and Wesker’s. When she opened her mouth to speak, Wesker shot her a glare.

“Is that so,” Wesker said, “Well then, Ada. Care to share your plans?”

Ada remained silent, her gaze shifting to the table. He leaned forward, his voice barely a whisper. “Ada… tell him. Tell him you want out.”

Leon got no answer. Instead, Wesker smirked. “Well then, I suppose Ada will be staying here with me afterall. Why don’t you take your leave, country boy?”

Without another word, he stormed off toward the driveway, his expression a mixture of hurt and anger. Ada jumped up, hesitating before following him out. You shared a look with Chris, heart pounding. Wesker watched them go, his smile returning as he took a sip from his wine, unaffected.

“We should probably go after them,” Chris whispered to you, “Think you can walk?”

“Oh please, I’m not a blackout drunk,” you said, attempting to crack a joke. Rather than sounding humorous, you sounded terrified.

You and Chris raced off from the gardens, running through the massive Wesker residence like there was no tomorrow. When you made it to the front door, you could see Leon and Ada having an argument. Leon got in his car, clearly ready to drive away. Ada opened the driver's door and effectively pulled Leon out of the car. A few moments later, it was a sobbing Ada who got into the driver's seat while a devastated, tipsy Leon sat in the passengers. When the car drove away, you could tell something was wrong. 

“She shouldn’t be driving that car,” you said, “Did you see how fast she was going?”

“We should go after them,” said Chris, “I’m going to call her, tell her to pull over.”

You started to panic. “I’ll call Leon. Wait, we don’t have a car! How are we gonna go after them?”

“Allow me,” a familiar, cold voice came from behind the two of you. Turning around you saw Wesker with the keys of a BMW in his hand. Without any other choice, you and Chris followed him to where his car was parked. Leon and Ada weren’t picking up their phones.

The drive was eerily silent. The only noise was the sound of phones ringing, desperately trying to reach Ada or Leon. It wasn’t too difficult to follow their path. Leon had made you give him your location at a party once, worried you would be too drunk to get home safe. In turn, he gave you his location and so the three of you used that to track them down.

As Wesker’s BMW sped through the winding roads, you stared out the window, hands clenched together so tightly they hurt. Chris sat beside you, his phone still ringing as he tried Ada again and again, his expression darkening with each unanswered call. Wesker remained silent, seemingly unbothered despite the wild chase for his possibly endangered fiance.

Finally, your phone buzzed. It wasn’t a text message or call from Leon, but rather an update on his location. The pin hadn’t moved for several minutes. Your heart skipped a beat.

“They stopped,” you said, your voice hardly above a whisper. Chris glanced at your screen, his eyes widening. Wesker gave you a nod before speeding up the car.

Another few sharp turns later and you arrived on a long, windy road next to a gas station. There was a sleek, dark car that had crashed up against the guardrail. You screamed. Before Wesker had even had the time to fully park the car, you had gotten out, Chris following closely behind you. 

“Oh my god,” you cried. Chris cursed under his breath. He had already pulled out his phone, dialing 911. 

Through the shattered windshield, you could see Leon. He was slumped over, unconscious with blood dripping down his face. Ada lay in the driver’s seat, her face pressed up against the airbag. Her eyes were barely opened, you could tell she was in a lot of pain.

“Leon!” you screamed, desperately grabbing the passenger door handle. You tried to pull it open but it wouldn’t budge. You pounded on the window. “Leon, please, wake up!”

“Stay back,” Wesker ordered, his voice as calm as ever. He pulled you away from the car to where Chris was standing, still on the phone with the 911 operator. Wesker took out his phone and called Ada’s father, colding relaying the details of his only daughter’s crash.

“Leon…” you said, your head starting to spin. You grabbed onto Chris’s shoulder for support, feeling a sudden weight in your legs. When your vision began to blur, you fell to the floor, completely unaware of what was happening.

“Hey–hey!” Chris shouted, his voice sounding distant, “Stay with me, Y/N!” It was already too late. His words faded, replaced by a rushing sound in your ears, and the last thing you saw was the flash of blue and red lights approaching before everything went dark.

———————————————————————————————————————

You sat in the lobby of the hospital, your hands clutched around a small, hot vanilla latte. Chris had stayed beside you the entire time, buying you some food and something sugary to drink after your fainting spell. Hours passed before you were allowed into Leon’s room. Chris went to Ada’s alongside Wesker, her family, and some other school friends. 

When you entered the infamous, popular Mr. Kennedy’s hospital room, you were the only one in there. Well, that wasn’t entirely true. There was a middle aged man sitting in the corner of the room. He had dark skin and wore overalls. He reminded you a lot of how your father dressed when working on the farm. His expression was stern and his arms were folded tightly across his chest. Leon laid in his bed, bruised, pale, and asleep.

You made contact with the mysterious man in the room. He stood up from his seat, walking towards you. “Hello, miss,” he said, “Can I help you?”

“Yes, um,” you stammered, “Leon is a really good friend of mine. I’m just coming here to check up on him…”

“You wouldn’t happen to be Y/N, would you?” he asked with a small smile. You nodded your head in confirmation, “My son has told me a lot about you. My name is Marvin Branagh.”

“Your…son?” you asked, confused. Leon had told you on multiple occasions that both of his parents were dead. Especially his father.

“Adopted son, yes,” Marvin smiled, “Raised him ever since he was a little boy.”

“I’m sorry,” you said, eyes darting back and forth between Leon and Marvin, “Leon told me you were, well, um–”

“Dead?” Marvin asked, still smiling, “He just loves to tell that to his new little rich friends. I haven’t a clue why. I’m very much alive and well.”

“Oh, that’s um…confusing?” you said, your eyebrows raised. Why on earth would Leon lie about that?

“I’m going to head to the cafeteria,” said Marvin, “Can I get you anything? Tea, coffee, a snack?”

You sighed, taking a seat next to Leon. “Maybe a fruit cup, if they have any. Thank you, Mr. Branagh.”

“Marvin is fine, and don’t mention it,” he responded, “I’m just glad my boy has at least one good friend around.”

As Marvin left the room, you fixed your gaze on Leon. You watched as his chest rose and fell with each breath he took. He looked peaceful.

A few moments later, Leon stirred, his eyes fluttering as he woke from his nap. He squinted, disoriented, before his gaze settled on you. His expression softened, and he managed a small, weary smile.

“Hey…” he said.

“Hey yourself,” you leaned in, giving him the softest hug you could manage, “I thought you were dead. I’m so glad you’re safe.”

“Ok,” he said with a small laugh, placing an arm onto your back, “Um, is she…”

“Ada is fine,” you said, pulling away from him yet still staying close, “Chris, Wesker, and her parents are with her now. Marvin stepped out of the room to go get a snack.”

“Marvin?” Leon asked, turning his face to the side with shame.

“Yeah,” you said gently, brushing a piece of his hair back behind his ears, “Leon, why did you lie to me about him?”

He sighed, staring up at the ceiling. “Because he’s a reminder of where I come from. The small-town boy with nothing special about him, raised by a guy in overalls on a farm. I thought…” He swallowed. “I thought that part of me was something I needed to leave behind.”

“For her?” you asked, “I don’t get it. Why would you pretend to be someone you’re not?”

He looked at you, an intensity in his blue eyes that caught you off guard. “I thought if I became someone different, maybe someone like Ada would see me as enough. But the harder I chased after that the further away it seemed to get.”

You bit your lip, tears beginning to prick the corner of your eyes. “Maybe that's why we shouldn’t be friends anymore.”

Shocked, Leon attempted to sit up. He winced in pain, slowly lowering himself back down after his outburst. “I don't…why would you say that?”

You summoned every ounce of courage in your body to tell him the truth. “It’s because I like you Leon. Not as a friend. And watching you blindly chase after this girl who doesn’t see you for who you are– who won’t appreciate who you really are, it just hurts. I can’t do it anymore.”

Leon was silent. He studied your face, a mix of surprise and something else you couldn’t quite place on his face. Then, he slowly reached over, placing his hand over your own.

“Thank you,” he said, “Thank you for being here for me. For helping me realize that I don’t need to be ashamed of who I am. You’re a good person, Y/N.”

You squeezed his hand, a bittersweet feeling falling over you. “The past is who you are, Leon. You don’t have to let it define you, but running away from it is just as dangerous.”

He nodded, his gaze lingering on your joined hands. “Maybe it’s time I finally learn to live with that.”

———————————————————————————————————————

“It’s beautiful,” Leon said, holding one hand on the wheel and the other on your thigh, “I forgot how much I missed drives like this.”

For winter break your sophomore year, your parents invited you and Leon to spend a few nights at their farm. It took a lot of begging, particularly towards your mother, for your parents to allow you to bring your boyfriend. You were nervous for them to finally meet, sure, but you knew Leon was the type of guy that you could bring home to your parents and have them love. You weren’t worried.

“Yeah, it reminds me of when I was little and my dad used to take me on night drives in his truck,” you said, “It seems like farm, but I kinda love it, you know?”

“For sure,” Leon responded, yawning after the long day of driving, “Marvin used to take me out on his tractor to my neighbors farm. Me and some other kids used to catch fireflies together.”

You smiled, squeezing his hand. “That’s so sweet. Oh, here you can pull up into that grass patch over there.”

Leon opened your car door, offering you a hand as you stepped onto the snowy, grassy land. “Fuck, it’s cold,” you said with a shiver, “Don’t talk that way in front of my parents, okay?”

“Noted,” he laughed, taking in his surroundings, “Damn, I’ve missed places like these.”

“Well, yeah,” you responded, “I still don’t understand how you got rich enough as a teenager that you could just move to whatever city you wanted.”

Leon winced, gripping your hand tighter as the two of you approached the front door. “Don’t mention. Seriously, do not mention it.”

You laughed, pounding on your parents door. “Ma! Pop! We're here!”

The door swung open almost immediately. Your mother was wearing one of her hand sewed dresses with a cooking apron in front. She was absolutely beaming. “Hi my loves!”

She pulled you into a warm hug immediately, rocking the two of you back and forth. She then turned her attention to Leon, pulling him into an even tighter embrace before they exchanged hellos. “You must be Leon! Oh my goodness, aren’t you a handsome one! Come in, come in, you must be freezing! Y/N, go fetch your boyfriend one of pop’s sweaters. He’s going to catch his death.”

“Okay ma,” you laughed, giving Leon a sympathetic smile as your mother dragged him into the small dining room to meet your father. “Good Lord.”

After fetching Leon a coat, you walked into the dining room to see both of your parents sitting next to him, completely enthralled with him. Your mother was smiling wider than you’ve seen her smile in a while. Even for you! Your father, on the other hand, contained his excitement a bit better, but you could still tell he was over the moon.

“You kids must be starving,” your mother said, standing up from her chair, placing her hands on Leon’s shoulders, “Let me go get the food. I made brisket and potatoes!”

“Lemme go grab some drinks,” your father said, “You like Bud Light, Leon?”

“Yessir,” your boyfriend responded, “I’m good with just about anything.”

“Attaboy. You like the sound of that, Y/N?”

“Yes, pop,” you greeted your father with a kiss on the cheek. You took a seat at the table, the one farthest from Leon, funny enough. The smell of your mother’s brisket made your mouth water. When both your parents returned, you immediately dug in. Everything was as delicious as you remembered. 

“This is fantastic,” Leon said, “I haven’t had this good of a brisket in such a long time.”

Your mother dabbed her mouth with a paper napkin. “I’m flattered. I always try to make my best brisket whenever Y/N brings someone over.”

“That little friend of yours, Piers?” your father said, “That kid nearly ate the entire damn animal.”

“That was Chris, pop,” you responded, “Piers is a vegetarian, remember?”

“I thought that was Lydia?” he said.

“Mikayla?” you corrected.

“Oh hush,” your mother interrupted, “You’re always causing drama, Todd.”

“Me?!” your father answered. And thus started a playful bicker between your parents at the dinner table. Leon was smiling the entire time, especially when one of your parents would call upon him for input.

After dinner, your parents set up a small fireplace outside to watch the stars. It didn’t take long for your mother to go inside and sleep, complaining about the cold. Your father followed shortly after, mumbling about having to get up and work tomorrow. When it was just the two of you, Leon moved to your seat, holding you in his arms. 

“The sky is so clear tonight,” he said, his blue eyes illuminated in the fire. He pulled you in for a kiss, his lips cold, “I’m so glad we’re here.”

When you were a child, you imagined wealth to be a safe full of gold higher than the peak of Mount Everest. You desperately chased after it, believing it would give you all the happiness in the world. However, now wealth meant something completely different.

Being wealthy meant having game nights with Chris. Being wealthy meant going on morning walks with Piers. Being wealthy meant going to the mall with Mikayla, even if that meant watching her shop while you snacked on a cheap pretzel. Being wealthy meant having Sunday brunch with Ada and Wekser. Being wealthy meant spending time with your aging parents.

Being wealthy meant having Leon by your side no matter what.

“Me too,” you said, “I’m so happy right now– I feel like I’m richer than you.”

With that, Leon held onto you a bit tighter. You smiled, staring up at the glittering sky. "I love you," you said.

"I love you too."

[kenneth-black]

Oh

Oh

[first he smiled, then he un-smiled real quick 🫠]

[peppymintdreams]

isaac with a listener who had a toxic mother growing up?? hurt/comfort please, i've had a rough week :(

Ofcourse my child let mama peppy comfort you may I bless you with a better week

Shadows of the Past

Isaac Rhoades x Pickle

The rain fell steadily against the windows, a soft melody that filled the stillness of the room. You sat curled on the couch, lost in thought, your gaze unfocused on the faint glow of the television. Though Isaac had been in the room with you, you barely noticed when he disappeared into the kitchen. He returned moments later, a warm mug of tea in his hands.

Quietly, he set it down on the table before settling beside you, his movements deliberate and calming. His gaze, piercing yet tender, lingered on you for a moment before he spoke.

“You’re carrying something heavy,” he said softly. “I can see it in the way your shoulders curl, the way your hands tremble. What is it, my love?”

You hesitated, the words caught in your throat. Isaac always had a way of unearthing the thoughts you tried to bury, of coaxing them out into the light with his quiet persistence. But this... this was a pain so deeply ingrained, you weren’t sure how to put it into words.

“It’s nothing,” you murmured, the crack in your voice betraying you.

He moved closer, his hand resting gently on your knee. The touch grounded you, soft yet firm, like a tether keeping you from being swept away. “Don’t do that,” he said, his voice low and steady. “Don’t diminish what you’re feeling. You can tell me. Always.”

A single tear slipped down your cheek, and you looked away, ashamed of your vulnerability. “I was thinking about my mom,” you finally admitted, your voice barely audible.

Isaac didn’t react immediately, but his hand stayed where it was, offering silent support. “Go on,” he urged, his tone a gentle nudge.

You drew a shaky breath, the words spilling out before you could second-guess them. “She wasn’t like most mothers. She was... controlling, cruel. She tore me down every chance she got, made me feel small, like nothing I did was ever good enough. And then, somehow, she’d twist it so I felt like I needed her approval just to exist.”

Isaac’s jaw tightened, a flicker of anger flashing in his eyes, though his grip on your knee remained steady.

“She criticized everything,” you continued, the pain of each memory sharpening your voice. “My looks, my choices, my dreams. She’d compare me to other people, like I was a disappointment she had to endure. And if I ever tried to stand up for myself... she’d guilt me until I felt like the worst person alive.”

Isaac’s hand slid up to cradle your face, his thumb brushing away a tear. When you met his gaze, you saw something that made your breath catch—a depth of emotion so profound, it was almost overwhelming.

“My love,” he began, his voice low and sonorous, each word chosen with precision, “it is an unspeakable cruelty to wound a soul as pure as yours. The torment she inflicted is not your burden to carry—it is a testament to her own inadequacies, her own failure to recognize the radiance you possess.”

The weight of his words settled over you, a soothing balm to the ache in your chest.

“She stole pieces of you, didn’t she?” he asked, his tone a mixture of sorrow and fury. “She took your confidence, your joy, and replaced them with doubt and pain. But hear me now, my love: you are whole. Even with the scars she left behind, you are whole, and you are extraordinary.”

You blinked rapidly, your tears flowing freely now, and Isaac cupped your face with both hands, as if shielding you from the shadows of the past.

“She sought to diminish you because your light outshone her fractured soul,” he continued, his voice soft yet commanding. “But you are brilliance personified. Every scar you bear is a testament to your strength. Every step you take away from her is a victory, a defiance of the narrative she tried to write for you.”

Your voice trembled as you whispered, “Sometimes I still hear her... telling me I’m not enough.”

Isaac’s jaw clenched, and he leaned forward, his forehead resting gently against yours. “Then let my voice rise above hers,” he said, his words a tender vow. “Let me drown out her echoes with truths that are irrefutable: you are enough. More than enough. You are a symphony of grace and resilience, a masterpiece of heart and spirit.”

You closed your eyes, letting his words wash over you, filling the voids left by years of doubt and pain.

“You are the very dynamics of beauty and strength,” Isaac continued, his tone reverent. “And I, who have seen the depths of you, find myself in awe every single day. To me, you are not broken. You are radiant, my love. And no voice, not hers nor anyone else’s, can take that from you.”

You sobbed openly now, your face buried in his chest as his arms wrapped around you, holding you with the unwavering steadiness you so desperately needed.

“I love you,” you whispered, the words fragile yet fervent.

“And I you,” Isaac murmured against your hair, his lips brushing the crown of your head. “With a depth that words cannot fully capture, but I will try, again and again, for as long as you’ll allow me. You are safe here, my heart. Always.”

In his embrace, you felt the chains of your past loosen, the weight of your mother’s voice fading beneath the steady, unrelenting strength of Isaac’s love.

P.S. Hey… hey, you! 🫵🏾 Do you want more Sakuverse gay shit? Hit that follow button and send in a request! You’ll get notifications whenever I post new fics or Sakuverse Reimagined Twist of Fate, and maybe even a chance to have your OC featured in a story.

[xgardensinspace]

Holy cow, my dudes!

I've written a Harringrove fic once again! It's been a hot minute, but I'm so proper stoked with how this fic turned out! <3

Thank you SO much to @fandomtrumpshate for allowing us this beautiful space to create fandom content in exchange for donations :)

And thank you SOOO much to @dirtbagdefender for requesting a Hanahaki fic for this duo ;) It's so perfect for themmm >:) And it was so fun to write. This one goes out to youuu, boo! Thank you for allowing me to write for Harringrove once again, hehe. I missed these duuuuudes ;)

So yeah! I hope you guys enjoy my little creation! Riddled with the Language of Flowers ;)

[missvelvetsstuff]

The Situation Room

Bucky Barnes x Reader

Summary: After a mission almost gone wrong, Tony brings back Bucky's former assistant, who is also Bucky's ex. Can they work together without hurting each other? Will the whole truth about their break up finally come out?

Chapter 10

Warnings: Swearing and angst

Notes: WooHoo! An update. I've been writing a sentence or two a day waiting for my muse and she stopped by yesterday to help write this chapter.

It's shorter than I prefer but its an update. Sorry for the cliffhanger and the reality that idk when I'll be able to update again with everything going on.

Life is still kicking my ass and I was sick af all weekend but am slowly improving. We officially move in with mom in law this weekend to take care of her with home hospice. Between that, broken cars and the holidays I'm frazzled and exhausted.

I hope it doesn't suck.

Radar was woken up by Bucky's snoring and her full bladder. As she became more aware she saw the room was just starting to lighten up and realized the team would be waking soon.

She then realized she was tangled up with Bucky and laid thinking for a few minutes, trying to work out how to extricate herself without waking him. When she picked up her head she felt a knot in her neck from the position she had fallen asleep in, which triggered muscle spasms in her back.

A soft, pained moan escaped and Bucky was awake, mumbling "hhmmm, wus up?" He cleared his throat "Y/N? Are you ok?"

Radar tried to nod but the movement made things worse "ugh, sure. Just slept wrong. Need to stretch."

Bucky rubbed her arm "Ok. Let me help. We'll go slow." He moved carefully to untangle them without hurting her too much.

Once he was done she stood and stretched out as he dozed off again. She stared at him for a moment and smiled softly, feeling hopeful for the first time in years, before heading to her room for a shower and to get her day started.

Once she was clean and dressed, Radar was checking her emails and schedule for the day when there was a knock at her door. It was an agent that she didn't recognize.

"Can I help you?"

The agent smiled "I'm Megan, work in the dispensary. Dr Raynor was concerned after your session yesterday and wanted me to give you something to help you relax. She called it in last nite but we were all gone for the day."

Radar looked confused "I thought the dispensary was always manned, in case of emergency."

A quick look of fear flashed in Megan's eyes and she giggled nervously "Uh well yeah usually but the tech that was scheduled was sick and I was gone so they couldn't get anyone. Luckily we didn't have any emergencies."

She quickly changed the subject and held out a prescription bottle "Anyways, this should help the anxiety. Directions are on the bottle."

Radar looked at the bottle warily "No thanks, I don't need to be drugged up when I'm working."

Megan shook the bottle "Well, save it for at night. To help you sleep."

Radar shook her head "Thanks but no. Tell Raynor I'm good."

Megan quickly looked around the hall and sighed before pushing her way into Radar's room and closing the door behind her. "Jesus you're difficult, I see why Walker liked to drug you, I think I'm going to enjoy it myself."

Radar tried to push Megan away but her sore back restricted her movement and she felt a pinch in her neck before everything went black.

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

Bucky was startled awake by someone working in the kitchen. He sat up, looked around, saw Sam starting on breakfast and groaned.

Sam chuckled "You alright over there, Sleeping Beauty?"

Bucky shook his head to clear it and mumbled "Yeah, I'm-"

He stopped mid thought and looked around "Have you seen Radar? We both fell asleep on the couch."

Sam shook his head "I've been up almost an hour, haven't seen anyone but you."

Bucky heard talking down the hall before Nat and Wanda came into the kitchen to offer Sam some help. They all worked on breakfast while Bucky stared before asking "Have you guys seen Radar?"

Nat shook her head "Not today. You kids have another blow up?"

He shook his head "No, actually we talked and fell asleep in here. I remember her getting up but fell back asleep hoping she'd come back. I thought we made some progress." He sighed sadly "Guess I was wrong."

Sam tsk'ed at him "Don't go negative right away. Maybe she had some work to do. Sometimes Fury likes to throw small assignments at the Angels, you know that. She might have had an email or something. Don't jump to any conclusions" he pointed at Bucky "You should know better."

Bucky took a deep breath "Right, don't assume. I'm going to see if I can find her." He stood up and stalked out of the room.

Wanda, Nat and Sam looked at each other and Wanda shrugged "Maybe they actually started on their way back to each other?"

Sam smirked and Nat smiled softly "We can only hope."

Bucky checked the Situation Room and Radar's office with no luck and could feel himself starting to panic so was practically running to get to her room. When he arrived he noticed her door wasn't fully closed which grew the knot in his stomach.

He swore softly as he carefully entered her room. "Radar? Doll are you in here?"

The lack of any response pushed him towards a panic attack before he realized he wasn't using one of the best assets in the compound "Friday? Can you tell me where Radar is?"

"I'd be happy to help, Sargent Barnes, but Lieutenant Radar is not in the compound."

Bucky felt his heart drop "Not here? Did she have work to do offsite? When did she leave?"

"I'm not aware of any assignments she has been given that would require her to leave the premises. She left at 5:48 this morning with one of the dispensary technicians."

Bucky started pacing the room, trying to think. "Why would she do that? Did she leave any kind of note? Maybe something in her logs about it?"

"There isn't anything in her log but she left a message for you. Would you like to see it?"

Bucky grumbled "You could have started with that. Yes, please I'd like to see it."

Friday posted a text message on his phone:

Bucky, I'm so sorry but I can't do this. It's all too much so I'm going back to my work in Madripoor. I wish you all the best but please don't come looking for me. Love, Radar.

Bucky growled "No, she wouldn't just run away like that. Does Fury know? She couldn't just reassign herself. She wouldn't."

Friday sounded sympathetic "I'm sorry, I can't find anything in my system but Fury doesn't always log everything he's doing so you should speak with him."

Bucky turned and left the room "Fine. I'll fucking talk to Fury."

When he arrived at Fury's office, the man himself was just arriving with Maria Hill, discussing something that was probably above his pay grade. "Fury!"

Nick looked up "Yes, Sargent Barnes?"

"Radar left the compound early this morning and I need to know if you sent her somewhere or have any clue where she is."

A rare look of surprise crossed Fury's face before quickly disappearing for his typical scowl. "What do you mean she's offsite? I haven't approved anything. We have something big coming and will need her soon. There's a meeting this afternoon."

Bucky scoffed "Reschedule it. I'm not doing a damn thing until we find her."

Nick glared at him "You don't decide what we are or aren't doing Sargent." Then he sighed "But her assistance will be vital so I'll put it on hold for a minute but regardless, it's coming."

He turned to Maria "Call the team and their support staff to an emergency meeting in one hour. We need to get to the bottom of this."

An hour later the team was all sitting around a conference table. Tony half asleep but chugging coffee like his life depended on it, Steve and Sam fresh and showered after their morning run, Nat Wanda and Clint quietly trying to figure out what was going on. Assistants and other support staff at the furthest end of the table, quietly waiting. Bucky sat still and tense, waiting to get started.

Nick Fury strode in with Maria Hill in his wake "All right, everyone's here, let's get this started"

Tony interrupted "Radar isn't here, someone should find her."

Fury nodded "You hit the nail on the head, Stark. Radar isn't here or anywhere else on the compound. We have something big coming up and will need all hands so have to find her asap."

Maria Hill spoke up "All we have is the time she left and with whom. Plus a note she left for Sargent Barnes saying that she couldn't deal with everything and was returning to Madripoor."

She pulled up the image from her laptop, a fuzzy picture of Radar and Megan talking in the hallway outside of her room, then Megan's ID picture "Radar was seen with Megan Alexander, a dispensary tech who has worked for SHIELD for 5 years. Came to the compound shortly after it was converted."

Maria looked at the floor "A background check was done by someone I thought I could trust but was apparently a double agent. When I did some digging I found that her real name is Emily Megan Pierce. I think Radar is in real trouble."

@unaxv @calwitch @buckitostan @cjand10 . @vicmc624 @sandrab02