#CLUTCHING MY CHEST. were the same oww

[enden-k]

im feeling this so much aughhh ouchie

[stressedoutcanary]

Hold On - Jason Todd x Batgirl!Reader

Summary:

"Hey! I see a vent inside, maybe if we get to the roof-"

BAMMMM

"Of course, just shoot open the lock and alert whoever's inside. What a great strategy! Why didn't I think of it?! Oh I know, because it's dumb!"

Warnings: Language, Canon typical Violence, Occasional Angst lets be real it's Jason we are talking about, Kidnappings..?

Word count: 1.6k

A/N:- I...should be studying right now buttt I had fun writing this and yes, I took the title from the song Hold On by Chord Overstreet, I think it fits this perfectly.

I wasn't going for a series but here we are.

Part 2, Part 3

•°•°•°•°

It was a quite night for Gotham. Every person was busy with their own work and so were you, even if it was a little different from what people down below on the streets were doing. As of yet, you had stopped two muggings, busted a few armed two-face goons trying to rob a bank and were currently running across rooftops.

'Maybeee I can get off easy today, go home, microwave the pizza that has been waiting for me in the fridge, get a nice, warm shower and then straight to bed'

You hummed to yourself at the delightful thought as you sat on a gargoyle overlooking the city. You were enjoying the feeling of the light breeze on your face. It was soothing in a way. Not long after, you were startled by your comms crackling to life out of nowhere as you heard Oracle's automated voice in your ears.

"Batgirl I am going to need you to check out the area near Gotham Central Park for any visible strange activity. There are several missing persons reports filed this week that I have tied up to that particular region."

'So much for a warm bath and a good night's sleep, way to jinx yourself (Y/N), you dumbass'

"Isn't that park under construction or something? You know after the whole Justice League fiasco last month?", you questioned.

"Yep but people still go there, in the mornings for walks and at the nights for certain activities."

"Of course they do, I swear, people here are on a whole different level." You sighed. "Alrighty then Babs, I am on it."

•°•°

After climbing up a couple of fire escapes and swinging off of numerous rooftops you finally reached your target destination. There was a deafening silence when your feet landed on the damp grass. You took in the misted surroundings and decided to look around for something out of the ordinary. There was a broken bright neon sign by the corner of the street which caught your attention, you could only make out the last bit, it spelled Parlor.

'That seems awfully familiar. Something about it is odd but I can't quite place my finger on it'

You were lost in thought when you felt someone move behind you, there was rather little time for you to react so you choose the 'hit first ask questions later' option. You clenched your fist, twisted your upper body and delivered a quick, staggering blow to the shady figure lurking behind.

.

"OWW!! WHAT WAS THAT FOR?!"

.

"HOOD?!"

Sure enough, Jason was on the ground clutching his ribs looking like a hurt puppy.

You moved your hands up and massaged you temples. You do not want to deal with him. Not today and if possible not ever. Even though you never let it show, you always avoided a run in with him. He may have become a part of the family again but you were far off from forgiving him.

You watched with narrowed eyes as he got to his feet and and dusted off the grass from his jacket.

"So on a Scale of one to Demon brat, how much do you hate me?", the smirk on his face and the way he wiggled his eyebrows at you almost made you want to smack him with a crowbar yourself.

"What? Dami?! I don't-- I don't hate Damian, he just gets on my nerves sometimes, something you do all the time.", you enjoyed, maybe a little too much, the way Jason's smirk turned into a small pout. You smiled a bit as you shook your head at his childishness.

"Before you start chucking batarangs at me I want to make this clear; No, Oracle did not send me here to be your backup or whatever, I just happen to be investigating the same thing which obviously led me here to you. So how about we work on this together and watch each other's back", Despite the uncertainty of your rejection, he sounded hopeful. It seemed as if he was ready to build the old, worn out bridges of your relationship back up again. It sent an unexpected warmth through your chest.

"Just like old times?"

"Just like old times.", Jason repeated as you both did a rather unsuccessful fist bump and grinned like idiots.

•°•°

You walked up to the seemingly abandoned building, Jason examined the door for traps whereas you decided on taking a look through the glass window.

"Hey! I see a vent inside, maybe if we get to the roof-"

BAMMMM

"Of course, just shoot open the lock and alert whoever's inside. What a great strategy! Why didn't I think of it?! Oh I know, because it's dumb!", you whisper shouted with a scowl. Jason just shrugged and tilted his head to the side, pointing towards the now open door.

"Ladies first, so lead the way, unless you're scared.", it was a playful challenge on Jason's part, one that you were more than ready to accept.

"Oh you're on Red."

You stepped inside and it was all business from there on. You took in the condition of the room; dusty desks, broken glass, oddly placed mannequins and footprints leading up ahead into a long hallway.

"They seem recent enough", Jason gave a slight nod at your discovery.

Considering the darkness of the hallway, you and Jason shared a look and switched on your night vision lenses. You both started taking cautious steps, the occasional soft thud of your boots being the only sound in the vicinity.

The end of the hallway was forked up and there were two rooms at the end of each passageway.

"How is this place so big! it didn't seem this huge from the outside", you could hear the exasperation in Jason's voice. You figured not getting to hit someone might be getting to him or that he was just bored.

"Look I will take the right, you take the left, our comms are already connected, if any one of us finds anything we tell the other and remember we do not engage in a fight alone. Am I clear or do you want me to write that down for you"

"Yes ma'am, but just so you know you are starting to sound like The old man", you rolled your eyes at his comment and went on ahead towards the right as he went the other way.

•°•°

You scrolled through the torn down bookshelf kept in one of the rooms and you were making a mental note in your mind that there were a lot of medical journals in the bunch, when your comms buzzed.

"I am sorry", Jason whispered in a soft voice and you froze for a spilt second, eyes widening.

'No (Y/N) don't listen to him, he doesn't know what he is saying, just focus on finding those missing people and get this over with'

With that thought you tried continuing your investigation as if you had heard nothing.

"I said, I am sorry (Y/N). I know you heard me. I also know you've been avoiding me, cutting me out and you don't have to reply if don't feel like it but...I just wanted you to know..."

"Now is not the right time for this Hood and...for what it's worth I am not looking forward to a forgiveness session with you...", you felt awful for cutting him out the way you did, your heart clenched at the harshness of your words as you clicked off your comms, but you refused to have this discussion right now. If you were being more honest to yourself you just couldn't bear the emotions it would bring, so you chose the easiest way; completely shutting him out.

It was few minutes after the highly uncomfortable talk with Jason that a wall poster had caught your eye. You moved your hand over it, somewhat wiping off the dust, there was something scribbled on it making it harder for you to read the actual text. You squinted, trying to make out the words

"The people need...perfection...and that is what Pretty Dolls Parlor strives to achieve."

You scanned the area near poster for fingerprints and clicked your comms back on.

"Hood, get over here, I found something and I think this is the make or break kind of information", you were waiting for scan to complete, concern creeping up your mind when there was no reply from the other end.

"Red Hood? can you hear me?"

Nothing.

"Red?! Answer me Damnit!!"

A whole lot of Nothing.

As soon as you heard the chime of the scanner signaling its completion, you sped the other way towards the left corridor, towards Jason.

'Jay please be okay, please be okay, please be okay.'

By the time you reached Jason's location you were panting from the lack of breath and were already cursing yourself for bringing Jason along. To say that the man can take care of himself might be an understatement, he is basically a lone wolf, but still the thought of something happening to him while he was with you hurt like hell.

You looked around frantically and almost jumped out of your skin when you stepped on a gun. You heart almost stopped, it was Jason's. To make matters worse, there was no other sign of him or of were he went. You picked up the gun holding it securely in your hand. You could literally hear your heart pounding in your ears.

Suddenly, through the reflection from the glass window in front of you, you caught a glimpse of a man wearing a blank white face mask, you turned around, immediately switching to a fighting stance but that only did so much for you. A flashlight was switched on and shoved near your face, the night vision of your lens intensified the light, blinding you completely.

Before you could react, a metal pole connected straight with the back of your head and just like that you were lights out on the ground.

°•°•°•°•

Author's cute little extra Note:

*wiggling my eyebrows rn*

I might be a little too obsessed with the Arkham Knight game hehe.

Well that ended well for you, didn't it?? Jason's gone missing and you get a nice concussion to garnish your anxiety level? No? Okay I will stop talking now.

Tell me if you want to be tagged for the next parts.💕

[ikroah]

Whiskey river, take my mind, don't let her memory torture me. Whiskey river, don't run dry, you're all I got, take care of me. —“Whiskey River,” Shotgun Willie (1973)

It Keeps Right On a-Hurtin’ #15 - Vegas Outskirts

Collaborative Issue! Guest Colorist: @malpaislegate​ / @socksual-innuendos​

Archive Links

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Read IKROAH on Archive of Our Own

Notes / Original Pencils / Transcript:

Notes:

MAN that’s gotta hurt!! Volume 2 kicks off with a bang, literally if you count the gunshot and honorifically if you count Socks’ knockout color job on this issue. Look at those lovingly rendered bullet wounds!! Muah!!!

It’s been a relief having a month off from the comic as I handled a bunch of other things but there’s a lot to look forward to in Volume 2, as you can probably tell from that very forboding fist clench at the end there. Will Agnes and Cass get the revenge they’re looking for? Can they make it big in Vegas? Will it keep right on a-hurtin’? Find out next ish as Cass leads Agnes to meet the first of their new “friends.”

Original Pencils:

The pencils for this issue are like an autopsy report of all the things that can go wrong with your art if you don’t plan ahead and pay attention. Listen, friend, to my tale of woe, and learn from my mistakes so they don’t become yours!

First, you can see a lot of places where there’s floating objects, empty backgrounds, and incomplete heads. Part of this is because I always intended to just copy and paste repeated elements across each panel instead of drawing them multiple times, but other times I was forced to just because of my lack of planning. The top three panels on page two, for example, required me to draw the background I’d use for them on a separate page.

Second, you can probably tell that I actually had to flip the two raiders around in the final lineart because I forgot to keep the hands their were holding their guns in consistent—and since I couldn’t flip the middle panel on the second page without ruining the composition, I decided to flip all of their other appearances so that they’d be lefties. I doubt you even can seamlessly wield those particular guns left-handed.

Third, the size of the cart that Agnes and Cass are kneeling behind changes CONSTANTLY and is dramatically oversized from the third page onward. After inking these pages, it took a lot of work to correct the inks and shrink that cart in each panel, but fortunately it came out looking good.

And finally, I completely redrew the second panel on the fifth page because it wasn’t until I had already handed he pages off to my colorist that I realized having a second profile shot of Cass so soon after a first one was just...redundant and lazy-looking. So I went back to my sketchbook and whipped up a much more unique, striking angle (I also just wasn’t satisfied with the quality of my art on that panel, so I’m very glad I redrew it). But again, my failure to plan ahead bit me in the ass and my redraw attempt wound up taking up a lot more space than I thought it would, so after inking it I had to basically surgically remove it from the other inks.

I’ll be honest with you folks: part of the reason that I work in such simple, thick, high-contrast lineart is because it’s very easy to make corrections and adjustments with stuff you could technically color in Microsoft Paint.

Transcript:

EXT. SOMEWHERE IN THE MOJAVE, morning. AGNES SANDS and ROSE OF SHARON CASSIDY stand over the wreckage of a caravan, scattered over a dirt road.

CASS: Hell.

EXT. SOMEWHERE ELSE IN THE MOJAVE, midday. Looking over a second wrecked caravan, at the bottom of a ditch.

CASS: Fuck.

EXT. PRE-WAR HIGHWAY OUTSIDE OF VEGAS, mid-afternoon. AGNES and CASS survey a third wrecked caravan.

CASS: Shit. The proof is in the pudding. Or the pile of ash, rather. These attacks were done with Van Graff guns for Crimson Caravan caps. I'm sure of it.

As CASS explains her theory to AGNES, a short distance from the caravan two RAIDERS peer at the two of them from inside a barn at a ruined farmstead. They have snake-bite tattoos on the sides of their shaved heads and are holding rifles.

CASS: The scorchmarks and residue in the wreckages? That's energy weapon shit. Plasma and laser. Silver Rush special. Not like it'd be the Brotherhood. And Crimson Caravan must have bankrolled this fucked-up little hunting trip themselves.

The RAIDERS move out from the barn, sneaking up on two passers-by who’ve stopped at the caravan wreckage.

CASS: That explains why they bought me out...they needed the last loose end to saddle up back west with a tidy sum.

(NOTE: *Agnes delivered it and Cass signed it in IKROAH #7—Lou.)

CASS: It's a racket, Agnes: torch the local competition and it's win-win for both the f—

SFX: KRAK

A gunshot rips out from one of the RAIDERS’ rifles and sears across CASS’ shoulder.

CASS (gasping): —uckers.

CASS slumps down beneath the overturned caravan wagon on the road, clutching her shot shoulder.

CASS: —Aaggghghhhhhhh.

AGNES: Cass! Are you—

CASS: Fuck! Agnes, get down you moron!

AGNES ducks behind the cover of the wooden caravan wagon just as another gunshot splinters the top lip of it.

SFX: DTHWAK!

The RAIDERS advance on CASS and AGNES’ position, firing at them from off the road.

SFX: KRAK

AGNES leans over the top of the wagon with her pistol, returning fire.

SFX: BTAK BTAK BTAK

AGNES lands a shot right in one of the RAIDERS’ guts, and she drops her weapon and falls down.

SFX: SPLUT

CASS, leaning out the side of the wagon, takes as careful of aim as she can with her shotgun by holding it with her good arm. Trembling, she fires, connecting with the other RAIDER.

SFX: KBLAM

The would-have-been RAIDERS are dead.

AGNES: ...were those the Van Graffs?

CASS: No. Just some vultures.

CASS leans back behind cover to sit against the bottom of the overturned wagon again, wincing from her shoulder injury.

CASS: Ugghhn.

AGNES (slipping off duffel bag): Cass, your shoulder—

CASS: Yeah, it's been shot. I'm pretty fucking aware.

AGNES (unzipping bag): Quick, can you take your shirt off—

CASS: What!?

AGNES: —so I can dress the wound, Cass!

CASS: Oh! Good! So you weren't coming onto me on what remains of Griffin Wares Caravan.

CASS starts removing her shirt while AGNES produces a bottle of something from her duffel bag, and dampens a rag with its contents.

CASS: And since when are you a fucking field medic, anyway?

AGNES: 2269. NCR Certified.

CASS: What?

AGES: Yeah. I've been one kind of doctor or another since I was six.

CASS: What?

AGNES: Now hold still, this is antiseptic.

CASS: Since you were six!? I...shit, wait, hang on, Agnes—

AGNES pressess the rag onto CASS’ shoulder wound, and CASS winces instinctively. But, confusingly, there isn’t any pain.

CASS: ...isn't this supposed to sting like hell?

AGNES: No, not really. It's an acetic acid solution. Vinegar, basically.

AGNES begins cleaning the wound with the rag.

CASS: I thought you put alcohol on wounds to clean them.

AGNES: That's...a common misconception. It's good for tools, maybe, but too strong for skin. And it can complicate healing if you apply it directly.

CASS: So you're telling me, all my years, I've been wasting good whiskey only making my boo-boos worse?

AGNES: I mean...it's better than nothing in a pinch, but...

CASS: Well, then. Thanks for the lecture, doc. Can you just pass the whiskey anyway? Shoulder still hurts like hell regar—

AGNES hands her the whiskey bottle. She’d already gotten it out.

CASS: —dless. Oh. Thanks.

AGNES unspools a roll of bandages in her hands, then begins wrapping it over CASS’ shoulder and across her chest..

AGNES: So. It's a relatively minor wound, more of a deep graze than a real gunshot.

CASS: You'd know all about real gunshots, huh?

AGNES (unfazed): Uh-huh. I can suture it if necessary, but for now, these bandages will be fine. Just hold still. How do you feel?

CASS: I feel fucking pissed, Agnes!

AGNES recoils, taken aback slightly.

CASS: As I was saying before I got shot in the shoulder—which, however "minor" the wound, is real fucking close to my head, Agnes—this wasn't some random attack. These caravans, my caravan, got hit by the Van Graffs and Crimson Caravan. It ain't just some tragedy anymore. Now I've got names. Places. Faces.

AGNES resumes bandaging CASS.

CASS: I told you—ow! Don't pinch my tit, dammit—

AGNES: I said hold still.

CASS: —I told you, when you told me about this guy who shot you...when I let you drag me out of that fucking outpost...and when we went to Boulder City...that I would do the exact same thing in your shoes. Now, it is the exact same thing. This fucker shoots your eye out, these fuckers ash my caravan...these same fuckers I sold my own goddamn name to on a piece of paper. I mean...what else are we doing out here, Agnes? Getting shot at by Khans and Raiders just for kicks? Are we just fucking around?

AGNES finishes bandaging CASS, then leans back, pensive.

AGNES: No...no, I really guess we’re not.

CASS: That's what I thought. Your friend in Vegas can wait. Help me get mine, and we can get that shitheel together, and that's a prom—

CASS raises her arm  to shake her fist as she speaks, straining her shoulder injury.

CASS: —mmmmmmghhhh. Ooww, oww, oww, oww...

CASS grabs her shoulder in pain while AGNES looks off in the distance and stands up. She looks out towards the horizon—towards VEGAS, and the pre-war casinos and hotels that still gleam and glitter in blinding sunlight.

Her fist clenches. Her brow furrows. Her body tenses, all over, staring at that city, that place.

The caravan wreckage remains alone on the highway, brahmin bones long picked clean by scavengers.

AGNES SANDS IN: IT KEEPS RIGHT ON A HURTIN’

VOLUME 2: MAKE IT BIG IN VEGAS

[dustofbrokenheart]

The Covenant: Presents and Kisses

Reid Garwin x Reader

Word Count: 1,858

Summary: It’s reader’s birthday and Reid has some surprises up his sleeve. Dedicated to the lovely @saviorsong​. Happy Birthday! 

The café was a small, single room operation so sound from both the dining area and the kitchen traveled throughout. And everyone heard when your boyfriend came out of the bathroom, throwing the door open with such force that a bang rang out from where it hit the wall.

The poor barista almost dropped a drink they were making out of surprise.

“Babe, that was the biggest shit I’ve taken this month,” Reid practically shouted as he made his way back to the table.

You didn’t bother to acknowledge that particular comment and kept your attention on Tyler who had also tagged along with you guys. It was better to not entertain poop talk seeing as how you were in public.

“Babe! Did you hear what I said?”

“I think everyone did,” you replied pointedly. He dropped into his chair, hands clutching at his stomach.

You continued chatting with Tyler about a class you were taking and Reid still kept fidgeting and groaning. He was normally dramatic but he was really hamming it up.

You turned to him with a raised brow. That was all it took for him to increase his complaining.

“I think it was the food. It’s gotta be food poisoning, I feel so sick.”

“But we ate from the same plate.”

A glance at the table showed a shared plate that had long been eaten with not a drop of sauce left on the it after you both had all but cleaned the dish. If he actually had food poisoning, shouldn’t you be feeling it too? Your stomach felt perfectly fine, if not satisfied.

“Everyone reacts differently to these things, you know.”

Tyler nodded seriously, corroborating Reid’s claim. Those two were thicker than thieves, always ready to back each other up.

“No telling how bad this could get. I’m gonna head home but you should stay, Ty can hang out with you,” he said.

“Really?” Your tone was colored with incredulously. “Today of all days?”

He completely ignored that and bent down for a kiss. You were extremely tempted to turn away but ended up giving in. Reid may be an idiot, but he was your idiot. Keeping up with the sick-as-a-dog routine, he gingerly hobbled out of the café.

And since he was your idiot, you knew something was definitely up. You didn’t claim to be the smartest person around but Reid wasn’t exactly subtle.

Immediately, your attention turned towards Tyler. If one was plotting, then the other would know.

The brunette raised his hands as if to keep things peaceful. “Okay, okay. Don’t be upset.”

“It’s my birthday and my man just ran out under suspicious circumstances. I have every right to be annoyed.”

“Exactly! You’re the reason why he left!” He paused for an awkward second. “Wow. That came out totally wrong. What I mean is that he’s setting up something nice for you.”

“He is?” you asked suddenly touched.

Reid was a romantic sort. Maybe not always so smooth about it, but a romantic nonetheless. And he did do things for you often, even if a good number of things were in an attempt to apologize for something stupid he did, but he had never done a birthday surprise.

Well, not one where he had kept it a surprise for this long. Normally he couldn’t keep quiet about his plans so you were a bit impressed that you hadn’t noticed until his terrible acting just then.

Tyler nodded again, this time in excitement. “Yep. He needs a few hours to get it ready though…we can either stay here or walk around. Your birthday, your choice.”

His methods may be, well, unconventional, but your heart beat a little faster knowing he was planning something. Your mind wandered, thinking up various possibilities. Two hours couldn’t go by fast enough.

***

It ended up being close to six o’clock before you returned home.

You closed the door gently and toed your shoes off. The quietness seemed that much thicker with anticipation weighing heavily.

A trail of rose petals wound around the living room and trailed down the hallway, presumably to the bedroom, but you got distracted by a tantalizing aroma. 

You followed that into the kitchen instead and found a skillet filled with something delicious. Other bowls with other fantastic side dishes were arranged randomly around it on the countertops.  

And then you noticed the cake. Unlike the others, the cake was displayed on the table, a package of candles lying next to it. You walked closer to get a better view and couldn’t the grin hat spread across your face.

Clearly, he had made the cake himself. Not that that was off-putting to you in any way. It was really quite cute.

He had made a small two-layer cake which in of itself didn’t look too bad. The sides were not traditionally frosted so, the parts that were visible, you could see that the shape and the softness looked about right. Kind of. 

In lieu of normal frosting, he had attempted to coat them with a crumb frosting of some sort. Despite his best effort, the crumbs didn’t hadn’t spread evenly with some parts having barely any and others having too much.

It looked like he also had issues with the frosting on top. You guessed that he had tried to apply it while the cake was still warm because it was thinner than it should have been, almost glaze-like. Some had even started to leak over the sides before it was cool enough to harden up again.

Even with flaws, it was still the sweetest, frumpiest birthday cake you could ever remember someone making for you.

You stuck out a finger trying to taste the crumb coat when you felt a sharp smack to your ass.

“Oww!” Rubbing it, you saw Reid standing behind you with a towel in his hand. “Did you really just spank me with a towel?”

“It’s not time for cake yet,” he said. He was shirtless, tattoos on display, baggy cargo pants riding low on his hips. There was a hint of tiredness in his eyes but it was mostly irritation. “This part was for last. You were supposed to follow the roses first.”

Ah. He was irritated that you messed up the plan. But you were so excited to see what else he had in store that you didn’t answer back with a sharp quip of your own. “Then lead the way.”

With a sigh, he put his hands on your shoulders and walked you out of the kitchen. His grip was gentle though so you knew he wasn’t seriously frustrated with you.

The path of rose petals came back into view and you realized they were from a real flower and not plastic. A warm feeling spread through you and it only grew the closer the closer the path drew you to the bedroom. Reid stayed just behind you the whole way, your gentle guide.

“The flowers are beautiful, Reid.”

“I know. And a normal person would’ve followed them from the start.”

“Sorry,” you giggled. “The food all looked really good though. Three Michelin stars across the board.”

“Yeah, yeah. Just open the door, would ya?”

You pushed the door with your fingers, thoughts racing. What were you going to find? That fancy stationary set you’d been eyeing online? A fluffy, tail-wagging puppy? A chest of kinky toys?

With Reid it could any one of the three. Maybe even all three.

Tons of balloons were inflated and rolling around the floor, so much so that you had to kick a few out of the way to be able to step in. Even a birthday banner hung over the bed when he had thumbtacked it into the wall.

But the gift was unmistakable.

The large woven basket was sitting on the dresser, fibers dyed your favorite color was hard to miss.

Then came the stuff that was practically overflowing from said basket. You rummaged through it like a old woman at a yard sale, pulling out something new with every handful.

Jewelry. A soft blanket. Cans of your favorite type of drink. Hand painted ceramics. Some hard cover additions you’d been meaning to add to your personal library. New head phones. Dozens of origami creatures. A tee from your favorite team. Coffee mugs and several blends of beans. Hand-held tools  to replace your old ones with. And not only a stationary set but a wax letter stamp seal as well.

And everything from the basket to the last gift followed the same theme: it was all in your favorite color.

You jumped into his arms and he caught you. “I’m—this is…this is…”

“What?” he said, his breath tickling your ear and fingers gripping your thighs tightly. “Impressive? Inspiring? The best goddamn gift you’ve ever seen?”

“Touching,” you whispered.

You couldn’t see it, but you could sense the soft expression on his face.

“How did you even manage to find some of this stuff in this color?”

“It wasn’t easy, let me tell you…”

He went on explaining how he started with the just the stationary (you were right and he had noticed you looking at it) in your favorite color.

Then he added the headphones, also in your favorite color.

Then he’d painted the ceramic pieces himself.  

Eventually thinking up even more potential presents to get, he’d come up with the idea to do everything in that color. The tools were the hardest but he was very proud that he’d been able to pull it off with the help of a custom order from a local business.

“This is super touching. Thanks for putting in this much thought and effort,” you said finally lifting your head up to give him a kiss.

It was meant to be a quick peck but Reid’s lips followed yours when you tried to pull back, turning it into something more passionate. He even managed to lick his way into your mouth before you finally parted, panting for air.

“Mmm,” he breathed, lips back on yours. “You’re eager to get to the next event.”

You made a confused sound in your throat which he swallowed. One of his hands traveled up your leg and over your hip to come to a rest on your lower back. He turned you and that’s when you noticed the bed.

The comforter was already pulled slightly down and more rose petals were scattered all around. He laid you down on the mattress and prowled up your body. The petals were even more fragrant now that you were closer to them.

“What’s the next event?” you asked coyly although it wasn’t hard to guess.

“One kiss for every year you’ve been alive,” he said with a cocked smile. “It was either that many kisses or that many orgasms—I figured all those orgasms might be too much for you though.”

You bit his bottom lip and snuck your fingers under the waistband of his cargo pants suggestively. “How about both?”

He watched in rapture as you removed your shirt, eyes glued to your chest.  

“Anything for you, babe. Happy Birthday.”

_______________

Yay! Thanks for reading. I hope this was alright. 

In my mind, Reid is the type of romantic to make you things, hence the food, origami, and ceramics. But sensual time will also be included just because. 

Honestly, he probably heard what Caleb did for his s/o and, in typical competitive fashion, decided he could do better. He roped in Tyler to keep reader distracted and spent a few hours cooking, decorating, and assembling the massive personalized gift basket. 

They likely did reach fulfill the birthday kiss count but how many orgasms they managed to achieve is up to your imagination. 

[phonixa08]

A light in the Darkness

☾︎ 𝐠𝐞𝐧𝐫𝐞: fantasy au, fluff, a lil bit of angst

☾︎ 𝐩𝐚��𝐫𝐢𝐧𝐠: Felix x reader

☾︎ 𝐰𝐚𝐫𝐧𝐢𝐧𝐠𝐬: slight mentions of murder

☾︎ 𝐬𝐮𝐦𝐦𝐚𝐫𝐲: As you made your way to your favourite place at night, just to enjoy the peaceful silence, you quickly realized that you weren't the only one with that plan.

☾︎ 𝐚/𝐧: This is my first attempt here on tumblr so I can't promise anything but I hope you enjoy either way!♡︎

*:･ﾟ✧*:･ﾟ

Stepping out of your house and into the night you breathed in the now slightly chilly air which was usually warm in the midst of day. Sneaking out in the middle of the night became a habit of yours. The night was just so peaceful compared to the busy streets at the light of day where everyone seemed to be chasing their time, the stress being visible on their faces. With the silence of the night and the stars twinkling above you, you felt at ease, like all the burdens just have been lifted off of your shoulders.

Sighing, you made your way to the place you always went to at night- a pond in the woods. It somehow holds a magical aura to you, the way the water glistened in the moonlight and the trees forming an almost perfect circle around it, it was your safe place.

Your figure wandered between the trees, the leaves and branches crunching beneath your feet with each step you took, as suddenly something made you stop in your tracks.

"𝑊ℎ𝑒𝑛 𝑦𝑜𝑢 𝑡𝑟𝑦 𝑦𝑜𝑢𝑟 𝑏𝑒𝑠𝑡, 𝑏𝑢𝑡 𝑦𝑜𝑢 𝑑𝑜𝑛'𝑡 𝑠𝑢𝑐𝑐𝑒𝑒𝑑, 𝑤ℎ𝑒𝑛 𝑦𝑜𝑢 𝑔𝑒𝑡 𝑤ℎ𝑎𝑡 𝑦𝑜𝑢 𝑤𝑎𝑛𝑡, 𝑏𝑢𝑡 𝑛𝑜𝑡 𝑤ℎ𝑎𝑡 𝑦𝑜𝑢 𝑛𝑒𝑒𝑑, 𝑤ℎ𝑒𝑛 𝑦𝑜𝑢 𝑓𝑒𝑒𝑙 𝑠𝑜 𝑡𝑖𝑟𝑒𝑑, 𝑏𝑢𝑡 𝑦𝑜𝑢 𝑐𝑎𝑛'𝑡 𝑠𝑙𝑒𝑒𝑝, 𝑠𝑡𝑢𝑐𝑘 𝑖𝑛 𝑟𝑒𝑣𝑒𝑟𝑠𝑒~"

Taken by surprise, you quickly hid behind the nearest tree, not wanting to be seen and startle them with your presence. What was this person doing here in the middle of the night? you thought, at which you smiled ironically coming to the realization that it was you, after all who always came to this place at ungodly hours. Deciding that you wanted to find out who's beautiful voice you just heard and because you couldn't hide here forever you carefully stepped out of your hideout but not without tripping over a branch, the noise being loud enough to signal the person that they weren't alone. Just great, I can't even walk properly without my face kissing the ground. "Who's there?" you heard a deep voice ask. Getting up from the ground and dusting off your jeans, you finally made your way to the pond.

Into your view came a boy around your age with blonde hair and dark eyes, his seemingly stiff posture loosened when he saw your "not - so-intimidating" silhouette approaching him. Even though you were a stranger, he could tell you meant no harm, let's just say this was his talent: reading people. In a way it was the same for you, not the reading people part, but you felt that you could somehow trust him. So you hoped your gut feeling wouldn't fail you, as you took a seat on the rock next to him. "Don't worry, I'm not planning on killing you." you joked, feeling the need to reassure him.

Although he had a sad look on his face, a small smile graced his prominent features as he eyed you. "I heard you singing, you know." you turned your gaze towards him. His eyes became bigger as a flash of embarrassment overcame his body. "I must've sounded so terrible, this is embarrassing." his words muffled because of his hands, covering his face. You on the other hand, looked at him, as if he grew another head "Are you kidding me? I hid behind that tree as an excuse to listen to your voice." Slowly he removed his hands from his face, looking at you in disbelief "Do you really mean it?" You gave him a small smile "I don't say what I don't mean. I really like your voice, I think it's unique, rare. It's deep but also very calming, like the sound of ocean waves." These words combined with the sincerity in your eyes made a blush creep up on the boy's cheeks. No one has ever heard him singing before, so this really meant a lot to him.

"I'm Felix." he held out his hand for you to shake. Smiling, you gently took it. "I'm Y/N." "So, what are you doing here if I may be so bold to ask?" he questioned. "The same as you, I suppose." Felix raised a brow "And that would be?" You shifted in your position, so your body would face him. "Running away from reality." You saw him turning his gaze towards the night sky. The moonlight highlighting his skin, making it glow and stand out from all the darkness around you. His freckles twinkling like the milion stars in the universe. He was beautiful, if you haven't realized it yet, you definitely did now. "Guess that makes two of us, huh." he whispered into the chilly air, letting out a sigh and you couldn't help but notice the broken tone in his voice. You stood up from the rock you've been sitting on and spread out a blanket that you stored in your backpack. As you laid down, you could feel Felix's eyes on you. "What are you doing?" a tint of amusement in his voice, as a smile was tugging at the corner of his lips. "Well, what does it look like? Might as well appreciate the stars when I'm outside." you deadpanned. Following your action, he laid down beside you. Turning your head, a grin appeared on your lips. A little company once in a while wasn't that bad.

After a while of just laying there and watching the stars shine in the darkness, your voice interrupted the calming silence. "I know I'm only a stranger you've just met and it's probably not my place to ask you that but... I've noticed the sadness in your eyes and something tells me that there's more to it. It's not something that can easily be fixed. So, if you want to talk about it, I'm here for you. But don't feel pressured, it's your choice after all." Felix debated if he should tell you what has been bothering him since he really couldn't make out how your reaction would be. This was a secret that needed to be kept as such and the boy was very aware of that. But he felt that he could trust you and honestly; he really wanted to get it off his chest. So, Felix sat up and took a deep breath "Promise me you won't freak out?" You just looked at him, confused as to why he would suspect that reaction from you but you gave him an assuring smile "I promise." The blonde stretched out his palm and after a few seconds you saw a pretty blue flame lighting up the darkness around you. It left you in awe and you couldn't believe what you were seeing.

There was a legend about an ancient folk called "Lumina", it's said they had special powers such as lighting up flames with their palms. They were superior in reading people-you could never fool them. The Lumina were an extremely peaceful folk, very empathic and loving, which made them stand out from the most people. Although you would think of these powers as a blessing, they were pretty much a curse. Other folks were jealous of the Lumina's perfection and used this, as a reason to murder them. That's why it's believed that the Lumina don't exist anymore.

Therefore, your amazement made itself visible on your face as you've realized that one of them was sitting right beside you. But instead of screaming out of shock, you slowly reached for his hand. "Can I? Is it gonna hurt me?" Felix quickly came out of his trance, stunned from your positive reaction. Shaking his head, he explained "No, it's only gonna hurt you, if I decide so." Touching the flame cautiously, you only felt warmth, it was truly intriguing. It warmed his heart, seeing how amazed you were. "You know, usually people are afraid of me and call me a monster if I show them my powers." You felt your heart shatter and looked him in the eyes, you could clearly see the pain in them. "Is that why you ran away?" you quietly asked. The boy nodded "It started when I turned 18. If I got too emotional my hands would form blue flames and hurt those around me, I had no control over it whatsoever. That's when I realized I wasn't normal, at first I thought something was terribly wrong with me. But after a lot of research-"" You've realized you're a Lumina." you ended his sentence.

With big eyes he stared at you "So you knew about them? There's almost no information, even in the internet." You nodded, a couple of hair strands falling out of place "Yes, but I love legends and this one is no different. So I've spent a lot of time doing research." You truly had the talent of surprising him, he has never met someone like you before. It sounded cliché, but right now, he thought you were one of a kind.

"Thank you for trusting me." you said. At which he only slyly grinned "Well, as a Lumina I can read people like an open book. Sooo-" you hit him on the shoulder. "You're a brat." The blonde fake winced and clutched his chest "Oww, right there." Before you could scoff at his antics, he quickly dropped his behavior, looking into your eyes and suddenly you felt numb under his gaze. "I also have to thank you." A few seconds passed before you spoke up, tilting your head. "For what, precisely?" He leaned in, his voice dropping a few octaves, whispering in your ear. "For being here."

Giving you one last glance, he stood up, dusting off his jeans, completely aware of the effect he had on you. "So, want to know more about my abilities or what?" Still in shock because of his duality, you blinked a few times as though by that your blush would go away.

Clearing your throat, you also stood up from the blanket, following him. "But only if I'll hear your singing afterwards." you pouted at him. "Whatever makes you happy." Felix responded while ruffling your hair.

[yeongwvnhi]

Pairing - Younghoon x genderneutral reader

Genre - fluff

Warnings - sappy flirting lol

Taglist - @twancingyunhoe

Word count - 964

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It's around 10:20pm when Younghoon bursts into your room, startling you. 

"Gosh, I almost dropped my phone!" You exclaim and put a hand over your racing heart. 

"I'm sorry" He sheepishly smiles at you, "but come on! The night sky is so pretty tonight, let's go stargazing for a little!" 

Your eyes practically sparkle at the guy's suggestion and you're already getting out of your bed and putting on a jacket. 

Younghoon quickly goes to fetch his own, fast but quiet footsteps navigating through your shared apartment. 

The two of you have been flatmates for a few years now and got really close, but recently, maybe a month or two back, you caught yourself slipping. 

Lingering stares on his breathtaking smile. The slight heartache, when he would comment on how a friend of his looked really good. The longing to just hold him close whenever he's had a bad day or rough week and his emotions got the best of him. Oh, to be able to just hold him tight, peck his cheek and tell him how everything will be fine soon and that you'll always have his back. 

"Are you coming?" His voice shook you out of your distracting thoughts, head shooting up to meet his eyes. 

"Oh, yeah I'm coming!" You quickly reply, heat rushing into your face as you move past him to put on your shoes at the door. "Is the roof even empty?" The sudden question leaves your mouth unexpected and in the middle of your small journey. 

"I'm… pretty sure it is?" Younghoon answers with a questioning lilt at the end. "I haven't checked because I got too excited to look at the stars and all the different constellations!" 

His contagious bright grin brought a smile of your own to your face, a short chuckle disrupting the short silence. 

"Let's just hope it is then" 

And you were lucky. The roof of your apartment complex was as empty as your mind when you saw Younghoon's beautiful smile. "Oww it's really cold tonight" You mumble and shiver, rubbing your arms to keep some warmth. 

"Why didn't you put on a thicker jacket you dummy! You're gonna get sick" Younghoon nags. "Come here, my jacket is big and warm" 

Another flush of heat spreads over your neck, face and ears as you step closer to him and into his inviting warm embrace. 

"Woah Y/N, look how pretty it is" He mumbles in awe, head thrown back to have a clear view of the sky. 

You do the same and an involuntary smile creeps up on your lips. "It really is beautiful" you whisper into the silent night, voice light in the quiet atmosphere. "Do you see the big dipper?" 

Younghoon hums. "I see the big and the small one" He says, "can you spot cassiopeia?" 

You move your head and your eyes flit over all the stars and possible constellations until you spot the familiar 'w' shape. "It's there, south to the big dipper!" You excitedly point out and Younghoon gives a breathy chuckle before turning to find it. 

"I forgot how much you love astronomy" He chuckles after turning back and looking into your eyes. 

A chuckle escapes you as well and you playfully smack his shoulder, unintentionally leaving your hand on the spot. "How can you just forget that?" 

He cranes his neck, staring into the pitch black sky, illuminated but an infinite amount of stars. "I don't know" He huffs with a smile, "but something I do know, is that whenever I look into your eyes all I see is stars" 

He meets your now widened eyes and smiles shyly. "Sorry, it just came out" 

"Younghoon" you mumble quietly, the atmosphere crackling with electricity. "Can I tell you something?" 

He furrows his brows, a small and confused pout forming on his lips. "Of course, you can tell anything" 

You clutch his shirt with the hand that's still resting at his shoulder. "I really like you, Younghoon" 

The man is stunned by your sudden and blunt confession. "Y/N-" 

"No matter how pretty or beautiful you think of the starry sky to be, for me you will always be the most breathtaking view" 

You can feel his heartbeat accelerate and one of his free hands lands on your hip. 

"Don't just say stuff like that out of the blue, I wasn't prepared" He pouts. "But that was so smooth of you, I'm jealous I didn't come up with such a line" 

You chuckle, the smile lingering. "So..?" 

"I like you too, Y/N" Younghoon says, "and your smile makes any room light up so much brighter than the sun ever could"

Another wave of heat crashes over your face and you hide in his chest. "Stop iiiit, I can't deal with such compliments! Especially coming from you!" 

"Don't be shy, you started this" 

"Oww shut up!" You whine and remove your head from his broad chest to shoot him a playful glare. 

"You'll love it" He chuckles and his other hand pulls you close by the neck, his face closing the gap and connecting your lips. 

It felt electrifying, your whole body felt alight. You relish in the moment, eyes closing and following his every move.

He was way too good at this, his lips moving too expertly and applying just the right amount of pressure. 

You caught yourself chasing after his lips when he broke the kiss, eyelids fluttering open and confronted with Younghoon's beautiful smile. 

"Wow" you hear yourself whisper and he chuckles yet again. 

"What did I do to deserve you" He mumbles and hugs you close, "please, tell me you'll be mine" 

You sling your arms around him and put your face against his chest with a smile. "I'll be yours, Younghoon" 

[massivelycreepypineapple]

That Damn Video

Request: uh, hi !! um can i ask for a request ? maybe dean & sam are going through some old dvds of reader before she was hunter ( in her teens ) & in a video maybe reader was singing "bubble gum bitch" by marina & then fluffy dean 😌

Pairing: Dean Winchester x Fem!Reader, Sam Winchester x Fem!Reader (platonic)

A/N: Hope you enjoy this!! Damn this song is stuck in my head now! -.-

Feedback is welcome!

Word Count: 1721

❅ ❅ ❅

“What are you doing?” Asked Sam startling Dean.

“Ouch!” Came a muffled replied as Dean hit his head inside the wardrobe. He nearly had his entire body inside going through some things, grunting and groaning when Sam showed up out of the blue. He pulled his head out and glared at Sam. “Give a guy some warning, would you?”

“Well, you’d hear me coming if you weren’t busy trying to get inside the wardrobe.” Quipped Sam amused.

“I’m trying to make some space. It’s great that Y/N moved into my room, but damn she has a lot of things.”

Sam chuckled at that walking closer to take a look, “Need help?”

“Yes! These clothes are going to kill me!”

“Death by bra. Sounds about right for you.” Smirked Sam helping him with a box.

“Shuttup.”

Y/N and Dean have been dating for 6 months now and only a month ago, Y/N moved into Dean’s room. They wanted to take it slow and even if they lived together in the same place and loved each other, going back to their own rooms at the end of the day gave them that bit of space to get their heads straight. Dating while being a hunter never ended well and they agreed that slow was a nice way to start their relationship.

5 months later after Dean nearly died in a hunt, they decided that they didn’t have all the time in the world and they would rather spend every single second they got. With that, Y/N moved into his room. But with her came a buttload of things that took up so much of space and poor Dean soon found his clothes getting lost with hers. So when Y/N left to help Ellen and the girls with a hunt, Dean figured he’d reorganise their room and make it homely to the both of them.

“Hey what’s this?” Asked Sam holding a box of old dvds that he found hidden in the depths of the wardrobe.

Dean shrugged at it confused, “Never seen them before. Must be Y/N’s.”

“Oh my god, Dean. The box says home videos!” Sam grinned widely, noticing the other side of the box.

“Shit, we have got to watch these!” He grinned mischievously. He quickly snatched it out of his hands and walked out of the room, heading to the Dean cave.

“What about reorganising?” Sam followed him.

“Screw that! I got a feeling we just struck gold.”

They walked into the Dean cave. Dean was all giddy, barely able to control his glee as he put one of the dvds in. They got themselves comfortable as the video started.

It started with a 5yr old Y/N showing off her brand new dress. Her mom was recording her as she did her adorable version of a cat walk. She was giggling as her parents cheered her on. It was extremely cute

The boys kept going through the dvd and watched as Y/N grew older. They kept giggling and discussing how to embarrass her once she came back home. Midway Sam got up to make some popcorn and the boys agreed that watching adorable little Y/N and her shenanigans was better than any movie they could think of.

An hour into it, they put in the last dvd into the player and what they came across was by far the best thing they had ever seen.

A shy 12yr old Y/N with heavy make up and wearing a bright pink shiny jumpsuit came on screen.

“If you do this, we’ll go skiing this weekend.” Her mom’s voice was heard.

“I can’t believe I’m doing this.” She mumbled, face turning red.

“But you do it so well, baby. Now come on!”

Y/N rolled her eyes and her mom started the music in the background and handed her the mic. Soon Y/N began singing the most amazing song ever heard. She was doing it so well with the attitude, dance and everything. And then the chorus came, Y/N’s kid voice making it even better.

“I’m Miss Sugar Pink, liquor, liquor lips

Hit me with your sweet love, steal me with a kiss

I'm Miss Sugar Pink, liquor, liquor lips

I'm gonna be your bubblegum btch

I'm gonna be your bubblegum btch”

“Okay, I’m done!” Yelled Y/N. “I’m getting out of this stupid dress!”

“Aww come on! Just finish the song!”

“Moooom!”

“Hey, it’s your dad’s birthday gift, you know how much he loves this song. Especially when you sing it, baby.”

“I’m making him a card like a normal person.” Y/N grumbled and stomped away, making her mother laugh. The camera followed her for a bit before turning to her mom’s face who said, “Well, honey, I tried but your daughter is as stubborn as you.” Before cutting.

There was silence in the bunker when the video ended. Dean and Sam looked at each other in shock before bursting with laughter. Dean laughed so hard he fell off the couch.

“That’s the future mother of your child, Dean.” Laughed Sam clutching onto his stomach.

“I can’t believe she kept these videos from me!” Grinned Dean. “Oh man, she’s never going to live this down!”

__________

That evening Y/N came back from the hunt.

“Boys! I’m home!” She yelled coming down the stairs.

She dropped her bags at the bottom of the staircase and made her way to the kitchen. She could hear Sam and Dean talking in there. She walked in, smelling something delicious.

“Hey baby!” Greeted Dean

Y/N went up to him and wrapped her arms around him. He kissed her forehead and hugged her tight. “I’m glad you’re back and safe. Missed you.” He said.

“Missed you too. Something smells good.”

“I’m making lasagna. Your favourite.” He grinned proudly.

“You’re the best, baby” She grinned back.

“Get a room, guys.” Mumbled Sam.

“Love you too, Sam.” She smiled and hugged him too.

“How was the hunt?” He asked.

“It was a cake walk and I kicked some butt.” She smirked proudly.

“That’s my girl!” Cheered Dean

She took a seat beside Sam, exhausted from the hunt. As soon as she sat down Sam pulled out a pink box and offered it to you.

“Want some bubblegum, Y/N?” He asked keeping a straight face so she wouldn’t suspect anything.

“No thanks, Sam.”

“You sure?”

“Very.” She looked at him confused.

“Come on! Take one.” He insisted.

“Sam! What’s with you?” She glared at him.

“Don’t be a bubblegum btch, Y/N.” He looked at her pointedly, making Dean snort as he cooked.

“What?” She looked at them both suspiciously.

Sam simply shrugged at her and smiled innocently.

“Dean your brother is being weird again.” She said looking helplessly at Dean’s back.

“He came out all weird.” Dean chuckled. “But really, you sure you don’t wanna have some gum, Ms. Sugar Pink?

Sam lost it at that.

“W-where did you get that?” She asked looking wide eyed at him.

“Oh I don’t know” he said nonchalantly turning out and picking up the dvd from the counter. “Maybe something to do with this home video?”

She jumped out of the chair looking shocked. “Dean.” She started slowly. “Where did you find that?”

“Sammy found it in our wardrobe.” He grinned.

“WHY?! Just why Sam?! Why were you in our wardrobe?!” She glared at him.

“Hey!” Sam jumped to his defence. “Dean wanted help in reorganising the room!”

“What?!” She snapped at Dean.

“Yeah it was a mess, N/N. So I brought in Sam to help out, which by the way is still not done fyi. Anyway, we were going through the wardrobe and guess what was tucked away in the bottom under all those clothes?” He had a shit eating grin.

“Please don’t tell me you watched them all.”

“Oh Y/N, baby, of course we did!”

She groaned at that covering her face.

“You sure got the attitude for that song, N/N” Quipped Sam.

“You!” She pointed at Sam. “You shut up! And you!” She pointed at Dean. “You’re in so much trouble, Winchester!”

“Aww are you going ‘chew him up and spit him out’?” Mocked Sam laughing.

“Argh. It was a gag gift for my dad!” She looked at them helplessly.

“Yeah something like that was mentioned.” Smiled Dean genuinely.

“My mom had a very quirky sense of humour and I almost always ended being used for embarrassing stuff.” She mumbled.

“You were so adorable though.” Said Dean pulling her into his arms. He could tell that she was very embarrassed and felt a little bad about teasing her.

“Shuttup.” She mumbled into his chest.

“It’s true. You were a cute kid, Y/N” Smiled Sam, patting her shoulder.

“I can’t believe you two morons found it.” She fake glared at them again.

Sam grinned, “we’re very glad we did.” He then excused himself to go take a shower.

“I meant it though, you were very very adorable. And you nailed that song, baby” Dean grinned wrapping his arms around her waist.

She shrugged at him still embarrassed. “I actually wanted to be a singer when I was 12.”

“Really?!” He asked surprised.

“Yeah. But a year later my parents died and I got thrust into the hunter life when Bobby found me.” Y/N said looking down.

Dean lifted her chin up and kissed her hard, “I think you’d have made a great singer." He said making you giggle.

“I love you, Dean.”

“I love you too, Ms Sugar Pink.” He smirked, earning a smack on the chest.

____________

That night as they laid in bed with Y/N resting her head on his chest, Dean began humming to the song. He suddenly felt a smack on the forehead.

“Oww! What was that for?!”

“We will never speak of or sing this song again.” She said glaring at him.

“It’s a catchy song, N/N!”

“Never! And make sure that brother of yours keeps his mouth shut before I do it for him.”

“Fine, fine.” Dean sighed. “Man you really popped my bubblegum heart” He whispered 5 seconds later earning another smack.

❅ ❅ ❅

Tags Below

@hobby27 @akshi8278 @svmwinchesterr

[mockingjayne12]

Take Your Time: Way To The Future

(Shules / Psych Fic)

(PART ONE)

“We’re going to get caught,” Juliet nervously whispers in the elevator.

Shawn scoffs at her with a clicking sound like he’s offended that that thought was even brought to his attention.

“We won’t,” he shakes his head, bringing the bundle in closer to his face, his voice going up in pitch, until it sounds like complete gibberish.  “You’re always good, aren’t you?  Yes, you are, you’re a good jellybean.”

Juliet rolls her eyes at how absolutely ridiculous her husband is, but feels her heart swell as he squishes the wrinkly face of their pug, Starfish.  They’d rescued her some months ago, the search for the perfect addition to their little family one that ended with an underweight pug, whose head dwarfed her body, eyes taking up most of her face, and somewhat crossed.  One look and they knew she was theirs.  And a spoiled one she was.  The two of them almost never leaving without her tagging along, usually with Shawn.

A bark echoes through the metal car, and Juliet shoots a look at Shawn.

“We’re so getting caught,” she mumbles.

“Okay, new plan, quick, put her under your shirt,” he says shoving Starfish into her arms.

“Shawn, I’m not going to put the dog under my shirt,” she says with a scrunch of her own pug face.

“Come on, come on, it’s the maternity floor, no one’s going to think anything of it,” he says, lifting her shirt, she slaps at his hand.

“All the more reason they will think something of it,” she shoots back, the numbers on the elevator dinging past.

“Hurry, we’re gonna get caught,” he says, repeating her own words and she swears.  This isn’t the craziest plan she’s gone along with, but certainly the most ridiculous this week.

Lifting her shirt, she attempts to conceal the dog, giving her a glow of panic, and a look of pregnancy to her slim frame.  

“I look ridiculous,” she claims, glancing over at Shawn, who’s gone quiet. staring at her with wide eyes, a soft smile on his face.  And she can feel the blush heating her face.

“You look beautiful,” he says, leaning over and planting a kiss on the crown of her head, among the blonde curls.

The elevator beeps, opening its doors to them.  Juliet clutches Starfish closer to her, and she squirms.

“What happens when she barks?” She grits through her teeth at Shawn.

“We endlessly shame whoever for judging our baby,” he quirks, his hands coming to her shoulders, directing her towards the room they were heading for.  Thankfully, few people even glanced at them, none of them seemingly noticing that it was a dog she was carrying in her misshapen shirt.

Quickly finding the room number they were looking for, they slip in, Shawn holding up the pineapple he’d insisted on bringing, immediately going over to Gus, who was standing next to Selene, a proud smile on his face.

Hovering by the door with her intrusion, Starfish squirms, and she releases her from her shirt, cuddling her to her chest.  Her tiny head nestling against her, and Juliet finds herself cradling the dog like she would a baby.

“Is this him?” She hears her husband ask, only to be met with a “Come on, son” by his best friend.  A quick exchange between the two that turns into gibberish between them, ending with Shawn practically skipping to the sink to wash his hands.

Smiling to herself, she walks further into the room to see a baby being placed into Shawn’s arms.  She can’t recall a time she’s ever seen Shawn hold a baby, only when she closes her eyes and tries to picture their life in the future.  She’s not sure what she expects, awkwardness, perhaps, but instead he seems to be a natural.  Gus is hovering over him, protective father mode already in full force.  But Shawn seems unfazed, instead making faces at the baby in the same way he does with Starfish.

A small barking whine comes from her arms, jealousy of seeing her papa talking to someone else in the voice reserved for her, and all eyes turn to Juliet.

“Shawn, you brought your dog here?” Gus’ annoyance clear.

“She wanted to meet her brother,” Shawns practically coos.

“My son is not your dog’s brother,” he corrects.

“Fine, cousin? Best friend?” He goes through the titles, each one shot down, the same clicking noise of annoyance heard between them at the same time.

Coming up behind Shawn, careful to keep the dog at a distance, she spies the cutest baby, eyes closed, hand waving about at the sound of Shawn’s voice.

“He’s so cute,” she practically squeals, quietly, not wanting to wake the little guy.

“We know,” Selene chimes in, and they smile back at her.

Her free hand comes to rest on Shawn’s back, rubbing softly over him, as they stare adoringly at the tiny baby that looks a bit like Gus and a bit like Selene.  The overwhelming feeling of their love weighted in the arms of her husband.  

A near pout comes to her face, as she sees the gentle care Shawn displays, his finger tracing the baby’s tiny features, nose, lips, chubby cheeks, before letting him grab onto his finger, and directly grasps Juliet’s heart along with his grip.

With a sputtering sigh, she finds herself whispering.

“I want one.”

“Distract Gus, and I’ll take this one,” he jokes, bumping into her with his hip and a raise of his brow.

“I think they’d notice if this cutie went missing,” she teases, her voice going up at the end, burying her chin into Starfish’s head.

It’s only later when she’s shoving Starfish back under her shirt and making their way to the elevator that he brings up the exchange.

Hitting the button to go down, she can see him glance over at her out of the corner of her eye, one hand supporting the dog’s bottom, the over around the middle, distracting from the shape, and looking like her hands were actually wrapped around a baby bump.

“I want one too,” he says, the doors dinging open, and they step into the elevator.

“What?  A dog under your shirt?  Here,” she says, revealing their panting dog, crooked tongue sticking out, giving a kiss to his nose, as she passes her over to Shawn.  “Go to Papa.”

Starfish’s butt wiggles with excitement, as Shawn moves closer to Juliet, resting his head on her’s, his arm slung around her all the way to the car.  The green bug like a beacon in the fog surrounding them.

Placing the pug in her car seat, her head popping up in the rearview, Shawn hops into the front, and Juliet fiddles with the air controls.

“Shawn…” she starts, and he looks over at her with a goofy grin.  “What did you mean?”

“That we’ve practiced enough…I think I’m pretty good at it,” he wiggles his eyebrows, and she hits him across the chest.

“Oww,” he jokingly whines.  “Now is that any way to treat your future baby daddy.”

Her face immediately falls into one pure adulation at the words.

“Are you serious?” She asks, the idea that they could potentially be deciding to change their lives in such a drastic way knocking the breath from her, while simultaneously swelling her heart with love.

“Starfish does need a sibling…”

Juliet dramatically rolls her eyes  “Shawn,” she groans.

“All I could think about was what our kid would look like in there…blonde hair, blue eyes, cute little squishy face…a tiny little Jules.”

Her face scrunches at the comment, and his hand comes to trace her features.  

“Just like that.”

“Are you anywhere in there?”

“Well obviously she has my charming wit, and sense of style,” he says, matter-of-factly.

“Of course,” she nods, a smile peaking through.  “So we’re doing this.”

“I guess we are,” he tries making a scared face, but can’t even pretend, instead a huge grin peaking out to mirror her own.  Leaning over in her seat, meeting him halfway, her hand comes to rest on his neck, her thumb tracing his jawline.

“We’re trying,” she whispers, putting their fate into the universe, sealing the statement with a kiss that deepens.

[inkribbon796]

Days of Childhood

~::~ 10 Years Ago ~::~

Summary: 5+1, Visitation Day. Yancy palling around with his family. All taking place within the same week.

A/N: Bim and Yan are currently 21, making Yancy and Kay 22, and Illinois and Arthur 23. Meaning that here they are 11, 12, and 13 respectively.

5. Arthur- Bugs Alive:

“Come on, hurry up,” Arthur called out, his notebook clutched to his chest as he ran off, Yancy was struggling to keep up with all the rocks and tree roots.

The two boys were running around the spooky woods surrounding the Manor. No wild animals, except for insects and rats, could be found. Normally people who entered the woods became lost and died. Dark took great pains to hide the skeletons that could be found within the unhallowed woods.

Yancy only caught up when the young Author had stopped at a fallen tree that was covered in mushrooms and other fungi, moss covering the rotting wood in sickly patches. He looked giddy and excited, holding a large jar along with his notebook.

In later retellings, Yancy would admit to this being a huge red flag.

“There you are slowpoke,” Arthur shoved the jar into Yancy’s hands. “I need some bugs so I can study them for my stories.”

Unsuspecting, Yancy smiled, “Can I look at them too?”

The young author shrugged, “Sure, whatever.”

“Did you hear?” Arthur started, smiling mischievously, cracking his notebook open. “Dark gave me a nickname, like the kind his network have.”

“I thought we weren’t allowed to join,” Yancy reminded in confusion.

“Well I’ve got one, that means I’m better than Illy,” with a couple quick words, the entire tree trunk violently flipped over, exposing dozens of types of teaming insects out in the open. “No one else here has one but me.”

Yancy frowned at the snide look on his older adopted brother’s face, “Bim goes by Junior.”

“He doesn’t count,” Arthur snapped angrily, and ripped the jar away and started scooping up insects, uncaring if they crawled over his hands to get away from him. “Wil gave him that.

“So what’s your nickname then?” Yancy asked.

“Dark calls me “his little Author” neat huh?” Arthur smiled proudly as he screwed the cap on and smiled at the jar.

“Yeah,” Yancy leaned in to look at the bugs. “So where are you going to hide them? Dark’ll get mad if you bring them into the house.”

Arthur wrote another couple of words and his bat appeared at his feet, a smile on his face, “What do yah mean, Yanc?”

Yancy scurried back with his hands as Arthur brought the bat onto the jar, crushing many insects as others frantically tried to escape. The young author crushed one trying to flee, bringing up his notebook and making sure they all froze in place. “Where do you think you’re going?”

Sick to his stomach, Yancy tried to scoop up some of the insects, the little crawlers freed from Arthur’s powers when they touched his hand, and he flung them into the safety of the bushes.

“Hey, they’re mine!” Arthur shouted. “Don’t throw them away.”

“Run little bugs,” Yancy scooped up some beetles and a worm and threw them into the bushes.

With a couple flourishes of his wrist, an equal number of bugs that Yancy had saved, exploded. “I can kill them faster than you can take them.”

Yancy stuck out his tongue, scooping up another beetle, “You can’t stop me!

Their game continued, Yancy running back to the Manor with a bloody nose and Arthur more than a bit scratched up.

4. Illinois- Heroes and Villains:

Inside the Manor there were two young boys running around the house, one as, and the other who was in a kid’s brown fedora that tended to fall over his eyes was 13.

“Stop running,” Illinois yelled at Yancy. “You’re the hero, you’re supposed to chase me.”

“Youse always play the villain, I’s want a turn,” Yancy yelled back at him and tripped over the rug, crashing hard on the ground.

“Oww,” Yancy grumbled as Illinois jumped onto him and started tying up his feet.

“Gotcha!” Illinois cheered, “now it’s . . .”

The older boy paused for a bit, “You okay.”

“Yeah it just hurts,” he complained.

“Oh,” Illinois stopped and finished tying him up, grabbing a blanket that had been left on the couch. “You can be the villain for a little bit long if you want.”

“Youse gonna ta drag me ta jail?” Yancy asked, smiling and giggling when Illinois rolled him onto the blanket.

Illinois grabbed the blanket and began dragging it towards, “You’re going to jail for stealing a candy bar!”

“No!” Yancy yelled overdramatically.

Illinois picked up a corner of the blanket and began dragging him towards the nearest closet. They passed Dark who was outside his office and looking at them, unimpressed.

“You two aren’t playing that game again are you?” He asked.

Illinois adjusted his hat so it wasn’t over his eyes, “Yes?”

Dark groaned, “Play that outside, you’re going to break something.”

“OK, Dad,” both Yancy and Illinois agreed and Illinois began dragging Yancy and the blanket towards the door.

Because both of them were turned away they missed the scared look on Dark’s face at the title they’d give him. Fear that quickly gave way to a colder mask. “It’s Dark.”

Both the boys frowned,, correcting themselves before Illinois finished dragging Yancy onto the back patio and then carried him down the stairs to the lawn where he grabbed a couple croquet pins and made a little small fence around him. Both boys unaware that Dark was watching them from the balcony

“There,” Illinois said proudly, hands resting on his hips. “I won.”

“Yeah, yeah,” Yancy complained. “Whatever. Untie me already.”

Illinois tapped his chin, “Nah, untie yourself.”

“Noisy!” Yancy yelled. “Get back here!”

Then Yancy noticed a danger sticking out of the ground. Quickly Yancy rolled over and grabbed the knife and began cutting himself free.

“Hey!” Illinois began racing for the patio stairwell door as Yancy finished cutting himself free. Since the knots were tied by a thirteen-year-old and Illinois hadn’t actually meant to keep him trapped indefinitely, it didn’t take long.

However, now Yancy was chasing Illinois around with a knife in his hand as the boys ran up the stairs. Dark quickly snatched the knife out of his hand the first chance he got.

“Dark, he cheated!” Illinois called out.

The Entity was just sipping from his coffee cup as the two boys raced around him. “You’re the villain now, get away from him.”

Yancy and Illinois kept running around the backyard until they got exhausted and Dark brought them inside for a nap and a snack.

3. Kay- The King of the Squirrels:

Kay was arranging some of the stuffed animals he owned into a pile. The young boy had a red blanket tied around his neck. Dark and King were in a bit of an arms race. King always asked for a pet, every birthday, Christmas, and Thursday. Dark, sick and tired of always saying a two-letter word over and over again bet he could find any stuffed animal and if he was ever unable to, Kay could have that animal as a pet.

It was bet Dark had yet to lose, which led to an arms race of Kay finding different names for animals, and a very extensive stuffed animal collection.

Yancy jumped out of the pile, and raised a stuffed platypus above his head, “Found it!”

“Uh, they don’t hunt squirrels,” Kay reminded him.

“What do they eat then?” Yancy asked, trying to get out of the pile without knocking the whole thing over.

“Bugs, worms,” Kay shrugged and grabbed a leopard plushie. “Here, cats can eat squirrels.”

“But I’s like the platty-pus,” Yancy complained.

“Bring them both,” Kay shrugged, and Yancy took the leopard and held both of them in his arms in a warm hug.

Out of all of his siblings, Yancy liked spending time with Illy, but he always thought Kay was the nicest. The boys ran outside, to where Kay had hidden some of his favorite stuffed animals, his squirrels, up into a tree towards the edge of the tree line into the creepy forest. Wil had magicked them all up a treehouse. Dark had been less than impressed, only agreeing to keep the kids’ new “wooden death trap” when Wil demonstrated its sturdiness by getting up and jumping up and down on the thing and not fall through the wood.

King usually spent all his time up in the treehouse. And Yancy waited at the bottom until he could throw the toys up and climb up.

The afternoon was spent peacefully playing with the stuffed animals.

2. Bim- Starlight, Starbright:

Yancy and Bim were out on the front lawn, sneaking out late at night to catch fireflies. Normally Dark let them stay up late all summer collecting bugs and sleeping in the backyard. But for the last few days he’d been keeping them all inside, constantly watching them any time they went near the backyard. He promised them that whatever was lurking around the area would be gone soon and they could go back to enjoying the stars and bugs.

And if Yancy heard Dark screaming and fighting something in what he was pretty sure was a dead, haunted forest, the young boy was too nervous to talk about it with anyone else.

Bim jumped, his glasses almost falling off his face. He caught another firefly in his hands, cupping his hands around it, “Yes!”

Yancy was catching another firefly and carefully putting it in a jar where there were already a dozen fireflies buzzing around inside. After the fiasco with Arthur, he kept a tight grip on the insect jar, even though Bim had never ruthlessly tortured insects before.

The two boys kept putting little lightning bugs into their jar until Bim was finally satisfied. “Yeah, look at them,” Bim cheered. “Aren’t they cool, their little butts glow.”

“Yeah, ain’t they something,” Yancy agreed, before noticing that the fireflies were disappearing from their backyard, as if they were being chased. “I’s think Dark’s comin’ we should get inside.”

Bim frowned, “I didn’t even get my wish.”

“We’ll make it inside, come on,” Yancy began running inside, both boys missing the slowly gathering black mist that was in the treeline as the two boys raced inside and up into Bim’s bedroom. Only then did they giggle a little bit in the darkness, the only light was from the little bugs in their jar.

“Let me make the first one,” Bim reached for the jar.

“No, you’ll let them all go,” Yancy reminded, holding the jar away from him. “Come on, I’s never get the first one.”

He pouted, folding his arms like Wil tended to do, “Come on.”

Yancy moved over to Bim’s window and began to open it as Bim swiped the jar and grabbed one of the bugs, pinning it to his hand with his almost invisible aura. Yancy lunged for the jar to close it, but two glowing bugs escaped through the window. “Hey!”

“I want to be just like Daddy when I grown up,” Bim wished, blowing gently on the insect and allowing it to fly off.

Yancy was carefully getting another lightning bug on his own finger so he could make his own wish: “I’s wanna be a good person.”

Bim scoffed at that, but only ordered, “Give me another bug, I’ve got more wishes to make.”

Glaring at him, Yancy fought over the fireflies until they were all gone and Bim closed the window, all their troubles safely locked out of Manor.

1. Yan- Teddy Bear Picnic:

Yancy was sitting out in the back lawn with Yan, a little table between them and as many chairs as the little table could fit with a teddy on each chair. Each bear had on a bow tie and a frilly hat and a full tea party in front of them.

Yan was in a nice little red dress while Yancy was in a bow tie,

Two of the bears belonged to Yan and Yancy respectively, and the other three were politely and quietly “borrowed” from Kay’s collection.

Yan kicked her feet a little bit as she poured tea for the bear next to her.

“Why do you always give tea to her first?” Yancy complained.

“Because Ms. Talia is a lady,” Yan said.

“Youse been sittings’ there pouring her tea fer ferever,” Yancy reminded.

Then suddenly the whole table jolted, Yan and Yancy froze and leaned away from the table, Yan gasping in horror as her hard work was mostly tossed to the floor.

“Rawr! Rawr!” Artie began growling excitedly as he moved underneath the same tablecloth.

“Artie!” Yan got up and stomped her feet angrily. “You wrecked my tea party!”

“I’m not Artie,” Arthur said. “I’m a sea monster.”

“There’s no sea monsters at tea parties,” Yancy reminded sharply.

Arthur frowned, “Then you’re having a lousy tea party.”

“No,” Yan spat. “I don’t want sea monsters at my tea party!”

The young author frowned, before growing a bit and running off with the table cloth.

A chase ensued on the back lawn, the two kids chasing their older brother until they could rip the cloth away and slowly start rebuilding their little tea party. With Artie the sea monster in sea monster jail until the end of the tea party.

+1. Dark and Wil- Bruised Egos and Bloodied Knuckles:

It began simply enough. Arthur had brought a rat into the house, and Kay had been excited. A secret little pet to hide from Dark for a while.

Kay named him Pretzel.

The poor creature barely lasted an hour. It was in debate for the rest of Arthur’s existence on what had happened to the rodent. Whether he was jealous of the rat spending more time with Kay, or he simply got bored of it.

Either way when Kay snuck off to check on Pretzel, the rat was gone with only a couple specks of blood on the floor of its cage.

He angrily went to confront Arthur, who was watching a show with Wil and the other kids. Arthur feigned ignorance and Yancy jumped Arthur for killing another creature, trying to separate him from his notebook and hold him down.

The fight resulted in Arthur getting a black eye, Kay getting some scratches to the face, and Yancy getting one of the last of his baby teeth getting literally kicked out of his skull.

Wil was trying to separate the three boys with his aura, and looked relieved when Dark ran in and grabbed Arthur, the two porting over to the young boy’s room.

With Arthur gone Kay finally stopped fighting and just started crying, Yancy crying a bit at how upset he was.

Yancy was given a lollipop as Kay spoke through his tears. “He killed my rat, he killed Pretzel.”

“There, there,” Wilford waved another lollipop into his hand and did a little magic trick. “You’ll see Pretzel again. He didn’t die.”

“Wil!” Dark walked in, looking unhappy. “Don’t make it worse.”

“Kaylor if you wanted another rat toy I could have given it to you,” Dark reprimanded, summoning up a little rat plushie in his hands and holding it out to the boy. “You shouldn’t be fighting with Arthur over a rat.”

Kay glared at the toy and pushed it away, “I don’t want a toy, I want Pretzel.”

Dark took a deep, audible breath, and handed Yancy the toy instead. “We can’t have a pet, and this is why. Be lucky you got as long as you did with the thing.”

“Pretzel,” Yancy corrected.

Rolling his eyes, Dark corrected, “Pretzel, fine. Be lucky you got any time with Pretzel. No one in the house can control themselves, and any other pet will not last. Hopefully Pretzel escaped on his own.”

Dark picked Yancy up with his aura, setting the boys side-by-side as he talked to them. “Just imagine that Pretzel escaped and is living with the other rats. If that makes you feel better.”

Kay nodded and Dark smiled as he dried Kay’s eyes, “I’m sorry we can’t have the pet you want, and maybe one day you’ll get to actually own a pet.”

Giving a small smile, Dark smiled back and smooth out Kay’s slight curly hair.

Then he turned to Yancy, “As for you.”

“What?” Yancy argued back.

“What were you thinking?” Dark demanded.

“Artie killed Pretzel an’ might use his book ta hurt Kay,” Yancy accused.

“How do you know he killed it?” Dark quizzed.

“Because he smashed a jar a bugs an’ he hit me,” Yancy answered as Dark just stoically stared at him.

When Yancy finished, Dark summoned up his favorite candy bar and held it up in front of the young boy.

“Listen to me, Yancy, you need to always protect your siblings, even if sometimes you have to protect them from each other.” Dark had the softest look in his eyes that Yancy had ever seen. When Yancy reached for the candy bar, Dark’s looked hardened and he pulled it away.

“This isn’t a free license to beat up on your brother, do you understand me?” Dark demanded.

“Yes,” Yancy replied earnestly.

Dark smiled and gave him the candy bar. Turning back to Will he said, “Well hopefully Arthur’s calmed down a bit. Can’t leave him in his room all day.”

Dark ripped open a portal in the Void and walked through it, leaving Wil to take the kids back to the living room where then TV was waiting for them.

[elstreem]

LoZ FS: Tower of Dreams

6k words, one shot fanfiction with Akira Himekawa’s Four Swords manga characters. Red wakes up in a mysterious room and finds the disembodied voices of his other selves guiding him...

Red wasn't sure what woke him up - the distorted whispering in the air, the cold, hard, ground, or a sudden stab of fear that lanced his heart, making his eyes blink open and a broken sob spilling out of his mouth. Probably all of those combined, he thought as he pulled his limbs close to himself and shivered. Ohh, it was just like his nightmares of being alone -

"Red!"

The voice was loud and familiar, and in a moment Red was scrambling up to shout, "I'm here!" and looking for a green tunic, but -

But there was no one around in the weird space he found himself in. Red whirled around in confusion - he could have sworn Green had just called him from nearby, his voice was so close. He peered at the strange fog swirling around him, wondering if Green was maybe obscured by the green-tinged miasma -

"Red, are you okay!?"

"Where are you? Red?"

"Blue? Vio? I'm here!" Red called, looking around for the other parts of his self. Strange, Red could usually sense where they are if they were in close proximity, which should be the case if he could hear them so clearly…was this really a strange dream, after all?

"Red, watch out!"

Red instinctively ducked, following Green's warning as a Keese swooped from the murk. Red felt his heart hammering, felt the breeze stirred by the Keese's wings, heard the piercing shriek - there was no way his dream could be this detailed. Which could only mean he was indeed, awake and in danger.

"It's coming back! Defend yourself," Vio called out, and Red quickly reached for his wand and sword - but found neither of his trusty items at his back.

The Keese shrieked and dove down, its fangs scraping Red's cheek and leaving a scratch.

"Stop it, you stupid bat!" Blue's voice growled as Red stumbled away.

"Red! Find a rock or something, you gotta keep that thing away from you!" Blue advised.

"On it!" Red said, deciding to ask questions later and trust in his companions. Keeping his arms above his head for protection, Red dodged this way and that, followed by three voices of encouragement.

As always, whenever the four were in perfect accord, all differences were cast aside and their words and thoughts moved as if in sync. As it was, barely had Green said, "Left!" when Red already swerved, avoiding a pit in the ground. In this way, Red navigated the treacherous terrain, never seeing for himself what dangers lay in his path but always being forewarned by the other three.

"Red, there's something on the ground over there - a stick or something, you can probably use it to bat the Keese away," Blue directed, and without breaking stride, Red reached for the stick, whirled around, and smacked the oncoming Keese. The bat monster shrieked and hurtled away. Red sighed in relief, and noticed that the thing he was holding was actually a bone. "Ew!" Red groaned before letting his impromptu weapon go, hurriedly wiping his hands on his tunic afterwards for good measure.

"Oh, that was a little gross. But hey, it worked," Green said.

"Yeah. Thanks guys!" Red said, directing his words to the air. Speaking of which…Red frowned and peered around, even though he knew it was a futile effort.

"Where are you though? Can you see me? I can't see you…" Red said uncertainly.

"Yeah, I can see you and what's around you…"

"Same here."

"Yup."

"But I can't see you…" Red said, frowning in thought. A terrible thought then came to him, and he asked, "Y…you aren't ghosts, are you?"

"Of course not!…wait, I guess?" Blue said, starting with an indignant shout but ending the statement with a very uncertain question.

"Come to think of it, I'm not sure where we - our bodies are."

"Yeah, it's…I can see Red just fine, but I don't know where we are. But, Red, you can't see much where you are right now, right?"

"Right! There's this creepy mist around me…I can barely see my hand a distance my face," Red said, sticking his arm out for emphasis and shaking his hand a bit. True enough, he could barely make out of the outline of his hand even though it was just an arm's distance away.

"Okay…so until we figure out what happened, we have to be Red's eyes," Vio said.

"Why do we always have to be separated like this…" Red sighed despondently.

"Cheer up, we're still here!"

And so, Red started on his strange journey.

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

"Since you dropped that bone earlier -"

"Hey, I'm not gonna hold it any longer than I have to!"

"I'm not saying you should go back for it, but you have to have something to protect yourself with…"

"I see a light over there to Red's…left, yes, left. It's a few paces away."

"Be careful, it might be a trap."

Red followed the directions, and found that he could see a faint ball of light in the gloom. He eagerly quickened his steps and came to a wall bearing a torch. The torch was perhaps the first cheerful sight Red had seen in the place, with its bright red flames. "Well, it's no magical rod, but it's better than a bone!" Red chirped, taking the torch off its bracket on the wall. The torch seemed just as happy to see Red, as it gave a little shower of sparks as soon as the hero was holding it securely in his hand.

"Phew, now I can breathe a little easier…I don't like seeing you without a sword, especially after what happened last time!"

"Okay, Blue, I know," Red said. With a fond smile, Red placed a hand on the wall, and found an idea coming to him.

"If I keep my hand on the wall…"

"Maybe you'll have a better chance of getting around!"

"It's a good start."

Red nodded - though he couldn't see any of his companions, he felt their presence so strongly it didn't matter if he couldn't see them. He walked on, fingers brushing against the rough stone wall. Fortunately the monsters seemed to be staying away, giving the four space to continue talking.

"What was the last thing you guys remember? Did you just wake like this?" Red asked, waving to the air with his torch.

"Something like that…I remember we fell asleep…and then when I woke up, I was just hovering over you," Blue answered.

"Yup, same here…wait! I think I remembered dreaming about something…a tower?" 

"You too? I wasn't sure, but I thought I remembered seeing a tower in the mist…"

Red gasped as the memory came back to him. "I remembered seeing a tower too!"

"How about you Blue?"

"Yeah, now that you mentioned it…and I think I went inside the tower, but I can remember anything past that."

"Maybe…we are inside that tower. Maybe this is a dream world?"

"It feels too real to me…" Red complained. Even with the warm flames of the torch he felt chilled, though whether it was because of the cold or the creepy atmosphere he wasn't sure.

"I see…a set of stairs ahead. Just go on!"

Gradually the wall curved off to the side, and like Green mentioned, there was a set of spiral stairs leading down. "If we're inside the tower, Red must be on the top floor," Vio noted.

"Ok, I guess I'll be going down," Red said. But before he could go down a step Blue shouted, "No, jump back!"

Startled by Blue's urgency, Red tripped and fell as he took a step back, but it was just enough to give him space to avoid a Skulltula that whizzed down. The giant spider blocked the stairway, waving its legs tauntingly in front of Red.

Red quickly scooted back, as the Skulltula was much too close for comfort.

 "Are you okay, Red?" Blue asked.

"Yeah, it didn't get me…but oww…I fell on my backside…" Red winced. In a moment he was standing up, used to far rougher scrapes (it was a hazard of being a Link). 

"Now what? I like this torch but I don't think it's as good as a sword…" Red said.

"Give it a good whack anyway," Blue suggested. 

"Uh…maybe there's something else in this room -"

"Stupid spider!" Red shouted, jabbing the Skulltula before Vio could finish his words.

The Skulltula hissed, legs writhing, before shooting back up again.

"Or yeah, maybe we can just whack the spider," Vio muttered.

"Yaay!" 

"Hey, whatever works, right?" Green said.

While the three voices reported that the stairs were free of any further spiders, monsters or otherwise, Red held his trusty torch higher up, hoping that the flames would deter any other monsters who would want to take a bite of a Hylian in a red tunic. Would his red tunic make him tastier to monsters? Red didn't want to know, and he let out a sigh of relief when he reached the next floor. Like the one he started out in, miasma obscured his vision.

"Still foggy in here," Red reported.

"Alright, go in carefully!"

"There's something here…oh, but my vision is darkening…weird…"

"Vio?" 

Keeping his ears open for the sounds of beating wings or the quiet clicking of spider legs, Red proceeded carefully. It had become worryingly quiet, and after a while Red couldn't stand the silence and whispered "Guys?"

A minute passed until he heard Green's reassuring voice. "What is it Red?"

"Oh, I was just worried, I wasn't hearing anything! It's freaking me out," Red said.

 "Something…ahead…"

"Vio?" 

"I'm here. I was saying, I see…something violet in this room."

"Huh? I wasn't hearing any of you say anything," Red said in confusion.

"Oh? That's strange…"

"Well, where is the thing you saw Vio?"

"Red's left…few paces away…oh, but it feels like my eyes are closing…"

Red opened his mouth, then shut it, not wanting to voice his fear that their voices will fade away entirely. Instead, he went off walking.

"This way Vio?" Red asked.

"……"

"Vio?"

"He said, a little more to your left," Blue relayed the message.

"Weird, Vio's voice keeps getting softer. Are you okay?" Green asked, voicing Red's concern.

"I'm fi…ne…"

Red practically dashed ahead and almost tripped over a treasure chest on the floor. Quickly, he opened the chest, fumbling a little as his one hand was still clutching the torch. 

"Oh! A violet key. Strange, it's shaped like the Four Sword," Red said upon seeing the contents.

He then got the key and put it in his pocket, then stood up as he heard something - something familiar. It was the sound of high-pitched jabbering.

Red whirled around and found several Chu Chus making their way towards him. 

"They're around you in a circle!" Blue said.

"Quick, formation!…oh drat, we're not there…Red!" Green called.

Red, desperately hoping that the torch trick was going to work a second time, took a swing at the closest Chu Chu. The lit end of the torch passed through the Chu Chu's gloop-like body…and the fire was snuffed out. Red pulled the torch back, but it was too late - all he had now was a stick with a burnt end coated in jelly. 

Red backed away, only to find another Chu Chu close by, and he realized too late that the monsters had closed the circle. 

"Red!" Both Blue and Green cried out.

Not knowing what else to do, Red put his hand back into his pocket and clutched the key.

"Oh, Vio…please, help me!" Red said.

"Spin attack! Now!" 

Red wasn't quite sure how it happened - but somehow, it felt like Vio was standing at his side and guiding his hand. He drew the key from his pocket, and holding it securely, spun around. A purple glow emanated from the key and took the shape of the Four Sword, the light slashing through the Chu Chus cleanly. The flash of light caused Red to shut his eyes, and in that brief moment he saw a round room with five doors. 

"I'm sorry Red…it feels like something is pulling me away…but I'm waiting here!" Vio said, his voice fading.

Red opened his eyes and found little puddles of colored goop around him, the key once more back to being a small, nondescript key. But Red knew it would lead him to Vio.

"Whew, that was too close! Are you okay, Red?" Green asked.

"Yup! Vio helped me," Red said, showing the key before pocketing it once more.

"Oh, that's good to know. But…where is Vio? Even I can't hear him…"

"There's room in this tower with five doors! Vio is there, and I bet you two, too. I think he's okay," Red said in a rush. He wasn't sure where the feeling came from, but just knowing for sure that all four of them really were in the same place gave Red courage.

"Oh!"

"What is it Green?"

"I sense something in the next floor. It feels like there is a green light, somehow. I'm not sure how to explain it."

"Red, are you sure this is the right way?" Blue asked, still worried about Vio's absence.

Red touched the key in his pocket and nodded.

"Well, let's continue then. Don't keep us waiting," Blue said.

"I can see the stairs to your right, Red…oh, but it's strange, I suddenly feel sleepy…"

"Ok I'm on it Green!"

"Hey, watch your step on the stairs!"

Red clattered down the stairs, trying to hold onto that confident feeling of knowing his companions were in the area and trying not to feel worried about the loss of Vio's voice. So eager was his pace that it took Blue practically yelling to get his attention.

"Red! Slow DOWN!"

Red skidded to a halt, fortunately making it onto the next floor without tripping.

"Huh? What it is Blue?" Red asked, realizing he had to gasp for breath from his sprint.

"Geez, I'm all up for rushing in, but be careful! What if you had slipped on those stairs?" Blue growled, and Red knew he would have gotten a scolding slap if Blue had been there at that moment.

"Sorry…I guess I just don't want to let you guys down!" Red said.

"You're…doing just great…be careful…" Green said, trying to be reassuring, but his voice was starting to waver in and out of Red's hearing.

"Anyway, why are you still holding that torch, Red?"  Blue asked.

"Oh? Oh yeah! It just makes me feel safer, I guess" Red said, waving the torch around. 

"Well, you should relight it so it's at least useful, right?" Blue pointed out.

"Oh, yeah," Red said, looking around. Noticing that a glob of Chu Chu jelly was still stuck to the end, Red tried to shake it off, but when the sticky wad didn't budge, he scraped the end of the torch against the floor. It did the trick - and in the strange way dungeon torches worked, the torch relit itself with a fwump! Red was a little startled, but he laughed on seeing the flames once more. "Hey, it worked!" Red cheered, waving the torch around, making the light dance and his shadow flicker.

"Hopefully you won't run into any more Chu Chus," Blue mused.

"Treasure chest…straight…"

"Oh, right! Sorry, Green," Red said, quickly getting back on track. 

"No monsters, but they might spring out when you open the chest, so be careful!" Blue warned.

Red nearly tripped over the chest, but stopped himself in time to kneel in front of it. He opened it one-handed once more, and found a green key, also shaped like the Four Sword.

"Okay, you can rest easy now, Green," Red said. 

He quickly pocketed the key and whirled around, expecting to see yet another ring of monsters. However, none materialized.

"Green? Are you gone too?" Blue asked in trepidation. 

Both Blue and Red waited for a response, but it seemed like Green had also gone silent.

"Ugh, I really don't like this," Blue muttered.

"So Blue, can you see the next way?" Red asked.

"Hmm, no…but the stairs are to your right. There's a pit in the way, so step carefully."

Red inched forward, and sure enough a broken patch of floor was in the way. 

"Don't worry, Blue, we can do this!" Red said, sensing Blue's quiet worry.

"Yeah…" Blue said. 

"Oh, Blue, are you fading too? Can you see your key?" Red asked.

"Red…w…tch OUT!"

Just then the green key flared with light, and Red saw that cracks were snaking out from the edge of the pit, rapidly taking over the floor. Red took steps back, but it was too late - the floor was already starting to crumble beneath his boots. With a gasp, Red found himself falling into the darkness. But the darkness didn't stay, as the light from the key glowed brighter, until it had formed a sphere of light around Red. As what happened with Vio, it seemed like the lost Green was holding Red's hand and guiding his fall.

"I'm sorry I could only stay this long…hold on! I'll do what I can…" 

While Green's light was guiding him, Red saw the vision of the round room again, only now he saw that a flight of stairs was leading down to it and he knew for sure then that the round room was at the bottom of the tower.

The light faded, and with it the vision, and Red found his feet settling back onto the ground

"Red!"

"I'm okay, Blue!" Red called out. "Thanks to Green," Red added, and took a look into his pocket - sure enough, the green key was there, though it had spent all its light. The two keys in Red's pocket poked into his side in an uncomfortable sensation, but it was a sure sign that they were there. 

"Red…sorry…but I'm also…" 

"It's okay, Blue. I'm nearly there," Red said.

"Okay. Go…left."

Red went ahead, the torch's flame crackling in the chill air but still working, as though it fed off Red's determination to see the quest through.

In a short while, Red saw the chest, and he quickly opened it up, to find a blue key.

"I got you, Blue!" Red said. He stood up and said, "Can you still hear me?"

The air was still, and Red could only hear his own words. "It's up to me, then," Red said, clutching the blue key to himself.

Red quickly brought his hand around to pocket the key - but not quickly enough. Something whizzed in the air, and something sharp flicked into Red's hand, causing the lad to cry out - in pain and anguish. The key was gone! 

Red whirled around, ignoring the blood drops coming out of his cut. He saw something dark and slender disappear into the murk, and barely a beat later, a rush of cold air blew past Red. He raised his arms to shelter his face from the stinging wind. He could still see however, and he saw that the ominous fog had cleared - and hovering before him was a winged serpentine creature with glowing yellow eyes. The tip of the serpent's tail ended in a sharp point, still flecked with Red's blood - but more importantly, still curled around a glimmer of blue.

"Give that back!" Red said desperately. The snake showed its fangs and hissed mockingly, before giving another beat of its wings and lifting itself into the air. It whirled around the room, emitting the same fog which had covered it from sight, before diving into a set of stairs at one end of the room.

"No! No no no!" Red shouted, dropping the torch and reaching out with his wounded hand, but flinching as the wound began to sting with pain. Red clutched his hand and dropped to his knees, feeling some tears come on.

"Oh, Blue…I'm so sorry…" Red gasped. He disconsolately looked at his shaking hands, which were now smeared with blood. The shock of the moment got to Red, and he blankly stared at his hands as darkness wavered at the edges of his vision.

But it wasn't simply shock that was making the darkness move in Red's vision. The torch cast behind him still burned with a small flame, its glow stopped by Red's figure, resulting in a shadow stretching out before Red. And the shadow was not having any of this injustice done to his other selves. 

"Snap out of it!"

Having another familiar voice jolted Red, and he wildly looked around. "Huh? Who…?" Red asked.

"You can't let this get to you. Come on, go!" the vaguely familiar voice said. So similar to the voices of the other Links, but different…which could only mean it was…

"Shadow!?" Red asked.

"What more do I need to tell you? That my key is with that snakey thing? And if anyone is going to help you whack that monster, that Blue guy is you best bet, so get to that key already!"

"R-right! Sorry," Red said. Seeing as his cut was still bleeding, Red tore a bit off the hem of his tunic and wrapped the strip of fabric around his hand. As Red wasn't looking directly at him, Shadow allowed himself a quick wince of discomfort at seeing Red's wound. Red quickly reached back to grab the torch, before standing up. This time, Shadow stretched out and pointed the way. "No more of the left right nonsense. Just follow my lead, and don't mess up, got it?"

"You're sure being nice today, Shadow," Red said with a shaky smile, making Shadow huff in mock exasperation.

With Shadow leading the way, Red navigated to the stairs and walked down as fast as he could, though his progress was slowed down by the pain in his hand. 

"That doesn't look too good," Shadow noted the trail of crimson drops.

"It's ok, all I have to do…is to whack that snakey guy…or something…" Red said.

"Whack…a flying snake. With a torch?" Shadow asked in a skeptical tone.

"Well, do you have any suggestions?"

"I don't know, you could have picked up something a little more useful!…too late for that, he's in the room just a few steps ahead."

Shadow hesitated, and said," Hey, be careful, okay? I can see him in this fog, so I'll try my best to warn you, but you've seen how fast this guy is."

"Ugh…" Red groaned as his wound seemed to smart with renewed pain.

A sound like a shriek and a hiss greeted Red as soon as he set foot within the room, and in a moment Shadow said, "He's coming, move!" 

Red jumped ahead, narrowly missing the serpent slamming its head at the floor where he had just been standing.

Red turned around, and found himself face to face with the serpent. The monster's red pupils glimmered with malevolent light, and Red backed up a step.

The serpent raised itself and took to the air again, the fog covering its form. The eyes glowed in the fog for a moment before the snake darted away, and Red lost sight of it.

"Why didn't you poke it in the eye at that moment!?" Shadow said.

"Ah, right!" Red said.

"Too late for that now, - tail coming in!' Shadow shouted.

Red raised his arms in front of his face instinctively at the feeling of something rushing at his body. The next thing Red knew something sharp ripped into his side, leaving yet another gash that stained his tunic a deeper color. Red gasped and flinched away, but the tail struck again, this time hitting his chest. Fortunately the sharp point did not strike Red this time, but the blow drove him onto his back. Red gasped as he fell, his hand losing its grip on the torch. The serpent then leaned its head over him, letting out a mocking hiss as a laugh. Caught up in a feeling of complete victory, the serpent failed to notice that its tail, rested tauntingly on Red's chest, also allowed the key to be within Red's grasp. But Red remembered, and more than that the feeling that Blue was near overrode his fear. Red's hands clapped over the tail, his fingers prying at the key.

"Give…back…Blue!" Red growled, and beneath his fingers the key shone in response.

"I'm here!" 

The light took the form of Blue springing out at the serpent's neck, causing the monster to be flung back. The blue key slipped from the coil of its tail, straight into Red's hands.

"Took you long enough," Shadow muttered as Red sat up. Both Shadow and Red almost felt bad for the serpent in facing a very angry Blue. The monster thrashed around in pain as Blue's arms squeezed its neck. Red went over to pick up the torch, and as Blue pulled the serpent close, he was in perfect position to jab the lit end of the torch straight in the monster's fanged mouth when the head was flung close. Blue jumped off as the serpent reared, flames spilling from its mouth. 

"Well, I guess it's time for my party trick…Red, pick up our pal's tail here, would you? You'll need it," Shadow said conversationally as the snake, flailing in agony, threw itself down and stopped there. 

"Not the tail, it's hurt Red enough times already!" Blue said worriedly. 

"Ah!" Red said, noticing that the tail's sharp point reminded him of a sword. The hero dashed forward and carefully caught hold of the tail, before pulling it with all his might. The end part of the tail ripped away in his hands, revealing it to be a key similar to the others, but colored black.

"Leave this one to me," Shadow said. He gathered himself up from where he was, and in answer, the key in Red's hand gave off dark-colored smoke. Shadow rose out of the floor, his substance rippling until he took shape, and the smoke rising off the key flew into Shadow's hand, forming a blade. Shadow leapt off and dove down, the point plunging into the side of the snake's skull and piercing both of its eyes.

"Oh, gross," Red winced at the gruesome sight.

 "He deserved it," Shadow said, flowing back to Red's side. The snake turned its ruined head back towards the boy in a ripped and bloodied tunic, a figure made of blue light and a figure made darkness. It let out one last hissing scream, before slumping to the ground and going still. As if an enchantment had broken, the fog lifted. Both Blue and Shadow turned to Red, who was standing strong despite being battered and bruised.

"Well, I guess it's time for me to go," Red said, pocketing the two new keys. 

"I'll see you in a bit," Blue said with a smile, and his form dissipated.

Red turned to Shadow, who was staying quite solid. This Link raised an eyebrow at Red, before saying, "What?"

"Oh…aren't you fading away?" Red asked.

"I'm a shadow. I'm quite at home in weird realms, and this magical dream is no different," Shadow said as if this was common knowledge.

"Oh! Wait…but then you still need me to unlock your door, right?" Red said.

Shadow winced in annoyance. "Well, yeah, I got caught up in this tower nonsense, but I'm not falling for the sleep spell going around," he growled. Despite his impressive words he found himself stumbling a moment later.

"Darn it."

"It's just one set of stairs! That's how long you'll have to wait for me," Red said reassuringly. 

"Ughh…" Shadow groaned, before allowing his form to slip away.

Red walked carefully down the last set of stairs, trying to go as fast as he can with the cut at his side hurting with every step. Finally, he reached a door made of red-colored planks. He pushed through this and found himself in the round room, facing four other doors with familiar colors: violet, green, blue and black.

Red went on over to Vio's door, which was closest to his. He put the violet key into the lock and eagerly pushed the door open, a smile growing on his face as he expected to see Vio awaiting him with open arms. However, what he saw made Red worried - Vio was indeed inside, but he was lying on the floor, unmoving. 

"Vio?" Red called, before coming close. Vio did not respond, and Red shook his companion and called his name again. Vio did not stir.

"Vio, please, wake up!" Red said, starting to panic now. But there was no response whatsoever.

"Ohh, what now? Should I wake the others?…wait here!" Red gabbled before dashing off. 

He barged into Green's room, but found Green in the same comatose state. Hoping that maybe the spell would be broken once all doors opened, Red practically dashed into Blue's room, shouted his name just to make sure, but Blue did not wake up.

One last door then - Red got up and went outside Blue's door, only to find Green and Vio walking out of their rooms.

"Oh, thank goodness, you're awake!" Red cried out. 

"You're too late."

The cold statement made Red freeze in place.

"Useless, pathetic fool. You only had one job and you failed," Green sneered.

"You couldn't have gotten this far without OUR help. You did nothing," and Red whirled around to find Blue smirking at him.

"N…no…" Red whispered.

"Oh, are you going to cry now?" Vio taunted. 

Red looked desperately at their faces, but found only mocking smiles and hateful glares.

"I don't know what's going on but…this isn't you…this isn't like any of you!" Red said.

"Look, Red…we all think you're a burden."

"Weak."

"Dependent."

"Soft-hearted young fool."

"And we don't need to lie about that now, do we?" the three said in unison.

"Stop it! Whoever it is making you do this…stop it!" Red cried out. Each and every word cut him in a way more hurtful than his wounds, as they were his own doubts now spoken.

"Oh? I don't need to make your friends do anything. I'm pulling the words right out of their hearts. After all, it is in dreams that we say what we are too embarrassed to speak of," the voices said, growing more sinister with the edge of a hiss.

"You!" Red gasped, recognizing the sibilant sound of the snake monster.

"Let go of my friends!" Red shouted. 

"Ah, but is that all you'll be doing? Shouting? I can do more with your friends than to simply speak with their voice," the monster said.

At this, all three of the other Links lurched away, pulled by the twisted magic of the Tower Serpent.

"Should I wring this one's neck by his own hands?" the voice mused, and to Red's horror Blue's hands rose to grasp his own neck. 

"STOP!" Red screamed, running after Blue.

"Oh, but these other two - perhaps they should gouge the eyes out of the other, seeing as that other brat has destroyed my own," the Serpent said, making Green and Vio face each other, hands rising towards each other's faces.

The serpent's words made Red remember that Shadow's door was yet unopened - and so, he ran as fast as he could, hands reaching out for the black door.

"Not so fast now!"

Something - someone - tugged Red back and he found himself being restrained by Blue.

"Perhaps this is the best way to torment you - to be killed by the hands of your own companions," the Serpent laughed, and Red saw that Green and Vio were coming close. What they would do to him he had no idea, but going by the Serpent's threats it wouldn't be good.

Red closed his eyes and thought about how every one had helped save his life from every danger, and if they ever woke up and found out they had hurt him…it would break them more than any physical torture the sadistic snake had offered.

"Please…stop it…let them…GO!" Red shouted.

Light flared off Red, pushing back the other Links. Burning with a fierce desire to save his friends, Red willed the Four Sword to return to his hand - and form it did, in a blaze of red light. More importantly, Red saw the chains of the serpent's magic tangled around the Links, and with a yell he cut through all of them, severing the serpent's power. The last vestiges of the magical creature stared in shock at Red, unbelieving that this boy was just as strong as his companions. And Red, seeing the Serpent's ghostly form hanging above their heads, lifted his blade and jumped, cutting the monster's head off. With a final scream the creature was vanquished. Red knew this because the other three fell to the floor and uttered various groans of pain - but in their own voices.

"Guys!" Red said joyfully, and the three looked up to see Red still ablaze with his light.

"Red?…Red!"

The four came together in a joyous heap, reunited at last. Unfortunately, the moment did not last long as the tower began to shake, and stones from above began to rain down.

"The tower…it's collapsing!" Green gasped.

"Now that that monster is gone, this tower has lost its purpose. We have to go!" Vio said.

"But…but Shadow!" Red cried, lunging for the black door. 

"Come on!" Blue said, and holding hands, the four ran to Shadow's door. Red held out the key, and with a final lunge he pushed the key into the lock and twisted it. The door flew open, and from within the room, Shadow reached out a hand. But before they could enter, the arch of stones above the door wobbled alarmingly, threatening to collapse into a pile of rubble. 

Blue and Green both pulled Vio and Red back as the doorway crumbled. They all gasped in dismay, but the situation didn't leave time for crying - more piles of rubble were falling around them.

"Let's go!" Blue shouted, and reluctantly the four sprinted towards an opening where the wall had caved in. They jumped out of the crumbling tower and fell down, down…into darkness…

~~~~~~~

"Aghh!" 

"Red? What is it?"

Red sat bolt-upright, convinced that he was still falling. However, the sight that greeted him was anything but a scary and dangerous dungeon - he was on his own bed, the sun was streaming through a window, and Blue was standing at the door holding two cups of hot chocolate.

"Ah! Blue…the Tower, our dream, I…" Red said, looking reflexively at his hand - but neither of them bore a bleeding gash. Red carefully patted his sides - no wounds there, as well.

"Our dream?" Blue asked.

"Shadow! We left Shadow behind!" Red said, standing up in a panic, causing his pillow and blankets to go flying. 

"Shadow? What about him -"

"Ohhh it's all my fault! I was too slow and…and he must still be trapped in that horrible snake's dungeon! I'm USELESS!" Red said, bursting into hysterical tears.

"Red! What is wrong!? Blue yelled, spooked by Red's behavior.

Red was crying too hard to be able to process anything else, the snake's choice words coming back to circle his head like a demented tune. Some time later, Red was able to pull himself out of it enough to realize that Blue was standing over him, with Green beside him and Vio on the other side. Green's arm was slung around his shoulders, and Vio was patting his back. 

"Red…it's okay…"

"We're here."

"Really, Red, you've been crying nonstop…what's wrong?"

Red blearily looked around, exhausted by the surge of emotions.

"I…you don't remember the dream?" Red sniffled.

"What dream?"

"Th-the Tower…but it felt so real…" Red said.

"Well, I don't know anything about a tower, but I want to get out of this dungeon of a room. What's with the doom and gloom?"

Red straightened up as he saw Shadow come in.

"Sh-shadow…"

"Yeah?"

"YOU'RE OKAY!"

The next thing Shadow knew, he was bowled over by a red cannonball who was now spewing tears all over his chest.

"Get off me you dumb -!"

"I'm so sorry!" 

"You will be if you don't get off me right now!" Shadow bellowed, pushing Red off.

"Ha ha…I'm so glad everyone is alright!" Red said, fairly laughing in relief.

"Crazy," Shadow muttered as he dusted himself off.

"Well, I think we need to hear all about this dream. Let's have breakfast, okay?" Green said.

"Okay!" Red said with a smile. He let himself be led to the table by Green and Blue, reveling in the fact that everyone was alright. Maybe…it had all been a long, convoluted nightmare, everything really was alright.

In the chatter, Shadow watched Red carefully sit down and take a sip of the hot chocolate (which had grown cold from waiting). It will be a long story at the breakfast table today, Shadow thought. He slid over the best pancakes over to Red's plate as a silent thank-you, and listened as Red began, "Well, it began when I thought I woke up…"

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

Heya, thanks for reading! Anyway, this story was inspired by a dream I had where I was watching Red navigate a misty room, and there was a part where there was a round room with doors colored like the FS Links - so here’s the result! Big thanks to everyone who encouraged me to write this and gave wonderful feedback - I hope the format works better now. 

This is the most writing I’ve done since I graduated from a Creative Writing course in May of 2019. I actually wrote this around September of 2019, I think? Anyway, I’m really burnt out from writing and I still feel so emotionally constipated whenever I think about uploading any written stuff, which is why I hardly ever upload anything written...so I’m a liar when I said I’m a writer lol. Anyway, this is just what this piece means to me so I hope it’s ok. 

[thenixart]

Unedited Dorohedoro fanfic (opening of chapter 1)

Bioremediation

What do we say to Death?

-Location: Hole?-

“Uhg...” Consciousness comes back to Ton like a hammer to the side of his head. Searing pain radiates from his temple to his ear that only increases as he gets up. He groans, “Oww.”

Taking stock of his surroundings, Ton is absolutely certain that he is no longer in the Hole shopping mall. There was no sign of the door he just opened or the wave of sludge that washed over him. Not even the hallway he’d just been in with the numbered doorways. The place he was in now looked decrepit, like a building long abandoned and left to rot. The ground was uneven, cracked and broken in places, large slabs that looked like they’d been moved and some point before being dropped. Massive metal pipes, plastic-covered soft grungy tubing, corroded iron girders, walls with struts, and studs visible. It felt like a half-finished construction project left in the rain.

And it reeked.

A familiar kind of raw sewage, wet mud, and rotting corpses kinda smell. The boss’s scent. Strongly emanated from the thick sticky reddish-black liquid dripping from him. It was some kinda sludge, grainy and thick and not unlike the stuff he’d see in the bathtub as a kid after the boss had done his weekly shower. He had an unsettling feeling in the pit of his stomach about this. Using his relatively cleaner undershirt he wiped the muck from his face and set about trying to find his comrades.

“Saji!” He shouted at the top of his lungs. One hand cupping the side of his mouth and the over carrying his now ruined undershirt. “Tetsujo! Ushishimada! Damnit guys where did you go?”

There’s something niggling in the back of his mind like he’s forgotten something very important, something he saw in the dark fluid that washed over him. As he walked he realized that this place is far far larger than it first appeared, starting to look more like a rotted rundown city not unlike Hole. Just worse. And in places freakishly organic. 

He stops and there is a hole in the ground not too far ahead filled with clay-colored bubbling muck. An arm sticks out of the hole and lays limp along the ground. Seeing what is probably a person in trouble he rushes to action. 

“Hey! Hold on tight!” He grabs the hand and pulls, bracing himself with his weight on his back leg and not the leg close to the edge of the hole. The pit looks nasty and he doesn’t know if the edge is stable or not. The mud makes a horrible sucking sound as he wrenches the person free. Whoever they are they’re fairly slim with long hair and absolutely covered in the muck.

Using his undershirt he cleans the person’s face and after clearing the layer of grime his heart jolts-- “Natsuki!”

He clutches her close and can’t help but shout, “Hey! Hey! Hey! Wake Up! Natsuki!!”

Then he realizes that she isn’t breathing. 

“Shit!” He lowers her back to the ground and tries to pull up those CPR lessons from back in the day. Medicine along with fighting were the two main things that the boss actually taught them. He inhales as deeply as possible then locks lips with her and forces that air into her lungs.

“Natsuki! Don’t die!” He downright orders as he starts with chest compressions. Using his full upper body strength he pushes down directly on her sticky bare chest and then releases and counts. One... two… ten… thirty… forty-two… sixty-six… one hundred! “I said breathe! Damnit!”

Natsuki complies with wet coughing that forces red slime out of her mouth and nose. 

“Thank goodness!” He sighs in relief and cleans more of the gunk off of her. His shirt now irredeemable is left on the ground. As he looks at Natsuki’s naked huddled form turned away from him his mind swarms with questions and the nagging feeling that he’s forgotten something important. 

“Hey,” He says to get her attention as she seems to be very distracted about the whole nearly drowning thing. Ton takes off his jacket and drapes it over her shoulders. “Natsuki, how did you get here? Why are you butt naked? And how did you get to Hole?”

She says something. He knows she’s saying something. He’s looking right at her and can plainly see her mouth moving and she’s even gesturing with her hands. She’s saying something but he heard nothing. It felt like there was water in his ears and something he needed to remember. Whatever had happened to her didn’t change the fact that they were still lost in a strange and possibly dangerous place.

Compared to the other heavy lifting he’d done that day carrying Natsuki was a breeze. Hell, she was even smaller than Dokuga and Ton knew for a fact that he could bench press the other man without breaking a sweat. He picked a direction and kept walking.

And walking.

And walking.

And he is forgetting something important.

A flash of memory passed him by so fast that the only thing that registered was the sound of torn flesh. Ton becomes aware that he has a splitting headache. For some reason, it feels like it’s been hurting for a good minute and he just didn’t notice. Natsuki taps his shoulder and he notices that their surroundings are dimmer and the walls are oozing sludge. An uneasiness settles into the pit of his stomach and he has her hand him one of his knives from his jacket. He carries it in his mouth just in case danger appears and he keeps walking.

The feeling of danger passes and Ton fills the time and silence with idle chatter. Worry gnaws at his gut as they find no exit or any other people around at all. He knew he’d been walking for damn kilometers at this point. Worry turns to dread when he sees a hole filled with sludge. His protests that it couldn’t be the same hole that he pulled Natsuki out of are killed by the sight of his crumpled and dirty undershirt beside it.

He has remembered the thing he forgot.

The realization of death feels like the floor falling out from under him. He feels the pain in his head and ear and ah… That’s why he couldn’t hear Natsuki. The thing in the sludge tore through his head.

They were nowhere. Alone together in the void and fully dressed.  He was so very tired. 

“You’ve been here a long time, huh,” Words came slowly as his mind grew foggy. “I… wasn’t able to help you… I’m sorry...”

The darkness closed in.

Rough slender fingers closed around his hand and squeezed. 

With a jolt, they are thrown from the abyss. It feels like his body is full of pins and needles as his surroundings come into focus. They were laying in a hallway full of numbered doors in a pool of blood and back powder. What?

“Ok! I haven’t had a trip like that since that time Maki gave me a bad batch of Black Powder.” Natsuki’s voice croaked as she rubbed her temples. 

“Natsuki!” Ton shouted and engulfed her into a crushing hug. “Thank the devil! You’re ok!”

She hugs him back just as tight. When he lets go he notices her expression and the fact that he can see right through her to the door behind. Oh.

“Ton...” She says and her smile is tinged with sadness. She pokes him in the chest and he notices that he too is transparent. Weird. Weirder is the faintly glowing blue cord going from her wrist to his on the hand that she’d grabbed not too long ago. “I’m pretty sure we’re dead. Maybe ghosts or something?”

That made sense, given the whole weird ass gunky… limbo? (Limbo? That’s a word he hasn’t thought about in a very long time.) that they were just in. Plus his memories of something taking out a chunk of his skull and slashing up his ear. If the blood on the ground was his then he was extremely dead. But…

“That’s… not possible.” A touch of the past flashed behind his eyelids of a quiet conversation. A heavy hand on his head and flowery incense. A woman’s voice. That may be what happens, but that’s not remotely fair. And damn the devils for it. “Sorcerers go to hell when we die. Like immediately. Only humans turn into ghosts.”

Natsuki shrugged and an ‘I don’t know’ sound. “Big bro, all I know that this isn’t hell and that I definitely died.”

“...how did you die Natsuki? Last I heard Doguka sent you on a solo mission. Did something go wrong?”

She stood and turned her back to him. He heard her take in a deep breath then release it. “I was leaving the manor. For some reason, Dokuga insisted that I leave through the back exit. On the way out I ran into the boss. He… licked me. On the mouth. It was weird. Then he told me he wanted me which you know super exciting--”

“Eww! You like fifteen and he’s almost thirty!”

“Sixteen!”

“Same difference! Still nasty!”

“As I was saying. Super exciting! Butterflies in my stomach and everything. Then he kissed me (btw the boss really needs to brush more often like hot damn) and...” She paused. He could see her hands shaking even while hidden inside of her poofy hoodie. “He used En’s magic. He filled my insides with mushrooms and cut me to pieces with his knives. He was… smiling. Smiling as he killed me.”

She buries her face in her hands and he’s there instantly one arm around her shoulders and another on her head. He makes a soothing sound because his words fail him. He wanted to say that the boss would never because… well, the boss half-raised him and the others. Saved their lives and gave them a reason to live. Sure he was pretty cold and blunt but he… Ton, Saji, Ushishimada, Tetsujo, and Dokuga… they all loved the boss and it was clear that they were loyal. That Natsuki was loyal. Why would the boss…

The one who killed me was a Crosseye! I’m sure of it. Risu’s voice bubbled up from a traitorous part of his mind. As Natsuki turned to cry into his chest he felt the phantom pains of his knives turned against him by Risu’s magic. Powerful rare magic. Yeah… the numbers on Natsuki’s smoke readings were pretty damn good and defense magic? Well that’s really fucking useful, isn’t it? If they’d have met under different circumstances if she hadn’t been a Crosseye and able to use her magic? Well, neither he nor any of the guys would have hesitated to take her head for the boss. That was the stone-cold truth yet something about it made him nauseous. 

Natsuki was a nice person. Hell, from what he heard about Risu before his death the kid was bright eyed and bushy tailed too. Actually in it for the cause and not the money.They were killed by the boss. The faces on the thing that killed me had cross eye marks, his brain supplied. Natsuki and Risu didn’t deserve to die.

“You can let go now.” Natsuki said, pulling away from him. She rubs her eyes and looks very tired. “Alright. So… what next.”

He shrugged. “No idea. Wanna find the others?”

“Why not?”

------

It doesn’t take them long to find Ushishimada, Tetsujo, and Saji who are now rather loudly looking for Ton. Which was nice. 

“Where’d that dumbass go?” Ushishimada was saying when Ton and Natsuki caught up with the rest of the group. Rude. Ton stuck his tongue out at him. 

Natsuki waved her hand in front of Saji’s face as he read a sign about where exactly they were. “I don’t think they can see us.”

“Nope. Let’s see if this works,” Ton took in a deep breath, “HEEEEEEEEEEY GUUUUUUUUYS!!!!”

No response. Huh. The guys continued with their conversation and Ton shuddered when Tetsujo walked right through him like he wasn’t even there. Tetsujo stopped and his shoulders tensed and his eye darted around. Oh! Perhaps? Before he could try again his attention was drawn to the horrible wall of ooze pulsating further up the hall. About around where he’d woken up. Very familiar black slime.

“Ewww, you see that?” Natsuki said, pointing at it. Ah good, he wasn’t just seeing shit. 

“Whooa!” Tetsujo’s hand flew to his sword because apparently he saw that shit too. 

“What’s wrong Tetsujo?” Saji did not see it.

“I--I dunno,” Tetsujo was on high alert now. Granted it didn't take much to really set him off. Man carries his sword even to the bath, he’s got issues. Not saying that the rest of them don’t have issues but Dokuga and Tetsujo were the most paranoid people Ton knew. “But just now something..”

The phantom wall of slime vanished the moment Ushishimada’s shout caught their attention. He’d picked up the powder trail and found the door marked with Ton’s blood. Door nineteen.

“Shit! Ton we have to do something!” Natsuki shouts as she reaches out for the guys. Her touch fails to even raise the hair on the backs of their necks as they open the door. Ton’s nerves feel like they’re on fire, his attention locked onto the bloated monster inside of the room and the meaty sucking noises it was making. It wasn’t the only thing he saw. From the blood spatter patterns and bullet holes in the wall it looked like there’d been a gunfight in here recently. Even from this angle Ton could clearly see that it looked like the boss had been partially decapitated, the top of his head flopping a bit as he… ate. The boss was eating something. 

“...Is that really what the boss looks like now?” Natsuki’s voice was barely audible as the pain in his ear returned. His head throbbed and half of his face felt raw and torn. There was static in one of his legs and it felt like his guts were falling out. 

Ah, well that’s that then. 

A hollow feeling slithered inside of Ton as he detactedly watched Tetsujo, Saji, and Ushishimada’s excitement at finding the boss turn into unease and confusion and then morph into horror as they discovered what Ton had already figured out. There was something weird about seeing your own corpse. Even weirder to see someone who you genuinely loved just going ham on your carcass like your guts were made of bacon. Something that was almost a laugh escaped Ton’s ghostly lips as the puns caught up with him.

Though looking at the boss, he definitely didn’t get that big by just eating him. Hell most of his carcass wasn’t even in him yet. There was a lot of blood everywhere. And there was no way the boss could have gotten to this room on his own and as strong as Dokuga was this was pretty damn far to carry that thing on his own. And definitely no way that Dokuga would have made such a sloppy attempt at decapitation if he had reason to harm the boss. So a firefight in which someone hurt the boss and the boss ate the resulting bodies. As well as Ton because... he’d shown up. The boss had still been hungry and he’d shown up and as far as the boss had been concerned Ton was food.

The monster that was the boss pulled his torso closer and seemed to hesitate for a moment before digging its claws into the flesh of his chest and tearing it open to get access to the organs inside. Ton felt that. Pain seared through his ghostly body and his ribs snapped and popped in time with his real ones as the boss tore out his ribcage. 

Saji was the first to act. His voice was shaky, begging, and on the verge of screaming as he tried to pull Ton’s remains away from the boss. “S...Stop. Stop it already! That’s your friend! Have you forgotten that?!”

Was the boss ever actually their friend? The part of his heart that would always remember being beaned in the face with a burger, the one and only time the boss shared food that was meant for him. The fun trips to the fancy restaurants.The fighting as a team. But… really it was more the boss tolerated them while they loved him unconditionally. Well sort of. The boss… Kai… saved their lives when they were kids. Gave them a reason to keep on living in these shithole worlds. Not the reason they told themselves or the recruits but reason enough. To be useful. To feel protected. To be provided for and free from want. That’s probably as close to loved as a bunch of losers like them could get from someone (something because the boss was never quite like a proper person now was he?) that powerful. They used the fear of Kai to use others. And the boss used them. And threw them away once they were no longer useful to him. Simple.  

And yet it made the traitorous part of Ton’s heart burn with rage.

They’d been loyal! Saji deserved better than to be on the verge of tears playing a pathetic game of tug of war with one of his best friend’s rib cage while begging the man who half raised them all to remember that comrades aren’t snacks. They’d been kind! Ushishimada should have been home, helping Ton cook up a hot breakfast for their brothers in arms instead of sinking to the floor in grief.  They tried to make things better! He didn’t want to see Tetsujo vomit from stress and feel the need to draw his against someone he trusted, it was like watching something get irreversibly broken. 

THEY DESERVED BETTER!  

Like a match in a methane mine heat burned through the numbness of Ton’s incorporeal body. (And how dare that bastard actually finish eating his body while the others were breaking down!) There was a fight brewing and the odds are astronomical bad. Neither he nor Natsuki could really touch anything or be heard. Tetsujo was the most ready to fight but he was emotionally shaken. Saji was still in denial and Ushishimada was in a worse state. And Ton knew exactly how fast Kai’s horrible horrible tube mouth was even if the monster could barely move the rest of its overstuffed body. Then the odds decreased rapidly when it called upon the magic it stole from Natsuki.

Fuck.

That didn't stop Ton for instinctively reaching for his knives. What did stop him was the large gloved ice cold hand grabbing his wrist. Colors muted and time slowed enough for him to actually be able to track the movement of that whip quick tube mouth as the monster simply bit a chunk out of Ushishimada’s chest. Instantly killing him with Saji following soon after and about as gruesomely. From the corner of eye a shadow flies out and over the corpses of his friends, pausing briefly and then flying back out of sight. 

“Ton!” Natsuki calls out in alarm and he sees a similar shadow wrapped around her. 

“Hey!” He shouts turning around quickly the hand still firmly grasping his wrist. The figure before him causes a shiver to run down his spine. Her face was a skull partially obscured by a gas mask not unlike the mask of that Aikawa dude (the one who tried to stop the boss who the boss turned into... ), there was even a thick black tube running from her mask that dropped down in loops around her waist like biomechanical intestines. Thick leather armor reminiscent of firefighter gear largely concealing her figure. She towered over him and Ton was not a small man. The black scythe in her other hand felt like a solid threat.

“You are dead,” Death said, sounding tired which given all of the recent killings she probably was, “Rejoice. These problems are no longer yours. You can rest, forget, and move on. Your friends will meet again in Hell.”  

His friends will meet again in Hell? “But I’m still here now. I could help Tetsujo survive.”

“Buy doing what? You are one soul against a mountain of angry dead. Even if you did manage to kill the host, and he’d probably thank you for it the poor boy’s been trying to stop himself for years… even if you did kill him your living friends are unlikely to survive the birth of that thing. Either they’ll be eaten very soon or just after the kid gains its own physical form.” 

“Host? That thing?” There were puzzle pieces coming together but so much that he still didn’t know enough. And why… hadn’t they been taken to Hell? Ton had to assume that those shadows that ghosted over Saji and Ushishimada’s bodies where their souls getting harvested. But… “Why did you say my friends will meet up again in Hell?”

“You certainly are nosey,” Death sighed. One of her tubes looped around him and she let go of his wrist. She altered her grip on Natsuki to a singly less restrictive loop around the girl’s waist. “And I still have so much work left to do.”

“Ok but--” Ton started only for everything to go dark.

[sarah--goff]

T.D.M: Chapter 15: Absolution

You wake unexpectedly in the height of the afternoon.

When you slit an eye open, you let your surroundings sink in, your whole body felt like it was lined with lead, you couldn’t so much as shift your arms. It takes a lot of strength to turn to lay on your side with your legs tucked underneath you. When you manage the fetal position, you’re dripping with sweat and panting slightly.

You feel as though all you really want to do is sleep, you could sleep forever and ever right now you need rest.

You close your eyes again grimacing at the pain of doing so as well as the stabbing pain above your eyebrow. You briefly wondered what the hell had happened to you to cause it when everything hit you like a bolt of lightning.

You can’t move. You can’t breathe. Your chest feels tight. You don’t know what to do.

The whole world comes crashing down.  The 13 hours were long since up. You’d lost.

You’d lost.

“I’ll give you a challenge: a chance to win back your freedom-if you wish. If you complete my task, you’re free to go. But if you lose, you stay with me- in my castle. Forever” .

You start to cry, softly at first and then loudly sobbing and hate yourself for it. Don’t give him the satisfaction you pleaded but the tears wouldn’t stop.

You could never go back to home, never see your friends, never walk home after a long day at school in the summer evenings, never slope off to the empty park grounds to sit by the green ponds whenever you felt like it, never see your only remaining family, never sit in your tiny freezing bedroom , drawing idly with the blankets huddled around you, cursing Kari for making you do the dishes, cursing your life, wishing to leave…

You’d sold yourself out. How stupid could you have been to think you could have won the Labyrinth?

You had no-one to blame but yourself for this mess, you should have known better, right from the start that the Labyrinth would be rigged against you. He’d done everything in his power to slow you down from the start; the overturned stone, the changing Labyrinth walls, the Riddler Guards, his little distractions, the disguise, the Goblin King was so desperate to stop you from winning. Well now he had, he’d won.

And Hoggle! You felt deeply cut by his betrayal, above all else, the Goblin King was the villain you could excuse his deceit, but Hoggle?  How could he have been so cruel to lead you astray twice?

You lie there alone in the bedroom, weeping helplessly on your back, tears rolling down your cheeks, unable to wipe them away or hide the pathetic sob noises you were making. You cried harder, shoulders juddering at every sob.

“I was going to win” you cry hoarsely aloud to make up for the frustrating paralysis “I was going to win ”

The blue coat swings on the peg of the door as it creaks open, with a gloved hand appearing around the frame of it.

“You’re awake I see” Jareth’s voice slices through your buzzing thoughts like a hot knife in butter.

He closes the door behind him, mumbling something in another language at it with a raise hand before turning to you. The sun’s rays burst through the window dancing on the flagstone floor.

You suck your breath in sharply. The game was over. What was he going to do now? Torture you, humiliate you, make you his little jester-play thing when he got bored? It didn’t matter, you were here now. ‘Forever’.

The Goblin King shrugged off his own leather, pegging it over the blue cloak then pulled out a stool you hadn’t noticed by your bed, sitting at it, so he was level with you.

He noticed your silence, resting his forearms on his knees as he leaned in “Oh come, come, come now, Sloane, why so much haughtiness and dread? Where is that adventurous little thing who braved every crevice of my labyrinth? I thought you’d be more than glad to be away from it”

Was he really that oblivious? Or psychotic? Or maybe he just assumed you’d forgotten all about the Oubliette episode, haughtiness and dread didn’t even sum up what you were feeling now he had you right where he wanted you. You can feel your thudding pulse in your eye sockets and in your legs.

You said nothing, not even meeting his eyes. You chose to stare straight ahead instead, at the tapestry on the wall, willing yourself not to cry again.

He raised his hand holding a crystal, purple and glowing and you flinch at the sudden movement.

“You stay away from me” you yelp finally finding your voice, edging away from the hand paused over you. “You and your fucking magic”.

He closed the hand with an exhale, evading the light from his palm “you need your healing today, you’ll grow weak without it” he said matter-of-factly.

“Bullshit” you breathe through the rising lump in your throat, you ball the rich quilt you’re lying under in your hands, “you just want keep me this-s way, weak and help-helpless”.

“I would never hurt you” he put his hand over your balled fist and you manage to jerk it away though it feels so weighted down. “My rose-“

“Don’t fucking touch me” you hiss out.

The whole room was spinning, you have to close your eyes, you feel like you’re drunk.  “Why do I feel… so heavy?” you turn your head to face him, with narrowed eyes “you’ve done something to me. Druh-drugged me or something”.

Jareth puts the damp cloth in the wash bowl with some leaves floating in it, then extracted it, squeezing the water from it carefully. You watch it run, the trickling noises against the stillness giving you goose-bumps.

“It’s your mortal body reacting to the magic exposure,” he said flatly “it can’t possibly handle it all at once, so it must be fed more in small doses to balance it out” he pushes the little hairs falling in front of your face out of the way to put the clothe to your forehead, holding your arm down at your twisting protests. “It’ll adapt in time”.

In time.

A surging heat passes through your stomach. You squeeze your eyes shut at the pain “oww ughhh ” you curl up clutching yourself “you’ve done this to me” you say, sliding your accusing eyes to him, “you ”

He pauses the dabbing on your forehead to meet your eyes.

“I did not plan for things to go this way. Believe me”.

That meaningful look, so cruel and so kind. You flicker to the ballroom where you had been under the same look.

You turn away to cross your arms over your aching stomach.

“Oh no?” you gasp through clenched teeth “but you’re happy now aren’t you? Satisfied with yourself, you got your own way event- eventually” you cursed yourself at the rising lump in your throat “but me? What did I get? A one -way ticket to servitude. Slap on the shackles now”.

“I don't care for your tone,” Jareth's demeanour becomes more callous, throwing down the clothe in the bowl and putting a hand on his hip “everything I’ve done, ever since we met, I’ve done for you.”

The sky had become overcast and you shivered in the chill of the absent sun.

You scoffed looking at him over your shoulder “keep telling yourself that, it doesn’t change the facts” .

Jareth stood sharply so the stool screeched backwards against the floor. “The ‘facts’?” He spat standing at the foot of the bed for you to look at him properly.

“You want to know the facts? My ‘gift’ to you Sloane, was exactly that. A gift, to repay you. A way out, a way to make sure you could live happily ever after by binding you to fae rules, which I bent for you” he hissed “the facts are, that I gave you thrilling adventure away from your tedious life, gave you gorgeous dreams, made you smile, made you laugh, even given you a place in my kingdom. You chose to ignore what you dislike, what doesn’t fit into this villainous character you’ve warped me into. I have been generous- but I can be cruel”.

“Generous!” you sat up straight, refusing to wince at the pain of the fluid movement “You arrogant prick! What have you done that’s generous?”

“Everything!” he snapped throwing his arms up. “Everything you wanted I have done! You wanted someone to listen? I did. You wished to be “taken away”? I took you. I have re-ordered time-”

Jareth gestured to the grand clock on the wall - like the one you’d seen in the outskirts when you first started the Labyrinth- spinning its thin black hands backwards and then forwards wildly around the face.

“-to ease your hardships in my Labyrinth, a challenge you wanted to enter -and I let you- I have turned the world upside down and I have done it all for you. I’m exhausted from living up to your expectations” he frowned with a defeated sigh “Isn’t that generous?”

You pressed your mouth in a straight line for a while but then a tear brimmed daringly in your eye.

“You tricked me into trusting you, you threatened my freewill -giving me no choice but to run in the Labyrinth then you brought me here, to this bloody place, and I didn’t ask, then you try to scare me into submission when things weren’t going your sodding way” you tick off with as much venom as you can put in a hushed whisper “and it’s not okay. It just isn’t”

He stares you out for a time and you glare back at him. He opened his mouth to say something when you bent double, thudding back against the pillows, writhing in pain “aughhhh”.

The wind outside rose, you could hear the tree by the window drop all its leaves in the abrupt uproar.

He’s by you side in a flash.

“Here, let me” Jareth opened his palm, purple light flooding from it. You nodded frantically, squeezing your eyes shut, forgetting your pride in the burning of your ribs.

He knelt before you, gesturing to you to move your shirt up so he could lay his hand on your skin.

You shivered at the contact but then hissed as it seeped through.

“Gahh !” you clutched his forearm, fingers digging into his clothing and clenching your teeth together. You bit back the tears, writhing in pain. “It’ll be over in a moment” Jareth said gently to soothe you in the pain, you grasped the material harder.

You don’t want to look at the light flooding into your skin and stare down at him instead while he works. From up close you notice only now that he’s wearing more make-up than usual, it’s sharper, darker, his hair looked fluffier, little silver bits among the blonde shining in the purple glow. He’s even dressed up a little. Your heart skips a beat. For me?

“All done” Jareth finishes up, catching you staring at him. You forget that your hand is now relaxed on his forearm and his palm on your rib-cage. The Goblin King’s eyes flicker down to where you’re absentmindedly rubbing the pad of your thumb across his shoulder.

You remove your clutch on him immediately, heat radiating from your face. “It…feels better. The pain’s gone completely” you cough.

The burning sensation disappears from your sides like a weight lifting from your shoulders. You can push back the quilts and sit up properly against the pillows without wincing and then swing your legs over the bed.

You stare at the flagstone floor.

For a moment, nobody says anything. What else is there to be said?

“Your run in my Labyrinth might be over,” Jareth broke the silence, in a tone bordering on grave.

He slipped both of his hands over your own “however, you and I, Sloane Hazel, we're far from finished,”

You blankly stare down at the large hands cupping your own, but you don’t yank them away.

It’s wrong, it’s very wrong to feel wanting. No, you hadn’t forgotten the chemistry in the ballroom, dream or no dream, you'd been so comfortable and you both knew it. Your tell-tale spiked pulse said everything.

Your mouth parts and closes as if to say something but you remain silent. The memories of your first introduction creep into mind.

“Do you want it?” he held it out for you to take. “You’re unhappy here. But I could make you happy” he said it almost in a whisper.

He held out his hand earnestly for you to take “come, leave your little cell of room behind, leave your dreadful family and just run away from it all”.

Why did a traitorous tiny part of you get a dark thrill over the fact that he might have genuinely wanted to steal you away to keep you right from the start? Your stomach flutter at the possibility that his offer might have been selfless, no underlying cruelty? That he wanted you for you, not just something to control?

You glance at Jareth’s face, clearly reading your own. You wait for him to irritably sigh or retreat like he had done before but instead he watched the cogs in your mind turn patiently. All traces of his earlier smug taunting had completely dried-up.

“I know” you said eventually “…I know I lost the challenge . And… I suppose you only did the right thing, bringing me here…” you gestured flatly to the room, and your healed side. “A deal is a deal” you admit as much as it pains your heart, accepting the gravity of the situation that you were stuck in.

Jareth gave away nothing in his expression “go on” he said curiously.

“If I’m bound to stay here I…I think we should set a few things straight” yes. okay. good. Ground rules.

“You mean you have requests?” Jareth stated rather than questioned in a monotonous voice, he folded his arms, awaiting you to continue.

“Well, yes…Maybe given the circumstances…” you said sternly

“I believe I’ve been more than fair to you” he said coldly and for a minute you think he’ll straight-up rebuke you, but instead his expression changes suddenly. He held his chin with his propped hand, mulling something over and continued.

“but, never let it be said I ever refused Ms Sloane Hazel” Jareth exhaled. “I’ll humour you, if you humour me”.

Fuck.

Ah, see what you’ve done? Now doesn’t this scene sound all too familiar?

The voice in your head derided you,

and what did Hoggle warn you about? Shady deals?

You tried not to swallow and give away your doubts, you toy with the red quilt between your fingers when an idea comes to you.

“How about…quid pro quo?”

He smiled wide so you could see those feline teeth “now there’s the Sloane Hazel I was waiting for. My dear, I believe I’m beginning to rub off on you”.

You shrugged like it was no big deal “then we both get what we want” please say yes, please say yes.

“Quid pro quo it is” there was a daring twinkle in his eye. “Go on, go on, I’m all ears”

Stay humble you warned yourself. Tit-for-tat goes both ways.

��First off, no more tricks to get me onside like you did in the Labyrinth, no playing glamour dress up to fuck with me”

“But of course, I need not to now”

You glared at him pointedly.

“It was brilliant though wasn’t it? My performance sterling” Jareth jovially tossed a crystal in the air and when he caught it, you found yourself staring back at Sage, the mysterious, kind, peasant woman who fed you.

“a rose, for a rose?” Jareth croaked in her voice.

He fluttered the crystal in his hands until his withered finger-tips held a yellow rose out to you, but you flicked it away.

“cut it out Jareth,” you said meeting his gaze under the green shawl, the warmth in her smile had vanished and instead sliced through you “it’s creepy”.

Sage- Jareth- gave a withered smile before transforming back in front of your very eyes.

“I thought that was you, you know” you frown, not the least bit surprised that the only person kind enough to you for more than five minutes in that Labyrinth was a rotten glamour trick. “And no more magic drugging. No magic against me in any way, shape, or form, I’m serious” you sniffed. "The soup wasn’t great either by the way- I was just hungry”.

Jareth laughed at that returning to his own rich regal voice.

“Very well, you have my word, no ‘magic drugging’ as you put it. Which brings me onto my request; you will accompany me for meals, morning, noon and night, regardless”.

You raised an eyebrow a strange request “done” but it was harmless you supposed.

“Now that I’m here, I want to see the Underground, properly” you gestured to the small turret room, already the walls were beginning to cave in “I won’t be held in here, it’ll drive me nuts”.

“that can be arranged” he nodded “you’re not my prisoner, Sloane, I fully intend for you to see my land for all it is” he said proudly “you may go wherever your curious heart desires in my kingdom, but the outskirts and the labyrinth itself are strictly out of bounds. That’s part of the deal.”

You opened your mouth to argue but he put his hand up to silence you.

“My kingdom, my rules” Jareth sang.  “I know the Labyrinth better than anyone, it submits to me only, it’s not somewhere for strolling. No contentions”

“Whatever, I’m not in a hurry to go back any time soon” you nodded with a shiver, it would take something extreme to get you back in there.

You cross your legs underneath you on the bed putting your hands in your lap.  “I wish for at least some privacy, to write and draw, like I used to in my… old room,” you explained looking down at your hands “it would be nice to still do normal things”

Jareth folded his arms across his chest, sticking his hands under his armpits, “of course” he scoffed “you really think I would restrain my favourite artist?” you smiled back at him at that, shaking your head with a blush.

“Furthermore, on the subject of kingdoms, I am your king now and you will treat and respect me as such, like every other citizen, regardless of our association,” he smiled shrewdly.

Oh, he was beginning to enjoy this, you could tell.  

“you live in my kingdom now, in my castle, under me, your sovereign. The ways of the Above do not concern me”

You frown “under you?”  

He waved dismissively, “I only require what every other monarch would require of their citizens. Please continue, my rose,” The Goblin King inclined his head in a slight, inviting bow.

You licked your dry top lip quickly “I get to see my family”

“No dice I’m afraid”

“What? Why!”

“As I explained to you, you belong to the Underground now, the Above does not concern me, besides, the deal was that you lose and you stay forever, if you remember correctly”

“I …” you let that sink in you should have been paying attention to his wording before you agreed to that stupid challenge. You would never see your aunt and uncle again. Ever.

“My friends?” you suddenly remembered you looked to him hopefully.

He shook his head “Same rules apply. The Above is forbidden”

You held back the strangled gasp. Kari and Brian were family, your mother’s blood, no less, but your life- long friends, Jan, the people you’d practically grown up with. Poof. What would they think happened to you? That you ran away? That you were kidnapped? They would never know.  

“You can’t just expect me to leave everything behind!” you stutter. The reality was very much settling within you. “Like I didn’t have a whole life there!”

You felt like you were going to throw up suddenly. Your stomach heaved dangerously.

Jareth only tilted his head in reply. An act that said “you should have thought about that before you were willing to put that on the table”.

“There will be far too many questions. Believe me it’s for the best.”

“I don’t understand! What do you mean!”

“Your time in the Underground is turning you , I already explained that your mortality was being balanced out with magic” Jareth picked his words carefully

“the exposure, will slowly begin to change your mortal being,” his tone became serious “ you’re part magic now at least, like me, you’ll remain very much the same as you are now, it would be difficult to hide it from your acquaintances as time goes, even with glamour magic” .

“I don’t believe you” you reply tartly. “That’s impossible” but your mind was racing already.

“Nothing’s impossible. You’d think you’d come to realise that by now” he gave that Cheshire cat’s grin.

He was right. Any manner of questioning possibility was ruled out the second you stepped foot in the Underground. Another thought crossed your mind

“wait, how old are you ?” you’d completely forgotten that he wasn’t human, another worldly being…That you would come to be too?

The Goblin King grinned cupping his chin “how old do you think?”

“I don’t know…around... forty”  you offered generously with a vague wave of your hand.

He threw back his head and laughed and you glare at him. “Well that’s how old you look!” you protested “well go on then, tell me”.

“Why? Afraid I might be too refined for your taste?” he winked suggestively

You shoved his shoulder “I was thinking more ‘cradle snatcher’ ”

The Goblin King’s eyes danced in amusement “more than you know”

“and yet you’re still the biggest child I’ve ever met”

“Ah, the biggest child you’ve met so far”

“You’re a smart-arse, bleach blonde, prick, you know that?” you found yourself smiling.

“You wound, sweet” he said in mock-annoyance, he pretended to ruffle his hair airily “this is all natural Ms Hazel”.  Of course that’s what he’d pick up on.

“If you say so. Okay, so we have a deal then?”

“You have my word on all counts,” Jareth gave a short nod

“Me too” you stuck out you hand to shake on it but pushed it away with shaking his head amusedly.

“Don’t you know every deal must be sealed properly?”

“How?”

Jareth whisked his hand and a feathered quill and sheet of paper popped onto the writing table at the far end of the room. “The good old-fashioned way of course, a contract”

You pushed yourself off the bed to spot the long white scroll on the table, the calligraphy golden. You could see the small print at the bottom besides where each of you would sign.

“Well of course I knew that” you said huffily “Can I have a –“

“Here” he pushed the magnifying glass into your open hand before you had even asked for it.

“How did you know I was going to say that?”

“You’re a sharp girl, you’d want to read the small print. Of course, there’s really no need since I would never try and pull the wool over your eyes, my sweet” he blinked feigning innocence but oh boy, did you know better.

“Hmmm” you said plucking up the paper anyway to read it. You read it all thoroughly, as well as the actual details itself, everything you had both agreed on was there.

“Yep it’s all there” you held out your hand for the quill and scratched a messy “Sloane L. Hazel” across the black line, hoping to god this wouldn’t come back to bite you. The quill’s black ink bled into the paper drying out and turning gold. Inerasable.

“Hey!” you snapped when you’d finished, realising he’d been standing behind you staring at your arse while you had slightly bent over the desk. “Merely admiring the view” he chuckled at your sour expression, throwing the quill at him.

Jareth slowly and meanderingly leaned over the table, free palm resting on the wood flatly. You notice a marking on his hand beginning from his index finger and disappearing under his cuff's sleeve.

He'd signed it “The Goblin King of the Underground” alongside yours in large swirling loops which you rolled your eyes at but couldn’t help admiring the hair falling over his face before he stood tall again.

“Sloane L. Hazel” Jareth bobbed an eyebrow, reading your signature aloud “how very professional, what’s the L for I wonder?”

“L is for Lux- like a short way of saying ‘Lucky’ ” you shrug at his puzzled face.

“Lux” he repeated sardonically. “How tasteful”.

“My parents lapped up unusual names” you explain “before they knew they were having a girl, they agreed that my mum would pick the name if I was a girl, my dad a boy, so when they had me, my mum said she chose the name from one of her favourite books and my dad got to pick my middle name since the one he was going to pick was unisex.”

You smiled fondly remembering your dad telling you the story behind your strange name when you were younger. You had been in the kitchen making some god-awful muffins together for a change and set the smoke alarm off, Jeremy couldn’t cook for toffee.

“My dad told me it’s because they were very “lucky” to have me in their life, like ‘thanking their lucky stars’ or something but then my mum told me it was after the name of this bar they met in and he threw some flour at her”.

You laughed, remembering clearly the look of horror on your mother’s face as her entire outfit was splattered with the white powder and for a second your father had looked genuinely terrified of his wife until she had thrown some back at him, right in his face, and then he at you for laughing at the pair of them in the ridiculous scene, within minutes the kitchen was a winter wonderland. All three of you had rolled on the kitchen floor in the snow of the flour, coughing and spluttering- your parents tickling you until you thought you were going to burst. It was one of your happiest memories of them.

You were grinning brightly from ear to ear and staring off into the distance. You blinked rapidly coming back. You noticed Jareth had been listening intently and gave an embarrassed shrug.

It was strange telling the Goblin King about your parents when you rarely spoke about them to anyone. He already knew so much about you when you knew very little of him.

“They sounded wonderful” Jareth said softly with a small smile and you nodded in agreement

“They were. I was lucky to have them ” you swiftly changed the subject, “is this it then?” you nodded at the signatures.

“One more thing, now we each must knock on the wood”

“What?” you tilt your head “you’re having me on”

“Nonsense, you Abovelers say it all the time,” he tilted his head “don’t you know the meaning behind it?”  Jareth rapped on the table to emphasise “It’s the only way to properly seal the deal”.

You hum, also knocking on the dark wood feeling silly. Your hand burnt like a flame had been held to it “ow!” you snatched it back, holding your burning wrist “what was that !”

He took your wrist, inspecting it curiously. “It’s the contract, as a reminder, look” twisting it over to show you the marking that had been etched on your skin.

“its sealed on your wrist to provide proof of the oath you knocked on- binding you to the contract” the strange marking was like a white tattoo, in the shape of a circular Labyrinth and an owl taking flight .

“The royal seal no less” he noted, inspecting his own wrist where the same seal was placed.

You took it back, rubbing the soreness. “Will it be there forever?”

“Most likely” he nodded. It was only tiny anyway.

You rolled your sleeve back down. “You mean you’ve never done this before?”

“Not personally no,”

“Then…What happens if either of us …break it?” your heart dropped at the thought. This was magic. There would be consequences surely.

Jareth gave a hapless shrug.

“You don’t know” you said drily in disbelief. “Why didn’t you say beforehand! What am I suppose to do now?”

“I suggest you be a good girl then” he grinned.

“It’s not me I’m worried about, it’s you- you’re bound to break it” you put your hands behind your head and exhaled to let off steam idiot!

“Ye have little faith, Ms L. Hazel, I may surprise you yet” he scoffed

“Wait, there’s something else” you say, rubbing your temple one thing at a time, the thought bubbling in you before you forgot about it again.

“What? Don’t tell me you forgot to add something after that entire bloody ritual”

“No no, not about the contract- I mean, I want an explanation”

Jareth cocks his head quizzingly

“About all this, about you. I think I deserve an explanation. More than that actually” you stifled an abrupt yawn.

He smiled, “Very well, I’ll tell all tomorrow, deal?”

“Why not now” you pushed, eager for answers while he was still in the talking mood.

Another yawn hit you like a wave, you found yourself forcing your eyes open. How can you be tired already you’ve only just woken up. Bloody magic. “I’m all ears”.

He smiled ruefully, “You’re much too tired, besides I’ll want your full attention, you have a big day ahead you, so I suggest you get a good night’s rest” you narrowed your eyes at him suspiciously.

“tomorrow, I promise ” he rose and moved to the door,

“Jareth?” you called before he disappeared .

“Yes?” he lingered by the door looking at you expectantly.

“Maybe you’re not a bleach blond”

He smiled and nodded, wishing you a goodnight before disappearing, you heard the sound of a crystal ball rolling across the floor on the other side of the door.

Good night?  Yeah fat chance of that. How were you supposed to sleep now?

Nevertheless, you climb into bed, the first day of the rest of your life was over. It can only get better from here, you assured yourself. Not like you just signed away your life for real or that you were half magic or something or another. It was also so confusing. Sleep was probably the best solution.

You inspect your wrist and then drop it to stare up at the four poster’s ceiling. What have I done?  You'd never imagine you go in this deep.

_*_

In his hands, Jareth clutched the silly beggar disguise he used to hamper your progress, one final disguise. He exhaled air from his nose, amused over it, “hmmf” . It seemed so silly now.

He tucked it away in a trunk at the foot of the bed, it would be a while before he would use it again unless another one of those brat runners called upon him, wasting more of his time, still though it could be fun sometimes to watch their confusion.

He climbed into bed but found himself unable to sleep instantly, instead tracing the seal mark absent-mindedly on his wrist.

[haddonfieldwhore]

Hello! Could I request 22.“Choose me” with Stu Macher? Thank you! Have a nice day!

For sure! I love Stu so much

Stu Macher-Choose Me

warnings: swearing, minor violence

It was common knowledge throughout the whole school that both Billy and Stu, two of your closest friends had a crush on you. Day in and day out they would compete for your attention, but you could never bring yourself to choose between them. You did have feelings for one of them, in fact, you’d had feelings for him for years, but you didn’t want to cause the friendship between the two boys to end due to you playing favorites.

You were stood at your locker, putting your books away and grabbing your lunch, getting ready to go sit with your friends. As you shut the door to your locker, you jumped in surprise; Stu stood next to your locker, a smirk on his handsome face. Clutching your chest, heart beating quickly from fright, he laughed and put an arm around you.

“It’s just me, baby, relax.” he smiled and spoke into your ear, before picking you up and throwing you over his shoulder. You rolled your eyes as he carried you over to the rest of the group, Billy giving Stu an evil glare before his eyes met yours and softened, a smile spreading across his face. “Hello, boys and girls,” Stu announced loudly as he set you down on the bench and proceeded to sit next to you.

“Hey, guys,” Randy smiled.

“He's your personal chauffeur now, I see.” Billy snarled. The smile dropped from your face and Sidney smacked his arm. Stu however, wanted to push Billy’s buttons a little more, and he got out of his seat, kneeling on the ground in front of you. He took your hand in his before he spoke;

“Oh, fair maiden, where may I escort you to on this fine day?” he exclaimed dramatically, placing a gentle kiss to the top of your hand. The smile returned to your face but quickly disappeared again when Billy grabbed Stu by the front of his shirt and swung his fist into his face, before grabbing a hold of his collar again.

“Billy!” Tatum and Randy yelled, attempting to pull Billy off of Stu.

“Billy stop,” you pleaded. The two boys looked at you, blood running down Stu's face from a cut on his cheek where Billy hit him, and the rage in Billy’s eyes quickly burning out when he saw the look of disappointment on your face. He let go of Stu and stormed off, mumbling an apology as he walked past you, his shoulder hitting yours roughly. A laugh erupted from Stu and you turned to face him.

“Fuck,” he said, spitting some blood onto the ground. “He hits hard.’’

“Come on,” you said, grabbing his hand and dragging him away from the school and down the sidewalk.

“Where are you taking me, y/n?” he asked, spinning you in a circle and then slinging one of his long arms over your shoulders.

“I don’t wanna be around Billy anymore,” you explained.

“So you're kidnapping me?” he teased. You had been walking for a couple blocks and dark clouds started to cover the sky overhead.

“Not exactly,” you laughed. After walking for another ten minutes the two of you arrived outside your house, just as it was starting to rain. You pulled Stu inside and led him upstairs to your bathroom, instructing him to sit down on the edge of the bathtub.

“Are you gonna ask me to take my clothes off because-” you cut him off with a playful punch to the chest, causing him to laugh. You went into the cupboard and grabbed a facecloth, and ran some water on it.

“Maybe I should get you a sexy nurse costume, babe.” Stu teased, causing you to laugh and punch him gently once again. “Oww!” he laughed. You started to wipe the blood off his face and once you were done, you put a small bandaid over the cut, despite Stu’s protests. The two of you walked downstairs and you looked outside to see that it was still raining.

“Do you wanna watch a movie?” you suggested.

“Sure, as long as it’s-”

“Horror,” you said at the same time. You put in A Nightmare On Elm Street and sat down on the couch in the living room. Stu sat next to you and put his arm around you, pulling you into his side. After about half an hour, you heard Stu snoring and you too close your eyes, quickly drifting off to sleep.

You both awoke with a start to the sound of a loud clap of thunder, and a blush rose to your cheeks when you noticed that you were laying on top of Stu, your arms wrapped around his neck and your head o his chest.

"I-" you started to say, but you were interrupted by Stu pressing his lips to yours. You immediately kissed him back, and your fingers weaved into his blond hair, causing him to moan into the kiss. He kissed down your neck, leaving purple bruises along the way and you laughed at the tickling sensation as he peppered kissed along your jaw. He laughed as he bit your neck playfully and you kissed his lips once again before you both had to separate for air.

"I've wanted to do that for years," he said, breathing heavily.

"So have I," you admitted. "I just didn't know how to make a choice without hurting someone."

"Choose me," he suggested.

"I just did," you said. He smiled and slammed his lips onto yours roughly, and you kissed him back with the same enthusiasm, and you knew that you made the right choice.

Hope you like it! The ending is kinda shit because I had to rewrite it because the last 200 words got deleted for some reason.

[bat-losers-inc]

Date Night

Warnings: none

Summary: Tim and Jason are out for their anniversary. Unfortunately, Gotham City's criminals never take a night off.

Pairings: Jason Todd/Tim Drake

Tim laughed and squeezed Jason’s hand from where they were linked together across the table. He pushed his finished plate away from him. The restaurant was at full capacity, with some of Gotham City’s finest sitting at tables around them dressed in their best. Tim stared at Jason, across from him, dressed in a gray suit— one of the three suits that he owned, and wondered how he’d managed to get a reservation. Tim had a feeling the name Wayne must have been casually thrown in during conversation with the receptionist.

Tim’s phone buzzed to life in his breast pocket. He withdrew his hand from Jason’s and reached for it, squinting at the alert of his screen. He was aware of the waiter asking if they were interested in dessert and Jason saying something before the waiter placed down two menus and left.

“Everything alright?” Asked Jason, leaning in towards Tim.

Tim glanced up from his phone and huddled closer across the table so that he and Jason wouldn’t be overheard by the other restaurant goers. “Since it’s our anniversary, I have to ask, were you planning on surprising me with anything after this when we got home? Did you leave the door or any window unlocked for someone to slip it and set up?”

Jason grimaced. “No… should I have? I booked the most expensive restaurant in Gotham, I didn’t think I needed to—”

Tim waved him off. “No. Jason, you did fine, but I just got an alert from the security system I set up in the apartment. Someone set it off.”

Jason cursed, and wiped his mouth hastily, dropping his napkin on his plate. “I guess it’s a no to dessert then.”

He was already turning and signalling for the waiter to bring the check. Tim didn’t have to stress how serious a security breach was to him. If an intruder, petty thief or otherwise, broke into their place and managed to find their uniforms and connect them to their secret identities, they’d be in a hell of a lot of trouble. Batman’s disappointment would be the least of their worries if that information was brought to the GCPD.

They exited the restaurant at a hurried pace. Jason snatched Tim’s car keys from the valet, he pressed some money into the valet’s hand with a hurried ‘keep the change’ tossed over his shoulder as Jason rounded the car and slipped into the driver’s side next to Tim. Tim watched as he pulled into the city traffic, then turned around in his seat after a few minutes.

“Did you forget how to get home?” asked Tim. “ It’s the other way.”

“Gotta make a pitstop at one of my safehouses. I keep some spare weapons there.”

“Are you sure that’s necessary? It could just be a small-time thief.”

“Yeah,” Jason sighed. “Or it could be Ra’s sending in his ninjas to steal or plant something.”

Jason pulled up and parked in front of a nondescript building. He looked at Tim. “It wouldn’t be the first time he’s tried to ruin our anniversary and if it is him, then I’m sure as hell going to send him back a message of my own.”

“True,” agreed Tim, getting out of the car and following Jason into the building and up the stairs. He watched as Jason retrieved his keychain from his pocket and flipped through the keys until he found the right one, fitting it into the lock. “You better have something for me that isn’t a gun, though. Or a knife. If it is Ra’s men than I want to keep one of them alive to figure out what they were there for.”

The door gave way from it’s warped frame with a hard shove of Jason’s shoulder. Jason cast Tim a disparaging look over his shoulder before leading him inside the apartment. “I might have some pepper spray for you but try not to hurt yourself with it, princess.”

The apartment, like all of their safehouses, was furnished with the bare essentials. A bed to sleep on, clothing in the dresser drawers, canned food in the kitchen cabinets so you didn’t have to worry about it going expired, first aid equipment under the sink, and most importantly a backup stash of weapons. Sure enough when Jason yanked open the doors to his weapons’ locker, the first thing that Jason found was a small bottle of pepper spray.

Jason wiggled it in front of Tim in offering, a grin spreading across his face. “Don’t hurt yourself now.”

Tim’s eyes narrowed. “Keep it up and you’ll be sleeping here tonight.”

Jason’s smile dropped like Tim had just slapped it off his face. He ducked his head as he replaced the bottle in it’s previous spot. “Right, sorry. It’s still our anniversary.”

Jason’s head tilted to the side, suddenly. “Hang on…”

He swung one of the locker doors closed and reached around to the back side of the cabinet. Jason made of noise of triumph that was slightly distorted by his current position before he emerged with something in his hands. It took Tim a moment to realize he was holding a pair of Dick’s escrima sticks.

“It’s not your bow staff but it’s close,” Jason offered the sticks to Tim with a shrug. “Will these do?”

Tim nodded and took the escrima sticks from him, he clutched them together in one hand as he watched Jason retrieve his shoulder holster and load his guns. He couldn’t help himself from asking, “So, Dick’s been here before?”

“Only once,” replied Jason, slipping a spare magazine into his pocket.

“I haven’t been here before...”

Jason’s head jerked up sharply like he’d suddenly caught the scent of Tim’s current emotion. Jason’s hands spread out in a placating gesture. “Oh hang on, now. It was just a one time thing… the idiot was bleeding all over Gotham, so I brought him back here and stitched him up. He must have just forgotten some of his gear. What was I supposed to do, let him bleed out?”

“Of course not!” Tim snapped, more annoyed at the notion that Jason thought Tim was jealous enough to even suggest it. “Let’s just get going.”

Tim turned, leaving Jason to scramble after him, muttering curses the whole way to the car.

Their apartment was dark and silent when Tim unlocked the door and let it swing open. They stood on the threshold for a moment, Dick’s escrima sticks clutched tightly in Tim’s hands and the reassuring presence of Jason brushing against Tim’s back. There was a click as Jason removed the safety on his guns. “Right behind you, babybird.”

Tim crept forward into the room, placing each foot down carefully— heel to toe— trying to keep his steps as silent as possible to prevent the wooden floors from creaking. He went to the source of the intrusion first, the window that looked out onto the fire escape and shut it. He eyes scanned the kitchen and living room, but came upon nothing suspicious. Tim turned to meet Jason’s eyes across the room as he slid out of the back bedroom, shaking his head at Tim’s questioning look.

Tim lowered his borrowed escrima sticks. “Whoever broke in, they’re long gone by now.”

“Damnit.”

Tim held up a hand, calming him. “We should still do a thorough sweep of the place to see if anything has been moved or taken.”

There was a thud as one of the dining chairs was shoved backwards, and Tim and Jason jerked around to see a dark blur streak towards the open door. Jason swiveled his guns, fire off two shots that slammed into the door frame before Tim could react.

“Jason, no!” Tim pushed past him, taking off down the hallway after the figure, Jason right on his heels. They caught him at the top of the stairwell, but it wasn’t an assassin or a petty thief that stared back at them— it wasn’t even a man, but a boy who must have been only 5 or 6 years old.

“What the hell?” Jason muttered behind him.

The boy thrashed hard in Tim’s grasp, crying out and pounding on Tim’s arms where they were locked around the boy’s torso. In the midst of all the flailing and kicking limbs, Tim tilted off balanced, falling awkwardly on his ass on the linoleum floor. The boy’s yelling stopped long enough for his teeth to clamp down on Tim’s upper arm.

“ Oww! ” Tim yanked his arm away from those sharp teeth.. “Stop it, I don’t want to hurt you.”

  The boy broke free of Tim’s hold and made towards the stairs. The thought of having to scramble down those stairs seemed like more than he was up for at this moment, but Jason saved him the trouble by snatching the kid up and flipping him upside-down. The boy squeaked as he hung upside-down, his legs pinned firmly against Jason’s chest to keep him from kicking, curly brown hair dangling in Tim’s eyes.

“Stop trying to run, kid. We’re not going to hurt you, we’re the good guys here.” Jason paused a moment to let that information sink in before continuing. “If I put you down, will you stay where you are? We just want to ask you a few questions.”

Tim slid out from under the pair until he could stand back on his feet next to Jason. The boy in his grip nodded, a barely perceptible gesture when his upper body was already swaying back and forth. Jason paused still and the boy seemed to think that his message hadn’t been received, for a moment later he hiccupped and responded with a watery ‘yes’.

Jason’s movements afterward were careful, almost gentle, as he turned the boy right side up and placed him back on the ground. He didn’t release him completely however, holding onto the little boy’s wrists, and crouching down in front of him. Tim did the same, finally getting a good look at the boy; a mop of curly brown hair that hid a small nose— dribbling with snot in the way that most little kids’ noses do— and brown eyes opened wide in fright. Tim’s heart broke at the sight, no doubt they scared the hell out of the kid.

“Hey,” Jason gave the kid’s wrists an encouraging shake. “What’s your name?”

“Bodi.” The boy responded, trying to wipe at his nose with the heel of his hand, but then remembering it was captured in Jason’s grip. Tim retrieved the handkerchief from his pocket and dabbed at the boy’s nose with it.

“Hi, Bodi.” he said, “I’m Tim and this is Jason. We’re really sorry if we scared you before.”

“S’okay.” Came the murmured response. Bodi’s eyes never leaving the floor.

“Hey, Bodi. Do you mind telling me what you were doing in our apartment?

“Markos told me to hide.”

Tim shared a worried glance with Jason. Jason crooked a finger beneath Bodi’s narrow chin and urged his head up. “Who’s Markos, Bodi? Is he your brother?”

Another small nod.

Tim was started to get a bad feeling in his stomach but he had to know. “Why did Markos tell you to go to our apartment?”

Bodi shrugged and picked at a scab on his elbow. “He said Mommy and Daddy were fighting and they were making a lot of noise. He said we had to go to Grandma’s house. We were walking to Grandma’s house, but then Daddy came to get us and he was really mad. Markos told me to run and hide. I climbed up the ladder and came through the window and hid under the table.”

Tim shared a concerned looked with Jason. The boy could still be out there, in what state it was impossible to know, but if Tim was certain of anything, it was that they at least had to go look for him. And they couldn’t leave Bodi.

“Okay,” Jason slapped his knees in emphasis. “Operation Save the Children is a go. Tim, you look after Bodi while we’re out looking for big bro. Bodi, is it alright if Tim carries you?”

Bodi nodded and held up his arms towards Tim. Tim sighed and clutched Dick’s escrima sticks into one hand. He hoisted Bodi up and settled him against his hip. He wagged his hand that held the sticks in Jason’s face.

“If I’m carrying him how am I supposed to use these?”

Jason cocked an eyebrow with a grin. “You, Daddy dearest, aren’t. I’m the one with the long range weapon.”

Tim rolled his eyes, totally not down with being the appointed babysitter in this situation. He pressed a hand against Bodi’s ear as the boy snuggled his face into the crook of Tim’s shoulder. “At least give me a knife.”

“Fine.” Jason went back into their apartment and returned a minute later with two knives, one he slipped into his pant pocket, the other he handed to Tim.

“Let’s go find Markos.”

They took the elevator down to the ground floor. Some of the residents spared a few curious glances at the trio during the descent, and Tim figured they would made an odd trio— what with him and Jason in their tailored suits and Bodi dressed in frayed jeans and an oversized sweatshirt that might have been his older brother’s hand-me-downs. On the ground floor they exited the building and rounded it until they reached the alleyway that their fire escape looked out upon.

Tim nudged Bodi’s head with his shoulder to get his attention. “What street do you live on, Bodi? Can you tell me the name?”

Bodi shook his head and pointed off down the alleyway. “It’s by the corner deli.”

Saying that in Gotham was just about as useful as saying you lived near a dumpster.

Jason rubbed at his forehead with the edge of his gun.

“Alright,” he shrugged. “I guess we’ll just start off that way until something looks familiar.”

They ended up walking for awhile, twisting and turning through dark streets and alleyways where the only people they encountered skirted past them, never straying far from the shadows cast off the buildings. It was strange for Tim to walk the streets of this part of Gotham at night, instead of swinging from rooftop to rooftop. He did not claim to know this area especially well, seeing as it was on the edge of where Jason patrolled, but the number of businesses closed and gated shut seemed more than usual.

In the end it was Bodi who pointed them in the right direction, finally identifying the building he lived on that sat next to the saddest excuse of a deli Tim had ever seen. Without Bodi with them, they might have walked right past it. Tim shifted the boy to a more comfortable position against his side as Jason slipped one of his guns out of it’s holster again.

“Guess security isn’t a big priority here.” stated Jason as they stepped into the building and pushed through the door that hung ajar. There was no elevator in this building, so Tim and Jason took to the stairs, climbing until they reached the third level. They heard the shouting before they exited the stairwell.

“That’s Dad. He’s mad.” Bodi murmured, breath hot against Tim’s neck.

“He most certainly is.” Agreed Tim.

The trio stepped out into the hallway. The noise was coming from the apartment at the end of the hall.

Jason glanced behind him and Tim. “Stay here.”

“Jason—”

“You have Bodi. ” The underlying meaning of his words was clear and definitely not open for discussion. Jason couldn’t focus on helping Markos if he was worried about Tim and Bodi as well.

Tim nodded and placed Bodi on the carpet next to him. “We’ll wait for you.”

Jason nodded and walked briskly towards the apartment, shaking the arms that gripped his guns loose as he picked up pace, not stopping until he crashed against the door, throwing his shoulder into it. The door banged against the wall and Jason turned off to the left, guns raised. It wasn’t often that Tim got to see Jason ready himself for running into the fray, usually too concentrated on doing the same thing himself. It left an uneasy feeling in his stomach. He realized very quickly that he did not like it.

The noises that ensued after that were chaotic and angry, overlapping each other so that Tim could not make out one word from another. He was only able to discern one voice he knew from other’s that he did not. Until he heard the overpowering sounds of gunfire, too much at once to be just from Jason, then Jason yelling quite clearly, “Go, go!”

“Markos!” Bodi cried as his brother came sprinting out of the apartment. Markos’ face was bleeding from a cut across his cheek and his clothes were ripped like he’d physically torn himself out of someone’s hold. Bodi’s older brother came barreling into Tim, arms wrapping too tightly around his waist and Bodi’s shoulders, but Tim’s eyes were still glued to the open doorway waiting for Jason to emerge.

And then a moment later he did, crashing against the sidewall, suit bloody and panting harshly. His voice was frantic when he shouted towards Tim, like he’d encountered something he hadn’t been expecting and it tore at Tim’s insides.

“Tim, run! Go to Harper’s! Get the kids to Harper!”

A figure slammed Jason into the wall, knocking one of the guns out of his hands. Jason, even bare without his armor, grabbed the man by the shoulders and jammed his knee into the man’s gut. Another man shoved around the pair, heading straight towards Tim. Tim turned and yanked Markos’ arms from around his waist and Bodi’s from his thigh, shoving the pair towards the stairs.

“Go! Downstairs. Wait for me in the lobby.”

He didn’t spare a glance for them as he turned and pulled Jason’s knife from his pocket. The man raised a gun level with Tim’s chest and Tim had a moment to realize he’d brought a knife to a gunfight before he was twisting out of the line of fire as the man pulled the trigger. He lunged low and forward, coming up fast with the knife and catching the man in the gut. The man gave a startled cry and crumpled. If he made it to a hospital soon, he’d live.

Tim wanted to tear the knife from his body and continue forward until he reached Jason. He wanted to drag him with him out of this building towards safety, but Tim knew he couldn’t leave those boys alone downstairs for long. Besides, as much as he didn’t want to believe it, Jason could survive a fight without him.

He raced down the stairs and pulled the brothers out into the night with him.

Tim could not blame Roy Harper for the horrified look on his face when he answered his door. By now the boys were tired, cold, and scared. Tim had had to carry Bodi the last part of the journey, the 5 year old was so tired by now that Tim had worried about him tripping over his own feet. Besides, Tim had wanted to move as fast as possible and get them off the streets of Gotham. Next to him, Markos hovered close, his hand gripping Bodi’s ankle where it dangled in the air. Tim had tried to ask Markos what had happened inside the apartment, but the boy grunted Black Mask and refused to say any more.

After that, Tim was afraid to ask any more questions. But, now he stood in front of Roy Harper’s door, a man that Tim knew in passing as Jason’s friend and teammate, with two boys, no Jason, and no idea what to tell him.

In the end all he could come up with was, “Jason said it was safe to come to you.”

Roy shoved back his long red locks of hair and opened the door wider. “Come on in. Lian is in the living room watching a movie. The boys can join her in there.”

“Thanks, Roy.” Tim lead the boys into the apartment and placed Bodi down on the couch next to Lian, Roy’s little girl. Markos sat down on the floor, his back against the couch.

“Lian, baby?” Roy appeared behind Tim. “Is it okay if these boys watch your movie with you?”

“Uh-huh.” Lian nodded, her dark pigtails wagging.

Roy smiled. “That’s my girl.”

Roy gripped Tim by his elbow and drew him into the kitchen. He started making a fresh pot of coffee, scooping grounds into the filter and sliding it into place. He didn’t say anything until the coffee was brewing, hissing and dripping dark liquid into the pot.

“So who are the kids?” asked Roy, leaning his back against the counter.

Tim shrugged. “I don’t know, honestly. Brothers. Jason and I found the younger one hiding in our apartment after we came back from dinner and he said he had a brother. It sounded like he was in trouble, so we went looking for him.”

“Well you found him.”

“Yeah, but I think we also found some of Black Mask’s men. The older one, Markos, mentioned them… I’m scared for Jason.”

“He’s taken on Black Mask and his goons before.” reassured Roy.

“He’s in civvies with two handguns and knife for protection against a group of men armed with guns. And I left him there, alone.”

Roy pulled a mug down from the cabinet and filled it with coffee. He slide it across the counter to Tim, followed a second later by a dish full of sugar. “It wouldn’t be the worst situation Jason’s ever been in. And if you’re worried that Jason is going to be sore about you leaving him behind, don’t be. You know how he is when he gets something in his head. If he wanted you and those boys to get to safety it was going to happen with your say so or not.”

Tim stirred some sugar into his coffee and took a sip. He winced at the burn as he swallowed and put the mug back down on the counter to let it cool off a bit.

“He knows how much I hate waiting on the sidelines.” Tim grunted, feeling the need to vent out some of his feelings. To his shock, Roy started laughing.

Roy’s eyes were bright with amusement as he clapped his hand on Tim’s shoulder and gave it a squeeze. “Tim, I know we don’t know each other that well, but trust me, waiting around for news with you is definitely more enjoyable than waiting around with Jay. You have not seen that man work himself up into a panic, I mean man that guy goes stir crazy…  and I have a feeling that if you were in any kind of trouble he’d be very panicked right now.  It’s better that you’re here.”

“I know you’re right.” Tim sighed. He glanced through the pass through window that separated the kitchen from the living room. Markos had moved onto the couch and Bodi was now curled up next to him. “How old is Lian now?”

Roy scratched at the red stubble on his chin. “She’s gonna turn six in a month.”

“Wow.”

“You and Jason are invited to the party, by the way.”

Tim smiled. “Thanks, we’ll definitely try to be there. I know Jason loves Lian.”

Roy grunted, amused. “He should. He’s her godfather, afterall.”

Roy yanked open a drawer and pulled out a first aid kit. “That cut on Markos’ face needs to be disinfected and taped up.”

Tim could definitely see how much of a parent Roy had become while raising Lian. He half expected him to start mothering him.

Roy offered him the case. “I have a feeling he trusts you more than me. Patch him up and we can get them settled down for bed. I expect you’re staying tonight?”

Tim shrugged. “Might as well. Who knows when Jason will get here.”

Tim cleaned the cut on Markos’ face, wiping away the blood and dirt that stained his face. Then together Roy and Tim settled all of the kids down— Roy scooping up Lian and carrying her into her bedroom as Tim set up the pull-out couch with blankets and pillows. He settled into an armchair by the pair and curled his legs underneath him, pulled a spare blanket over his body. This definitely wasn’t the anniversary he was expecting.

When Tim opened his eyes again, the room was dark but not entirely quite. Tim could hear voices down the hall and with a start Tim realized it was Jason’s voice he was hearing, tone low as not to wake anyone. Tim shoved the blanket off of himself and scrambled out of the chair. Jason and Roy were talking by the door, but the moment Jason caught sight of Tim he smiled tiredly.

“Hey, Babybird. Miss me?”

Tim launched himself into Jason’s arms, gripping him as tight as he could. “I love you.”

“Love you too,” Jason’s voice was muffled as he pressed his face into Tim’s hair, planting a kiss there. “I hope I didn’t ruin our anniversary.”

“Of course you didn’t. You came back.”

Tim turned his head in time to catch sight of Roy smiling and disappearing down the hall.

[gold-from-straw]

Wicked Boys - Final Chapter!

Oh my god ;_; it’s finally over, I’m sad and yet happy to see that little green tick on AO3! Thank you anyone who liked and commented and kudosed, it’s been such an incredible community!

This is set eight years after the battle, seven years after the final Horcrux was destroyed by the Order of the Phoenix, six years after Harry and Credence graduated from Hogwarts, and two years after they became fully trained Aurors.

Tina Goldstein and Percival Graves have been sent over from America to give a talk to the DMLE about their role in the Horcrux hunt. Credence barely batted an eyelash when the announcement was made, but Harry knows how stressed he really is about it.

“Nervous?” grinned Harry, neatening Credence’s robe.

Credence slapped his hand away and Harry snickered, cheeks crinkling under the neatly trimmed goatee that framed his mouth. He rolled his eyes at his friend and pushed his long black hair behind his ears, tugging it until his scalp tingled. “Yeah. Now fuck off.”

Harry snickered again. “Come on, Auror Kowalski. Let’s see what the famous Americans can teach us about long term field assignments.”

Credence snorted. “Field assignments my arse, that’s just MACUSA trying to take credit for the horcrux hunt retroactively.”

“Bloody Americans.” Harry shook his head and tutted, and Credence gave him a dead arm. “Oww, you bastard. Come on, before you get even more violent. Merlin, the things I put up with.”

Credence grinned at him, but it died on his cheeks as he followed him into the lecture theatre. “Hey, uh, Harry, can we sit at the back, do you think? I just…”

“Sure,” he said, giving him a lopsided smile. Credence returned it gratefully.

When Tina and Graves came on stage, Credence thought he’d lost his stomach through the concrete floor, leaving his body empty and vibrating with butterflies. His breath felt punched out of him and he clutched the desk so hard his finger joints ached.

Because Graves was still - after eight years, countless drunken nights, two other boyfriends and many, many claims to the contrary - the one for him.

Harry glanced at him out of the corner of his eye and smirked lightly, but didn’t say anything, just opened his notepad as Graves started talking. All around them people were writing furiously, but Credence was frozen, aching with eight years’ repressed pining. Didn’t matter how naive he told himself he had been back in school, Graves still had the power to make him feel like he could tell the future. He knew again, with the same certainty he’d always felt when faced with Graves, that he’d love him until the day he died.

The constriction in his throat eased as Graves stepped back to let Tina take the podium, explaining the methods they’d used to track down the Gaunt ring. But the pain didn’t die away completely, settling into a hard lump in his chest.

As the talk came to an end, through a long Q and A session, after the class began filing out leaving Robards to talk to Tina and Graves, Credence still sat as if petrified.

At last Harry squeezed his shoulder. “C’mon, let’s go talk to them.”

But Credence shook his head. “I can’t.”

“What? Why?”

“I just… what if…” He took a deep breath and let it out slowly, looking up at Harry at last. I’d rather keep my dreams intact.”

Harry looked so painfully sympathetic that Credence turned away and busied himself with his unopened bag. “Let’s just go. Lunch at that muggle place again?”

Harry opened his mouth, then closed it again and shrugged. “Sure.”

They had to walk past the stage to get to the door. He kept his head down and trusted the dark, and Robards’ distraction, and eight years of silence.

Then Harry tripped, and fell with a yell. All eyes turned to them.

“Credence?” called a soft voice, almost breathless.

He froze, half way to pulling Harry to his feet. Harry leaped up, grinned, and ran off with a cheeky wave, and Credence plotted seven different ways to kill him and hide the body before turning. “Hi.”

Read the rest of this chapter here, or start from the beginning here

[xillveart]

Sweet Drunk

Main Pairing: Katsuki Bakugou x Koge Naegi (OC) 

Rating: Teen 

Words:  1,451

Genre: Humor / Romance

Warnings: Cursing, Alcohol, Butt Slapping

a/n: I was needing something fluffy, and I kinda wanted to do a parallel to Freaky Drunk. So we have some cute and fluffy drunk Bakugou. ღゝ◡╹)ノ♡

“Oh shit, motherfucker, who put that ledge there?!” 

“You designed it, my love.” Koge called to her lover as she sat on the couch in their living room, having been watching some late-night television while waiting for him to get home. It may have been around three in the morning at this point, and she was admittedly a bit tired, but she had found that she just couldn’t sleep. One, because she missed him while he was out drinking with his friends. Two, because he would not stop texting her, and the frequent buzzing of her phone and conversations kept her up. At first there weren’t any, until he started getting drunk. The complaints, ‘I miss you’s, and random drunken babble were amusing at first, but in the end, Koge just wanted him home so he would shut up. 

“Why the fuck-- ow! Why the fucking hell did I put ledge?!” The thumping of shoes and shuffling of a jacket prompted Koge to peek up over the back of the couch, watching as Bakugou plopped his wallet and keys on a small table they kept in the entryway. With a small roll of her eyes, Koge turned and sat up on her knees, leaning forward with her elbows on the back of the couch. 

“That’s a good question, but I don’t think it really matters. Had one too many shots, did you?” Koge couldn’t resist the small smile on her lips as Bakugou finally looked at her, his own grin breaking his face at the sight of her. 

“Utsuro! What are you doing awake, how long have you been here? It’s like two-- three in the fucking morning.” Making his way over on surprisingly steady feet, he stood in front of her behind the couch, letting his arms slip under hers to wrap around her torso. Giggling, Koge wrapped her own around his neck, giving him a firm kiss on the cheek. 

“You goof, you’ve been talking to me since you walked in. And I couldn’t sleep, I was worrying about you too much.” Heat rushed to her cheeks as Bakugou placed sweet kisses along her neck and shoulder. “So sweet.” 

“Sweet, sure. Sweet like your fucking ass in those shorts, damn.” As his hand came down hard onto her ass, Koge squeaked and tried to shift away, but his grip on her kept her in place. “No, no, no, you don’t get to go anywhere! Your ass is sexy from this angle.” An even harder smack made Koge nearly cry out, but she shoved her face into his neck to keep from being too loud. 

“Ow, Katsuki! Don’t spank me so hard! You’ll make me wake up Matsuki.” Sitting up, Koge cupped his cheeks with both hands, squishing them together against his malicious smirk. With the puckering of his lips from the pressure, she kissed him roughly, which only made him squeeze her tighter. The hot taste of whisky on his lips wasn’t all that bad, but his breath is what made her pull away. “Ick! Stinky boy.” 

In retaliation, Bakugou blew some hot air in her face, making her squeal and try to escape his grip again. “What’s it smell like, Utsuro?! Huh?!” Unable to get away, Koge whined and once again hid her face in his shoulder, only to be subjected to another smack to her ass. 

“It smells like whisky and buffalo wings! Oww, can’t you be gentle? My butt is sore enough from last night.” Her grumbling request seemed to work, as Bakugou instead began to pat some type of rhythm using both hands on her corresponding cheeks, humming along with it. Giving a roll of her eyes, Koge let him, though it wasn’t any particular song that she recognized. “That’s better. You’re usually so sweet when you’re drunk, I don’t know where this attitude came from.” 

“I missed you!” Bakugou whined, suddenly crawling up over the back of the couch to sit beside her. She was nearly immediately in his grip again, pulled over onto his lap to sit facing him. “I know that it was a guy thing, but fuck, it’s hard for me to have fun without you.” 

“I could tell you missed me,” Koge settled into place, running her fingers through the messy blonde fluff on the top of his head. “You wouldn’t stop texting me.” She didn’t bother complaining as his hands fell back to continue his random drumming against her butt. “But I missed you, too. I bet it was a lot of fun.” 

“It was whatever.” Bakugou leaned his head back with a sigh, hazy crimson glare scanning the ceiling. “Most of it was boring stupid shit and trying to swat women off of me like they were fucking flies.” 

Giggling softly, Koge let her fingers trace along the strong form of his jawline. “Oh really? Well, that’s because you’re just too damn cute for your own good.” 

Cupping her hand in his, Bakugou gave her palm a firm kiss, trailing softer ones up along her fingers. “Fuck, you smell good.” Then, as his lips passed over Koge’s engagement and wedding ring, he stopped, his brow furrowing as he gazed at them in confusion. Koge couldn’t help but giggle as he looked at them, turning her hand over to see the front. 

“Katsuki, what are you doing?” 

“Oh shit, we’re married, aren’t we?” 

Instantly, Koge burst out into giggles, finding his genuine confusion and excited statement absolutely adorable. “Oh my god, yes my Katsuki, we’re married! We have been for two months.” 

“Shit, that’s fucking awesome! Only two months? What the fuck is wrong with me, I should have married you way fucking sooner.” With a small tug, he pulled her body against him, wrapping his arms back around her waist with his face shoved into her neck. The feeling of his strong hands caressing her petite figure brought a fluttering to Koge’s stomach, putting her own arms around his neck. 

“Sooner, huh? How long have you wanted to marry me?” 

“For-fucking-ever. I should have married your dumb ass right out of high school. I love you.” 

“Aw, I love you, too.” 

“No, no. I love you,” As if he needed to get some grave point across to her, he got her to sit up before cupping her cheeks with both hands. “I love the fucking shit out of you. You are my life. Do you get it?” 

Unable to stop the tears building up or smile on her lips, Koge clutched onto the front of his t-shirt tightly. “And you’re mine, Katsuki.” 

“I would die for you. I would fucking step on a Lego for you.” Bakugou couldn’t resist a chuckle at his dumb commentary, which Koge joined in with her own giggles. “My love for you is bigger than fucking space-- no! Bigger than my fucking ego! Which is bigger than space!” He could barely get the words out before he was cracking up laughing, hugging his wife to him tightly as she struggled to catch her own breath. 

“Katsuki! Oh my god, shh! So loud!” She silenced him with a kiss, to which he responded by placing many all over her face. He ended with a rough raspberry to her cheek before scooping her up, slamming her down playfully onto the couch beneath him. Latching her arms and legs around him, Koge resisted the urge to squeal, though found she didn’t need much help as he caught her lips in another kiss. 

Once he released, he nuzzled his face into her neck, resting his body down comfortably against hers. “Fuck, I just want hold on to you forever.” 

Smile stretching across her face and cheeks flushed, Koge buried the side of her face into his hair, softly stroking his back with her nails. “You can, my love. Forever.” 

As he settled in against her, his head comfortably on her chest, Bakugou gave a loud yawn. “Mm… My Koge…” In nearly the same instant, he was out, breathing becoming steady as he fell asleep. Softly massaging the back of his neck and scalp, Koge took a quick glance at the baby monitor to make sure it was on before she settled her head against his. It was rare that Bakugou would be so relaxed and comfortable, and even though he was intoxicated, Koge knew that every word he said was the truth. Beneath that rough exterior that he showed to the world, there was a soft and cuddly lover inside, and she felt blessed to be the lucky one to experience it. 

“My Katsuki… I’m the luckiest girl in the world, and I love you. Even if you do smell like whisky and buffalo wings.”