#Dragging assistant y/n around goin

[luckyartdrawer]

Get this man out of my head NOW!!!

Great animation practice at least-

Hopefullyyy tumblr isn't compressing it toooo badly.

vvv Goodie and yapping below!!! vvv

I really should be focusing on my assignments but ah yes, it twas a good idea to animate the goober stuck in my head.

Essentially, this drawing has been stuck in my head and I found the perfect songs that matches this mf so well. The voices.... They chain me down.

This took way longer than it should have v_v

Take this early snippet of the silly hitting himself as a consolation. It's either going to be a while before I post this man, or in general, again or it is going to be often if he won't LEAVE MY HOUSE (mind)

[hyperiondickrider]

Baby Bunny~

(Chapter 6)

Vox x Reader; Valentino x Reader; Alastor x Reader; maybe Lucifer x Reader

After your untimely death, Mr Vox was kind enough to take you in and give you a job as his assistant. However, it appears that you’ve caught the eyes of few other demons, who are certainly not afraid of a little competition…

Vox was gone when you woke up.

Eyes still droopy with sleep, a big yawn forced itself from your throat as you sat up, the sunlight streaming in through the shutters slowing adjusting your eyes to the early morning sun.

The bed was empty, and in Vox’s place sat a neatly folded letter. You clambered over, recognising Vox’s handwriting and your name on the letter.

My darling bunny,

Im afraid i won’t be there to take care of you when you wake up, but i’ve been called on business to the Greed Ring.

Supposedly, Mammon has a business deal for me; one that will serve to increase the VoxTek empire exponentially, my dear.

Whilst I’m gone, i won’t expect you to be at work, since there won’t be anything for you to do without me there. So please, take some days to yourself, visit Angel Dust, whatever you wanna do.

There should be coffee in the pantry, and should you need groceries please take Velvette with you; it’s too near to that time again, and i really don’t want any incidents dollface.

If you need anything else, please go to Velvette, and the Val as a last resort. I’m still not sure how much i trust him around you, especially without me around.

I should be back in a few days, a week at most.

Love you baby,

Vox

With a smile and a giggle, you crumpled up the letter, deciding to take his advice and visit Angel as the day allowed it.

Pulling yourself out of bed, you dragged a brush through your hair, flinching as it scraped your ears, surprised at their unusual sensitivity. Shrugging it off, you through on some clothes, a sweater, skirt, and matching leg warmers, before heading out the door.

Skipping out the door, you stretched the remaining drowsiness out of your sore limbs, enjoying the glow of sun on your skin. Trying to remember to route, you decided to pick up a coffee on the way, unable to find any in the pantry.

Humming a tune, your nose twitched at the fragrant scent of coffee, ears perking up in recognition. Eagerly approaching the counter, you pulled out your fluffy wallet.

“Two caramel lattes, please!” You grinned lightly leaning back and forth on your heels as you waited patiently for your coffee. After all, Angie was never a morning person, so he’d hopefully appreciate being woken with his favourite coffee.

“Two caramel lattes for Y/N?”

Not noticing the stares and smirks you got, you grabbed your coffees and hurried out the door, eager to see your best friend after way too long.

The streets of hell felt more chaotic than usual. Had something happened? Was something going on?

Shaking off your anxieties, you continued the way towards the hotel, despite feeling as though eyes were constantly on you. The familiar sight of the hotel’s large doors were a welcome refuge, as you knocked gently, you timidity returning at the remembrance of many powerful people residing here.

“Omigodomigod is it a new guest! Vaggie Vaggie come here! Quick!” The door swung open with fervour too great for so early in the morning, and you took a step back out if surprise.

“Y/N? Ohh, are you here to see Angel? It’s great to see you again! Do you want to be redeemed?” Grabbed by the hand, Charlie hastily pulled you inside, bombarding you with questions.

“H-hi Charlie! No, im just here to see Angie, my boss gave me a few days off so i came to visit!”

“Oh, that is just wonderful! Im so glad Angel has such nice friends!” Charlie gushed at your innocent demeanour, pulling you towards the lounge where Angel was sitting on a couch, scrolling on his phone.

“Charlie, my love, calm down. Its 9 in the morning.” Vaggie put a comforting shoulder on Charlie’s shoulder, intending to relax her from her excitment.

“Charlie? What’s goin’ on?” Angel called out not looking up from his phone, seemingly uninterested in the commotion.

“Angie! I missed you! Here i brought you a latte.”

“Huh? Cutie! I missed ya too you silly rabbit! Ooh, is it caramel?”

“Yup, your favourite!”

“Satan, you know me so well!”

You giggled as Angel eagerly chugged his coffee, before pulling you into a tight embrace. You sighed into his touch, ears twitching pleasedly, as he scratched your head.

“Cutie, what are ya doin’ here? Dontcha know how dangerous it is outside right now? Didntcha watch the news?”

Your eyes widened and you glanced up at him. “Why? Is something goin’ on? Mr Vox doesn’t let me watch the news, he says he’ll tell me everything i need to know…”

Angel let out a string of curses and grumbled. “Course that fucking manipulative asshole controls all the information that gets to ya. The extermination, babes. Its comin’ in 6 months now, not a year. Everyone’s freaking out.”

You gasped, a hand shooting up to cover your mouth in shock. “W-what? But that’s awful!”

“Yeah, but we got a more immediate problem on our hands. You feelin’ okay, cutie?” Angel picked you up with a set of arms and turned you around to inspect you, as if looking for something.

“W-what do you mean, Angie?”

With a sigh, he grabbed your cotton tail, causing you to whimper loudly, tears forming in your eyes.

“You’re really fucking sensitive, cutie. Your heat’s about to start, i can smell it on you.” Angel sniffs the air for dramatic effect, causing you to giggle.

“But i should still have at least a week left?”

Angel put you down with a sigh, and glanced out the nearest window. “Cutie, there’s literally like, 15 sinners out there waiting for you to come out. What, didja collect ‘em like fucking pokemon?” The both of you start laughing, as you collapse into Angel’s chest fluff, legs weak from giggling.

Angel lowered a hand down whilst your giggles were muffled in his chest, touching your panties to discover the sopping wetness between your legs as you shivered at his gentle touch. You moaned softly, gripping his biceps as he inspected your slick.

“Yup. Babes, its like the heavens have literally opened up between your legs.” He chuckled at his own phrasing, scooping you up in his long arms. “We gotta get you home to Vox before it fully sets in”

“M-mr Vox isn’t here, Angie. H-he’s in the Greed Ring on business.”

Angel cursed loudly, drawing the attention of the other in the hotel.

“Angel? What’s wrong?” Charlie inquired curiously.

“Little bunny here’s about to start her heat, but daddy Vox ain’t here to help her through it. So I’m gonna hafta help her, cause there ain’t no fuckin way i’m handin her over to Val”

“S-sorry Angie, i guess you’re stuck with me until Mr Vox is back..” you trail off, your arousal growing steadily as your sight becomes hazy.

“Sorry Charlie, can she stay with me a while? I can’t leave her like this.”

“U-uh of course Angel!” Charlie blushes at the implication, but eager to help. “Y-you can be excused from activities until she can get back to Vox!”

Angel scooped you up, preparing to take you to his room when he was stopped by the sound of Husk’s gruff voice.

“Whatcha say, Whiskers? I can’t fuckin hear ya from here!”

Husk groaned, annoyed at having to repeat himself. “I said, Alastor ain’t gonna be fuckin happy about this.”

A figure emerged from the shadows, his grin tighter and more strained than usual.

“i thought i smelt rabbit! Has our dear bunny found herself in trouble, hm?” His teasing tone was lost on the crowd, you soft pants and whimpers permeating the otherwise silent room.

“I see, well im afraid i cannot allow this, my dear. You see, you associate with the television, and i cannot allow that sort of business in this hotel, understand?” The static in his voice grows thick, his irritation audible, but you struggle to understand anything, everythung buried in a hazy fog of lust and need.

“C’mon, Al, cut her some slack. The poor bunny’s in heat and needs help.”

“Hm, no can do, my effeminate fellow! Off she goes!” His grin is so stretched it bares his gums, as his jaw clenches, seemingly holding back from something.

“Satan, you are such a fuckin ass! Promise me you’ll at least get her to Val safely, you fucker! I ain’t strong enough to get both of us through that carnage while her stench literally screams sex. ”

“Hm, i suppose that i can do.” Alastor takes you from Angel’s arms, carrying you bridal style as the both of you returned to the shadows.

“Cutie! Don’t hesitate to call! I’ll come help if ya need me babes!”

You vaguely recognise Angel’s voice through the fog, distracted by the intoxicating scent enveloping you. Grabbing on to Alastor’s chest, you bury your head in his neck, sniffing him deeply, inhaling his musky scent, the pheromones making your head spin as you whine in pleasure.

You can make out Alastor muttering curses under his breath, his smile straining as his grip on you tightened.

“My darling, you smell truly delectable, i can barely contain myself. I wonder how you would taste…”

You whine and grab at him, craving contact, attention, to be touched. The ache between your legs was growing painful, your slick coating your thigh and soaking through your panties.

“A-Al, p-please h-help me~” you plead with him, begging to be touched, to be bred. His grip continues to tighten, bordering painful, until his resolves finally snapped.

Pinning you against the nearest wall, his sharp and yellowed teeth attacked you neck, biting harshly and licking the wounds, eager to draw blood, to taste you. Lapping up the blood beading from his teeth marks, Alastor groaned at the taste, the intoxicating taste of bunny blood. Rabbit meat was rare in hell, and hard to come by, but had always been a personal favourite of the cannibal.

“Fuck, my darling, you truly are delicious. I could just eat you up right now.” He chuckled darkly at your pained whimpers and terrified whines, continuing to suck bruises onto your flesh, leaving love bites and hickies, marking his territory before handing you over to Valentino as promised.

“If only you scent wasn’t plagued by the stench of that television, perhaps i would keep you all to myself this time. Oh well, perhaps next time my darling. Until we meet again.”

And with that, Alastor disappeared, leaving you collapsed on the floor in front of Valentino’s appartment.

With gentle whine and moan, you dragged yourself on shaky legs to the door, knocking and scratching on it until you received an answer.

“Who the fuck is there, hm? I’m fuckin’ off the clock, don’t bother me putas!” Val yanked the door open looking left and right before dropping his eyes to you, his grin widening.

“Awh, my poor little coñejita~ what’s happened, bebé?” Val cooed at you, blowing thick red smoke in your face as you tried to formulate a response through the haze and confusion.

“M-mr Val, i-i need help. M-mr Vox i-is gone, a-and my h-heat s-started. P-please h-help me, s-sir…” you started to tear up out of discomfort, the intense desire proving too much for you to handle as you made grabby hands to Val, who just cooed and scooped you up, closing the door behind you both.

Val chuckled darkly, his eyes narrowing.“Don’t worry your pretty little head, bebé. I’ll make sure you’re well taken care of, hm~”

A/N: So excited to write these next few chapters lol. It’s getting fun and horny

Tags: @enby-rising @whocaresimnothere @christineblood @sirenetheblogger @vash-yuu

[muffindaddystyles]

OH NO BABY!!

Summary: It was Harry who swimmed in freezing ass water but someone else (his lovie) ends up catching a cold, caring boyfriendrry, a mighty bit momrry.

Turquoise chilly waves crashes against the dark coloured stones as Y/N watches her button sized boyfriend; summat all with rosy cheeks and nose, un-tattooed, wearing excessively short knickers (so tiny it shows the curves of his cute bum perfectly), being a cheeky giggly boy while shooting his swimming scenes. 

She wheezes a cold puff of breath winding her brown overcoat closer around to keep her warm but it fails to do so and she might get a scolding from Harry for being silly and waiting outside the whole time just to watch him but she doesn't care, she's extremely proud of him and comes by the sets of My Policemen once a time she gets day off her job early. 

He paddles towards her like a penguin buried into humongous coats and towels, his brows furrowing together trying to recognize her dainty self waving him quite enthusiastically from far and his face softens at that.

Shaking his head when her teeth clanks together from the gush of stinging cold breeze. 

"Lovie'," He wraps his nippy palms around her hands bringing them to his frosty lips to blow warm air, knowing she hates cold and gets real whiny from not being able to bear it yet she stood in it for two hours for him means alot to him because his assistant told him someone was waiting for him but didn't tell it was his actual sweet baby.

"How you're not a frozen chicken yet?" She asks sighing once in the heat of his given trailer and he makes an exhultant purring noise when she cups his face, lulling it left and right playfully, "Are you okay? She queries worriedly looking down at him with batted eyes and he muses a chuckle at her sweetness. 

"Baby 'm fine -- feeling hot by the way now you're inside the van." He grins bashfully tugging her closer with his knees pulled around her legs, "You better go back home .. I don't want your cutesy bum to freeze to death." She squeaks surprisingly when he smacks her ass playfully and drags her down by pulling the lapel of her coat to smear his lips against her's fondly -- heart bigger than it's normal size at her sight making his day 100x better. 

"I brought you lunch, it's on that shelf." She tells him standing at the stairs of trailer and he waves her blowing a heartious kiss her way, "Call me when y'reach, yeah?" 

"Kay, bye!" Her awfully pretty smile covets dimples into his cheeks and he just want to throw himself into the sofa piled with blanket and scream into it like a teenager girl.

Though, she keeps sneezing through whole ride -- eyes teary, nose runny and fingers twitchy not to mention her numb toes making her feel very uncomfy. Her eyes dropping from being too sleepy and lazy. 

She's about to catch a cold. 

Tiredly she drags her feet upto their flat and doesn't even pet their kitten strawberry on the way to their bedroom and when reaches it flops over blankets snuggling into them -- without even changing into comfy clothes. 

Sirens everywhere as she wakes up with a groan holding her forehead to subside the pound in it and it's feeling like blazing alarms are going off in her head making her want to puke. 

It's dark outside. She's been napping for hours. She manages to sit on the edge of bed deciding whether she should stand up to go to washroom or not for that all she could see is floating wooden floor. 

Weakly she trudges towards the kitchen filling a glass of water and pulls out a thermometer from one of the drawers -- she was too occupied in waiting for it to beep  then checking her fever that she didn't hear Harry announcing; he's home. 

She gasps quickly shoving it under her bum, "Don't you hide that thermometer from me!" He squalls rushing towards her in two big strides of his daddy long legs and her eyes widen comically. 

"I was just checking and I don't have any kind of fever!" She squeals not letting him get hold of the thermometer and he glares down at her sternly, "You're burning up, baby." He hisses, the back of his hand pressed to her forehead. 

She stands up and does a twirl for him shrugging her shoulders nonchalantly, "See 'm fine —- " Only to pass out but Harry was quick to take her fall in his arms gracefully squinting his eyes down at her.

"Yeah . . . could see how fine you're." She gives in atlast. Knowing he's going in a severe mommy mode.

"Put your arms around me — Or just fall on me, yeah that works too." She nods and let him slip his socks clad feetsie under her soles to walk them to their bedroom, he sits her down and she wails when he opens their wardrobe to get her something comfy. 

"Nooo." She bunches up into a ball as he fists her vest top to pull it over her head, "it's freezing -- 'm feeling so cold." He frowns because he's sweating his ass off from the heat. 

He sweeps her hair away from her eyes rubbing a hand down her back continuously, "It'd be a sec, pet. Then I'll warm these blankets in the drier 'n make ye' some soup, so you'd be all cosy 'n snuggly … hmm?" She's very unconvincing when sick. Wants him and just him by her side. 

She wipes her nose with her sleeve and sniffs, raising her armpits in air for him and  shivers terribly when he undressed her completely, "Oh me poor baby." He leans in to kiss the corner of her lips but she pushes him away grumpy-ly. 

"You're g'na get sick too, dummy." He pouts childishly helping her to put her legs in her fuzzy pyjamas, plants tender kisses to her ankles once covering her feet in aloe-fused socksies.

When she stands up on wobbly legs with the support of his folded thigh he almost jumps asking worriedly. 

"Where are ye' goin', missy!??" 

"To washroom." Her voice barely audible her throat achy and scratchy, "'M comin' with you." He tells her demandingly and she groans knuckling at her eyes. 

"No."

"You wanna walk by yourself? Alright, let's see that." He leaves her wrist and she gasps tripping forward from weakness -- catching the nearest furniture before the damage. 

"Moppet, stop being so stubborn and lemme take care of you … look at you, an absolute horror –-- never been this frail." He's just so caring it makes her want to cry and have a full on water-works party. He pushes her from waist to himself pecking her sweet smelling hair and takes her to washroom. 

After that he tucks her beneath two fluffy blankets and leaves her to make some soup for her and bring her medicine, "Harry!" She yowls pinching the blankets closer around her round small head and feels bad when he rushes inside in a frenzy with an utterly concerned face, serving spoon in his hand and dish rag on his shoulder. 

"What happened baby? D'ya wanna throw up? Or are you feelin' freezy, should I blow up heat?" He asks in one breath and she blushes murmuring timidly, glossy eyes still very sleepy and exhausted. 

She sneezes loudly, "I just –- achoo!! –- " Another sneeze and she messes her words horribly, " –- you — " Drool on the corner of her mouth. 

"You achoo me?" He giggles softly fetching some tissues for her and wipes her nose with them as she struggles to clean it herself. 

"'M sorry, please come back." She sighs holding in an another sneeze to avoid wetting him with her yucky stuff. 

He strokes her head for a generous moment, "It's almost cooked –- oh fuck is it burning?" He sniffs the air then looks down at her with full on saucer eyes and slaps his forehead when she raises her shoulders, "Maybe?" Thankfully not all of it got ruined and his grin was obnoxious while bringing it inside. Trying to shoo away strawberry who's pawing at the frizzes of his socks. 

She smiles up at him with hooded eyes when he hovers the spoon infront of her waiting to feed her as if she's some sort of lil baby and when she tells him it's hot he blows at it and when she still tries to make excuses he stares at her strictly, "Baby." He warns her and she obliges quickly grabbing his wrist delicately to eat and his heart jumps consciously at the fact she's still burning awfully. 

"Did you even put salt in it? It tastes like nothing."

"Please stop wasting of what's left of ye voice on complaints about soup you can't even taste." He huffs and she giggles only to drive into fits of loud coughs. He rubs her back gently and puts the tray aside when she feels like throwing up from the effect of coughs and moves the bin where she's bended over the edge of bed and his legs. 

"It's okay, hmm just let it out." He caresses her back and holds her hair away from her face -- though nothing comes out since she hasn't eaten anything from morning. 

"I hate this." There comes the first sniffle and he instantly cradles her face in his soft hands, "I know dovie' you're feeling very icky right now but it'll be better in the morning, I promise." She shakes her head coughing into her elbow. 

"I don't want to eat anymore." Her voice groggy and hoarse, he lifts her gaze up towards him scolding her with a stern frown. 

"Hey, now none of that -- you're not allowed to sleep until your belly isn't full." She groans nodding at last and he kisses her shoulder as a little reward. She isn't very bratty. Infact she's Harry's polite girl. Though, When she's he makes sure to tug her back on line but at the moment he understands that how much she's suffering. 

How much she needs him to take care of her.

Taking care of her medicines and her cough syrup he turns on the lamp laying back into heap of pillows against the headboard and spreads his knees to bunch her petite weak body against his chest and closes them when she's properly snuggled on top of him, it's one of her favourite positions to sleep in when she's sick --- clinged and cuddled to him. 

Like babies on their mommy's chest with their bums sticked out.

He tightens his arms around her hiding his face into the crook of her neck and smooches tiny kisses to her sweet spot, "You're so cute baby makes me heart-ache." 

His tranquil heartbeat never fails to lull her to sleep and his hands loving on her sides always makes her feel very warm, "You shouldn't have come to beach -- moppet. Knows your immune against cold is terrible." He whispers cheek squished over her head and she murmures sleepyly —- hands bundled up between her and his front, "Just wanted to make you feel ….. loved." Her words jumblish but full of affection and drool sticks to his sweatshirt when she mumbles against his chest. 

//

Harry didn't sleep whole night making sure she's okay, making her sip her cough syrup in betweens and massaging her head but when his eyes barely dropped and the clock hit 4 in the morning whimpers and wails started slipping out of her lips as if she's in very much pain. Which infact she's. Her body shivers vigorously in his arms and even though she's sweating her fever didn't lower down a bit. 

He has never seen her in such a bad condition. 

He perches on his elbow immediately cupping her hot rosy cheek and gives it few pats crying out worriedly, "Hey baby -- wake up." When she doesn't listen his lungs felt suffocating themselves bile forming in his throat. He throws the blanket away sitting up fully and rests her head in the nook of his elbow.

"Y/N!?" He tries not to panic when she gives him no-response and before his anxiety driven self could duck down to press his ear to her heart her eyelids fluttered barely -- blue chapped lips moving slowly. 

"'M okay, bub. Don't worry ….. " 

"Bullocks. You're not okay! You can't stop shivering!! Looks almost dead." He growls angry at her and himself for not taking her to clinic soon, "You're so fucking stubborn, pet." He mutters rageously laying her gently down on the mattress and climbs down the bed to bring their coats. Almost stomping his way all around the bedroom to collect stuff. 

This time doesn't ask her if she could walk or not and glides his arms underneath her shoulders and knees to haul her firmly against his chest -- blanket still wrapped around her shivering body. 

"Shh, shh my baby. You're g'na be okay, 'm so sorry you're in so much pain." He tries to soothe her while walking down stairs of the building. 

Turns out she caught pneumonia. They had to stay two hours at the clinic for her drip and some injections for which he had to hold her down from wiggling and squirming her way out. 

Made her rest till the fever was gone temporarily then drives them back home when assured that her condition isn't worsening and right now when she's cuddled up into his side with strawberry sleeping on his thighs he nudges her lightly.

"Dovie' I love you so much but that doesn't mean you can scare the shit outta me like that." She just mewls sinking deeper into his side.

"No more set visits fo' you." He tells her seriously and she perks her head up coughing mildly and he raises his forefinger in a demand for her to stay quite, that there's nothing to argue, "You could watch me for once 'n all at the big screen." 

"Harry……" She whines tugging the hem of his sweatshirt.

"No, Harry." He pets her head down back on the pillow. 

Without saying anything she distance herself from him like a grumpy shrimp and fusses under her breath. He supresses his amused chuckles noting the silliness of this girl and drags her back by her ankle towards him.

"Come back here, you little betrayer." He gasps dramatically and squishes her in his embrace till she gives up and herself nuzzles up into his homely scented neck. 

[shadowworks]

Compulsion

Pairing: Mafia!Dabi X Reader

Warnings: dubconish themes, flirting with Hawks, blood, murder, blackmail, fingering. NSFW, quirkless AU!

Word Count: 4.4k

A/N: Alright! This piece is for The Smut Pile Mafia Collab

I have to give my wholehearted thanks to @hisoknen @some-kindofgnome , @pleasantanathema, and @ever-enthralled for reading this over the last couple weeks, and making sure it reads well! I am so happy to have you beautiful souls! Also a special shoutout to Raph for brainstorming with me when I was stuck at the very end. 💕

Edit: This has fanart! Beautiful @maewoahoah created a Mafia!Hawks piece right here and a Mafia!Dabi piece here! She’s very talented! ;)

On this ominous winter evening it begins snowing. 

You readjust your peacoat and step through the frosty glow of the street lamp to your front door. Your muscles ache a little more than usual, your steps a little heavier. It’s been a long and tedious day at work; far less stimulating compared to Toga’s position working for a bootlegger named Tomura. But both jobs pay the rent. You push papers and withhold your scowls towards clients. Now, you want a bath. 

The sound of a muffled radio plays on the other side, and it floods your ears as you walk in with warmth and an iron smell wafting your chilled nose. 

“Folks, I'm goin' down to St. James Infirmary...

Seeeee, my baby there;

She's stretched out on a long, white table

She looks so sweet, so cold, so fair.”

Toga’s playing blues again. It’s a routine she has before the graveyard shift across town. At this time, she’s in the kitchen making something before she goes, but you’re having trouble figuring out what food smells like copper. 

“He-e-e-y,” you call lazily, a sing-songy tone in your voice. 

She doesn’t answer, though you hear the clacking of stiletto heels on wood, which makes you amble down the hall to see what she’s doing. 

“Think you can smuggle some whiskey tonight? I thought we had some, but Keigo probably polished it off last—“

You stop in the doorway. 

There’s a poor bastard lying flat on his back, head twisting too far towards the sink. Ribbons of blood streak down his colorless skin, pouring out from a dark and glossy hole just beneath his jaw. You see it puddle and stain the edges of his hair a sticky red, the only sound besides your heart thudding is the soft thrums from the parlor.

“ When I die please bury me in my high top Stetson hat

Put a twenty dollar gold piece on my watch chain

So the gang'll know I died standing pat.”

You’re in a daze, one where you’re not sure how long you’ve been staring. It doesn’t seem real. Is it real? But it’s not until you hear the sound of heels clicking against the wood floors that you drag your gaze to the noise. 

Toga’s standing near the stove, her features vacant, shoulders slouched, and she’s holding a knife that’s still wet.

What the fuck? 

You want to scream, berate her, seethe what the fuck was she thinking, or if she was thinking for that matter. But the blonde speaks up before you do, with a voice above a whisper. 

“He was going to leave me. Said he was too dangerous.” Toga doesn’t look in your direction, moving to the rim of pooled blood which has stopped spreading out, “I told him I wouldn’t let anyone come between us, but he wouldn’t listen.”

Your jaw goes taut, staring incredulously at her steely face. The lack of emotion gives you a sinking feeling in your stomach.

The man wasn’t a random suit who bled out on your floor, this moron was seeing Toga on and off for months and had been trying to be more present.

Nights spent arriving at your door with flowers and sweets, and driving her to work was becoming a staple in his routine. He preferred staying in Toga’s room if they had the day off, and he always slipped out when the morning frost dusted the grass, a soft bluish hue painting the streets before sunlight. 

But that’s not the problem. See, he was a core member inside the Mafia running the northern side of the city, ‘The League’ they like to call themselves. The only men above this guy was his boss Tomura, and the underboss Dabi. You don’t know the former, but you’ve spent time with the latter.

You’re aware of his sadistic nature that flashes behind those teal eyes, and he doesn’t try to  hide it, either. The sideway glances during a poker match before he fucked someone over , the smile he wore when you asked about the purple bruises on his knuckles. 

So fan-fucking-tastic, the broad has some nerve.

You curl your lip, already shrugging your shoulders from your coat. You toss it over the table and start rolling up your sleeves to the elbows.  

Toga finally turns towards you after catching movement by her side, brows raising confused, “What are you doing?”

“You’re gonna grab his feet and we’re gonna move him onto the rug in the hall.” 

You step in the blood, grabbing him by the rusty black colored jacket and dragging him from the puddle. Of course it leaves drag marks, your heels making tracks alongside, but you can deal with the clean up later. 

Toga hurries over to help, carrying him by the legs and letting you guide the body to the floral rug.

“You don’t want to know what happened?”

You stop. Immediately dropping the dead weight, his blond head lolls off to the side. Your palms sheen with red, but you straighten up and push a beach curl from your cheekbone with the back of your hand.

“Not really. All I want is this fucker out of my house.”

It’s her turn to stare at you incredulously. This is completely out of nowhere for you to be assisting in hiding a dead boyfriend, even if you two are roommates. You’ve only been living together for four months now.

“Toga, I need you to listen, okay?” you say, a bit mockingly, “I can look past the murdering business by pretending you acted in self defense, but if you don’t have the goddamn brains to realize this idiot has friends, then I suggest you don’t stab people!”

Toga flinches slightly at the lilted pitch in your voice, already suggesting panicky, “We can take him to the woods and hide him there?”

“That’ll work.” You don’t think Twice about it.  

Working together, you both hoist him a couple feet onto the rug, refusing to look at his face. You didn’t need to be feeling a pang of guilt. It doesn’t take long for you to roll him towards the front door, as the material wraps around his figure. 

The hardest part is retreating to the car. The moment you push through the door, you see the distance from where you stand and the car parked a little down the sloping street. You both give a hard look to the powdery snow dusting the ground, quiet and enchanting. It would be beautiful...had you not been carrying a corpse.

“Stop being a little bitch and heave!”

“I can’t! You’re making me hold all the weight!”

“He’s off the ground! How the fuck are you holding all the weight?”

“But my arms hurt!”

“Fucking hell, Toga. What if I had stayed at my sister’s tonight? What then?”

“Stop yelling at me! I get it, alright? I shouldn’t have done it in the house!” 

Your bickering toils through the winds, muffled by the falling snow. The burst of cold air is running through your buttoned blouse while crossing to the 1929 Chevrolet causing a shiver to roll down your back. When you reach the car Toga plops the rug down onto the snow first, then you. Your wet fingers feel numb against the metal handle. 

There’s one entrance on each side, which likely will make shimming the body to the backseat  much harder. You pause, looking at the front in thought. 

“I’ll go first,” you say, “when he’s in, you go and grab our coats.”

“Are we burying him?”

“Think the lake’s faster.”

“What if it’s icy? They’ll see the hole if we throw him in.”

You both ponder your options for a little while, this isn’t exactly something you’ve done before...You can’t say the same for Toga, but she seems just as puzzled, almost clueless on how to get rid of her ex. 

Meanwhile, the rolled corpse behind you starts to slip downhill, little by little. The slanting street gives speed and the rug starts to roll.. Red droplets trail behind in its wake. 

You just happen to see it first.

“Toga—Toga, the body! The body!” 

Toga cries out, taking off after the rug as best she can on a frozen sheet. “Fuck, fuck, fuck!” 

The graceful snowfall flutters with pain and chaos.

Toga skids against the fresh ice, feet stumbling under her navy blue dress. She falls to the ground with a hard thud, and you see she isn’t stopping. She keeps going alongside the body, sliding until the two disappear under another parked car. 

You don’t have time to think, a chill strikes up your spine in your panic. 

“Toga!” you call out, taking off after her. Unfortunately you find yourself abruptly on your back, pounding hard on the stones and stealing the breath from your lungs. 

If you could sigh right now you would. Or rather, if you could punch Toga right now you would, as rage twists with a throbbing pain in your chest. Was all this worth having a mobster roommate? The odds were piling against her. You have a mind to push her in the lake when you get there.

Several silent minutes go by with you staring up at the cloudy sky. It’s brighter from the illuminating white snow, and despite the icy powder prickling your flesh, you have no choice but to wait for the ache in your chest to fade. 

“Enjoying the view?” 

You hear a new voice, male, and the suave tone tells you who it is before he treads near. He looks over you with half lidded eyes of honey gold. 

He’s very pretty. The drifting snow flakes above his wheat coloured head manage to enhance this, though the uplifted eyes lined in black, and nicely sharp features are the last thing you want to see. You’re nowhere near ready to start lying out of Toga’s mess. 

“That can’t be too comfy down there,” Keigo says, bending forward with an outstretched hand,“C’mon, upsy-daisy.” 

You take his hand, feeling another leather glove hold your waist and lift you onto your feet. When you settle, he starts brushing the caked snow off your back. Mobster or not, he’s at least a gentleman.

“You alright?” he asks, giving you a once over for any fresh scratches.

You give a slow nod, crossing your arms over your chest. Fear’s got the better of you, and you look anywhere but him., “What are you doing here? I thought you were working tonight.”

“Oh I am! You could say I’m on patrol, need to pick up a few things.” 

Your gaze stills to your left, heart skipping. Keigo’s not alone. Standing nearby, a slim figure dressed in black from head to toe is watching you two lazily. A thread of smoke seeps from his parted lips, clouding a handsome face and spikes of black hair. Keigo keeps talking, but you can’t take your eyes off the ghostly presence you know to be Dabi.

“Unfortunately that includes loverboy. He was supposed to be back hours ago, but we figured he’s still fooling around,” a little smirk tugs at his mouth, suggestively “He’s still inside, right?”

You blink, turning back to face Keigo, “I wouldn’t know, I just got home,” you lie. 

“Look at you! You look like you’re about to freeze to death.” He starts suddenly, swiftly slipping his arms out from his heavy coat, revealing a black three piece with pinstripes, and a brighter crimson tie. In one smooth motion he twirls the long, beige coat over your shoulders, letting it rest over your figure.

“Thank you,” you say, before your eyes catch something. 

Dabi moves towards the clumsy skid marks, head tilting down to the red dots in the snow near his polished shoe. You stiffen.

“You sure you’re okay?” 

Your gaze flashes from Dabi’s retreating back to a politely smiling Keigo, “Yeah, I’m fine! I’m really cold is all.”

“Well, we should get you inside. You know you left your door wide open?” Shit, the door. You forgot about the stupid door—

(Dabi looms across the indents in the snow and follows down the hill like a dark shadow against crystals illuminating bright.)

“Ah yeah, I thought I left my purse in the car. It was just for a second, and then I slipped,” You force a smile. Relax. You need to relax. Keigo doesn’t seem convinced, reading something off in your features.

“Is that right?”

(He gets the edge of the old Ford, and notes the specks of red soak wider here. The spots lead underneath.) 

“I know, it’s pretty foolish. It’s um...It’s a good thing you showed up when you did, or...”

Your eyes drift over Keigo’s shoulder. The underboss starts to crouch low. Your pupils shrink, a new wave of panic tingles the back of your neck. Damn him, why was he so clever? 

“Dabi, wait!” you shout, pushing past Keigo’s shoulder. In your hurry you kick up the snowy crystals, rushing to the taller mobster in his long obsidian coat. Dabi quickly turns, standing up.tall before you hook onto his upper arm like a lover. “I saw an animal go under there that looked hurt. You shouldn’t mess with it.”

A smirk that breaks into a grin spreads on his face, a look of amusement blooming from your look of fright. You want to glare at him, though that could be dangerous. Why does he like seeing you scared?

 “An animal, you say?” he parrots back, adopting the same mocking pitch you gave Toga earlier. He’s not in the least bit on edge, and you really don’t like that. He flicks his teal eyes up to look behind you just then, “Good thing I have the city’s best exterminator right here.”

As if on cue, you hear the crunching boots of Keigo walking to the car. “Give me a break with the dirty work, will ya?”

“What, scared of a little pest?” Dabi taunts back coolly.

 “I’m not too fond of getting my knees wet, actually,” Keigo returns quite dryly, sharp eyes studying the long pattern marks. He places his gloved hands on his thighs and drops himself to a crouch in front of the vehicle.

You desperately hope Toga proves you wrong. Maybe she had the common sense to bail while no one was looking. It’s all you can do at this point, while Keigo dips his head underneath. You don’t realize, but your grip on Dabi’s arm presses tighter into the wool.

Keigo inspects below for a moment. There’s a long pause like a winter evening should be. Silent. Calming. You can almost believe in the soothing little lie. Then Keigo coughs a laugh  that echoes through the street. Bursts of manic giggles grow louder from the mobster, leaving you tilting your head at his pushed back hair, confused.

“There’s a pest, alright! I think I caught something—“

Keigo reaches under, and with an impressively strong yank, Toga’s head pops out in a doe eyed stare. Her arms are wrapped around a bundled rug with a fairly familiar head sticking out. 

“Hey there, Toga!” Keigo exclaims, “When did you become a rat?”

 Dabi tips his head down, drawing the lit cigarette back to his lazy smile. He’s shockingly calm which does nothing to ease your shivering panic. Toga however, seems fine. In fact, she’s moved on to livelier feelings.

“Hey! Does it look like a rat could’ve done this?!” she snaps, shaking the body in her arms. It bangs against the bottom of the car sending loud echoes through the nearly empty street. Specks of blood dribble on the white ground, and a couple more drops spray her cheeks.

You stare up at the clouds, rolling your eyes. Goddamnit Toga.

“Yeah, I guess a rat can’t hold a knife, huh? Ya got me there.” Keigo turns and beams you a smug look, eyes half lidded in an expression that reads, nice try, but you failed.

You scrunch your nose, quietly shooting him back a glare. Asshole might’ve caught you both red handed, but he didn’t have to be so fucking cocky about it. It’s only charming when he has a winning hand at cards. Beside you, Dabi’s shoulders shake with silent laughter, though you don’t have the guts to flash him the same glower. He is second in command after all.   

“Yeah, see? That’s what I thought!” Toga says in victory.

You blink very, very slowly at Toga when she finally meets your vastly unamused gaze,“...Nice work, Toga.” 

It comes suddenly. A fiery warmth ghosts the dip in your waist as Dabi leans in. It’s not unwelcomed, raw and soothing even, but it hardly lasts. His hand curls around Keigo’s coat collar and pulls it off your shoulders. The crisp wind rushes to your exposed arms.

“You got any rat poison on you, Hawks?” Dabi tosses the coat to Keigo. 

He catches it mid air as he rises to stand. “Nah, fresh out. But we have some back at the house.” 

“You want to take care of our rat problem then?”

“Can do, boss man.”

Before you can figure out what they mean–what they have planned for Toga–Dabi’s pristine leather glove presses at the small of your back and directs you toward the pouring light of the open door. “Don’t wait up.”

It’s barely there, but as you shift your eyes to Keigo, his features take on a darkened look toward Dabi.

“Play nice, now,” you hear Keigo say. This time though, the joyous tone is gone. 

A new song hums on the radio when you’re pushed through the threshold, you listen to the richly solemn blues as Dabi closes the door. He turns the lock with a click and pockets the key.

“I forgive you 

'Cause I can't forget you.

You've got me in between the devil and the deep blue sea”

He doesn’t give you a passing glance, instead he turns and strolls down the freshly bare hall. He hasn’t removed his coat, and each room he passes he tilts his head in to search for something, stopping by the parlor. With a twist of a knob, he shuts off the radio.

“Where’d she ice him?” he asks, still not looking at you by the stairwell. 

“In the kitchen.” You return. No point in hiding it now. 

His steps creak the wood as he ambles further down, knowing full well where to go. He’s been here a handful of times; of course, those were happier evenings filled with drunken laughs.

You watch him stand by the doorway, staring at the vibrant mess of a crime scene. He pops the tip of his cigarette in his mouth before slipping from your line of sight. Dabi’s got the key to the door, so it’s not like you can run away—especially with Keigo just outside. It’s too risky to try and you know it, but it does cross your mind. 

Summing up the courage, you decide to follow Dabi with measured steps, “What are you going to do with Toga?” 

When you face the kitchen, Dabi’s near the table where you threw your coat. He has a hand in one of your pockets, and he’s fishing for something inside. It jingles in his grip as he stuffs it into his own pocket. Your car keys. 

“Are you going to kill her?” you try again, a little irked he’s swiping your things left and right. He doesn’t release your coat either, laying it over the crook of his elbow.  

He draws a final inhale from the dying bud, and crosses to the sink to snuff it out. An exhale of smoke blows out from his lips, “Killing her seems like a favor, don’t you think?”

“I thought it was the other way around.”

He turns, flicking teal eyes sheening with energy at you, “That lunatic’s no longer your concern. Right now, you ought to be more worried about yourself.”

Your features go taut, which in turn makes Dabi’s sadistic smirk return.

 “I didn’t help her kill him.”

“No,” he agrees, taking a few strides around the blood to approach you,“but you were willing to stash the stiff.”

“Yeah, for this very reason. I didn’t want you coming after me!”

Dabi draws dangerously close, mere inches apart as he glances down with lidded eyes, the smell of tobacco perfumes from his shirt collar nestled under a violet tie. He crooks his index finger, embellished with a silver ring, ghosting it under your chin. “How’d that turn out for you, babydoll?”

With a ruthless smile, he breaks the fixed stare and rounds you to the hallway. He seems to be making his way towards the parlor again, but the swish of your peacoat in his arm, set you off.

How dare he? You don’t like how he’s walked inside, claiming what’s yours. You might have your life screwed over, but at the very least you want your coat back as some semblance of control.

You stalk after him, picking up pace to aim for his arm. The clacks of your heels are loud, but you currently couldn’t care less about being sneaky, “Give it fucking back. You’re not keeping that!”

You lunge for the black wool, but as your fingers brush the material on his left elbow, Dabi whips the coat, rotating arms. You’re not fast enough, but you try a second reach for his right arm, huffing out a growl at his stealthy reflexes.

“Dabi, I’m serious! You’re such a—”

In a twirling motion his newly free palm shoves at your shoulder, pinning you against the stairwell’s wall. He’s close, so close, the blue flames in his eyes are absurdly intense. 

“That makes two of us. You’ll get this back when I say so.” 

His voice is low, soft lips almost connecting to yours. You tilt your chin up, glaring at him with fearful, tentative eyes. His gaze flashes with mirth, and he huffs a small laugh at you.

“I’ve always liked this about you. That spark inside you.” He muses. The peacoat spills to the floor. Dabi lifts his slender fingers, pushing back a loose curl from your cheek. 

Your stomach flips, as shocks tickle your skin. There’s been subtle flirting between you two before. You just wrote it off as overthinking the moment. Even though he only called you, babydoll, and he sat next to you at gatherings. How he filled your glass with water instead of booze as the nights waned. Now, you feel foolish for denying the little signs. 

“You have a horrible way of showing girls you like ‘em,” you counter back, your voice’s quiet but leveled. 

“Yeah?” he asks. The arm holding your shoulder tightens, while the other lowers to collect your long skirt. He traces his knuckles on the soft flesh of your thigh. As his hand trails up, his eyes remain fixed on your facial features. “Maybe this will help.”

His slim fingers reach the cotton slip, and it’s easy to pull off to the side, exposing the lips of your warmth. He tests the waters, sweeping the tips of his fingers across your folds. Your mouth parts in a breathless hitch in your throat. Dabi parts his own lips drawing near, ‘til his lips touch yours but not quite pressing together yet. His pierced nose bumps yours.

“Now here’s what’s going to happen,” he starts, just before sinking two fingers between your folds, pumping deep and slow inside. “You’ll go upstairs and pack what you need. When you come down—”

He thrusts particularly hard into you, sending a gasping moan to fall from your open mouth. His voice remains calm, a hint of glee can be detected. Fucking bastard.

“—You’ll be leaving with me. You’ll work for me...Live with me…And you’ll do everything I say. You got it, babydoll?”

He adds a third finger, soaking his knuckles deep with your slick. He’s hitting the right spots, the perfectly deep pressure. Your attention turns hazy as wakes of pleasure tighten just below your stomach. Your hips buck against his thrusting hand, yet still, you manage to nod your head. 

Moans flutter from your lips and vibrate onto his smiling one. To heighten the pleasure he begins swirling your wet clit. “Ah, Dabi...Oh god, Dabi—”

He slows his fingers suddenly, which makes you cry out. He pretends to ignore it. “If you try to escape me...I will hunt you down and hurt you in ways that will marr that pretty skin of yours. I’ll make you scream so loud, and no one will be there to save you. Tell me you understand.”

He curls his knuckles, pressing into a rough spot at the top, pumping fiercely against your slippery, muscular walls. You cry out, squeezing at his shirt collar and coat. “Fuck—I understand, I understand! Baby, right there, ah!”

Dabi gives you no mercy. He tugs and twirls the bud of sensitive nerves, swirling with driven circles that clench your walls in wonderous pressure. You’re close, he’s so close to sending you in high bliss. Your moans get heavier, and your clenching more and more and—

He removes his fingers. Another cry of protest sobs from your mouth only to be swallowed by Dabi’s lips on yours. His tongue massages the moans from your breath, his scent of cigarettes and smoke immerse your senses as you drown in the kiss.

He slowly breaks apart with a wet sound, looking deeply in your lust-glossed eyes. His voice is low and arousingly husky. “Now get your things.”

Before you know it, Dabi pulls away from your shoulders, and turns for the parlor. You try catching your breath, watching his slim, muscular back...Did that happen? Did he rob you of everything? Your home, your life, your orgasm?

Eventually, with light steps you do as you’re told, and turn to climb up the stairs. What choice do you have? He has your life in the palm of his hand. And right before you make it to the top, your hand drawn on the railing, the spinning clicks of your house phone perk your ear.  

A long pause. Then finally, Dabi’s rich voice speaks up from the parlor,

“Hey, I’ll be needing a few guys at Togas...Yeah, we found him….Toga did him in pretty good...No, we’ll need the good bleach for cleanup.”

***

P.S, this might be a mini series 👀

[chiliiscereal]

Chosen last: part 5

Summary: the turtle boys try to figure out how to comfort reader after a terrible experience with a boy, and Donnie does his best to apologize

————

Here’s the part before! In the part there are also links to the rest!

https://chiliiscereal.tumblr.com/post/651628962334769152/chosen-last

Donnie had no words to say.

Well, for the first five minutes of complete and utter silence.

You could feel him gaping at you but you couldn’t face him. He was right. He was right all along and you were a fool for hoping.

The rooftop wind howled, reminding you that you were still there.

“D-did he..?” Donnie cleared his throat and started over, “did he succeed?”

You shook your head and pulled your jacket closer. “He came close.”

He glanced at the jacket you were wearing. Underneath he could see your dress had rips in it. Even worse, he could see a small trail of blood.

Probably left by fingernails.

He didn’t know what to do.

He didn’t know what to say.

Not even how to ask if you were okay or if you needed him to help in any way.

So he did the best thing he knew how: make a plan.

“We’re gonna kill him.” He decided, standing up furiously. “We’ll kill him, resurrect him with cpr or defibrillaters, and then give him to the police.” He began pacing the rooftop, his mind turning and processing this information. “I need his address, I need his phone number, and his mother’s number.”

You just listened to him walking instead of his words. It was comforting in a way.

You couldn’t believe that almost happened though.

You couldn’t believe that even though you did your best to stop the worst, he came close.

What if you hadn’t listened to your gut?

What if you had told yourself you were overacting?

“We’re gonna call your friends.” Donnie decided. “You can stay the night with them. You shouldn’t be alone after-.”

“I’m not staying with those assholes.” You spat, much to his surprise.

“But... they’re you’re friends!” He was extremely confused. Did he not have all of the story? “Shouldn’t you-?”

“I said no.”

“But you could really use-!”

“I said NO!” You shouted at him, finally turning to face him.

He finally got a good look at how much damage was done.

Your eyes were red.

Tears leaked down your face.

A scratch decorated your cheek.

And... those eyes... they were so hurt and lost.

He messed up. He messed up bad.

Donnie shut his mouth immediately. “Okay, okay! But... do you want to be alone?”

You turned away again, shaking your head.

“Can I take you to the lair then?”

You hesitated for a second and then nodded.

“Okay, alright, come on.” He gently offered his hand to help you up, not sure how he was supposed to handle this.

You accepted it and let him assist you to your feet.

He didn’t make you talk on the way there.

Probably cause he didn’t know what questions to ask to get the answers he wanted.

You were fine with that. You didn’t need to talk.

Not now, anyway.

You’d have to talk eventually though. There was no way to be in the lair without saying anything.

————

When you arrived you could hear the sounds of the tv playing. Even the sound of the air hockey table.

Maybe the boys would be too busy to notice you.

Donnie lead you quietly through the lair and into the living room where his brothers and April were sat at.

You two tried to walk behind them but Leo noticed once you had your back turned to him, both of you almost to Donnies lab.

“Hey, y/n!” He grinned, pausing the tv. “You’re back already?”

“Yeah, how was the party!” Mikey leaned over the back of the couch excitedly. “Did you have fun?”

You kept walking, more tears spilling.

Raph immediately sensed something was wrong. “Hey, what’s up? Are you good?”

You stopped, so so SO close to breaking.

Donnie didn’t know if you wanted him to answer or not so he waited.

“Is it okay if I stay here tonight?” You asked quietly, still not showing your face.

“...yeah? Yeah you can stay?” Raph tilted his head in confusion and stood up from the couch. “What’s goin’ on?”

“Nothing’s going on.” You tried you keep walking but Raph stepped in front of you faster than you’d ever seen him move.

“Clearly there’s something going on.” He placed his hands on his hips, refusing to move. “Did Donnie pester you or somethin’? Did he make you leave early?” He sent his younger brother a small glare.

Donnie held up his hands innocently. “Just because I thought about it does NOT mean I did it.”

You kept your eyes on the floor, hair in your face and cheeks flushed bright pink.

“Y/n, you know I love you, but you’re a TERRIBLE liar.” Leo joked, throwing an arm over your shoulder. “Now, what happened?”

“You wanna know what happened?” You growled, too overwhelmed. “I’ll tell you what happened! Donnie was right!” You shoved Leo’s arm off you and glared at him. “All of you were! And I was STUPID to think that someone would actually like me!”

Mikey rushed over quickly. “Hey that’s not true-!”

“Then tell me, Mikey!” You whipped around to glare at him to, “tell me why Eric was only being nice to have sex with me! Tell me why he planned it with my friends to get me alone! Tell me why they thought that if I had ‘a good time’ then I’d loosen up and stop being a PRUDE!”

The boys stood there in silence, mouths open and eyes wide.

Donnie just looked at the floor in embarrassment.

Oh there was no stopping the tears now. You swiped them away furiously, cheeks flushing brightly.

You didn’t want to have this outburst now.

But there was just too much going on in your head!

“You guys were right.” You muttered as you strength faded. “I should have listened to you. I shouldn’t have gone to that stupid party and I shouldn’t have believed him for one second.” You locked eyes with Donnie. “I shouldn’t have believed he liked me for me.”

As if everything else wasn’t making him feel guilty that was just another cherry on top.

April was at your side quickly, arms wrapped around you and hands rubbing soft circles on your back. “It’s okay, the important thing is that you’re back here. With US.” She held you at at arms length. “Let’s go clean you up and talk, okay?”

You nodded, desperate to finally get away from the pitying stares you were getting.

“Donnie, can we borrow your lab?” She asked the purple masked turtle as she began to lead you in that direction.

“Yeah yeah sure.” He confirmed immediately. “There’s a... a first aid kit... if you need it.”

April whisked you away, leaving only the sound of echoing footsteps.

———-

“Oh man.” Raph sat down on the couch, head in his hands. “I can’t believe...” he trailed off. He didn’t even know how to finish that sentence.

Mikey sat down to.

Donnie and Leo, on the other hand, both stayed standing.

None of them knew what to say.

There were too many things dumped on them at once.

They’d heard about things like this happening but that always felt like something that happened in movies or to strangers.

Not a close friend.

“Well...” Leo tapped his fingers against his arm, “how’d the apology go?” He needed to find something else to talk about. He couldn’t think about it for very long without feeling this anger building up inside him.

“Well...” Donnie started, “I didn’t really... get to the apologizing part.”

“Please tell me you didn’t start gloating when you saw that y/n’s night hadn’t gone well.” Leo crosses his arms, already knowing the answer.

Donnie’s eyes went wide. “Why would you assume that? I am hurt.”

“Because that’s what you always do when you find out you were right.” Mikey insisted.

Donnie caved immediately. “Yeah... yeah I did do that.”

“Donnie!” His brothers chorused in disappointment.

“I know!” He threw his arms out angrily. “I know I shouldn’t have! I couldn’t help it! I knew something bad would happen I just didn’t know that it would be something like this!”

“You didn’t even apologize!” Leo scoffed. “You just rubbed it in her face!”

“I know.” Donnie sighed. “I’ll apologize when April’s done.”

“You better.” Raph ordered, standing up. “In the meantime, we’ve got some planning to do.”

   ““But what CAN we do?” Mikey brought his knees to his chest and watched his older brother sadly. ““There’s not evidence and we can’t be seen by people!” 

  Donnie rubbed his chin. ““No evidence…. Yeah there’s not much we can do without OH AND THEN HE REMEMBERED HE INSTALLED THE CAMERA PROTOCOL!” He whipped out his wrist device and began tapping immediately. “I’ve got her phone set to audio record whenever she’s headed somewhere suspicious! How could I forget I launched it before she went?”

   His brothers huddled behind him and watched.     “We convince y/n to tell the police what happened, hand over the audio, and land that asshole in juvie!” Leo caught on quickly, slapping his brothers shoulder with excitement as if he was doing a drumroll.  “That’s exactly what he deserves!” 

  ““I personally think he deserves a visit from doctor delicate touch.” Mikey crossed his arms. 

  “Not just from doctor delicate touch.” Raph agreed. ““A visit from us and then a REAL doctor.” 

  “Hey doctor delicate touch IS a real doctor!” Mikey protested. ““He doesn’t need a PHD.” 

“Quiet.” Donnie ordered as he kept working. “We’re not gonna scare the life out of him without y/n’s permission. We’re not even gonna send this in without her say so.” 

  Mikey turned his attention away from Raph. ““What are we gonna do then?”

  Donnie straightened up and looked back toward his lab. ““Offer it as an apology. Y/n will decide what to do with it. It’s her choice.” 

  ————

The tears stopped maybe ten minutes ago.  Maybe twenty. 

You didn’t really know.

But you still felt dirty.

Disgusting even. 

Being with April helped though. She kept you present. She did her best to keep you from thinking about that slime ball of a boy.

  “Alright, your cuts are all cleaned.” She nodded to herself proudly. “You’ve got a pair of my pajamas, a blanket, and your best friend. I think my work here is done.” 

  When you didn’t respond she leaned down to make eye contact with you. “Hey, do you need some alone time?”  You wanted to talk.

You really did.

But you couldn’t stop seeing that boy dragging you to the bed.

You couldn’t stop see him trying to rip the dress off you.

You couldn’t stop seeing your friends yelling for you to come back as you ran from the house.

If it hadn’t been for Ralph’s self defense lessons…

April sat down beside you on Donnies bed.  “You’re safe now.” She pulled you into a side hug. ““He ain’t ever goin near you ever again. Not if he wants to deal with April O’neil.” 

  You gave her a small laugh. “I’d pity anyone who’d have to deal with April O’neil.” 

  She jumped on that immediately. If that’s what would get you to laugh then she was taking it and running with it. “You know it! I’ll hit him with my bat so hard his future KIDS will be feelin’ it!” 

  You gave her another chuckle. “Look out Eric,”

She squeezed your shoulder again. “Exactly. And as for your terrible friends, I’ll send mayhem after them if they even look at you.” 

   You nodded. “Thanks April.” 

She smiled back at you, standing up. “I’ll go call your mom and tell her you’re sleeping over, okay?” 

You nodded again. “Okay.” 

Before she even shut the door, her spot was replaced by someone else.  you didn’t need to look at them to know who they were. 

“Yes Donnie?” You pulled your blanket closer.

 He took a deep breath, not fully ready for what he was about to do. ““I… I messed up.”

That seemed like a good start. 

“So did I.” You grumbled. “Making friends with people like that-.”

“No.” He interrupted. “You couldn’t have known. I… I should have known better.” He fiddled nervously with the recording device in his hands. “Whether something like that would have happened or not I shouldn’t have gloated. I should have been a reliable friend and let you figure things out yourself.” You didn’t say anything else so he kept going. “I know I can be unbareable and controlling and… not understanding, but I should have put that aside. I know that this won’t make up for it in the slightest but…” he placed the recording device in your hands, “I have a recording of what happened. I Installed a device that would audio record whenever I thought you could be in danger when I last fixed your phone for you.”

You flipped the small object over thoughtfully.  “I didn’t listen to it.” He stated immediately as his nerves grew worse. “I know it was a violation of your space by not telling you. But… here it is. You can decide what you want to do with it. If you want to leave it in the past or turn him in-.”

“Or let us seriously mess up his face for you!” Leo interrupted as he came in without knocking, brothers behind him.

You hadn’t even known the rest of the boys were there. But it was still appreciated that they wanted to be there for you.

  “Or have him talk to doctor delicate touch-.” Mikey grinned and sat down beside you.

  “It doesn’t matter.” Donnie finished, relieved to have his brothers beside him. “It’s yours.” 

You didn’t really know what to say.

Well you did.

You had a lot to say.  you just couldn’t get to words out.

Donnie held his breath. 

Finally, you looked up and him and strengthened your grip on the device. “Why not all of it?”    He did this to you.

Your friends did this to you.

They deserved a little bit of karma heading their way. The boys cheered, swarming you in a giant hug right as April opened the door.

“Did I hear something about revenge?” She grinned and joined immediately. “Cause this girl is all over it!”

Oh Eric, if only you had done the bare minimum and had respect for your decisions.  This guy had it coming. 

That night, you stayed with April and splinter while the boys went out, promising to record every priceless moment and give it to you.

Tomorrow, Donnie would walk with you to the police station in disguise as your moral support while you turned over the audio.

[dadsbongos]

late night for a sinner

Movie/Game/Show: The Devil All The Time Dynamic: Arvin Russell/Reader Warnings: religious overtones cuz it’s this movie, described and enacted violence (against teagardin), preston teagardin (and all his sexual assault-y/manipulative bs) Notes: uhm people got married at like 20 in the 50s and i assume arvin is about 20 so no i will not apologize for making you his wife, my country-accent writing is bad(?) idk Summary: Arvin’s a protective man, especially when it comes to those he loves. ~~~

“Somethin’ ‘bout that preacher don’t feel right,” (Y/n) murmured to her husband as they stood outside the doors of the church, “Gives me a shiver right up my spine.”

Arvin nodded along to her words, watching as his grandmother and sister shook hands with Preston Teagardin - fancy name for a guy like him. A guy who gave women chills. He reached into his dress pants pocket and plucked out a cigarette before placing it between his lips, “Watch yourself around him, darlin’.”

“I’ll keep an eye out for Lenora, too,” (Y/n) crossed over the creaky boards of the church's stoop as people began exiting, her hands coming out for the man’s tie, “Did you loosen this durin' the sermon?”

“Too tight,” he let the woman adjust his tie, “You know how I feel ‘bout comin’ to these things.”

“I know, I know - hey, I don’t like comin’ either, but it means a lot to Ms. Emma and Lenora,” pulling back from the tie, (Y/n) placed her hands on Arvin’s shoulders, “‘Sides, someone’s gotta watch for that blasted preacher, and I think we’re the only ones who will.”

Removing the cigarette from between his lips, Arvin leaned over to kiss his wife’s forehead, pulling away to ask, “You take my light outta my pocket when you pressed my pants this morning?”

“Maybe I did,” she shrugged, grinning, “Maybe even I think you shouldn’t be smokin’ outside a church.”

“Maybe,” Arvin nodded, “Maybe.”

Emma and Lenora finally came out of the church and started towards the family’s truck, the two women got into the back with Arvin and (Y/n) getting into the front to finally head home. Lenora leaned forward as her brother started the truck, “You shoulda been in there for the goodbyes.”

“Oh?” turning her head and leaving her cheek pressed to the headrest, (Y/n) quirked a brow at the teenager, “What happened?”

“Reverend Teagardin said he’s interested in meeting you,” Lenora beamed at her sister-in-law.

“Just her?” Arvin pulled out of the church parking lot, “Seatbelt, Lenora.”

“I got it, I got it,” the girl waved off before returning to her previous conversation, “But yeah, just (Y/n). He was talkin’ about putting together a church choir. Thinks (Y/n) would have a pretty voice.”

“She’s got a pretty voice but she ain’t singin’ for no church choir,” Arvin’s brows furrowed, white-knuckling the steering wheel at the mere idea of that damned preacher trying to get close to his wife, “Not in that man’s church choir.”

“Let the girl speak for herself,” Emma cut in, “Thought I raised you better than that.”

Pursing his lips, Arvin turned to (Y/n) for a split second before returning his stare to the road, “Sorry, love.”

“It’s okay, baby,” she looked back to her sister-in-law, “You singin’ in the choir, Lenora?”

“I’d love to try.”

Clenching her jaw, (Y/n) thought over her choices. Leave Lenora to sing in that choir - leave her sweet, naive little sister-in-law in that preacher’s hands for far longer than was typical or wanted… Or, suck it up and sing for the bastard.

“I’ll sing with ya, sweetheart.”

Arvin sighed quietly, glad none of the women in the car heard him over the rumbling of the truck’s old engine. To distract himself, and by proxy the women in the car, he suddenly changed the topic, “This damn old truck. Gonna hafta fix it up or take it in.”

“You’re gonna take it in?” (Y/n) tilted her head.

“Thing’s old; I’ll do as much as I can, darlin', but sometimes there’s only so much I can do. You know that.”

“I’ll need to go with you,” the truck jumbled with the rocky bumps of their home’s pull-in, “Pick up a few things for dinner.”

Lenora felt her heart warm and lips quirk into a smile at her brother and sister-in-law. They weren’t so into the church as her and Grandma, in fact - Lenora’s certain they only played along to please her and Grandma, but watching them was nice. Nothing to play along to, just a simple, pure expression of adoration between the couple. Arvin was never a man known for something as soft and tender as love but (Y/n), since the two were in grade school, was easily able to pull it out of him.

From high school sweethearts into married lovers. It was overjoying to know someone else was looking after Arvin.

“I’ll check up on Mr. Earskell and be right out.”

“No, no, (Y/n),” Emma shook her head, taking the woman’s hand as she was assisted out of the truck, “I’ll handle things. You and Arvin go on and stay out here.”

She didn’t bother fighting against the older woman, she was the matriarch of the family - she was just the rule maker. It was only fair.

“You don’t hafta keep callin’ em Miss and Mister,” Arvin came out and around to the hood of the truck, “They’re part a’ your family now.”

“Feels improper,” (Y/n) rebuffed, standing beside her husband, “I’m just thankful they’re lettin’ me stay here.”

“And why wouldn’t they?” he knew why she felt that way - her own family was insufferable and he could barely stand being around them for a dinner - he couldn’t imagine having to live with them.

“Let’s not open that can of worms today, huh, love?” (Y/n) placed her hands on her hips as she watched her husband look over the truck’s interior and drag over his tools and oil.

“Don’t joke ‘bout that, love,” despite his words, Arvin was smiling slightly, “Poor fishermen work hard to get those worm cans.”

“You’re right, you’re right,” she sarcastically relented, peeking over the man’s shoulder, “Wish I knew anything to help you.”

“I could teach you a thing or two.”

“Maybe not now, baby.”

Which, of course, was code for ‘I’d rather not. Ever.’ but politely.

There was silence between the married couple as Arvin worked until he sighed and planted his hands on each side of the open hood, head hanging low as he murmured, “You’re really goin’ to that choir?”

“We both know I gotta be there for Lenora.”

“I appreciate that, but I’ll still be worried to hell ‘bout you,” he turned to face his wife, restraining himself cupping her cheeks and smearing grime over her, “Both a' you,” then he finally admitted as to why he was so apprehensive, “I’ve been watchin’ him.”

“You what…?!” she whisper-screamed, coming in closer to her husband, “Arvin Eugene Russell, you been what?”

“Watchin’ him,” Arvin almost regrets the admission at the sight of his wife’s shock, “He’s a no-good-sonofabitch, (Y/n). Messin’ around with a young girl behind his wife’s back. She’s good to him, (Y/n), she cooks him dinner and she does her best to keep him happy. He’s no good to her. He’s no good, at all.”

(Y/n)’s brows furrow, “Cheatin’ on his wife?”

“A girl from Lenora’s class. He’s worse than a cheater,” he turned back to the hood of the truck and quickly said, “We’re takin’ it in.”

“Why haven’t you said anything yet?”

“Nobody will ever believe me, (Y/n), you know that. Everybody here loves that damn radio bullshitter.”

Nodding quietly, (Y/n) fisted a hand in her skirt before turning towards the home’s door, “I’ll tell Lenora we’re goin’.”

The topic is ultimately dropped as they leave into town. As they take the truck in for the shop and as they pick out items for dinner that night and even on the walk home. Reverend Preston Teagardin didn’t come up again, neither did his affairs or his disgustingly, sickeningly low age preference for said affairs.

They weren’t the only people in town on watch of their new preacher in town, they were just another young couple walking home.

Even as dinner passed and time for rest came - as they pressed into bed and huddled together in the cold night. Teagardin was temporarily forgotten, pushed to the backs of their minds as they slipped into slumber.

And when Arvin darts up from bed after another nightmare over finding his father’s body that fateful night, (Y/n)’s thoughts are solely on her husband. Bringing him back into the present, where he’s not in the woods finding his father knelt down in front of their makeshift church but instead in bed with his loving wife. With his sister down the hall. His grandmother at the end of the corridor and his great-uncle's own room across from theirs. He’s in a home that isn’t going anywhere - he’s with people who won’t leave him, not any time soon anyway.

It’s not until the next day, after Lenora’s first day back at school for the week had finished and her daily visit to Hellen Hatton-Laferty was over, that Teagardin even peeked back into the couple’s brains.

“If that sonofabitch touches you or Lenora, tell me,” Arvin whispered to his wife, hands holding hers tightly before she went into the church for choir practice, “I’ll make sure ain't got no hands to touch you, or Lenora, or any other unlucky woman.”

“I’ll come right to you, honey,” (Y/n) was quick to confirm for her husband, “Promise.”

“Good,” he cups his wife’s cheeks and pulls her into a tender forehead kiss before going to his sister and giving her a tight hug, “Be the loudest one there, got it?”

Lenora chuckled quietly, patting her brother’s shoulder, “You know I can’t do that.”

“You can.”

Shaking her head, (Y/n) goes up the stairs and pulls one of the double doors open, “You just shouldn’t, ain’t that right, Arvin?”

A teasing shrug and he’s walking off towards the car while Lenora follows her sister-in-law up and into the church.

Teagardin is sitting in one of the pews with his back turned towards the two women.

There’s nobody else in the church despite having been told this was the meeting time. It’s silent. Preston still hasn’t turned to the two.

Lenora is fidgeting beside (Y/n) the longer the man stays quiet. The younger girl nervously bunching the skirt of her dress in her fists. Her brows drawn tight in confusion and lips pressed into a thin line.

(Y/n) steps forward, ignoring the nerves urging her to run and encouraging her knees to buckle underneath the weight of her body, “We’re here, preacher.”

His head lifted, a smile coming over his lips, an unnatural smile - one she’d imagined on the devil when he tricked another soul into his claws. Preston comes to a full stand and approaches the women, “I didn’t expect both of you to come.”

“I wanted to support Lenora.”

“How wonderful.”

~~

“Preacher’s dirty.”

“What?”

(Y/n) sighed, sitting up in bed and looking down at her husband and whispering into the night air, “Teagardin. He’s just as dirty as you said.”

Immediately, Arvin was also sat up, no longer tired and now entirely focused on his wife, “What happened?”

“Tried touchin’ Lenora ‘til I stopped him. Grabbed me. I got us out of there and now Lenora’s tryin' to figure out how to tell Ms. Emma.”

Arvin stood out of bed and pulled on a pair of pants over his boxers, slipping on a shirt and his hat before heading to the bedroom door and slipping out of the room. (Y/n) followed after, eyes wide and brain springing into panic as she watched him tug on his shoes. Hurriedly, the woman put her shoes on as well while Arvin snuck out of the home, her continuing to follow after him.

Once they were in the car, (Y/n) turned to Arvin as he pulled out of the driveway, “What the hell are you doin’? It’s late, you can settle this tomorrow, can't ya?”

“No. It don’t matter if he’s with his wife or at the church, I’m puttin’ that bastard in his place. I hope that woman leaves his ass,” he shook his head, “Rotten fuckin’ bastard.”

“What’re you gonna do?”

The man was silent as he drove towards where he knew the Teagardin residence was. Every few minutes he would take off his cap and run a hand through his matted hair - if he could force himself to do so, he could almost pretend this was a nice drive with his wife. A simple late-night cruise through town with the love of his life, but then he would remember exactly why they were on a late-night cruise. A peek at (Y/n) would remind him, she must be frightened to all hell - it must’ve been awful to be in that church. Be near that rotten man.

And Arvin’s rage was freshly re-lit.

“Is this the right time?” she remembered each time her husband had repeated the phrase from his father, it was usually enough to sway him from acting out at that moment.

“Best time there is. He’s asleep - won’t be expectin’ us.”

(Y/n) settled into her passenger side seat, turning her head to stare out the window, “How’re you gonna get him out?”

Arvin was silent once again, fingers tight against the steering wheel as they pulled up to the bend at the end of the preacher’s street. He got out of the car and stormed towards the Teagardin home with (Y/n) trailing after.

It wasn’t long until Preston came stumbling out of his home with Arvin banging on the front door. Cynthia was out soon after her husband, clinging to the door frame.

“Late night for a sinner, kids,” Preston rubbed at his eyes, “Can this wait ‘til the mornin’?”

“You try touchin’ Lenora?” Arvin was blunt, he didn’t like sugar coating and he didn’t like the people who did it. Turning, he gestured to (Y/n), “Tried touchin’ my (Y/n)?”

Immediately, Preston’s eyes widened, “Now, now, I- I didn’t do nothin’ to those two.”

“Callin’ my wife a liar?”

Cynthia looked between her husband and the younger couple on her lawn, “What’s this about, Preston?”

“You just go inside now, Cynthia!” the preacher called back to his wife, “These two are full of delusions!”

“Arvin, let’s just head home now - you can take care of this tomorrow…”

Shaking his head, Arvin only approached the older man further, “My wife ain’t no liar. And those hands ain’t free of sin.”

“Go inside, Cynthia!” Preston shouted at his wife once again before turning back to the other man, “You won’t say nothing. I will have your lives ruined. Who will the town trust? Me, or two scruffy children who married straight outta high school?” he gives a forced chuckle, shaking his head and pointing at (Y/n) with a shaky hand, “Your wife… she- she… your wife is delusional. She’s crazy.”

Arvin Russell had been fighting nearly his entire life - he learned from his father and he continued on far after his father passed. Preston Teagardin had never been an athletic boy nor had he been confrontational by any means, preferring to hide in the shadows and smile his way out of trouble.

It wasn’t a mystery as to how Arvin managed to land Preston on the hard ground, chest pressing into the dirt and hands tightly wound behind his back in Arvin’s hold.

He didn’t know what he was looking for in the man. He didn’t know what he wanted from the preacher. He couldn’t kill the bastard - he still had a sister and wife to look after when his grandmother and uncle could no longer. Was it admission? Was it a promise to not even look at the women of Knockemstiff? It wasn’t an apology, he knew that - because there wasn’t a chance in hell he’d be giving out forgiveness.

“You take back what you said,” Arvin grunted out, pushing his body harshly into Preston’s back and hoping it’d hurt as much as when boys did it to him on the playground, “You take back what you said about my wife, you hear me?”

“She’s crazy!”

Arvin took a hand into the preacher's hair and smushed his face deep into the dirt, “If I- “ when Teagardin’s whining got too loud, Arvin let his head up before roughly smashing it back into the ground, “Fuckin’ listen when I talk. You listenin’?” he waited for a nod of confirmation before continuing, “If I even hear your name in the same sentence as my wife’s or my sister’s, I’ll bash your fuckin’ brains in, hear me?”

“Arvin!” (Y/n) finally screamed out to her husband, hands landing on one of his arms and pulling, “Arvin, you let him go!”

“He deserves this, (Y/n)!”

“I know, but dammit Arvin, you’re gonna get the sheriff on you, let’s go home!”

Giving one last thunk of Preston’s skull into the ground, Arvin stood and kicked the man’s ribs before nodding at Cynthia with a brief ‘goodnight ma’am’ and returning to the car.

“That was a dumb thing you just did, Arvin Russell,” (Y/n) scolded, rather lightly, as her husband drove.

“I don’t regret a damn thing about it, (Y/n) Russell.”

“I didn’t ask you to,” she reached over and snatched his cap before fixing it over her own head, “I’m proud my husband cares so much.”

“Least I could do for the woman of my dreams.”

[imagine-darksiders]

So, here’s a little snippet of my upcoming chapter of Cold Hands, Warm Heart.

Feel free to ignore if you’d rather read the whole thing in one go. This snippet is only about 1000 words long but I feel like it’s juuuuust interesting enough to whet your appetites for the main story. :)

By the way, this part is kind of whumpy. Blood, injuries, bruises etc. So be warned.

The old warrior hobbles eagerly towards you, dragging one leg behind him as though it's nothing but a hunk of useless, dead flesh sitting inside his boot. Belatedly, he hopes you'll assume that the water trickling down his face is merely from the incessant rainfall and not from his eyes watering thanks to the sodding, great bruise that's already sprouted across the bridge of his nose. Yet, in spite of the blurry vision and the aggravated pain in his fractured shinbone, Thane's relief at just knowing you're alive temporarily overrides the agony from his injuries... 

...Injuries he forgets to hide until he sees your hand fly up to your mouth.

Wincing at the frozen, wide-eyed stare you’ve locked him in, Thane lets out a strained grunt and forces himself to walk a little straighter, placing the weight back onto his wounded leg and plastering on a smile that hardly makes the rivers of blood that pour down his face any less noticeable. 

At last, he staggers to a halt and collapses heavily onto his good knee in front of you, his sturdy chest heaving.

“You're alive,” he sighs wearily, more for his own reassurance than yours, “You're alive... The others... are they...?”

Trembling, you lower your hands from your mouth, determined not to make him wait for the answer. “E-everyone's alive, Thane,” you tell him with your eyes glued to the bruise blossoming over his nose, “A little beaten up, but... they'll be fine.”

Bowing his head, the maker lets out the enormous breath he'd been holding onto. “Thank the Stone... When the Guardian ploughed through the village, I.... I thought, you might've been...” Trailing off, he averts his gaze to emit a low grumble from the back of his throat before he looks at you again, causing you to gulp when something fearsome and chilling sparks to life in his stormy eyes. “That stone bastard didn't hurt you, did 'e?” the warrior growls.

Lightening flashes above you and you stare up at his glowering face in a daze, the world around you cold and quiet whilst crimson rivulets trickle steadily and relentlessly out of a gash in his temple, pushed by every pulse of his immense heart. 

Not even the rain can wash the blood away fast enough.

You have to squeeze your eyes shut after a few seconds, fighting to regain your composure when the coppery stench permeates your nostrils and conjures up memories of crimson streets utterly saturated with life's most precious liquid.

Thane notices that you've begun to sway on your feet and, without thinking too hard about it, he reaches out a hand, curling his fingertips around your torso and effectively propping you upright. His heart-rate spikes in the meantime, now more concerned than ever that you've suffered in some, unseen way. Before he can bare his tusks and promise to tear the Guardian limb from limb however, your eyes flicker open again and you swallow thickly, glad that the rain is disguising your tears.

“No, no,” you sniff, wiping at your eyes to banish the terrible memories vying for your attention, “The Guardian... he didn't hurt me.”

The hand that isn’t holding you upright moves to his chest and he splays his fingers out over it, mumbling, “Stone be praised...” 

“But – shit, Thane – Look what he did to you!” you continue, pressing your hands earnestly to his glove.

“What, this?” The warrior glances down at himself and gives you a tusky smirk. “Ach, nothin' wrong with a few more battle scars. Ain't like they'll make this mug any uglier, eh?”

He allows a glimmer of satisfaction to ignite in his chest when the attempt at humour is rewarded by your weak, wet bark of laughter, although the humour fades almost as swiftly as it had come and you suck down a hitching breath, turning away from him and looking towards the intact staircase.

“Eideard and Death...” you begin hesitantly, “They'll need help.”

Following your gaze, Thane's face drops and he shifts uneasily. 

Though it's a loathsome thing for the proud warrior to admit out loud, he grits his teeth and gruffly says, “I'm in no fit state to assist. Reckon I'd only get in the way n' give the old man somethin' else to worry about.”

Your only response is to let out an evasive hum whilst you continue staring at the path ahead. 

You never said that it needed be Thane who went to help.

Gradually, your brows knit together until they form a hard, determined line.

The old warrior casts glances between you and the direction your eyes are pointed, his expression becoming more and more incredulous with every turn of his head. He doesn't like stormy cloud that's growing on your face. It's similar to the look Karn gets whenever the youngling is about to make a stupid decision.

“Lass,” Thane growls warningly, “Whatever’s goin’ through that head of yours, knock it off. You’ve done enough...”

Have you? 

If it weren’t for you and Death, the Guardian wouldn’t have even woken up to wreak this havoc on Tri Stone and the makers. If you’d have just stood your ground and stopped the Horseman from putting that damn corrupted heart stone into the construct, nobody would be in this mess. You could have found another way... 

Huh... Is this your fault?

‘Well,’ you say to yourself, eyeing the blood oozing from Thane’s nostrils, ‘I’ve certainly done enough to make things go wrong... Maybe it’s time I helped do something right.’

You take a breath and begin sidestepping around him, shaking your head apologetically. “I'm sorry, please don't be mad. But I – I have to go!”

At once, the maker’s face grows several shades paler. He’d been so sure that you had the sense to avoid the Guardian now that you’ve seen the damage it can do to a village full of adult makers.

Evidently, he's overestimated the intelligence of humans. 

“You don't have to do a bloody thing!” he barks, swiping a hand out after you and growling when you deftly slip around his reaching fingers, “Damn it, girl! Get back here! Don't you dare leave this village! You hear me!?” 

He's too late in shoving himself up off the ground and hobbling after you. On any other day, he'd manage to catch you in just a few, short strides, but with the injury to his leg, he doesn't have a chance of keeping up. The first step he takes is too sudden, too vicious on his battered limb and he stumbles immediately, throwing a hand out to catch himself on the training dummy nearby. He raises his head and his expression contorts, eyes growing wide when he sees that you're almost at the top of the steps.

Huffing like a frantic bull and woefully out of options, he tries for rage instead, hoping that he could frighten you into returning. 

So, sucking down a lungful of air, he roars, “HUMAN!” and uses the dummy to desperately drag himself upright. However, when you still don't turn around, and instead hop over the lip of the staircase, he peels his lips back, bares his teeth and all but howls, “Y/N!”

......

Sadly, his efforts prove to be in vain.

You don't return to the steps, you don't even turn around, you simply break into a jog and vanish inside the waiting tunnel, followed by a foreboding snarl of thunder.

[slutforbuck]

Traveling Soldier Part 2-- Bucky Barnes x Reader

Part 1 Part 3 Part 4 Part 5 Part 6

“Mr. Stark? I was told you needed to see me.” Howard glanced up from his papers to see you standing in the doorway of his office. “Yes! I want you to meet our candidate for Project Rebirth.” Howard jumped to his feet with an excited look on his face. You looked to your feet, knowing exactly who the singular candidate was. You knew when Steve never came back from the Expo that he had finally gotten what he wanted. You followed Howard to the lab where Dr. Erskine, Steve, and Peggy Carter were waiting. Steve’s eyes grew wide when he saw you walk in. “What are you doing here? I thought you were a secretary y/n!!” Howard, Peggy, and Dr. Erskine looked between the two of you confused. “I am Mr. Stark’s assistant, Steve. I hope you understand what you have gotten yourself into.” Howard stepped forward, “How exactly do you know each other?” You smiled, “Steve is my brother. You’ve chosen a great candidate Dr. Erskine. He’s one of the bravest men I know.” You walked away and began getting everything set up to start the process.

“Are you ready?” Steve nodded. “Take off your shirt, your tie, and your hat.” You stood behind the booth with Howard as Dr. Erskine led Steve to the chamber. You knew how painful this process would be for Steve, and you felt a pit begin to grow in your stomach. “Levels at 100%.” You looked down, not knowing if you would be able to watch the process. “That’s fifty percent. Sixty. Seventy.” You heard Steven begin to scream, and tears began to stream down your face. Peggy screamed for them to shut it down. You were barely able to hear Steve telling them to continue through your sobs and Peggy yelling for them to shut it down. Suddenly everything stopped. “The son of a bitch did it.” You looked at the chamber, and saw a huge man step out. Peggy stepped towards him, “How do you feel?” “Taller.” You smiled, “You look taller.” Before you knew what was happening, Howard pushed you under the booth. There was a loud explosion, and you saw Dr. Erskine fall to the ground. You crawled towards him and grabbed his hand. Steve knelt beside you, checking over you and the doctor. Dr. Erskine pointed at Steve’s chest, and you felt him go still. Steve looked at you, and you whispered, “Go. Be careful.” He nodded, then jumped and ran out the door.

“Mr. Stark are you okay?” You had finally calmed down, and were able to stand. “I’m fine y/n, where is..” Howard trailed off as he saw Dr. Erskine on the floor. “Oh no..” You walked to the booth and gathered Howard and the doctor’s notes. “I will put these in your office, and make the call for Dr. Erskine. Is there anything else you need Mr. Stark?” Howard rubbed his forehead, “No..no we can regroup tomorrow. Go home and get some rest, be here early tomorrow.” You nodded then walked out. As soon as you made it to Howard’s office, you fell against the wall. Tears streamed down your face as you realized that it was a very real possibility that you could lose your brother and your best friend. After what had just happened here at home, where it was supposed to be safe, made your worries all the more real. You hailed a cab, and rushed inside. You had a letter from Bucky waiting in your bag that you had been waiting to open.

He told you as much as he could about how things were, and asked about how things had been at home. You smiled sadly, and debated on whether to tell him what happened. You began writing, recounting as many details as you could. You told him what happened with Steve, and then about the explosion. You didn’t want to worry him, and reassured him that you were fine. The next few weeks of work with Howard was trying to recreate the serum. When Dr. Erskine died, the serum formula died with him. Letters between you and Bucky were frequent, and they helped you make it through the day. Bucky began to worry about you working with Howard, feeling that it was putting you in danger. You smiled down at the letter as you wrote back that he shouldn’t be allowed to have all the fun, and with he and Steve gone, you had to do something stupid to feel normal. One day after leaving the lab, you checked your mail and found a letter from Bucky. You hurried inside excited to read it. Your face turned from happy to worried as you neared the end of the letter. He had mentioned a mission that the 107th was about to leave for. As you read the last two lines of his letter, tears began to form. “When it’s getting rough over here, I think of that night at the Expo. I close my eyes, and I’m home. I see your eyes, and feel your arms around me. Don't worry doll, but I won’t be able to write for a while. I love you y/n.” Your eyes shut tightly to try to stop the waterfall of tears that began to stream down your face. You whispered, hoping that your quiet voice would carry to him, “Be careful Buck. I love you.”

“Y/n on the plane. Now.” “Mr. Stark what’s happening?” Howard pulled you to the plane, not stopping to explain. As he dragged you onto the plane, you saw Peggy and Steve. “What is going on?” Peggy pulled you to the side, “The 107th has been taken. Steve plans on getting them back. Mr. Stark needed you here in case anything happened.” “Th..the..the 107th?” You could barely hear your own voice as you looked to Steve. “We are going to find him.” His eyes showed confidence, his voice didn’t waver. You slumped down into a seat, holding back your tears.

You waited anxiously in the camp, hoping and praying that the men would come back safe. “Look who it is!” You jerked your head up to hear cheering, and saw Steve and Bucky leading the group of returning men. Steve looked at Bucky and nodded in your direction as he walked towards Peggy. You had never seen a man run as fast as Bucky did towards you. He grabbed you around the waist and his lips crashed against yours. Your tears began to mix with the mud on his face, and you struggled to catch your breath. “Why are you here? You shouldn’t be here. I can’t have you getting hurt here, you won’t recover from it.” Bucky pulled back and wiped the tears from your eyes with a worried look on his face. “I came with Agent Carter and Mr. Stark. I was told I was needed, and I went where I was told.” You kept your arms around his neck, afraid that if you let go he would disappear. “I’ve missed you so much y/n. I thought we were going to die, and all I could think about what that I promised you that I would come home safe. I can’t break that promise.” “Y/n, we have to go,” Howard rested his hand on your shoulder, “I’m sorry.” You looked at Bucky with tears steadily falling. “Buck…I love you so much James Barnes. You stay safe, and I will see you when you get home. Promise me that you’ll come back safe.” “I promise, y/n. I love you.” Bucky whispered the last words in your ear as he pressed a soft kiss to your lips, and then another soft kiss to your forehead. As you followed Howard to the plane, you kept your hand in Bucky’s until your fingers were too far apart to reach.

You followed Peggy through the streets of London. “Peggy where are we going?” “You’ll see.” You stopped in front of a small destroyed bar. “Before we go in y/n, I want to say I’m sorry for what has happened. I am here if you ever need anything.” You looked at her, trying to read her expression as you followed her through the rubble. “Steve?” You whispered to Peggy, becoming more confused. “Dr. Erskine said that… the serum wouldn’t just effect my muscles, it would effect my cells. Create a protective system of regeneration and healing. Which means um…I can’t get drunk. Did you know that?” Peggy gave him a sad smile, “Your metabolism burns four times faster than the average person. He thought it could be one of the side effects. It wasn’t your fault.” You spoke up, “What wasn’t his fault?” Steve stopped pouring and turned to look at you. “Why did you bring her here? It’s dangerous.” “She doesn’t know Steve. She needs to know, and I don't think that Howard or I are the right people to break the news to her.” You looked between them, beginning to realize what Peggy was sorry for, and what Steve believed was his fault. Your heart fell to your feet. “No. He’s fine.” Tears began to well in your eyes, your throat began to burn, and you felt the urge to scream. “He promised Steve! He swore that he would come home safe!!!” You fell to the floor, unable to support your weight. Steve slid down next to you, “I tried..I couldn’t…he just….” Peggy looked to the both of you sadly, “You did everything you could. Did you believe in your friend? Did you respect him? Then stop blaming yourself. Allow Barnes the dignity of his choice. He damn well must have thought you were worth it.” You leaned onto your brother’s shoulder, “What happened?” You tried wiping the tears away, but the more you wiped away, the more seemed to appear. “He fell..from a train..above a ravine..I tried y/n. I tried to save him..Just a few more inches, and I would have had him. I’m sorry. I’m so sorry.” Sobs racked your body, you tried to reassure your brother that he had done everything he could to help Bucky, but all you could do was cry. Steve seemed to understand what you were thinking and wrapped you in a tight hug. “I’m goin’ after Schmidt. I’m not gonna stop until all of HYDRA is dead or captured.”

You stood in the control tower with Peggy, waiting to hear something, anything. “Come in. This is Captain Rogers. Do you read me?” Peggy grabbed the radio, “Steve, is that you? Are you alright?” “Peggy! Schmidt’s dead.” “What about the plane?” “That’s a little bit tougher to explain” “Give me your coordinates, I’ll find you a safe landing site.” “There’s not going to be a safe landing. But I can try and force it down.” “I’ll get Howard on the line, he’ll know what to do.” You looked at Peggy, “There won’t be time. Peggy, he’s going to try to crash it and sacrifice himself. I…I can’t listen to this. I love you Steve.” You slid down the wall of the control tower, blocking out Peggy trying to talk Steve out of it. The next thing you know, Peggy is on the floor with you, sobs racking her body. You held each other as you cried, not sure what to do without him.

*a month later*

“Y/n, you know I have been working on recreating Dr. Erskine’s serum formula. I think I finally cracked the code. Do you think we could find a candidate that would be willing to test it?” You glanced up from the files you were working on, “Why not me Mr. Stark?” Howard stopped in his tracks. “Absolutely not.” You stood in front of him, “And why not? I know the risks, I know what can happen. Howard I have nothing to lose.” He looked at you shocked. “You’re serious. Are you sure you want to do this?” You smiled, “What’s the worst that can happen?”

Howard got you in the chamber, “Are you still sure you want to do this? You can still back out.” You rolled your eyes. “I am positive. I told you, I have nothing to lose now. Promise me that you won’t stop. No matter how much I scream, you make this happen Howard. Don’t forget to take notes for me.” You smiled at him, hoping to reassure his doubts. He made his way to the booth and began increasing power. The pain you felt was excruciating, and you felt like you were about to die. After what felt like hours, the chamber opened. You stumbled out, and Howard jumped to catch you. “Are you okay? You don’t look different.” You smiled at him, “Let’s go test this. Give me every test you gave Steve.”

After all of your testing had been completed, Howard grinned staring at his notes. “This is amazing. Just. Amazing! We did it. We finally cracked his formula, and look at you! No-one will even know!”

“Our new base of operations! Camp Lehigh.” You looked around, “Mr. Stark, this is an army base.” “Exactly,” Peggy began to explain, “It’s a wonderful disguise. No-one will ever suspect a thing.” For a couple of years things went smoothly at the SHEILD base. “Y/n, I have something to show you. Follow me please.” You followed Howard to a hidden elevator that took you below the office. As you stepped out into the room, you were confused by what you saw. “This is where we are housing everything for Project Rebirth. It is the most hidden place we could find. HYDRA is still after the serum formula, we had to find a way to make sure they don't get their hands on it.” You looked at Howard, knowing there was something he wasn't telling you, “They want to experiment on me don't they?” Howard nodded his head, unable to look at you. “So what are we doing about it?” “I..Well, I’ve come up with a new technology. Since your body has been altered by the serum, it is possible that your blood won’t freeze, and you’ll be able to stay alive, but asleep.” You looked at Howard questioningly, “What are you going to do, stick me in a freezer?” Howard, again, looked away. “In a manner of speaking. It’s called cryostasis. Basically it will freeze you, without killing you. When things die down and it is safe for you again, we can get you out.” “It’s safe?” “Of course.” You looked at Howard, a little skeptical. “Okay then, I have nothing to lose. Let’s do this.” The last thing you see is Howard closing the door.

[ofstarsandvibranium]

He Said

Fandom: Marvel (High School AU)

Pairing: Chubby!Bucky x F!Reader

Summary: Bucky has a big crush on you, but he's too shy and insecure to tell you. Based off the song "If I Could Tell Her" from Dear Evan Hansen.

Bucky stood on the ladder, hammering away at a nail to secure that the poster for this year’s Valentine’s Day dance was secure. 

BAM! BAM! BAM! BA-

He stopped mid-hammering when he heard your melodious laugh above the noise. He looked over his shoulder and looked across the cafeteria to see you talking and laughing with Steve and Nat as you two worked on putting up the banner for the dance. 

He took this moment to just look at you, watch you. A small smile appeared on his face as he watched your eyes crinkle when you laughed. 

When he felt the ladder shift, his heart stopped and, in that moment, he thought he was going to die. 

“BUCKY!” he looked down to see Sam staring up at him from the ground, “Come on, man! You’re taking forever! Stop staring at Y/N and hurry up! We got five more posters to put up!”

Bucky hissed at his friend, “Would you quiet down?! She’ll hear you! And I wasn’t staring!” he quickly finished up nailing the poster up and rushed down the ladder.

“Sorry, but we gotta get the ball rolling. Mrs. Stark is starting to stress and I don’t wanna end up getting lectured by her. You know she gets scary when she’s stressed.”

Bucky nodded with a sigh, folding up the ladder. He pulled down the tshirt that started to ride up as he was hammering away at the poster, hiding away his soft, squishy belly. He proceeded to follow Sam to another part of the cafeteria, his glances back at you over his shoulder, a sense of longing filling within him. 

When Sam stops, Bucky sets up the ladder, letting his friend pin up the poster this time, “You know, why don’t you just tell Y/N how you feel?”

“You know I can’t do that. It’s not that simple.”

“Why not? It seems pretty simple to me. You go up to her and say, ‘Hey, Y/N, I’m in love with you.”

Bucky sputtered, “I-I’m not in love with her!”

Sam scoffed, “Keep tellin’ yourself that. Anyway, you should confess yoru feelings to her at the dance. It’ll be romantic with all the hearts and roses and shit decorating the gym. It’ll be perfect!”

“Again, I don’t have feelings for her! Even if I did, I-I wouldn’t even know what to say!”

“Well think of something and then do it, ‘cause I’m tired of seeing you pine for her and follow her around like a sad puppy!”

“I don’t look like a sad puppy!”

_____________________

You and Nat both carry boxes of supplies from Mrs. Stark’s classroom to the cafeteria where you’re putting up posters and banners for the Valentine’s Day dance. 

“So, you and Steve are going to the dance together, right?”

Your best friend nods, “Yup, although, I still want him to ask me. I’m pretty sure he’ll do it when it gets closer to the day. What about you? Has anyone asked you to go with them?”

You dejectedly sighed, “No. Sam keeps saying someone will, but I highly doubt that. I’m nothing special.”

Nat shakes her head, “You’re plenty special, Y/N. You just don’t know it.”

“Y/N!” You glance over your shoulder to see Bucky lightly jogging after you. 

“Hey, Bu-oh!” you gasp when he swoops in, taking the box you were holding from your arms and continues to walk alongside you. You snort, “I could carry it myself, Buck.”

He shrugged, a cute dopey smile on his face, “Doesn’t mean you have to. Anyway, you goin’ to the dance?” 

Your heart immediately started palpitating, hope surgining within you as you nodded, “Yeah. Are you?”

He shrugged and that hope started to fade away, “Don’t know. Dances aren’t really my thing, plus I don’t have a date, and if I go without a date, people will just make fun of me or have pity on me.”

“Y/N doesn’t have a date!” Nat butted in excitedly. 

You whip your head towards her and shoot her a glare, “While that may be so, I don’t mind not having a date.”

You turn back to Bucky and give him a sweet smile, that turns him into a stuttering mess, “W-Well, I-I’ll think about it. I-I don’t know if I’m free that night.”

“It’s okay! Whether you go or not, I’ll understand.” you then turn to Nat, taking the box from her arms and rushing away, glancing over your shoulder at Bucky, “Told you I could carry it myself!” your giggle echoes off the walls of the hallway as you disappear into the cafeteria. 

Once you’re out of sight, Nat slaps Bucky’s head and he yelps, “What the hell, Nat?!”

“I practically fed you the opportunity to ask Y/N to the dance and you didn’t take it! You idiot!”

He groaned, “Not you too! I already got lectured about confessing my feelings to her by Sam. And, fyi, I don’t have feelings for Y/N!”

Nat scoffed, “Right and I’m not a natural redhead.”

_______________

Your pink chiffon dress with red hearts embellishments flowed around your legs as you walked about the gym, making sure the area that you and your group decorated was completely finished. Sure, decorating finished during last period, but Mrs. Stark wanted to make sure nothing fell or needed to be put up last minute. It was fine, perfect, actually. 

People were starting to file in, thus commencing the beginning of the dance.

As you greeted students and classmates that passed you, you felt a tap on your shoulder and someone speaking up, “He-Hey,” you hear behind you and you spun around to face the person. 

Bucky stood behind you wearing a red dress shirt that hugged his body nicely, black suit jacket, and black slacks. His shoes, however, were his ratted adidas, making you giggle. 

Bucky blushed as he eyed his own shoes, “I couldn’t find any dress shoes last minute.”

You shake your head, “It’s fine, probably more comfortable anyway. But I’m happy you decided to come!”

He cleared his throat, “Y-Yeah, me too.” he cleared his throat again, his nerves getting the better of him, “So, uh, I need-”

“Y/N!” you both look towards the other side of the gym where Steve and Nat are. Nat waves her hand, gesturing you to come over to them. 

You sigh and give Bucky an apologetic look, “Sorry. Lemme see what they need and I’ll be right back!” you rush over to them, leaving Bucky alone.

Bucky felt a hand clap onto a shoulder and a tsk, “Strikeout.” he shrugged the hand off to see Sam standing there dressed in a white suit that was covered in hearts. 

“You look stupid,” he murmured.

Sam snorted, “Not as stupid as you did just now., especially since you were so adamant about not having feelings for her.”

“Okay. Okay. I lied.”

“No shit!” he exclaimed with a cackle, “Now get your ass over there and try again!” he pushed his friend in the direction where you were and his heart started pounding in his ears. 

_______________

Every time Bucky tried to talk to you during the night, tried to confess his feelings, something always got in his way! Whether it was a decoration falling off the wall, or Mrs. Stark needing you for assistance, or a friend pulling you onto the dancefloor for a dance! Bucky just couldn’t get the words out and it was really starting to bum him out. Maybe the world was telling him not to confess. And he guesses that’s okay. Saves him from the embarrassment and rejection he’d experience. 

Somber and dejected, Bucky decides to step out for some fresh air. He walks towards the parking lot when he hears clacking against the pavement behind him. He turns around and sees you heading towards his way.

“Y/N? What’re you doing out here?”

Slightly out of breath, you reply, “I should be asking you that. Are you alright?”

He shrugged, “Just needed some fresh air. Anyway, you should head back inside.”

You shook your head, “I’m not leaving you out here by yourself, Buck.” you take his hand and lead him towards the bench where the bus stop is. You drag him to sit next to you, and he does, creating some distance between the two, which makes you a bit confused, “Are you sure you’re alright?”

He nervously rubs the back of his neck and sighs, “Well, uh, no. You see I’ve-I got this friend and he wanted me to tell you some stuff.”

Your head tilted slightly in curiosity, “Oh? What did he wanna tell me?”

He cleared his throat and maneuvered his body so he could face you better, “So, uh, he said there’s nothing like your smile. It’s sort of subtle and perfect and real. He also said he never knew how wonderful a smile could make him feel.”

You let out a breath of disbelief, “He-He really said that?”

He nods and continues, “He also said that he knows that when you get bored in class, you like to doodle on the cuff of your jeans and that you like to fill out the quizzes in magazines or buzzfeed.”

“If this person knew all this and felt this way, why didn’t he tell me?”

He gulps and replies, “Well he kept it all inside of his head, despite wanting to tell you. But he just couldn’t seem to talk to you or figure out what to say. H-He always thought about what he would say if he could tell you, but he always felt like you two were a million worlds apart.”

“Wow. Was there anything else he said? Or, wait, maybe-”

“No, no! He-He also, um, said that he really liked how you put purple highlights in your hair in freshman year.”

You snorted, “Oh gosh, really? I honestly think that was a bad decision for me.”

Bucky shook his head with a soft smile, “No. He loved it. Thought you looked cool and you stood out from everyone else. He....He just seemed like he was always so far away from you. You’re so pretty and likeable and I-he thinks he’s not very great or worthy of you.”

“Bucky?”

“Hm?”

You scoot closer to him, you nibble on your red painted lip for a moment before you speak, “This..friend of yours. He isn’t you, is he?” you ask hesitantly.

Cue panicking, “I-No! No! It’s not me! He’s not me! That-That’d be weird! We’re best friends! We’re-We’re practically brother and sister!” he looks down at his lap in shame and complete embarrassment.

You slowly nodded and scoot back, “O-Oh, well, uh, maybe you could tell your friend that I have a friend who may like them too?” Bucky’s head shoots up, but he doesn’t meet your eyes, for yours are staring down into your lap.

“She said that she likes the way your eyes crinkle when you laugh. She also said that she likes how you like to draw stars and planets in the margins of your notes and homework. She also wanted me to tell you that she really likes your new haircut and finds it cute that you’re starting to grow facial hair. 

“She, uh, She especially likes how good you look when you wear that black leather jacket that’s tight around your arms and that your butt looks good in skinny jeans.” you feel your cheeks heating up and you begin to fiddle with the fabric of your dress, “Sh-She also wanted me to say that you don’t have to feel insecure about the way you look, because she likes you just the way you are. And,” you take a deep, shaky breath, “And that she loves you. A lot.”

Bucky suddenly feels like all the oxygen has been vacuumed out of his body and he can’t breathe. Did he hear this all right? Is it true? Do you love him?

“I-My friend, would probably say that he loves you too and that he has since you were kids, but he was just afraid to scare you away and lose you, especially since you’re his best friend and he can’t think of living without you, because living without you is like living without breathing.”

You chuckle nervously, and proceed to scoot closer to Bucky, who, in return, scoots closer to you too, “If your friend told my friend this, I think they should kiss.”

A grin appears on Bucky’s face as he whispers, “I agree.”

You both start to lean in towards each other and right as your lips are about to touch, Sam appears yelling, “Buck! Steve nee-oh! Sorry!” he realizes what was happening and his eyes widen, and he looks like he won the jackpot, “DID YOU TELL HER?!”

Bucky groans, “Yes and I was about to kiss her until you interrupted, asshole!”

“Right! Sorry! Steve just wanted to see you! But you can see him after! Okay! I’m leaving! Go ahead and kiss now!” he runs away waving behind him, making you giggle.

“Sam’s so stupid,” you snorted.

And Bucky agreed, “Yeah, he is. But, uh, where were we?” as you both start to lean in again, Nat comes out.

“Hey, guys we-oh! OH! YOU WERE GONNA KISS! SORRY! Don’t let my presence stop you!”

Bucky groaned again, “Oh my fucking-mmf!” he’s immediately shut up when your lips pressed against his with a kiss. 

When you pull away, some of your lipstick transferred onto him and you giggle, wiping it away as Bucky stared at you in awe. You then stand up, brushing out the folds and wrinkles on your dress, “Well, we should probably go back inside before anyone else comes out.” you offer your hand to him and Bucky takes it with a smile. 

Both of you walked into the gym hand in hand and that’s when you hear Sam on the mic announce, “Ladies and gentlemen and nonbinary friends, Y/N L/N and Bucky Barnes have officially confessed their feelings for each other!” people around you erupt into applause and hollers making you and Bucky wanting to 1) curl up in a ball and let the ground swallow you both up, and 2) beat the ever living shit out of Sam Wilson.

[atlafan]

Take it Slow - Part Sixty

a/n: okay this is my first shot at a harry:y/n fic, and it will be multiple parts. y/n had a bad experience with an ex over a year ago, and finally accepts her coworker and good friend Niall’s invitation to go on a blind date with his friend Harry.

Warnings: Fluff and Smut.

Shorter part than usual...

Masterpost (all previous parts can be found in the masterpost)

Harry thought he was gonna go bananas. Your extra heavy period had passed, and you started your new pack of pills, but you still had refrained from doing anything remotely sexual. Other than a few kisses here and there. You two had been intimate basically since your third date, Harry didn’t know what to do with himself. You wouldn’t even blow him, and you certainly hadn’t let him touch you. The scare you had was barely worth being scared over, but the whole thing had still made you feel uneasy.

He couldn’t remember the last time he actually had to relieve himself, but he just couldn’t hold out anymore. It wasn’t nearly as satisfying as he had hoped it would be. But how could it be satisfying when all he wanted was you. He was starting to get anxious because once April hit his weekends were going to be really busy. No more just lazing around in bed. He didn’t want this no sex thing to continue.

“Babe?” He asks you as you come out of the shower Saturday morning.

“Yeah?”

“Can we talk for a second?” You look at him. He was sitting up in bed, twiddling his thumbs. You walk over and sit on the edge of the bed where he was.

“Sure, what’s up?”

“Sort of awkward to talk about, but...we haven’t had sex in a while.” Your face flushes. You really hadn’t noticed how long it had been. Ten days maybe? Almost two weeks? “Is everythin’ okay?”

“I’m sorry, I hadn’t noticed how long it had been.” His face falls. “That sounded worse than I meant it to. I just wanted to hop onto my new pack of pills before we did anything.”

“And you have.”

“Yeah, I’ve just barely finished the first week so we need to be careful.”

“So let’s be careful.”

“I think we should use condoms for a while…just as an extra precaution.”

“Um…okay, we could do that.”

“I think it would make me feel better.” You put your hand over his. “I’m sorry.”

“S’okay…just…you haven’t even let me touch you, and you haven’t touched me.”

“I haven’t wanted to.” You say bluntly, but your eyes gloss over at the same time, so he sees your agony. “I know I’m being stupid…”

“You’re not.” He moves his hand to cup your cheek. “Just don’t like you pullin’ away from me like this.”

“I’m not.” You lean into his touch and kiss his palm. “I’ve not gone anywhere, my doll.” He smiles at his favorite pet name.

“I really like it when you call me that.”

“What?”

“Your doll.”

“You do?”

“Mhm, don’t know why, but I like it a lot. You don’t do it a lot though, only sometimes.”

“Want me to say it more?”

“Mhm.” He smiles big as you crawl into his lap, straddling him. “Where’d you come up with it?” Your cheeks heat with embarrassment and you hide your face in the crook of his neck.

“My Nannie used to call my Papa that.” He wraps his arms around you and rubs your back.

“Ah. And what would he call her.”

“Hun mostly, or lovey, he’s called her lovey a lot. She’d call him dolly sometimes too.”

“And he’d call you baby right?”

“Mhm.” You smile against his neck. Then you burst out laughing.

“What?”

“Well, he was Papa right?” You lift your head to look at him. “So one day when I was visiting them I heard her ask him a question and she said, ‘would you like that, poo?’” You start laughing harder. “And he just nodded yes.”

“They sound really cute.”

“They were, they were very cute.” You tuck your head back where it was. “I’m not quite in the mood at the moment, but maybe later tonight, yeah?”

“I’ll be here.” He kisses the top of your head. He was happy just to have the cuddle.

//

“Babe?!” Harry yelled from up in the loft.

“Yeah?!” You said, coming from the kitchen.

“Can yeh come up here a minute?”

You make your way up the spiral staircase and cross your arms over your chest.

“What’s up? I’m in the middle of making dinner?”

“Just wanted you to see my weekend schedule for the next few months, and it’s just gonna get busier. Sometimes I’m able to double book weddings if one’s the mornin’ and the other is in the evenin’.” You squint at the calendar on the screen. “Do you want me to print it for you so you have it?”

“Sure.” You shrug. “Whatever.” You smile. You move to make your way down the stairs, but he grabs your wrist.

“Don’t you, um, don’t you care that I’m going to not be around a lot?”

“Of course I do, but it’s out my control isn’t it? And it’s not like I can crash every wedding you go to. I’ll find ways to fill my time. I’ll still have homework and other things to do. I’ll probably just hang out with the girls more.”

“You could come to some of the shoots, you could be like my assistant.” You scoff.

“Oh honey, you and I are both too much of a perfectionist to work together, and you know it.” He chuckles.

“You’re right.” He pulls you closer to him.

“I’m making dinner, let me go finish it up.” He lets go of you reluctantly. He prints the calendar for you and comes down the stairs to join you in the kitchen.

“Whatcha make, smells good.”

“Just some stirfry, nothing special.” You put some into two bowls for the both of you. “There’s some tofu in there too.”

“Thanks babe.”

You both sit down to eat. You get a call from Rachel.

“Hey!” You say cheerily.

“Hey, are you busy tonight, know it’s last minute.”

“Um…” You look at Harry. “We’re just sort of having a night in, why?”

“Sarah and I were thinking of going out and having some fun. The boys can come too, I could invite Mariah. We’re just bored ya know?”

“Ooo, yeah, maybe we could go to Tucci’s? Haven’t been there since the fall.”

“Great idea! Wanna meet up around nine?”

“Works for me!” You hang up the phone and look at Harry.

“I really don’t feel like goin’ out drinkin’ tonight…” He says.

“Then stay home.” You shrug as you take another bite of food. “I mean, you don’t have to drink. I may not even drink. It would jut be fun to go hang out with our friends.”

“So if I did stay home, you wouldn’t care?”

“Harry.” You sigh. “What is with you today?”

“Excuse me?”

“You keep trying to pick a fight with me.”

“No I don’t.”

“Yes, you do. You keep asking me if I care or not, of course I care. I’m not going to force you to go out if you don’t want to, but I’m also not going to stay in if I don’t want to.” You get up and clean your plate. “Come, don’t come, it’s up to you.”

“See, that’s what makes me think you don’t care.”

You were about to groan heavily, maybe even yell at him, but you were starting to recognize his behavior. He was being needy. You hadn’t really loved on him, and you did sort of tell him that tonight you would. Your sex drive had disappeared because of all the hormone change, maybe going out could fix that.

“I’m sorry.” You say calmly. “I’d really like it if you came out with everyone tonight. You’re so much fun, and it wouldn’t be any fun without you.”

“Alright…I guess I could go.” You smile big for him.

Later on you both get ready. You opt for a pair of jeans and black, quarter length sleeve crop top. You decide to leave your hair down and straight for a change. Harry sticks with his black jeans and a white t-shirt. His pearls looked sort of miss-matched, but he always wore them no matter what, just as you wore the rose ring on the chain he had gotten you.

“Ready?”

“Yeah, are we just meetin’ ‘em there?”

“Mhm, well, Niall is ordering an uber for the four of us, and then we’re going to meet Rach and Mariah there.”

“Cool.” He looks you up and down. “Cute.” You wrap your arms around him.

“You look pretty sexy yourself.” You wink and let him go.

You meet up with Niall and Sarah across the street and climb in the uber. Niall volunteered to sit in the front knowing that Harry would want to stay seated next to you. You sat in the middle, and Harry kept his arm around you, pulling you as close as possible to him. Sarah took your picture because she thought the two of you just looked so cute.

“Your hair’s starting to get long Harry.” Sarah says.

“Yeah, I’m ‘bout due for a haircut I suppose.” You run your hand through it.

“Maybe just a trim.” You giggle, and he kisses the top of youe head as you lean into him.

You all greet Rachel and Mariah who are holding hands when you see them. You all find a high-top to stand at so you can decide on what you all want to drink.

“Might just have a seltzer with lime, what do you want?” Before you can answer, Sarah cuts in.

“Tequila shots, that’s what we’re doing tonight.” Your face lights up. “I’ll get plenty of limes for everyone, and salt.”  She drags Niall up to the bar to help her.

“Guess that’s what I’m having.” You chuckle. “I can get us a pitcher of water if you want babe?”

“I can go-“

“S’okay, I got it.” He watches you walk up to the bar.

“Not drinking tonight, H?” Mariah asks him.

“Nah, not really in the mood.”

“Is everything okay?” Rachel asks.

“Yeah, just don’t feel like gettin’ crazy is all.” He smiles at her reassuringly. He looks back over at you. You were giggling while talking with the bartender. He hands you a pitcher of water and some plastic cups, and you come back over. “What was so funny?”

“What?” You set everything down on the table.

“The bartender made you laugh.”

You suck your teeth and pour yourself a cup of water. Niall and Sarah come back with the shots. You hand the water to Harry. You, Sarah, and Rachel all lick your hands for the salt, take the shot, and sink your teeth into the limes. Harry, Niall, and Mariah all stood there stunned. They had all seen you do it before, but it always amazed them.

“Mm.” You say taking the lime out of your mouth, and wipes the juice from your chin with the back of your hand. “That taste never gets old.”

“Okay, let’s hit the dance floor.” Sarah says.

Rachel looks at Mariah.

“I’m gonna hang with the boys for a bit, I’ll meet you out there.”

“Okay.” She smiles and walks over to the dance floor with you and Sarah.

“She needed this ya know.” Niall says to Harry. “She’s been in a funk at work the last couple of weeks.”

“Yeah, in a funk at home too.” He sighs, sipping on his water.

“Trouble in paradise, H?” Mariah asks, tipping her head back to take her shot.

“No…she’s just been uneasy. We had a little slip up a couple weeks ago, nothing major.”

“Define slip up?” Niall looks at him deeply concerned.

“Nothin’ like what you’re thinkin’. She…missed one of her pills. Obviously she’s fine now, but she was worked up about it.”

“That’s so scary!” Mariah says. “What did you guys do?”

“She had me take her to the drug store so she could get a Plan B, and that was that. Got her period, and then she started a new pack of pills.”

“How’d she forget to take it? You know Sarah gets a shot every few months so she doesn’t have to worry about it.”

“It was the day after your party, we were both hungover, we slept in late…and then we…ya know.” He takes another sip of water. “If we hadn’t then it probably would’ve been fine.”

“Even still…” Mariah says. “You guys definitely did the right thing.”

“We haven’t since then.” Niall’s jaw drops.

“You two haven’t fucked in two weeks?” There was complete and udder shock on his face.

“Shut up.” Harry nudges him.

“Sorry, just really surprisin’ t’hear.”

“Have you talked with her about it?” Mariah asks.

“Yeah we did this mornin’… says we need to start usin’ condoms more just in case.” He groans.

“Just be happy you still get to have sex, dude.” Mariah says putting her hand on his shoulder with a smile.

“You know, you have no idea how good and easy you have it. You don’t have to worry about getting’ pregnant, or gettin’ anyone else pregnant. You can just fuck all yeh want and it’ll be fine.”

“You’re exactly right.” She looks back at the three of you dancing. “Think it’s time I get over there.”

She joins the three of you and you all cheer.

“Don’t tell her I told you.” Harry says to Niall. “Some things just need to stay between us lads.”

“I gotcha, no worries.” Niall takes his shot. “C’mon, take your shot.” Harry nods and takes his. They both join the group.

You smile at Harry and take your hands in his to dance with him. You thought he looked really good tonight. You loved when you could actually see his tattoos peak through his clothes. A slower song comes on and you all pair up accordingly. You wrap your arms around his neck, and his hands rest on your hips.

“Are you glad you came out? Because I’m glad you did.”

“Yeah, I am.” He leans down to kiss your nose.

The six of you have a great time, but all nights must come to an end at some point. You all say goodnight to Mariah and Rachel as you climb into your shared uber. You had a large SUV this time. You and Harry sit in the way back. Niall had his arm around Sarah, and they chatted quickly. Harry practically had you in his lap. Your neck was craned while he planted open mouthed kisses on you. Just as he bites into you, you whimper and Niall and Sarah turn to look at you both.

“Could you two wait the ten fuckin’ minutes the car ride is gonna take until you start in with all that.” Harry lets go of your neck with a popping noise. Sarah’s mouth falls open and mouths oh my god when she looks at you.

“Actually, it’s a twenty minute ride. Ask him to turn up the music if you don’t wanna hear.”

“Harry, he’s right, we should-“

He practically tackles you, pinning your back to the seat. He had so much pent up energy from being deprived, and he couldn’t stand it anymore. It only take his a second to get his tongue into your mouth and you shut up immediately, wrapping your arms around him.

“Jesus Christ.” Niall sighs. “Mate, mind turnin’ the music up?” The driver does as asked.

Every once in a while they hear a giggle or two from one of you while you continue to have an aggressive makeout in the back of the uber. You felt sort of silly with your friends around, but you couldn’t find a way to care with the way Harry was kissing you, practically bruising your lips. He moved his mouth back to your neck, and essentially attacked you.

“Oi! We’re here.” Niall says. Harry helps you sit up, you looked fucked out and you hadn’t even fucked yet.

The four of you get out of the car, you wrap your arms around him and kiss on his neck while the four of you stand on the sidewalk. Harry’s arms are wrapped right around you.  

“So…I guess hanging out for a bit is out now…” Sarah says.

“Sorry guys, ngh, not tonight. Another time though. Have a good night.” Harry says. “I know I’m about to.” He says under his breath as he pulls you across the street.

//

“Holy shit.” Sarah says to Niall as they head up to his apartment. “He’s like an animal.”

“That was nothin’.” He says as they get inside.

“What do you mean?”

“I’ve literally been in a car with him, a group of us, while he’s fucked someone in the backseat.”

“Did you hear the popping sound when he let go of her neck? How does that not hurt?”

“People like what they like babe.”

“I know, but Jesus.” She giggles. “I’ve never known Y/N to be so okay with PDA like that.”

“Yeah I figured she’d tell him to quit it.” He shrugs.

//

Harry gets you upstairs to your apartment, your lips had barely left his skin the entire time. You wanted it just as bad as him, he riled you up in the car pretty good. Once you’re inside you’re pinned up against a wall, and you’re sucking his bottom lip into your mouth. He groans as he presses himself against you. He was rock hard.

“Alright.” He breathes, and picks you up, carrying you to the bedroom.

You tug at the hem of his shirt and practically rip it off him. You unbutton and unzip his jeans and yank them down his legs. You push him back onto the bed, and kneel in front of him. He was breathing heavily, and he hissed when he felt your hand on his cock. You both moan when you wrap your lips around his tip. You suckle on it, then run the tip of your tongue along his slit. You lap up all the precome that had been leaking from him.

“Fuck.” He says, hands flying to your hair as he bucks his hips up. “Take your clothes off, please. Need you now.”

You stand up and take your shirt off, throwing it at him. He chuckles as you slide your pants down your legs, taking your panties with them. He sits up and you stand between his legs. His hands go right for your ass cheeks and his mouth wraps around one of your nipples. You head falls back as twists the piercing with his teeth. His hands slide down slightly to grip the backs of your thighs.

“Want you to sit on my face, will yeh do that?” He asks looking up at you. You nod your head yes.

Harry gets farther back on the bed so his head was resting on his pillow. You didn’t sit on his face often, but when you’d do it, it always felt incredible. You straddle his face, and slowly lower yourself onto him. You grip the head board when you feel his tongue on you. It swirls all around your folds as his hands hands knead the globes of your ass. He suckles on your clit and you let out a moan. You rock your hips back and forth on his face, needed that extra friction. The stubble on his chin felt like heaven.

“Fuck, Harry.” It was music to his hears, and even better that he was hearing his favorite song for the first time in two weeks.

He flicks his tongue faster on you, and before you know it you’re absolutely screaming from your overdue release. You move off of him while trying to catch your breath. He wipes his face with the back of his hand and smile at you. He moves to pull you down to him, but you inch back.

“Condom.”

“Babe, do we-“

“You want this cunt, you put the condom on.” His mouth falls open. It was a word you rarely said, if it all, so he knew you meant business.

He gets up and goes into the bathroom as you lay down and wait for him. He comes back with three condoms in his hand, and places two on your bedside table.

“A little presumptuous don’t you think?” You ask propping yourself up on your elbows.

“If you think you’re getting off easy tonight, you’re fuckin’ crazy.” He tears the condom open and slides it on his dick. “Now, open those legs, I have some work to do.” You giggle as he gets on top of you.

You were glistening for him, and he couldn’t wait to get inside. You groan softly when you feel him push the tip in, and he slowly pushes the rest of the way in with gritted teeth. He couldn’t feel you fully of course, and he hated it. He hated this stupid fucking condom, but it was your call and he had to respect that. He looks down at your and your head was rolled back in your pillow. He smirks as he start to rock his hips back and forth.

“Harry.” You moan as his hands find their way to your breasts.

“Want me to fuck yeh over and over, angel?”

“Yes, please.”

He fucked you into the mattress, there was no doubt about that. He ended up using four condoms instead of three. Once in a while he’d take a break and just finger you. He fucked you with him on top, he fucked you with you on top, he fucked you on both of your sides. He got you up to seven orgasms. Not quite the ten or even eleven that he was striving for, but he knew he’d get there eventually. You admitted that you were feeling raw and it was time for him to come one last time, so he did.

Once you had gone to the bathroom, barely able to walk, you crawl into bed with him. You lay your head on his chest, and his arm goes around you.

“Please, don’t ever make me suffer like that again.” He says, playing with your hair.

“I’m sorry baby, I didn’t realize you were in such agony.”

“It was awful. I wanted you everyday. I know not everything is about sex, but…”

“I didn’t mean to make you feel unwanted.” You look up at him. “I just…between being scared and the way my hormones were all out of wack, I just didn’t have the drive, I’m sorry.”

“S’okay.” He kisses you tenderly on the lips.

“Never stopped loving you though.” He smiles and kisses you again.

“I should hope the fuck not.” You giggle and settle back down on his chest.

“Think we scarred the two of them for life, Niall and Sarah?”

“Nah, wasn’t Niall’s first time seein’ me like that in a car with someone.”

“Maybe just Sarah then. She’s never really seen me like that in public.”

“Was fun makin’ out in the car.”

“Yeah, it was.” You feel your eyes get droopy.

“Love you, angel.”

“Love you too, my doll.”

[auricbound]

💚guilty time.

memories meme. | accepting.

it’s an unnaturally cold night in alenthaal.

so far, they’re only a month in. just barely three more before the promised day arrives, and ed’s been trying his fucking hardest to keep it together. lum’s been doing her best to help him with what she can, only being one piece to their little therapy puzzle.

neither of them can sleep. for lum, it’s a matter of the chill reminding her too much of lucaun’s funeral. for him, it’s a matter of his body feeling like its fucking on fire, with every fiber of his being trembling uncontrollably as he gets through another night without al.

lauriam’s old room. that’s what this was- where he was staying for the next three months or so. he’s not just in some inn, he’s in a HOME, a home that isn’t his, a home without alphonse by his side. 

it doesn’t feel right. it really, really doesn’t feel right. this bed should not belong to him. this space should not belong to him. he doesn’t deserve it, not with how much trouble he’s given lum since he first came here. how much trouble he’s given all of her “group” since coming to this one place they knew would be safe from the influence of central command.

it’s all just buzzing as he slams his pen down, no longer able to focus. his sight has abandoned him, and quite frankly, he doesn’t think he can look at these alkehestry arrays for even a second longer.

taking in new information has been a problem for him ever since he saw the gate, and he can’t fucking take it anymore. his head feels like it’s going to explode along with the rest of him. 

just like always, the world around him has darkened. although morbid, he’s found a sense of comfort in it. even with the rest of him falling apart, he can always count on this dreadful emptiness returning. 

it’s been his one and only constant. every single night, without fail, it’s returned, trying to embrace him. trying to drag him down completely. he’s resisted, of course. 

he’s of no use to al dead. getting his body back is a joint effort, and he knows that. no matter how much his own mind tries to convince him otherwise, he’s at least able to think that one portion through. it doesn’t stop his fantasies, though. 

“ ed ? it’s me. are you up ? ”

he doesn’t turn. he can feel her, behind the door, no matter how faint her presence may be to him right now. she’s probably just about the only person he can sense, with how powerful charity’s energy is compared to the rest of humanity.

at least he can’t hear the screaming of a philosopher’s stone from within her like with greed. only the static of the gate accompanies her being, though he’d be lying if he said he didn’t prefer the former.

he’s gotten all too used to the unending cries of his own conscience.

“ ... yeah. come on in, lum. ”

ed can’t even hear himself speak. he makes no effort to turn in his chair, knowing full well that lum’s already trudged over to his side, sleep deprived and holding what’s probably her third mug of coffee.

“ any progress s’ far ? can’t make heads or tails of anythin’ on my end. ”

“ ... no. can’t- can’t focus. sorry. ”

wordlessly, she puts an arm around his back, gently as possible, and squeezes. his voice is probably shaking like the rest of him. 

“ ... it’s okay, edward. you don’t have to push yourself, alright? it’s not goin’ anywhere. i won’t go anywhere, either. we can work on this for as long as we need to.  ”

he knows already, but he lets her say it again anyways. his scar always flares to life whenever any of them say it, but it’s stabilizing. it makes him feel like a person again.

he can’t see anything that’s not within an inch of him anymore. it always gets like this, right when it’s about to hit at its worst. but he should be fine. lum’s here with him. she knows how to help with his panic attacks. this is just going to be like any other night so far. his chest is just going to close up like always when the phantom suffocates him, and he’ll have al’s lum’s hand at his back to force him to breathe.

“ oh, but you wish it could be that simple, don’t you, edward ? ”

no. no, this isn’t right. it- it always appeared in front of him, no matter what. those blank white eyes meant to copy his would stare into his own, taunting him, just like they always have. 

it was only the hands that ever formed from the back. he was always choked from behind, with the smoky reflection trying to drag him back down from the front. trying to keep him down.

luitumi vanishes. he can only feel it, the inescapable wave, crushing his back as the horrible mimic sounds from his left side.

lum is gone. 

his one method of grounding, and he can no longer see or feel her. he can only feel those claws gripping at every part of him once again, the phantom tendrils from the gate returning to assist.

for the first time this night, he turns, face to face with the creature he’s created. the form is too human for him to be comfortable with. 

“ did you honestly think getting used to it would help, edward ? i am you. we are one, bound together for as long as we live. it’s my job to make sure you and i remain EQUALS. ”

“ sh- shut up. y-you’re not fuckin’ real- you’re not- ! i know you aren’t- ! you’re just- you’re just some shit m’ brain made up, you’re not- ”

“ am i, edward, truly? ”

“ then why don’t you do yourself a favor then and prove it ? i’m right here. if i were truly some figment of your imagination, you should be able to kill me with your own mental will. ” “ or are you too much of a coward to go through with your own fantasies of killing yourself ? it wouldn’t do any harm. you’ll finally be able to see your own truth, edward. ”

his heart leaps. there is nothing grounding him, not anymore. there is nothing to keep him from acting out on his pure hatred for himself.

desperate for an answer, the phantom is quickly pinned to the ground, ed’s own hands wrapping around its neck. no longer will he be the one suffocating. he won’t- he can’t. he’s so tired of drowning, so tired of it.

“ y-you can’t- i won’t let you. n-not a’ymore. n-not ever again. you’re not  r e a l . ”

the phantom only stares back. 

“ i wonder when you’ll see it, edward. what the truth behind your existence is. behind what our existence is. you’ve always known, deep down, but you’ve repressed it, haven’t you ? you don’t want to admit to yourself what you did that day, do you ? ”

“ shut UP- ! ”

he slams its head into the floor. he swears he can hear some kind of crack, but they don’t shift one bit. it’s not enough. not enough to kill them.

“ you’ve let your pride consume you, edward. how many times must i bring you back to where you belong ? to restore those memories you’ve shut away, only for you to deny them again ? ”

“ SHUT UP-! ”

he can’t breathe. he tries to tighten his own grip, to keep up, but he can feel hands clawing at his own. is the phantom finally trying to resist ? is he winning ?

“ why don’t you look at what you’ve done, edward ? ”

the clawing grows stronger in intensity. he does not see the hands doing it.  his throat closes up, and he can only choke as he stares at the faux version of him.

“ look at your hands, child. this is who you are. a beast that needs taming. ”

desperate for anything, he does. one hand is lifted-  and he sees red.

“ wh-wha- ”

the phantom just laughs. 

a screeching cackle that hurts his ears, it laughs, and it reaches out to his stomach, digging into the sensitive flesh as it brings itself up to his ear, the whisper sending chills down his spine.

“ i cannot be killed, edward. we are one and the same. ”

just as quickly as it appeared, it vanishes, and he finally sees again. he sees the person whose blood he just spilled, eyes dull and glassy, staring at him with what he can only describe as sheer terror.

unbreathing, unblinking. a warm corpse.

“ luh... ”

he can’t feel anything. he can’t feel, not even as he brings his trembling hands to her face, trying to get her to move, to do something. the bleeding from the back of her head only continues, every last drop of her own life spilling out beneath them, staining strands of desert gold and sunkissed skin. he can’t feel a pulse.

“ l-luit-tumi, th-this- thi-this i-isn’t f-funny, c-c’mon-”

all too quickly, he starts breathing once again. in and out becomes a desperate struggle as he tries to get air back within his own lungs in an attempt to speak, paying no mind to the whines escaping his own chest.

“ l-lum, p-please, y-’y g-gotta, p-please- ”

“ you’re too late,” the phantom calls. “ look what you’ve done. ” and he is. he is looking, trying to bring her back. sh-she can’t be dead. he refuses to accept that. he refuses to accept that he’s killed her, this has to be some kind of joke.

and yet, she still doesn’t move, the color fading from her body. 

“ l-lum-”

and then he feels it.

the energy of charity, but not the energy of luitumi. it’s crackling, deep within what he’s sure is her chest, desperate. it reaches out to him, the fury of the homunculus freezing his bones.

" humility, what have you DONE ?! ”

and not even a second after, his body finally gives out, falling to the floor. he cannot see, cannot hear, cannot breathe.

he can only feel as lucaun’s energy slams through where the door should be, picking up the faint wavering of panic as his consciousness fails him.

[merakiaes]

At Fault - Tommy Shelby

Pairing: Tommy Shelby x reader

Requested: Yes. 

Prompts: #35 and #11 from the angst-list.

Warnings/notes: Some angst, I guess. I tweaked the prompts a bit, hope that’s okay! This is two requests combined, I wanted to make it longer but I got hit with a massive headache so I had to cut it short, unfortunately. It’s not proof-read so sorry for any mistakes. I hope you like it and thank you for requesting! <3

Wordcount: 3175

Summary: Following a fight with Tommy where you storm out, you get taken. 

Tommy wanted to hit himself for being so stupid, regretting his actions the second he saw your heartbroken expression.

You hadn’t known each other for too long, merely a year or so. But you had clicked instantly, getting along like two peas in a pod with the way your minds and personalities were so alike.

The only problem was, you were too much alike, both of you possessing a hard-headed stubbornness that rarely allowed anyone else to get their way in the end. And you can imagine how that ended whenever the two of you butted heads.

You had gotten along perfectly the first two months, acting like a couple of lovesick teenagers, always fooling around. But the second he brought you in on the family business, you were constantly fighting, barely seeing eye to eye on any plans.

And what riled Tommy up even more was that most of the time, his aunt and brothers took your side, claiming that you were the only one thinking logically out of the two of you.

The fighting became a norm around the Betting Shop, everyone growing used to it, including the two of you. But today it had gone to far. He had gone too far.

He had said such hurtful things to you, it even put him to shame. He could only be happy that it had only been you in there in that moment, as he knew exactly how his family would have reacted if they’d witnessed the heartbroken, betrayed look on your face as you stormed out of there.

He had been frozen in shock for a moment, before realizing you hadn’t even brought your coat. Today was a particularly cold day, the rain having poured down since the crack of dawn, and he instantly grew worried for your well-being, grabbing your coat from where you’d left it on the table and rushed out after you.

But you were nowhere in sight.

He knew he should have seen this as the first warning sign, as you had rushed out only two minutes ago and couldn’t have gone that far already. But still, his mind clouded with guilt, he started walking the path you would always take home, hoping to catch up with you.

However, he walked the entire way back to your house without as much as a glimpse of you and found your house empty.

Growing more worried by the second, he started moving back the way he came, looking around, desperate to catch a glimpse of your hair or the blue dress you had been wearing today. But no sight of you.

It was only when he caught sight of something shimmery on the ground, upon closer inspection noticing what it was, that the warning bells really started ringing, having him running to the Garrison quicker than ever before.

It was your bracelet, the one your mother had given you right before she died. You never took that thing off, and as you were too observant for your own good, he knew that there was no way that you would have just dropped it without noticing.

There was no doubt in his mind that you had been taken.

Most of the Peaky Blinders were at the Garrison when he arrived, drinking, laughing, singing and having fun on one of the rare off-days they were given every once in a while when things were calm.

But when Tommy barged into the pub, the door smacking against the wall behind it so violently it was a wonder it was still attached to the hinges, everyone fell quiet, all eyes turning to him.

Tommy wasted no time, looking around the room, bewildered. “Have anyone in here seen (Y/N) in the past few minutes?!”

When hearing the sound of their brother’s loud voice, Arthur and John instantly came out of the backroom, fear creeping up at them when seeing his panic-stricken face.

“Tommy?” Arthur asked, confused, going towards his younger brother. “What’s goin’ on?”

Tommy marched up to the closest table and pushed all of the glasses to the floor, glass and alcohol spluttering all over the floor. “(Y/N)’s fucking gone, that’s what’s happening!” He yelled, sparing his brother a look before turning back to every other Peaky Blinder in the room.

“I want each and every fucking one of you out and looking for her now. And you don’t fucking come back until you’ve found her, or I swear to you, I will have your fucking heads!”

The Blinders wasted no time in getting to heir feet, grabbing their coats and rushing past him out the door, no one daring to look at him as he went for another table, tipping the entire thing over.

Arthur and John instantly sprung into action and ran to him, holding him back from going after another table, while Finn ran out of there to alert their aunt of what was happening.

“Calm down, Tommy boy!” Arthur yelled, struggling to hold on to his brother’s arm as he trashed around. “You’re not going to find her if you act like this!”

His chest heaved up and down violently, his entire body shaking with a mixture of panic and anger. But still, he stilled himself, knowing the words were true. If he was going to find you, he needed to get his act together.

And he really needed to find you.

                                            ____________________

You didn’t fear much in life. Not much at all, in fact. The only things you truly feared was losing the people you loved, and not being in control.

And you had never felt as powerless as you did now, leaving you in a state of pure panic as you struggled against the ropes tied tightly around your wrists.

The fight with Tommy only an hour before was now gone from your head, the only thing on your mind being the throbbing pain in the back of your head from where you had been hit, and the fear and panic of being tied up.

You didn’t understand what was going on.

Granted, you the reason of your taking was certainly related to Tommy and his Peaky Blinders, but yet, you couldn’t figure out what had brought this on.

You thought things had calmed down. That the dangers were gone from your lives and that you were finally living and dealing with business legitimately.

But no, some goons had jumped you in the alley right outside the Betting Shop, hit you in the head with a baton, dragged you off to wherever the hell you currently were, and tied you up.

That’s what was currently causing you to hyperventilate with panic; the ropes around your wrists and ankles. Not the blade currently pressed to your thigh, nor the man that was up and close in your face, demanding answers to questions you didn’t know.

“I’ll ask you one last time.” He growled in your ear, pressing the tip of the blade against your thigh and successfully breaking the top layer of skin. “Where is Tommy Shelby hiding the money?”

You only glared coldly, leaned in close while panting and struggling against the restraints. “And I’ll tell you one last time, I don’t know about no fucking money.”

And you truly didn’t. You had no idea what the fuck was going on or what the fuck they were talking about. But even if you had, you wouldn’t have given them shit, your loyalty to Tommy and his family too strong to be broken by petty threats and injuries.

But even if you were telling the truth, he obviously didn’t believe you.

He stabbed the knife into your thigh in one swift motion, causing you to yell out in pain, your head falling backwards and tears to prick your eyes. But you refused to cry. That was not how your mother raised you.

“You’re a persistent one, aren’t ya?” He laughed. “I can respect that. I see why those Blinders keep ya around.”

He pressed his thumb into your wound, causing you to yell out again, squeezing your eyes shut tighter and gritting your teeth.

“But I need you to drop that persistence just this once and tell me where the fuck the money is, ya hear me? Or I won’t be asking nicely no more.”

You had to fight the urge to give him some snappy retort back, knowing very well that it wouldn’t do you any good. Instead, you just spit in his face, smirking when he closed his eyes in irritation.

Because that was so much better than talking back. Not.

Before he could do anything else, however, the sound of shooting erupted form outside the door, accompanied by a series of yells, of which you recognized one to be Arthur.

You closed your eyes in relief, your racing heart picking up even more speed, knowing that they’d come for you. That he’d come for you.

But you couldn’t celebrate yet, the man suddenly getting behind you and pressing an ever larger knife into your side as the door was kicked in, a cloud of smoke spilling in from the gunfight that had now gone quiet.

Where he’d gotten the knife, you didn’t know, but you couldn’t think much about that in the moment, as the only thing you could only think about was that he would be able to kill you with just one movement if he wanted to.

Only a second later, Tommy walked inside with his gun raised, John, Arthur and the rest of the Peaky Blinders following his lead.

You instantly locked eyes with Tommy, your breathing ragged and uneven as you felt the blade press into your side. You silently pleaded for him to get you the hell out of there, all while telling him not to do anything rash.

Tommy’s face was filled with rage, his eyes so cold and hard that had looks been able to kill, the man behind you would have been dead long ago.

He had never felt this kind of anger before, and his brothers had never seen him in such a messy state, and certainly not seen him become this protective.

But then again, they understood perfectly, as they were feeling the same, the whole Shelby family having grown to love and care for you in the short amount of time they’d known you.

You may not have been a Peaky Blinder, but you were one of them, always helping out in the Betting Shop and assisting them if they ever needed help with their emotions or families.

Taking you from them was about as bad as if they would have taken one of them, and the mess of dead bodies outside in the warehouse was the result of that poorly thought out mistake, not a single one of them having been spared or showed mercy, despite a few of them actually begging for it.

As Tommy took a step closer to you, eyes hard and flickering between you and the man, the man pressed the knife further into your side, the tip going through the fabric of your dress and pricking your skin, causing your eyes to squeeze shut and a small sound of panic to fall from your lips.

Tommy took note of this and instantly halted. Knowing how much of a difficult situation you were currently in, his heart was beating so loudly that he could hear it in his heart. But the glare on his face only hardened.

“Let. Her. Go.” He spoke slowly, voice holding promise of what would become of him if he even dared lay another hand on you.

You had never heard his voice so low and full of hatred and anger before, the sound of it causing you to shiver. Despite the man’s ill intentions, you found yourself fearing for what Tommy might do to him when he got his hands on him, the look in his face being purely murderous.

Arthur tilted his gun slightly, walking up to his brother’s side. “I’d do as he says if I were you.” He drawled, the thumb of his free hand pointing backwards. “You’re outnumbered and he’s already killed thirty men to get ‘ere. You haven’t got a shot.”

It was clear that the man hadn’t thought this far and that he was, indeed, scared, as his grip on the knife was shaking. But still, he didn’t give up, only glaring and pushing the blade further into your side. “Tell me where the bloody money is, or I’ll fucking kill her!”

You closed your eyes briefly, trying to steady your breathing and ignore the pain shooting through your whole leg after being stabbed. You could only hope he hadn’t hit any major arteries. You didn’t want to bleed out.

You opened your eyes again, and it all happened so fast after that.

Finn, who had insisted on coming along as he was now eighteen and an official member of the Peaky Blinders, had fired the first shot, aiming to kill.

But as his hands had been shaking with fear and anger, he missed, giving the man the time he needed to stab the knife hilt-deep into your side before being killed by a bullet to the head, several more following and hitting various parts of his body.

The pain was unbearable, unlike anything you had ever felt before; burning, searing, throbbing, every pain-related adjective you could think of, all together.

But you didn’t scream. You didn’t utter a word. Instead, you could feel your sense of hearing slowly disappearing, being replaced with a deafening ringing noise.

You could see Tommy rushing towards you, his lips moving as if he was yelling out your name, eyes wide in panic. But no sound reached your ears, your mind barely even able to process what you were seeing.

Your head fell slightly, eyes not blinking as Arthur and John worked on the ropes around your wrists and ankles hurriedly, Tommy seeming to yell at them. Most likely to tell them to hurry up, the way he always did when something was going too slow for his liking.

You didn’t come back to reality until you felt a hand pressing down at your stab wound, hard. Only then did your hearing return, the voices of several panicked and loud voices entering your ears, along with Finn’s cries from the doorway.

You lifted your head slightly, feeling how your heart was starting to slow down in your chest and how your body was getting cold. You managed a weak smile to the youngest Shelby, whispering out in a barely audible voice. “S’ alright, Finn.”

You did in no way want him to think it was his fault. He had tried to saved you, and you were grateful for it, despite the way it turned out.

As your head started sinking again, your eyes slowly drooping, Tommy’s hand came in contact with your cheek almost instantly in a not so careful slap. “Stay awake, (Y/N). You’ve got to stay awake for me, alright?”

You nodded, agreeing. “Alright, Tom.” But your eyelids only grew heavier, the slap not having helped at all.

Tommy watched in horror as your eyes fell shut then, instantly taking you into his arms once you were free from the ropes, trying his hardest to stand up with you while at the same time putting pressure on your wound.

But at this point, you could barely even feel the pain anymore. You couldn’t think straight, feeling as if you were drunk and high on opium and Tokyo all together.

As you opened your eyes slightly, you caught sight of Arthur and John rushing beside you, yelling at people around them. Everything was going in slow motion, all voices and noises falling silent to your ears as you looked up, meeting the bright blue eyes you’d fallen in love with.

Thomas. Your Thomas.

“You can’t die on me.” He ordered as he felt your body grow heavier, indicating that you were about to fall asleep. “Please.”

But his desperate pleas weren’t enough to stop the amount of blood you were currently losing, the last thing you saw being Tommy crying out in panic as your eyes finally shut, before everything turned black.

                                              ____________________

Tommy felt numb.

His throat was raw from screaming at his brothers and the nurses that had taken over your body once they reached the hospital, his eyes bloodshot and swollen from the amount of tears he’d shed.

He held your hand in his. Your cold, limp, lifeless hand.

All he could think about was how different things would have been if he hadn’t yelled at you earlier that day. If he’d just gotten off his high horse and admitted that you were right, for once in his life, maybe you wouldn’t be where you were.

You’d probably be at home, curled up in each other’s arms as you slept through the night. Instead, you were there. Lying in the hospital bed limply, and all Tommy could do was watch you and cry, completely powerless.

A hand suddenly came to rest on his shoulder, but he didn’t flinch, barely even acknowledging his aunt as she sat down beside him, his gaze on you not faltering for as much as a second.

“I can’t do anything right, can I?”

He barely even noticed the words tumbling out of his own lips, almost as if his mind was disconnected from the rest of his body.

Polly turned to look at him sadly. “You can’t say that, Tom.” She shook her head, reaching out a hand and grabbing ahold of his, that were still holding onto yours. “What happened is not your fault.”

But he just shook his head. “Yes, it is.” He answered in an emotionless tone, swallowing the lump in his throat. “Just like everything else, this is my fault. My doing. Because I’m too bloody proud to listen to anyone other than myself.”

Polly didn’t say anything else, only turning to look at you with a sad expression. No one in the Shelby family would ever blame him for what happened, or hold it against him in any way, but in a sense, she knew that he was right.

When a leader couldn’t listen to the advice of his partners in business, it was bound to come back and bite him in the ass eventually.

Turning the cheek to logical arguments from other parts and making rash and reckless decisions on your own, and then acting accordingly, would give you plenty of enemies that would, in time, come for you and your loved ones. Polly knew this, Arthur, John and Finn knew this, and he knew this.

He only wished he would have taken everyone’s advice to listen and think more carefully long ago, because maybe then, you wouldn’t have been caught up in the war you had no part in.

Maybe then, you’d still be alive.

But now you were gone, leaving behind a big, empty hole in his and everyone’s hearts. And it was all his fault.

[lovebitesimagines]

Dangerous Love- Anybody But You.

I know I left this at a cliffhanger! Sorry guys! Hope you enjoy!

Ps. you’re gonna need tissues!

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Warnings: Swearing, Shooting, Violence.

A surprise invitation isn’t all that it seems.

TOMMYS POV

           Tommy knew you had left, the moment he had seen Aunt Pols’ face. That woman could not hide her guilt, that practically rolled off her in waves. He knew she was a culprit, assisting you in your escape. He knew her pathetic reasoning behind it, spinning some bullshit about ‘true love’. He found her excuses laughable. It served you right, Tommy thought. You had been disloyal to the family, something which he found completely unforgivable. Yet, he couldn’t be bothered to chase you to London and drag you back. No, he had an idea that would ensure you would be the one to return.

           Tommy sat at his desk, placing another cigarette in between his lips to light. His eyes scanned over the bedlam that was surrounding him. His workers darted around the betting shop, carrying wads of cash, shouting words that he could not quite identify. He knew this chaos would be nothing, compared to the wicked disorder that he would create.

“Family meeting!”.

           The words slipped out of his mouth, as easily as taking a breath of air. It created a small disturbance in the room, silence momentarily falling upon the room. Tommy had become so accustomed to shouting those two words, that he no longer felt any sense of power. He watched as his family lazily made their way towards his office, Finn closing the door behind him.

“What is the meaning of this?” Aunt Pol was the first to speak up, her voice sharp as she queried Tommys’ actions. He sat back in his chair, a slight smirk playing upon his lips as he calmly took a drag of his cigarette, slowly blowing the smoke out into the room.

“I notice that (Y/N) is absent. Care to explain Pol?” His eyes bore into the woman who sat in front of him, identifying any small change in her posture that would give away her guilt. He noticed how her face hardened, her jaw tightening before she responded.

“You were too hard on her Thomas. You know that” Pols’ words came out sharp, each syllable slicing through his skin, not causing enough wounds as intended. Tommy sat there, unflinching, causing more annoyance to course through the Pols’ veins.

“She betrayed the family. You know that. We all know that” he gestured carelessly towards his family. “But, I have decided to be a changed man”.

           Tommy watched his families faces twitch with curiosity, Pol falling back to sit upon her chair in shocked silence. It was almost comical, watching the changes in their postures at his words.

“Are you fuck” Arthur chuckled, his laughter bouncing off the walls. “That’s the biggest load of fucking bullshit I’ve heard in a long time”.

“What’s changed?” Pol snapped, folding her arms. Tommy shrugged slightly, the smirk continuing to play on his lips.

“Nothing has changed Pol” Tommy stated coolly, leaning forward slightly to stub out his cigarette upon his desk. “I just thought we ought to invite our future brother in law to dinner, that’s all”.

“No we fucking ain’t ought to” John frowned, glaring at his brother.

“You said that-“ Arthur began. Tommy lifted a hand to silence him.

“I know what I said, and what I said is that I’m a changed man” Tommy replied, his eyes darting across each of his family members. “Dress up smart tonight. We have a dinner guest”.

           If only they knew, what he had in mind.

           Alfie Solomons wouldn’t be seen alive again.

*****************************************************************************************************

YOUR POV

“I ain’t goin’ to fuckin’ dinner, yeah, with ya’ fuckin’ brothers!” Alfie yelled, slamming his fists down upon his desk. You sighed softly, unflinching at the thundering sound of skin upon wood. It was something that you had gotten used too, growing up in a violent family.

“Please. I’ll be there. It would mean a lot to me, Alf” your voice was soft, as you pleaded him. You leant forward, clasping your hand around his fist, your eyes silently begging him. You watched as his face softened, his eyes dropping down to your hands.

“God damn woman” Alfie murmured under his breath, before he lifted his eyes to meet yours. “Fine. I’ll fuckin’ come with ya’. But ya’ know I’m only doin’ it to make ya’ happy, right?” A smile formed upon your lips, as you leant forward to place a soft kiss upon Alfies’ cheek.

“Thank you”.

           That’s how the majority of your day had played out, with you continuously begging Alfie to attend dinner with you and your family. The invite had been as much of a shock to you, as it had been to Alfie. A phone call in the early hours of yesterday evening, Aunt Pol asking for you and Alfie to join them for dinner. Tommy had requested it, she said. Those four words, had held a sense of foreboding. Deep down you knew better than to trust Tommy, especially when it came to Alfie Solomons, but part of you still held onto the hope that your brother had seen sense.

           Little did you know.

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

           The car ride back to Birmingham went by quickly, both you and Alfie sitting in an almost uncomfortable silence. You knew he was somewhat quietly troubled at the prospect of having dinner with your family, and you had to admit that you were as well. You knew it would have caused you both far more trouble, if you were to decline the invitation.

           You felt each bump in the road as you drove along, each one causing you to jolt slightly. You glanced towards Alfie, noticing how his knuckles where a shade of white, as he gripped the steering wheel tightly, his eyes never moving away from the road. It caused goose bumps to rise upon your skin, noticing how little emotion his dark blue eyes held.

           The journey felt painfully dragged out, the uneasy hush in the car causing each second to feel as if it were an hour. Your hands restlessly played with a tassel upon your shawl, wrapping each loose strand around your finger. You glanced away from Alfie, turning your focus upon the outside. Your stomach began to twist uneasily, as you witnessed the colourful countryside melt into the dark scenery of Small Heath.

           Alfie parked the car up outside your house, silence continuing to rest heavily between you both. You sighed gently, looking towards him.

“Please talk to me” you whispered, chewing gently upon your bottom lip.

“What do ya’ want me to fuckin’ say? That I’m fuckin’ happy about this?” he growled, his hands unmoving from their tight clasp upon the steering wheel.

“You think that I’m happy about this too?” your voice came out higher than intended, frustration getting the better of you. “I’m doing this for us. To make life a little easier for us!”. Alfie paused, before replying.

“And I’m doing this, right, for ya’”.

*****************************************************************************************************

ALFIES POV

           It made Alfie sick to his stomach, the idea of having dinner with your family. He was fully aware of how corrupt your brothers could be, Hell, he was no angel himself. The prospect of sitting around a table with your family, made him feel vulnerable. Exposed, as if he were a duck sitting, waiting to be shot.

           He had initially declined this invitation. You hadn’t even managed to get the full sentence out of your mouth, to attempt to sell the idea to him, before he had harshly refused. The look of your face falling- although slight- was enough to cause guilt to twinge at his heart. Alfie had sworn to himself, the day he first met you, that he would never disappoint or hurt you, that he would never be the one to make your beautiful face fall. He quickly changed his answer, making sure that you knew he was doing this for you and for only you.

           Although now, standing outside your front door, his jacket barely providing respite from the bitter Small Heath air, he wished he had continued to refuse. The only thing that was keeping him standing there, was the warm of your fingers entangled with his. He glanced sideways at you, his forehead creasing into a slight frown.

“Why do I fuckin’ feel like I’m ‘bout to be put under fuckin’ police interrogation?” he grunted, shifting his weight from one foot to another, his leg beginning to ache in the cold. His heart warmed slightly, at the soft smile that began to play upon your perfectly shaped lips.

“I’ll fight your corner love, don’t you worry” you whispered softly. Alfie gave your hand a soft squeeze, turning his attention back to the front door, as it opened to reveal Aunt Pol stood inside.

“Hello you two. Come in. Dinners’ almost ready” she stood aside, giving you both enough room to pass through. Alfie removed his hat, bowing his head towards the woman in greeting, fighting back the nerves that threatened to bubble through.

           As he made his way into the house, the wicked sense of foreboding continued to rise, beginning to cement itself in the forefront of his mind.

           Something bad was going to happen tonight.

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

“Cheers Pol. Tha’ was some lovely grub” Alfie stated, leaning back in his chair as he wiped the corners of his mouth with a napkin. His eyes surveyed the room, the scene in front of him almost comical. Your fucking gypsy brothers failed attempts at appearing upper class, by using dull silver cutlery was pathetic.

“Our Pol is a great cook” Finn smiled softly, quickly glancing at Alfie for the first time that evening, before dropping his eyes back down to his lap. John kicked him underneath the table, glaring at Alfie.

“You’re lucky you get given a chance to try it” he spat, each word venomous and smothered in hatred. Alfie shrugged slightly. The evening had been filled with these odd remarks, scattered sporadically around like snow upon the ground. With the tension having been bubbling all night, he was surprised that it had taken this long for it all to finally boil over.

“John…” Pol warned, collecting the empty plates that had been laying upon the table.

“No Pol. He thinks he can fucking come in here, eat our fucking food, act all high and mighty just because he’s fucking our sister!” John snapped. A hush fell over the room, all eyes upon Alfie. He clenched his fists under the table, not wanting to show them that Johns’ words had gotten to him. He breathed in deeply, his nostrils flaring, as he attempted to calm himself.

“Shut the fuck up John” you retorted, your eyes ablaze with a kind of anger that made even Alfie blink in surprise. Your glare seemed like it could burn holes through anything, with John being on the receiving end of your wrath.

“Is’ alright angel. Don’t worry ‘bout it yeah?” Alfie murmured, unclenching his fist to squeeze your upper thigh in reassurance.

“No Alfie. I’ve fucking had enough of this shit tonight!” you angrily stated, your eyes scanning across each of your family members. “You act as if your fucking shit don’t stink, like you’ve done absolutely fuck all wrong!”. Alfie glanced down awkwardly upon the table, wishing the spotlight would just move off him.

“It’s not that! It’s just-“ Arthur began. You cut him off with a sharp glance. Alfie sighed softly, chewing on the inside of his cheek.

“I know ya’ hate me, right. I hate me too. But I promise ya’, I fuckin’ love ya’ sister” Alfie stated, giving you another squeeze of your thigh. “She is a fuckin’ angel, and I know I don’t deserve her, right, I ain’t expectin’ you too welcome me with open fuckin’ arms. Just askin’ ya’ all to not be so hard on her”.

Your brothers looked upon Alfie, their eyes full of silent judgement. Tommy leaned forward, taking a pause as he lit another cigarette. His eyes were the darkest as they scanned over Alfie, full of loathing that would make angels cry. Tommy continued to glare at Alfie, as he took in a drag of his cigarette.

“You’re right. You don’t deserve her” he coolly retorted. Even though Alfie had been expecting to hear those words, it still didn’t hurt any less. It stung him, to hear his worst thoughts being confirmed by others. You hastily stood up, violently throwing your napkin upon the table before making your way towards the front door.

“Come on Alf. We’re going home” you snapped, not giving him an opportunity to reply as your hand was already turning the handle of the front door. Alfie sighed softly, ignoring the ache that continued to dully nag at his leg as he stood up.

“I know ya’ fuckin’ hate me right. But don’t fuckin’ hate her-“ Alfie was silenced by a loud gunshot, that sliced and echoed through the night. His skin instantly paled, as he rushed towards the front door.

           Not you.

           Anybody but you.

*****************************************************************************************************

TOMMYS POV

           That bullet didn’t have your name on it.

           That bullet wasn’t meant to hit you.

           That bullet wasn’t meant to make you bleed, or to cause you any pain.

           It was a mistake.

           A mistake that only Tommy was responsible for.

           That bullet wasn’t meant for you.

           Anybody but you.

[knives-out20]

Inglourious Boyfriends - Part 6

Fandom: Inglourious Basterds (2009)

Pairing: Joshua Margolis (OC) x Lt. Aldo Raine

Word Count: 2293

Warnings: Spoilers For Inglourious Basterds,

Note: And We’re Back With Part 6! Quite A Long One, But We Have Longer Ones Ahead. I REALLY Hope You Guys Are Giving This Series The Time Of Day, I Really Love It And Joshua And Aldo Mean So Much To Me Right Now. Part 7 Of 3.0 Out Tomorrow!

Joshua shifted his weight from one foot to the other, holding onto Aldo's arm as he looked around nervously.

"What's wrong?" Aldo automatically asked, turning his attention down to Joshua."Yer actin' all skittish" he knew Josh's tells when he's nervous, and doing that foot thing while darting his pretty blue eyes around was one of them.

Joshua looked up at Aldo helplessly, both his arms around Aldo's; the one he was previously just holding onto.

Aldo used his free hand to momentarily cup Joshua's cheek."Don't worry- we've been plannin' and goin' through with missions since before we could foxtrot, Joshy. We'll be fine".

Joshua nodded along, going to turn away, but Aldo stopped him from looking the other way.

"By the way," he sighed slowly, "you look unbelievably beautiful tonight, honey. Yer practically..." Aldo paused, looking for a word quickly."Glowin’. Maybe it's the light?" He asked, winking.

Joshua broke out into his first smile all night, fully positioning himself to face Aldo."You look so fuckin' good, though" he softly purred, trailing his hands down Aldo's chest, admiring him in the white tuxedo he wore.

"Not as good as you, baby, look at ya" Aldo smiled lovingly, cupping both of Joshua's cheeks and stroking them with his thumbs. He had his eyes on Joshua's, so whether he meant Joshua wearing a suit looked good, or if Joshua in general looked good, was beyond both of them. All Aldo knows is that he's been love-struck for Joshua ever since Josh was 15.

"If I didn't know any better 'bout your skills, I'd oughta send you into the film industry. A face like yer's would make it big, Joshy, I swear. That Clark Gable feller y'love so much wouldn't know what fuckin' hit him".

Joshua looked down, a shy smile on his face. He looked around quickly, careful to make sure no one was looking at them. Fast as light, Joshua wrapped his arms around Aldo's neck, and gave him a quick kiss on the lips."I love you, Aldo".

"Shucks-" Aldo grinned lazily, hands dragging down to Joshua's sides."I love you too, Josh".

"So, you two..." Bridget cut in, as Omar and Donny stood at attention (the Basterds were more than used to Aldo and Joshua taking their free time to practically worship each other).

Aldo groaned, arching a brow as he turned his head to Bridget."Yes?" He asked, Joshua rolling his eyes.

"You two are pretty open about each other" Bridget awkwardly commented.

"What, y'got a problem with it?" Aldo asked, the look he gave her reminding her how he could easily foil this plan as quickly as they started it. He kept an arm on Joshua, who pulled both of his own arms away, crossed in front of him.

"No, not at all, I'm just surprised. How long have you...?" She cleared her throat, glancing at Joshua, who looked at her with his tongue poking the inside of his cheek."If I'm allowed to ask, how old are you two, anyways?".

"Ugh, y-you are" Joshua replied. He pointed to himself with his right thumb, "ripely in my late twenties m’lady".

Aldo put his free hand on his hip."I m'self, I'm thirty. Bein’ best friends since childhood, despite Joshy's richer upbringin’, our love has aged finer than any wine out there" he explained.

Bridget nodded, turning to Joshua."And when exactly did you...y'know, know that females weren't for you?".

Joshua hummed, Aldo stealing a quick kiss when he puckered his lips in thought. He giggled, "uh, I- I think when I was around, say, my teen years. But I've always been this way, I only found out at around the right time".

"Since childhood?" Bridget asked for verification, the two nodding."No wonder you two are extremely close".

"Yes, ma'am. I'm Joshy's rock just as much as he is mine" Aldo smiled."Growin' up with Margolis, ya learn a thang or two about guns 'n' things that blow up. Whether it be makin' 'em, usin' em', aimin' 'em, or detonatin' 'em. Especially about bombs, explosives, or Mk-two grenades. That's why we call him Pineapple Bomb; he knows how to use 'em, and looks sweet while doin' it" he addressed, Donny and Omar nodding in agreement.

"If you are together, why does Margolis insist on calling you 'sir' or 'Lieutenant'? You are both the same rank" Von Hammersmark squinted.

"I, uh, I- I feel the need t'show Aldo as much respect as the other Basterds do" Joshua answered.

"Yea, and if he addresses me as such, around strangers, it makes him seem like just a loyal, fellow Lieutenant that goes to bite at people who insult me- which he does, every time. I can hold him back by doin' so much as saying his name".

"Ugh, n-not true" Joshua huffed, crossing his arms.

"You were very insistent on fightin' that Werner guy, in case you don't remember. And when we first got our hands on Von Hammersmark here, you almost stomped down those rickety stairs when Wilhelm just called me an 'idiot'" Aldo teased, nudging Joshua."Y'see, if any of the Basterds were to try stoppin' him, he won't let 'em, only I can. He's always been protective like that".

"I remember there being tabloids about you a while back" Bridget recollected, pointing at Joshua."Forgive me for being curious, but did that all really happen to you?".

Joshua stepped closer to Aldo, nodding."No matter what a-anyone said, yes, it did. The person who did that to me has been taken care of now, which- which is good, but the memory happens to stick around. Luckily for me, my lady, what happened to me- which did happen- does not define me in any way, shape or form".

Bridget nodded, turning around when she heard a man call "Fräulein Von Hammersmark".

The group turned their attention to a man in a Nazi uniform, with slick, thinning hair and whom looked to be much older than Aldo. 

Joshua took a step closer to Aldo, almost standing behind him.

Bridget plastered a smile onto her face, opening her arms in a welcoming way. She spoke to him in German, most likely welcoming him before doing that greeting-kiss that most sophisticated people do, the one Joshua encountered- and had to do- a lot, in his life.

The man turned his attention down to Bridget's leg in the cast, most likely questioning it.

"What're they sayin'?" Aldo whispered, leaning back, into Joshua.

"He, uh, he- he's askin' her about her leg" Joshua mumbled, clenching his jaw. He jumped softly when the man exploded in laughter, turning away."You mentioned mountain climbin', yea?" He mumbled, leaning towards Bridget.

"What do you think he's laughing at, then?" She returned rhetorically, glancing at him.

Joshua, Donny, and Aldo exchanged uncomfortable glances with one another, Aldo shrugging slightly with his hands on his hips.

Omar just stared at the man in plain, and utter disgust.

Once the man calmed down, he walked back over. He reclaimed their conversation in German, Bridget nodding along until he turned to look at Omar, Donny, Aldo and Joshua.

Bridget sighed before answering, shaking her head, but then pointing at Joshua, who pointed at himself."German?".

Joshua raised his eyebrows when he caught on, nodding. He held up a hand, scrunching his face up as he left a small amount of space between his pointer finger and his thumb, to give off the image that he only knew a little German.

"This handsome gentleman is Cecilio D'Alfonso" Bridget introduced in German, putting her hands on Joshua's arm."That is the wonderful and equally-good-looking Italian stuntsman, Enzo Gorlami" she pointed over at Aldo, "Cecilio is Mr. Gorlami's assistant".

Aldo nodded at the man, giving Joshua a quick smile as Bridget went on to introduce Donny and Omar with their aliases; Antonio Margheriti the cameraman and Dominick Decocco, Antonio's camera assistant. 

Bridget switched to Italian, introducing the man as Colonel Hans Landa of the SS.

"Bawnjourno" Aldo greeted, nervously holding his ticket.

Hans began speaking quickly in Italian, Joshua barely getting any of it.

"Gratzi" Aldo blankly returned.

"You said you know the most Italian and all yer capable of knowin' is 'hello' and 'thank you'?" Joshua thought, looking at Aldo with slight disgust, who looked like he was nailing it, as far as passing as an Italian went.

Hans pointed at Joshua, suspiciously repeating "Cecilio D’Alfonso?", as if he was asking if he was pronouncing it correctly.

Joshua nodded.

Hans nodded back, promptly turning to Aldo.”Gorlomi?”.

"Si- uh, correcto" Aldo nodded.

"Gorlam-lomi?" Hans looked unsure.

"Gorlami" Aldo called, holding up his hand as he repeated it.

Joshua kept his eyes on Aldo, madly uncomfortable.

Aldo sighed softly, glancing away in annoyance before leaning in and saying "Gorlami" softly. When Hans turned his attention to Donny, Aldo looked to Joshua."Did I do good?" He whispered.

"Oh, d-did you do goo- I oughta slap you in this here premiere" Joshua scolded, taking step toward Aldo and raising his hand in a threatening way.

Aldo grabbed his wrist."But you wouldn't actually though, would'ya?" He tilted his head, eyebrows raised in a knowing way.

Joshua closed his eyes, a shiver going up his body."Mmh- n-no".

Aldo nodded and let go, looking over at Donny.

Bridget piped up in German, once Omar smoothly introduced himself, Hans stopping her to ask to see their tickets. 

He got both of the ones Donny held in his hand, muttering in Italian. Hans bade Omar and Donny goodbye, Donny sparing Aldo, Bridget, then Joshua one last glance as he walked off.

Joshua offered him a reassuring smile, tossing in a wave as Aldo repeated "Arrivederci".

Bridget held Aldo's and Joshua's arms in her own, bidding Hans farewell and going to walk off.

Hans stepped in front of her, stopping all three of them by raising his hand. He called for a waiter, offering Bridget, Aldo, and Joshua glasses of champagne off of the waiter's silver plate.

Joshua understood "a glass of champagne, to toast 'Nation's Pride'", swiftly translating it to Aldo. He and Aldo looked over at each other once more, wincing gently before gluing their eyes back onto Hans. Numb, they held up their glasses, allowing Hans and Bridget to clink them all together. 

Hans gently held Bridget's arm, whispering to her in German as Aldo and Joshua looked around awkwardly, Joshua downing his champagne fiercely. He mumbled something to them after Bridget nodded, leading her away and into some room, closing the door behind them.

Joshua cringed in disgust."Ew, at a- at a premiere?".

"I'm sure that's not why they're in there. She called us handsome, remember? Lil' lady clearly has better taste than a Nazi like that" Aldo told.

Joshua trailed his hand up Aldo's chest, putting his empty glass on the plate of a waiter who passed by."I don't- I don't know what's more beautiful, this theater, or the great, good-lookin’ 'Enzo Gorlami' right in front of me" he teased, a smirk on his lips that showed that he knows what he wants.

Aldo chuckled, raising an eyebrow in obvious interest."Even though I caught m'self starin' at you from time to time durin' that whole ordeal...Weren't you jus' grimacin' at the idea of canoodlin' at a premiere, 'Cecilio D'Alfonso'?" He reminded, fingertips running through Joshua's perfectly-combed hair.

Joshua hummed lowly."Au contraire. Sometimes I can- I can look at the menu, I just can't order, Aldo. Sometimes." He challenged, knuckles brushing against Aldo's cheek."I love you, Aldo".

Aldo's shoulders dropped, letting his guard down as he snaked his arm around the small of Joshua's back."I love you too, Joshua. More than y'could ever imagine, with that Einstein brain of yours".

Joshua waved his hand dismissively, "ah, s-stop it, Aldo. We're in public".

"Like that'd ever stop anybody from tryin' t'make a move on ya" Aldo whispered, sparing Joshua a kiss on the cheek."I love you, Joshy. Seriously".

Joshua gazed into Aldo's blue eyes, a sweet smile on his lips."I love you too, Aldo. You know this, already".

Aldo and Joshua physically pulled away from one another, but weren't given another second to themselves when a group of sharply uniformed Nazis tackled them to the ground, shoving black bags over their heads. 

Joshua heard Aldo's champagne glass crash to the floor; pity, he was finally going to drink from that, too. He squirmed around, kicking and trying to free his hands as Aldo, like always, stayed the more verbal type.

"Fuckin' shithead faggot fuck- fuck you!" His swears were muffled by the bag, as Joshua felt rough rope tying his hands together."Bunch of shithead- fuck-" Aldo swore, feeling the bombs tied to his ankles being untied.

"Fuck, Aldo, th-the explosives" Joshua called, risking rope burn as he tried moving his hands around.

"Oh, I oughta- if any of you fucks lay a hand on him- I'll kill you, all of you faggots, y'hear me?" Aldo cursed."Fuck you, too, whoever had the balls to tackle him".

Joshua grunted, as the Nazis harshly pulled Aldo and him up, off the floor."Aldo, I-I'm scared" he whimpered.

"It's okay, Joshy, we'll be fine, it's okay, okay?" Aldo called, followed by an predatory growl."Goddamn Nazi farts, sons of bitches! Get yer hands off of us" Aldo continued to cuss the Nazis out, as they dragged Joshua and him out of the theaters.

"Let go of Aldo, you pieces of horseshit!" Joshua wriggled around.

"You fuckin' bratwurst-smelling'- goddamn, you! Get off, let go of him! Let go of Joshua!".

[huronnade-moved]

       He awoke to the dull ring of his telephone, as he often did.  After fumbling uselessly in the dark for several seconds, the Sheriff sat up with a grunt and brought the receiver to his ear.

       ❛❛ Hello? ❜❜        ❛❛ Sheriff, we have a… situation. ❜❜        ❛❛ Talk t’me. ❜❜

       He listened with growing impatience as his coworker stammered for several seconds, the sound of the telephone wire being coiled nervously around his finger causing an unpleasant crackle of static before he released the pressure once more.  After several seconds:   ❛❛ There’s a lady here.  Stumbled into the station covered in blood.  Said she’d only talk t’you. ❜❜

       ❛❛ I’ll be down. ❜❜        ❛❛ She said the phone works if y’wanna speak with her immediately. ❜❜

       He paused to think for a moment.  Something told him to take the offer before she could elude him.  For some reason, he trusted a faceless woman’s sincerity over the phone more than he did in person.  Perhaps seeing him would cause her to retract, fold back into her reclusive little shell like a snail, and they’d be there all night trying to fish answers out of her.  Kuro had always been one for brevity, even at the expense of tastefulness.

       ❛❛ I’ll talk t’her. ❜❜

       At this point, his wife was stirring, mumbling incoherently and shuffling in her spot beside him.  Though he couldn’t do much about the noise, he did his best to lower his voice somewhat. He honed in on the sound of the phone being pulled along, cord dragging across the wooden floor before the bulky device was sat in what he could only assume was the woman’s lap.  He listened to her breathe quietly for a few seconds before she spoke words that appeared to him only in nightmares, her voice monotone and dull.  Slowly, Kuro sat up more, turning on the light, reaching for the notepad he always left on his bedside table.

       ❛❛ Could y’verify that, ma’am?  Y’said you… stabbed yer two children ‘n’ then        yerself? ❜❜        ❛❛ Yes, sir. ❜❜

       At this point, Deeana had risen, was staring at him like a cat caught in a neighbour’s backyard.  He barely glanced at her, clicking his pen and beginning to scribble.  His calligraphy had always been blocky but neat, succinct capitals steadily filling the lines as he jotted down tirelessly.

       ❛❛ ‘n’ yer in the station now? ❜❜        ❛❛ Yes, sir. ❜❜        ❛❛ Okay.  Where’re yer children? ❜❜

       There was an eerie pause before she answered him this time, the silence punctuated with something that was almost grief before she continued:   ❛❛ In their bedroom.  On the floor.  With their favourite stuffies. ❜❜

       ❛❛ ... dead? ❜❜        ❛❛ Dead, sir. ❜❜

       How coldly she addressed the whole thing was seriously beginning to give him the creeps.  A veteran officer he may be--  a veteran Sheriff at this point, one could argue--  but he’d never become immune to the merciless nature of psychopaths.  He could uncover every sick mind in The Great Unknown, could explore every nook and cranny of everybody’s brains, and he’d still be left with the daunting feeling of horror whenever he came face to face with darkness.

       ❛❛ Okay…  where did y’stab yerself? ❜❜        ❛❛ In the neck, sir. ❜❜

       ❛❛ Okay, are you... ❜❜   He paused for a moment, the word feeling blocky and foolish sitting on the tip of his tongue.      ❛❛ … bleeding? ❜❜   It felt fit to ask despite its supposed obviousness.  She’d managed to stumble from Raku-knows-where into the station while apparently sporting this abrasion.  Perhaps she hadn’t thought to do it hard enough;  or perhaps, just maybe, she’d become scared and been unable to execute herself despite her desire to.  People often did, even if they felt they deserved it.  He himself had struggled with the idea of throwing himself off of a bridge despite his ache to be free of the life he’d hurriedly glued together.

       ❛❛ There’s blood everywhere…  one of your officers is tryin’ to stop it.  ❜❜        ❛❛ D’y’feel faint, ma’am? ❜❜        ❛❛ A little, sir. ❜❜

       ❛❛ Mmkay.  I’m certain a paramedic will be with y’shortly.  Do listen t’any instructions. ❜❜   Already clambering out of bed, he dragged the receiver along with him as he began to get dressed for work.  A brief glance at the clock told him it was a little after three in the morning, and a glance out of the window told him that it was much too early, yet all too late, to be having this kind of conversation.  As he dragged his pants over his legs, belt secured steadily in place, he fished in his dresser for a shirt and continued to talk.   ❛❛ Can I keep you? ❜❜

       ❛❛ Yes, sir. ❜❜

       As he began to tug his shirt over his outstretched arms, phone pressed between his shoulder and ear,  Kuro threaded the buttons through their respective holes whilst continuing to question her.  Keep her talking, he thought, it’ll keep her awake.  What is your address?  Do you still have the murder weapon in your possession?  (  what the fuck is wrong with you?  )

       ❛❛ What’s yer name, miss? ❜❜

       There was a brief silence on the other end, as if she had suddenly become reluctant to speak further.  Then:   ❛❛ Oswald.  Hana Oswald. ❜❜

       Kuro felt his stomach turn briefly.    For just a moment, he recalled the case a terrified husband had made against his wife under the same name a couple of decades ago.  Sheriff, you’ve gotta help me--�� the police in Vide ain’t listening to me.  This woman, she’s NUTS, she’s threatening to kill me if I talk about leaving her.  /  ‘m afraid this ain’t my jurisdiction, sir. Y’should file fer a restrainin’ order with yer respective taskforce.  /  Oh God…  they won’t help me.  /  Try again.  If they refuse t’file yer case this time, come back here.  I’ll assist you.

       But Mr.Oswald hadn’t returned.  In fact, when Kuro had sought him out while working on Vide soil, asking him if he still needed help, the man had replied with a firm no.  With all that being said and done, Kuro had assumed that the couple had worked out their differences;  that the hysterical husband had calmed down and was now able to take her hyperbole for what it was: distasteful exaggeration.

       ❛❛ … Hana.  Are you, or were you, married to a man by the name’a Jaspar Oswald? ❜❜        ❛❛ He’s my husband. ❜❜        ❛❛ ‘n’ where is he? ❜❜

       The spooky quiet that settled between them made his blood turn to ice.  Even before she had uttered a word, a bad feeling was beginning to seep into his gut, poisoning his steady work ethic until he felt fit to collapse back into bed.  Sometimes, the chilling brutality of criminal passion was enough to bring even the most steadfast of efforts to a grinding halt.

       ❛❛ He left me. ❜❜

       Even before she carried on, the pieces slotted into place for him.  With a reserved frown on his face, Kuro straightened his collar with a grim tug, as if tying a noose rather than dressing himself.

       ❛❛ So y’killed his children.  T’get him t’come home. ❜❜

       ❛❛ … yes.  Sir.  And after doin’ it, I came here, because he mentioned that the police here were different, that he was goin’ to take his ‘’case’’ to Huron.  I wanted to see the task-force that had the gall to impose on my life with my own eyes. ❜❜   Her voice was different now, consumed by anger;  his title uttered with only the strictest of poison.  Though they had never met, Kuro was certain she reserved only the most toxic of hatreds for him.  She seemed to hold her tongue for a few moments before continuing, and the more she went on, the further unhinged she revealed herself to be.   ❛❛ He said he wanted a divorce.  How can that be?  We had the perfect life together.  Two beautiful children.  A nice house.  We both had steady, well-paying jobs.  How could he just throw that away?  Jaspar’s always struggled with… selfish tendencies.  Sometimes the only way to appeal to his good side is to do somethin’ drastic.  You understand that, right?  Sheriff?  I was just tryin’ to get him to see that he’s bein’ foolish, throwin’ this perfect life with me away.  The grief of losin’ our kids will bring us closer together.  He’ll understand. ❜❜

       ❛❛ Why did he wanna divorce y’? ❜❜   He didn’t care;  he’d want a divorce too at this rate, but keeping her talking was in his best interest.  He listened as her breathing became deeper, as if brutally wounded.   ❛❛ Ma’am--  Hana.  Please stay calm.  Talk t’me. ❜❜

       She started to bawl then, and even without standing in front of her, Kuro  could tell that the grief was only spared for herself.  There was nothing remorseful about that methodical meltdown--  only rue, filled to the brim with self-righteous fury, her noises reminiscent of a mental patient after escaping their unfair captivity;  primal and ruthless and devoid of guilt.  The Sheriff stood there listening, and at one point he felt the distinct teeter of his shadow leaning closer, as if feeding on the sorrowful noise.

       He heard a clatter then, harsh enough to have him flinch against the receiver, and the growing chaos in which he could only assume was his officers rushing to put her in handcuffs.  In the distance, the sound of someone vomiting was audible.  Me too, kid.  Me too.

       Her shrieks were becoming more distant, and even before the previous officer collected the phone, Kuro already knew what had transpired.

       ❛❛ She’s…  bein’ detained.  Dear Raku-- Sheriff, come quick, it’s all goin’ t’hell-- ❜❜

       ❛❛ Easy does it, deputy.  Y’stay put.  Stay calm, clean up, ‘n’ I’ll be down in five minutes.  Do not engage with her.  She’s severely disturbed. ❜❜

       He heard the officer mutter something to the affirmative before putting the phone down.  This was how it often was.  A disturbing phone call in the dead of night, begging for his assistance or begging for his time, and as tired as he often was as a result of it, Kuro wouldn’t have it any other way.  This was what it was to be the Sheriff of Huron.

[tales-of-a-fallen-star]

Forgotten Memories (Ignis Scientia/Reader)

Words: 5699 Genre: angst, fluff, romance Rating: SFW

tagging some peeps: @ponkita @amicitonia @ka-za-ri @kawaiinekorose @birdsandivory @kerbiesworld28 @alicemoonwonderland and @hypaalicious (Please let me know whether you’d like to be tagged in the future or not)

A/N: Well, hello there, look who’s posting a fic again after approximately 5 years. Yeah, I’m finally done with this. I was inspired to write this when I played Comrades, hence why it’s set during that time range. Although it’s still a reader insert I wanted to give the 3rd person narrative a try. I just want to quickly point out that I’m not a fan of this whole Y/N thing (at least not in my stuff) and that’s why I simply left blanks. Finally, I do want to apologise that this thing turned out so long (especially the exposition for some reason) but I do hope you enjoy it nonetheless. Huge thanks to @atarostarling for proofreading and editing this, otherwise this thing would be even more of a mess.

She stepped outside of the tent where all the glaives rested after returning from a mission. Her head felt fuzzy, she knew that she dreamed something – about her past perhaps? – but the images faded away as soon as she woke up, too quickly for her to remember anything more specific. She stretched out her limbs, a small sigh of satisfaction leaving her lips, and she looked around the area which used to be one of the market places of Lestallum. She tried to remember exactly how she ended up here in the first place.

It was about four weeks ago that she was found by Libertus Ostium, a kind man who told her what she longed to know ever since she found herself aimlessly walking around the vast lands of Lucis. All these months she didn't know where she came from or who she was. The only hint that indicated anything about her or her past was an intricate engraving on one of her kukris, which she carried with her since the moment she found herself somewhere on the outskirts of Leide.

‘For hearth and home and the fire that only burns for you’

She didn't know what it meant, no matter how much she tried to rummage through her mind  for any information or memories, there was just nothing. It seemed as if there was a dark mist covering up her memories. She wasn’t even sure if the engraving actually meant something, but she clung to the hope that someone who must have been very fond of her gifted the kukris to her. Within that hope was a cruel reminder of how truly alone she was in this world.

She had no one to help her or take care of her when she was in danger, especially with the daemons around at night. She soon had to come to terms with fighting them if she had to and was surprised when her muscles and limbs seemed to act on their own as she slashed her way through the hordes of daemons all by herself. Based on her forgotten instincts, she figured that she must have some sort of combat training. Her skills were how she kept herself afloat, fighting monsters and daemons, accepting hunts to earn some gil now and then, always hoping she would stumble across anyone that knew or recognised her. Slowly but steadily that hope began to gnaw on her and turned into the opposite, dragging her spirits down underground and burying her determination and endurance along with them. And then, when the long night began, she couldn't help but feel as if she was drowning. Drowning in this endless pit of hopelessness and sorrow, making her want to succumb to the darkness and the daemons around her. Tired and exhausted, she was about to give up, to give in to the darkness, but something inside her told her to not lose hope. A voice made her keep going. It was only mere moments later that she saw bright lights coming her way and someone calling out to her.

And now here she was, in the middle of Lestallum, home to all refugees and to those without memories. For her it was still like waking up in a strange land she knew nothing about. Libertus told her she used to be a member of the Kingsglaive, a force installed by the late King Regis Lucis Caelum, and that she must've escaped the fall of Insomnia relatively unharmed - apart from the amnesia, obviously.

Those names meant nothing to her. Her lack of memory only made her feel alone and helpless again, even though she was now surrounded by like-minded and kind people who took good care of her. Yet despite what the people seemed to know, nobody was able to tell her who she was, not even the Immortal himself seemed to know anything about her. Neither did the other glaives, who suffered some partial amnesia like herself, though some of them mentioned that she looked somewhat familiar to them. It restored some of her hope, but she didn't want to cling too much to it. Deep down in her heart, she was certain that somewhere out there someone must be looking for her... right?

Trying to not get lost in thought she stretched out a bit more and decided to see if she could be of assistance to anyone. Her eyes roamed the area and it didn't take too long before she could find a suitable task for her. She began walking towards the working station a few metres away from the tent where Cid Sophiar, a kind and old man who she got along with very well, was already working and tinkering away like a maniac.

“Hey Cid, need any help with that?”

“Mornin' sweepea. Would you be so kind and gimme that wrench over there?” Cid responded in an affectionate voice, which he only used when talking to her. For some reason he was really fond of her, the old mechanic always said that this lost girl reminded him of his granddaughter Cindy.

She made quick work of handing Cid the requested utensil before she let out a squeaky yawn.

“Last mission been hard on you, huh? You slept like a rock these past ten-odd hours.” He smiled.

“What? Ten hours? Wow... I guess the trip to the Disc and back really took a toll on me.” The glaive responded in disbelief that she had slept that long.

“Cauthess, eh? I reckon it can be a helluva trip, with all these daemons runnin' about and such. But, mind if I ask, have ya made it out to Leide ever since you settled in here?” the mechanic inquired.

“No, I'm afraid not, but Monica mentioned something about an escort mission from Galdin Quay all the way back here. She asked me if I was up for it, but I haven't decided on it yet.”

“I think ya should do it. I know a fella who went out there, said somethin’ about goin' fishin' to get his nutrition. Name's ‘Ignis', ever heard of him before?”

That name stirred something in the back of her mind. A strange feeling of familiarity went through her, but she couldn't quite put her finger on why that was.

“No, I don't think so,” she replied.

“He's one of them Crownsguards that used to travel with the Prince. He ain't doing too well these days. Maybe if ya should happen to take on that mission just give him a holler and tell him that old Cid sent ya, maybe lend him a hand or somethin',”

She contemplated the request for a while, but she realised quite quickly that she couldn't turn down one of Cid's requests.

“Alright, if I should happen to run into him I’ll see what I can do to help him,” she responded with a smile on her face.

“You're really a good girl, ain't too many people like you left in this rotten world.”

Although it sounded very bitter, Cid was right. This world was beginning to decay, the daemons slowly took over outpost after  outpost, city after city. The young woman heard some stories about the capital of Accordo being in complete ruins after the awakening of the sea goddess and the assault by myriads of daemons after Prince Noctis vanished. Every day more and more of these horrific stories came through and she was afraid that one day Lestallum and all the people she cared about would meet the same fate while she was out on a mission. This was the same reason why she fought so hard to make the world better again, to keep off the daemons completely and in hope that one day the light would be restored to this world again. She looked at the old man in front of her, his words always seemed to make her feel better and she was really thankful for that. “Thank you, Cid,” she said before pulling him into a hug. A little taken aback at first, the old man began rubbing her back with his free hand as a sad smile spread on his lips. “No need, just take care of yourself when you're out there, promise me?”

“I promise I will,” she said before gently removing herself from the hug.

“Good girl, now off ya pop, I got some work to do.” Cid said, ruffling her hair a bit and laughing.

She made haste for Monica's desk, papers and maps were scattered all over, and the owner herself was bent over it, deep in thought.

“Good morning, Monica,” the young glaive greeted her enthusiastically.

“Oh, hi there. Up for some more work after your well-deserved rest?”

“Yes, ma’am, I’m ready for more. Is that escorting mission from Galdin Quay still available?”

Monica looked up at the young glaive in front of her, “Unfortunately not, Libertus already took care of it.”

The young glaive’s shoulders slumped down a bit, “Oh, I see… well, is there anything else I can help with?”

“Yes, actually. Some workers from Exineris need to travel all the way to Old Lestallum and repair some important electric cables in the area there so we can send power to the outposts beyond. They asked for a few glaives as an escort and as bodyguards while they’re working, so you’d be gone for perhaps a few weeks until all the repairs are made. Are you up for it?” Monica explained while she pointed out the route on the map in front of her.

The glaive considered the job for a moment while she looked at the map on the desk. Although she wanted to do the mission in Galdin Quay to do Cid a favour, she needed something to keep herself busy with for the next few days, so Old Lestallum will have to be enough for now.

“Yes, I am. When can I go?”

“Excellent. I’ll tell one of the drivers to get ready and as soon as you’re ready for departure you may head for Old Lestallum. Be safe!”

“Thank you, ma’am. For hearth and home!” the glaive pledged with her fist placed above her heart before she took her leave. For some reason though, there was this curious feeling spreading in the pit of her stomach, she couldn’t put her finger on what it was. Disappointment?

She decisively shook her head and headed to her tent. There were more important things to think about now.

The mission itself went quite fluently, no major incidents or injuries and the young glaive and her brothers in arms were in the truck on their way back to Lestallum. She sat in the back, looking absentmindedly out of the window and observing the landscape around her. As they were driving on the street through the Coernix Bypass she spotted the figure of a coeurl sitting in the tall grass not even twenty metres away from the truck. When it made eye contact with her it seemed as if time stopped around her. The car just stood still, her comrades were immobilised mid-sentence and she did not hear a single noise. It was only her and the coeurl. She decided to get out of the car, summoned her kukris out of instinct into her hands and sharpened her senses in case the wild animal decided to attack her, but the coeurl did nothing apart from stare at her with its intense green eyes. Its whiskers drew lazy circles on the ground and tiny flames, instead of a coeurls usually electrifying sparkles, emitted from them. For some reason she felt as if she saw those eyes before somewhere, looking into them gave her a strange feeling of peace and security.

Then, suddenly, she heard muffled voices and she tried to make out their owners, but there was no one else around. It was then that she realised the voices were inside her head. She closed her eyes and tried to focus on them to make out what they were saying. It was as if the dark mist clouding her mind lifted slightly and these voices were a ray of light coming through, but all she got were just tiny pieces of shattered glass and she had to collect them one by one to piece it all back together. When she opened her eyes again the coeurl still stared at her with its green eyes, drawing her into them and capturing her. They were as deep as the ocean itself and it was almost as if she was bound by magic to not break eye contact with the creature in front of her. Then it happened so suddenly. From one moment to another she could hear the voices in her head as clear as day and she realised that one of them was her own.

“Anything could happen outside of Insomnia, especially at night,” she pleaded.

“I am quite aware, but trust me when I say that I have every reason in the world to take care of myself and come back. To you.”

“Promise me?”

“I swear it.”

Her head began to spin, a sudden headache interrupted what little piece of memory of her past she was beginning to regain. She closed her eyes again, grasping after every little wisp of memory in her mind’s eye, but to no avail. She opened her eyes again to look at the coeurl who was about to turn around. It threw one last glance at her before starting to head into the open field.

“No, please wait!” she called after the ferocious animal, but it kept walking away from her. She was just about to follow it when she felt herself being pulled back into the car.

“Hey, wake up, we’re here.”

She opened her eyes, her head rested on the window. Still in her delirium she turned her head slightly to see one of her brothers in arms looking at her with a quizzical brow, “Are you alright? You look kinda pale.”

“Y-yeah… I’m fine, don’t worry. Just a little exhausted, it’s been almost three weeks of constant guard duty after all,” the young glaive responded absentmindedly, trying to remember everything about the weird dream she just had.

“True words, my friend. But come on now, Monica’s probably already waitin’ for us,” the young man, Gutsco, exclaimed and got out of the truck. Before the still sleepy glaive followed him, she took a few moments to collect herself. The intensity of the dream shook something inside her. Never before was she able to remember anything about her dreams before. But for now she decided to be happy about remembering at least something from her past life, even though she didn’t know exactly what it meant or to whom the other voice belonged. The sound of it was already fading away.

‘Well, there’s no reason to ponder too much on it now,’ she told herself before following her friend through the cobbled streets of Lestallum towards Monica’s camp. The kind woman already spotted them from a distance and smiled at them.

“Oh, you made it back. I’m glad to see you all alive and well.”

“Thank you, ma’am. We’re ready to report.”

After the glaives finished reporting to Monica the young woman immediately walked across the plaza to Cid’s working station.

“Well I be damned, look who it is. Good to have you back, kid,” the old man greeted her kindly as he saw her approaching.

“It’s good to see you too, Cid. What’s been happening around here while I was away?”

“Not too much, I gotta say, but do ya remember that fella I told you about before you went out and about to Old Lestallum?”

“Oh, you mean that Ignis guy, right?”

Cid let out a hearty chuckle, “That’s the one, kid. He came along with that escort from Galdin and now he’s lingerin’ somewhere around town.” Then he stopped for a moment, his face full of worry all of a sudden, “Why don’t ya go an’ look for him, keep him company or somethin’. Poor guy seems a bit lonely and lost these days.”

“I guess we have something in common then…” the young glaive acknowledged with a sad voice while staring down at her feet.

“Still didn’t find anyone who knows ya? Sorry to hear that, but don’t give up sweepea, I’ll be damned if there’s no one out there lookin’ for ya,” the mechanic said and ruffled her hair to cheer her up a bit. A little encouraged by his words, she put on a brave smile, “Thank you, Cid, really.”

“Ah, don’t mention it. Now, go and let an old man do his work and if ya should happen to find Ignis tell him old Cid sent ya, maybe it’ll cheer him up a bit.”

She smiled, waving him a friendly goodbye, “I will, promise. See you later!”

After she rested up a bit in her tent she decided to go for a stroll around town, trying to look if she could help out anywhere, but there wasn’t really anyone who needed her help. A few people greeted her on her way, happy to see she was back. She took her time and talked with a few of them to check if they were alright. After bits of small talk and catching up she decided to walk to the power plant. Perhaps Holly needed some help transporting the meteor shards the glaives found on their missions. The young glaive approached the bridge, but Holly was nowhere to be seen and apparently the meteor shards were already inside the power plant, ready for extraction, as there were none to be seen in front of the storage spaces near the bridge. As she looked around the place she also noticed the absence of all the Exineris workers. Besides herself there was only one other person, standing to the left of the bridge and staring into the distance. She didn’t see him before around here, so she guessed the man only a few feet away from her must be who Cid was talking about. She took a closer look at him, her feet acting on their own as she approached the man with careful steps. For some reason she couldn’t help but think that she’s seen him somewhere before.

“You surely know, but it’s rude to stare.” The man said suddenly, humour lacing his voice.

Petrified in her tracks the young woman widened her eyes in shock and embarrassment.

“Oh, uhm, I-uhh…” she stammered, not knowing how to respond. .

The man noticed her predicament and couldn’t help the slight chuckle crossing his lips, “It’s quite alright, don’t worry.”

“I’m sorry, I shouldn’t have sneaked up on you like that. It’s just… you know, Cid sent me to go and look for someone and I’ve never seen you around here before, so I figured he was probably talking about you? Well, at least if you are Ignis?” the young woman blabbered away as she nervously fidgeted around with her thumbs.

The man turned around to face her and when she looked at his face her mouth fell wide open. He was wearing a black visor which covered his eyes and parts of a huge scar over his left eye. She could also see smaller scars through his right eyebrow, on the bridge of his nose and his bottom lip, but she thought, if anything, these scars suited the man in front of her and brought out his undeniably handsome features.

“Yes, I am,” he furrowed his eyebrows in thought before continuing, “Excuse me, but have we met before? Your voice sounds quite familiar…”

“Oh, uhm… no, sorry, I don’t think so,” she responded surprised, failing to notice that he seemed to recognise her by her voice instead of her face. “Like I said, Cid sent me to go look for you and maybe help you if you need anything.”

A small smile spread on Ignis’s lips, “Ah, yes, that sounds indeed like Cid. He may be quite gruff on the outside, but he has a kind and caring nature.”

“Yes, he definitely does. So… uhm… do you… need help with anything?” she asked hesitantly. Ignis tilted his head to the ground in thought, contemplating if he should enquire the young woman’s help.

“I could indeed use some help in getting reacquainted with some essential combat techniques,” he said while tapping the side of his visor with his index finger, “Would you be up for a little sparring session?”

It was only now that the glaive realised that the man in front of her was, in fact, blind. Curious to know how this man could possibly fight anyone or anything when he couldn’t see, her mouth began to act on its own, “Uhm, yeah, of course, but… Sorry, I don’t mean to be rude or anything, but how exactly would you be able to fight? You… can’t see anything, can you?”

She wanted to slap herself for not being able to control her curiosity, let alone her mouth, but apparently Ignis wasn’t offended at all. Quite the contrary as there was the ghost of a smile on his lips.

“That is exactly what I’m trying to figure out. So, are you up for the challenge of sparring with a blind man?” For some reason he seemed really smug and mischievous about the whole situation and the young glaive began to feel a bit suspicious. She had the feeling that there was a lot more to this man than meets the eye.

“Okay, alright. Where do you wanna train?”

“The bridge in front of the plant seems fairly suitable, don’t you think?”

“If you say so, then let’s go,” she laughed and turned around. The two of them walked over to the bridge and proceeded to get in position opposite from each other once they arrived. Ignis summoned a pair of daggers into his hands and the young woman followed suit by summoning her kukris with a flick of her wrists.

“Oh, I’d like to say one thing before we start. Don’t assume that you have to go easy on me, give it your all,” Ignis said, still with a smug undertone to his voice. The young woman decided to go along with his slight teasing, “Trust me, I wasn’t planning to. Ready?”

“If you are.”

With that their sparring began, but it was not really that much of a sparring session, considering that Ignis merely threw ice spell after ice spell at her and she had barely enough time to cast a shield around her to not take the full blast of it and freeze to death. “So much for sparring,” she mumbled in a slightly bitter tone.

“Ah, yes, I’m sorry, I did ask for a sparring session, didn’t I?” Ignis changed his stance, holding his two daggers in front of him, prepared to block any oncoming attacks. The glaive decided to approach him with quick steps to attack him from the side but right before she was about to land a hit he slightly adjusted his position and countered her attack with elegance and ease and sent her straight on her back. She felt the air being knocked out of her lungs as she made contact with the ground. ‘How are his reflexes so quick even though he can’t see anything?’ she pondered in frustration while she got back up.

“Not bad for a blind guy,” the young woman tried to tease him. Maybe it would rile him up enough so that he was distracted for her next attack, but he just let out a slight chuckle before sending her back to the ground again by casting a powerful ice spell right in her face.

“You play really dirty, you know that?” she shouted, frustration began to cloud her better judgement as she tried to attack him over and over again. After she was sent to the ground for what felt like the hundredth time she tried to reassess the situation and analyse his moves to develop a better strategy.

‘If he plays dirty then so will I,’ she thought mischievously to herself as a new plan formed inside her head.

She feigned as if she was exhausted and out of breath as she got up again, “Okay, one more time.”

“Well, if you insist.”

They both adjusted their position and Ignis was about to throw an ice spell in her direction again, but she was quick to act this time and rolled away out of the spell’s reach. She threw one of her kukris right behind Ignis and shortly afterwards warped to the same spot. Just as he was about to realise what happened, the young woman jolted her foot against his legs in a quick and smooth movement to try and knock him off balance. Ignis let out a surprised gasp as he stumbled forward for a few moments but regained his composure quickly as he turned around to attack her. She blocked his oncoming attack with one of her kukris and used the momentum to send him stumbling to her right, disarming him with her other kukri in the process. She then squatted downwards and with one circular kick against his foot she stole what was left of his balance and sent him face-first to the ground. The young woman audibly celebrated her victory and threw a fist in the air, “Oh, it feels great to not be the one to eat dirt for a change, ha!”

“That’s… that’s impossible,” Ignis stammered, he seemed completely shell-shocked.

“Oh, come on, don’t be like that. I think I deserved my little victory,” she protested cheerfully, but paused her cheerfulness as she saw the serious expression on the man’s face as he got up.

“No, no, that’s not what I meant,” he began to explain while adjusting his clothes with his gloved hands. “That move… What did you say your name was again?”

“Oh, I… uhm… I don’t have a name. Well, at least I don’t remember it…” she confessed, the familiar sadness creeping up on her again.

“I think I do… ___,” Ignis said with a shaky voice.

“You… what? I-,” as she began to realise that this man, who she only met today, knew her name, and she even recognised it as her own, causing her head to spin. The dark mist clouding her mind began to lift as if her name was the key to unlocking her memories. They all seeped through at once, utterly overwhelming her. Everything in her mind began to race, giving her the worst headache of her life and forcing her to go down on her knees and press her hands to the sides of her head. Images flashed before her mind’s eye as she remembered everything that happened a few months ago.

She stood in the open living room of her apartment in front of Ignis, his face free of scars and his eyes the richest green she had ever seen in her life. She remembered this day so clearly now, the day before Ignis’s departure to Altissia. He was his all prim and proper usual self with his gloves, his perfectly tailored suit, that ridiculous coeurl-print shirt and the skull pendant endearing his neck. He looked at her with a warm smile on his face, but she could see a deep-seated worry in his eyes, hidden behind his pair of spectacles but never hidden from her observation.

“Seeing as this is our last night together before my departure to Altissia for an indefinite amount of time I thought it was appropriate to give you this.”

In his hands a pair of kukris materialised out of the bright crystals that twirled through the air. Her eyes widened at the sight.

“I had them made for you. I know what you're thinking, that you are perfectly capable of protecting yourself. However, given the chance that something might happen to you in my absence, I wanted you to have these. Mainly for my peace of mind, but you mentioned you wanted new ones, so this is beneficial and appeasing to both of us,” Ignis explained as she ghosted her finger around the edges of the blades, fathoming the intricate designs on the handles until she reached an engraving around them. She took the kukris into her own hands to take a closer look what it said.

‘For hearth and home and the fire that only burns for you’

Her breath hitched as she understood the meaning behind it and her eyes began to water as she looked back up at him.

“Gods, Ignis, they are really absolutely beautiful, but… don’t you think you need them more than me? You’re going on a journey facing ferocious wildlife by day and daemons and monsters by night while I’m only on guard duty around the Citadel. What could possibly happen to me?”

His nostrils flared as he took in a deep breath before he closed his hands around her own, “___, I do not trust the Empire and I have the impression that the signing ceremony will not come to pass as quietly as we would like to think. Of course, I do not wish for the worst, but no matter what happens, I want you to be able to defend yourself to your best capabilities and most importantly,” Ignis lifted one of his hands up to her cheek and looked deep into her eyes to reinforce the importance of his following statement, “I want you to be safe, ___. I could never forgive myself if anything happened to you.”

She looked up at him and as she saw the sheen in his eyes hers began to well up with tears as well. She covered his hand with her own. “Don’t worry, I will be.” Then a smile spread on her lips and her gaze lowered to the floor, “After all I learned from the best.”

The strategist let out a little chuckle, “Come on now, I’m nothing special.”

“Yes, you are. To me you will always be the most special person in the whole of Eos.” She met his gaze again with determination, “And this is why I ask of you to be careful as well. Anything could happen outside of Insomnia, especially at night.”

He gave her hands a reassuring squeeze as he put on a brave smile for her. “I am quite aware, but trust me when I say that I have every reason in the world to take care of myself and come back. To you.”

“Promise me?”

“I swear it.”

He rested his forehead on hers and they both closed their eyes. In this moment she felt as if they could remain like this forever, an instant frozen in time if neither of them moved or spoke a word. She focused on his calm breathing and engulfed in his warmth, but Ignis eventually broke their peaceful silence.

“I love you.”

It was just a faint and barely audible whisper, but she never heard anything in her life as clear as those three little words that just fell from his lips. She looked up, right into his eyes, tears beginning to roll down her face, and she  simply smiled as she placed a hand on his cheek.

“I love you, too.”

The images stopped flashing before her mind’s eye, the headache subsided. She opened her eyes again and looked up at the man in front of her, the same gloves, the same suit, the same shirt and she could see the same skull pendant hanging around his neck.

“I… I remember. I remember everything,” she whispered as her vision began to blur from the tears that built up in her eyes. She reached her hand out after him as if she still couldn’t believe that Ignis was there, right in front of her. Her hands traced his arms and his chest until he caught them in his own and pulled her into a crushing embrace. He rested his head on her shoulder, his entire body was shaken by the sobs that emitted from his throat.

“I found you, oh Astrals, I found you. All these months I thought you were gone, that I’d lost you, that you were… you were…” He couldn’t bring himself to finish that sentence in fear of it becoming somehow real if he said it out loud.

Now crying herself, she tried to calm him down. She soothingly ran her fingers through the roots of his hair, “Ignis, it’s okay, I’m here. I’m here now and I will never leave you again, okay?”

In response he loosened the embrace and cupped her face with both of his hands, the only way how he could see someone. “Do you promise me?”

She looked up at him and she could see the one clouded eye behind his visor,  she gazed at all his scars from up close and mirrored his gesture by placing her own hands on either side of his face, her thumb tracing the outline of the scar over his left eye.

“Yes. I swear it.”

Ignis tilted his head forward to rest his forehead on hers, tears rolling silently down his face.

“I love you, Ignis. I’m right here and I will never leave you ever again.”

He let out a shaky breath and instead of responding with words, he wanted to let his actions speak for him. His lips found hers in an instant and it felt as if they became one. Their kiss was filled with so many emotions. It was filled with sorrow and despair and fear, but also with happiness and love and relief. Relief to know that the other was alive, to feel the other’s warmth again after all these months, to know that they were together once again. They remained intertwined like this for what seemed forever. Neither of them wanted to let go of the other, of this moment of tranquillity and peace, and even though they knew it couldn’t last forever, right there, in that moment, in each other’s arms, they felt whole again, complete, inseparable and infinite.