#FUCK I FORGOT TO ADD A EXPLOSION ON THIS oh well

[vomiting-rainbows]

woe a bunch of dump sketchs be upon ye

anyways heres a meowrails dumb and trash edit that i made ^⁠_⁠^^⁠_⁠^

[whomadewaffles]

PART 3 of 3 of my Pjhazel incorrect qoutes! Sadly the last part.. at least for now. I won't say for definite there won't be more cos I adore this movie and this ship especially, but may take some time.

Same things apply to this one as the others, hope these were as fun to read as they were to make! This one became longer than I intended because I just had to add a few new ones too it especially the code names one because It made me chuckle and fit so well.

-----

Pj: I’m in lov—

Pj: Lov—

Pj: I have feelin—

Josie: It’s okay, take your time.

Pj: ...Hazel.

-------

Pj *to hazel*: If I have developed a huge crush on you, that's my business. It literally has nothing to do with you.

--------

Hazel: Autism speaks?

Hazel: Yeah, I never shut the fuck up.

-------

Pj: Horny doesn’t always mean wanting to have sex. Sometimes it means wanting to be beat up or stabbed or something.

-------

Hazel: I like wearing oversized sweaters. Not just because they're extremely comfy and cuddly, but because whenever the sleeves are really big, I get to flop them around and smack people.

_______

Pj: I- hm...

Hazel: be nice

Pj: Of course! I'm finding kind words.

Hazel

Pj:....

Hazel:

Pj:...

Hazel: ... it takes you that long to find-

Pj: It does! I'm trying!

--------

Ms. Callahan: You're not good enough for my daughter

Pj: YOU'RE not good enough for your daughter

Ms. Callahan: Excuse me?!

Pj: You heard me

--------

Hazel: I set off explosives to feel joy.

Pj: That's adorable.

-------

Pj *delusional from a punch to the face during fight club*: You have... beautiful eyes..

Hazel *flustered*: She's lost her mind!

------

Hazel: I have no idea what's going on but I am being so brave about it.

-----

Pj *to hazel*: Why do you keep looking me in the eyes? My huge tits are down here

------

Hazel *is sad*

Pj:*looks up “how to comfort someone”*

Website: “Do not make insensitive comments or mock the person”

Pj: Fuck.

-------

Hazel: Are you okay?

Pj: In what aspect? Phisically, no injury whatsoever and no signs of exhaustion. Appearance wise, I'm not just okay, I'm a whole ass meal. We're talking three courses, five stars.

Hazel:

Pj: But mentally? I could use some therapy I guess.

------

Pj: it may have been a stupid decision, but it was MY stupid decision and I could never turn my back on it

------

Hazel: please, stay out of trouble

Pj: Not my strong suit

-------

Pj *about Hazel*: *sighs* God, what a loser. I can't believe I'm gonna sleep with her.

Josie: I mean, you don't have to.

Pj: Nah, I'm gonna.

-------

Pj: Do you have a date for Valentine’s Day?

Hazel: Yes. It's February 14th.

Pj: I- Nevermind.

-------

*Texting*

Pj: I wanna sleep with you.

Pj: But like in the innocent way.

Pj: ...

Pj: Get your bitch ass over here and cuddle with me you little shit!

Hazel: Damn Pj, calm down, I'm putting my shoes on.

Pj: <3

------

Hazel: Sometimes sarcasm is laid on so thick that even I can detect it.

Hazel: This was not one of those times.

--------

Pj: I love you.

Hazel: I love you too. I've waited so long to hear you say that.

*pj and Hazel make out passionately*

Sylvie, to annie: You owe me 20 dollars.

-------

Hazel *after Pj insults someone*: I know Pj is very sorry and didn’t mean it.

Pj: Very sorry.

Hazel: See?

Pj: But I did mean it.

Hazel: pj!

---------

Brittney: Why are you ignoring Hazel?

Pj: I’m playing hard to get.

Brittney: Why would you do that? You’re already hard to want.

-------

Pj: Not much could ruin today.

Jeff: Hey overall bitch #2

Pj: Oh, Fuck. I forgot saying that summons him.

-------

*just before josie and pj find the other fight club members at the game to apologise*

Josie: Talk to Hazel first, and apologise. That's what friends do.

Pj: Urgh, I really don’t want too. I was just gonna wait til' I'm on my deathbed, get in the last word and then die immediately.

Josie: That was your plan for dealing with this???

Pj: That's my plan for dealing with everything. I have seventy-seven arguments I'm gonna win that way.

Josie *drags her to the football game*: Nope, we're doing the apology instead.

-------

Pj: Quick, Hazel, start talking about boring nerd shit!

Hazel: You know, nerd culture is mainstream now, so when you use the word “nerd” derogatorily, it means you’re the one that’s out of the zeitgeist.

Pj: Yes, that’s perfect. Just like that.

--------

*backstory: the cheerleaders are at practice and the rest of the club are getting together to help plan a perfect promposal for josie to give to isabel*

Pj: From now on, we'll be using code names. You can address me as 'Eagle 1.'

Pj: Hazel is 'Currently doing that.'

Hazel: *high fives pj*

Pj: Sylvie is 'It happened once in a dream.'

Pj: Annie. Codename - 'If I had to pick a republican.'

Pj: josie is... 'Eagle 2.'

Josie: Oh, thank god.

--------

[rainiishowers]

Mammon luke and sapphire baking cupcakes together?

A/N: Uhm.. This was supposed to be much shorter...

Happy holidays to those who celebrate!! Scenario: It’s the holiday season, and Sapphire has been invited to Purgatory Hall by Simeon. Mammon, who hasn’t had much time to spend with Sapphire or the two angels, tags along.

Genre: Fluff @crazyyanderefangirlfan @lorkai @absolutepokemontrash @astershere @tisafinedayforsimping

———

In the House of Lamentation Group Chat

Sapphire: Simeon has invited me to Purgatory Hall, so I’ll be out for a while. If you need anything, lmk so I can pick it up.

Mammon: I’m comin’ with!!

Satan: Don’t hog her time, Mammon.

Mammon: I barely got any time with her this week!!

Sapphire: I’m getting ready at the entrance, be quick or I might leave you behind, Mammon.

Mammon: Hell yeah!!

Lucifer: Encouraging this behavior will only lead to bad things, Sapphire.

Sapphire: Well, he is correct with the fact that we have barely been able to spend any time together. I think this’ll be a good time to hang out.

———

Mammon was at the door in minutes, just as Sapphire was done checking she has everything. She looks up at the sort of out of breath Mammon with an amused smile on her lips and a raised eyebrow.

“You ready to go?”

“Yep!!”

“Hm.. Weren’t you going to give some early Christmas gifts to Simeon, Solomon and Luke?”

“Fuck, I forgot about that, gimme a minute!!”

Sapphire covers her hand when she laughs as Mammon races back to his room. She was glad that he took the holidays she introduced into the Devildom so seriously, so seriously to the point he gets early Christmas gifts!

———

They arrive at Purgatory Hall, with Mammon carrying three middle sized gifts for the three residents. The human knocks on the door, and the two hear feet pattering against the floor before Luke opens the door.

“Hi Sapphire!! And… Mammon??” The young angel blinks in surprise.

“Hello Luke. Mammon wanted to come along.” Sapphire explains, hanging up her coat as they enter.

“Did Sapphire arrive?- Oh! Mammon is here too?” Another surprised voice came from the kitchen, the voice belonging to Simeon.

“Sapphire said Mammon wanted to come along!” Luke says happily, turning back to face the two.

“Ah.. Let me guess, the other brothers have been taking too much of Sapphire’s time?” Simeon raises an eyebrow as he comes to the living room with some tea.

“Yer right on the money..” Mammon huffs, setting the gifts down beside the tea tray, sitting down beside Sapphire. She notices Luke staring at the presents and clears her throat.

“Those gifts are early Christmas gifts to you three from Mammon.” She explains, enjoying how the demon got embarrassed.

“Early Christmas gifts???” Luke looks at Sapphire and Mammon in shock.

“Ya don’t have to open them right now, if ya wanna wait till Christmas.” Mammon adds.

Luke looks at the older angel, as if asking if they can open them early. Simeon smiles and nods, taking the gift labelled to him when Luke excitedly hands it to him. Luke sits down besides Mammon before unwrapping his gift.

For Luke, it was a baking set with a high quality whisk, a handful of measuring spoons and cups, and a few other odd yet useful items for baking. For Simeon, it was a calligraphy set with pens and new sets of ink, as well as a notebook. "Woah! Thanks Mammon! I could always use new baking equipment! ..Especially since that accident in the kitchen.." He sighs, earning a curious look from the human and demon. "Did Solomon sneak back into the kitchen?" Sapphire asks "Unfortunately, yes. He caused an explosion that destroyed the measuring cups and other important baking equipment.." Simeon sighs. "Wha- Were ya guys okay?!" Mammon asks, concern clear on his face. Sapphire also looks at them in concern, holding the demon's hand to help him calm down as Luke nods. "We were fine. Solomon said he was going to visit the human world and get more equipment for me, that's actually where he is now." Luke hums, looking through the equipmentz "He better do that.." Mammon grumbles, upset at the fact that Luke's things got ruined

"Well, all the same, thank you for the gifts, Mammon." Simeon's smile returns to his face. Mammon shrugs and mumbles that it was nothing before the oven went off in the kitchen. Luke jumps up to the kitchen. Sapphire and Mammon follow and the two see the small angel taking gingerbread cookies out of the oven. They looked perfectly brown around the edges yet not burnt. "Those look delicious!" Mammon goes to grab one before Sapphire lightly slaps his hand away. "They just came out of the oven, Mammon, and they aren't decorated yet." Sapphire softly reminds the Avatar of Greed. She sees some other dry ingredients on the table and a laminated paper recipe besides them. "Yea! I need to decorate them, Mammon!" Luke huffs, although clearly not too upset at him. "Sorry, sorry" He apologizes, raising an eyebrow as he also looks at the table. "Ya were plannin' on baking something else?" The demon asks. "Mhm! It was a cupcake recipe Annabelle taught me." Annabelle was Sapphire's mother, who often taught Luke recipes when he goes to the human world. People often joke that Luke collects a lot of parental figures, but it appears it's transcending the three realms, now. The human inspects the recipe and visibly softens and a smile creeps up on her face. "This is the chocolate pomegranate cupcake recipe that she use to make. Passed it onto you, did she?" She looks at Luke, who looked surprised alongside Mammon. "What?? Can't a girl have a favorite recipe?" She teases with a raised eyebrow. "It's not that, Treasure, you just don't talk about your home life that much.. And I wasn't expecting you to be a fan of pomegranate." Mammon whispers the last part. "Well, it doesn't really come up that often, so I've never bothered to." She shrugs, putting the recipe down. "Can we bake with you, Luke?" She asks "Oh, sure!! Maybe we can decorate the gingerbread later!" He gives a bright smile before grabbing some things from the fridge.

———

“Can you mix this together, Mammon? I need to get the wet ingredients together.”

“Sure I can! It’ll be easy!”

Luke goes to the counter-space beside Mammon, happily humming as he pours in the wet ingredients. Meanwhile, Sapphire was put in charge of cutting the pomegranates for the frosting.

“Hey Treasure, ya have any other memories from your childhood?”

Luke looks up, also curious if the human had any stories to share. Sapphire hums, pondering on this.

“I remember my mother telling me that my father taught me all about the holidays, and how I adored it to the point that they would have to put on Christmas music no matter if it was Christmas or not, just so I wouldn’t cry.” She laughs awkwardly

“Christmas music?? All year long??” Luke blinks incredulously.

“Well, not all year long, but it definitely would’ve gotten tiring listening to June to December.”

“That reminds me of how during a specific time durin’ their younger years, the twins would only calm down if a specific song was playin’. It was cute at first but it took years for it to stop repeatin’ in my head.” Mammon reminisces.

“Nowadays, Belphie can sleep everywhere and anywhere..” Sapphire sighs, looking at Luke.

“Do you have any memories of when you were younger, Luke?”

Luke stays silent as he walks over with the mixture, seeming to think about the question.

“When I got my wings.. It wasn’t very pleasant.”

“Ough, I feel ya there, Fido. Getting your wings feels like somethin’ nice on paper, but it never is a pleasant experience.” Mammon shivers.

“I remember how doting Lucifer was when you first got wing pains.” Simeon walks in with a smile on his face.

“Well, he wasn’t just dotin’ on me! He was dotin’ on every one of my brothers.” Mammon corrects.

“That is true. Anyways, I’m going out on an errand, would you two mind staying here with Luke while I’m gone?” The angel asks.

“Sure, I don’t see why not.” Sapphire nods.

Simeon thanks them and goes on his way, and as soon as Sapphire was sure he was gone, she pulls out her phone, getting a curious look from the two others.

Minutes later, Christmas music was playing from her phone, specifically the song “All I Want From Christmas Is You,” a song that Mammon both adored and despised for how much Sapphire played it.

It didn’t take long for the three to be in the festive mood, as Sapphire sang along to the music playing and getting Luke and Mammon to join in.

Both the cupcakes and other festive desserts were baked, cool and decorated, Sapphire singing and dancing through it all.

“I forgot that Sapphire liked the holidays this much!” Luke whispers to the demon, eyes wide.

“Well, it’s nice seein’ her so excited.” Mammon couldn’t help but give a small smile as his human continues her holiday spirit.

———

Everyone was gathered to merrily celebrate the holiday season at the House of Lamentation, and of course the desserts were served.

“You, Mammon and Luke baked these?”

Sapphire nods at Lucifer as he takes a bite of one of the many cupcakes.

“Annabelle gave Luke the recipe for these cupcakes, Sapphire said she enjoyed eatin’ them as a kid.” Mammon explains with his mouth full of the cupcake he took.

“I was a bit worried that something would go wrong with the cupcakes, and the taste would be all messed up, but I think Sapphire being there helped to make sure they tasted right!” Luke adds with a bright smile on his face.

“I think they turned out wonderfully, quite the festive dessert.” Barbatos comments, clearly proud of Luke for making such a dessert.

“I agree, these are absolutely divine. You have to make them again at some point!” Asmo tells Sapphire in between bites of his cupcake.

“I’d be happy to, might have to borrow that recipe so I don’t screw it up, Luke.” Sapphire looks at the small angel, who nods.

“Ah such a shame I didn’t get to make my stew… If I take a few shortcuts, I can make it taste like how it’s supposed to.” Solomon smiles innocently, causing the room to go silent and making sudden ominous auras to appear.

“Solomon, if you go into that kitchen, I am going to smite you.” Sapphire gives him the biggest death glare. Which got a laugh out of the sorcerer.

“C’mon it’s just one recipe!”

“Solomon- Hey!!” Sapphire runs after him as he slides off into the kitchen.

“It’s been nice knowing you all…” Levi whispers.

[fantasies-fairytales-n-fics]

Code Blue Ch. 33- Theater of Pain

Summary: Jason Morgan is back! He and Craig bicker. Josie gets the shock of her life. Both men get their just deserves during an emotionally long and dramatic showdown. Orlando is sought out. Some bar fun is short lived. Josie saves Orlando once again and keeps him from making a huge mistake.

*Warnings* language, dark and super angsty, mob depictions, alcohol use, mentions of abuse and molestation, violent tendencies, weapon use

Stories Stories Stories Masterlist

Chapter characters: Jason, Craig, Josie, Orlando, Luke Sr.

Salem, Massachusetts

March 7, 2023

Twenty minutes after you left Craig's apartment, he received a knock on his door. Thinking it was you, he rushed over and swung it open.

"Hey, Josie, you forgot your box of....Woah. What the hell are you doing?! Get in here before someone sees you!" Craig commanded to none other than your dead and buried brother, Jason Morgan, and then slammed the door shut behind him. "Where the hell have you been??!!"

"Sonny's. Where else?" the blue-eyed muscle man dressed in black retorted.

"Oh well, THAT would have been nice to know after you just snuck out of here like I told you NOT to do! I should have kept you drugged. Did you know my father is out?? He was just here an hour ago! Wanting to know what I've been up to while he was away!"

"I know he was, and my sister too. I have been watching and waiting for them both to leave. Does Cyrus know I'm alive?"

"I have no idea, but I'm sure he suspects it. Why else would he come here?? It sure wasn't to catch up with his beloved son over a cup of tea! Being his son does not protect me from his wrath. He's ruthless in case you haven't gotten a clue yet. If he, or the Zacchara's know you're alive and that I aided with it, all hell is going to break loose. And heeeere you are, literally a dead man walking, coming to my home! You could have at least wore a damn hoodie. Are you trying to get yourself killed for real this time??? I'm not so sure I can heal a fucking gun shot!"

Jason wasn't one for being scolded or told what to do, which triggered him to blow up at Craig's reprimand.

"I would have survived! Just like I survived every gun shot!"

Craig was just like Jason, fearless and blunt, so he continued on with his rant to his best friend.

"Yeah and every explosion??? You only survived that because I fucking drug your ass out of there, otherwise, you would have been an unrecognizable corpse like the one in your grave!! A little thank you would be nice for following you around and knowing what's up and handling all of the dirty work!"

"Right and let me thank you for handling me by holding me against my will and shooting me up with horse tranquilizers!"

"Exactly what were you gonna do?? You're in over your head! I had to do that so you wouldn't go after them too soon and half cocked and ruin the entire plan! YOUR plan remember??? To make them believe you're dead so they wouldn't see you coming and here you are, walking around in broad fucking daylight. My father is clearly watching me so it looks like you've already shot your plan to shit because you have no damn patience. Not to mention, your sister lives right down the damn hall and I have to lie to that sweet girl!! Oh, and my father met her today!! He asked her last name to prove to me that he knows who she is!"

"Who's fault is that??! Why the hell did you let her move in here??? And why was she even here with you?? Wasn't screwing and marrying my ex not enough for you, that you gotta go after my sister too??"

"Ohhh hell no. You didn't just say that to me. Beth pursued me after you dumped her and went after that woman doctor, with very good reason I might add though, but that's beside the point. She followed me to New Zealand. Although I guess I got my karma for it huh? Can't even see my kid, who I'm one hundred percent certain is not even my kid. I'd bet my life on it that Blaise belongs to that punk Ethan. Countless times I had seen them together before she wound up pregnant, in which I think she already was when she found me because the timing just never added up. Blaise was born early and she wasn't a preemie."

"Well at least your kid is alive and knows you as her father. Jake only knew Lee as his dad, which I was alright with. He's a good man from what I know and he truly loved my son as his own even after he found out the truth that he wasn't. I thought Jake would have been better off not being a part of my life, you know, safe and having a normal family. That sure bit me in the ass."

"You're right man. I am truly sorry about your loss and what Beth did to you and that boy. I wish you could prove what she did, then maybe I'd be able to take Blaise from her psychotic demented ass. She has no business being a mother."

"No need for that. Liz will get hers, all in due time and then Blaise will be all yours. So...tell me you didn't tell Jo any of this? I mean, Jake was her nephew that she never knew existed and now she's dating his dad. I would rather her hear it from me at some point."

"No...of course I haven't...and I hate it, with every bit of my soul, lying to her about everything." Craig remorsefully said until a light bulb turned on in his head, causing him to panic.

"Wait....did you just say, oh no no no....Beth's ex Lee is Josie's Lee??"

"Youuuu seriously didn't know that??"

"NO I didn't know they were one and the same! Fuck me...I can't believe I didn't figure that out. She did say....she knew someone going through what I was with Blaise not being mine but never said who...All she had ever said about her boyfriend was his first name which is all I had ever known about Beth's ex...I had never seen the guy and I wasn't going to ask either of them to see photos so I...I didn't place it....and I...I figured when Josie told me about Ethan, that she only knew him because of you...oh Jesus... she is going to hate me when this all comes out! I think I know what a panic attack feels like now."

Craig aggressively ran his hand over his face and then he began pacing, snatching up the wine bottle and drinking straight from it as he did so.

"Yeah Craig, they're the same entity and again, who's fault is it if she hates you? You wouldn't even know her on a personal level if you hadn't let her rent here. My sister was never supposed to be involved in any of this. Why Craig? Why did you do that when you knew I was right downstairs at the time???"

"Honestly, I thought it would be best, for you, ya know, to have her close. Keep an eye on her, help keep her safe. I mean, she was a victim of the Floating Rib's explosion too and that damn dog sniffing cop was her ex....and it's probably a good thing she's here because she told me Ethan is becoming a problem in her life. I guess he recently put his own brother in the hospital, attacked him or some shit and is harassing Josie and LEE. But trust me, I'm going to put a stop to that REAL quick."

"First of all, just stay out of all this and away from my sister. I will handle Ethan and Johnny both. They're the ones who had that bomb planted and I also know Liz was in on it too."

"Yeah well, I can't stay out of it, nor hardly stay away from my own tenant, NOR do I want to. Especially now and besides, you know as well as I do that there's no getting out of the mob because I tried when I left to go home....and don't forget my father. He was the mastermind of it all. You know he's allies with the Zacchara's and he wants you dead for sending him to prison, and then there's Sonny, the real target, who he despises more than anything. Your Sonny's right hand man, the deadly weapon of the Corinthos family and taking you out was the perfect way to weaken him, hitting him where it hurt the most."

"I'll handle Cyrus too, once and for all, like I should have before. Sonny knows he's free and has his eyes and ears everywhere....and Sonny is far from weak without me. You of all people should know that since you work for him too."

"Just as my father has eyes and ears all around, which is how he planned your entire hit from prison. So, I'm still in one piece so I assume you talked Sonny out of busting my knee caps for assisting you in your warped plan??"

"He's grateful that you had my back and saved me, so consider this your lucky day. I'm grateful too. I'm just frustrated, like you are. You're not the only one my sister is going to hate and then there's my mom man. She'll probably disown me, which would be for the best anyways. All I have ever done was try to keep her and Jo safe...but my sister, she's stubborn as hell and extremely fucking smart. She saw right through me and all my dealings. Jo knows me better than I know myself...and I will most likely lose her over this just like you. But with that said, she can't know. Not yet. Not until all the threats are eliminated. I don't want her hurt again because of me."

"Yeah well, I certainly am not going to tell her. Oh and by the way, she also said that Ethan is hanging around your other sister now. He was there today, at your mom's picking her up."

"One way or another, he's going down. Traitorous piece of garbage. I don't give a crap about my sister Megan. He's just her type and they deserve each other, but messing with my mom and Jo, he will soon regret. I'm gonna head back to Sonny's before Jo gets back. Just so you know, I didn't just walk here in broad daylight. I used the old underground tunnels and then I came up the back stairwell exit."

"Ahhh, the old smuggling catacombs. Bet that's an interesting sight."

"Trust me, you don't want to know. I feel like some sewer rat."

"Is that what that smell is?" Craig grinned as Jason rolled his eyes.

"I'll be in touch soon. Look for my code in a text so you know it's me."

"Got it. Watch your back man. Let me go out first to check the hall."

Up the stairs you came, fuming. Not so much over Lee, but over the phone call you had with your mom on the way back from seeing him. It was true. She was selling the Haunted Star and to make matters worse, it was who she was selling it to. You had called Lee right after, needing to talk to him about it and even Orlando too but now both seemed to be ghosting you.

All your thoughts were soon ceased as you headed to Craig's to get the box you forgot, for as you turned the corner, you got another surprise like earlier, only this one was enough to rock your world.

There stood your deceased brother, very much alive, beside a mortified Craig, who like you, forgot to breathe.

"You...you're alive?? How...." was all that came out of your gaping mouth as you stared with wide eyes at a very stunned Jason before everything went black.

As you began to faint, Craig charged past Jason to catch you, then he swooped you up and quickly carried you inside his apartment with Jason swiftly in tow.

"FUCK!" Jason shouted as he slammed the door and stared at you, cradled like a child in Craig's arms.

All Craig could do was gaze down at you, knowing that very soon, you would never want to see his face again and for some reason that he did not understand, it sent a pain through his heart that he had never felt before.

"Craig. Snap out of it. Put my sister down." Jason flatly and firmly ordered.

The addled artist blinked and then whipped his head up. "It's an art studio. I'm not laying her on the hard, cold and filthy ground. My apartment's through the back. Lock that door."

Jason bolted up the steel door, then rushed around the corner to see Craig gently laying you down on his bed.

"What are you doing??"

"She's warm. Open the patio door to let the cool breeze in from the bay and bring me a damp wash cloth from the restroom." Craig rambled off while concentrating on making you comfortable and watching your breathing.

The miffed mob man went to do as his obviously smitten friend asked, knowing you would come to at any moment and he would have some serious explaining to do, which he also knew you would never understand. Could Jason really blame you? He put you and his mom through the hell of believing he was dead. What possible justification for that could there be?

Jason rang out the rag and promptly brought it to Craig who was now sitting beside you, stroking your hair.

"What am I missing here Craig?"

"Huh?" he muttered as he tenderly patted the cloth over your forehead.

"That. This. The way you are with her. The way you look at her."

"You're reaching Jason. I...I just care for her, that's all."

"Yeah, maybe a little too much. Don't forget, she loves someone else and also don't forget who you are."

"Speak for yourself about who I am....and who said anything about love?"

"I did. I know you better than anyone and I see it. You're getting caught up in her. You're the last thing she needs. Look at all she has been through just because of me and my life."

"First of all, I don't need your approval or permission to do a damn thing in my life and second of all, you won't need to even worry about that once she wakes up and tells me to fuck off. Like she'd ever be interested in someone like me anyways, especially now....and quite frankly, it's the last thing I even want in my life after Beth and every other girl who I was never good enough for. Like you said, she loves someone else so drop it Jason."

"You're the one going on and on about it. Who you trying to convince? Me or you?"

"ENOUGH!" Craig barked, causing you to stir. "Heyyy there princess, can you hear me?" he softly said as he took your hand.

Your eyelids began to flutter open and all you saw was Craig's worried face coming into focus, for Jason stood far back, hands on his hips and head down, slightly peering up at you under his arched brow, calmly waiting for the heat he was about to take.

"Craig? Wh...what happened? Where am I?" you asked, squinting a few times at the unfamiliar bed you laid upon and your hand inside of Craig's.

"You...you fainted sweetheart. You're in my apartment....well, my...bedroom."

Craig lightly gulped as your confused eyes then fixated on his. "My panic attack...I...did I...dream of going to seeing Lee? Did I never leave?"

"No, princess, you left and....came back for your things that you forgot and...."

"JASON!" you shouted and flung up with bulging eyes that quickly spotted the icy blue eyes you thought you'd never see again.

The moment was intense and so surreal for both of you. Jason knew that when you found out, it would be a shock any way that he revealed himself, but it wasn't supposed to be like this and not now.

You yanked your hand free from Craig's and abruptly pushed past him to stand up and face the man the who you were told had severe head trauma and was burned beyond recognition. All you could do was gawk at him, studying every detail of his face to make sure you weren't hallucinating or even dreaming....and of course to make sure it was really him because...then who's body did Lee work on?? Who was in the casket and buried six feet under with a tombstone naming Jason Steven March on it???

"I ummm, I'm gonna go in the other room and give you both some privacy." Craig quietly said, attempting to escape and headed to the door.

"Hold it!!" you snapped, holding your arm out, pointing at him as your eyes remained trapped on Jason.

Craig pursed his lips as he froze, then slowly turned back around.

"H...how??? How are you here???!! I...I...I was there....I...the explosion...Lee...he...he saw your...body??? We...we fucking buried you...oh my god, I have got to be having some break from reality right now...this...this is just not possible! I...I want to hug you so bad and at the same time, I want to rip your head off! Someone start talking!!!"

"Craig, you're right. leave us...please. I need to talk to my sister alone." Jason said as he finally worked up the nerve to speak. The six foot assassin feared no one, except for four people. His mother, Sonny, Britt and ...you....and all for very different reasons.

Craig couldn't move fast enough because he was sure his head would be the next target and he was right.

"Don't go far....you and I have our own conversation to have....friend!" you warned with a glare at the man who clearly knew your brother, the man you told only hours ago that you trusted him, the man who now made sense that he was one of the family. When would you ever learn?

Craig's baby blues were remorse ridden, much like Jason's, as he nodded and quietly walked out, closing the door behind him. He began to finish off his bottle of wine from earlier while not being able to help overhearing the crying, shouting and either a slap or a punch, all coming from you....and he knew he would be next.

Almost an hour went by while Craig fretted and drank another bottle. Your voice had become softer at times, then loud again as Jason's could be heard explaining everything and then...the door flung open and you came storming out in a rage.

"YOU! You were a part of ALL this???!!! You KNEW my brother was alive this entire time??? You helped him orchestrate it all because YOU are one of them. My god how blind and stupid could I be...once more?? I trusted you! I actually believed you were a good guy when you're no better than any man I ever believed in because they all let me down. But you knew all about that. You knew everything about me before I ever even met you. You lying son of a bitch. I recant ever calling you my friend."

Craig lowered his head in shame, releasing a soft sigh as he had stood there motionless the entire time, holding his wine glass in one hand and fidgeting with his other while taking the verbal beating he knew he deserved as Jason also stood quietly with a lingering welt of a hand print across his cheek.

"You're not stupid...and you're right...Josie. I am a son of a bitch and a liar, but I swear...I swear on my daughter, please believe me when I say I cannot express how sorry I am for hurting you. I hated every minute of it but I...I had no choice. Please...please tell me you at least believe that. I care about you..a lot. We connected and I know you felt it too. Can I please tell you my side of things? Just you and me?" Craig softly pleaded as he took a step towards you. One he shouldn't have taken, for he also then earned his awaited slap.

He took it with a flinch and then slowly brought his humiliated eyes to yours as you began to cry. The one thing you had told him you never did in front of people if you could help it... and you couldn't help it. He hurt you deeply and he was going to know it and feel it. And he did too. It tore him to pieces seeing you cry.

"Why, so you can manipulate me some more? I know all I need to know. Any connection there may have been, you killed it. You had a damn choice Craig and it certainly wasn't caring about me. The only thing I actually even believe about you now is that you truly love your daughter...and I really hope she's not Ethan's, mostly for her sake, you know, the guy I told you about that you actually knew way more better than you let on?? Like umm, Elizabitch, I mean BETH is your baby mama of all lying cheating whores. Apparently I AM stupid for not realizing that when Britt flat out argued with her about you once, defending you, even said your name...and considering you even knew who Ethan was...a con just like you, that should have been a red flag...and YOU should have known who Lee was too. Guess you were just as stupid as me because YES I WAS STUPID!" you argued to his denial of it, throwing your hands in the air and then continued berating him.

"God how it all makes sense now and then there's your creepy ass dad, another mob man, who clearly had you all in some way after his not so random visit... but you said nothing, you wouldn't talk about him. Guess I can see why now. I mean shit, he just got out of PRISON for the typical not so legal shipments on the docks. I could go on all day here about what I have learned. I mean, what could you possibly say that I don't already know? Just more...'pretty words' huh Craig??...Oh...and then there's the fact that I had a nephew I didn't even know about or ever meet! A nephew who happens to be the dead son of my boyfriend who's life has been turned upside down over it all, but yet he's not his son now is he? He's my brother's son which you both knew. How do I even tell Lee something like this? Like, oh by the way Lee, that sweet little boy you've been grieving over for 4 years now, well guess what, I know who his bio daddy is...it's my not so dead brother and that makes me his aunt. And believe me, I will tell him. Unlike you both, I don't keep fucking secrets. Well, except for mom. Jason can fix his own damn mess with that. ALL I know is you both deserve each other and can go to hell!...OH...and Craig...I am NOT a fucking princess. What I am is a damn fool who was made to feel like one by those pretty words. But hey, thanks for trying to cheer me up."

Your words were getting colder and colder, mocking things Craig had said to you, and you hated it. You hated this side of you, stemmed from always being fucked over, and you needed to get out of there, so you went to walk out , but Jason quickly blocked the door.

"Jo, no. You can't go off like this and you definitely can't tell Lee about me."

"The last time I checked, I could do anything I damn well please, now get the hell out of my way Jay. As elated as I am that you're alive, I can't deal with this right now. It's too damn much. I need to go and let it all soak in... and even then, I don't know if I can ever forgive you... and I'll tell you right now, mom won't."

"Look, I know you're angry and you have every damn right to be, but take a little advice that I was given. Don't go out there all half cocked and do something stupid. That's what has kept me alive. Craig... he kept me alive Jo. Don't put Lee in danger by telling him things he don't need to know. Sometimes you have to do it Jo, to protect those you love. Just like I did. Let me handle this."

"Right, because you done such a stand up job so far at handling things. How is making me and mom suffer and have to bury you, protecting us??? Silly me, what was I thinking? And just how does telling Lee about Jacob put him in danger???"

"Because I never told anyone but Sonny and Craig about him being my son and you know Lee will go straight to Liz about it in anger and she'll figure out I'm alive because she knows they would never tell anyone and then she could easily shoot her mouth off to Ethan and then he'll go to Johnny... do you see now??"

"That sounds to me like it only puts YOU in danger. Story of your life. I can't even believe this... how everyone knows everyone and is involved somehow. It's not like Salem is a small town. All the signs I get in my life, how the fuck did I miss all this??? How do I keep this from him when we are having problems for the same damn reasons???? You can't do this shit to me Jason!!! Not after everything. I won't lie to him. He won't say anything if ask him not to."

"I can't stop you Jo, but I really hope you think about it long and hard before you do. You're already having trust issues with him and..."

"Are you really playing that card with me right now???!!! You may have been spying on me all this time but you know NOTHING about my relationship with Lee. Nothing! I DO trust him. He's obviously not the only one with skeletons in his closet so just back off of him! Go worry about your damn boat that mom sold to Ethan's dad!! And why?? To get rid of everything that reminded her of your criminal life. That was dad's boat Jason, and he trusted you with it! And you went and changed your will, leaving it to mom. Why didn't you leave it to me?? I wanted it Jay. I wanted to make something good out of it and now... now it will continue to be a craft of crime. Better go get your bike before she pawns that off too! Maybe Ethan would like it since the one he rides is a piece of shit like he is! What is wrong with you Jason??? Look what you have done to our family!! Why didn't you just stay dead!!!"

"That's enough Jo!! I get it that you're hurt and angry and with every right to be, but you need to calm down!!"

"Don't yell at her man. She hasn't done anything wrong." Craig firmly stated as he stepped out of his corner.

"Stay out of it Craig and stop trying to suck up to my sister because you have some thing for her." Jason retorted.

"Stay out of it?? You keep saying that and yet here I am, in this shit clear up to my damn neck, and why?? ALL to help you. Why did you even have to come here when you knew the risks???? You could have called!!"

"Yeah, I'm sorry I ruined whatever delusions you had going on here but this was all going to blow up in your face eventually and it was better sooner than later from what I can see."

"Delusional? This is fucking reality. A reality that YOU created Jason and me...her, your mom, Lee, Britt... are just collateral damage in your mob war."

The two bickering men had become within a foot of each other's faces and you had had enough.....although you were inclined to agree with Craig on what he had just said.

"Oh stop it! Both of you! This isn't a damn soap opera, but Craig is right about that Jay. You're like a fucking tornado, destroying everything in it's path and I...I am just done here. I need to go find someone to talk to that I actually DO trust. Someone that worked his ass off to earn it because he genuinely cares for me and I have neglected him because of all my bullshit."

"Josie...wait...please." Craig calmly pleaded, although extreme desperation was written all over his face. "Please, just don't hate me. I'll do whatever it takes to make this right. I'll work my ass off too to earn your trust back. I can't stand this. I never wanted to hurt you."

There was that sincere side of him again and it slightly softened you, but not to the point of oblivion.

"But you did hurt me. What this other person did was something petty, like a high school kid would do. What you BOTH have done is indescribable to me, completely beyond measure to that and I don't see what you could ever possibly do to make that right. I do...I do know it was not intentional. I don't hate you Craig....I feel sorry for you. You're actually a lot like me. You have a good heart in there...I've seen it and I've even heard it, but you let my brother and the shit you been through take you to the dark side and you took me down with you. You can't fix this. As they say, you never get a second chance at a first impression."

You glanced at Jason who held his head low and back at Craig's attentive and somber eyes as tears streamed down your cheeks, in which he then bravely marched forward and gently took your face in his hands. It happened so quickly that you just caved and let him touch you. Maybe you subconsciously wanted him too?

"But this is not the first impression, now is it? You've already seen that in me long ago. You know that and you know me. The real me that I don't let anyone else see. And you even just said you know I have a good heart so you contradict yourself, just Josie. That connection I mentioned. It's there... right now." Craig softly said, bearing the bluest of eyes and kindest smile. The real him that that carried that connection to you. The real him that you secretly didn't want to lose.

Nope. You weren't going to let him work his ridiculous magic on you that you could feel starting to work. You shoved his hands down and then walked out as fast as you could, completely ignoring your resurrected brother and forgetting your box of stuff that caused this entire revelation and situation to unfold.

You headed straight to your car and called Orlando...but as usual, he didn't answer. You needed to warn him about his dad buying the boat because that meant his father had every intention of sticking around Salem. You also missed the good doctor Bloom.

Off you went as dusk was setting in, to see if he was home, for you knew he was still on medical leave from the hospital according to Britt. You didn't have to go that far though, for on your way through town, you happened to see Orlando getting out of a cab and heading into the Brady pub, your family's bar and eatery. It was like you were meant to find him. Signs again?

You circled back around and parked, then headed inside. It was almost as if Orlando sensed your presence as he turned around and immediately locked his chocolate eyes on you. He then slowly approached you with furrowed brows as those now shocked eyes looked you up and down.

"Hey..." you quietly said, coming to a stop only a few feet away from him.

"What are you doing here?" he simply asked with no expression. You just wanted to hug him, needing comforting arms around you but he seemed less than pleased to see you, so you refrained.

"I...I tried to call you. I really needed to talk to you so I..."

"Since when do you need me? I haven't heard from you or seen you since I was in the hospital. Guess you had better things to do."

'You're...angry with me...I'm...I'm sorry...you're right, I've been so wrapped up in things and..so much has happened and...it's no excuse but I...you're the only one I wanted to talk to right now...and I just need..." you stammered as you began to choke up.

Orlando's flat expression instantly became that of concern and he took your hands into his.

"Hey, what's wrong?" he asked with such compassion, which triggered your tears paired with a pathetic frown.

"Everything." you squeaked as you squeezed his hands in response to the once again tightening of your throat. Thank god there was no one working that you knew and thank god Orlando pulled you into his arms. His scent was refreshing and natural, like Gain laundry soap, reminding you of the other time he had held you in your mom's kitchen during your inebriated mourning of Jason's death.

Orlando rested his cheek against your head as he gently caressed your back with his fingers entwining in the ends of your hair. Orlando was shorter than Lee and Craig, so this time yo couldn't hear his heartbeat but you could feel it against yours as your face was burrowed into his neck. Instead of a slow steady pace like Craig's, Orlando's was racing and as the hot breaths from his nose pulsed over your ear. Strangely though, it was still soothing.

"Feeling better now?" he whispered and slowly pulled back to look down at you.

"Yeah.." you answered in embarrassment for imploding into him in public and quickly released the comfort zone of his body.

"I was just about to get a beer. Join me? I'm buying." he asked with that cute ass smile of his where the corners of his lips slightly curled up.

"Yes, please!" you anxiously agreed and sat down at a secluded table.

Orlando then brought two large glasses of tap and before he could even sit down, you began chugging it. He then plopped down with gaping eyes, watching the last drop enter your mouth.

"Thirsty??" he asked with a slight chuckle.

"You have no idea. Can I get another??" you called to the bartender.

She quickly brought it over and left, then you lifted it up in a tilt to Orlando.

"Cheers!" you cheered.

"I'll drink to that. Cheers." Orlando replied with a silly smirk and toasted back to you.

"So I see your hand is healing up nicely. I'm sorry Lando...that I haven't been around."

"Yeah it is, although I've gotten quite accustomed to using my left hand now. Don't apologize. I'm the one who's sorry for sounding cross."

"Well you kind of had a right to be, but thanks...for being so great, just like you always are. So, where's your mom and Luke?"

"Around somewhere I guess. Luke's off being my brother Luke, always disappearing so who knows what the hell he's up to. Mum's got a place at the Salem Inn for now. I don't stay home much to know anything. Can't stand the silence. Glad I'm going back to work next week. Ironically the same day as Lee's conference. You'll be there right?"

Your eyes fell from his and you continued to drink.

"Josie? What's going on? And don't tell me nothing. This great guy here can see right through you."

"I...umm...I think Lee and I...are over. Story of my life." you told him as you shrugged and fought the sting in your eyes.

"You may not believe this...but...I really am sorry to hear that. I don't ever want to see you hurt Josie. Do you...want to talk about it?"

"Not much to talk about really. It's pretty simple. It's all over Ethan as usual and I think that Lee has some feelings for him to face that he will not be honest with me about or even to himself. I hope Ethan has been leaving you alone because he sure hasn't stayed out of mine or Lee's life and Lee won't make him stay away which speaks volumes. Fucking menace. Ethan's fucking my sister now, did you know that? Came to my own mother's house this afternoon to pick her up. I'm just so disgusted with everything right now."

"Jesus...Josie, no I didn't know. Ethan is always with someone knew all the time and no, he hasn't bothered me. I think Luke did something to cause that."

There was so much you wanted to tell Orlando, about Jason, about Ethan and Liz and Craig, but you couldn't. As mad as you were at your brother, you were so grateful he was alive and you still had to protect him. The question was, were you going to tell Lee?

Speaking of...Luke, the other one...your uh...dad....have you seen him at all?"

"No...and I better not. I want my hand to stay healed."

You saw it in his darkened eyes, the instant rage when he spoke of him....and now, you were fretting over having to tell him what you knew. You let out a deep sigh and forced yourself to do it.

"Landy...he umm...my mom sold him Jason's boat, the Haunted Star."

If someone had dropped a pin, it would have been heard through the entire bar.

"Wwwwwhat???" he snapped as he sat straight up, staring you down.

"Yeah, that was my reaction as well. I..don't have an explanation other than my mom was trying to rid of Jason's things that reminded her of his life of crime and...I think your dad intentionally bought it to bring back that life that once existed on that yacht, which means...he plans on staying around here... I'm so sorry...I dreaded having to tell you but you deserved to know."

"That son of a bitch." he growled and chugged down his beer, then motioned for more. "And I can guarantee you, Ethan will be right at his side through it all. After everything Ethan knows that piece of shit did to me...to him even that he won't admit. Just proves how sick in the head Ethan really is. Like father like son."

"Well, if it's any consolation, I may not have known your dad, but I can tell you're nothing like him. You're a healer and a good person Landy."

He gazed at you for a moment and then chugged down the new glass and motioned for more. "Just keep em coming, please and thank you!"

"So...what's up with you calling me Landy now?" he then asked with a soft smile.

"Hell I don't know. I guess it just rubbed off on me from hearing Lee and Luke call you that. I...I hope it's ok?? I will stop if you don't want me to."

"Nah...I don't mind. I kinda like the way you say it. It has a different kind of ring to it." he grinned.

You forced a smile and then fondled your glass as you stared at it. You just couldn't get Lee out of your head and all the shit with Jason. Orlando then reached across the table and took your hand.

"Hey...you ok?"

"I'm just trying to wrap my head around it all."

"Well, how about for one night, you stop trying and let loose a bit. I'm supposed to meet Jimmy and some guys here in a bit. Stay and have some fun with me. I've missed you."

"You want ME to hang out with you and a bunch of dudes?" you chuckled.

"Yep...I sure do. Come on. Jimmy likes you....and well...so do I. It would make my night if you'd stay with me."

All you could hear in that moment was Lee's voice telling you that Orlando was in love with you, and you never wanted to believe it...but now...you did. The way his eyes lit up when he looked at you told on him and you now wondered if it was a good idea to stay....but then, why not??? you thought. It was better than going home and crying yourself to sleep in the apartment across from Craig.

"Fiiiine. You twisted my arm. Bring on the drinks!"

About fifteen minutes later, Jimmy and two guys came in and you all moved to a larger table and then everything became somewhat normal with conversations and loud laughter, music and drinking. This went on for about two hours and for once, your mind was free of pain....and so was Orlando's. It was good to see him smile again.

As the music played, a song came on that resonated with you big time and you were feeling damn good too, so you got up and began dancing and singing without a care in the world, even if it the song made you think of Lee.

"I didn't wanna leave babe, I didn't wanna fight, started to cry but then I remembered I can buy myself flowers!! Write my name in the sand!! Talk to myself for hours, say things you don't understand. I can take myself dancing!! i can hold my own hand...yeah I can love me better than you can!!"

"Wanna bet!!" Orlando shouted and pulled you on his lap, wrapping his arms around you and laughing while Jimmy bellowed in laughter, clapping like a seal.

Everything was good. You didn't mind his arms around you. It felt nice. You didn't have a shadow of a doubt in your mind that Orlando was into someone else and that's what you craved. To be someone's one and only and not just because they said and showed you that you were, but because you KNEW you were....and with Lee, you didn't know that like you once believed you did.

Annnd, no matter what you did, it still hurt like hell and Lee plagued your mind. Damn him, you thought and got up.

"I need to use the lady's room."

"Ahh, yes. Me too. Oh...no no..I mean the boy's room." Orlando said as he stumbled up in laughter.

Orlando was still laughing as he relieved himself. He hadn't had this much fun since he could remember and it was all because of you. But he felt terribly guilty for feeling even the slightest bit happy that you and Lee may be at the end of the road. Did he really have a chance with you if that were the case? The doubts were there, for he knew deep down inside, it would always be Lee that your heart desired, even if you couldn't be with him.

As he washed his hands, his thoughts were intruded by a familiar face that walked in and didn't see Orlando. The man he stared at in the mirror was none other than his father....Luke Sr.

In his stunned state, Orlando held his head down as his dad did his business and left without even washing his hands. That was a perfect example of the dirty ass man he was.

Orlando quickly walked out to see where he was. Had he been in the bar the whole time, stalking him from a dark corner and decided to follow him into the bathroom to taunt him?? His thoughts ran wild and he couldn't focus as he watched Luke drink the last of his beer, then put on his coat and leave. In his frazzled state, Orlando spun around and accidentally ran into some woman, knocking her drink all over her.

"Are you fucking blind???!" she barked.

That did it. That was enough. Orlando was seeing red. He had to get the hell out of there and follow him. He had waited a long time for this moment and there was no better time in his eyes to unleash his fury on the man who abused him as a child in the most sinful of ways.

He grabbed his coat and stormed out the door with you running after him. As he got outside, he caught a glimpse of his dad heading to another bar down the road.

"Orlando!! Wait! Where are you going???"

"Nowhere...I just need some air." he flatly said, looking like he was going to hyperventilate.

"Hey, what's wrong?? What happened?? You're sweating. Talk to me."

"Nothing Josie. Just go home. I gotta go." he anxiously said as he shook his head and then marched off down the sidewalk.

"What??? Like hell I will. Wait up!!" you shouted and ran back to get your coat and purse, then after him.

Orlando rounded the corner, wanting to get it over with because he knew you were coming after him and he didn't want you to witness it or also try to stop him like he knew you would do.

There stood his father, smoking a cigarette on the sidewalk as he snuck up on him.

"Hello...dad." he said with extreme sarcastic emphasis.

"Ahhh. Landy. I was wondering when you would seek me out."

"Shut the fuck up. I would rather eat broken glass than be anywhere near you. It is you that has come here to find me, is it not?? To torture me some more because years of rape and battering wasn't enough for you???"

You just came around the corner and froze when you saw Orlando and heard what he said to the man who was obviously his dad. Now you understood what happened, that Orlando had seen him back in the bar.

You decided to stay back and give Orlando some privacy to let him have his long awaited say, but you got your pepper spray and phone out, ready to call 911 in case something bad happened. if that man even attempted to hurt Orlando, you would make sure the poor excuse of a father had no eyeballs left.

"Always were a drama queen, weren't you Lando. A real piece of theater, lost in your fantasy world of make believe."

"Fantasy??!! What you did to me was no fucking fantasy!!! Nor was it make believe!!"

Actually, you wanted to go over there right now and rip his other balls off for what he had done to him and for basically calling Orlando a liar when you knew it was true.

"So, what are you going to do? Kick my ass? Is that why you followed me boy?? I saw you back there at the bar. If you think you got what it takes to take me down, give it your best shot you pussy ass little girl. You can't even fucking swim. Why don't you do yourself a favor and go take a dive in the ocean."

Why did Luke's last words instantly send a flash through your mind of the two dreams you had of Orlando and you both drowning??? You prayed to god it wasn't another sign of some sort.

What you saw next, you couldn't quite conceive. Orlando pulled something out of his pocket that appeared to be a small sledgehammer and then he immediately began walking towards Luke.

"Orlando NO!!" you shouted as you came running up, which caused him to back away.

"Give it to me Landy...Now!!" you commanded as you tugged at the weapon which he refused to let go of.

"Damn it josie, I told you to go home! Get out of here!"

"I am NOT leaving you here with him! He's not worth spending your life in prison! Please...please give me the hammer and let's leave together Ok???"

"Would you look at that? Why Lando, you actually got yourself a girlfriend and she has bigger balls than you do! Where'd you find this one? On some porn site? Are you sure she's even a girl? I mean, I know how you enjoy dick."

Orlando charged him and pinned him against the wall by his throat, holding the hammer up and ready to swing it.

"You shut your filthy mouth!! Don't you ever talk about her like that!!!"

You don't know how you did it, adrenaline maybe? But you rushed up behind him and yanked the hammer out of his hand as hard as you could and then held your pepper spray out.

"Get the hell out of here before I call the police, you piece of trash."

Luke belted out a laugh. "Call them. He's the one who attacked me. I know who you are little girl. Your Morgan's sister. Hey, you'll have to stop by the boat sometime and let me know what you think of the new look it's going to get. You're more than welcome to....COME aboard. Hope to see you soon."

Off he strolled while you turned to hold Orlando back. He then glared at you.

"Are you insane?? That was my chance to end him!"

"Stop it! You're drunk and not thinking straight and I know you'll thank me later for saving your ass yet once again! Now come on. I'm taking you home! Let's go!"

@redeemer46

[philomenie]

Shadow Warrior

Hitman! Jolly - Part 2

CN despair, grief, mafiatheme, violence, sexual tension, cheating, guilt, explosions, death +18

If I forgot to mark something as CN, please let me know so I can add it!

@nojoyontheburn @jilliemiw86 @dsireland86 @aubrey-melinoe

SIX

“Here!” Joakim hands Olivia a prepaid cell phone shortly afterwards, “For you, call your neighbor about Milo!” “What should I tell her?” Olivia wants to know.

“That you're fine, you're safe and that she should please keep Milo with her until further notice. Or don't you think that's possible?” Joakim replies. “Sure, but she'll have questions....” sighs Olivia, then turns pale, ”Oh God.... The clinic!!! Everyone there will be in an uproar because I've disappeared!” “Then call there too!” nods Joakim, then takes her in his arms, ”It has to calm down again, not that someone else calls the police and Folio does something else stupid... or Doi.....”

“Yes!” Olivia nods and dials Marisol's number first, who picks up immediately. “YES?!” she barks into the phone. “Marisol? Olivia here!” she answers. Silence. “WHERE THE FUCK ARE YOU?!” the nurse yells at her. “Safe... everything's fine!” Olivia immediately reassures her. “Damn it, Olivia... we almost died of worry!” Marisol hisses at her. “I know... listen, I can't possibly come for the next few days... and I don't know if I'll ever come back either!” gulps Olivia. “You're not serious.....” Marisol is speechless. “Please Marisol, I'm happy to explain everything to you in peace, but I can't do that now, not yet. Please trust me, will you? The clinic will go on, even without me!” Olivia explains quickly. “Olivia... I....” gasps Marisol. “Please... yes?! I have to hang up now!” Olivia ends the call. Joakim nods at her.

It takes a little longer for Alma to answer the call “Alma.... Olivia here!” she swallows into her cell phone. What follows is a torrent of words in Spanish, of which Olivia understands almost nothing, just a few words. When Alma has calmed down again, she hisses “WHERE are you?” into the cell phone. “Safe!” Olivia replies immediately, ”But I can't come home, not yet... Can you please keep looking after Milo until I can come and get him?” “Is it because of those men?” Alma wants to know immediately. “What men?!” asks Olivia, suspiciously. “Those cabrones who keep watching your house... and now they've started a shootout!” growls Alma, ”A shootout!!! Here in our peaceful neighborhood!!!” “Oh God...” shudders Olivia, closing her eyes briefly, ”Did something happen to someone?!” “Just hit the Cabrones... Asians and Italians..... if I'm not mistaken!” replies Alma. “WHEN was that?” Olivia wants to know immediately. “Yesterday... the Italians were probably trying to break into your house and then suddenly the Asians were there.....” growls Alma and Olivia answers automatically, ”Japanese!” She realizes at that moment that she has just made a big mistake as the word slips from her lips. “You know these men?” gasps Alma. “No.... But I know WHO they are!” gulps Olivia and Joakim looks at her sharply. “Girl, what trouble are you in..... these cabrones are mafia, aren't they?! Your gallant too... right? You're in such trouble because of him, aren't you?” sighs Alma and crosses herself. Looking for help, Olivia turns her gaze to Joakim, who just looks at her seriously. “If that were the case, then it would be good if you stayed out of it completely, and Daniel and his friends as well!” Olivia swallows. “Oh, girl....” sighs Alma, ”I get it... you don't have to worry... not even about Milo, he misses you but he's well looked after here!” “I know that... thank you Alma... and take good care of yourselves!” croaks Olivia, ”Thank you!” She shrugs her shoulders helplessly as she hangs up. Joakim takes her in his arms again, “It must be coming to a head!” he growls. “I want it to stop!” swallows Olivia. “It will!” Joakim nods grimly. “FUCK....” Nobu angrily sweeps aside the pile of papers on his desk at the exact moment Nicholas enters his office. “Oh, I see you're in a good mood!” he grins. “Shut the fuck up!” hisses Nobu angrily, ”Folio.... He's hijacked my deliveries! CAPTURED!!! ON THE OPEN SEA!” “Damn....,” gulps Nicholas. “Yeah, right, damn it! That was several million worth of raw goods... My customers are already waiting for it.... FUCK!!!” Nobu gets upset. “And now what?” Nicholas wants to know. “I've already ordered another shipment... but it'll be a while before it gets here. In the meantime, that miserable wanker is going to grab MY customers... that fucking little asshole!” Nobu rages on. “Can you afford that?” Nicholas asks. “Certainly not in the long term... in the short term!” hisses Nobu, ”What about Nadja? Is she in trouble too?” “Since Folio blew up the townhouse, he's pretty much left her alone... I don't know why, maybe Jelena asked him to!” shrugs Nicholas. “Damn it, we need to get our hands on his wife!” growls Nobu. “Hmm, that won't be so easy, since she's better guarded than the president... she's changed her entire routine... she's hard to get to!” Nicholas interjects.

“I know!” Nobu runs a hand through his hair, then looks directly at Nicholas, ”Folio needs to be taken out NOW! We should meet Karlsson!” Nicholas' features harden, “So you want to use him for your dirty work again? Like last time?” he hisses. “He wants to kill Folio too, did you say....” growls Nobu. “Yes... but for other reasons!” hisses Nicholas. “Olivia...” Nobu swallows hoarsely. “Olivia!” confirms Nicholas harshly, ”And again the good advice... try to forget her!” “I can't....” whispers Nobu, staring at the floor. “Damn it Nobu... you have to!” hisses Nicholas, ”You're losing yourself right now....” “I have to have her back!” Nobu grits out between his teeth. “No!” Nicholas shakes his head vigorously, ”No Nobu! You CAN'T have her again!” Nobu glares angrily at his friend, “I have to talk to her at least one last time!” “God... she'd love to tear you apart, you idiot! Why don't you let her calm down for the first time, let this all come to an end and then you can see if she wants to talk to you, damn it!” snorts Nicholas, ”And for God's sake, leave Karlsson alone..... Nobu I'm warning you!” “I'll leave him alone....” growls Nobu gruffly. “Fine, I'll take your word for it!” Nicholas follows up. “Yes!” hisses Nobu angrily, then looks up, ”So, when are we meeting Karlsson? I want to end this thing here before I lose all my customers!” “I'll ask him for a meeting!” nods Nicholas, ”Oh and let's leave Nadja out of this... I don't want her to get upset!” Annoyed, Nobu rolls his eyes, “Alexei it is!” “Agreed!” Nicholas nods before leaving the office.

“Nicholas wants a meeting...” sighs Joakim as he sits down on the couch with Olivia. “Alone, or with....” asks Olivia. “With Doi, of course... and Alexei!” Joakim grumbles and pulls Olivia's legs onto his lap, stroking them up and down. “If you have a bad feeling....” gulps Olivia. “No... not a bad feeling... but not a good one either. I don't know either, but I'll be glad to get out of here when we get somewhere!” he growls. “Oh yeah...” Olivia nods immediately, ‘So when?’ Olivia wants to know.

“Tomorrow at noon... At the industrial port... I suggested the place, I know my way around there!” answers Joakim. “I'm coming with you!” growls Olivia ”And before you can say anything against it. NO!!!” she covers his mouth. Joakim playfully frees himself from her hand, pulling Olivia completely onto his lap, “I really should spank you if you keep objecting...” he whispers harshly in her ear as his hands run hungrily over her body, then under her hoodie, gently caressing the bare skin beneath. Olivia wraps her arms around his neck and bites his earlobe, making Joakim gasp and wince, “I should rather spank YOU for not listening to me!” she whispers excitedly. “Fuck, woman... you're still the death of me...” Joakim gasps and pulls the hoodie over her head, then runs his fingertips over her shoulders before digging his fingers into the tender flesh of her hips, ‘And you belong to ME, only ME!’ he growls dangerously quietly, his eyes blazing. Eyes wide, Olivia looks at him, Joakim himself looking at her like a predator at its prey, eyes flashing and a feral expression on his face. Olivia knows why... Doi. That's why she just nods silently.

Joakim grabs her, throws her onto the couch and is immediately on top of her. He presses his body against her, almost knocking the breath out of Olivia. He wraps his hand tightly around her neck, his face against her ear, “You're MINE!” he gasps hoarsely and Olivia can only nod again. Joakim kisses her greedily, his hand still on her neck, his grip intensifying. Olivia's senses fade slightly as a result, until he loosens his grip again and she can take a deep breath. “I'm going to show you WHO owns you!” he growls. Olivia can only nod again. Joakim's gentle nature has suddenly disappeared completely... it's not that they haven't had rough sex in the past, but she's never seen him so possessive, so dominating, and she knows exactly why.... Knows that this is exactly what he needs right now... And she realizes how much this dark, hard side excites her, which surprises her. Joakim lifts himself off her, kneels over her, takes off his hoodie and lets it fall to the floor. He then pulls down her pants and panties at the same time. Olivia helps him by arching up so that it is easier for him. Gives him permission to do so. His strong hands grab her and he playfully turns her onto her stomach, pulling her onto her knees. One of his hands claws into her hip and the other runs along her spine, pushing her upper body back onto the couch. He bends over her, pressing his arousal, which is still trapped by his trousers, against her hot, wet core. “I want you like this!” he gasps harshly into her ear. Olivia nods again, giving him permission to continue.

One of his hands runs over her folds and Olivia moans. “Hmm, so wet, so fuckin wet... just from me touching you.....” he whispers. “Yes,” Olivia breathes. Joakim stands up, quickly removes the rest of his clothes and immediately kneels behind Olivia again. She feels his hot flesh pressing against her wet core, the tip of his cock widening her entrance. Turned on, she moans. “Do you like that?” Joakim wants to know roughly and when Olivia nods, he drives himself into her and sinks his length into her with a single hard thrust. Olivia gasps out. Joakim bends over her again, “Do you know WHO you belong to now?” he grumbles softly. “Yes...” Olivia breathes. “Who?!” he growls, ‘Tell me, WHO do you belong to?’ and he thrusts hard again. “YOU!” Olivia screams, ”Only YOU!” “That's right... ME, only ME!!! ME alone!” he gasps with each further hard thrust, close to her ear. Olivia's legs begin to tremble, her panting intensifies. “Are you close?!” he gasps into her ear, also aroused to the max. “Hmm,” Olivia whimpers. Joakim raises his upper body, pulls her with him, grasps her upper body with one arm, with the other hand he reaches between her legs and begins to massage her clit in a circular motion, hammering further into her. “You are MINE! MINE! MINE!” he gasps with each thrust and grabs her throat again. Olivia feels like she must burst as her orgasm builds and builds, trying to break free. “Say my name... say WHO you belong to!” he hisses in her ear. And as the orgasm crashes over Olivia, she screams his name into the room, Joakim!

Shortly afterwards, she almost collapses in his arms and as his own climax comes over Joakim, he thrusts hard into her one last time, “MIN!” Trembling and gasping for breath, they both slide onto the couch. He holds her tightly in his arms and covers her throat and neck with kisses. “Mine.... Just mine!” he murmurs again and again and Olivia nods with tears in her eyes and clings to him. It is already dark when Joakim carefully detaches himself from Olivia, picks her up and carries her into the bedroom. Tired, she blinks at him, “Hmm?!” “Go back to sleep, min Liv!” he kisses her tenderly on the top of her head and lets her slide into bed, he beside her as he covers her and himself. Olivia immediately snuggles back against his bare skin. “I love you....” she whispers softly. “More than my life....” Joakim swallows hoarsely and pulls her close to him. When Olivia wakes up the next morning, the page next to her is empty and she jolts up, looking around searchingly. “Joakim?!” she croaks and half stumbles out of bed, grabs one of his T-shirts from the stool and quickly pulls it on, storming out of the bedroom. The apartment is deserted.

“FUCK!!!” Olivia screams angrily, grabbing her cell phone, which is still lying on the living room table. Damn.... No, no, no... it's pounding in her head. It's already 11:30! How the hell did she sleep so long without realizing that that damn stubborn Swedish motherfucker was able to sneak out... without her!!! Olivia grabs her underwear, her pants, frantically gets dressed, dialing his contact. Nothing.... Speechless, Olivia stares at the display.... That damn idiot turned off his cell phone?!

Olivia feels sick, has to sit down, thinks until she finds a solution. With a pounding heart and trembling fingers, she types in the number. She waits. Nothing... nobody picks up. Cursing, she tries again, again nothing. Of course... no one knows this number, knows it's her... fuck, it's logical that Nadja doesn't answer. She tries Nicholas.... No success either. Olivia starts to despair, looks at the time. Cursed.... 11.45 am. She hesitates briefly, but then types in Noah's number, waits and can't believe he's answering. “It's me!” she chokes out, ”Olivia!” A groan is heard, then “WHERE are you?!” he growls. “Never mind, WHERE are you? Where are you going? I need the exact location!” Olivia gushes. “So Karlsson didn't tell you.....” replies Noah. “FUCK, NOAH.... WHERE are you meeting?” Olivia yells at him. “Olivia, I think it's better you're not there either!” Noah chokes her out. “No, no, YOU definitely don't decide what's better for me or not!” she shouts at him angrily. “In this case, I do!” growls Noah and hangs up. Olivia feels like she's losing her mind. She hurriedly finishes getting dressed, then types a message to Nadja and waits feverishly for her reply. Olivia could have cried with relief when she sees Nadja's reply. With trembling fingers, Olivia presses her number again... this time Nadja picks up. “Fuck, Olivia, whose cell phone is this?” she hisses. “Mine...prepaid...from Joakim...I lost my old one!” sniffs Olivia. “I see....” nods Nadja.

“WHERE are they meeting?!” Olivia interrupts her, ”Do you know the exact location?!” “Uh....” Nadja is briefly irritated. “PLEASE.... Nadja, think!” Olivia urges. “Wait... at the harbor....FUCK... Nicholas didn't tell me anything more specific, just harbor!” growls Nadja. “FUCK... Joakim just left... I was still asleep.... God, if Noah....” Olivia gets sick to her stomach. “Olivia, calm down... Nicholas and Alexei are with them. Nothing will happen to Joakim!” Nadja replies quickly, ”Please, try to breathe calmly!” Olivia has a crying fit, can only sob, can't get a word out. “It's all right, dear, nothing will happen to him!” Nadja tries to get through to Olivia, ”Nicholas and Alexei are with him, Noah won't do anything rash! Besides, they want to get Folio!” “I can't lose him again!” Olivia whimpers, ”I practically begged him to leave with me and yet again that damn, stubborn, idiot Swede stays here because he thinks he has to do the right thing... God, when is he going to wise up?” “Because he loves you and knows that you're in danger as long as Folio is still alive!” Nadja explains seriously, ”Joakim loves you more than anything else in the world....” “Why did you lie to me....” Olivia suddenly whispers and Nadja turns cold as ice. “I'm so incredibly sorry.... I... I'll regret this mistake for the rest of my life, believe me, and I hope you can forgive me one day... Joakim too!” Nadja swallows. “Why.... Even after that... why didn't you say anything?” Olivia wants to know. “Probably for the same reasons Joakim didn't go to you straight away... because we all thought it would be better for you to be kept out of all this.... And by the time I realized Noah wanted you for himself, it was too late, Joakim was gone, too much time had passed...I wish I could turn back the damn time. I was so close to telling you the truth so many times, but I was far too cowardly to do so....” Nadja explains haltingly.

“He was all alone! With all that... his pain, his despair... he waited for me and I didn't come!” Olivia laments, crying. “Because YOU lied to me... didn't let me see him....” “Olivia I..... he wasn't completely alone......” swallows Nadja. “BUT, he was... just like me!” Olivia screams angrily at Nadja, ”What you did to us.... God I hate you all for this... if you hadn't lied, we'd be long gone, Folio wouldn't know I existed and I'd never have slept with Noah.....” “You slept with Noah....” Nadja repeats tonelessly. “FUCK..... YES!” Olivia screams desperately into her cell phone. “And Joakim... did you....” swallows Nadja. “I wanted to tell him, but he probably already suspected it... or rather he knew it when I told him I had something important to tell him... he said no, just no..... Then later I really knew he knew... he's never been so possessive during sex, so hard...” Olivia whispers harshly, ”Wanted to hear me say over and over again that I'm only his!” “Honestly Olivia, right now I'm more worried about Noah than Joakim!” gulps Nadja in shock, ”Joakim can be freezing cold... had to be... otherwise... you know what would have happened to him....” “That's why I really wanted to go with... that neither one of them ticked off....” gulps Olivia. “FUCK... do you really think Joakim wants to kill Noah?” Nadja is in a frenzy, “He must know he'll be killed instantly by Noah's men if he tries anything like that!” “I hope he has an ounce of sense left, then he should realize that!” growls Olivia, ”But I don't know how big his hatred for Noah really is since then... and the fact that I slept with him certainly hasn't appeased it!”

“Surely not.....” mumbles Nadja tonelessly, ”Well, listen, I'll try to get hold of Nicholas and I'll pray him to keep an extra good eye on both of them!” “Are you going to tell him why?” whispers Olivia. “If he is then I'm sure he knows by now, that son of a bitch, Nicky and Noah are closer than brothers!” growls Nadja, ”He hasn't told me though!” “Well, do that....” swallows Olivia, hesitates a little, but then adds ‘Thanks, Nadja!’ before hanging up.

Joakim is already waiting in the hall for Nobu and Nicholas, as well as Alexei, when they enter. “Cozy!” Alexei grins at Joakim, who just grumbles. Whether in agreement or disapproval is hard to say. “All right... let's talk!” Nobu claps his hands together, ”How do we solve our problem! Preferably as quickly as possible!” “We have to lure him out of his comfort zone in such a way that I can finish him off easily!” Joakim explains dryly. “Are you able to do that again?” Nobu asks sharply, ”Or are your hands still shaking?” Nicholas, like Alexei, draws in a sharp breath, both look at Nobu in bewilderment, who makes no face and looks coldly at Joakim, who replies. “Don't worry about my hands... I still hit what I want to hit!” growls Joakim darkly. “Ok... now that that's settled, HOW do we get Folio to run in front of your scope?” Nicholas interjects, fearing an escalation. But neither Joakim nor Nobu seem to have heard his words; the two are now staring hatefully at each other. Alexei leans towards Nicholas, “WHAT exactly did I miss?” he wants to know. “Olivia!” hisses Nicholas. “Oh....” nods Alexei, then suddenly his eyes almost fall out of his head, ‘OH!’ he gasps in sudden realization. “Yeah... OH!” growls Nicholas, ”These two idiots are acting like this because of her!” “Fuck....” hisses Alexei, who knows both Joakim and has met Nobu and knows that both men are hard to beat in terms of stubbornness.

“Get a fucking grip!” Nicholas hisses angrily at the two brawlers as his cell phone vibrates again. Irritated, he looks at the display. Nadja. Nicholas turns slightly pale, as he wasn't expecting her call and immediately knows that something unusual must have happened if she is calling him now of all times. “Querida?!” he asks, startled. “Of course YOU knew that Nobu had slept with Olivia! And you didn't tell me!” Nadja snarls at him in no uncertain terms. Nicholas moves to the side, “YES, I knew, but how did you know?” he hisses quietly. “From Olivia, who is dying of fear that one of the two idiots might hurt the other!” Nadja hisses back, ”Take care of it, make sure they both get out alive!” “I will! Don't worry... does Karlsson.... know?” asks Nicholas. “YES, he knows.... Olivia didn't have to tell him directly, he suspected it, he's been watching her long enough...saw her with Nobu... She wanted to confess it to him, he didn't want to hear it from her, but that probably gave him the final confirmation.... Nicky, I've known Joakim far too long and far too well.... He can be very dangerous, ice-cold when he needs to be... Believe me, Nobu certainly doesn't want to get to know that side of him!” Nadja explains hastily. “And Karlsson doesn't want to get to know Nobu's darkest side either... we have to make sure that the two of them get along again! So that this can end as quickly as possible and Karlsson and Olivia can finally get out of here!” growls Nicholas. “I agree, so take care of it!” Nadja hisses at him. Nicholas rolls his eyes, annoyed, but has a smile on his lips. He loves it when Nadja is like this, loves to fuck her then... well, that's not possible at the moment, he realizes regretfully and hangs up.

Still grinning slightly, he walks back to the others, Joakim and Nobu are still staring hatefully at each other, Alexei shrugs his shoulders helplessly, when suddenly all hell breaks loose and a car crashes through the glass front of the hall at full speed. Shocked and stunned, everyone stares impotently at the vehicle, which comes to a halt with screeching tires just in front of them all. Shots, volleys and screams can be heard from outside. Alexei looks Nicholas in the eye in horror as the doors of the car are ripped open and men with machine guns spill out of the interior and immediately open fire.

Meanwhile, Nadja calls Olivia back, who immediately answers the phone. “Don't worry, dear, Nicholas will make sure everything goes well!” Nadja explains immediately. “Good!” Olivia sighs with relief. “And you and Noah.....” Nadja then wants to know. “FUCK, yes....” growls Olivia, ”Something I deeply regret!” “Was he that bad?” laughs Nadja. “God, no... you know why... There was and is only one man for me that I want, that I love, and that's Joakim. And I cheated on him even when I thought he was dead, which he wasn't....” Olivia hisses. “Then how did that happen?” Nadja follows up. “I can't tell you exactly myself... he drove me crazy again... and yes, there's something about him, something between us that I can't explain to myself... something that attracted me despite everything and despite my love for Joakim.” Olivia sighs. “Noah is attractive, charming, I can understand that very well!” Nadja confirms, “You were desperate, you thought Joakim was dead, Noah courted you like crazy, everyone noticed.... It just happened!”

“FUCK, no, it shouldn't have happened!” hisses Olivia. “Dear, let it rest. Show Joakim how much you love him, that he doesn't have to be afraid or doubtful... then everything will calm down again!” Nadja advises her. “And if....” Olivia doesn't get any further, because she has to really throw the cell phone away from her ear as a deafening bang can be heard at the other end. Cursing, Olivia holds her buzzing, whistling ear and grabs her cell phone, pressing it to her other ear, “NADJA???? WHAT'S GOING ON?” she screams into it, but Olivia can only hear a low moan. “FUCK, NADJA, ANSWER ME!” Olivia screams desperately. Nothing... just moaning and an eerie silence. Fuck... she can't stay here... Hastily, she grabs her bag and runs to the door, pausing briefly, but then she opens the bolts and then the door, steps into the hallway, pulls the door shut behind her and runs down the corridor towards the exit. It all sounded like another explosion... which means Folio has struck another blow..... Briefly, Olivia goes cold... if Folio really was able to blow up Doi's mansion, despite all the surveillance, the security systems... then he probably knows about the meeting today.... “Joakim” she whispers desperately and has to fight down her already great fear to keep from panicking. And another thought races through her mind... There must be a traitor among Doi's or Nadja's men, or several, because otherwise this would surely not have been possible!

Ruffilo, like everyone else, is frozen at first, but when the bullets whistle around his ears, he breaks free from his torpor and saves himself by jumping behind a concrete pillar. The bullets continue to pelt down mercilessly on everyone. Splinters of concrete break off and are hurled into his face, leaving bloody welts. FUCK.... How did Folio find out about the meeting, he thinks. Grimly, he draws his pistol, ready to shoot back, which is currently an impossibility with the constant fire. He can only take cover and hope that these assholes have to reload soon. His gaze darts to the side, where Nobu and Karlsson were standing. There is no sign of either man, nor can he make out Alexei. On the one hand, this reassures him, as it means that none of the three were hit immediately, but on the other, he would like to know where they are and whether they are still alive. The continuous fire stops and Nicholas prepares to fire back when he is pulled back. Startled, he flinches. Alexei, bleeding from several bullet wounds, shakes his head and points to the side. Nicholas follows his gaze and sees four armed Italians walking slowly through the room. Nicholas wants to fire, but Alexei shakes his head again. Irritated, Nicholas looks at him, then pushes himself up a little and can now see what he had previously missed, as his field of vision was slightly blocked by crates.

FUCK.... NO, NO, NO...... Karlsson.... On the ground, with several bullet holes in his cursed body, Nobu next to him... there's blood around both of them. God... Nicholas can now hear footsteps behind him. Alexei has the presence of mind to pull him down, half covering Nicholas with his body, his blood now also on Nicholas. “Put the gun down and close your eyes... not a sound!” the Russian hisses silently. Nicholas is too shocked not to listen to him.

“Any of these fucking guys still alive?” growls one of the mobsters. Nicholas can hear a kick against a lifeless body, “Doesn't look like it....!” replies another. “Look carefully, especially if Doi is still alive!” Nicholas can hear the first man again and he goes cold. Rustling can be heard, as if someone is being turned over, followed by a brief silence. Nicholas holds his breath. “The bastard is actually still alive... .still!” growls the second mobster, ”Shall I finish him off?” “Should he finish him off, Don Folio?” growls the first man and Nicholas first goes cold, then red-hot rage boils up inside him. A snap can be heard, “No... take him with you!” Nicholas can hear Folio, the fucking bastard.

Then more rustling and the dragging of a lifeless body on concrete, the slamming of car doors.

Nicholas feels sick.FUCK... Nobu may not be dead yet, but he's as good as dead! “And the others?!” the first man wants to know again. “See who's still alive, then shoot them, otherwise just leave them here... I got what I wanted!” the harsh voice of Folio can be heard. FUCK, FUCK, FUCK... Nicholas starts to sweat. “Don Folio, I've just received the news that the bombs went off without a problem... Doi's villa should be in ruins!” suddenly another man can be heard and Nicholas almost jumps up, only Alexei's iron grip on his arm can prevent that, ‘Nyet!’ he growls quietly. Nicholas is almost mad with fear... his only thoughts now are of Nadja... who was in the villa. “Ahhh, very good... do we know if Nadja is dead?” smiles Folio. “Not yet.... There are too many of Dois and her men there!” the man denies. “Very well... we'll find out soon enough... let's go! Before the place is crawling with Yakuza....” growls Folio and Nicholas can hear more doors slamming and engines starting. Nicholas and Alexei both hold their breath. They almost want to get up when they hear voices. “You go and see... I've twisted my shoulder!” grunts one of the voices. “Figlio di puttana!!!” the other voice spits at the first one and quiet laughter can be heard. Nicholas barely dares to breathe as he hears them tampering with Karlsson's body.

Shots whip up and Nicholas closes his eyes, only to open them again at the same moment as he hears Italian curses and return fire. He can't hold on any longer, breaks away from Alexei, pushes himself up and at the same moment raises his gun to fire... hits the still standing mobster in the head, causing him to collapse instantly. Karlsson on the ground, with the body of the other mobster lying over him, glares at him with pitch-black eyes. Nicholas stumbles over to him. “Help me!” growls Joakim and lifts the dead man off him. Nicholas pulls the body away and drops it next to Joakim. He gets to his feet, coughing and trembling. Nicholas looks at him questioningly, “Why are you still alive?” he gasps. Joakim snorts grimly and opens his jacket. “You never trusted Nobu...” nods Nicholas. “What do you think?” growls Joakim, opening the bulletproof vest, which has several bullet holes in it, ”I'd be dead now without this thing....” “You bet!” gasps Nicholas. With a heavy groan, Joakim takes off his jacket and then the vest, dropping both on the floor. “I still got hit... damn it!” he hisses and feels his shoulder and hand, blood oozing from both injuries, ”What about you?” “Hmm, just scratches!” Nicholas waves them away, ”But Alexei got it!” “I'm fine....” he can be heard muffled and he staggers out from behind the concrete pillar, bleeding.

“I have to go to Olivia!” growls Joakim grimly. But Nicholas holds him back, “We have to go to Doi's villa... Nadja.....” he swallows. Joakim looks at him coldly, then tears himself away, “I have to get to Olivia!” he hisses. Nicholas' cell phone vibrates and he immediately looks to see who it is, frowning. “Who the hell keeps trying to reach me?” he growls and Joakim takes the phone from his hand, ‘Olivia!’ he growls and takes the call. “NICHOLAS? Damn.... WHERE ARE YOU? Nadja... there's been an explosion... I'm on my way to her!” Olivia hisses into the cell phone. “NO, GET BACK TO THE APARTMENT NOW!” Joakim screams in horror. Deep inhales and exhales can be heard, “Joakim....” she whispers in relief. “Liv... go back... there's been a shootout here with Folio's men... I'll come to you... but please, go back, you're not safe alone!” “Shootout??” gasps Olivia in horror, ”Are you hurt?!” “Nothing serious, I was wearing a bulletproof vest, Nicholas only has a few scratches, but Alexei seems to have been hit harder...” Joakim almost sighs, ”But Olivia.... GET BACK!” “What about Noah....” gulps Olivia quietly. Joakim's face hardens, “Folio took him... he was unconscious, bleeding...” he rumbles softly. “Folio's got him?” gasps Olivia in horror. Joakim begins to tremble, “Yes!” he hisses barely audibly.

“Go back... I'm coming to you!” he then growls. “I'm almost there!” Olivia declares. “NO, YOU'RE GOING BACK NOW!” Joakim shouts at her angrily, ”YOU'RE GOING TO DANGER YOURSELF!” “OH AND YOU'RE NOT??? YOU DO IT ALL THE TIME, EVEN THOUGH I TOLD YOU NOT TO!” she shouts back angrily. “OLIVIA, YOU'RE DOING WHAT I TOLD YOU TO NOW!” Joakim yells, beside himself. “OH AND IF NOT??? WHAT THEN?!” she screams back. “DAMN!” Joakim screams and Nicholas takes his cell phone out of his hand, seeing how the normally calm and taciturn Swede is completely beside himself and thunders his fist against a concrete pillar. “Olivia, Joakim is right, go back. We don't know WHO is there!” he tries to explain as calmly as possible. “Nicholas... I was on the phone to Nadja at.... And then this noise and then just silent moaning...” she swallows. Nicholas closes his eyes and has to take a deep breath. “Go back....” he croaks, ”We'll take care of everything....” “I'm as good as there... no Nicholas, this time I won't let you send me away again, this time I won't stand idly by and watch me lose loved ones... not this time, you can tell that bloody Swede that too!” hisses Olivia in a choked voice and hangs up.

“We have to get to Doi's villa!” Joakim declares grimly and storms off, grabs Alexei, who is leaning against the pillar, and hurries outside with him. Nicholas freezes for a moment, but hurries after the two men.

[brandwhorestarscream]

OSxBB here again and ooh, there's not a brick left by the time they're done. They fucking Ba Sing Si'd BB! No one's getting out unscathed from that!

And Omega Supreme had grabbed more Decepticons on the way over, both ones that followed Megatron's orders to come follow or that he literally just.....found in space and yanked inside himself to add to the growing collection. The ones already there give the newcomers the details and everyone just gets ready for a brawldown.

And oh, do they get one.

The second Omega Supreme sees Bumblebee again but it's not his BB.....that this isn't the happy, smiling, reckless and unapologetically loud bit of sunlight and warmth that helped him and loved him and cared for him. This is a doll wearing his skin, his face, talking in his voice in carefully measured tones so as to sound pleasing to hear and quiet enough to neatly dismiss. That they ripped every bit of life out of the minibot, damn near made him a drone in all but name, all to try and have him be the controller for the new Supreme being made.....

The Senate *burns*. The Noble district *burns*. All of Cybertron can hear Omega Supreme's roars and screams and the furious explosions he makes as he vents every last bit of anger and rage and despair he has.

The Decepticons barely have to do anything besides follow up on the few survivors. Starscream makes absolute full use of his everything here, using this once in a lifetime chance to get so so much done. Shockwave and the reclaimed Soundwave (tiny version) just shrug and dig into the now unguarded and cracked open computer systems. Theirs now.

Cybertron changes entirely in barely a day and if that's for better or worse, none can really tell. (it's for better, but it will be a while to get there, undoing all the damage that's been done)

I love that Omega just decided to kidnap as many decepticons along the way as he could. Good for him honestly. They don’t entirely know what’s going on but Lord Megatron says they’re storming Cybertron with the help of one of the Supremes, sooo ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ PRAISE BE TO DECEPTICONS! RAISE YOUR WEAPONS! TODAY WE TAKE CYBERTRON OR WE DIE TRYING!!!!!!!!!

Ahem

Anyway. With the government reduced to ashes and the nobles torn down from their high towers, Cybertron is in a severely fragile state at the moment. Survivors of the elite guard scramble to run damage control and get their power back before the cons can snap it up, but they’re not fast enough. Their power was built on propaganda and fear and blind obedience, so their followers were quick to abandon them and slow to offer support in this time of crisis. Funny how that works 🙄

Omega is content to leave the decepticons to their own devices; he could not give less of a damn about what happens to this miserable planet going forwards. Look what those monsters did to Bee 🥺 he’s completely ruined, his personality stripped away, reduced to nothing but a drone that smiles an empty smile with cold, dead optics staring out of his face. He tries desperately to reach him, to get that connection back and get Bumblebee to remember, but the council really did a number on him. His memories are securely locked down if not deleted all together. I’d say there’s probably a good chance they shadowplayed him as well. I wouldn’t put it past them, sculpting and molding him into the perfect control system for their shiny new weapon of mass destruction. A master brain surgeon might be able to help him, depending on how angst we want this to be. Thoughts? 👀

Closing remark that I forgot to add: “This is a doll wearing his skin, his face, talking in his voice” is some s-tier prose and you should be proud of it 💖

[soapfireblog]

Can't have just one of the Dead Bird Duo without the other >:) i have many a questions

5, 7, 20, 39, 41, AND 45 for Otto

5. Do you have any early ideas/concepts of your OC that you scrapped or would like to share? To be honest, I don't have much 'concept' art for Otto.  A small backstory for him: I used him in an AHIT roleplay (HE WAS SO BAD BACK THEN) and it disbanded because we were basically forced to rp Undertale by 50% of our group, so I went and put Otto in the rp as a small 'rebellion' moment. Everyone loved him so, good with me! I suppose I can share the idea of panic. LOOKING BACK THIS WAS SO CRINGE ISTG: but basically, Otto has the soul of 'Panic'. Yes, that's it. That's the post. It was like a Dark Pink if you're wondering (Get it bc light pink = fear). Now he has the soul of integrity fuck you. 7. Do they have a motivation for wanting any of the timepieces? How would they find one? What would they do with it? Otto would not have any motivation to find any timepieces. After all, he already know's what happened in the past. But if he could change it, he'd go back in time and save Archie from dying and discourage The Conductor from selling his soul. 20. What would a time rift level themed around them look like? I feel like of course it would be space themed, y'know, because he's a dreamwalker and all that. I feel like it would be taking Otto's life into perspective. Maybe it's more of 'Seeing through his POV', example: It would be hard to tell what a real person and a ghost would look like because...well, for most of Otto's childhood, he didn't know that he could see ghosts. You could walk to a character to talk to them, but then they disappear, or you walk through them. It would have a slight 'horror' theme to it as well, not much horror. Just maybe a couple of eyes here or there (symbolising The Council). The Time Rift would end at the 'Moonstone' (yes, I am just calling it the Moonstone I'm uncreative and heavily inspired by Warrior cats), where he's about to be fully converted into a Dream Walker by The Council.

39. Are there any concepts for OCs that you have yet to share or have considered making? Are there any you need help developing or wish to know better? Share your thoughts.

To be honest, I feel like Otto has been my creative max. He's my pride and joy, definitely my favourite OC I've ever made. He's my creative super star, my pride and joy, I could write novels on his lore in the OG!Liars AU alone, NEVERMIND all the timelines that've sprouted from it; Good End!AU, Mabel!AU, Swap!AU, etc. Of course, except fixing some plot-holes here or there, I don't think I have anything new to add to him. I'm always open for ideas for him, atm I just think he's at his peak! 41. What would an outfit, accessory, weapon, badge or dye themed after your OC, made for the player, look or function like? Feel free to share multiple ideas! Dye: 'Dreamwalker Dye': The dreamwalker dye would be a mix of blue's and purple's with star imprints, similar to the "Milky Way" dye but more star like. Weapon: Otto himself uses Stars as a projectile weapon, so I assume it can act similar to like I forgot what it's called but that beaker explosion thing but stars instead. Also can act as Ninja Stars Badge: 'Ghostly Pals Badge!' a ghost spirit (think of Starclan-like) shows you how to parkour and do complicated jumps when needed! Badge: 'Taking Flight!' a pair of wings grow on the players back, granting them a thrust in a forward direction, like dash but x100. Badge: 'Stare into the Future!' a badge that lasts only a second or two, but it can predict where an enemy will land/send their attack so you can get out quick! 45.What is a story, comic, art piece, project, ect. you wish/plan to create with this character? (Multiple ideas are also encouraged!) Oh boy. I'm going to college for Game & Media design soon, and Otto will be one of my BIG inspirations for that course! I'd love to make some animations of him one day, PMV's, AMV's, Animation memes, I don't care! I wanna see my boy move! Of course, a full comic of him would be amazing, but I don't have the time or energy to do that. A full fic of him would be amazing, too, but I don't have good planning, his lore is too complex atm and I need to lay it down piece by piece for new people to understand!

[koulakoukoula2003]

Hi! I loved your Missing You series. Are you still doing a part 5?

Oh my gawd, can't believe I FORGOT ABOUT THAT DFSNBJJF

Sorry anon, here you go! Final part of the Missing You Series!

Missing You: Pt. 5 (Levi x Reader)

Pairing: Levi x Y/n, Levi x You, Levi x OC. Levi x Reader. Hange Zoe x Moblit Berner Genre: Plot, Angst, Drama Trigger Warnings: Mentiong of Human Experimentation/Torture, Canon-Typical Violence Summary: After being brainwashed and experimented on and turned into Marley's best soldier, Levi, your husband, and his squad finally find you and bring you back home.

Lemme add, that you're a part of a huge noble family of brilliant scientists that was once created by Ymir the Founder, but now your family is independent and living in Marley.

Infuriated, Levi single-handedly destroys the entire researching facility they have been keeping you in, killing everyone in it.

Nobody dares hurt you this much and not pay for it with their lives. Word Count: 4,223 A/N: This mini-series is an arc from my original Levi x OC slow burn fanfic that you can read here. If you want to know Y/n's healing process (cuz it's uwu) you can start from here. This is an AU where Erwin and Moblit have survived the Battle of Shiganshina.

Part 1 >>> Part 2 >>> Part 3 >>> Part 4 >>> Part 5

The sound of metal landing on a cold marbled floor resounded within the HQ. His fingers were too tired to hold onto his swords. He reached for the straps of his ODM. He unbuckled them with measured, skilful moves and the ODM dropped on the floor as well. Levi soon joined. An arm was tight around a wound on his belly. He had more wounds than that, but they were minor. The largest one was the one he was clutching onto right now. He knew he had to make his way to the infirmary, but he didn’t have the energy for that.

He returned the night of the next day. He had no idea what happened with Y/n. He had no idea whether she was still there, locked in her room and being treated by Hange, Moblit and the other scientists and Doctors of the Survey Corps HQ. He just knew he had killed them all. Their blood lingered on his clothes. On his pitch-black shirt and pants. It lingered on his hands, his fingertips, his face. He was bleeding. Fragments of bombs and explosions had pierced the skin of his belly where he was clutching onto right now.

But he had put an end in this. He did it on his own, and he had barely made it out alive. But he had put an end in this. Marley no longer had its precious Researching Facility. And those brilliant scientists, and the head of the researchers Dr. Malcolm L/n was slain on the spot. All guards and staff and scientists of the facility were slain by his own hands. He had seen those cells. Those test subjects that begged to be slain and have their miserable lives ended. He had even caught sight of two cribs, laying there abandoned. Those people were experimenting on infants? Disgusting. It was funny to see that that particular building had the feature to self-destruct if discovered by someone so that whatever they had discovered wouldn’t fall to enemy hands.

Levi didn’t give a single fuck about whatever the hell they had come up with their precious little sick experiments. He burned down the entire place and no one would ever know how it had happened. Marley no longer had its precious Enhanced soldiers. He had slaughtered them all. He had only saved one thing from that place. It was a black leathered folder with a picture of her on the first page within. He had fumbled through its contents briefly. It was indeed everything that bastard -her uncle- had done to her.

Levi was planning to give this to Hange to help her how to figure out to bring her back. But he had lost way too much blood. Levi landed down on the floor. He pulled out that folder and placed it on the floor beside him. He coloured the white marble floor with his blood as his cheek pressed down on it and he finally allowed the exhaustion to wash over him. Levi sighed heavily and his eyes fluttered closed. He wasn’t going to die. He just knew it. He just needed rest. He just needed his wounds to be tended to. But he couldn’t reach the infirmary at this state. He had barely made it back to the HQ all the way from Marley.

“Captain!”

That was Sasha’s voice. Thank God, that girl would sneak out in 3 fucking am to head for the kitchen and stuff her face with whatever she could find. She rushed towards him.

“You’ve been missing for a day, sir! We were so worried!” Sasha leaned down and she grabbed his arm. Levi grunted as he urged himself to stand on his feet with Sasha’s help. She settled his arm around her shoulders and she started dragging him towards the infirmary.

“Take this folder… with us,” Levi said. He struggled slightly, but he could handle it. Sasha leaned down and picked the leather black folder before she continued dragging him with her.

“What happened?! Where have you been?! SIR, YOU’RE BLEEDING!” Sasha cried out worriedly as she too struggled to drag her heavy Captain with her.

“Tch… I’m aware of that, brat. I’ll answer your questions later,” Levi gritted his teeth and hissed in pain. “Is Hange awake?”

“Knowing her, she definitely is, sir!”

And she was. Both Hange and Moblit were in the lab when Sasha rushed in and slammed the door open. Sasha was in her gown which meant she was supposed to be asleep. It was 3 am. The two of them weren’t planning to fall asleep. They had much research to do on Y/n’s blood samples and just one day wasn’t enough. Everybody had noticed Levi missing. Erwin had sent a squad out to look for him, but they had come empty-handed. Erwin had a feeling he knew where his friend had disappeared to for an entire day. He wouldn’t blame him.

“WHAT THE FUCK DID YOU DO?!”

“Hange, sweetheart, please calm down, we need to stop the bleeding-”

“SHUT UP, MOBBY!” Hange grabbed Levi by the shirt. The poor man was lying down on the rough surface of the lab counter, and Moblit was pulling out the fragments from Levi’s stomach. Levi was too focused on the pain to care about Hange’s lecture. “Do you have the slightest idea of what you have done?! If Marley finds out Eldians attacked a top secret Marleyan Military Base, we’re screwed!”

“He was just one person, and whoever saw him is most probably dead by now,” Moblit tried to reason. “Besides, that base was a top secret one due to the human experimentation conducted into it. No one would’ve known about its existence unless for the higher ups so there’s no way word will go out,”

Hange sighed heavily as she let Levi back down in place and she grabbed the syringe with the Resurrection Serum – an idea of hers, still experimental but working great till now – injecting Levi on a spot nearby his elbow. The liquid passed through the entirety of his body, closing all wounds, and replacing all tissue. Sasha let out a large sigh of relief and her shoulders relaxed. Her Captain was going to be alright.

“Where is she?” Levi asked. He grunted as he tried to stand up but both Hange’s and Moblit’s hands found his shoulders ready to push him back down on the counter. “Is she still in her room? I need to see her-”

“We took her to her family,” Hange said and Levi’s eyes widened.

“What?!” He growled and he was the one tugging Hange by the shirt. “Her uncle was the one who conducted those experiments on her!”

“Dr. Malcom L/n was a rogue,” Hange grabbed Levi’s arms tugging them off her shirt. “The Marleyan Military offered them money and he was the only L/n who was willing to work for them,” Hange took the black leather folder that Levi had brought from that base, and she started fumbling through the pages. “Or at least that’s what intel tells us, and we’ve no reason not to believe it since Erwin’s been working with the L/n(s) quite closely,”

“Any clues on Eren’s whereabouts?” Levi asked as he allowed himself to lie back down on the counter.

“No. Nothing yet,” Moblit sighed heavily. “Good thing the Commander doesn’t need the Founder to put an end to this conflict-”

“AAH DAMMIT!”

“What is it, Section Commander?!” Sasha rushed to her side, peeking on the folder that Hange had spread on the other lab counter.

Hange shut the folder and she turned at the other three who were staring at her with surprise. “We need to get this damn folder to the damn Burgesses RIGHT NOW!”

~~~~

They wouldn’t have been able to bring her back if Levi hadn’t obtained that folder. They needed to know exactly what kind of chemicals they had stabbed into her body, and they needed to know exactly what they had done to her. And it was all written there, on the folder with that repulsive ‘Subject #7305’ writing on the front, and a photograph of her on the first page.

Hange and Moblit had helped that large family of scientists all they could but they were mostly learning than actually helping. They learned so many new things. It was still exciting nonetheless.

It took days. Almost a week. Levi visited the L/n Estate every single day to ask about the progress that they were making, and here he was now heading there once more. It was the tenth day, and his brats had agreed to come with him. Even Armin refused a meeting with Erwin and all other Commanding Officers and he set off with his Captain and his friends to see her. They said that it’d take ten days to regain her memories. It’d take ten days for her to regain back her normal eye colour, her hair colour, the natural nails. They said that there were some things that they wouldn’t be able to change about her like her unnatural strength, but… it’d be her.

He was going to see her today. His sweet Y/n. After three whole years. Levi had no idea how to thank those people. Well, it was a relative who made her a devil, but it would still be a relative who was going to bring his little angel back.

Levi reached the L/n Estate before his brats did. Hange and Moblit were already there, and they seemed excited as they led him to her room. Hange and Moblit kept talking to Levi excitedly about how they had managed to bring back her memories. It was something about stimulating certain neurons in the brain with absolutely harmless procedures and Levi just hummed and nodded because he had no idea what they were talking about.

Being in the L/n Estate always felt like he didn’t belong there. All the people there were just so genius and brilliant and their titles greatly surpassed his own, so it always felt uncomfortable being there. Levi always felt like an utter idiot around those people, his wife’s family. But he had a feeling, these people made everyone feel like this when being around them. Y/n had that thing into her too. She just always clouded over everyone and everything with her intelligence.

“…I tried to cut off her hair. Not sure if I did a good job, but honestly, long and (h/c) doesn’t suit her, we can all agree on that…” Hange continued her long monologue until they reached in front of the door. “Alright, we’ll leave you two alone,” Hange snickered as they walked in her room. Y/n was right there, lying down on what looked like a hospital bed. Countless of beeping machines were all around her that Levi had never seen before. They were probably the technology that the world hadn’t yet set eyes upon. The technology that her family had discovered and kept hidden.

“It’s best if she sees you when she wakes up,” Moblit said.

Levi nodded as he watched the couple exit the room, but he stopped them halfway the door. These two had looked for her, and helped bring her back, and put lots of effort into finding her. Not just that. They were there for him in all the three hellish years. Hange and Moblit had treated Y/n like their own little sister, and Levi would forever be grateful. He realised, he hadn’t thanked them at all those last three years.

“Oi, Hange, Moblit,” He drew their attention and the couple turned and looked at him. “Thank you… both,”

A small smile spread on Moblit’s lips and Hange’s smile almost reached her ears. “That’s what friends are for, am I right?” Hange grinned and Levi found himself smiling wider than he had ever smiled those past three years.

“Right,”

The couple left the room and closed the door behind. Levi turned and looked at her and he just found his eyes widening. It was really her. It was really his Y/n. Her nails, short, and circular and normal. Her hair, short and (h/c) and messy as they had always been. She was in a white baggy gown with sleeves that reached her elbows and the white blankets kept her warm. Oh God- it was really her. His gorgeous little angel dressed and covered in white. She had regained some of her colour. She wasn’t as pale as she had previously been. The bruises on her arms had disappeared. The cuts and scars had started to fade.

Levi approached her, helplessly. He wanted to touch her. He wanted to lie beside her and pull her in his arms. He wanted to feel her fingers gently caressing his scalp. He wanted to hear her sweet giggle. Her laughter. Her lips on his own. Her taste, not being masked by nicotine. He had stopped drinking. It took him some time to get used to life without alcohol, but he didn’t have any reasons to drink anymore. She was there, and his mind could finally know peace without alcohol.

Levi sat down on that chair, settled beside her. His arm reached for her own. It was lying on top of her bedsheets. Her hand was warm, and her fingers were soft. He took them in his own. His thumb rubbed gentle circles on the back of her hand. He waited for her. He’d wait forever for her. He’d wait for a thousand lifetimes and a thousand more.

He closed his eyes and he sighed in utter relief. A small smile spread on his lips as he held her hand, and his heart skipped a beat when her fingers finally gave his own a gentle squeeze.

“Levi?”

His eyes snapped open at the sound of her voice, and he looked up at her. He met those eyes. Those bright blue eyes that he had so helplessly fallen in love with. And he stared at her, and he recognised the pain in her eyes, and it worried him. She inhaled sharply.

She shut her eyes and pressed her head back on her pillow. Her fingers clenched painfully tight around his own as if she wanted to make sure he’d stay there. As if he was going to disappear any moment. “No… you’re not here… you’re just in my head… you can’t be here-”

“I’m here,” Levi stood up from his chair and lied beside her on the bed almost hastily. His hand found her face. His thumb found her cheek and she shuddered. “I’m right here,”

She kept her eyes closed, as if she knew that when she’d open them, he’d be gone. But a firm arm slipped around her and urged her body to face his own. His thumb ran gently across her cheek and his eyes sought for her own. She still had her eyes closed, keeping the tears back. He pressed his forehead against her own.

“Y/n…” He pressed a kiss on her forehead. “…open your eyes, my sweet. I’m not going anywhere,”

She kept her eyes shut for a few more seconds. This couldn’t be real. This couldn’t be happening. It had been three years. She had spent every single night imagining him there, beside her like this with his thumb on her cheek and his forehead against her own. And every single time, she’d open her eyes and he wasn’t there. She didn’t want this time to end up like all the rest. She didn’t want to open her eyes and find that he was missing. And find that it was all just her imagination. That it was all just a little dream that never happened.

She sucked in a deep breath and she finally opened her eyes and her tears were finally released to roll down her cheeks, countless and warm and salty. But he was there. Unlike any other time, he was there. He was right there, and his own eyes shined with tears. His arm was indeed around her. His other arm was indeed cupping her cheek. Those silver eyes that she had so much missed were staring back at her own with that adoration that she had always made sure to commit to memory.

There was a little bit of sorrow in those eyes too. A little bit of relief as well. A little bit of gratitude that his Y/n was there, finally in his arms after three years of looking for her. Three years of crushing onto the walls of his office and pulling his hair out. Three years of passing out -in a drunken haze that he despised- from the exhaustion onto the floor or his desk, but never once on his bed because she wasn’t there and a peaceful sleep was never one to come to him. No. A peaceful mind was never one he could have, because he’d spent his nights, contemplating on whether his beloved Nathalie was alive. He’d spent hours stare at her precious books, her ring, that he was going to push up her finger once more any moment now.

She wept. “You’re… you’re…” Her hand reached for his face. Her fingers shook as she hesitated to cup his cheek. She was still afraid that he was going to disappear. She was terrified that this was all just some helpless, hopeless dream that her mind had come up with to help her cope with the hell that she was trapped in.

Levi leaned closer, bringing his face to her hand and she only wept just a little more. Her cold fingers shakily traced on his cheek as she finally touched him and tried to believe what was happening. He really wasthere. He really was holding her. He wasn’t going to disappear. He took her hand in his own and supported it on his cheek. Her thumb brushed away that silent tear that rolled down his own cheek and a giggle erupted from her throat when he turned his head and kissed the palm of her hand.

His lips were dry, but soft and warm. His fingers were warm around her own. “I’m here, my Y/n, my love, my sweet,” He pressed his forehead against her own, and wiped her tears with his rough thumb. “I’m right here, and I’m not going anywhere,” It felt like he had to repeat it. He had to let her now that he was there now, and that she was safe because of that.

Her arms slipped around him right away and she buried her face in his neck. Finally. Finally, she was holding onto something and she didn’t have to imagine that something to be him, because it really was him. Her husband was there. Her beloved was there. He was alive. He hadn’t died in some battlefield. He hadn’t submitted to death because of her. He was holding her. Levi held her tight. Fingers found her hair and tangled into them and he buried his face there, wetting her (h/c) hair with his own tears whilst she wetted his shirt. She clutched onto him so tight. She wept and cried against his chest, creating a damp mess on his shirt and she shut her eyes.

It was over. Her nightmare was over. He had her. He had found her. He had saved her. He had brought her back from the depths of hell where she resided in for all these months. She felt that safety, and this reassurance, and that comfort that his arms around her always brought her. She was never going to be tied down again. No one was going to use her body whilst she’d beg them not to. She was never going to be experimented on or sent to fight wars she barely knew whether she’d come back from. She was never going to dive right into her suicide attempts. She was never going to wish she had died, because now he had her, and he was there and he was holding her so tight.

She had lost her all. Her pride, her dignity, herself, her humanity. She had been nothing but a monstrous little creature created for war and nothing more. It was all just a defence mechanism. She wouldn’t have survived if she hadn’t become as inhumane and as ruthless as them. She’d kill and torture simply for the hell of it because it was exactly what they wanted her to do. If she didn’t do what they wanted her to do, they’d drag her back into those labs, and she’d go through that hellall over again.

“I’ve been in hell, Levi… I’ve been in hell,” Her body shook in his arms. Her voice cracked as she wept and clutched onto him just a little tighter. She buried her face in his neck just a little deeper, and drew in his familiar scent and she sighed shakily. It soothed her.

“I know, baby, I know, I’m so sorry,” He breathed shakily against her hair as he shut his eyes. Regretful tears ran down his cheeks. “It took me so fucking long to find you, I’m so sorry, baby, I’m so sorry…” Levi repeated it. He repeated it several other times trying to find a number of times that would make it sound enough. But whatever he’d say, and no matter how many times he was going to apologise, an apology wasn’t enough.

“No…” She cut him. “…it wasn’t your fault-”

“It was…” Levi pulled back and he cupped her face and he wiped her tears right away. “…I failed to protect you…”

His thumb ran across her cheek and he looked at those bright blue shiny eyes. He smoothed her hair away from her face. She was so precious to him, and they had tried to destroy everything precious about her. It didn’t matter now. He had killed them all. He had slaughtered them all like animals, because the only man who had claimed her and should be alive was him and him alone.

“…it won’t ever happen again. I won’t let you out of my sight ever again,”

“Yes, yes, please, don’t you ever,” She sniffled. She buried her nose in his cheek and she shut her eyes, trying to believe that she was finally there, with her beloved. She didn’t care how possessive he was going to be now. She didn’t care how much of her freedom he was going to steal this time. Her fingers found his hair and he shuddered as they delicately brushed beneath his undercut. “I just want to be near you. I just need you withme,” That’s all that she wanted now. Nothing else.

“You will be near me for now and always, ya hear me?” He kissed her tears away. His lips found her cheeks, her nose, her lips, her cheekbones, her chin. She melted with every single kiss. “I love you so much. I thought I had lost you. I thought I had lost my precious little girl whom I have loved so much,”

She cupped his face pulling him back slightly. Their eyes met once more. “Kiss me, Levi…” His heart fluttered. She looked down on his pale brown lips that she hadn’t tasted at all for so long. “…kiss me,”

She didn’t have to say a word further. He launched right in. He caught those perfect pink lips in his own that were no longer cold and pale. And her taste was right there, as exquisite as it had always been. There was no smell of smoke and nicotine. There was nothing. Just her. It was exactly as he wanted it. His Y/n was back. His Y/n was right there in his arms, melting in their kiss just like she had always done. Her tongue submitted to him, just like it always did. Beautiful.

He tried to kiss her softly, but he failed. He couldn’t help it. He had missed her so much. He could taste the salty tears on her lips, they merged with her sweet taste and it was intoxicating. He was never going to leave her side ever again. No one was going to touch her ever again. He wouldn’t allow it. He wouldn’t allow a single scratch on her perfect white skin. He didn’t prolong the kiss though. He didn’t know to what extent she could handle being touched by a man after everything she’d been through.

Levi pulled back and she buried her face in his neck. He held her tight as she wept and cried out those terrors for just a little longer. “It’s over now. I’ve got you, my darling, my sweet, my baby,” He mumbled against her hair as he pressed kisses on top of the messy brown locks.

“Don’t ever leave me… don’t ever leave me… Levi, please, don’t you dare-”

“Never,” He promised her as he kissed her temples, her forehead, her cheeks, her nose. His fingers clenched in her hair as he brought her closer to him. “Never, never, never…”

She sighed in relief and revelled in his warmth. In that comfort, that safety that she had so much missed. She hadn’t realised how terrified she had been every single day for those three years. She hadn’t realised how frightened she was until now, that he held her, and reminded her just how being safe really felt like. Y/n sighed again and her tears finally dried off.

[syubub]

May 13th Reading

Definitely long awaited and way bigger than I intended it to be so buckle up.

Funky disclaimer: this is for entertainment purposes only and not to be taken as fact! This is my interpretation of the cards!

Oh boy. The continuation of yoongis soulmate saga.

(Note frome future me: it's not proofread but I'm hungry. Sorry for mistakes!)

So so so so

Let's start.

I started with all the normal jazz. Connecting with his energy and shit. Same as usual same old same old. Platform= same same. I was like, "hey, let's talk about your soulmate and the whole may 13th shit" and we connected via energy stringy thing to the forehead and such. I was intresting bc my end of the string was kinda my energy color! Neato. Looks like some rest has really done me good!

Okay, here's where I start actually asking shit. I made notes at this point before the reading as I usually do. I'm just gonna insert the screen shot here.

The 14 thing really fucked me up. You'll see later. Also, when I got the whole Pisces Jupiter thing I had to do me some googling bc we established that Jupiter went into Pisces ON May 13th so I was like?? Am I missing something?

I was. I forgot that it goes retrograde and then co.es back to Pisces on December 28th. And I do indeed think it to be significant.

The shit about temperance makes a lot of sense. In yoongis first soulmate read I flipped my shit bc he was like, "You're gonna get temperance reverse" in regards to a card for his soulmate and I was like "pft whatever. Don't play me like that"

And then I got temperance reverse. It's been a significant card from the jump.

I asked him if he had any advice for his soulmate and that's what "Don't wait for big things, you'll miss the small ones that lead you to bigger things" and "Look for facts before assuming" and "Don't try pushing it, forcing it won't make sense" and "A spade is a spade/ ace is an ace" and "Don't make ill informed guesses" all were

Now this part:

"Union has happened , yet to on the physical"

Gave me some hints thankfully because he straight up said no more hints.

This ties back into the whole Jupiter thing too. The seeds are/ have been planted and now they have to grow before they can be harvested.

Well Mr. Yoongi, I'm impatient and I don't want to wait. I want to see you in love pronto.

Anyways

He showed me a little dream box/ trinket box looking thing and a super vague Keychain with no further explanation... so... there's that I guess.

I can't quite decide if "Don't make ill informed guesses" was a tongue-in-cheek pike at me or if it was genuine advice to his soulmate? He just loves to not explain things.

Now let's begin the monster read.

So. The first row of cards

I asked the question, "what the fuck was May 13th and what was it's purpose in regards to your connection"

Important is what it was lol. I interpret this as them finding their footing and this being the starting point of the genuine foundation being layer. Like they've been manifesting eachother for a while but May 13th marked the start of them making the real life changes in their actual lives that will be the set up for them meeting.

The seven of coins is about thoughtful planning and creating security/ stable plan. The tower is essentially ripping away anything and everything that was built on unstable foundation and challenging/ testing your character (an extremely rude awakeing if you will). Judgement is releasing the past so you can rise above it and confronting yourself as you are (Also legit awakening) the queen of coins is financial security and self confidence in your abilities. Ten of coins is prosperity and abundance and most of all, stability. Eight of wands is explosion of potential and rapid movement. Temperance is awareness and balance between physical and spiritual. It's also that quiet peace where you find balance.

So. Seeing all those cards it really does seem like maybe his soulmate took on something new that could lead straight to union? Same for yoongi. I'd like to analyze and recent or new-ish habits or hobbies he's picked up?

Moving right along though. I asked what the 13th did for each of them in their personal life and personal journey. Kinda like what came as a result of that energy? Let's start with yoongles

This was really intresting to me. I think he definitely gained some form of clarity about the situation with that sun card. The 5 of cups tells me that either he was kinda forced to confront some of his flaws in a way that he was trying to avoid or he had to consciously let go of something dear to him? Could be something he had to leave behind because it crumbled with the tower moment but he didn't see it coming or didn't know that it was time to part with it? With that queen of wands though fits beautifully with the sun! Its like he's found warmth after a long winter. Definitely found a spark of compassion and generosity from a place of happiness and love rather than anger, fear, obligation or pitty.

I asked for clarity cards/ anything else that may 13th signified bringing in and we got the 2 of cups and 10 of swords. I have two thoughts. Either he let go of a relationship that he was already in because he didn't feel as though they were particularly compatible anymore (Also ties into the above section) OR the 13th had made him very much consciously aware of his soulmates incoming status and he is now preparing and working on himself for when this person comes. The 10 of swords would be him releasing the past and the pain and any ill fitting behavior that don't vibe with him any longer. Yellow really seems to be working for him by the way.

Soulmate time

Lol. All signs point to his soulmate genuinely starting a new venture. New creative pursuit that will bring them good money. 10 of pentacles is abundance, prosperity and stability. The ace of wands is a new creative spark and passion and it's the first big steps into something new. The 2 of wands is "the world is in the palm of your hands" vibes. Choices need to be made swiftly and with the ace of wands I think they will be. With the heirophant too, it will be a well informed decision because they've been manifesting this and has been searching for all the possible information.

As for clarity, we have the moon. Damn. Soulmates been doing that shadow work. Dredging up all their bullshit and getting rid of it while still taking the time to sit with it and release it so nothing is unresolved. Also probably extra creative due to all the emotional baggage being thrown out. (Definitely helping with the ace of wands vibes tbh)

Now for the bad boys in the middle

The question I asked is what those individual changes (detailed in the last two sections) will bring for the bond and I just can with them. These fuckers. I am so invested in their love story bc it's so... them? And just so fucking ROMANTIC. UGH I CAN'T.

Back to the point. High priestess, 4 of wands and the lovers. The high priestess is deep knowing and insane intuition, the 4 of wands is the purest joy and marriage and the lovers is well, the lovers.a magical union.

FUCK DUDE I NEED THIS TO BE A ROMCOM.

For the row of bottom cards

I asked if they had anything at all to add so I'm gonna explain each card individually bc I think they could be individual tid bits of shit.

Knight of coins is good news about finances/ money looking promising and organized work (also dependability!!). Death is all about transformation, the beginning of a new chapter and accepting in order to move foward. Ace of coins is spiritual and material abundance and also a reminder to keep grounded. Page of swords is confidence, important news coming and really good insight! Roots out secrets or hidden things like a truffle pig. The star is promising potential, healing and guidance from an enexpected place. The two of cups is a soul connection, love, intuition especially in regards to another person and a good bind. The emperor is self awareness, foresight, fearlessness to achieve a goal and confidence. Eight of coins rev is poor discipline and skating by on low effort.

Now to the sides!

Yoongi is the left, soulmate is the right.

So, let's begin with yoongi. The first two cards are anything he wants to say to his soulmate. Wheel of fortune and three of swords reverse. I take this as "its all in divine time/ it's destiny" (wheel of fortune) and "trust your intuition. It's okay to get hurt, you just need to remember you can always pick yourself up" (3of swords rev.)

We have now cards that I asked what he was learning through this process/ in this time. Be positive and first step.

The last two cards are affirmations he wants to give his soulmate.

"When I introduce joy to a situation, I change the vibrational frequency of what's happening around me" and "directing my focus onto what's thriving creates more of what I want"

Now for soulmates cards (same structure)

Strength and eight of swords. "You're stronger than you think. Take every part of yourself and acknowledge it. You're a force to be reckoned with" (strength) and (soulmate snapped at him on this) "the only thing holding you captive is you."

Now we have peer pressure (I think soulmate is learning to say "fuck you" and "fuck off" to people who have a set idea of how everyone should be living their lives), emotional healing and open your arms to receiving.

Then we have "its good to feel good" (lol I feel like yoongi definitely needs this one) and "when I connect to the spiritual realm, I open the door to recieve divine guidance, clear direction, and great wisdom"

The last stretch my friends.

So. Completion, leave behind the things that no longer serve you. Exist in the present and don't keep mulling over the past or any future happenings. Magic, pay attention to the magic around you. Listen for the signs of the universe and take them as they come (essentially listen to divine guidance) . Be open minded but logical as well. Luminous warrior, try focusing on the good in yourself instead of berating yourself for every small flaw. Spiritual path, self explanatory. The blade, your power can be a weapon when used willy nilly (most often wounding the wielder) or it can heal. Don't fear it but also consider how you choose to utilize it. The give away, be greaful for the sake of being greatful for it, not because you want something in return. The rain maker, manifestation station. Create with the tools you have because you have everything you need in order to manifest. "Don't take life personally"

Now we have heaven sent.

""Let yourself be helped" assistance is coming your way so act on it and say yes"

" This Oracle also comes with the message that you are to trust in the things that you feel and say to others without knowing why. It moves them. You might not understand, but through trust you are allowing yourself not to overthink and censor yourself. As such you are able to become a vessel through which the spiritual gift can be passed on to others. Don't block yourself. Let life happen through you. Only benefit can come from this."

And free from judgment, free to love

" If you have been asking life for a solution to a specific difficulty you have been having, this Oracle comes with the message that a solution is in gestation right now. This situation is already being sorted out and the resolution will come to fruition very soon. Hold tight and wait for the eminent birth of that resolution."

" This Oracle also brings you a message about love. You may find that you are loving, or soon will love, in a different way. You may worry about this love, given that it defies what you have known or been taught about love. Perhaps you are becoming able to love another tremendously, even though you don't have much of a personal relationship with them. You might question if this love is real. It is real Kama it is just happening at a different level to the love and attachment you experience when you are involved in a personal relationship with someone. It is not more or less, it is just a different facet of love. It may be that you are opening up to love the planet and her creatures, including the animals, the ocean dwelling life, your own body, the trees and so on, more than before period you may feel passionately purposeful about giving your time and energy to causes that protect and nurture the Earth and her creatures. You are affirmed in this love too. The universal mother is operating through you to nurture life. She will support you in your work, so that you can continue To come from love and not become drained, depleted or lost in despair or fear of futility. Instead, you will be energised and expanded by your dedicated service to life."

" Finally, this Oracle has a message for those who may be feeling alone or lonely in a need of greater nurturing from others. You are asked to stop, relax, centre and settle into your body to feel your connection with life itself. The air in your lungs is the same as the air that moves through the trees. The water in your blood is the same water that fills the oceans and is moved by the phases of the moon. The flesh of your body is the same substance as the body of the Earth itself. The heat in your digestive system is the same fire and heat as that from the Sun. Feel this connection, then do something nice for another without agenda. Make a donation, even if just a small one, smile, say a prayer, sent out a good thought or make a wish for another. That's it. You have connected to life again and in doing so, life can connect with you. And so it shall.

And that's all for the cards but but but.

Someone (either my guide or yoongi) was like, "do a song. Do a song. Do a song." And I was like, "oki doki, sounds good.

So I asked what numbers I should try refreshing and then it hit me. The number 14 came up before the reading and it seemed a bit misplaced? So I did 14 shuffles and look what popped up

You gotta be fucking with me.

Istg these fools will actually be the death of me dude. Euphoria is so romantic and I lowkey feels like it describes a bit of what their bond must be like.

YOONGGGIIII

Anyway,

I came back to the platform to be like, "thanks homie" and it was weird bc he was practically pure energy? Like usually I visualize his energy as what his physical body looks like because it's easier to comprehend? But nope, he was just a big shimmery glob of energy.

As I was going to disconnect, a few things happened. I felt tingly and the platform was vibrating almost? So I was like, "hold on, what the fuck is this?"

And then

It hit me

"MIN YOONGI IS YOUR SOULMATE HERE??"

I could tell this fuckin asshole was smug even in his blue glob form.

The color was... blue like yoongi but also a light lavender/ pink kinda vibe. Pretty damn distinct.

I was so stoked and I thought we'd all get to chat and I could yell at his soulmate for being an elusive asshat

But Mr smug butt had different plans.

My dude dropped a little marble thing in my hand and I was like ??? And he was like, "you'll know when you need it" and I was like ?????

My guide took pity on me and said, "it's just a representation on information that you've been given but it isn't the proper time to unpack it yet"

Cool cool so like and energetic zip file that will release itself whenever it damn well pleases? Cool cool cool.

(Asshole)

Anyway, I genuinely think that my excitement of this whole situation must somehow also influence how yoongis energy handles my prodding? Like what the fuck is this marble bullshit?

To top it all off, he gives me a friendly shove off of his platform.

Thanks, buddy.

Now we are here. And as always, I'm left with more questions.

My main take away is that amay 13th through July 28th will be all the foundation and ground work and December 28th 2021 through May 10th (11th? 9th?) 2022 will be a more likely time for physical union and actual relationship stuffs.

Anyone who knows more about astrology please feel free to chime in on this whole Jupiter in Pisces bit! My understanding is super surface level!!

~~~~

That was a big boi and now my thumbs hurt real bad. Hope you were entertained by the chaos.

[britishassistant]

Eurydice and Izanami Didn’t Complain Half As Much

The human won’t take the bed.

Beel’s honestly begun measuring his interactions with the human by what it won’t do more than what it will.

It won’t eat or drink anything other than bottled water, even when its movements are growing so slow and sluggish that it makes Beel’s belly rumble both in commiseration and with the promise of easy (if unsatisfyingly stringy) prey. It’s been nearly two weeks already— it frightens him how easily it can deny itself, even when Lucifer forces it to sit with them at breakfast, lunch and dinner, scowling down at the table full of food but not eating any of it.

It won’t stop trying to escape the Devildom, slowly driving up Lucifer’s blood pressure with every attempt to slip out of the House of Lamentation, to scale the fences at R.A.D., to run away when escorted into town. It even tried to escape when he threw the fridge at Mammon for his pudding and it missed and went through its room, using the confusion of the fight to jump out of the now broken window, only for his eldest brother to materialize outside and use it as a projectile to knock him and Mammon out of their brawl.

And now it won’t take the bed.

Instead, it’s trying to curl up on the floor under the couch, without even a pillow.

“I can take the couch.” He tries again. “You have the bed.”

The human snorted. “Did you not hear me the first time? I don’t want the bed or the couch. I want to sleep here.”

“On the ground.” Beel says doubtfully.

”Yes.” 

“In your uniform.” Beel eyes the wrinkled skirt and shoe’d feet of the human.

“Yes.”

”Without a pillow.”

”...Well I won’t say no if you have one to spare.” The human admits grudgingly. “But I’m sleeping here, and that’s final.”

Beel puzzles over this statement. “Are you going to try to escape during the night if you sleep there?”

There’s a suspiciously long silence. The human won’t look him in the eye.

”...no.” It says, unconvincingly.

He thinks he’s starting to understand the twitch that’s been forming in Lucifer’s left eye. Does this human not know the meaning of taking a break? It’s like dealing with Belphie’s stubbornness when it comes to waking up or getting out of bed, but in reverse.

”Fine.”

The human’s face brightens for the first time since he’s met it. “Finally, at least one of you lot is sen—“

Beel sweeps all the sheets and pillows off his bed onto the floor, and goes to the cupboard and pulls out the extra bedding to add to the pile.

”Whaaaat are you doing?” The human asks.

”Sleeping here.” Beel says innocently, trying to get comfortable on the padding he’s laid down, creating a sort of nest for himself between the couch and the door. One that the human won’t be able to pass without risking stepping on him if they try to sneak out. “And that’s final.”

The human looks almost comically offended, staring at him in open-mouthed indignation.

It huffs and snatches a pillow from his pile for itself, turning it’s back on him with purpose, like Asmo in a snit. “Whatever. You get the lights then. I can’t sleep unless it’s dark.”

”Sure.” He replies agreeably, standing to flick them off and grinning where the human can’t see him. It’s kind of fun messing with them, maybe even more fun than teasing Mammon or the angel chihuahua. The absent-minded thought wanders through his brain, wondering if this would’ve been what Lilith would’ve been like, if she’d survived the fall with them. She always got pouty when she was teased too.

Then Beel realizes what he’s thinking, and the gaping maw of guilt in the pit of his stomach becomes unbearable. The smile drops from his lips as he flicks the lights off.

He rummages in his drawer until he finds what he’s looking for. He munches on his sandwich as he fumbles his way back to his bed for the night.

”Are—are you seriously eating again?” The human’s tone is incredulous.

”I’m hungry.” He mutters darkly, polishing off the last few bites and ripping open the packet of chips as his stomach gurgles again.

The gurgling continues even after the pangs in his stomach have stopped. 

Beel’s lived a long time. Long enough to be able to distinguish and recognize each of his stomach noises telling him what he’s hungry for.

That was not his stomach noise.

”...”

”...You’re hungry, aren’t you?”

The human shifts in the dark, little more than a shapeless mass under the couch. “I’m fine. I’ve dealt with worse for longer than this.”

Beel...doesn’t know if he likes the sound of that. “If you’re hungry, you should eat.”

That provokes a bitter laugh. “Ha! Words of an adult who’s never gone without.”

He scowls at its shape in the dark. “I’m always going without. Nothing keeps me full. Nothing makes me full. I can eat and eat and eat, and I’ll still be as hungry as I was when I started. But even eating a little when I can is better than not eating anything at all.”

He can smell it, the human’s scent almost choking at this proximity. It’s odd, a spicy, rich scent like cardamom studded pork with an undercurrent of something...not quite right to it. Almost curdled, somehow.

Beel’s mouth salivates, no matter how many chips he tries to fill it with. His stomach and tastebuds can handle any food, no matter how long it’s been left out to sour. In some cases, he finds it improves the flavor of his meal. He’s never eaten a living human that’s smelled spoiled before though.

He wonders what it tastes like.

”Well if you can find me some human food that I know won’t trap me here for all eternity, then I’ll eat.” The human growls back. “Or, even better idea! Just stop wasting everyone’s time and send me home altogether! Then you and your brothers and me and mine can all live happily ever after the way we were meant to. Out of each other’s hair.”

Oh.

Oh.

“You have brothers?” He tries to keep the tremble in his voice under control.

Tries not to picture Belphie, miserable and alone and lost in the human world, fighting with all the impotent ferocity of this human to get out, get out, get away, get back to him.

He misses Belphie. He misses Belphie.

The human shifts again in the dark. If the light under the door from the corridor could pass Beel’s bulk, he thinks he’d see it glisten off it’s wet eyes peering at him. “Well. One biological one. And an adopted one, and an adopted sister who’s his biological sister, but it’s. Complicated.”

Beel contemplates this. “Siblings are siblings. We’re not all related by blood.”

“I know that.” The human snaps, sounding oddly irritated. “It’s just...are they your adopted siblings if you and your best friend kinda adopted them together? Like, Shio and Asahi call us all ‘big brother’ and ‘big sister’, but who do we say has custody, really? Cause they love him and he really loves them, and they’re so good for each other, and I don’t wanna take that away from him, but...”

Beel doesn’t quite understand the thread of this complaint. Not in the least because his best friends have always been his brothers and sister, no matter how much they drive each other up the wall.

“Is your best friend not your brother too?”

There’s a sharp crack.

“FUCK!”

Beel’s salivating gets worse at the sudden iron tang of blood.

“Are you okay?” He asks, as he desperately tries to swallow it back down, standing to go grab some more food and maybe a towel for the human.

There’s a pained groan. “Y-yeah. Just...tried to sit up. Forgot about the couch.”

“You can still take the bed.” Beel points out, warring between trying not to breathe in through his nose and get ambushed by more of that delicious scent and keeping his mouth shut enough not to drool all over himself.

“No, I’m sleeping here, fuck off.” The human grumbles petulantly. It yelps a little when he throws the handtowel at it.

Beel inhales gratefully as the scent is finally muffled somewhat.

“And no. He’s not. My brother, that is. He’s my best friend.” The human said, as if the distinction was somehow important.

“…What’s the difference?” Beel asks, confused.

The human sighs explosively, as if this is a monumental chore he’s forced on it. “I-I don’t kn—! You’re related to one and not the other?! I just—! Are your brothers seriously all you have, because if so, you need to get out more, you know that?! Find people who won’t belittle you every damn second of the day. Get more healthy relationships, or all that jazz. Fuck, I don’t know, I’m not a therapist!”

Beel chews on the first mouthful of his second bag of chips as he digests this tirade. Apart from the insults towards his brothers, the meat of their argument about the difference between “best friend” and “adopted sibling” seems to be centered around the idea of the relations between both? But technically, one wouldn’t be any more related by blood to an adopted sibling than they would be to a best friend (a fact that Levi has tried to impress upon him many times when trying to explain the ‘ships’ in some cartoon or another), so what’s the distinction…?

Something clicks in Beel’s head, as he momentarily halts in chewing his ninth serving of chips.

“Oh.” He says, swallowing his mouthful. “Are you in love with your best friend romantically or something?”

There’s a moment of silence.

Then the human explodes into a flurry of noise, sputtering and swearing and near-shrieking unintelligibly, it’s scent growing stronger as blood and adrenaline pumps through it on what smells like double-time.

Beel has no idea what the big deal is, as the human lobs the pillow he gave them in his general direction and misses by a mile, but that certainly explains a few things.

He tilts the end of the bag up towards his mouth as he reflects on how whiny Asmo will be once he learns the real reason this human has been ignoring him so throughly. It almost makes him want to hold off on telling his brothers, but the idea of all the colors that Lucifer could turn, knowing precisely why the human won’t play his and Diavolo’s game, makes it far too good an opportunity to pass up.

Lilith would’ve loved something like this, a story of “true love” and “star-crossed romance”. Belphie will find it hilarious when he gets back, a human trying to defy the forces much greater than it for something so fickle and fleeting.

In the moment, Beel just tries to tune out the human’s shouting as he rolls over to get some sleep.

[samadiw]

Hogwarts Library - Part 03 😘🔥❤

.

True to his word, Draco left Hermione well and truly alone, except a book she had wanted for ages was waiting for her on the table in their shared dorm and on another occasion her favourite flowers greeted her when she entered after a long day of classes.

H : "I know what you're doing, Malfoy."

D : "Haven't the foggiest, Granger."

He closed the book he was reading, walked into his room and closed the door behind him.

Hermione couldn't help but smile, she plucked a long stem rose out of the bunch, inhaled deeply, took it with her and placed it on her bedside cupboard.

The man was getting under her skin, she was shocked that he knew so much about her.

But strangely after that sweet gesture, everything stopped.

Malfoy barely looked at her, he was always deep in conversation with Blaise or Theo but would light up like a bulb when the owls brought their morning post.

Hermione couldn't help but feel resentful.

Despite her overall, fuck him approach, there was a softness in his eyes that melted or rather clawed it's way into her heart.

She thought about him more often than she should.

Cheating sodding bitch, she silently berated herself.

A beautiful owl enters and lands gracefully in front of Draco.

Hermione huffs.

H : "Who the heck keeps sending him letters?"

Ron looks her way and raises a brow in question.

R : "Did you say something, darling?"

Someone was talking to her, oh, it was her boyfriend.

Hermione swallows hard and vigorously shakes her head.

H : "No, nothing, just practising a spell."

She can't help but stare at the Slytherin table, Malfoy pockets the letter after a meaningful glance at it.

2 days to 2 weeks

Professor Slughorn (PS) impatiently yells over the noise.

PS : "Yes, yes, hurry up and take your seats."

PS : "Good, is everyone settled?"

Slughorn frowns at Seamus and shakes his head disapprovingly.

PS : "Thanks to Mr Finnigan's latest dung bomb explosion, we are forced to abandon the classrooms and conduct classes in the library."

Seamus looks around him sheepishly.

Madam Pince : "Hmph.."

PS : "Granger, Malfoy, bring your cauldrons to the front."

Hermione looks up in shock and Ron's ears turn bright red.

She weakly protests.

H : "But sir, I already have a partner."

Slughorn tuts his disapproval.

PS : "Mr Weasley will survive without your assistance for the duration of the class:"

Hermione tries one last time.

Draco is already at the table in front and staring at her smugly.

H : "But..."

PS : "No buts, Miss Granger, I have a rather complex potion for you to brew with Mr Malfoy."

Hermione sighs in defeat, gathers her things and make her way to the front.

She clumsily arranges her things, avoids the ice blondes gaze and mumbles to herself.

H : "Stupid Slughorn."

Draco rolls his eyes and hisses.

D : "Stop your muttering, Granger, I have no wish to paired up with you either."

His smell was fucking with her again, what in the name of heaven was in his bloody cologne?

Hermione reels back from the insult.

H : "Oh really? Who's singing a different tune now?"

Draco raises a brow.

D : "What are on about?"

Hermione hesitates but gathers her Gryffindor bravado.

She keeps her voice low.

H : "I thought you liked me."

Draco narrows his eyes.

D : "And you made it clear that you didnt return my affections, am I supposed to wait for you to realize how incredibly thick you are?"

Hermione feels a tightness in her chest and struggles to find the words.

H : "I, umm..."

Draco loses his patience.

D : "Stop stuttering like a fool, show me the list of ingredients."

Hermione bites back a nasty retort.

H : "You are unbelievable."

Draco let's out a sarcastic laugh.

D : "Says the woman who told me to leave her the fuck alone."

Hermione pushes the list of ingredients towards him roughly.

H : "Here, take the bloody paper, I hope you choke on it."

Draco points to the jars and viles that already litter the table and muses.

D : "Make yourself useful while I fetch the ingredients."

Hermione presses her lips together and a wave of emotions wash over her and she fights the urge to not cry.

Oh, fuck no, she would not shed a tear for the incorrigible wanker.

Hermione lights a fire under the cauldron and starts to add the few ingredients they already had.

She cuts the beans with more force than necessary and sneers.

H : "Stupid fucking Slytherin, who the hell does he think he is?

Draco is highly amused by her reaction to his indifference.

D : "Granger, you need to stir anti clockwise, it's right here in the bloody book."

Hermione jumps at the voice and almost cuts herself.

H : "Can you not sneak up on me."

Draco eyes her fingers to make sure shes still in one piece and then scolds.

D : "Can you please concentrate, the faster we finish this, the faster I can send my owl to Victoria."

Hermione's mouth drops open.

Who the fuck was Victoria? Definitely not a girl in their year.

She crosses her arms over her chest.

H : "Victoria?"

Draco looks away dreamy eyed and smitten.

D : "Yeah, a woman I'm seeing, she's an old family friend."

Hermione retorts sarcastically.

H : "How bloody marvellous for you, this is exactly why I wanted nothing to do with you."

D : "And you were right, Victoria is the most intelligent woman I've ever met, she's the one, Granger."

Hermione fumes at the stupid words coming out of Draco's ridiculously luscious mouth.

Fuck no, intelligence was her thing and no bloody bint was going to take that away.

She conveniently forgot that she had never met this Victoria person.

His words hurt, they hurt bad and Hermione couldn't remember when she had come to care about Malfoy.

Hermione turns away and returns to cutting the ingredients.

H : "Well, good for you."

Draco eyes the woman next to him intently.

D : "Thanks, Granger, shit, I forgot one more vile."

Hermione quickly wipes the angry tears before he returns.

Tears? Really? You pathetic fool.

Draco watches from the small crack in the enchanted supplies room and grins, she was definitely coming around.

Playing hard to get had definitely paid off.

He walks back to their shared table confidently and adds the vile to the other complicated ingredients.

Draco starts to skin the crocodile tail.

D : "You okay, Granger?"

Hermione mumbles.

H : "Yes, I'm fine."

Draco softens his tone and decides he's messed with her enough.

D : "Hermione?"

The way her name rolls off his tongue sends shivers down her spine.

She asks in frustration.

H : "What?"

Draco moves closer and leans over her small frame.

His hand slips under the table and grabs hold of her thigh, his fingers dig into the flesh and a gasp escapes her lips.

He whispers almost reverently.

D : "You. Are. All. I. Want."

Hermione looks up at him, her breathing elevates and she bites her lip.

H : "Draco..."

Draco removes his hand off her person and stares ahead, his expression has changed from loving to murderous.

D : "Not here, not now, your boyfriend is glaring a hole in my rather handsome head."

Draco calls out over the noise of other students chatting.

D : "What the fuck are you staring at, Weasley?"

Ron looks as if he's about to explode, his ears are the shade of rip tomatoes.

R : "I'm watching you, Malfoy."

Draco smirks triumphantly.

D : "Then watch closely."

Draco tenderly caresses Hermione's cheek.

Ron flexes and makes his way over.

Hermione steps away, glares at Draco and stands inbetween the tall men.

She places a hand on Ron's chest and the other on Draco's arm and pleads for them to calm down.

Gryffindor and Slytherin stare daggers at each other and everyone has stopped what they were doing to watch the scandalous scene that was unravelling before them.

Professor Slughorn's alarmed voice cuts through the tension.

PS : "What in Merlin's name is going on? Back to your seats."

Ron balls his hands into fists and threatens.

"R : This isn't over, Malfoy."

Draco sneers and stares the redhead dead in the eye.

D : "I look forward to it, Weasley."

Hermione looks at them and dreads the walk back to the Gryffindor common room.

Fuck, her life was going to become very complicated.

[mediocreauthor]

NANA Week, Day 4: Fireworks @7daysofnana 

They celebrate their first Hanami since Nana left.

​

She will come. She will come, she repeats herself as she puts Nana’s kimono neatly on the bed. She prepared cow meat sukiyaki, she might be hungry, after all. She takes out strawberry glasses Nana gifted her two years ago. It seems like centuries ago, when their relationship was being put to a test. 

When Nana, no, she is Hachi now. 

I am Hachi since Nana named me.

When Hachi thought she was going through the hardest time of her life. But it was okay, it was all okay because Nana, even though not right beside her, was still here. 

She dusts Nana’s guitar; she may want to play it. Maybe she will hand it to Nobu, while she sings with her sultry, magical voice. Just like she did when she climbed on their table, holding a cell phone. When she enchanted her. She glances at Ren, he is fast asleep on the bed. His little face looks angelic. ***

Her entire body is on fire. She is going to die!  She can’t form coherent sentences to describe her pain, it is too late for an epidural, Fujiko-chan says. She wants to clog her. A hand squeezes hers, she can feel the cold metal of Nana’s ring. “You can do this Hachiko. I am right here with you, you can do this.”

She should wonder where the hell Takumi is, but when Nobu’s hand gently rakes through her hair, she can’t even remember his face. Her daughter is coming. She has waited so long for this. Her baby, the one she sacrificed so much for will be here any moment. The hand holding her loosens and she turns her hand in panic. 

“Nana please don’t leave me!” She can’t recognize her own voice, it sounds ragged and hoarse. Her ears buzz. She sees her other half’s beautiful face through tears, Nana looks surprised for a second, Hachi can’t understand why, obviously she can’t do this without her.

But then she cradles her from behind and kisses her sweaty hair. “I am not going anywhere.”

*** She hears a faint knock on the door. Her chests clenches with anticipation, she missed her people.

Your people.

Swinging the door open with a bright smile, Hachi greets Yasu and Miu. They are both in kimonos as she requested. “Welcome, welcome!” her tone is barely above a whisper. “Ren is napping.” Yasu smiles, heading to the room. He really loves Ren so dearly, just like his best friend would. 

“I can’t wait to be an uncle.”

She will not cry today. She will welcome Nana with a big smile. 

Miu asks how she’s been, they dive into an idle chat. She is the only one who asks how Takumi is too. The rest don’t acknowledge his existence, she doesn’t blame them. She herself wants to forget it sometimes. 

“You have prepared so much. We should have come earlier to help.” Miu begins setting up the table. 

“Oh, that’s okay. I went a bit extra for Nana, I want everything to be perfect for her. Just like our first Hanabi.” 

Miu looks at her with an emotion she knows all too well, it’s on Junko’s, Kyosuke’s, Takumi’s face every time she talks about Nana’s return. She pays them no mind, they don’t know Nana. 

“I heard it rained so much that year.” She comments. Hachi giggles and turns her back to Miu, washing tomatoes that Jun gave her. 

“These tomatoes are good. Where did you buy them?”

God, shut the fuck up. 

She spends the rest of time going over minor details, mixes bath salts to create Nana’s favourite smell (it reminds him of Ren), she folds her bedtime clothes, tastes every dish thrice, turns on the ventilator, Nana would appreciate the breeze. Climbing up seven floors does things to your body temperature. 

Nobu and Shin’s arrival wakes Ren up, her son seeks her with his little grabby hands, once again filling her heart with affection. Shin bursts into the room immediately, his face lit up with a smile. Hachi kisses his cheeks, he hugs her tightly. 

“Hello mama. Why did you make my brother cry?”

“I didn’t make him cry! You guys' arrival woke him up.” Hachi pouts but gives Ren to Shin regardless. 

“We are sorry for that.”

Her stomach clenches and she faces Nobu, he looks at her with a sincerity she doesn’t deserve. He coos at Ren, tickling his chin. “Hello little buddy. Sorry we woke you up.” Ren stops crying in favor of chomping on Nobu’s finger.

“He is teething.” Hachi explains. Nobu studies him lovingly. “You're all grown up now, Ren.”

***

“It’s a boy!” Fujiko-chan declares. 

What? She sees her baby’s face covered in blood and something gross, bellowing. A nurse approaches, taking him away. She wants to reach but her arms feel like chunks of metal. 

“No it’s a girl… I really thought he was a girl.” 

Her eyes meet Nobu’s, tears matching one another. “You did it Hachi.” 

Nurse gives her his son, he is heartbreakingly small, but his warmth comforts her. She looks for a sign, a resemblance of Nobu but this little creature weirdly just reminds him of Shin. Nana walks toward the door, panic envelopes her for a second, but she looks back and says “I will let others know.”

Nobu drapes his arm over her shoulder, they stare, baby stares back. His irises are light brown, filled with curiosity. Hachi gently grazes her finger over his cheek and she can swear he smiles but she is probably high on adrenaline. “Welcome, my love.” She takes in a long breath. “I wanted to name him Satsuki. You know, like- like Ren picked. I really wanted to-” A hiccup crawls over her throat. She can feel Nobu’s fingers on her chin, he looks like he’s about to say something, but kisses her instead, almost reverently. 

They seperate, so much unfinished hanging between the short distance. Nobu rests his forehead against hers.

“How about Ren?”

***

They sit down to eat, she would prefer if they waited for Nana but starving her guests doesn’t scream hospitality either. Misato- Mai, damn it- has arrived, she smiles ever so politely at her. 

“These are so delicious, Hachiko-san. You shouldn’t have gone into all this trouble.”

“Abuh!” Ren protests when Yasu confiscates the chopstick he almost stabbed himself in the eye with. 

“Of course I should have! Nana can arrive any moment now.” Her friends look at each other, mentally communicating, eventually Shin sighs and puts his bowl down. 

“Hachi,” he begins. “Nana may not come today.” She immediately understands from the guilty faces that avoid her gaze that they have rehearsed this conversation. She lets rage take over.

“We always celebrate Hanami together, Nana knows this. She will remember.”

“That was before she left Hachi. I don’t think Nana wants to see us right now.” Nobu at least sounds demure. 

“We don’t know where she even is yet.” Miu adds. 

We don’t know if she is alive, is left unsaid.

“She knows where we are! Isn’t it enough?” Her high voice startles Ren, he picks up the tension right away, eyes getting glossy. Yasu gives him his glasses. 

“We just don’t want you to be disappointed wh- if she doesn’t show up.”

 I am not a fucking child. 

“How dare you give up on her?” She knows it’s unfair. She knows that Yasu spent all his life savings on a private investigator. She is aware the police precinct is sick of Mai’s calls. She knows Nobu stops by Ren’s warehouse every morning, hoping his friend would open the door.

 “If you think Nana actually forgot about us and started a new life in god knows where, were you even her friends?” Her tone is filled with disdain, she hates herself. 

They have the nerve to look dejected, Hachi just continues. “She is just healing. She’s been through so much. She needs a break, she will come back.” She glances at her hands, noticing they didn’t have nail polish. “She will come back.” Hachi weakly repeats. 

“Of course she will.” She perks up, Yasu is confidently smiling at her. “Healing takes time. It might be too early for her, this year. But one day, we will be all sitting at this table together. Don’t worry, Nana.” “Guh!” Ren shakes his head as if he knows what Yasu is talking about, maybe he does. 

Maybe it’s Ren who knows.

Shame creeps up on her, “I am sorry.” she murmurs. “I am so sorry. I just… I thought if I believed enough, it would come true.”

Small explosion noises are heard and the light of the fireworks fills the sky. Ren gets antsy on Yasu’s lap and reaches for her. She holds her son, watches how fireworks reflect on his big, astonished eyes. 

She thinks of Nana’s warm smile by the river, how the small firework Hachi was holding illuminated her face, she remembers Ren (as if she ever forgets), showing the word Satsuki proudly.

***

She remembers Nana’s eyes, wandering around the room, unable to focus on anything. Her movements are jittery, her cheeks are hollow- has she lost weight since the last time she saw her? They lay quietly in the dark room. 

“Hachi, do you want to go to the beach?” She is about to drift off to sleep, her voice is muffled by the pillow. It’s the middle of the night. “I can’t leave Ren alone, can we go tomorrow?” 

Nana’s breath hitches. “Sure, tomorrow.” Her voice is so small. Hachi barely hears the last sentence as sleep takes over her. She should have realized. 

“I want to see the sea.”

***

Ren’s little hand wipes her wet cheeks, he licks it in wonder. She quietly sobs, burying herself in his hair. She sees the untouched strawberry glasses from the corner of her eyes, they taunt her.

Next year, she tells herself. 

[moonflower-31]

I Won't Forget You - Spencer Reid x Reader

(This is gonna be a series, so keep an eye out for this one if you like it.)

Summary: So imagine you're in the CM universe if you will. And you're just graduating from the academy. You're looking to join the BAU. You have hyperthymesia, the ability to never forget anything. Except for rare occasions. After the final exam, you run into one Dr. Spencer Reid. Eventually, you get accepted to shadow the BAU on a trial run as an agent. But you have a past that may endanger those you work with. Also, you love Spencer. Cause who doesn't?

Pairing: Spencer Reid x Female Reader (this makes sense only for storyline, sorry 😞)

Masterlist

Please leave comments! I love reading them ❤ 💕

~~~~~~~~

Nervous. So dreadfully nervous you were and am. But here we are. No turning back now. 

"Hello, cadets. And welcome to your final exam for your graduation. We hope all of you do well. The FBI, as you know, has many branches. 56, to be exact. We hope that for those of you who pass, that you'll find your calling in one of our offices. For those of you who don't, don't fret. We always allow you to retake the last semester and the exams. The FBI is in desperate need of new agents." The speaker in front of me is seriously loud. Though you don't dare speak up about it. 

Associate Deputy Director Gail Franklin spoke with such elegance. She obviously has had practice, you think to yourself as you watch the grey-haired woman speak atop the raised portion of the testing room. You couldn't count how many people even if you tried. And you don't forget anything. 

"Psst!" 

You groan quietly and try to ignore your idiot but golden-hearted friend who couldn't sit still. 

"Psst! (Y/N)!"  

You ignore him again, focusing on Franklin's closing commentary.  

"I wish you all good luck. Please refrain from beginning your exam until all test-takers have received their tests. Thank you." She then proceeded to turn and begin her trek out of the room, the click of her heels being the only reminder she was even here. 

"Psst-! Come on, (Y/N/N)!" 

You sigh and pinch the bridge of your nose. Finally, you turn your head and give your dear friend a very annoyed look. "What is it, Gabe? Like seriously, you couldn't sit still through one teansy tiny lecture? From the ADD herself?" You tease, pulling out a #2 pencil from your bag. Sure, most everyone will be using pens, but you remembered that the test scanners prefered graphite.

Gabriel whined teasingly at your jap. "No fair, (Y/N/N)! I just wanted to talk to one of my best friends. That too much to ask?" He sassily remarks, flipping his floppy golden-brown hair. 

You rolled your eyes and couldn't help but feel a smile form on your face. You loved him like a brother. But that also meant he annoyed you like one too. 

"You couldn't have waited till she was done?" You couldn't help but question him further. It was one of his weaker points. Under pressure, he tended to get uncomfortable. 

"Nope." Popping the 'p' he blew a kiss at you. "Anyway, how prepared do you think you are for this test? I almost made it an all-nighter trying to cram everything in again. Fuck me and my terrible memory." You grinned and giggled under your hand. 

"Gabriel, I told you, if you ever needed help studying I would be there. You're gonna do fine." 

Gabriel rolled his eyes. "Easy for you to say. You didn't even have to study with that god-given gift of a memory you got." 

You bite the inside of your cheek, faking a slight chuckle. Everyone thought remembering everything was a superpower. Sure, if you call superpowered headaches and occasional dizzy spells a super-side-effect. 

So, yes, you had the 'gift' of having hyperthymesia. The disorder where you never forgot anything. Of course, there were a few rare occasions, like you could only remember a handful of memories from before you were four. But other than that, you had nothing from your earliest childhood. It made you feel semi-normal. 

"It isn't a gift, Gabe. It's only a gift in the academic field. And I'm lucky to have a 'genius' IQ." You huffed in response to Gabriel's little comment. 

"Yeah yeah, but you have a filing cabinet for a memory. So why study? You have it all up there." He asks, taking the test packet from the assistant that had finally made it to him. 

"Studying, as a science, is a great way to improve your memory, quicken your speed of processing data and important information, and you stretch your mind's capacity for learning. Also it helps me understand a topic better. Just like anyone else." 

You take the packet from the assistant and widen your eyes slightly at the size. It was massive. At least the size of your tiniest textbook. You could almost hear Gabriel whimper next to you as he saw how big the packet was. At least you all had three and a half hours. And it wasn't required to get through all of them. Just try to do your best on the written response ones.

You turn to Gabriel and hold out your fist. "Good luck." 

Gabriel sighed and gave you a smile before pumping his fist gently against yours. Soon after he made a dramatic explosion noise that only you could hear. You roll your eyes and shake your head again, turning your full attention finally to the large test in front of you. 

Here goes nothing, you tell yourself. 

○●♡●○  

Remarkably, you think you did okay. Of course, you finished the test in the first hour and a half, but who's counting? Certainly not you. 

You rub your aching wrists from so much essay work as you exit the testing room. Even with an unbeatable memory like yours, your hands were still human. So they hurt like a bitch. 

You sigh and take a quick seat on the bench outside the room, probably sticking out like a sore thumb in a crowd of other cadets who weren't in your graduating class. But you tried not to pay it any mind. You were used to being the 'odd man out'. 

You check your phone and smile down at the message your other friend, Iris, had sent you. She wasn't testing for the FBI like you and Gabe. No she was a barista with some mean skills at mixing new drinks. She wanted to open her own cafe and Gabriel and you wanted to support her. She'd been there for you every second of the last five years. You owed her at least a little thanks. 

When you look up, you couldn't help but notice a tall, lanky looking man with long, curly hair walking towards you as he looked for…something. You couldn't tell. Probably a map. He had a gun holstered on the side of his belt along with a blurry ID you couldn't read from so far away. But it looked like it said FBI. 

You stifled a soft snicker. This guy could say he was a teacher's assistant and if he didn't have the gun on him, you would've believed him. 

And that's when you caught his eye and instantly you recognized who this lost puppy was. More specifically, who he belonged to. 

"Hi, uh I'm Dr. Spe-" he began, looking a bit nervous as he began to introduce himself. 

"Dr. Spencer Reid. From the Behavioral Analysis Unit. I've heard of you." You accidentally interrupt. "Sorry. I don't forget names easily. I don't forget them ever, really." 

Nervously, you rub your hand on your neck, waiting for his response. And surprisingly, it wasn't one you expected. 

Spencer widened his eyes a bit in wonder that someone knew of him that he hadn't met before on a case. And she knew which branch he worked in. He blushed a bit, growing a tad tongue tied. 

"S-sorry, I'm Cadet (L/N)." 

Spencer raised an eyebrow. He wondered why you didn't give him your first name. But he didn't pry. It was your personal business. And besides, it wasn't like he needed to know your first name. 

"U-uh yeah, actually. I-I wanted to ask you if you knew where I could get a glimpse of a map. Just so I can find my way around. I'm here for a 'lecture' that I'm helping give the graduating class of FBI agents." He couldn't help but brag a tiny bit. "It doesn't start for another 3 hours, but I like to be prepared." 

You smiled up at this tall nerd. And an incredibly cute one at that. He was so out of place you sympathized with him. He was basically you. In like, every academic scene you've ever been in. 

"Understandable. I'll be seeing you there hopefully. I'm a part of that class." You grinned. "But yeah, here's the map," you say, pulling up a digital map on your phone. Spencer leaned over your shoulder and looked it over. You couldn't help but shiver slightly at the sound of his breathing so close to your ear. It felt eerily calming. 

"Really?" He asked after he pulled away from your shoulder. "T-thank you for the map, by the way." He adds last-minute. You giggle gently and nod. 

"Yep. The test only started an hour and about 45 minutes ago, so I gotta wait a little while." Groaning playfully you shrug at him, crossing your arms to get more comfortable. You wouldn't lie, he was seriously cute. Of course, you'd seen him before on your secret internet dives. But in-person was so much better than sitting behind a screen gawking over a photo. An ID photo no less. 

"You already finished?" 

There it was. The immediate doubt of your intelligence everyone had when you accidentally showed your smarts. You sighed. "Yeah. Kinda hard not to with an IQ of 167 and a memory that pretty much never fails." You shrugged nervously, looking away as you braced yourself for his incoming doubt. 

"Oh. Hyperthymesia, right?" He inquires. You blink a few times and look at him like he just said something so foreign you didn't know how to respond. 

"U-uh...y-yeah. It's rare, but I got it. How'd you know?" 

"It was more of an educated guess. See, you bite the inside of your cheek when you're nervous," he points out. You in fact, were biting your cheek as he spoke. "And you seem unintimidated by me despite knowing of my position. You only grew nervous when I mentioned anything academic. Which proves to me you're used to being the smartest kid in the room. And having to explain why every time." He finishes, leaving you a gigantic puddle of impressed and embarrassed that he had profiled all of that from only a few minutes from conversation. 

"Geez, didn't expect to get profiled today. You're really good at it, you know. Well, I mean you would be. 'Cause you w-work for the BAU." You begin to ramble, groaning internally for suddenly turning into an awkward blob in front of this professional. 

Spencer smiled a bit wider and let out a soft laugh. "So, y-you want to work for the BAU?" 

You look at him puzzled for a moment before you remember that he'd been profiling you for the past five or so minutes. "Right, profiler…" you mutter. "Y-yeah. It's kinda been a dream of mine for years. Police officer never really appealed to me. I wanted to get into the real deal. Catch the hard criminals. Give myself a challenge, you know?" You rattle off, realizing just how comfortable you'd grown to Spencer in the short conversation you've had. 

Spencer nodded. "It was always a dream of mine as well. I was kinda groomed for it." He admitted. "S-so… any jitters at all? Did you know that t-the common feeling of nervousness or 'butterflies' is actually caused by the reduced blood flow to the abdomen. Your stomach's sensory nerves sense the lack of oxygen and blood and it produces the fluttery feeling you get before a test or before a big performance." 

You smile brighter. "Really? I never thought of that. I always just thought it was a signal your brain sent or something. That's interesting. I'm kinda glad I won't forget that." 

Spencer felt his surprise increase again. You hadn't cut him off. There was no 'Sorry I asked' or awkward asking if he always did this. You actually listened. And you wanted to hear more! He didn't think he'd ever find someone willing to listen. 

"H-heh…" Spencer chuckled. "W-well did you know that most people will forget 50 percent of the information you've been taught in one hour will be forgotten? A-and in 24 hours more than 75% of the information is gone. That's why studying is so important. It helps retain that information so it doesn't 'slip' as easily." He begins to rattle off again, quite glad he found someone who actually wanted to hear his statistics. It was a good cover for his nervousness about talking to this incredibly gorgeous woman. 

You tilt your head in interest, laughing gently. "That's what I keep saying! Yet everyone always asks 'Why study if you remember everything?'" You exclaim, making a whiny voice expression for the impression of absolutely every bully you'd had ever. 

A darker skinned man, who was much more gifted physically walked over as you and Spencer continued your conversation. He wrapped an arm around Spencer teasingly and nodded to you. 

"Hope this pretty boy ain't bothering you baby girl." He greets. "He's great once you get to know him." 

Spencer just looks annoyed at this man's sudden presence. "Seriously, Morgan? We were actually having a conversation before you butted in." He grumbled annoyedly. Then you remember the face. This was SSA Derek Morgan. You'd seen him in some pictures with Spencer. He wasn't too bad looking. In fact, you knew Iris would climb him faster than a squirrel did a tree. But Spencer was a bit more your type. 

Morgan raised an eyebrow and smirked at you. "Oh really? So now pretty boy's talking to girls?" He teases, letting Spencer free from his suffocating hold. He then extends a hand out to me. "Derek-" he started. 

"Derek Morgan. SSA from the BAU. Yeah, I know about you." You grinned. He looked you up and down a bit in the same interest that Spencer had. That soon was replaced by a confident smile. 

"So you know of me." He said in a clearly flirtatious tone. "Don't tell me you've been searching up my pictures in your freetime, babygirl." He flirts. 

You roll your eyes and take his hand, shaking it firmly. "No, I haven't. Though I have heard of you from my classes. But if I'm honest?" You begin. "I'm really wishing I could forget that comment." You sassily respond. He laughed. 

"No one ever forgets, Babygirl." He grinned. 

Spencer sighed and turned to Morgan in annoyance. "Morgan." He deadpanned. You looked towards him and giggled a little. It was clear Spencer had wanted to talk to only you. Maybe it was something to do with the statistics. You had a feeling that he felt he was finally being listened to. 

"What? I'm just introducing myself to one of the new cadets." He insists, raising two hands up in defeat. 

"Did you just profile me without my permission?" You ask him with fake offense. He laughed. 

"Did I need to ask, sweetheart?" He asks. You chuckle. 

"Guess not." You shrug. 

"What's your name, beautiful? A pretty face has got to have a pretty name." He flirted. 

"I'm Cadet (L/N)."

Morgan raised an eyebrow, fully ready to ask why the hold-up on your first name when Spencer thankfully saved you an explanation. 

"She didn't share it with me either. Probably a mode of trust." He explains. Morgan shrugged. 

"I'll find out eventually. You'll give it away." He insists. 

"Uh huh, sure I will." You tease. 

"Reid, Morgan, we need to prepare." You hear a third voice call the two men away from you. You stand a bit on your tiptoes to get a good look at who it was that was speaking. 

Aaron Hotchner walked towards the three of you almost with a purpose. So much confidence in one man. 

"Who is this?" He asked. 

"I'm Cadet (L/N), Agent Hotchner. It's a pleasure to meet you." You greet, holding out a hand to him. Hotch raised an eyebrow at you in interest before shaking your hand in earnest. 

"It's a pleasure to meet you as well. I've heard of your excellent grades and work in your studies. I hope to see you among the enlistees requesting the BAU." He greets, letting his hand fall back to his side. 

"That's the plan, Agent Hotchner." You chip pleasantly. Morgan seems genuinely surprised.  

"Wait, you're interested in the BAU? Profile me." He insisted. You blush from the sudden spotlight. 

"W-what?" You ask. 

"Morgan, that's enough." Hotch warns. 

"Leave her alone, Morgan." Spencer expressed. 

"No, it's fine." You assure. "Well, from the looks of your attire compared to your colleagues, I'd say you hate wearing formal clothing. Prefer to be comfortable. Your consistent flirty personality is mostly a show, as you wouldn't really flirt with someone you just met the way you flirted with me. So you either have someone in mind, or have a partner at home. And besides that, the way you greeted Dr. Reid proves you think of him as a younger brother, and you treat him like the brother you never had." You finished, a pleading voice in the back of your head screaming at you in hopes that you hadn't gone too far. 

Instead of being offended, Morgan began to smile and grinned, clearly impressed. "She's actually pretty good." He comments to Hotch, glancing to Spencer and then back to you. "You'd make a good profiler." He compliments. You smile happily and full of relief at him. 

"I sure hope so. Anyway, you should probably get going to the auditorium. The mics are a pain to tune and figure out, so I'd get it done now." You giggle slightly. 

Spencer nodded and smiled at you. "T-thank you, again. Cadet (L/N)." 

You couldn't help but blush a tad as he said your title. "Of course, Dr. Reid. Anytime you need directions." You tease. 

Morgan raised an eyebrow. "What about me?" He teased back. You mock think about it for a moment before you reply. 

"Sorry, I think you can figure it out, pretty boy." You joke, winking at him. He smiled brightly at your sass, chuckling a bit. 

Hotch then got your attention very easily. "It was a pleasure to meet you again, (L/N)." 

"You too. Good luck on the lecture." You bid them all fair well and turn around to take your seat again. 

"Ooh, somebody's in looove~!" You hear Gabriel sing in a sing-song voice. You chuckle and shake your head. 

"I am not in love, Gabriel. You just started eying the pretty boy I was talking to. You know, handsome black guy?" You tease. 

"Hmm, yeah, probably. But seriously. I saw you looking at that other kid, the professor's-aide-looking guy, like he was a mountain of sugar. And I know sugar." He teased, sipping a coke he had obviously bought after the test. 

"Oh shut up. Have you heard from Iris yet?" You ask. 

"Nope. She's probably busy over at The Bean. We should go visit. Tell her about your rendezvous with Mr. Teacher's aid." Gabriel snickered. 

"No, we are not telling Iris anything. You know how she gets. She gets all protective, and then nobody wants to go out with me cause they're all scared of her." You groan, stealing his coke for a moment. 

Gabriel smirks at you. "So you admit that you like him?" He teases. You immediately realize your mistake and groan, covering your reddening face. 

Gabriel chuckled and wrapped an arm around your shoulder. "Come on, sugar-tits. Let's get out of here for a lil' bit. Come back for that 'lecture' in like an hour." He teased. You bring your hands away from your face and sigh. 

Did you really like him? Maybe. It was probably just an internet crush. Nothing more. It wasn't like it could get worse. 

[starcats1219]

Intrulogical Week: Day 2 (Science/Art)

For @intrulogicalweek2021

Art of the Heart

Ao3 || 1276 words || qpr intrulogical

Summary: Remus loved to create. Logan did not. Remus shows Logan how much he loves his creativity.

Warnings: swearing

Read here!

Remus’ favourite thing to do was create.

No matter what it was. Paintings, sculptures, stories, pictures, creatures, whatever it was, Remus enjoyed it. Of course, Roman loved all those things as well, further cementing how similar the two were. But neither of them enjoyed thinking about that. 

Logan's least favourite thing to do was create. 

His area of expertise was things that were known. Things that were facts. He could tell you the history of a specific art form, tell you techniques that helped improve it, but every time he attempted to create any sort of art, it always came out looking...wrong. Not wrong in the way Remus' were, where something was just off enough that you could tell, but not enough to tell what it was. His creations were just objectively bad.

Remus didn't think that at all about his partner's art, but he wasn't sure how to get him to believe that. So, he made a plan.

During each of their weekly hangouts as a duo, they would take turns picking an activity for them both to do. Previous activities ranged from stargazing, to making explosives, to playing video games together. This week was Remus' turn, and he intended to use it well.

Right at 7pm on the dot, Remus heard a knock on his door. Opening it, he was greeted by the sight of his partner, smiling softly at him.

"Salutations, Rem."

"Oh get in here, you nerd."

After Logan stepped in the room, Remus immediately shut the door and spun around to face him.

“Ready for tonight, Lo?”

“Of course. What is it you have chosen for tonight?”

Remus gave him a sly smile. “You’ll see.”

With a snap, the two were transferred from Remus’ room to what looked like an art studio. It was messy, supplies crowding tables and floor alike, canvases leaning anywhere there was room. The walls were covered in murals and graffiti, forming beautiful but haunting images that were not easily forgotten. Finally, in the center of the room: two untouched easels and canvases, back to back from each other, and paints and brushes on the accompanying tables. Logan stared at the room in poorly disguised awe, as Remus bounced excitedly next to him.

“Remus this is...satisfactory.”

“Come on, nerdy wolverine! This place is pretty fucking cool, and we both know it!”

“...alright. It is, as you put it, ‘pretty fucking cool’.”

“Aw, I knew you loved me!”

“...I can not argue with those facts.”

After clearing his throat for a moment, Logan continued.

“Now, what exactly are we doing here?”

“Oh, right, I nearly forgot. Whoopsie!”

Remus dragged his partner over to the blank canvases, smiling broadly. 

“Tonight, we’re gonna paint for each other! Whatever you want, no limits, just pure creating. Whaddya think?” He waited, anticipating Logan’s answer.

After a moment of hesitation, he nodded, and Remus sighed with relief. 

“Well, get to work!” 

And so, they began.

~

After a couple hours, Remus stepped back from his canvas. He had worked hard on this piece. Sure, it wasn’t one of his more...extravagant pieces, but it was for Logan, and he knew Logan would appreciate it.

On the canvas, a galaxy stared back at him. Blues and blacks and purples all swirled together to create space, while planets and stars were added with their bright colours of rock and gas. He had tried to keep everything as accurate as possible for Logan’s sake-he had been the one to teach him about space after all-but he allowed himself some creative liberties. After examining his creation for a moment, he snapped his fingers. There was still one tiny touch he needed to add. He flourished his hands dramatically, and sat back to watch the magic happen.

Slowly, the paint began to move on its own, swirling together, creating an almost glittery sort of look. The stars seemed to actually shine, the planets seemed to actually rotate around themselves, the colours changing slightly as they moved. The painting felt alive, as if it was a living, breathing, thing. Remus had always been good at adding little touches like this to his work.

He glanced over at his partner, seeing him still working. Feeling eyes on him, Logan looked up, meeting Remus’ eyes.

“Have you already finished, Rem?”

“Yep! How about you?”

Logan looked down at his painting for a minute. “I’m afraid I have not completed it yet, apologies.”

“No problem! I’ve had tons of practice, so it makes sense for me to finish first.”

“Correct. May I see what you've done?"

"Of course, Lo!"

He walked over and gasped in surprise when he saw the painting.

"Oh my, that is...satisfactory, Remus."

"Aww, I love you too, Lo!"

Logan blushed slightly, and Remus' grin grew. 

"Hey nerd, can I see yours? Even if it's not done?"

"Of course, Re, though I'd have to warn you it isn't very good. Especially compared to something as magnificent as this. Objectively speaking, of course."

"Hey, I'm sure it's amazing. After all, you made it."

Remus walked around to Logans canvas and stared.

The painting was of an octopus. It was relatively simple, orange with bulging yellow eyes. Its tentacles floated around it, the suctions attached. A blue background of the deep sea was behind it, as the octopi rested on the seafloor. Remus noticed small things immediately, how it lacked the level of depth that his own did, or how the colours weren’t blended as perfectly as they could be. 

He loved it.

“Lo! You never told me you were an artist!” He gasped dramatically. Sure, he was being a little over the top, but come on, he was creativity for drawing’s sake!

Logan adjusted his glasses as he spoke coldly, “There is no need to patronize me, Remus.” 

Remus deflated a bit. He didn’t want his partner to think he was mocking him. He quickly reassured him.

“No Lo, I love it. Really.” He smiled, but Logan didn’t smile back.

“Remus, really. I mean, look at what you’ve done! It’s magnificent! And mine is...painfully mediocre.” He continued to look forward, but his posture sagged slightly, letting Remus know how upset he really was.

“Lo, it’s perfect because you made it. I, frankly, don’t give a damn about the technique or accuracy or anything else. All that matters is that you, my delightful dork, created this, and that’s enough to make me love it.”

“I...thank you, Remus,” Logan adjusted his glasses again, voice wobbling slightly. Remus chose not to comment on that, “that means a lot.”

“Oh, come here you nerd.”

~

Remus’ favourite thing to do was create.

No matter what it was. Paintings, sculptures, stories, pictures, creatures, whatever it was, Remus enjoyed it. But, his absolute favourite thing to do was create with Logan.

Logan's least favourite thing to do was create. 

His area of expertise was things that were known. Things that were facts. He could tell you the history of a specific art form, tell you techniques that helped improve it, but every time he attempted to create any sort of art, it always came out looking...wrong. But, when he and Remus went to their studio, making art for one another of all different kinds, he began to not find his art so awful all the time. Remus helped change his perspective on it, and made him begin to enjoy it. 

“Maybe,” he would say one day to his partner as they sat in the studio, mirroring their positions of their first time there, painting for one another, “maybe art isn’t so bad. When it’s with you, at least.”

And Remus would smile.

[futures-tense]

We’ll Find Out What We’re Made Of

//~1.2k//tw: shooting mention, arson mention, spoilers for 4x13 of 911 and 2x12 of ls//

Buck needs to talk to someone. He wishes it could be Eddie. But, at the moment, his best friend is in surgery and all Buck can do is pace around his living room. Christopher isn’t home yet- he’s spending the day with Abuela and Pepa- leaving Buck at the mercy of the suffocating silence. He pulls out his phone and calls the first person who comes to mind, putting it on speaker and placing it on the coffee table.

“Buck, hey!” TK says. The excitement in his words are the exact opposite of what Buck’s feelings.

“Hey... Um, are-are you busy?”

“Lucky for you, Carlos is out and I’m on... a bit of a vacation. So no; what’s up?”

Buck lowers himself onto the couch. “Something... I just need a distraction.”

This time when TK speaks he seems a little further away which probably means he’s on speaker. “What happened?”

“Is someone else there?”

“Just me, Buck.”

Buck scrubs his hand over his eyes, lets out a breath. He doesn’t know why he’s telling TK this; they’ve only known each other a few months. But they’d talked almost every day since the wildfires and he trusted him- not as much as he trusted Eddie but close enough to-

“Eddie got shot.”

“What?”

“How’s Carlos?”

“He’s fine,” TK says vaguely. “Go back; Is Eddie okay? Are you okay?”

Buck tugs at a loose string of the hoodie Bobby had brought him at the hospital. He catches a glimpse of red caked at his cuticle and he thinks he might cry.

“Buck.”

“He’s... He’s in surgery. I dunno, I’m not family.”

“What about you?”

“I need a distraction,” he says matter of factly. “How are you? You moved into Carlos’s last month, right? How’s that been?”

“Good, good,” TK says, a little too quick but Buck looks past it. “Things have been...exciting.”

“Gross,” Buck teases and TK laughs.

“Not like that! Well, actually...”

“Anyway.”

Buck hears TK giggle softly. “You remember how I said that when we got Buttercup, he would only go after my stuff?”

“Mhm?”

“Yeah, he has a new victim.”

“Oh no.”

“Yup, he likes to chew on Carlos’s shoes now.” He sounds almost proud and Buck shakes his head.

“You must be so relieved,” he says sarcastically.

“It is cute to see my intimidating boyfriend pout about having to get rid of a shirt that was barely surviving anyway.” That makes Buck laugh and he instantly feels guilty. “I mean, we needed to buy him a bunch of new clothes anyway,” TK adds the last part under his breath, and Buck files it away to ask about later.

“Wait- so, your dad let you take Buttercup with you when you moved out?”

TK doesn’t say anything for a few moments and Buck almost has to make sure the call didn't fail.

“That’s- not exactly, no,” TK finally says.

Buck makes a face even though TK can’t see him. “Then how does Buttercup get Carlos’s stuff?”

“We are currently...living in my dad’s guest room...”

Buck freezes. “But you just- you moved into Carlos’s.”

“Yes, I did,” TK starts. “But then...it sort of...burned down...”

He lets that sink in just to make sure he heard that right. “Your house burned down.”

“Yes.”

“TK, you may be a paramedic now but you were also a firefighter,” he jokes. “You should know fire safety.”

“Okay, first of all,” TK says, a playful bitterness in his voice, “rude. Second, it...wasn’t exactly our fault.”

“What happened?”

TK doesn’t say anything for a while. Buck knows he still there though; he keeps hearing a soft sniff now and then.

“There, um... There was an arsonist- AFD’s arson investigator, actually. He... He got in somehow and-”

TK’s voice breaks and Buck sighs. “Everyone’s okay?”

TK lets out a watery, bitter laugh. “No, not remotely.” Buck hears him take a shaky breath. “Uh, everyone’s still pretty shaken up after the firehouse explosion-“

“Wait, what?”

“Oh yeah, the arsonist blew up the firehouse, too. And then everything with Carlos and me... Marjan’s been struggling too, but...”

“She’s Marjan?”

TK sighs. “It’s not fair. The stuff they’re saying. It’s- she was doing her job. There was nothing she could have done. And she’s not really talking to us about it. None of us know how to help.”

Buck thought of all the calls that hadn’t gone his way. “I get it. She just needed someone to blame.”

“I hate that it had to be Marjan.”

“Me too.”

“And Dad, he-“ TK scoffs. “God, Buck, everything is a mess; I’m not sure if I’m the best distraction right now.”

“Don’t worry about it, TK,” Buck says. “Sounds like I’m not the only one who needed to talk.”

“Yeah...” He sounds exhausted and Buck wishes he could do more.

“You’re still good with Mr. Perfect, right?”

TK lets out a laugh. “You’re still pining after Super Dad, right?”

Buck’s smile fades and TK curses on the other end, realizing his mistake without Buck’s help.

“Sorry, I-“

“It’s fine. You’re fine.”

They sit in silence for a while. “I think...” TK stops, evaluates, then starts again. “I think, you should tell him.”

“Remember what happened last time you told me that?”

TK thinks for a moment then gasps. “Oh my god, I forgot about her.”

Buck rolls his eyes. He pulls at that string again and the cuff of his sleeve tightens around his wrist.

“I haven’t told her. About Eddie.” Then something else hits him. “Oh my god...”

“What?”

“Chris...”

“He doesn’t know yet?” Buck covers his face and shakes his head. Almost like he can see him, TK makes a disapproving noise. “No, Buck, you have to tell him. That’s his dad, you need to tell him.”

“But does it have to be me?” Buck asks. “I don’t... I could- I could tell Ana and she could tell him.”

“Buck, he won’t want to hear it from her,” TK insists. “You know that; hell, I know that and I’ve never met either of them.”

Buck knew he was right but-

“I had to tell Eddie that I lost Chris in a tsunami.” TK doesn’t respond. “I stood there and I had to tell my best friend that his son was gone. I don’t... I don’t think I can do something like that again...”

“I know, Buck, I know, but-“ Buck hears a door open and TK mumbles something before continuing. “Buck, you have to tell him.”

“I will, I will,” he sighs. “I have to go pick him up soon anyway.”

“Hey, Buck?” He makes a face. That isn’t TK. “I’m so sorry but- can I steal TK?”

Buck smiles a little. “He’s your boyfriend, Carlos.”

“That is true,” Carlos says. “Babe, it’s the Vegas.”

There’s a weighted silence that Buck knows all too well.

“TK, I’m gonna go. Keep me updated.”

“Yeah, of course,” TK says, sounding distracted. “Just- Tell him. Both of them.”

Buck nods. “I know, I will.”

“Bye, Buck.”

TK is the first to hang up and Buck sits back against the couch, wondering how the fuck he’s going to explain all of this to Christopher.

[heyheydidjaknow]

Insert interesting AN here. It's like 2 in the morning.

Chapter 13

He finally speaks. “This isn’t going to work if you keep moving around.”

You dig your nails into your palms as he pulls another shard from your back. “I know. Still hurts.”

A pause. “I could ask Master Splinter to let you have some alcohol to numb it if you want.” His voice throughout the whole process has been incredibly soft, from since you woke up in his room until now. “The skin disinfectant is going to sting more than this.”

“I’ll drink myself to death,” you promise, half-joking in an attempt to lighten the suffocating mood. “Seeing how the past couple months have gone, I should probably just get used to pain, right?”

He pulls another piece of blood-soaked glass from your skin, placing it into a can at his side with a clink. “I really hope that doesn’t happen.” You feel him pull another portion of the skin on your back taught. “The pain thing, I mean. Not to say that I want you to drink yourself to death—”

“I get what you mean.” You try to keep an eye on him without moving your neck, not wanting to get blood on his sheets. “I’m the same way about the murdering thing.”

Silence, again.

“How’s the cockroach thing going?”

“It’s going.” He is quick if nothing else; he is already three-quarters of the way done, now at your waist. “It seemed to be working alright this morning, so it should work tonight if I’m lucky.”

You smile gently. “That’s good, then. You’re due for some good luck.”

“Of the two of us?” He leans to the side from his seat on his chair, studying your face. “I think you need it more than I do.”

You laugh. “Most teenagers boys don’t have half-naked girls on their beds because of medical reasons,” you argue. “I’d say you dealing with me is worthy of some good mojo.”

“The portal wouldn’t have been destroyed if not for you.” He leans back, pulling a particularly large piece out of your hip. “We wouldn’t even know what their ultimate plan was, what to look out for, what to expect.” He bends down, and you hear the gurgling of a liquid being poured out. “Besides,” he reasons, “it was as much my fault as yours for not thinking of the glass walls. It’s the least I could do.”

You bite down on your tongue as he starts wiping the blood off. “Shit,” you hiss, “that stings.”

A hint of excitement laces his tone. “Wanna know why?”

Your jaw relaxes as the pain subsides. “Sure,” you chuckle, strained. “Why does it hurt?”

“Well,” he starts, “this antiseptic, like most antiseptics, is comprised mainly of two compounds: ethanol, or just normal grain alcohol, and hydrogen peroxide.” He sounds like a passionate schoolteacher when he goes off about anything science-related. It is absolutely enrapturing, listening to someone so in love with their craft. “Now, ethanol activates vanilloid receptor-one, which is also activated by capsaicin, which is what makes food spicy. But the funny thing about that,” he continued, “is that, usually, the receptor is only activated by really high temperatures—the receptor is what lets you register hot things as hot.”

“I thought you said you didn’t know about medical stuff.” You wince again as he continues to clean your wounds.

“Oh, I’m just not good at applied medicine,” he chuckles nervously. “None of the serious stuff, I mean; I’d never be able to perform a proper surgery or prescribe medications without a ridiculous amount of research, but I know how to set bones and how certain chemicals react to certain receptors.”

“So, you know how it works but not how to fix it?”

“I guess so, yeah.” You hear the chair move as he gets to his feet. “I started looking into it the first night you came here, actually, since I never looked into how burns worked until…” he trails off, clears his throat. “Anyway,” he tries again, “ethanol lowers the temperature threshold to body temperature, making the cut burn. It’s also why it’s painful to drink things with a high alcohol content: your receptors register it as if you’re actually being burned.” He pushes your hair off your neck carefully. “Hydrogen peroxide acts similarly, only it activates a different receptor, known as transient receptor potential ankyrin one, and while not as much as known about it, it’s theorized that it acts similarly, resulting in you feeling pain.” Your fingernails dig into your palms again as you suck in air at the burning sensation on your neck. “But it’s important to note that antiseptics are different than disinfectants. Disinfectants are for non-organic surfaces because they contain higher concentrations of biocides than antiseptics.”

You exhale as the pain subsides. “Have you used antiseptics before now?”

“Of course.” You feel him start to place things—they feel like pads—on your back. “But I made sure to account for the differences in skin types, so unless I made a big mistake at some point, the odds of you getting chemical burns is close to zero.”

“Your confidence is very reassuring,” you grin. “By any chance, do you plan on reimbursing the cost of cutting my shirt up?”

“Nah,” he shrugs. “Was planning on having you walk out of here in the middle of fall in NYC without a shirt to make double sure you get hypothermia. As you said, we have to add to your list of injuries.”

“Of course,” you “nod’ knowingly, cracking yourself up. “No pain, no game.”

“Glad to be on the same page.” He sighs. “Honestly, I don’t have a ton of fabric to fix your shirt or jacket, so unless you have some on hand—”

Your response is immediate. “You take my shirt and fix it,” you interrupt. “If one of them is going, it sure as hell ain’t gonna be that fucking jacket.”

He blinks. Your words register after a second.

“I do not mean it in—I mean—” you immediately backpedal. “I’m not—you get what I mean, right?”

“Y-yeah. Yeah, I know what you—yeah.” He is doing absolutely nothing to help the embarrassment. “I got it; i-in hindsight, I probably should have tried taking the jacket off, but I was worried I’d cut your skin up more.”

You press your face into the mattress as you feel what you assume is tape being laid along your sides. “I appreciate it.” A pause. “I don’t actually remember what happened after the main explosion happened. What…”

No response. You feel his knee sink to the bed as he reaches over, applying the adhesive on the other side of your skin quietly.

“I don’t wanna know?”

“Probably not.” His hand presses the creases flat into the curve of your back, sighing again.

You smile nervously. “I made a fool of myself, then?”

“… I wouldn’t say that.” He applied another pad to your neck. “Just—for glass rain, you were pretty calm, I’d say.”

“For glass rain,” you highlight. “Seeing as I don’t remember it, I can’t imagine it was good.”

He removes his hands. “I honestly don’t know why what happened happened,” he admits. “Just know that the guys are probably not going to give you a hard time for it.”

“Probably?” You finally turn your head to look at him.

He shrugs, gently turning your head back. “Mikey, sadly, seems to get it more than we do, so that’s two.”

You lick your lips absentmindedly. “Hey,” you shrug, “I’ll take fifty percent.”

You feel a heavy blanket drape over your back. “I still have to get the glass out of your hair, and I don’t have anything else for you to wear, so this’ll have to do. I won’t look while you adjust it.”

Your eyes strain to check. Sure enough, you watch him turn around and face the opposing wall.

You sit up, pulling the blanket around yourself to save your modesty. “You’re good. Need me to turn around?”

“Uh, yeah.”

You lift yourself, careful of your leg as you reposition yourself to have your back to him. “Thanks for this, if I haven’t said it already.”

“It’s no problem.” Fingers part your hair, tweezers now attached to your scalp. “You should see the stupid injuries I’ve had to help my brothers with.”

“I bet,” you feel yourself grinning. “I’m surprised you guys haven’t torn each other to shreds yet.”

“There have been close calls.” You hear the clinking of the can again. “Especially after getting our hands on weapons when we did. You would not believe the number of concussions we had.”

You put your hands up for dramatic effect. “Madness.”

“You laugh,” he laughs, “but figuring out our anatomy to any degree of accuracy was hard enough. I’m convinced Mikey messed Raph up with his nunchaku when we were ten.”

You let him move your head. “This I gotta hear.”

“Oh, it isn’t a really interesting story,” Donnie clarifies. “He just accidentally hit Raph in the head too hard during training and almost caved in his skull.”

You try not to laugh. “What counts as an interesting story, then?”

“Well,” he contemplates, “there was that time with the oven.”

You turn to look at him the best you can with the limited movement he allowed. “The time with the oven?”

“Wax paper catches fire if you put it in the oven.”

You nod, turning back. “Was it you or Mikey?”

“A bit of both.” Clink. Clink. “I thought wax paper implied paper made of some sort of wax, and Mikey was trying to make decorative candles. The theory,” he continues, clearly trying to make himself not sound stupid, “was that putting it in the oven would get more consistent heat throughout the wax.”

You try to hide your amusement for his sake. “I take it that didn’t pan out.”

“It did not.” He chuckled dryly, combing his fingers through your hair to feel for glass. “Splinter was so mad, I thought we wouldn’t see tomorrow.”

Your fingers clench as his hand catches. “Not so harsh,” you breathe in pain. “You’re gonna rip my hair out.”

“Oh, sorry.” He removed his hand. “I forgot it was—that’s stupid,” he edits. “I’m not used to dealing with hair is what I meant.”

“It’s alright,” you reassure him quickly. “Just try not to tug so hard.”

“I don’t think there’s any glass left anyways, so.” You hear the chair wheel away from the bed. “That probably won’t be a problem.”

You turn around properly, adjusting the blanket over your torso. “Thank you for all your help.”

His eyes flicker downward for a second before staring directly and deliberately at your face. “You’re welcome,” he nods, not moving his eyes. “You were incredibly easy to work with.”

“You made quick work of it.” Your legs cross over another, your worn sneaker matching the color of the concrete floor. “And don’t worry about my shirt; I have to go shopping, anyways.”

He blinks. “Why?”

“Well,” you reason, “My clothes are already kinda worn, and I’ve been meaning to buy leather gloves for a while, so it would give me an excuse to go look for a good pair.”

“Leather gloves?”

You nod. “I was hashing it out with Casey, and he agreed they would look badass and cover up my hand scars.”

“You know,” he suggests, poorly feigning nonchalance, “I could make you some.” He rubs the back of his neck. “I have the know-how, and I’m pretty good with that sort of thing.”

You shake your head immediately, face heating up. “After everything you’ve done for me, I can’t let you do that.”

“Sure you can.” You can practically see the gears turning as he verbally plans it out. “I’d need measurements, of course, and finding good quality leather might be a challenge, but it would allow a lot of stylistic freedom. If you gave me a sketch of what you and Mikey worked out a sketch—”

“Dude, no.” You feel like such a girl, getting flustered over something like this. “Never mind how much unnecessary work that would take—”

“It would take me an afternoon, tops.”

“—it would be way too much trouble to find all the right materials and everything!” You shake your head more vigorously. “You have enough on your plate already.”

He pauses. “What if I could give it a practical use? Like, for self-defense or something. Would you let me then?”

You blink. “Self-defense?”

“Yeah.” You feel as though you are missing something when he hurries to clarify, “You had a knife next to you when I came to pick you up. Having something more user-friendly might—not that you can’t use a knife, but you don’t have a ton of experience with them, especially using a kitchen knife against the Foot and you get what I’m saying, right?”

You hesitate, trying to understand what he said before nodding. “I guess that makes sense,” you concede. “It would be shitty to go out like a bitch after convincing myself I deserve to live so many times. That would be kinda inconvenient.”

Despite the fact he looks like you just put a knife to your throat, he nods. “Yeah,” he confirms tentatively. “Inconvenient.”

You shift the blanket under your arms, folding it so that it would stay at your chest. “Alright,” you sigh, “You convinced me. But!” You aim to accentuate this caveat, “But, not my design. If you’re going to go through all the trouble, you design it to how you think they would look cool, so you feel good about what you’re making.”

“You trust me to not make you look bad?”

“Totally.” You smile. “Looking at the Shellraiser makes me want to vomit, but it’s not from lack of style.”

He blinks. “What?”

“Exactly what I said,” you commit.

Your statement makes him take pause, but, eventually, he seems to get what you mean. “Then… thanks,” he nods. “I should probably fix your jacket first, though. Unless you want to walk around New York in the middle of the night in a blanket.”

“I’d rather not,” you admit. “I feel like that would not be my greatest move.”

He gets up. “Are you alright to be left alone? It’s alright if you aren’t,” he clarifies, “but I’d have to shift the timetable a bit if that’s the case.”

You blink, confused. “Why wouldn’t I be?”

“No reason.” He is lying, you are sure. “Just wanted to check before I told the guys I was good to go.”

Something about that statement seems strange to you. “Wait,” you clarify, “why would you go on another mission tonight?”

He averts eye contact.

You lean forward. “How long have I been weird?”

“Not too long, I don’t think. You were out when I got there.”

You reach over, forcing him to look at you head-on. “Are you lying to me?”

He does not answer.

“Has more than a day passed?”

He shakes his head. “It’s only about seven.”

You let go, resting your face in your hands. “so, I’ve been out for, what, sixteen hours?”

“Kinda.” He fiddles with his hands nervously. “A little less, I think.”

“And how long have I been out of it?”

He takes a moment. “You were crying a lot when you woke up,” he concedes. “At about two in the afternoon. I think you cried yourself out, because when I came to check on you—I thought maybe water would help— you were out.”

“Wonderful.” You look up at him. “And was it loud?”

“Not really.” He looks as though he was being interrogated. “I wouldn’t have come, but I left something in here that I needed.” His voice is back to being soft and calm. “You were mumbling about your hands a lot. I actually tied you up,” he chuckles nervously, “because you were moving around so much and getting the shards farther into your back.”

You sigh, something in your stomach sinking. “Probably not a terrible move. Then what?”

“When you started getting normal again,” he continues, “I untied you and got you to stop moving when I started taking the glass out, and I’m guessing you remember the rest.”

You do not say anything.

He stares intently at a corner. “I know this might come off as rude,” he starts carefully, “and I don’t mean to be rude…”

“Spit it out,” you gesture. “Let’s just… what’s up?”

“I honestly do not know enough about this sort of thing to help you.” He looks back at you. “I wish I did, really, but I don’t. I don’t know how you’re wired, mentally, and it’s really not an area I can help you with.”

“I’m not asking you to.”

“But I do know,” he continues, “it has to be hard, trying to find help, given the circumstances, especially after everything that’s happened.”

“Please,” you almost beg, “just get to the point.”

“I think it would be a good idea to start spending more time with Master Splinter.” He looks down at his hands. “I think, given that he knows more about this sort of thing than I do, it would be good for you.”

“So, you’re prescribing therapy?”

“I’m not saying you’re crazy—”

“That’s not what I asked.”

The silence is choking you.

“I don’t know if you have a disorder,” he sighs. “Again, not my area of expertise.” He tries to phrase what he means right, and the next few sentences come out slow and deliberate. “All I know is that the people you’ve known your whole life aren’t around anymore, and you’re having really bad nightmares, and that you freeze up when you get really scared. I don’t want you to suffer on our account.”

You stare down at your feet.

“If not because you’re worried about it,” he tries at a different angle, “would you do it as payment for the gloves? That way, it’s not a handout.”

You smile at that. “Hand out.”

It takes a second. “Pun not intended,” he sighs. “I kinda wish it was, now.”

You look up. “I’ll talk to him while you guys are gone on your mission tonight.”

“Thank you,” he breathes. “I appreciate it, really.”

You smile properly. “Hey,” you say, adjusting the blanket. “You take glass shards out of my back and I scratch yours, or something like that.”

He chuckles. “I should probably go let the guys know,” he gets to his feet. “If you want,” he offers, “you can come with.”

“I’ll take a raincheck.” You get up after him, vision blacking out for a moment as you grab the wall for support. “But I can help you grab all your stuff to move out, if you need.”

His eyes go wide. “You don’t have clothes,” he reminds you.

You almost roll your eyes at this particular concern. “Covers more than a bathing suit,” you reason. “I’ll be careful about making sure it doesn’t slip, I promise.”

“But what if it does?”

“Then they should take a picture of the only pair of tits they’ll ever see in person.” You start to hobble towards the door. “I’ve dealt with worse wardrobe malfunctions. I’ll be fine, really.”

“Your flippancy is incredibly concerning.”

You try not to laugh. You look back at him, grin. “Concerning? Me?” You bring a hand to your chest. “I’m offended, sir. Besides,” You giggle, “I need to have a chat with your brothers if that episode is today.”

--

The look on his face immediately validates your decision. “Could you run that by me again?”

You wrap an arm around his shoulders, hand traveling across the open air as if to reveal your statement. “Cockroach. Terminator.”

“Okay, I’m going to need you to give me more explanation again.”

A sharp grin spreads across your features. “Imagine this,” you explain smoothly. “A giant cockroach—“

“Hate it.”

“— that is also a cyborg—“

“Hating it more.”

“— complete with near invincibility—“

“Sounds like my worst nightmare.”

“— with saws.”

“And it is.” Raphael removes your arm from his shoulders. “I’m sold. No more of that.”

“So,” you confirm, leaning back against the wall, “what is everyone not going to do?”

“I dunno,” Mikey admits easily. “I was too busy watching the horror settle on my brother’s face.”

“I’m not horrified—” he protests.

“You are.”

“Am not!”

“Am too!”

“As a neutral bystander,” Leo pipes up, trying not to openly laugh, “yes, you are.”

You keep your eyes focused on Raphael and not the car. “Look,” you cut in, “are you gonna let him do his job or nah?”

“I’m not promi—“

“The hell you ain’t” He shot a furious look at his younger brother. “You best not breathe on Donnie before the roach is back in the car and as far away from that fuckin’ ooze as possible!”

“Reassuring,” you nod. “Good.”

“If you’re so worried about Donnie messing up,” Leo suggests, “why don’t you use the remote control? You’ve watched him work with it before, right?”

You scoff. “I’d rather chop off my hands with a dull knife than get in the death mobile.”

The other two brothers antagonize each other. “It’s not that bad.”

“Isn’t it, though?” You cross your arms, a sick feeling sinking into your stomach at the thought. “Never mind the fact the lead engineer is a teenage boy, or that it’s made of the finest trash, but it’s also a moving, mechanical vehicle driven by another— and I mean this with the utmost respect— rowdy hormonal teenager.”

“Hey,” he protests, “that’s not true.”

“Karai.”

His face heats up. “It was a mistake that I’ve already owned up to.”

You put your hands up. “Look, man,” you clarify, smiling as the crisis is thoroughly averted, “I don’t blame you. Karai isn’t exactly a dime a dozen, and we can all agree she is an extremely formidable fighter who can thoroughly kick your ass.”

Donnie is getting a run for his money with this blush. “What does— she cannot,” he stammers, “and even if she could—“

“Oh, do not even,” you tease. “We all know that her being a formidable opponent who knows every weapon in her arsenal like the back of her hand and uses them well has something to do with why you like her so much. Raph’s the same way.”

Speak of the devil. “What’d you say?”

“You have a thing for strong women who can probably kick your ass.”

He seems to consider this for a minute. “I’ll get back to you on that.”

“Cool. Anyways.” You turn your attention back to Leo. “The point is, as someone who is also into people who can kick my ass— literally or academically— I get the appeal. Also,” you add, grinning like a moron, “her eyeliner game is on point, which doesn’t hurt.”

He blinks. “Do you like Karai?”

“Absolutely. One hundred and ten percent.” You shrug. “She’s badass.”

“More so than Donnie?”

“Are you guys ever going to get in or are you guys just going to stand out there all night?” Donnie pokes his head out of the vehicle. “We’re losing darkness.”

'Saved by the bell.' “Point is,” you say quickly, “I don’t want in that thing. Couldn’t pay me.”

“Leo! Hurry up!”

“Comin’!” He climbs into the Shellraiser, wheels spinning as the team drove off and out of the lair.

You close your eyes.

You do not want to go to Hamato Yoshi for therapy. You will bet money it does not go well.

‘You promised, though. Might as well have, anyways. Did you promise?’

Your morals and ideologies completely clash.

‘Ninjas aren’t all rendered insane. They have to be doing something right, in theory.’

You use the wall for support, already knowing the walk home is going to suck as you limp towards the dojo.

Table of Contents

Chapter 12

Chapter 14