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thessalian · 1 year ago

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Faerun!Alisaie vs the House of Grief

But before that (which surprises Controller Person who's used to not getting virtual nookie until AFTER doing a LI's companion quest...

Shadowheart: So ... Alisaie... You've been practicing your stealth lately, haven't you?

Alisaie: Yes--

Astarion: I am still hurt, by the way. In case you were at all curious.

Alisaie: Look, let the lovely lady finish her thought and plan me a plan about how to rob a very powerful wizard.

Astarion: Oooh. That is more of a challenge than some old printing press...

Alisaie: Also there were no people in the basement. Just those Steel Watch things. Even if it had come to a fight, no snacks.

Astarion: ...All right, I suppose I forgive you.

Shadowheart: Anyway... I wondered if you might want to sneak out a bit tonight. I have ... plans, of a sort. You brought me night orchids, and ... well ... now maybe you can help teach me how to swim...?

Alisaie: I could definitely do that. There is ... all kinds of incentive for that.

Mizora: I find myself rather tempted to say "Just fuck already" ... but I do recognise that you're working on it.

Alisaie: And why the fuck are you still here, again?

Mizora: I want these Absolutist assholes to pay for nabbing me ... and frankly I'm bored. Oh, hell-drama is fiery and convoluted, but this is just ... cute. A change is as good as a rest, as they say, and I deserve a vacation!

Karlach: Shut your fucking face, you obnoxious--

Wyll: Karlach, don't taunt the literal devil...

Karlach: I WILL HAVE HER SPINE AS A BACK-SCRATCHER!

Shadowheart: ...You knew this was going to cause an argument, didn't you.

Alisaie: Astarion wasn't going to let us leave without making a big thing of it unless I gave him something more entertaining to watch. Now c'mon. Let's teach you to swim.

Shadowheart: So if I ask you to turn around while I get undressed, will you peek?

Alisaie: You'd be very offended if I didn't. And if I asked you to turn around...?

Shadowheart: I wouldn't do it at all. But I'm a little more direct about these things than you are. That's half the fun.

Alisaie: I will warn you right now - sand will get everywhere.

Wyll: *tosses his cloak Alisaie's way while still restraining Karlach from ripping Mizora's tail from her ass*

Alisaie: We've both got one but a little extra never hurts. *tips a salute of thanks to Wyll, exits stage beach-nookie*

And, to kill the afterglow somewhat, the House of Grief

Shadowheart: Thank you. For doing this. They're going to be...

Griefmaiden At The Door: I thought you were too much of a coward to come back. So I suppose it's just that you have no shame--

Alisaie: Can I punch her in the mouth? I really want to punch her in the mouth.

Shadowheart: Save the punching for the Mother Superior.

On being led to the Mother Superior

Viconia: Well. What do you have to say for yourself? After all the work I put into you, what do you have to say for yourself?

Shadowheart: WHERE ARE MY PARENTS, YOU BITCH?!?

Viconia: Well. I thought I did a better job with you. Stubborn wench.

Alisaie: Um ... okay, Sharrans only get this bitter over anything to do with Selune, and Aylin was really quick to hand over Selune's blessing and this smug bitch is talking about... Did you steal a potential Selune favourite for yourself?

Viconia: Oh, no. You. Blondie. Hand her over and you can leave with Shar's blessing. We need to strip a few lessons from this one.

Alisaie: ...*steps over to Viconia*

Shadowheart: ...Alisaie...?

Alisaie: *takes Viconia by the shoulders* Elfsong Tavern says hello, you vindictive ghoul. *HEADBUTT*

Wyll; Gale: *exchange looks*

Gale: I'll go left; you go right.

Wyll: Got it. *Cloud of Daggers on one choke point*

Gale: *Wall of Fire on another choke point*

Shadowheart: Use fire and radiant! Poison, not so much! Also they can see in even magical dark!

Viconia: You're giving up all our secrets now?!?

Shadowheart: .........ELFSONG TAVERN SAYS HELLO, YOU SLAVE-DRIVING FREAK OF NATURE!

Alisaie: Thaaaaaat's the spirit! *Slashing Flourish on a couple of incoming mooks*

Stabnation: *significantly ensues*

And, after all that...

Gale: Yet again, Astarion's going to be disappointed about you losing loot.

Alisaie: He's going to be helping us rob a wizard's sanctum, Gale. He'll cope. Besides, I wanted her to have to live with being beaten by a bunch of adventurers for the rest of her life.

Wyll: You have your moments of cruelty, and they're always so appropriate!

Shadowheart: ...They don't blame me! My parents, I mean! For ... for what I did when I didn't remember they were my parents! But ... but now I either hurt forever, or I ... I... Alisaie?!?

Alisaie: I'm sorry, Shadowsweets. I could do it for Wyll, but not you. Not after everything you've already done because someone else told you it was the right thing. Ask them what they want. It's their lives.

Shadowheart: ...You already know what their answer will be, don't you. But ... Wyll needs to hear it as much as I do. ...Stay with me?

Alisaie: Your pace. Always.

One bittersweet pyrrhic victory and minor mourning later

Wyll: What is it with evil fuckers and parents, hmm? What is that about?

Alisaie: Wouldn't know. Mine were shitlords. I'm really pissed we couldn't smash that stupid fucking mirror. It would have been so cathartic.

Shadowheart: So ... I was meant to be a faithful of Selune ... someone important there ... and the Sharrans stole me and ... it was just to piss Selune off, and... I ... need to process this ... but I'm not sure I'm in a space where I can ... just sit down and actually process it, all at once, you know?

Alisaie: I get it; it'd be like trying to swallow a ham hock whole. But! I can find us a nice little sublimation activity where you can vent some of that, maybe break it down into some metaphorical bite-sized chunks.

Wyll: Please don't tell Astarion about that whole deal. I really want to avoid the grumbling that ensued after he found out about the Oskar thing. Not that we're not swimming in gold at this point, but he gets ... intense. Also he's a little grumpy about how we didn't get a whole lot of treasure out of any of it.

Alisaie: NOT A WHOLE LOT OF--?!? Do you see this rapier that Lora gave me? Do you see it?

Wyll: Yes, but all Astarion knows is that he can't wield it.

Alisaie: Eh, he'll change his tune when I'm shoving it through Cazador's face. Anyway... Hands up who wants to make some assholes pay for trying to blow up refugee children?

Shadowheart; Wyll; Gale: *raise hands*

Gale: But ... then book?

Alisaie: Yes; then we pick up Astarion, get book, and then shove a rapier through Cazador's face.

Shadowheart: I ... meant to ask. Shadowsweets?

Alisaie: Riffing a bit on "sweetheart" there. I wanted to be a little imaginative in terms of endearments. No good? Do I need to workshop it some more?

Shadowheart: *bluuuuuush* No, no ... I ... I like it.

Alisaie: Good, because if we were going to sweet parts of your anatomy that it wouldn't be completely grotesque to have had my hands on ... or in...

Shadowheart: *blushing into near apoplexy* Alisaie!

Alisaie: Don't worry. *leans; whispers* But ... for private consumption?

Shadowheart: *somehow blushing even more, but a little smirk too* Just about everything of mine is for your ... private consumption.

Alisaie: *chuckles* Gods, I love you. Right. C'mon. We're being heroes, so... Wait. What are you two doing?

Gale: *having conjured popcorn and offering the bag to Wyll* ...nothing?

Wyll: *holding a piece of popcorn maybe an inch from his mouth* We ... just finished a really nasty fight and snacks help?

Alisaie: Look, if you want an actual performance, I'll do the ballad I wrote for Shadowheart at the first tavern we come to.

Shadowheart: You ... you wrote a...?!?

Alisaie: Yes, and I can't wait for you to hear it, so let's--

Other House of Grief Personages: *are way less chill about the fight than Nocturne was*

Alisaie: ...In fact, I so much can't wait for you to hear it that we're going to hit the Basilisk Gate, like ... nowish. I want to save some oomph for the anti-refugee assholes. ...Oh; unless you think any of these shitlords need to die, Shadowheart. Your call.

Shadowheart: Honestly, I'm over it. Don't care what happens to them. I want an ale to hide behind while you sing about ... well, me ... and then I want to kill people who are being shitty to refugees.

Alisaie: *to the world in general* Gods, I love this woman.

#Faerun!Alisaie #Thess liveblogs Baldur's Gate 3 #baldur's gate 3 spoilers

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farfromstrange · 2 years ago

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Foreigner's God | m.m

Matt Murdock x avenger!OFC

Chapter twenty-seven: Dear Reader

Read past XXVI here ° series masterlist

Summary: Her friends find the letter when she is already long gone and Matt just about loses his mind. The hourglass has been turned and their run against time has officially begun.

Warnings: ANGST, Matt crying, self-hatred, Foggy is trying to hold the pieces together but they're all falling apart, that's it, that's the chapter

a/n: IVE BEEN FEELING FESTIVE PEOPLE (and with that I mean motivated to give you this filler chapter this weekend instead of next like I had it scheduled, and this one hurts just as much as the last because I can and I want to) ALL BECAUSE OF CHARLIE SO SAY THANK YOU CHARLIE!! If only I had the same motivation for school…

“Never take advice from someone who's falling apart" I felt that. You felt that. Matt felt that. Eliza felt that. The Avengers felt that. We all felt that. 'Cause blondie speaks from the soul and inspires my writing like she's my thesaurus, which she is, technically.

Dear… Everyone?

I didn’t have the guts to write for each one of you separately, it would have hurt me too much, so the coward I am, I chose to pack everything into one letter. And there is really not much to it other than what I wanted to tell you: I’m sorry. I’m sorry for everything, and I’m sorry for leaving.

When you read this, I’m probably long gone. I can’t tell you where I went, but I know I won’t be coming back. Not in this life, at least.

Natasha, Steve, Clint, and Sam, you came back to help me and I appreciate that. You risked your freedom and your lives to help me stop Hydra, and we fought great together. You told me the truth and I was angry, but I have chosen to forgive you because it is not your fault what my father or Hydra did to me. You didn’t deal with this the way Tony did, so I forgive you, for whatever that’s worth now that I am gone.

If you want to be angry at me, that’s fine. I just realized that if we want to win this, I can’t be around you because as long as I’m around you, Hydra won’t stop and we won’t be able to stop them. It’s almost like ballet; we’re dancing around each other and the chances that one is going to give up before the show is over are basically zero.

Fighting Hydra was never going to work, I realize that now, so I chose to leave, and you should too. I will handle this on my own, the way it’s supposed to be. They want me so I am what they’re going to get. I’m finishing what I started seven years ago. It all started with me, which is exactly why I can’t stay around and have you guys risk everything for me when I know it’s never going to work out. If I stayed around, one of you would die, if not all of you and we’d still lose because once you’re gone, I have nothing left to fight for. They would get me and then they’d win. I can’t let them do this, so I’m going back to my roots and I will demolish Hydra. I have to be the one to do it because I’m the one thing that keeps them going. I’m the one who keeps them alive the way they are right now. That is why I left. It’s not on you, it’s not on anyone but myself. I started this and it is time for me to face the truth head-on.

I want to be a hero one last time.

Natasha, you have always been more than a friend to me. You are my sister. You got me out of this hell Hydra put me in, you helped me get a life, held me when I needed it and you saved me when I was at my lowest, drowning in drugs and despair. You saved my life, Natasha, so many times that I lost count, and I owe you everything for that. I owe you my life. The way I treated you was not fair. You have always just wanted to protect me, so I was wrong to assume you would keep the truth about me a secret because you wanted to hurt me. I know you and you’re not like this. You are my sister and you always will be. Don’t blame yourself, it is of no use. It’s not your fault, I made up my mind, and you couldn’t have stopped me even if you tried. And I think you know stopping me before it’s too late is a near impossibility too, so I urge you not to try. Don’t hurt yourself, it’s not worth it. I’m going to say something I have never said. I love you, Natasha, not in the romantic sense but in the way family loves each other. Platonic soulmates, if you will. Thank you for everything that you’ve done for me and please, once this is over, take care of yourself in exile. Maybe try to get the entire team back together, who knows when you might need the Avengers to protect the planet again? They are your family too, so fight for it, I know you want to and you can. I believe in you, I always have. I love you so much, my dear sister.

Steve, there is no easy way for me to say this, but you are the best leader this team could have. I am not a leader, you were right, I’m just desperate. I wasn’t made for this, you were. You’ve been through hell, but you’re still standing. That is remarkable. Your wisdom has kept me going the past few weeks, keeping me sane… every time I look in the mirror, I think of how you would tell me to keep going and not just lay down and stop fighting. I never stopped fighting, thanks to you. You trained me physically, but you also allowed me to vent to you and you told me things that I keep close to my heart. You helped me get in touch with Bucky, and you hated yourself after he almost killed me, but it wasn’t your fault. What happened to Bucky wasn’t your fault. I know you need to hear this, so I’m telling you. You are a great leader and an even greater man, don’t let anyone tell you differently. You are Captain America, so take a stand, do what you need to do, just don’t put yourself in the line of fire to protect me. We both know you are much too valuable for that. I’m sorry to you too, for undermining your authority time and time again, and for not listening to you when I should have. I hope you can find some sort of peace in me telling you all of that. Stay strong, Captain, and never fucking change. I know I used a bad language word, but I know that you secretly love me for my bad mouth. (On second thought, that sounds wrong and I apologize. That wasn’t very professional. But then again, have I ever been professional? I doubt that.)

Sam, I’m going to be frank with you, I barely know you. But you were a soldier who served this country and I salute you for that. You’ve been to hell and back and if Steve trusts you, I trust you too. So you need to remember this: take care of them. You’re the least involved with me, so take care of them after I’m gone. You can catch them, you can make sure they don’t do anything stupid and keep them in check, and you can bring them somewhere not even Secretary Ross can catch them. I trust you to do this for me, and I know you will follow because we’ve always understood each other well. You are the one I put my trust in the way you have put your trust in me whenever we went out on missions. I hope you promise me this once you read it and that you keep that promise. Take care of them, please. That’s all I ask of you. Thank you.

I saved you for last, Clint because I wasn’t sure what to write. I had many conflicted feelings about my words. Unlike with Natasha, it’s hard for me to describe what our relationship was like and what I cherish about you because there is just too much. I cherish you, not just your acts. You always took care of me in a way that wasn’t too much or too little. You treated me like a daughter, introduced me to your wife and your children, and they even call me auntie. I can’t have children, so this means a lot to me. I consider them my siblings but at the same time, I enjoy taking care of them in a way I will never experience for myself. Watching you and Laura gave me hope, it always does. You are proof that there are good-hearted people out there, even those suffering from trauma. You are an excellent shooter. You taught me so much, I think my head will eventually explode with all the lessons you gave me, but that’s what makes me so good at what I do. You taught me how to shoot and you taught me how to be an Agent, not just a spy. You taught me that love is stronger than anything else and that blood doesn't define family. By taking me to meet yours I have learned that it’s true.

You don’t have to be related to feel at home with your family. A family is a home, and I felt at home with you. Thanks for the many Christmases, the gifts and the food, and the love that you spread. The time I lived with you after rehab shaped me. I was broken and you and Nat picked me up, but Laura taught me a normal lifestyle, and farming with you was fun too. Without you, I would probably still be using drugs. And you know how much it means to me that I no longer am that person. I love you, Clint, and I will always do so. Thank you for everything. Give Laura and the kids my love and please, for the love of a God I do not believe in, hold onto Natasha. You need to hold onto her as she does to you. Only like that will you be able to move on.

What I’m going to write next you will have to read out loud. Natasha, I suppose you’re holding the letter? Well, give it to Foggy because this is something that concerns Maverick and Goose.

My dear, beloved, too pure for this world Foggy. Franklin Percy Nelson. Wow, I really don’t know what to say. Thank you for being my friend. We haven’t known each other that long but from the moment you stepped into that interrogation room after I got arrested I knew you’d bring some fresh wind into my life. You are pure, you are not tainted by the scars and trauma of war, and you do not fight bad guys to survive. You’re just you. Beautiful, adorable, insufferable you who don’t care about boundaries but only because you want to take care of the people you love. You know when to push someone and when not to. You do what’s best for others, you help them and you sometimes forget yourself, and that makes you honorable. I wish I could have gotten to know you sooner, we would have made a great team, and maybe my life wouldn’t have been so dark and dull back then. You made me smile while I felt the world was falling apart and for that, I have to thank you. You didn’t deserve to be dragged into all of this, but I’m glad you were there nonetheless.

Remember what I asked you to promise me? I want you to do just that. You know what I mean.

I want you to read this part out loud now. He can’t see it and I don’t know how to use his Braille writer, but he deserves an explanation too. He deserves it the most, out of all the people in this room. I think he will be coming back because you called him, Foggy.

Matt kept hitting the sandbag hanging from the ceiling at Fogwell’s. His hands were wrapped, though blood already started seeping out of his bruised knuckles. He wasn’t sure how long he had been hitting that bag, it must have been a couple of hours. The anger was still very much present and with every hit, he only got angrier. His grunts and silent screams filled the space. His voice echoed. He could hear his heartbeat. His punches accelerated.

Suddenly, his phone rang. It called out Foggy’s name. He considered not taking it, figuring Eliza wanted to apologize and he just wasn’t ready for that. He didn’t want to face her, he couldn’t be around her, it just hurt. He was in pain, the physical kind not even helping to cover his emotional bruises.

Still, he answered the phone.

“Matt, where the hell are you?” Foggy asked.

“Fogwell’s,” he said, panting from his intense workout that was nowhere near finished.

“Come back.” There was something in his voice and his faint heartbeat on the other end that had him halt the bag with unease.

He took a deep breath, closing his eyes and pressing his forehead against the cold leather. “What happened?”

“It’s Eliza. You should come home.”

He had already grabbed his suit by then, her name and the missing context causing the worst scenarios to clog his mind and he needed to be there to make sure Foggy was just exaggerating.

He wasn’t.

He probably trained at Fogwell’s to get rid of his anger that is directed at me, no doubt, and then he sprinted back to his apartment because you called him and he thinks I’m dead. He always does that.

“Where is she?” The door barely fell shut before he yelled out, “Where is Eliza?”

He’s standing right there, isn’t he? And he’s disheveled and angry and worried out of his mind. So tell him about the letter. Tell him that I am not dead, not yet.

“She’s gone,” Clint said. Natasha was a whimpering mess on the couch.

Foggy lifted the letter, knowing Matt could hear the paper rustling, heavy with ink. “She wrote us something a-and you’re next,” he said. His face had turned pale and he was struggling to hold back the tears. “She wants me to read it to you. That’s why I called you here, you need to know.”

“No,” Matt breathed. He tilted his head to listen. “No. You’re lying.”

“I’m not.”

Matthew. I’m sorry. You have no idea how much regret has filled my chest just now. No apology in the world could fix what I’ve broken, but I want to try. I want to do as much damage control as possible so the world doesn’t swallow you. You’re listening for my heartbeat in the city right now, aren't you? I know you are.

He was. He listened but he couldn’t find her, not even her smell lingered in the air. She was gone.

You probably blame yourself even though I was the one who hurt you, and now you’re scared of losing because I walked out. I promised I wouldn’t and I still walked out. I promised we’d try to be together and I ruined that too. I screwed up, I know that, but this is me. This will always be me. I am incapable of relationships and I hurt the people I care about because I’m scared.

I can control the fear of everyone else but not my own and that is scary as hell.

Ever since you can remember, people have walked out on you. I told myself I would never do that to you, but I realized that by walking out, I would save your life, and that wasn’t a hard choice to make. Between staying and leaving, I took the one that would be the safest option for you. I made the choice that would keep you safe because you are the one who’s in the most danger. I brought you into this and I hate myself for it. I hate myself for tearing down your walls, then shooting you right in the heart, and stomping on the wound. I hate myself for using you for my own agenda and to get rid of my emotional peril. And I hate myself for not being able to love such a kindhearted, beautiful, selfless, and most of all, good man.

You deserve so much better. You deserve someone who loves you, someone who would do anything for you, someone who can give you back what you give them. I’ve only taken from you since we met and I am sorry for that. I’m sorry for everything that I’ve done to you and more. Mostly though I am sorry that you had to meet me and fell in love with me because you did not deserve the kind of pain I put you through, and you do not deserve the kind of pain you’re about to be in. I knew from the beginning this would eventually happen and I still kept going.

For a short time, I believed we could do this together and still win, but I have realized that by staying, I will only ruin more than I will fix. We can’t work together when it means that you are going to get hurt or possibly even killed. I would never forgive myself for that.

So you can hate me if you want, Matthew. Go ahead, let it out, be angry at me and curse me in front of your God. I deserve it and the lord knows it too. I am still not religious, but I believe that a higher power will bring upon me what I deserve. By hurting you, I dug my own grave. By hurting you, I made myself want to jump into that grave, bury myself in the dirt and eventually run out of air and go to hell. That’s how much you mean to me. So hate me, Matthew, hate me, and then love me and then hate me some more until I am out of your system and you can move on. I deserve it, I do, and God knows that too. He does, I have no doubts about that. Because only a heathen would hurt a man like you.

If I die, I will die knowing that I’ve been loved by you, which is a compliment of the highest order and fills my heart with adoration. I will always remember all that you’ve given me, what you’ve provided and how you’ve taken care of me when I was at my lowest. Thank you, Matthew, for being you. Never change. Move on and be happy, I insist. I’m sorry for having put you through this, but everything’s going to work out in the end. Happiness is still in the cards for you. You just gotta have faith. Knowing you, that won’t be a problem.

So this is it. This is the last you will ever hear from me. I’m so terribly sorry. None of you deserve this.

Please, don’t worry about me, I’ll be fine.

I’m sorry.

Yours truly,

E.B.

With one swift move of his hand, Matt wiped the dining table clean. All the objects on top of it were sent flying to the ground and against the wall, breaking porcelain and glass. The scream he let out was gut-wrenching. Everyone flinched.

He had his hands on his hips, hunching over. He couldn’t breathe. The world around him collapsed. She was gone, really gone, not even with his entire attention focused on filtering her heartbeat or scent out in the city, he could find her. She left him, she left them all, and she was more than ready to die.

Foggy walked up to him slowly. The tears finally made their appearance. Seeing his friend in pain was too much. “Matt,” he said.

He shook his head. “No, no, she can’t be gone. She isn’t gone. I…”

“She left, Matt. She isn’t coming back.”

“No…” his voice cracked. “She’s done this before, right?” He turned to the Avengers who looked anything but like this happened before. “Tell me this has happened before or I swear to God-“

“This hasn’t happened before,” Clint said. His face was motionless, his features set in stone. There was no telling what he felt.

He shook his head. “God!” His fist landed on the tabletop again. “This isn’t like her. She would never… she promised,” the sound could have made angels cry.

Matt’s knees buckled. He barely caught himself on the chair before he broke out into tears. Foggy had never seen anything like it. He had seen him cry, sure, but never like this. Matt had never cried so hard he could neither talk nor breathe, and his body had never vibrated like that before. He was just one ball of disappointment and pain, and he didn’t know what to do.

Foggy wrapped his arm around him, hugging him, and that only made him cry harder. Matt clung to his shirt with desperate hands.

Natasha rocked back and forth on the couch. “This is my fault,” she said.

“What?” Clint asked.

“This is my fault!” She jumped up. “She asked me to get her the info on her father’s whereabouts that I have.”

“You didn’t give it to her, did you?” Steve questioned.

Natasha looked down. “I…”

“Natasha!”

“I’m sorry, she said she wanted closure and I understand that. I got closure. I met with my family and got closure. She deserves it. I didn’t think this would happen.”

Matt lifted himself from the chair, out of Foggy’s arms. “How could you?” he asked, cheeks wet from the tears. “You know how unstable she is. You saw her! And you gave her the information anyway?”

“I’m sorry,” she whispered. “I take full responsibility. This is my fault.”

“Yeah, it is. If she gets hurt or she dies and I have to bury her because you’re not gonna be there, her blood is on your hands.”

Foggy placed a hand on his shoulder. “Matt, that’s not fair,” he tried to soothe him. “We’re all sad, no need to yell at her.”

“No, he’s right,” this was the first time Natasha agreed with him. “Her blood is on my hands. She’s not just looking for her father, we told her that Hydra took him in search for her and he only got out two years ago, bringing her file to Tony, and then he disappeared. She isn’t looking for him to reconcile…” her lips formed into a thin line to stop herself from crying the following words, “She’s looking for him to get Hydra to come to her, and then she’s going to let them take her so she can destroy them from the inside, which means she is more than ready to die.”

Matt grabbed his mask off the floor. “Fuck this!” he grumbled under his breath. He stormed toward the stairs.

“Matt, wait-“

“No, we tried it your way! And I- I am not going to stand here and accept that she’s gone, not after that letter, not after-“ he breathed heavily, “not after I said the things I did that I didn’t even mean. I won’t stand here and wait for the inevitable to come. I’m going to find her, I’m going to use all that I have to find her in this godforsaken city and then I’m going to get her back ‘cause that’s what you do for the people you love. You don’t leave them hanging, you don’t mourn until they’re actually dead, so don’t! Don’t try to stop me. I’m leaving.”

He stormed out like he always did. This time though, Natasha wasn’t ready to just let him go. Foggy wanted to follow him, but she stopped him.

“I screwed this up,” she said.

“Damn straight you did!” Sam shot back. “What the hell were you thinking anyway?”

Clint agreed with him, his fists clenched at the sides. The letter had hit him hard, he just didn’t know how to deal with it. “Yeah, that was completely stupid and brainless, let alone unprofessional,” he said. “You knew this would happen. You knew, Nat, and you did it anyway.”

“I didn’t know!” She desperately tried to defend herself.

“Deep down you did,” even Steve stood against her now.

It wasn’t fair. “I just wanted to help.”

“You just made it worse.”

“Don’t you think I know that?! None of us could have predicted this, let’s be honest. We figured she was slipping away, but this? None of us could have predicted this!”

“Natasha’s right,” Foggy dared to speak up. “We couldn’t have predicted that she was just going to grab all of her stuff and leave to play the hero alone, not after working with Matt.”

“Thank you!”

“Let’s just all take a breath and focus on what’s important.”

“We need to find her,” Clint said. He grabbed his bow. “I’m going to join Matt and we’re gonna find her.” He wasn’t willing to accept this, not yet. “There is still hope, we can still turn this around. He’s right, we can’t just stand here.”

“No, not yet,” Natasha stopped him. Without another word, she took the stairs up to the roof and was gone before anyone could say something.

She found Matt kneeling on the ledge, head tilting wildly. He tried to filter out Eliza’s markers, but she was nowhere to be found. He tried and he tried and he tried and he drove himself insane. The city was so loud, too fucking loud, and he couldn’t get a clear picture. Not this time, not with his breathing loud and clear in his ears, and his heart beating up to his throat.

Natasha let the door fall shut loudly. “Leave,” he growled.

“No,” she said. “We need to talk.”

“There is nothing to talk about. You gave her the information that made her leave. You did this.” He didn’t even turn around to snap at her.

“I know I did this, but I didn’t do it with the intent for her to leave. If anything, I wanted to help her so we can put all of our differences behind us. Please, Matt,” she said and she hardly begged, “I need you to believe me. I didn’t know. I just did what I thought was best for her.”

He ran a hand over his face. He hated that she was right, that she wasn’t lying. He hated that he didn’t hate her, not even a bit. It wasn’t her fault, he just needed someone to blame.

She could tell he was listening now. “I gave her the information, which means I still have it. We can try to retrace her steps and understand her train of thought. But for that I need you. You know her better than anyone right now, so we need to work together. If we want to find her before it’s too late, we need each other.”

He slowly rose back to his full height. “So you want us to work together?” he asked.

“Yes.”

“And you’re sure we’ll find her in time?”

“I’m not sure we’ll find her before we find Hydra, but we’ll find her in time. If we find the Hydra facility, we find her. We just have to be fast.”

He threw his head back, sighing. “Ah, I hate this.”

“I’m sorry.”

“No, it’s fine. I just can’t wrap my head around the fact that she’s just gone and our last conversation was a fight in which I told her I wished I’d never met her. That was a lie, I’d never wish that. I…” he sniffed, “I love her, and that just became frighteningly clear.”

“I love her too,” she said, “that’s the one thing we have in common.”

“Yeah.”

“So are you coming?”

He stepped down, walking toward her. He reached his hand out. She eyed his face first, then his hand. She took it.

“Team?” he asked.

“Team,” she said.

“C’mon, let’s get the others.”

“Wait!”

He frowned. She hesitated for a second before she wrapped her arms around his broad shoulders and squeezed him briefly.

“We’re gonna find her.”

Matt leaned into the hug, wrapping his arms around her middle. He needed that.

“We’re gonna find her,” he repeated her words. “We’re gonna find her.”

PS: Don’t try to find me. If you do, you’re only going to get hurt and that’s the only reason I’m doing this in the first place, to prevent you from getting hurt.

I left because this is what’s best for all of us. I finally get to pay my dues and none of you get hurt. I have to wipe out the red in my ledger somehow, right?

I want to feel human one last time before these powers consume me or something else happens, and what is more human than dying?

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fandoms-are-my-friends-1321 · 4 years ago

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Magic in a Time of Need

Okay so I received this request from @empress-writes, and I’m honestly very excited to write it! I haven’t written for Thranduil or anything related to The Hobbit, so this should be an interesting experience. Flashbacks are in italics. As always gif and characters are not mine. Hope you enjoy it!

Description: Y/N is the most skilled mage in Middle Earth, and has chosen to help the Dwarves reclaim their homeland. When Y/N and the dwarves are caught by the king of Mirkwood, the tension of Y/N and Thranduil’s past arises

Warnings: a little bit of sexual tension, references to past smut, mentions of blood. If I miss any please tell me!

Y/N, one of the most well known mages in all of Middle Earth, was stuck in a prison cell with their comrades. Of course, they didn’t mind that they were in this predicament. It was merely a small wrinkle in their journey with the Dwarves of Erebor, and Y/N wouldn’t have changed anything.

Y/N was recruited by Gandalf the Grey at the very beginning of the quest to reclaim the mountain, and Y/N accepted in an instant. They knew Thorin from when he was younger, and got along with all of the other Dwarfs, who saw Y/N as a sister. Y/N understood what it was like to lose a home, and they wouldn’t let the company fall to that same fate.

Of course, now there quest had come to a halt. All of the Dwarves sat in their cells. Some were angry, while others had simply given up. “Come on, we can’t let this small inconvenience dampen our spirits,” Y/N stated as they leaned against the cool metallic bars. “I know the strength that is within all of you. We will get through this.”

“I hope you are right, dear mage, but with Bilbo missing and Thorin unwilling to cooperate, our luck seems to have run out,” Balin replied. Y/N could understand Thorin’s anger towards the Elven king. He had abandoned the Dwarves like a coward when they needed him, and that was one of the many reason why Y/N decided to join the dwarves.

Fili kicked the door of his cell and let out a scream of frustration. “Can you not use magic to break these blasted bars? Surely that is possible!”

“No, it’s not possible,” Y/N retorted. “My cell is marked with enchantments that prevent me from using magic. Funny, they take the time to make something like this, but they don’t take time to save the innocent.”

The Dwarves all voiced their agreement. After a few minutes, an elf appeared in front of Y/N’s cell. They recognized him from the first time they had came to Mirkwood. Y/N smirked at him. “Nirornor, it’s been a long time. I can see that your still working for blondie. How’s that going for you?”

Nirornor’s face remained stoic. “It’s going well. Not that you would know, mage. Thranduil is requesting your presence.”

“Hm, I can see your still stoic as ever my pointy-eared friend. Alright, let’s get this over with.”

Nirornor mumbled under his breath, something about idiotic humans. Y/N knew better though, for they had spent much time with him while they were in Mirkwood last. Deep down Nirornor wasn’t as uptight as he was now, but Y/N figured that he had to keep up appearances.

Nirornor escorted Y/N into the throne room, and they started the climb up the winding stairs leading to the throne. Y/N tried to rub their wrists, but it was much more difficult with the enchanted handcuffs that were placed around them. Gods, did Thranduil not trust them at all? Well, after what they did, he was probably still angry.

Finally, the two reached the top of the stairs. The king of Mirkwood himself was stretched over his throne, his boot-clad feet dangling over the arms of the throne. Thranduil wasn’t looking at either of them as he pretended to be lost in thought. “You may leave us, Nirornor,” Thranduil said with a wave of his hand.

Nirornor bowed to the king and journeyed back down the stairs. The tension in the air was thick, and Y/N began to shift on their feet. Thranduil simply chuckled at them. “How do those cuffs feel, melethel? I had them specially made for your return.”

“Don’t call me that, and if I’m being honest, these cuffs are a pain,” Y/N growled at the blonde Elf.

“Oh come now, don’t be so aggressive. You didn’t complain about my nickname for you the last time we were together. Don’t tell me you have forgotten?”

Thranduil was right, Y/N couldn’t forget about that night, or the first time they had met. It was several years ago, when Y/N was a mere apprentice. Some of the older mages were called to Mirkwood to help the king, and decided that Y/N should come too.

“Don’t you fret, my dear. Everything will be fine, and I think you’ll find Mirkwood to be quite enjoyable.”

Ealdthard, the head mage of Artevor, a school of magic located near the Blue Mountains, turned in his saddle to check on his apprentice. Y/N was looking around at the massive trees and how their leaves danced in the slight wind. “I think you are right, Ealdthard. However, I’ve heard rumors about the king. Is he really as nasty as they say?”

“Well, all my dealings with him have been pleasant. He may not always be fond of other races, but he admires our magical skills.”

Y/N nodded their head. Surely if Ealdthard liked him, they would too. They approached the front gate of Mirkwood, and a tall, brunette elf approached them. “Alatulya, mages of Artevor. The servants will take care of your horses, and I will escort you inside. My name is Nirornor, and I am an aid to the king.”

The two mages followed Nirornor into the throne room, and upon reaching the throne, Y/N let out a quiet gasp. They never expected the Elven king to be so beautiful. Y/N knew that Elves were often picturesque, but they assumed this king would be old and scraggly. Boy were they wrong. His locks reflected in the light of the room, and his skin appeared to be softer than velvet. Thranduil’s ocean colored eyes stared directly into Y/N’s, and Y/N could have swore that they darkened ever so slightly.

“It’s a pleasure to see you again, Ealdthard. Who is this beautiful person that you have brought with you,” Thranduil asked as he approached the two.

“This is Y/N, my apprentice. I thought it would be good for them to travel to new places and experience new things before they leave my side to travel alone,” Ealdthard responded.

“That’s very wise of you, and I hope that you enjoy your stay here, Y/N. I am Thranduil, the king of Mirkwood.” he leaned down and left a gently kiss on Y/N’s hand, and Y/N blushed at the action.

“Ealdthard and I have some business to attend to, but I do hope to see you at dinner,” Thranduil added as he started to walk away with Ealdthard.

“I will be there, your highness,” Y/N answered with a bow.

“Please, call me Thranduil.”

Y/N later learned the reason why they were summoned to Mirkwood that year. Thranduil wanted help with learning more enchantments to hide his face, which had been touched by dragon fire. At first Y/N had felt pity for him, but his future actions filled them with rage.

“Whatever proposition you have, I want nothing of it,” Y/N snarled.

Thranduil glared back at her. “You haven’t even heard what it is. Stay with me, Y/N. Be my queen and a powerful mage at my side.”

“So, I’m just going to be a tool then?! Never! I am loyal to the dwarves, and they are more courageous than you’ll ever be!”

Thranduil crossed the room in a flash, and his hand harshly grasped Y/N’s chin. He forced Y/N to look into his eyes. Anger was flowing off of the two of them, and a mix of something else was also present. Thranduil’s lips were inches from Y/N’s. “Don’t you ever mention those dwarves around me. They could never give you what I have given you.”

That evening, Thranduil had hosted a huge feast to welcome his guests. After they had filled themselves with a wide array of dishes, a bard began to be lay music in the corner. The peppy tune caused the Elves to rise to their feet, and they all began to dance. Y/N, dressed in a fancy outift, sipped wine from their chalice. Thranduil approached them, and offered a hand to them. “May I have this dance, Y/N?”

Y/N accepted. Thranduil and Y/N spun around the dance floor in graceful movements. Both of them were laughing. Y/N was finally starting to believe that Thranduil wasn’t as harsh as they had originally thought. “You’re an amazing dancer, Y/N,” Thranduil commented as his eyes sparkled with adoration. Thranduil knew that he shouldn’t be falling for someone so quickly, let alone that person being a human, but he couldn’t help it. Y/N made him feel happy, and he hadn’t felt that way in a long time.

That night, Y/N stayed with Thranduil. As the moon travelled across the dark sky, Thranduil and Y/N were caught in the throes of passion, and afterwards their limbs remained tangled with one another until the early morning hours. Y/N woke to an empty bed.

A maid walked in, and Y/N tried to cover themselves with the fitted sheets. “Excuse me, do you know where Thranduil is,” Y/N asked the maid.

“Oh, he had to leave early this morning. A dragon has attacked Erebor, and the dwarves are requesting assistance. However, Thranduil has already made up his mind to not help them. A dragon is dangerous business,” the maid stated.

Y/N’s features flushed crimson from anger. If Thranduil wasn’t going to help those innocent Dwarves, then why did he even leave in the first place! Y/N quickly dressed and gathered their things, and before leaving they told Ealdthard the reason behind their abrupt exit. Y/N could not stand by and help a selfish king.

“If that is what you wish,” Ealdthard whispered, “then I will meet you back at Artevor. Travel safely, dear Y/N.”

And travel they did, all the way back to Artevor. They finished their apprenticeship, and travelled into the world as planned. Never once did did they think of Thranduil, except for the few nights when they woke up in a hot sweat from a dream they had about him and their time together. Y/N became the most powerful mage in Middle Earth. When the moment came that Y/N could help the dwarves, they joined with no hesitation. They would get back at Thranduil for doing what he was to scared to do.

When Thranduil returned and learned that Y/N had left, he grew angrier by the second. Tables were thrown, and Thranduil even pulled a sword against Nirornor. “Where did they go?! Why has Y/N left me,” Thranduil shouted in anguish and rage.

“They have gone back to Artevor. They said that they would not help such a selfish king,” Nirornor said.

“I swear, that if Y/N ever dares to return here, I will make them suffer! I will show them what happens when you cross an Elf!”

Little did Thranduil know that his time for revenge would eventually come, and now here his now enemy was, just an inch away from him.

“I may still love you deep down, Thranduil, but until you change your idiotic ways, I will never stay by your side,” Y/N declared.

Thranduil leaned in and roughly connected his lips with Y/N’s. His anger went straight into the kiss, and while Y/N wished they could return it, they shoved him away as best they could with cuffs on. Thranduil’s eyes flashed with fury, and he slowly backed away from them. “Take them back to the cells. I will wait an eternity if I have to in order to have you by my side, Y/N.”

As Y/N was dragged away from the king, they flung their head back in a roar of laughter. “Sorry, blondie! You’re going to have to wait longer than that!”

Y/N was right of course, for hours later Bilbo had freed them and the other dwarves, and they floated down the river in oak barrels. Their journey was back on track, but Y/N couldn’t shake the lingering feelings they had for Thranduil.

Nirornor approached Thranduil for the second time that day. This time he was wearing armor, and orc blood stained the side of his slim face. “Your highness, Y/N has escaped again.”

Thranduil simply smiled. “I know that they’ve escaped. Something tells me this won’t be the last time I will see that famous mage.”

#Thranduil x reader #Thranduil #the hobbit #The Hobbit #Lee Pace #Tolkien #Thorin Oakenshield #Bilbo Baggins #x reader #enemies to lovers #elves #this was definitely an interesting story

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seeing-the-light · 4 years ago

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New Dream Appreciation Week Day 4: AU

@gleamful-lanterns @autumn-ravenclaw

A View Like This Read on AO3 “Excuse me... sir? Are you okay?” Eugene blinked, startled at the sudden address. He’d spaced out a bit, and must’ve been scowling thinking about his stupid father, and this stupid train ride in the snow to get to him, because of stupid reunions or whatever, and- “Fine.” He muttered, before he looked up from his seat to see who was addressing him- and froze. The emerald eyes of a woman - younger than him, but not by much, he guessed - stared back at him, brimming with concern. He cursed, internally - this wasn’t the place to let himself slip like that - and straightened, abruptly, “Sorry. That was terribly rude of me, I-“ “Oh, no it’s fine!” She said, hurriedly. Her gaze darted up and down the train corridor as the man behind her coughed, impatiently. “In fact, I’m... sorry for disturbing you, actually, it’s just that... you’re sorta in my seat?”

The words were delivered in the most apologetic way, but Eugene’s brow furrowed. “Oh? No, I’m pretty sure this is my- ah, drat.” He realized, looking over his ticket. “You’re right.” Stupid window seats. Why would he want those, all there was to look at was-

“... You don’t want the window.” She guessed, tentatively, breaking him out of his thought spiral again. There was something... bubbling underneath her tone, now, and Eugene looked up at her again, from gathering his belongings to shift to the inner seat.

“Not particularly. What’s there to se-“

“Can I have it please, then? I’d love to look outside and see all the people and lights and sheep and-“ She cut herself off, abruptly, and gave an awkward laugh, trying to compose herself. “Sorry. But. Would you mind if I took it, then?”

Something of a smile had begun to cross his face at her enthusiasm, and he found himself rising to let her in and gestured as if he’d just opened a door for her. “Be my guest.”

This made her give a tiny giggle, as she squeezed in past him. The man behind her was practically glaring daggers at her for holding up the line at this point, and something made Eugene decide he disliked him instantly.

He sat back down as she moved to arrange her belongings. Mostly, he just stared at his hands, and the rest of car- for some reason it felt like watching her do that would be awkward, which was weird, because awkward wasn’t a feeling Eugene Fitzherbert felt very often.

... correction. Awkward wasn’t a feeling Flynn Rider felt very often, and Flynn was all that mattered to most everyone, because he was far more exciting and charming, without any of the fears and insecurities. In short, Flynn was the much better option.

“So, Blondie-“

“Rapunzel.”

“Gesudenheit.”

She gave him a slightly annoyed look, and Eugene raised his hands up in a gesture of surrender. “My name is Rapunzel.”

“Rapunzel.” He tried it around in his mouth. “Rolls off the tongue, surprisingly.” His brow furrowed in thought, thinking back to his attempted university days. “Say, isn’t that some kind of flower?”

“It is!” All at once, her animation was back. Eugene was just relieved he hadn’t made another misstep - for some reason, he was already beginning to care what she thought.

That’s dangerous, Rider. He told himself, internally. Letting people in was dangerous. Pretty soon they’d find the cracks in your armor, and stab, hard, when the moment was just right.

But he wasn’t going to think about Stalyan, right now, and how she was why he was on this stupid train ride to begin with.

“I can’t believe you know that! Most people just think it’s... weird. Or random.” She shrugged, playing with her braid instead of looking at him

“I don’t think it’s weird or random, it’s kinda pretty.” He responded, before he could stop himself. Dangerous, Flynn, he thought, as her face flushed lightly because of it. “Well,” He amended, trying to recover. “It’s a little weird. But in the unique way, not the bad way.”

“Pretty and unique, huh…” She gave him a small smile. “I think I’ll take it.”

“Great, because I regret to inform you I don’t offer refunds.” He quipped. Wasn’t his best work, but it made her laugh, so he counted it as a success. Not that he quite knew what he was trying to succeed at.

“So, Mr I-Hate-Window-Seats, you have my name, it’s only fair that I learn yours.” “Now that’s just not fair-“

“You called me Blondie.”

“Because you actually have blonde hair!” Some of the passengers nearby turned to look over at them, so Eugene lowered his voice, though it did nothing to diminish his indignation. “I don’t hate window seats.”

“You seemed awfully keen to give yours up.” “Yeah, well, that’s because-“ Eugene gave a dramatic, long-suffering sigh. “I hate snow.”

“How could you hate snow?” The look she gave him was borderline horrified. “It’s so white, and pretty, and it makes everything sparkle, and you can go sledding and make snowmen and snow angels and have snowball fights and then later on when you’re tired out you can go inside and wrap yourself up in cozy blankets and sit by the fire- snow is magical.”

“Some of us don’t have much cause for magic, Blondie.” Eugene said, in a much more subdued tone, staring at his hands. Stalyan used to make a show of being cold, sometimes, so he’d be obligated to give her his jacket. In retrospect, he thought she just liked watching him shiver.

But his comment had left the conversation at an awkward pause- he had to save it, somehow. “It’s just cold, and wet, and it gets everywhere…”

“…did you just use your hatred for snow to make a Star Wars reference?”

The small smile Eugene gave her could only best be described as dorky. “…maybe.”

“Oh my god.” She chuckled, rolling her eyes. “You know, you still haven’t told me what your name is.”

“Hm….” Flynn Rider or Eugene Fitzherbert. Eugene Fitzherbert or Flynn Rider. It should’ve been an easy choice. It should’ve been easy, second nature, Hey, the name’s Flynn Rider, rinse and repeat.

So why did he have this overwhelming, annoying urge to tell her the truth?

“Flynn.” He said, before he could second guess himself, though if anything the answer he’d chosen just made him feel more like a coward. “Call me Flynn.”

“Flynn.” Rapunzel’s eyes twinkled as she said it, and somehow in that moment it sounded better than any time anyone else had ever said that name. “I like it.”

* * *

Eugene – no, Flynn, he supposed, because of that split-second decision – had a big problem.

He was trapped.

Now, most traps weren’t really enough to hold him down for long. He’d been in and out of enough cells and vaults to know a thing or two about breaking out.

His current predicament, however, was … rather more delicate.

You see, he and Rapunzel had chatted about things for about an hour or so in fits and starts, when she’d decided to put her headphones in and journal for a bit. Flynn, being the gentlemen that he always was, had pulled out a book, to give her some privacy and make it obvious that he wouldn’t be reading over her shoulder.

But somewhere in there, she’d fallen asleep. Fallen asleep, and now she was resting her head on his shoulder.

This is dangerous, Flynn, He reminded himself, again. If he knew what was best for him, he'd wake her up right now. But he didn't. Honestly, more than any personal discomfort, he just... wasn’t sure how she’d react when she woke up. But she’d whimpered in protest when he’d tried to move her off, and he didn’t have the heart (funny, really, that he still had one of those) to try that again.

And he’d picked up a few things from their conversation – she was an art major, at university, who was somehow trying to cram as many additional majors and minors into her degree as humanly possible. She truly seemed to enjoy learning, just for learning’s sake, and that outlook… well, it was refreshing. It wasn’t an attitude he came across often in his own circles. But this was her first big trip on her own, without anyone – hence the pent-up excitement that’d released in sporadic outbursts, earlier. She was juggling a lot, and she had a lot ahead of her, so maybe it was best to let her rest.

She’d tried to turn some of his questions on him, too. Not in an intrusive way – he didn’t know how to explain it, but he didn’t think she was manipulating him. It seemed more like she was just… genuinely interested in learning more about him of all people, which was bizarre.

So he’d told her a few things. How he’d recently had a bad breakup [leaving out the altar part]. How she’d retaliated by exposing his whereabouts to the father who’d abandoned him as an infant out of some misplaced desire to protect him.

You know, just the light material.

Her eyes had grown round and wide, even at that much. “Maybe you should give him a chance, though. What if he really was trying to protect you?”

Flynn’s eyes grew harder, but Eugene could only think about hungry nights and always being on the run. “If he was,” He found himself saying, in a low tone. “Then he was just as shitty at that as he is at being a father.” Rapunzel had gone quiet at that. From what he’d gleaned, her parents were a shade overprotective – her father, in particular, seemed borderline stifling – but on the whole they were fairly supportive of her interests. There was something darker hiding behind that, he thought, something in her past that cast shadows over everything she said if you squinted for long enough – but she never alluded to it, and he wasn’t going to pry.

His thoughts were cut off by the train jolting, abruptly. Rapunzel gave a startled yelp, looking around frantically, before slowly coming to rest on him. She glanced at his shoulder, then back at him. “Was I-“

“Don’t mention it.” Eu – Flynn said, moving to stand slowly to see if he could glean any information on why they’d stopped.

As if on cue, a voice came crackling over the intercom. “Good evening, passengers. It appears our passage forward has been blocked by a fallen tree. We’re going to do our best to resolve this as quickly as possible, but in the meantime, please sit tight. We appreciate your patience.”

“Great.” He muttered, aloud. “Just great. As if the snow wasn’t enough when it was rushing past us, now we’re –“

“Flynn, look!” Rapunzel said, giving a tiny gasp. She pointed out the darkened window, and at first he was confused about what she was even seeing out there.

But when he carefully leaned over to peer through it, and look up at the sky, his eyes widened, too.

“Whoa…” He said, softly. Aurora Borealis lit up the night sky – he remembered that from when he’d tried a few university classes, too. The ribbons of green and blue and purple light danced across the atmosphere, and for a moment it was easy to feel like this was a private show, meant just for the two of them.

“Isn’t it amazing?” Rapunzel’s voice was filled to the brim with excitement, and despite the circumstances and not knowing what’d come after this, he couldn’t help smiling. Maybe it was okay not to think about names, or plans, and just live in this, brilliant moment for once. “The stars are coming out too, in the background – I could probably point out some of the constellations, too –”

“And I could tell you the stories about some of them.” He found himself responding. Maybe being stuck wouldn’t be the worst thing…

“I’d love that, Flynn.” Something about the way that she said it so earnestly twisted something in him, and he felt compelled to-

“Eugene.”

“What?” Rapunzel blinked at him.

Eugene ran a hand over his hair, self-consciously. “It’s Eugene, actually. My real name.”

He braced himself for accusations, questions about why he hadn’t told her the truth to begin with… but she just smiled at him, softly. “I like it.“

“But-“ He said, baffled. “But that’s exactly what you said when I said my name was Flynn.”

“It’s not about what your name is, Eugene,” she said, turning back to the window to begin sketching a rendition of the lights still visible through the window. “It’s about liking what I know about the person behind it.”

She said it so casually, as if it was a fact, and he wanted to protest. He wanted to insist that there were demons in his past she didn’t know the first thing about, wanted to tell her that she was better off attempting to befriend practically anyone else. Most of all, he wanted to tell her that he was decidedly not a good person.

But maybe there was such a thing as magic, because something about the train car and leaning out the window to look up at the sky together, as she drew, with the prospect of sharing the stars and stories long after the northern lights died down stilled any words to that effect that he might utter.

Instead, he let himself accept what she said, for the time being. He let himself smile, a little, and relax. “You know,” He said, quietly. “I could get used to a view like this.”

#new dream appreciation week #i'm actually kinda proud of this

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vitani-blackwell · 3 years ago

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These Violent Deeds || Fated Ball

Vitani Blackwell was who she was until the end…[takes place: September 29, 2021]

tw – death, gore, blood, injuries

EILONWY

Eilonwy had been on edge all evening. Despite her best efforts, so many of the people she cared about were still here at the party, and there was no way for her to keep an eye on all of them. She did her best to fake a smile and a laugh whenever necessary, but the waiting only ratcheted the tension higher and higher. She knew something was going to happen. It would be soon.

But when people started to collapse around her, she froze. She watched as person after person crumbled to the ground, in the wrong position to get to any of them. But worse? She watched the Blackwells begin to move. And they were fast.

But so was she.

Twirling her right wrist, the bracelet transformed into the shimmering Elven blade, barely paying attention to the woman who took one look at her and began to scream as she ran away. Letting out a guttural scream, she rushed forward, trying desperately to get in between Vitani and the collapsed Errol on the ground before anything worse could happen to him.

VITANI

Vitani made a show of playing scared before laughing at the silly girl.

“Ooooh, like I’ve never seen a sword before!” She cackled, deftly dodging out of the way and grabbing the blonde by the wrist. She had half a mind to snap it in two but now wasn’t the time to let her little power trip get the best of her.

Mother gave them one mission and it was to be completed tonight. Tomorrow, Vitani could kill anybody who dared challenge her. Tonight, she was a loyal foot soldier.

Vitani threw the blonde aside like a ragdoll, sending her skidding across the ballroom tile.

EILONWY

Eilonwy was pulling back for her first swing when the woman darted forward and tossed her aside. She could feel something in her arm twinge as she slammed into the ground, but she ignored the pain as she had so often before. There were more important things to consider.

She was back on her feet in a moment, coming up behind and slashing the woman’s arm right as she turned away from Errol towards whoever her next victim would be.

Later, she would apologize to Errol for still not being fast enough. For now, she didn’t devote the brain power to it.

As the vampire turned to face her again, Eilonwy grinned. “You’ve never seen my sword.” She lunged forward again, striking towards her heart.

VITANI:

Vitani rolled her eyes and would’ve sighed had her lungs held breath. What a cheesy line. Did blondie think she was in some epic drama? This was real life sweaty! Puny humans weren’t heroes, they were pillbugs.

Vitani dodged her blade again, though she only managed to keep her dead heart from being stabbed. The Elven blade sliced her arm and she was loath to admit it, but that? That did hurt.

“We will not be thwarted by the likes of you!” Vitani spat, roundhouse kicking the girl square in the gut.

EILONWY

Eilonwy stumbled backwards, gasping for air but managing to keep her feet through sheer force of will.

“Hundreds of years to plan, and you’re going to fail anyway. How does that feel?” Because Eilonwy had no doubt they would succeed. Too many people were counting on them, so it was impossible for them to fail.

With her left hand, she grabbed hold of the flickering candlelight, brightening it and flinging the light up in Vitani’s face in an attempt to blind her as she rushed forward to send her sword biting into Vitani’s side.

VITANI

She was resourceful, Vitani would give her that.

But she was under the impression that vampires were just like humans. Slow, stupid, easily fooled. Vitani was able to see before more than a beat passed, sure, but she wasn’t quick enough to avoid the full force of the blade.

“Not sure, because we’re not going to. Look around, princess. We’re winning.” Vitani growled.

As much as she loved a good homoerotic battle, she was getting bored of this girl.

“Go back to the playground you crawled out of!” Vitani said, grabbing her arm and throwing her down onto the ground on top of her other arm. Hard.

A pleasant snap reached the vampire’s ears and she hid a giggle behind one hand. “Ta-ta, little girl.”

EILONWY

Eilonwy felt a dark glow of satisfaction at the blood beginning to slick the end of her blade, although the otherworldly silver shimmer could still be seen through it. Whatever Vitani had thought would happen, they weren’t going to go down easily.

It was the ‘princess’ comment that distracted her at the wrong moment. She couldn’t help that frozen wonder of how the woman had known that when she had worked so hard to keep it a secret?

In that flash, she could feel the cold claw, wrapping around the sword arm that was still close to her as Eilonwy had prepared to attack her again on the sword’s rebound, and then she was flying through the air again.

As she hit the ground, Eilonwy felt the sickeningly familiar feeling of bone breaking. Despite her best efforts, despite the training, that bright flash of pain overwhelmed her.

She screamed.

TOD

Tod was busy helping others, or doing what he could to find out how to do just that. He had his sword in hand, dashing to the bodies that dropped but what could he do? He was in a panic. But then that scream rang out. It shook him to his very core. He knew that voice. He knew that voice too well.

“Eilonwy?” He called, turning to find her on the ground, writhing in pain while her arm contorted in some strange direction. Broken. It was definitely broken. But he couldn’t even reason with what that meant as he ran in the direction of her, her scream, and the vampire that did it.

“Don’t touch her!” He said, standing right in front of her. She’d get up. She’d get up soon, he just had to fight alone until she did. “You and me. I won’t let you get away with this.” His sword was gripped right in his hands, pointed at Vitani. “Let’s go, coward!” His hands were shaking. But Galahad felt strong with him.

VITANI:

“You’ll be wise to sheath your puny sword, human!” Vitani snapped, gliding over to her final sacrifice, the unknowable knight, and drawing a thin line of blood from his arm. Mm, it did smell good. Perhaps a little taste-- she licked the point of her dagger, wrapping her tongue around it. So that’s what sweet victory tasted like. She’d have to call Shania and feed from her after this, perhaps she’d be kind enough to bed her first.

“Before you end up like your little girlfriend, I suggest you scurry off. Go find a rock to hide under or whatever worms like you do.”

TOD:

“Make me,” Tod began, but before he knew it, a sharp pain split his arm before the warmth of blood rolled down his bicep. He looked up in just enough time to watch her lick her blade clean and his stomach sank at the sight of it. She was fast. Almost too fast. He’d have to think ahead.

He chuckled, twirling his blade in his hand. “Is that really all you’ve got?” With that, he charged forward, acting as though he was going in for a swipe, but instead, attempting to hook her ankle with his foot and knock her down, then strike off her hand or at least damage her arm when she went down. “Come on, Eilonwy! Fight through the pain! I need you!”

VITANI:

“Aw, now I wanna get kinky.” Vitani whined at his ‘make me.’

How frustrating it’s a do-gooder man saying it to her.

His kick was successful, tripping her off her feet, and his blade caught her hand-- what? She was faster than this! He shouldn’t have gotten within two meters of her let alone caught her. Mother...why wasn’t Mother coming to help her, to put a stop to these humans?

Ugh, there was no well in hell, heaven, or earth she was going to let these mortals best her! They must die. Now.

“Apologize.” Vitani deadpanned. “Say sorry, and I’ll let you keep your head.”

EILONWY

Eilonwy knew she needed to get up, knew that any amount of time on the ground equalled her death, which she only cared about because she hadn’t taken down Vitani first which meant that more people would get hurt.

But just as she was trying to force herself up, taking a deep breath to push down the pain and compartmentalize until later, Tod was there. “Attaboy,” she said quietly, wheezing softly.

But she knew it wouldn’t be enough alone, so with a push, she was back on her feet, picking up her blade from the ground and tucking the broken arm in against her side out of the way. Tod had moved Vitani so she was facing away from Eilonwy, which gave her the perfect opening.

Lunging forward, she stabbed Vitani in the shoulder. “Pity. You won’t get the same offer from us.”

VITANI: At the same time the blonde’s Elven blade sank into her arm, Vitani realized why Zira wasn’t coming to put an end to all of this.

The younger vampire made the mistake of looking toward where her mother had been dueling with Arthur and found her form lying still on the ground. No. No, impossible. There was no way that King could’ve struck down Zira Blackwell, the most powerful vampire to have walked this sorry earth!

No trick could foil her mother!

Alas, when Vitani cried out in pain, Zira did not turn her head to her. She did not come to check on her loyal daughter. The footsoldier was without a commander, and thus without a handle on her rage.

“You killed her! You killed her! You will DIE!” Vitani shrieked, launching herself at the blonde and tackling her to the ballroom floor. Vitani’s hands wrapped around her neck to squeeze the life out of her. It was what she deserved. It was what they all deserved.

EILONWY

Eilonwy wasn’t ready for Vitani to turn abruptly and launch herself at her, and as they hit the ground, Eilonwy saw painful stars as her broken arm slammed into the ground at the same time.

Her sword was too long to be used here, she couldn’t make it to any of her other weapons, and she could feel Vitani’s hands tightening around her throat and stealing the last few seconds of air.

It wasn’t how she thought she’d go. She refused to go afraid.

She clawed viciously at the hands clutching at her, kicking furiously, anything to make this harder on the woman on top of her, but she knew her human strength was no match for the vampire. So when she saw Tod over her shoulder, she nodded. Whatever he needed to do. As long as this was over.

As she could feel the darkness closing in from lack of air, she gasped out, “Maybe. But you’ll die first.” And she spat at her.

TOD

The smile of pride that had been on Tod’s lips when Eilonwy stood and fought with him was quickly swiped away as she was tackled to the floor, Vitani’s hands around her neck. His blade was covered in the blood of her hand as he was forced back, watching his friend become choked to death. If he didn’t stop this soon, she’d die. Eilonwy. What was he supposed to do?

Then he watched her nod and he knew. He knew completely. Grasping his sword with both hands, he stood above her, behind her back, and aimed his sword right for her heart. “I told you not to touch her!” And with that, he thrusted his sword down, right through her heart, the blood rushing down onto Eilonwy and even himself before he shoved Vitani off her. Let her lay on her back with his sword pointed down for good measure.

VITANI:

The last thing Vitani felt wasn’t the man’s blade, but her hatred for Arthur for killing her mother. Fine, then. She’d just make sure to kill one of his precious knights in turn. As far as Vitani knew, she succeeded in claiming her final kill because by the time she was on her back on the ballroom floor even her undead second life was over.

Judith Lyons, Vitani Blackwell, and Victoria Boyce and all of the suffering the three women who wore the same face caused lay motionless, harmless, like a kitten declawed or a piranha without its teeth. She wasn’t like a jellyfish who could still sting in death.

Her final act was one of malice, it was an attempted murder to avenge her creator.

Vitani Blackwell died as she had lived -- her mother’s loyal servant, fulfilling her mission until the end.

Zira would have been so disappointed.

EILONWY

Air rushed back into her lungs as Vitani’s grip suddenly loosened and she was shoved off to the side. She gasped and then started to cough hard, curling up slightly at the way this felt against her abused throat and her starved lungs.

When she could breathe a little more easily, she looked up at Tod standing above her. “Thank you. I was trying, but - she was too much for me on my own.”

She glanced over to where the vampire was laying with the sword buried in her. She should probably feel bad. That was a life that had belonged to someone that Zira had stolen, and then she had helped to end the rest of it. But she didn’t. All Eilonwy cared about was that the harm she had caused had ended.

She pushed herself to her feet, swaying slightly as she did so before grabbing Tod’s hand and giving it a squeeze.

TOD:

For a moment, Tod was gone. Transported back to when he was a little boy, watching red grow near the heart of his grandmother. How she’d reached for him and begged him to take her closer to the flowers so she could die in peace. Only this time, he’d been the one that took a life. An immortal life, a dangerous one, but a life all the same. He reached up to his face, touching the blood on his cheek then staring at his fingertips. Blood on his hands. He would always have blood on his hands.

The only thing that had snapped him out of it was the small grip of Eilonwy on his hand. She was alive. He’d saved her. “Don’t ever do that again,” he said, pulling her into his embrace. And already he could feel the tears beginning in his eyes. The pain of it all. The memories. They were so heavy on his shoulders. “I told you, I’m not going to let— let you die.”

EILONWY

She gasped sharply as she was pulled in against him, pain flashing through her system as her arm banged into him. But that was fine. Pain meant she was alive, and she would always take pain over feeling nothing at all.

With her good arm, she wrapped him tightly in the hug and squeezed him back. “Yeah. You showed me. I’m ok being wrong this time.”

There was a part of her that wanted to stay here. Right here in this hug, in this moment, with this person who meant so much to her. She wanted to take a moment to process what it meant to be alive when moments ago, she had been so ready to die.

But she couldn’t. All around them were people who had collapsed, people who had been injured by the vampires, and scared people who didn’t know what was going on. There were the other knights to check on, the spell to foil, and Arthur to see. For some reason, she couldn’t see him, and she needed to know that he was ok too. That all of them were, and they had won.

“You’re going to be ok. We did what we had to do, and people are safe because of it. When this is all over, we can hang out and just talk, and it’ll be fine. Now, it’s time to go check on the others, ok?”

Even though it hurt, she pulled back out of the hug, reaching down to grab her sword. She would need to clean it soon. But she would need to make sure it wasn’t still necessary first.

“Do you want to take your sword? Or - I have a spare. If you’d rather not.”

TOD:

Tod nodded. He nodded because he knew just hanging out and talking would mean more lies he would have to say, more false trauma like he had never seen a dead body before or even been the one that caused that death. He wasn’t innocent and even now, knowing he saved Eilonwy and maybe many others, he didn’t feel all that proud.

“I’ll take it. I can take it,” he said, unsteady as he stepped forward and pulled his sword from Vitani’s back. “Go ahead. If Zira is really dead then Arthur had something to do with it.” He needed to process this guilt a little longer. To forgive himself and know she would make it. Hopefully many others would too. “I’ll be okay. Stay safe.”

And as soon as she was gone, he would lean down and cross her arms over her chest, being sure that he respected her body. Even if she was the enemy, even if she hurt others, at one time she was a person. And he had taken everything she had and would have from then on. “May you find peace wherever peace is.”

#tod #eilonwy #fated ball #THE END #RIP VITANI #EVIL QUEEN

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laurelleghuleh · 4 years ago

Text

OCAF | Ch. 3 “Heart, tell them what you came for”

Warnings: read the masterlist first

Songs: “Tell Them” by James Blake, "Forever & Ever More" - Nothing But Thieves, "Bad Man" - Esterly, Austin Jenckens

LEVI'S POV

"You shouldn't be here. Do you miss prison so much?" I asked her.

"I'm doing anything wrong. Please, get lost..." she paused and then slightly turned her head, just to say "captain".

Captain. I repeated the sound of her voice articulating that word a couple of times more. Captain. Captain.

"Tch. I don't care. You should be in your room, sleeping"

"I can't" She confessed.

Well, apparently, I wasn't the only one not able to catch some sleep.

"Again. I. Don't. Care. Go back to your room"

She stayed silent, ignoring me and still staring at the sky.

"Oi. Are you deaf? I said. Back. To your room. Don't make me repeat myself or I'll push you down the building"

She suddenly turned her head over her shoulder, staring at me intensely. If looks could kill, I'd be dead right now. And yet, on second thought, her eyes were pretty reddish. Glassy. Close to tears. Was she crying before I caught her?

Too distracted by my own thoughts, I didn't notice she had slowly gotten up and pretty close to me. "You are all talk, captain, and no trousers, you know? Always threatening me with death and yet here I am. Still very much alive. Living and breathing"

Her tone ignited something almost animalistic inside of me. Something wicked. And at that moment, I totally lost it. Who she thinks she's talking to?

I fiercely grabbed her collar, brought her to the very edge of the roof, almost shoving her out of it. One of her feet slightly whipped out of the corner, but her face remained stoic. Stony-faced. She grabbed my wrist to steady herself like she was trying to provoke me, fight me, but still stayed almost unmoved.

Looking me dead in the eyes, she was waiting for the death sentence from her executioner. Not a single word. Not a single whine. Isn't she afraid of me? Isn't she even afraid of dying?This must be a bluff. And yet, she never flinched.

Enough. I decided to let her go, throwing her to the ground. "Back to your room" I said once again.

"Captain?" she mumbled while I was already closing the roof's door behind my back.

Again. Captain. Captain. I turned back.

"Captain, before you go... I wanted to say... I-I'm sorry"

"Ok. Got it. Now, back to your room"

"No" She declared standing up, right in front of me "N-not for this. Well, also, but I wanted to say that I'm sorry... for Farlan...and Isabel... I've never stopped thinking about it. You know, about your reaction. They were close to you, weren't they? I'm so sorry... I was ordered to-"

"Don't" I interrupted her "Don't be sorry. It wasn't your fault. You couldn't know and that was your mission, right?" and then we stared at each other for what seemed a very long time.

I was looking for something else to say or some way to say nothing at all, but a little voice inside me told me to speak. To talk to her about it. But why? So, I soundly sighed and opened my mouth.

"Yes" I declared "We were close. Friends, you could say. More like a family, actually" She immediately tensed.

"I told you, don't be sorry... I don't need your pity" I spat as she was lightly shaking. What is the matter now? Why does she even care? Criminals don't care.

"I am. I am sorry" she replied straight away.

"You know, I'm pretty familiar with the underground. It challenges you in any way humanly possible until you can't bear it anymore, until you are capable of the most horrifying things, just to survive. Swim or you'll drown, right?"

She flinched a little and then said "So, I was right. You are the guy from the underground"

"Yeah... to be honest, our stories are pretty similar" I confessed.

"I don't think so, captain"

And then again, my childish curiosity spoke for me: "So tell me about it, cadet"

"There isn't much to say... You already know pretty much everything. Just a regular thug from the underground. Before that, to quote one of your comrades, a slut. A poor orphan making a living by working in a whorehouse. Oh, and I once was a survey corps' prisoner. The rest is history"

I couldn't find the right word to say. She really was a prostitute. And Oruo had the audacity to provoke her like that. I felt so upset. He was a great soldier but... a loutish most of the time. I was still speechless. If only she knew that also my mother used to work as a pr-...

"Well, captain, I've bothered you long enough now. So, I-"

"Forget about it" I suddenly spat "Whatever happened back then forget about it. Let your past die and most importantly, don't have any regret"

"Like you did?"

"Yes, and like you should. Be a better person. Do something good. Make new friends"

"I'm tryin-"

"No, you are not. I saw you today. I observed you. You barely speak to your mates. They are your comp-"

"I know you stared at me the whole time, captain" She teased me looking up at me. Was I staring at her? Was it that obvious? I thought.

"Shut up. That's my job, cadet. I have to survey you and your fellows"

"Whatever helps you sleep at night, captain"

"Tch. Be more sociable. Full stop. Now, back to your room..."

"Look who's talking..."

"Cadet. I warn you: you're playing with fire"

"I'm just saying that I did everything I was supposed to do today. I ate. I trained. I didn't try any "funny business" as you said, so-"

"That's not enough. You have to trust them and they have to trust you. Some of them will join the Survey Corps. Some of them we'll be in our squad, so you need to trust them. The next expedition will take place soon, so be more sociable. End of discussion"

"Ok, I wasn't sociable, buuuut I observed them if that counts for anything"

"Tch. Let's hear. Enlighten me, cadet. Share with me some of your wisdom"

She frowned her forehead, upset by my little tease, and then she started "Some of them are already both talented and motivated, like that Mikasa. Then we have a bunch of "I don't know why I'm here" beefy guys. Similarly, a bunch of "I want to be here but I don't know if I should", you know, the motivated but poorly skilled type. Still, I admire their spirit, like that Armin. He seems a nice person. And lastly, the ones who give me chills. Like that blondie, Annie. Her eyes looked almost dead... Even though she was the only one truly challenging me during the combat, she mumbled some nonsense, like that she wants to survive, she won't join the survey corps. And yet, she was one of the strongest in the group. Weirdo. Oh, and talking about weirdos, let's not forget our Jean. He hit on me three times. Three. Only during the training. And then once again soon after it ended"

"So, you can be very talkative when you want to, Daphne" And also, she had quite a good intuition. She could really read people. Wait... Did I just call her by her name?

"I-I was just trying to give you my point of view, captain..." Is she blushing? "I need some more time to trust them" She continued "I'm not good at socializing, let alone trusting people. I'll do better next time"

Yeah...I know what you're talking about...Trusting people ain't my thing either.

"Try. And now, go and try to sleep" I ordered "Tomorrow it'll be quite a busy day. Erwin just informed me there'll be Eren's sentence. Have you heard of him?"

"I heard Mikasa and that short blondie talking about him. They seemed pretty worried about him. So, is it true that he can shift?"

"Yeah, he's the guy. Tomorrow the Supreme Commander will determine which division will look after him... well, survey him. He's fundamental for our mission. We can't afford to lose him. So-"

"Yeah, I know. Back. To my room." She sighed almost mimicking me. I stared at her dead in the eyes. She enjoyed teasing me way too much for my liking.

"Good night, captain"

I nodded, unable to respond, while my head was still focused on that captain.

DAPHNE'S POV

I think I'll never get used to the sky.

I've dreamed about that so many times and yet I couldn't still find my peace. It felt like I couldn't allow myself to feel at ease, let alone content to even that view.

I had no choice, and actually, their offer had given me a little more time to think again about my plan. I would have wait and then, when the right opportunity would have come, I'd run away.

Maybe during the next expedition...What a coward, I thought immediately. I couldn't not only accomplish my mission but also I was no use to their cause. What a coward. Maybe I should have helped them, for a while, and then escape.

I was so conflicted, confused.

That night changed everything for me. When that thing, the titan, attacked me nothing else mattered. Any worry I had ever had in my life couldn't compare. Its expression haunted my thoughts throughout the day as I was trying to plot my way out of that place.

I needed to go back to the underground again, I couldn't let things that way. Wait for me... Wait for me, Abi...

As her face appeared between the shining dots of the wild blue yonder, a single tear dropped down along my cheek to my jaw. "Crying won't fix anything, you coward. Stop it" a voice in my head told me.

And that's when I sensed him. Someone. No, Levi was watching me, and soon after I said something to get his attention. He was just surveying me, yeah sure, but still, his presence didn't bother me that much, quite the opposite.

Scratch that, not only the titan, also the captain and his revelation about being the guy from the underground haunted me all day and for the rest of that night too.

Fortunately, the night didn't last that long, and "a busy day" awaited me.

First thing in the morning I headed to the cafeteria where a quite enthusiastic Hange was already bothering an unfazed Levi.

"Good moooorning, little early bird!" she shouted at me, while Levi only nodded in my direction, simulating a greeting.

"Why so early, darling?" Hange asked.

"The captain had informed me just yesterday that today we would have had a lot on our plate, so I wanted to be ready as soon as possible..." I replied.

Sincerely, I didn't want to be in their way. The faster I would have gained their trust, the faster I'd had a chance to run away.

Moreover, Levi seemed rather pleased with my answer. Did I catch him hiding a little smile in his cup?

"That's great! Since she's already here you two should accompany commander Erwin to the court, I'll go get the kid. I'm so thrilled to finally meet hiiim! See you there!!" and so she left.

Again, I was left alone with the captain. He took another sip and then extended one of his arms to a table behind him. "Here, eat something, so we can arrive at the court before the crowd" said Levi, not daring to even look at me.

"Good morning to you too, captain... and thanks anyway" I didn't make him repeat it and I did as he said. But here he was again, bossing me around while being nice.

He had prepared a cup of tea and some slices of bread with jam. Did he prepare it? For me? Is he just acting like a hunter feeding his prey right before killing it, or is he actually a caring person?

My little and silent breakfast was soon over, so we headed to the stable to get a couple of horses. Levi seemed to have his own and then he grabbed another horse for me: "Take care of it. Horses are pretty smart animals" he said while brushing his horse's mane "They have a great memory and they can understand human emotions. They'll read you right away...They are known to be able to smell fear, you know? So, remember what I said to you yesterday: forget about the past and be present. Moreover, don't be afraid. Whatever you're going to see today, trust me, trust us"

I nodded, swallowing soundly. I somehow did trust them. I trusted him.

"You're such a good little liar, aren't you, Dafne? You trust him, you trust them but they shouldn't trust you. You don't deserve being here, you don't deserve being a soldier" said again that voice.

However, we made it to the court and met Erwin right in front of it. I saw both of them chatting about something and before I could catch any clue the assembly had already started. The room was packed with people: soldiers from all the ranks, regular people, and even a priest.

"Get here, next to me" said Levi catching me by surprise "Be a good girl and stay quiet until the very end" When will he stop bossing me around?I want to punch him so bad.

"Now, look there. Right in front of you. See, that's the gendarmerie, our opponent. A bunch of chickenshit... If they win Eren's custody, they'll kill him straight away. And they still dare to call themselves soldiers" he explained.

I listen to him carefully as I scanned them one by one. Then Levi pinched my hand "Here he comes".

As soon as Eren got inside the room the air got heavier. The gendarmerie was pretty agitated, they made a big fuss while arguing with a mad priest. On the contrary, Erwin confronted them and without losing his cool he proved his point. He was in charge.

But still, everybody seemed to be afraid of Eren: what if he couldn't control himself? What if he was a bluff? What if-

While the whole commission was arguing, Eren was kicked right in his face. LEVI. What the fuck is he doing??? He kicked him again, and again, and again. Even harder than before. He was ruthless. What the-

But I soon realized what he was doing. He was trying to prove he was in charge, that he had Eren under his power. He was the only one who could have stopped him if necessary. Fair enough, but isn't he even a little afraid of that kid? Levi is still a mystery.

Soon after, Mikasa tried to scream and suddenly stood up. So, I moved closer and stopped her "Wait, Mikasa. Wait and see. Trust me" I told her.

It was a setup, I knew it.

When Levi was satisfied with his job, Erwin started to speak again. He explained once again how indispensable was Eren's power to their mission and proposed to assign the boy to the only one who could have surveyed him: captain Levi. The supreme commander accepted. They won Eren's custody.

Soon after the end of the assembly, Hange, Erwin, Levi and I escorted Eren back to the HQ and tried to help him with his bruises. Hange had carried some medicine with her, but Eren was so in pain. Levi had been far from gentle with him.

That's when I remembered an unguent Martha used to hand me whenever I encountered a difficult customer. I once was beaten up pretty bad and I still remember Martha's words "Here, take this. You know, sometimes this type of thing happens around here. Get used to it, babygirl"

Yeah sure, like it was totally normal.

However, I tried my best to replicate the recipe pretty fast with some ingredients brought there by Hange.

"What are you doing, cadet?" immediately said Levi, standing behind me and observing what I was doing.

"What does it look like to you, captain? I'm trying to help him out" I confronted him.

We stared at each other. None of us dared to look away.

"Oh, c'mon Levi, cut her some slack" said Hange.

I glared at him once again and then got back to my recipe. Soon after I was finished and I handed the unguent to Eren.

Half-kneeling down in front of him I said "It should help speed up the process. Or at least it'll help endure the pain. It contains aloe" I smiled at him, trying to cheer him up a little.

"T-thank you s-so much, it feels really nice" He stuttered.

"You're welcome, kid. You did well today" I said as I playfully rubbed his head. He giggled.

"Wooo, it's true! It does feel nice. Where did you learn that, girl? I want the recipe now" Hange said enthusiastically as she was applying a little of my unguent on her arm. "This girl continues to amaze me, I'm glad you two captured her" she laughed and then she turned to face both Levi and Erwin. And so I did too.

The captain eyed me. Unfazed. A penny for your thoughts, Levi?

However, I chuckled a little. Hange's fervor was quite contagious, I must admit.

Suddenly something else caught my attention: Eren's bruises started to fade away. What the fuck?! "I think I saw something even more amazing, Hange. Look at his skin..." I said pointing to him "I don't think that was my unguent" What kind of witchcraft is this?

"No, darling, that's the titans' power. But still... how fascinating..." said Hange, drooling. Another weirdo. Well, another nice weirdo.

However, that's what Levi was talking about before. "Don't be afraid. Whatever you're going to see today, trust me, trust us" he said. I turned around to watch his reaction and he instantly glared at me. A hint of a smile appeared on my face. I wanted him to know I wasn't afraid.

The more I spent time with them the more I could see what they were about.

Soon after, Hange escorted Eren back to his dorm, while Erwin, Levi and I headed down the hallway in the opposite direction.

Before he left, Erwin said "We made it. Another step further" and then he approached me "You did well today too. Thanks for handling Mikasa, she could have gotten herself into trouble without you"

"Don't mention it, commander. She was just blinded by her feelings. She was clearly worried about Eren's fate, I totally get it" I replied.

"Sure, but you demonstrated a lot of self-control and discipline today. Well done, cadet"

"I'm just good at reading people and situations, but thanks commander" I tried to minimize my actions. "Look at yourself: behaving, obeying, being a good girl... what have you become, Daphne?" that voice inside my head echoed once again.

The commander discharged us, so Levi and I headed to our respective rooms.

"Are you happy now?" Levi suddenly asked me when we were almost at my door.

"Excuse me, captain?"

"Now I'll be on Eren's ass. I won't have time to survey you" he said, getting close to me. Way too close "Consider yourself lucky, cadet" he continued.

"If you ever miss my ass, captain, you can make an appointment. I'll definitely keep myself free for you" I teased him, preparing myself for the worst.

His jaw tensed as he scanned my face. He inhaled soundly, never looking away from me. He looked like a wild animal, a predator. His eyes were running furiously all over my face, restless.

"Calm down, captain. I was just messing with you..." I hissed, almost feeling my own breath coming back to my face. He was way too close.

"I've already warned you. Smartmouth, drop it already" he whispered "Just because you behaved today, it doesn't mean I'm buying it. I'll still keep an eye on you"

"Oh, my dear captain, I know you'll do" I teased him.

My fault. I brought it on myself. He gripped my jaw with just his hand and so my head banged on the door. He stared at me furiously but a small grin painted on my face. You don't know who you're fucking with, Levi.

He groaned and let go of me. His expression suddenly changed: did he regret acting out of rage?

"C'mon captain, it's time to go to sleep, right?" I whispered massaging my chin and trying to make eye-contact with him.

Levi suddenly grabbed my hand and took it away from my face. With his left one he cupped my cheek, so he started stroking my jaw with his thumb. I stared at him trying to keep my heart from jumping out of my ribcage.

His thumb softly traveled back and forth on my jaw, while the other fingers stayed solid on the back of my neck. What was that all of a sudden? And the expression on his face...He seemed sorry. Then his eyes traveled from my chin to my eyes, looking for something. He sighed soundly and moved his attention back to my jaw.

He eyed me once again and then left me there, without saying a word.

Once in my room, another sleepless night awaited me, and yet another day came. I really was a lucky bastard.

However, when the daylight hit my window I got up, showered and then headed to the cafeteria where again a silent Levi was waiting for me. Sitting next to him was Eren, quietly eating. On my usual seating position, there were a cup and a plate. Again, Levi had prepared that for me.

I noticed the plate was stuffed with biscuits, slices of bread and some fruits. Was he making amends for yesterday? I smiled at him, but he stayed silent.

While I was still focused on the food, he shyly scanned my face, looking for some evidence of our last encounter. I saw him out of the corner of my eyes so I kindly asked "Is everything alright, captain?" but he just gave me a dirty look.

Once he was finished with his tea he started to speak "Today we'll move out of the HQ. We will travel a little and get to an old castle, which is actually the old HQ. There we will hide you, Eren, so that freak can continue her experiments on you in peace. Hurry up and meet me at the stable" and so he left.

I rolled my eyes, so Eren laughed a little. He was clearly afraid of the captain. How can I blame him?

"Scary, isn't he?" said Eren when Levi left the cafeteria.

"He is all barks and no bite, trust me. However, I guess he is just trying to be a good captain... in his own way, but I think I get it" I admitted.

"I heard he went hard on you too, right? You are the criminal from the underground... Oh, I'm sorry, it didn't come out that well... "

"No, don't worry. You're right, I am the criminal from the underground. And yes, he wasn't that gentle with me either" I said.

"But you don't seem frightened around him, how do you do that??" I really didn't know what to say... Maybe it was because if Levi wanted me dead, I would have already been worm food.

I didn't know for how long it would have lasted, but to be honest, judging from his last behaviors Levi seemed as conflicted as I was. Luckily for me.

After we finished our breakfast, we headed out and started our little trip along with the Special Operations Squad, also known as Squad Levi: that creep Oruo, Eld, Gunther and Petra. The elite squad of the Survey Corps, hand-picked by the almighty Captain Levi.

Once there, we all reunited in front of the gate.

"Oh God, this place is a mess. Look at all that weed!" exclaimed Gunther.

Indeed, it was a mess. A huge castle, for sure, but it rather looked like a dump now.

"In which case we have a problem, don't we?" said Levi, coming from our backs "Best get a broom and get to work".

Is he for real? A question mark appeared on my face and Petra immediately caught it.

"Oh, that was just the calm before the storm, now you'll see what captain Levi is really all about" she giggled as she took me by the arm, escorting me inside the building.

#levi ackerman #levi fanfiction #levi x oc #levi x reader #levi smut #snk levi #levi fanfic #aot fanfiction #snk fanfiction #Captain Levi #levi heichou #levi #read on ao3 #read on wattpad #ytlcaf #fanfic

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detectiveupstead · 5 years ago

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Silver Lining [Upstead One Shot]

A/N: If you’ve watched Criminal Minds, then you’ll know this one shot is completely based off the Season 14 finale where JJ and Reid were held hostage, except at the end of this I of course took some creative liberty and changed it into fitting Upstead. I write for other fandoms on here, but this is my first Upstead fic. Let me know what you think!

They weren’t quite sure how they’d gotten here.

Well, they were. They’d been chasing down the offender, Eddie, who held Judge Carlyle at gun point and dragged her into a jewelry store. Jay and Hailey kept their guns pointed at him even as he held the store manager to his chest, gun to her temple, amongst the panic of the store as everyone else fled. They kept their guns pointed at him as he forced Judge Carlyle to pick up the gun and point it at the two police officers, only doing so because Eddie held her daughter somewhere.

Eddie forced the store manager to hit the security button, barricading the store containing priceless diamonds and gems and trapping them from the world outside. Jay and Hailey dropped their guns, now staring down the barrels of two others, despite Judge Carlyle holding hers with reluctant and trembling hands, and she followed Eddie’s orders as she picked them up and tossed them aside before duct taping both Jay and Hailey’s hands behind them. They had no choice, not with Eddie still holding a hostage, as they sat on the ground. Carlyle had no choice either, not with her daughter being in danger as well.

“Get on your knees,” Eddie spat at the manager, Jenny, who whimpered as she did so, eyes squeezed tightly and tears escaping them. Eddie pointed his gun at Judge Carlyle then, lifting his chin as he demanded, “Shoot her.”

Jenny let out a sob and Judge Carlyle looked at him, horrified, the gun still in her hands. Hailey’s muscles were tense, wishing Carlyle hadn’t taped her hands so securely. She wondered if the team was outside, knew they were doing everything they could to get them out of the store. But they wouldn’t have a way inside, not with them barricaded so securely, and from where she was sat, she didn’t quite have a view of the security camera in the upper corner behind her.

“Please,” Judge Carlyle begged, her voice trembling.

She was being put in an impossible situation, Hailey knew. She’d seen it enough times on the job to know a mother’s love was both powerful and heartbreaking. Knowing her daughter was being held somewhere because of the man holding a gun to her would force her into a heinous crime she didn’t dare commit.

Hailey’s blue eyes looked at Eddie, giving a shake of her head. “Don’t do this,” she said, unable to seep the warning tone from creeping into her voice. “She’s got nothing to do with this.”

Eddie’s gaze snapped over to her, the fire in them bold, and she watched as he strode over to her, bending down. His free hand grasped the back of her head, her loose blond hair gripped tightly in his fingers yet Hailey refused to flinch, even when he pressed the barrel of the gun under her chin and tilted her head back to keep his eyes on hers.

Jay’s jaw tightened, automatically feeling his body shift, desperately wanting to put some distance between that gun and Hailey. His teeth hurt from how harshly he was clenching them, green eyes sharp and dark, as Eddie sneered at her, “I don’t think I was talking to you.” He was dangerously close to her face, digging the end of the gun into her skin, and as much as his body was screaming at him to do something, Jay knew one wrong move would end shit for good. Fuck. His gaze alone would melt the gun Eddie held. “Talk again and I’ll put a bullet in your partner.”

He let her go jerkily and Hailey glared after him, exhaling sharply through her nose as her gaze shifted over to Jay’s. He looked back, silently asking if she was okay, her response being a single yet assuring nod. They both looked back at Eddie, who seemed to be brimming with frustration that the judge hadn’t made a shot yet.

“You’re taking too long, your Honor,” he decided before his free hand grasped the back of Jenny’s shirt to yank her up. She shrieked, terrified, and both Hailey and Jay sat up, the scene in front of them unfolding too quickly. Eddie pushed Jenny into one of the counters, a stand of necklaces as well as a mirror smashing to the floor as she crashed into it, followed by the single pop of a gunshot as Eddie shot her once, sending her to the floor among the broken jewelry.

Judge Carlyle gasped, frozen in horror, widened eyes looking back at Eddie as he pointed his gun at her. Hailey tried to get a look at Jenny, her heart racing, trying to see if the woman was still alive. But all Hailey could see were her legs, the rest of her obscured behind the counter, and it wasn’t like Jay could look. He was sitting on the ground against the counter that separated him and Jenny. His sharp gaze was on Eddie, no doubt trying to figure out a way out of this where they all made it out alive.

“New game,” Eddie said, eyes on Carlyle, a near sinister smirk tilting at his lips. “You get to shoot one of them. Better make it quick—remember, I’ve got your daughter.”

Hailey’s throat worked. Fuck. She watched Judge Carlyle look at them, the gun still in her hand, pointed in the general direction of both cops but not quite at one of them. Behind her back, Hailey was still trying to work her way out of the duct tape, despite knowing it was more or less useless. They were taped tightly, sticking to her skin painfully. She was all too aware of her heart racing in her chest, refusing to look anything but collected in this moment.

Judge Carlyle, with trembling hands, pointed the gun at Hailey and Jay’s throat threatened to close up as he looked at Eddie and said, “Come on, man, you don’t gotta do this.”

Eddie, who stood behind Carlyle, scowled at Jay, thrusting his gun in the detective’s direction as he snapped, “You don’t get to tell me what I gotta do!” Jay noted the look of pain in Eddie’s face, masked under the hated anger. “You don’t know what it’s like to go to prison for a crime you didn’t commit.” He shifted his gaze back to the judge, tilting his head. “The honorable judge here made a choice and sent me to prison, no matter what I said. Now, she’s gotta make another choice.” He took a menacing step forward, gun pressing into Judge Carlyle’s back, making her jump slightly and the trembling in her hands to grow worse. “She either shoots one of you, or she never sees her daughter again. It’s all up to her.”

Before Judge Carlyle could make a choice—the gun was still pointed towards Hailey—the store phone rang. The shrill ringing cut through the tense silence, making all four of them jump. Hailey’s lips parted, having a feeling of knowing exactly who it was. Voight and the others were probably attempting to set up a line of communication.

Eddie didn’t make any moves to answer it, and Hailey’s gut twisted. How was the team going to negotiate with a man who didn’t want anything except to make the woman he already held hostage pay? He had taken the fall for a crime his partner had committed, had been imprisoned for it and while he was locked up, the so called partner had disappeared and his family wanted nothing to do with him.

They couldn’t negotiate with a man who had nothing left to lose.

“Answer the phone, Eddie,” Jay said, his smooth voice calm and steady. Hailey looked at him to Jenny, who was still on the floor. Hailey couldn’t see if she was bleeding out, but she could so faintly hear the soft whimpers escaping the woman, could see the subtle shift of her legs. She was still alive. “Just answer it, man.”

They watched as Eddie snarled, gun still pointed at Carlyle as he took a step back, reaching behind him with his free hand to rip out the phone’s cord, instantly silencing it. Hailey cursed mentally, jaw tightening as she looked back at Jay. She saw the look he wore under the dull lighting of the store, knew that he was thinking the same thing—that there was probably no negotiating with Eddie.

“You’re taking too fucking long, Judge.” Quickly, then, Eddie snatched the gun out of Judge Carlyle’s hand before using it to shoot her in the leg. The woman went down with a scream of pen, falling to the ground with her upper half propped up by the counter, and Hailey felt herself jerk upwards at the sound of the gunshot. Both hers and Jay’s instincts kicked in to help, to do something other than just sitting around uselessly. But Eddie quickly pointed the gun at them, the fire in his eyes still present. “I don’t think so. Since the judge is too much of a coward to play, which one of you will it be, huh?”

“I’ll do it.” The words were falling past Hailey’s mouth without much thought, all too aware of the sharp, startled look Jay was sending her way. But Hailey didn’t regret it, because now the gun was once again pointed at her which meant it wasn’t on Jay. She didn’t think she could handle watching her partner get shot again. Twice was more than enough. She ignored the rapid beating of her heart, the protesting shift in Jay’s figure as he watched them intently. To Eddie, she agreed, “I’ll play.”

Eddie licked his lips, looking down at her. “Alright then, blondie.” He lifted his chin as Hailey watched him. He looked like he was considering his next few words. “Tell us a secret. One you wouldn’t ever say out loud.”

That. . . Wasn’t quite what she was expecting. But it was better than being forced to choose who to shoot. Her flannel seemed to feel too hot against her skin, but Hailey couldn’t pay any attention to that. A secret? “Okay, um—” Her throat worked, finding her gaze sweeping over to Jay. He was watching her, silently telling her she didn’t have to play Eddie’s game. But maybe it would stall him, long enough for the team to figure out a way inside. Hailey wanted to keep looking at Jay, to revel in the comfort his mere gaze brought her, but she couldn’t risk Eddie getting impatient and shooting one of them. “Uh,” she looked up at the offender, heart drumming. “I was with a, uh, guy who worked in a higher position than me and, um—” Fuck, she felt uncomfortable even uttering this. “I got promoted and to this day I, uh, tell myself it’s because I earned it but sometimes—sometimes I’m afraid that I didn’t and it was all because I was with the wrong person at the time.”

It was insecurity of hers, one she hated to even think about. But it was also an experience that always made her keep things close to the vest, to never let anyone in unless she trusted them with every fiber of her being. It was a rare bond for Hailey, but one she had so easily found in Jay Halstead. She tried not to think of her past, of her meritorious promotion, because every time she worked in Intelligence to solve a case, Hailey was reminded she was right where she belonged. Sleeping with someone who happened to get promoted right before she did had nothing to do with it—she’d told herself that countless times. Yet, it still was a thought that scratched at her like an itch that never disappeared.

She cleared her throat lightly after she finished speaking, watching Eddie, hoping her words were enough. Enough for what, she didn’t know. Hailey doubted he’d let them go even if she gave a satisfactory answer. Truthfully, she had no fucking idea what was going to happen. One glance at Jay—at the clench of his jaw and subtle lowering of his eyebrows—told Hailey he was still trying to figure it out, too.

She caught movement, in that moment. His hands, taped behind him just like hers, were ever so slowly moving, using his fingers to grasp something that may help to cut the tape. Hailey’s breath hitched in her throat, feeling the small pocket of hope open a little bit.

Except Eddie scoffed, scowling down at her, utterly unimpressed as he gave a shake of his head. The damned gun was still pointed at her. “Nah, nah, I don’t think so.” And then he moved the direction of his gun, pulling the trigger as the pop of it burst in Hailey’s ears.

She jerked, a startled gasp and terrified, “No!” escaping her before she could help it, because the bastard had pointed the gun at Jay and Hailey was sure Eddie had just blown his head off.

But the sound of the bullet shooting into the wooden counter, splintering it into pieces as Jay ducked into himself still hadn’t been enough to reassure Hailey that her partner was okay. The harsh sound elicited a scream of fright from Judge Carlyle, but Hailey couldn’t focus on her, or her own thundering heart, as her blue eyes widened and body jerked to move towards Jay.

“Nuh-uh, I don’t think so,” Eddie stopped her, the gun once again on her as she stopped in place. She hated that her hands were tied behind her back. But Hailey’s gaze remained on Jay, watching as he let out a sharp breath and sat up, his green eyes only slightly widened from the shot being so close to his head. He had ducked into himself, moving his head as far away from the splintering would as he could.

Her gaze remained on him, both of their breathing labored, as Jay finally looked up so his green eyes could meet her blue. She saw the subdued panic—a healthy level of panic was necessary for this kind of job—but otherwise he was okay. He nodded at her, expression alarmed, silently telling her this was getting out of hand. She couldn’t agree more, watching as he once again, subtly, continued to try and rip off the tape around his wrists.

“You’ve got one more chance, detective.” Eddie’s voice drew their gazes back to him, and Hailey pressed her lips together as his eyes narrowed at her. He took a menacing step towards her, looking down at her, definitely getting a kick out of having so much power over the bleeding judge and tied up police officers. “A secret you wouldn’t tell anyone—not even your partner here. And you better make it good or next time I won’t miss.”

Hailey’s breathing was labored, an effect of the panic of thinking Jay had been shot and the adrenaline pumping in her veins as she tried to figure out a way out of this. She wondered if the team was having any better luck on the outside. But for now, it was up to them. Up to her.

A secret she wouldn’t tell anyone—not even Jay.

The last thing she wanted to do was play this bastard’s game, to spill secrets she kept close to herself because that’s just who she was. Her personal life was her own, not anyone else’s to exploit. The confession about her promotion had been real, it had been the main reason as to why she had kept her relationship with Ruzek a secret last year. But it hadn’t been the biggest secret Hailey had, and somehow Eddie could tell. He wanted her to confess something she held right in her heart, and the thought of voicing it closed up her throat.

Hailey Upton was not a crier. She could remember only a handful of times she had cried in the last couple of years, and it had all been in situations that would make any sane person emotional. Al’s and Cameron’s separate murders, Garrett’s death, Ruzek getting hauled off to jail, Devin’s suicide in the holding cell, both times Jay was shot and she’d thought he was dead. . .

Jay.

Her throat worked as she looked down at the beige carpet, biting her lower lip as she felt her eyes glass over. She hated crying, wasn’t a fan of showing any kind of vulnerability—especially in front of an offender. But a confession had been something she had been so close to doing a few months ago in the hospital before she had silenced herself. Before she decided against it despite her heart screaming in protest and despite wanting to rid of the disappointed expression Jay had worn when she backed out. Hailey tried not to remember that night, tried not to think of how she got the feeling that Jay knew exactly what she had been wanting to confess, and how they never talked about it after. How they pretended things were like they always were between them.

Her nose burned, a tell tale symptom of the tears that gathered in her eyes as she whispered a soft, “Shit,” under her breath.

“You don’t got all day, detective,” Eddie snapped, the impatience in his voice one not to be prodded at. “Talk before I shoot your partner!”

“Okay, okay!” Hailey sounded, lifting her head as she took a breath. She took in Eddie’s expectant expression, at the gun he held, and Hailey decided if she was going to finally admit to something she’d been keeping to herself for so long, she wasn’t going to do so to the offender.

So she turned her head, blue eyes meeting green, catching the concerned expression that painted across Jay’s face when he took in her features. She could see the strain of his muscles under his jacket as he worked on the tape behind his back, though his eyes never left hers, and Hailey felt a terrified twist of her stomach over the next few moments. She would speak, and nothing would be the same between her and the best damn partner she’s ever had, for better or worse. And though she was pushed to it under threat, she would still be speaking from the heart. It would still be true.

“Jay.” His name fell like an unsteady whisper from her lips, sniffling before she let out a breath. Her heart was pounding, feeling the terror of her confession take over the fright of the situation at hand. Being scared was what kept Hailey from telling Jay all those months ago. Now, it seemed as though she had no choice. She wished the circumstances were different. “I—” She let out a breath through a nervous, anxious, scared smile. But his green eyes were encouraging, always ones she found herself getting lost in, warm and welcoming despite the situation at hand. And so she confessed. “I love you.”

If her confession slammed into him like a truck, then Jay didn’t show it. But Hailey noted the way his forehead smoothed out in surprise, lips parting silently as he looked at her, maybe thrown into a stunned silence. Hailey offered a close mouthed smile as she continued slowly, unsteadily. The words were out. Their relationship would be completely changed from now on. Might as well go all in.

“I’m in love with you,” she said breathily. “I—That’s what I wanted to tell you at the hospital. And—and I didn’t, because I got scared. Because the last partner I loved ended up dead and you’ve come too close to that too many times and it just terrified me. I was selfish for keeping it to myself for so long and I’m selfish for telling you now but—” She let out a breath, offering a sad, accepting smile as she finished, “But you should know.”

Jay stared at her, silent and surprised, and Hailey felt something in her heart twist at the thought of her confession ruining everything between them. The thought of losing Jay as her partner—it was something she had experienced too many times and just wanted to stop. He didn’t say anything, just stared at her, took in her words, let them process. What could he say? Hailey didn’t expect a response but. . . At least now he knew. For better or worse.

“Hot damn,” Eddie laughed from where he stood over them, and Hailey had to blink back the tears that had threatened to escape as she looked up at him. He looked pleased, and Hailey’s fingers itched to punch that stupid smile right off his face. “Now that’s a confession! Lucky bastard, aren’t you?” he added, raising his eyebrows at Jay, who merely tightened his jaw as he glared back. Clicking his tongue, Eddie looked back at Hailey before shrugging, “Too bad it ain’t good enough.”

Hailey’s eyes widened at his words, ready to jump as fast as she could and launch herself at Eddie to keep him from pulling the trigger, despite putting her life in more danger than it already was. A gunshot sounded and Hailey froze, watching as Eddie fell to the ground, lips parting, stunned, before she looked over at Jay.

Her partner sat with a gun out, shoulders moving up and down as he breathed, the weapon in his hands as he looked at Eddie’s lifeless body. Hailey’s eyebrows drew together over widened eyes, eyeing the the gun in Jay’s hands that wasn’t his regular sidearm, before her gaze lowered to his legs. She blinked in surprise, catching the ankle holster he wore under his jeans, completely unaware that he started wearing a second weapon.

But instead of sitting there and trying to process what just happened, both Jay and Hailey moved. They got to their feet and Jay quickly ripped off the tape tying Hailey’s hands, and as he went to check on Jenny, Hailey kicked the gun out of Eddie’s dead grip and picked up her own, not finding a pulse on him before she quickly pressed the button to rid the store of the barricade.

The next few moments were a blur; the rest of their team entered, as did EMTs from Med. Hailey kept by Judge Carlyle, who was in tears of relief as Voight assured her they found her daughter, who was being guarded by officers in her room at Med where the Judge was going to be taken. And for a little while, Hailey put her confession out of her mind, didn’t think about how she probably may have ruined her and Jay’s partnership and friendship. Because if she thought about it now, she knew her emotions would get the best of her once the adrenaline wore off.

She could feel his gaze on her from across the room. But Hailey didn’t look back. Not yet.

Hours later, she sat on her couch in the living room, a glass of whiskey in her hand as the TV mindlessly played a show she’d stopped paying attention to a while ago. Rojas was out with the rest of the team, who’d decided on Molly’s after the day they’d had, but Hailey decided to stay home. So she showered, got into some of her comfiest sweats, and tried to put the day behind her.

Easier said than done as the doorbell rang, and when she opened it, the breath caught in her throat at the sight of her partner standing on the other side.

Jay looked down at her, expression soft, as he asked, “Can I come in?”

Hailey refrained from biting her lower lip, heart pounding as she nodded and offered a quiet, “Yeah.”

He entered, stepping up into the dining room, most likely catching sight of the bottle that was placed on the coffee table in the TV room as he familiarly asked, “Pour me a drink?”

She grabbed a glass on her way into the living room, the weight of the couch sinking next to her as Jay sat down to her left after ridding his jacket. She poured him the drink, handing the glass over and picking up her own. It felt normal. Like what they always did after a tough case. But it wasn’t, Hailey knew that.

They were silent, the only sound emitting from the TV, as Hailey looked down at her glass. She wanted to say something, anything, but Jay had beat her to it. “You know, for two people who don’t have the best track record for work place romance, we’re doing a shit job at it.”

Hailey let out a light scoff, finger tracing the rim of her glass. She didn’t meet his gaze as she reminded him, “We don’t have a work place romance.”

“What if we did?”

Hailey’s grip on her glass tightened so she didn’t drop it, finally looking over at the man sitting next to her. Jay was already watching her, green eyes intent, looking for something in her features. Her breath was locked in her throat, wondering if she’d heard him right, wondering if this was going where she so badly wanted it to, but was scared. She hated being scared. Especially with Jay—someone she trusted with everything in her, the person she’d follow anywhere and knew she would get the same in return.

What if we did?

He wanted something more. Just like she did. And that both thrilled and frightened Hailey. Would they be making a mistake? Would they still be able to do their jobs if they were partners and something more at the same time? Neither of them had a good history with that, she knew—what would make them so different that they wold work?

Hailey looked at Jay, and it was like he knew exactly what was going through her head, because he set down his glass and turned his body to face hers. “Hailey, you and I? We work. There’s something here that’s so much more than just a partnership, and I know you feel it too. Having you as my partner, my best friend—it’s more than I could’ve ever asked for. But I can’t sit back knowing there’s a chance for us to be more.” He let out a breath, offering a shake of his head. “Not when I know what I feel for you isn’t just one sided.”

Her eyes widened, blue eyes taken aback as she looked up at him. Her heart was drumming, skin flushing, as she pathetically stammered out, “Y-You—”

“Yeah,” Jay nodded, a light, short chuckle escaping him as his lips quirked up into an endearing smile. “Yeah; I love you, too, Hailey. I should’ve said it a while back so. . . That makes the two of us being scared to say it.”

She looked up at him, at the handsome, charming man who was also the best partner she ever had. And despite the fear still twisting her stomach, Hailey would be lying if she said she didn’t also detect the excitement, the overwhelm of knowing that he felt the same way. And to hear him say it, to hear him say that he loved her too, well that had the air rushing out of her lungs and heart jumping in her chest. He loved her too and it was the best thing she had ever heard in her life.

“We go forward with this and. . . Everything will change. You know that, right?” Hailey asked. Despite her heart telling her to shut up, to not give him a chance to back out, Hailey knew she owed it to him. She just needed to remind him, and herself, about what they would be getting into if they decided to act on these confessions.

A corner of Jay’s lips curled upwards, a boyish smirk she’d grown so fond of over the years. “I don’t think it will,” he responded confidently, the signature Jay Halstead smugness coming out to play. “We’ll still be us—except with a whole lot of this.”

She raised her eyebrows at his words, heart racing and feeling the smile curl her own lips as they greeted Jay’s in a kiss. His warm hands cupped her face as she leaned into him, moving her lips with his own, feeling the flush of warmth and shock of the electricity that shot through her body. Her right hand was still holding her glass of whiskey, but her left slid up Jay’s chest and fisted the material of his shirt, keeping him close as they got lost in the kiss. One that had been a long time coming, melting into each other and the warmth, comfort, and safety they provided.

Despite herself, Hailey couldn’t keep the smile off her face as she kissed Jay, feeling his own lips tilt upwards into an adorable grin of his own. Today had been a rough one, no doubt about it, but if there was a silver lining, this would be it.

#jay halstead #hailey upton #upstead #cpd #chicago p.d.#chicago pd #one chicago #jay halstead x hailey upton #upstead fanfic #upstead fic #jay halstead fic #hailey upton fic #hailey upton x jay halstead #chicago pd fanfic #upstead one shot #writing

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main-routine · 5 years ago

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WITH THE TAIL BETWEEN HER LEGS ep. 1-2: Ladybug

(A RWBY fanfic for big league perverts)

(AND FUTANARI FETISHISTS)

Blake Belladona was rushing in her motorcycle down the street, her punctuality was an important deal to her, and she was not gonna risk it because her boss is a bitch. Her old friends from Beacon were gathering for Yang's B-day in her favorite bar, and she had to be there for her partner's party. The black cat crossed the streets as if they were her own, ignoring the cars in her sides and dodging any traffic lights and officer she could, trying to waste the less time she could to get to the place of the party, and after 20 minutes of races, she stopped at the parking lot of a western themed place.

As she turned off the black sport bike, she got off her famous ass, and walked to the gatekeeper, pulling a yellow card with a flaming heart as it's logo from a little white purse. "Xiao Long invited me" said Blake at the same time she showed the card to the 6'11" monster blocking the access. "Huh?, Oh so you are the one who was missing, kitty?" answered the man after opening the door and crossing her name from that night's guest list. "Thanks Bruno, I'll bring you some cake later" replied the Belladona, as she passed the door and squeezed in the crowd. The cat eared lady was waved from a private table in the second floor, almost isolated from the noise of the dance floor and the counter. Jaune opened the chain to the stairway and thanked Blake for coming: "Thanks Monty you're here! Yang and Nora has been making me drink all this time, and I don't think I could have any more whisky without vomiting" said the blondie at the same time he went up to the stairs.

"Kitty cat!" Yelled Yang, as she hugged both of her friends, "You and I need to empty another bottle of scotch, Arc… And you Bellabooty: You are gonna show me how good you look on the dance floor or I'm gonna get mad for coming late" claimed Yang as she pulled them towards the private lounge tugging from their coats. As the bottles ran empty and the hours passed the group of eight reduced at each of them went drunk or home. First Jaune and Pyrrha, later Weiss, and lastly Ren carrying a heavily drunk Nora. When the clock reached the 2AM. Blake called a Taxi for Yang and Ruby who were almost too drunk to protest against the measure.

As she helped the staff clean the mess of 5 hours of Nora and Yang she passed to the couch were a drunk Ruby was cuddling.

[Turning_Point]

For the cat, The silver eyed girl was a perfect prey: her mini skirt, loosened because the hours of dancing revealed a tight red thong with black details. Her feet, usually covered by stockings and boots were naked now, trying to rest from the painful heels which the redhead never used. Her gentle chest, even if never as big as her sister's was tightly wrapped in a white corset, pushing her breasts up, and making them look seductive for the black cat. Blake unable to restrain herself, kissed the cheek of Ruby, making the drunk but sleep redhead wake up and hug Blake "Blake? Give me a kiss, please?" Asked the naive Ruby tugging from the coat's flaps the black haired woman and making her fall over her. "Jeez, Ruby, you look insatiable" said Blake before coiling her tongue with Ruby's in the bold style of the Belladona: bravely, passionately, and with a string joining the pair's mouths after they finished. Doing so, revealed a tightness inside Blake's shorts, a tightness never supposed to rise with a friend she never thought she would lay her hands off.

Regretting what she did, Blake ran to the bathrooms and shutted herself inside the toilets.

Blake ripped off her bursting white shorts and threw them in the floor, showing a throbbing dick who was demanding for attention. Attention only Blake could give with her right hand while thinking of the pink lips of the redhead: first spitting on the head of his cock, following by gentle strokes with her hand, distributing the spit of hers and Ruby around all the length of the shaft. The head, feeling the movements of her hand, answered the letting with shivers of pleasure in her hips, and releasing also wet fluids from her pussy dripping in her thighs. With every stroke, the girl pant and shivered, slowly raising the speed until she wanked her meat with mad speed, as she edged in the verge of climax, she heard a worrying call from outside her door: *Knock**Knock**Knock* "Blake? Are you ok?" asked Ruby, making the Cat Futanari drip a drop of her white cream over the sink. Without a warning, the redhead, entered the bathroom with fizzing eyes and barefooted, only to watch the throbbing dick of what she thought was her old classmate...

[End of chapter 1]

Before the surprised girl, could scream in fear, Blake kissed her again, with more time, with less love,but for time and technique enough to compensate for the rude act. "It is not what you think Ruby, I was… always like this, it's just that I forgot to behave myself, and your lips were just too much for me to handle and…" tried to apologize the cat eared futa, only to make Ruby interrupt her with another kiss and a gentle stroke around her breasts: "I'm not scared of you, I was only surprised of your… 'size' " said the redhead as she changed her hands from the cat's breasts to her throbbing rod. "I caused this to you?" asked the naive girl towards Blake as she held with both hands the still boiling meat of her. Blake nodded at the same time she bit her fingers, trying to hold her load time enough to either die of embarrassment or calm her male instincts.

"Then, I should take responsibility for my own mess" replied Ruby as she got on her knees, kissed the crown of Blake's dick and started licking the head of it, making circles around the glans as she looked straight to the eyes of her partner's pain filled face. Then she opened her hot mouth and shoved the dick in front of her to the back of her throat, making the knees of the Cat weak, and getting the cock even deeper inside the redhead's mouth.

"Don't worry *hic* Blakey! I will relieve you of this in ten moves or less!" condemned Ruby to Blake as she pulled out her head and slapped her meat in her blushed cheek:

She ran her tongue from the top of Blake's pussy lips to the back of her cock's head.

"Ruby!..

She licked the neglected dick cheese, running the same tongue that tasted her pussy juice inside the corners of her glans and urethra.

...please...

As she returned the scout to her mouth she gently kiss the urethra of the Futanari.

...this is no good...

Opening slowly, she gave the catgirl's dick a small taste, slurping the head of her 8 inches long cock. Ruining the redhead's pink gloss lipstick and smearing it over her shaft as she closed again.

...Oh Gods!...

Repeating the motion, Ruby shoved again the giant thing inside her cheeks, trying to suppress any instincts that said her to bite it, making it go half the way inside until the petite girl gagged the meat rod once more.

...I...hate...yo…

Blake answered the harassment, grabbing the head of her former captain and sticking her boiling meat again against the will of the redhead, smearing the thing inside the mouth as the girl dripped spit and precum from her lips to her chest

...C-cu-Cumming!"

Blake's cock hardened itself inside the mouth of Ruby, opening the flow of hard boiling white fluid inside the throat of the girl, stiffening her legs as Ruby grabbed the Belladona's ass and pulled it towards her face; preventing the retreat of her coward friend as she swallowed anything the cat spitted at her. As the climaxed cat panted in pleasure, Ruby stood up and walked with an arrogant smirk towards the toilet stall. The redhead entered and started stripping her lower half, showing her fit rear as she put her hands in the top of the toilet and opened her legs."Nine moves Blake, you need to make the 10th" challenged Ruby.

Blake loosened up her legs, recovering from the climax she just released, falling to her knees, and drooling on the floor. Her chest beat at 100 MPH, her lust was winning over her common sense, her dick over brain, and of course her own body heat over the clothes. She took off her white coat, pulled her violet scarf and tore her black blouse, leaving only the black torn stockings she had under the white shorts. Only after that, she stood up again and ran towards the horny redhead.

Belladona stood over Rose, kissing her at the same time she untied her white corset, her new erection throbbed against the inner lips of her leader, trying to enter as it pushed forward without any success. Ruby, without breaking her standing doggy style pose, answered Blake's kiss, coiling her tongue with hers and pushing her hips with her own and making her rod slip down instead of sliding inside. When Blake finally took the white thing out of Ruby, she pinched the redhead's nipples, "Brats like you deserve punishment, Ruby" said the catgirl answering the girl's challenge as she broke the kiss, and locked her arms behind her back.

Ruby, without notice felt her little pussy being forced open by the head of the Belladona's cock, swallowing in intoxicating pleasure every inch of the shaft and releasing love juice in gratefulness, as the cat pulled back her cock, charging another ram at the back of her redhead partner's cervix, and slamming her meat against it. For over 15 minutes, Blake repeated the motion until a yellowish liquid started dripping from Ruby's thigh, exposing the pleasured status of her former leader, making her smirk and replying "thank the gods we were here in the bathrooms instead of my bed, I would have spanked your cheeky ass red as your cape, if you had soiled them" taunted the Bellabooty as she stroked the redhead's clit with one hand and carressed her throat with the other.

"That doesn't need to stop you" replied Ruby, at the same time she slammed her butt with Blake's hips, accelerating the rhythm to the pace of each slap, and as promised by the Belladona It wasn't until her ass was red as roses and the pace was enough for the two of them, that the Belladona stopped, hugging the redhead's waist as she poured her cream in the deepest of Ruby's womb. Ruby's legs trembled in extasis, as the white fluid invaded her deepest corners, and fell apart when the meat rod left her hot vagina, making the excess fluid drip into the bathrooms' floor.

Blake left the petite girl panting, almost knocked out by the orgasm, whispering in her ear "I'll go out and get your sister a taxi, wait here and we will continue this at my place, ok?"

#rwby #rwby smut #ladybug rwby #ruby rose #blake bellodona

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ayameakuma · 4 years ago

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Hi, guys!

So, this is one of my many ideas for fanfics (seriously, they are breeding like rabbits inside my head) and I need your opinion on whether you would like to read something like this (it helps me decide if the fanfic idea is worth it or not when friends or other people give their thoughts on it).

Fair warning: This idea may trigger some people because it involves breaking 2 ships from 2 different fandoms that people like very much from what I have seen. I DO NOT INTENT TO START SOME SHIPPING WAR HERE. If this annoys you or you just don't like it, be polite about it, ok? I cannot control what my anime/cartoon infested brain cooks up for a new fanfic. (GOD KNOWS I have TRIED to control them)

Either way, here is a brief explanation of the idea and some explanation on why I chose the pairing(s):

First off, this is a crossover between Miraculous Ladybug and Soul Eater. Marinette, who at the beginning of the story is a 13 years old girl, is the only daughter of Tom and Sabine Dupain-Cheng. Sabine is a Meister - who is very proficient in wielding a variety of weapons - and Tom is her multi-form weapon. The Cheng Clan is - or better said was - very famous in the world for their weapon wielding abilities and for their assassination capabilities, which some even say that were on par with the Star Clan's.

Marinette, however, was kept away from the weapon/meister world by her parents because they wished she would be able to live the normal life they couldn't. But, that did not last long. Around her 10th birthday, Marinette started exhibiting Meister-like skills, and not normal ones either (you can't convince me that the only ones that show the signs of belonging to one of the side of the spectrum are just the weapon, the meisters must also have like early signs of Awakening as a meister too, right?): heightened sense for danger, her body moving on its own when she feels unsafe/sees someone in need of help, and, the strangest one yet, possessing knowledge of how to use a certain object as a weapon in situations that need such expertise (like, knowing how to and where to wound a wolf with just a throw of a sharp rock/a stab of a pocket knife, in order to protect a classmate of hers). These skills brought her more bad than good. For showing such dangerous skills, she was bullied, called weird or even accused of being a "killer in becoming" (kids are stupid and cruel, let's just leave it at that).

Two years pass, during which her signs of awakening as a Meister become more pronounced. Marinette, who never complained about the bullying to her parents, has had enough and tells them what the kids in her school put her through. Hearing this, Tom and Sabine make their decision and, at the age of 12, Marinette Dupain-Cheng becomes one of the newest students at DWMA.

Here, she meets Adrien Agreste, the son of Gabriel Agreste. Adrien is still a model here and is a weapon. His father, Gabriel, was known as one of DWMA most talented students as a Meister and currently is a top fashion designer, his dream of becoming the Meister that made the next Death Scythe now unattainable due to the premature death of his partner and wife, Emily.

Marinette falls for Adrien, who was LITERALLY the first person - besides her parents - that treated Marinette like a human being and not a ticking bomb in the last 2 years. She decides to become the best Meister she can be and become Adrien's pair and possibly his significant other along the way. Her first female friend in Death City, Alya, supports her with all her might and tried helps Marinette get Adrien's attention. The two are also helped by Nino, Adrien's first friend at DWMA, and Alya's Weapon Partner.

One year later, she finally gathers up her courage to ask him to become a meister-weapon pair with her. Things should go smoothly from here on, right? Wrong. Adrien refuses her and, unknowingly, breaks her heart. Depressed, she ends up crying and questioning her worth over the next week, loosing more and more sleep.

A few days after, she ends up being incredibly late for one class that will have the students make pairs for a "pretend fight" as not only to help them with their partnership (for those who already have partners chosen), but also to observe their performance in a more controlled environment before sending them out to collect the Kishin souls.

Along her there is another student who end up just as late as she is, that student being Soul "Eater" Evans. The two, who never really spoke before (besides the morning greetings or just small insignificant chats) are now put to fight as a Meister-Weapon Pair for this only class.

Durring the class, however, something unexpected happened, and, now, by Lord Death's word, the two have to give their partnership a chance by becoming temporary partners for the rest of the school year. Will Marinette and Soul's partnership end up being a success or an utter failure?

ALRIGHT! So, the above is a short summary of like the first 2 chapters, maybe. And as you can see I already changed a LOT of things from the original setting of Soul Eater. (I have nothing planned on how to input the kwami here but... I WILL come up with something, hopefully) Why? Don't ask me. I have zero ideea how this became a thing in my brain and maybe I will have a more clear idea as to why over time. For now, let's leave that as "it just works and that is it".

Now, as you read I have put Marinette and Soul as a (temporary) Meister and Weapon pair, but their relationship before this arrangement is more inspired from my own life. I basically was in the same class for 1 year with this boy, and, besides the group project and greetings, we have never talked at all. One day we just start talking because we were bored and that boy basically became one of my best friends in like 5 minutes. It is this muted chemistry that only clicks for you once you actually interact with that person in a non-official setting or just happens over the course of the debate of one subject that you both like.

Also, yes, I think that Soul and Marinette will be a good romantic (or maybe platonic) couple too. And since, Soul becomes Marinette's weapon, Adrien becomes Maka's.

Now, to explain why these two Meister-Weapon pairs work:

1.Soul and Marinette (Sonette - the name of the ship - given by my best friend who told me I should post this here)

Due to being bullied, Marinette is very shy in general and the only time she becomes more assertive is during battle, even though the confidence/assertiveness dosen't last long. Remember this is a world in which Mari never got to be Ladybug, and because of this, here she is more meek and dosen't know her own value, nor does she have any self-confidence acquired due to responsibilities such as superheroing or being class president. She also didn't have a lot of friends in school before DWMA, a fact that may end up creating situations in which she is very much overwhelmed because someone did a very nice gesture towards her or she may even end up taking blame for thing that were not her fault at all. As such, someone like Soul, who is confident, could balance out Mari very well, besides the fact that LITTLE MARI NEEDS SUPPORT, GODDAMN IT. She needs someone to reamind her she has worth and get her out of her comfort zone in order to give her a push in a better direction. (In other words: Marinette Protection Squad Assemble!)

As for Soul... well, Soul is stubborn. I think that it will do him well to have someone he needs to look after since it will show Soul's gentle side more. Besides this, Soul is still the same Soul we know and love. Personally, I think that these little changes in a character while still maintaining the canon personality can actually make them seem more alive and it makes character development moments more significant in comparison to the original because we see a new side of that character that the canon did not delve into too much.

2. Maka and Adrien

Look, I love Maka and Soul's dynamics and the same can be said about Mari and Adrien's (if only blondie had a back bone *me being salty about the Lila phases*).

But you can't really say that Maka isn't reckless or that Adrien is not a spineless coward most of the time (hate you too, Gabriel, since it is your fault for this).

Why I think they are good for each other?

Well, Maka could learn to be more attentive towards other people and less reckless. Seriously, there is a fine line between courage and recklessness, and Maka seems to need to learn how to discern between the two. Adrien could be good for this since, in this fanfic, he is more or less naive af and needs to be guided by someone other than his father. Maka, in trying to help Adrien, ends up helping herself to some extent and due to Adrien's stained relationship with his father maybe she will even give her own father, Spirit, a chance to mend their own relationship. (It is just a possibility that I could see after pairing them up)

As for Adrien? Well, in this fanfic idea, at least until Maka gets into his mind, Adrien is not better than a doll for his father to play with. Gabriel controls everything than happens in his life. And since here he is not Chat Noir, the only little escape he has is the school, but even that is conditioned by his grades: "If you do not continue to have exemplary results in your school work, then I see no need for you to continue going there." - Gabriel, at some point in the story probably

His father even chose his own partner based on the level of soul compatibility they have together. Basically, Adrien has no voice of his own.

Maka could help him, simply put because she is reckless. Without Soul there, Maka needs to be told what is a good idea and what isn't, even more so when she is not capable of seeing the answer herself. And so, Adrien has to take a stand and say things with his own mouth. He will end up finding his own voice because he has Maka there. (I low key believe if Marinette was his partner, she will have a lots of problems trying to get Adrien to disagree with her, mainly due to her shyness and feelings for Adrien, but that is just me)

Maka and Adrien even have a similar house situation: they both have only one parent remaining that they dislike (no matter how internalized Adrien's dislike is), but they handle it differently which could be a good influence on the other: while Adrien is obedient to a fault to Gabriel because he wants to please his father in hope that Gabriel won't abandon him for not being enough, Maka defies her father due to her dislike for him and for the fact that he exhibits a perverse behaviour while still saying he is in love with Maka's mom (this pissed me off very much about Spirit but at the same time, give him a chance Maka, look at him; he is pitiful)

And this concludes my rant/ depiction of my fanfic idea.

Again, if you don't like it, that is fine. If you do, that is fine too. I just want to ask you: do you think it is worth writing? Would you read something like this if I did wrote and posted it?

Thank you for your time! Bye!😊

#miraculous ladybug #soul eater #mlb x soul eater #marinette dupain cheng #adrien agreste #maka albarn #soul evans #Sonette #this just came to me #this keeps me up at night #plot bunny #fanfic ideas #someone stop me #hear me out #mlb #story ideas #crossover

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zestycompress · 4 years ago

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Ultimate Duo! CH. 2

Forgot to post it here.. oops

anyway chapter three is gonna come out.. probably today or tomorrow. i’m on a roadtrip with my family so i probably have more time to write now

AO3 Link

The car malfunctioned, giving the Japanese tourist some time to catch up with Giorno. Coincidence? Probably. Looks like he needs to get a new car. At least he was able to use Gold Experience and turn his luggage into a frog, he didn’t want to leave empty-handed. Too bad he lost money to the security by paying them to keep quiet. Of course, he could always get it back by pickpocketing some unlucky people.

The blond teen turned around to see a man dragging a shovel. One of his eyes was watery, and at that moment, he knew who that was.

“You’re Giorno Giovanna, right?”

So he knows his name.

Giorno nodded. The man turned around, gesturing to a bench with his head and walked towards it. “We haven’t met before, have we? Giorno, you have any clue who I am?”

“Leaky-Eye Luca. You were in a dispute a while back and when it turned ugly, you took a knife to the face but kept fighting and swinging despite your wound,” He replied. “The complications from that little scrap left you with a perpetually leaking eye, hence your moniker.”

Luca sat down while Giorno stood in front of him. “Here, take a load off and make yourself comfortable.”

The half-Japanese teen stared in silence.

“What’s the holdup? Pop a squat. Looking up at you is hurting my eyes.” He said, Giorno moved over and sat next to him.

“So, how old are you?”

“Fifteen and change.”

“What, really?! Haha! You’re a baby,” Luca grinned and laughed, but his face quickly changed. “Here’s the thing, Giorno, any true friendship has to be built on the firm foundation of the three T’s. You’ve heard of them, haven’t you?” He wiped his eye as he spoke while Giorno stared ahead. “In case you’re drawing a blank, the first one is truth, the second one is tolerance, last but not least you have the third T, tribute, and voila the three T’s of true friendship.”

Giorno turned his head to the older man and asked, “Was there something you needed?”

Luca quickly grabbed his shovel and pushed it right against the teenager’s cheek. “I wasn’t finished showing you the ropes so shut your face hole! Nobody said you could ask questions, as for what I needed, I hear you started a hustle at the airport, huh? Surely you can see how this would be confusing, after all, I don’t remember receiving any tribute from you-” Giorno could really use a distraction right about now. “-and without tribute, how could we remain true friends? Now hand over your wallet.”

“Signore, you’ve got it wrong. I’ve already paid your tribute. I don’t have any money,” Giorno said, only making Luca angrier.

“You talking about that guard?! You have to be a special kind of stupid to think I’m working with that old- huh?” He stared at the bizarre image in Giorno’s wallet of the one and only Dio Brando, but he didn’t know that.. “What the hell is this, a family photo?” He brushed it off and continued to shout. “I know you’re holding out on me, so fork over the cash right now blondie!”

“Signore Luca, I really hate having to repeat myself and as I’ve already said, I don’t owe you anything.”

“Huh?”

“Now please don’t make me say it a third time-”

Luca swung his shovel at Giorno, almost hitting him. A frog - the one that used to be that certain Japanese tourist’s luggage - appeared and was next to his foot. It then hopped onto his leg.

“Time out, kid. What the hell is that?” It’s… a frog… isn’t it obvious?

It continued to hop upwards on Giorno. “So he came back…”

“Flick it off!” The man shouted.

“No, the frog has nothing to do with this. Please don’t ask me to do that.” He responded.

Luca raised his shovel and pointed at the innocent creature. “That wasn’t a freakin’ suggestion, amico, and you still haven’t paid the taxes you owe! Are you seriously going to refuse both of my orders?! You’ve got some brass balls, kid! (more like steel balls haha am i right sbr fans) No one says no to Leaky-Eye Luca twice!”

“This frog is a living creature with the will of his own,” Uh, yeah, we know that. “He thinks and acts for himself. Let’s go our separate ways.” Giorno really wanted to go back to his place, even if that meant sitting in awkward silence with Kars. This guy was holding him up.

Luca swung his shovel at the frog despite Giorno’s warnings. The small green creature slipped out from underneath the tool. Unfortunately for Leaky-Eye Luca, he was dead, all because he tried hitting a frog. Should’ve listened, now the back of his head was caved in. The frog transformed back into luggage and Giorno walked away.

~~~

Kars tried on the clothes Giorno bought for them. To be honest, they weren’t that bad. Obviously, they could be better, the white collared shirt was too plain for Kars. He pulled out some other clothes that could be fitting. He examined a thin turtleneck sweater which was a wine purple color, similar to his hair color.

Good enough.

He already completed reading every book Giorno owned and he wasn’t planning on rereading them. Kars practically memorized every word written on the pages. Staying inside Giorno’s room isn’t something he’s going to do. If the blond teen returns before he does, he better be prepared for waking up in the middle of the night to see Kars entering his room by compressing his body to go underneath the door.

Obviously, it’s not going to be a pleasant sight, especially when you’re only half-awake.

As he walked through the streets of Italy, he received many stares from random humans. Kars either saw admiration or envy in their eyes and sometimes fear, he couldn’t blame them. After all, he was the perfect being. And he was pretty tall too, he towered over everyone else. Not only that, but the Pillar Man was also pretty intimidating, not that much of a surprise.

People scurried out of his way with their head down to avoid eye contact with Kars. If they looked up at him, he would send a cold glare and force them to quickly turn away. But not everybody was scared off. A few people politely waved and smiled, maybe even wink at Kars. Some humans were bold enough to ask him to dinner. Of course, he harshly declined their offer. It wasn’t the first time a human requested to have a meal with him. Kars is fully aware of how attractive he is compared to others.

Soon, the Pillar Man found himself near a beach, it was mostly empty. There was just one single person standing on the dock holding a fishing rod. Kars would’ve ignored them and continued walking, but a part of him wanted to go towards the person. He tried convincing himself that he only wanted to go near them because of their bizarre lime-green hair. Honestly, he wasn’t a big fan of it.

When Kars got closer, he felt the same kind of energy as Giorno’s Stand, Gold Experience. It caught him a bit off guard. This person had their Stand out… while they were fishing? Now he was confused, why would he need a Stand to fish? Did it help? Kars needed answers.

“You.”

The person shrieked loudly, dropping their fishing rod, turning around with a fearful expression and wide eyes.

“You’re a coward, aren’t you?” Kars sighed. “I can tell just by looking at you. Now, tell me your name.”

The person stumbled over their words a few times before blurting out “Pesci!”

By their appearance and the sound of their voice, Kars concluded that this human was indeed male. He stared at him for a while before asking another question. “Where’s your Stand?”

Pesci panicked, looking around to see if Prosciutto was nearby. He just left to go smoke, knowing full well that Pesci hates the smell. He probably needed to go buy more cigarettes and was now coming back.

...The blond man was nowhere to be seen.

“Hey! Answer me!”

“I-I, um, I don’t know what you’re talking about!” The only option he had was to play dumb. It wasn’t working.

“What kind of fool do you take me for? I can feel its energy, tell me, what are you using your Stand for?”

Pesci couldn’t take it, the man was just too intimidating! Hopefully, he’s not from another gang, a rival one to be exact, the whole team would get angry at him for revealing information. Even if it was about his Stand, weaknesses would be exposed and he would get taken out.

“My Stand is Beach Boy, it's the fishing rod! I’m only using it to fish, don’t hurt me!” He shut his eyes and tensed up, unable to bear staring into the tall man’s eyes.

Kars blinked. The damn fishing rod was a Stand? Did Giorno seriously lie about how only Stand users could see Stands? He picked up the dark blue fishing rod and examined it. It certainly was pretty odd.

“I thought only Stand users could see Stands, was I wrong?” He hummed, poking the skull on Beach Boy.

“...Well, that is true but… only for most Stands… there are some exceptions I guess…” Pesci replied, wincing when Kars turned his head to him.

“Is that so?” A smirk appeared on his face. Looks like he learned something new.

Before Kars could ask any more questions, the sound of footsteps alerted him. A blond man with a dark-colored suit stood there, frowning. The Pillar Man returned the same look. Pesci felt relieved that Prosciutto finally came back, he was probably going to get scolded and punished but that’s better than answering any more questions about his Stand.

“Who the hell are you?”

“I could ask you the same thing.”

Prosciutto stepped closer, glaring into Kars’s eyes without a hint of fear. Despite the man being a foot taller than him, he wasn’t intimidated, or at least he didn’t appear to be. That’s something Pesci admired him for. The intense staring continued and Pesci started to get uncomfortable.

“Leave,” Prosciutto commanded. “Now.”

“Or what? What are you going to do?” He laughed. “You’re just a pitiful human. There’s nothing you could do that can hurt me.”

“Is that what you think?” The blond man hissed. “Fine, I’m sure The Grateful Dead will change your mind!”

Kars felt something grabbing onto his legs but didn’t look. He knew it was just his Stand, so why panic? He found amusement in Prosciutto’s bewildered expression. The Grateful Dead wasn’t working. Even though the Stand’s making contact with Kars, he isn’t aging. Was there some kind of Stand ability that canceled the effect? Prosciutto glared at his Stand as if doing that would start the aging process. Nothing happened.

“Well? I’m waiting,” Kars hummed, his smug grin grew wider which made the Italian man more frustrated.

“Impossible! You should be getting older, more weaker!” He growled, his Stand’s grip became tighter. “Pesci, do something!”

“O-Oh! Right!” He was about to summon his Stand before he foolishly realized that Kars already had it in his hand. What was he supposed to do, reach out and grab the damn thing?! The Pillar Man looked down at him, sending shivers down the young man’s spine.

...Surprisingly, he returned Beach Boy. Prosciutto eyed him suspiciously. Pesci hesitated, then quickly snatched his Stand back. He stared at Kars, trying to figure out if there was a hidden motive, but he wasn’t sure.

“Demonstrate your Stand’s abilities, I’d like to see how it works. Don’t keep me waiting, I can wait all day but I’d prefer not to.” He said.

The hook and fishing line was now inside Kars, he can feel it traveling up his arm. It was a strange sensation. However, he couldn’t see it moving. There was no outline of the hook and line in his skin. The hook found its way to Kars’s heart, but Pesci became hesitant. Was this all a trap? He glanced at Prosciutto, the man was silently encouraging him to use Beach Boy. Something was off about Kars. Instead of finishing off the two Stand users, he instead waited for their Stands to do something. Waiting for your foe to display their abilities can help with figuring out their weakness, but it can also put yourself in danger. Kars did not seem to care about that, he just seemed curious about their Stands. Prosciutto kept his guard up, you can never be too careful.

Pesci used Beach Boy’s hook to tear apart the beating heart, but again, Kars seemed to be unaffected.

...Or perhaps it just didn’t work.

There was simply no way to kill Kars. The sun was no longer his enemy, Stands were useless, even lava couldn’t do it. He was the perfect, undefeatable being.

Kars felt the hook desperately tugging on his heart as Pesci became more visibly anxious. Prosciutto was also getting quite upset. The Pillar Man has never been so entertained before. Chuckling, he walked away from the duo.

“That’s enough, I supposed. Pesci, your Stand has potential, you know that, right? However,” He glanced at Prosciutto with a bit of a frown. “What’s the point of yours? It doesn’t seem like it can do anything interesting.”

As he left, Prosciutto muttered curses and insults, not knowing that Kars could hear what he said. Pesci thought the compliment was rather nice, even though the man was strange.

If only he knew his name.

~~~

He ran into that Japanese tourist again, this time he found out he was no ordinary being. And he didn’t have to get a new car after all! Well, maybe someone took it after he ran away. But that didn’t matter, the tourist was a Stand user. He was the reason his car came to a stop. Luckily, Giorno got away again. The stranger didn’t seem so bad though. He had a good soul and Giorno felt a bit of pity for robbing him.

He opened up the window in the funicular and stared at the passing buildings. Before he could think about what he’ll do next, he heard a coin drop. A man wearing a white suit with oddly shaped black dots appeared and picked it up.

“This yours?” He asked Giorno.

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fourangers · 5 years ago

Text

Fate and Choices (ch. 02)

Summary: When Naruto discovered who was going to be his soulmate, he jumped straight at this opportunity, looking forward to spending the rest of his life with his better half. Sasuke well…he was less eager in this regard though. NaruSasu. Soulmates tattoos. M-rated.

Content: AU!Office, Romance, Comedy, Drama, it’ll get a little too philosophical in some parts talking about free will Vs fate, basically Sasuke is a cynic ass and Naruto is an idealistic moron (great amirite), Anal Sex, tattoos soulmates

Chapter 01 here

AO3 link

--.--

“Hey! Jackass!”

Sasuke stiffened, bracing himself from the incoming impact.

“Fucking bastard thought you were gonna get rid of me, ‘s not going to be that easy you know!”

Sasuke was rubbing his legs with a wince; good gracious, years have passed and this idiot continued to be the same loudmouth dumbass. He turned back to Neji. “Please fire him.”

Neji blinked. “It’s my company and I’m the one who hired him Sasuke.”

“I know, but I’m saying that you should fire for our sanity’s sake.”

“Wow, that’s so mean.” Naruto grumbled, widening a grin. “You haven’t changed one bit Sasuke. Plus, there’s no way Neji would fire me when I’m the best social media manager you ever met!”

Sasuke rolled his eyes then threw a significant glance towards Neji.

Neji shook his head. “Yes, sorry to say but Naruto is pretty good. He is one of the few I know that can build a good number of followers organically in a short time. I guess you’ll have to deal with it. Just use this opportunity for some catching up ok.” He patted Sasuke’s shoulder and stared at Naruto in deadpan. “Please don’t destroy the office.”

“C’mon Neji, you really think we’re gonna get back to fighting as if we’re twelve? Give me some credit will you.” Naruto’s grin became so wide that it reminded him of a cheshire’s cat.

“...right.” Neji looked around, and picked an antique vase on the way out.

Sasuke stared at Naruto and his winsome beam, then gazed at the door knob.

He turned around.

“Oh? Ignoring me and fleeing again? The coward's obvious choice.”

Turning back with a venomous glare, Sasuke approached Naruto. “Well, I suppose there’s no point delaying any longer. What do you want from me?”

The caustic tone dissolved Naruto’s grin into a frown, so he mumbled. “What the hell did I do wrong for you to act like an asshole around me?”

Sasuke inhaled, taking some seconds to recompose himself as he retorted. “You’re right, my attitude was wholly unneeded, but I can’t help it. I still need to know why on earth you decided to reappear in my life when I made pretty clear that I don’t want you around.”

“Good God, I can’t believe that you don’t want your soulmate after this many years⏤”

“Don’t go there.” Sasuke growled through gritted teeth.

“Ugh, fine.” Naruto rolled his eyes. “You know, after what we’ve been through, I thought that at least you would bother yourself to give me an explanation or at least keep some kind of contact.”

“I can’t believe you took seriously our summer fling.”

Naruto stared, and then quirked an eyebrow. “Three years is not a summer fling.”

“Whatever, but it happened while we were young and stupid, so it is a fling no matter how long it took.” Before Naruto could protest, Sasuke interjected in. “Everything was going fine in my life back when you left me alone in peace, so why did you decide out of nowhere to get back in bothering me again?”

Naruto curled down his mouth, examining Sasuke’s indecipherable face as graphite eyes focused glowering at the ground. He knew that Sasuke wasn’t going to be cheerfully welcoming his return though he expected at least some positive reaction.

Scratching his blond head, Naruto sighed. “Sasuke, back when your parents divorced” He could see Sasuke tensing on the corner of his eye but he continued nevertheless. “I really wished you could rely on me to share your feelings about it but you just decided to throw me out of your life. But I respected that this was your way of coping and later I also get why you did that⏤”

“If you got it, why are you here now?”

Naruto blinked and declared with strong assurance. “Because I’m your soulmate.”

“We only have matching tattoos dumbass, nothing else.”

“Only matchin⏤” Naruto groaned. “Oh c’mon, gimme your hand in case you forgot about it.”

“No.” Sasuke held his hand closer to his chest, dodging away from Naruto’s grasp.

“You stubborn bastard⏤”

“Dumbass, get the fuck away⏤” The young men wrestled in the conference room, stumbling through chairs and knocking down assorted papers and pens.

“Sasuke, goddammit, just for a few seconds, I swear!” Naruto yowled, arms stretched out in a vain attempt to reach Sasuke’s hand.

Sighing, Sasuke lowered his arm. “I’ll humor you for once, I guess.” He raised his palm, showing his moon tattoo.

Naruto broadened a victorious smile, interlacing his tanned fingers with pale ones. When their tattoos touched, a warm ball of light grew till it lit up the whole room, but Sasuke dropped his hand, cutting off its connection.

"You felt that right, once again. That wave of happiness, the comfort, contentment. We complete each other.” Breathing heavily, remnants of those emotions overwhelmed him, soulful blue eyes attempted to reach his soulmate.

Sasuke averted his gaze, crafting a blank expression and shrugged. “I disagree with this. Those feelings are probably some kind of animalistic instinct to preserve our species and I’m beyond all that. Why do people keep claiming that they need to find their other half? I’m already one whole person, I’m against the notion that you need someone else to feel complete.”

Raising his eyebrows impressed, Naruto hummed pensive, conceding. "Alright…that's a very fair point. But no matter how complete you are, you need relationships to sustain yourself. Family, coworkers, friends…we're humans that need other people all the time. And isn't it great that nature gave us this tool to find the best companion that will share his lifetime with you?"

"This system is flawed and imperfect Naruto. You know it as well as I do." Sasuke retorted. "And I'd rather not waste my life blindly relying over something that might fail in the long run."

“You're selling a technology that lets people find their own soulmate.” Naruto muttered incredulously.

“I sell the tool, not the satisfaction nor its promise for happiness." Sasuke offered with a prim sniff, chin raised. "And whatever might be my business, it has nothing to do with my personal opinion, in which is that I'm fine not needing a soulmate."

"Why? I thought we were in agreement back then!"

"Which goes back to the talk that we were just young and naive, that's all. I changed my mind."

“Honestly, why are you going so against it, it’s like one of those obvious laws of nature. It’s inevitable, like…" Naruto paused for a second, trying to come up with valid examples. "Like gravity, physics, and everything like…babies would always cry…um…dogs are angels and cats are evil…”

“How dare you, you take back that last sentence right fucking now.” Sasuke growled.

“Alright, maybe cats are also nice, I’ll let you adopt one when we live together!”

“No, thank you. And for every supposed law of nature, it’s never entirely universal. You can use aerodynamics to fly above gravity, cats can save kids and dogs can bite⏤”

“And babies crying?” Naruto chimed in.

“...tiny baby lizards don’t cry.” Sasuke regretted it the instant he uttered these words, he knew that his IQ would just drop if he’d spend one minute more with this dumbass, Naruto is just this infectious. "That doesn't matter. I thought I came here so I could talk about work, not engaging in those childish conversations that go nowhere."

"...so." Naruto smacked his lips and grinned. "I am your social media manager then."

Sasuke stared and narrowed his eyes. "My company's social media."

"Yeah yeah yeah, whatever. You have my phone number and Line? It's⏤"

“I know your number, I just have to unblock you.”

Sasuke half-expected Naruto bristling in indignation when he got the confirmation that he was indeed, blocking him out over those years. A crestfallen despair flashed through Naruto’s eyes, before blossoming to a warm smile.

“I’m just glad we’re talking again, that’s all that matters.”

Sasuke wanted to tell him that it’s only work related. That it won’t change his mind and once the contract would be over, they would part their respective ways. Caustic, sharp words had to be uttered so he could end this nonsense at last, but somehow it died on his throat when his whole soul ached to reach Naruto’s face and kiss the pained frown away.

Thankfully, a knock from the door broke their stupor, and Naruto opened to meet Neji and some of Sasuke’s coworkers.

“Well, it seems that their meeting is over. Anyways, Hoozuki-sama, Yamato-sama, Uzumaki Naruto-san here will be in charge of Shinrei’s whole social media account, as well as strategy and planning.”

Naruto and Sasuke’s coworkers shook hands and exchanged name cards, bowing politely as they began the meeting. Suigetsu quirked his eyebrow, noticing how Sasuke always averted his gaze whenever he talked with Uzumaki-san, even though the blond man stared as if Sasuke was the only man in the whole room.

Those were intense, covetous azure eyes that somehow weren't much tainted with lust. Curiosity piqued, Suigetsu dragged his friend to the side while Naruto was talking with the other coworker.

“So…from all the interactions I witnessed, it seems that you and that blondie have some history together right. What happened?”

Sasuke glared. “Nothing.”

“Oh c’mon, just tell me! It’s the first time I ever saw you being so nervous around a guy, whatever happened has to be something big.”

Sasuke sighed, shutting his eyes. He uttered in the most bored tone he could muster. “Naruto is my soulmate.”

Suigetsu blinked. “…huh?”

“My soulmate.” Sasuke repeated. “He’s my soulmate.”

“WHAT?!” Suigetsu shouted, switching his gaze back and forth towards Sasuke and Naruto. “You lucky dog, you found your soulmate this easily?! And he’s hot too!”

“He is?” Sasuke furrowed his eyebrows, then turned around for a quick check. No, that’s the usual dumbass, stupid grin Naruto, there’s nothing new about that.

“God, the fact that you don’t want a soulmate makes even less sense now! I want a hottie like him riding me till tomorrow for the rest of my life.” Suigetsu noticed the black eyebrow twitching in annoyance and curled a saucy grin. “I better get first in line if he’s interested.”

“Whatever suits you best.” Sasuke grumbled, as they all moved back to the entrance, as the meeting was over.

Someone poked his shoulder. “Hey hey. Sasuke.” He turned his face, glare activated but halted at once when he felt moist lips touching his skin. “Have a nice day.” Naruto beamed.

He furiously rubbed his cheek with his hand, growling. “I’m going to kill you.”

“So testy, I just gave you one innocent peck on your cheek.” Laughing, Naruto patted his back while he returned to the office.

Neji observed the grin that stretched from ear to ear and muttered. “Oh dear me. It’s been a while since I saw you smiling this much.”

“Well, duh. Obviously.”

“Hm. You’re satisfied with the arrangement then?”

“Yeah! Thanks for everything Neji.”

“Likewise. I hope whatever conclusion you two will reach, it’ll be satisfactory to you both.” Pearly eyes peered in earnest intensity, so Naruto offered a half-grin back. “But I would like to remind you that Sasuke is our client, right.”

“Yeah, don’t worry about it.” Naruto appeased him.

“Don’t go too far.”

“I won’t!”

“Please don’t annoy Sasuke too much, okay.”

There was a long silence and then. “Uh. Sure!”

Is it too late to change his own mind; Neji wondered with a sigh.

⏤.⏤

Six hundred, forty three. That’s the number of times Sasuke had to suppress the urge to throw Suigetsu out of the car, whenever his friend nagged wanting to know more details about Naruto.

He hoped once he arrived in his office, all this nonsense would be over so he could concentrate on his work. Promising gruesome bloody murder if Suigetsu ever dared to gossip about his love life, he strode to Itachi’s room.

“Nii-san.”

“Oh, welcome back otouto-kun. How was the meeting? How is Neji-kun?” Itachi acknowledged him with a quick nod, eyes still focused on the laptop.

“Neji is fine, his marketing plan is really well planned and he is just going to make us cover the basic costs, nothing else.” Sasuke paced around, and said. “Nii-san, you won’t believe who is going to take care of our social media.”

“Oh, Neji told me. I’ve heard that he’s a really bright, young man…” Itachi raised his eyes to meet with Sasuke’s, a knowing beam broadening his lips. “Blond, blue eyes, who has an exquisite sun tattoo that fits with your moon tattoo pretty perfectly…”

“What the f⏤!” Sasuke tamped down the urge to scream, throwing his hands to the air. “I can’t believe you all! You, Neji and Naruto all planned this?! I can’t believe that you would betray me. You’re my brother!”

“And as your older brother, I agreed with Neji-kun that you avoiding Naruto-kun is damaging you in the long run, but considering your stubbornness I thought that it’d be better if I nudged a little in the right direction.”

“Unbelievable. I thought that you, of all people, understood me the best considering the experience we suffered with mother and father.”

Sighing, Itachi stilled in commiseration, picking his tea cup. He sipped the warm beverage, murmuring. “I considered these memories for a long time, but I concluded that I shouldn’t let them deter my life. It’s specifically because of them that I’m determined to find the perfect companionship with my soulmate.”

Sasuke scoffed, rolling his eyes. “Yeah, big words from someone who didn’t bother himself to find his own soulmate. You know really well that he or she lives in the Netherlands but you kept delaying buying the plane ticket.”

“…I have…other priorities for now.” Itachi argued with a clipped tone.

“No, you just share the same trauma as I do but since it’s not your problem, you thought you could manipulate however you liked about my own life. It is your loss though, because even if our parents’ divorce may had influenced my opinion about Soulmates, I have valid reasons to reject it.” Sasuke declared, tightening his hands into a fist. “I’ll do this damn job with Naruto just to prove you, and then we’ll go on our own goddamn different paths. Just you wait.”

“…” Itachi studied his younger brother’s agitated state, eyebrows knitted, resolute.

Honestly, Sasuke had already grown old enough to be in any need of his guidance, but above all, he wasn’t really accepting any of it even if Itachi tried to drill any word in his hard-headed mind. From now on he guessed he’d leave it up to Naruto, and he hoped the young man would have enough patience handling his younger brother.

⏤.⏤

Naruto was being…strange. At first, Sasuke expected that the dumbass would use the opportunity that he unblocked his contact to flirt with him, or engage inane conversation or send dick pics. The blond man was oddly very considerate nevertheless, using their chats for strict professional subjects, not one thing out of line.

On the other hand, they had a lot of physical meetings. At first it was only once per week, not arousing his suspicion as Sasuke considered that Naruto probably had a lot of questions that it’d be better clarified with these kinds of meetings. The following week they had twice per week and then thrice. Also, whatever professional courtesy Naruto had respected in chats, was thrown out of the window when he saw Sasuke, trying to start off-topic conversations, sitting really close to him and generally being a pain in the ass.

(Sasuke didn’t want to admit that he was enjoying those meetings)

When Naruto called, ready to schedule another meeting, Sasuke rebutted. “A meeting? Online meeting, you meant.”

“Oh no, like a meeting, meeting. As in, me going to your office or you going to mine and…”

“For someone who only uses online tools for your everyday work, you oddly prefer a face to face meeting for no particular reason.”

“What can I say, I’m a people’s person after all.” Naruto chuckled. “Well, if you’re too busy we can reschedule if you want.”

Sasuke narrowed his eyes. This really felt like some sort of measured chess game, when one man was carefully choosing which pieces to sacrifice or to keep it alive. He expected that since Naruto was so impatient he’d prefer a direct approach instead of slowly luring him in.

“Then again, I haven’t seen him for over seven years, who knows how much he had changed since then.”

⏤.⏤

UGH.

This is so fucking hard.

What Naruto really wanted was to drag Sasuke to some secluded room and have his way until they were both satisfied. But nope, that stupid ass bastard is just too stubborn and suspicious of everything that if he did any sudden move, Naruto was afraid that Sasuke would disappear to some far away country, like Canada or Argentina or something like that.

Was he asking for too much in wanting to have his soulmate back? Was he? He just wanted life to be easier for once. Stupid Sasuke. Why. Uuuuugh. Now Sasuke was already getting suspicious that they were having way too many meetings and Naruto wanted at least some compensation for using all his remaining patience to let Sasuke dictate this fucking slower than slug pace.

He heard the familiar ping, unlocking his phone.

Sorry, just finished a meeting now. I’m going to arrive 15 minutes late.

Oooooh?

Grinning, Naruto noticed Sasuke typing some response but he was quicker.

Uchiha-sama is going to be late? My eyes didn’t deceive me just now, did I really read that?

Moron.

Naruto laughed, thankful that his typing speed was faster than Sasuke’s. I mean, Uchiha Sasuke-sama is actually going to be late for the first time in his life. Wow, it’s going to rain knives today.

It’s not my fault dumbass, the sponsor I was talking with wanted more details about my software. And he’s an old man it was difficult to explain in layman terms.

Ah, yeah…sounds tough. Don’t worry about it, I can wait while I’m working. Thanks for the heads up.

Sasuke snorted, relaxing his shoulders on the taxi seat while he stared at the buildings passing by. Opening a new company was so hard, so many people to visit, so many potential sponsors and clients to sell your product. There were also many annoying obligations to register your company and documentation to smooth things through too. His father gave enough initial investments to help them open the business but aside that, they were really green, unsure what steps to proceed in a shrewd market.

Thanks to Naruto’s strategies their brand is getting recognition between specialists for now, some well-known influencers tested their technology, aiding him to show tangible successes in the effort to convince people. But although they were impressed, few signed the deed, not wanting to risk their precious capital over an infant company.

Exhaling a tired breath, he went to the conference room after he greeted Neji. The moment he opened the door, he immediately picked the nice fragrance of fresh cooked rice.

“Hey. I’m just gonna finish retouching some reports and we’ll start the meeting right away.” Naruto said.

In front of him laid a neat porcelain plate with three onigiris, then a tomato salad inside a plastic package and even Caramel dark chocolate from a fancy brand.

“Oh yeah, feel free to dig in, I bought this for you.”

At this admission his stomach growled and Sasuke licked his lips. “How did you know I was hungry?” Sharp graphite eyes narrowed.

“Well…if I’m not mistaken, you usually eat around 12:30 or something right? Unless you changed your habit, I mean. But it’s already 1 pm, and you didn’t mention stopping a little to eat lunch, so I thought it would be best if I bought something for you.”

…Naruto still remembered all his favorite foods. Warm beats expanded in his chest and Sasuke forcibly tamped it down. This is just residual instinct caused by this soulmating system, it had nothing to do with his feelings. He savored each bite in silence while Naruto gave the monthly report.

Hmph. Dumbass.

--.--

Chapter 03

#NaruSasu #snstext #sn fic #sns fic #drabble

14 notes · View notes

rosesnink · 5 years ago

Text

The Detective and the Businessman, Chapter 2

A/N: I have struggled a bit to stick to the main idea of the series and add some other plots that actually fit in it and a proper ending, but here we are! Hope you enjoy this, please beware of the warnings.

Summary: The day after her wedding, Hayley receives happy news, but the world doesn’t seem to want to give her happily ever after just yet...

TW: Violence, mentions of murder.

Word Count: 5858

It was a calm morning. The birds were chirping outside, the sun was shining and the flowers were fresh. Inside that, Hayley and Ernest rested on their bed, peacefully and without a rush. Hayley opened her eyes as she observed her husband sleep. His lips were slightly parted, his hair a whole mess and his arm still around her waist. She smiles as she admired him on his sleep, like an angel resting after doing a great deed. She still remembers the way his hands were on her sides, massaging it, how he kissed her neck just right and made her feel good, oh so good… She bit her lip as she caressed his hair without touching his skin.

“Enjoying my hair?” He asked, a slight smirk on his face, a baritone voice that really showed he just woke up.

“How could I not to? It’s like a fluffy could with some features of a sponge, but closer and more accessible”

He opened his eyes, his big eyelashes-thing that Hayley envied of him- and pulled her for a kiss. She giggled as she kissed him, her hands on his hair as she drank in his earthy essence and expensive cologne. He got on the top of her as he pinned her hands to the sides of the bed, kissing her slowly and passionately. She giggled again as he kissed her cheek, nose, forehead, temple…

“What’s so amusing about this, Hayls?”

“I’m just… I was wondering…”

“Yes?”

She looked at his eyes, her hand on his cheek, gazing at him lovingly

“If… in a close future you’d be up to… have a child? Just one”

His face light up as he smiled widely “I-I thought you weren’t keen for being a mother! But if that’s what you want…”

“Alright, Sinclaire, first of all: I love kids, I just wanted to be with the right person to have one. Second of all: kiss me before I regret it and shoo you out of the bed”

He didn’t need more to pull her on a kiss again, pulling her on top, a small giggle in her lips.

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The showers of the police station were empty, which Hayley was glad because after the morning she had, she could use some relaxing water. She let the hot water run down her body when she heard a soft thud, but didn’t stop the water. Instead, she listened as she tricked the man she was still distracted. As he got closer and closer with his weapon, she counted down to ten. When he was raising the knife, she spun around, grabbed his hand and grabbed both of his fingers and pulled them backwards, which made the man grunt and drop the knife. She punched him in the ribs and slammed his head against her bare knee. While he was still down, she grabbed him by the collar and slammed him against the water. He groaned in pain as she hissed in his ear

“Look, I don’t know what the fuck you’re up to, but I just know that you killed my mother. You will sputter, you will hesitate and when that happens, I will tear you apart like a voodoo doll. You really thought you of all people could take me down? Then you’re delusional” He tried to break free, but she gripped him harder “Now listen to me and listen well: you think because you’re a disgusting, conservative blondie who deserves love because he’s rich and influential, but the thing is: you’re full of shit and the only thing you love is yourself. You really thought that my mother would love someone like you? You of all people? I have to laugh” She went nose-to-nose with him and scoffed “Here’s what will happen: you will leave the station where you got in, leave the country before I arrest you and will come back with some standards and decency so you’re worth defeating” She stopped the grip and crossed her arms “You have three minutes to leave, Payne, and do not test my patience”

“Why you little—”

“2:59, 2:58, 2:57”

“You won’t” He sneered

“You’re mostly welcome to prove that theory. 2:53, 2:52…”

He grunted before leaving without be seen before she returned to her shower. Sigh, men.

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2 months later

Hayley awaited patiently in the bathroom as she held the test in her hands, her feet drumming on the floor. She took a deep breath as she balanced what was now. If it was positive, she knew what to do, but what if it was negative?

She looked again at the test and her eyes went wide! Positive. She was pregnant!

Her mind raced as she beamed, uncommon thing in her as she made herself to the idea. She and Ernest would be parents.

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June of 1998, Grovershire

Vincent paced in the garden, his throat sore, sweating and trembling, his heart racing as he made himself the idea that today, he’d not just meet formally his daughter, but she’d take her to his house to spend the weekend. After two years of chatting what would be of his little girl and Mary, she told him she wanted to legally give him the right to have half of the custody of Hayley. She said she wanted Hayley to have the father she never had, even if he had been a complete jerk. He pressed the bell button and took yet another deep breath. His breath was caught as Mary opened the door. Even if she had balls below her eyes and looked older, she was still beautiful. She gave him a small smile as she told him she was waiting for him in her room. He smiled at her and got into the house. It was small, but cozy. Some weapons and many chandeliers hanged in the walls, many books of martial arts, classics and memoirs of the best warriors were there. He could hear his daughter giggle, playing with some device that she seemed to like. He knocked softly and she said “Come in!”.

When he got in, his heart skipped a beat and he was breathless. The room was modest: a soft beige with some drawings on it, a small shelf with books of different authors, a desk full of Hayley’s drawings, her closet and then her bed, where Hayley was laying. She looked at him and greeted him with two air kisses. His heart was beating so fast, but yet it was melting away. He wanted to sweep her in his arms, cover her in kisses and tell her she was the most beautiful little girl the Earth has never witnessed, to spoil her and tickle her, maybe making her smack him like Mary did once. Instead, he gave her a warm smile and dropped on one knee to have a better view.

“Hello, Hayley. I’m Vincent, your… your father”.

“Hello, Vincent. Is it OK that I call you Vincent? Calling you dad now would be… awkward” She confessed, biting her lip.

“Of course, it’s underestable”.

She seemed relieved as she patted him a spot beside her in her bed, her little legs hanging. She seemed nervous, but took a deep breath and looked at him “What do you like to read?” She asked of all sudden.

“I’m sorry?” He asked, confused.

“Mami says that you get to know a big deal of a person by the books they read. For example, I like to read fantasy, horror and some martial arts books that I steal from Mami when she’s not looking” She lowered her voice “But I never said that last thing”.

He laughed as he nodded. She was as mischievous as her mother.

“Your secret is safe with me. And as for your questions, I like to read classical, historical and poetry books, but I won’t say no to a good fantasy book” He admitted.

“Hmmm, I see. Now I know that you’re a cheesy gentleman who is old fashioned, but with his feet on the ground”.

Vincent smiled at her, impressed by her analysis. Many of the traits people said he had as a person were accurate and all of that by telling him his favorite genre books!

“You live far away?”.

“A couple of hours away from here, why?”.

“I’m curious. And… it’s just you in a big house?”.

He nodded negatively “I have my mother, the house butler and your brothers, Harry and Edmund. Harry is two years old and Edmund is nine. I also have a… companion of my own”.

“Vincent, I know she’s your wife. It’s alright, people move on. Mami told me that”.

His heart broke as he thought to himself

I’ve never moved on you and your mother, baby.

“Perhaps some people do, but some others don’t”.

Her green eyes saddened as she asked shyly “Why didn’t you come for us sooner? Wasn’t I enough to be your daughter?”.

He tried not to cry as his hand caressed her cheek and kissed her head “It’s not that, baby girl. If it were for me, I would’ve given you the world! But… one lesson you could learn of your old man? The adult world can be messed up”.

She giggled softly “Old man is a funny way to call you”.

“I can get used to it” he chuckled.

“And… what’s your favorite thing about Mami?”.

His smiled widened “Where to begin? I love her resilience, her strength, the big heart she haves inside her, and how she defends her principles, above many, many things” He said, a beaming smile on his face.

“Mami didn’t tell me much about you, just that you were the sweetest guy she ever met but failed to…” She stopped on her tracks, now looking away.

“What? You can tell me”.

“Well… failed to grow some balls and fight for her” She mumbled.

Auch. Well, that was true and he couldn’t blame her. He felt like an idiot now. To his daughter, he was sweet but coward. And he deserved that for not being bold enough.

“Your mother was true in that” He took her hands in his and looked at her in the eyes “But I’m done being a wanker. This time, I will be a brave knight for you, my princess”.

“Hey! This princess can hold her own!” She crossed her arms.

“I never said that you couldn’t defend yourself and be brave. But if you’ll let me, I’d like to fight beside you and learn a thing or two” He offered.

She smiled wide, hugging him. The world seemed to stop as he hugged her tighter, kissing her rosy cheeks. He held in pinkie finger “The princess and the knight against the world”.

She tangled her small pinkie in his “Against the world, until the end”.

Afterwards, he took her to the state after promising Mary he’d call her to tell her how she was doing. She met Harry and bonded with him, even if Edmund was skeptical, but talking about the lastest chapter of F.R.I.E.N.D.S seemed to put him at ease. They played tag as Vincent watched, a beaming smile on his face.

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During the years, he always took her to Edgewater every 15 days and when Hayley herself requested, either a study afternoon or a sleepover with Annabelle and Briar, who bonded over pranks and gossip. She also met Theresa and soon was added in their group. They all talked about what would they be when they were older.

“Well, I’ll be the best policewoman in the world and no one is stopping me!” Hayley beamed.

“And I’ll follow you to be the greatest and most fashionable forensic in the world!” Briar stated.

“I will also be a policewoman and an artist!”.

Theresa grumbled “I still don’t know what I want…”.

“Don’t worry, T, we’re just 6! We still have plenty of time when we are 18”.

They all giggled before starting a pillow war.

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15th of October, 2004

Mary Parker paced on the little, cozy house she owned. Her fists were balls and she looked older than she actually was. She grunted as she howled “How did I not fucking noticed it before?!” She threw a jar to the wall, jar that Vincent dodged by a few inches. His expression was saddened as he reached for the mother of his daughter, his one true, greatest love.

“Mary, I know that it’s not much, but at least she is now a bit stronger—”.

“That’s the thing, Vincent! She is eleven, she is a child! She doesn’t need to be strong, she must be kept safe by us, thing that we failed and now my daughter is forever ruined!” She snapped, her eyes furious and teary. She looked down “My sweet girl, the pain she must’ve feeling now… I have failed her as a mother”.

His heart sunk as he slumped in his seat, tears of his own rolling down his cheeks. He thought of his Hayley, a smile-y girl, with rosy, baby cheeks and so smart already, now with a trauma that would haunt her forever, all because he didn’t notice before. Mary was right, she was. She was just a child, a child with a burden too big for her and such a young age. Now she’d be sunk in trials and therapists, another number of an awful list of such a horrible crime. No kid would want the freak. He could picture his baby girl, how she was crying in the stairs, her legs bleeding and full of bruises, scared and lonely.

All this time she was screaming for help, for someone to save her from her hell, but no one listened. How could he look at his daughter now, knowing that he has failed her as a father yet again?

“You know that if I had realized it sooner, I’d have dropped everything to give her what she needs. You know that, right? I would give up my position for her and without hesitation” He told Mary.

She looked at him, her green eyes on him, red and utterly depressed “I don’t doubt it”.

He got up and hugged her tight, remembering the first time he hugged her, that winter of 1982 when she was a young girl who owned no jacket because her father was a drunk. He lent her his jacket and in return, she hugged him tight and kissed his cheek. Such small gesture like a hug made him fall helplessly in love with her for the rest of his life. She returned the hug and sobbed, hugging her tighter. They stood there, in a comfortable silence, talking on their own wordless language.

“I know I haven’t been the boyfriend or the father of your daughter you needed, but I’m doing everything I can to be a man deserving of you both”.

“I know”.

He looked at her “Even if it’s not easy to live with this, I will. For you, because I love you, Mary” He took her hands in his, looking at her intensely “I have made you a great damage and been absent for most of the time for Hayley, but I will make it up to you both, to my beautiful girls. I will give you what I should’ve years ago”.

“Vincent, your family—”.

“Henrietta will have a good life after I divorce her and little Harry and Edmund will still be at Edgewater with their mother as a big role on their lives. I will do everything in my hand so everyone can finally have what they want” He cupped her face “I will win you back. You will love me again, Mary Josephine Parker” He approached her face and she didn’t finch or grimaced. She bit her lip but didn’t move, both their breaths ragged. He kissed her for a minute, affording himself to get lost on her essence of sandalwood and pink sands.

She broke the kiss and looked away “It’s late. You should go to Edgewater, your wife and kids wait for you and I’d hate to keep you away of them”.

“Mark my words, Mary. Don’t forget them”.

He headed to the door, and for a minute, he felt her gaze full of love again for a brief moment, a brief moment that kept him alive and hopeful for many, many years.

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Hayley got it all ready for tell her husband she was pregnant, a radiant smile on her face. She walked confident towards the building when she felt her phone buzzing. She caught it and saw ‘Unknown’. She opened it nevertheless “Parker, who’s this?”.

“A friendly anonymous citizen who wishes to help the authorities” Said the suspiciously masculine voice.

“And what do you have for me, nonny?”.

“I know Gideon Payne’s place. Right now he’s planning to drop bombs at the police station and Rienne’s Treasure”.

Her eyes went wide “Truly?”.

“Mhm. He’s hiding in this location and will drop them when you sleep. Here, I’ll send you the directions” In a moment, the message popped with the location as she saw it was far away from the city and turned on her heel to grab her motorbike in the station and drove there.

She looked around, pistol at ready, her five senses alert. She expected anything at this point, but she had to try it. She heard some noise upstairs and went there with sigil, watching out her heels.

She saw a figure at the center of the room, but there was no bomb machinery there. It was dark and barely signal, only him and… Oh shit. It was a trap! She tried to fish her walkie talkie to ask for backup, but Gideon was already grabbing her arm, twisting it. She grunted as she tried to get rid of his grip, her adrenaline definitely not helping. Her heart raced as a cold fear for the life she was bearing inside was in danger.

“If something happens to my baby, I will kill you!” She snarled.

She threw a high kick and the man grunted, now adrenaline rush in her veins. She made an expert cartwheel and got in position of defense, willing to do everything so he would harm no one. He lunged forward and threw a punch that she dodged, blocked a punch and kicked him in the stomach, thing that made him cry out. She grabbed his arm and twisted it, making him do a semi-circle, landing on the left. They rolled on the floor and punches flew. One of them got Hayley’s nose, which made her grunt and a hint of blood caressed her tongue. She ran towards him and made a vovinam pirouette, slamming him to the floor and grabbed a bat that was resting there and hit him in the head, making him scream and bleed. She kicked his ribs and made him fall. She glared at him, panting, sweating and bleeding “Do you really think you can win me? I’m Mary Parker’s daughter, I am the daughter of a legacy of winners”.

“Trust me… I know you Parkers well” He seemed to get up and laughed, his face full of blood and bruises “But is it not me who should be worried about. It’s him” She tried to brace herself, but it was too late. When she turned around, the bullet thrusted into her belly, making her choke out of breath, the world going down as her vision went blur, some pain tears rolled down and fell backwards. Even in pain, Hayley Parker never got on her knees. She never begged for her life. She clutched her belly, feeling how the little one that she had inside her left her helplessly.

The next few minutes were blur in her mind. She remembers calling Briar, crying out for help, screaming that she was pregnant, she needed her to hurry, begging her to tell Ernest she loved him.

Even before fainting, her memory went back to when she realized she was in love with Ernest Sinclaire.

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2002

Hayley Parker was 9 years-old when she realized she was in love.

It was early in the morning and the bell just rang. Students there and here were running together, giggling and clueless about the world outside. Hayley, Theresa and Annabelle stood there, their hairs braided. Except for Annabelle’s. Her hair was cut ‘like a boy’ but she didn’t seem to care. Many people would whisper about her, but she seemed comfortable. Some people scoffed that she had a whole nest of lice, some others that she was clearly crazy. But Hayley knew better. She took Annabelle’s hand and showed the middle finger to the ones who were staring, who just gasped and whispered about how rude and ‘manly’ she was. Theresa just hid her head as the three girls proceeded to enter the class. There she saw Bart, Donna, the spoiled brat of Felicity, but no signal of Ernest. Maybe he went to a different class?

“Look, it’s Annabelle the lousy!” Donna pointed. Everyone laughed.

Hayley snapped at her “Oh, look! It’s Donna, the famous Ass-licker! Why don’t just sign my ass, since you lick butts better than ice-cream?” Everyone laughed or looked at Donna, chanting an ‘ooh’.

“Why you mangy bi—”.

“Good morning, children” The professor interrupted as she got in and greeted everyone. All of the students sat politely and proceeded to listen to the teacher.

Later, when the recess bell rang, Hayley ran towards the big playground and there she saw her brothers, Bart and Annabelle talking animatedly. She went to approach them when a taller figure placed a big hand on her shoulder. She looked to see a senior boy, his eyes blue and his hair bronze. He smiled at her “Hey. Hayley, right? I’ve heard about you. You wanna play some chess with me and the boys?”.

Hayley crossed her arms “I don’t even know your name”.

The boy laughed, but there was an understanding in it “Huh, sorry. That was pretty forward. I’m Jake and I’ve heard great things about you. I just wanted to get to know you. But you can say no, it’s fine”.

“How I know this is not a prank?”.

“Because if it were a joke, many people would be staring and giggling”.

She looked around and saw how people minded their own business. She saw for a moment how Ernest looked at her and waved at her, a smile on his boyish face. She smiled back and looked at him “It sounds neat, but it’d be weird me and a bunch of boys alone…”.

“Eh, your friend over there can tag along. We don’t mind”.

She smiled at him as she approached the group. She looked at Ernest and extended a hand with him “You wanna do something cool with the seniors?”.

He smiled at her “Sure”.

They followed Jake as her group whispered among them. Felicity huffed as Donna observed. The gang of seniors of the K2 greeted their friend as observed the other new companions. They all shook hands and exchanged greetings. There was a chess table and some of them had hidden cigars in their ears and other places.

“You really have a soft spot for K1s, Jakey” His friends teased the blonde guy. He laughed it off as he invited Hayley to sit. They placed the pieces and Ernest was beside her, a small smile on his face “Give them hell”.

She smiled at him as the game began. Even if the boy in front of her had some advantage, she caught up quickly and started to win him. Every time she ate one of his pieces, the boys chanted an ‘ooh!’ and Hayley felt confident. When it was just three pieces and the King of the boy, Hayley looked a bit out of strategies. Ernest leaned on her and whispered on her ear while the boy asked for help “Try to make him gain confidence with your two pawns, move your bishop to the right so you have a clear sight of the king and just then, if you move your pawns right, his King will be on sight for your bishop and checkmate”.

She nodded at him as she studied his strategy. When he was ready, she moved her pawn just a square away of the King. He laughed as he ate the pawn, but she remained calm. She moved her bishop backwards, not too far of the King and he moved his King backwards. She moved her pawn towards the King, which he looked with a winning smile. He approached the pawn and ate it. When he was about to say something, she moved her bishop towards the King as calculated and smirked “Checkmate”.

All the boys cheered as his jaw went down and Hayley and Ernest high-fived. The boy’s face went red as he cried out “It’s unfair! She had help!”.

“So did you!” Hayley replied.

“Yeah, mate, she’s right on that”.

“Of course she won, because if it weren’t for the tall boy’s help, she’d lose!” The boy taunted her.

“If she followed my advice, it was because she wanted. Get over yourself!” Ernest defended her.

“That’s it, big guy, defend your helpless girlfriend!”.

“Hey! He’s not my boyfriend. He’s my friend”.

The boy glared as he snarled “Girls shouldn’t do mind games. It makes them uglier and more annoying, like you”.

Hayley went livid as the boy walked away with some other boys. Something in Ernest’s face changed. He approached the boy and pushed him, knocking him to the ground! Everyone in the playground gasped as he got up and growled “What the fuck is your problem, huh?!”.

“The way you speak to my friend, that’s my problem!”.

“Ohh, the knight in shining armor defends his damsel in distress. How adorable”.

While they glared at each other, she moved silently before being before him and tapped his shoulder. When he turned around, she grabbed his shoulders and her knee collided on his groin, making him scream! Everyone was shocked as he looked at her with hatred. He was about to run for her when he looked down and… saw how he peed himself. Everyone laughed “That’s what happens when you mess with a Parker, dumb!”.

The teacher came towards the group as she demanded to know what happened. The senior boy cried out “These kids pushed me and kneed me in the balls for no reason!”.

“Bullshit! He was being a jerk—”.

“Yeah, but he didn’t hit you!”.

“Miss Parker, Mr. Sinclaire, accompany me to the principal’s office. Now”.

“Ernest—” She started to speak, but he cut her off.

“I did this too. Also, I’m not leaving you”.

She nodded as they both went to the principal’s office. There, they had a talk about policy, behavior and their punishments. Hayley’s damage was far more grave than Ernest’s, so she’d be expelled three days. Ernest would visit detention and stay later in school.

After class, Ernest approached Hayley to check on her “I’m sorry you had to deal with those guys”.

“Thanks. But you didn’t have to jump out like that. He’s not that worth it”.

He placed his hand on her shoulder “I did because you’re my friend and I hate when they mess with someone for no reason, much less their sex. It’s unfair”.

She smiled at him and kissed him on the cheek “Thank you for rescuing me, though. It was real sweet of you”.

He looked at her with a sincere stare “You do not need of recuing, Hayls. I was just defending you as any other would have. You are Hayley Parker, you can rescue yourself”.

Her heart soared and melted as she saw him go to detention, where his worried mother stared at him.

During those days of expel, she couldn’t stop thinking about Ernest, how sweet, smart, handsome, kind and mischievous he was. She wrote his name with a heart in it and smiled like an idiot when his face popped in her mind. Her grandmother observed that as she observed all her movements and expressions.

“You seem happy even with the fact that you got expelled”.

“Yeah… I feel different. Lighter”.

She smiled at her knowingly as she whispered “Seems like my granddaughter is in love”.

“What is that?” She asked.

She patted her lap as she smiled at her “I’ll tell you. Come”.

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Ernest Sinclaire was in Yusuf’s car as his heart pounded, fearing for his wife’s life. They stopped in the said building and he got out, dashing towards where Hayley could be. He had this ability to feel her wherever she were. He went upstairs and his breath caught as he saw how she was with her eyes closed. He knelt down and placed her head and chest in his lap. His heart was racing fast as her eyes struggled to open “Hayley, Hayls, my love, my darling, my sweet dove, my beautiful Amazona, please open your eyes. Come back to me” He tried not to sob. He tried to wake her, getting desperate, but nothing seemed to work. He bit his lip, his lips wobbling as he held what he was feeling. Briar and Yusuf burst into the room, looking helpless. Briar knelt down to her and started to examine her carefully, deciding what diagnose she’d give. She looked at Ernest “We better get her to the hospital now or she could die by loss of blood”.

He nodded, gathering himself as he lifted Hayley and carried her downstairs, getting her in his car as he drove fast, not caring about what could happen now. He drove and drove until the nearest hospital showed and his tires screeched, startling some citizens. He wasted no time carrying Hayley as Briar followed behind, ready to give the doctors a basic diagnose. What happened afterwards was blur. He remembers following Hayley to the surgery room and how they slammed the door in his face, proceeding to do what it takes to keep her alive. He waited and waited, driving himself crazy as he thought of how much blood for a simple, clean shot she has received.

What was happening? What wasn’t Hayley telling him? Fear for his recent wife rose in his bones, a big ball of pain in his chest, his skin feeling itching.

“This is very odd indeed. She seemed so happy today…” Vincent wandered in the hall, his brows knitted and shaking his head, trying to complete the puzzle.

“Excuse me, family of Hayley Parker?” They both bolted from their positions and they both chanted at the same time:

“Yes, we are”.

“Miss Parker’s unusual blood loss is due to that she was pregnant. She was shot right in the belly and that has made her weaker. She’ll need a blood transfusion and stay with us until she fully recovers. A therapist and a donator has been already called. After she wakes, she will need as much support as she needs and her loved ones beside her”.

Ernest’s eyes went glassy as he looked desperate at Vincent “What blood group is Hayley’s? I’ll personally—”. Vincent stopped before he could finish the sentence.

“It’s impossible. She’s a group B and you’re group O” He was silently crying, Ernest noticed then.

“So… we just wait until a willing donator appears?”.

Vincent patted his shoulder “And I know you will manage this situation very well”.

Ernest looked puzzled “I don’t understand… Aren’t you staying?”.

Vincent’s expression darkened “I need to clear some things about this attack myself that the police would never guess. I’m taking Konevi with me”.

He nodded as he embraced his father-in-law “Good luck and be safe. She needs me, but she needs her father the most”.

“I will come back knowing the one to blame of this. I promise”.

And then, he walked away, now his shoulders set determinate.

“Sir?” He spun around to see the nurse “Your wife is ready to be taken to a room. Danger has passed”.

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Vincent Foredale walked in the suburbs of London, his jaw set and his fists made balls. When he heard of this familiar ruse, his bulb lighted with that damned face. His bronze hair, his eyes blue and his devilish smirk haunted his thoughts. He stopped at one semi-detached house, one where the owner was in there. He banged the door, now his anger blinding him of his usual reason

“Gideon! Open up now! I know you’re in there!” He demanded “Be a man and open the damn door!”.

Some minutes passed before he heard his hearty laugh and he decided that there was no time. He threw it open to find some gorgeous woman-probably paid- gasping and covering herself. He signaled the man to let her go and he did so, paying the money as Vincent respectfully turned around while the woman gathered some clothes and rushed out of the house. When she left, the man smirked at him “Why, Vincent, my friend—”.

“Don’t come at me like that, Payne. Did you do it?”.

“I don’t understand. Did what?” He was laughing at him.

He snarled as he grabbed the man by the collar and got him close, obliging him to talk “Do not play down with me. Did you try to kill my daughter Hayley yes or not?”.

“Ah, yes, Hayley! I didn’t plan to shoot her, but I quite enjoyed when she fell to the floor, just like her charming mother when I—”.

“How could you?! Didn’t you know about her state? Haven’t you taken away enough of her?”.

For a moment, there was a confusion in his eyes “Her state?”.

“That’s right. You shot a pregnant woman, Payne”.

“Pregnant, you say? Oh, my condolences then”.

Part of him wanted to throw him to the ground and beat him up until his fists bled, but then Mary’s voice caressed his skin

Don’t be like him, Vince. That’d make you like him. Be better. Be kind. Be benevolent. Be merciful. Be human.

“Won’t you beat me up or shoot me back?” He taunted.

He threw him to his couch and glared at him “The difference between you and I, is that I am twice the man that you could ever be. I know you killed Mary. I know that you sent that man to ruin my Hayley. I know that it’s your fault she lost her baby. And guess what? I will not rest until I have avenged them both and throw you to the jail. I will take you down, Gideon Payne, even if it’s the last thing I do”.

He got out of the house, heading to the hospital. He’d find the one who pulled the trigger and would tell Hayley all about Gideon, even if it meant opening up about the most painful memories he had buried down in a hole of his head.

When he found Hayley’s room, he didn’t need to look up to know that his girl needed a fatherly hug. And he did. He wrapped his arms around her, savoring the calm before the big storm coming.

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Tag List

Perma Tag: @marlcasters @hellospunkiebrewster @park-nazario @isabella-choices @desireepow-1986

Mr. Sinclaire Tag: @50shadesofraleigh @amomentofsinclairity @mfackenthal @i-put-the-sin-in-sinclaire @melodyofgraves @princess-geek @choicesyouplayandmore

#playchoices fanfiction #desire and decorum #desire and decorum au #military au #ernest sinclaire #ernest x mc #ernest x hayley #oc: hayley parker #the detective and the businessman

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rwby-grimm-guardians · 4 years ago

Text

RWBY Grimm Guardians Arc 2: Beacon’s Fragile Light Ch XII

Hey, everyone! This is the twelfth chapter of Beacon’s Fragile Light! Here, we continue the Fall of Beacon! As usual, please enjoy.

Disclaimer: Still own nothing!

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WARNING! THIS CHAPTER WILL HAVE GRAPHIC VIOLENCE!

IF YOU ARE NOT COMFORTABLE WITH THAT, PLEASE HEAD TO THE END NOTES AND I WILL EXPLAIN WHAT HAPPENED.

YOU HAVE BEEN WARNED. THANK YOU.

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(On the deck of Roman’s airship…)

“Damn...it…!” Ruby said, gasping for air as she and Summer continued to fight off hordes of Grimm. She then paused, noticing a pink and brown haired young woman nearing her. ‘Is she challenging us?’ The young leader thought, before assuming a battle stance. The woman alerted someone wordlessly, before someone that Ruby recognized arrived at the top of the ship.The younger Rose raised an eyebrow, “Torchwick?”

Roman smirked, “The one and only, Red. I believe the blondie is familiar with my partner, Neo.” Ruby gritted her teeth, “Why you….!” She then swung at Neo, only for the white-clad woman to jump over her scythe and dodge another swing from the young leader. The ginger man sighed, “I suppose you’re aware that without these ships, the Grimm will destroy everything.” The younger Rose nearly fell off the hull of the airship after receiving a fury of kicks from Neo.

“Have you...lost your mind…!?” Ruby asked, trying to catch her breath. “There’s...no gain in this…!” Roman laughed loudly, “And I can’t afford to lose anything either!” His attention then turned to Summer, who was charging at the pair...only for her to be blindsided by a pair of small Nevermore. “Like it or not, Roses! The people I work for WILL change the world...and NEITHER of us can stop them…” Roman shouted. Ruby looked at Neo’s weapon, noticing a button, before looking at the Nevermore behind her.

Before Roman could say another word, the young leader opened the parasol, causing Neo to take off from the ship, leaving her in the mercy of the flying Grimm. Ruby then got up and used her semblance to go at full speed, grabbing a hold of Roman’s cane. “Even if we can’t stop them…WE, unlike you, are sure as hell gonna FUCKING try.” She snapped, only to be whacked with the cane. Roman snarled, “You got spirit, Red. But the world doesn’t give a SHIT about spirit.”

He then landed a bludgeoning blow to Ruby’s forehead, causing it to bleed. “The TRUE world is vicious. Cold. MERCILESS!” The ginger shouted, only to Ruby to kick the man back away from her as she struggled to get up. The young leader was bruised and bleeding. She was also exhausted and began to think she was going to collapse at any given moment. Roman slammed the end of his cane on the red clad teenager’s abdomen, pinning her down.

“I will do what I do best; lie, steal, cheat, SURVIVE.” The ginger man said. “If you want to be a hero, die like EVERY OTHER HUNTSMAN IN HI-!” He was cut off as the two heard a ferocious growl. Summer, who had mercilessly torn the Nevermore near her to bloody shreds, had glowing blood red eyes as she stared Roman down. “GET. OFF. OF. HER. NOW!” She snapped, walking towards the pair with clenched fists. Roman gritted his teeth, despite his fear rising, “If you come any closer, I WILL murder her!”

In an instant, the elder Rose dashed in front of the pair, grabbing and twisting Roman’s forearm away from Ruby. Roman made a pained expression, only for all the color in his face to vanish as Summer growled, “Not if I kill YOU first…!” With that, she literally TORE the ginger’s forearm from his body, causing him to scream in pain. “AH, FUCK!” He shouted, before dashing towards the door to the ship. Summer then tackled Roman, before tearing off one of his legs.

Roman began panicking. He was ACTUALLY going to die...in possibly the most brutal way he could imagine. “Wait. Wait!” He begged, turning on his back to face the red clad woman. “I… I can give you the location of my employers! I-I can help you stop the Grimm atta-!” He was cut off when Summer lifted him up, before she whispered in his ear, “You threatened my daughter. THAT is enough reason to kill you.” Roman paused, before his expression turned into that of horror.

“It...c-can’t be..!” Y-You’re supposed to be dead. Salem sent those Grimm Sapiens after you herself!” Roman said in a weak and panicked voice. The red clad woman growled, “They failed to leave no survivors to save me.” With that, she slammed her hand into Roman’s chest, before taking it out and throwing the ginger off the ship, where several Nevermore began feasting on his body. “Cres…?” Ruby called out in a weak voice. Summer turned towards her, before the glow in her eyes vanished.

Summer collapsed to her knees, covering her mouth and doing her best not to vomit. The younger Rose quickly went up to her and began rubbing her shoulders, “Are you...going to be okay?” It took several moments for Summer to answer. She just nodded, temporarily succeeding in not vomiting. “Are you?” She asked. The young leader froze, before nodding, “Nothing I can’t recover from.” She knew well what Summer meant, but decided to not bring it up for now.

The ship then shuttered underneath the two. “Time to go.” Summer said, grabbing Ruby’s scythe and tossing it to her. Ruby then slammed the blade into the side of a building’s wall, slowing her descent to the ground, while Summer just used her hands just as effectively. “How worse are things going to get before we stop this!?” Ruby asked. Summer shook her head, “Don’t know! Though if we take out the Wyvern and Cinder, this might come to a halt.” Hopefully, Beacon will still be salvageable if it does.

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(Meanwhile, in Beacon Academy…)

“You’re cowards, you know!” Adam shouted, his blade clashing with Blake’s. Gambol rushed at him, only for the bull faunus to dodge and kick her and Blake back. “This could’ve been OUR DAY!” “So you WANT innocent people to be afraid and hate us!?” Blake shouted as she swung her sword at Adam. The redheaded man scoffed, dodging the attack, “That’s all these people ever know! Hatred and fear!” “We will have our revolution.” He snapped. “Regardless of our actions.”

Gambol gave a sarcastic laugh, “Over my dead body.” “Your actions only prove that you don’t believe in the White Fang cause. You just want selfish revenge on those who harmed you…” She said, standing up and glaring the bull faunus down. Adam smirked, “Then how about we get rid of those that harmed me…” “Starting with her.” He said, rushing towards an innocent student, only to be tackled by Gambol.

“Get out of here! Now!” Blake shouted, letting the student flee as Blake punched her former partner in the face repeatedly. The bull faunus kicked her in the abdomen and headbutted Gambol, releasing her grip on him. After kicking his former partner to the ground, he snickered, “You’re quite desperate to save a school that’s already doomed!” “I promise: You WILL suffer for your betrayal, by having everything and everyone you love taken away from you.” Adam said. “Starting with the blonde there.”

The younger faunus froze as she looked to her left, spotting a nearby Yang. “You son of a bitch…!” She growled, before screaming in pain as Adam stabbed her lower torso. Yang jumped and turned, before her hair lit ablaze and eyes burned red. She lunged at the bull faunus, shouted, “Get the fuck off of her!” Before she could punch him though, Adam smirked, using his semblance to sever the blonde’s right arm from the elbow-down. Gambol sat up, her face pale and full of panic, “Yang! Ember!”

Adam walked over to the blonde, where Ember, exhausted, had now materialized. “You fucking…!” She growled, attempting to stand. The redheaded man chuckled, “Save it for the funeral.” Blake immediately got in between Yang and Adam, growling. Adam raised an eyebrow, “So, you want to die that much, huh?” Without hesitation, he swung his blade, decapitating...a shadow…?

Adam then looked up to notice Blake and Gambol escaping with the two blondes. “You fucking bitch!” He shouted, knowing that he wouldn’t be able to find them again in the streets. Gambol looked at Ember as tears formed in her eyes, “I’m so sorry… I’m so-...” “Don’t, hun.” The taller blonde said with a weak smile, “Please...don’t.” Ember looked at the teenagers, saying, “We need to get somewhere safe to regroup. You two need medical attention.” Blake nodded, before the four spotted Ren, Nora, Weiss, and Arktis.

“Hey. I was starting to get worr-...” Weiss stopped herself, before paling at the site of her teammates. “What happened…?” “We’ll explain while we give these two medical attention. Got any clean bandages and anything to cauterize Blake wound?” Gambol asked as Blake gently placed Yang down in a now-sitting Ember’s lap. The taller blonde began cauterizing Yang’s injury, while Arktis used red dust to cauterize Blake’s.

Afterwards, Weiss put some paper towels around the faunus’s abdomen as make-shift bandages. Not the best solution, but it was much better than leaving it unprotected. “Adam overpowered us….” Gambol said. “Spotted Yang and Ember.” “He used me to try and kill them.” Blake said, though it came out as a whimper. “Probably would’ve too if I didn’t use my semblance.”

The heiress hugged her teammate gently, “You’re going to be okay… All of you.” Ember sighed, “I hope you’re right…” Arktis placed a hand on Ember’s shoulder, rubbing it gently, “You will… Once we get done here and get back home.” Gambol nodded, “Home’s possibly the safest place now for all of us…” She then sighed, “Gods, Ruby’s going to be broken up…” The group went quiet. Ruby’s reaction to her sister being harmed was obvious enough… But Summer’s reaction...was going to scare them...

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(Meanwhile, in the Vault…)

“Do we even know if this is going to work?” Ozpin asked. There was a brief silence, before Evergreen sighed in their shared mindscape, “We do not… But what choice do we have now?” Back in reality, Evergreen brought Jaune and Pyrrha to the vault beneath Beacon as quickly as he could. The blonde raised an eyebrow at the headmaster, “Where are we?” “A type of....vault…” Pyrrha answered, though with some hesitation. Jaune looked at his teammate, “What would the academy need to hide?”

Evergreen stopped, sighing with regret. “You’re going to hate this…” He said, opening the vault and revealing the unconscious Fall Maiden, Amber in a pod. Jaune froze in shock. The headmaster sighed, “Mr. Arc. If Pyrrha decides to accept the powers of the Fall Maiden, protect her with all your might, please.” The blonde paused, before saying, “I’d do so regardless of the decision.” Evergreen smiled, albeit small, “You’re a strong and good man, Jaune….”

He then looked at Pyrrha, “Ms. Nikos. You have a choice to make. It is yours and yours alone.” The headmaster explained that the redheaded girl could either have the powers transferred to her, although the process would take a bit of time...or she could reject the powers and fight the Grimm and Cinder without them. “What happens next is up to you…” Evergreen said. The redheaded girl stared at the woman in the pod, then at Jaune, before looking towards the noises of chaos outside.

“No…” Pyrrha shook her head. “I...can’t take this power…” Evergreen nodded, “I understand.” The redheaded girl shook her head, “No offense, but I’m not sure if you fully do.” “I can’t accept this power. Not just because of those I care about, but also because I can’t trust myself with responsibility.” The headmaster raised an eyebrow, “Please correct me if I’m wrong, but is it because you believe you are also too young?”

The redheaded girl paused, before nodding, “I’m still basically a child. Even at the age of 17. I’m inexperienced, even if you see great potential.” After she was done, both she and Jaune raised an eyebrow, with the former asking, “Why are you smiling?” The headmaster chuckled, placing a hand on Pyrrha's shoulder, “Because I’m proud of your decision and maturity. You understand that you aren’t ready for this...and thus rejected the transfer. I’m proud of both of you.”

Pyrrha just blinked, before giving a small smile, “Thank you, professor.” Evergreen nodded, “You are most welcome, Pyrrha.” He then looked at Jaune, placing a hand on his shoulder, “I understand that you were worried. But I’m proud that you trusted your partner with making her decision.” The blonde smiled, “Thank you, sir.” “You're welcome, Jaune.” The headmaster said. “Now then, let’s get her awake and get out of here. We got some monsters to hunt, right?”

The two teenagers shared a smile and a laugh, before nodding....

However, before Evergreen could wake Amber, an arrow flew through the air, piercing the Fall Maiden's heart. The trio jumped in shock as Amber coughed out blood, before dying. Cinder, holding a bow, sighed as the Fall Maiden’s powers passed on to her. “You know, I was actually worried that you would accept the powers of the Maidens.” Cinder said with an arrogant grin. Evergreen gritted his teeth, “Why you damned arrogant…!” “Oh please, like you weren’t arrogant either, Ozpin.” The new Fall Maiden snapped.

“SHE was right about that part of you, you know.” Cinder grinned. The headmaster growled, before saying, “Jaune, Pyrrha. Get out of here and get Ironwood and Glynda back to Beacon. NOW!” “Tell them to bring Qrow as well.” Evergreen said, standing his ground against Cinder. “What about you!?” Jaune asked. The headmaster shook his head, “Don’t worry about me. Just go and protect Beacon!”

Pyrrha looked at her partner and nodded, reluctantly escaping as their headmaster stood against Cinder. The red-dressed woman sighed, “I pity you, Evergreen Brown. I really do. I came for Ozpin and this power...and if you two were not one in the same, I would spare you.” The headmaster rolled his eyes, “Sure. Like I’m gonna believe that fib.” Cinder shrugged, smirking as flames erupted in her hands, “Who knows. Maybe you would’ve been a loyal ally to Salem…”

Evergreen knew that this was a fight he probably wouldn’t survive… He used a quick spell, before putting it in the Long Memory. ‘Whoever will be your next incarnate...WILL need guidance.’ He thought. He knew Ozma heard him when he said, “It’s been an honor, Evergreen. I...wish things could’ve been different.” ‘I know. We’ll meet again... and I hope that you’ll be a better man when we do.’ Evergreen thought, before aiming the cane at Cinder and saying, “Let’s dance, Cinder.”

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As promised, a summary of what happened.

Summer kills Roman in a gruesome fashion. Adam still severely injures Yang and Blake, but Gambol and Ember are able to help with medical attention. And....

MAJOR CHANGE STRIKES AGAIN! >:D Yep, Pyrrha is NOT accepting the powers, choosing to bravely fight on without them. Also, Evergreen and Ozma make some sort of peace between each other at Beacon’s end. Also Cinder IS aware of Evergreen's personality.

Next up, we reach the end of Vol. 3, where Summer and Ruby FINALLY go ballistic. I might have a separate epilogue chapter, but we’ll see. See ya next time!

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ilcaeryx · 5 years ago

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Tenacity: Chapter 10 - Kingpin [Bakugou Katsuki/Reader]

SUMMARY: You should not have challenged Katsuki to a snowball fight. What did you expect? To win? LUL

TAGS: Bakugou Katsuki/Reader, reader-insert, comfort, soft, fluff, romance, reader being a crazy bitch, snowball fight, cheesy

NOTES: Part of the Tenacity reader-insert compilation! I had fun writing this.

Taking a shortcut through the still and untouched forest sucked, Katsuki veering off from your usual route into it without a word. Like a baby duck struggling after mama duck, you followed his literal footsteps. You bounced from leg to leg, fitting your boot inside the larger imprints he left behind. Snow had fallen during the night, evident by everything being covered in white powder. It could have been the secret palace of a drug lord, snow adorning the branches and dead vegetation causing gentle billows beneath the matte glow.

“Do we have to walk through the snow? We could’ve taken the normal way,” you complained, glaring down at your burning thighs. Even with Katsuki paving the way, it was quite the workout.

“Why are you complaining?” Katsuki said, white breath trailing after him as if he were a dragon exhaling smoke. He shuffled through the thick snow layer with powerful strides and arms reinforcing the motions. “You’re not the one plowing the way.”

His dumb answer fired you up. In short succession, you trampled into the indentations until he was half a step ahead. You smacked his behind with whatever force you could muster, the glove softening the slap. “I don’t care, you brute. This is a workout routine I did not want.”

Katsuki had the nerve to send you an indignant glare over his shoulder, nose bridge scrunched. “Don’t follow next time then, dumbass.”

“You know that’s not an option.”

If he went somewhere, you’d tread in his footsteps regardless of where you would end up. Whether he knew this or not, you would never let him out of sight. As long as his back was visible, you’d keep moving towards it.

“Everything’s a choice, quit bitching.” Katsuki grasped a low-hanging branch obstructing the way and bent it to the side as he continued onwards. He waited until you were past it to release it, branch swooping to its original position. Without breaking a sweat, he kept going.

Your lungs sparkled with pain, every inhalation bringing raw, crispy air through your airways. You hid your mouth and nose beneath your winter jacket’s collar, alleviating the pain by breathing out hot air.

Katsuki hadn’t noticed that you had stopped, so you scooped up snow and hardened it between your fingerless mittens into a nice ball. Aiming carefully, you threw it and hit him square between the shoulders. It left traces of white on his black double-breasted jacket. He stopped in his tracks and ditched his hands into his pockets.

“Stop walking so fast,” you said, voice muffled behind cloth. “I’m about to die.”

He turned around, his cheeks reddened from the cold. “Power through it.”

You bent down and created yet another snowball, padding it within your palms.

“If you throw that, I’ll return the favour,” Katsuki warned, eyebrows shooting up in a quick display of aggression.

Yeah, yeah… Whatever you say, blondie. You’re bluffing, you thought. He genuinely did use everything at his disposal whenever he felt someone challenged him, including you, so you could be on thin ice depending on his mood.

“Your aim is trash,” you outright stated in a matter-of-fact tone, deadpanning through the cockiness inside you.

Once he started moving towards you, you instantly regretted everything and screamed, because his full-toothed grin and low posture exuded confidence.

Fuck this shit, he was going to kick your ass to outer space. You backtracked your footsteps in a frantic dash, ducking beneath branches and sliding across icy parts.

“Why are you running?” he bellowed. “I’m gonna fucking destroy you! Die!”

His taunts caused your screaming to increase in pitch and you didn’t turn around to see whether it amused him or not. This game made you feel thrill and actual fear.

“Fight, Y/N! Fight me, you coward!”

“NO!” Your screaming caught in your throat as your body jerked backwards, reflexes trying to keep you upright. You flailed around and hit the ground, fall broken by your thick jacket.

The crunchiness of footsteps ceased and a pair appeared in your field of view. Katsuki slid down onto his knees and snatched your hands, joining them behind your back in an automatic, trained movement.

“Gotcha.”

“I’m sorry!” you pleaded through your nervous laughter, thrashing your arms against his solid grip. It didn’t hurt but you wouldn’t get away without his approval.

“I’m sure you are.”

The pressure from your wrists eased and you drew your arms forward, pressure replaced by him collapsing his upper body over your back, your bodies forming a T. You groaned when he put one elbow on your lower back. Your breathing was somewhat constrained.

“Heavy!” you complained, clumsily hitting him with an open hand on his side.

Katsuki barked out a laugh. “Should’ve thought of that before you hit me with a snowball, lightweight.”

You heard him dig around in the snow behind you. His glove presented a handful in front of you and you attempted to shield your exposed neckline with your arms.

“Sucker,” he said and forced his hand between your chest-bone and shirt, snow spreading across your chest and into your bra. You shrieked in surprise from the cold and you instinctively brought your hands up to dig out the snow. That earned you another fistful in the nape, Katsuki pressing it down between your shoulder blades, the snow absolutely burning against your warm skin. He didn’t relent as you struggled beneath him, howling and shrieking. At last he rubbed snow all over your hair. When he felt like he’d had enough retribution, he pushed himself off you, breathing suddenly a simple task.

“It burns,” you said, throwing off your gloves to remove whatever snow hadn’t melted. “You got snow into my bra, Katsuki.”

He settled down again, his knees digging into the ground.

“Next time, I hope you’ll think twice before trying being a jackass,” he said, roughly brushing snow away from your hair.

You crawled up into sitting position, sneering at him. He scoffed at you, scooting closer.

Katsuki flicked his index and middle fingers in an inward motion, his gloves making the movement seem graceless. “Sit up, Y/N. I’ll get it out for you.”

You bent your head towards him and he untangled the snow clumps from your messy hair. Soon the water was absorbed by your clothes and your hair gathered into a terrible looking mess.

“It’s unfair that I can’t fight you on equal terms,” you said, trying to comb your hair with numb fingers.

“That’s what everyone says.”

You opened your mouth in mock surprise, drawing your brows together. “Such hubris.”

Katsuki lowered himself onto his back, contemplating the sky above.

“One day I’ll let you win,” he said and shut his eyes. “That’s what you want, isn’t it?”

“I don’t want your pity win.” You gave up on your hair with a sigh. Once you got home, you’d have to brush it properly or it’d be a bitch to untangle later.

“That’s a good attitude.”

“I get enough pity from everyone else by dating you, so I don’t need any from you.”

You squealed when he thrashed up towards you and clamped his teeth on your thigh, delicately biting down. He let go, resting his cheek against you. It was impossible to resist giving his hair a few light tugs.

“Pity, huh?” he said and rested a hand on your opposite thigh. “The peasants can say all they want. In the end, I’m the one who got the girl. They can stay salty for all I care.”

“If I had by chance ended up with someone else, would I have been a peasant too?”

“Don’t kid yourself.” Katsuki’s hands slid around your waist, joining together behind your back. “That would never have happened. I’m the only one that can handle you; you’re too damn crazy for just about anyone else.”

Your body bloomed in pangs of heat, your chest and the pit of your stomach aching in a pleasant way. Hoping he wouldn’t see your giddy smile, you brushed some snow off his back. “Same goes for you.”

“Damn right, baby.”

Your waist protested when he released you and you felt like this moment had passed by too fast. The wet cloth rubbed uncomfortably against your skin as you also got up. “I’m cold.”

Katsuki eyed your front, snow lodged everywhere.

Yes, that was all you, you napkin, you commented inside your head.

“You should head back home,” he said, grasping your cheek with his fingers and tugging gently. Reluctantly, he added, “I’ll get the stuff we need myself.”

“I told you before, I’m not going anywhere without you.”

His face became blank, an empty mirage reflecting your own serious one. For some reason, you perceived glow of admiration in his eyes.

“Yeah,” he said, his voice slightly thicker than before, “I know.”

I hope you all enjoyed it, please like and/or reblog if you did!

I listened to Baby Don't Stop by NCT U while writing the draft, which worked tbh, and Pied Piper by BTS during the re-write.

#bnha x reader #bnha x y/n #bnha x you #bakugou katsuki x reader #bakugou x reader #bakugou katsuki #ilcaeryx.tenacity

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