#He says “What kind of person plunges a knife into someone over and over?”

[riddlebirdistheword]

Oswald Cobblepot - Season 1, Episode 20 - Gotham

[rarepairdumpster]

Cold War AU

Pairing: Viktor/Silco (Arcane) Rating: M C/W: Mob Boss Silco, Russian Viktor, Murder, Bottom Silco

Cold War USA AU, where Viktor is chased out of his position as a professor because he's a Russian and his politics leans to close towards communism.

And he has to go into hiding with a friend of an old friend, Silco, who happens to have control of half the city as a mob boss.

Silco is the first person to treat him with kindness in months and Viktor has a long cry about it once he's alone in his underground bunker

Silco promises he'll have protection wherever he goes.

"Thank you for this," Viktor says, voice shaking a little. "I realise you have no reason to trust or be kind to me. I know I am not.....one of your people."

"People in need are my people," Silco explains. "And this is not free."

"What do you mean?" Viktor asks, a little nervous 

"I would like you to be one of my advisors," Silco explains. "I need someone with an outside perspective who isn't afraid to contradict me."

Viktor feels a wave of relief then. He thought perhaps Silco had meant sexual favours.

But giving opinions, yes, this he can do.

Silco prepares a seat to the side of his desk for Viktor to sit in on meetings.

If people have ideas about the reason Silco has added a seat beside him, no one comments.

Silco's only rule is he has to write his comments down and pass them when they're in a meeting with others. People eventually start to get nervous when they hear Viktor writing because whatever Viktor says tends to have an effect on Silco's decisions.

Viktor just sitting there like an ornament with his legs crossed and a neutral expression as he listens.

One time, Viktor writes something down and passes it to Silco, who reads it and stands up slowly, walking around the desk with a casual grace.

And then he plunges his knife into someone's neck because Viktor called them a liar.

Viktor keeping his cool until it's just him and Silco. Then he's just like "WHAT WAS THAT"

"I concluded business," Silco answers evenly, as if he hadn't just plunged a knife into someone's neck. "I don't make deals with liars."

"I knew your business involved things like this," Viktor sighed, trying not to look at the body. "I did not expect to be witness and accomplice"

Silco sits on the edge of his desk and smiles at him almost fondly, saying "You knew what I was when coming here to seek refuge. None of that changed when we started sharing a desk."

"What if I get taken in?" Viktor ran a hand through his hair. "I-I cannot lie like that."

"You won't." 

Silco responds with such dangerous calm, like the tip of a sword beneath one's chin.

It makes Viktor shiver.

Silco reaches out and let's his knuckles skim over a sharp cheekbone.

"I own the police. I own the judges. I have men in the feds. You're safe."

Viktor closes his eyes and leans into Silco's touch, almost unconsciously. "I'm so sick of being scared."

"No need to be afraid." Silco slides his hand into thick hair. "Not as long as I'm alive."

Viktor reaches up and takes hold of Silco's wrist and opens his eyes to look up at Silco. "I hope I'm not being too presumptuous," Viktor whispers, his eyes darting to Silco's lips.

"Nor I."  Silco moistens his lips.

He tugs, and Viktor rises as if he can't help himself, and Silco kisses him.

Not soft 

Not tentative.

Rough and ferocious

Viktor reaches for Silco, grabbing his vest and pulling his body close. He moans softly as Silco's hand moves down to his neck, enjoying the pressure on his throat.

Part of Viktor knows he shouldn't find this mob boss, this murderer, so arousing but he does. God, he does.

Silco shifts against the desk, let's it take more of his weight, let's his thighs bracket thin hips.

Silco let's the kiss break, but lingers teasingly close, and purrs "If I ordered you to fuck me, would you?" as his thumb soothes over the bob of Viktor's apple

Viktor nodded softly, eyes lidded. "Anything," he replies. "I...would have to sit, though."

Silco smiles slowly, a gleam in his eye, and slides off the desk with a suddenness that makes Viktor stumble.

Viktor lands in his chair with a little oof and then Silco is there, climbing into his lap, as if he's done it a thousand times  before

Viktor only manages to get a gasp out before Silco's lips are on his again.

He feels one of Silco's hands in his hair and the other working to divest him of pants. Quickly, Viktor reaches between them and starts to remove Silco's as well

Viktor is startled to realise Silco is hard already, and feels a rush of pleasure at the thought that Silco is hard for him.

But he doesn't have another moment to think about it because Silco has wrapped a firm hand around him.

Viktor bucks up into Silco's hand, panting against his lips. His hands begin pulling Silco's shirt out of his pants and reaching up his shirt to feel the bare skin there.

Viktor has Silco half-stripped a short while after Silco has stroked him to full hardness.

Silco latches onto his ear briefly, lips hot and teeth harsh.

And then he breathes "Your fingers, boy. Give them to me." 

And Viktor raises a hand obediently, breath catching as Silco swallows his fingers to the knuckle, tongue dragging hot and wet over his skin.

Silco guides Viktor's hand behind him after he's gotten his fingers sufficiently wet.

When Viktor circles Silco's hole, he can tell he's already a little loose. Viktor groans at the realization that of course Silco had planned this. 

Viktor pulls Silco close, letting their bare lengths slide together while he starts to slip two fingers in nearly right away.

Silco let's out this soft noise, pleased but not yet satisfied, because he wants more. Aches for more. He'd always loved riding a good boy, and he'd had such a strong feeling Viktor would be a good boy.

Viktor eases Silco open with his fingers, returning them to his own mouth a few times to wet them, moaning at the taste each time. 

When Silco decides he's ready, he lines up Viktor's generous length with his hole and slowly sinks down.

Silco watches him like he's ravenous

Viktor is in delicious agony as Silco takes his time, kissing him deeply once he bottoms out.

Viktor whines at how tight Silco feels.

Silco starts to move after a moment, digging his nails into Viktor's shoulders and moving his hips in a steady rhythm. 

Silco sighs and brushes his lips against Viktor's ear. "You feel magnificent."

Viktor's hands are clamped around Silco's hips, as if he might fall apart if he let's go.

He feels his cock throb when Silco praises him.

Arch + Woods

[shalscumbunny]

Dear Doctor | Chapter 6: To kill two birds with one stone

Summary: Shalnark suffered a small injury while investigating some things for the Gen'ei Ryodan, his intention was that a doctor would cure him and nothing else, unfortunately that doctor was you and what you least expected is that one of the most wanted criminals in the world would end up becoming obsessed with you.

Pairing: Shalnark X F.Reader

Warnings: Kidnapping, torture, murder, premeditated murder, manipulation, dueling

Author’s note: I always mention it in all my writings in English, but better safe than sorry, English is not my native language so it is very likely to find many mistakes and also that I know practically nothing about writing “X character and Y/N”

I am not a doctor so I will say my life excuse for everything, “I am a social science student”, so if something is wrong I apologize

Sites: AO3

Shalnark sighed as he looked at the photos he had of you on his phone. His entire plan was thrown off course by that quack doctor; he needed to piece everything together and be cautious. The smile on his face as he looked at you was full of love, he gazed at you with such adoration that it was immeasurable, but at the same time, his eyes shone with a morbid obsession.

Shalnark had long ceased to be an innocent person. For years, his hands had been stained with blood, and his soul knew no remorse for those acts; they didn't bother him. But what you thought of him truly mattered. According to his logic, if you came to love him as intensely as he loved you, you would forgive and understand all his "sins".

It was a game between you two, but you didn't know you were playing. Only he was moving his pieces and yours without you realizing it. Nevertheless, every day this game became more complicated and tedious for him.

His turquoise eyes fixed on the wall clock. Then, he stood up from the armchair and went down to the basement where Violet, the nurse, was crying and trying to call for help.

"Hello" He greeted her in a sickeningly innocent tone "Don't worry... it'll all be over in the blink of an eye"

Poor Violet was disoriented, scared, and confused. She had no idea that she was just another piece in Shalnark's game, no idea that her end was right in front of her, in such a cruel, quick, and unjust way.

"In a moment, Lucas will come to see you" Shalnark whispered, pricking her neck with his Black Voice and instantly taking her life, turning her into a puppet.

Shalnark set about "fixing her image", making her look disheveled, drinking a couple of bottles of alcohol, and consuming a couple of drugs to justify her state. After hacking into the area's security cameras, he took her out of her house and left her near Doctor Lucas's house. Once he was far enough away, he turned back on his Zetsu to avoid being detected and began his "performance", controlling Violet with his Black Voice as if she were some kind of video game character.

After making Violet steal a knife and run towards Lucas's house, Shalnark checked the time. He knew you well, he knew how punctual you were for important matters.

Lucas was at home, expecting you when the doorbell rang. Surprised to see you earlier than expected, he opened the door. Seeing Violet in such a terrible state, unaware that she was already dead, he thought she was still alive and begged for mercy on his knees.

Shalnark, from the branch of a tree, could only smile at the scene. It was like watching his favorite show; he didn't want to blink so as not to miss anything. It had been a long time since he had had so much fun killing someone.

"Don't kill me!" Lucas begged on his knees "I promise I won't get you kicked out of the hospital"

Shalnark hummed, pressing another key so that Violet would finish the job, but he was surprised to see Lucas resist. However, everything turned in his favor.

Shalnark pressed another button, weakening the force in Violet's hand that held the knife. As a result, Lucas plunged the knife into Violet's stomach. Believing he had saved himself and triumphed, Lucas's gaze filled with terror when he saw you standing on the sidewalk outside the house.

“Lucas... what have you done?” Your voice trembled with fear and confusion.

“No! Y/N! It's not what it looks like!” Lucas tried to explain what happened, but Shalnark activated the voice menu, making Violet speak.

“So, you traded me for her? You're killing me because of her?" Violet's voice, supposedly dying, was like a dagger to your heart.

You were scared, you didn't know what to do, you were confused and hurt... For the first time in your entire medical career, blood and open wounds terrified you. You ran away in terror, as fast as your trembling legs would carry you, your eyes filled with tears and without a fixed direction.

Shalnark resisted the urge to go after you and comfort you, with all the pain in his soul he restrained himself, as that would be too suspicious.

The commotion you caused by running away drew the attention of dozens of people who called the police, so Shalnark decided to end the show once and for all. He used his Black Voice to make Violet stab Lucas in a bloody and traumatic scene for many to witness, but one that was truly satisfying for him.

As personal revenge and taking advantage of the fact that everyone was focused on the gruesome scene, Shalnark deactivated his Zetsu, smiling sadistically as Lucas's now dying gaze met his.

Shalnark's eyes were shining with an unhealthy happiness and mockery in contrast to Lucas's gaze that was losing the spark of life.

Lucas couldn't understand how this could have happened, but it was clear who lost and who won, his eyes remained open as he realized that Violet's body was cold, very cold, as if she had been dead much longer.

No words could form on his lips. Lucas's life ebbed away as Shalnark dissolved into nothingness, a phantom in his dying vision. Ignorant of Nen and Zetsu, the inexplicable act left him bewildered.

Shalnark, having orchestrated the scene, vanished without a trace, his attention now solely on you. He kept watch from a distance, his plan unfolding methodically.

Overwhelmed by grief, you were trembling, your hands fumbling. You hailed a cab and wept the entire journey home. Overwhelmed by grief, you handed the driver a $100 check for a $10 fare, then fled without looking back.

When you finally made it to your bedroom, you hid in the bed, trying to calm down, but you really couldn't. You spent days locked up there, only calling the hospital to say you wouldn't be coming to work for at least two weeks.

Unfortunately, you couldn't communicate with anyone, you didn't even want to see your phone, you just slept, thought for hours, and ate just enough to not get sick.

You felt so alone, you didn't want to call any family to worry them, you didn't want to call your friends because they were also friends of Lucas and the last thing you wanted was to hear about him, since your mental health got worse when you found out he had died too.

But you couldn't handle your own existence anymore, with great need you clung to your phone before turning it on, searching your contacts and pressing the call button. You could only hear your breathing and the ringing of the line, praying in your head for the call to be answered and finally it rang.

"Shalnark... I want to see you..” You begged in a broken, needy voice, "Please... I need you..."

Thank you so much for reading my shit 🖤

Chapter 5 <- Chapter 6 -> Chapter 7

[stephaniebrownslover]

HIII WELCOME MEE

FIRST I WANT TO SAY I REALLY LOVE YOUR WRITING STYLE. YOU'RE ONE OF MY FAVORITE CP WRITERS IN TUMBLR (Seriously, no joking)

Can you please write Kate x Nina's relationship for your main AU?

(Also it's one of my fav ship, I wanted to read my fav ships hcs by my fav writers)

I WAS ALMOST FORGET, HAVE A GOOD DAY/NİGHT :3

HIIIIIII AGAIN LOVELY PERSON!!!!

Bro. Bro stop saying things like this because I'm literally about to cry. THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU SO MUCH

I really love and be surprised when people like my writing because of my self-esteem issues lol you have no idea how your kind words make me so happy and and make hate less from my writing style so thank youuuuuuu

I appericate you so much and and you're so sweet and nice and cool and awesome and cool and kind and sweet and and and

Okay I think I'll have an heart attack sorry if İ bothered you but I'm truly so grateful for your kind words<3333

I love NinaKate so much so of course I can do it for you even if I'm dying lol

(Ps: it wasn't seasonal allergies, turns out, it was the beginnig stage of pneumonia and bronchitis lol)

Also you can check this non-canon NinaKate headcanon post I made some time ago too!!

Okay but I can't get over how nice the words you say, really, I'm thinking about it since I saw the ask.

Sorry it's more like how they became friends and Nina and Kate lore but it would be so long that I had to split it into 2 parts. Hope you don't mind.

HAVE A GOOD NIGHT AND DAY TOO!!!!

Holy shit it's angst, I really didn't mean to...

NinaKate Romantic Relationship For My Main AU-Part I

Seeing each other for the first time

Nina has been known among the proxies since the night when Zalgo controlled her at the age of 15 and helped her find Jeff. Slenderman didn't want to take her with him because he didn't see any benefit to himself since Zalgo had reached out to her first, but he hadn't given the order to kill her yet just because he was curious about what would happen.

Nina was unaware that it was a ritual to summon Zalgo when she practiced one of the love spells she found on the Internet at the age of 13. Zalgo, seeing potential in her because of her obsessive love, followed her for 2 years, did not leave her alone. And since he decided it was the perfect time to take her with him, he took control of her body at the age of 15 and had her kill her own family.

Regaining control while plunging a knife into the heart of her younger brother Chris, Nina then felt so bad that she ran to the woods near her home. Zalgo led Nina through the forest, aiming to convince her that all this was Slenderman's and Jeff's fault and get her to the stage of wanting revenge. There she met Jeff, but Zalgo's plan backfired, as she hugged him and cried instead of hating him as he expected.

Kate had never seen the newcoming stray killer that Slenderman wanted to get rid of face to face before, but she had heard about the descriptions of her appearance and that she was a weird person in general. Since she was already someone who had been drifted away from humanity for a while, she had no reason to meet her, and these rumors didn't help either.

Kate, who was only 16 years old, had been a proxy for two years and had no one because of the fact that Masky and Hoodie were too focused on their own worlds and she didn't like them either. Rouge, Cody and Toby were not yet a proxy. So she was alone with Hoodie and Masky, who didn't even want to talk to her because they were afraid of her, and she wasn't looking for any human relationship.

She had experienced a hellish life until she was 14, but since she became a proxy, she has literally not been a human being. Although she had all the necessary human characteristics, she was not treated as a human, she did not think like a human, she did not feel like a human. That's why she was Slenderman's favorite proxy, since the whole purpose of her living was to fulfill his duties. The fact that she unconditionally accomplished everything he said made the others even more distant from her, but there was no problem for Kate. After all, she was no longer a human being.

It's been a month since Nina started staying in the same cabin with Jeff. Actually, she could have gone back to her old life since Zalgo destroyed the traces of that night, but Nina didn't know about it yet. Since no one else was trying to communicate with her, she thought that Jeff was the only important thing in her life, and she was holding on to him with all her strength. Although Jeff felt sorry for her at first, they started arguing because he was getting overwhelmed by her sticky attitude.

One day, when Jeff was drunk and really hurt Nina's feelings, Nina ran away deep into the forest to calm down. After walking for a while, she realized that she had lost. Moreover, this time, since both sides considered Nina worthless, there was no one to guide her through the forest. Nina was completely lost. She crossed to the foot towards a tree and let the tears flow, which she could no longer hold back. She was crying not only for this moment, but for everything. Most of all, because she was a bad person, and the fact she deserved all this.

Kate was returning from a mission. She was incredibly injured, and if people really cared about her, they wouldn't have let her walk on her own. Actually, Hoodie, with whom she had gone on, had offered to help her, but Kate's snarling with hatred indicated that she had responded negatively to his offer, and Hoodie's fear of Kate had caused him not to insist any further. After all, Kate knew that no one really wanted to deal with a non-human proxy who was at the age of 16.

That's why Kate was staggering through the forest alone, trying to ignore the pain and depth of her wounds. She just needed to get to Jack's cabin. Ann had just arrived, and Kate still didn't trust her. She had many reasons not to trust a zombie. Smiley hadn't started working for Slenderman yet either. So Jack was the only one Kate could go to, and despite her bleeding wounds, she was trying to get there as quickly as possible.

Kate, who was trying to walk, heard a crying sound. It... it was a human cry. She didn't know what she had to do. She kept walking, thinking that she didn't need to do anything because she knew she wasn't a human. But there was something in that crying sound which bothered her. This stranger's voice was filled with more pain and anger than she had ever heard before. Although Kate was not ready to face an enemy, she decided to check the source of the sound.

The person crying was none other than Nina, whose name was mentioned only with hatred and contempt.

Their first real meeting

Kate watched Nina for a while without making a sound. She did not know why she was crying, and frankly she had wondered what made her so sad. Because as far as she heard from others, Nina was a person who was cheerful enough to annoy and never got upset. And obviously, Kate was surprised to encounter a sight that was the opposite of the rumors she had heard.

Just when Kate decided she had watched enough crying and was getting ready to leave, Nina, who heard the sounds Kate was making, shouted in that direction. Kate would never normally have made such a fatal mistake, her injuries had made it difficult to control her body and she hated it. She hated being weak.

When Nina screamed again, Kate knew she had to do something. Her first thought was to quietly leave the environment, but she was not in a good enough condition to do so, and Nina was not an enemy. So, Kate thought it would be enough for her to just say hello and introduce herself.

When she appeared, Nina tried to suppress her sobs and stand up, but she fell to the ground since she sprained her leg. While Kate was only frowning at this situation, Nina was thinking about how useless and incompetent she was, which is why her crying became more intense.

Not knowing what to do, Kate slowly went up to her and held out her hand to her. On her first attempt, she had pulled her hand out regretfully before she even reached the halfway point, but when she saw how upset Nina was, she tried to overcome her hesitation. Kate was sure that she had been disturbed by the sound of her crying, and that she had been so kind as to make her cease her voice. However, in reality, it was just a proof that her humanity had not completely died.

Although Nina wanted to hold her hand, she suddenly saw how badly Kate was injured, and Nina immediatly pulled the hand she was holding out to hold Kate's and took support from the tree. She then stated that she did this because she did not want to hurt her any more, but was grateful for the offer of help.

Then nervously asked if Kate, who she knew was not the enemy, could take her back to Jeff's cabin after someone checked Kate. Nina didn't know where she was supposed to go, but she was sure that the person in front of her knew. She had seen the proxy mark on her wrist from her torn clothing.

Kate only responded with a shrug and started walking slowly. Nina also went after her, hoping that this was a signal for her to follow the proxy. Along the way, although Kate occasionally looked at Nina, Nina didn't mind it. Nina had noticed that she was an observant person, and she even thought it was cute.

After a walk, they arrived at Jack's cabin, where Nina randomly asked Kate questions to distract her own mind from sad topics, and Kate sometimes gave audible answers, while most of them were in body language.

Kate knocked on the door and asked Jack if he could take a look at her wounds. When Jack called her in, Nina was standing in front of the door because she didn't recognize him. But later, when she saw Kate making a movement signaling for her to come inside, she entered the cabin and closed the door.

After first Kate's wounds were taken care of, and then her own leg, Jack insisted they should stay here. He said it was too late even for a proxy and the killer to be roaming the forest, and explained that he had enough places. He also mentioned that Kate wouldn't need to come all that distance for her check-up the next morning.

Nina, who heard the word , only burst into sobs. Killer. That's how people must have see her now. As someone who takes lifes of innocent people for no reason. She knew that her idol was a murderer, but she had convinced herself that his victims were for a purpose. That's why she hated herself while glorifying Jeff in her eyes.

While Jack was trying to calm her down, Kate also bizarrely asked why she was crying. Nina was angry at being asked so clearly, so she yelled and told what had happened to her. She said how she had a wonderful family, but now they're nine floors underground because of her own stupidity. And what a terrible big sister she was.

While Jack was patting her on the back just to calm her down, Kate said it wasn't her fault. She even tried to explain that she was aware of what Zalgo had done, and that Nina was considered lucky to have survived with this much, as Kate was someone who had seen even worse.

Nina, on the other hand, was only more annoyed and asked how she was considered lucky. Her life was completely ruined, she had nowhere or no one to go to. Then Kate told her that the cops weren't after her, that she didn't have to live this life like herself. She sat down next to Nina and controlled herself, even though she wanted to put her hand on Nina's back.

Nina was surprised now. She asked Kate about her own story. Nina wanted her to tell her why Kate was here, why she was a proxy. And Kate just paused.

She said she didn't remember.

She mentioned that she had no memories of before the age of 14. Hearing this, Nina felt an incredible sense of pity for the young proxy standing in front of her. Nina may have had bad memories, but at least she had good ones too. She thought what a terrible thing it was to not know who she was. Not being aware of the existence of anyone who loves her. Not having a real life.

And quite instinctively she took hold of Kate's bony hands, which were like ice.

Kate didn't know what to do. She reflexively withdrew her hand, but she also knew that Nina had not done it for any malicious purpose, and her apology was a proof of this. Then Kate said it was okay for her to hold her hand and placed it back on her own lap. Nina grasped her hands tightly once again.

She told Kate that not having a past did not pose any problems. And Nina even got a little overexcited and said that if she wanted, they could build a future together as friends.

Kate, on the other hand, was literally shocked. While Kate was content with just nodding, Nina excitedly let go of Kate's hands and clapped her owns in the air. This was how their friendship, which was quite meaningful for both, began.

The beginning of their friendship

That night they stayed in the beds that Jack had made for them. Nina was acting incredibly protective of Kate's injuries, and Kate felt that day for the first time in years that she was worthy of being cared for as a person. Of course, this feeling was not long-lasting, but it was enough to create an involuntary smile on her lips. And that was enough for Kate for now.

Nina was constantly jumping from topic to topic while talking, occasionally not neglecting to ask Kate questions about her own thoughts. Nina realized that she was someone who didn't like to talk too much, and she didn't see extra talking as a problem because she knew that Kate was really listening her. 

Kate, on the other hand, was starting to feel more and more comfortable answering Nina's questions. Maybe this could have been due to her slowly creeping sleep, which came under the influence of medications. After saying goodnight, she finished talking. However, realizing that Nina may have thought that Kate was bored with herself, she offered that Nina could come to the proxy cabin for a few hours tomorrow if she wanted.

Nina instantly accepted this with the joy of having found a new friend. Although she was physically hurt while sleeping that night, she was emotionally relieved. A voice inside her was saying that they would both be good for each other.

Kate kept her promise. After the necessary check-up the next day, they set off for the proxy cabin. Nina was upset that Jeff hadn't called her even though she'd been away all night, but she didn't care about it as much as she usually did. Because she was no longer alone, she had a friend.

It was good for them that there was no one in the cabin. Both Kate didn't want to deal with others, and Nina wasn't ready to meet someone else yet. For a while they just hung out doing nothing and just chatted.

Kate then timidly asked Nina if she liked to play video games. Nina mentioned that she sucked at games and explained that's why she only watched other people play. Kate, on the other hand, in an even more shy manner, said that Nina could watch herself if she wanted to.

They played games for hours that day. They did not stop playing until nightfall came. And then Kate offered to take Nina to Jeff's cabin before it got too dark. Nina was actually staying alone in the same cabin with Jeff and Ben. Because they were considered one of the first inhabitants of the forest, and apart from the proxy cabin, other cabins had enough place for maximum 4-5 people.

Kate was very angry when she saw that Jeff was rude to Nina while dropping her off at the cabin, but when she saw that Nina was generally happy, she didn't say anything to avoid upsetting her. Then, when she was going to say goodbye to Nina and leave, Nina stopped her and gave her her number. Nina didn't have anywhere to write, so she asked if it would be a problem if she wrote in Kate's hand, and when Kate said yes, she wrote down her number. Then Nina asked for her own number and registered it.

After saying goodbye, Nina was waving enthusiastically to Kate from inside the cabin. Kate, too, shyly waved to her gently. When Kate turned around, she couldn't help but smiling.

When Kate came to the place where she was staying, she had a strange feeling inside. She wasn't sure what it was, but she liked it. Then, while she picked up her phone to check if there was any important message from Masky and Hoodie, she saw Nina's new message.

"Hiiiii, thx so much for helping me!!!!! Hop i can see ya soon sweetie :3333"

That day, Kate had found a real friend for herself. Maybe it could have been her first friend in her life. And she was glad of it.

Nina had found herself a true friend. Someone who really cared about her and doesn't use her for her own interests. There was a pleasant feeling in her.

Holly hell how long this shit is-

Also Nina's message might be out of character, English is not my main language and I'm not used to writing like that.

Sorry for shitty writing but I'm sick as hell

[ohwowhereiam]

welcome to my diary with no context enjoy

“pope francis is gonna die soon. that’s not a threat, that’s a promise.”

“i HATE SCHOOL. why can i not be a fairy in the forest? i’m forced to be a fairy at school it SUCKS!”

“donald trump should have been a drag queen. why the FUCK did he go into politics?!”

“i mean yeah she never screamed STRAIGHTY STRAIGHPANTS but like… she wears seashells. but i mean that’s a kind of gay?”

“i can’t believe i like ed sheeran. i’m becoming straight.”

quickly followed by

“no. NO. i just like fiddles and weird almost irish accents but that are not quite irish. it’s the FIDDLE i know it is.”

“like it’s MORE than romantic love, like it’s more powerful. like when you watch a video of a kitten and want to stomp on it.”

“i wonder what my legacy is. what i hope it is. hmmmmmmmm. tricky time. tricky tricky time.”

“imagine this train derails.”

“she makes me feel like someone is taking out all my intestines and wringing them out like a damp cloth.”

“i was fully giggling out loud and all. i need a gun.”

“whaddayamean my pants are off? AND WHO THE FUCK KEEPS SAYING THAT?!”

quickly followed by

“anyways i’m so normal about everything all the time!”

“i’m pretty sure i stepped in glass the other day.”

“i’m watching euphoria at the moment and OH MY GOD?! WHAT THE FUCK?! HOW IS AMERICA REAL?!”

“serves me right for not wearing any socks.”

“the word written on my brain today is blazé, which is odd, because i am almost positive i have never used that word correctly in a sentence ever. i think my refusal to google what it actually means increases the hilarity of this ordeal by at least 67 percent.”

“thanks phoebe bridgers. i don’t want to move yet. i think i’ll watch some james to make me feel better. i am fucking delusional.”

“i’ll cry later. then i’ll write my debate.”

“taylor is cradling me in her tortured poet arms right now.”

“i’m sat like a lad to intimidate him. he’s sat cross legged like a queer. THATS A LYRIC OMG i’m stealing that.”

“SAY DRAKE! yeah, i’m still listening to not like us. like basically everyone. well. no.”

“seven minutes. i could listen to meet the grahams.”

“maybe i’ll have a boyfriend or something by summer. okay now i laugh. AHAHAHAHAHAHAH kill me.”

“GOOD GOD THE MAN NEXT TO ME SMELLS LIKE TEN CANS OF BOUNCE THAT ASS.”

quickly followed by

“god, he’s actually fucking ripe. that’s GROSS bleugh.”

“and he looks like my maths tutor.”

“at least when i was uncertain and delusional, the hope didn’t feel like a massive, obnoxious, female shaped knife being plunged into my chest repeatedly until i drop fucking dead.”

“ew. andy is right.”

“i am now imagining that i am k. howard on broadway and that no one exists.”

“my nails hurt, i’ve eradicated them and bitten them so much it physically pains me to move my hands. typing this is high-key low-key agony.”

“THIS IS DUUUUUUUUUUMB my god i need a life. i need to write my conclusion for french.”

“will mum and dad let me mooch off of their spotify plan when i’m an adult. maybe until i get married. then i’ll just mooch off my spouse.”

“i love music. why am i crying over a boy? i have music. music speaks every single vowel that i do not dare let venture from my lips. music takes me places i could never bring myself to visit. music whistles the sound of my fuckin’ heart exploding and sells it to me for 7.99 a month.”

and my personal favourite

“i wanna be silly. christ, i wanna be silly. but the socio-political and economic state of the world prevents it. i am a martyr. i lead flocks of sheep. i am jesus.”

thank you.

[seasaltandcopper]

vampire hunter AU Pt 2

[Prev] | [Next]

Summary: Mal is handed over to Teddy by the vampire hunters.

(This one got longer than I expected, and is still mostly set up for the story and dynamics, but it's also chock full of whump, so I feel like I'm splitting the difference.)

Rating: Mature

Warnings: Profanity, mentions of torture, blood and gore, violence, manhandling, nonsexual nudity, imprisonment, starvation, dehumanization, ‘it’ as a pronoun (only used by one character)

“Mal.”

One word. One name. It dropped from the hunter’s lips and snagged Mal’s attention like a fishhook through the gut. He couldn’t remember the last time he’d heard someone say his real name out loud.

Years, probably.

And now it spat from the mouth of this woman, this hunter, like a curse. Like some personal ax she had to grind with him.

Like she knew him.

Stiffly, Mal raised his head enough to get a better look at her. Short. Subtly curvy, but muscular. Dark skin, deep brown eyes, well-kept hair, all leather and denim and piercings with an attitude to match. The ensemble practically screamed, pick a fight with me and see what happens.

Teddy smelled like clean sweat, gun oil, and the intoxicating vibrancy of blood flowing through her veins. Life. Food.

God, he was starving. He was so fucking hungry it hurt. More than hurt. Hurt was a broken arm, a knife digging between his ribs, the burn of a cigarette put out on the arch of his foot—this was closer to losing a piece of his soul. Feeling it shredded and screaming in agony without relief.

Mal swallowed the saliva pooling in his mouth before he choked on it, and tried to ignore the twisting in his gut as the smell of them permeated the cramped space. He held Teddy's gaze, sunken eyes peering out through a mess of filthy hair, but the flash of recognition he hoped for never came. She stayed unfamiliar. A stranger.

But one who obviously thought she knew him.

“Today’s your lucky day, bloodsucker,” she said, eyes flint-hard and sharp enough to cut. “You’re coming home with me.”

What?

Mal blinked. It took longer than it should have for reason to catch up and plunge icy fingers past the fog of exhaustion and pain. He’d expected—well, more of the usual. Another guest looking to blow off some steam, or getting “justice” for someone Mal had likely never laid eyes on in his life.

This wasn’t the first time the hunters had brought in a friend; honestly, the bleak-humored side of Mal was surprised they hadn’t thought to charge admission. Probably could’ve made a nice little profit on the side.

Still, the script stayed the same: they took him out to hurt him, and after they got tired or bored or felt they made their point, someone dragged Mal back to his box. Time passed, alone, in the dark—sometimes hours, sometimes days—before he was fed just enough blood to heal the worst of his wounds.

Then the cycle repeated.

Over and over and over. A horrific, never ending nightmare, but a familiar one.

Leaving with another human—no, a hunter, who knew his name, how did she know his name, who was she?��smashed every established pattern to pieces. Unease tangled like thorny brambles inside his rib cage, clawed at the back of his throat.

Mal couldn’t ask what the hell she meant; he couldn’t even open his mouth, muzzled like this. Cautiously, he glanced towards Brooks, hoping for some kind of clarification.

The hunter chuckled. Hooked his thumbs in his belt loops, and leaned back against the wall, smug as could be. The nasty glint in his eyes sent a cold tremor down Mal’s spine; he dropped his gaze back to his lap.

Brooks was one of the ones who’d taken a personal liking to Mal, early on. Back when they’d been uncommonly cruel in their attempts to wear him down, testing the limits of their creativity with techniques that still left Mal nauseous to think about.

If Mal’s heart had been capable of more than sluggish, off tempo beats, it would’ve raced.

“You got your own restraints for transport, or should I write up a slip for loaner gear?”

Reaching behind to unclip something from her belt, Teddy flashed a standard issue set of cuffs and a muzzle, then tossed it to him. “Here.”

Brooks snagged the gear out of the air. Stepped away from the wall with a sigh. Tensing, Mal pulled in a shallow breath through his nose, and watched Brooks out of the corner of his eye. The man’s black-polished boots crunched on the grit strewn floor.

The woman made a noise at the back of her throat. Derisive. “And hose him down or something before you bring him out. Smells like someone left roadkill in a hot van.”

Brooks snorted. A half-beat later, the toe of his shiny, black-polished boot slammed into Mal’s hip. It tore a pained exhale from him as he lurched to the side, the clatter of metal singing against brick. Catching himself on his forearm, Mal winced at the stripe of skin he lost for his trouble. Blood welled up in dark beads, staining the pale firebrick with more of the same.

Dead blood.

It wouldn’t satisfy like fresh, human blood would. It didn’t smell like anything at all. But the sight of it still tied Mal’s insides in knots as the instinct to feed spiked in response.

All his body understood was that it was starving, and that looked like blood, even if logic knew it was only a trick.

“Look, I don’t give a shit about the transfer order. Whatever. You want the vamp, you can have it. But we’re not runnin’ a grooming service. You want the thing washed and styled, do it on your own damn time.” Eyes still on the other hunter, Brooks tangled a gloved fist in Mal’s hair and hauled him upright. “Alright, shitsucker, let’s go. Up.”

Scrambling to get his legs under himself before Brooks left him with a bald patch, Mal twisted and choked on the words trapped in his throat. The sudden shift in gravity left his head spinning, limbs somehow both too stiff, and too wobbly to fully bear his weight.

Legs shaking, Mal planted his feet as best he could, but stayed on his feet. Barely. 

Just do it. Hurry up and get it over with, I can’t—

Brooks came to the same conclusion a second later. He hissed an irritated sigh, and released his grip on Mal's hair. Unsupported, Mal sagged on his feet, brows pinched in a pained grimace.

“Lazy motherfucker,” Brooks muttered. “Told you. Give ‘em an inch…”

Yeah, and I'd tear your throat out, you fucking bastard.

Strong fingers dug into Mal’s arm as Brooks worked to unlock the manacles. Heavy iron clattered to the bricks. Then again, as Brooks stooped and did the same for Mal’s ankles.

Without the added weight, Mal felt marginally steadier on his feet. And uncomfortably naked.

Gingerly, he ghosted bony fingers over the red, raw patches of skin circling his wrists. Black humor bubbled in Mal’s chest, and he swallowed back a laugh. Now he felt naked—without the extra pounds of iron weighing him down—but not because he hadn’t worn clothes in years.

On his list of priorities, Mal's desire for pants had dropped depressingly low over the years.

At least when Brooks cuffed him again, arms behind this time, he left Mal’s ankles unshackled. The muzzle went last, and a part of Mal hated himself for the way he tilted his head without prompting, obediently offering Brooks better access to the buckles; the rest of him didn’t give a shit, as long as it got the fucking thing off faster.

Brooks tugged it, giving the muzzle a disgusted look as no small amount of crusted gunk and scabbed tissue pulled free too. Mal barely noticed. After days suffocating in the thing, he was just glad to have it off.

He sighed. Worked his jaw, and held back a groan as sore muscles twinged all the way down his neck. Dried bits of filth Mal definitely did not want to identify crumbled loose with the movement. More of it itched under his nose and around his mouth, but the worst still matted the scruffy mess of facial hair stubbornly clinging to his jaw.

Even when they deigned to leave the muzzle off, there was only so much grooming he could do without access to water or rags or full use of his hands.

At some point Mal just gave up trying.

Gloved fingers snagged his chin, pulling Mal from his thoughts. He flinched. Not enough to pull loose—even reacting blindly Mal was smarter than that—but enough to earn an amused snort.

“Maybe it could use a hose down,” Brooks muttered. He ghosted a leather-clad thumb over Mal’s chin, squinting. “Ehh.” Then shrugged, wiped his finger clean on Mal’s shoulder, and lifted the replacement muzzle to fit in place.

Mal shivered as worn leather kissed his skin again. It sat overlapping some of the bleeding lines chafed by the old one, bright stinging pain sinking into a deeper, throbbing burn as Brooks cinched the straps tight.

At least this one was purely to prevent accidental bites—just a simple, boxy wire guard and leather straps—not like the ones Mal was used to, meant to completely immobilize the jaw.

He could still open his mouth. Take a real, full breath. Run his tongue over the outside of his teeth, or lick his lips. Talk.

This was fine. Mal could deal with this. This was—better.

After double checking his handiwork, Brooks laid a heavy palm on the back of Mal’s neck. He tensed, visceral disgust tingling down his back and making his skin crawl. Touch didn’t carry many pleasant connotations these days, but being touched by Brooks left Mal feeling genuinely sick.

The hunter squeezed once, pinching with his index finger and thumb. A warning.

“Let’s go,” Brooks ordered. “Move.”

Gentle pressure turned to a vice grip, and Mal hissed. His entire body was an ugly patchwork of marks—welts, burns, the scabbed over remnants of a recent caning, bruises layered on bruises; and his neck was no exception.

Brooks’ fingers molded themselves to older blue-green imprints, pressing hard. A sharp boot-tap to the knobby part of Mal’s ankle followed, and he cringed at the pathetic, wounded-animal sound that rose in his throat. Lurching forward, he struggled to stay on his feet and limp along at Brooks’ pace.

“I’m—trying,” Mal rasped, frustrated. He tripped again on the lip of the kiln. Would’ve fallen if Brooks hadn’t literally had him by the scruff. Shit.

The world pitched. Dark spots burst across Mal’s vision.

“Quiet.”

Fuck you.

Teddy followed silently, a dark smudge in the corner of Mal’s vision as Brooks manhandled him out of the room. Up one flight of concrete stairs. And another. Past the living quarters, and then into a part of the compound Mal only remembered seeing once: a pair of heavy steel doors that led outside.

Out, to the wide, open world and a night sky Mal hadn’t laid eyes on in years. He didn’t notice he was shaking until they stopped. Blinking rapidly, his vision strobed. He felt light, fuzzed at the edges, like he was about to pass out.

The pressure vanished from the back of his neck. Replacing it, a hand curled around his upper arm. Skin to bare skin. Warm skin, and slender, strong fingers. Though Teddy's hands were smaller than Brooks’, one of them still managed to encircle the entire circumference of Mal’s bicep.

There just wasn’t anything there anymore.

Side by side, Mal figured he stood a good five or six inches taller than her, but she probably weighed more. She sure as hell could’ve picked him up if she felt inclined.

“I got it from here,” she said, to Brooks.

A nod. “Sure. An’ listen, you change your mind, you can always drop it back off. Teddy, right? No questions asked.”

“Mm.”

“Yeah, alright,” Brooks said. “You got my number if you need anything—” A pointed pause. “Y’know, anything—handlin’ advice, someone to share a drink with…”

Grimacing, Teddy shot Brooks a look that would’ve vaporized a weaker man on the spot. “Yeah,” she drawled. “I got it.”

Raising his hands in mock surrender, Brooks took the hint. “Alright, alright, Jesus.”

Eyes the color of dark amber settled on Mal’s face, and this time he visibly grimaced at the attention. Swallowing hard, he tried unsuccessfully to push back against rising anxiety as Teddy addressed him directly.

“You try anything and I’ll break both your legs, and drag you the rest of the way to the truck by your hair. Got it?” He nodded.

Yeah. Mal got it. And his tentative hopes for ending up somewhere even marginally better than here dwindled by the second.

Warm, sweet smelling night air folded around them as they stepped outside. Grumbling to himself, Brooks turned and vanished into the compound without a word, not even sparing a glance back.

He’d probably agonized more over tossing out an old pair of boots. Or getting shot down by a cute hunter.

With a sharp bang, the doors pulled closed behind them. Sighing, Teddy tightened her grip. Something Mal couldn’t identify flickered across her face. Disgust? Anger? Whatever it was, Mal blinked and it was gone.

“C’mon. I wanna beat the sunrise home.”

AN: Annnnnd we're about to start really getting into the meat of it. I actually planned for more to happen in this chapter and had to shove that in the next one, and this still ended up 3x longer

Next chapter we get to meet Will, the other half of the hunter duo

Taglist: @whumpsday @writereleaserepeat @thecyrulik @lookbluesoup

[hexpea]

Ch. 20 - A Parent's Responsibility AN: (TW) There will be violence in this chapter -- homicide.

The next morning you awkwardly went home and dressed into regular clothing, then met Toji at the station where the two of you would take a silent ride back to your former town. You were incredibly nervous and incredibly scared, but also incredibly determined. You knew what you were doing was wrong, but you had convinced yourself that this was the only way. You were fed up, to say the least.

The two of you stood outside of your old apartment's door. Toji looked down at you as you stood next to him. "Are you still okay with this?" He asked.

"As ready as I'll ever be," you gave a single nod and took a deep breath. 

Toji then knocked heavily on the door. The two of you waited patiently and before you knew it, Masaru opened the door with a startled look on his face. 

"Y/N...Mat-" Masaru began but was quickly interrupted by Toji grabbing him by the neck, picking him off the ground, and walking into the apartment. You sheepishly followed behind and closed the door. 

Toji tossed the man back on the couch with an evil smirk. Masaru looked completely startled, eyes darting between the two of you. Your heart raced with fear as Toji continued to take the next steps. You suddenly weren't so sure anymore. 

"Well, Masaru," Toji began, suddenly hacking up the worm with ease. It's body slinked around his and produced a knife from between its lips. "It seems you've found yourself in quite a predicament. Care to explain why you took her daughter?"

"I-It's not safe," Masaru stuttered, "she wouldn't be safe around those...sorcerers!"

"As much as I agree with you, what about my son?" He asked.

"Y-your son?" Masaru asked, voice still trembling as he moved away from Toji, still on the couch as Toji continued to approach.

Toji bent forward and pressed the tip of the knife underneath Masaru's chin while the worm quickly dismounted from Toji's shoulder. "Yeah, my son," he repeated. "My name's not Matteo, dipshit," Toji snickered before forcing the knife through Masaru's chin, his tongue immediately being pierced as the knife came up through his mouth. 

Masaru screamed loudly, bloody murder even, his hands reaching up toward his mouth with nothing else to do. Tears began to fall from his eyes.

"You're gonna' regret hurting her," Toji laughed sadistically, removing the knife and quickly plunging it into his chest with ease. Killing regular, non-shamans was easy work. It paid quickly, too, when the murder wasn't for personal reasons. 

You watched onward with curious horror as Toji plunged the knife over and over, blood beginning to splatter all over the white couch. The life had long left Masaru's body as Toji continued his work. 

Now covered in blood, Toji came to a full stand and looked over at you. You were speechless but something about the look in his eye, the savagery of his feral nature, sent your heart into a tizzy. Your heavy breathing became evident.

"There, now you see the real me," Toji catches his own breath and tosses the dirtied knife toward the worm's direction on the floor. The worm began to ingest the weapon as you watched with a disgusted expression.

"What are you saying here, Toji?" You had suddenly made a connection regarding his disappearance. He stared at you, unmoving and eyes still low yet looking over at you. "That I can't be with a killer, someone violent? Or is it because of her? ...Megumi's mother?"

The color in his face drained upon your mentioning of her. He felt a mix of emotions. He wanted to put the knife against your throat next for even mentioning her but he also felt the truth in your words as well as a deep longing for you, something he hadn't felt since her. 

Toji let a deep breath out, his shoulders slumping but face remaining like some kind of mean statue. "It feels like betrayal." You stood and listened. Though he had paused, you realized that he still had more to say and you wanted to give him space for that. "But I know what I want," a smile twitched on the corners of his lips. "I look at you today and...I now know that she'd...want me to be happy."

You thought for a moment, biting the inside of your cheek. Your mind felt almost like scrambled eggs from what you had just seen, it hadn't quite hit you yet. "I can't stand the killing," you muttered.

Toji's gaze shifted from one with low, angry lids to one with upturned eyebrows and a look of concern, as if he didn't want to lose you. It was such a change that it nearly shocked you. "I have one more job," he held up a single finger and said each word as if they were each their own sentence. "One more job," he repeated. "I have one more job that I've signed the contract to."

Your eyes widened at what exactly he was saying. "Toji, are you telling me that-?"

"I will stop for you," his voice was relatively quiet, his gaze now piercing. You could tell that he was telling the truth. "After I finish my uncle and after I finish this next job, I'm done. We'll take Tsumiki and Megumi away from here, start over."

You couldn't believe that this was the same man you met those years ago. You couldn't imagine him giving up his whole life, what he made of it at least, for you. You admitted that there was an undeniable connection between you both but to give up your entire career?

"How's that?" He asked seriously, stepping closer to you as your ex-husband's blood dripped down his face. "Will you have me then, Y/N?"

"Will I have you then?" You snorted with a smile looking up at him dreamily, every rational thought you once had leaving your mind without explanation. "I'd love to," you confirmed, getting onto your tippy toes to give him a quick kiss. His hands were delicately placed on your waist as you both tasted the iron from the blood that intermixed with your saliva. 

He smirked down at you, using the back of his hand to wipe the blood and spit from his lips. "Now get out of here, I've got some cleaning up to do," he glanced over at the devastating mess he'd made.

"What about Tsumiki?" You panicked slightly, looking toward the closed door to her bedroom and then back up at Toji.

"We need to leave her here for now," he advised gently, caressing the side of your face with his thumb, accidentally leaving a small smudge of blood on her cheek. "If you take her now, they're going to suspect you. She'll be okay, I'll have a neighbor call the police and they'll take it from there. She'll be back with you soon, I promise."

You stared at him intensely for a moment but relented, knowing he was right. "Okay..." you whispered and gave a small nod, feeling a knot begin to form in your throat as you began to process all of the events.

"Go home," he repeated softly with a small smirk, pulling away from you to bring attention to the mess he'd created.

When you returned to the estate, you continued your work. The fruits of your labor would pay off soon. Naobito's death was imminent, you knew it, but you didn't know when. Each time you'd enter the main room where he'd be sitting, you'd be warily aware of your surroundings, wondering if Toji would be there to strike.

It didn't happen for quite some time, news of it happening came to you inadvertently. You were doing your usual afternoon chores, hanging laundry to dry out in the courtyard, when you heard a loud screech coming from one of the attendants inside. You, and the other attendants with you, ran toward the main room only to find Naobito covered in his own blood and sitting atop his zabuton, his body slouched over in death. It looked as though he came to a quick end. You figured it had to be considering the man's technique. It made you realize just how skilled Toji was at his job. 

As an investigation took place on the grounds, another attendant handed you your mail. This time it went unopened, a sign of changing times for the Zenin family with Naobito out of the picture. 

Your jaw nearly dropped at the letter you read: Tsumiki was to be transferred back to your care, your husband suddenly missing and unheard from. With nothing left to go on and a previous investigation of your background to determine if you were safe, the case for custody was dismissed -- at least for the time being. Your ex-husband's disappearance was an ongoing investigation.

After the madness of the previous events died down, you went about your routine acting somberly, just like the other attendants, to avoid any suspicion. You knew a bit about police investigations in the jujutsu world. After the next few days, Tsumiki was transferred back into your care. Naobito's death was placed into the higher ups' care fairly quickly. The government enjoyed staying out of the sorcerer community's way seeing as the whole "curses" thing wasn't something they wanted loudly broadcast to the common public.  As for your husband's death, he was still considered missing. For the time being, it was considered his abandonment but the longer he remained missing meant the case would soon be considered foul play in one way or another. Toji had reassured you that he had his ways of keeping away from the police and that the four of you would be okay resuming life as normal. 

You and Toji had everything laid out, the entire plan on moving on from that life. On this day, the two of you stood outside of the city clerk's office. You had met him that morning for your appointment, an appointment to sign a marriage license.  He hadn't proposed in any sort of fancy way. The two of you came to an agreement that this was the way you could move out of the Zenin estate and properly assume custody of both Tsumiki and Megumi after quite a bit of legal discussions regarding Toji's 'mysterious' past. 

"Are you sure about this? It just seems so...sudden." Your voice was quiet as the two of you sat in front of a clerk at their desk, each of you with pen in hand and legal document waiting to be signed. There was a look of worry in your face. 

Toji looked at you, taking a deep breath and allowing his lip to fall into the smallest, reassuring smile. This sweet version of Toji was rare to be seen but you enjoyed each time it came out, though it was clear this time that he hated being this way in front of a random stranger who was stupidly smiling at you, patiently waiting for your signature. "I'm sure. This is the easiest way. I want this for us."

"Right," you nodded to yourself and faced the document once more, elbow on desk and ready to sign. "One step at a time," your heart fluttered as the ink began to dry.

You watched as Toji signed his name next to yours without hesitation. The thoughts he once had of betrayal to his deceased wife had been sated after much personal meditation from his time away, the understanding of his relationships more clear. You could never replace her, but you were someone new who he could love just as intensely in a different way. 

Despite the informality of your marriage, you still decided to change your name and your daughter's name -- to Fushiguro. 

[cledubs]

wrote a little something based off of @applepato ‘s cletho hunger games au!! i wanted to kind of explore a little bit what cleo would be like if they were the victor of their games with etho. it’s fairly short but oh well

The Victor’s Village is lonely.

There are other people who live there, sure, but Cleo is alone. Alone with her embroidered tapestries.

Every Victor has to pursue a talent after they win. To prove to the Capitol that they’re still alive. Still surviving. Still playing into their games. Cleo chose her embroidery.

It’s one of the only talents she had before the games. On the particularly bad nights, it is the one thing that connects her to the person she was before.

Before the reaping.

Before the games.

Before Etho ran.

He’d always said that to her, that he was a runner. Not a protector.

Cleo thinks he was a liar.

He ran, and the attacker followed. Cleo was already bleeding out on the rocks anyways. She couldn’t chase.

A cannon sounded.

And another.

And a hovercraft appeared above Cleo.

And there was an announcement that Cleo couldn’t hear through the blood in her ears.

The needle in her hand snaps. She stares down at her clenched hand, two broken metal halves digging into her skin.

She releases her grip and throws the remains of the needle on the dusty floor. Small beads of blood gather on her palm. She wipes it on her current project, adding more and more red stains.

Etho’s almost-done face stares back at her, covered in Cleo’s own blood. The Capitol won’t like this tapestry, she thinks grimly.

She finds that she doesn’t care.

Another needle is threaded and she continues to carefully puncture the white fabric. All that’s left to stitch is his eyes. His beautiful, mismatched eyes. The eyes are the window to the soul, she remembers someone saying. That couldn’t be more true for Etho. His eyes were often the only things she saw. The swirling pools of black and dark brown will forever be burned into her memory.

Cleo punches another hole with the needle. The games are happening again soon. The Capitol is setting up cameras next to District Nine’s Justice Building as she sits in her empty house, stitching her final act. Her end to the games that the Capitol wants to play with her.

A knife sits on the table next to her. A simple knife that she stole from Etho’s bedside drawer. It has leaves shoddily engraved on the handle. She slips it into her pocket, along with the finished, folded tapestry. Her pocket is big enough for this. No one will care if the silent, angry, new Victor has lumpy pockets. She hasn’t made a particularly clean reputation for herself.

The stage is the same as always. This year, instead of watching from the crowd, she gets to stare at the terrified faces of her fellow citizens.

The video of the war starts playing. She doesn’t pay attention. She thinks her heart should be pounding, but it’s calm. Almost as if it knows that it can’t do anything. Her hands are perfectly still and controlled.

Taking the tapestry out of her pocket, she started unfolding it. She drapes it across the bowl filled with male names. The Capitol representative hasn’t noticed yet. She quietly walks over to the bowl that once held her name.

The knife is warm in her hands. It’s almost comforting. Distantly, she thinks, maybe it’s Etho’s final act. Alongside hers.

The video ends, and the representative turns and gasps at her being out of place. The crowd is silent. Before the guards can take notice of what is happening, she grips the knife firmly, and plunges it into her chest.

She falls with a grin on her face. She takes the knife out and, within her dazed stupor, still manages to throw the knife at Etho’s fabricated face. The bowl shatters in a sharp noise that she barely hears. She is dragged off stage, but she doesn’t know it.

Cleo has won the games.

[mgparker]

sidelines

[tasm!peter parker x reader]

request | word count: 4k

based on this request: so the reader has a boyfriend but he’s been kinda of a shitty one to her? like he’s an extreme workaholic who often skips their anniversaries and dates, and just takes her for granted all the time. whereas peter is her best friend who has been pining and harboring feelings for her but kept it all to himself (he knows how her bf has been treating her as well) until one day she breaks down in front of him and he comforts her. it’s very angsty and maybe ends with fluff?

warnings: f!reader, not as angsty as i’d hoped so sorry about that, asshole boyfriend, greys references, pining!peter, request, not much fluff, unedited

Fact— Peter Benjamin Parker was in love with his best friend. Completely and utterly whipped. The kind of love that blossomed over the course of a few years; something he thought he’d grow out of but to his luck, it grew in his heart like uncontrollable weeds in a yard.

And it didn’t help that you would literally choose any other person on this planet but him.

Now, Peter couldn’t control that. Of course not. As much as he dreamed that one day you’d suddenly tell him you were absolutely in love with him and had been for years, he knew it wouldn’t matter if it didn’t come from the heart. 

And seeing as it’s been years since Peter realized you were his entire world and you’ve been in other relationships (some of which you’ve solely depended on Peter’s advice of dating them or not—to which he always faked a smile and encouraged), the dream would simply just be that. A dream. 

Nothing more. 

And yes, it hurt like hell. It felt like a knife was being plunged into his stomach every time he saw you with someone else. Like the world was crumbling beneath his feet when you smiled at the phone because you were texting him… Like there was no chance in hell that he’d ever find a way past the heartbreak whenever he saw you and your boyfriend together.

Because this relationship was a little different than the others…

It took a while for Peter to notice it, which was surprising due to his incredible senses. But when he finally did, God did it kill him. 

The fake smiles. The sudden mood changes. The excuses. 

It was like your personality was being slowly drained away and it lit a fire in his bones. A rage that threatened to burst whenever he saw your piece of shit boyfriend. Thankfully, Peter had mastered the mask of nonchalance and innocence whenever you brought Nate around but you weren’t stupid. You knew that Peter knew.

And you couldn’t tell if that filled you with relief or shame. 

For as long as you’ve known each other, you’ve never been the type to settle. You’ve always known your worth, known how to put your foot down and put it down firmly. Certain in what you wanted—no, needed (but that’s not to say you were afraid to ask for what you desired). You were fair, open to compromise, a fairly good listener, and overall a person who cared... 

So you had no idea when your relationship had started tipping the scale, losing its balance until you were stuck with the heaviest side. With all the burden and hard work that should be shared in a healthy relationship. 

And though you tried your best to figure it out, to grasp at the confidence and outspokenness you once had, it was damn near impossible.

So you just settled. You just took it one day at a time because you didn’t want to disappoint him. You didn’t want to embarrass yourself even more than you already have, and you know you shouldn’t feel this way. You know that Peter would never judge you in the way you’re scared of but you couldn’t stand pity. And that’s exactly what you’d get if you ran away now. 

So, you just settled.

“How’s the new promotion going?” 

It’s your two-year anniversary, an occasion you were highly surprised Nate had even remembered. Let alone planned something for it. But here you are—at a high-end restaurant on the waterside of the financial district.

The damn financial district. You had forced a smile when the two of you arrived at the restaurant, trying to hide the fact that you’d already made the decision that you absolutely hated the restaurant. Just because it was in the financial district.

Everything was about the financial district. About finance and his dad’s business and fucking Wall Street. 

“Hm?”

Swallowing your mouthful of pasta, you stared at the table with a sense of detachment. This isn’t anything you’re not used to. “Your promotion?” You cleared your throat. “How’s it going?”

Nate finally looked up from his phone, a spark of interest gleaming in his eye. Normally, that little spark would excite you, get you on the edge of your seat as you grasped for his attention.

But you were beyond over it today.

“The promotion!” Nate smiled in a satisfied way. “It’s good. I think my dad is finally starting to see me for who I truly am. What I’m truly meant to be.”

You smiled sweetly. “And what’s that?” You played the supportive girlfriend part perfectly.

“CEO of New York’s biggest finance company.” Same shit, different day. As if you hadn’t heard that before. Except it isn’t New York’s biggest finance company. In fact, it’s barely a speck in the thousands that are fighting their way for a spot next to the big boys on Wall Street. 

“That’s great,” you lied. “I’m happy for you.”

Fueled from the praise, Nate was suddenly a bit more animated. “So how’s it going with your—um—what’s it called? Your art stuff… the uh—”

“Photography?” You wanted to laugh. How hard was it to remember your passion? It’s not like he’d been calling you his girlfriend for the past two years or anything…

Mouth full, Nate nodded largely. “That.”

He’s not looking at his phone. You realize suddenly as you gave him a skeptical look over the table. He’s actually listening. He’s looking at me and listening! Call the press, this is monumental news—I should probably answer before he picks up the phone again—

“It’s good! You know I actually got an internship with this really big newspaper company. It’s the biggest opportunity I’ve had so far and I’m actually really really excited—”

He’s looking down at his phone again. Not only that but he’s picking up a call—right in the middle of this fancy five-star restaurant he’d claimed was the best of the city. Right in the middle of your passionate spiel. 

Your jaw hung slightly, staring across the table incredulously as the words died on your tongue. Embarrassed tears filled your eyes, your throat tightening in shame as you glanced around at the nearby tables. 

For the most part, everyone was minding their business, actively engaged in conversation with their partners. Until your eyes met the gaze of a young woman who sat at the table to your right. She was in a group, sat next to a man you assumed to be her husband (if the matching rings were any indication) and their hands were interlaced at their sides. 

They seemed to be a little older than you, probably not by much but everything about their language screamed relaxed and comfortable. Secure and healthy. 

Of course, you couldn’t know that for sure but then her husband was suddenly tugging at her hand softly, ripping her gaze away from you and back towards him. The look they shared hit you in the gut, punching you with a severe realization—it was a look you recognized. 

A look that had been given to you many times… but not from the man who sat across from you. Not from the man who was currently laughing on the other end of a seemingly interesting phone call (more interesting than your photography at least).

You observed as the husband whispered something in his wife’s ear, the two giggling quietly as they leaned in closer. It left you speechless, their small interaction holding more love and adoration than anything you’d ever felt toward Nate.

Your appetite was suddenly gone.

It’s even worse when the woman looked over again, as if to check on you. When her eyes found yours again, she gave you a look of—of pity.

One single tear fell down your cheek, your face turning quickly to hide it, but you were sure she’d seen it. 

A shaky hand came up to wipe it swiftly, watching through watery eyes as Nate took a joyous bite of his meal. 

“Oh, you’re right outside?” Nate was saying to the person on the other end of the call. Your eyebrows scrunched up in confusion. “Great. I was just finishing up here. Yeah… Okay… Sure—I’ll meet you out there, how’s that? Okay, bye.”

He put his phone down loudly, finishing the last sip of wine in his glass. Then, your boyfriend looked up as if he remembered you were sitting at the table with him… on your two-year anniversary. 

“Right!” He wiped his mouth with a cloth. “This has been swell, but really I invited you here to tell you something.”

You were perplexed. “Okay…”

“I’m breaking up with you.”

It was deadpan. A monotone statement that left you in an instant state of confusion. “What?”

“In all honesty, I shouldn’t have let it go this far. But you know how my dad is. He likes order and breaking up with you would’ve cost me my job. My goals…”

At this point, your jaw had dropped open at his audacity. 

“And I couldn’t have that,” he laughed like it was all one big joke. “Clearly!”

You tried to take a moment to process your feelings—were you sad? Were you upset? Angry?

You should be sad, right? You should be on the verge of tears because your two-year relationship was over, right? 

But all you feel is anger and a burning sense of humiliation. “Clearly, you’ve had your mind set for a while. How long did you fake it?”

“Fake what?” He had this dumb smile on his face, as if he hadn’t spent the last few months pulling you in with meaningless ‘I love you’s and little moments of affection that made you feel guilty for even considering putting yourself first. 

Your nostrils flared. “Everything.”

“Don’t know. Lost count after the first few months,” he shrugged, waving over the server as he dug through his pocket for some cash. 

Motionlessly, you sat in your spot, rethinking every single effort you’d made for your relationship to work. Rethinking every single time you’d lied to your best friend’s face and told him that you were in love with your boyfriend and that everything was alright. That he didn’t need to worry. 

“But I’ve got this banging hot chick waiting outside for me and now that this promotion has secured me a spot on the board, there’s really no reason for me to put up with you anymore.” Nate gave the server a polite smile as he signed the receipt, leaving a generous tip on the table. 

Put up with you anymore? What the hell did he put up with? Your tireless efforts to make him feel loved? All the times you’d make sure the workload wasn’t getting to him? The times you’d fake it just for him because you didn’t want to hurt his feelings?

What the actual fuck had become of you? Nate had destroyed you from the inside out, draining you of everything you had until he got bored of you. 

“Fuck you,” was all you had to say, watching as your ex stood up, screeching his chair noisily until every other table looked your way. 

He looked as if he enjoyed the insult, loved the joys that came with being an absolute asshole. “For what it’s worth,” you could sense it wasn’t going to be worth anything. “The sex was great.”

You were right. 

With that, Nathaniel spun on his heel and sauntered out of the restaurant. 

The tables around you were silent, eyes burning various holes in your figure while you felt a deep pit form in the base of your stomach. Nausea kept you rooted to the spot, afraid that if you moved, your entire meal would land right back on your plate. 

Never in your life had you felt so humiliated, reduced to a good fuck and nothing more. After countless forgotten dates and anniversaries… After countless times you’d stuck your neck out for him. 

And when you finally gathered the strength to stand up from your table, your legs were a bit shaky, overwhelmed from the mortification.

Stumbling onto the sidewalk in the chilly New York streets, your hands fumbled for your phone, dialing a number you’d known by heart since the seventh grade. 

The line rang a few times before a warm voice picked up. “Hello?”

You wanted to sound normal, but the sound of your best friend was enough to break down all your defenses. “Pete?”

On the other end, Peter sat up quickly, heart dropping at the crack in your tone. “Sunshine, what’s wrong?” He practically cooed. 

He could hear rapid footsteps on the other line, little puffs of breath leaving your mouth like you were hastily walking somewhere. “Are—are you home?”

Please, please tell me you’re home, you beg silently. Your throat ached from the sobs you were holding back.

“I am,” he replied instantly, the worry making him sit up and rush toward the window. He was already pulling off his shirt, dressed in his Spider-Man suit underneath the sweats, before you could sniffle a response.  

“Um, I think…” you were stuttering, a million thoughts running through your head. “You were right.”

“About?” You could hear him pull the window open hastily. 

You sniffled. “Nate.”

Halfway out the window, Peter froze, hanging from the side of the building. His breath caught in his lungs. “Y/N.”

“Yeah?” You answered weakly, finding a nice spot overlooking the Brooklyn bridge and collapsing on a bench. 

Your best friend took a deep breath. “Did he—” his voice cracked in anger. “What did he do? Did he touch you?”

“What?” You spluttered. “No, he—he didn’t—”

“Y/N…” his voice was shaky like yours, though it was from the sudden fury that consumed his nerves at the mere thought of the asshole even touching you at all. 

Just spit it out. “No. No, he didn’t hurt me… I, um, just got dumped.”

It was silent for longer than a minute and you glanced at your phone to make sure the call hadn’t dropped.  

You continued. “…and—and I want to say that I’m sad. That my heart hurts and all I want is for my relationship to go back to the way it was but… but I can’t say that because it isn’t true.

“I just feel humiliated and drained. And it’s—” a sob escaped you. “It’s the worst feeling ever and you can say—you can say I told you so. It’s fine—”

“—it’s not.”

The phone slipped from your grasp, landing on the bench in a noisy clatter as you jumped at the sudden presence next to yours. 

It was Peter—well not Peter, more like Spider-Man but it was your best friend nevertheless. “It’s not fine. I’m not going to sit here and gloat, because I didn’t want to be right.”

Your lip was caught between your teeth, something that secretly made his gaze linger on your mouth, and you were staring at him with those big doe eyes. Watery and full of a thousand things you wanted to say but wouldn’t. 

“I didn’t want you to be hurt,” he whispered. “All I’ve ever wanted is for you to be happy, sunshine…”

With that, he crossed the few steps that separated you, joining you in the middle as you stood up. His arms wrapped around your waist protectively as your façade completely dropped, sobs wracking your frame violently. 

He wished he could show you the depth of his love for you. Show you the way you deserve the be treated. Erase the pain that that asshole had caused. 

But how could he put you in harm’s way? Expose you to the many enemies Spider-Man inevitably made? 

It’s out of the question—it always had been and it always will be. 

“I’m sorry,” you were repeating under your breath. “I’m sorry. I don’t even know why I’m crying.”

A suit-clad hand reached up to stroke your hair back, pulling you tighter into his chest. 

“How…” you sniffled. “How did you know where I was?”

Peter smiled softly. “Senior year, remember? Whenever we need a place to think—”

“—this is our spot,” you finished with a wobbly smile. “Right.”

It was an agreement you’d made years ago when the two of you had been going through a tremendous amount of stress. Between college applications and state assessments, you were both teetering the line between barely staying afloat and a full-on meltdown. 

The week of college acceptances was the worst. Peter found you on this same bench almost every afternoon, sweating from jogging the bridge and nearly in tears as you stared at the water nervously. 

And when freshman year of college rolled around and the two of you had moved in together, it was Peter’s turn to frequent the bench. Reduced to tears over his anxiety about juggling a full-time program in biophysics at an Ivy League and fulfilling his Spider-Man duties in the city.

The bench was a quiet place, marked by countless hugs and silent tears. It was your place.

“I didn’t even realize I came here,” you sighed, letting Peter drag you over to the bench. 

A realization made you stop in your tracks. “You’re in the suit.”

“Right,” Peter grinned sheepishly under the mask. Then, he pulled you close and wrapped an arm around your waist. 

“Wait—”

It was too late; he’d already taken off before you could brace yourself. Your heart sunk to your feet, a scream catching at the back of your throat as you frantically fought to wrap your arms around his neck.

It was impossible to open your eyes against the rushing wind, eyelids squeezed shut, clueless as to your destination. But you couldn’t find it in you to care, the only thing rushing through your mind was the desire to touch ground already. 

Transportation by web wasn’t a new experience for you. But it didn’t mean you appreciated it anymore now than you did the first time. The views were pretty, sure, but nearly throwing up hundreds of feet over New York wasn’t. 

The end couldn’t have come sooner. As soon as your feet touched solid surface, you snapped your eyes open. A scolding was at the tip of your tongue until you realized where he’d taken you. 

The top of a skyscraper, an important monument if you had to guess. 

Hurriedly, you looked down to survey the surface you were standing on. It was a nice slab of stainless steel, surprisingly sturdy and spacious. Next to you, a spire dwarfed you in size. 

“We’re on the Empire State.”

You looked over at Peter; his mask was gone, hair swiped to the side in a curly mess. He seemed more relaxed than you’d seen him in days, no— months.

He took your silence as a sign to continue. “I’ve been coming here for a while now.” 

“It’s beautiful,” you said, scanning the glittering buildings below. You spotted Madison Square Garden not too far ahead, laughing in amusement at the venue that seemed so big to you whenever you’d visit. Now, it was barely the size of your thumb. 

Peter followed your gaze and gave you his own chuckle. “Tiny, right?”

“This is what you see every night?” You asked in amazement. 

“Yeah. It’s the only place I can really think.”

The crack in his voice made you turn. There’s pain in his eyes, it’s the first time you really see it. The last few months had blinded you to a lot of things, your frustration and self-pity stealing you away from the one person who meant the most to you.

“Pete—”

“You know what I’d think about?” He pursed his lips. “While I was up here?” Something told you where this was going, but you were too afraid to answer.

“I’d think about you.”

Okay… He was absolutely mad at you. He’d been sparing your feelings because he could tell how miserable you were in that relationship but now, the jig was up. You were done and apparently, so was he. The words were tumbling out before you could stop them. “I’m sorry—” 

“Wha—why?” Peter chuckled humorlessly. “Why are you apologizing?”

“I dunno,” you mumbled. “I know I haven’t really been there lately.”

It was silent. You hesitantly looked at your best friend to find him already staring at you with a look you couldn’t quite place.

“I would think about you,” he repeated pointedly. “For the last two years, I’ve watched you turn yourself into someone, at times, I barely recognized. I’ve watched you shrink yourself slowly until... until...” he never finished and it left you mildly curious, though you weren’t eager to hear an outside perspective of how you’d been played like a guitar string.

“That asshole didn’t deserve you, Y/N. You’re too good, too-too pure, and he didn’t deserve more than a minute of your time...”

You stared at the skyline, your eyes stinging with unshed tears. Peter wasn’t trying to make you feel bad, you knew that, but it stung nonetheless because he was right. 

Then, he softly uttered your name. It was filled with an emotion that struck a nerve deep within you. You nearly choked.

“You’re still the same girl I’ve known since high school. The same girl that wouldn’t hesitate to put Flash Thompson in his place—” you rolled your eyes at the reminder of that dickwad. “You’re still the same girl that sees the good in everyone, and you’re still the same stubborn girl who can get villains to stand down from the sheer force of your will...”

He’s talking about Harry Osborn, and it finally draws a laugh out of you. It wasn’t funny a year ago, when the incident nearly got you killed, but it was enough to make you tearfully laugh now.

“Y/N… you’re still the sun.”

The laugh got paralyzed in your throat, choked down by a small sob of relief. The alleviating realization that the most debilitating aspect of your life was finally gone, a parasite that had been reducing you to ashes, shadowing your brightness and sucking every part of you until you were practically a shell of who you used to be.

There were words your best friend never heard, arguments and disputes no one would ever know, parts of yourself that would take more than an hour to steal back from Nate’s vicious clutch, but you were more than relieved to realize that at the other end of it, there was one thing that he could’ve never taken away from you.

Before you could say anything, Peter uttered one last thing. 

“You’re still the same girl that I’ve always loved.”

A swell of emotions attacked your heart, squeezing and squeezing until the only relief was Peter’s arms. You’re glad that he has such fast reflexes or else you’d both be tumbling off the side of the building. 

There could be multiple meanings behind that statement—and there definitely was— but Peter meant it in the way he knew you needed.

A confession wasn’t something you could handle right now, and it wasn’t something Peter could ever see himself admitting while he still worried about your safety, so he made sure you saw the fond edge in his gaze. The years of friendship and devotion that you two shared.

There weren’t words to describe how you felt about Peter Parker, you could barely make sense of it. But holding him close, feeling his hands around your waist and heartbeat against your ear, you were almost certain that the words that rested at the tip of your tongue held a different meaning than what he’d just said to you.

But you keep it in, afraid to shatter this moment and feeling the long road of healing ahead. It could wait.

This embrace was enough.

yes... this is a little bit of a mess but i’m fairly certain i say that about every single thing i write. also, shameless grey’s anatomy reference because that show has my entire heart and soul. anyway, this request is from MONTHS ago. i am so sorry you sweet anon but if anyone would like to read it, here it finally is. 

hope you’re all having a splendid day. x

— elle <3

[rcksmith]

Rules — Kaz Brekker

Requests: “Your works is incredibly good, masterpiece. Can you please smut with Kaz Brekker and prompts 34, 37, 47? Using your rules, they are wonderful. I will really wait))”

“could u do #39 with kaz???ignore if ur not comfortable with this!!”

“Hello, just binge read your kaz brekker smuts and they are amazing! Was wondering if you could do something with smut prompts 34,84,&72?”

Smut prompts:

34. “You’d better watch your fucking mouth.”

37. “I’m so sick of your voice. Why don’t you come over here and put your mouth to better use?”

“39. “You keep acting like a little brat and I’ll take you over my knee right here, I don’t care how many people are watching.”

47. “You look so good on your knees like that.”

72. “Fuck you.” 1. “I’m up for it if you are.”

84. “Let me show you what happens to little brats who don’t follow the rules.”

Couple: Kaz Brekker/ Fem!Reader

Warnings: swearing, NSFW,explicit heavy smut, dirty talk, dom!Kaz.

Word count: 2k.

A/N: All smut requests for Kaz must follow these rules.

Thank you so much for the requests and for all affection 💖 I decided to compile these requests, since they were the same central plot. I added all the elements that were asked for individually, and made sure that all ideas were respected and written down. I hope you like it and good reading.

English is not my first language, so I so sorry if have a mistake.

Requests are closed. Love you❤️

— — — —

There were two types of people in the world. The dangerous ones, with whom shouldn't play or challenge, people who are able to see and set your soul on fire with a single look, who exude power and domination with the way they walk. And there were people who loved to play with danger, with fire. People who felt the adrenaline pump in their veins and loved the feeling of being messing with something forbidden. Overcoming limits, challenging people on power.

Kaz Brekker was the first type of person. And you were second.

He was intimidating, dark and dangerous. An aura of mystery adored him like an underworld selvedge, and his caustic and intense gaze could very well be bought from what Lucifer cast around the world after The Fall. It was amazing how he hadn't left a trail of rubble where that gaze passed. People feared him, obeyed him, responded to his orders with astonishing precision. Everyone, but not you.

The surest comparison to define you would be to buy Jesper. Both with social personality, adrenaline addiction and seduction in their eyes. But you were a little more than that. More impulsive, more reckless, and more provocative. While Jesper knew all too well when to step back and keep your mouth shut, you refused to bow to Dirty Hands. Not because it was proud, but because it was fun, thought-provoking. Addictive. Every cell in your body felt extremely alive when you are under Kaz Brekker's dominant, angry, and dangerous gaze. He giving you a clear warning that you were swimming in turbulent water, but you were just plunging deeper into his waves.

You wanted to push him to the edge, the exasperation, to see what was really underneath that cold face and serious. Kaz could very well be the boss of the famous gang you were part of, but his rank wasn't enough to stop you. Never would be.

"Frankly, I just don't care." You told Jesper and Nina in one night, downing a shot of vodka.

"What?!" She looked at you dumbfounded. "Kaz is your boss and you argued with him about his plan!"

Nina looked alarmed, but all you felt was adrenaline and pleasure.

“Because it was a nonsense plan and…”

“What nonsense plan?”

And there was Kaz. With his height and his black underworld clothes, with his Lucifer gaze and mouth made for sin. You wanted him to sin. But you wanted l him sin with you.

Jesper and Nina soon stuttered trying to make up an excuse, but you weren't given to lies.

“Yours, in this morning.” Jesper looked like he wanted to stick his head in the dirt after your comment.

Then, once again, that fervent gaze was upon you, and every pulse in your body frantically pumped blood through your veins.

“Don't think I didn't notice your inability to follow rules, Y/n.” It was a warning.

“Oh I don't have a problem following rules “You rested your chin in your palm, with your elbow on the table, and held his fervent gaze, “,but only when they make sense. So that's the only way I can be very obedient, Sir.”

You heard Nina gasp, but your eyes didn't leave Kaz's. There was much more to that look than met the world could see. There was war for control, battles and ferocity. Kaz Brekker wanted to break you in half in that eye contact, but you wouldn't budge because a look. If he wanted you on your knees, you would be very happy to do it, but it would have to be the right way.

Kaz leaned toward you, closer enough for no one else to hear what he was going to say but far enough away that his mouth wouldn't touch your ear.

"You keep acting like a little brat and I'll take you over my knee right here, I don't care how many people are watching."

After that, the sexual tension between the two of you was suffocating, so thick it could have been cut with a knife. But nobody did anything to placate it, and you two just let it get bigger. Bigger and bigger. Until it's too late.

And in one night, it was too late.

"I won't do this just because you want to!" You crossed your arms over your chest.

Kaz wanted you to kidnap one of a mobster's kids to act as security when making a deal, but you wasn't going to kidnap anyone.

“You work for me.”

“No, I work with you.” It was a lie, but you didn't budge. “Don't think I'm here for lack of choice, Brekker. You need me as a vital member of this team and don't forget we're on an equal footing.”

His blue eyes turned almost black. Kaz Brekker rose from his office desk.

“Do you really think you're going to tell me how to act? Think you're gonna boss me around? Well, I don't think so.” His speech was slow and hot and dangerous, like that of a hunter prowling his prey and contemplating how pathetic you attempts to fight were.

“I don't give a damn what you think.” Your whole body was throbbing with life in that moment, as if fireworks had exploded in your chest. “But I won't do what you're ordering.”

"Fuck you." His voice was a growl.

A spot between your legs vibrated, and you gripped the taunt tightly. "I'm up for it if you are."

That seemed to be the pinnacle. The air crackled, the world shuddered, and Kaz's eyes roared with the flames of hell. He walked towards your with three long, purposeful strides, grabbed your chin in his gloved hand and brought you close to his mouth like you were just a rag doll.

Your breath burned in lungs, your unrestrained heart grew stronger and your entire body shivered. A low moan caught in your throat, but you could feel the warm, pulsing liquid stain your panties.

"You’d better watch your fucking mouth." Kaz's voice was husky, strong and gruff, like a boss. Your boss.

Pleasure invaded your body like waves of electricity, stealing your breath and making your blood burn in veins like scalding lava. Your whole body vibrated, screamed, begged. You wanted to disobey and be dominated. You wanted to fight and be defeated. You wanted to play rebellious and be demoted to a good girl.

And your desires must have been very explicit and pleading in your eyes, because Kaz let his lips curve into a cocky, smug smile. The smile of someone who knows he has power.

"You are such a hypocrite." He brought his body close to your. "Saying you're not easily obedient, likes others to think you're provocative and rebellious, but you're just a needy kid wanting my attention."

You moaned this time. A broken and delivered sound that gave away your entire game.

"I'm not one of the men you can challenge and get along with."

"I didn't think you was." You tried to rescue the last spark of provocation, your last fire of insolence.

“And yet you test me. Because you know what I can do with you.”

His husky words hit your skin, and Kaz pulled your chin more closer, until your lips were able to swallow his words. “Because you know I can break you.”

The moan came loud this time, desperate and needy. Kaz hadn't even touched you properly and you already felt ready to combust.

“Y-yes.” But if you were desperate, Kaz was burning with dangerous fury.

“I'm so sick of your voice. Why don’t you come over here and put your mouth to better use?”

Then his hand slipped from your jaw and stuck to the silky hairs on the back of your neck, closing his fingers there and bringing you with him to the armchair Kaz had been sitting in seconds ago.

They weren't sweet, affectionate, or kind touches, but that wasn't what you were looking for. You wanted roughness, fury, raw and strength. You wanted something wild, wanted had marks on your body the other day to tell a story. You weren't a woman who settled for the basics and wanted someone able to show you what a real fuck was. You wanted to be broken. And Kaz Brekker could give you that.

He sat down in the leather armchair and pulled you to the floor, settling you on your knees on the floor between his long, masculine legs. The awareness of what was to come filled your mouth with water, with desire, with lust, and you found yourself already leaning your mouth closer and... Kaz pulled your hair back, not hard, but firmly, keeping you away from his dick. For a while.

“Are you so eager to get my dick yet?” His free hand, now ungloved, glided to your face, running his thumb across your cheek in a firm, possessive touch. “Of course you are. Greedy slut."

Then came a slap. It wasn't aggressive, but you could feel the heat on your cheek. Your panties have never been so wet as they are now.

“S-Sir f-fuck.”

It was a plea, a whimper or a moan, you didn't know anymore. All you could feel was your pussy throbbing, mouth salivating and the overwhelming desire to put his cock in your mouth. It all hit you so hard that you wanted to cry with the wait.

Kaz lowered his mouth to your, slamming their lips together in a rough, brutal, dictating kiss. He invaded with his tongue and conquered everything you had, rubbing the hot flesh of your tongue in an erotic, maddening dance.

"Let me show you what happens to little brats who don't follow the rules." It was his sentence after back away his lips from your.

Unbuttoning his black pants with one hand and pulling the waistband down along with the boxers, he released the throbbing cock that sprang out with glory and grandeur. Thick, streaked with veins and with a pink head swollen and leaking with pre-cum. Everything about Kaz Brekker was delicious. Your moan at the sight was an opportunity that wasn't passed up. Kaz pulled your head by the back of your neck toward his dick, sinking into the velvety, warm, wet cavity of your mouth.

You accepted it readily, almost in desperation, tasting its taste with his tongue and sucking on his head like your favorite lollipop. Kaz moaned loudly, letting his head fall back and loosening his grip on your hair. Your eyes lifted to him, and the sight made you clench your thighs to ease the arousal.

His broad chest covered by the black button-down shirt rose and fell faster, his smooth white neck was exposed, and his firm jaw was clenched with fury. Brekker looked like the god of the underworld. And you loved it.

Your mouth suck to his cock better, increasing the back and forth movements and leaving a trail of hot sage. One hand rested on Kaz's thigh while the other aided the movements, spreading all the saliva down the length of his cock.

“You look so good on your knees like that.” His voice was more of a growl, and his grip on your hair went back to being firm.

You brought your eyes up to his once more, batting your lashes gracefully as you let out a few broken moans, sliding your tongue across every inch of his warm skin you could reach. Kaz gritted his teeth with your puppy dog ​​eyes. Losing all control and letting out a loud growl mixed with an aggressive curse, he thrust your head at him, sinking his entire dick into your hot mouth and hitting the glans at the beginning of your throat.

You gasped and he moaned loudly, increasing the back and forth and building with the movements of his own hips, fucking your mouth like it was the most delicious thing in the world.

"Fucking hell, what a velvet mouth!" He locked his teeth into his lower lip, using his free hand to slide his thumb across your cheek and give you a reward in the form of a small caress. "That's right, good girl."

You moaned, squinting your eyes and relaxing your throat. His compliment has done wonders for your feminine ego and your vanity, you've sunk your mouth down to touch the tip of your nose to his pelvis, and the grip on your hair has become rough as Kaz moaned loudly in a session of swearing and gasping.

He held you in that position, his whole body shaking with pleasure and despair, blood pumping like boiling lava through his saturated veins. With one last moan mixed with growl, he cum in your throat. In hot, strong jets, making sure you take every last drop. He tasted like salt, man and lust. And it was a miracle you didn't cum right away. The best liquid you've ever had.

Kaz released your hair with a hot gasp, and the hand on your cheek gently pulled you back. His dick came out of your mouth with a 'pop', saliva and tears mingled in your chin, your lips swollen and as red as roses at their apex.

You've never been so fucking delicious as you are now.

Brekker pulled you into his lap, settling you on his thigh and locking their mouths in a kiss permeated with lust and desire. You whimpered, body sensitive, pussy throbbing and throbbing. Your hands went to his hair as Brekker pulled the hem of your skirt up.

"Now, you're going to keep showing me how much you regret being insolent."

You smiled with teasing and malice. The night was just beginning.

[24hlevi]

can i just say that i've just finished reading that angst headcanons/imagines/scenarios or whatever it's supposed to be called about the boys reacting to y/n dying and i'm just...i'm just a sobbing mess.

it's well-written so 1000/10 for that, but whY MUST YOU ATTACK MY HEART IN THIS MANNER???? i love your work, but my poor heart ack-

btw is there any possibility to ask for a request for a same scenario but for kazutora, mitsuya, and hanma? like for kazutora's part, imagine if it wasn't yknow who died but its y/n 🥲

omg you’re so nice first of all thank you 😭 and OMG YES

TR Boys Reaction To You Dying Pt. 2

Tokyo Revengers Boys (Kazutora, Shuji, & Takashi) X Gn!Reader

Genre: Pure Angst

Warnings: Swearing, Suicide (kind of? it’s what happened to baji did so idk what to label it as 🤷‍♂️)

Hanemiya Kazutora:

All Kazutora could think was that it was all his fault that this happened. He was too caught up in his own world that he didn’t even know what he was doing anymore. He didn’t even know you had shown up to the fight until he stabbed you instead of Baji.

“Y/n?” Kazutora asked, dropping the knife immediately when he saw you standing between him and Baji, blood dripping onto the ground below you. He completely froze, not knowing what he had just done or why he even did it. “Baby, are you okay?”

You held onto the stab wound, coughing up blood as you looked at your boyfriend. “I just wanted you…to stop.” You choked out before collapsing to your knees.

Everyone had stopped and was watching you by now, shocked that you had even protected Baji from both sides when your whole body landed on the car below you. Spitting blood out of your mouth, you laid on your back, staring up at the blue sky that was dusted with white clouds.

“Y/n!”

You heard multiple people yell your name, but you couldn’t even tell who it was until you saw Kazutora kneeling beside you. “Y/n! Keep your eyes open, okay?!”

You shook your head from side to side, raising your hand to put it on Kazutora’s face before quietly speaking, “Give it to me, the knife.”

“What? Why? Look, Y/n you just gotta stay awake okay?” Kazutora spoke fast, clearly freaking out on both the outside and inside, not even caring about the gang fight anymore.

“Hand it over, Kazutora.” You said his full name which caused him to go quiet, staring down at you with saddened eyes before handing you the knife that already had your blood on it. “Thank you, babe. I love you.” You told him.

“I love you too, Y/n.” Kazutora said to you.

You bundled up your shirt at the top, putting it in your mouth so you had something to bite down on before plunging the knife into your stomach and twisting it around, then pulling it back out and dropping it.

Kazutora wrapped his arms around you and held you close to him as you lived your last moments, and he couldn’t even say anything. “I’m sorry, Y/n. I always will love you.” Was all he said after you died.

Kazutora then took the blame for killing you, resulting im him ending up in jail again but he wasn’t angry about it. He was just sad. So sad that he didn’t even try to get out of jail and get back into the gang life. He just sat around, continuously saying,

“It’s all my fault.”

Hanma Shuji:

Shuji swore that he would never allow you to get hurt while he was away doing gang activities that he didn’t want you included in. That’s why he always had someone beside you and a bodyguard to make sure you would always be safe. But even then, it didn’t work.

It was half past 1 in the morning when Shuji’s phone rang while he was with the other Valhalla members, beating up some random other gang member. Shuji stopped punching the other male, standing up straight and took his phone out of his pocket and opened it, answering. “Yes?”

“Shuji…”

Shuji’s breath hitched when he heard your shaky and quiet voice, and he immediately knew that something was wrong. “Y/n? Where are you, darling? Is something wrong?”

“I’m…at home. B-But someone..got in.” You tried your best to reply, but it was coming out shaky and slow. 

“I’ll be there in five minutes. I promise, baby. Okay? I love you.” Shuji told you before turning around and looking at everyone, taking the phone away from his ear. “Kazutora, you’re in charge until I get back, understand? As for everyone else, just do what you’re told.” He said to everyone, proceeding to then walk out and make his way onto the streets when he started to sprint down the different roads. 

Now he was just making sure that he made it to your place in five minutes like he said he would, which usually he would be able to do easily, but he was more determined now that he had heard something had gone wrong whilst he was away. Upon reaching your place, he saw the front door opened already and he quickly rushed inside. “Y/n?! Baby, where are you?!” He called out as he started to run through every room in the house. 

He finally made it to your room where you laid on the floor, a puddle of blood beneath you as you were taking shallow and slow breaths. “Y/n!” Shuji yelled out your name, going over to you and kneeling down beside you. He grabbed you and lifted you up, holding you in his arms as he checked for your pulse. When he felt it he let out a sigh of relief but it was very weak and barely noticeable which made him realize he probably only had a few more moments with you. 

“I’m sorry, Y/n. For not being here when I should have. I’m so fucking stupid, I should have just stayed here with you. I’m sorry, darling. I’m sorry.” Shuji said to you, his voice cracking halfway through as tears welled up in his eyes.

You looked up at him and smiled lightly despite you dying in his arms. “It’s okay, Shuji. Don’t...blame yourself. I still love you.” You had never seen the boy cry before, that’s how you knew that he did really love you, that he wasn’t just saying it so he could manipulate or get things from you. 

“I love you too.” Shuji whispered out. 

Soon enough, your head went limp and your eyes were stuck open, all of the life drained from your face as blood dirtied the floor and Shuji’s clothes. “Y/n? Y/n? Wake up, please.” The boy pleaded to your now deceased body, but he knew that he wouldn’t be able to get you back. Not ever again. 

Shuji became what you would have never wanted him to become, a terrible person who killed anyone if they even looked at him the wrong way, and most importantly, one that drank all of his feelings after the day was over, crying to himself over your death still. 

Because he would never get you back. And he regretted that the most.

Mitsuya Takashi:

Takashi was the most important person in your life, just like you were to him. He had told you on multiple occasions that he wanted to be with you forever. And he thought it would really happen. Boy, was he wrong. So, so wrong. 

You two were walking down the busy street, eating street food while going inside stores and just admiring the night scenery. Everything was going perfectly normal, until it all changed within a few seconds. 

“Hey, babe?” Takashi said, looking over at you.

“Yeah?” You repled. 

“Do you wanna get married some day in the future?” 

The question that came out of your boyfrien’s mouth shocked you, and you didn’t know how to reply. You both were still teenagers, how the hell were you supposed to know? “Only if it’s you I’m marrying.” You aswered with a smile. 

Takashi smiled back and pressed his lips against yours before pulling away quickly after. “Same here.” He told you. 

Suddenly, car tires screeched on the black cement road and one zoomed around, an all black van. It’s windows opened and guns pointed out of them before they started to fire. Takashi quickly wrapped his body around you and covered you with his, not even caring if he would end up getting killed because of it. 

After the car drove off, Takashi looked at you and asked in a frantic voice, “Y/n, are you okay?”

You looked at him, then down to your side, shaking your head as you spat out blood. Takashi’s eyes widened as he yelled out your name, but you had collapsed onto the ground, grabbing at your abdomen where the gunshot wound was, blood beginning to soak through your clothes and onto the sidewalk below you. 

“No, no, no. Y/n! Stay with me!” He yelled, taking his phone out of his pocket and about to call the polce when you grabbed his hand, stopping him. “What?”

“Don’t. It’s okay.” You told him, a small smile on your face. 

“It’s not okay! I can’t lose you! We-We just talked about getting married some day!” The boy continued to yell.

“Maybe...in another life, we will.” You spoke barely above a whisper, your vision starting to darken and turn blurry. “I love you, Mitsuya Takashi.”

“I love you too, Y/n.” Takashi replied to you but you didn’t respond. “Y/n?” He reached his hand over and shook you gently, and when you didn’t move he looked at your face, then realizing that you were gone. He sat on the ground, and put his hands over his face, beginning to cry. 

Takashi cried and mourned over your death everyday, despite people telling him to move on. He just couldn’t. He would never be able to find someone he would love like he loved you. He knew that. So that’s how it remained the rest of his life. Lonely, and depressed. 

[booksrbetterthanpeople]

What is the full story behind Marquel Arcelle and Natale Kulhberg in MarcNath November? How they meet and what made them describe to kill their abusers?

It’s a beautiful love story taking place in France in the early 1930s

Gay marriage is not uncommon, but people still prefer to leave it in the comfort of their own homes

Marquel Arcelle had just gotten married to his husband, Lionel Rebbeor, a kind and well-respected man with no priors and a high position at his job. He’s been nothing but kind to others, and offered assistance when needed. He’s the perfect man

Marquel lives well off with no worries, wears only the finest clothes, and is doted on constantly by Lionel

He just cooks and looks pretty for Lionel when he has company over. That’s all, and it’d be selfish to ask Lionel for such frivolous things such as being able to wear more comfortable clothing and for Lionel to not grip him so hard when they’re with company… At least, that’s what Lionel says

One day while out for a walk with Lionel, the latter’s arm wrapped tight around his waist, Marquel swears he hears someone singing. Lionel dismisses it and drags him along

That evening, Marquel is preparing dinner for when Lionel comes home from work. When he does, he’s clearly drunk and not in a good mood. Any attempts Marquel makes to placate him, Lionel yells at him until he actually slaps Marquel across the face

It’s the first time he’s actually assaulted Marquel, and although Lionel promises to never do it again, to him, it seems to be the only way to get his husband back in line and show him he’s the only person who will take care of him

The seventh time this happens, Marquel finally goes to the police, and makes sure no one Lionel knows sees him because they will report back to him

When he meets with Rafael Raincomprix, he’s dismissed right on the spot because Lionel has ties to the community and has never been knows to get physical. Then there’s that bullshit about preserving their privacy as a couple

Marquel leaves the police station pissed

When he gets back home, he sees Lionel’s car parked right outside. He knows he should run, but decides to confront Lionel and take any punishment for leaving home without his permission

By the time Lionel’s finished with him, he’s left sprawled out on the kitchen floor with bruises all over his face and a bloody lip… That’s when he noticed a knife.

By the time dinner roles around, Marquel is wearing one of Lionel’s favorite outfits and blood red lipstick. He makes a show of pleading for Lionel’s forgiveness as he sits in his lap. And when Lionel’s nice and relaxed, Marquel plunged the knife into his back

He takes anything valuable he can carry in his bag and leaves town in the dead of night… But not before stealing himself a new set of clothes. There’s this one black and white suit he’s had his eye on that Lionel wouldn’t buy for him

He’s about to leave town as people start to investigate the noise until he hears the same singing from a few days ago. He follows it and his heart drops when he finds where it’s coming from

Natale Kulhberg thought he was in good hands when he got married to Emilian Pulle. He was a real sweet man and treated him like a priceless treasure… Not a human, though

He loved to dress him up in women’s clothing, which Natale didn’t mind at first, until he was wearing dresses every single day. Whenever he asked to be able to wear pants again, Emilian only glared at him and made him feel like an idiot for even asking that

Any time he were to speak out of turn was met with Emilian berating him and reminding him of how lucky he was to live in luxury rather than on the streets where criminals would do as they pleased to him

It even gets to a point where Emilian shames Natale for every little mistake he makes, from the food being a little too overcooked, to how he parted his hair, and even his smile, saying he’s lucky that Emilian took pity on someone like him

And when he’s not gaslighting Natale, Emilian’s down in the basement for so many hours and forbids Natale from going down there unless he says

Natale attempts to get help from the police, but they don’t do shit, same for the so-called heroes of Paris as they don’t want to convict a good man and demand he come back with evidence of Emilian’s abuse

It doesn’t take long for Emilian to realize what Natale tried to do. But, instead of berating him, he drags Natale down into the basement, which looks more like a pink, frilly version of their master bedroom. After Emilian explains how this room is more befitting for someone as “delicate” and “priceless” as Natale, he shackles him to his bed, leaves, and ignores his husband’s screams

It’s been weeks now and Natale is still confined to his new room, only being allowed upstairs when there is company. His only glimpse into the outside world is a small window. Occasionally, he’ll sing and hope someone hears him, but they never do

Emilian hears him singing one day and forces Natale to sing for him on command whenever he pleases. The song he has him sing the most is the one from their wedding

Days go by when suddenly, they hear someone screaming bloody murder. Emilian leaves to investigate, leaving Natale alone in the basement. As a coping method, he starts to sing again, unknowingly catching the attention of a man in a black and white suit

Desperate to escape and not caring that the man has some blood on his hands, he pleads for him to help him escape

Once he’s saved, the other man, who introduces himself as Marquel, pulls Natale along with him to steal and hotwire a car so they can get out of their hellhole town

Marquel drives them near the outskirts of the town and stops by an inn. With the money he stole from Lionel, he and Natale can afford to stay there for a couple of nights

And, just so he’s sure he didn’t “kidnap” someone without a valid reason, Marquel tries to persuade Natale to tell him a bit about his life… On the condition that Marquel cut his waist length hair and get him some new clothes

They settle for a shoulder-length cut and a dark purple and white suit with a red undershirt, and all Marquel can think when he sees Natale is, “Daaaaamn.”

Natale eventually tells Marquel everything Emilian has done to him, cutting him off from his friends, the constant gaslighting, forcing him to dress feminine, and chaining him in the basement. Marquel immediately hugs him because he has the horrible feeling Natale hasn’t had a real one in a while

Marquel tells Natale about his life with Lionel and the people who refused to help him, and Natalia feels the urge to kill those people

The moment between them is cut short when one of Lionel’s lackeys barges in with a gun, explaining that Lionel is still alive and that he’s dragging Marquel back to that hellhole. Or, he would be if Natale hadn’t thrown a lamp at his head and it killed him on impact. Marquel’s respect for him grew that night

Knowing they can’t stay for long, the two grab whatever money Lionel’s lackey is carrying, his gun, and escape through a window

It doesn’t take too long for them to become household names with each murder of one of Lionel lackeys as they often leave behind notes with Marquel writing in great detail the crimes their latest victim has committed and Natale including a little sketch of him and Marquel holding their guns

This goes on for five months, and when they aren’t killing people trying to drag them back to their old lives, they’re robbing stores (mostly branches of large businesses), kidnapping and torturing abusers, and stealing newer, nicer cars and guns. Marquel even has the time to steal a nice diamond ring so he can propose to Natale with it right while they’re holding up a jewelry store

While he is happy with his new husband, Marquel still can’t get it out of his head that Lionel managed to survive and it scares him. It means Lionel won’t stop until he has him back home in chains, same for Emilian. He probably has a search party out looking for Natale once he saw the first note

His suspicions are proven to be correct when he hears an announcement on a radio from the heroes, Belle Bug and Tom Cat, both clearly fooled by Emilian and Lionel into thinking they’re the good guys and explain that their “husbands” have compromised for them to be put under house arrest

He hurries back to Natale and explains to him what he heard. Natale starts to panic until Marquel assures him they aren’t going back without a fight. They pack their belongings, shoot down the inn desk clerk who recognizes them from the paper, steal the money from the register, and drive back to town where they immediately start an uproar with their reckless driving and shooting down every cop on sight

They get to Lionel’s estate without any problems and Marquel wastes no time shooting him down until he’s a bloody mess on the floor

The gunshots attract the heroes who try to chase them down in a red car with black spots, only for Natale to shoot at them while Marquel drives them to Emilian’s house.

And the rest you know

[animeyanderelover]

Hello again! Can I have prompt 46 with Ash? Tnx

Recently I told my friend that I had a lot of requests about him and she laughed about it. She doesn't really like him, but she gives him credit since he looks good.

Tw: Yandere themes, unhealthy mindset, unhealthy relationship, possessiveness, obsessiveness, delusions, extreme paranoia, isolation, desperation, mentions of kidnapping,overprotectiveness, mentions of self-harm, Stockholm syndrome

Prompt 46: "Can I...can I kiss you?"

It was nothing less than a miracle that someone like you existed, someone who was cleansed from all the sins of this world and the corruption of humans. You were radiating with everything Ash had wanted for this world, a world that he wanted to give to you. It was the minimum from what she should and would do for you, it was his duty as your very own guardian angel. A role he was utterly dedicated too, devoted to his very own angel who forgave him his sins every time.

It was true, you had forgiven him his crimes already a long time ago as everything around you had started to fade away and you had lost count of how long exactly you had been stuck in here. Somewhere around one and a half years would be your expectation, looking on how the seasons had changed through the large and closed windows which symbolized your loss of freedom. But you didn't mind anymore.

You only needed and wanted Ash, your guardian angel.

There was clear tension in his body, you could feel how he stiffened up under your embrace. He had never really received that sort of affection before from anyone nor would he have ever wanted it from all those worthless lives walking around freely. You were the only person he actually wanted any sort of touches from. That was how pure you were, even causing someone like him craving something and falling victim to his own desires. And it was his own fault for being so weak-minded. He didn't deserve you yet letting you perish outside would be an even greater sin. He had to keep you safe.

"My Queen...what are you doing?"

Being able to keep his composure was important in front of you, though he remembered to have failed multiple times in the past already. Severe punishment was the only thing he could think of to atone for his failures for not being good enough, for proving himself to be so incredibly useless. Even now he could feel some unhealed wounds aching a bit, but you didn't have to know about his weakness and incompetence.

You blinked slightly confused up at him when he asked you such an obvious question, but it soon turned into slight giggling that instantly plunged Ash's heart into painfully warm emotions and forced his eyes to get wet. It had taken a while until you had been able to look so happy after he had quickly rescued you from all the evil waiting to devour you. The distress he had felt back then could never be put in words and no burns, knifes and broken bones had been able to make up for what you had been suffering under. Even now it remained as a anxiety deeply stuck in his heart. But looking at you now, smiling at him and not staring with wide eyes filled with fear at him, was worth much more than his whole life could ever repay you.

"I’m hugging you. It’s just that you always look so worried and stressed over my safety and never appear to take a rest. Just now you did as well so I thought this might help you a bit. A strong hug can be more worth than thousand words after all. That’s what my mother told me at least when I was younger.”, you replied softly, pressing your face deeper into his chest with a content look on your face.

There was nothing Ash could think of for a few moments, instead he seared the scene in front of him deep into his brain, how you were currently buried into his chest, looking so happy and peaceful. So stunning and precious.

Tears were quick to escape his eyes only seconds later, his insides stirring up with warmth that stung him and yet baked him with something he hadn’t felt in so long. Comfort and peace.

This was exactly why he had to protect you with his very own life, no one was allowed to snuff out the light you carried inside of you and that was able to even share it’s warmth with him. You possessed too much kindness to understand, but normal humans only destroyed what they touched, ruining it with their greed.

He wouldn’t let them do the same to you.

He would kill everyone who would even do as much as getting too close.

He just had to guarantee that you would live.

But first of all he had to calm himself down or otherwise he might worry you even more than he seemed to have done already. The tears were quickly wiped away with his sleeves before Ash was able to look at you again, still feeling like he wanted to continue crying. His heart felt like it might burst at any moment.

“You have so much warmth and love inside of you that I don’t think I deserve any of it. You shouldn’t even be concerned about me, I merely do what I have to do as your guardian. If you were to fall victim to this damned place, I would perish as well. What use is an angel who can’t even protect their chosen one?”

Pain was twisting his voice and face a bit when he dared to imagine how a world without you would be, a world filled with grief and darkness for him. Letting his guard down would be a fatal mistake, he had seen the worst of this world and the humans and he knew that it would happen again. That was why he had to be like this for you were his heart beating outside his chest. If something were to ever happen to you...

The angel hadn't even noticed that he had already started crying again, fist tightened and body shaking whilst getting lost in fears of losing the one good and bright thing this world had still left.

"But for me you're more than just a guardian angel. You're my angel and I want you to feel happy as well. I want you to feel loved as well. You do so much for me, but I feel like I only cause you stress and uneasiness. Shouldn't you be happy because of me?", you asked him in slight protest, feeling sadness whilst seeing the man you had come to love like this again because of you. You had never seen him truly relaxed nor had you ever been able to show him your feelings. He wouldn't let you, not thinking that he deserved you.

His reaction was instant, suddenly falling on his knees upon hearing from what you had said that he had disappointed you yet again, the visible look of your sorrow only stabbing his fear deeper into his very soul.

"I-I am so sorry! I didn't know that you felt this way only because I was so selfish to only think about myself like this! I don't deserve your forgiveness and accept any sort of-"

When he felt the soft sensation of your hands cupping his stained cheeks, he abruptly stopped his rambling, trying to not choke on his own breath that had gotten irregular.

"You don't have to apologize to me. I don't want to hear you saying such things about yourself. Don't you understand? I am unhappy whenever you are like this, seeing yourself as so worthless and not deserving of my love. That's what hurts me so much. You're rejecting my feelings. I love you, Ash. And I want to know if you do too. Because if you do, please stop talking like this and behave so distantly."

Your voice conveyed every bit emotion that was going on inside of you in that moment, something that Ash noticed with widened eyes as well.

Silence was cut short by him when he realized that you wanted something crucial from him which he would gladly give you. He had never considered that you would ever consider his love as something you wanted, consider him as someone you loved. When had been the last time someone had been truly kind to him and loved him? He couldn't remember anymore.

"Of course I do. You should never doubt my feelings for you. I love you more than you could ever imagine. It's impossible to function without you.", he managed to reply with a shaking voice as he grabbed both of your hands in his own.

"Then why are you acting like this? Everyone deserves someone who loves them. Without love it's a very painful life, isn't it? That's why I am hurting as well. Let me love you and I promise that you'll be able to feel peace as well.", you muttered slightly embarrassed out, leaning your head down so your forehead could rest against his own.

Slight sobs were starting to catch up to Ash as he was staring in pure awe at you.

"Thank you. I'll be better and make sure that I won't cause you sadness anymore.", he pressed out, tightening his grip on your hands only the slightest bit so he wouldn't hurt you.

"I'm glad to hear that.", you replied with a sincere smile on your face, joy stirring your heart up just by seeing that for the first time since he had abducted you, Ash was looking relieved and less tense. He just looked extremely grateful.

"May I ask you for a favor then?", you requested with a certain idea in mind.

"I'll do anything for you.", Ash replied, sounding very emotional.

"I want to do something for you for once since you normally do anything for me."

Hesitation and clear dislike instantly shadowed his face, the thought of him asking something from you going against Ash's belief in all the wrong ways. You shouldn't have to do him favors.

"It doesn't have to be something difficult. It can be a really simple thing. Just...something that I can do for you this once. Please.", you begged slightly, seeing the angel already struggling. You knew how he felt about such things, he hated letting you do something for him and he had never done it before either. Ash saw it only upon himself to serve you which was another thing that sometimes made you feel guilty. You wanted to do more for him as well.

"Can I...can I kiss you?"

Maybe that had been more a slip of his tongue, but he had been slightly panicking since hadn't want to sadden you again nor had he wanted you to do physical work for him. It was supposed to be the other way around.

So when he had stared for a moment at your face, eyes locked on your lips, he had considered somewhere deep in his mind possibilities which he had been fantasizing about a few times before, but hadn't thought that they would actually have a change of happening.

In his opinion they were still sinful, it would take a while for him to get used to the idea that you wanted to receive physical affection and love from him. The first impulse when he realized what he had said was instantly apologizing, only to be interrupted before he could even start saying anything.

You had already leaned down to fulfill him his wish before he could take it back again.

[sunlightbabe]

16 (if it's not taken!) For Damiano please!💖

it hasn't been requested yet but don't worry, i’m taking duplicate number requests if people want to send them in 💛

16) One person pouting, only to have it removed by a kiss from the other person.

All’s fair in love and war. And Mario Kart.

“No no no no,” Damiano chants as he focuses on the screen, leaning a little to the left as if that was going to make him drift any faster. “Don’t you dare do this to me-”

“Do it, kick his ass!” Victoria encourages, giving you a gentle nudge with her elbow from where she sits beside you, more preoccupied with doing the course backwards and messing other people up than winning the game herself. “For me? Do it for me.”

You’re in third place, almost second, and on the screen you can see Damiano racing towards the finish line. The blue shell in your possession has never looked more beautiful.

“Who won the last race?” you ask. Damiano turns to give you a panicked look, betrayal clear on his face, and Victoria starts hollering excitedly. “Sorry babe.”

With a click of a button, your blue shell devastates Damiano and you’re able to slide past him into first place. Victoria slings an arm around you as she laughs while Ethan and Thomas, sitting on the floor in front of the three of you, turn to flash you encouraging smile. For his part, Damiano looks like a kicked puppy as he leans back against the couch.

“You hate me,” he says ever so dramatically, placing his hand over his chest. “Should I turn around? Would it be easier for you to plunge the knife into my back?”

“Don’t be a sore loser,” Victoria scolds as the others hurry up and finish the race.

“Someone has to keep you humble,” you smile at him. Damiano huffs and continues to pout. He even bats his eyelashes a few times, giving you his best, most pathetic look. “Besides, there’s another race in the cup, isn’t there?”

Damiano makes a small, wounded noise and you know what he wants, but it’s kind of fun to deny him for just a bit. You arch an eyebrow as Damiano just his lower lip out further. “No, I’m too sad to continue... You’ve broken my heart, my dear, how am I expected to go on? How can I continue playing knowing my partner might betray me again? Et tu, Brute?”

“You’re such a drama queen,” you say fondly. The next race starts up and you know he’ll sit there and refuse to move until he gets his way, so with a roll of your eyes, you lean in and gently kiss him, a tender little peck right against his lower lip. You pull back, but Damiano steals another quick kiss from you, his pout now replaced with a beaming smile.

“Better?” you ask and he nods his head, sitting up straighter once more and refocusing his attention on the tv.

“You’re all in for it now. I’m rejuvenated now, I am... unstoppable.”

“... so we’re all going to team up against him, right?” Thomas asks, and Damiano’s indignant noises are drowned out by all of you cheering in agreement.

[messrmoonyy]

same anon here that asked for the remus returning thing, sorry for the confusion i meant like after he gets back but they aren’t back together yet and there are those few days we’re dora is kinda cold and distant just to protect herself and remus is doing whatever he can :)

My girl Dora ain’t no doormat, no way was she letting him get away with treating her like that and just forgive him immediately. Remus did some grovelling for sure.

Pairing: Remus lupin x Nymphadora Tonks

Warnings: none

You can find all my other writing on my masterlist and remember my ask box is always open, I love any and all requests so please do send them my way!

Tonks woke up to the sound of quiet clattering, a scent of sausages and bacon and eggs. Fresh pastries and pumpkin juice. She opened one eye but the bedroom door was closed still, the other side of the bed as cold as it had been for the last month and a half. Ever since Remus had returned to her he’d been sleeping on the sofa, still trying to even come to terms with being able to look at him in the eye. Never mind sleep beside him. She had said she’d sleep on the sofa at first. It was his home after all, who was she to make him sleep on the sofa in his own home? But he’d insisted she take the bed.

She had deliberated moving to her parents. She knew that would be the eventual outcome anyway, they weren’t exactly in the position for her to just waltz into st Mungos to give birth. But the thought of staying with her mother fussing for longer than necessary wasnt all that appealing. So she had stayed put and waited for Remus. And now he was on the sofa until she finally shifted the last of her hurt.

She still loved him, of course she did. But she couldn’t shake the purely painful feeling of betrayal. He had come back so she guessed she should have been relieved. But it was the fact that he had ran in the first place. The fight had been bitter, his words stinging her like acid, biting at her, beating her down until she felt completely worthless. She’d never heard him say such things. She didn’t know he had it in him. He’d always been such a gentle soul, she’d only heard him raise his voice once or twice. But everyone has a breaking point, everyone snaps. And he had. At her.

She’d never known he could muster words so cruel. Didn’t know his usually gentle face could twist into such hatred. Didn’t know he could look at as if he could barely stand to be within ten feet of her, when he so often only looked at her with adoration.

He’d come back quite literally begging for her forgiveness, down on his knees and finding every and any word he could to try and prove how sorry he was. She had let him back because she loved him. Because she was carrying their child. But she hadn’t forgiven him. And she wasn’t about to anytime soon she guessed. No matter how hard he was trying to win her back around.

He kept leaving her gifts, there was a constant supply of fresh flowers for her every morning. She had ignored them at first, leaving them on the kitchen counter to wilt and die. He’d started placing them in a vase now. Sometimes it was breakfast- like it seemed to be that morning from the smell. Fresh pastries on the pillow when she went to bed, chocolate frogs in her sock drawer, copies of the quibbler because she liked the comic pages, the list was never ending. She couldn’t lie that she liked his grovelling, it was really the least he could do after all he’d said to her. And she felt she deserved to have him pay for what he’d done.

She sat up in bed and sighed to herself, glancing over at the small box beside the bed that held her wedding ring. She’d thrown it in his face the night he’d left her, it landing somewhere at their feet in the front garden. She’d not even been sure on where it had landed. It had appeared on her pillow a few days after Remus had come back and she wondered if he’d actually taken it with him when he ran. Or if he’d just searched for it when he returned. She’d shoved it in the box and not touched it since. She wished she could’ve gone back to the wedding day. He’d been so happy. She’d been so happy. Her mother would’ve hated the wedding, but that had made almost a little more enjoyable. It wasn’t even the slightest part traditional.

A tiny church in what felt like the coldest part of Scotland going. Some strangers they’d met a few hours before in a local pub as witnesses, no big crowds of guests. No fancy white dress. She’d worn her boots and the nicest dress she could find in her wardrobe back home. Her bouquet had been some flowers nicked from someone’s front garden, one of which she’d pinned to Remus. It wasn’t perfect in anyone else’s eyes, but it was to her. To him. They’d shared their own vows, been bound together by magic and love and hope. They’d danced all night, stayed up until the sun rose sat up on a cliff over looking the sea. And of course the stumbled walk back to their B&B over the pub, the event that had inevitably created the tiny person residing inside her now. And that was that.

But the Remus that had shouted at her, told her that they had no choice but to her rid of the abomination they had created… that didn’t feel like the Remus she had married. She didn’t recognise that man. That wasn’t her Remus. That wasn’t the man she loved, had married, had given up everything for. He was a stranger to her.

She got dressed then, not wanting to fall into the hole of longing for Remus again and put herself in a bad mood, before leaving the bedroom. Remus was stood in the kitchen and smiling at her as she opened the bedroom door. The bedroom was the only place in the house that offered her privacy, the rest being tiny and open plan. She spent most of her time in there just lately and thankfully for her, he often left her to it. The bedroom being almost out of bounds to him. He hadn’t stepped foot in there since coming back.

“ good morning Dora “ he greeted quietly and she shook her head at him, raising a hand and pointing at his face.

“ no. I told you already. You don’t get to call me that now “ he looked down at the floor for a moment and nodded. He looked like a kicked puppy but she told herself she didn’t care. He deserved to hurt like she had. He did.

“ right. I’m sorry. Tonks “ he cleared his throat awkwardly and gestured to the table “ I. I have breakfast for you. I have to nip out to the Weasleys for a while but there’s more food in the fridge for you if that isn’t to your liking “ she sniffed and turned her head away from the table. She didn’t know why but his kindness just made her mad. Like a switch flicked inside of her.

“ and you’ll return this time? Or planning another week away? “ he sighed and ran a hand through his hair “ need another chat with Harry so you? Listen to a child’s advice but not your own wife right? “

“ Dora ple- “

“ no! “ she hadn’t completely intended to shout but she had. She closed her eyes, balling her hair into fists and tried to get rid of her sudden lack of calm. She could feel angry tears burning behind her eyelids and she blamed her messed up hormones. She refused to cry in front of him again. Refused to show the hurt he was still causing her weeks after her left “ just. Just go the Weasleys. Go on “ he hesitated for a moment and gave a small nod.

He knew better than to argue with her now. Knew it would get him no where.

“ just. Please make sure you eat something. It’s not good for the b- “

“ don’t stand there and pretend you care “ she snapped “ don’t “

“ Tonks I do. I do care I have apologised I don’t know what else I- “

“ if you cared you wouldn’t have left “ there was silence then. So quiet it was almost painful. But she felt like twisting the knife, plunging it deeper and drawing out as much agony as she could. She wanted him to hurt like she had, to feel the pieces of his heart shatter inside his chest, splinter his lungs so it felt as though no air could reach him. Make him feel how she had “ I am only here because unfortunately for me. You are the father of my baby. I don’t care how much you apologise. I will never forgive you Remus Lupin. Never “

The words burnt her own throat as she spoke them, and regret seeped into her chest. But she stayed firm. Refused to cry. Refused to feel guilty. He deserved it.

She had clearly struck a nerve. His eyes swam with pain, his hands hanging limply at his side. Defeated. Hurt. She’d won that round.

“ I don’t know how many time I can apologise “ he said weakly “ I know it’ll never come close to repairing what I did but- “

“ please. Just go to the Weasleys “ she said with a sigh and turned away from him as her tears finally fell. She didn’t want him to see. She closed her eyes. gripping onto the kitchen counter so her knuckles turned white. She heard movement behind her and the front door opening.

“ please make sure you eat “ he said softly before the front door closed and she dropped down to her knees, letting her tears run freely. Her body wracked with sobs

————————-

When Remus had been on the sofa for 2 months, and Tonks was finally starting to pass the phase of just looking a little fat, to actually looking pregnant, nearing her 4th month. She had started to become a little more forgiving. She had started to sit with him at breakfast again, didn’t shut down every single conversation he tried to start with her, sat beside him when he read by the fire in the evenings. Though she always left a fair space between them.

She found she’d started to miss him greatly. Trying to deal with how much her body was changing on her own wasn’t exactly the most fun thing. Remus was still piling her with as much affection as he could, even though she still wasn’t particularly receptive to it. But she had to admire his determination.

“ Nymphadora. I was wondering if I could have a word “ she turned to face him as she toed off her boots, having only just gotten home from a trip to see her parents “ please. If you would “ she hung up her jacket and nodded, walking over to him as he gestured towards the table where a small yellow gift bag was sat.

She sat down at the small table, it had an old copy of the prophet folded up under one leg to stop it from wobbling, but it still moved slightly when she picked up the gift bag.

“ you can’t buy my forgiveness “ she stated, not looking inside the bag “ I told you that already Remus. I can’t be bought “ he gave a small nod, clasping his hands tighter.

“ yes. I know. I do. Just- please “ he nodded towards the bag and she hesitated but sighed before pulling at the ribbon and pulling out the tissue paper. She froze when her figures fell upon a soft cotton and she realised what was in the bag. She pulled it out, dropping the bag to the floor “ I wasn’t- I wasn’t sure on the size or- it’s like Hufflepuff, you see? Of course I couldn’t get an official one. It was a muggle shop and I had to be quite quick I didn’t want to risk anything. I mean I had options of course but- “

“ Remus “ she cut him off. It was a babygrow. It was a pastel green with a badger embroidered on the chest. It was the first piece of clothing their child had. She hadn’t exactly had the best of opportunities to go shopping down Diagon alley for some herself.

“ Dora “ he tried her nickname again for the first time in weeks and this time she didn’t chastise him for it “ I know I’ll never be able to take back what I said. But as I told you when I returned. I had time to think. And these past months I’ve been thinking too “ he reached out gingerly for her hand and when she didn’t pull away he gently took it in both of his “ all I ever wanted was a normal life. A normal family. And now… now I have that chance. With the woman I love and. And our child “

“ and what if he’s not… ‘ Normal ‘. If he’s different. I’d hes half werewolf. Or full. Or. In between “ she was getting a little tense with her words again and she tried her best to remain calm. She was finally getting a truthful and meaningful opinion from Remus on the matter. She should be thankful for that. Even with the betrayal still poking the back of her mind occasionally.

“ then I’ll love him all the same. He’ll be could be born with four legs and 5 arms, two heads. No magic at all. I’d still love him. Because we made him Nymphadora. You and I. And I…. I never thought I’d get that. I never believed I’d be a father. A husband. Now I have that opportunity and I see how much of a fool I was to try and throw that away “ he squeezed her hand gently, his thumb rubbing circles over her knuckles in a soothing way. She knew him well enough to know when he was lying to her. And he wasn’t now.

“ let’s deal with the possible moon situation before we worry about any extra limbs shall we? “ she said with a small smile and watched as he seemed to relax every muscle in his body, his worries that she wouldn’t accept his apologies slipping away “ I won’t forgot what you said to me. And to him “ she placed her free hand on her stomach as she spoke “ but you’re his dad. Nothing is going to change that. And the world really fucked up right now. Like. Really. And so we have to protect him. Love him more than we can even think about “ Remus nodded.

She refused to let the world ruin her baby, refused to let him be warped into a life of terror and fear. Of feeling outcast and alone like his father had. Remus stood up then and knelt down in front of her.

“ I love you Nymphadora. And I love him… or her “ she smiled slightly as he placed a gentle hand over hers that was still cradling her bump. Remus’ acceptance suddenly made it feel all the more real. In just 4 months they’d have a baby. A real one. Screaming and crying and laughing. A most innocent thing born into a world on the brink of disaster. And somehow her and Remus had to keep him safe. And kind. And loved. They weren’t exactly the most functional of couples so it was no doubt that their family wouldn’t be either. But they’d make it work. They would.

Werewolf or not.

—————————————-

It was another week after that that she finally caved. The talk had most definitely been the turning point. And she’d kissed him again that evening for the first time in months. Was actually letting him touch her again without recoiling. Though he was still on the sofa.

Though December had well and truly arrived. The cold weather setting her into an almost constant chill, the old cottage not offering much in terms insulation. And she missed having him wrapped around her. He was always warm. And didn’t complain when her cold hands found there way under his shirt in the night to warm up. She also just missed him. Just him. Her Remus. The man she’d fallen in love with. She wanted him back beside her, his slow breaths on her neck in the night, his legs tangled with hers. Even the way his facial hair scratched at her when they kissed. She just missed him.

So it was almost no surprise to her when she found herself slipping out of bed, the coldness of the stone floor seeping through her socks and chilling her already numb feet some more. She opened the bedroom door slowly to see if he was awake or not.

He was in the armchair, a book on his lap. Clearly having not planned to sleep there, he’d have a sore neck in the morning that was for certain. She grabbed the blanket from the back of the sofa and silently walked over to him. The fire was crackling in the hearth, immediately warming her up. She moved the book careful not to lose his page, before climbing into his lap in its place. She wrapped the blanket around them, bring her legs up and resting her head on his chest. One more month gone and she didn’t think she’d be able to manage that. She wasn’t the tallest or biggest of people. So her bump was still pretty small. But she loved it all the same.

Remus stirred slightly and made a small noise of confusion to wake up and find Dora on his lap. He opened his eyes fully, his eyelids heavy with sleep.

" Dora? "

" go back to sleep " she whispered and felt him give a small nod as his hand tentatively wrapped around her, like he was still unsure if he was allowed to touch her or not. She snuggled in a little closer to him as if to say it was okay and he fully wrapped around her, pulling the blanket up to her chin. It felt right to be in his arms like that again. They’d snuggled on the sofa the day before. But not as… intimate as this. It felt normal again. Like she belonged there.

" why did you- "

" I was just cold " she cut him off, ignoring the way his raspy sleep filled voice made her melt. She was trying to show that she was still just that little bit mad at him. But she couldn’t deny that she missed him. That yes she was still hurt, that she might always been. But nothing could compare to the amount that of love she had for him. Still. Even after all he’d done. No one would ever come close to the way she felt for Remus Lupin.

" right " She lifted her head for a moment to find he was already looking at her. And she couldn't help herself. Because time was precious now. And she was wasting it being angry all these months later. She slipped a hand up to cup his face before pulling him in to kiss her. He seemed a little surprised at first, his lips frozen for a moment before they opened to capture her own. But she didn't blame him because she was too. She hadn’t planned for that night to be that night she let go of the final part holding her back.

" this isn't me forgiving you " she said against his lips once they pulled apart. Half joking. Half not.

" I know " he seemed quite truthful with that. Like he understood her thinking. Maybe he did.

" good "

" good " she kissed him again and found herself shifting in his lap, slipping a leg either side of him. Because she was mad at him, she was really. But she loved him more. Missed him more. Needed him more. And soon she was unbuttoning his trousers and bunching up her sweatshirt- that was actually his- around her waist, rolling her hips against him until she was panting out his name, gripping the back of the armchair so hard she was surprised she didn’t splinter the wooden frame.

They stayed on the armchair even after Remus had cleaned them up, trying to keep the warmth of the fire in her body, trying to share Remus’ own body heat.

" Remus " she said when she was certain he was just dropping off, her head against his chest. Heading his heart beating felt like home. The familiar sound she had so often fallen asleep to. Comforting.

" I know. This isn't you forgiving me " he mumbled, hurt tinging his words.

" actually I was going to say that I love you "

" oh. Oh right... I love you too. You know I do " his arms tightened slightly around her and she let herself calm to the sound of his heart. She waited again until she felt him slackening with sleep to speak again, a slight mischief in her tone.

" oh and Remus? This isn't me forgiving you "

[mynumberfivethings]

I Heard A Rumor...

They land back in 2019, which is a relief, of course, until it’s not. 

“What the fuck even is the Sparrow Academy?” Diego grouses. “Lame ass bird fucks.” he chucks one of his knives across the cramped motel room they’re currently occupying and watches it get lodged firmly into the tacky wallpaper. 

Allison grabs the second knife Diego’s about to fling out of his hand and glares  daggers at her brother. “We’re staying here for free, because I rumored the motel staff into not noticing we exist, so maybe don’t wreck the place?” 

Luther nods in agreement. “Allison’s right, we need to be as inconspicuous as possible right now.” 

Diego rolls his eyes. “Whatever. So Five, now what?” the siblings all go to turn to Five for the answers they’re so desperately seeking, only to be met with the sight of the pseudo thirteen year old laid curled up on one of the beds, sound asleep. 

Luther frowns. “How in the hell can he seriously sleep at a time like this?” 

Allison leans over Fives still form and not so gently shakes his shoulder, jarring him awake. She feels a little guilt upon seeing the initially panicked look on his face as he comes to awareness once again, but damn it, she just wants to see her kid again, is that too much to ask? 

“We need to figure out a way to get back to our timeline.” she tells him, arms folded over her chest.

Five scratches the sleep from his eyes, unaware he’d even passed out in the first place, wincing as he sits up fully on the mattress. “This is our timeline.” he informs all of them, his voice coming out scratchy and thin. God, he’s exhausted. And practically everything aches. 

“What do you mean?” Klaus shakes his head. “In our timeline Ben is very much dead-not some weird emo douche who flocks with a crew of birds-so please do explain how the actual hell this makes any sense.” 

Five sighs, “We changed the linear time of events and the order in which they were supposed to originally occur when we were in the sixties and now this is, for all intents and purposes, our timeline.” 

“Screw that. We need to reestablish our actual timeline.” Allison counters. “I’m not staying in this weird alternate bullshit dimension any longer than we have to-we still have the suitcase, right? Let’s go back to the sixties and fix what we broke. Easy.” 

Five looks at her like she’s lost her mind. Which, she very well may have, he thinks briefly. “Look, I know you want to see Claire again, but you need to consider-”

“No.” Allison interrupts angrily, tears starting to fill her eyes. “You don’t understand at all. How the hell could you? You haven’t had anyone for years, but me? I’ve had people, people I care about-which might be a foreign concept to someone like you, but-” 

“Right,” Five cuts her off in turn, unwilling to linger on the sting her words have caused. “I just need time to-” 

“Time? Haven’t you had enough of that, already?” Suddenly the room is engulfed in complete and utter darkness and the Hargreeves go into high alert, trying to figure out where the hell that voice is coming from. 

Could it be one of the Sparrow Academy heroes? Could they have followed them to the outskirts of town? 

“Show yourself, you coward!” Diego shouts, knives at the ready to attack their intruder. 

A flash of thunder illuminates the room for only a split second before the lights come back on and the Hargreeves find themselves frozen in place, unable to move even a muscle, try as they might. 

Save for one: Five. 

“What the hell...” he mutters, as he watches his siblings struggle to try and move from their positions. 

“Now, Allison.” that same disturbing voice commands. 

Allisons eyes go wide as her mouth begins to move without her permission and out come the words, “I heard a rumor you killed your brothers and sisters.” 

They watch with dawning horror as Fives eyes roll to the back of his head and turn an off shade of blue before he seamlessly plucks Diegos knife from where it was embedded in the wall earlier and faces his family, where they stand, helpless. 

“Shit!” Diego curses, trying in vain to move even a single digit. 

Vanya tries to conjure her own powers but finds that she can’t for some reason. “Five...” she calls out, knowing it’s futile. 

Five blinks over to Klaus first, who yelps in surprise, he barely has time to beg Five to reconsider when Five brings the knife down-

There’s boisterous screaming and panicked yelling and general chaos and Klaus is so sure this is it, that Five has plunged the knife straight into his heart and done away with him, until he opens his eyes and realizes nothing is protruding out of him...

Instead, Five has thrust the knife into his own leg. He’s breathing hard, his trembling fingers still hovering over the hilt of the weapon. 

The disembodied voice booms, “Allison!” 

And Allison curses, but she can’t stop the words from tumbling out of her mouth. “I heard a rumor you stabbed me in the jugular.” 

Fives eyes go pale blue for a second time and without even flinching he takes the knife out of his upper thigh and blinks so that he’s facing Allison this time. 

They can all see him struggling, perspiring, fighting against the rumor as he brandishes the knife in one hand, raising it up above his head slowly. 

Allison tries to let out another rumor, a contradicting rumor, perhaps, the way she had done when Five had been in front of Klaus, but again, the words get stuck in her throat. 

Whatever being is in the room is in total control of her powers... 

Allison feels something collide with her neck but it’s not the sharp sting of a knife she’s expecting. It’s Five’s forearm against her, protecting her from his own attack as he shoves the knife directly into his flesh. He’s panting now, with the force that it’s taken him not to obey her mind control. 

“Kill them.” the voice demands angrily. 

“Fuck you.” Five bites out through clenched teeth. 

As if those were the magic words, the voice departs and the Hargreeves can feel their limbs and move about once again, the tense atmosphere dissipating. 

“Holy shit!” Klaus gasps out, “What the fuck, Jesus!” 

Five grunts as he removes the knife from his forearm and wields it threateningly. “Allison,” he practically begs, his voice strained. “Unrumor me. Now.” 

Allison is more than happy to comply, hurriedly saying, “I heard a rumor you didn’t want us dead.” 

The knife clatters as it hits the floor and Five collapses next to it a second later, exhausted and hurting something awful. 

“Shit,” Diego grabs a bunch of hand towels from the bathroom and kneels down. “We gotta stop the bleeding.” He presses two towels against the stab wound on Fives forearm and Vanya grabs the rest to press against the one on his thigh. 

Five tenses up beneath them, his face scrunching up in pain. “Fuck!” 

“I saw a first aid kit in the lobby by the front desk, I’ll go get it!” Allison calls out, already halfway out the door in her haste. 

“Should we move him to the bed?” Luther asks, hovering over his siblings, concern and anxiety eating away at him. 

Diego curses. The hand towels are drenched in blood already. They need to stop the bleeding and soon, or else. “Elevate his leg.” he orders, letting Luther help Vanya try to stem the bleeding there. “Klaus, go get more towels from one of the maids if you can.” Klaus scurries to obey while the others continue to put pressure on Fives multiple injuries. 

Klaus and Allison arrive back at the motel room almost simultaneously, one with a stack of clean towels in their arms and the other with a giant red box in hand. 

With the extra towels and the supplies from the medical kit, they’re somehow able to stop the bleeding long enough to move Five up to the bed. Luther’s extremely gentle as he transfers him from one spot to the other. 

When it’s time to stitch him up, Vanya and Klaus volunteer to do it. Five is too exhausted, both mentally and physically to pretend to be stoic about any of this. He throws his good arm across his face, shielding his eyes from the light. 

“What do you guys think that was?” Luther asks the room at large, when the silence stretches on too long. 

Klaus doesn’t look up from where he’s threading his needle on Fives thigh, replying dryly. “Yet another person place or thing that wants us dead?” 

Diego scoffs. “It’s gotta be one of those Sparrow fuckheads. Who the hell else? I bet it was that goddamn cube-I still can’t believe dad adopted a fucking cube-Christ.” 

“Whatever it was, it was in control of my powers.” Allison frowns deeply. “When I tried to unrumor Five nothing came out-even when I tried rumoring one of you into being able to move again, so that at least we would stand a fighting chance against our little serial killer over here, nothing.” 

Vanya nods, “Same here. I tried to use my powers but it was like there was some kind of a block or something? Like when I was still taking those prescription pills.” She looks at Fives pale face-what she can see of it, from underneath his forearm-and risks the question, “Five, how did you manage not to....you know...?” As someone who’s had first hand experience being unwillingly rumored by their sister, she knows it’s not something one can easily brush off. 

Quite frankly, it’s a miracle they’re all still breathing... 

“Yeah, I thought for sure we were dead.” Diego walks over and playfully ruffles the top of Fives messy hair. “Good job not making yourself an only child.” he jokes, freezing entirely when in response to his teasing Five lets out what can only be described as a faint whimper. 

“Five?” 

“I almost killed everyone.” Five struggles to get the full sentence out, his breath hitching. “Fuck.” he curses, unable to stifle a sob. It’s a pathetically sad little noise, but it brings the rest of his siblings to his side immediately. 

“Hey,” Allison kneels down beside the bed and places a careful hand on his knee. She feels him flinch underneath her. “You resisted my rumor-twice. Do you know how rare that is? You saved us.” 

Five scrubs his face with the sleeve of his white button up shirt and finally uncovers his eyes. They’re red and puffy from crying, eyelashes wet with his tears. “I don’t want to be alone anymore.” he admits brokenly. “I can’t lose you guys again.” 

“Shit Five,” Diego leans down and briefly touches their foreheads together, the palm of his hand cupping Fives head. “You’re not alone, we’re right here. Not going anywhere.” 

Vanya nods determinedly. “That’s right. You’re stuck with us.” 

Luther towers over the group with a faint but genuine smile. “You know, I always figured you loved us, but I guess I didn’t realize the extent until today.” 

Five sniffles, wiping away more tears he can’t seem to stop from coming. “I would trade you all up for a decent cup of coffee.” he lies, feeling more exposed than he has in literal years. 

Klaus smirks. “Nuh uh, no take backs, Fivey. You loooooove us.” 

Five rolls his eyes but it doesn’t have quite the same effect it normally would, considering the fact that he is still very much crying. 

Allison clears her throat, squeezes his knee again, this time to get his attention, and says, “And we love you. I’d ask if you know that, but honestly I think the answer would make me too sad.” she sighs. “Five, I’m really sorry about what I said before-I was taking all my frustrations out on you and I spoke carelessly, without thinking.” 

Five shakes his head, overwhelmed. “It’s ok.” 

“It’s not.” Allison insists. “Five, I don’t know if anyone’s said this yet, but I think it’s long overdue. I’m so happy to see you again. I missed you, you know. A ton.” 

Five didn’t think he was childish enough to still need to hear such silly sentimental things. He’s not the type, he’s tried to convince himself. It’s not as though he was expecting some big tearful family reunion upon his arrival, after all. So he wasn’t crushed or anything when his return was met with little more than perhaps confused contemptment. He had things to do, apocalypses to stop and all that jazz. 

That’s what he told himself, of course. 

But it doesn’t ring very true now, not when he can’t help but let out another sob. 

He’s too old for this, he thinks, as Diego pulls him gently to his side and Allison grabs hold of his hand. 

He doesn’t need them to love him back, he thinks, as Klaus finishes taping up his wound with a tenderness only reserved for those he loves, as Vanya wraps gauze around his forearm with care. 

He’s been fine all this time, he thinks, even as Luther says, “Good to have you back, Five.” 

It’s good to be back, he thinks, turning his head so that it’s buried against Diego’s shoulder when he lets out another sob. 

.